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And having made a respectful obeisance she withdrew to her own apartment; Mesdemoiselles de Tonnay-Charente and de Montalais did the same. The rumor of the intended promenade soon spread all over the palace; ten minutes afterwards Malicorne learned Madame's resolution, and slipped under Montalais's door a note, in the following terms: "L. V. must positively pass the night the night with Madame."
He seemed to keep an account of the insolence and license of the two speakers in order to settle matters with them at the earliest opportunity. De Wardes seemed to guess what was passing in his mind, and continued: "Who are these young ladies' lovers?" "Montalais's lover?" said the chevalier. "Yes, Montalais first." "You, I, or De Guiche, whoever likes, in fact." "And the other?"
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?
He had already recovered the thread of his ideas, when, suddenly, through the door, he fancied he recognized Montalais's voice in the Cabinet des Porcelaines. "She!" he cried. "Yes, it is indeed her voice! She will be able to tell me the whole truth; but shall I question her here? She conceals herself even from me; she is coming, no doubt, from Madame. I will see her in her own apartment.
"A very proper judge to decide upon our difference of opinion," said Montalais. "Oh! Montalais, Montalais, for pity's sake," exclaimed La Valliere, "after having been so cruel, show me a little mercy." These words, uttered with all the fervor of a prayer, effaced all trace of irony, if not from Montalais's heart, at least from her face.
"What! is it possible that you do not understand, sire, that above De Guiche's lodgings are two rooms, one of which is Mademoiselle Montalais's, and the other " "La Valliere's, is it not so, Saint-Aignan? Oh! yes, yes. It is a brilliant idea, Saint-Aignan, a true friend's idea, a poet's idea.
But no one was there who could assist him, not even Malicorne; who, a little uneasy at finding himself in the presence of so many persons of good birth, and not a little discouraged by Montalais's bantering glances, had described a circle, and by degrees succeeded in getting a few paces from the prince, behind the group of maids of honor, and nearly within reach of Mademoiselle Aure's voice, she being the planet around which he, as her attendant satellite, seemed constrained to gravitate.
"I hear Montalais's voice," she said, and she hurried up the staircase; the king followed her, unable to let her leave his sight, and covering her hand with his kisses. "Yes, yes," repeated La Valliere, who had passed half-way through the opening. "Yes, it is Montalais who is calling me; something important must have happened." "Go then, dearest love," said the king, "but return quickly."
"How very fortunate that is; he was looking for you, too. Raoul, will you accompany Mademoiselle de Montalais?" "Oh! certainly." "Go along, then," he said, as he gently pushed Raoul out of the cabinet; and then, taking hold of Montalais's hand, he said, in a low voice, "Be kind towards him; spare him, and spare her, too, if you can."
De Guiche, also, lost his presence of mind, or, it would be more correct to say, had already lost it, before Montalais's arrival, for, scarcely had he heard the young girl's voice, than, without taking leave of Madame, as the most ordinary politeness required, even between persons equal in rank and station, he fled from her presence, his heart tumultuously throbbing, and his brain on fire, leaving the princess with one hand raised, as though to bid him adieu.
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