"The court presentation of Lady Dubarry is fixed on, if she can find a patroness, which we hope will not be. But the surest method of blocking the project is to have your royal highness here, in whose presence none will dare suggest such an offense."
"Very good. My horses must be put to. We depart at once."
Cardinal Rohan looked at Lord Stainville as if for an explanation of this abrupt change.
"The dauphin is in a hurry to see his wife," whispered the latter with such cunning that the churchman thought it had slipped his tongue and was satisfied with it.
Andrea had been trained by her father to understand royal freaks; she was not surprised at the contradiction. So the lady saw only smoothness on her face as she turned to her, saying:
"Thank you; your welcome has deeply touched me. Baron, you are aware that I made the vow to benefit the first French gentleman and his family, whom I should meet on the frontier. But I am not going to stop at this point, and Mademoiselle Andrea is not to be forgotten. Yes, I wish her to be my maid of honor. The brother will defend the king in the army, the sister will serve me; the father will instruct the first in loyalty, the other in virtue. I shall have enviable servitors, do you not agree?" she continued to Philip, who was kneeling. "I will leave one of my carriages to bring you in my train. Governor, name somebody to accompany my carriage for the Taverneys, and notify that it is of my household."
"Beausire," called out the governor, "come forward."
A sharp-eyed cavalier, some twenty-four years old, rode out from the escort and saluted.
"Set a guard over Baron Taverney's coach, and escort it."
"We shall meet soon again, then," said the princess with a smile. "Let us be off, my lords and gentlemen."
In a quarter of an hour, all remaining of the whirling cavalcade was the carriage left in the avenue and the guardsman whose horse was cropping the dandelions.
"Where is the magician?" inquired Taverney.
"I never heard of the like--leaving all that valuable plate."
"He left a note which Gilbert is fretting to deliver."
"Father," said Andrea, "I know what is tormenting you. You know I have thirty gold pieces, and the diamond-set watch Queen Maria Leczinska gave my mother."