ntion it."

"Are you not aware that such a woman is of ill-omen to a royal house?"

"Is it not Mademoiselle de la Valliere?" said the queen-mother.

"Yes, indeed, that plain-looking creature."

"I thought she was affianced to a gentleman who certainly is not, at
least so I have heard, either M. de Guiche or M. de Wardes?"

"Very possibly, madame."

The young queen took up a piece of tapestry, and began to broider with
an affectation of tranquillity her trembling fingers contradicted.

"What were you saying about Venus and Mars?" pursued the queen-mother.
"Is there a Mars also?"

"She boasts of that being the case."

"Did you say she boasts of it?"

"That was the cause of the duel."

"And M. de Guiche upheld the cause of Mars?"

"Yes, certainly; like the devoted servant he is."

"The devoted servant of whom?" exclaimed the young queen, forgetting her
reserve in allowing her jealous feeling to escape.

"Mars, not to be defended except at the expense of Venus," replied
Madame. "M. de Guiche maintained the perfect innocence of Mars, and no
doubt affirmed that it was all a mere boast."

"And M. de Wardes," said Anne of Austria, quietly, "spread the report
that Venus was within her rights, I suppose?"

"Oh, De Wardes," thought Madame, "you shall pay dearly for the wound you
have given that noblest--best of men!" And she began to attack De Wardes
with the greatest bitterness; thus discharging her own and De Guiche's
debt, with the assurance that she was working the future ruin of her
enemy. She said so much, in fact, that had Manicamp been there, he would
have regretted he had shown such firm regard for his friend, inasmuch as
it resulted in the ruin of his unfortunate foe.

"I see nothing in the whole affair but _one_ cause of mischief, and that
is La Valliere herself," said the queen-mother.

The young queen resumed her work with perfect indifference of manner,
while Madame listened eagerly.

"I do not yet quite understand what you said just now about the danger
of coquetry," resumed Anne of Austria.

"It is quite true," Madame hastened to say, "that if the girl had not
been a coquette, Mars would not have thought at all about her."

The repetition of this word Mars brought a passing color to the queen's
face; but she still continued her work.

"I will not permit that, in my court, gentlemen should be set against
each other in this manner," said Anne of Austria, calmly. "Such manners
were useful en