Part 71 (1/2)
La Valliere becaelonne!” cried the perfidious Athenais ”Eh, what!--is he gone to the wars?--he!”
Montalais trod on her toe, but all in vain
”Do you knohat nan
”No, mademoiselle; but I should like very much to know it”
”My opinion is, then, that all theo to try if they cannot find jet-complexioned women more kind than fair ones have been”
Sohed; La Valliere was evidently confused; Montalais coughed loud enough to waken the dead
”Madenan, ”you are in error when you speak of black woelli; the women there have not jet faces; it is true they are not white--they are yellow”
”Yellow!” exclaie it I have never seen a finer color to match with black eyes and a coral elonne,” said Mademoiselle de Tonnay-Charente, with persistent malice ”He will make amends for his loss Poor fellow!”
A profound silence followed these words; and D'Artagnan had time to observe and reflect that woers ButLa Valliere pale did not satisfy Athenais; she deter the conversation without pause, ”Do you know, Louise,” said she, ”that there is a great sin on your conscience?”
”What sin,round her for support, without finding it
”Eh!--why,” continued Athenais, ”the poor young man was affianced to you; he loved you; you cast hiht which every honest woman has,” said Montalais, in an affected tone ”When we knoe cannot constitute the happiness of a man, it is much better to cast him off”
”Cast him off! or refuse him!--that's all very well,” said Athenais, ”but that is not the sin Mademoiselle de la Valliere has to reproach herself with The actual sin is sending poor Bragelonne to the wars; and to wars in which death is so very likely to be met with” Louise pressed her hand over her icy brow ”And if he dies,” continued her pitiless tormentor, ”you will have killed hiht at the arm of the captain of the musketeers, whose face betrayed unusual enan,” said she, in a voice broken by anger and pain
”What had you to say to allery, holding Louise on his arh removed from the others--”What I had to say to you, mademoiselle,” replied he, ”Madehly and unkindly, it is true but still in its entirety”
She uttered a faint cry; pierced to the heart by this neound, she went her way, like one of those poor birds which, struck unto death, seek the shade of the thicket in which to die She disappeared at one door, at the lance of the king was directed towards the e La Valliere, a frown canan, who bowed to hient! I am much pleased with you” This was the superlative expression of royal satisfaction Many men would have been ready to lay down their lives for such a speech fro The maids of honor and the courtiers, who had for on his entrance, drew back, on observing he wished to speak privately with his captain of the allery, after having again, with his eyes, sought everywhere for La Valliere, whose absence he could not account for The moment they were out of the reach of curious ears, ”Well! Monsieur d'Artagnan,” said he, ”the prisoner?”
”Is in his prison, sire”
”What did he say on the road?”
”Nothing, sire”
”What did he do?”
”There was a moment at which the fisheruerite--revolted, and did his best to killto fly”
The king becanan bowed Louis walked about his cabinet with hasty steps ”Were you at Antibes,” said he, ”when Monsieur de Beaufort ca off when monsieur le duc arrived”
”Ah!” which was followed by a fresh silence ”Whoreatperceived he was unwilling to speak ”I have sent for you, ings at Nantes”