the royal oak, would allow herself to be
influenced to such an extent by the direction of others."

"But the threat held out against me, sire."

"Threat! who threatened you--who dared to threaten you?"

"They who have the right to do so, sire."

"I do not recognize any one as possessing the right to threaten in my
kingdom."

"Forgive me, sire, but near your majesty, even, there are persons
sufficiently high in position to have, or to believe that they possess,
the right of injuring a young girl, without fortune, and possessing only
her reputation."

"In what way injure her?"

"In depriving her of her reputation, by disgracefully expelling her from
the court."

"Oh! Mademoiselle de la Valliere," said the king, bitterly, "I prefer
those persons who exculpate themselves without incriminating others."

"Sire!"

"Yes; and I confess that I greatly regret to perceive that an easy
justification, as your own might be, should have been complicated in my
presence by a tissue of reproaches and imputations against others."

"And which you do not believe?" exclaimed La Valliere. The king remained
silent.

"Nay, but tell me!" repeated La Valliere, vehemently.

"I regret to confess it," replied the king, bowing coldly.

The young girl uttered a deep groan, striking her hands together in
despair. "You do not believe me, then," she said to the king, who still
remained silent, while poor La Valliere's features became visibly
changed at his continued silence. "Therefore, you believe," she said,
"that I settled this ridiculous, this infamous plot, of trifling, in so
shameless a manner, with your majesty."

"Nay," said the king, "it is neither ridiculous nor infamous, it is not
even a plot; it is merely a jest, more or less amusing, and nothing
more."

"Oh!" murmured the young girl, "the king does not, and will not,
believe me, then?"

"No, indeed, I will not believe you," said the king. "Besides, in point
of fact, what can be more natural? The king, you argue, follows me,
listens to me, watches me; the king wishes perhaps to amuse himself at
my expense, I will amuse myself at his, and as the king is very
tender-hearted, I will take his heart by storm."

La Valliere hid her face in her hands, as she stifled her sobs. The king
continued most pitilessly, he revenged himself upon the poor victim
before him for all that he had himself suffered.

"Let us invent, then, this story of my loving him and preferring him to
oth