Page:The Czar, A Tale of the Time of the First Napleon.djvu/313

Rh believed in him as I had never done before." He added, after a pause, "And Ivan is the reflection of his Czar. Even unconsciously and in the veriest trifles he copies him. Now, Clémence you know another reason why I am not unwilling to trust the dearest of sisters to his keeping."

When the blush that passed over the face of Clémence had subsided a little, she said softly, "No doubt you pray every day for the Czar. So shall I."

"I do; but it is hard to know what to ask for him. Already God has given him everything we are wont to ask for rulers of the earth—dominion, power, glory, wealth, victory over his foes."

"Let us ask God to give him his very best gifts, Henri."

"Ay, if only we knew what they are."

"We do know, brother,—love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance."

Henri started, as though the thought were new to him. "Those would be strange jewels for the diadem on a monarch's brow," he said. "Yet, after all, the world—here in Paris as well as where I have been in Poland—can bear witness to 'long-suffering, gentleness, goodness.' Of 'love, joy, peace,' of course I cannot speak, for they are gems whose light is turned God-wards."

"Then let our prayer be for those. The face we have seen to-day does not look joyful, Henri."

When they returned to the house they found guests awaiting them, friends of Madame de Salgues, who wished to congratulate her niece upon the return of Henri, and to make his acquaintance. The afternoon was spent in entertaining them, and was already far gone when Ivan joined the party. Madame de Talmont contrived to say a word to him in private, which sent him with a beaming face to answer M. de Cranfort's multitudinous questions about the Dresden campaign.

By-and-by, when the soft May twilight had fallen, he stole