Montalais, who was also forgotten, "Cannot we contrive to arrange matters with fortune in such a manner that she shall not forget us?" to which a smile full of intelligence from Mademoiselle Aure, replied, "Certainly we can." The tickets were distributed to each person according to the number held. The king received his first, next the queen-mother, then Monsieur, then the queen and Madame, and so on. After this, Anne of Austria opened a small Spanish leather bag, containing two hundred numbers engraved upon small balls of mother-of-pearl, and presented the open sack to the youngest of her maids of honor, for the purpose of taking one of the balls out of it. The eager expectation, amid all these tediously slow preparations, was rather that of avidity than of curiosity. Saint-Aignan bent toward Mademoiselle de Tonnay-Charente to whisper to her, "Since we have each a number, let us unite our two chances. The bracelet shall be yours if I win, and if you are successful, deign to give me but one look of your beautiful eyes." "No," said Athenais, "if you win the bracelet, keep it; every one for himself." "You are without any pity," said Saint-Aignan, "and I will punish you by a quatrain:-- "'Beautiful Iris, to my vow You are too opposed--'" "Silence," said Athenais, "you will prevent me hearing the winning number." "Number one," said the young girl who had drawn the mother-of-pearl from the Spanish leather bag. "The king!" exclaimed the queen-mother. "The king has won!" repeated the queen, delightedly. "Oh! the king! your dream!" said Madame, joyously, in the ear of Anne of Austria. The king was the only one who did not exhibit any satisfaction. He merely thanked Fortune for what she had done for him, in addressing a slight salutation to the young girl who had been chosen as her proxy. Then, receiving from the hands of Anne of Austria, amid the eager desire of the whole assembly, the casket inclosing the bracelets, he said, "Are these bracelets really beautiful, then?" "Look at them," said Anne of Austria, "and judge for yourself." The king looked at them, and said, "Yes, indeed, an admirable medallion. What perfect finish!" "What perfect finish!" repeated Madame.