's name, while De Guiche would
not accept it except on La Valliere's account. From this moment, it
became a series of feigned attacks, which would have continued until one
of the two had been touched home. De Guiche therefore resumed all the
self-possession he could command.

"There is not the slightest question in the world of Madame in this
matter, my dear De Wardes." said Guiche, "but simply of what you were
talking about just now."

"What was I saying?"

"That you had concealed certain things from Bragelonne."

"Certain things which you know as well as I do," replied De Wardes.

"No, upon my honor."

"Nonsense."

"If you tell me what they are, I shall know, but not otherwise, I
swear."

"What! I who have just arrived from a distance of sixty leagues, and you
who have not stirred from this place, who have witnessed with your
own eyes that which rumor informed me of at Calais! Do you now tell
me seriously that you do not know what it is about? Oh! comte, this is
hardly charitable of you."

"As you like, De Wardes; but I again repeat, I know nothing."

"You are truly discreet--well!--perhaps it is very prudent of you."

"And so you will not tell me anything, will not tell me any more than
you told Bragelonne?"

"You are pretending to be deaf, I see. I am convinced that Madame could
not possibly have more command over herself than _you_ have."

"Double hypocrite," murmured Guiche to himself, "you are again returning
to the old subject."

"Very well, then," continued De Wardes, "since we find it so difficult
to understand each other about La Valliere and Bragelonne let us speak
about your own affairs."

"Nay," said De Guiche, "I have no affairs of my own to talk about. You
have not said anything about me, I suppose, to Bragelonne, which you
cannot repeat to my face?"

"No; but understand me, Guiche, that however much I may be ignorant of
certain matters, I am quite as conversant with others. If, for instance,
we were conversing about the intimacies of the Duke of Buckingham at
Paris, as I did during my journey with the duke, I could tell you a
great many interesting circumstances. Would you like me to mention
them?"

De Guiche passed his hand across his forehead, which was covered
in perspiration. "No, no," he said, "a hundred times no! I have no
curiosity for matters which do not concern me. The Duke of Buckingham
is for me nothing more than a simple acquaintance, whilst Raoul is
an intimate frie