"And M. de Guiche upheld the cause of Mars?"
"Yes, certainly, like the devoted servant he is."
"The devoted servant of whom?" exclaimed the young queen, forgetting her reserve in allowing her jealous feeling to escape her.
"Mars, not being able to be defended except at the expense of this Venus," replied Madame, "M. de Guiche maintained the perfect innocence of Mars, and no doubt affirmed that it was a mere boast of Venus."
"And M. de Wardes," said Anne of Austria, quietly, "spread the report that Venus was right, I suppose?"
"Oh, De Wardes," thought Madam, "you shall pay most dearly for the wound you have given that noblest--the best of men!" And she began to attack De Wardes with the greatest bitterness: thus discharging her own and De Guiche's debt, with the assurance that she was working the future ruin of her enemy. She said so much, in fact, that, had Manicamp been there, he would have regretted that he had shown such strong regard for his friend, inasmuch as it resulted in the ruin of his unfortunate foe.
"I see nothing in the whole affair but one cause of mischief, and that is La Valliere herself," said the queen-mother.
The young queen resumed her work with a perfect indifference of manner, while Madame listened eagerly.
"I do not yet quite understand what you said just now about the danger of coquetry," resumed Anne of Austria.
"It is quite true," Madame hastened to say, "that, if the girl had not been a coquette, Mars would not have thought at all about her."
The repetition of this word "Mars" brought a passing color on the queen's face; but she still continued her work.
"I will not permit that, in my court, gentlemen should be set against each other in this manner," said Anne of Austria, calmly. "Such manners were useful enough, perhaps, in a time when the divided nobility had no other rallying-point than mere gallantry. At that time women, whose sway was absolute and undivided, were privileged to encourage men's valor by frequent trials of their courage; but now, thank Heaven, there is but one master in France, and to him every thought of the mind, and every pulse of the body, are due. I will not allow my son to be deprived of any one of his servants." And she turned toward the young queen, saying, "What is to be done with this La Valliere?"