s; is she then deserted?"

"Not quite yet, but it will not be long first."

They chatted together, while following the sport, and Aramis' coachman
drove them so cleverly that they got up at the moment when the falcon,
attacking the bird, beat him down, and fell upon him. The king alighted,
Madame de Montespan followed his example. They were in front of an
isolated chapel, concealed by large trees, already despoiled of their
leaves by the first winds of autumn. Behind this chapel was an
inclosure, closed by a latticed gate. The falcon had beat down his prey
in the inclosure belonging to this little chapel, and the king was
desirous of going in, to take the first feather, according to custom.
The cortege formed a circle round the building and the hedges, too small
to receive so many. D'Artagnan held back Aramis by the arm, as he was
about, like the rest, to alight from his carriage, and in a hoarse,
broken voice: "Do you know, Aramis," said he, "whither chance has
conducted us?"

"No," replied the duke.

"Here repose people I have known," said D'Artagnan, much agitated.

Aramis, without divining anything, and with a trembling step, penetrated
into the chapel by a little door which D'Artagnan opened for him.

"Where are they buried?" said he.

"There, in the inclosure. There is a cross, you see, under that little
cypress. The little cypress is planted over their tomb; don't go to it;
the king is going that way; the heron has fallen just there."

Aramis stopped, and concealed himself in the shade. They then saw,
without being seen, the pale face of La Valliere, who, neglected in her
carriage, had at first looked on, with a melancholy heart, from the
door, and then, carried away by jealousy, she had advanced into the
chapel, whence, leaning against a pillar, she contemplated in the
inclosure the king smiling and making signs to Madame de Montespan to
approach, as there was nothing to be afraid of. Madame de Montespan
complied; she took the hand the king held out to her, and he, plucking
out the first feather from the heron, which the falconer had strangled,
placed it in the hat of his beautiful companion. She, smiling in her
turn, kissed the hand tenderly which made her this present. The king
blushed with pleasure; he looked at Madame de Montespan with all the
fire of love.

"What will you give me in exchange?" said he.

She broke off a little branch of cypress and offered it to the king, who
looked intoxicated w