ss to retire to your own room."

The old queen's entreaties were commands, and as Maria-Theresa rose to
return to her own apartments, Madame rose in order to send a page to
summon La Valliere.

CHAPTER XXXI.

THE FIRST QUARREL.

La Valliere entered the queen-mother's apartments without in the least
suspecting that a serious plot was being concerted against her. She
thought it was for something connected with her duties, and never had
the queen-mother been unkind to her when such was the case. Besides, not
being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, she
could only have an official connection with her, to which her own
gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her
yield on every occasion with the best possible grace. She therefore
advanced toward the queen-mother with that soft and gentle smile which,
constituted her principal charm, and as she did not approach
sufficiently close, Anne of Austria signed to her to come nearer. Madame
then entered the room, and with a perfectly calm air took her seat
beside her mother-in-law, and continued the work which Maria-Theresa had
begun. When La Valliere, instead of the directions which she expected to
receive immediately on entering the room, perceived these preparations,
she looked with curiosity, if not with uneasiness, at the two
princesses. Anne seemed full of thought, while Madame maintained an
affectation of indifference which would have alarmed a less timid person
even than Louise.

"Mademoiselle," said the queen-mother suddenly, without attempting to
moderate or disguise her Spanish accent, which she never failed to do
except when she was angry, "come closer; we were talking of you, as
every one else seems to be doing."

"Of me!" exclaimed La Valliere, turning pale.

"Do you pretend to be ignorant of it; are you not aware of the duel
between M. de Guiche and M. de Wardes?"

"Oh, madame! I heard of it yesterday," said La Valliere, clasping her
hands together.

"And did you not foresee this quarrel?"

"Why should I, madame?"

"Because two men never fight without a motive, and because you must be
aware of the motive which awakened the animosity of the two in
question."

"I am perfectly ignorant of it, madame."

"A persevering denial is a very common-place mode of defense, and you,
who have great pretensions to be witty and clever, ought to avoid
common-places. What else have you to say?"

"Oh! mada