standing by, laughing.  In another part were Madame, seated upon some
cushions on the floor, and De Guiche, on his knees beside her, spreading
out a handful of pearls and precious stones, while the princess, with her
white and slender fingers pointed out such among them as pleased her the
most.  Again, in another corner of the room, a guitar player was playing
some of the Spanish seguedillas, to which Madame had taken the greatest
fancy ever since she had heard them sung by the young queen with a
melancholy expression of voice.  But the songs which the Spanish princess
had sung with tears in her eyes, the young Englishwoman was humming with
a smile that well displayed her beautiful teeth.  The cabinet presented,
in fact, the most perfect representation of unrestrained pleasure and
amusement.  As he entered, Monsieur was struck at beholding so many
persons enjoying themselves without him.  He was so jealous at the sight
that he could not resist exclaiming, like a child, "What! you are amusing
yourselves here, while I am sick and tired of being alone!"

The sound of his voice was like a clap of thunder coming to interrupt the
warbling of birds under the leafy covert of the trees; a dead silence
ensued.  De Guiche was on his feet in a moment.  Malicorne tried to hide
himself behind Montalais.  Manicamp stood bolt upright, and assumed a
very ceremonious demeanor.  The guitar player thrust his instrument under
a table, covering it with a piece of carpet to conceal it from the
prince's observation.  Madame was the only one who did not move, and
smiling at her husband, said, "Is not this the hour you usually devote to
your toilette?"

"An hour which others select, it seems, for amusing themselves," replied
the prince, grumblingly.

This untoward remark was the signal for a general rout; the women fled
like a flock of terrified starlings; the guitar player vanished like a
shadow; Malicorne, still protected by Montalais, who purposely widened
out her dress, glided behind the hanging tapestry.  As for Manicamp, he
went to the assistance of De Guiche, who naturally remained near Madame,
and both of them, with the princess herself, courageously sustained the
attack.  The count was too happy to bear malice against the husband; but
Monsieur bore a grudge against his wife.  Nothing was wanting but a
quarrel; he sought it, and the hurried departure of the crowd, which had
been so joyous before he arrived, and was so disturbed by his entrance,
furnished him with a pretext.

"Why do they run away at the very sight of me?" he inquired, in a
supercilious tone; to which remark Madame replied, that, "whenever the
master of the house made his appearance, the family kept aloof out of
respect."  As she said this, she made so funny and so pretty a grimace,
that De Guiche and Manicamp could not control themselves; they burst into
a peal of laugher; Madame followed their example, and even Monsieur
himself could not resist it, and he was obliged to sit down, as, for
laughing, he could scarcely keep his equilibrium.  However, he very soon
left off, but his anger had increased.  He was still more furious because
he had permitted himself to laugh, than from having seen others laugh.
He looked at Manicamp steadily, not venturing to show his anger towards
De Guiche; but, at a sign which displayed no little amount of annoyance,
Manicamp and De Guiche left the room, so that Madame, left alone, began
sadly to pick up her pearls and amethysts, no longer smiling, and
speaking still less.

"I am very happy," said the duke, "to find myself treated as a stranger
here, Madame," and he left the room in a passion.  On his way out, he met
Montalais, who was in attendance in the ante-room.  "It is very agreeable
to pay you a visit here, but outside the door."

Montalais made a very low obeisance.  "I do not quite understand what
your royal highness does me the honor to say."

"I say that when you are all laughing together in Madame's apartment, he
is an unwelcome visitor who does not remain outside."

"Your royal highness does not think, and does not speak so, of yourself?"

"On the contrary, it is on my own account that I do speak and think.  I
have no reason, certainly, to flatter myself about the reception I meet
with here at any time.  How is it that, on the very day there is music
and a little society in Madame's apartments - in my own apartments,
indeed, for they are mine - on the very day that I wish to amuse myself a
little in my turn, every one runs away?  Are they afraid to see me, that
they all take wing as soon as I appear?  Is there anything wrong, then,
going on in my absence?"

"Yet nothing has been done to-day, monseigneur, which is not done every
day."

"What! do they laugh like that every day?"

"Why, yes, monseigneur."

"The same group of people simpering and the same singing and strumming
going on every day?"

"The guitar, monseigneur, was introduced to-day; but when we have no
guitars, we have violins and flutes; ladies soon weary without music."

"The deuce! - and the men?"

"What men, monseigneur?"

"M. de Guiche, M. de Manicamp, and the rest of them?"

"They all belong to your highness's household."

"Yes, yes, you are right," said the prince, as he returned to his own
apartments, full of thought.  He threw himself into the largest of his
arm-chairs, without looking at himself in the glass.  "Where can the
chevalier be?" said he.  One of the prince's attendants happened to be
near him, overheard his remark, and replied, -

"No one knows, your highness."

"Still the same answer.  The first one who answers me again, 'I do not
know,' I will discharge."  Every one at this remark hurried out of his
apartments, in the same manner as the others had fled from Madame's
apartments.  The prince then flew into the wildest rage.  He kicked over
a chiffonier, which tumbled on the carpet, broken into pieces.  He next
went into the galleries, and with the greatest coolness threw down, one
after another, an enameled vase, a porphyry ewer, and a bronze
candelabrum.  The noise summoned every one to the various doors.

"What is your highness's pleasure?" said the captain of the guards,
timidly.

"I am treating myself to some music," replied the prince, gnashing his
teeth.

The captain of the guards desired his royal highness's physician to be
sent for.  But before he came, Malicorne arrived, saying to the prince,
"Monseigneur, the Chevalier de Lorraine is here."

The duke looked at Malicorne, and smiled graciously at him, just as the
chevalier entered.


Chapter XXXI:
M. de Lorraine's Jealousy.

The Duc d'Orleans uttered a cry of delight on perceiving the Chevalier de
Lorraine.  "This is fortunate, indeed," he said; "by what happy chance do
I see you?  Had you indeed disappeared, as every one assured me?"

"Yes, monseigneur."

"A caprice?"

"I to venture upon caprices with your highness!  The respect - "

"Put respect out of the way, for you fail in it every day.  I absolve
you; but why did you leave me?"

"Because I felt that I was of no further use to you."

"Explain yourself."

"Your highness has people about you who are far more amusing that _I_ can
ever be.  I felt I was not strong enough to enter into contest with them,
and I therefore withdrew."

"This extreme diffidence shows a want of common sense.  Who are those
with whom you cannot contend?  De Guiche?"

"I name no one."

"This is absurd.  Does De Guiche annoy you?"

"I do not say he does; do not force me to speak, however; you know very
well that De Guiche is one of our best friends."

"Who is it, then?"

"Excuse me, monseigneur, let us say no more about it."  The chevalier
knew perfectly well that curiosity is excited in the same way as thirst –
by removing that which quenches it; or in other words, by denying an
explanation.

"No, no," said the prince; "I wish to know why you went away."

"In that case, monseigneur, I will tell you; but do not get angry.  I
remarked that my presence was disagreeable."

"To whom?"

"To Madame."

"What do you mean?" said the duke in astonishment.

"It is simple enough; Madame is very probably jealous of the regard you
are good enough to testify for me."

"Has she shown it to you?"

"Madame never addresses a syllable to me, particularly since a certain
time."

"Since _what_ time?"

"Since the time when, M. de Guiche having made himself more agreeable to
her than I could, she receives him at every and any hour."

The duke colored.  "At any hour, chevalier; what do you mean by that?"

"You see, your highness, I have already displeased you; I was quite sure
I should."

"I am not displeased; but what you say is rather startling.  In what
respect does Madame prefer De Guiche to you?"

"I shall say no more," said the chevalier, saluting the prince
ceremoniously.

"On the contrary, I require you to speak.  If you withdraw on that
account, you must indeed be very jealous."

"One cannot help being jealous, monseigneur, when one loves.  Is not your
royal highness jealous of Madame?  Would you not, if you saw some one
always near Madame, and always treated with great favor, take umbrage at
it?  One's friends are as one's lovers.  Your highness has sometimes
conferred the distinguished honor upon me of calling me your friend."

"Yes, yes,; but you used a phrase which has a very equivocal
significance; you are unfortunate in your phrases."

"What phrase, monseigneur?"

"You said, 'treated with great favor.'  What do you mean by favor?"

"Nothing can be more simple," said the chevalier, with an expression of
great frankness; "for instance, whenever a husband remarks that his wife
summons such and such a man near her; whenever this man is always to be
found by her side, or in attendance at the door of her carriage; whenever
the bouquet of the one is always the same color as the ribbons of the
other; when music and supper parties are held in private apartments;
whenever a dead silence takes place immediately the husband makes his
appearance in his wife's rooms; and when the husband suddenly finds that

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