rsons
sufficiently high in position to have, or to believe that they possess,
the right of injuring a young girl, without fortune, and possessing only
her reputation."

"In what way injure her?"

"In depriving her of her reputation, by disgracefully expelling her from
the court."

"Oh! Mademoiselle de la Valliere," said the king bitterly, "I prefer
those persons who exculpate themselves without incriminating others."

"Sire!"

"Yes; and I confess that I greatly regret to perceive, that an easy
justification, as your own would have been, is now complicated in my
presence by a tissue of reproaches and imputations against others."

"And which you do not believe?" exclaimed La Valliere. The king remained
silent.

"Nay, but tell me!" repeated La Valliere, vehemently.

"I regret to confess it," repeated the king, bowing coldly.

The young girl uttered a deep groan, striking her hands together in
despair. "You do not believe me, then," she said to the king, who
still remained silent, while poor La Valliere's features became visibly
changed at his continued silence. "Therefore, you believe," she said,
"that I pre-arranged this ridiculous, this infamous plot, of trifling,
in so shameless a manner, with your majesty."

"Nay," said the king, "it was neither ridiculous nor infamous; it was
not even a plot; merely a jest, more or less amusing, and nothing more."

"Oh!" murmured the young girl, "the king does not, and will not believe
me, then?"

"No, indeed, I will not believe you," said the king. "Besides, in point
of fact, what can be more natural? The king, you argue, follows me,
listens to me, watches me; the king wishes perhaps to amuse himself
at my expense, I will amuse myself at his, and as the king is very
tender-hearted, I will take his heart by storm."

La Valliere hid her face in her hands, as she stifled her sobs. The
king continued pitilessly; he was revenging himself upon the poor victim
before him for all he had himself suffered.

"Let us invent, then, this story of my loving him and preferring him to
others. The king is so simple and so conceited that he will believe me;
and then we can go and tell others how credulous the king is, and can
enjoy a laugh at his expense."

"Oh!" exclaimed La Valliere, "you think that, you believe that!--it is
frightful."

"And," pursued the king, "that is not all; if this self-conceited prince
take our jest seriously, if he should be imprudent enough to exhibit
b