Oh! if only the lawyer’s wife could have understood this gift in dukes, she could never have endured that politely ironical look; she saw the politeness only. Ignorance shares the privileges of fine breeding.
“This is Madame Camusot, a daughter of Thirion’s—one of the Cabinet ushers,” said the Duchess to her husband.
The Duke bowed with extreme politeness to the wife of a legal official, and his face became a little less grave.
The Duke had rung for his valet, who now came in.
“Go to the Rue Saint-Honore: take a coach. Ring at a side door, No. 10. Tell the man who opens the door that I beg his master will come here, and if the gentleman is at home, bring him back with you.—Mention my name, that will remove all difficulties.
“And do not be gone more than a quarter of an hour in all.”
Another footman, the Duchess’ servant, came in as soon as the other was gone.
“Go from me to the Duc de Chaulieu, and send up this card.”
The Duke gave him a card folded down in a particular way. When the two friends wanted to meet at once, on any urgent or confidential business which would not allow of note-writing, they used this means of communication.
Thus we see that similar customs prevail in every rank of society, and differ only in manner, civility, and small details. The world of fashion, too, has its argot, its slang; but that slang is called style.