"In that case," he said, "I may hope that, notwithstanding what has happened, our good understanding will remain undisturbed, and that you will kindly confer the favor upon me of believing in my respectful friendship." La Valliere fancied that she now began to understand, and said to herself, "I should not have believed M.Fouquet so eager to seek the source of a favor so very recent," and then added aloud, "Your friendship, monsieur! you offer me your friendship! The honor, on the contrary, is mine, and I feel overpowered by it." "I am aware," replied Fouquet, "that the friendship of the master may appear more brilliant and desirable than that of the servant, but I assure you the latter will be quite as devoted, quite as faithful, and altogether disinterested." La Valliere bowed, for, in fact, the voice of the surintendant seemed to convey both conviction and real devotion in its tone, and she held out her hand to him, saying, "I believe you." Fouquet eagerly look hold of the young girl's hand.

"You see no difficulty, therefore," he added, "in restoring me that unhappy letter ?" "What letter ?" inquired La Valliere.
Fouquet interrogated her with his most searching gaze, as he had already done before, but the same innocent expression, the same candid look, met his.

"I am obliged to confess," he said, after this denial, "that your system is the most delicate in the world, and I should not feel I was a man of honor and uprightness if I were to suspect anything from a woman so generous as yourself." "Really, Monsieur Fouquet," replied La Valliere, "it is with profound regret I am obliged to repeat that I absolutely understand nothing of what you refer to." "In fact, then, upon your honor, mademoiselle, you have not received any letter from me ?" "Upon my honor, none," replied La Valliere, firmly.
"Very well, that is quite sufficient; permit me, then, to renew the assurance of my utmost esteem and respect," said Fouquet.

Then, bowing, he left the room to seek Aramis, who was waiting for him in his own apartment, and leaving La Valliere to ask herself whether the surintendant had not lost his senses.
"Well!" inquired Aramis, who was impatiently waiting Fouquet's return, "are you satisfied with the favorite ?" "Enchanted," replied Fouquet; "she is a woman full of intelligence and fine feeling." "She did not get angry, then ?" "Far from that, she did not even seem to understand." "To understand what ?" "To understand that I had written to her." "She must, however, have understood you sufficiently to give the letter back to you, for I presume she returned it." "Not at all." "At least, you satisfied yourself that she had burned it." "My dear Monsieur d'Herblay, I have been playing at cross purposes for more than an hour, and, however amusing it may be, I begin to have had enough of this game.

So understand me thoroughly: the girl pretended not to understand what I was saying to her: she denied having received any letter; therefore, having positively denied its receipt, she was unable either to return or burn it." "Oh! oh!" said Aramis, with uneasiness, "what is that you say ?" "I say that she swore most positively she had not received any letter." "That is too much.