Part 15 (1/2)
”My cousin, in all that there is self-interest I entreat you to reflect The world, as you know, is aworld; you want to excite universal derision and injure the respect which is due to the place that I fill”
”Ah, Sire, do not woundmyself at your feet Have compassion upon M de Lauzun, and pity my tears Do not exercise your power; let him be the consolation of er able to hide his disgust and iood forty-four years old; at that age you ought to be able to take care of yourself Spare rievances, and do what pleases you”
On leaving Mademoiselle, he came to my apartment and told me about all this nonsense I then informed him of what I had heard by letter the day before Lauzun, while still carrying on with the fastest ladies of the Court and the town, had just wheedled the Princess into ift
”This is too ; and he at once caused a letter to be despatched to Made theo no farther
But the audacious Lauzun foundsimpleton of a priest, who 's indignation and resentuard arrested and sent as a prisoner to Pignerol
On this occasion, M de Lauzun complained bitterly ofthat he had struckme to my face with ”our old inti, for there was nothing to reproach Shortly after the Princess's grand scene, he caed ue proue promise is the same as a refusal
For e the grief of Mademoiselle So tiresoh sufficed to rin made her lose the little beauty that still reruous and ridiculous than to hear this elderly grand lady talking perpetually about ”her dearest darling, the prisoner”
At the tietting him into trouble She sends hienerally knows everything All this ambles away, and when funds are low, says, ”The old lady will send us some”
CHAPTER xxxVI
Hyde, the Chancellor--Misfortune Not Always Misfortune--Prince Conito--Who M de Vivonne Really Was
The castle of Petit-Bourg, of which the Kingthe Seine, whence one et the loveliest of views So pleasant did I find this char abode, that I repaired thither as often as possible, and stayed for five or six days
One balown at the central balcony, watching the stars, as wasmyself whether I should not be a thousand times happier if I should pass my life in a retreat like this, and so have tilorious works of Nature, and to prepare myself for that separation which sooner or later awaited hts, yetthat there was so in solitude, most of all here, amid vast fields and meadows, and that, away frorow old, and death would take hts, I suddenly heard the sound of a tocsin, and scanning the horizon, I saw fla for my servants, and told them instantly to despatch horse back news
The ers started off, and soon came back to say that the fire had broken out at the residence of land, as but lately convalescent They had seen hirass, so e to be sent for hieon and secretary to invite hiratefully accepted the invitation; he entered my room as the clock struck twelve As yet he could not tell the cause of the disaster, and in a calreat s my footsteps touch you also!”
”I cannot bear to see a fire,” said I, in reply to the English nobleman, ”for some dreadful accident always results therefroury, and I am sure, my lord, that your health or your affairs will benefit by this accident”
Hearing ht refreshive orders for all my available servants to be sent to the scene of disaster, in order to save all his furniture, and protect it as well
After repeated expressions of his gratitude, he desired to withdraw, and retired to rest Next day we learnt that the fire had been got under about one o'clock in theonly of the chateau had been destroyed, and the library, together with all the linen and plate, ell-nigh intact Lord Hyde was very glad to hear the news They told hiladly come to the help of his servants andto their vigilance and honesty, he pro theot the words out, when they caates, a carriage, bound for Paris, had the traces broken, and the travellers persons of distinction begged the favour of my hospitality for a short while I consented with pleasure, and they went back to take the travellers my answer
”You see, ious; no sooner have I set foot in this enchanting abode than its ate passes rapidly by in front of the gates, when lo! some invisible hand breaks it to pieces, and stops it fro any further”