seemed to give to himself
airs that she was by no means accustomed to endure. Matta desired to
know wherein he could be said to have given himself any. "Wherein?"
said she: "the second day that you honoured me with your attentions, you
treated me as if I had been your humble servant for a thousand years;
the first time that I gave you my hand you squeezed it as violently as
you were able. After this commencement of your courtship, I got into my
coach, and you mounted your horse; but instead of riding by the side of
the coach, as any reasonable gallant would have done, no sooner did a
hare start from her form, than you immediately galloped full speed after
her; having regaled yourself, during the promenade, by taking snuff,
without ever deigning to bestow a thought on me, the only proof you gave
me, on your return, that you recollected me, was by soliciting me to
surrender my reputation in terms polite enough, but very explicit. And
now you talk to me of having been shooting of partridges and of some
visit or other, which, I suppose, you have been dreaming of, as well as
of all the rest."
The Chevalier de Grammont now advanced, to the interruption of this
whimsical dialogue. Matta was rebuked for his forwardness, and his
friend took abundant pains to convince him that his conduct bordered
more upon insolence than familiarity. Matta endeavoured to exculpate
himself, but succeeded ill. His mistress took compassion upon him,
and consented to admit his excuses, for the manner, rather than his
repentance for the fact, and declared that it was the intention alone
which could either justify or condemn, in such cases; that it was
very easy to pardon those transgressions which arise from excess of
tenderness, but not such as proceeded from too great a presumption of
success. Matta swore that he only squeezed her hand from the violence
of his passion, and that he had been driven, by necessity, to ask her to
relieve it; that he was yet a novice in the arts of solicitation; that
he could not possibly think her more worthy of his affection, after a
month's service, than at the present moment; and that he entreated her
to cast away an occasional thought upon him when her leisure admitted.
The Marchioness was not offended, she saw very well that she must
require an implicit conformity to the established rule of decorum, when
she had to deal with such a character; and the Chevalier de Grammont,
after this sort of reconciliation, went
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