ve I acted properly?" continued Montalais, with a slight fluttering
of the heart, seeing the little success that attended the _ruse de
guerre_ which she had relied upon with so much confidence that she had
not thought it even necessary to try and find another. "Does Madame
approve of what I have done?" she continued.

Madame was reflecting that the king could very easily leave
Saint-Germain during the night, and that, as it was only four leagues
and a half from Paris to Saint-Germain, he might very easily be in Paris
in an hour's time. "Tell me," she said, "whether La Valliere, when she
heard of your accident, offered at least to bear you company?"

"Oh! she does not yet know of my accident; but even did she know of it,
I should not most certainty ask her to do anything which might interfere
with her own plans. I think she wishes this evening to realize quietly
by herself that amusement of the late king, when he said to M. de
Cinq-Mars, 'Let us amuse ourselves by doing-nothing and making ourselves
miserable.'"

Madame felt convinced that some mysterious love adventure was hidden
beneath this strong desire for solitude. This mystery might possibly be
Louis's return during the night; it could not be doubted any longer--La
Valliere had been informed of his intended return, and that was the
reason of her delight at having to remain behind at the Palais Royal. It
was a plan settled and arranged beforehand.

"I will not be their dupe, though," said Madame; and she took a decisive
step. "Mademoiselle de Montalais," she said, "Will you have the goodness
to inform your friend, Mademoiselle de la Valliere, that I am
exceedingly sorry to disarrange her projects of solitude, but that
instead of becoming _ennuyee_ by remaining behind alone as she wished,
she will be good enough to accompany us to Saint-Germain and get
_ennuyee_ there."

"Ah! poor La Valliere," said Montalais, compassionately, but with her
heart throbbing with delight; "oh, madame, could there not be some
means--"

"Enough," said Madame, "I desire it! I prefer Mademoiselle la Baume le
Blanc's society to that of any one else. Go and send her to me, and take
care of your foot."

Montalais did not wait for the order to be repeated; she returned to her
room, wrote an answer to Malicorne, and slipped it under the carpet. The
answer simply said: "She is going." A Spartan could not have written
more laconically.

"By this means," thought Madame, "I will look narro