woods, sighed along
the road, and wrinkled the surface of the waters of the river; all
these beauties of the day, all these perfumes of the plants, all these
aspirations of the earth towards heaven, intoxicated the two lovers,
walking side by side, leaning upon each other, eyes fixed upon eyes,
hand clasping hand, and who, lingering as by a common desire, did not
dare to speak, they had so much to say.

The officer saw that the king's horse, in wandering this way and that,
annoyed Mademoiselle de Mancini. He took advantage of the pretext of
securing the horse to draw near them, and dismounting, walked between
the two horses he led; he did not lose a single word or gesture of the
lovers. It was Mademoiselle de Mancini who at length began.

"Ah, my dear sire!" said she, "you do not abandon me, then?"

"No, Marie," replied the king; "you see I do not."

"I had so often been told, though, that as soon as we should be
separated you would no longer think of me."

"Dear Marie, is it then to-day only that you have discovered we are
surrounded by people interested in deceiving us?"

"But then, sire, this journey, this alliance with Spain? They are going
to marry you off!"

Louis hung his head. At the same time the officer could see the eyes
of Marie de Mancini shine in the sun with the brilliancy of a dagger
starting from its sheath. "And you have done nothing in favor of our
love?" asked the girl, after a silence of a moment.

"Ah! mademoiselle, how could you believe that? I threw myself at the
feet of my mother; I begged her, I implored her; I told her all my hopes
of happiness were in you; I even threatened--"

"Well?" asked Marie, eagerly.

"Well, the queen-mother wrote to the court of Rome, and received as
answer, that a marriage between us would have no validity, and would be
dissolved by the holy father. At length, finding there was no hope for
us, I requested to have my marriage with the infanta at least delayed."

"And yet that does not prevent your being on the road to meet her?"

"How can I help it? To my prayers, to my supplications, to my tears, I
received no answer but reasons of state."

"Well, well?"

"Well, what is to be done, mademoiselle, when so many wills are leagued
against me?"

It was now Marie's turn to hang her head. "Then I must bid you adieu
forever," said she. "You know that I am being exiled; you know that I am
going to be buried alive; you know still more that they want to marry