The accent of truth is irresistible, and the prince at once believed the words of Madeleine, in spite of the amazement produced by this revelation so diametrically opposite to the rumours of adventures and gallantries which were rife about the marquise. The astonishment of the prince was mingled with a vague satisfaction which he did not care to estimate. However, fearing he might fall into a snare, he said, no longer with passion, but with a sorrowful recrimination: "You count too much on my credulity, madame. What! when just now you confessed to me that--" "I beg your pardon, monseigneur; do me the favour to reply to a few questions." "Speak, madame." "You certainly have all the valiant exterior of a man of war, monseigneur, and when I saw you in Vienna, mounted on your beautiful battle-horse, proudly cross the Prater, followed by your aides-de-camp, I often said, 'That is my type of an army general; there is a man made to command soldiers.'" "You saw me in Vienna?" asked the archduke, whose voice softened singularly. "You observed me there?" "Fortunately you did not know it, monseigneur, or you would have exiled me, would you not?" "Well," replied the prince, smiling, "I fear so." "Come, that is gallantry; I like you better so. I was saying to you, then, monseigneur, that you have the exterior of a valiant man of war, and your character responds to this exterior. But will you not confess to me that sometimes the most martial figure may hide a poltroon--" "No one better understands that than I. I had under my orders a major-general who had the most ferocious-looking personality that could be imagined, and he was the most arrant coward." "You will admit again, monseigneur, that sometimes the most contemptible-looking personality may hide a hero." "Certainly, Frederick the Great, Prince Eugene, were not great in manner--" "Alas! monseigneur, it is even so, and I, on the contrary, am different from these great men; unfortunately, I have too much manner." "What do you mean, madame?"