Chapter 30 - Page 2

courage; and therefore the
king's message, of which Malicorne had been the bearer, was regarded by
her as the bugle-note proclaiming the commencement of hostilities. She,
therefore, boldly accepted the gage of battle. Five minutes afterwards
the king ascended the staircase. His color was heightened from having
ridden hard. His dusty and disordered clothes formed a singular contrast
with the fresh and perfectly arranged toilette of Madame, who,
notwithstanding the rouge on her cheeks, turned pale as Louis entered the
room. Louis lost no time in approaching the object of his visit; he sat
down, and Montalais disappeared.

"My dear sister," said the king, "you are aware that Mademoiselle de la
Valliere fled from her own room this morning, and that she has retired to
a cloister, overwhelmed by grief and despair." As he pronounced these
words, the king's voice was singularly moved.

"Your majesty is the first to inform me of it," replied Madame.

"I should have thought that you might have learned it this morning,
during the reception of the ambassadors," said the king.

"From your emotion, sire, I imagined that something extraordinary had
happened, but without knowing what."

The king, with his usual frankness, went straight to the point. "Why did
you send Mademoiselle de la Valliere away?"

"Because I had reason to be dissatisfied with her conduct," she replied,
dryly.

The king became crimson, and his eyes kindled with a fire which it
required all Madame's courage to support. He mastered his anger,
however, and continued: "A stronger reason than that is surely requisite,
for one so good and kind as you are, to turn away and dishonor, not only
the young girl herself, but every member of her family as well. You know
that the whole city has its eyes fixed upon the conduct of the female
portion of the court. To dismiss a maid of honor is to attribute a crime
to her - at the very least a fault. What crime, what fault has
Mademoiselle de la Valliere been guilty of?"

"Since you constitute yourself the protector of Mademoiselle de la
Valliere," replied Madame, coldly, "I will give you those explanations
which I should have a perfect right to withhold from every one."

"Even from the king!" exclaimed Louis, as, with a sudden gesture, he
covered his head with his hat.

"You have called me your sister," said Madame, "and I am in my own
apartments."

"It matters not," said the youthful monarch, ashamed at having been
hurried away by his anger; "neither you, nor any one else in this
kingdom, can assert a right to withhold an explanation in my presence."

"Since that is the way you regard it," said Madame, in a hoarse, angry
tone of voice, "all that remains for