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LOUISE DE LA VALLIERE. 367 And the comte rang again. "Who has been here during my absence with the king?" "No one, monsieur." "That is impossible. Some one must have been here." "No one could possibly have entered, monsieur; since I kept the keys in my own pocket." "And yet I find this letter in that lock yonder; some one must have put it there; it could not have come alone," Basque opened his arms, as if signifying the most abso- lute ignorance on the subject. "Probably it was Monsieur de Bragelonne himself who placed it there," said Porthos. "In that case he must have entered here." "How could that have been, since I have the keys in my own pocket?" returned Basque perseveringly. St. Aignan crumpled up the letter in his hand, after hav- ing read it. "There is something mysterious about this," he mur- mured, absorbed in thought. Porthos left him to his re- flections; but after awhile returned to the mission he had undertaken. "Shall we return to our little affair?" he said, addressing St. Aignan, as soon as the lackey had disappeared. "I think I can now understand it, from this note, which has arrived here in so singular a manner. Monsieur de Bragelonne says that a friend will call." "I am his friend, and am the one he alludes to." "For the purpose of giving me a- challenge?" "Precisely." "And he complains that I have insulted him?" "Mortally so." "In what way, may I ask? for his conduct is so myste- rious, that it, at least, needs some explanation." "Monsieur," replied Porthos, "my friend cannot but be right and, as far as his conduct is concerned, if it be mys- terious, as you say, you have only yourself to blame for it." Porthos pronounced theee words with an amount of con- fidence which, for a man who was unaccustomed to his ways, must have revealed an infinity of sense. "Mystery, be it so; but what is the mystery about?" said St. Aignan. "You will think it best, perhaps," Porthos replied with a low bow, "that I do not enter into particulars." "Oh, I perfectly understand. We will touch very lightly upon it, then, so speak, monsieur; I am listening."