Part 65 (1/2)
”I am afraid, sire, that my absence may be misinterpreted; at a moment, too, when all the others are reunited”
”I would not hesitate to propose returning to the carriages, Mademoiselle de la Valliere, but pray look and listen, and tell ress at present?”
In fact the thunder was still rolling, and the rain continued to fall in torrents
”Besides,” continued the king, ”no possible interpretation can be made which would be to your discredit Are you not with the king of France; in other words, with the first gentledom?”
”Certainly, sire,” replied La Valliere, ”and it is a very distinguished honor for me; it is not, therefore, for myself that I fear any interpretations that may be made”
”For who, s, ”I do not understand you”
”Has yourin her royal highness's apart, or allow me to remember it for no other purpose than to thank you once more for your letter, and-”
”Sire,” interrupted La Valliere, ”the rain is falling, and your majesty's head is uncovered”
”I entreat you not to think of anything but yourself”
”Oh! I,” said La Valliere, sh the ardens of Blois, whatever the weatherat her simple muslin dress, ”your majesty sees there is but little room for injury”
”Indeed, I have already noticed,to yourself and nothing to your toilette Your freedoreatest charms in my eyes”
”Sire, do not make me out better than I am, and say merely, 'You cannot possibly be a coquette'”
”Why so?”
”Because,” said La Valliere, s, ”I a, quickly, ”that you have a love for beautiful things?”
”Sire, I only regard those things as beautiful which are within hly placed for n to , ”do not find that you are atyou should be The services of your faht under lected by hness, the Duke of Orleans, was always exceedingly kind towards M de Saint-Remy, my step-father The services rendered were hu, our services have been adequately recognized It is not every one who is happy enough to find opportunities of serving his sovereign with distinction I have no doubt at all, that, if ever opportunities had been met with, my family's actions would have been as lofty as their loyalty was firm: but that happiness was never ours”
”In that case, Mades to repair the want of opportunity, and htedly do I undertake to repair, in your instance, and with the least possible delay, the wrongs of fortune towards you”
”Nay, sire,” cried La Valliere, eagerly; ”leave things, I beg, as they are now”
”Is it possible! you refuse what I ought, and what I wish to do for you?”
”All I desired has been grantedone of Madame's household”
”But if you refuse for yourself, at least accept for your faenerous intentions, sire, bewilderfor es you to do, your majesty will raise up enemies for us, and enemies for yourself, too Leave s and senti instinct of disinterestedness”
”The senti, ”are indeed admirable”
”Quite true,” murmured Aramis in Fouquet's ear, ”and he cannot be accustomed to them”
”But,” replied Fouquet, ”suppose she were to make a similar reply to my letter”
”True!” said Aramis, ”let us not anticipate, but wait the conclusion”
”And then, dear Monsieur d'Herblay,” added the superintendent, hardly able to appreciate the sentiments which La Valliere had just expressed, ”it is very often sound calculation to seem disinterested withthis veryapproached nearer to La Valliere, and as the rain dripped e of the oak, he held his hat over the head of the young girl, who raised her beautiful blue eyes towards the royal hat which sheltered her, and shook her head, sighing deeply as she did so
”What , ”can possibly reach your heart when I place mine as a rampart before it?”
”I will tell you, sire I had already once before broached this question, which is so difficult for a young girl of e to discuss, but your s not to yourself alone: you are married; and every sentiment which would separate youryou to take notice of me, will be a source of profoundest sorrow for the queen” The king endeavored to interrupt the young girl, but she continued with a suppliant gesture ”The Queen Maria, with an attachment which can be well understood, folloith her eyes every step of yourhad her fate united to your own, she weepingly implores Heaven to preserve you to her, and is jealous of the faintest throb of your heart bestowed elsewhere” The king again seeain did La Valliere venture to prevent him-”Would it not, therefore, be a most blamable action,” she continued, ”if your majesty, a witness of this anxious and disinterested affection, gave the queen any cause for jealousy? Forgive me, sire, for the expressions I have used I well know it is ireatest queen of the whole world could be jealous of a poor girl like h a queen, she is still a woman, and her heart, like that of the rest of her sex, cannot close itself against the suspicions which such as are evilly disposed, insinuate For Heaven's sake, sire, think no ard”
”Do you not know that in speaking as you have done, you change my esteem for you into the profoundest admiration?”
”Sire, you assume my words to be contrary to the truth; you suppose reater merit to me than God ever intended should be the case Spare enerous ”
”You do not, I know, fear such a thing; I am quite sure of that,” exclaied to believe it, if your e towards , in a tone of regret which was not assumed; ”I am the unhappiest prince in the Christian world, since I am powerless to induce belief in my words, in one whom I love the best in the orld, and who alard for her”
”Oh, sire!” said La Valliere, gently putting the king aside, who had approached nearer to her, ”I think the storm has passed away now, and the rain has ceased” At the veryas it were from her own heart, which doubtless throbbed but too well in unison with the king's, uttered these words, the stor illulare, and a peal of thunder, like a discharge of artillery, burst over their heads, as if the height of the oak that sheltered theirl could not repress a cry of terror The king with one hand drew her towards his heart, and stretched the other above her head, as though to shi+eld her froroup, delightful as everything young and loving is delightful, remained motionless, while Fouquet and Aramis contemplated it in attitudes as”Oh, sire!” murmured La Valliere, ”do you hear?” and her head fell upon his shoulder
”Yes,” said the king ”You see, the stor, sire” The king ser”
”Be it so,” said the king ”I agree to accept that peal of thunder as a warning, and even as a menace, if, in five minutes from the present moment, it is reneith equal violence; but if not, per , at the saate the heavens But, as if the re the five minutes which elapsed after the burst of thunder which had alarmed theain heard, it was passing as plainly as if, during those saht, had traversed the heavens with the wings of the wind ”Well, Louise,” said the king, in a low tone of voice, ”do you still threaten ard the stor, do you still believe it bodes irl looked up, and saw that while they had been talking, the rain had penetrated the foliage above the's face ”Oh, sire, sire!” she exclaiitated the king ”Is it forremains thus uncovered, and exposed to the rain? What a, ”the divinity who dissipates the stor spoke, a ray of sunlight streah the forest, and caused the rain-drops which rested upon the leaves, or fell vertically alisten like diamonds
”Sire,” said La Valliere, al a powerful effort over herself, ”think of the anxieties your majesty will have to sub you in every direction The queengirl exclai terror
This naaged himself froainst his heart He then advanced towards the path, in order to look round, and returned, sohtfully, to La Valliere ”Madame, did you say?” he remarked