Old Taverney, who was one of the nearest spectators of all this, had been watching his son eagerly, and felt almost chagrined at this conversation between the queen and her brother-in-law, as it interrupted the familiar intercourse which his son had before been enjoying; therefore, when the young man returned with the queen’s sledge, and, seeing his father, whom he had not met for ten years, advanced towards him, he motioned him away, saying, “We will talk afterwards, when you have left the queen.”
Philippe, therefore, returned to the queen, who was getting into the sledge with Andrée. Two attendants approached to push it, but she said, “No; I do not wish to go like that; you skate, M. de Taverney? Does he not, Andrée?”
“Philippe used to skate remarkably well,” replied she.
“And now I dare say he rivals St. George,” said the queen.
“I will do my best to justify your majesty’s opinion,” said he; and putting on his skates, he placed himself behind her sledge, and they commenced their course.
St. George, seeing the queen on the ice, began to execute his most skilful maneuvers, and finished off by going in circles round her sledge, making the most elegant bows each time he passed her.
Then Philippe, moved to emulation, began to push along the sledge with such wonderful rapidity that St. George found no little difficulty in keeping pace with it.
Several people, however, seeing the queen move at this marvelous rate, uttered cries of terror.
“If your majesty desires,” said Philippe, “I will stop, or go slower.”
“Oh no!” said she, with that enthusiasm which she carried into everything; “oh no! I am not at all afraid; quicker still, chevalier, if you can.”