have fixed, and be there yourself."

"Sire, I await your majesty's list."

"True," returned the king; and he began to meditate; he did not think of
the list in the slightest degree. The clock struck half-past eleven. The
king's face revealed a violent conflict between pride and love. The
political conversation had dispelled a good deal of the irritation which
Louis had felt, and La Valliere's pale, worn features, in his
imagination, spoke a very different language to that of the Dutch
medals, or the Batavian pamphlets. He sat for ten minutes debating
within himself whether he should or should not return to La Valliere;
but Colbert having with some urgency respectfully requested that the
list might be furnished him, the king blushed at thinking of mere
matters of affection when matters of business required his attention. He
therefore dictated: the queen-mother, the queen, Madame, Madame de
Motteville, Madame de Chatillon, Madame de Noailles; and, for the men,
M. le Prince, M. de Grammont, M. de Manicamp, M. de Saint-Aignan, and
the officers on duty.

"The ministers," said Colbert.

"As a matter of course, and the secretaries also."

"Sire, I will leave at once in order to get everything prepared; the
orders will be at the different residences to-morrow."

"Say rather to-day," replied Louis mournfully, as the clock struck
twelve. It was the very hour when poor La Valliere was almost dying from
anguish and bitter suffering. The king's attendants entered, it being
the hour of his retiring to rest; the queen, indeed, had been waiting
for more than an hour. Louis accordingly retired to his bedroom with a
sigh; but, as he sighed, he congratulated himself on his courage, and
applauded himself for having been as firm in love as in affairs of
state.

CHAPTER XXXV.

THE AMBASSADORS.

D'Artagnan had, with very few exceptions, learned almost all the
particulars of what we have just been relating; for among his friends he
reckoned all the useful, serviceable people in the royal
household--officious attendants who were proud of being recognized by
the captain of the musketeers, for the captain's influence was very
great, and then, in addition to any ambitious views they may have
imagined he could promote, they were proud of being regarded as worth
being spoken to by a man as brave as D'Artagnan. In this manner
D'Artagnan learned every morning what he had not been able either to see
or to ascertain the night before