He gave the gold to his daughter, kissed her hand and went out. He walked so briskly up the alley by which he came that he did not notice Nicole there, chatting with a nobleman who whispered in her ear.
CHAPTER XXIV.
THE RICHELIEU ELIXIR.
ALWAYS bearer of good news, the Duke of Richelieu called on the Taverneys to announce that the King found a regiment for Captain Philip, not a company.
The conversation was the same as usual among the three at dinner; the duke spoke of his King, the baron of his daughter and Andrea of her brother. Richelieu preached on the same text as the baron, and enunciated his doctrine, so pagan, Parisian and courtier-like, that the girl had to confess that her kind of virtue could not be the true one if the nobles were to be the left-handed queens of the French monarchs whom the two tempters did not hesitate to cite.
At seven, the duke rose from the table as he had an appointment at Versailles, he said.
In going into the anteroom for his hat, he met Nicole who always had something to do there when the duke called.
“I wish you would come along with me, little lass,” he said; “I should like you to take a bouquet the Duchess of Noailles is getting ready for my daughter the Countess of Egmont.”
Nicole courtseyed as the shepherdesses did in Rousseau’s comic operas. Leaning on Nicole’s shoulder, he went down stairs, and when out on the lawn with her, said:
“Little maid, can you tell me the name of the sweetheart Nicole Legay has found—a well-turned gallant whom she used to welcome in Coq Heron Street, and receives here in Versailles. He is a French Guards corporal called—what do you say the name is?”
The girl was in hopes that the marshal did not know the name if he knew everything else.