messenger has been very agreeable to me; but I will tell him
so myself."

Raoul bowed his thanks to Monsieur for the honor he had done
him.

Monsieur made a sign to Madame, who struck a bell which was
placed at her right hand; M. de Saint-Remy entered, and the
room was soon filled with people.

"Messieurs," said the prince, "his majesty is about to pay
me the honor of passing a day at Blois; I depend upon the
king, my nephew, not having to repent of the favor he does
my house."

"Vive le Roi!" cried all the officers of the household with
frantic enthusiasm, and M. de Saint-Remy louder than the
rest.

Gaston hung down his head with evident chagrin. He had all
his life been obliged to hear, or rather to undergo this cry
of "Vive le Roi!" which passed over him. For a long time,
being unaccustomed to hear it, his ear had had rest, and now
a younger, more vivacious, and more brilliant royalty rose
up before him, like a new and more painful provocation.

Madame perfectly understood the sufferings of that timid,
gloomy heart; she rose from the table, Monsieur imitated her
mechanically, and all the domestics, with a buzzing like
that of several bee-hives, surrounded Raoul for the purpose