As no one knew what direction his anger might take, all preserved a dead silence.

The second ambassador took advantage of it to begin his excuses also.

While he was speaking, and while the king, who had again gradually returned to his own personal reflections, was automatically listening to the voice, full of nervous anxiety, with the air of an absent man listening to the murmuring of a cascade, D'Artagnan, on whose left hand Saint-Aignan was standing, approached the latter, and, in a voice which was loud enough to reach the king's ears, said: "Have you heard the news ?" "What news ?" said Saint-Aignan.
"About La Valliere." The king started, and advanced his head.
"What has happened to La Valliere ?" inquired Saint-Aignan, in a tone which can easily be imagined.
"Ah! poor girl! she is going to take the veil." "The veil!" exclaimed Saint-Aignan.
"The veil!" cried the king, in the midst of the ambassador's discourse; but then, mindful of the rules of etiquette, he mastered himself, still listening, however, with rapt attention.
"What order ?" inquired Saint-Aignan.
"The Carmelites of Chaillot." "Who the deuce told you that ?" "She did herself." "You have seen her, then ?" "Nay, I even went with her to the Carmelites." The king did not lose a syllable of this conversation; and again he could hardly control his feelings.
"But what was the cause of her flight ?" inquired Saint-Aignan.
"Because the poor girl was driven away from the court yesterday," replied D'Artagnan.
He had no sooner said this, than the king, with an authoritative gesture, said to the ambassador, "Enough, monsieur, enough." Then, advancing towards the captain, he exclaimed: "Who says Mademoiselle de la Valliere is going to take the religious vows ?" "M.

d'Artagnan," answered the favorite.
"Is it true what you say ?" said the king, turning towards the musketeer.
"As true as truth itself." The king clenched his hands, and turned pale.
"You have something further to add, M.d'Artagnan ?" he said.
"I know nothing more, sire." "You added that Mademoiselle de la Valliere had been driven away from the court." "Yes, sire." "Is that true, also ?" "Ascertain for yourself, sire." "And from whom ?" "Ah!" sighed D'Artagnan, like a man who is declining to say anything further.
The king almost bounded from his seat, regardless of ambassadors, ministers, courtiers, queens, and politics.

The queen-mother rose; she had heard everything, or, if she had not heard everything, she had guessed it.