At present, however, he did not seem to have any design upon Ormond—he was engaged at the further end of the room. He left him quite to himself, and to Madame, and never once even asked him to play.
There seemed more danger of his being left out, than of his being taken in.
“Donnez-moi le bras—Come with me, Monsieur Ormond,” said Mademoiselle, “and you shall lose nothing—while they are settling about their parties, we can get one little moment’s chat.”
She took him back to the boudoir.
“I want to make you know our Paris,” said she: “here we can see the whole world pass in review, and I shall tell you every thing most necessary for you to know; for example—who is who—and still more it imports you to know who and who are together.”
“Look at that lady, beautiful as the day, in diamonds.”
“Madame de Connal, do you mean?” said Ormond.
“Ah! no; not her always,” said Mademoiselle: “though she has the apple here, without contradiction,” continued Mademoiselle, still speaking in English, which it was always her pride to speak to whomsoever could understand her. “Absolutely, without vanity, though my niece, I may say it, she is a perfect creature—and mise à ravir!—Did you ever see such a change for the best in one season? Ah! Paris!—Did I not tell you well?—And you felt it well yourself—you lost your head, I saw that, at first sight of her à la Françoise—the best proof of your taste and sensibilité—she has infinite sensibility too!—interesting, and at the height, what you English call the tip-top, of the fashion here.”
“So it appears, indeed,” said Ormond, “by the crowd of admirers I see round Madame de Connal.”
“Admirers! yes, adorers, you may say—encore, if you added lovers, you would not be much wrong; dying for love—éperdument épris! See, there, he who is bowing now—Monsieur le Marquis de Beaulieu—homme de cour—plein d’esprit—homme marquant—very remarkable man. But—Ah! voilà que entre—of the court. Did you ever see finer entrée made by man into a room, so full of grace? Ah! le Comte de Belle Chasse—How many women already he has lost!—It is a real triumph to Madame de Connal to have him in her chains. What a smile!—C’est lui qui est aimable pour nous autres—d’une soumission pour les femmes—d’une fierté pour les hommes. As the lamb gentle for the pretty woman; as the lion terrible for the man. It is that Comte de Belle Chasse who is absolutely irresistible.”