第39章

(forsuchwastheshopman’sname)wasnotlongerehearrived

withhisparcel。

Madamed’Egmontwasreadytoreceivehim:she

hadhadsufficienttimetoexchangehershabbywalkingdressfor

onewhichbespokebothcoquetryandvoluptuousness；thesoftness

ofhersmile，andtheturnofherfeaturesannouncedonewhose

warmthofpassionswouldholdoutthemostflatteringhopesof

successtohimwhoshouldseekherlove。

MadameRossinandtheyoungshopmanweresoonengagedin

conversation，furtheranimatedbythebrightglancessentdirect

fromtheeyesofmadametotheunguardedheartofheradmiring

visitor。

Emboldenedbythegraciousnessofhermanner，he

presumedtotouchherfairhand:thelady，inaffectedanger，

rose，andcommandedhimtoquitthehouse。

Theterrifiedyouth

fellatherfeet，imploringpardonforhisboldness，andthen

hastilyquittedtheroomerethefeignedmadameRossincould

pronouncetheforgivenesshedemanded。

’Thefool，“was(doubtless)

theprincess’sexclamation，“hadhebeenbroughtupatcourthe

wouldhaveconductedhimselfverydifferently。“

Thissillinessofproceedingwas，however，farfrombeing

displeasingtotheprincess:onthecontrary，itseemedtoincrease

herdeterminationtoprosecutetheadventure。

Accordingly，on

thefollowingdayshehastenedtoresumeherformerwalkingdress，

andinittotaketheroadwhichledtotherueSt。Martin，and

againtopresentherselfasacustomeratthelinen-draper’sshop。

Thistimeshepurchasedclothforchemises。

Indescribableand

unspeakablewasthejoyofyoungMoireau，when，afterhaving

servedthemistressofhisthoughts，heheardherrequestofhis

mastertoallowthegoodsshehadselectedtobesenttoher

residence；andequallywashesurprisedthatsheomittedtoname

himasthepersonshewishedshouldconveythem。

Nevertheless，

asmaybeimagined，Moireauobtainedpossessionoftheparcel，

andwassoononhiswaytotherueTiquetonne，wherehefound

theladymorelanguishingandattractivethanbefore；andsoon

theyweredeepinthemostearnestandinterestingconversation。

Moireau，whonowsawthathisboldnesswasnotdispleasingtothe

lady，becamemoreandmorepresuming:true，hisovertureswere

refused，butsogently，thatitonlyfannedhisflame；norwasit

tillafterreiteratedprayersthatbesucceededinobtainingher

promisetomeethimonthefollowingSunday。

Theprincess，like

askilfulmanoeuvrer，reckonedupontheadditionalviolencehis

ardorwouldreceivefromthisdelay。

Theaffectionwithwhich

shehadinspiredhimwouldonlygainstrengthbythusdeferring

thedayfortheirnextmeeting，whilsthewouldhavetimeto

meditateuponthevirtueaswellasthecharmsofherhehadwon。

ThelonglookedforSundayatlengtharrived，andMoireauwas

firstattheplaceofrendezvous。

Hissimpledressaugmentedhis

naturalgoodlooks，whilstthecountesshadsparednopainsto

renderherappearancecalculatedtocaptivateandseduce。

All

reservewasthrownaside；andtosatisfytheeagercuriosityof

herlover，shestatedherselftobethewidowofacountrylawyer，

whohadcometoP