"You haven"t learned yet?"
William Adolphus began to speak to her. You would have sworn she had a deaf ear that side. She had finished her salad and sat turned toward me.
If a very white shoulder could at all console my brother-in-law, he had an admirable view of one. Apparently he was not content; he pushed his chair back with a noise and called to me:
"Shall we smoke? I have eaten enough."
"With all my heart," I answered.
"In fact he has eaten too much," observed Coralie, by no means in an "aside." "He and I--we both eat too much. He is fat already. I shall be."
"You are talkative to-night, mademoiselle," said Varvilliers, who was offering her a cigarette.
"I believe there is to-night some one worth talking to," she retorted.
"Alas, and not last night?" he cried in affected despair.
I, however, thinking that it would ill become me to eat my brother-in-law"s supper and then spoil his sport, bowed to the lady and crossed over to where Wetter was standing. Near him was a group of young men laughing and talking with Madame Briande; he seemed to pay little heed to their chatter. Varvilliers followed me, and William Adolphus sat down by Coralie. But I had not been talking to Wetter more than two minutes when the lady rose, left my brother-in-law, and came to join our group. She took her stand close by me. Half attracted and half repelled by her, young enough still to be shy, I was much embarra.s.sed; the other men were smiling--I must except William Adolphus--and Varvilliers whispered to me:
"_Les beaux yeux de votre couronne, sire._"
Coralie overheard his warning; she was not in the least put out.
"Don"t disturb yourself," she said to Varvilliers. "The King is not a fool; he doesn"t suppose that people forget what he is."
"You"ve judged him on short acquaintance," said Varvilliers, rather vexed.
"It"s my way; and why shouldn"t I give my opinion?"
Wetter laughed, and said to the Frenchman:
"You had better not ask for your character, I think, Vicomte."
"Heavens, no!" cried he. "Come, I see Monseigneur all alone!"
"You are right," said Coralie. "Go and talk to him. The King and I will talk."
They went off, Wetter laughing, Varvilliers still a little ruffled by his encounter. Coralie pa.s.sed her arm through mine and led me to a sofa.
I had recovered my composure, was interested, and amused.
"Briande," she said suddenly, "is always deploring my stupidity. "How will you get on," she says, "without wit? Men are ruled by wit though they are won by faces." So she says. Well, I don"t know. Wit is not in my line." She looked at me half questioningly, half defiantly.
"I perceive no deficiency in the quality, mademoiselle," said I.
"Then you have not known witty women," she retorted tranquilly. "But I am not altogether dull. I am not like Monseigneur there."
"My brother-in-law?"
"So I am told."
As she said this she looked again at me and began to laugh. I laughed also. But I could not very well discuss William Adolphus with her.
"What man do you desire to rule with this wit?" I asked.
"One can"t tell when it might be useful," said she, with a barely perceptible smile.
"Surely beauty is more powerful?"
"With Monseigneur?"
"Oh, never mind Monseigneur."
"But not with men of another kind."
"Some men are not to be ruled by any means."
"You think so?"
"Take Wetter now?"
"I would give him a week"s resistance."
"Varvilliers?"
"A day."
I did not put the third question, but I looked at her with a smile. She saw my meaning, of course, but she did not tell me how long a resistance she would predict for me. I thought that I had talked enough to her, and, since she would not let me alone, I determined to take my leave. I wished her good-night. She received my adieu with marked indifference.
"I am very glad to have made your acquaintance," said I.
"Why, yes," she answered. "You are thinking that I am a strange creature, a new experience," and with this she turned away, although I was about to speak again.
Varvilliers" way lay in the same direction as mine, and I took him with me. He chatted gaily as we went. What I liked in the Vicomte was his confident denial of life"s alleged seriousness. He seemed much amused at the situation which he proceeded to unfold to me. According to him, Wetter was pa.s.sionately, my brother-in-law inanely, enamoured of Coralie. Wetter was ready to ruin himself in purse and prospects for her, and would gladly marry her. William Adolphus would be capable of defying his wife, his mother-in-law, and public opinion. But Coralie, he explained, cared little for either. Wetter could give her nothing, from William Adolphus she had already gained the advancement which it was in his power to secure for her.
"She wanted something new, so she made him bring your Majesty," he ended, laughing.
"Was my brother-in-law unwilling?"
"Oh, no. He didn"t understand," laughed Varvilliers. "He was proud to bring you."
"It"s rather awkward for me. I suppose I oughtn"t to have come?"
"Ah, sire, when we have enjoyed ourselves, let us not be ungrateful. She amused you?"
"She certainly interested me."
He shrugged his shoulders. "What more do you want?" he seemed to ask.
But I was wondering whether I should be justified in lending countenance to these distractions of William Adolphus. The Frenchman"s quick wit overtook my thoughts.
"If you wish to rescue the Prince from danger, sire," he said, laughing, "you can"t do better than come often."