a profound courtesy, the more respectful from the necessity
she was under of concealing certain contractions of her
laughing lips, which the king might not have attributed to
their real cause.

It was just at this moment that the king caught the word
which startled him.

"And the name of the third?" asked Monsieur.

"Mary, monseigneur," replied the cardinal.

There was doubtless some magical influence in that word,
for, as we have said, the king started at hearing it, and
drew Madame towards the middle of the circle, as if he
wished to put some confidential question to her, but, in
reality, for the sake of getting nearer to the cardinal.

"Madame my aunt," said he, laughing, and in a suppressed
voice, "my geography-master did not teach me that Blois was
at such an immense distance from Paris."

"What do you mean, nephew?" asked Madame.

"Why, because it would appear that it requires several
years, as regards fashion, to travel the distance! -- Look
at those young ladies!"

"Well; I know them all."