Despite her husband's habitual impassiveness, Madame de Hansfeld could not help a shudder and a frown of her black eyebrows at the frightened gesture of the prince when she presented her _flacon_ to him; but neither Madame de Lormoy nor M. de Fierval, who were occupied with the prince, observed her emotion.
The indisposition of the prince occurred between the acts, and several persons came to help to convey the prince to his carriage; and amongst the inquisitives was M. Girard, whom his wife had despatched to ascertain what effect her _sobieska_ had occasioned in the public mind.
M. Girard took very good care not to make a single inquiry on this subject, resolving to tell his spouse that her dashing _casquette_ had excited the utmost admiration. He returned hastily to the box to inform her of the prince's fainting fit. He had scarcely opened the door, and said to Madame Girard, "My love----," than she, without allowing him to add another word, exclaimed,--
"Run as fast as you can to see what is the matter with the Prince de Hansfeld: they have carried him out, I understand, into the lobby in front of us."
"Oh!--how tiresome you are! Pray, go as quickly as you can."
"That is not what I want to hear, it is about the prince. So once more go."
"But, my dearest love, I have come to tell you the very thing you desire to know," exclaimed M. Girard, with intense volubility.
"Oh! that's quite another thing. Come in and shut the door, and tell us all about it as quick as you can."
"My love, you really will not give me time; and I----"
"Did the prince quite lose his consciousness?" inquired Bertha, with interest.
"Of course the princess has gone away with him?" said De Brévannes.
"Did they give him immediate assistance?" continued Madame Girard. "Timoléon, why don't you speak, and not stand there like a great _clod_, not opening your mouth?"
"Why, I really cannot answer so many questions at once. From what I could gather in the crowd, some said the prince was just recovering from a very long illness, and the heat of the house had quite overcome him; others declared that it was another attack of lunacy which had come over him, although they had thought him completely cured; and there were others besides, who asserted that it was violent and sudden emotion which had caused his fainting."