be only himself and the king awake among the august guests
at the palace. D'Artagnan stood at the window, careless and perfectly
calm in his manner. One could almost have sworn that he noticed nothing
and was utterly ignorant who were these two hunters after adventures,
who were passing across the courtyards, wrapped up in their cloaks. And
yet, all the while that D'Artagnan appeared not to be looking at them at
all, he did not for one moment lose sight of them, and while he whistled
that old march of the musketeers, which he rarely recalled except under
great emergencies, he conjectured and prophesied how terrible would be
the storm which would be raised on the king's return. In fact, when the
king entered La Vallieire's apartment and found the room empty and the
bed untouched, he began to be alarmed, and called out to Montalais, who
immediately answered the summons; but her astonishment was equal to the
king's. All that she could tell his majesty was, that she had fancied
she had heard La Valliere weep during a portion of the night, but,
knowing that his majesty had returned, she had not dared to inquire what
was the matter.

"But," inquired the king, "where do you suppose she is gone to?"

"Sire," replied Montalais, "Louise is of a very sentimental disposition,
and as I have often seen her rise at daybreak in order to go out into
the garden, she may perhaps be there now."

This appeared probable, and the king immediately ran down the staircase
in search of the fugitive. D'Artagnan saw him appear very pale, and
talking in an excited manner with his companion, as he went toward the
gardens; Saint-Aignan following him, out of breath. D'Artagnan did not
stir from the window, but went on whistling, looking as if he saw
nothing and yet seeing everything. "Come, come," he murmured, when the
king disappeared, "his majesty's passion is stronger than I thought; he
is now doing, I think, what he never did for Mademoiselle de Mancini."

In a quarter of an hour the king again appeared: he had looked
everywhere, was completely out of breath, and, as a matter of course,
had not discovered anything. Saint-Aignan, who still followed him, was
fanning himself with his hat, and, in a gasping voice, asking for
information about La Valliere from such of the servants as were about,
in fact, from every one he met. Among others he came across Manicamp,
who had arrived from Fontainebleau by easy stages; for while others had
performed the