“Ah, Monsieur de Frontenac!” he cried. “You cannot have forgotten me.”
“What! De Catinat! Ah, it is a joy indeed to see a face from over the water! But there is a long step between a subaltern in the Carignan and a captain in the guards. You have risen rapidly.”
“Yes; and yet I may be none the happier for it. There are times when I would give it all to be dancing down the Lachine Rapids in a birch canoe, or to see the red and the yellow on those hill-sides once more at the fall of the leaf.”
“Ay,” sighed De Frontenac. “You know that my fortunes have sunk as yours have risen. I have been recalled, and De la Barre is in my place. But there will be a storm there which such a man as he can never stand against. With the Iroquois all dancing the scalp-dance, and Dongan behind them in New York to whoop10 them on, they will need me, and they will find me waiting when they send. I will see the king now, and try if I cannot rouse him to play the great monarch11 there as well as here. Had I but his power in my hands, I should change the world’s history.”
“Hush! No treason to the captain of the guard,” cried De Catinat, laughing, while the stern old soldier strode past him into the king’s presence.
A gentleman very richly dressed in black and silver had come up during this short conversation, and advanced, as the door opened, with the assured air of a man whose rights are beyond dispute. Captain de Catinat, however, took a quick step forward, and barred him off from the door.
“I am very sorry, Monsieur de Vivonne,” said he, “but you are forbidden the presence.”
“Forbidden the presence! I? You are mad!” He stepped back with gray face and staring eyes, one shaking hand half raised in protest,
“I assure you that it is his order.”
“But it is incredible. It is a mistake.”
“Very possibly.”
“Then you will let me past.”
“My orders leave me no discretion12.”
“If I could have one word with the king.”
“Unfortunately, monsieur, it is impossible.”
“Only one word.”
“It really does not rest with me, monsieur.”
The angry nobleman stamped his foot, and stared at the door as though he had some thoughts of forcing a passage. Then turning on his heel, he hastened away down the corridor with the air of a man who has come to a decision.
“There, now,” grumbled13 De Catinat to himself, as he pulled at his thick dark moustache, “he is off to make some fresh mischief14. I’ll have his sister here presently, as like as not, and a pleasant little choice between breaking my orders and making an enemy of her for life. I’d rather hold Fort Richelieu against the Iroquois than the king’s door against an angry woman. By my faith, here is a lady, as I feared! Ah, Heaven be praised! it is a friend, and not a foe15. Good-morning, Mademoiselle Nanon.”
“Good-morning, Captain de Catinat.”
The new-comer was a tall, graceful16 brunette, her fresh face and sparkling black eyes the brighter in contrast with her plain dress.
“I am on guard, you see. I cannot talk with you.”
“I cannot remember having asked monsieur to talk with me.”
“Ah, but you must not pout17 in that pretty way, or else I cannot help talking to you,” whispered the captain. “What is this in your hand, then?”
“A note from Madame de Maintenon to the king. You will hand it to him, will you not?”
“Certainly, mademoiselle. And how is Madame, your mistress?”
“Oh, her director has been with her all the morning, and his talk is very, very good; but it is also very, very sad. We are not very cheerful when Monsieur Godet has been to see us. But I forget monsieur is a Huguenot, and knows nothing of directors.”
“Oh, but I do not trouble about such differences. I let the Sorbonne and Geneva fight it out between them. Yet a man must stand by his family, you know.”
“Ah! if Monsieur could talk to Madame de Maintenon a little! She would convert him.”
“I would rather talk to Mademoiselle Nanon, but if—”
“Oh!” There was an exclamation18, a whisk of dark skirts, and the soubrette had disappeared down a side passage.
Along the broad, lighted corridor was gliding19 a very stately and beautiful lady, tall, graceful, and exceedingly haughty20. She was richly clad in a bodice of gold-coloured camlet and a skirt of gray silk trimmed with gold and silver lace. A handkerchief of priceless Genoa point half hid and half revealed her beautiful throat, and was fastened in front by a cluster of pearls, while a rope of the same, each one worth a bourgeois’ income, was coiled in and out through her luxuriant hair. The lady was past her first youth, it is true, but the magnificent curves of her queenly figure, the purity of her complexion21, the brightness of her deep-lashed blue eyes and the clear regularity22 of her features enabled her still to claim to be the most handsome as well as the most sharp-tongued woman in the court of France. So beautiful was her bearing, the carriage of her dainty head upon her proud white neck, and the sweep of her stately walk, that the young officer’s fears were overpowered in his admiration23, and he found it hard, as he raised his hand in salute24, to retain the firm countenance25 which his duties demanded.
“Ah, it is Captain de Catinat,” said Madame de Montespan, with a smile which was more embarrassing to him than any frown could have been.
“Your humble26 servant, marquise.”
“I am fortunate in finding a friend here, for there has been some ridiculous mistake this morning.”
“I am concerned to hear it.”
“It was about my brother, Monsieur de Vivonne. It is almost too laughable to mention, but he was actually refused admission to the lever.”
“It was my misfortune to have to refuse him, madame.”
“You, Captain de Catinat? And by what right?” She had drawn27 up her superb figure, and her large blue eyes were blazing with indignant astonishment28.
“The king’s order, madame.”
“The king! Is it likely that the king would cast a public slight upon my family? From whom had you this preposterous29 order?”
“Direct from the king through Bontems.”
“Absurd! Do you think that the king would venture to exclude a Mortemart through the mouth of a valet? You have been dreaming, captain.”
“I trust that it may prove so, madame.”
“But such dreams are not very fortunate to the dreamer. Go, tell the king that I am here, and would have a word with him.”
“Impossible, madame.”
“And why?”
“I have been forbidden to carry a message.”
“To carry any message?”
“Any from you, madame.”
“Come, captain, you improve. It only needed this insult to make the thing complete. You may carry a message to the king from any adventuress, from any decayed governess”—she laughed shrilly30 at her description of her rival—“but none from Francoise de Mortemart, Marquise de Montespan?”
“Such are my orders, madame. It pains me deeply to be compelled to carry them out.”
“You may spare your protestations, captain. You may yet find that you have every reason to be deeply pained. For the last time, do you refuse to carry my message to the king?”
“I must, madame.”
“Then I carry it myself.”
She sprang forward at the door, but he slipped in front of her with outstretched arms.
“For God’s sake, consider yourself, madame!” he entreated31. “Other eyes are upon you.”
“Pah! Canaille!” She glanced at the knot of Switzers, whose sergeant32 had drawn them off a few paces, and who stood open-eyed, staring at the scene.
“I tell you that I will see the king.”
“No lady has ever been at the morning lever.”
“Then I shall be the first.”
“You will ruin me if you pass.”
“And none the less, I shall do so.”
The matter looked serious. De Catinat was a man of resource, but for once he was at his wits’ end. Madame de Montespan’s resolution, as it was called in her presence, or effrontery33, as it was termed behind her back, was proverbial. If she attempted to force her way, would he venture to use violence upon one who only yesterday had held the fortunes of the whole court in the hollow of her hand, and who, with her beauty, her wit, and her energy, might very well be in the same position tomorrow? If she passed him, then his future was ruined with the king, who never brooked34 the smallest deviation35 from his orders. On the other hand, if he thrust her back, he did that which could never be forgiven, and which would entail36 some deadly vengeance37 should she return to power. It was an unpleasant dilemma38. But a happy thought flashed into his mind at the very moment when she, with clenched39 hand and flashing eyes, was on the point of making a fresh attempt to pass him.
“If madame would deign40 to wait,” said he soothingly41, “the king will be on his way to the chapel42 in an instant.”
“It is not yet time.”
“I think the hour has just gone.”
“And why should I wait, like a lackey43?”
“It is but a moment, madame.”
“No, I shall not wait.” She took a step forward towards the door.
But the guardsman’s quick ear had caught the sound of moving feet from within, and he knew that he was master of the situation.
“I will take Madame’s message,” said he.
“Ah, you have recovered your senses! Go, tell the king that I wish to speak with him.”
He must gain a little time yet. “Shall I say it through the lord in waiting?”
“No; yourself.”
“Publicly?”
“No, no; for his private ear.”
“Shall I give a reason for your request?”
“Oh, you madden me! Say what I have told you, and at once.”
But the young officer’s dilemma was happily over.
At that instant the double doors were swung open, and Louis appeared in the opening, strutting44 forwards on his high-heeled shoes, his stick tapping, his broad skirts flapping, and his courtiers spreading out behind him. He stopped as he came out, and turned to the captain of the guard.
“You have a note for me?”
“Yes, sire.”
The monarch slipped it into the pocket of his scarlet45 undervest, and was advancing once more when his eyes fell upon Madame de Montespan standing46 very stiff and erect47 in the middle of the passage. A dark flush of anger shot to his brow, and he walked swiftly past her without a word; but she turned and kept pace with him down the corridor.
“I had not expected this honour, madame,” said he.
“Nor had I expected this insult, sire.”
“An insult, madame? You forget yourself.”
“No; it is you who have forgotten me, sire.”
“You intrude48 upon me.”
“I wished to hear my fate from your own lips,” she whispered. “I can bear to be struck myself, sire, even by him who has my heart. But it is hard to hear that one’s brother has been wounded through the mouths of valets and Huguenot soldiers for no fault of his, save that his sister has loved too fondly.”
“It is no time to speak of such things.”
“When can I see you, then, sire?”
“In your chamber49.”
“At what hour?”
“At four.”
“Then I shall trouble your Majesty50 no further.” She swept him one of the graceful courtesies for which she was famous, and turned away down a side passage with triumph shining in her eyes. Her beauty and her spirit had never failed her yet, and now that she had the monarch’s promise of an interview she never doubted that she could do as she had done before, and win back the heart of the man, however much against the conscience of the king.
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1
applicants
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| 申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 ) | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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3
bridle
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| n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒 | |
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4
plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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5
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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6
perversity
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| n.任性；刚愎自用 | |
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7
surfeited
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| v.吃得过多( surfeit的过去式和过去分词 )；由于过量而厌腻 | |
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8
frescoed
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| 壁画( fresco的名词复数 )； 温壁画技法，湿壁画 | |
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9
foaming
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| adj.布满泡沫的；发泡 | |
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10
whoop
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| n.大叫，呐喊，喘息声；v.叫喊，喘息 | |
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11
monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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12
discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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13
grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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14
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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15
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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16
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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17
pout
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| v.撅嘴；绷脸；n.撅嘴；生气，不高兴 | |
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18
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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19
gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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20
haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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21
complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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22
regularity
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| n.规律性，规则性；匀称，整齐 | |
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23
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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24
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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25
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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26
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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27
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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28
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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29
preposterous
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| adj.荒谬的，可笑的 | |
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30
shrilly
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| 尖声的； 光亮的，耀眼的 | |
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31
entreated
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| 恳求，乞求( entreat的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32
sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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33
effrontery
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| n.厚颜无耻 | |
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34
brooked
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| 容忍，忍受（brook的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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35
deviation
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| n.背离，偏离；偏差，偏向；离题 | |
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36
entail
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| vt.使承担，使成为必要，需要 | |
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37
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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38
dilemma
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| n.困境，进退两难的局面 | |
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39
clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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40
deign
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| v. 屈尊, 惠允 ( 做某事) | |
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41
soothingly
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| adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地 | |
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42
chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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43
lackey
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| n.侍从；跟班 | |
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44
strutting
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| 加固，支撑物 | |
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45
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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46
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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47
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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48
intrude
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| vi.闯入；侵入；打扰，侵扰 | |
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49
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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50
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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