Oh! I know her--I know her." "Your second brother ?" asked Aramis, bowing.
"To these notes," replied the prince, "you have added portraits so faithfully painted, that I am able to recognize the persons whose characters, manners, and history you have so carefully portrayed.
Monsieur, my brother, is a fine, dark young man, with a pale face; he does not love his wife, Henrietta, whom I, Louis XIV., loved a little, and still flirt with, even although she made me weep on the day she wished to dismiss Mademoiselle de la Valliere from her service in disgrace." "You will have to be careful with regard to the watchfulness of the latter," said Aramis; "she is sincerely attached to the actual king.

The eyes of a woman who loves are not easily deceived." "She is fair, has blue eyes, whose affectionate gaze reveals her identity.

She halts slightly in her gait; she writes a letter every day, to which I have to send an answer by M.de Saint-Aignan." "Do you know the latter ?" "As if I saw him, and I know the last verses he composed for me, as well as those I composed in answer to his." "Very good.

Do you know your ministers ?" "Colbert, an ugly, dark-browed man, but intelligent enough, his hair covering his forehead, a large, heavy, full head; the mortal enemy of M.
Fouquet." "As for the latter, we need not disturb ourselves about him." "No; because necessarily you will not require me to exile him, I suppose ?" Aramis, struck with admiration at the remark, said, "You will become very great, monseigneur." "You see," added the prince, "that I know my lesson by heart, and with Heaven's assistance, and yours afterwards, I shall seldom go wrong." "You have still an awkward pair of eyes to deal with, monseigneur." "Yes, the captain of the musketeers, M.d'Artagnan, your friend." "Yes; I can well say 'my friend.'" "He who escorted La Valliere to Le Chaillot; he who delivered up Monk, cooped in an iron box, to Charles II.; he who so faithfully served my mother; he to whom the crown of France owes so much that it owes everything.

Do you intend to ask me to exile him also ?" "Never, sire.