Part 20 (2/2)
She glanced dreamily over the sea, and perceiving a slight shade of weariness on her face, Sir Walter discreetly rose, craving her permission to retire to the saloon, where he had promised to join the King. When he had left her, she turned to one of her ladies, the Countess Amabil, and remarked:
”A very personable gentleman, is he not?”
”Madam,” rejoined the Countess, who was very lovely in herself, and of a bright and sociable disposition;--”I have often thought it would be more pleasant and profitable for all of us if we had many such personable gentlemen with us oftener!”
A slight frown of annoyance crossed the Queen's face. The Countess was a very charming lady; very fascinating in her own way, but her decided predilection for the sterner s.e.x often led her to touch on dangerous ground with her Royal mistress. This time, however, she escaped the chilling retort her remark might possibly, on another occasion, have called down upon her. The Queen said nothing. She sat watching the sea,--and now and again took up her field-gla.s.s to study the picturesque coast of The Islands, which was rapidly coming into view. Teresa de Launay, the second lady in attendance on her, was reading, and, seeing her quite absorbed in her book, the Queen presently asked her what it contained.
”You have smiled twice over that book, Teresa,” she said kindly;--”What is it about?”
”Madam, it speaks of love!” replied Teresa, still smiling.
”And love makes you smile?”
”I would rather smile than weep over it, Madam!” replied Teresa, with a slight colour warming her fair face;--”But as concerns this book, I smile, because it is full of such foolish verses,--as light and sweet--and almost as cloying,--as French _fondants_!”
”Let me hear!” said the Queen; ”Read me a few lines.”
”This one, called 'A Canzonet' is brief enough for your Majesty's immediate consideration,” replied Teresa;--”It is just such a thing as a man might scribble in his note-book after a bout of champagne, when he is in love for ten minutes! He would not mean a word of it,--but it might sound pretty by moonlight!” Whereupon she read aloud:--
My Lady is pleased to smile, And the world is glad and gay; My Lady is pleased to weep;-- And it rains the livelong day!
My Lady is pleased to hate, And I lose my life and my breath; My Lady is pleased to love,-- And I am the master of Death!
I know that my Lady is Love, By the magical light about her; I know that my Lady is Life, For I cannot live without her!
”And you do not think any man would truly mean as much love as this?”
queried the Queen.
”Oh, Madam, you know he would not! If he had written such lines about the joys of dining, or the flavour of an excellent cigar, they might then indeed be taken as an expression of his truest and deepest feeling!
But his 'Lady'! Bah! She is a mere myth,--a temporary peg to hang a stray emotion on!”
She laughed, and her laughter rippled merrily on the air.
”I do not think the men who write so easily about love can ever truly feel it,” she went on;--”Those who really love must surely be quite unable to express themselves. This man who sings about his 'Lady' being pleased to do this or do that, was probably trying to obtain the good graces of some pretty housemaid or chorus girl!”
A slight contemptuous smile crossed the Queen's face; from her expression it was evident that she agreed in the main with the opinion of her vivacious lady-in-waiting. Just at that moment the King and his suite, with Sir Walter Langton and one or two other gentlemen, who had been invited to join the party, came up from the saloon, and the conversation became general.
”Have you seen Humphry at all to-day?” enquired the King aside of De Launay. ”I sent him an early message asking him to join us, and was told he had gone out riding. Is that true?”
”I have not seen his Royal Highness since the morning, Sir,” replied the equerry; ”He then met me,--and Professor von Glauben also--in the gardens. He gave me no hint as to whether he knew of your intention to sail to The Islands this afternoon or not; he was reading, and with some slight discussion on the subject of the book he was interested in, he and the Professor strolled away together.”
”But where is Von Glauben?” pursued the King; ”I sent for him likewise, but he was absent.”
”I understood him to say that you had not commanded his attendance again to-day, Sir,” replied Sir Roger;--”He told me he had already waited upon you.”
”Certainly I did not command his attendance when I saw him the first thing this morning,” replied the King; ”I summoned him then merely to satisfy his scruples concerning my health and safety, as he seemed last night to have doubts of both!” He smiled, and his eyes twinkled humourously. ”Later on, I requested him to join us in this excursion, but his servant said he had gone out, leaving no word as to when he would return. An eccentricity! I suppose he must be humoured!”
Sir Roger was silent. The King looked at him narrowly, and saw that there was something in his thoughts which he was not inclined to utter, and with wise tact and discretion forbore to press any more questions upon him. It was not a suitable time for cross-examination, even of the most friendly kind; there were too many persons near at hand who might be disposed to listen and to form conjectures; moreover the favouring wind had so aided the Royal yacht in her swift course that The Islands were now close at hand, and the harbour visible, the run across from the mainland having been accomplished under the usual two hours.
<script>