It was not long before he met Philip. And the manner of the meeting was delightfully2 sensational4. Under the auspices5 of his friend, M. de Chambert, he attended a rout6 at the hotel of the Duchesse de Maugry. He was presented to one Mademoiselle de Chaucheron, a sprightly7 little lady, with roguish black eyes. Mr. Bancroft was content to form one of the small court she held. Several old acquaintances he met, for he was not unknown in Paris.
Conversation flourished for some time. But suddenly Mademoiselle cried out, clapping her hands:
"Le voilà, notre petit Philippe! Eh bien, petit Anglais?"
A slight gentleman in peach-coloured satin, powdered, painted, perfumed, came quickly through the group and went down on one knee before her.
Delighted, she gave him her hand to kiss.
"And where have you been this long while, vaurien?"
Philip kissed the tips of her fingers, one by one.
"Languishing9 in outer darkness, chérie."
"The darkness of the Court!" laughed the Comte de Saint-Dantin. "Philippe, I know you for a rogue10 and a trifler!"
Philip looked up, still holding Mademoiselle's hand.
"Voyons! Have you finished with my hand?"
Instantly he turned back to her.
"I have lost count! Now I must begin again. One moment, Comte, I am much occupied!" Gravely he kissed each rosy13 finger a second time. "And one for the lovely whole. Voilà!"
"You don't deceive me, le petit Philippe!... So sweet, so amiable16, so great a flatterer—with no heart to lose!"
"Oh!" Mademoiselle started back in mock-anger. "Wretch19 that thou art, and so fickle20! Rise! I'll no more of you!"
"Alack!" Philip came to his feet, and dusted his knee with his handkerchief. "I give you thanks, mignonne, 'twas very hard."
"But you do not say! How is she, la Pompadour?" cried De Salmy.
Philip pressed a hand to his forehead.
"La Pompadour? I do not know; I have forgotten. She has blue eyes, not black."
Mr. Bancroft was staring at Philip as one in a trance. At that moment Philip looked his way. The grey eyes held no recognition and passed on.
"Good heavens!" exclaimed Bancroft. '"Tis never Mr. Jettan?"
"Que lui dit-il?" asked Mademoiselle, for Bancroft had spoken in English.
Philip bowed distantly.
"M'sieur?"
"You've not forgotten me? Bancroft?"
"Ah—Mr. Bancroft! I remember. Your servant, sir." He bowed again.
"Aha, that I understand!" said Mademoiselle relievedly. "It is one of your friends, Philippe?" She smiled upon Mr. Bancroft with more warmth, and extended her hand. "L'ami de Philippe—ah, but you should have said!"
Mr. Bancroft was not elated at being classed as Philip's friend, but he bowed over Mademoiselle's hand with a good grace.
"I had no notion of finding him here, mademoiselle. The last time we met was—in a wood."
Philip threw out his hands.
"Ah, no, chérie! That meeting was so disastrous25 to my vanity!"
"Mr. Bancroft and I had some slight difference in opinion which we settled in a wood. I was very easily worsted."
"You?" cried Mademoiselle. "Impossible!"
"On the contrary, bien aimée; I was, in those days, a very sorry spectacle, was I not, sir?"
"Not so long since," said Mr. Bancroft.
"Six months," nodded Philip, and turned to speak to the Comte de Saint-Dantin.
Mademoiselle was still incredulous.
"A sorry spectacle? Philippe?"
"Of course," she said. "Philippe!"
"Chère Clothilde?"
"Come here! I want you to tell me what you mean by a sorry spectacle. If you refuse—bien! I shall ask Mr. Bancroft!"
"Oh, I'll give away no man's secrets!" simpered Bancroft.
Philip raised his eyeglass. He observed Mr. Bancroft dispassionately. Then he shrugged29, and turned back to Clothilde.
"Petite ange, it's a sad tale. Six months ago I lived in the country, and I was a very churlish bumpkin. Then I was made to see the folly30 of my ways, and now—me voici!"
"But wait, wait! You in the country, Philippe? You jest!"
"On my honour, no, chérie! I came to Paris to learn the ways of Polite Society."
"Six months ago?" De Bergeret was astonished. "It is your first visit? You learned all this in so short a time?"
"I have a natural aptitude," smiled Philip. "Now are you satisfied?"
"I am not at all satisfied."
"What more would you have?"
"I would know of what like she is."
"She?"
"The lady to whom your heart is lost."
"That's an hundred she's," replied Philip airily. "And they are all different!"
"I dare swear I could enlighten M. de Ravel," drawled Bancroft.
All eyes turned his way. Philip seated himself beside Mademoiselle. He was smiling faintly.
"Proceed, mon ami. Who is this lady that I have forgotten?"
"Forgotten? Oh, come now, Jettan!"
Philip played with Clothilde's fan; he was still smiling, but the bright grey eyes that met Bancroft's held a challenge.
"If it transpired34, m'sieur, that I had not forgotten it is possible that I might resent any liberties you or others thought to take with that lady's name," he said softly.
There was a sudden silence. No one could mistake the menacing note in Philip's smooth voice. Saint-Dantin made haste to fill the breach35.
"The little Philippe is ready to fight us all, but it cannot be permitted. We'll not plague him, for he is very devilish when he is roused, I assure you!" He laughed easily and offered Bancroft snuff.
M. le Comte closed his snuff-box and stepped back. He became politely bored.
"The subject grows somewhat tedious, I think. Mademoiselle, will you dance?"
Bancroft flushed. Mademoiselle sprang up.
"I am promised to Jules!" She nodded, smiling, to De Bergeret. Together they walked away from the little group.
Saint-Dantin linked arms with Philip.
"Come with me to the card-room, Philippe. Unless you wish to lead out la Salévier?" He nodded to where an opulent beauty stood.
"It's too fatiguing," said Philip. "I'll come."
"Who is he, the ill-disposed gentleman in pink?" inquired the Comte, when they were out of earshot.
"A creature of no importance," shrugged Philip.
"Yes," admitted Philip. "I do not like the colour of his coat."
"You may call upon me," said Saint-Dantin at once. "I do not like anything about him. He was here before—last year. His conversation lacks finesse39. He is tolerated in London, hein?"
"I don't know. I trust not."
"Hé, hé! So he interfered40 between you and the lady?"
Philip withdrew his arm.
"Saint-Dantin!"
"Oh, yes, yes, I know! We all know that in the background lurks—a lady! Else why your so chaste41 and cold demeanour?"
"Am I cold?"
"At the bottom, yes. Is it not so?"
"Certainly it is so. It's unfashionable to possess a heart."
"Oh, Philippe, thou art a rogue."
"So I have been told. Presumably because I am innocent of the slightest indiscretion. Curious. No one dubs42 you rogue who so fully3 merit the title. But I, whose reputation is spotless, am necessarily a wicked one and a deceiver. I shall write a sonnet43 on the subject."
"Ah, no!" begged Saint-Dantin in alarm. "Your sonnets44 are vile45, Philippe! So let us have no more verse from you, I pray! All else you can do, but, sacré nom de Dieu, your verse—!"
Saint-Dantin paused, a hand on the curtain that shut off the card-room.
"Your only ambition, Philippe?"
"You are as inquisitive51 as a monkey," said Philip, and propelled him into the card-room.
"For how long has that fellow lorded it here?" asked Bancroft of his friend.
"Oh, some months! He is refreshing54, is it not so? So young, so lovable."
"Lovable be damned!" said Bancroft.
De Chambert looked at him in surprise.
"You don't like our little Philippe?"
"Con—ah, but no! You misunderstand him! He pretends, and it is very amusing, but he is not conceited; he is just a bébé."
"Damn it, is he everyone's pet?"
"C'est le dernier cri de Paris. There are some who are jealous, naturally, but all who know him like him too much to be jealous."
"Jealous!" Bancroft snorted. "Jealous of that sprig!"
De Chambert cast him a shrewd glance.
"A word in your ear, m'sieu'! Do not speak your dislike too widely. Le petit Philippe has powerful friends. You will be frowned upon if you sneer36 at him."
Bancroft struggled for words.
"I'll—not conceal56 from you, De Chambert, that I've a grudge57 against your little Philippe. I punished him once before for impudence58."
"Aha? I don't think you were well advised to do so again. He would have no lack of friends, and with a small-sword he is a veritable devil. It would not be wise to show your enmity, for you will meet him everywhere, and he is the ladies' darling. That says much, hein?"
"And when I saw him last," spluttered Bancroft, "he was clad in a coat I'd not give a lackey59, and had as much conversation as a scarecrow!"
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1
flout
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| v./n.嘲弄，愚弄，轻视 | |
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delightfully
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| 大喜，欣然 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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sensational
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| adj.使人感动的，非常好的，轰动的，耸人听闻的 | |
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auspices
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| n.资助，赞助 | |
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rout
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| n.溃退，溃败；v.击溃，打垮 | |
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sprightly
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| adj.愉快的，活泼的 | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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languishing
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| a. 衰弱下去的 | |
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rogue
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| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
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maligned
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| vt.污蔑，诽谤（malign的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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knuckles
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| n.（指人）指关节( knuckle的名词复数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝v.（指人）指关节( knuckle的第三人称单数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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jot
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| n.少量；vi.草草记下；vt.匆匆写下 | |
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gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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rumour
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| n.谣言，谣传，传闻 | |
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18
retrieved
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| v.取回( retrieve的过去式和过去分词 )；恢复；寻回；检索（储存的信息） | |
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19
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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fickle
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| adj.(爱情或友谊上)易变的，不坚定的 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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22
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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gad
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| n.闲逛；v.闲逛 | |
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24
besought
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| v.恳求，乞求（某事物）( beseech的过去式和过去分词 )；(beseech的过去式与过去分词) | |
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25
disastrous
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| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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27
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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28
neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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29
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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30
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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31
scented
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| adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词) | |
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32
tranquilly
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| adv. 宁静地 | |
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eyebrow
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| n.眉毛，眉 | |
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transpired
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| （事实，秘密等）被人知道( transpire的过去式和过去分词 )； 泄露； 显露； 发生 | |
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35
breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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36
sneer
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| v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语 | |
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sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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38
contrives
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| （不顾困难地）促成某事( contrive的第三人称单数 )； 巧妙地策划，精巧地制造（如机器）； 设法做到 | |
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39
finesse
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| n.精密技巧，灵巧，手腕 | |
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interfered
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| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
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41
chaste
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| adj.贞洁的；有道德的；善良的；简朴的 | |
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42
dubs
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| v.给…起绰号( dub的第三人称单数 )；把…称为；配音；复制 | |
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43
sonnet
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| n.十四行诗 | |
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44
sonnets
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| n.十四行诗( sonnet的名词复数 ) | |
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45
vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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46
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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persevere
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| v.坚持，坚忍，不屈不挠 | |
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48
pall
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| v.覆盖，使平淡无味；n.柩衣，棺罩；棺材；帷幕 | |
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49
purely
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| adv.纯粹地，完全地 | |
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50
mischievous
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| adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的 | |
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51
inquisitive
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| adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的 | |
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52
flicked
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| （尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的过去式和过去分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等） | |
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53
cuff
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| n.袖口；手铐；护腕；vt.用手铐铐；上袖口 | |
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54
refreshing
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| adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的 | |
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55
conceited
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| adj.自负的，骄傲自满的 | |
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56
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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57
grudge
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| n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做 | |
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58
impudence
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| n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼 | |
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lackey
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| n.侍从；跟班 | |
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60
marvel
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| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
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61
marvels
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| n.奇迹( marvel的名词复数 )；令人惊奇的事物（或事例）；不平凡的成果；成就v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的第三人称单数 ) | |
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62
fervently
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| adv.热烈地，热情地，强烈地 | |
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