Forgiveness -- Fiction; Guilt -- Fiction; Love -- Fiction
At that moment, the bell began to toll, and the king came out of the
chapel. He wore the simple dress of a citizen and was without
decorations of any kind. He was followed by the gentlemen and ladies of
the court, the former of whom were also in citizen's dress, and, for
the greater part, wore the picturesque costume of the mountaineers of
that region.
The king was a man of stately appearance and erect bearing. He bowed to
the queen from afar, and hastened forward to meet her. The ladies and
gentlemen composing his train remained in the background exchanging
kindly greetings. The king addressed a few words to the queen, whereat
she smiled; he, too, seemed happy, and, offering her his arm, led her
toward the pavilion. The ladies and gentlemen followed, indulging in
cheerful and unconstrained conversation by the way.
A young lady, leaving the rest of the party, joined the doctor and
grasped his hand most cordially. She was of a tall and graceful figure;
her hair and eyes were brown. She wore a simple, light-colored summer
dress and a loose jacket which was open and revealed the full
chemisette. A leather girdle studded with steel buttons encircled her
waist. Her movements were easy and graceful; her expression, half
earnest, half mischievous. "Might I ask," said she, addressing the
doctor, "the name of the book you've found worth reading on this lovely
morning?"
"It was well worth reading, although, to tell the truth, I've not
opened it," replied the doctor, while he handed the little book to her.
It was Horace.
"Oh, it's Latin!" said the lady. Her voice was as clear and bold as
that of a chaffinch. "And this, I suppose, is your mass."
The doctor briefly alluded to the success with which the ancient
writers had compressed so many weighty and enduring thoughts into so
small a volume.
The party entered the saloon, seating themselves as best pleased them,
for the order of rank or precedence was not insisted on at breakfast.
They were in the country and, with their uniforms, had laid aside many
of the vexatious requirements of etiquette.
There is nothing more cheerful than a gay and unconstrained party at
breakfast. All are still full of the new strength that refreshing sleep
has lent them; society succeeds to solitude; and the spirits of all
seem affected by the soft, dewy morn.
There were no servants at breakfast. The ladies waited on the company,
which was almost as free and unconstrained as a family party. The
doctor drank nothing but tea which he himself prepared. The lady with
the brown hair invited herself to a seat next to him and poured out
the tea for him. At her left, sat Colonel Von Bronnen, the king's
adjutant-general, and the only one, in fact, who did not seem to miss
his uniform.
The party seemed in undress, mentally as well as physically, and there
was much loud and confused talking.
"Dear me! It's Sunday!" said the young lady with the brown hair.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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