es this several times, but on each occasion her dread of insects
returns, and she recoils shrinking. The King puts his arms round
her to give her courage, and at this instant, _Raoul de Bragelonne_
returns, sees the back of someone embracing the maiden who was
betrothed to him in childhood, draws his sword--and recognises his
Sovereign. "Whew!" his expression says plainly enough. "Now I _have_
put my foot in it nicely!" He takes off his hat and apologises
profusely; but _Louis_ is indignant. What's the use of being a _Roi
Soleil_ if you can't ask a lady of your Court to sit in an arbour
without being interrupted like this? He swells visibly, and intimates
that he will pay _Raoul_ out for this in various highly unpleasant
ways. _Louise_ kneels to him for pardon. _Louis_ subsides gradually,
but still shows the whites of his eyes; finally he tells _Raoul_ to be
off. _Raoul_ is submissive--only wants to know where he's to _go_ to.
_Louis_ points to Heaven, evidently regal politeness forbids him to
indicate any other place. _Raoul_ goes off perplexed, and no wonder.
Then, as the Argument explains, "_a trumpet-call is heard_," and
_Louise "bewildered_," perhaps because it is the signal to go and
dress for dinner, escapes to the palace; and _Louis_, feeling that
the arbour is only a question of time, follows. Then Musketeers come
off duty and get up an assault-at-arms, until their careful captain,
afraid that they will hurt themselves with those nasty swords, orders
them to stop, and the First _Tableau_ is over.

[Illustration: "He swells visibly."]

TABLEAU II.--Rich hangings have fallen close to the footlights,
to represent an "Ante-room in the Palace." Attendants bring on two
dressing-tables. Enter the two principal _danseuses_, who are about to
dress for the Grand Ballet, when _Lulli_, the Composer, and _Prevot_,
the _Maitre de dance du Roi_, come in and very inconsiderately propose
a rehearsal, which of course must be an _un_dress rehearsal--then and
there. This not unnaturally puts both the ladies out of temper; they
object to the ballet-skirts supplied by the Management as skimpy, and
one of them throws up her part, which almost reduces _Lulli_ to tears.
The other undertakes it at a moment's notice, whereupon the first lady
tries to scratch her eyes out, and then has a fit of hysterics. Both
ladies have hysterics. A bell rings and, suddenly remembering that a
Royal Ante-room is _rather_ a public place to dress in, they