of the king, that the latter lost,
while looking at her, a few words of the conversation of Monsieur and
the cardinal.

"Daughter-in-law," continued Madame, "of M. de Saint-Remy, my _maitre
d'hotel_, who presided over the confection of that excellent _daube
truffee_ which your majesty seemed so much to appreciate."

No grace, no youth, no beauty, could stand out against such a
presentation. The king smiled. Whether the words of Madame were a
pleasantry, or uttered in all innocency, they proved the pitiless
immolation of everything that Louis had found charming or poetic in the
young girl. Mademoiselle de la Valliere, for Madame and, by rebound,
for the king, was, for a moment, no more than the daughter of a man of a
superior talent over _dindes truffees_.

But princes are thus constituted. The gods, too, were just like this
in Olympus. Diana and Venus, no doubt, abused the beautiful Alcmena and
poor Io, when they condescended for distraction's sake, to speak, amidst
nectar and ambrosia, of mortal beauties, at the table of Jupiter.

Fortunately, Louise was so bent in her reverential salute, that she did
not catch either Madame's words or the king's smile. In fact, if the
poor child, who had so much good taste as alone to have chosen to dress
herself in white amidst all her companions--if that dove's heart, so
easily accessible to painful emotions, had been touched by the cruel
words of Madame, or the egotistical cold smile of the king, it would
have annihilated her.

And Montalais herself, the girl of ingenious ideas, would not have
attempted to recall her to life; for ridicule kills beauty even.

But fortunately, as we have said, Louise, whose ears were buzzing, and
her eyes veiled by timidity,--Louise saw nothing and heard nothing; and
the king, who had still his attention directed to the conversation of
the cardinal and his uncle, hastened to return to them.

He came up just at the moment Mazarin terminated by saying: "Mary, as
well as her sisters, has just set off for Brouage. I make them follow
the opposite bank of the Loire to that along which we have traveled; and
if I calculate their progress correctly, according to the orders I have
given, they will to-morrow be opposite Blois."

These words were pronounced with that tact--that measure, that
distinctness of tone, of intention, and reach--which made _del Signor
Giulio Mazarini_ the first comedian in the world.

It resulted that they went straight to th