ken of. But, as the
majority was already informed, and well informed, too, on the matter,
the acknowledged favor with which she was regarded, had attracted to her
side some of the most astute, as well as the least sensible, members of
the court. The former, because they said with Montainge, "What can we
tell?" and the latter, who said with Rabelais, "It is likely." The
greatest number had followed in the wake of the latter, just as in
hunting five or six of the best hounds alone follow the scent of the
animal hunted, while the remainder of the pack follow only the scent of
the hounds. The two queens and Madame examined with particular attention
the toilets of their ladies and maids of honor; and they condescended
to forget they were queens in recollecting that they were women. In
other words, they pitilessly tore in pieces every person there who wore
a petticoat. The looks of both princesses simultaneously fell upon La
Valliere, who, as we have just said, was completely surrounded at that
moment. Madame knew not what pity was, and said to the queen-mother, as
she turned toward her, "If fortune were just, she would favor that poor
La Valliere."

"That is not possible," said the queen-mother, smiling.

"Why not?"

"There are only two hundred tickets, so that it was not possible to
inscribe every one's name on the list."

"And hers is not there, then?"

"No!"

"What a pity! she might have won them, and then sold them."

"Sold them!" exclaimed the queen.

"Yes; it would have been a dowry for her, and she would not have been
obliged to marry without her trousseau, as will probably be the case."

"Really," answered the queen-mother, "poor little thing, has she no
dresses, then?"

And she pronounced these words like a woman who has never been able to
understand the inconveniences of a slenderly filled purse.

"Stay, look at her. Heaven forgive me, if she is not wearing the very
same petticoat this evening that she had on this morning during the
promenade, and which she managed to keep clean, thanks to the care the
king took of her, in sheltering her from the rain."

At the very moment Madame uttered these words the king entered the room.
The two queens would not perhaps have observed his arrival, so
completely were they occupied in their ill-natured remarks, had not
Madame noticed that, all at once, La Valliere, who was standing up
facing the gallery, exhibited certain signs of confusion, and then said
a few wo