him: "Permit me to leave you, madame; my uneasiness is very great, and I wish to be quite certain, myself, that proper attention has been given to Mademoiselle de la Valliere." And the king left again to return to La Valliere, while those who had been present commented upon the king's remark: 'My uneasiness is very great.'
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CHAPTEK XLIII.
The king's secret.
On his way Louis met the Comte de St. Aignan. "Well, St. Aignan," he inquired, with affected interest, "how is the invalid?"
"Really, sire," stammered St. Aignan, "to my shame, I confess I do not know."
"What! you do not know?" said the king, pretending to take in a serious manner this want of attention for the object of his predilection.
"Will your majesty pardon me; but I have just met one of our three loquacious wood-nymphs, and I confess that my attention has been taken away from other matters."
"Ah!" said the king eagerly, "you have found, then "
"The one who deigned to speak of me in such advantagous terms; and, having found mine, I was searching for yours, sire, when I had the happiness to meet your majesty."
"Very well; but Mademoiselle de la Valliere before everything else," said the king, faithful to the character he had assumed.
"Oh! our charming invalid!" said St. Aignan; "how fortunately her fainting came on, since your majesty had already occupied yourself about her."
"What is the name of your fair lady, St. Aignan? Is it a secret?"
"It ought to be a secret, and a very great one, even; but your majesty is well aware that no secret can possibly exist for you."
"Well, what is her name?"
"Mademoiselle de Tonnay-Charente."
"Is she pretty?"
"Exceedingly so, sire; and I recognized the voice which pronounced my name in such tender accents. I then accosted her, questioned her as well as I was able to do in the midst of the crowd; and she told me, without suspect-
