ildhood._" Stupid not to see this for oneself. So obvious. Enter
_Louise_. Think _Raoul_ informs her in pantomime that one of the
bows on her dress has "come undone;" she rewards him for this act
of politeness by taking the bow off and pinning it on his breast.
_Raoul_ not satisfied, pleads for another, to put on his hat. _Louise_
refuses, can't ruin her new frock like that for _him_. Find I'm wrong
again. Argument says, "_he implores her to fulfil the wish of his
own and their parents' hearts by naming the nuptial day. Louise is
confused, and bids him wait._" He retires brokenhearted, in search of
the refreshments, and the Cavaliers, with whom a very little dancing
on gravel and a warm afternoon goes a long way, retire with him. The
ladies, left alone, "_now freely express their opinions on the merits
of their late companions_," which seems natural enough. _Louise_
dissents; doesn't see anything particularly rude in their conduct,
"Cavaliers _are_ like that--_will_ rush off for refreshments alone
after every dance and leave their partners." At least, that's how _I_
understood her. Missed the point again. Argument informs me she has
been answering, "_abruptly that the Sun (meaning the King) absorbs her
whole soul, and that she has no thoughts to bestow on mere planets_."
She said all that in a shake of the head and two shrugs, so "abruptly"
is quite the right word. Other ladies annoyed with her, and show it by
walking past and waggling their fingers in her face, which appears to
depress _Louise_ considerably. Then they go out, after the Cavaliers,
or the refreshments. Meanwhile _Louis the Fourteenth_ has entered
at the back and overheard all. _He_ knows what the shake and shrugs
meant, and smiles and nods knowingly to himself. "Oh, I _am_ an
irresistible Monarch, _I_ am!" he seems to be saying. "I'll follow
this up." So he struts down with a fixed smile on his face, like the
impudent young dog he is, and pats his chest passionately at her.
_Louise_ startled. "Don't go away," says _Louis_ in pantomime. "I say,
there's an arbour in that shrubbery,--let's go and sit in it--_do_!"
_Louise_ undecided; tries to excuse herself. "Earwiggy? not a bit of
it!" _Louis_ assures her (he wouldn't be so confident about it if he
had seen his Gardeners at work); "_come_ along!" _Louise_ still timid;
suggests spiders. _Louis_ vows that no spider shall harm her while he
lives to protect her, and draws her gently towards the shrubbery; he
do