The artful little puss kept her secret strictly to herself, when suddenly it proved stronger than herself, and so escaped her." "And from whom did you get this absurd tale ?" "Why, as everybody else did, from La Valliere herself, who confessed her love to Montalais and Tonnay-Charente, who were her companions." Madame stopped suddenly, and by a hasty movement let go her husband's hand.
"Did you say it was an hour ago she made this confession ?" Madame inquired.
"About that time." "Is the king aware of it ?" "Why, that is the very thing which constitutes the perfect romance of the affair, for the king was behind the royal oak with Saint-Aignan, and heard the whole of the interesting conversation without losing a single word of it." Madame felt struck to the heart, saying incautiously, "But I have seen the king since, and he never told me a word about it." "Of course," said Monsieur; "he took care not to speak of it to you himself, since he recommended every one not to say a word about it." "What do you mean ?" said Madame, growing angry.
"I mean that they wished to keep you in ignorance of the affair altogether." "But why should they wish to conceal it from me ?" "From the fear that your friendship for the young queen might induce you to say something about it to her, nothing more." Madame hung down her head; her feelings were grievously wounded.

She could not enjoy a moment's repose until she had met the king.

As a king is, most naturally, the very last person in his kingdom who knows what is said about him, in the same way that a lover is the only one who is kept in ignorance of what is said about his mistress, therefore, when the king perceived Madame, who was looking for him, he approached her in some perturbation, but still gracious and attentive in his manner.
Madame waited for him to speak about La Valliere first; but as he did not speak of her, she said, "And the poor girl ?" "What poor girl ?" said the king.
"La Valliere.

Did you not tell me, sire, that she had fainted ?" "She is still very ill," said the king, affecting the greatest indifference.
"But surely that will prejudicially affect the rumor you were going to spread, sire ?" "What rumor ?" "That your attention was taken up by her." "Oh!" said the king, carelessly, "I trust it will be reported all the same." Madame still waited; she wished to know if the king would speak to her of the adventure of the royal oak.

But the king did not say a word about it.