The Princess de Montpensier | Page 7

the landing of a
salmon which had been caught in a net. The Duc de Guise did not take
part in this conversation, but he was conscious of the re-awakening of
all the emotions which the Princess had once aroused in him, and
thought to himself that he would have difficulty in escaping from this
meeting without falling once more under her spell.
They arrived shortly at the bank where they found the Princess's horses
and her attendants who had been waiting for her. The two noblemen
helped her onto her horse where she sat with the greatest elegance.
During their journey back to Champigny they talked agreeably about a

number of subjects and her companions were no less charmed by her
conversation than they had been by her beauty. They offered her a
number of compliments to which she replied with becoming modesty,
but a little more coolly to those from M. de Guise, for she wished to
maintain a distance which would prevent him from founding any
expectations on the feelings she had once had towards him.
When they arrived at the outer courtyard of Champigny they
encountered the Prince de Montpensier, who had just returned from the
hunt. He was greatly astonished to see two men in the company of his
wife, and he was even more astonished when, on coming closer, he saw
that these were the Duc d'Anjou and the Duc de Guise. The hatred
which he bore for the latter, combined with his naturally jealous
disposition made him find the sight of these two Princes with his wife,
without knowing how they came to be there or why they had come to
his house, so disagreeable that he was unable to conceal his annoyance.
He, however, adroitly put this down to a fear that he could not receive
so mighty a Prince as the King's brother in a style befitting his rank.
The Comte de Chabannes was even more upset at seeing the Duc de
Guise and Madame de Montpensier together than was her husband, it
seemed to him a most evil chance which had brought the two of them
together again, an augury which foretold disturbing sequels to follow
this new beginning.
In the evening Madame de Montpensier acted as hostess with the same
grace with which she did everything. In fact she pleased her guests a
little too much. The Duc d'Anjou who was very handsome and very
much a ladies man, could not see a prize so much worth winning
without wishing ardently to make it his own. He had a touch of the
same sickness as the Duc de Guise, and continuing to invent important
reasons, he stayed for two days at Champigny, without being obliged to
do so by anything but the charms of Madame de Montpensier, for her
husband did not make any noticeable effort to detain him. The Duc de
Guise did not leave without making it clear to Madame de
Momtpensier that he felt towards her as he had done in the past. As
nobody knew of this former relationship he said to her several times, in
front of everybody, that his affections were in no way changed. A

remark which only she understood.
Both he and the Duc d'Anjou left Champigny with regret. For a long
time they went along in silence; but at last it occurred to the Duc
d'Anjou that the reflections which occupied his thoughts might be
echoed in the mind of the Duc de Guise, and he asked him brusquely if
he was thinking about the beauties of Madame de Montpensier. This
blunt question combined with what he had already observed of the
Prince's behaviour made the Duc realise that he had a rival from whom
it was essential that his own love for the Princess should be concealed.
In order to allay all suspicion he answered with a laugh that the Prince
himself had seemed so preoccupied with the thoughts which he was
accused of having that he had deemed it inadvisable to interrupt him;
the beauty of Madame de Montpensier was, he said, nothing new to
him, he had been used to discounting its effect since the days when she
was destined to be his sister-in-law, but he saw that not everyone was
so little dazzled. The Duc d'Anjou admitted that he had never seen
anyone to compare with this young Princess and that he was well aware
that the vision might be dangerous if he was exposed to it too often. He
tried to get the Duc de Guise to confess that he felt the same, but the
Duc would admit to nothing.
On their return to Loches they often recalled with pleasure the events
which had led to their meeting with the Princess de Montpensier, a
subject which did