"The whole carriage applauded this reply, and the King took the hand of
the Marquise and insisted on kissing it."




CHAPTER XXIV.

The Casket of M. de Lauzun.--His Historical Gallery.--He Makes Some
Nuns.--M. de Lauzun in the Lottery.--The Loser Wins.--Queen out of
Pique.--Letter from the Queen of Portugal.--The Ingratitude of M. de
Lauzun.


Twice during the captivity of M. de Lauzun the Queen of Portugal had
charged her ambassador to carry to the King that young sovereign's
solicitations in favour of the disgraced gentleman. Each time the
negotiators had been answered with vague and ambiguous words; with those
promises which potentates are not chary of, even between themselves, and
which we poor mortals of the second rank call Court holy water. These
exertions of the Court of Lisbon were speedily discovered, and it then
became known how many women of high degree M. de Peguilain had the honour
of fluttering. The officer of D'Artagnan, who had the task of seizing
his papers when he was arrested to be taken to Pignerol, was obliged, in
the course of his duty, to open a rather large casket, where he found the
portraits of more than sixty women, of whom the greater number lived
almost in the odour of sanctity. There were descriptive or biographical
notes upon all these heroines, and correspondence to match. His Majesty
had cognisance of it, and forbade the publication of the names. But the
Marquis d'Artagnan and his subordinate officer committed some almost