Horatio Thought No More On The Affair Of Madame De Olonne And Monsieur
De Coigney, From The Time He Had Been Cleared Of Having Any Concern With
That Lady, Yet Was That Night's Adventure Productive Of What He Looked
Upon As The Greatest Misfortune Could Befal Him.
But to make this matter
conspicuous to the reader, it is necessary to give a brief detail of the
circumstances that led to it.
This lady, who was wife to the baron de Olonne, was one of the most
beautiful, and most vicious women in the kingdom; she entertained a
great number of lovers; but there was none more attached to her, or more
loved by her than young monsieur de Coigney: he had for a long time
maintained a criminal correspondence with her, to the great trouble of
all his friends, who endeavoured all they could, but in vain, to wean
him from her: he had lately a recounter with one of her former lovers,
which had like to have cost him his life; and it was with great
difficulty, and as much as the relations on both sides could do, by
representing to the king that they were set upon by street-robbers, that
they avoided the punishment the law inflicts on duelists. De Coigney was
but just recovered of the hurts he had received, when, so far from
resolving to quit the occasion of them, he made an appointment to meet
her at the masquerade: - they had described to each other the habit they
intended to wear, when, as he was preparing for the rendezvous, an
express came from the king, commanding his immediate attendance at
Marli, where the court then was: this was occasioned by old monsieur de
Coigney, who having, by some spies he kept about his son, received
intelligence of this assignation, had no other way to disappoint it than
by the royal authority, which he easily procured, as he was very much in
favour with his majesty; and had laid the matter before him.
The person who came with the mandate had orders not to quit the presence
of young Coigney, but bring him directly; by which means he was deprived
of all opportunity of sending his excuses to madame de Olonne, who
coming to the masquerade big with expectation of seeing her favourite
lover, and finding him, as she imagined, engaged with others, and wholly
regardless of herself, was seized with the most violent jealousy; and
not able to continue in a place where she had received so manifest a
slight, desired mademoiselle de Freville, her confidant and companion,
to upbraid him with his inconstancy; which request she complied with in
the manner already related, and which gave mademoiselle Charlotta such
matter of disquiet.
The amorous madame de Olonne, however, having given vent to the first
transports of her fury, could not hinder those of a softer nature from
returning with the same violence as ever; and for the gratification of
them wrote that letter which Horatio received, and occasioned afterward
the explanation of the whole affair, which explanation he then thought
fortunate for him; but by a whimsical effect of chance it proved utterly
the reverse.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 51 of 194
Words from 26727 to 27258
of 102800
