If you will give me leave, Monsieur, I will write to his Eminence in this strain, and you shall be the bearer of my letter." I thanked him, with a smile of deprecation, as I thought of the true cause of Mazarin's resentment, which was precisely that of the plea upon which M.de Canaples sought to obtain for me my liberation.
"And now, Monsieur," he pursued nervously, "touching Andrea and his visit here, I would say a word to you who are his friend, and may haply know something of his mind.

It is over two months since he came here, and yet the--er--affair which we had hoped to bring about seems no nearer its conclusion than when first he came.

Of late I have watched him and I have watched Yvonne; they are certainly good friends, yet not even the frail barrier of formality appears overcome betwixt them, and I am beginning to fear that Andrea is not only lukewarm in this matter, but is forgetful of his uncle's wishes and selfishly indifferent to Monseigneur's projects and mine, which, as he well knows, are the reason of his sojourn at my chateau.

What think you of this, M.de Luynes ?" He shot a furtive glance at me as he spoke, and with his long, lean forefinger he combed his beard in a nervous fashion.
I gave a short laugh to cover my embarrassment at the question.
"What do I think, Monsieur ?" I echoed to gain time.

Then, thinking that a sententious answer would be the most fitting,--"Ma foi! Love is as the spark that lies latent in flint and steel: for days and weeks these two may be as close together as you please, and naught will come of it; but one fine day, a hand--the hand of chance--will strike the one against the other, and lo!--the spark is born!" "You speak in parables, Monsieur," was his caustic comment.
"'T is in parables that all religions are preached," I returned, "and love, methinks, is a great religion in this world." "Love, sir, love!" he cried petulantly.