nd seen before the palace
is set on fire. Everything has its commencements. If you are so easily
excited, no one will believe you are really captivated, and every one
will think you out of your senses--if even, indeed, the truth itself not
be guessed. The public is not so fatuous as they seem."

The king was obliged to admit that Madame was an angel for sense, and
the very reverse for cleverness. He bowed, and said: "Agreed, Madame,
I will think over my plan of attack: great military men--my cousin
De Conde for instance--grow pale in meditation upon their strategical
plans, before they move one of the pawns, which people call armies; I
therefore wish to draw up a complete plan of campaign; for you know that
the tender passion is subdivided in a variety of ways. Well, then,
I shall stop at the village of Little Attentions, at the hamlet of
Love-Letters, before I follow the road of Visible Affection; the way is
clear enough, you know, and poor Madame de Scudery would never forgive
me for passing though a halting-place without stopping."

"Oh! now we have returned to our proper senses, shall we say adieu,
sire?"

"Alas! it must be so, for see, we are interrupted."

"Yes, indeed," said Henrietta, "they are bringing Mademoiselle de
Tonnay-Charente and her sphinx butterfly in grand procession this way."

"It is perfectly well understood, that this evening, during the
promenade, I am to make my escape into the forest, and find La Valliere
without you."

"I will take care to send her away."

"Very well! I will speak to her when she is with her companions, and I
will then discharge my first arrow at her."

"Be skillful," said Madame, laughing, "and do not miss the heart."

Then the princess took leave of the king, and went forward to meet the
merry troop, which was advancing with much ceremony, and a great many
pretended flourishes of trumpets, imitated with their mouths.

Chapter XXXIX. The Ballet of the Seasons.

At the conclusion of the banquet, which was served at five o'clock, the
king entered his cabinet, where his tailors were awaiting him for the
purpose of trying on the celebrated costume representing Spring, which
was the result of so much imagination, and had cost so many efforts of
thought to the designers and ornament-workers of the court. As for the
ballet itself, every person knew the part he had to take in it, and
how to perform it. The king had resolved to make it surprise. Hardly,
therefore, ha