'Well, Meg,' he said, in an undertone--'I beg pardon, Mrs. Margaret--
decked out in all her splendour, a virgin for the sacrifice!'
'What sacrifice, sir?' I asked, startled.
'Eh!' he said. 'You do not know that le futur is arrived!'
'She knows nothing, your Highness,' said Eustace.
'What, oh, what is there to know?' I implored the Prince and my
brother in turn to inform me, for I saw that there was some earnest
in the Prince's jests, and I knew that the queen and my mother were
looking out for a good match for me in France.
'Let me show him to you,' presently whispered the Prince, who had
been called off by his father to receive the civilities of an
ambassador. Then he pointed out a little wizened dried-up old man,
who was hobbling up to kiss Her Majesty's hand, and whose courtly
smile seemed to me to sit most unnaturally on his wrinkled
countenance. I nearly screamed. I was forced to bite my lips to
keep back my tears, and I wished myself child enough to be able to
scream and run away, when my mother presently beckoned me forward. I
hardly had strength to curtsey when I was actually presented to the
old man. Nothing but terror prevented my sinking on the floor, and I
heard as through falling waters something about M. le Marquis de
Nidemerle and Mrs. Margaret Ribmont, for so we were called in
England.
By and by I found that I was dancing, I scarcely knew how or with
whom, and I durst not look up the whole time, nor did my partner
address a single word to me, though I knew he was near me; I was only
too thankful that he did not try to address me.
Pages:
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26