De Coigney Knew Not How Either To Put Up Or Resent This Affront; He Knew
Very Well That His Son
Had behaved so as to give cause for it, yet
thought he had other perfections which might over-balance what,
By a
partial indulgence, he looked upon only as the follies of youth; and as
for the reflection on his family, he told the other, that whatever he
was he owed to the merit of his ancestors, not his own, and that he
doubted not but his son would one day raise his name equal to that of
Palfoy. In fine, the pride of the one, and the vanity of the other,
occasioned a contest between them, which might have furnished matter for
a scene in a comedy had any poet been witness of it: the result of it
was that they agreed in this to be mutually dissatisfied with each
other, never to converse together any more, and to forbid all
communication between their families.
The baron went immediately to his daughter's chamber, and having ordered
her maid, who was then doing something about her, to leave the room, I
have wondered, Charlotta, said he, with a countenance that was far from
betraying the secret vexation of his mind, that you have never, since
your coming to Paris, expressed the least desire of making a visit at
St. Germains, tho' the duty you owe a princess, who seems to have a very
great affection for you, might well have excused any impatience you
might have testified on that score; besides, you owe a visit to
mademoiselle de Coigney.
The princess merits doubtless all the respect I am able to pay her,
answered she; but, my lord, as it was your pleasure to remove me from
that palace, I waited till your command should licence my return; as for
mademoiselle de Coigney, the intimacy between us will excuse those
ceremonies which are of little weight where there is a real friendship.
These words confirming all the baron's suspicions, he thought there was
no need of farther dissimulation, and the long-conceived indignation
burst out in looks more furious than the trembling Charlotta had ever
seen in him before. - Yes, degenerate girl! said he, I have but too plain
proofs of the friendship in which you have linked yourself with the
family of the de Coigney's; - but tell me, continued he, how dare you
engage yourself so far without my knowledge? could you ever hope I would
consent to an alliance with de Coigney?
De Coigney! cried she, much more assured than she had been before the
mention of that name, heaven forbid you should have such a thought!
The resolution and disdain with which she spoke these words a little
surprized him: what, cried he, have you not encouraged the addresses of
young de Coigney, and even proceeded so far as to make his father
imagine there required no more than to ask my consent to a marriage
between you!
How much courage does innocence inspire? Charlotta, of late so timid and
alarmed while she thought Horatio was in question, was now all calmness
and composure, when she found de Coigney the person for whom she had
been suspected. She confessed to her father, with the most settled brow,
that he had indeed made some offers of an affection for her, but said,
she had given him such answers, as nothing but the height of arrogance
and folly could interpret to his advantage; and then, on the baron's
commanding her, acquainted him with every particular that had passed
between that young gentleman, his sister, and herself, touching the
affair she was accused of.
She was so minute in every circumstance, answered with such readiness to
all the questions he asked of her, and seemed so perfectly at ease, as
indeed she was, that the baron could no longer have any doubts of her
sincerity, and was sorry he had taken her so abruptly from St. Germains:
he now told her, that she was at liberty to visit there as frequently as
she pleased, only, as he had been affronted by old monsieur de Coigney,
as well as to silence all future reports concerning the young gentleman,
he expected she would break off all acquaintance with mademoiselle. She
assured him of her obedience in this point, and added, that she could do
it without any difficulty; for tho' she was a lady who had many good
qualities, and one for whom she once had a friendship, yet the taking
upon her to forward her brother's designs had occasioned a strangeness
between them, which had already more than half anticipated his commands.
Monsieur the baron de Palfoy was now as well satisfied with his daughter
as he had lately been the reverse, and she was allowed once more all
those innocent liberties which the French ladies, above those of any
other nation in the world, enjoy.
It is not to be doubted but that the first use she made of liberty was
to go to St. Germains: she had heard from mademoiselle de Coigney, when
she came to visit her, that Horatio had been very much indisposed, and
at that time was not quite recovered, and was impatient to give him all
the consolation that the sight of her could afford; but fearing she
should not have an opportunity of speaking to him in private, she wrote
a letter, containing a full recital of the reason which had induced her
father to take her from St. Germains, and the happy mistake he had been
in concerning de Coigney; concluding with letting him know he might
sometimes visit her at Paris as an indifferent acquaintance, not the
least suspicion being entertained of him, and the baron now in so good a
humour with her, that it would not be easy for any one to make him give
credit to any informations to her prejudice. The whole was dictated by a
spirit of tenderness, which, tho' it did not plainly confess an
affection, implied every thing an honourable lover could either
expect or hope.
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