Part 39 (2/2)
”Will you allow me, M de Guiche, to return you the thanks I had proposed to offer you on the very first opportunity? It is to your reco the number of Madame's ratulate myself Do you love any one?”
”I!” exclaiive ive ht, this brutal exile has completely turnedreceived you with kindness”
”Do you think so? Received me with kindness-perhaps so-yes-”
”There cannot be a doubt he received you kindly, for, in fact, you returned without his perht But have you not seen M de Bragelonne here?”
La Valliere started at the name ”Why do you ask?” she inquired
”Have I offended you again?” said De Guiche ”In that case I areatly to be pitied”
”Yes, very unhappy, and very much to be pitied, Monsieur de Guiche, for you see terribly”
”Oh! mademoiselle, why have I not a devoted sister, or a true friend, such as yourself?”
”You have friends, Monsieur de Guiche, and the Vicoelonne, of whom you spoke just now, is, I believe, one of the ht, he is one of my best friends Farewell, Mademoiselle de la Valliere, farewell” And he fled, like one possessed, along the banks of the lake His dark shadow glided, lengthening as it disappeared, a undulations of the water La Valliere looked after hiin to understand why”
She had hardly finished when her companions, Mademoiselle de Montalais and Mademoiselle de Tonnay-Charente, ran forward They were released froed their costuht, and the success of the evening, they returned to look after their companion
”What, already here!” they said to her ”We thought we should be first at the rendezvous”
”I have been here this quarter of an hour,” replied La Valliere
”Did not the dancing a spectacle?”
”NoAs far as beauty is concerned, I much prefer that which these dark woods present, in whose depths can be seen, now in one direction and again in another, a light passing by, as though it were an eye, in color like a ht rainbow, sometimes open, at others closed”
”La Valliere is quite a poetess,” said Tonnay-Charente
”In other words,” said Montalais, ”she is insupportable Whenever there is a question of laughing a little or of airls have reason to cry, because, perhaps, we have mislaid our dresses, or because our vanity as been wounded, or our costuhs”
”As far as I am concerned, that is not my character,” said Mademoiselle de Tonnay-Charente ”I am a woman; and there are few like me; whoever loves me, flatters me; whoever flatters me, pleases me; and whoever pleases-”
”Well!” said Montalais, ”you do not finish”
”It is too difficult,” replied Made loudly ”Do you, who are so clever, finish for me”
”And you, Louise?” said Montalais, ”does any one please you?”
”That is a irl, rising fro the whole tireed to aht without any one to overlook us, and without any escort We are three in nuht is lovely Look yonder, do you not see thethe topmost branches of the chestnuts and the oaks Oh, beautiful walk! sweet liberty! exquisite soft turf of the woods, the happiness which your friendshi+p confers upon e trees Out yonder all are at thisto adorn the saddled, or harnessed to the carriages-the queen's mules or Madame's four white ponies As for ourselves, we shall soon reach some retired spot where no eyes can see us and no step follow ours Do you not remember, Montalais, the woods of Cheverny and of Cha poplars of Blois, where we exchanged our mutual hopes?”
”And confidences too?”
”Yes”
”Well,” said Madeood deal; but I take care-”
”To say nothing,” said Montalais, ”so that when Mademoiselle de Tonnay-Charente thinks, Athenais is the only one who knows it”
”Hush!+” said Made frorass,” said Montalais; ”stoop, Athenais, you are so tall”
Mademoiselle de Tonnay-Charente stooped as she was told, and, al, their heads bent doalking ar parallel with the bank The young girls had, indeed, made themselves small-indeed invisible
”It is Monsieur de Guiche,” whispered Montalais in Mademoiselle de Tonnay-Charente's ear
”It is Monsieur de Bragelonne,” whispered the latter to La Valliere
The two youngin animated tones ”She was here just now,” said the count ”If I had only seen her, I should have declared it to be a vision, but I spoke to her”
”You are positive, then?”
”Yes; but perhaps I frightened her”
”In ay?”
”Oh! I was still half crazy at you knohat; so that she could hardly have understood what I was saying, and elonne, ”do not make yourself uneasy: she is all kindness, and will excuse you; she is clear-sighted, and will understand”
”Yes, but if she should have understood, and understood too well, she may talk”
”You do not know Louise, count,” said Raoul ”Louise possesses every virtue, and has not a single fault” And the two young men passed on, and, as they proceeded, their voices were soon lost in the distance
”How is it, La Valliere,” said Madeelonne spoke of you as Louise?”
”We were brought up together,” replied Louise, blushi+ng; ”M de Bragelonne has honored e, but-”