“I leave you to sacrifice yourself! I! never, never!” exclaimed the king.
“Well,” murmured D’Artagnan, “I may as well go now. As soon as they begin to speak, we may as well prevent there being any listeners.” And he quitted the room, leaving the lovers alone.
“Sire,” continued La Valliere, “not another word, I implore you. Do not destroy the only future I can hope for—my salvation; do not destroy the glory and brightness of your own future for a mere caprice.”
“A caprice?” cried the king.
“Oh, sire! it is now, only, that I can see clearly into your heart.”
“You, Louise, what mean you?”
“An inexplicable impulse, foolish and unreasonable in its nature, may ephemerally appear to offer a sufficient excuse for your conduct; but there are duties imposed upon you which are incompatible with your regard for a poor girl such as I am. So, forget me.”
“I forget you!”
“You have already done so, once.”
“Rather would I die.”