"My dear Henri," she answered, "why is it you have not yet obtained
that appointment for Melchior,--you who sacrificed so much to the king
in taking a ministry which you knew could only last one year."
The duke glanced at Philoxene, who showed him by an almost
imperceptible sign the letter from Havre on the dressing-table.
"You would be terribly bored at Baden and come back at daggers drawn
with Melchior," said the duke.
"Pray why?"
"Why, you would always be together," said the former diplomat, with
comic good-humor.
"Oh, no," she said; "I am going to marry him."
"If we can believe d'Herouville, our dear Canalis stands in no need of
your help in that direction," said the duke, smiling. "Yesterday
Grandlieu read me some passages from a letter the grand equerry had
written him. No doubt they were dictated by the aunt for the express
purpose of their reaching you, for Mademoiselle d'Herouville, always
on the scent of a 'dot,' knows that Grandlieu and I play whist nearly
every evening. That good little d'Herouville wants the Prince de
Cadignan to go down and give a royal hunt in Normandy, and endeavor to
persuade the king to be present, so as to turn the head of the damozel
when she sees herself the object of such a grand affair.
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