Victor Hugo - The Man Who Laughs - Cosmopolitan University 2

and by royal licence, Marquises of Corleone, in Sicily.
Peers of England cannot bear foreign titles; there are, nevertheless,
exceptions; thus--Henry Arundel, Baron Arundel of Wardour, was, as well
as Lord Clifford, a Count of the Holy Roman Empire, of which Lord Cowper
is a prince. The Duke of Hamilton is Duke of Chatelherault, in France;
Basil Fielding, Earl of Denbigh, is Count of Hapsburg, of Lauffenberg,
and of Rheinfelden, in Germany. The Duke of Marlborough was Prince of
Mindelheim, in Suabia, just as the Duke of Wellington was Prince of
Waterloo, in Belgium. The same Lord Wellington was a Spanish Duke of
Ciudad Rodrigo, and Portuguese Count of Vimiera.
There were in England, and there are still, lands both noble and common.
The lands of the Lords of Clancharlie were all noble. These lands,
burghs, bailiwicks, fiefs, rents, freeholds, and domains, adherent to
the peerage of Clancharlie-Hunkerville, belonged provisionally to Lady
Josiana, and the king declared that, once married to Josiana, Lord David
Dirry-Moir should be Baron Clancharlie.
Besides the Clancharlie inheritance, Lady Josiana had her own fortune.
She possessed great wealth, much of which was derived from the gifts of
_Madame sans queue_ to the Duke of York. _Madame sans queue_ is short
for Madame. Henrietta of England, Duchess of Orleans, the lady of
highest rank in France after the queen, was thus called.
IV.
Having prospered under Charles and James, Lord David prospered under
William. His Jacobite feeling did not reach to the extent of following
James into exile. While he continued to love his legitimate king, he had
the good sense to serve the usurper; he was, moreover, although
sometimes disposed to rebel against discipline, an excellent officer. He
passed from the land to the sea forces, and distinguished himself in the
White Squadron. He rose in it to be what was then called captain of a
light frigate. Altogether he made a very fine fellow, carrying to a
great extent the elegancies of vice: a bit of a poet, like every one
else; a good servant of the state, a good servant to the prince;
assiduous at feasts, at galas, at ladies' receptions, at ceremonies,
and in battle; servile in a gentlemanlike way; very haughty; with
eyesight dull or keen, according to the object examined; inclined to
integrity; obsequious or arrogant, as occasion required; frank and
sincere on first acquaintance, with the power of assuming the mask
afterwards; very observant of the smiles and frowns of the royal humour;
careless before a sword's point; always ready to risk his life on a sign
from his Majesty with heroism and complacency, capable of any insult but
of no impoliteness; a man of courtesy and etiquette, proud of kneeling
at great regal ceremonies; of a gay valour; a courtier on the surface, a
paladin below; quite young at forty-five. Lord David sang French songs,
an elegant gaiety which had delighted Charles II. He loved eloquence and
fine language. He greatly admired those celebrated discourses which are
called the funeral orations of Bossuet.
From his mother he had inherited almost enough to live on, about £10,000