ear Louise--come, explain
yourself."

"Alas! it is a hard thing to say--but your majesty must suppress
staircase plots, surprises and all; for the evil consequences which
would result from your being found here would be far greater than the
happiness of seeing each other."

"Well, Louise," replied the king, tenderly, "instead of removing this
staircase by which I have ascended, there is a far more simple means, of
which you have not thought."

"A means--another means?"

"Yes, another. Oh, you do not love me as I love you, Louise, since my
invention is quicker than yours."

She looked at the king, who held out his hand to her, which she took and
gently pressed between her own.

"You were saying," continued the king, "that I shall be detected coming
here, where any one who pleases can enter."

"Stay, sire; at this very moment, even while you are speaking about it,
I tremble with dread of your being discovered."

"But you would not be found out, Louise, if you were to descend the
staircase which leads to the room underneath."

"Oh, sire! what do you say?" cried Louise, in alarm.

"You do not quite understand me, Louise, since you get offended at my
very first word; first of all, do you know to whom the apartments
underneath belong?"

"To M. de Guiche, sire, I know."

"Not at all; they are M. de Saint-Aignan's."

"Are you sure?" cried La Valliere; and this exclamation which escaped
from the young girl's joyous heart made the king's heart throb with
delight.

"Yes, to Saint-Aignan, our friend," he said.

"But, sire," returned La Valliere, "I cannot visit M. de
Saint-Aignan's rooms any more than I could M. de Guiche's.
It is impossible--impossible."

"And yet, Louise, I should have thought that under the safeguard of the
king you could venture anything."

"Under the safeguard of the king," she said, with a look full of
tenderness.

"You have faith in my word, I hope, Louise."

"Yes, sire, when you are not present; but when you are present--when you
speak to me--when I look upon you, I have faith in nothing."

"What can possibly be done to reassure you?"

"It is scarcely respectful, I know, to doubt the king, but you are not
the king for me."

"Thank Heaven!--I, at least, hope so most fervently; you see how
anxiously I am trying to find or invent a means of removing all
difficulty. Stay; would the presence of a third person reassure you?"

"The presence of M. de Saint-Aignan would, certainly."