Her brother, who frequently spoke to me while at table,
having one day said something which I did not consider obliging, I
made him so arch and well-turned an answer, that it drew her
attention; she cast her eyes upon me, and this glance was sufficient
to fill me transport. The next day, a second occasion presented
itself, which I fortunately made use of. A great dinner was given; and
I saw, with astonishment, for the first time, the maitre d'hotel
waiting at table, with a sword by his side, and hat on his head. By
chance, the discourse turned on the motto of the house of Solar, which
was, with the arms, worked in the tapestry: Tel fiert qui ne tue
pas. As the Piedmontese are not in general very perfect in the
French language, they found fault with the orthography, saying, that
in the word fiert there should be no t. The old Count de Gauvon was
going to reply, when happening to cast his eyes on me, he perceived
I smiled without daring to say anything; he immediately ordered me
to speak my opinion. I then said, I did not think the t superfluous,
fiert being an old French word, not derived from the noun ferus,
proud, threatening; but from the verb fierit, he strikes, he wounds;
the motto, therefore, did not appear to mean, some threat, but, Some
strike who do not kill. The whole company fixed their eyes on me, then
on each other, without speaking a word; never was a greater degree
of astonishment; but what most flattered me, was an air of
satisfaction which I perceived on the countenance of Mademoiselle de
Breil.
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