Colbert or M. Fouquet.
The evening came. The king had expressed a wish not to walk in the park
until after cards in the evening. In the interval between supper and the
promenade, cards and dice were introduced.

The king won a thousand pistoles, and having won them, put them in his
pocket, and then rose, saying, "And now, gentlemen, to the park." He
found the ladies of the court already there. The king, we have before
observed, had won a thousand pistoles, and had put them in his pocket;
but M. Fouquet had somehow contrived to lose ten thousand, so that among
the courtiers there was still left a hundred and ninety thousand francs
profit to divide, a circumstance which made the countenances of the
courtiers and the officers of the king's household the most joyous
countenances in the world. It was not the same, however, with the king's
face; for notwithstanding his success at play, to which he was by no
means insensible, there still remained a slight shade of
dissatisfaction. Colbert was waiting for or upon him at the corner of
one of the avenues; he was most probably waiting there in consequence of
a rendezvous which had been given him by the king, as Louis XIV., who
had avoided him, or who had seemed to avoid him, suddenly made him a
sign, and they then struck into the depths of the park together. But La
Valliere, as well, had observed the king's gloomy aspect and kindling
glances; she had remarked this--and as nothing which lay hidden or
smoldering in his heart was impenetrable to her affection--she
understood that this repressed wrath menaced some one; she prepared to
withstand the current of his vengeance and intercede like an angel of
mercy. Overcome by sadness, nervously agitated, deeply distressed at
having been so long separated from her lover, disturbed at the sight of
that emotion which she had divined, she accordingly presented herself to
the king with an embarrassed aspect, which, in his then disposition of
mind, the king interpreted unfavorably. Then, as they were alone, or
nearly alone, inasmuch as Colbert, as soon as he perceived the young
girl approaching, had stopped and drawn back a dozen paces--the king
advanced toward La Valliere and took her by the hand. "Mademoiselle," he
said to her, "should I be guilty of an indiscretion if I were to inquire
if you were indisposed? for you seem to breathe as if you were
oppressed by some secret cause of uneasiness, and your eyes are filled
with tears."

"Oh! sir