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122 TEN YEARS LATER. "Your majesty is better acquainted with her history than I am." The king again reflected, and glancing at the comte's anxious countenance, said: "The young lady does not seem to me to be very pretty, comte." "I am not quite sure," replied Athos. "I have seen her, but she did not strike me as being so.^' "She seems to be a good and modest girl, but has little beauty, sire." "Beautiful fair hair, however." "I think so." "And her blue eyes are tolerably good." "Yes, sire." "With regard to beauty, then, the match is but an ordi- nary one. Now for the money side of the question." "Fifteen to twenty thousand francs dowry at the very outside, sire; the lovers are disinterested enough; for my- self, I care little for money." "l^'or superfluity, you mean; but a needful amount is of importance. With fifteen thousand francs, without landed property, a woman cannot live at court. We will make up the deficiency; I will do it for De Bragelonne." The king again remarked the coldness with which Athos received the remark. "Let us pass from the question of money to that of rank," said Louis XIV.; "the daughter of the Marquis de la Val- liere, that is well enough; but there is that excellent St. Piemy, who somewhat damages the credit of the family; and you, comte, are rather particular, I believe, about your own family." "Sire, I no longer hold to anything but my devotion to your majesty." The king again paused. "A moment, comte. You have surprised me in no little degree from the beginning of your conversation. You came to ask me to authorize a marriage, and you seem greatly disturbed in having to make the request. Nay, par- don me, comte, but I am rarely deceived, young as I am; for while with some persons I place my friendship at the disposal of my understanding, with others I call my distrust to my aid, by which my discernment is increased. I repeat, that you do not prefer your request as though you wished its success." "Well, sire, that is true."