e grand council desired you to put in_."

Grisart, amazed, overcome, completely astounded, almost fell backwards
in his extreme terror. Aramis shrugged his shoulders in sign of pity,
took the glass, and poured out the contents among the ashes of the
hearth. He then left the room, carrying the papers of the dead man with
him.

Chapter LIV. A Mission.

The next day, or rather the same day (for the events we have just
described were concluded only at three o'clock in the morning), before
breakfast was served, and as the king was preparing to go to mass with
the two queens; as Monsieur, with the Chevalier de Lorraine, and a few
other intimate companions, was mounting his horse to set off for the
river, to take one of those celebrated baths with which the ladies
of the court were so infatuated, as, in fact, no one remained in
the chateau, with the exception of Madame who, under the pretext of
indisposition, would not leave her room; Montalais was seen, or rather
not was not seen, to glide stealthily out of the room appropriated to
the maids of honor, leading La Valliere after her, who tried to conceal
herself as much as possible, and both of them, hurrying secretly through
the gardens, succeeded, looking round them at every step they took, in
reaching the thicket. The weather was cloudy, a warm breeze bowed the
flowers and the shrubs, the burning dust, swept along in clouds by the
wind, was whirled in eddies towards the trees. Montalais, who, during
their progress, had discharged the functions of a clever scout, advanced
a few steps further, and turning round again, to be quite sure that no
one was either listening or approaching, said to her companion, "Thank
goodness, we are quite alone! Since yesterday every one spies on
us here, and a circle seems to be drawn round us, as if we were
plague-stricken." La Valliere bent down her head and sighed. "It is
positively unheard of," continued Montalais; "from M. Malicorne to M. de
Saint-Aignan, every one wishes to get hold of our secret. Come, Louise,
let us take counsel, you and I, together, in order that I may know what
to do."

La Valliere lifted towards her companion her beautiful eyes, pure and
deep as the azure of a spring sky, "And I," she said, "will ask you why
we have been summoned to Madame's own room? Why have we slept close
to her apartment, instead of sleeping as usual in our own? Why did you
return so late, and whence are these measures of strict supervision