anxiously as the list was read out; more than three hundred persons had
been invited, and each of them was anxious to learn whether his or
her name was to be found in the number of privileged names. The king
listened with as much attention as the others, and when the last name
had been pronounced, he noticed that La Valliere had been omitted from
the list. Every one, of course, remarked this omission. The king flushed
as if much annoyed; but La Valliere, gentle and resigned, as usual,
exhibited nothing of the sort. While the list was being read, the king
had not taken his eyes off the young girl, who seemed to expand, as it
were, beneath the happy influence she felt was shed around her, and who
was delighted and too pure in spirit for any other thought than that of
love to find an entrance either to her mind or her heart. Acknowledging
this touching self-denial by the fixity of his attention, the king
showed La Valliere how much he appreciated its delicacy. When the list
was finished, the different faces of those who had been omitted or
forgotten fully expressed their disappointment. Malicorne was also
left out from amongst the men; and the grimace he made plainly said
to Montalais, who was also forgotten, "Cannot we contrive to arrange
matters with Fortune in such a manner that she shall not forget us?"
to which a smile full of intelligence from Mademoiselle Aure, replied:
"Certainly we can."

The tickets were distributed to each according to the number listed. The
king received his first, next the queen-mother, then Monsieur, then the
queen and Madame, and so on. After this, Anne of Austria opened a small
Spanish leather bag, containing two hundred numbers engraved upon small
balls of mother-of-pearl, and presented the open sack to the youngest
of her maids of honor, for the purpose of taking one of the balls out of
it. The eager expectation of the throng, amidst all the tediously slow
preparations, was rather that of cupidity than curiosity. Saint-Aignan
bent towards Mademoiselle de Tonnay-Charente to whisper to her, "Since
we have each a number, let us unite our two chances. The bracelet shall
be yours if I win, and if you are successful, deign to give me but one
look of your beautiful eyes."

"No," said Athenais, "if you win the bracelet, keep it, every one for
himself."

"You are without any pity," said Saint-Aignan, "and I will punish you by
a quatrain:--

"Beautiful Iris, to my vows You are too opposed--"