monopolized by the
gentlemen.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen," said the king, whom nothing escaped, "one would
almost think that you wore bracelets as the Sabines used to do; hand
them for a little while for the inspection of the ladies, who seem to me
to have, and with far greater right, some excuse for understanding such
matters better than you."

These words appeared to Madame the commencement of a decision she
expected. She gathered, besides, this happy belief from the glances of
the queen-mother. The courtier who held them at the moment the king made
this remark, amid the general agitation, hastened to place the bracelets
in the hands of the queen, Maria-Theresa, who, knowing too well, poor
woman, that they were not designed for her, hardly looked at them, and
almost immediately passed them on to Madame. The latter, and--even more
minutely than herself--Monsieur, gave the bracelets a long look of
anxious and almost covetous desire. She then handed the jewels to those
ladies who were near her, pronouncing this single word, but with an
accent which was worth a long phrase, "Magnificent!"

The ladies who had received the bracelets from Madame's hands looked at
them as long as they chose to examine them, and then made them circulate
by passing them on toward the right. During this time the king was
tranquilly conversing with De Guiche and Fouquet, rather letting them
talk than himself listening. Accustomed to the set form of ordinary
phrases, his ear, like that of all men who exercise an incontestable
superiority over others, merely selected from the conversations held in
various directions the indispensable word which requires reply. His
attention, however, was now elsewhere, for it wandered as his eyes did.

Mademoiselle de Tonnay-Charente was the last of the ladies inscribed for
tickets; and, as if she had ranked according to her name upon the list,
she only had Montalais and La Valliere after her. When the bracelets
reached these two latter, no one appeared to take any further notice of
them. The humble hands which for a moment touched these jewels, deprived
them of all their importance--a circumstance which did not, however,
prevent Montalais from starting with joy, envy, and covetous desire, at
the sight of the beautiful stones still more than at their magnificent
workmanship. It is evident that if she were compelled to decide between
the pecuniary value and the artistic beauty, Montalais would
unhesitatingly have pr