ntess listened to the
Duke's gallantries with anxiety and embarrassment, and ever and anon
turned an entreating look towards the Princess, as if requesting her to
come to her relief. But the wounded feelings and the timidity of Joan of
France rendered her incapable of an effort to make the conversation more
general; and at length, excepting a few interjectional civilities of the
Lady Hameline, it was maintained almost exclusively by the Duke himself,
though at the expense of the younger Countess of Croye, whose beauty
formed the theme of his high flown eloquence.

Nor must I forget that there was a third person, the unregarded
sentinel, who saw his fair visions melt away like wax before the sun,
as the Duke persevered in the warm tenor of his passionate discourse.
At length the Countess Isabelle de Croye made a determined effort to cut
short what was becoming intolerably disagreeable to her, especially from
the pain to which the conduct of the Duke was apparently subjecting the
Princess.

Addressing the latter, she said, modestly, but with some firmness, that
the first boon she had to claim from her promised protection was, "that
her Highness would undertake to convince the Duke of Orleans that the
ladies of Burgundy, though inferior in wit and manners to those of
France, were not such absolute fools as to be pleased with no other
conversation than that of extravagant compliment."

"I grieve, lady," said the Duke, preventing the Princess's answer, "that
you will satirize, in the same sentence, the beauty of the dames of
Burgundy and the sincerity of the Knights of France. If we are hasty and
extravagant in the expression of our admiration, it is because we love
as we fight, Without letting cold deliberation come into our bosoms, and
surrender to the fair with the same rapidity with which we defeat the
valiant."

"The beauty of our countrywomen," said the young Countess, with more of
reproof than she had yet ventured to use towards the high born suitor,
"is as unfit to claim such triumphs, as the valour of the men of
Burgundy is incapable of yielding them."

"I respect your patriotism, Countess," said the Duke; "and the last
branch of your theme shall not be impugned by me, till a Burgundian
knight shall offer to sustain it with lance in rest. But for the
injustice which you have done to the charms which your land produces, I
appeal from yourself to yourself.--Look there," he said, pointing to a
large mirror, the g