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Its great offensiveness lay in its boldness: that a negro should publish in a newspaper what white people would scarcely acknowledge to themselves in secret was much as though a Russian moujik or a German peasant should rush into print to question the divine right of the Lord's Anointed. The article was racial lèse-majesté in the most aggravated form.
The Terror nodded amiably to his uncle and put his hands in his pockets; he wore the detached air of a spectator. "But if you don't come of yourself, we shall have to carry you," said Miss Lambart sternly. The Terror intervened; he said in his most agreeable tone: "I don't see how you can. You can't touch a princess you know. It would be lèse-majesté. She's told me all about it."
JOHNSON: 'Ah, sir, don't give way to such a fancy. From the French verb leser, to hurt, to injure. The most common employment of this verb is in the phrase "lèse-majesté," high treason. Stevenson's mood here is like that of Lowell, when he said regretfully, speaking of the eighteenth century, "Responsibility for the universe had not then been invented." Boasting.
"Lese-majeste is so common nowadays!" she mused; "It is such an ordinary thing to hear vulgar parvenus talk of their king as if he were a public-house companion of theirs, that it is somewhat remarkable to find one who speaks of his monarch with loyalty and respect. I suppose, however, like everyone else, he has his own ends to serve!
"But it's nonsense!" said Miss Lambart. "But what can you do?" said the Terror gently. "I'll chance the lèse-majesté!" cried Miss Lambart; and she sprang swiftly forward. The princess bolted into the cave and up it. Miss Lambart followed swiftly. The cave ended in a dim passage, ten feet down, the passage forked into three dimmer passages.
The opening sentences of this chapter, written many years ago, are no longer applicable. Were I to revisit Alsace-Lorraine at the present time, I should only hear French speech among intimate friends and in private, so strictly of late years has the law of lese-majeste been, and is still, enforced.
You must light out if you want to spend the rest of your life out of prison. Slugging a Serene Highness is lese-majeste. It's worse than hitting a policeman. You haven't got a moment to waste." "But I haven't any money. Reggie, old man, lend me a tenner or something. I must get over the frontier into Italy at once. I'll wire my uncle to meet me in " "Look out," I cried; "there's someone coming!"
Suddenly the woman turned, and, laying the prettiest of little hands on my sleeve, said, with a winning smile, "Is it a crime of lèse-majesté?" This was a new idea, but might be useful. "Not yet," I said; "two minutes more, and I will not answer for the consequence." Other whispers ensued.
Less than that would have induced the dancer to forgive this latest whim of her dear demon and the crime of lèse-majesté in which she had made her an accomplice. The idea of treating such a personage so cavalierly! No one else in the world would have done it, no one but her.
"It shall be a pleasure to kill you, Lorenz," observed his adversary, displaying his ignorance of lese-majeste. Anguish, pale and very much concerned, dragged him away, the Prince leaving the cafe ahead of them, followed by his chattering, cursing companions. Prince Gabriel was standing near the door as they passed out.
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