e king!" exclaimed Mademoiselle de Montalais, in her astonishment,
letting La Valliere's head fall upon the ground.

"Yes, it is the king; but that is no reason why you should abandon your
companion. Who is she?"

"It is Mademoiselle de la Valliere, sire."

"Mademoiselle de la Valliere!"

"Yes, sire, she has just fainted."

"Poor child!" said the king. "Quick, quick, fetch a surgeon." But
however great the anxiety with which the king had pronounced these words
may have seemed to others, he had not so carefully schooled himself
but that they appeared, as well as the gesture which accompanied them,
somewhat cold to Saint-Aignan, to whom the king had confided the sudden
love with which she had inspired him.

"Saint-Aignan," continued the king, "watch over Mademoiselle de la
Valliere, I beg. Send for a surgeon. I will hasten forward and inform
Madame of the accident which has befallen one of her maids of honor."
And, in fact, while M. de Saint-Aignan was busily engaged in making
preparations for carrying Mademoiselle de la Valliere to the chateau,
the king hurried forward, happy to have an opportunity of approaching
Madame, and of speaking to her under a colorable pretext. Fortunately, a
carriage was passing; the coachman was told to stop, and the persons who
were inside, having been informed of the accident, eagerly gave up their
seats to Mademoiselle de la Valliere. The current of fresh air produced
by the rapid motion of the carriage soon recalled her to her senses.
Having reached the chateau, she was able, though very weak, to
alight from the carriage, and, with the assistance of Athenais and of
Montalais, to reach the inner apartments. They made her sit down in one
of the rooms of the ground floor. After a while, as the accident had not
produced much effect upon those who had been walking, the promenade was
resumed. During this time, the king had found Madame beneath a tree with
overhanging branches, and had seated himself by her side.

"Take care, sire," said Henrietta to him, in a low tone, "you do not
show yourself as indifferent as you ought to be."

"Alas!" replied the king, in the same tone, "I much fear we have entered
into an agreement above our strength to keep." He then added aloud, "You
have heard of the accident, I suppose?"

"What accident?"

"Oh! in seeing you I forgot I hurried here expressly to tell you of it.
I am, however, painfully affected by it; one of your maids of honor,
Mademoiselle