me."

"No! you shall return like a queen. No one knows of your having
left--except, indeed, D'Artagnan."

"He has betrayed me, then?"

"In what way?"

"He promised faithfully--"

"I promised not to say anything to the king," said D'Artagnan, putting
his head through the half-opened door, "and I kept my word; I was
speaking to M. de Saint-Aignan, and it was not my fault if the king
overheard me; was it, sire?"

"It is quite true," said the king; "forgive him."

La Valliere smiled, and held out her small white hand to the musketeer.

"Monsieur d'Artagnan," said the king, "be good enough to see if you can
find a carriage for Mademoiselle de la Valliere."

"Sire," said the captain, "the carriage is waiting at the gate."

"You are a magic mould of forethought," exclaimed the king.

"You have taken a long time to find it out," muttered D'Artagnan,
notwithstanding he was flattered by the praise bestowed upon him.

La Valliere was overcome: after a little further hesitation, she allowed
herself to be led away, half fainting, by her royal lover. But, as she
was on the point of leaving the room, she tore herself from the king's
grasp, and returned to the stone crucifix, which she kissed, saying,
"Oh, Heaven! it was thou who drewest me hither! thou, who has rejected
me; but thy grace is infinite. Whenever I shall again return, forget
that I have ever separated myself from thee, for, when I return it will
be--never to leave thee again."

The king could not restrain his emotion, and D'Artagnan, even, was
overcome. Louis led the young girl away, lifted her into the carriage,
and directed D'Artagnan to seat himself beside her, while he,
mounting his horse, spurred violently towards the Palais Royal, where,
immediately on his arrival, he sent to request an audience of Madame.

Chapter XXX. Madame.

From the manner in which the king had dismissed the ambassadors, even
the least clear-sighted persons belonging to the court imagined war
would ensue. The ambassadors themselves, but slightly acquainted with
the king's domestic disturbances, had interpreted as directed against
themselves the celebrated sentence: "If I be not master of myself, I, at
least, will be so of those who insult me." Happily for the destinies of
France and Holland, Colbert had followed them out of the king's presence
for the purpose of explaining matters to them; but the two queens and
Madame, who were perfectly aware of every particular that had