easier," replied Montalais. "Three intrigues, carefully nursed, and carefully encouraged, will produce, one with another, and taking a low average, three love-letters a day."
"Oh!" exclaimed Malicorne, shrugging his shoulders, "you cannot mean what you say, darling; three letters a day, that may do for sentimental common people. A musketeer on duty, a young girl in a convent, may exchange letters with their lovers once a day, perhaps, from the top of a ladder, or through a hole in the wall. A letter contains all the poetry their poor little hearts have to boast of. But the cases we have in hand require to be dealt with very differently."
"Well, finish," said Montalais, out of patience with him. "Some one may come."
"Finish! Why, I am only at the beginning. I have still three points as yet untouched."
"Upon my word, he will be the death of me, with his Flemish indifference," exclaimed Montalais.
"And you will drive me mad with your Italian vivacity. I was going to say that our lovers here will be writing volumes to each other. But what are you driving at?"
"At this: Not one of our lady correspondents will be able to keep the letters they may receive."
"Very likely not."
"M. de Guiche will not be able to keep his either."
"That is probable."
"Very well, then: I will take care of all that."
"That is the very thing which is impossible," said Malicorne.
"Why so?"
"Because you are not your own mistress: your room is as much La Valliere's as yours; and there are certain persons who will think nothing of visiting and searching a maid of honor's room; so that I am terribly afraid of the queen, who is as jealous as a Spaniard; of the queen-mother, who is as jealous as a couple of Spaniards; and, last of all, of Madame herself, who has jealousy enough for ten Spaniards."
"You forget some one else?"
"Who?"—"Monsieur."
"I was only speaking of the women. Let us add them up, then: we will call Monsieur, No. 1."
"Guiche?"
"No. 2."
"The Vicomte de Bragelonne?"
"No. 3."
"And the king, the king?"
"No. 4. Of course the king, who not only will be more jealous, but still more powerful than all the rest put together. Ah, my dear!"
"Well?"
"Into what a wasp's nest you have thrust yourself!"
"And as yet not quite far enough, if you will follow me into it."
"Most certainly I will follow you where you like. Yet—"
"Well, yet—"
"While we have time enough left, I think it will be more prudent to turn back."
"But I, on the contrary, think the most prudent course to take is to put ourselves at once at the head of all these intrigues."
"You will never be able to do it."
"With you, I could carry on ten of them. I am in my element, you must know. I was born to live at the court, as the salamander is made to live in the fire."
"Your comparison does not reassure me in the slightest degree in the world, my dear Montalais. I have heard it said, and by very learned men, too, that, in the first place, there are no salamanders at all, and that, if there had been any, they would have been perfectly baked or roasted on leaving the fire."
"Your learned men may be very wise as far as salamanders are concerned, but your learned men would never tell you what I can tell you; namely, that Aure de Montalais is destined, before a month is over, to become the first diplomatic genius in the court of France."
"Be it so; but on condition that I shall be the second."
"Agreed; an offensive and defensive alliance, of course."
"Only be very careful of any letters."
"I will hand them to you as I receive them."
"What shall we tell the king about Madame?"
"That Madame is still in love with his majesty."
"What shall we tell Madame about the king?"
"That she would be exceedingly wrong not to humor him."
"What shall we tell La Valliere about Madame?"
"Whatever we choose, for La Valliere is in our power."
"How so?"
"In two ways."
"What do you mean?"
"In the first place, through the Vicomte de Bragelonne."
"Explain yourself?"
"You do not forget, I hope, that Monsieur de Bragelonne has written many letters to Mademoiselle de la Valliere?"
"I forget nothing."
"Well, then, it was I who received, and I who kept, those letters."
"And, consequently, it is you who have them still?"
"Yes."
"Where—here?"
"Oh, no: I have them safe at Blois, in the little room you know well enough."
"That dear little room—that darling little room, the antechamber of the palace I intend you to live in one of these days. But I beg your pardon, you said that all those letters are in that little room?"
"Yes."
"Did you not put them in a box?"
"Of course; in the same box where I put all the letters I received from you, and where I put mine also when your business or your amusements prevented you from coming to our rendezvous."
"Ah, very good," said Malicorne.
"Why are you so satisfied?"
"Because I see there is a possibility of not having to run to Blois after the letters, for I have them here."
"You have brought the box away?"
"It was very dear to me, because it belonged to you."
"Be sure and take care of it, for it contains original documents which will be of very great value by-and-by."
"I am perfectly well aware
