Part 61 (1/2)
”One of the maids of honor?”
”Yes, sire”
”With Madehing
”Fortunately, no, sire; with Montalais”
”What is his name?”
”Malicorne”
”And you can depend on hiht to have a key of some sort in his possession; and if he should happen to have one, as I have done hi could be better Let us set off inan's shoulders, asked him for his, and both went out into the vestibule
Chapter LIX Sonan stopped at the foot of the staircase leading to the entresol, where the ed, and to the first floor, where Madame's apartments were situated Then, by , he sent to apprise Malicorne, as still with Monsieur After having waited tendrew back towards the darkest part of the vestibule Saint-Aignan, on the contrary, advanced tohis wish, Malicorne drew back abruptly
”Oh, oh!” he said, ”you want me to introduce you into the rooms of the maids of honor?”
”Yes”
”You know very well that I cannot do anything of the kind, without being made acquainted with your object”
”Unfortunately, ive you any explanation; you ot you out of a great difficulty yesterday, and who now begs you to draw him out of one to-day”
”Yet I told you, monsieur, what my object hich was, not to sleep out in the open air, and any ht express the sa”
”Believe nan persisted, ”that if I were permitted to explain myself, I would do so”
”In that case, my dear monsieur, it is impossible for me to allow you to enter Mademoiselle de Montalais's apartment”
”Why so?”
”You knohy, better than any one else, since you caughtmy addresses to Mademoiselle de Montalais; it would, therefore, be an excess of kindness onmy attentions to her, to open the door of her room to you”
”But who told you it was on her account I asked you for the key?”
”For whoe there alone, I suppose?”
”No, certainly; for Mademoiselle de la Valliere shares her roo more to do with Mademoiselle de la Valliere than with Mademoiselle de Montalais, and there are only two elonne, if he begged , if he coive , advancing fro his cloak ”Mademoiselle de Montalais will step down to talk with you, while we go up-stairs to Mademoiselle de la Valliere, for, in fact, it is she only e desire to see”
”The king!” exclai,” said Louis, s, who is as pleased with your resistance as with your capitulation Rise, monsieur, and render us the service we request of you”
”I obey, yourthe way up the staircase
”Get Made, ”and do not breathe a word to her of my visit”
Malicorne bowed in token of obedience, and proceeded up the staircase But the king, after a hasty reflection, followed hih Malicorne was alreadyreached the room at the same moment He then observed, by the door which re in an armchair with her head thrown back, and in the opposite corner Montalais, who, in her dressing-goas standing before a looking-glass, engaged in arranging her hair, and parleying the while with Malicorne The king hurriedly opened the door and entered the roo of the door, and, recognizing the king, made her escape La Valliere rose froalvanized, and then fell back in her ar advanced slowly towards her
”You wished for an audience, I believe,” he said coldly ”I anan, faithful to his character of being deaf, blind, and dumb, had stationed himself in a corner of the door, upon a stool which by chance he found there Concealed by the tapestry which covered the doorway, and leaning his back against the wall, he could thus listen without being seen; resigning hi, who patiently waits and watches without ever getting in his 's irritated aspect, rose a second ti a posture full of huive iveness?” asked Louis
”Sire, I have been guilty of a great fault; nay, reat crime”
”You?”
”Sire, I have offended your ree in the world,” replied Louis XIV
”I implore you, sire, not to maintain towards me that terrible seriousness of er I feel I have offended you, sire; but I wish to explain to you hoas that I have not offended you of , ”in ay can you possibly have offended irl's harmless and very innocent jest? You turned the credulity of a young man into ridicule-it was very natural to do so: any other woman in your place would have done the same”
”Oh! your majesty overwhelms me by your remark”
”Why so?”
”Because, if I had been the author of the jest, it would not have been innocent”
”Well, is that all you had to say to h about to turn away
Thereupon La Valliere, in an abrupt and a broken voice, her eyes dried up by the fire of her tears, , and said, ”Did your , what?”
”Everything I said beneath the royal oak”
”I did not lose a syllable”