--"Would you--have let me ride by your side in the autumn
moonlight?" Her glance passed by him as it might have passed by a
footman or a piece of furniture. He was dressed magnificently, a
multitude of orders glittering on his breast. Her eye took no knowledge
of him.
"Mademoiselle-I have the honor to ask you: if you had known this
Beaucaire was hones', though of peasant birth, would you--"
Involuntarily, controlled as her icy presence was, she shuddered. There
was a moment of silence.
"Mr. Molyneux," said Lady Mary, "in spite of your discourtesy in
allowing a servant to address me, I offer you a last chance to leave
this room undisgraced. Will you give me your arm?"
"Pardon me, madam," said Mr. Molyneux.
Beaucaire dropped into a chair with his head bent low and his arm
outstretched on the table; his eyes filled slowly in spite of himself,
and two tears rolled down the young man's cheeks.
"An' live men are jus'--names!" said M. Beaucaire.
Chapter Six
In the outer room, Winterset, unable to find Lady Mary, and supposing
her to have joined Lady Rellerton, disposed of his negus, then
approached the two visitors to pay his respects to the young prince,
whom he discovered to be a stripling of seventeen, arrogant looking,
but pretty as a girl. Standing beside the Marquis de Mirepoix--a man of
quiet bearing--he was surrounded by a group of the great, among whom Mr.
Pages:
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52