, with a little imperative gesture
full of grace, reminded him that he was under the command of a
power which he must blindly obey, and which forbade him even to
make the slightest complaint.  At length, after winding about for
a minute or two, Mme. Bonacieux opened the door of a closet,
which was entirely dark, and led d'Artagnan into it.  There she
made a fresh sign of silence, and opened a second door concealed
by tapestry.  The opening of this door disclosed a brilliant
light, and she disappeared.

D'Artagnan remained for a moment motionless, asking himself where
he could be; but soon a ray of light which penetrated through the
chamber, together with the warm and perfumed air which reached
him from the same aperture, the conversation of two of three
ladies in language at once respectful and refined, and the word
"Majesty" several times repeated, indicated clearly that he was
in a closet attached to the queen's apartment.  The young man
waited in comparative darkness and listened.

The queen appeared cheerful and happy, which seemed to astonish
the persons who surrounded her and who were accustomed to see her
almost always sad and full of .  The queen attributed this
joyous feeling to the beauty of the fete, to the  she had
experienced in the ballet