“Are you accustomed to take anything in the morning in bed, such as honey, milk, or spice?  Do the meal times suit you?  I will conform mine to yours:  tell me.  You are afraid to ask me.  Come—­”

She accompanied these coddling little attentions with a hundred affected speeches; for instance, on coming into the room she would say—­

“I am intruding, send me away.  You want to be left alone—­I will go.”  And always was she graciously invited to remain.

And the cunning Madame always came lightly attired, showing samples of her beauty, which would have made a patriarch neigh, even were he as much battered by time as must have been Mr. Methusaleh, with his nine hundred and sixty years.

That good knight being as sharp as a needle, let the lady go on with her tricks, much pleased to see her occupy herself with him, since it was so much gained; but like a loyal brother, he always called her absent husband to the lady’s mind.

Now one evening—­the day had been very warm—­Lavalliere suspecting the lady’s games, told her that Maille loved her dearly, that she had in him a man of honour, a gentleman who doted on her, and was ticklish on the score of his crown.

“Why then, if he is so ticklish in this manner, has he placed you here?”

“Was it not a most prudent thing?” replied he.  “Was it not necessary to confide you to some defender of your virtue?  Not that it needs one save to protect you from wicked men.”

“Then you are my guardian?” said she.

“I am proud of it!” exclaimed Lavalliere.

“Ah!” said she, “he has made a very bad choice.”

This remark was accompanied by a little look, so lewdly lascivious that the good brother-in-arms put on, by way of reproach, a severe countenance, and left the fair lady alone, much piqued at this refusal to commence love’s conflict.

She remained in deep meditation, and began to search for the real obstacle that she had encountered, for it was impossible that it should enter the mind of any lady, that a gentleman could despise that bagatelle which is of such great price and so high value.  Now these thoughts knitted and joined together so well, one fitting into the other, that out of little pieces she constructed a perfect whole, and found herself desperately in love; which should teach the ladies never to play with a man’s weapons, seeing that like glue, they always stick to the fingers.

By this means Marie d’Annebaut came to a conclusion which she should have known at the commencement—­viz., that to keep clear of her snares, the good knight must be smitten with some other lady, and looking round her, to see where her young guest could have found a needle-case to his taste, she thought of the fair Limeuil, one of Queen Catherine’s maids, of Mesdames de Nevers, d’Estree, and de Giac, all of whom were declared friends of Lavalliere, and of the lot he must love one to distraction.