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Updated: June 19, 2025
"I wish rather you would practise a little virtue to win me," she said. "So I will if you ask it," he returned, unabashed. "Lorance, I love you so there is no depth to which I could not stoop to gain you; there is no height to which I cannot rise. There is no shame so bitter, no danger so awful, that I would not face it for you. Nor is there any sacrifice I will not make to gain your good will.
She danced out of the door, while I ran across to my station, Mlle. de Montluc standing bewildered, ardent, grateful, half laughing, half in tears. "Lorance, Lorance!" M. Étienne murmured tremulously. "She said I should kiss you " I put my fingers in my ears and then took them out again, for if my ears were sealed, how was I to hear Mme. de Nemours approaching?
"If you go on looking as you look to-day, you'll not long be troubled by lovers." She made no answer to either, but stood there passively till it might be their pleasure to have done with her, with a patient weariness that it wrung the heart to see. "Here's a chain would become you vastly, Lorance," Mme. de Montpensier went on, friendlily enough, in her brisk and careless voice.
Mademoiselle faced her blankly, scarce understanding, midst the whirl of her own thoughts, of what she was accused. The little Tavanne came gallantly to the rescue: "I did not follow you either, madame. We thought it scarcely safe; Lorance could not bear to leave this fellow alone."
She was moistening her dry lips as she finished, her eyes on his face wide with apprehension. But he answered amiably, half absently, as if the whole affair were a triviality: "Never mind; I will give you a pair of gloves, Lorance." He stood smiling upon us as if amused for an idle moment over our childish games. The colour came back to her cheeks; she made him a curtsey, laughing lightly.
Here, you in the petticoats, that were a boy the other night, go to the farther door. Mme. de Nemours takes her nap in the second room beyond. You watch that door; I'll watch the corridor. Farewell, my children! Peste! think you Blanche de Tavanne is so badly off for lovers that she need grudge you yours, Lorance?"
But Mlle. de Tavanne's quick tongue robbed him of his answer. "Marry, you are severe on him, Lorance. To be sure he does not come himself, but he sends so gallant a messenger!" Mademoiselle glanced at me with hard blue eyes. "That is the greatest insult of all," she said. "I could forgive and forget his absence; but I do not forgive his despatching me his horse-boy."
She retreated from him, her face very pale, her breast heaving. "You make it hard for me to know when you are speaking the truth," she said. "May the lightning strike me if I am lying!" Lucas cried. "May my tongue rot at the root if ever I lie to you, Lorance!" "Then I am very grateful and glad," she said gravely, and again curtsied to him.
It so irked me to be doing nothing that I was on the very point of gingerly disappearing when one of the ladies, she with the yellow curls, the prettiest of them all, turned suddenly from the group, calling clearly: "Lorance!" Our hearts stood still mine did, and I can vouch for his as the heavy window-curtain swayed aside and she came forth. She came listlessly.
The next moment she was making her deep curtsey before the duke. "Monsieur, I shall never cease to love you for this. And now I thank you for your long patience, and bid you good night." With a bare inclination of the head to Lucas, she turned to go. But Mayenne bade her pause. "Do I get but a curtsey for my courtesy? No warmer thanks, Lorance?"
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