or which he was so famous to bring a smile to
her lips; but, although the rest of the company was convulsed by his
brilliant nonsense, the Duchess's pale face did not lose its serious
expression until Mr. Morris, followed by Calvert, entered the room.
Then, indeed, a smile of pleasure lighted up her countenance, and it was
with a most gracious cordiality that she welcomed both gentlemen.

"So this is your young compatriote, Monsieur, who vanquished Monsieur de
St. Aulaire on the ice!" she said, looking at Mr. Morris and laughing
with a certain malicious satisfaction. She extended to Calvert the
famously beautiful hand and arm, from which the soft, black lace fell
away, revealing its exquisite roundness and whiteness and over which Mr.
Morris bent low in salutation. "We have heard of your prowess au
patinage, Monsieur," she continued, glancing at Calvert, and then,
without waiting for a reply, much to the young man's relief, who was
somewhat embarrassed by so direct a compliment and, in truth, utterly
weary of the whole subject, of which he heard continually, she turned
and spoke to two young gentlemen half-concealed in the deep embrasure of
a window. At her call they both came forward, the eldest, the Duc de
Chartres, who might have been sixteen years of age, laying down a violin
on which he had been playing softly, and the younger, Monsieur de
Beaujolais, who could not have been over thirteen, closing the book he
had been reading.

"Mes fils," says the Duchess, softly, and smiling at Mr. Morris and
Calvert with a sort of melancholy pride shining in her dark eyes. In
truth, the young princes were good to look at, especially the little
Monsieur de Beaujolais, who had a most animated and pleasing
countenance. As they stood one on each side of their mother they made a
pretty group. Perhaps 'twas the remembrance of that picture in after
years which warmed Mr. Morris's heart to the exile in distress over the
seas and made him a generous friend despite the royal ingratitude.

"So she has saved something out of the wreck of her life," thought Mr.
Calvert, pityingly, looking at the two youths. "'Tis doubly fortunate
that they in nowise resemble their ignoble father," and he thought with
disgust of that dissolute nobleman of whom he had heard so much. While
these thoughts were passing through his mind the Duchess was speaking
earnestly, to Mr. Morris.

"I ask your advice, Monsieur," she said, dismissing with a smile the two