An inexpressible emotion could be read on the king's face. Her gaze enveloped the young girl so pale, visibly weakened by many material deprivations and moral sufferings, but still retaining her delicate beauty, her patrician grace, and above all the incomparable charm, the admirable radiance of her gaze.

"Why didn't you tell me?..." he murmured. The first duty of a sovereign is to help his subjects in embarrassment.... I'll talk to my mother about you, she'll come to you and you'll confide in her. You'll see how good it is! Certainly, she will soon find a way to fix all this.