Dumas' Romances (Volume 30); The Queen's Necklace (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1895 edition. Excerpt: ... THE QUEEN'S NECKLACE. PROLOGUE.--THE PREDICTIONS. I.--AX OLD NOBLEMAN AND AN OLD MA1TRE D'n6TEL. It was the beginning of April, 1784, between twelve and one o'clock. Our old acquaintance, the Marshal de Richelieu, having with his own hands coloured his eyebrows with a perfumed dye, pushed away the mirror which was held to him by his valet, the successor of his faithful Rafte," and shaking his head in the manner peculiar to himself, "Ah " said he, "now I look myself;" and, rising from his seat with juvenile vivacity, he commenced shaking off the powder which had fallen from his wig over his blue velvet coat, then, after taking a turn or two up and down his room, called for his maitre d'hotel. In five minutes this personage made his appearance, elaborately dressed. The marshal turned towards him, and, with a gravity befitting the occasion, said, "Monsieur, I suppose you have prepared me a good dinner?" "Certainly, monseigneur." "You have the list of my guests?" "I remember them perfectly, your grace; I have prepared a dinner for nine." "There are two sorts of dinners, monsieur," said the marshal. "True, monseigneur, but --"' The marshal interrupted him with a slightly impatient movement, although still dignified. "Do you know, monsieur, that whenever I have heard the word ' but, ' -- and I have heard it many times in the course of eighty-eight years, --it has been each time, I am sorry to say, the harbinger of some folly " ' Monseigneur --" "In the first place, at what time do we dine?" "Monseigneur, the citizens dine at two, the bar at three, the nobility at four." "And I, monsieur?* "Monseigneur will dine to-day at five." "Oh, at five " "Yes, monseigneur, like the king." "And why like the king?" "Because, on the list of your guests is the...