"Sire, in spite of these, I am bound to say that I think, as in the case of your clock, there is a screw loose. The progress has been right royally arranged, but did your majesty make it fully understood that all the horses, men and vehicles were to be employed by the dauphiness?"
A vague suspicion annoyed the monarch, who looked hard at his heir; this suggestion agreed with another idea fretting him.
"Certainly," he replied. "Of course you are satisfied, then? The bride will arrive on time, and she is properly attended to. You are rich with your savings, and you can wind up my clock and set it going again. I have a good mind to appoint you Clockmaker Extraordinary to the Royal Household, do you hear?" and, laughing, he was going to snatch the opportunity to slip away, when, as he opened the door, he faced a man on the sill.
Louis drew back a step.
"Choiseul!" he exclaimed. "I had forgotten she was to send him to me. Never mind, he shall pay for my son irritating me. So you have come, my lord? You heard I wanted you?"
"Yes, sire," replied the prime minister, coldly. "I was dressing to come, any way."
"Good; I have serious matters to discuss," said the sovereign, frowning to intimidate the minister, who was, unfortunately, the hardest man to browbeat in the kingdom.
"Very serious matters I have to discuss, too," he replied, with a glance for the dauphin, who was skulking behind the clock.
"Oho!" thought the king; "my son is my foe, too. I am in a triangle with woman, minister and son, and cannot escape."
"I come to say that the Viscount Jean——"