I wish always to find favour in your eyes."

Never woman better understood the art of putting charm into



insolence, and does not the charm double the effect? is it not

enough to infuriate the coolest of men? There was a sort of



untrammelled freedom about Mme de Langeais; a something in her

eyes, her voice, her attitude, which is never seen in a woman who



loves when she stands face to face with him at the mere sight of

whom her heart must needs begin to beat. The Marquis de



Ronquerolles's counsels had cured Armand of sheepishness; and

further, there came to his aid that rapid power of intuition



which passion will develop at moments in the least wise among

mortals, while a great man at such a time possesses it to the



full. He guessed the terrible truth revealed by the Duchess's

nonchalance, and his heart swelled with the storm like a lake



rising in flood.

"If you told me the truth yesterday, be mine, dear Antoinette,"



he cried; "you shall----"

"In the first place," said she composedly, thrusting him back



as he came nearer--"in the first place, you are not to

compromise me. My woman might overhear you. Respect me, I beg



of you. Your familiarity is all very well in my boudoir in an

evening; here it is quite different. Besides, what may your `you



shall' mean? `You shall.' No one as yet has ever used that word

to me. It is quite ridiculous, it seems to me, absolutely



ridiculous.

"Will you surrender nothing to me on this point?"



"Oh! do you call a woman's right to dispose of herself a

`point?' A capital point indeed; you will permit me to be



entirely my own mistress on that `point.' "

"And how if, believing in your promises to me, I should



absolutely require it?"

"Oh! then you would prove that I made the greatest possible



mistake when I made you a promise of any kind; and I should beg

you to leave me in peace."



The General's face grew white; he was about to spring to her

side, when Mme de Langeais rang the bell, the maid appeared, and,



smiling with a mocking grace, the Duchess added, "Be so good as

to return when I am visible."



Then Montriveau felt the hardness of a woman as cold and keen as

a steel blade; she was crushing in her scorn. In one moment she



had snapped the bonds which held firm only for her lover. She

had read Armand's intention in his face, and held that the moment



had come for teaching the Imperial soldier his lesson. He was to

be made to feel that though duchesses may lend themselves to



love, they do not give themselves, and that the conquest of one

of them would prove a harder matter than the conquest of Europe.



"Madame," returned Armand, "I have not time to wait. I am a

spoilt child, as you told me yourself. When I seriously resolve



to have that of which we have been speaking, I shall have it."

"You will have it?" queried she, and there was a trace of



surprise in her loftiness.

"I shall have it."



"Oh! you would do me a great pleasure by `resolving' to have it.

For curiosity's sake, I should be delighted to know how you would



set about it----"

"I am delighted to put a new interest into your life,"



interrupted Montriveau, breaking into a laugh which dismayed the

Duchess. "Will you permit me to take you to the ball tonight?"



"A thousand thanks. M. de Marsay has been beforehand with you.

I gave him my promise."



Montriveau bowed gravely and went.

"So Ronquerolles was right," thought he, "and now for a game



of chess."

Thenceforward he hid his agitation by complete composure. No man



is strong enough to bear such sudden alternations from the height

of happiness to the depths of wretchedness. So he had caught a



glimpse of happy life the better to feel the emptiness of his

previous existence? There was a terrible storm within him; but



he had learned to endure, and bore the shock of tumultuous

thoughts as a granite cliff stands out against the surge of an



angry sea.

"I could say nothing. When I am with her my wits desert me.



She does not know how vile and contemptible she is. Nobody has

• slender [´slendə] a.细长的；微薄的 (初中英语单词)


• laughter [´lɑ:ftə] n.笑，笑声 (初中英语单词)


• remote [ri´məut] a.遥远的；偏僻的 (初中英语单词)


• properly [´prɔpəli] ad.适当地；严格地 (初中英语单词)


• earnest [´ə:nist] a.认真的 n.认真；诚恳 (初中英语单词)


• attach [ə´tætʃ] v.附；使隶属；使依恋 (初中英语单词)


• dismiss [dis´mis] vt.解散；下课；解雇 (初中英语单词)


• vanity [´væniti] n.虚荣；自负；空虚 (初中英语单词)


• instant [´instənt] a.立即的 n.紧迫；瞬间 (初中英语单词)


• nervous [´nə:vəs] a.神经的；神经过敏的 (初中英语单词)


• awaken [ə´weikən] v.唤起，叫醒 (初中英语单词)


• striking [´straikiŋ] a.显著的，明显的 (初中英语单词)


• suffering [´sʌfəriŋ] n.痛苦；灾害 (初中英语单词)


• thoroughly [´θʌrəli] ad.完全地，彻底地 (初中英语单词)


• discipline [´disiplin] n.纪律；训练 (初中英语单词)


• passion [´pæʃən] n.激情；激怒；恋爱 (初中英语单词)


• system [´sistəm] n.系统，体系，制度 (初中英语单词)


• charming [´tʃɑ:miŋ] a.可爱的；极好的 (初中英语单词)


• whereas [weər´æz] conj.鉴于；因此；而 (初中英语单词)


• inspire [in´spaiə] v.鼓舞；使感悟；吸入 (初中英语单词)


• whisper [´wispə] v.耳语 n.低语；沙沙声 (初中英语单词)


• sprang [spræŋ] spring 的过去式 (初中英语单词)


• hastily [´heistili] ad.急速地；草率地 (初中英语单词)


• privilege [´privilidʒ] n.特权 vt.给….特权 (初中英语单词)


• monsieur [mə´sjə:] n.先生 (初中英语单词)


• thrill [θril] v.震惊；激动；刺激 (初中英语单词)


• yesterday [´jestədi] n.&ad.昨天；前不久 (初中英语单词)


• surrender [sə´rendə] vt.&n.交出；引渡；放弃 (初中英语单词)


• dispose [di´spəuz] v.处置；安排；布置 (初中英语单词)


• mistress [´mistris] n.女主人；情妇；女能手 (初中英语单词)


• intention [in´tenʃən] n.意图；打算；意义 (初中英语单词)


• imperial [im´piəriəl] a.帝国的；庄严的 (初中英语单词)


• conquest [´kɔŋkwest] n.赢得；获得；占领地 (初中英语单词)


• seriously [´siəriəsli] ad.严肃；严重，重大 (初中英语单词)


• gravely [´greivli] ad.庄重地，严肃地 (初中英语单词)


• existence [ig´zistəns] n.存在；生存；生活 (初中英语单词)


• endure [in´djuə] vt.忍耐，忍受；坚持 (初中英语单词)


• duchess [´dʌtʃis] n.公爵夫人；女公爵 (高中英语单词)


• cultivation [,kʌlti´veiʃən] n.耕作；培养 (高中英语单词)


• compromise [´kɔmprəmaiz] n.妥协，和解 (高中英语单词)


• parish [´pæriʃ] n.教区(的全体居民) (高中英语单词)


• latitude [´lætitju:d] n.纬度；地区 (高中英语单词)


• disdain [dis´dein] vt.&n.藐视，轻视 (高中英语单词)


• sponge [spʌndʒ] n.海绵(状物) (高中英语单词)


• regain [ri´gein] vt.收回；恢复 (高中英语单词)


• charity [´tʃæriti] n.施舍；慈悲；博爱 (高中英语单词)


• learned [´lə:nid] a.有学问的，博学的 (高中英语单词)


• expand [ik´spænd] vt.张开；膨胀；扩大 (高中英语单词)


• decided [di´saidid] a.明显的；决定的 (高中英语单词)


• deliberate [di´libəreit] a.慎重的；故意的 (高中英语单词)


• courtyard [´kɔ:tjɑ:d] n.院子，庭院 (高中英语单词)


• horrid [´hɔrid] a.令人讨厌的；极糟的 (高中英语单词)


• longing [´lɔŋiŋ] n.&a.渴望(的) (高中英语单词)


• marquis [´mɑ:kwis] n.侯爵 (高中英语单词)


• ridiculous [ri´dikjuləs] a.荒谬的；可笑的 (高中英语单词)


• agitation [,ædʒi´teiʃən] n.鼓动；摇动；焦虑 (高中英语单词)


• granite [´grænit] n.花岗岩 (高中英语单词)


• intellect [´intilekt] n.智力；有才智的人 (英语四级单词)


• humiliate [hju:´milieit] vt.使蒙羞，屈辱 (英语四级单词)


• boyish [´bɔiiʃ] a.少年的；幼稚的 (英语四级单词)


• eyelid [´ai,lid] n.眼睑；眼皮 (英语四级单词)


• feminine [´feminin] a.女性的 (英语四级单词)


• undertook [,ʌndə´tuk] undertake的过去式 (英语四级单词)


• abominable [ə´bɔminəbəl] a.可憎的；极坏的 (英语四级单词)


• wedded [´wedid] a.(已)结婚的；献身的 (英语四级单词)


• overhear [,əuvə´hiə] vt.偶然听到；偷听 (英语四级单词)


• hardness [´hɑ:dnis] n.坚硬；严厉；难度 (英语四级单词)


• delighted [di´laitid] a.高兴的；喜欢的 (英语四级单词)


• beforehand [bi´fɔ:hænd] ad.事先；提前 (英语四级单词)


• composure [kəm´pəuʒə] n.镇静，沉着 (英语四级单词)


• speaking [´spi:kiŋ] n.说话 a.发言的 (英语六级单词)


• intrusion [in´tru:ʒən] n.侵入；打扰；强加 (英语六级单词)


• indifferently [in´difrəntli] ad.不关心地；冷淡地 (英语六级单词)


• wrapping [´ræpiŋ] n.包装材料 (英语六级单词)


• familiarity [fə,mili´æriti] n.熟悉；新近；随便 (英语六级单词)


• contemptible [kən´temptəbəl] a.可鄙的；可轻视的 (英语六级单词)