to oust me from my position. But
a young gentleman, who showed himself very forward in these attempts,
presently stumbling against me, I found it necessary to look at him.

'Sir,' he said, in a small and lisping voice, 'you trod on my toe.'

Though I had not done so, I begged his pardon very politely. But as his
only acknowledgment of this courtesy consisted in an attempt to get his
knee in front of mine--we were mounting very slowly, the stairs being
cumbered with a multitude of servants, who stood on either hand--I did
tread on his toe, with a force and directness which made him cry out.

'What is the matter?' Rambouillet asked, looking back hastily.

'Nothing, M. le Marquis,' I answered, pressing on steadfastly.

'Sir,' my young friend said again, in the same lisping voice, 'you trod
on my toe.'

'I believe I did, sir,' I answered.

'You have not yet apologised,' he murmured gently in my ear.

'Nay, there you are wrong,' I rejoined bluntly, 'for it is always my
habit to apologise first and tread afterwards.'

He smiled as at a pleasant joke; and I am bound to say that his bearing
was so admirable that if he had been my son I could have hugged him.
'Good!' he answered. 'No doubt your sword is as sharp as your wits,
sir. I see,' he continued, glancing naively at my old scabbard--he
was himself the very gem of a courtier, a slender youth with a
pink-and-white complexion, a dark line for a moustache, and a pearl-drop
in his ear--'it is longing to be out. Perhaps you will take a turn in
the tennis-court to-morrow?'

'With pleasure, sir,' I answered, 'if you have a father, or your elder
brother is grown up.'

What answer he would have made to this gibe I do not know, for at that
moment we reached the door of the ante-chamber; and this being narrow,
and a sentry in the grey uniform of the Swiss Guard compelling all to
enter in single file, my young friend was forced to fall back, leaving
me free to enter alone, and admire at my leisure a scene at once
brilliant and sombre.

The Court being in mourning for the Queen-mother, black predominated
in the dresses of those present, and set off very finely the gleaming
jewels and gemmed sword-hilts which were worn by the more important
personages. The room was spacious and lofty, hung with arras, and lit by
candles burning in silver sconces; it rang as we entered with the shrill
screaming of a parrot, which was being teased by a group occupying the
farther of the two h