ion, but with the very opposite intention; namely,
that the comte should be indiscreet. It followed, as a matter of course,
that he latter recommendation was quite as unnecessary as the
former. Half an hour afterwards, everybody in Fontainebleau knew that
Mademoiselle de la Valliere had had a conversation under the royal oak
with Montalais and Tonnay-Charente, and that in this conversation she
had confessed her affection for the king. It was known, also, that the
king, after having manifested the uneasiness with which Mademoiselle
de la Valliere's health had inspired him, had turned pale, and trembled
very much as he received the beautiful girl fainting into his arms; so
that it was quite agreed among the courtiers, that the greatest event of
the period had just been revealed; that his majesty loved Mademoiselle
de la Valliere, and that, consequently, Monsieur could now sleep in
perfect tranquillity. It was this, even, that the queen-mother, as
surprised as the others by the sudden change, hastened to tell the young
queen and Philip d'Orleans. Only she set to work in a different manner,
by attacking them in the following way:--To her daughter-in-law she
said, "See, now, Therese, how very wrong you were to accuse the king;
now it is said he is devoted to some other person; why should there be
any greater truth in the report of to-day than in that of yesterday, or
in that of yesterday than in that of to-day?" To Monsieur, in relating
to him the adventure of the royal oak, she said, "Are you not very
absurd in your jealousies, my dear Philip? It is asserted that the king
is madly in love with that little La Valliere. Say nothing of it to
your wife; for the queen will know all about it very soon." This latter
confidential communication had an immediate result. Monsieur, who had
regained his composure, went triumphantly to look after his wife, and
it was not yet midnight and the _fete_ was to continue until two in the
morning, he offered her his hand for a promenade. At the end of a few
paces, however, the first thing he did was to disobey his mother's
injunctions.

"Do not tell any one, the queen least of all," he said mysteriously,
"what people say about the king."

"What do they say about him?" inquired Madame.

"That my brother has suddenly fallen in love."

"With whom?"

"With Mademoiselle de la Valliere."

As it was dark, Madame could smile at her ease.

"Ah!" she said, "and how long is it since this has been t