"Stay, sire; you have spoken quite enough, and quite highly enough, of Miss Grafton, to overlook what I may have said about De Bragelonne. But, by-the-by, sire, your kindness for some time past astonishes me: you think of those who are absent, you forgive those who have done wrong, in fact, you are, as nearly as possible, perfect. How does it happen--" "It is because you allow yourself to be loved," he said, beginning to laugh. "Oh! there must be some other reason." "Well, I am doing all I can to oblige my brother Louis XIV." "Nay, I must have another reason." "Well, then, the true motive is that Buckingham strongly recommended the young man to me, saying: 'Sire, I begin by yielding up all claim to Miss Grafton, I pray you follow my example.'" "The duke is, indeed, a true gentleman." "Oh! of course, of course; it is Buckingham's turn now, I suppose, to turn your head. You seem determined to cross me in everything to-day." At this moment some one scratched at the door. "Who is it who presumes to interrupt us?" exclaimed Charles, impatiently. "Really, sire, you are extremely vain with your 'who is it who presumes?' and in order to punish you for it--" She went to the door and opened it. "It is a courier from France," said Miss Stewart. "A courier from France!" exclaimed Charles; "from my sister, perhaps?" "Yes, sire," said the usher, "a special messenger." "Let him come in at once," said Charles. "You have a letter for me," said the king to the courier as he entered, "from the Duchess of Orleans?" "Yes, sire," replied the courier, "and so urgent is its nature that I have only been twenty-six hours bringing it to your majesty, and yet I lost three-quarters of an hour at Calais." "Your zeal shall not be forgotten," said the king, as he opened the letter. When he had read it, he burst out laughing, and exclaimed--"Upon my word, I am at a loss to understand anything about it." He then read the letter a second time. Miss Stewart assuming a manner marked by the greatest reserve, and doing her utmost to restrain her ardent curiosity. "Francis," said the king to his valet, "see that this excellent fellow is well taken care of and sleeps soundly, and that on waking to-morrow morning he finds a purse of fifty sovereigns by his bedside." "Sire!" said the courier, amazed. "Begone, begone; my sister was perfectly right in desiring you to use the utmost diligence: the affair was most pressing;" and he again began to laugh louder than ever. The courier, the valet, and Miss Stewart hardly knew what sort of countenance to assume. "Ah!" said the king, throwing himself back in his armchair; "when I think that you have knocked up--how many horses?" "Two!" "Two horses to bring this intelligence to me! That will do, you can leave us now." The courier retired with the valet. Charles went to the window, which he opened, and, leaning forward, called out, "Duke! Buckingham! come here, there's a good fellow."