Bragelonne."

The queen, smiling, made a sign with her head; the young princess opened
the door and Raoul appeared on the threshold.

Advancing a few steps toward the queen, he knelt down.

"Madame," said he, "I bear to your majesty a letter from my friend the
Count de Guiche, who told me he had the honor of being your servant;
this letter contains important news and the expression of his respect."

At the name of the Count de Guiche a blush spread over the cheeks of
the young princess and the queen glanced at her with some degree of
severity.

"You told me that the letter was from the Marechal de Grammont,
Henrietta!" said the queen.

"I thought so, madame," stammered the young girl.

"It is my fault, madame," said Raoul. "I did announce myself, in truth,
as coming on the part of the Marechal de Grammont; but being wounded in
the right arm he was unable to write and therefore the Count de Guiche
acted as his secretary."

"There has been fighting, then?" asked the queen, motioning to Raoul to
rise.

"Yes, madame," said the young man.

At this announcement of a battle having taken place, the princess opened
her mouth as though to ask a question of interest; but her lips closed
again without articulating a word, while the color gradually faded from
her cheeks.

The queen saw this, and doubtless her maternal heart translated the
emotion, for addressing Raoul again:

"And no evil has happened to the young Count de Guiche?" she asked; "for
not only is he our servant, as you say, sir, but more--he is one of our
friends."

"No, madame," replied Raoul; "on the contrary, he gained great glory
and had the honor of being embraced by his highness, the prince, on the
field of battle."

The young princess clapped her hands; and then, ashamed of having been
betrayed into such a demonstration of joy, she half turned away and bent
over a vase of roses, as if to inhale their odor.

"Let us see," said the queen, "what the count says." And she opened the
letter and read:

"Madame,--Being unable to have the honor of writing to you myself, by
reason of a wound I have received in my right hand, I have commanded my
son, the Count de Guiche, who, with his father, is equally your humble
servant, to write to tell you that we have just gained the battle of
Lens, and that this victory cannot fail to give great power to Cardinal
Mazarin and to the queen over the affairs of Europe. If her majesty will
have faith in my couns