How could you know? You have not the
fiber; the heart of a lady is a blank to you; you know nothing of the
vibration. There are some words that were made only to tell of Lady
Mary, for her alone--bellissima, divine, glorieuse! Ah, how I have
watch' her! It is sad to me when I see her surround' by your yo'ng
captains, your nobles, your rattles, your beaux--ha, ha!--and I mus'
hol' far aloof. It is sad for me--but oh, jus' to watch her and to
wonder! Strange it is, but I have almos' cry out with rapture at a look
I have see' her give another man, so beautiful it was, so tender, so
dazzling of the eyes and so mirthful of the lips. Ah, divine coquetry! A
look for another, ah-i-me! for many others; and even to you, one day,
a rose, while I--I, monsieur, could not even be so blessed as to be
the groun' beneath her little shoe! But to-night, monsieur--ha,
ha!--to-night, monsieur, you and me, two princes, M. le Duc de
Winterset and M. le Duc de Chateaurien--ha, ha! you see?--we are goin'
arm-in-arm to that ball, and I am goin' have one of those looks, I! And
a rose! I! It is time. But ten minute', monsieur. I make my apology to
keep you waitin' so long while I go in the nex' room and execute my poor
mustachio--that will be my only murder for jus' this one evening--and
inves' myself in white satin. Ha, ha! I shall be very gran', monsieur.
Francois, send Louis to me; Victor, to order two chairs for monsieur and
me; we are goin' out in the worl' to-right!"
Chapter Two
The chairmen swarmed in the street at Lady Malbourne's door, where the
joyous vulgar fought with muddied footmen and tipsy link-boys for places
of vantage whence to catch a glimpse of quality and of raiment at its
utmost.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25