s, I went to pay Madame
a visit. Can you guess what, or whom, I found there? Another set of
musicians; more dancing, and Guiche himself--he was concealed there."

Anne of Austria frowned. "It was imprudent," she said. "What did Madame
say?"

"Nothing."

"And Guiche?"

"As much--oh, no! he muttered some impertinent remark or another."

"Well, what is your opinion, Philip?"

"That I have been made a fool of; that Buckingham was only a pretext,
and that Guiche is the one who is really to blame in the matter."

Anne shrugged her shoulders. "Well," she said, "what else?"

"I wish De Guiche to be dismissed from my household, as Buckingham was,
and I shall ask the king, unless--"

"Unless what?"

"Unless you, my dear mother, who are so clever and so kind, will execute
the commission yourself."

"I will not do it, Philip."

"What, madame?"

"Listen, Philip; I am not disposed to pay people ill compliments
every day; I have some influence over young people, but I cannot take
advantage of it without running the chances of losing it altogether.
Besides, there is nothing to prove that M. de Guiche is guilty."

"He has displeased me."

"That is your own affair."

"Very well, I know what I shall do," said the prince, impetuously.

Anne looked at him with some uneasiness. "What do you intend to do?" she
said.

"I will have him drowned in my fish-pond the very next time I find
him in my apartments again." Having launched this terrible threat, the
prince expected his mother would be frightened out of her senses; but
the queen was unmoved.

"Do so," she said.

Philip was as weak as a woman, and began to cry out, "Every one betrays
me,--no one cares for me; my mother, even, joins my enemies."

"Your mother, Philip, sees further in the matter than you do, and does
not care about advising you, since you will not listen to her."

"I will go to the king."

"I was about to propose that to you. I am now expecting his majesty;
it is the hour he usually pays me a visit; explain the matter to him
yourself."

She had hardly finished when Philip heard the door of the ante-room open
with some noise. He began to feel nervous. At the sound of the king's
footsteps, which could be heard upon the carpet, the duke hurriedly made
his escape. Anne of Austria could not resist laughing, and was laughing
still when the king entered. He came very affectionately to inquire
after the even now uncertain health of the queen-mother, an