cardinal after the health of his nieces; he regretted, he
said, not having the pleasure of receiving them at the same
time with their uncle; they must certainly have grown in
stature, beauty and grace, as they had promised to do the
last time Monsieur had seen them.

What had first struck the king was a certain contrast in the
voices of the two interlocutors. The voice of Monsieur was
calm and natural while he spoke thus; while that of M. de
Mazarin jumped by a note and a half to reply above the
diapason of his usual voice. It might have been said that he
wished that voice to strike, at the end of the salon, any
ear that was too distant.

"Monseigneur," replied he, "Mesdemoiselles de Mazarin have
still to finish their education: they have duties to
fulfill, and a position to make. An abode in a young and
brilliant court would dissipate them a little."

Louis, at this last sentence, smiled sadly. The court was
young, it was true, but the avarice of the cardinal had
taken good care that it should not be brilliant.

"You have nevertheless no intention," replied Monsieur, "to
cloister them or make them bourgeoises?"

"Not at all," replied the cardinal, forcing his Italian
pronunciation in such a manner that, from soft and velvety
as it was, it became sharp and vibrating, "not at all: I
have a full and fixed intention to marry them, and that as