Cerise; A Tale of the Last Century (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Cardinal as to a Colonel of the Body-guard or a Marshal of France; while the soldier's training fitted him far less than the priest's to countermine the subtleties of diplomacy or unravel the intricacies of finance. There remained, then, but the vow of celibacy to swallow, and, in truth, the vow of celibacy suited Malletort admirably well. Notwithstanding his ugly face, he was an especial favourite with women, on whom his ready wit, his polished manners, and, above all, his imperturbable coolness, made a pleasing impression. They liked him none the less that his reputed hardness of heart and injustice towards themselves were proverbial. While, as for his plain features, why, to quote the words of Ninon de 1'Enclos, who ought to have been a good judge in such matters, " A man's want of beauty is of small account if he be not deficient in other amiable qualities, for there is no conquest without the affections, and what mole can be so blind as a woman in love ?" CHAPTER III. Monsieur L'abb THE crowd had passed on to witness the king's dinner, now in full progress, and the two soberly-clad friends found themselves the only occupants of the gardens. Side by side they took their seats on a bench under a row of lime-trees, and continued the conversation which had originated in little Cerise and her childish beauty. "It is a face as God made it," said Florian, his boyish features lighting up with enthusiasm. " Children are surely nearer Heaven than ourselves. What a pity to think that they should grow into .the painted, patched, powdered hypocrites, of whom so many have passed by us even now." " Beautifully dressed, however," answered his worldly senior, placidly indifferent, as usual, to all that did not concern his own immediate comfort " If there were no women, Florian, ...