Page:The Vicomte de Bragelonne 2.djvu/251

 mother, wanting wood, wanting bread, and fed by the coadjuteur and the parliament. She had, therefore, like her brothers, passed through a troublous youth; then, all at once, she had just awakened from a long and horrible dream, seated on the steps of a throne, surrounded, by courtiers and flatterers. Like Mary Stuart, on leaving prison, she aspired not only for life and liberty, but for power and wealth.

The Lady Henrietta, in growing, had attained remarka- ble beauty, which the recent restoration had. rendered cele- brated. Misfortune had taken from her the luster of pride, but prosperity had restored it to her. She was resplendent, then, in her joy and her happiness, like those hot-house flowers which, forgotten during a night of .the first frosts of autumn, have hung their heads, but which on the morrow, warmed once more by the atmosphere in which they were born, rise again with greater splendor than ever. Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, son of him who played so conspicuous a part in the early part of this history, Villiers of Bucking- ham, a handsome cavalier, melancholy with women, a jester with men, and Wilmot, Lord Rochester, a jester with both rietta, disputing the privilege of making her smile. As to that young and beautiful princess, reclining upon a cushion of velvet bordered with gold, her hands hanging listlessly so as to dip in the water, she listened carelessly to the i musicians without hearing them, and heard the two courtiers without appearing to listen to them. This ILady Henrietta — this charming creature — this woman who joined the graces of France to the beauties of England, not having yet loved, was cruel in her coquetry. The smile, then, that innocent favor of young girls, did not even enlighten her countenance; and if, at times, she did raise iher eyes, it was to fasten them upon one or other of the cavaliers with such a fixity that their gallantry, bold as it generally was, took the alarm, and became timid.
 * sexes, were standing at this moment before the Lady Hen-

In the meantime, the boat continued its course, the musi- cians made a great noise, and the courtiers began, like them, to be out of breath. Besides, the excursion became doubt- less monotonous to the princess, for all at once, shaking her head with an air of impatience: "Come, gentlemen, enough of this; let us land."

"Ah, madame!" said Buckingham, "we are very unfortunate! We have not succeeded in making the excursion agreeable to your royal highness."