The Bronze Eagle

Frenchman drew rein and fell to apostrophising the hamlet, the day, the hour and the glorious news which he was expecting to hear) at about that self-same hour, I say, in the Chateau de Brestalou, si

. le Comte de Cambray would be ready to receive Mme

owing to that severe twinge of rheumatism in her right knee-and placed it upon the table close to her elbow; then with delicate, bemittened hand she smoothed out one unrul

h slow deliberation, "that I will be with him at

on as the tall mahogany doors were closed behind him, Mme. la Duchesse took her spectacles off from her high-bred nose and gave a little

s of his court? or is it only for my edification that he plays this magnificent game of etiquette and ceremonial and other stupid paraphernalia which have set me wondering since last night? M. le Comte will receive M

were trying to penetrate the underlying thoughts of the older woman, as if she tried to read all that there was in that kindly glance of hidden sarcasm, of humour or tolerance, or of gentle

ce more took possession of his ancestral home on the bank of the Isère, which those awful Terrorists of '92 had taken away from him. Louis XVIII., the Benevolent king, had promptly restored the old chateau to its rightful owner, w

and that her mother was English, for had not M. le Comte been obliged to fly before the fury of the Terrorists, whose dreaded Committee of Public Safety had already arrested him as a "suspect" and condemned him to the guillotine. He had contrived to escape death by

chair, and with her eyes fixed so enquiringly upon Madame's kind old face. Her fair hair was done up in the quaint loops and curls which characterised the mode of the moment:

conclusion that Madame's wrath was only

y thing he has left now," she added with a little sigh, "the only bit out of the past which that awful

mine and he does as he pleases. But I should have thought that twenty years spent in England would have taught h

rriedly, and she put up her hands almost as if she

this house four and twenty hours, my dear child, but I have already learned my lesson. I know that the memor

altogether," murmu

of her fine white hands on the fair head of her niece; "your beautiful m

r engraved upon my father's heart, as well as on mine-if we should ever forget those names and neglect for one singl

nsieur my brother remembers all that

ante?" asked Crystal, and there was a slight tone of reproach

nner last night-his gracious manner-all that upset me. I am not used to it, my dear, you see. Twenty years in that diminutive house in Worcester have altered my tastes, I see, more than they did your father's . . . and these last ten months which

emain here with us-always?" queried Crystal, and with tender ea

ome-where I was very happy and very young once-oh, so very long ago! And I will remain wit

d as if a note of sadness had crept into her brisk, sharp voice. Over Crystal's cheeks a wave of crimson had quic

y soon now, ma tante

of flying faster than we wish. Well, my dear, so long as this day brings

held her little head resolutely

py, Crystal,

tante," replied Crystal qu

to Madame's eyes, and the tone of Madame

ppose, because I want an answe

it, ma tante,

t seemed to me as if your ideas of your own happiness and those o

tal quietly, "father and I are q

pulling a differe

ce and two hot tears dropped on the Duchesse'

a sou, was out of the

ok her head

ng de Marmont

le's heir," mu

n of that abominable Duc de Raguse in

when I am a de Marmont he will buy back all the forfeited Cambray estates and restore them to us: Victor will be allowed to take up the name of Cambray and . . . and . . . Oh!" she exclaimed p

and no doubt Victor de Marmont will prove a good husba

lady's most uncompromising manner, bro

wish to have. It was he and no one else who delivered Paris to the allies and thus brought abou

f France and created him Duc de Raguse?-An out-at-elbows ragamuffin in the ranks of the republican army. To Bonaparte he owed everything, title, money, consideration, even the military talents which gave him the power to turn on the hand that had fed him. Delivered Paris to the allies indeed!" continued the Duchesse with ever-increasing indignation and volubility, "betrayed Bonaparte, then licked the boots of the Czar of Russia, of the Emperor, of King Louis, of all the deadly enemies of the man to who

impassioned tirade. Now when Madame paused-p

she added naively, "a pagan may become converted to Christianity without being called a traitor to his false gods, and the Duc de

convinced, "but we need n

Crystal, "poor Victor cann

gusade fame will buy up for him, and presently your son, my darling, will be Comte de Cambray, just as if that awful revolution and all that robbing and spoliation had nev

have rushed in a stream to her eyes. But she would not give way to any access of self-pity: she

nd I know that father will be happy when Brestalou and Cambray and all the old lands are once more united in his name.

laimed Madame, "what can yo

e of the drama in which she was so soon destined to play the chief r?le had

ething for France. There are times when that feeling becomes so strong that all thoughts of myself and of my own happine

nce!" sig

the prowling wolf is still at her gate: even the throne of her king is still insecure! Poor, poor France! our country, ma tante! she should be our pride, our glory,

vanished. Her cheeks burned, her eyes glowed, her breath came and went rapidly through her

oquence, ma mignonne, has warmed up my old heart too. But, pleas

sure of tha

ugly rumour which was curr

es

set his foot again upon this land .

for him. Let him come, and this time when God has punished him again,

forget the hour of my audience. Hector will be back in a moment or two, and I must not

e I will,

e fra

olut

w . . . about that Englis

mean?" asked Cryst

r, what I ought to make

oked up with astonished, inquir

a tante?" she asked, wholly unperturbed

se abruptly. "I have had m

curiosity, for she suddenly rose from her chair, gathered her

eep my august brother waiting. I can hear Hector's footsteps

cryptic utterance, but there was something in the sarcastic twinkle of those sharp eyes which caus

er her lace cap: she gave a tug to her fichu and a pat to her skirts. Then, as the folding doors were once more thrown open, and Hector-st

with consummate dignity, "to

omposed to reposeful majesty, she sailed out through the mahogany doors in a style which