466 TEN TEARS LATER. time to time toward the sky; others, even more timid still, walked about without wandering too far from the carriages, where they relied upon taking shelter in case the storm burst. The greater number of these, however, observing that the king fearlessly entered the wood with La Valliere, followed his majesty. The king, noticing this, took La Valliere's hand, and led her by a side-path, where no one this time ventured to follov/ him. CHAPTEK LXIL THE SHOWER OF RAIX. At this moment, and in the same direction, too, that the king and La Valliere were proceeding, except that they were walking in the wood itself, instead of following the path, two men were walking together, utterly indifferent to the appearance of the heavens. Their heads were bent down in the manner of people occupied with matters of great moment. They had not observed either De Guiche or madame, or the king, or La Valliere. Suddenly some- thing passed through the air like a stream of fire, followed by a loud but distant rumbling noise. "Ah!" said one of tliem, raising his head, "here is the storm. Let us reach our carriages, my dear D'Herblay." Aramis looked inquiringly at the heavens. "There is no occasion to hurry yet," he said; and then, resuming the conversation where it had doubtlessly been interrupted, he said: "You Avere observing that the letter we wrote last even- ing must by this time have reached its destination?" "I was saying that she certainly has it." "Whom did you send it by?" "By my own servant, as I have already told you.'* "Did he bring back an answer?" "I have not seen him since; the young girl was probably in attendance on madame, or was in her own room, dress- ing, and he may have had to wait. Our time for leaving arrived, and we set off, of course. I cannot, therefore, know what is going on yonder." "Did you see the king before leaving?" "Yes." "How did he seem?" "Nothing could be better, or worse, according as he be sincere or hypocritical."
