the princess de montpensier-第4章

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The　Princess　was　so　surprised　and　thrown　into　confusion　by　this
speech　that　she　could　not　think　of　an　answer；　then；　just　when　she
had　collected　her　wits　and　begun　to　reply；　the　Prince　de
Montpensier　entered　the　room。　The　Princess's　face　displayed　her
agitation；　and　her　embarrassment　was　compounded　by　the　sight　of
her　husband；　to　such　an　extent　that　he　was　left　in　no　doubt　about
what　the　Duc　de　Guise　had　been　saying　to　her。　Fortunately　at　that
moment　the　Queen　re…entered　the　room　and　the　Duc　de　Guise　moved
away　to　avoid　the　jealous　Prince。

That　evening　the　Princess　found　her　husband　in　the　worst　temper
imaginable。　He　berated　her　with　the　utmost　violence　and　forbade
her　ever　to　speak　to　the　Duc　de　Guise　again。　She　retired　to　her
room　very　sad　and　much　preoccupied　with　the　events　of　the　day。
She　saw　the　Duc　the　next　day　amid　the　company　around　the　Queen；
but　he　did　not　come　near　her　and　left　soon　after　she　did；
indicating　that　he　had　no　interest　in　remaining　if　she　was　not
there。　Not　a　day　passed　without　her　receiving　a　thousand　covert
marks　of　the　Duc's　passion　though　he　did　not　attempt　to　speak　to
her　unless　he　was　sure　that　they　could　be　seen　by　nobody。

Convinced　of　the　Duc's　sincerity；　the　Princess；　in　spite　of　the
resolution　she　had　made　at　Champigny；　began　to　feel　in　the　depths
of　her　heart　something　of　what　she　had　felt　in　the　past。

The　Duc　d'Anjou　for　his　part；　omitted　nothing　which　could
demonstrate　his　devotion　in　all　the　places　where　he　could　meet
her。　In　the　Queen　his　mother's　apartments　he　followed　her　about
continually；　completely　ignoring　his　sister　who　was　very　fond　of
him。　It　was　at　around　this　time　that　it　became　evident　that　this
sister；　who　later　became　the　Queen　of　Navarre；　had　a　liking　for
the　Duc　de　Guise；　and　another　thing　that　became　evident　was　a
cooling　of　the　friendship　between　that　Duc　and　the　Duc　d'Anjou。
The　rumour　linking　the　name　of　the　Royal　Princess　with　that　of
the　Duc　de　Guise　disturbed　The　Princess　de　Montpensier　to　a
degree　which　surprised　her；　and　made　her　realise　that　she　was
more　interested　in　the　Duc　than　she　had　supposed。

Now　it　so　happened　that　her　father…in…law；　M。　de　Montpensier；
married　a　sister　of　the　Duc　de　Guise；　and　the　princess　was　bound
to　meet　the　Duc　frequently　in　the　various　places　where　the
marriage　celebrations　required　their　presence。　She　was　greatly
offended　that　a　man　who　was　widely　believed　to　be　in　love　with
〃Madame〃；　the　King's　sister；　should　dare　to　make　advances　to　her；
she　was　not　only　offended　but　distressed　at　having　deceived
herself。

One　day；　when　they　met　at　his　sister's　house；　being　a　little
separated　from　he　rest；　the　Duc　was　tempted　to　speak　to　her；　but
she　interrupted　him　sharply　saying　angrily　〃I　do　not　understand
how；　on　the　basis　of　a　weakness　which　one　had　at　the　age　of
thirteen；　you　have　the　audacity　to　make　amorous　proposals　to　a
person　like　me；　particularly　when；　in　the　view　of　the　whole
Court；　you　are　interested　in　someone　else。〃　The　Duc　who　was
intelligent　as　well　as　being　much　in　love；　understood　the　emotion
which　underlay　the　Princess's　words。　He　answered　her　most
respectfully；　〃I　confess；　Madame；　that　it　was　wrong　of　me　not　to
reject　the　possible　honour　of　becoming　the　King's　brother…in…law；
rather　than　allow　you　to　suspect　for　a　moment　that　I　could　desire
any　heart　but　yours；　but　if　you　will　be　patient　enough　to　hear　me
I　am　sure　I　can　fully　justify　my　behaviour。〃　　The　Princess　made
no　reply；　but　she　did　not　go　away　and　the　Duc；　seeing　that　she
was　prepared　to　listen　to　him；　told　her　that　although　he　had　made
no　effort　to　attract　the　attention　of　Madame；　she　had
nevertheless　honoured　him　with　her　interest：　as　he　was　not
enamoured　of　her　he　had　responded　very　coolly　to　this　honour
until　she　gave　him　to　believe　that　she　might　marry　him。　The
realisation　of　the　grandeur　to　which　such　a　marriage　would　raise
him　had　obliged　him　to　take　a　little　more　trouble。　This　situation
had　aroused　the　suspicions　of　the　King　and　the　Duc　d'Anjou；　but
the　opposition　of　neither　of　then　would　have　any　effect　on　his
course　of　action；　however　if　this　displeased　her　he　would　abandon
all　such　notions　and　never　think　of　them　again。

This　sacrifice　which　the　Duc　was　prepared　to　make　caused　the
Princess　to　forget　all　the　anger　she　had　shown。　She　changed　the
subject　and　began　to　speak　of　the　indiscretion　displayed　by
Madame　in　making　the　first　advances　and　of　the　considerable
advantages　which　he　would　gain　if　he　married　her。　In　the　end；
without　saying　anything　kind　to　the　Duc　de　Guise；　she　made　him
recall　a　thousand　things　he　had　found　so　pleasing　in　Mlle。　de
Mezieres。　Although　they　had　not　had　private　conversation　for　a
long　time；　they　found　themselves　attuned　to　one　another；　and
their　thoughts　went　along　a　track　which　they　both　had　travelled
in　the　past。　At　the　end　of　this　agreeable　meeting　the　Duc　was
left　in　a　state　of　considerable　happiness；　and　the　Princess　was
not　a　little　moved　to　think　that　he　truly　loved　her。　However；　in
the　privacy　of　her　room　she　became　ashamed　of　the　ease　with　which
she　had　accepted　the　Duc's　excuses　and　reflected　on　the　trouble
into　which　she　might　be　plunged　if　she　engaged　in　something　she
had　always　regarded　with　distaste　and　on　the　frightening　misery
which　a　jealous　husband　might　inflict　on　her。　These　thoughts　made
her　adopt　new　resolves；　but　they　disappeared　the　next　day　on　the
sight　of　the　Duc　de　Guise。

The　new　alliance　between　their　families　gave　the　Duc　many
opportunities　to　speak　to　her。　He　gave　her　an　exact　account　of
all　that　passed　between　Madame　and　himself。　He　had　difficulty　in
allaying　the　jealousy　to　which　the　beauty　of　Madame　gave　rise　and
any　number　of　promises　failed　to　reassure　her。　This　jealousy
enabled　the　Princess　to　defend　the　remains　of　her　heart　against
the　advances　of　the　Duc；　who　already　had　won　the　greater　part　of
it。

The　marriage　of　the　King　to　the　daughter　of　the　Emperor
Maximilian　filled　the　Court　with　fetes　and　celebrations。　The　King
put　on　a　ballet　in　which　Madame　and　all　the　princesses　were　to
dance；　among　them　only　the　Princess　de　Montpensier　could　rival
Madame　in　beauty。　The　Duc　d'Anjou　and　four　others　were　to　make　an
appearance　as　Moors；　their　costumes　would　all　be　identical；　as
was　usual　in　this　sort　of　performance。　On　the　first　occasion　on
which　the　ballet　was　presented；　the　Duc　de　Guise；　before　the
dance　began　and　before　he　had　donned　his　mask；　said　a　few　words
to　the　Princess　as　he　went　past　her。　She　saw　clearly　that　the
Prince　her　husband　had　noticed　this；　which　made　her　feel　uneasy。
A　little　later；　seeing　the　Duc　d'Anjou　in　his　mask　and　Moorish
costume；　who　was　coming　to　speak　to　her；　she　mistook　him　for　the
Duc　de　Guise　and　said　to　him　〃Do　not　have　eyes　for　anyone　but
Madame　this　evening：　I　shall　not　be　in　the　least　jealous。　I　am
ordering　you。　I　am　being　watched。　Do　not　come　near　me　again。〃　　As
soon　as　she　had　said　this　she　moved　away。

The　Duc　d'Anjou　stood　there　thunderstruck。　He　saw　that　he　had　a
successful　rival：　the　reference　to　Madame　made　it　obvious　that
this　was　the　Duc　de　Guise；　and　left　him　in　no　doubt　that　his
sister　was　to　play　second　fiddle　to　the　Princess　de　Montpensier。
Jealousy；　frustration　and　rage　joining　to　the　dislike　which　he
already　had　for　the　Duc　roused　him　to　a　violent　fury；　and　he
would　have　given　there　and　then　some　bloody　mark　of　his　temper
had　not　that　dissimulation　which　came　naturally　to　him　prevented
him　from　attacking　the　Duc　de　Guise　in　the　present　circumstances。
He　did　not；　however；　refrain　from　the　pleasure　of　disclosing　his
knowledge　of　this　secret　affair。　He　approached　the　Duc　de　Guise
as　they　left　the　salon　where　they　had　been　dancing　and　said　to
him　〃To　presume　to　raise　your　eyes　towards　my　sister；　as　well　as
stealing　the　affection　of　the　woman　I　love　is　altogether　too
much。　The　presence　of　the　King　prevents　me　from　taking　any　action
just　now；　but　remember　that　the　loss　of　your　life　may　be；　one
day；　the　least　thing　with　which　I　shall　punish　your
impertinence。〃

The　pride　of　the　Duc　de　Guise　was　not　accustomed　to　submit　tamely
to　such　threats；　but　he　was　unable　to　reply　because　at　that
moment　the　King　called　both　of　them