"

"Yes, monseigneur."

"Well, then, come back to us; here is the list of the guests. Noce,
Lafare, Fargy, Ravanne, Broglie; I do not invite Brancas: he has been
wearisome for some days. I think he must be conspiring. Then La
Phalaris, and D'Averne, they cannot bear each other; they will tear out
each other's eyes, and that will amuse us. Then we shall have La Souris,
and perhaps Madame de Sabran, if she has no appointment with Richelieu."

"This is your list, monseigneur?"

"Yes."

"Well, will your highness look at mine now?"----"Have you made one,
too?"

"No, it was brought to me ready made."

"What is this?" asked the regent, looking at a paper which Dubois
presented to him.

"'Nominal list of the officers who request commissions in the Spanish
army: Claude Francois de Ferrette, Knight of Saint Louis, field marshal
and colonel of cavalry; Boschet, Knight of Saint Louis, and colonel of
infantry, De Sabran, De Larochefoucault-Gondrel, De Villeneuve, De
Lescure, De Laval.' Well, what next?"

"Here is another;" and he presented a second letter to the duke.

"'Protestation of the nobility.'"

"Make your lists, monseigneur, you are not the only one, you see--the
Prince de Cellamare has his also."

"'Signed without distinction of ranks, so that there may be no
dissatisfaction:--De Vieux-Pont, De la Pailleterie, De Beaufremont, De
Latour-du-Pin, De Montauban, Louis de Caumont, Claude de Polignac,
Charles de Laval, Antoine de Chastellux, Armand de Richelieu.' Where did
you fish up all this, you old fox?"

"Wait, monseigneur, we have not done yet. Look at this."

"'Plan of the conspirators: Nothing is more important than to make sure
of the strong places near the Pyrenees, to gain the garrison of
Bayonne.' Surrender our towns! give the keys of France into the hands of
the Spanish! What does this mean, Dubois?"

"Patience, monseigneur; we have better than that to show you; we have
here the letters from his majesty Philip V. himself."

"'To the king of France--' But these are only copies."

"I will tell you soon where the originals are."

"Let us see, my dear abbe, let us see. 'Since Providence has placed me
on the throne of Spain,' etc., etc. 'In what light can your faithful
subjects regard the treaty which is signed against me?' etc., etc. 'I
beg your majesty to convoke the States-General of the kingdom.' Convoke
the States-General! In whose name?"

"In the name of Philip V."

"Philip V. is king of S