confiding the matter to no one the two men who were with me
excepted--I prepared to observe the issue with gloomy
satisfaction.

The match was to take place at three in the afternoon. A little
after that hour, I arrived at the tennis-court, attended by La
Font and other gentlemen, and M. l'Huillier, the councillor, who
had dined with me. L'Huillier's business had detained me
somewhat, and the men had begun; but as I had anticipated this, I
had begged my good friend De Vic to have an eye to my interests.
The King, who was in the gallery, had with him M. de Montpensier,
the Comte de Lude, Vitry, Varennes, and the Florentine
Ambassador, with Sancy and some others. Mademoiselle d'Entragues
and two ladies had taken possession of his closet, and from the
casement were pouring forth a perpetual fire of badinage and BONS
MOTS. The tennis-court, in a word, presented as different an
aspect as possible from that which it had worn in the morning.
The sharp crack of the ball, as it bounded from side to side, was
almost lost in the crisp laughter and babel of voices; which as I
entered rose into a perfect uproar, Mademoiselle having just
flung a whole lapful of roses across the court in return for some
witticism. These falling short of the gallery had lighted on the
head of the astonished Diego, causing a temporary cessation of
play, during which I took my seat.

Madame de Lude's saucy eye picked me out in a moment. "Oh, the
grave man!" she cried. "Crown him, too, with roses."

"As they crowned the skull at the feast, madame?" I answered,
saluting her gallantly.