em which could touch me. 'You do not answer me
ingenuously,' replied the Queen; 'I am satisfied of the contrary; the
free manner in which I speak to you ought to oblige you to conceal
nothing from me; I would have you,' continued she, 'be of the number of
my friends; but I would not, after having admitted you into that rank,
be ignorant of your engagements; consider, whether you think my
friendship will be too dear at the price of making me your confidant; I
give you two days to think on it; but then, consider well of the answer
you shall make me, and remember that if ever I find hereafter you have
deceived me, I shall never forgive you as long as I live.'

"Having said this, the Queen left me without waiting for my answer; you
may imagine how full my thoughts were of what she had said to me; the
two days she had given me to consider of it I did not think too long a
time to come to a resolution; I found she had a mind to know if I was
in love, and that her desire was I should not be so; I foresaw the
consequences of what I was going to do, my vanity was flattered with
the thought of having a particular interest with the Queen, and a Queen
whose person is still extremely amiable; on the other hand, I was in
love with Madam de Themines, and though I had committed a petty treason
against her by my engagement with the other woman I told you of, I
could not find in my heart to break with her; I foresaw also the danger
I should expose myself to, if I deceived the Queen, and how hard it
would be to do it; nevertheless I could not resolve to refuse what
fortune offered me, and was willing to run the hazard of anything my
ill conduct might draw upon me; I broke with her with whom I kept a
correspondence that might be discovered, and was in hopes of concealing
that I had with Madam de Themines.

"At the two days' end, as I entered the room where the Queen was with
all the ladies about her, she said aloud to me, and with a grave air
that was surprising enough, 'Have you thought of the business I charged
you with, and do you know the truth of it?' 'Yes, Madam,' answered I,
'and 'tis as I told your Majesty.' 'Come in the evening, when I am
writing,' replied she, 'and you shall have further orders.' I made a
respectful bow without answering anything, and did not fail to attend
at the hour she had appointed me. I found her in the gallery, with her
secretary and one of her women. As soon as she saw me she came to me,
and took me to