ithin an hour after Saint-Aignan's new resolution,
he was in possession of the two rooms; and ten minutes later Malicorne
entered, followed by the upholsterers. During this time, the king asked
for Saint-Aignan; the valet ran to his late apartments and found M.
Dangeau there; Dangeau sent him on to De Guiche's, and Saint-Aignan was
found there; but a little delay had of course taken place, and the king
had already exhibited once or twice evident signs of impatience, when
Saint-Aignan entered his royal master's presence, quite out of breath.

"You, too, abandon me, then," said Louis XIV., in a similar tone
of lamentation to that with which Caesar, eighteen hundred years
previously, had pronounced the _Et tu quoque_.

"Sire, I am far from abandoning you, for, on the contrary, I am busily
occupied in changing my lodgings."

"What do you mean? I thought you had finished moving three days ago."

"Yes, sire. But I don't find myself comfortable where I am, so I am
going to change to the opposite side of the building."

"Was I not right when I said you were abandoning me?" exclaimed the
king. "Oh! this exceeds all endurance. But so it is: there was only
one woman for whom my heart cared at all, and all my family is leagued
together to tear her from me; and my friend, to whom I confided my
distress, and who helped me to bear up under it, has become wearied
of my complaints and is going to leave me without even asking my
permission."

Saint-Aignan began to laugh. The king at once guessed there must be some
mystery in this want of respect. "What is it?" cried the king, full of
hope.

"This, sire, that the friend whom the king calumniates is going to try
if he cannot restore to his sovereign the happiness he has lost."

"Are you going to let me see La Valliere?" said Louis XIV.

"I cannot say so, positively, but I hope so."

"How--how?--tell me that, Saint-Aignan. I wish to know what your project
is, and to help you with all my power."

"Sire," replied Saint-Aignan, "I cannot, even myself, tell very well how
I must set about attaining success; but I have every reason to believe
that from to-morrow--"

"To-morrow, do you say! What happiness! But why are you changing your
rooms?"

"In order to serve your majesty to better advantage."

"How can your moving serve me?"

"Do you happen to know where the two rooms destined for De Guiche are
situated?"

"Yes."

"Well, your majesty now knows where I am going."

"Very