LOUISE DE LA VALLIEEE. 119
- 0f a lady?** said the king, with some uneasiness.
"Yes, sire.'* "A lady was the cause of this duel?" Manicamp bowed. "If the position of the lady in question warrants it,** he said, "I shall not complain of your having acted with so much circumspection; on the contrary, indeed.'* "Sire, everything which concerns your majesty's house- hold, or the household of your majesty's brother, is of im- portance in my eyes." "In my brother's household," repeated Louis XIV., with a slight hesitation. "The cause of the duel was a lady be- longing to my brother's household, do you say?" "Or to madame's." "Ah! to madame's?" ^^Y"og sirG '^ Well— and this lady?" "Is one of the maids of honor of Her Royal Highness Madame la Duchesse d'Orleans." "For whom Monsieur de Guiche fought — do you say?" "Yes, sire; and this time I tell no falsehood." Louis seemed restless and anxious. "Gentlemen," he said, turning toward the spectators of this scene, "will you have the goodness to retire for a moment? I wish to be alone with Monsieur de Manicamp; I know he has some very important communication to make for his own justification, and which he will not venture to do before witnesses. Put up your sword. Monsieur de Manicamp." Manicamp returned his sword to his belt. "The fellow, decidedly, has his wits about him," mur- mured the musketeer, taking St. Aignan by the arm, and withdrawing with him. "He will get out of it," said the latter, in D'Artagnan's ear. "And with honor, too, comte." Manicamp cast a glance of recognition at St. Aignan and the captain, which passed unnoticed by the king. "Come, come," said D'Artagnan, as he left the room, "I had an indifferent opinion of the new generation. Well, I was mistaken, after all, and there is some good in them, I perceive." Valot preceded the favorite and the captain, leaving the king and Manicamp alone in the cabinet.
