“You dismiss Royalty very summarily, Babe.”

“Oh, Monseigneur, he is quite young, and very like Rupert! He did not mind, do you think?”

“He did not appear to mind,” said the Duke. “What do you want with me, infant?”

“Nothing, Monseigneur. But I thought I would come to find you.”

“You are tired, infant.” He led her to a couch. “You shall sit quietly with me awhile.”

“Yes, please, Monseigneur. It is a very nice dance, I think. I have danced with a great many grand people, and they were all very kind to me indeed.”

“I am glad to hear it, child,” he said gravely. “How does your Prince please you?”

“Oh, he is fort amusant! He told me ever so many things about court, Monseigneur, and he explained who the people were—oh no! it was M. de Brionne who did that. I said ‘Bah’ to the Prince, I am afraid, but he liked it, and he laughed. And I danced with Rupert—and oh, Monseigneur, with M. d’Anvau! He said he was sure he had met me before!” Her eyes danced. “I wanted to say, ‘But yes, m’sieur. I brought you wine at Vassaud’s one night!’”

“I sincerely trust you did not, infant?”

“Oh no, I was very discreet, Monseigneur. I said ‘Tiens! Me, I do not think I have met m’sieur before.’ It was not at all true, was it?”

“Never mind, child, it was a very proper reply. And now I am going to present you to a very old friend of mine who desires speech with you. Come, infant!”

“Qui est-ce?” she asked.

He walked slowly with her through the salons to the hall.

“It is M. de Richelieu, my child. You will be very polite to him.”

“Yes, Monseigneur,” she said docilely, and nodded her head to a young exquisite who was smiling at her and trying to catch her eye. “I have been very polite to everyone to-night. Except Rupert, of course.”

“That goes without saying,” said his Grace, and took her back into the ballroom.

A middle-aged exquisite was standing by the fire at one end, holding animated converse with a plump lady of some beauty. Avon waited until others had gathered about this lady, and then he went forward.

Richelieu saw him, and came to meet him.

“Ah, Justin, the promised introduction! Your beautiful ward!”

Léonie took her hand from Avon’s arm, and curtsied. Richelieu bowed to her, and took her hand, and patted it.

“Child, I envy Justin. Justin, go away! I shall look after mademoiselle very well without you.”

“I don’t doubt it,” said his Grace, and went away to find Lady Fanny.

Armand de Saint-Vire pounced on him as he crossed the hall.

“My friend, who is that girl?” he demanded. “I craved an introduction. Miladi Fanny was good enough to present me. I talked with the sprite—mon Dieu, qu’elle est jolie!—and all the time I asked myself: Who is she? who is she?”

“And did you obtain an answer from yourself?” inquired his Grace.

“No, Justin, I did not! Therefore I ask you: Who is she?”

“She is my ward, dear Armand,” smiled his Grace, and passed on as Mademoiselle de la Vogue came up.

Fanny was in the refreshment room, with Davenant. She waved to Justin as he entered.

“I have earned a moment’s repose!” she said gaily. “Lud, Justin, I’ve presented a score of children to each other and never caught one of their names! Where’s Léonie?”

“With Richelieu,” he said. “No, Fanny, you need not be alarmed. He is under oath to be discreet. Hugh, you have been a godsend to me this night.”

My lady began to fan herself.

“We have all of us worked a little,” she said. “My poor Edward is with the dowagers, playing at ombre, and Rupert has scarce been inside the card-room.”

“You have worked the hardest of us all,” said Hugh.

“Oh, but I have enjoyed myself so prodigiously!” she said. “Justin, I don’t know how many young beaux have not been making love to Léonie! Condé is ravished, he tells me. Do I not make a famous chaperon? When I present Léonie I feel fifty—yes, Hugh, positively I do!—but when I meet Raoul de Fontanges again—ah, then I am back in my teens!” She cast up her eyes.

But presently people began to take their leave, and at last they were alone again in the hall, tired but triumphant.

Rupert yawned prodigiously.

“Lord, what an evening? Burgundy, Hugh?” He poured out several glasses. “Fan, you’ve torn your lace.”

Fanny sank into a chair.

“My dear, I do not care if ’tis in ribbons. Léonie, my pet, you look worn out! Oh, my poor Edward, you did nobly with the dowagers!”

“Ah yes!” said his Grace. “I have to thank you, Edward. You were quite untiring. Infant, can you still hold your eyes open?”

“Yes, Monseigneur. Oh, madame, M. le Prince said that my dress was ravishing!”

“Ay——” Rupert shook his head at her. “I’d give something to know what you’ve been at this night, rogue! Did old Richelieu make love to you?”

“Oh no!” Léonie was surprised. “Why, he is quite an old man!”

“Alas, poor Armand!” said his Grace. “Don’t tell him so, infant, I implore you.”

“Nor anyone, my love,” said her ladyship. “It would fly round Paris! He would be so chagrined!”

“Well, who did make love to you?” asked Rupert. “Besides Condé.”

“He didn’t, Rupert! No one did.” Léonie looked round innocently. “He only said I was a Fairy Princess. Yes, and he said that about my eyes.”

“If that’s not making——” Rupert encountered a glance from his brother, and broke off. “Oh, ay! I’m dumb, never fear!”

“Monseigneur,” Léonie said. “I kept thinking it was a dream! If they knew I had been a page I do not think they would have been so kind to me. They would have thought I was not enough respectable!”

CHAPTER XXVI

The Presentation of Léonie

After the ball invitations came swiftly to the Hôtel Avon. More than one lady begged that Miladi Fanny would forgive the shortness of the notice and honour her on such-and-such a night, at ball, or rout, or card-party. Fanny went carefully through the pile of little cards, and was triumphant.

“My dearest Justin!” she cried. “We shall not be above three nights at home, I give you my word! Here is a card from Madame du Deffand, for next month—a soirée. This is from the Comtesse de Meuilly—a ball. And here we have one from my dear Madame de Follemartin, for Saturday! And this one——”

“Spare us, Fanny!” said his Grace. “Accept and decline as you will, but let us have no lists. Infant, what have you there?”

Léonie had come dancing in with a bouquet in her hand, to which a card was attached.

“Monseigneur, are they not pretty? They come from the Prince de Condé. I think he is very kind to me!”

Fanny looked at her brother.

“So we begin,” she said. “Where are we like to end, I wonder?”

“I shall end in a debtor’s prison, never fear!” said Rupert, from the depths of an arm-chair. “Two hundred cool guineas last night, and——”

“Rupert, it’s wanton!” exclaimed Marling. “Why do you play so high?”

Rupert deigned no reply, deeming the question beneath contempt. It was Davenant who filled the breach.

“I believe it’s in the family,” he said. “Rupert, of course, is a scamp.”

“Oh no!” said Léonie. “He is very silly, but he is not a scamp! Monseigneur, tell me what I am to wear at Versailles to-morrow! Madame says blue, but I want to wear my white dress again.”

“No, infant. To wear the same frock twice running would create almost a scandal. You shall wear gold, and dull yellow, and the sapphires I once gave you. And your hair shall be unpowdered.”

“Oh?” said my lady. “Why, Justin?”

Hugh walked to the fireplace.

“Is it, Justin, because Titian hair has always been one of your ruling passions?”

“Exactly,” bowed his Grace. “What an excellent memory you have, my dear!”

“I don’t understand,” complained Fanny. “What do you mean?”

“I am not quite sure,” said Avon. “I suggest you ask Hugh. He is omniscient.”

“Now you are being disagreeable!” Fanny pouted. “Dull yellow—ay, ’twill do. Léonie, my love, we must order a petticoat of gold net from Cerise; they are quite the rage now, I hear.” She became absorbed in modes and fashions.

She and Avon and Rupert accompanied Léonie to Versailles. Marling and Davenant were alike in their distaste for courts, and they refused to join the party, preferring to spend a quiet evening playing at piquet, and perusing the latest copy of the Adventurer, which had come that day from London.

So Léonie and her escort left them to their devices, and sped away in the light coach to Versailles. The drive provoked in Léonie a reminiscent mood. She sat beside Lady Fanny, whose skirts billowed about her, and addressed herself to the Duke, opposite.

“Monseigneur, do you remember that when we went to Versailles before you gave me this chain?” She touched the sapphires that lay across her white breast.

“I do, infant. I also remember that on our return you went to sleep, and would not wake up.”

“Yes, that is true,” she nodded. “It seems very strange to be going to court again, like this!” She indicated her petticoats, and spread out her fan. “M. le Prince was at Madame de Cacheron’s party last night, Monseigneur.”

“So I have heard,” said Avon, who had not been present.

“And danced twice with the chit!” said my lady. “’Twas positively unseemly!”

“Ay, so it was,” agreed Rupert. “If you were to ask me I should say he came to see Léonie and none other.”

“Yes, he did,” said Léonie ingenuously. “He told me so. I like him.”

Rupert looked at her severely.

“Well, you ought not to sit with him talking of God knows what,” he said magisterially. “When I wanted to lead you out you were nowhere to be found.”

Léonie pulled a face at him.

“You are talking like that because you have all your best clothes on,” she told him. “They make you feel grand, and very important. I know!”

Rupert burst out laughing.

“Faith, that’s good! But I’ll not deny this is a devilish fine coat.” He regarded his rich claret-coloured sleeve with some affection.

“It is not so—so distingué as Monseigneur’s grey and pink,” said Léonie. “Monseigneur, whom shall I see to-night?”

“Why, child, I thought you had a dozen assignations made!” remarked her ladyship.

“Yes, madame, but I meant new people.”

“Oh, she’s insatiable!” murmured Rupert. “She’ll boast a wonderful collection of hearts before the month’s out, mark my words!”

“You will see the King, infant, and the Queen, and possibly the Dauphin,” said his Grace.

“And Madame de Pompadour. I want to see her, because I have heard that she is very beautiful.”

“Very,” said his Grace. “You will also see her favourite, de Stainville, and Monsieur, and the Comte d’Eu.”

“Tiens!” said Léonie.

When they had come to Versailles she went presently up the marble stairway, in Lady Fanny’s wake, to the Galerie des Glaces, and, looking about her, drew a deep breath.

“How I remember!” she said.

“For goodness’ sake, child, never say so!” begged Fanny. “You have never been here before. Let me hear no more of your recollections!”

“No, madame,” said Léonie abashed. “Oh, there is M. de La Valaye!”

La Valaye came to talk to them, and stole a curious glance at Léonie’s unpowdered head. Rupert slipped away into the crowd, in search of a kindred spirit, and was seen no more for some time.

Many people were turning to look at Léonie.

“Dis donc,” said de Stainville, “who is this beautiful little red-head? I do not recognize her.”

His friend, de Sally, took snuff.

“Have you not heard?” he asked. “That is the very latest beauty! She’s Avon’s ward.”

“Oho! Yes, one has heard,” nodded de Stainville. “It is Condé’s new toy, hein?”

“No, no, my friend!” De Sally shook his head vehemently. “Condé’s new goddess!”

Léonie was curtsying to the Duchesse de la Roque; de Stainville saw my lady Fanny.

“So Alastair has brought his so charming sister! Madame, votre serviteur!”

Fanny turned.

“La, so ’tis you, m’sieur.” She held out her hand. “I declare ’tis an age since I have seen you!”

“Madame, the years fly back when I look upon you,” de Stainville said, kissing her hand. “But surely it was Etienne once, and not that cold M’sieur?”

My lady hid behind her fan.