a great house, barred and gloomy, and
well adapted to the abductor's purpose. Moreover, scanning it on every
side, he presently discovered, tied about the bars of an upper window,
a knot of white linen, the very counterpart of that velvet one which he
bore in his breast. Thus he knew that the nymph was imprisoned in that
room!'

'I will make it twenty-five, as I am a good Churchman!' his Majesty
exclaimed, dropping the little dog he was nursing into the duchess's
lap, and taking out his comfit-box. 'Rambouillet,' he added languidly,
'your friend is a treasure!'

I bowed my acknowledgments, and took occasion as I did so to step a
pace aside, so as to command a view of Madame de Bruhl, as well as her
husband. Hitherto madame, willing to be accounted a part in so pretty
a romance, and ready enough also, unless I was mistaken, to cause her
husband a little mild jealousy, had listened to the story with a certain
sly demureness. But this I foresaw would not last long; and I felt
something like compunction as the moment for striking the blow
approached. But I had now no choice. 'The best is yet to come, sire,' I
went on, 'as I think you will acknowledge in a moment. Dromio, though
he had discovered his mistress, was still in the depths of despair. He
wandered round and round the house, seeking ingress and finding none,
until at length, sunset approaching, and darkness redoubling his fears
for the nymph, fortune took pity on him. As he stood in front of the
house he saw the abductor come out, lighted by two servants. Judge of
his surprise, sire,' I continued, looking round and speaking slowly, to
give full effect to my words, 'when he recognised in him no other than
the husband of the lady who, by picking up and again dropping the velvet
knot, had contributed so much to the success of his search!'

'Ha! these husbands!' cried the king. And slapping his knee in an
ecstasy at his own acuteness, he laughed in his seat till he rolled
again. 'These husbands! Did I not say so?'

The whole Court gave way to like applause, and clapped their hands as
well, so that few save those who stood nearest took notice of Madame de
Bruhl's faint cry, and still fewer understood why she rose up suddenly
from her stool and stood gazing at her husband with burning cheeks and
clenched hands. She took no heed of me, much less of the laughing crowd
round her, but looked only at him with her soul in her eyes. He, after
uttering one hoarse curse, seem