with blue eyes and white shoulders,
who, recognizing him, called him Raoul.

He saw her, and divined at once so much love and so much joy in the
expression of her countenance, the he sank on his knees in the middle of
the chamber, murmuring, on his part, the name of Louise.

"Ah! Montalais!--Montalais!" she sighed, "it is very wicked to deceive
me so."

"Who, I? I have deceived you?"

"Yes; you told me you would go down to inquire the news, and you have
brought up monsieur!"

"Well, I was obliged to do so--how else could he have received the
letter you wrote him?" And she pointed with her finger to the letter
which was still upon the table.

Raoul made a step to take it; Louise, more rapid, although she had
sprung forward with a sufficiently remarkable physical hesitation,
reached out her hand to stop him. Raoul came in contact with that
trembling hand, took it within his own, and carried it so respectfully
to his lips, that he might have been said to have deposited a sigh upon
it rather than a kiss.

In the meantime, Mademoiselle de Montalais had taken the letter, folded
it carefully, as women do, in three folds, and slipped it into her
bosom.

"Don't be afraid, Louise," said she; "monsieur will no more venture to
take it hence than the defunct king Louis XIII. ventured to take billets
from the corsage of Mademoiselle de Hautefort."

Raoul blushed at seeing the smile of the two girls; and he did not
remark that the hand of Louise remained in his.

"There!" said Montalais, "you have pardoned me, Louise, for having
brought monsieur to you; and you, monsieur, bear me no malice for having
followed me to see mademoiselle. Now, then, peace being made, let us
chat like old friends. Present me, Louise, to M. de Bragelonne."

"Monsieur le Vicomte," said Louise, with her quiet grace and ingenuous
smile, "I have the honor to present to you Mademoiselle Aure de
Montalais, maid of honor to her royal highness MADAME, and moreover my
friend--my excellent friend."

Raoul bowed ceremoniously.

"And me, Louise," said he--"will you not present me also to
mademoiselle?"

"Oh, she knows you--she knows all!"

This unguarded expression made Montalais laugh and Raoul sigh with
happiness, for he interpreted it thus: "_She knows all our love_."

"The ceremonies being over, Monsieur le Vicomte," said Montalais, "take
a chair, and tell us quickly the news you bring flying thus."

"Mademoiselle, it is no longer a secret; th