"Ah! chevalier, you're really a very good-natured fellow."
"You say that as if you were surprised."
"T^^ell, you are not so tender-hearted every day."
"That may be; but confess that I know how to repair a wrong I may have done."
"I confess that."
"Will your highness do me the favor to wait here a few minutes?"
"Willingly; be off, and I will try on my Fontainebleau costume."
The chevalier left the room, called his different attendants with the greatest care, as if he were giving them different orders. All went off in various directions; but he retained his valet de chambre. "Ascertain, and immediately, too, if Monsieur de Guiche is not in madame's apartments. How can one learn it?"
"Very easily, monsieur. I will ask Malicorne, who will learn it from Mademoiselle de Montalais. I may as well tell you, however, that the inquiry will be useless; for all Monsieur de Guiche's attendants are gone, and he must have left with them."
"Try and learn, nevertheless."
Ten minutes had hardly passed, when the valet returned. He beckoned his master mysteriously toward the servants' staircase, and showed him into a small room with a window looking out upon the garden. "What is the matter?" said the chevalier; "why so many precautions?"
"Look, monsieur," said the valet, "look yonder, under the walnut-tree."
"Ah!" said the chevalier. "I see Manicamp there. What is he waiting for?"
"You will see in a moment, monsieur, if you wait patiently. There, do you see now?"
"I see one, two, four musicians, with their instruments, and behind them, urging them on, De Guiche himself. What is he doing there, though?"
"He is waiting until the little door of the staircase, belonging to the ladies of honor, is opened; by that staircase he will ascend to madame's apartments, where some new pieces of music are going to be performed during dinner."
"That is admirable which you tell me."
"Is it not, monsieur?"
"Was it Monsieur de Malicorne who told you this?"
"Yes, monsieur."
