Page:The Czar, A Tale of the Time of the First Napleon.djvu/374

364 "I should certainly like to witness that," said Madame de Talmont.

"I am sorry that my duties must deprive me of the pleasure of being your attendant cavalier," pursued Ivan. "But Henri and Emile will more than supply my place; and you may perhaps wish to invite a friend to join your party."

"If we engage a carriage," said Madame de Talmont, "we can accommodate another lady. Who shall it be, ma tante?"

"It is for Prince Ivan to express his wishes on that point."

Ivan gracefully referred the choice to the ladies, and Clémence pleaded for Stéphanie. "She has been so good lately, poor child," she said. "And this will be a pleasure she will remember all her life."

"By all means. Let us have her father too," suggested Emile. "For I hear that this wonderful Madame de Krudener is to be there; and as she is the only person who has ever succeeded in taming mademoiselle, perhaps a little arrangement with M. de Sartines—"

"Hold thy peace, Emile," said Madame de Salgues. "I will have no jests levelled in my presence at religious persons, be they whom they may; and I suppose this enigmatical old lady is some kind of irregular nun, or at least a Carmelite. I cannot pretend to say what she is:—but, my dear grandson, you must permit me to observe that your tone of late has been very offensive to me. It is entirely that of the Empire, not that in which you have been educated. Your manners, too, have quite deteriorated. They are becoming absolutely bourgeoise."

"Pardon, madame," returned Emile with a bow. "I am sorry they do not please you. But you must acknowledge they are not likely to be mended by the life I am leading," he added a little bitterly. "Idleness is the mother of mischief."

Madame de Salgues relinquished the useless altercation with a sigh; and Ivan for the second time sought a private interview with Emile, following him into the little room where he was