t
read those which are addressed to me, and I have seven or eight hundred,
in the most charming writings, which I am keeping to amuse my old days.
Here, Malezieux, you, who are clearness itself, give me a report."

"Well, these letters are the engagements of the Breton nobles to sustain
the rights of her highness."

"Very good."

"This paper is the protestation of the nobility."

"Oh! give it me. I protest."

"But you do not know against what."

"Never mind, I protest all the same."

And, taking the paper, he wrote his name after that of Guillaume Antoine
de Chastellux, which was the last signature.

"Let him alone," said Cellamare to the duchess, "Richelieu's name is
useful everywhere."

"And this letter?" asked the duke, pointing to the missive of Philip V.

"That letter," continued Malezieux, "is written by King Philip himself."

"Then his Catholic majesty writes worse than I do," answered Richelieu.
"That pleases me. Raffe always says it is impossible."

"If the letter is badly written, the news it contains is none the less
good," said Madame de Maine, "for it is a letter begging the king of
France to assemble the States-General to oppose the treaty of the
quadruple alliance."

"And is your highness sure of the States-General?"

"Here is the protestation which engages the nobility. The cardinal
answers for the clergy, and there only remains the army."

"The army," said Laval, "is my affair. I have the signs-manual of
twenty-two colonels."

"First," said Richelieu, "I answer for my regiment, which is at Bayonne,
and which, consequently, is able to be of great service to us."

"Yes," said Cellamare, "and we reckon on it, but I heard that there was
a question of changing the garrison."

"Seriously?"

"Very seriously. You understand, duke? We must be beforehand."

"Instantly--paper--ink; I will write to the Duc de Berwick. At the
moment of commencing a campaign, no one will be astonished at my begging
not to be removed from the theater of war."

The duchess hastened to give Richelieu what he asked, and taking a pen,
presented it to him herself. The duke bowed, took the pen, and wrote a
letter to the Duc de Berwick, begging that his regiment should not be
removed till May.

"Now read, madame," continued the duke, passing the paper to Madame de
Maine. The duchess took the letter, read it, and passed it to her
neighbor, who passed it on, so that it made the round of the table.
Malezieux, who ha