"Leave her alone," said Delange, "her discomfiture is punishment enough, without your humiliating her still more with your sermonizing."
"Her discomfiture!" exclaimed de Morin, "you are very much mistaken if you think that she will suffer from it. She is sure to attribute Munza's conduct to quite another cause than contempt for herself. She is, you may be sure, fully persuaded that he did not understand her, and that he would have knelt at her feet if she could have expressed herself more clearly. You do not know her as well as I do. I have the greatest respect for her many good qualities, but on the score of feminine fatuity, she is the most complete specimen that a man could wish to see. Intelligent, wise in counsel, and with plenty of common sense where others are concerned and her own ridiculous conceit is not called into play, she loses her head entirely occasionally."
"You are right," said I, "and you do well, I admit, to put us on our guard against her. But her last escapade is not of very great importance, and if I were in your place—"
De Morin interrupted me by exclaiming excitedly.
"I do not understand, my dear Périères, how you can possibly take this view of the matter. The events of to-night, you may rely upon it, will exercise a great influence over our future. Miss Poles, notwithstanding her follies and absurdities, is none the less a white woman, and a member of our caravan. She is always to be seen with us; she is known as our companion and our friend, if not our equal. The conduct of Munza and his wives does not affect Miss Poles alone, it affects us and lowers the prestige which we enjoy. From this moment the Monbuttoos know that we may be insulted and threatened, and that, at all events, they are at liberty, to attempt to maltreat us. Yesterday we were, in the eyes of this tribe, privileged people, surrounded by a sort of halo; to-day we are on a par with the rest of the world."
"It is true," said I, "and I am surprised, in truth, that it should have escaped me."
"If that were all," resumed de Morin, "I should not despair, for we know very well how to take care of ourselves. But this escapade, I fear, will involve us in a serious dilemma."
"I do not understand you," said Madame de Guéran, "pray explain what you mean."
"The explanation is very simple," continued de Morin. "You, Madame de Guéran, were, especially as a white woman, a being apart, as far as Munza was concerned—a being whom he allowed himself to love— unfortunately we cannot have any doubt about that, but one whom he loved at a distance, without daring to speak. The extraordinary and grotesque declaration, apparently made to him by your female companion, has certainly lessened the distance which, in his mind, separated him from us. He gave way to a wish, but he could not entertain any hope; you were in his eyes veiled in a species of cloud; you were surrounded by a halo of light, and placed on an eminence believed by him to be inaccessible. Miss Poles, unfortunately, has taught him that white women can descend from such eminences, can bring themselves down to the level of negro kings, and that he can, if he so wish, treat them no longer as goddesses, but as ordinary mortals. I shall consequently, be very much astonished if his reserve, which was our safeguard, does not vanish."
June 25. — De Morin was right. The King, who for two days past has not shown us any signs of his existence nor paid us a visit, has, after, probably, reflecting upon and maturing his designs, just sent his courier, ambassador, or master of the ceremonies, whatever his title may be, to us. This functionary, in order that his mission may appear more important, is accompanied by a numerous escort of officers and soldiers, and, above all, musicians.