door. The person expected was doubtless
some one of importance, for there was an instant silence, and the
Duchesse de Maine, in her impatience, went herself to open the door.

"Well?" asked she.

"He is here," said a voice, which D'Harmental recognized as that of the
Bat.

"Enter, enter, prince," said the duchess; "we wait for you."

CHAPTER VI.

THE PRINCE DE CELLAMARE.

At this invitation there entered a tall, thin, grave man, with a
sunburned complexion, who at a single glance took in everything in the
room, animate and inanimate. The chevalier recognized the ambassador of
their Catholic majesties, the Prince de Cellamare.

"Well, prince," asked the duchess, "what have you to tell us?"

"I have to tell you, madame," replied the prince, kissing her hand
respectfully, and throwing his cloak on a chair, "that your highness had
better change coachmen. I predict misfortune if you retain in your
service the fellow who drove me here. He seems to me to be some one
employed by the regent to break the necks of your highness and all your
companions."

Every one began to laugh, and particularly the coachman himself, who,
without ceremony, had entered behind the prince; and who, throwing his
hat and cloak on a seat, showed himself a man of high bearing, from
thirty-five to forty years old, with the lower part of his face hidden
by a black handkerchief.

"Do you hear, my dear Laval, what the prince says of you?"

"Yes, yes," said Laval; "it is worth while to give him Montmorencies to
be treated like that. Ah, M. le Prince, the first gentlemen in France
are not good enough for your coachmen! Peste! you are difficult to
please. Have you many coachmen at Naples who date from Robert the
Strong?"

"What! is it you, my dear count?" said the prince, holding out his hand
to him.

"Myself, prince! Madame la Duchesse sent away her coachman to keep Lent
in his own family, and engaged me for this night. She thought it safer."

"And Madame la Duchesse did right," said the cardinal. "One cannot take
too many precautions."

"Ah, your eminence," said Laval, "I should like to know if you would be
of the same opinion after passing half the night on the box of a
carriage, first to fetch M. d'Harmental from the opera ball, and then to
take the prince from the Hotel Colbert."

"What!" said D'Harmental, "was it you, Monsieur le Comte, who had the
goodness--"

"Yes, young man," replied Laval; "and I would have gone to the