that, at the moment he began to speak, silence had just been restored, and, although his voice was very soft and gentle in its touch, every one heard his question. Buckingham turned round, and looked at the tall thin figure, and the listless expression of countenance of his questioner. Probably the personal appearance of Manicamp, who was dressed very plainly, did not inspire him with much respect, for he replied disdainfully, "Who may you be, monsieur?"
Manicamp, leaning on the arm of a gigantic trooper, as firm as the pillar of a cathedral, replied in his usual tranquil tone of voice,—"And
you
, monsieur?"
"I, monsieur, am the Duke of Buckingham; I have hired all the houses which surround the Hotel de Ville, where I have business to transact; and as these houses are let, they belong to me, and, as I hired them in order to preserve the right of free access to the Hotel de Ville, you are not justified in preventing me passing to it."
"But who prevents you passing, monsieur?" inquired Manicamp.
"Your sentinels."
"Because you wish to pass on horseback, and orders have been given to let only persons on foot pass."
"No one has any right to give orders here, except myself," said Buckingham.
"On what grounds?" inquired Manicamp, with his soft tone. "Will you do me the favor to explain this enigma to me?"
"Because, as I have already told you, I have hired all the houses looking on the square."
"We are very well aware of that, since nothing but the square itself has been left for us."
"You are mistaken, monsieur; the square belongs to me, as well as the houses in it."
"Forgive me, monsieur, but you are mistaken there. In
our
country, we say, the highway belongs to the king, therefore this square is his majesty's; and, consequently, as we are the king's ambassadors, the square belongs to us."
"I have already asked you who you are, monsieur," exclaimed Buckingham, exasperated at the coolness of his interlocutor.
"My name is Manicamp," replied the young man, in a voice whose tones were as harmonious and sweet as the notes of an Aeolian harp.
Buckingham shrugged his shoulders contemptuously, and said, "When I hired these houses which surround the Hotel de Ville, the square was unoccupied; these barracks obstruct my sight; I hereby order them to be removed."
A hoarse and angry murmur ran through the crowd of listeners at these words. De Guiche arrived at this moment; he pushed through the crowd which separated him from Buckingham, and, followed by Raoul, arrived on the scene of action from one side, just as De Wardes came up from the other. "Pardon me, my lord; but if you have any complaint to make, have the goodness to address it to me, inasmuch as it was I who supplied the plans for the construction of these tents."
"Moreover, I would beg you to observe, monsieur, that the term "barrack" is a highly objectionable one!" added Manicamp, graciously.
"You were saying, monsieur—" continued De Guiche.
"I was saying, monsieur le comte," resumed Buckingham, in a tone of anger more marked than ever, although in some measure moderated by the presence of an equal, "I was saying that it is impossible these tents can remain where they are."
"
Impossible!
" exclaimed De Guiche, "and why?"
"Because I object to them."
A movement of impatience escaped De Guiche, but a warning glance from Raoul restrained him.
"You should the less object to them, monsieur, on account of the abuse of priority you have permitted yourself to exercise."
"
Abuse!
"
"Most assuredly. You commission a messenger, who hires in your name the whole of the town of Le Havre, without considering the members of the French court, who would be sure to arrive here to meet Madame. Your Grace will admit that this is hardly friendly conduct in the representative of a friendly nation."
"The right of possession belongs to him who is first on the ground."
"Not in France, monsieur."
"Why not in France?"
"Because France is a country where politeness is
Manicamp, leaning on the arm of a gigantic trooper, as firm as the pillar of a cathedral, replied in his usual tranquil tone of voice,—"And
you
, monsieur?"
"I, monsieur, am the Duke of Buckingham; I have hired all the houses which surround the Hotel de Ville, where I have business to transact; and as these houses are let, they belong to me, and, as I hired them in order to preserve the right of free access to the Hotel de Ville, you are not justified in preventing me passing to it."
"But who prevents you passing, monsieur?" inquired Manicamp.
"Your sentinels."
"Because you wish to pass on horseback, and orders have been given to let only persons on foot pass."
"No one has any right to give orders here, except myself," said Buckingham.
"On what grounds?" inquired Manicamp, with his soft tone. "Will you do me the favor to explain this enigma to me?"
"Because, as I have already told you, I have hired all the houses looking on the square."
"We are very well aware of that, since nothing but the square itself has been left for us."
"You are mistaken, monsieur; the square belongs to me, as well as the houses in it."
"Forgive me, monsieur, but you are mistaken there. In
our
country, we say, the highway belongs to the king, therefore this square is his majesty's; and, consequently, as we are the king's ambassadors, the square belongs to us."
"I have already asked you who you are, monsieur," exclaimed Buckingham, exasperated at the coolness of his interlocutor.
"My name is Manicamp," replied the young man, in a voice whose tones were as harmonious and sweet as the notes of an Aeolian harp.
Buckingham shrugged his shoulders contemptuously, and said, "When I hired these houses which surround the Hotel de Ville, the square was unoccupied; these barracks obstruct my sight; I hereby order them to be removed."
A hoarse and angry murmur ran through the crowd of listeners at these words. De Guiche arrived at this moment; he pushed through the crowd which separated him from Buckingham, and, followed by Raoul, arrived on the scene of action from one side, just as De Wardes came up from the other. "Pardon me, my lord; but if you have any complaint to make, have the goodness to address it to me, inasmuch as it was I who supplied the plans for the construction of these tents."
"Moreover, I would beg you to observe, monsieur, that the term "barrack" is a highly objectionable one!" added Manicamp, graciously.
"You were saying, monsieur—" continued De Guiche.
"I was saying, monsieur le comte," resumed Buckingham, in a tone of anger more marked than ever, although in some measure moderated by the presence of an equal, "I was saying that it is impossible these tents can remain where they are."
"
Impossible!
" exclaimed De Guiche, "and why?"
"Because I object to them."
A movement of impatience escaped De Guiche, but a warning glance from Raoul restrained him.
"You should the less object to them, monsieur, on account of the abuse of priority you have permitted yourself to exercise."
"
Abuse!
"
"Most assuredly. You commission a messenger, who hires in your name the whole of the town of Le Havre, without considering the members of the French court, who would be sure to arrive here to meet Madame. Your Grace will admit that this is hardly friendly conduct in the representative of a friendly nation."
"The right of possession belongs to him who is first on the ground."
"Not in France, monsieur."
"Why not in France?"
"Because France is a country where politeness is
Similar Books
