"Oh, you may rest assured that I shall lose no opportunity of pushing on
the good work."

"If you take it in hand, it is done."

"But there is another who has more weight than I."

"The favourite, De Montespan?"

"No, no; her day is gone. It is Madame de Maintenon."

"I hear that she is very devout."

"Very. But she has no love for my Order. She is a Sulpitian. Yet we
may all work to one end. Now if you were to speak to her, your Grace."

"With all my heart."

"Show her how good a service it would be could she bring about the
banishment of the Huguenots."

"I shall do so."

"And offer her in return that we will promote--" he bent forward and
whispered into the prelate's ear.

"What! He would not do it!"

"And why? The queen is dead."