o challenges from the De Mortemart family, and
the king had been obliged to interfere. This mistake had been owing
to the circumstance of Madame having suddenly ordered a change in the
apartments of her maids of honor, and directed La Valliere and Montalais
to sleep in her own cabinet. No gateway, therefore, was any longer
open--not even communication by letter; to write under the eyes of
so ferocious an Argus as Madame, whose temper and disposition were so
uncertain, was to run the risk of exposure to the greatest danger; and
it can well be conceived into what a state of continuous irritation, and
ever increasing anger, all these petty annoyances threw the young lion.
The king almost tormented himself to death endeavoring to discover a
means of communication; and, as he did not think proper to call in the
aid of Malicorne or D'Artagnan, the means were not discovered at all.
Malicorne had, indeed, occasional brilliant flashes of imagination, with
which he tried to inspire the king with confidence; but, whether from
shame or suspicion, the king, who had at first begun to nibble at the
bait, soon abandoned the hook. In this way, for instance, one evening,
while the king was crossing the garden, and looking up at Madame's
windows, Malicorne stumbled over a ladder lying beside a border of box,
and said to Manicamp, then walking with him behind the king, "Did you
not see that I just now stumbled against a ladder, and was nearly thrown
down?"

"No," said Manicamp, as usual very absent-minded, "but it appears you
did not fall."

"That doesn't matter; but it is not on that account the less dangerous
to leave ladders lying about in that manner."

"True, one might hurt one's self, especially when troubled with fits of
absence of mind."

"I don't mean that; what I did mean, was that it is dangerous to allow
ladders to lie about so near the windows of the maids of honor." Louis
started imperceptibly.

"Why so?" inquired Manicamp.

"Speak louder," whispered Malicorne, as he touched him with his arm.

"Why so?" said Manicamp, louder. The king listened.

"Because, for instance," said Malicorne, "a ladder nineteen feet high is
just the height of the cornice of those windows." Manicamp, instead of
answering, was dreaming of something else.

"Ask me, can't you, what windows I mean," whispered Malicorne.

"But what windows are you referring to?" said Manicamp, aloud.

"The windows of Madame's apartments."

"Eh!"

"Oh! I d