Count Hannibal: A Romance of the Court of France

This eBook was prepared by Les Bowler from the 1922 John Murray edition.
SORORI SUÂ CAUSSÂ CARAE PRO ERGA MATREM AMORE ETIAM CARIORI HOC FRATER.
CONTENTS
I. CRIMSON FAVOURS II. HANNIBAL DE SAULX, COMTE DE TAVANNES III. THE HOUSE NEXT THE GOLDEN MAID IV. THE EVE OF THE FEAST V. A ROUGH WOOING VI. “WHO TOUCHES TAVANNES?” VII. IN THE AMPHITHEATRE VIII. TWO HENS AND AN EGG IX. UNSTABLE X. MADAME ST. LO XI. A BARGAIN XII. IN THE HALL OF THE LOUVRE XIII. DIPLOMACY XIV. TOO SHORT A SPOON XV. THE BROTHER OF ST. MAGLOIRE XVI. AT CLOSE QUARTERS XVII. THE DUEL XVIII. ANDROMEDA, PERSEUS BEING ABSENT XIX. IN THE ORLÉANNAIS XX. ON THE CASTLE HILL XXI. SHE WOULD, AND WOULD NOT XXII. PLAYING WITH FIRE XXIII. A MIND, AND NOT A MIND XXIV. AT THE KING’S INN XXV. THE COMPANY OF THE BLEEDING HEART XXVI. TEMPER XXVII. THE BLACK TOWN XXVIII. IN THE LITTLE CHAPTER-HOUSE XXIX. THE ESCAPE XXX. SACRILEGE! XXXI. THE FLIGHT FROM ANGERS XXXII. THE ORDEAL BY STEEL XXXIII. THE AMBUSH XXXIV. “WHICH WILL YOU, MADAME?” XXXV. AGAINST THE WALL XXXVI. HIS KINGDOM
M. de Tavannes smiled. Mademoiselle averted her eyes, and shivered; as if the air, even of that close summer night, entering by the door at her elbow, chilled her. And then came a welcome interruption.
“Tavannes!”
“Sire!”
Count Hannibal rose slowly. The King had called, and he had no choice but to obey and go. Yet he hung a last moment over his companion, his hateful breath stirring her hair.
“Our pleasure is cut short too soon, Mademoiselle,” he said, in the tone, and with the look, she loathed. “But for a few hours only. We shall meet to-morrow. Or, it may be—earlier.”
She did not answer, and “Tavannes!” the King repeated with violence. “Tavannes! Mordieu!” his Majesty continued, looking round furiously. “Will no one fetch him? Sacré nom, am I King, or a dog of a—”
“I come, sire!” the Count cried hastily. For Charles, King of France, Ninth of the name, was none of the most patient; and scarce another in the Court would have ventured to keep him waiting so long. “I come, sire; I come!” Tavannes repeated, as he moved from Mademoiselle’s side.