ame is La Valliere."

At this moment some of the younger courtiers were crossing the
apartment, and having already heard the few words which had just been
pronounced, were able also to hear those words which were about to
follow. De Wardes observed this, and continued aloud:--"Oh! if La
Valliere were a coquette like Madame, whose very innocent flirtations, I
am sure, were, first of all, the cause of the Duke of Buckingham being
sent to England, and afterward were the reason of your being sent into
exile: for you will not deny, I suppose, that Madame's seductive manners
did have a certain influence over you?"

The courtiers drew nearer to the two speakers, Saint-Aignan at their
head, and then Manicamp.

"But, my dear fellow, whose fault was that?" said Guiche, laughing. "I
am a vain, conceited fellow, I know, and everybody else knows it, too. I
took seriously that which was only intended as a jest, and I got myself
exiled for my pains. But I saw my error. I overcame my vanity, and I
obtained my recall by making the _amende honorable_, and by promising
myself to overcome this defect; and the consequence is, that I am so
thoroughly cured, that I now laugh at the very thing which three or four
days ago would have almost broken my heart. But Raoul is in love, and is
loved in return, he cannot laugh at the reports which disturb his
happiness--reports which you seem to have undertaken to interpret, when
you know, marquis, as I do, as those gentlemen do, as every one does in
fact, that these reports are pure calumny."

"Calumny!" exclaimed De Wardes, furious at seeing himself caught in the
snare by De Guiche's coolness of temper.

"Certainly, a calumny. Look at this letter from him, in which he tells
me you have spoken ill of Mademoiselle de la Valliere; and where he asks
me, if what you reported about this young girl be true or not. Do you
wish me to appeal to these gentlemen, De Wardes, to decide?" And with
admirable coolness, Guiche read aloud the paragraph of the letter which
referred to La Valliere. "And now," continued De Guiche, "there is no
doubt in the world, as far as I am concerned, that you wished to disturb
Bragelonne's peace of mind, and that your remarks were maliciously
intended."

De Wardes looked round him, to see if he could find support from any
one; but, at the idea that De Wardes had insulted, either directly or
indirectly, the idol of the day, every one shook his head; and De Wardes
saw that there