FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122  
123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   >>  
led up. "You knew of this?" he asked, coming towards me. "I knew of it." "Then you lied to me yesterday." I drew myself up, stiff as a broomstick. "I do not understand," I answered coldly. "Did you not give me your assurance that M. de Mancini would marry Yvonne?" "I did not, Monsieur. I did but tell you that he would wed your daughter. And, ma foi! your daughter he has wed." "You have fooled me, scelerat!" he blazed out. "You, who have been sheltered by--" "Father!" Yvonne interrupted, taking his arm. "M. de Luynes has behaved no worse than have I, or any one of us, in this matter." "No!" he cried, and pointed to Andrea. "'T is you who have wrought this infamy. Eugene," he exclaimed, turning of a sudden to his son, "you have a sword; wipe out this shame." "Shame!" echoed Genevieve. "Oh, father, where is the shame? If it were no shame for Andrea to marry Yvonne, surely--" "Silence!" he thundered. "Eugene--" But Eugene answered him with a contemptuous laugh. "You are quick enough to call upon my sword, now that things have not fallen out as you would have them. Where are your grooms now, Monsieur?" "Insolent hound!" cried his father indignantly. Then, letting fall his arms with something that was near akin to a sob--"Is there no one left to do aught but mock me?" he groaned. But this weakness was no more than momentary. "Out of my house, sir!" he blazed, turning upon Andrea, and for a moment methought he would have struck him. "Out of my house--you and this wife of yours!" "Father!" sobbed Genevieve, with hands outstretched in entreaty. "Out of my house," he repeated, "and you also, M. de Luynes. Away with you! Go with the master you have served so well." And, turning on his heel, he strode towards the door. "Father--dear father!" cried Genevieve, following him: he slammed the door in her face for answer. With a moan she sank down upon her knees, her frail body shaken by convulsive sobs--Dieu! what a bridal morn was hers! Andrea and Yvonne raised her and led her to a chair. Eugene watched them with a cynical eye, then laughed brutally, and, gathering up his hat and cloak, he moved towards the balcony door and vanished. "Is M. de Luynes still there?" quoth Genevieve presently. "I am here, Madame." "You had best set out, Monsieur," she said. "We shall follow soon--very soon." I took Andrea aside and asked him whither it was his intention to take his wife. He repl
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122  
123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   >>  



Top keywords:
Andrea
 

Eugene

 

Yvonne

 

Genevieve

 

turning

 
Father
 
Luynes
 

Monsieur

 
father
 

daughter


answered

 

blazed

 
convulsive
 

answer

 
shaken
 

repeated

 
entreaty
 
outstretched
 

sobbed

 

master


served

 

coming

 

strode

 

slammed

 

watched

 

Madame

 

follow

 

intention

 

presently

 

laughed


cynical

 
raised
 

brutally

 

gathering

 

vanished

 
balcony
 

bridal

 
momentary
 

echoed

 
exclaimed

sudden
 

Mancini

 
Silence
 
thundered
 

surely

 

assurance

 
infamy
 

wrought

 
scelerat
 

behaved