Page:Ten Years Later 2.djvu/130

120 TElSr YEARS LATER. Anne leaned her head u^Don her hands, and then, looking at herself in the glass, mnrmured: "It has been truly said that a woman is always young, and that the age of twenty years always lies concealed in some secret corner of the heart." CHAPTER XVIII. KIJ^G LOUIS XIV. DOES NOT THINK MLLE. DE LA VALLIERE EITHER RICH ENOUGH OR PRETTY ENOUGH FOR A GEN- TLEMAN OF THE RANK OF THE VICOMTE DE BRAGE- LONNE. Raoul and the Oomte de la Fere reached Paris the even- ing of the same day on which Buckingham had had the con- versation with the queen-mother. The count had scarcely arrived, when, through Raoul, he solicited an audience of the king. His majesty had passed a portion of the morning in look- ing over, with madame and the ladies of the court, various goods of Lyons manufacture, of which he had made his sister-in-law a present. A court dinner had succeeded, then cards, and afterward, according to his usual custom, the king, leaving the card-tables at eight o'clock, passed into the cabinet in order to work with Mo Colbert and M. Fouquet. Raoul entered the antechamber at the very moment the two ministers quitted it, and the king, perceiv- ing him through the half-closed door, said: "What do you want. Monsieur de Bragelonne?" The young man approached: "An audience, sire," he replied, "for the Comte de la Fere, who has just arrived from Blois, and is most anxious to have an interview with your majesty." "I have an hour to spare between cards and my supper," said the king. "Is the Comte de la Fere ready?" "He is below, and awaits your majesty's commands." "Let him come at once," said the king; and five minutes afterward Athos entered the presence of Louis XIV. He was received by the king with that gracious kindness of manner which Louis, with a tact beyond his years, re- served for the purpose of gaining those who were not to be conquered by ordinary favors. "Let me hope, comte," said the king, "that you have come to ask me for something."