at the queen begs that they will keep
silence, so as not to awaken him."

"But not every one; a deputation of two or four people."

"Every one, madame."

"But reflect, they will keep us here till daybreak."

"It shall take but a quarter of an hour, I answer for everything,
madame; believe me, I know the people; they are like a great child, who
only wants humoring. Before the sleeping king they will be mute, gentle
and timid as lambs."

"Go, Laporte," said the queen.

The young king approached his mother and said, "Why do as these people
ask?"

"It must be so, my son," said Anne of Austria.

"But if they say, 'it must be' to me, am I no longer king?"

The queen remained silent.

"Sire," said D'Artagnan, "will your majesty permit me to ask you a
question?"

Louis XIV. turned around, astonished that any one should dare to address
him. But the queen pressed the child's hand.

"Yes, sir." he said.

"Does your majesty remember, when playing in the park of Fontainebleau,
or in the palace courts at Versailles, ever to have seen the sky grow
suddenly dark and heard the sound of thunder?"

"Yes, certainly."

"Well, then, this noise of thunder, however much your majesty may have
wished to continue playing, has said, 'go in, sire. You must do so.'"

"Certainly, sir; but they tell me that the noise of thunder is the voice
of God."

"Well then, sire," continued D'Artagnan, "listen to the noise of the
people; you will perceive that it resembles that of thunder."

In truth at that moment a terrible murmur was wafted to them by the
night breeze; then all at once it ceased.

"Hold, sire," said D'Artagnan, "they have just told the people that you
are asleep; you see, you still are king."

The queen looked with surprise at this strange man, whose brilliant
courage made him the equal of the bravest, and who was, by his fine and
quick intelligence, the equal of the most astute.

Laporte entered.

"Well, Laporte?" asked the queen.

"Madame," he replied, "Monsieur d'Artagnan's prediction has been
accomplished; they are calm, as if by enchantment. The doors are about
to be opened and in five minutes they will be here."

"Laporte," said the queen, "suppose you put one of your sons in the
king's place; we might be off during the time."

"If your majesty desires it," said Laporte, "my sons, like myself, are
at the queen's service."

"Not at all," said D'Artagnan; "should one of them know his majesty and
discover