These Old Shades (35 page)

“My ward ... let me see, she was with De Brionne a moment ago. No, she is dancing now with my brother. In white, with the rose in her hair.”

De Penthièvre looked across the room to where Léonie was circling gracefully with Rupert. Their hands were held high, her foot was pointed, and she was laughing.

“So!” said de Penthièvre. “Our debutantes will tear their powdered locks, Duc!”

The rooms grew more crowded. Some time later Lady Fanny, proceeding to the refreshment room, met her husband in the hall, and said radiantly:

“My dearest love, what a success! Have you seen the child? De Penthièvre has danced with her, and Condé! Where’s Justin?”

“Gone into the little salon. You’re satisfied, sweet?”

“Satisfied! Paris will talk of naught but this ball and Léonie for weeks to come! I shall keep them talking, I promise you!” She hurried away to the refreshment room, found it crowded, with Léonie the centre of a delighted and admiring group. Fanny took a forlorn lady under her wing, and bore her off in search of a cavalier.

In the card-room they discussed the Duke’s latest whim.

“
Mon Dieu
, Davenant, but what a beauty! What colouring! What wonderful eyes!” cried Lavoulère. “Who is she?”

The Chevalier d’Anvau cut in before Hugh could reply.

“Ah, he is proud of her, is Satanas! One sees it clearly.”

“He has reason,” remarked Marrignard, toying with a dice-box. “She has not only beauty, but also
espiéglerie
! I was amongst the fortunate who obtained her hand. Condé is greatly
épris
.”

The Chevalier looked at Hugh.

“She is like someone. I cannot think who it may be. I have racked my brains, but it eludes me.”

“Yes, it is true,” nodded Lavoulère. “When I set eyes on her it came to me in a flash that I had met her before. Is it possible that I have done so, Davenant?”

“Quite impossible,” Hugh said fervently. “She has but just come from England.”

Madame de Marguéry, playing at lansquenet at an adjacent table, looked up.

“But she is French, surely? Who were her parents?”

“I do not know, madame,” said Hugh with truth. “As you know, Justin is never communicative.”

“Oh!” Madame cried. “He loves to make a mystery! It is to intrigue us all! The child is quite charming, and well-born, of course. That naïve innocence should make her success assured. I would my daughters had it.”

Meanwhile Lady Fanny had sent Rupert to extricate Léonie from the refreshment room. She came back on my lord’s arm, and chuckled gleefully.

“Madame, M. le Prince says I have eyes like stars, and another man said that a shaft from my eyes had slain him, and——”

“Fie, child!” said my lady. “Never tell me all that here! I am going to present you to Madame de la Roque. Come!”

But at midnight Léonie escaped from the ballroom, and wandered into the hall. Condé, coming from one of the other salons, met her there.

“The little butterfly! I went to look for you, mademoiselle, and could not find you.”

Léonie smiled upon him.

“Please, have you seen Monseigneur, m’sieur?”

“A dozen monseigneurs, little butterfly! Which one do you want?”

“My own Monseigneur,” said Léonie . “The Duc of Avon, of course.”

“Oh, he is in the farthest salon, mademoiselle, but shall not I do as well?”

She shook her head.

“But no, m’sieur. I want him.”

Condé took her hand, and smiled down at her.

“You are unkind, Fairy Princess! I thought you liked me just a little?”

“Yes, I do. I like you very much,” Léonie assured him. “But now I want Monseigneur.”

“Then I’ll fetch him for you at once,” Condé said gallantly.

“But no! I will go to him, m’sieur. You take me!”

Condé presented his arm promptly.

“Now you are a little kinder, mademoiselle! Is this monseigneur going to bring you to Versailles, I wonder?”

“Yes, I think so. Will you be there? Please do, m’sieur!”

“Of a certainty I shall be there. Then, at Madame de Longchamps’ rout I shall meet you, surely?”

“I do not know,” she said. “I think I am going to a great many routs, but Monseigneur has not told me which ones yet. Oh, there he is!” She released Conde’s arm, and ran forward to where his Grace was standing. “Monseigneur, I have been looking for you. The Prince brought me. Thank you very much, m’sieur!” She held out a friendly hand. “Now you will go and dance with—with— oh, with somebody! I do not know the names!”

Condé kissed the small hand.

“You will bring her to court, Duc?”

“To the levée next week,” said his Grace.

“Then I am satisfied,” Condé said, bowed, and left them.

The Duke looked down at his ward in some amusement.

“You dismiss Royalty very summarily, Babe.”

“Oh, Monseigneur, he is quite young, and very like Rupert! He did not mind, do you think?”

“He did not appear to mind,” said the Duke. “What do you want with me, infant?”

“Nothing, Monseigneur. But I thought I would come to find you.”

“You are tired, infant.” He led her to a couch. “You shall sit quietly with me awhile.”

“Yes, please, Monseigneur. It is a very nice dance, I think. I have danced with a great many grand people, and they were all very kind to me indeed.”

“I am glad to hear it, child,” he said gravely. “How does your Prince please you?”

“Oh, he is
fort amusant
! He told me ever so many things about court, Monseigneur, and he explained who the people were—oh no! it was M. de Brionne who did that. I said ‘Bah’ to the Prince, I am afraid, but he liked it, and he laughed. And I danced with Rupert—and oh, Monseigneur, with M. d’Anvau! He said he was sure he had met me before!” Her eyes danced. “I wanted to say, ‘But yes, m’sieur. I brought you wine at Vassaud’s one night!’ ”

“I sincerely trust you did not, infant?”

“Oh no, I was very discreet, Monseigneur. I said ‘
Tiens
! Me, I do not think I have met m’sieur before.’ It was not at all true, was it?”

“Never mind, child, it was a very proper reply. And now I am going to present you to a very old friend of mine who desires speech with you. Come, infant!”

“
Qui est-ce?”
she asked.

He walked slowly with her through the salons to the hall.

“It is M. de Richelieu, my child. You will be very polite to him.”

“Yes, Monseigneur,” she said docilely, and nodded her head to a young exquisite who was smiling at her and trying to catch her eye. “I have been very polite to everyone to-night. Except Rupert, of course.”

“That goes without saying,” said his Grace, and took her back into the ballroom.

A middle-aged exquisite was standing by the fire at one end, holding animated converse with a plump lady of some beauty. Avon waited until others had gathered about this lady, and then he went forward.

Richelieu saw him, and came to meet him.

“Ah, Justin, the promised introduction! Your beautiful ward!”

Léonie took her hand from Avon’s arm, and curtsied. Richelieu bowed to her, and took her hand, and patted it.

“Child, I envy Justin. Justin, go away! I shall look after mademoiselle very well without you.”

“I don’t doubt it,” said his Grace, and went away to find Lady Fanny.

Armand de Saint-Vire pounced on him as he crossed the hall.

“My friend, who is that girl?” he demanded. “I craved an introduction. Miladi Fanny was good enough to present me. I talked with the sprite—
mon Dieu, qu’elle est jolie!
—and all the time I asked myself: Who is she? who is she?”

“And did you obtain an answer from yourself?” inquired his Grace.

“No, Justin, I did not! Therefore I ask you: Who is she?”

“She is my ward, dear Armand,” smiled his Grace, and passed on as Mademoiselle de la Vogue came up.

Fanny was in the refreshment room, with Davenant. She waved to Justin as he entered.

“I have earned a moment’s repose!” she said gaily. “Lud, Justin, I’ve presented a score of children to each other and never caught one of their names! Where’s Léonie?”

“With Richelieu,” he said. “No, Fanny, you need not be alarmed. He is under oath to be discreet. Hugh, you have been a godsend to me this night.”

My lady began to fan herself.

“We have all of us worked a little,” she said. “My poor Edward is with the dowagers, playing at ombre, and Rupert has scarce been inside the card-room.”

“You have worked the hardest of us all,” said Hugh.

“Oh, but I have enjoyed myself so prodigiously!” she said. “Justin, I don’t know how many young beaux have not been making love to Léonie! Condé is ravished, he tells me. Do I not make a famous chaperon? When I present Léonie I feel fifty—yes, Hugh, positively I do! — but when I meet Raoul de Fontanges again—ah, then I am back in my teens!” She cast up her eyes.

But presently people began to take their leave, and at last they were alone again in the hall, tired but triumphant.

Rupert yawned prodigiously.

“Lord, what an evening? Burgundy, Hugh?” He poured out several glasses. “Fan, you’ve torn your lace.”

Fanny sank into a chair.

“My dear, I do not care if ‘tis in ribbons. Léonie, my pet, you look worn out! Oh, my poor Edward, you did nobly with the dowagers!”

“Ah yes!” said his Grace. “I have to thank you, Edward. You were quite untiring. Infant, can you still hold your eyes open?”

“Yes, Monseigneur. Oh, madame, M. le Prince said that my dress was ravishing!”

“Ay——” Rupert shook his head at her. “I’d give something to know what you’ve been at this night, rogue! Did old Richelieu make love to you?”

“Oh no!” Léonie was surprised. “Why, he is quite an old man!”

“Alas, poor Armand!” said his Grace. “Don’t tell him so, infant, I implore you.”

“Nor anyone, my love,” said her ladyship. “It would fly round Paris! He would be so chagrined!”

“Well, who did make love to you?” asked Rupert. Besides Condé.’

“He didn’t, Rupert! No one did.” Léonie looked round innocently. “He only said I was a Fairy Princess. Yes, and he said that about my eyes.”

“If that’s not making——” Rupert encountered a glance from his brother, and broke off. “Oh, ay! I’m dumb, never fear!”

“Monseigneur,” Léonie said. “I kept thinking it was a dream! If they knew I had been a page I do not think they would have been so kind to me. They would have thought I was not enough respectable!”

CHAPTER XXVI

The Presentation of Léonie

After the ball invitations came swiftly to the Hôtel Avon. More than one lady begged that Miladi Fanny would forgive the shortness of the notice and honour her on such-and-such a night, at ball, or rout, or card-party. Fanny went carefully through the pile of little cards, and was triumphant.

“My dearest Justin!” she cried. “We shall not be above three nights at home, I give you my word! Here is a card from Madame du Deffand, for next month—a soirée. This is from the Comtesse de Meuilly—a ball. And here we have one from my dear Madame de Follemartin, for Saturday! And this one——”

“Spare us, Fanny!” said his Grace. “Accept and decline as you will, but let us have no lists. Infant, what have you there?”

Léonie had come dancing in with a bouquet in her hand, to which a card was attached.

“Monseigneur, are they not pretty? They come from the Prince de Condé. I think he is very kind to me!”

Fanny looked at her brother.

“So we begin,” she said. “Where are we like to end, I wonder?”

“I shall end in a debtor’s prison, never fear!” said Rupert, from the depths of an arm-chair. “Two hundred cool guineas last night, and——”

“Rupert, it’s wanton!” exclaimed Marling. “Why do you play so high?”

Rupert deigned no reply, deeming the question beneath contempt. It was Davenant who filled the breach.

“I believe it’s in the family,” he said. “Rupert, of course, is a scamp.”

“Oh no!” said Léonie. “He is very silly, but he is not a scamp! Monseigneur, tell me what I am to wear at Versailles to-morrow! Madame says blue, but I want to wear my white dress again.”

“No, infant. To wear the same frock twice running would create almost a scandal. You shall wear gold, and dull yellow, and the sapphires I once gave you. And your hair shall be unpowdered.”

“Oh?” said my lady. “Why, Justin?”

Hugh walked to the fireplace.

“Is it, Justin, because Titian hair has always been one of your ruling passions?”

“Exactly,” bowed his Grace. “What an excellent memory you have, my dear!”

“I don’t understand,” complained Fanny. “What do you mean?”

“I am not quite sure,” said Avon. “I suggest you ask Hugh. He is omniscient.”