The Vicomte de Bragelonne · Chapter
Despair explained
La Vallière, abandoned by the king after his visit, descends into despair as she waits in vain for him to return, write, or send word.
What happens
La Vallière, abandoned by the king after his visit, descends into despair as she waits in vain for him to return, write, or send word. Madame arrives to dismiss her from her household, and La Vallière, after a night of anguish and prayer, resolves to flee the palace at dawn.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Sacrifice
La Vallière's love for the king leads her to suffer abandonment and humiliation, culminating in her sacrificial flight.
Court Intrigue and Deception
The king's broken oath and Madame's harsh dismissal illustrate the deceptive and ruthless nature of courtly relationships.
Fate and Tragedy
La Vallière's despair and her final decision to flee are driven by a sense of inevitable tragedy and loss.
Characters to notice
- Louise de La Vallière
Overwhelmed by despair after the king's departure; waits in vain for his return or message; dismissed by Madame; resolves to flee at dawn.
- Henrietta of England
Appears at La Vallière's door, angry and threatening, and dismisses her from the household.
- Louis XIV
Referenced as having left La Vallière; his failure to keep his oath is the central cause of her despair.
- De Guiche
Mentioned in La Vallière's delirium as one of the figures of her friends contending with enemies.
Key passages
“It was impossible, therefore, she reasoned, that the king should fail in keeping the promise which he had himself exacted from her, unless, indeed, Louis was a despot who enforced love as he enforced obedience; unless, too, the king were so indifferent that the first obstacle in his way was sufficient to arrest his further progress.”
She thought it was impossible for the king to break the promise he had made her, unless he was a tyrant who demanded love like obedience, or so indifferent that the slightest difficulty would stop him.
La Vallière rationalizes the king's silence, trying to reconcile his behavior with her hope.
“A bitter smile, the only symptom of anger which during this long conflict had passed across the angelic face, appeared upon her lips.”
A bitter smile, the sole sign of anger in her angelic face during the entire ordeal, crossed her lips.
La Vallière's first and only expression of anger as she realizes the king has abandoned her.
“She prayed that the proper course for her to follow might be suggested. It is from Heaven, she thought, that I expect everything; it is from Heaven I ought to expect everything.”
She prayed for guidance, thinking that she should expect everything from Heaven.
La Vallière turns to religious faith as her last refuge after losing the king's love.