tter if
the king had taken shelter somewhere else, than to have remained with
his head uncovered before La Valliere; but the king is so very courteous
and polite."

"Oh! De Guiche, De Guiche, you are killing me!"

"Do not let us talk any more, then."

"Nay; let us continue. This walk was followed by others, I suppose?"

"No--I mean yes; there was the adventure of the oak, I think. But I know
nothing about the matter at all." Raoul rose; De Guiche endeavored to
imitate him, notwithstanding his weakness. "Well, I will not add another
word; I have said either too much or not enough. Let others give you
further information if they will, or if they can; my duty was to warn
you, and that I have done. Watch over your own affairs now yourself."

"Question others! Alas; you are no true friend to speak to me in that
manner," said the young man, in utter distress. "The first man I may
meet may be evilly disposed or a fool; if the former, he will tell me a
lie to make me suffer more than I now do; if the latter, he will do far
worse still. Ah! De Guiche, De Guiche, before two hours are over, I
shall have been told ten falsehoods, and shall have as many duels on my
hands. Save me, then; is it not best to know the whole misfortune?"

"But I know nothing, I tell you; I was wounded, attacked by fever; my
senses were gone, and I have only a very faint recollection of it all.
But there is no reason why we should search very far, when the very man
we want is close at hand. Is not D'Artagnan your friend?"

"Oh! true, true."

"Go to him, then. He will be able to throw some light on the subject."
At this moment a lackey entered the room. "What is it?" said De Guiche.

"Some one is waiting for monseigneur in the Cabinet des Porcelaines."

"Very well. Will you excuse me, my dear Raoul? I am so proud since I
have been able to walk again."

"I would offer you my arm, De Guiche, if I did not guess that the person
in question is a lady."

"I believe so," said De Guiche, smiling, as he quitted Raoul.

Raoul remained motionless, absorbed in his grief, overwhelmed, like the
miner upon whom a vault has just fallen in, wounded, his life-blood
welling fast, his thoughts confused, endeavors to recover himself, and
to save his life and to preserve his reason. A few minutes were all
Raoul needed to dissipate the bewildering sensations which had been
occasioned by these two revelations. He had already recovered the thread
of his ideas, when,