登陆注册
5628500000079

第79章

WE UNSADDLE

Mademoiselle held the royal warrant of her father's banishment in her hand. She was pale, and her greeting of me had been timid. Istood before her, and by the door stood Rodenard, whom I had bidden attend me.

As I had approached Lavedan that day, I had been taken with a great, an overwhelming shame at the bargain I had driven. I had pondered, and it had come to me that she had been right to suggest that in matters of love what is not freely given it is not worth while to take. And out of my shame and that conclusion had sprung a new resolve. So that nothing might weaken it, and lest, after all, the sight of Roxalanne should bring me so to desire her that I might be tempted to override my purpose, I had deemed it well to have the restraint of a witness at our last interview. To this end had Ibidden Ganymede follow me into the very salon.

She read the document to the very end, then her glance was raised timidly again to mine, and from me it shifted to Ganymede, stiff at his post by the door.

"This was the best that you could do, monsieur?" she asked at last.

"The very best, mademoiselle," I answered calmly. "I do not wish to magnify my service, but it was that or the scaffold. Madame your mother had, unfortunately, seen the King before me, and she had prejudiced your father's case by admitting him to be a traitor.

There was a moment when in view of that I was almost led to despair.

I am glad, however, mademoiselle, that I was so fortunate as to persuade the King to just so much clemency.""And for five years, then, I shall not see my parents." She sighed, and her distress was very touching.

"That need not be. Though they may not come to France, it still remains possible for you to visit them in Spain.""True," she mused; "that will be something - will it not?""Assuredly something; under the circumstances, much."She sighed again, and for a moment there was silence.

"Will you not sit, monsieur?" said she at last. - She was very quiet to-day, this little maid - very quiet and very wondrously subdued.

"There is scarce the need," I answered softly; whereupon her eyes were raised to ask a hundred questions. "You are satisfied with my efforts, mademoiselle?" I inquired.

"Yes, I am satisfied, monsieur."

That was the end, I told myself, and involuntarily I also sighed.

Still, I made no shift to go.

"You are satisfied that I - that I have fulfilled what I promised?"Her eyes were again cast down, and she took a step: in the direction of the window.

"But yes. Your promise was to save my father from the scaffold.

You have done so, and I make no doubt you have done as much to reduce the term of his banishment as lay within your power. Yes, monsieur, I am satisfied that your promise has been well fulfilled."Heigho! The resolve that I had formed in coming whispered it in my ear that nothing remained but to withdraw and go my way. Yet not for all that resolve - not for a hundred such resolves - could I have gone thus. One kindly word, one kindly glance at least would I take to comfort: me. I would tell her in plain words of my purpose, and she should see that there was still some good, some sense of honour in me, and thus should esteem me after I was gone.

"Ganymede." said I.

"Monseigneur?"

"Bid the men mount."

At that she turned, wonder opening her eyes very wide, and her glance travelled from me to Rodenard with its unspoken question.

同类推荐
  • Love for Love

    Love for Love

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 罗氏字辈

    罗氏字辈

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 滦州万善晖州昊禅师语录

    滦州万善晖州昊禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 劝善经

    劝善经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Some Short Christmas Stories

    Some Short Christmas Stories

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 超级算命app

    超级算命app

    “大叔大婶,一卦千金啊,走过路过千万不要错过……”少年叶风偶然下场一款山寨app,却不料这是一款可以算命看卦的软件,从此风云再起,世上多了一个算命大师。
  • 鬼帝绝宠:皇叔你行不行

    鬼帝绝宠:皇叔你行不行

    前世她活的憋屈,做了一辈子的小白鼠,重活一世,有仇报仇!有怨报怨!弃之不肖!她是前世至尊,素手墨笔轻轻一挥,翻手为云覆手为雨,天下万物皆在手中画。纳尼?负心汉爱上她,要再求娶?当她什么?昨日弃我,他日在回,我亦不肖!花痴废物?经脉尽断武功全无?却不知她一只画笔便虐你成渣……王府下人表示王妃很闹腾,“王爷王妃进宫偷墨宝,打伤了贵妃娘娘…”“王爷王妃看重了,学仁堂的墨宝当场抢了起来,打伤了太子……”“爱妃若想抢随她去,旁边递刀可别打伤了手……”“……”夫妻搭档,她杀人他挖坑,她抢物他递刀,她打太子他后面撑腰……双重性格男主萌萌哒
  • 女发言人

    女发言人

    小说将周芥平的回忆、叙述,和王皓雯的过去及现在,点点滴滴交织在一起。既有当下光怪陆离、可笑可鄙的现实生活,又有情到深处时的清新脱俗和感动。书中人物,个性突出,鲜明生动,有刘正大这样圆滑虚伪的市侩小人,也有安接生那样自作聪明的老太太。书中最主要的人物,还是王皓雯,虽然她有着令人难以启齿的过错,但本质上,却还是一个诚实、自然和坦率的人。终于,她去寻找更适合自己、更能心安理得的生活了,并且开始矫正之前对世界偏激的看法。她意识到,虽然从小到大,屡遭不平,可努力去做一个公正的人,才是弥补社会不公带给人心灵伤痛的最好办法……
  • 佛说相应相可经

    佛说相应相可经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 兽王·雪原狼王

    兽王·雪原狼王

    一个在瘟疫中幸存的男孩兰虎,因为彰显出不同寻常的能力而被路过的一对善良的夫妇给救出带走。兰虎被带到一个温暖的家庭,还有一个可爱的小妹妹,这对夫妇告诉兰虎,他其实并非普通的人类,而是拥有暗能量的新人类少年。一年后,年满十五岁的兰虎被送到古亚洲大陆的宠兽学校去学习。这是一所与普通人的学校绝不相同的新人类学校,在这里老师们将会教新人类孩子们怎么善用自己的力量,发挥自己的专长,驾御各种动物,摹仿它们的能力,一个崭新的世界出现在兰虎面前……然而,一个巨大的危机正悄悄逼近宠兽学校,黑暗势力试图控制这所新人类学校,进而借助学校的力量实现他们称霸世界的野心。
  • 那个令你怦然心动的瞬间

    那个令你怦然心动的瞬间

    那些关于我的生活感悟,游记,随笔…游记可以放心食用。
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。
  • 文学批评学

    文学批评学

    文学思潮、文学文体和文学经典三大理论问题,呈现了文学批评学或批评解释学的内在思想结构。通过对“为何批评”和“如何批评”问题的深入追问,通过具体的诗歌、散文和小说批评的范导性实践,通过“如何成为批评家”的诸多奈件的理论确证,本书变得极富思想操作性,并且具有理论解释力。从文学思潮出发,作者探讨了文学思潮与批评思潮的成败得失;从文学文体入手,作者特别强调诗歌、散文和小说批评的独特性,并通过实例分析,展示了文学批评的自由思想价值;从文学经典出发,作者建立了开放性的文学经典观,为先锋文学和通俗文学的双重经典体认进行自由立法。
  • 诡灵直播

    诡灵直播

    有比她更倒霉的主播吗?十年不联系的父亲一出现就把自己买了,只是想赚钱还债,第一次直播就遇见小鬼,童谣杀人,还有个帅男争风吃醋?!这都是什么跟什么啊,我就是想赚钱还债。
  • 崩坏世界的守望

    崩坏世界的守望

    “遥望星空见守望,幽樱浮曲在蕾雅。暗影之中少女梦,俯首逐火有倾羽。”不管你是神还是别的什么东西!敢与我为敌者,我必将你屠戮殆尽!我们自称战士,却闭上自己的双眼,在末日到来之时踏入血色的黎明,守望着这个世界……