[Ten Years Later by Alexandre Dumas Pere]@TWC D-Link bookTen Years Later CHAPTER II 2/8
The latter personage, a man of from twenty-five to twenty-six years of age, with a mien sometimes lively and sometimes dull, making good use of two large eyes, shaded with long eye-lashes, was short of stature and swart of skin; he smiled with an enormous, but well-furnished mouth, and his pointed chin, which appeared to enjoy a mobility nature does not ordinarily grant to that portion of the countenance, leant from time to time very lovingly towards his interlocutrix, who, we must say, did not always draw back so rapidly as strict propriety had a right to require.
The young girl--we know her, for we have already seen her, at that very same window, by the light of that same sun--the young girl presented a singular mixture of shyness and reflection; she was charming when she laughed, beautiful when she became serious; but, let us hasten to say, she was more frequently charming than beautiful.
These two appeared to have attained the culminating point of a discussion--half-bantering, half-serious. "Now, Monsieur Malicorne," said the young girl, "does it, at length, please you that we should talk reasonably ?" "You believe that that is very easy, Mademoiselle Aure," replied the young man.
"To do what we like, when we can only do what we are able--" "Good! there he is bewildered in his phrases." "Who, I ?" "Yes, you; quit that lawyer's logic, my dear." "Another impossibility.
Clerk I am, Mademoiselle de Montalais." "Demoiselle I am, Monsieur Malicorne." "Alas, I know it well, and you overwhelm me by your rank; so I will say no more to you." "Well, no, I don't overwhelm you; say what you have to tell me--say it, I insist upon it." "Well, I obey you." "That is truly fortunate." "Monsieur is dead." "Ah, _peste!_ that's news! And where do you come from, to be able to tell us that ?" "I come from Orleans, mademoiselle." "And is that all the news you bring ?" "Ah, no; I am come to tell you that Madame Henrietta of England is coming to marry the king's brother." "Indeed, Malicorne, you are insupportable with your news of the last century.
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