offer their homage to the princesses. Respect, and yet more,
a certain apprehension, for which he could not account, had
hitherto restrained the Comte de Guiche from looking at
Madame attentively, who, however, had observed him
immediately, and had asked her mother, “Is not that Monsieur
in the boat yonder?” Madame Henrietta who knew Monsieur
better than her daughter did, smiled at the mistake her
vanity had led her into, and had answered, “No; it is only
M. de Guiche, his favorite.” The princess, at this reply,
was constrained to check an instinctive tenderness of
feeling which the courage displayed by the count had
awakened. At the very moment the princess had put this
question to her mother, De Guiche had, at last, summoned
courage to raise his eyes towards her and could compare the
original with the portrait he had so lately seen. No sooner
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had he remarked her pale face, her eyes so full of
animation, her beautiful nut-brown hair, her expressive
lips, and her every gesture, which, while betokening royal
descent, seemed to thank and to encourage him at one and the
same time, than he was, for a moment, so overcome, that, had
it not been for Raoul, on whose arm he leant, he would have
fallen. His friend’s amazed look, and the encouraging
gesture of the queen, restored Guiche to his
self-possession. In a few words he explained his mission,
explained in what way he had become the envoy of his royal
highness; and saluted, according to their rank and the
reception they gave him, the admiral and several of the
English noblemen who were grouped around the princesses.
Raoul was then presented, and was most graciously received;
the share that the Comte de la Fere had had in the
restoration of Charles II. was known to all; and, more than
that, it was the comte who had been charged with the
negotiation of the marriage, by means of which the
granddaughter of Henry IV. was now returning to France.
Raoul spoke English perfectly, and constituted himself his
friend’s interpreter with the young English noblemen, who
were indifferently acquainted with the French language. At
this moment a young man came forward, of extremely handsome
features, and whose dress and arms were remarkable for their
extravagance of material. He approached the princesses, who
were engaged in conversation with the Duke of Norfolk, and,
in a voice which ill concealed his impatience, said, “It is
time now to disembark, your royal highness. “The younger of
the princesses rose from her seat at this remark, and was
about to take the hand which the young nobleman extended to
her, with an eagerness which arose from a variety of
motives, when the admiral intervened between them,
observing; “A moment, if you please, my lord; it is not
possible for ladies to disembark just now, the sea is too
rough; it is probable the wind may abate before sunset, and
the landing will not be effected, therefore, until this
evening.”
“Allow me to observe, my lord,” said Buckingham, with an
irritation of manner which he did not seek to disguise, “you
detain these ladies, and you have no right to do so. One of
them, unhappily, now belongs to France, and you perceive
that France claims them by the voice of her ambassadors;”
and at the same moment he indicated Raoul and Guiche, whom
he saluted.
“I cannot suppose that these gentlemen intend to expose the
lives of their royal highnesses,” replied the admiral.
“These gentlemen,” retorted Buckingham, “arrived here
safely, notwithstanding the wind; allow me to believe that
the danger will not be greater for their royal highnesses
when the wind will be in their favor.”
“These envoys have shown how great their courage is,” said
the admiral. “You may have observed that there was a great
number of persons on shore who did not venture to accompany
them. Moreover, the desire which they had to show their
respect with the least possible delay to Madame and her
illustrious mother induced them to brave the sea, which is
very tempestuous to-day, even for sailors. These gentlemen,
however, whom I recommend as an example for my officers to