which England submits to, could I not
represent the second party as well as the Dutch?"

"We have Mademoiselle de Keroualle to treat that question," replied
Madame.

"Your second condition for going, if you please, sister?"

"The consent of Monsieur, my husband."----"You shall have it."

"Then consider me gone, my brother."

On hearing these words, Louis XIV. turned round toward the corner of the
room in which D'Artagnan, Colbert, and Aramis stood, and made an
affirmative sign to his minister. Colbert then broke the conversation at
the point it happened to be at, and said to Aramis:

"Monsieur l'Ambassadeur, shall we talk about business?"

D'Artagnan immediately withdrew, from politeness. He directed his steps
toward the chimney, within hearing of what the king was going to say to
Monsieur, who, evidently uneasy, had gone to him. The face of the king
was animated. Upon his brow was stamped a will, the redoubtable
expression of which already met with no more contradiction in France,
and was soon to meet with no more in Europe.

"Monsieur," said the king to his brother, "I am not pleased with M. le
Chevalier de Lorraine. You, who do him the honor to protect him, must
advise him to travel for a few months." These words fell with the crush
of an avalanche upon Monsieur, who adored this favorite, and
concentrated all his affections in him.

"In what has the chevalier been able to displease your majesty?" cried
he, darting a furious look at Madame.

"I will tell you that when he is gone," replied the impassible king.
"And also when Madame, here, shall have crossed over into England."

"Madame! into England!" murmured Monsieur, in a perfect state of stupor.

"In a week, my brother," continued the king, "while we two will go
whither I will tell you." And the king turned upon his heel after having
smiled in his brother's face, to sweeten a little the bitter draught he
had given him.

During this time, Colbert was talking with the Duc d'Almeda.

"Monsieur," said Colbert to Aramis, "this is the moment for us to come
to an understanding. I have made your peace with the king, and I owed
that clearly to a man of your merit; but as you have often expressed
friendship for me, an opportunity presents itself for giving me a proof
of it. You are, besides, more a Frenchman than Spaniard. Shall we have,
answer me frankly, the neutrality of Spain, if we undertake anything
against the United Provinces?"

"Monsieur," replied