The two queens and Madame examined with particular attention the toilets of their ladies and maids of honor; and they condescended to forget they were queens in recollecting that they were women.

In other words, they pitilessly tore in pieces every person there who wore a petticoat.

The looks of both princesses simultaneously fell upon La Valliere, who, as we have just said, was completely surrounded at that moment.

Madame knew not what pity was, and said to the queen-mother, as she turned toward her, "If fortune were just, she would favor that poor La Valliere." "That is not possible," said the queen-mother, smiling.
"Why not ?" "There are only two hundred tickets, so that it was not possible to inscribe every one's name on the list." "And hers is not there, then ?" "No!" "What a pity! she might have won them, and then sold them." "Sold them!" exclaimed the queen.
"Yes; it would have been a dowry for her, and she would not have been obliged to marry without her trousseau, as will probably be the case." "Really," answered the queen-mother, "poor little thing, has she no dresses, then ?" And she pronounced these words like a woman who has never been able to understand the inconveniences of a slenderly filled purse.
"Stay, look at her.

Heaven forgive me, if she is not wearing the very same petticoat this evening that she had on this morning during the promenade, and which she managed to keep clean, thanks to the care the king took of her, in sheltering her from the rain." At the very moment Madame uttered these words the king entered the room.
The two queens would not perhaps have observed his arrival, so completely were they occupied in their ill-natured remarks, had not Madame noticed that, all at once, La Valliere, who was standing up facing the gallery, exhibited certain signs of confusion, and then said a few words to the courtiers who surrounded her, who immediately dispersed.