; if he should be disengaged,
request him to be good enough to come to my apartment."

De Guiche remained silent and concealed in the shade; but, as soon as
Madame had withdrawn, he darted from the terrace down the steps, and
assumed a most indifferent air, so that the pages who were hurrying
toward his rooms might meet him.

"Ah! it is Madame then who is seeking me!" he said to himself, quite
overcome; and he crushed in his hand the letter which had now become
useless.

"M. le Comte," said one of the pages, approaching him, "we are indeed
most fortunate in meeting you."

"Why so, messieurs?"

"A command from Madame."

"From Madame!" said De Guiche, looking surprised.

"Yes, M. le Comte, her royal highness has been asking for you: she
expects to hear, she told us, the result of a commission you had to
execute for her. Are you at liberty?"

"I am quite at her royal highness's orders."

"Will you have the goodness to follow us, then?"

When De Guiche ascended to the princess's apartments, he found her pale
and agitated. Montalais was standing at the door, apparently in some
degree uneasy about what was passing in her mistress's mind. De Guiche
appeared.

"Ah! is that you, Monsieur de Guiche?" said Madame; "come in, I beg.
Mademoiselle de Montalais, I do not require your attendance any longer."

Montalais, more puzzled than ever, curtseyed and withdrew, and De Guiche
and the princess were left alone. The comte had every advantage in his
favor; it was Madame who had summoned him to a rendezvous. But how was
it possible for the comte to make use of this advantage? Madame was so
whimsical, and her disposition was so changeable. She soon allowed this
to be perceived, for, suddenly opening the conversation, she said,
"Well! have you nothing to say to me?"

He imagined she must have guessed his thoughts; he fancied (for those
who are in love are so constituted, they are as credulous and blind as
poets or prophets), he fancied she knew how ardent was his desire to see
her, and also the subject of it.

"Yes, madame," he said, "and I think it very singular."

"The affair of the bracelets," she exclaimed eagerly; "you mean that, I
suppose?"

"Yes, madame."

"And you think the king is in love, do you not?"

Guiche looked at her for some time; her eyes sunk under his gaze, which
seemed to read her very heart.

"I think," he said, "that the king may possibly have had the idea of
annoying some one here; were it