Part 16 (1/2)
Chapter XVII Forever!
The Duke of Buckingham, obedient to the queen-mother's invitation, presented himself in her apartments half an hour after the departure of the Duc d'Orleans When his naentle with her elbow resting on a table, and her head buried in her hands, rose, and sraceful and respectful salutation which the duke addressed to her Anne of Austria was still beautiful It is well known that at her then so auburn hair, perfectly forht ruby lips, were still the admiration of all who saw her On the present occasion, abandoned entirely to a remembrance which evoked all the past in her heart, she looked almost as beautiful as in the days of her youth, when her palace was open to the visits of the Duke of Buckingha and impassioned man, as well as an unfortunate prince, who lived for her alone, and died with her naham a look so tender in its expression, that it denoted, not alone the indulgence of entleness of expression like the coquetry of a woham, respectfully, ”desired to speak to lish; ”will you be good enough to sit down?”
The favor which Anne of Austria thus extended to the young e of a country froed since his stay in France, deeply affected him He immediately conjectured that the queen had a request toabandoned the first few moments to the irrepressible e air hich she had received him ”What do you think of France?” she said, in French
”It is a lovely country, madame,” replied the duke
”Had you ever seen it before?”
”Once only, land?”
”I prefer my own native land to France,” replied the duke; ”but if your majesty were to ask me which of the two cities, London or Pairs, I should prefer as a residence, I should be forced to answer Paris”
Anne of Austria observed the ardent manner hich these words had been pronounced ”I am told, my lord, you have rich possessions in your own country, and that you live in a splendid and time-honored place”
”It wasdown his eyes
”Those are indeed great advantages and souvenirs,” replied the queen, alluding, in spite of herself, to recollections from which it is impossible voluntarily to detach one's self
”In fact,” said the duke, yielding to theconversation, ”sensitive persons live as much in the past or the future, as in the present”
”That is very true,” said the queen, in a low tone of voice ”It follows, then, , will soon quit France in order to shut yourself up with your wealth and your relics of the past”
Buckingham raised his head and said, ”I think not, madame”
”What do you land in order to take up my residence in France”
It was now Anne of Austria's turn to exhibit surprise ”Why?” she said ”Are you not in favor with the new king?”
”Perfectly so, madame, for his majesty's kindness to me is unbounded”
”It cannot,” said the queen, ”be because your fortune has diminished, for it is said to be enore”
”There is soha secret in my reason for this determination I prefer residence in France; I like a court so distinguished by its refinement and courtesy; I like the amusements, somewhat serious in their nature, which are not the amusements of my own country, and which are met with in France”
Anne of Austria smiled shrewdly ”Amusements of a serious nature?” she said ”Has your Grace well reflected on their seriousness?” The duke hesitated ”There is no amusement so serious,” continued the queen, ”as to prevent a reatly on that point,” interrupted the duke
”Do you think so,so, it is the second tiland at the expense of the delight which all experience who live in France”
Anne of Austria approached the youngher beautiful hand upon his shoulder, which tre can equal a residence in one's own native country I have very frequently had occasion to regret Spain I have lived long,for a woman, and I confess to you, that not a year has passed I have not regretted Spain”
”Not one year,duke coldly ”Not one of those years when you reigned Queen of Beauty-as you still are, indeed?”
”A truce to flattery, duke, for I ah to be your mother” She eentleness, which penetrated Buckinghah to be your ive you a word of advice”
”That advice being that I should return to London?” he exclaimed
”Yes, esture, which could not fail of its effect upon the queen, already disposed to softer feelings by the tenderness of her own recollections ”It ain exclaimed, ”am I seriously told that I must leave,-that I must exile myself,-that I am to flee at once?”
”Exile yourself, did you say? One would fancy France was your native country”
”Madame, the country of those who love is the country of those whoet whoham threw hience, of goodness, and of codom, not only by your rank, but the first person in the world on account of your angelic attributes I have said nothing,you should ansith such a cruel remark? What have I betrayed?”
”You have betrayed yourself,” said the queen, in a low tone of voice
”I have said nothing,-I know nothing”
”You forget you have spoken and thought in the presence of a woman; and besides-”
”Besides,” said the duke, ”no one knows you are listening to me”
”On the contrary, it is known; you have all the defects and all the qualities of youth”
”I have been betrayed or denounced, then?”
”By whom?”
”By those who, at Le Havre, had, with infernal perspicacity, read my heart like an open book”