Adele’s English bringing up, and her avowed liking for things English, were remembered; and the Duc de Carolan, and the other aspirants to Adele’s hand, began to scowl angrily at the young Englishman whenever they met him.

Upon the other hand, among the ladies Rupert was a general favourite, but he puzzled them altogether.  He was ready to chat, to pay compliments, to act as chevalier to any lady, but his compliments never passed beyond the boundary of mere courtly expression; and in a court where it appeared to be almost the duty of everyone to be in love, Rupert Holliday did not seem to know what love meant.

The oddness of this dashing-looking young officer—­who was, the Marquis de Pignerolles assured everyone, a very gallant soldier, and who had killed in a duel the finest swordsman in the German army—­being perfectly proof to all blandishments, and ready to treat every woman with equal courtesy and attention, was a mystery to the ladies of the court of Versailles; and Rupert was regarded as a most novel and amusing specimen of English coldness and impenetrability.

Rupert himself was absolutely ignorant of the opinion with which men and women alike regarded him.  He dreamt not that it was only the character which so high an authority as the Marquis de Pignerolles had given him as a swordsman of extraordinary skill, that prevented the Duc de Carolan and some of Adele’s other admirers from forcing a quarrel upon him.  Still less did he imagine that the ladies of the court considered it in the highest degree singular that he did not fall in love with any of them.  He went his way, laughed, talked, was pleasant with everyone, and enjoyed his life, especially his morning visits to Madame de Soissons.

The first intimation that was given of the jealousy with which the Duc de Carolan and others regarded Rupert, was a brief order that the Marquis de Pignerolles received from the king to retire with his prisoner to Paris; an intimation being given that although the marquis would as heretofore be received at court, yet that Rupert was not to leave the circuit of the walls of Paris.  The marquis, who had foreseen the gathering storm in a hundred petty symptoms, was not surprised at the order.  He knew the jealousy with which the king regarded any person who appeared even remotely likely to interfere with any plans that he had formed, and was sure that a mere hint from some favourite as to the possibility of Rupert’s intimacy at Madame de Soissons proving an obstacle to the carrying out of his wishes with regard to the disposal of Adele’s hand, would be sufficient to ensure the issue of an order for his instant dismissal from Versailles.  Rupert was astonished and indignant at the order.

“At any rate I may call and say ‘Goodbye’ to mademoiselle, may I not?”

“I think that you had better not, Rupert; but I have simply orders to leave Versailles at one o’clock today.  I can therefore only ask you to be here at that hour.  It is now eleven.”