Then Nothing Would Serve Me When I Got Within Sight Of Versailles,
But Putting Words And Sentences Together, And Conceiving Attitudes
And Tones To Wreath Myself Into Monsieur Le Duc De C-'s Good
Graces.
- This will do, said I. - Just as well, retorted I again, as
a coat carried up to him by an adventurous tailor, without taking
his measure.
Fool! continued I, - see Monsieur le Duc's face
first; - observe what character is written in it; - take notice in
what posture he stands to hear you; - mark the turns and expressions
of his body and limbs; - and for the tone, - the first sound which
comes from his lips will give it you; and from all these together
you'll compound an address at once upon the spot, which cannot
disgust the Duke; - the ingredients are his own, and most likely to
go down.
Well! said I, I wish it well over. - Coward again! as if man to man
was not equal throughout the whole surface of the globe; and if in
the field - why not face to face in the cabinet too? And trust me,
Yorick, whenever it is not so, man is false to himself and betrays
his own succours ten times where nature does it once. Go to the
Duc de C- with the Bastile in thy looks; - my life for it, thou wilt
be sent back to Paris in half an hour with an escort.
I believe so, said I. - Then I'll go to the Duke, by heaven! with
all the gaiety and debonairness in the world. -
- And there you are wrong again, replied I. - A heart at ease,
Yorick, flies into no extremes - 'tis ever on its centre. - Well!
well! cried I, as the coachman turn'd in at the gates, I find I
shall do very well: and by the time he had wheel'd round the
court, and brought me up to the door, I found myself so much the
better for my own lecture, that I neither ascended the steps like a
victim to justice, who was to part with life upon the top most, -
nor did I mount them with a skip and a couple of strides, as I do
when I fly up, Eliza! to thee to meet it.
As I entered the door of the saloon I was met by a person, who
possibly might be the maitre d'hotel, but had more the air of one
of the under secretaries, who told me the Duc de C- was busy. - I am
utterly ignorant, said I, of the forms of obtaining an audience,
being an absolute stranger, and what is worse in the present
conjuncture of affairs, being an Englishman too. - He replied, that
did not increase the difficulty. - I made him a slight bow, and told
him, I had something of importance to say to Monsieur le Duc. The
secretary look'd towards the stairs, as if he was about to leave me
to carry up this account to some one. - But I must not mislead you,
said I, - for what I have to say is of no manner of importance to
Monsieur le Duc de C - -but of great importance to myself.
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