e."

Montalais made a sign to Raoul, who stood almost petrified at the door,
and did not even attempt to advance another step into the room. Then,
looking toward the side of the room where the screen was, she exclaimed:
"Imprudent girl, she has not even closed the trap-door."

And she advanced toward the corner of the room to close the screen, and
also, behind the screen, the trap-door. But suddenly the king, who had
heard Louise's exclamation, darted through the opening, and hurried
forward to her assistance. He threw himself on his knees before her, as
he overwhelmed Montalais with questions, who hardly knew where she was.
At the moment, however, that the king threw himself on his knees, a cry
of utter despair rang through the corridor, accompanied by the sound of
retreating footsteps. The king wished to see who had uttered the cry,
and whose were the footsteps he had heard: and it was in vain that
Montalais sought to retain him, for Louis, quitting his hold of La
Valliere, hurried toward the door, too late, however, for Raoul was
already at a distance, and the king saw only a kind of shadow turning
the angle of the corridor.

CHAPTER XLVII.

TWO OLD FRIENDS.

While every one at court was busily engaged upon his own affairs, a man
mysteriously took up his post behind the Place de Greve, in the house
which we once saw besieged by D'Artagnan on the occasion of an _emeute_.
The principal entrance of this house was in the Place Baudoyer: it was
tolerably large, surrounded by gardens, inclosed in the street
Saint-Jean by the shops of tool-makers, which protected it from prying
looks, and was walled in by a triple rampart of stone, noise, and
verdure, like an embalmed mummy in its triple coffin. The man we have
just alluded to walked along with a firm step, although he was no longer
in his early prime. His dark cloak and long sword plainly revealed one
who seemed in search of adventures; and, judging from his curling
mustaches, his fine and smooth skin, which could be seen beneath his
sombrero, it would not have been difficult to pronounce that the
gallantry of his adventures was unquestionable. In fact, hardly had the
cavalier entered the house, when the clock struck eight; and ten minutes
afterward a lady, followed by a servant armed to the teeth, approached
and knocked at the same door, which an old woman immediately opened for
her. The lady raised her veil as she entered; though no longer beautiful
or youn