oment, at a loss whither
to turn, in the absence of either friends or acquaintances. His Majesty,
it is true, had bidden me go to certain pretty baggages, meaning,
apparently, five ladies who were seated at the farther end of the room,
diverting themselves with as many cavaliers; but the compactness of this
party, the beauty of the ladies, and the merry peals of laughter which
proceeded from them, telling of a wit and vivacity beyond the ordinary,
sapped the resolution which had borne me well hitherto. I felt that
to attack such a phalanx, even with a king's good will, was beyond the
daring of a Crillon, and I looked round to see whether I could not amuse
myself in some more modest fashion.

The material was not lacking. Crillon, still mouthing out his anger,
strode up and down in front of the trunk on which M. de Biron was
seated; but the latter was, or affected to be, asleep. 'Crillon is for
ever going into rages now,' a courtier beside me whispered.

'Yes,' his fellow answered, with a shrug of the shoulder; 'it is a pity
there is no one to tame him. But he has such a long reach, morbleu!'

'It is not that so much as the fellow's fury,' the first speaker
rejoined under his breath. 'He fights like a mad thing; fencing is no
use against him.'

The other nodded. For a moment the wild idea of winning renown by taming
M. de Crillon occurred to me as I stood alone in the middle of the
floor; but it had not more than passed through my brain when I felt
my elbow touched, and turned to find the young gentleman whom I had
encountered on the stairs standing by my side.

'Sir,' he lisped, in the same small voice, 'I think you trod on my toe a
while ago?'

I stared at him, wondering what he meant by this absurd repetition.
'Well, sir,' I answered drily, 'and if I did?'

'Perhaps,' he said, stroking his chin with his jewelled fingers,
'pending our meeting to-morrow, you would allow me to consider it as a
kind of introduction?'

'If it please you,' I answered, bowing stiffly, and wondering what he
would be at.

'Thank you,' he answered. 'It does please me, under the circumstances;
for there is a lady here who desires a word with you. I took up her
challenge. Will you follow me?'

He bowed, and turned in his languid fashion. I, turning too, saw, with
secret dismay, that the five ladies, referred to above, were all now
gazing at me, as expecting my approach; and this with such sportive
glances as told only too certainly o