Page:Ten Years Later.djvu/236

224 Chevalier de Lorraine, leaning his back against the doorway, smiled like a man in the very height of the frankest admiration. The pallor of the prince, and the convulsive trembling of his hands and limbs, were the first symptoms that struck those present. A dead silence succeeded the sound of the dance. The Chevalier de Lorraine took advantage of this interval to salute madame and De Guiche most respectfully, affecting to join them together in his reverences as though they were the master and mistress of the house. Monsieur then approached them, saying, in a hoarse tone of voice, "I am delighted; I came here expecting to find you ill and low-spirited; and I find you abandoning yourself to new amusements; really, it is most fortunate. My house is the merriest in the whole kingdom." Then turning toward De Guiche, "Comte," he said, "I did not know you were so good a dancer," And, again addressing his wife, he said, "Show a little more consideration for me, madame; whenever you intend to amuse yourselves here, invite me. I am a prince, unfortunately, very much neglected."

De Guiche had now recovered his self-possession, and with the spirited boldness which was natural to him, and which so well became him, he said, "Your highness knows very well that my very life is at your service, and whenever there is a question of its being needed, I am ready; but today, as it is only a question of dancing to music, I dance."

"And you are perfectly right," said the prince coldly.

"But, madame," he continued, "you do not remark that your ladies deprive me of my friends; Monsieur de Guiche does not belong to you, madame, but to me. If you wish to dine without me, you have your ladies. When I dine alone I have my gentlemen; do not strip me of everything."

Madame felt the reproach and the lesson, and the color rushed to her face. "Monsieur," she replied, "I was not aware, when I came to the court of France, that princesses of my rank were to be regarded as the women in Turkey are. I was not aware that we were not allowed to be seen; but since such is your desire, I will conform myself to it; pray do not hesitate, if you should wish it, to have my windows barred, even."

This repartee, which made Montalais and De Guiche smile, rekindled the prince's anger, no inconsiderable portion of which had already evaporated in words.

"Very well," he said, in a concentrated tone of voice, "this is the way in which I am respected in my own house."