ht upon
my family? From whom had you this preposterous order?"

"Direct from the king through Bontems."

"Absurd! Do you think that the king would venture to exclude a
Mortemart through the mouth of a valet? You have been dreaming,
captain."

"I trust that it may prove so, madame."

"But such dreams are not very fortunate to the dreamer. Go, tell the
king that I am here, and would have a word with him."

"Impossible, madame."

"And why?"

"I have been forbidden to carry a message."

"To carry any message?"

"Any from you, madame."

"Come, captain, you improve. It only needed this insult to make the
thing complete. You may carry a message to the king from any
adventuress, from any decayed governess"--she laughed shrilly at her
description of her rival--"but none from Francoise de Mortemart,
Marquise de Montespan?"

"Such are my orders, madame. It pains me deeply to be compelled to
carry them out."

"You may spare your protestations, captain. You may yet find that you
have every reason to be deeply pained. For the last time, do you refuse
to carry my message to the king?"

"I must, madame."

"Then I carry it myself."

She sprang forward at the door, but he slipped in front of her with
outstretched arms.

"For God's sake, consider yourself, madame!" he entreated. "Other eyes
are upon you."

"Pah! Canaille!" She glanced at the knot of Switzers, whose sergeant
had drawn them off a few paces, and who stood open-eyed, staring at the
scene.

"I tell you that I _will_ see the king."

"No lady has ever been at the morning _lever_."

"Then I shall be the first."

"You will ruin me if you pass."

"And none the less, I shall do so."

The matter looked serious. De Catinat was a man of resource, but for
once he was at his wits' end. Madame de Montespan's resolution, as it
was called in her presence, or effrontery, as it was termed behind her
back, was proverbial. If she attempted to force her way, would he
venture to use violence upon one who only yesterday had held the
fortunes of the whole court in the hollow of her hand, and who, with her
beauty, her wit, and her energy, might very well be in the same position
to-morrow? If she passed him, then his future was ruined with the king,
who never brooked the smallest deviation from his orders. On the other
hand, if he thrust her back, he did that which could never be forgiven,
and which would entail some deadly vengeance should she return