- Are You Mad, Monsieur, Said He; Do You Forget The
Place You Are In, Or The Danger You So Lately Escaped For An Enterprize
Of This Nature?
Mademoiselle Charlotta, now a little recovered from her first, surprize,
and knowing it was young monsieur de Coigney who
Had given her this
alarm, had presence enough of mind to ask how he dared, after he knew
her own and father's resolution, to disturb her, or any company she had
with her? he made no reply, but reflecting that there were other ways
than fighting, by which he might be revenged, went hastily away with
that friend who had hindered him from executing his rash purpose; but
they could hear that he muttered something which seemed a menace against
them both.
How impossible is it to express the consternation our lovers now were
in: they found by the repetition monsieur de Coigney made of the words
she spoke, that what they had so long and so successfully laboured to
conceal, was now betrayed: - betrayed to one who would not fail to make
the most malicious use of the discovery, and doubted not but the affair
would become the general talk, perhaps to the prejudice of Charlotta's
reputation; but the least thing either could expect, was to be
separated for ever.
Horatio, full of disturbed emotions, conducted his disconsolate mistress
to the gate of the Tuilleries, and there took a farewel of her, which he
had too much reason to fear would be his last, at least for a long time.
He was tempted by his first emotions to seek de Coigney, and call him to
account for the affront he had put upon him, and either lose his own
life, or oblige the other to secrecy; but then he considered, that there
was some probability he would not dare to own that he had given himself
any concern about mademoiselle Charlotta, after the injunction laid on
him by his father, much less as he had attempted a duel in her cause,
having, as has been already mentioned, been before guilty of a like
offence against the laws, which in that country are very strict, on
account of madame de Olonne; and this prevailed with him to be passive
as to what had happened, till he should hear how the other would behave,
and find what turn the affair would take.
Charlotta in the mean time was in the most terrible anxieties: - she
could not imagine what had brought monsieur de Coigney, who she thought
had been many miles distant, so suddenly to Paris: but on making some
private enquiry, she was informed, that having met some difficulty in
the execution of his office, he had taken post, in order to lay his
complaints before the king, and had arrived that very day. - She now
blamed her own inadvertency in holding any discourse with Horatio, of a
nature not proper to be over-heard, in a place so public as the
Tuilleries, where others, as well as he, might have possibly been
witnesses of what was said.
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