"Tell me what you mean?"
"The architects were great, the king's thought was great--but only in
one way--and everyone--the whole class--forgot the real meaning of
_noblesse oblige_, and abused their power--and so the revolution swept
them away--They put false value upon everything--false values upon birth
and breeding--and no value upon their consequent obligations, or upon
character--."
"You believe in acknowledging your obligations I know"--
"Yes--I hope so--Think in that palace the immense importance which was
given to etiquette and forms and ceremonies--and to a quite ridiculous
false sense of honour--they could ruin their poor tradesmen and--yet--."
"Yes"--I interrupted--"it was odd, wasn't it?--a gentleman was still a
gentleman, never paying his tailor's bills--but ceased to be one if he
cheated at cards--."
Miss Sharp suddenly dropped her dark blue parasol and bent to pick it up
again--and as she did she changed the conversation by remarking that
there were an unusual quantity of aeroplanes buzzing from Buc.
This was unlike her--I cannot think why she did so. I wanted to steer
her back to the subject of Versailles and its meaning--.
Burton puffed a little as we went up the rather steep slope by the _Aile
du Nord_, and Miss Sharp put her hand on the bar and helped him to push
the chair.
"Is it not hateful for me being such a burden"--I could not help
saying--.
"It leaves you more time to think--."
"Well! that is no blessing--that is the agony--thinking."
"It should not be--to have time to think must be wonderful"--and she
sighed unconsciously.
Over me came a kind of rush of tenderness--I wanted to be strong again,
and protect her and make her life easy, and give her time and love and
everything in the world she could wish for--But I dared not say
anything, and she hung back again a little, and once more it made the
conversation difficult--and when we reached a sheltered spot by the
"_point du jour_" I felt there was a sort of armour around her, and that
it would be wiser to go straight to work and not talk further to-day.
She went directly from the _parc_ to catch her train at five
o'clock--and I was wheeled back to the hotel.
And now I have the evening alone before me--but the day is distinctly a
step onward in the friendship line.