The entire brilliant court was assembled; the cardinal arrayed in
his suitable apparel, and wearing all the tokens of his rank, had
entered the great reception room, and only awaited the arrival of
the royal pair, to lead them into the church. The fine and much
admired face of the cardinal wore today a beaming expression, and
his great black eyes were continually directed, while he was talking
with the Duke de Conti and the Count d'Artois, toward the door
through which the royal couple would enter. All at once the portal
opened, a royal page stepped in and glanced searchingly around; and
seeing the towering figure of the cardinal in the middle of the
hall, he at once advanced through the glittering company, and
approached the cardinal. "Monseigneur," he whispered to him, "his
majesty is awaiting your eminence's immediate appearance in the
cabinet."

The cardinal broke off abruptly his conversation with Lord Conti,
hurried through the hall and entered the cabinet.

No one was there except the king and queen, and in the background of
the apartment, in the recess formed by a window, the premier, Baron
Breteuil, the old and irreconcilable enemy of the proud cardinal,
who in this hour would have his reward for his year long and
ignominious treatment of the prince.

The cardinal had entered with a confident, dignified bearing; but
the cold look of the king and the flaming eye of the queen appeared
to confuse him a little, and his proud eye sank to the ground.

"You have been buying diamonds of Bohmer?" asked the king,
brusquely.