Page:Ten Years Later.djvu/260

248 the advantage over the husband. Monsieur was too great a personage to notice these details. Nothing is so certain as a well-settled idea of superiority to prove the inferiority of the man who has that opinion of himself. The king arrived. Every one looked for what might possibly happen, in the glance, which began to bestir the world, like the brow of Jupiter Tonans. Louis had none of his brother's gloominess, but was perfectly radiant. Having examined a greater part of the drawings which were displayed for his inspection on every side, he gave his opinion or made his remarks upon them, and in this manner rendered some happy and others unhappy by a single word. Suddenly his glance, which was smilingly directed toward madame, detected the silent correspondence which was established between the princess and the comte. He bit his lip, but when he opened them again to utter a few commonplace remarks, he said, advancing toward the queens:

"I have just been informed that everything is now prepared at Fontainebleau, in accordance with my directions." A murmur of satisfaction arose from the different groups, and the king perceived on every face the greatest anxiety to receive an invitation for the fêtes. "I shall leave tomorrow," he added. Whereupon the profoundest silence immediately ensued. "And I invite," said the king, finishing, "all those who are now present to get ready to accompany me."

Smiling faces were now everywhere visible, with the exception of Monsieur, who seemed to retain his ill-humor. The different noblemen and ladies of the court thereupon defiled before the king, one after the other, in order to thank his majesty for the great honor which had been conferred upon them by the invitation. When it came to De Guiche's turn, the king said:

"Ah! Monsieur de Guiche, I did not see you."

The comte bowed, and madame turned pale. De Guiche was about to open his lips to express his thanks, when the king said:

"Comte, this is the season for farming purposes in the country. I am sure your tenants in Normandy will be glad to see you."

The king, after this severe attack, turned his back to the poor comte, whose turn it was now to become pale; he ad-vanced a few steps toward the king, forgetting that the king is never spoken to except in reply to questions addressed.