recognized him than she smiled, and, with a slight elevation of her
shoulders, said, "Nobody but you."

"Nobody but me," replied the youth, sadly. "I come to ask of my
gracious mother an interview."




CHAPTER III.

PRINCE EUGENE.


The countess inclined her head in token of assent; but, as she did
so, her eyes rested on the diminutive form of her son with an
expression that savored of disdain. The look was unmotherly, and
seemed to say, "How can a man of such insignificant appearance be
the son of the stately Countess de Soissons?"

And indeed to a careless observer the words were not inappropriate
to his dwarfish proportions. His head, which, between his
excessively wide shoulders, was perched upon the top of a very long
neck, was too large, much too large for his body. His face was
narrow, his complexion swarthy, his sallow cheeks high and sunken. A
nose slightly turned up, gave an expression of boldness to his
countenance, increased by the shortness of his upper lip, which
exposed to view two large front teeth that were almost ferocious in
their size. On either side of his high, narrow forehead, his hair,
instead of being worn according to the prevailing fashion, was