t unable to move. But De Lorgnac gripped me
by the arm.

"Come," he said; "we either win or lose all in the next five minutes.
Come!"

With this he set aside the curtains, and we passed through.

There were but three persons in the room we entered. The King was
standing, a hand resting on the back of the chair in which La
Valentinois sat, as radiantly lovely as though all the fatigues of the
night had never been. A little behind them was Bertrandi, the keeper
of the seals, a lean, ascetic figure, holding a paper in his hands, and
eyeing us with a vulpine curiosity. Somewhat to my surprise the King
received us graciously, saying:

"_Eh bien_, messieurs, you have served madame here well, and in doing
so have served me. Have they not, Diane?" And he began toying with
the black curls of her hair. La Valentinois looked up at him, a world
of tenderness in her glance, but made no reply, and we remained silent,
struck dumb by the infinite resource of her audacity. Evil as she was
it was impossible not to admire her courage; and, as De Lorgnac had
rightly foreseen, she had played a great game, but even we were far
from guessing the extent to which her duplicity would carry her.

"Messieurs," the King went on, "madame has joined her entreaty to that
of the Queen for the life of Mademoiselle de Paradis, and very
willingly and from my heart have I signed this pardon." With this he
took the paper Bertrandi held and placed it in Diane's hands.

"I give this to you, _mignonne_," he said, "for from you comes the
mercy of France. Give it to these gentlemen to bear to the Queen; and
for the present I must leave you for an hour, for the council awaits
me. Come, Bertrandi." With these bald words, delivered in a stilted
fashion, his voice only warming as he bade _au revoir_ to La
Valentinois, the King left us, followed by Bertrandi.

CHAPTER XXXI

THE PEARS OF ORRAIN

As the curtains fell behind the King all the soft lights left La
Valentinois' eyes, and they shone like blue-black steel. She glanced
at us, an odd triumph in her look. So intensely an actress was she
that it almost seemed, and perhaps it was so, that she was looking at
us for some sign, some token of admiration at the skill with which she
had played her game, but both De Lorgnac and myself remained impassive
as stone.

"Here," she said at last, "here is my part of the bargain." And,
handing me the paper, she continued: "I presume it is correc