"
"Do not let that be your final word, Monsieur le comte," said the
duke. "Come to Herouville and see things for yourself."
Charles Mignon replied that every capitalist should take time to
examine into such matters with a cool head, thus giving the duke a
pretext for his visits to the Chalet. The sight of Modeste made a
lively impression on the young man, and he asked the favor of
receiving her at Herouville with her father, saying that his sister
and his aunt had heard much of her, and wished to make her
acquaintance. On this the count proposed to present his daughter to
those ladies himself, and invited the whole party to dinner on the day
of his return to the villa. The duke accepted the invitation. The blue
ribbon, the title, and above all, the ecstatic glances of the noble
gentleman had an effect upon Modeste; but she appeared to great
advantage in carriage, dignity, and conversation. The duke withdrew
reluctantly, carrying with him an invitation to visit the Chalet every
evening,--an invitation based on the impossibility of a courtier of
Charles X. existing for a single evening without his rubber.
Pages:
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311