"He has granted my request. If you love me, you will accept the offer. We will be married this evening, and your Excellency the Ambassador to Prussia will set off for Berlin immediately after the nuptials. Reflect; I grant you an hour."
"It is useless," answered Monsieur de Menneval; "I have no need of reflection, for I love you. Your wishes are my orders: to obey you is my only desire. I accept the embassy."
"Never mind!" said she, trembling with joy and blushing deeply. "Pass into the room, wherein you were just now waiting. I must complete my toilet, and I shall then be at your service. I will summon you."
The Marchioness handed out the Baron by the right-hand door, as she had handed out the Marquis by the left; and then said to herself:
"I shall be prettily embarrassed, if Monsieur de Beaugency should consent to end his days at Courlac!"
Thereupon, the King removed the screen and reappeared.
His Majesty stepped quietly to the round table, whereupon he had replaced the oranges, and took up one of them.
"Ah!" exclaimed the Marchioness, "I perceive, Sire, that you foresee the difficulty that is about to spring up, and go back accordingly to the oranges, in order to settle it."
As his sole reply, Louis XV. took a small ivory handled pen-knife from his waistcoat pocket, made an incision in the rind of the orange, peeled it off very neatly, divided the fruit into two parts, and offered one to the astonished Marchioness.
"But, Sire, what are you doing?" was her eager inquiry.