At this Alexis secretly laughed. "She will come round," said he; "she
will finally be compelled to it by her own feelings. I will give her
time and leisure to come to a knowledge of herself!"
And for some days he kept away from the villa, pretending pressing
business, and left the poor isolated princess to her languishing
love-dreams.
It was precisely in these days that, on one forenoon, a carriage of
indifferent appearance, adorned with no heraldic arms, stopped before
the villa; a man closely enveloped in a mantle, his hat pressed deeply
down over his forehead, issued from the carriage and rang the bell.
Of the servant who answered the bell he hastily inquired if the
princess was at home and alone; these questions being answered in the
affirmative, and the servant having asked his name in order to announce
him, the stranger said, almost in a commanding tone: "The princess knows
my name, and will gladly welcome me; therefore lead me directly to her!"
"The princess receives no one," said the servant, placing himself in a
position to prevent the stranger's entrance.
"She will receive me," said the unknown, dropping some gold-pieces into
the servant's hand.
Pages:
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498