confidence; but whether from shame or suspicion, the king, who had at
first begun to nibble at the bait, soon abandoned the hook. In this way,
for instance, one evening, while the king was crossing the garden and
looking up at Madame's window, Malicorne stumbled over a ladder lying
beside a border of box, and said to Manicamp, who was walking with him
behind the king, and who had not either stumbled over or seen anything,
"Did you not see that I just now stumbled against a ladder, and was
nearly thrown down?"

"No," said Manicamp, as usual very absent, "but it appears you did not
fall."

"That doesn't matter; but it is not, on that account, the less dangerous
to leave ladders lying about in that manner."

"True, one might hurt one's self, especially when troubled with fits of
absence of mind."

"I don't mean that; what I did mean was, that it is dangerous to allow
ladders to lie about so near the windows of the maids of honor." Louis
started imperceptibly.

"Why so?" inquired Manicamp.

"Speak louder," whispered Malicorne, as he touched him with his arm.

"Why so?" said Manicamp, louder. The king listened.

"Because, for instance," said Malicorne, "a ladder nineteen feet high is
just the height of the cornice of those windows." Manicamp, instead of
answering, was dreaming of something else.

"Ask me, can't you, what windows I mean," whispered Malicorne.

"But what windows are you referring to?" said Manicamp aloud.

"The windows of Madame's apartments."

"Eh!"

"Oh! I don't say that any one would ever venture to go up a ladder into
Madame's room; but in Madame's cabinet, merely separated by a partition,
sleep two exceedingly pretty girls, Mesdemoiselles de la Valliere and de
Montalais."

"By a partition," said Manicamp.

"Look; you see how brilliantly lighted Madame's apartments are--well, do
you see those two windows?"

"Yes."

"And that window close to the others, but more dimly lighted?"

"Yes."

"Well, that is the room of the maids of honor. Look, look, there is
Mademoiselle de la Valliere opening the window. Ah! how many soft things
could an enterprising lover say to her, if he only suspected that there
was lying here a ladder nineteen feet long, which would just reach the
cornice."

"But she is not alone; you said Mademoiselle de Montalais is with her."

"Mademoiselle de Montalais counts for nothing: she is her oldest friend,
and exceedingly devoted to her--a positive well, into which c