"His majesty is not here, sir; he is with his brother-in-law. But, in his absence, could you not say to the queen"—
"Oh, yes, madame," returned La Mole, "if I could obtain audience of her."
"You have it already, sir."
"What?" cried La Mole.
"I am the Queen of Navarre."
La Mole made such a hasty movement of surprise and alarm that it caused the queen to smile.
"Speak, sir," said Marguerite, "but speak quickly, for the queen mother is waiting for me."
"Oh, madame, if the queen mother is waiting for you," said La Mole, "suffer me to leave you, for just now it would be impossible for me to speak to you. I am incapable of collecting my ideas. The sight of you has dazzled me. I no longer think, I can only admire."
Marguerite advanced graciously toward the handsome young man, who, without knowing it, was acting like a finished courtier.
"Recover yourself, sir," said she; "I will wait and they will wait for me."