Project Gutenberg's Jeanne of the Marshes, by E. Phillips Oppenheim

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Title: Jeanne of the Marshes

Author: E. Phillips Oppenheim

Posting Date: July 23, 2009 [EBook #4233]
Release Date: July, 2003
First Posted: December 31, 2001

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK JEANNE OF THE MARSHES ***

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JEANNE OF THE MARSHES

BY

E. PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM

AUTHOR OF

"A MAKER OF HISTORY," "THE MISSIONER," "THE GOVERNORS," ETC.

ILLUSTRATED BY

J. V. McFALL AND C. E. BROCK

BOOK I

CHAPTER I

The Princess opened her eyes at the sound of her maid's approach. She
turned her head impatiently toward the door.

"Annette," she said coldly, "did you misunderstand me? Did I not say
that I was on no account to be disturbed this afternoon?"

Annette was the picture of despair. Eyebrows and hands betrayed alike
both her agitation of mind and her nationality.

"Madame," she said, "did I not say so to monsieur? I begged him to call
again. I told him that madame was lying down with a bad headache, and
that it was as much as my place was worth to disturb her. What did he
answer? Only this. That it would be as much as my place was worth if I
did not come up and tell you that he was here to see you on a very
urgent matter. Indeed, madame, he was very, very impatient with me."

"Of whom are you talking?" the Princess asked.

"But of Major Forrest, madame," Annette declared. "It is he who waits
below."

The Princess closed her eyes for a moment and then slowly opened them.
She stretched out her hand, and from a table by her side took up a
small gilt mirror.

"Turn on the lights, Annette," she commanded.

The maid illuminated the darkened room. The Princess gazed at herself
in the mirror, and reaching out again took a small powder-puff from its
case and gently dabbed her face. Then she laid both mirror and
powder-puff back in their places.

"You will tell monsieur," she said, "that I am very unwell indeed, but
that since he is here and his business is urgent I will see him. Tu