From the Memoirs of a Minister of France | Page 3

preparations should discover my complicity, and apprise the
King that he was expected. But so far was this from being the case that
no one appeared; the house rose still and silent in the mellow light of
sunset, and, for all that we could see, might have been the fabled palace
of enchantment.
"'He is Jean de Nivelle's dog; he runs away when you call him,'" the
King quoted. "Get down, Rosny. We have reached the palace of the
Sleeping Princess. It remains only to sound the horn, and--"
I was in the act of dismounting, with my back to him, when his words
came to this sudden stop. I turned to learn what caused it, and saw
standing in the aperture of the wicket, which had been silently opened,
a girl, little more than a child, of the most striking beauty. Surprise
shone in her eyes, and shyness and alarm had brought the colour to her
cheeks; while the level rays of the sun, which forced her to screen her
eyes with one small hand, clothed her figure in a robe of lucent glory. I
heard the King whistle low. Before I could speak he had flung himself
from his horse and, throwing the reins to one of the pages, was bowing
before her.
"We were about to sound the horn, Mademoiselle," he said, smiling.
"The horn, Monsieur?" she exclaimed, opening her eyes in wonder, and
staring at him with the prettiest face of astonishment.

"Yes, Mademoiselle; to awaken the sleeping princess," he rejoined.
"But I see that she is already awake."
Through the innocence of her eyes flashed a sudden gleam of archness.
"Monsieur flatters himself," she said, with a smile that just revealed the
whiteness of her teeth.
It was such an answer as delighted the King; who loved, above all
things, a combination of wit and beauty, and never for any long time
wore the chains of a woman who did not unite sense to more showy
attractions. From the effect which the grace and freshness of the girl
had on me, I could judge in a degree of the impression made on him;
his next words showed not only its depth, but that he was determined to
enjoy the adventure to the full. He presented me to her as M. de Sage,
and inquiring affectionately after Perrot, learned in a trice that she was
his niece, not long from a convent at Loches; finally, begging to be
allowed to rest awhile, he dropped a gallant hint that a cup of wine
from her hands would be acceptable.
All this, and her innocent doubt what she ought to do, thus brought face
to face with two strange cavaliers, threw the girl into such a state of
blushing confusion as redoubled her charms. It appeared that her uncle
had been summoned unexpectedly to Marly, and had taken his son with
him; and that the household had seized the occasion to go to a village
FETE at Acheres. Only an old servant remained in the house; who
presently appeared and took her orders. I saw from the man's start of
consternation that he knew the King; but a glance from Henry's eyes
bidding me keep up the illusion, I followed the fellow and charged him
not to betray the King's incognito. When I returned, I found that
Mademoiselle had conducted her visitor to a grassy terrace which ran
along the south side of the house, and was screened from the forest by
an alley of apple trees, and from the east wind by a hedge of yew. Here,
where the last rays of the sun threw sinuous shadows on the turf, and
Paris seemed a million miles away, they were walking up and down,
the sound of their laughter breaking the woodland silence.
Mademoiselle had a fan, with which and an air of convent coquetry she
occasionally shaded her eyes. The King carried his hat in his hand. It

was such an adventure as he loved, with all his heart; and I stood a little
way off, smiling, and thinking grimly of M. de Perrot.
On a sudden, hearing a step behind me, I turned, and saw a young man
in a riding-dress come quickly through an opening in the yew hedge.
As I turned, he stopped; his jaw fell, and he stood rooted to the ground,
gazing at the two on the terrace, while his face, which a moment before
had worn an air of pleased expectancy, grew on a sudden dark with
passion, and put on such a look as made me move towards him. Before
I reached him, However, M. de Perrot himself appeared at his side. The
young man flashed round on him. "MON DIEU, sir!" he cried, in a
voice choked with anger; "I see