many gentlemen, to whom I
shall not certainly give them up; M. de Roquelaure, for instance, M. de
la Ferte, and M. de Dangeau, would all be anxious to get them."

"In that case I shall leave you, Monsieur le Comte, and I shall go and
offer to one of those gentlemen the plan I have just shown you, together
with the advantages annexed to it."

"But why do you not keep them for yourself?" inquired Saint-Aignan,
suspiciously.

"Because the king would never do me the honor of paying me a visit
openly, while he would readily go and see any one of those gentlemen."

"What! the king would go and see any one of those gentlemen?"

"Go! most certainly would he, ten times instead of once. Is it possible
you can ask me if the king would go to an apartment which would bring
him nearer to Mademoiselle de la Valliere?"

"Yes, indeed, admirably near her, with a whole floor between them."

Malicorne unfolded the piece of paper, which had been wrapped round the
bobbin. "Monsieur le Comte," he said, "have the goodness to observe that
the flooring of Mademoiselle de la Valliere's room is merely a wooden
flooring."

"Well?"

"Well! all you would have to do would be to get hold of a journeyman
carpenter, lock him up in your apartments, without letting him know
where you have taken him to; and let him make a hole in your ceiling,
and consequently in the flooring of Mademoiselle de la Valliere's room."

"Good heavens!" exclaimed Saint-Aignan, as if dazzled.

"What is the matter?" said Malicorne.

"Nothing, except that you have hit upon a singularly bold idea,
monsieur."

"It will seem a very trifling one to the king, I assure you."

"Lovers never think of the risk they run."

"What danger do you apprehend, Monsieur le Comte?"

"Why, effecting such an opening as that will make a terrible noise; it
will be heard over the whole palace."

"Oh! Monsieur le Comte, I am quite sure that the carpenter I shall
select will not make the slightest noise in the world. He will saw an
opening six feet square, with a saw covered with tow, and no one, not
even those immediately adjoining, will know that he is at work."

"My dear Monsieur Malicorne, you astound, you positively bewilder me."

"To continue," replied Malicorne, quietly, "in the room, the ceiling of
which you have cut through, you will put up a staircase, which will
either allow Mademoiselle de la Valliere to descend into your room, or
the king to ascend into Mademoiselle de l