FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88  
89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   >>   >|  
inveterate enmity which she entertained towards me, more particularly since the King's marriage. But in a dangerous case any remedy is welcome. I reached Malesherbes, where Madame was residing with her parents, a little before seven o'clock, and riding without disguise to the chateau demanded to see her. She was not yet risen, and the servants, whom my appearance threw into the utmost confusion, objected this to me; but I knew that the excuse was no real one, and answered roughly that I came from the King, and must see her. This opened all doors, and in a moment I found myself in her chamber. She was sitting up in bed, clothed in an elegant nightrail, and seemed in no wise surprised to see me. On the contrary, she greeted me with a smile and a taunting word; and omitted nothing that might evince her disdain or hurt my dignity. She let me advance without offering me a chair; and when, after saluting her, I looked about for one, I found that all the seats except one very low stool had been removed from the room. This was so like her that it did not astonish me, and I baffled her malice by leaning against the wall. "This is no ordinary honour--from M. de Rosny!" she said, flouting me with her eyes. "I come on no ordinary mission, madame," I said as gravely as I could. "Mercy!" she exclaimed in a mocking tone. "I should have put on new ribbons, I suppose!" "From the King, madame," I continued, not allowing myself to be moved, "to inquire how you obtained possession of his cipher." She laughed loudly. "Good, simple King," she said, "to ask what he knows already!" "He does not know, madame," I answered severely. "What?" she cried, in affected surprise. "When he gave it to me himself!" "He did not, madame." "He did, sir!" she retorted, firing up. "Or if he did not, prove it--prove it! And, by the way," she continued, lowering her voice again, and reverting to her former tone of spiteful badinage, "how is the dear queen? I heard that she was indisposed yesterday, and kept the King in attendance all day. So unfortunate, you know, just at this time." And her eyes twinkled with malicious amusement. "Madame," I said, "may I speak plainly to you?" "I never heard that you could speak otherwise," she answered quickly. "Even his friends never called M. de Rosny a wit; but only a plain, rough man who served our royal turn well enough in rough times; but is now growing--" "Madame!" "A tri
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88  
89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
madame
 

answered

 

Madame

 

continued

 

ordinary

 
cipher
 
laughed
 

loudly

 
severely
 

simple


suppose

 

growing

 
mocking
 

exclaimed

 
gravely
 

inquire

 
obtained
 
allowing
 

ribbons

 

possession


retorted

 

unfortunate

 

attendance

 

indisposed

 

yesterday

 

friends

 

plainly

 

quickly

 

amusement

 

malicious


twinkled

 
called
 

firing

 

affected

 

surprise

 
lowering
 

spiteful

 
served
 

badinage

 
reverting

appearance
 

utmost

 
servants
 
disguise
 

riding

 

chateau

 
demanded
 

confusion

 
objected
 

opened