dear Monsieur Malicorne. Will you believe that
the king is not satisfied?"

"Not satisfied with his staircase, do you mean?"

"Oh, no; on the contrary, he is delighted with the staircase."

"The decorations of the apartments, I suppose, don't please him?"

"Oh! he has not even thought of that. No, indeed, it seems that what has
dissatisfied the king--"

"I will tell you, Monsieur le Comte--he is dissatisfied at finding
himself the fourth person at a rendezvous of this kind. How is it
possible you could not have guessed that?"

"Why, how is it likely I could have done so, dear M. Malicorne, when I
followed the king's instructions to the very letter?"

"Did his majesty really insist upon your being present?"

"Positively so."

"And also required that the painter whom I met downstairs just now
should be here too?"

"He insisted upon it."

"In that case I can easily understand why his majesty is dissatisfied."

"What! dissatisfied that I have so punctually and literally obeyed his
orders? I don't understand you."

Malicorne began to scratch his ear as he asked, "What time did the king
fix for the rendezvous in your apartment?"

"Two o'clock."

"And you were waiting for the king?"

"Ever since half-past one; for it would have been a fine thing indeed
to have been unpunctual with his majesty."

Malicorne, notwithstanding his respect for Saint-Aignan, could not
resist shrugging his shoulders. "And the painter," he said, "did the
king wish him to be here at two o'clock also?"

"No; but I had him waiting here from mid-day. Far better, you know, for
a painter to be kept waiting a couple of hours than the king a single
minute."

Malicorne began to laugh to himself. "Come, dear Monsieur Malicorne,"
said Saint-Aignan, "laugh less at me, and speak a little more freely, I
beg."

"Well, then, Monsieur le Comte, if you wish the king to be a little more
satisfied the next time he comes--"

"Ventre saint-gris! as his grandfather used to say; of course I wish
it."

"Well, all you have to do is, when the king comes to-morrow, to be
obliged to go away on a most pressing matter of business, which cannot
possibly be postponed, and stay away for twenty minutes."

"What! leave the king alone for twenty minutes?" cried Saint-Aignan, in
alarm.

"Very well, do as you like; don't pay any attention to what I say," said
Malicorne, moving toward the door.

"Nay, nay, dear Monsieur Malicorne; on the contrary, go on--I b