"If the position of the lady in question warrants it," he said, "I shall not complain of your having acted with so much circumspection; on the contrary, indeed." "Sire, everything which concerns your majesty's household, or the household of your majesty's brother, is of importance in my eyes." "In my brother's household," repeated Louis XIV., with a slight hesitation. "The cause of the duel was a lady belonging to my brother's household, do you say?" "Or to Madame's." "Ah! to Madame's?" "Yes, sire." "Well--and this lady?" "Is one of the maids of honor of her royal highness, Madame la Duchesse d'Orleans." "For whom M. de Guiche fought--do you say?" "Yes, sire, and, this time, I tell no falsehood." Louis seemed restless and anxious. "Gentlemen," he said, turning toward the spectators of this scene, "will you have the goodness to retire for a moment? I wish to be alone with M. de Manicamp, I know he has some very important communications to make for his own justification, and which he will not venture to do before witnesses.... Put up your sword, Monsieur de Manicamp." Manicamp returned his sword to his belt. "The fellow decidedly has his wits about him," murmured the musketeer, taking Saint-Aignan by the arm, and withdrawing with him. "He will get out of it," said the latter in D'Artagnan's ear. "And with honor, too, comte." Manicamp cast a glance of recognition at Saint-Aignan and the captain, which passed unnoticed by the king. "Come, come," said D'Artagnan, as he left the room, "I had an indifferent opinion of the new generation. Well, I was mistaken after all, and there is some good in them, I perceive." Valot preceded the favorite and the captain, leaving the king and Manicamp alone in the cabinet. CHAPTER XXVI. WHEREIN D'ARTAGNAN PERCEIVES THAT IT WAS HE WHO WAS MISTAKEN, AND MANICAMP WHO WAS RIGHT. The king, determined to be satisfied that no one was listening, went himself to the door, and then returned precipitately and placed himself opposite to Manicamp. "And now we are alone, Monsieur de Manicamp, explain yourself?" "With the greatest frankness, sire," replied the young man. "And, in the first place, pray understand," added the king, "that there is nothing to which I personally attach a greater importance than the honor of any lady." "That is the very reason, sire, why I endeavored to study your delicacy of sentiment and feeling." "Yes, I understand it all now. You say that it was one of the maids of honor of my sister-in-law who was the subject of dispute, and that the person in question, Guiche's adversary, the man, in point of fact, whom you will not name--" "But whom M. de Saint-Aignan will name, monsieur." "Yes; you say, however, that this man has insulted some one belonging to the household of Madame." "Yes, sire, Mademoiselle de la Valliere."