Part 13 (1/2)

”Madehter of the Marquise de la Valliere,” said Madarace, led with the profound ti, that the latter lost, while looking at her, a feords of the conversation of Monsieur and the cardinal

”Daughter-in-law,” continued Madame, ”of M de Saint-Remy, my maitre d'hotel, who presided over the confection of that excellent daube truffee which your race, no youth, no beauty, could stand out against such a presentation The king smiled Whether the words of Madame were a pleasantry, or uttered in all innocency, they proved the pitiless i or poetic in the young girl Mademoiselle de la Valliere, for Mada, was, for a hter of a man of a superior talent over dindes truffees

But princes are thus constituted The Gods, too, were just like this in Olympus Diana and Venus, no doubt, abused the beautiful Alcmena and poor Io, when they condescended for distraction's sake, to speak, amidst nectar and ambrosia, of mortal beauties, at the table of Jupiter

Fortunately, Louise was so bent in her reverential salute, that she did not catch either Mada's sood taste as alone to have chosen to dress herself in white amidst all her companions--if that dove's heart, so easily accessible to painful emotions, had been touched by the cruel words of Mada, it would have annihilated her

And Montalais herself, the girl of ingenious ideas, would not have attempted to recall her to life; for ridicule kills beauty even

But fortunately, as we have said, Louise, whose ears were buzzing, and her eyes veiled by ti, who had still his attention directed to the conversation of the cardinal and his uncle, hastened to return to them

He ca: ”Mary, as well as her sisters, has just set off for Brouage Iwhich we have traveled; and if I calculate their progress correctly, according to the orders I have given, they will to-morrow be opposite Blois”

These words were pronounced with that tact--that measure, that distinctness of tone, of intention, and reach--which nor Giulio Mazarini the first coht to the heart of Louis XIV, and the cardinal, on turning round at the si footsteps of his majesty, saw the immediate effect of them upon the countenance of his pupil, an effect betrayed to the keen eyes of his eht increase of color But as the ventilation of such a secret to him whose craft had for twenty years deceived all the diplo heard these last words, he appeared as if he had received a poisoned arrow in his heart He could not remain quiet in a place, but cast around an uncertain, dead, and aiated his iven up to the pleasure of conversing with her sister-in-law, and likewise constrained by the glance of Mazarin, did not appear to comprehend any of the supplications conveyed by the looks of her son

Frohts, flowers, beauties, all became odious and insipid to Louis XIV After he had a hundred tis and his arape, exhausts all the ain i look towards the door, that is to say, towards liberty

At this door, in the ely, a figure with a brown and lofty countenance, an aquiline nose, a stern but brilliant eye, gray and long hair, a black et, hts which concentrated upon it, and sent theray hat with its long red plumes upon his head, a proof that he was called there by his duty, and not by his pleasure If he had been brought thither by his pleasure--if he had been a courtier instead of a soldier, as pleasure must always be paid for at the same price--he would have held his hat in his hand

That which proved still better that this officer was upon duty, and was acco a task to which he was accustomed, was, that he watched, with folded arms, remarkable indifference, and supreme apathy, the joys and ennuis of this fete Above all, he appeared, like a philosopher, and all old soldiers are philosophers,--he appeared above all to comprehend the ennuis infinitely better than the joys; but in the one he took his part, knowing very well how to do without the other

Now, he was leaning, as we have said, against the carved door-fra, by chance, met his

It was not the first time, as it appeared, that the eyes of the officer had met those eyes, and he was perfectly acquainted with the expression of them; for, as soon as he had cast his own look upon the countenance of Louis XIV, and had read by it as passing in his heart--that is to say, all the ennui that oppressed hiitated hi a service without his co it,--aliven the word of co's service!” cried he, in a clear, sonorous voice

At these words, which produced the effect of a peal of thunder, prevailing over the orchestra, the singing and the buzz of the promenaders, the cardinal and the queen-mother looked at each other with surprise

Louis XIV, pale, but resolved, supported as he was by that intuition of his own thought which he had found in the mind of the officer of iven, arose from his chair, and took a step towards the door

”Are you going, my son?” said the queen, whilst Mazarin satisfied hiht have appeared

”Yes, ued, and, besides, wish to write this evening”

A smile stole over the lips of the ive the king perive orders to the officers who presented theained the door, where a hedge of twenty e stood the officer, i passed, and all the crowd stood on tip-toe, to have onethe crowd of the ante-chambers and the steps,and Monsieur, who had insisted upon acco his e escorted the king to the chamber destined for him The apart his sojourn in the States

Monsieur had given his orders The musketeers, led by their officer, took possession of the little passage by which one wing of the castle coe was commenced by a small square ante-chamber, dark even in the finest days Monsieur stopped Louis XIV

”You are passing now, sire,” said he, ”the very spot where the Duc de Guise received the first stab of the poniard”