Chapter 32

Chapter XXXII:
Monsieur is Jealous of Guiche.

Monsieur entered the room abruptly, as persons do who mean well and think
they confer pleasure, or as those who hope to surprise some secret, the
terrible reward of jealous people. Madame, almost out of her senses with
joy at the first bars of music, was dancing in the most unrestrained
manner, leaving the dinner, which had been already begun, unfinished.
Her partner was M. de Guiche, who, with his arms raised, and his eyes
half closed, was kneeling on one knee, like the Spanish dancers, with
looks full of passion, and gestures of the most caressing character. The
princess was dancing round him with a responsive smile, and the same air
of alluring seductiveness. Montalais stood by admiringly; La Valliere,
seated in a corner of the room, looked on thoughtfully. It is impossible
to describe the effect which the presence of the prince produced upon
this gleeful company, and it would be equally impossible to describe the
effect which the sight of their happiness produced upon Philip. The
Comte de Guiche had no power to move; Madame remained in the middle of
one of the figures and of an attitude, unable to utter a word. The
Chevalier de Lorraine, leaning his back against the doorway, smiled like
a man in the very height of the frankest admiration. The pallor of the
prince, and the convulsive twitching of his hands and limbs, were the
first symptoms that struck those present. A dead silence succeeded the
merry music of the dance. The Chevalier de Lorraine took advantage of
this interval to salute Madame and De Guiche most respectfully, affecting
to join them together in his reverences as though they were the master
and mistress of the house. Monsieur then approached them, saying, in a
hoarse tone of voice, "I am delighted; I came here expecting to find you
ill and low-spirited, and I find you abandoning yourself to new
amusements; really, it is most fortunate. My house is the pleasantest in
the kingdom." Then turning towards De Guiche, "Comte," he said, "I did
not know you were so good a dancer." And, again addressing his wife, he
said, "Show a little more consideration for me, Madame; whenever you
intend to amuse yourselves here, invite me. I am a prince,
unfortunately, very much neglected."

Guiche had now recovered his self-possession, and with the spirited
boldness which was natural to him, and sat so well upon him, he said,
"Your highness knows very well that my very life is at your service, and
whenever there is a question of its being needed, I am ready; but to-day,
as it is only a question of dancing to music, I dance."

"And you are perfectly right," said the prince, coldly. "But, Madame,"
he continued, "you do not remark that your ladies deprive me