Part 2 (2/2)
”He is neither here for good nor harm, madame; he comes to see me, that is all”
”It is all very well! all very well!” said the old lady ”Her royal highness shall be infore”
”At all events, I do not see why,” replied Montalais, ”it should be forbidden M Malicorne to have intentions towards me, if his intentions are honorable”
”Honorable intentions with such a face!” cried Madame de Saint-Remy
”I thank you in the nahter, coo and infor for her husband, at thefor a rief, there are people who amuse themselves with flirtations!”
”Oh!” cried both the accused, with one voice
”Aher hands towards heaven
”Well! it is there you are hly exasperated; ”I aer a iven in your resignation, mademoiselle? That is well! I cannot but applaud such a deterive in nation, madaeoisie or in the robe?” asked Madame de Saint-Remy, disdainfully
”Please to learn, eoises or robines; and that instead of theto reside in a court almost royal”
”Ha, ha! a royal court,” said Madah; ”a royal court! What do you think of that, hter?”
And she turned towards Mademoiselle de la Valliere, whoed away fro the impulse of Madame de Saint-Remy, looked first at her mother and then at Montalais with her beautiful conciliatory eyes
”I did not say a royal court, land, who is about to become the wife of S A R Monsieur, is not a queen I said almost royal, and I spoke correctly, since she will be sister-in-law to the king”
A thunderbolt falling upon the castle of Blois would not have astonished Madame de Saint-Remy more than the last sentence of Montalais
”What do you say? of Son Altesse Royale Madaoing to belong to her household, as maid of honor; that is what I say”
”As maid of honor!” cried, at the same time, Madame de Saint-Reht
”Yes, madame, as maid of honor”
The old lady's head sank down as if the blow had been too severe for her But, al herself, she launched a last projectile at her adversary
”Oh! oh!” said she; ”I have heard of many of these sorts of promises beforehand, which often lead people to flatter themselves ild hopes, and at the last moment, when the time comes to keep the promises, and have the hopes realized, they are surprised to see the great credit upon which they reckoned vanish like smoke”
”Oh! madame, the credit of ood as deeds”
”And would it be indiscreet to ask you the name of this powerful protector?”
”Oh! entle this scene, had preserved the nity
”Monsieur!” cried Madame de Saint-Remy, with an explosion of hilarity, ”monsieur is your protector! Is the ood as deeds, Monsieur Malicorne!”
Malicorne bowed
As to Montalais, as her sole reply, she drew the brevet from her pocket, and showed it to the old lady
”Here is the brevet,” said she
At once all was over As soon as she had cast a rapid glance over this fortunate brevet, the good lady clasped her hands, an unspeakable expression of envy and despair contracted her countenance, and she was obliged to sit down to avoid fainting Montalais was not antly at her victory, or to overwhelm the conquered enemy, particularly when that enemy was the mother of her friend; she used then, but did not abuse her triuenerous; he assumed noble poses in his fauteuil and stretched himself out with a familiarity which, two hours earlier, would have drawn upon hi madame!” repeated Madame de Saint-Reh the protection of M Malicorne, moreover”
”It is incredible!” repeated the old lady: ”is it not incredible, Louise?” But Louise did not reply; she was sitting, thoughtfully, alhed heavily
”Well, but, monsieur,” said Madae to obtain this post?”
”I asked for it, madame”
”Of whom?”
”One of my friends”
”And you have friends sufficiently powerful at court to give you such proofs of their credit?”
”It appears so”
”And may one ask the name of these friends?”
”I did not say I had many friends, madame, I said I had one friend”
”And that friend is called?”
”Peste! o too far! When one has a friend as powerful as mine, we do not publish his name in that fashi+on, in open day, in order that he ht, monsieur, to be silent as to that name; for I think it would be pretty difficult for you to tell it”
”At all events,” said Montalais, ”if the friend does not exist, the brevet does, and that cuts short the question”
”Then, I conceive,” said Madaoing to scratch, ”when I found monsieur here just now-”