THE MASTERPIECES OF GEORGE SAND AMANDINE LUCILLE AURORE DUPIN, BARONESS DUDEVANT VOLUME IX LES BEAUX MESSIEURS DE BOIS-DORÉ [Illustration: _MARIO COMFORTS MADAME DE BREUVE._ _He knelt on the edge of the cushion on which she had placed her feet, and gazed at her speechless. At last he ventured to take her hands._] The Masterpieces of George Sand Amandine Lucille Aurore Dupin, Baroness Dudevant, _NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME COMPLETELY TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH LES BEAUX MESSIEURS DE BOIS-DORÉ BY G. BURNHAM IVES_ _WITH TWELVE PHOTOGRAVURES AFTER PAINTINGS BY H. ATALAYA._ _VOLUME I_ _PRINTED ONLY FOR SUBSCRIBERS BY GEORGE BARRIE & SON PHILADELPHIA_ CONTENTS CHAPTER I CHAPTER II CHAPTER III CHAPTER IV CHAPTER V CHAPTER VI CHAPTER VII CHAPTER VIII CHAPTER IX CHAPTER X CHAPTER XI CHAPTER XII CHAPTER XIII CHAPTER XIV CHAPTER XV CHAPTER XVI CHAPTER XVII CHAPTER XVIII CHAPTER XIX CHAPTER XX CHAPTER XXI CHAPTER XXII CHAPTER XXIII CHAPTER XXIV CHAPTER XXV CHAPTER XXVI CHAPTER XXVII CHAPTER XXVIII CHAPTER XXIX CHAPTER XXX CHAPTER XXXI CHAPTER XXXII CHAPTER XXXIII CHAPTER XXXIV CHAPTER XXXV CHAPTER XXXVI CHAPTER XXXVII CHAPTER XXXVIII CHAPTER XXXIX LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS LES BEAUX MESSIEURS DE BOIS-DORÉ VOLUME I MARIO COMFORTS MADAME DE BEUVRE MERCEDES ENCOUNTERS D'ALVIMAR BOIS-DORÉ AND JOVELIN, HIS PROTÉGÉ MERCEDES AND MARIO ENTERTAIN THE MARQUIS MARIO ESTABLISHES HIS IDENTITY THE DUEL BETWEEN THE MARQUIS AND D'ALVIMAR LES BEAUX MESSIEURS DE BOIS-DORÉ I Among the numerous protégés of the favorite Concini, one of the least remarked, yet one of the most remarkable by reason of his wit, education, and the distinction of his manners, was Don Antonio d'Alvimar, a Spaniard of Italian origin, who styled himself Sciarra d'Alvimar. He was a very pretty cavalier, whose face denoted a man of no more than twenty years, although at that time he confessed to thirty. Rather short than tall, muscular without seeming to be so, skilful in all manly exercises, he was certain to interest the ladies by the gleam of his bright and penetrating eyes and by the charm of his conversation, which was as light and agreeable with the fair sex as it was solid and substantial with serious-minded men. He spoke the principal languages of Europe almost without accent, and was no less versed in the ancient languages.