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"Sire," he said, "I have already begged your majesty's forgiveness; but there are certain particulars in that conversation which are only intelligible from the denouement." "Well, what is the denouement, monsieur?" "This: that your majesty then said, 'that you would defer the marriage out of regard for M. de Bragelonne's own interests." The king remained silent.
Athos paused a moment, as if to collect himself: "I have had the honor," he said, in a mild tone, "to observe to your majesty that no obstacle now interferes with M. de Bragelonne's affections, and that his determination seems unalterable." "There is my will and that is an obstacle, I should imagine!" "That is the most serious of all," Athos replied quickly. "Ah!"
And Madame rose to place her letter in Bragelonne's hands. Raoul understood that his audience was at an end; he took the letter, bowed lowly to the princess, and left the room. "A month!" murmured the princess; "could I have been blind, then, to so great an extent, and could he have loved her for this last month?"
The king, the courtiers, and the ladies of the court, had set off for Saint-Germain; Madame Henrietta was the only one who knew of Bragelonne's return, and thinking over the advantages which might be drawn from this return, she had feigned indisposition in order to remain behind. Madame was therefore confident of finding La Valliere's room and Saint-Aignan's apartment perfectly empty.
"But, my lord, before you spoke of M. de Bragelonne's heart, you spoke to me of your own. Do you mean to effect the cure of two hearts at the same time?" "Perfectly true, madame; but you will do me the justice to admit that I have long discontinued a useless pursuit, acknowledging that my own wound is incurable."
Buckingham reflected for a moment, and, without seeming in any way discountenanced, as she expected, he said: "My reason for leaving you with M. de Bragelonne was, that I thoroughly knew your refined delicacy of feeling, no less than the perfect loyalty of your mind and heart, and I hoped that M. de Bragelonne's cure might be effected by the hands of a physician such as you are."
"And I, too, as much as yourself, comte, wish to secure M. de Bragelonne's happiness." "I only await your majesty's signature. Raoul will have the honor of presenting himself before your majesty to receive your consent."
We accordingly resume Raoul de Bragelonne's story at the very place where our last sketch left him. In a state of frenzy and dismay, or rather without power or will of his own, hardly knowing what he was doing, he fled swiftly, after the scene in La Valliere's chamber, that strange exclusion, Louise's grief, Montalais's terror, the king's wrath all seemed to indicate some misfortune. But what?
"And now," continued De Guiche, "there is no doubt in the world, as far as I am concerned, that you wished to disturb Bragelonne's peace of mind, and that your remarks were maliciously intended."
She took a pass-key from her pocket and opened the door of her maid of honor's apartment. Bragelonne's gaze was immediately fixed upon the interior of the room, which he recognized at once; and the impression which the sight of it produced upon him was torture. The princess looked at him, and her practiced eye at once detected what was passing in the young man's heart.
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