I trust she may have been prevented." "Hush! the duke is coming." And Buckingham at that moment was seen at the end of the walk, approaching towards them, alone and smiling; he advanced slowly, and held out his hands to them both.

"Have you arrived at an understanding ?" he said.
"About what ?" "About whatever might render you happy, dear Mary, and make Raoul less miserable." "I do not understand you, my lord," said Raoul.
"That is my view of the subject, Miss Mary; do you wish me to mention it before M.de Bragelonne ?" he added, with a smile.
"If you mean," replied the young girl, haughtily, "that I was not indisposed to love M.de Bragelonne, that is useless, for I have told him so myself." Buckingham reflected for a moment, and, without seeming in any way discountenanced, as she expected, he said: "My reason for leaving you with M.de Bragelonne was, that I thoroughly knew your refined delicacy of feeling, no less than the perfect loyalty of your mind and heart, and I hoped that M.de Bragelonne's cure might be effected by the hands of a physician such as you are." "But, my lord, before you spoke of M.de Bragelonne's heart, you spoke to me of your own.

Do you mean to effect the cure of two hearts at the same time ?" "Perfectly true, madame; but you will do me the justice to admit that I have long discontinued a useless pursuit, acknowledging that my own wound is incurable." "My lord," said Mary, collecting herself for a moment before she spoke, "M.

de Bragelonne is happy, for he loves and is beloved.

He has no need of such a physician as I can be." "M.