"
"Oh, yes! she'll forgive you fast enough, never fear, for she is always
very indulgent to such hot-headed lovers as you are."
"I am going to open the campaign," said Orestes, "and declare war
courteously on my beautiful enemy."
With these words he stopped short, fixed his bold eyes on Isabelle's
face, took off his hat, in a gallant and respectful way, so that its
long plume swept the ground, and wafted a kiss on the tips of his
fingers towards the new object of his ardent admiration. The young
actress, who saw this demonstration with much annoyance, assumed a cold,
composed manner, as if to show this insolent fellow that he had made a
mistake, drew back from the window, closed it, and let fall the curtain;
all done calmly and deliberately, and with the frigid dignity with which
she was wont to rebuke such overtures.
"There," exclaimed Pylades, "your Aurora is hidden behind a cloud; not
very promising, that, for the rest of the day."
"I don't agree with you; I regard it, on the contrary, as a favourable
augury that my little beauty has retired. Don't you know that when the
soldier hides himself behind the battlements of the tower, it signifies
that the besieger's arrow has hit him? I tell you she has mine now,
sticking in under her left wing; that kiss will force her to think of
me all night, if only to be vexed with me, and tax me with effrontery--a
fault which is never displeasing to ladies, I find, though they do
sometimes make a great outcry about it, for the sake of appearances.
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