"
"And that ambition is?" queried the Princesse.
"To lead!" answered Cyrillon with a passionate gesture, "To gather
the straying thoughts of men into one burning focus--and turn THAT
fire on the world!"
They were all silent for a minute--then the Princesse D'Agramont
spoke again--
"But--Pardon me! Then you were about to destroy all your own chances
of the future in your wild impulse of this morning?"
"Oh, Madame, it was no wild impulse! When a man takes an oath by the
side of a dead woman, and that woman his mother, he generally means
to keep it! And I most resolutely meant to kill my father and make
of myself a parricide. But I considered my mother had been murdered
too--socially and morally--and I judged my vengeance just. If it had
not been for the boy there--" and he glanced at Manuel, "I should
certainly have fulfilled my intention."
"And then there would have been no Abbe Vergniaud, and no 'Gys
Grandit,'" said the Princesse lightly, endeavouring to change the
sombre tone of the conversation,--"and the 'Christian Democratic'
party would have been in sackcloth and ashes!"
"The Christian Democratic party!" echoed the Cardinal, "What do they
mean? What do they want?"
"Christianity, Monseigneur! That is all!" replied Cyrillon, "All--
but so much! You asked me for my history--will you hear it now?"
There was an immediate murmur of assent, and the group around
Cardinal Bonpre were soon seated--all save Manuel, who remained
standing.
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