"Oh, certainly, madame; and particularly for a heart like his." "Very good: you will not deny, I suppose, that M. de Bragelonne is M. de Guiche's friend?" "A very great friend." "Well, then, M. de Guiche has taken M. de Bragelonne's part; and as M. de Bragelonne was absent and could not fight, he fought for him." Manicamp began to smile, and moved his head and shoulders very slightly, as much as to say. "Oh, if you will positively have it so--" "But speak, at all events," said the princess, out of patience: "speak!" "I?" "Of course; it is quite clear you are not of my opinion, and that you have something to say." "I have only one thing to say, Madame." "Name it." "That I do not understand a single word of what you have just been telling me." "What!--you do not understand a single word about M. de Guiche's quarrel with M. de Wardes!" exclaimed the princess, almost out of temper. Manicamp remained silent. "A quarrel," she continued, "which arose out of a conversation scandalous in its tone and purport, and more or less well founded, respecting the virtue of a certain lady." "Ah! of a certain lady--that is quite another thing," said Manicamp. "You begin to understand, do you not?" "Your highness will excuse me, but I dare not--" "You dare not," said Madame, exasperated: "very well, then, wait one moment, and I will dare." "Madame, madame!" exclaimed Manicamp, as if in great dismay, "be careful of what you are going to say." "It would seem, monsieur, that, if I happened to be a man, you would challenge me, notwithstanding his majesty's edicts, as Monsieur de Guiche challenged M. de Wardes: and that, too, on account of the virtue of Mademoiselle de la Valliere." "Of Mademoiselle de la Valliere!" exclaimed Manicamp, starting backward, as if hers was the very last name he expected to hear pronounced. "What makes you start in that manner, Monsieur de Manicamp?" said Madame ironically: "do you mean to say you would be impertinent enough to suspect that young lady's honor?" "Madame, in the whole course of this affair there has not been the slightest question of Mademoiselle de la Valliere's honor." "What! when two men have almost blown each other's brains out on a woman's behalf, do you mean to say she has had nothing to do with the affair, and that her name has not been called in question at all? I did not think you so good a courtier. Monsieur de Manicamp." "Pray forgive me, madame," said the young man, "but we are very far from understanding each other. You do me the honor to speak one kind of language, while I am speaking altogether another." "I beg your pardon, but I do not understand your meaning." "Forgive me then: but I fancied I understood your highness to remark that De Guiche and De Wardes had fought on Mademoiselle de la Valliere's account." "Certainly." "On account of Mademoiselle de la Valliere, I think you said?" repeated Manicamp.