"I hope, sire, that you will not force me to take any step which would be unworthy of my rank." "I hoped that you would remember our friendship, and that you would treat me as a brother." Madame paused for a moment. "I do not disown you for a brother," she said, "in refusing your majesty an injustice." "An injustice!" "Oh, sire! if I informed others of La Valliere's conduct; if the queen knew--" "Come, come, Henriette, let your heart speak. Remember that you have loved me; remember, too, that human hearts should be as merciful as the heart of our sovereign master. Do not be inflexible with others; forgive La Valliere." "I cannot; she has offended me." "But for my sake." "Sire, for your sake I would do anything in the world, except that." "You will drive me to despair--you compel me to turn to the last resource of weak people, and seek counsel of my angry and wrathful disposition." "I advise you to be reasonable." "Reasonable! I can be so no longer." "Nay, sire, I pray you--" "For pity's sake, Henriette; it is the first time, I have entreated any one, and I have, no hope in any one but in you." "Oh, sire, you are weeping!" "From rage, from humiliation!--that I, the king, should have been obliged to descend to entreaty! I shall hate this moment during my whole life. You have made me suffer in one moment more distress and more degradation of feeling than I could have anticipated in the greatest extremity in life." And the king rose and gave free vent to his tears, which, in fact, were tears of anger and of shame. Madame was not touched exactly--for the best women, when their pride is hurt, are without pity; but she was afraid that the tears the king was shedding might possibly carry away every soft and tender feeling in his heart. "Give what commands you please, sire," she said; "and since you prefer my humiliation to your own--although mine is public, and yours has been witnessed but by myself alone--speak, I will obey your majesty." "No no, Henriette!" exclaimed Louis, transported with gratitude, "you will have yielded to a brother's wishes." "I no longer have any brother, since I obey." "Will you accept my kingdom in grateful acknowledgment?" "How passionately you love, sire, when you do love!" He did not answer. He had seized upon Madame's hand and covered it with kisses. "And so you will receive this poor girl back again, and will forgive her; you will find how gentle and pure-hearted she is." "I will maintain her in my household." "No, you will give her your friendship, my sister." "I have never liked her." "Well, for my sake you will treat her kindly, will you not, Henriette?" "I will treat her as your mistress." The king rose suddenly to his feet. By this word, which had so unfortunately escaped her lips, Madame had destroyed the whole merits of her sacrifice. The king felt freed from all obligation. Exasperated beyond measure, and bitterly offended, he replied: