have appeared mild if it had not been so piercing.

"Yes, madame," replied the king; "I am fatigued, and,
besides, wish to write this evening."

A smile stole over the lips of the minister, who appeared,
by a bend of the head, to give the king permission.

Monsieur and Madame hastened to give orders to the officers
who presented themselves.

The king bowed, crossed the hall, and gained the door, where
a hedge of twenty musketeers awaited him. At the extremity
of this hedge stood the officer, impassible, with his drawn
sword in his hand. The king passed, and all the crowd stood
on tip-toe, to have one more look at him.

Ten musketeers, opening the crowd of the ante-chambers and
the steps, made way for his majesty. The other ten
surrounded the king and Monsieur, who had insisted upon
accompanying his majesty. The domestics walked behind. This
little cortege escorted the king to the chamber destined for
him. The apartment was the same that had been occupied by
Henry III. during his sojourn in the States.

Monsieur had given his orders. The musketeers, led by their
officer, took possession of the little passage by which one
wing of the castle communicates with the other. This passage
was commenced by a small square ante-chamber, dark even in
the finest days. Monsieur stopped Louis XIV.