Raoul followed the well-known road, so dear to his memory,which led from Blois to the residence of the Comte de laFere.

The reader will dispense with a second description of thathabitation: he, perhaps, has been with us there before, andknows it. Only, since our last journey thither, the wallshad taken a grayer tint, and the brickwork assumed a moreharmonious copper tone; the trees had grown, and many thatthen only stretched their slender branches along the tops ofthe hedges, now bushy, strong, and luxuriant, cast around,beneath boughs swollen with sap, great shadows of blossomsof fruit for the benefit of the traveler.

Raoul perceived, from a distance, the two little turrets,the dove-cote in the elms, and the flights of pigeons, whichwheeled incessantly around that brick cone, seeminglywithout power to quit it, like the sweet memories whichhover round a spirit at peace.

As he approached, he heard the noise of the pulleys whichgrated under the weight of the massy pails; he also fanciedhe heard the melancholy moaning of the water which fallsback again into the wells - a sad, funereal, solemn sound,which strikes the ear of the child and the poet - bothdreamers - which the English call splash; Arabian poets,gasgachau; and which we Frenchmen, who would be poets, canonly translate by a paraphrase - the noise of water fallinginto water.

It was more than a year since Raoul had been to visit hisfather. He had passed the whole time in the household of M.le Prince. In fact, after all the commotions of the Fronde,of the early period of which we formerly attempted to give asketch, Louis de Conde had made a public, solemn, and frankreconciliation with the court. During all the time that therupture between the king and the prince had lasted, theprince, who had long entertained a great regard forBragelonne, had in vain offered him advantages of the mostdazzling kind for a young man. The Comte de la Fere, stillfaithful to his principles of loyalty and royalty, one daydeveloped before his son in the vaults of Saint Denis, - the Comte de la Fere, in the name of his son, had alwaysdeclined them. Moreover, instead of following M. de Conde inhis rebellion, the vicomte had followed M. de Turenne,fighting for the king. Then when M. de Turenne, in his turn,had appeared to abandon the royal cause, he had quitted M.de Turenne, as he had quitted M. de Conde. It resulted fromthis invariable line of conduct that, as Conde and Turennehad never been conquerors of each other but under thestandard of the king, Raoul, however young, had tenvictories inscribed on his list of services, and not onedefeat from which his bravery or conscience had to suffer.

Raoul, therefore, had, in compliance with the wish of hisfather, served obstinately and passively the fortunes ofLouis XIV., in spite of the tergiversations which wereendemic, and, it might be said, inevitable, at that period.

M. de Conde, on being restored to favor, had at once availedhimself of all the privileges of the amnesty to ask for manythings back again which had been granted him before, andamong others, Raoul. M. de la Fere, with his invariable goodsense, had immediately sent him again to the prince.

A year, then, had passed away since the separation of thefather and son; a few letters had softened, but not removed,the pains of absence. We have seen that Raoul had left atBlois another love in addition to filial love. But let us dohim this justice - if it had not been for chance andMademoiselle de Montalais, two great temptations, Raoul,after delivering his message, would have galloped offtowards his father's house, turning his head round, perhaps,but without stopping for a single instant, even if Louisehad held out her arms to him.

So the first part of the journey was given by Raoul toregretting the past which he had been forced to quit soquickly, that is to say, his lady-love; and the other partto the friend he was about to join, so much too slowly forhis wishes.

Raoul found the garden-gate open, and rode straight in,without regarding the long arms, raised in anger, of an oldman dressed in a jacket of violet-colored wool, and a largecap of faded velvet.

The old man, who was weeding with his hands a bed of dwarfroses and marguerites, was indignant at seeing a horse thustraversing his sanded and nicely-raked walks. He evenventured a vigorous "Humph!" which made the cavalier turnround. Then there was a change of scene; for no sooner hadhe caught sight of Raoul's face, than the old man sprang upand set off in the direction of the house, amidstinterrupted growlings, which appeared to be paroxysms ofwild delight.

When arrived at the stables, Raoul gave his horse to alittle lackey, and sprang up the perron with an ardor thatwould have delighted the heart of his father.

He crossed the ante-chamber, the dining-room, and the salon,without meeting with any one; at length, on reaching thedoor of M. de la Fere's apartment, he rapped impatiently,and entered almost without waiting for the word "Enter!"which was vouchsafed him by a voice at once sweet andserious. The comte was seated at a table covered with papersand books; he was still the noble, handsome gentleman offormer days, but time had given to this nobleness and beautya more solemn and distinct character. A brow white and voidof wrinkles, beneath his long hair, now more white thanblack; an eye piercing and mild, under the lids of a youngman; his mustache, fine but slightly grizzled, waved overlips of a pure and delicate model, as if they had never beencurled by mortal passions; a form straight and supple; anirreproachable but thin hand - this was what remained ofthe illustrious gentleman whom so many illustrious mouthshad praised under the name of Athos. He was engaged incorrecting the pages of a manuscript book, entirely filledby his own hand.

Raoul seized his father by the shoulders, by the neck, as hecould, and embraced him so tenderly and so rapidly, that thecomte had neither strength nor time to disengage himself, orto overcome his paternal emotions.

"What! you here, Raoul, - you! Is it possible?" said he.

"Oh, monsieur, monsieur, what joy to see you once again!"

"But you don't answer me, vicomte. Have you leave ofabsence, or has some misfortune happened at Paris?"

"Thank God, monsieur," replied Raoul, calming himself bydegrees, "nothing has happened but what is fortunate. Theking is going to be married, as I had the honor of informingyou in my last letter, and, on his way to Spain, he willpass through Blois."

"To pay a visit to Monsieur?"

"Yes, monsieur le comte. So, fearing to find him unprepared,or wishing to be particularly polite to him, monsieur leprince sent me forward to have the lodgings ready."

"You have seen Monsieur?" asked the vicomte, eagerly.

"I have had that honor."

"At the castle?"

"Yes, monsieur," replied Raoul, casting down his eyes,because, no doubt, he had felt there was something more thancuriosity in the comte's inquiries.

"Ah, indeed, vicomte? Accept my compliments thereupon."

Raoul bowed.

"But you have seen some one else at Blois?"

"Monsieur, I saw her royal highness, Madame."

"That's very well: but it is not Madame that I mean.'

Raoul colored deeply, but made no reply.

"You do not appear to understand me, monsieur le vicomte,"persisted M. de la Fere, without accenting his words morestrongly, but with a rather severer look.

"I understand you quite plainly, monsieur," replied Raoul,"and if I hesitate a little in my reply, you are wellassured I am not seeking for a falsehood."

"No, you cannot tell a lie, and that makes me so astonishedyou should be so long in saying yes or no."

"I cannot answer you without understanding you very well,and if I have understood you, you will take my first wordsin ill part. You will be displeased, no doubt, monsieur lecomte, because I have seen - - "

"Mademoiselle de la Valliere - have you not?"

"It was of her you meant to speak, I know very well,monsieur," said Raoul, with inexpressible sweetness.

"And I asked you if you have seen her."

"Monsieur, I was ignorant, when I entered the castle, thatMademoiselle de la Valliere was there; it was only on myreturn, after I had performed my mission, that chancebrought us together. I have had the honor of paying myrespects to her."

"But what do you call the chance that led you into thepresence of Mademoiselle de la Valliere?"

"Mademoiselle de Montalais, monsieur."

"And who is Mademoiselle de Montalais?"

"A young lady I did not know before, whom I had never seen.She is maid of honor to Madame."

"Monsieur le vicomte, I will push my interrogatory nofurther, and reproach myself with having carried it so far.I had desired you to avoid Mademoiselle de la Valliere, andnot to see her without my permission. Oh, I am quite sureyou have told me the truth, and that you took no measures toapproach her. Chance has done me this injury; I do notaccuse you of it. I will be content then, with what Iformerly said to you concerning this young lady. I do notreproach her with anything - God is my witness! only it isnot my intention or wish that you should frequent her placeof residence. I beg you once more, my dear Raoul, tounderstand that."

It was plain the limpid eyes of Raoul were troubled at thisspeech.

"Now, my friend," said the comte, with his soft smile, andin his customary tone, "let us talk of other matters. Youare returning, perhaps, to your duty?"

"No, monsieur, I have no duty for to-day, except thepleasure of remaining with you. The prince kindly appointedme no other: which was so much in accord with my wish."

"Is the king well?"

"Perfectly."

"And monsieur le prince also?"

"As usual, monsieur."

The comte forgot to inquire after Mazarin; that was an oldhabit.

"Well, Raoul, since you are entirely mine, I will give up mywhole day to you. Embrace me - again, again! You are athome, vicomte! Ah, there is our old Grimaud! Come in,Grimaud: monsieur le vicomte is desirous of embracing youlikewise."

The good old man did not require to be twice told; he rushedin with open arms, Raoul meeting him halfway.

"Now, if you please, we will go into the garden, Raoul. Iwill show you the new lodging I have had prepared for youduring your leave of absence, and whilst examining the lastwinter's plantations and two saddle-horses I have justacquired, you will give me all the news of our friends inParis."

The comte closed his manuscript, took the young man's arm,and went out into the garden with him.

Grimaud looked at Raoul with a melancholy air as the youngman passed out; observing that his head nearly touched thetraverse of the doorway, stroking his white royale, heslowly murmured:

"How he has grown!"