ouquet?"

"Saint-Aignan," said Philippe, "have the goodness to go and inquire
after the queen."

At these words, the first Philippe had pronounced aloud, the slight
difference that there was between his voice and that of the king was
sensible to maternal ears, and Anne of Austria looked earnestly at her
son. Saint-Aignan left the room, and Philippe continued:

"Madame, I do not like to hear M. Fouquet ill-spoken of, you know I do
not--and you have even spoken well of him yourself."

"That is true; therefore I only question you on the state of your
sentiments with respect to him."

"Sire," said Henrietta, "I, on my part, have always liked M. Fouquet. He
is a man of good taste,--a superior man."

"A superintendent who is never sordid or niggardly," added Monsieur;
"and who pays in gold all the orders I have on him."

"Every one in this thinks too much of himself, and nobody for the
state," said the old queen. "M. Fouquet, it is a fact, M. Fouquet is
ruining the state."

"Well, mother!" replied Philippe, in rather a lower key, "do you
likewise constitute yourself the buckler of M. Colbert?"

"How is that?" replied the old queen, rather surprised.

"Why, in truth," replied Philippe, "you speak that just as your old
friend Madame de Chevreuse would speak."

"Why do you mention Madame de Chevreuse to me?" said she, "and what sort
of humor are you in to-day towards me?"

Philippe continued: "Is not Madame de Chevreuse always in league against
somebody? Has not Madame de Chevreuse been to pay you a visit, mother?"

"Monsieur, you speak to me now in such a manner that I can almost fancy
I am listening to your father."

"My father did not like Madame de Chevreuse, and had good reason for not
liking her," said the prince. "For my part, I like her no better than
_he_ did, and if she thinks proper to come here as she formerly did, to
sow divisions and hatreds under the pretext of begging money--why--"

"Well! what?" said Anne of Austria, proudly, herself provoking the
storm.

"Well!" replied the young man firmly, "I will drive Madame de Chevreuse
out of my kingdom--and with her all who meddle with its secrets and
mysteries."

He had not calculated the effect of this terrible speech, or perhaps
he wished to judge the effect of it, like those who, suffering from a
chronic pain, and seeking to break the monotony of that suffering,
touch their wound to procure a sharper pang. Anne of Austria was nearly
fainting; he