“Count, I believe you know something about this order.”
“Perhaps, but do not let us stop here. Come with me, dear sister.”
“Where?”
“You shall see, somewhere where at least you will be warm, and en route I will tell you all I know about this. Take my arm, sister, and you the other, Madlle. de Taverney, and let us turn to the right.”
“Well, but now go on,” said the queen.
“This evening after the king’s supper, he came to his cabinet. He had been talking all day to Count Haga, you had not been seen——”
“No, at two o’clock I left to go to Paris.”
“I know it. The king, allow me to tell you, dear sister, was thinking no more about you than about Haroun-al-Raschid, or his Vizier Giaffar, and was talking geography. I listened with some impatience, for I also wanted to go out; probably not with the same object as you.”
“Where are we going?” interrupted the queen.
“Oh, close by; take care, there is a snow-heap. Madlle. de Taverney, if you leave my arm you will certainly fall. But to return to the king: he was thinking of nothing but latitude and longitude, when M. de Provence said to him, ‘I should like to pay my respects to the queen.’