om
a thousand suspicions and anxieties with which his mind was beset.
Presently he stopped and waited on the terrace opposite the grove of
trees, watching for Madame's departure. More than half an hour passed
away; and as he was at that moment quite alone, the comte could hardly
have had any very diverting ideas at his command. He drew his tables
from his pocket, and, after hesitating over and over again, determined
to write these words:--"Madame, I implore you to grant me one moment's
conversation. Do not be alarmed at this request, which contains nothing
in any way opposed to the profound respect with which I subscribe
myself, etc., etc." He had signed and folded this singular love-letter,
when he suddenly observed several ladies leaving the chateau, and
afterwards several courtiers too; in fact, almost every one that formed
the queen's circle. He saw La Valliere herself, then Montalais talking
with Malicorne; he watched the departure of the very last of the
numerous guests that had a short time before thronged the queen-mother's
cabinet.

Madame herself had not yet passed; she would be obliged, however, to
cross the courtyard in order to enter her own apartments; and, from the
terrace where he was standing, De Guiche could see all that was going on
in the courtyard. At last he saw Madame leave, attended by a couple
of pages, who were carrying torches before her. She was walking very
quickly; as soon as she reached the door, she said:

"Let some one go and look for De Guiche: he has to render an account
of a mission he had to discharge for me; if he should be disengaged,
request him to be good enough to come to my apartment."

De Guiche remained silent, hidden in the shade; but as soon as Madame
had withdrawn, he darted from the terrace down the steps and assumed a
most indifferent air, so that the pages who were hurrying towards his
rooms might meet him.

"Ah! it is Madame, then, who is seeking me!" he said to himself, quite
overcome; and he crushed in his hand the now worse than useless letter.

"M. le comte," said one of the pages, approaching him, "we are indeed
most fortunate in meeting you."

"Why so, messieurs?"

"A command from Madame."

"From Madame!" said De Guiche, looking surprised.

"Yes, M. le comte, her royal highness has been asking for you; she
expects to hear, she told us, the result of a commission you had to
execute for her. Are you at liberty?"

"I am quite at her royal highness's ord