she retired to her room and wept bitterly.

The next morning Louise repaired to the apartments of Henrietta. She
was surrounded by her suite of ladies. The king was already there. As,
with his accustomed gallantry, he passed down the room addressing a
few words to each, he approached Louise. Her heart throbbed violently.
He had never spoken to her before.

In response to his question, "And what did you think of the ballet
last night?" she, greatly agitated, attempted an answer. The king
observed her confusion, and instantly recognized her voice. It was the
same which he had heard the evening before in the forest expressing
such enthusiastic admiration for his person. The king started, and
fixed his eyes so intently upon her as to increase her embarrassment
and attract the observation of all around. With a profound bow the
king passed on, but again and again was seen to turn his eyes to the
blushing girl. From that time Mademoiselle de la Valliere became the
object of the marked and flattering attention of the king.

The unaffected timidity and modesty of her demeanor, her brilliant
complexion, large and languishing blue eyes, and profusion of flaxen
hair, were enough of themselves to excite the admiration of one so
enamored of beauty as was Louis XIV. But, in addition to this, the
self-love of Louis was gratified by the assurance that Louise admired
him for his personal qualities, and not merely for his kingly crown.
As the king was well aware of the gossip with which the court was
filled in view of his devotion to Madame Henrietta, he perhaps deemed
it expedient, by special attention to Louise, to divert the current of
thought and conversation.

A few days after this a great hunt took place in the park. It was a
hot summer's day. At the close of the hunt a table was spread loaded
with delicacies. As the king and the courtiers, in the keenest
enjoyment of the merry scene, were partaking of the sumptuous repast,
almost unobserved a thunder-cloud arose, and there descended upon them
a flood of rain so deluging that the company scattered in all
directions for shelter. Louise running, she knew not where, soon found
the king by her side. Politely taking her by the hand, he hurried her
to a large tree, whose dense canopy of leaves promised some protection
from the shower. There they stood, the young and handsome king, the
beautiful maiden, the rain falling upon them in floods. It is
interesting to record that the homage