Who is the
inspired person who has arranged this mysterious flowery retreat for
you?"
The philosopher pointed to Maurice and the girls.
The Princess admired it, and the conversation rippled on. "We are come
to trouble your bower with a plea for charity! Every year, the Duchess
gives a garden party in her beautiful park at Montjoie for the benefit
of the 'Orphans of the Fishermen.' There is a little open-air theatre,
where some of the greatest actors have appeared. Little rustic booths,
shops where you pay a great deal for nothing at all, and a thousand
other distractions. We are come, the Duchess and I, drawn by a very
pretty star, Esperance. She will not deny us her light, our lovely
little star?" she concluded, bending towards Esperance.
"But, Madame," murmured Esperance, "my decision--my promises do not
depend on myself alone, now."
The Duchess extracted a letter from her gold mesh bag and held it
towards her.
"You are perfectly right, my dear child," she said easily. "I also
foresaw that objection, so I wrote to your fiance, even before
speaking to you, for which I must apologize, and here is his answer."
Esperance read the little missive bearing the Styvens's arms and
handed it back to the Duchess.
"I will not be," she said smiling sadly, "more royalist than the king.
Madame, I am at the service of your work."
This was a great delight to the two kindly disposed women, but the
young girl's heart was torn because her fiance would not see! It is
true that his letter ended with the words, "I agree with both hands to
whatever Esperance shall decide," so that little choice was left.
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