In a large chamber of the Palais Royal, hung with a darkcolored velvet, which threw into strong relief the gildedframes of a great number of magnificent pictures, on theevening of the arrival of the two Frenchmen, the whole courtwas assembled before the alcove of M. le Cardinal deMazarin, who gave a card party to the king and queen.

A small screen separated three prepared tables. At one ofthese tables the king and the two queens were seated. LouisXIV., placed opposite to the young queen, his wife, smiledupon her with an expression of real happiness. Anne ofAustria held the cards against the cardinal, and herdaughter-in-law assisted her in the game, when she was notengaged in smiling at her husband. As for the cardinal, whowas lying on his bed with a weary and careworn face, hiscards were held by the Comtesse de Soissons, and he watchedthem with an incessant look of interest and cupidity.

The cardinal's face had been painted by Bernouin; but therouge, which glowed only on his cheeks, threw into strongercontrast the sickly pallor of his countenance and theshining yellow of his brow. His eyes alone acquired a morebrilliant luster from this auxiliary, and upon those sickman's eyes were, from time to time, turned the uneasy looksof the king, the queen, and the courtiers. The fact is, thatthe two eyes of the Signor Mazarin were the stars more orless brilliant in which the France of the seventeenthcentury read its destiny every evening and every morning.

Monseigneur neither won nor lost; he was, therefore neithergay nor sad. It was a stagnation in which, full of pity forhim, Anne of Austria would not have willingly left him; butin order to attract the attention of the sick man by somebrilliant stroke, she must have either won or lost. To winwould have been dangerous, because Mazarin would havechanged his indifference into an ugly grimace; to lose wouldlikewise have been dangerous, because she must have cheated,and the infanta, who watched her game, would, doubtless,have exclaimed against her partiality for Mazarin. Profitingby this calm, the courtiers were chatting. When not in a badhumor, M. de Mazarin was a very debonnaire prince, and he,who prevented nobody from singing, provided they paid, wasnot tyrant enough to prevent people from talking, providedthey made up their minds to lose.

They were therefore chatting. At the first table, the king'syounger brother, Philip, Duc d'Anjou, was admiring hishandsome face in the glass of a box. His favorite, theChevalier de Lorraine, leaning over the back of the prince'schair, was listening, with secret envy, to the Comte deGuiche, another of Philip's favorites, who was relating inchoice terms the various vicissitudes of fortune of theroyal adventurer Charles II. He told, as so many fabulousevents, all the history of his perigrinations in Scotland,and his terrors when the enemy's party was so closely on histrack, of nights spent in trees, and days spent in hungerand combats. By degrees, the fate of the unfortunate kinginterested his auditors so greatly, that the play languishedeven at the royal table, and the young king, with a pensivelook and downcast eye, followed, without appearing to giveany attention to it, the smallest details of this Odyssey,very picturesquely related by the Comte de Guiche.

The Comtesse de Soissons interrupted the narrator: "Confess,count, you are inventing."

"Madame, I am repeating like a parrot all the storiesrelated to me by different Englishmen. To my shame I amcompelled to say, I am as exact as a copy."

"Charles II. would have died before he could have enduredall that."

Louis XIV. raised his intelligent and proud head. "Madame,"said he, in a grave tone, still partaking something of thetimid child, "monsieur le cardinal will tell you that duringmy minority the affairs of France were in jeopardy, - andthat if I had been older, and obliged to take sword in hand,it would sometimes have been for the evening meal."

"Thanks to God," said the cardinal, who spoke for the firsttime, "your majesty exaggerates, and your supper has alwaysbeen ready with that of your servants."

The king colored.

"Oh!" cried Philip, inconsiderately, from his place, andwithout ceasing to admire himself, - "I recollect once, atMelun, the supper was laid for nobody, and that the king atetwo-thirds of a slice of bread, and abandoned to me theother third."

The whole assembly, seeing Mazarin smile, began to laugh.Courtiers flatter kings with the remembrance of pastdistresses, as with the hopes of future good fortune.

"It is not to be denied that the crown of France has alwaysremained firm upon the heads of its kings," Anne of Austriahastened to say, "and that it has fallen off of that of theking of England; and when by chance that crown oscillated alittle, - for there are throne-quakes as well asearthquakes, - every time, I say, that rebellion threatenedit, a good victory restored tranquillity."

"With a few gems added to the crown," said Mazarin.

The Comte de Guiche was silent: the king composed hiscountenance, and Mazarin exchanged looks with Anne ofAustria, as if to thank her for her intervention.

"It is of no consequence," said Philip, smoothing his hair;"my cousin Charles is not handsome, but he is very brave,and fought like a landsknecht; and if he continues to fightthus, no doubt he will finish by gaining a battle, likeRocroy - - "

"He has no soldiers," interrupted the Chevalier de Lorraine.

"The king of Holland, his ally, will give him some. I wouldwillingly have given him some if I had been king of France."

Louis XIV. blushed excessively. Mazarin affected to be moreattentive to his game than ever.

"By this time," resumed the Comte de Guiche, "the fortune ofthis unhappy prince is decided. If he has been deceived byMonk, he is ruined. Imprisonment, perhaps death, will finishwhat exile, battles, and privations have commenced."

Mazarin's brow became clouded.

"Is it certain," said Louis XIV. "that his majesty CharlesII., has quitted the Hague?"

"Quite certain, your majesty," replied the young man; "myfather has received a letter containing all the details; itis even known that the king has landed at Dover; somefishermen saw him entering the port; the rest is still amystery."

"I should like to know the rest," said Philip, impetuously."You know, - you, my brother."

Louis XIV. colored again. That was the third time within anhour. "Ask my lord cardinal," replied he, in a tone whichmade Mazarin, Anne of Austria, and everybody else open theireyes.

"That means, my son," said Anne of Austria, laughing, "thatthe king does not like affairs of state to be talked of outof the council."

Philip received the reprimand with good grace, and bowed,first smiling at his brother, and then his mother. ButMazarin saw from the corner of his eye that a group wasabout to be formed in the corner of the room, and that theDuc d'Anjou, with the Comte de Guiche, and the Chevalier deLorraine, prevented from talking aloud, might say, in awhisper, what it was not convenient should be said. He wasbeginning, then, to dart at them glances full of mistrustand uneasiness, inviting Anne of Austria to throwperturbation in the midst of the unlawful assembly, when,suddenly, Bernouin, entering from behind the tapestry of thebedroom, whispered in the ear of Mazarin, "Monseigneur, anenvoy from his majesty, the king of England."

Mazarin could not help exhibiting a slight emotion, whichwas perceived by the king. To avoid being indiscreet, ratherthan to appear useless, Louis XIV. rose immediately, andapproaching his eminence, wished him good-night. All theassembly had risen with a great noise of rolling of chairsand tables being pushed away.

"Let everybody depart by degrees," said Mazarin in a whisperto Louis XIV., "and be so good as to excuse me a fewminutes. I am going to dispatch an affair about which I wishto converse with your majesty this very evening."

"And the queens?" asked Louis XIV.

"And M. le Duc d'Anjou," said his eminence.

At the same time he turned round in his ruelle, the curtainsof which, in falling, concealed the bed. The cardinal,nevertheless, did not lose sight of the conspirators.

"M. le Comte de Guiche," said he, in a fretful voice, whilstputting on, behind the curtain, his dressing-gown, with theassistance of Bernouin.

"I am here, my lord," said the young man, as he approached.

"Take my cards, you are lucky. Win a little money for me ofthese gentlemen."

"Yes, my lord."

The young man sat down at the table from which the kingwithdrew to talk with the two queens. A serious game wascommenced between the comte and several rich courtiers. Inthe meantime Philip was discussing the questions of dresswith the Chevalier de Lorraine, and they had ceased to hearthe rustling of the cardinal's silk robe from behind thecurtain. His eminence had followed Bernouin into the closetadjoining the bedroom.