The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-10-01

on being admitted to my presence, inuui I'd
1 was the superior of the convent; and zen
replied in the affirmative, informed me ,at
was expected to present myself immed ate
before the Queen Of Sweden.
Fearful of keeping her Majesty watt ,g,
followed the man at once to the palace, WI no
waiting to take any of my brethren fro, Il
convent with me. After little delay i Il
antechamber, l was shown into the On zen
room. She was alone; and 1 saw, by Il D e
preston of her face, as l respectfully begi ed
be favored with her commands, that some biz
was wrong. She hestated for a moment; the
told me, rather sharply, to follow her to a ,lat
where she might speak with the certainty n,
being overheard. She led me into the G ler
des Cerfs, and, turning round on me 50 del
ly, asked Ave had ever met before. l info me
her Majesty that had once had the hor ,r
presenting my respects to her, that she h, r.
ceived me graciously, and that there the ntel
view had ended She nodded her head an
looked about her little, then said, vel al
ruptly, that / wore q dress referring m
convent costume) which encouraged her F., pu
perfect faith in my honor and she desirt m
to promise beforehand that | would kee tn
secret with which she was about to entrut me
as strictly as if had heard it in the COME sion
al. answered, respectfully, that it was par
| of my sacred profession to be trusted wi a sc
crets; that / had never betrayed the wat
affairs of any one, and that could answ, TO
for myself as worthy to be honored by tbs con
fdence of Queen.
Upon this, her Majesty handed me ,cke
of papers, sealed in three places, but wins
no superscription of any sort. She order, m,
to keep it under lock and key, and to b, pre-
pared to give it her back again before an per
son in whose presence she might see fit { ask
me for it. She further charged me to re aem
Der the day, the hour, and the place, in ihict
she had given me the packet; and with thai
last piece of advice, she dismissed me. . left
her alone in the gallery, walking slowly away
from me, with her head dropping on her som
and her mind, as well as could presu! 10 to
judge, perturbed by anxious thoughts.*
On Saturday, the 10th of November, one
o'clock in the afternoon, was sent for from
Fontainebleau again. l took the packet ut OF
my private cabinet, feeling that 1 mig It be
asked for it, and then followed the mess niger
as before. This time he led me at once the
Galerie des Cerfs. The moment entessd it,
he shut the door behind me with such es raor-
binary haste and violence, that l felt little
startled. As soon as / recovered, myself, saw
her Majesty standing in the middle of tn gal
lery, talking to one of the gentlemen her
Court who was generally known by the ,ame
of The Marquis, and whom / soon ascerl lined
to be the Marquis Monaldeschi, Grand Ec Terry
Of the Queen of Sweden. l approache her
Majesty and made my bow, then stood efore
her, waiting until she should think pro, or to
address me.
With a stern look on her face, and ;th a
loud, clear, steady voice, she asked me, sfore
the Marquis, and before three other mer who
were also in the gallery, for the packet hitch
she had confded to my care. As she made
that demand, two of the three men moved back
a few PAGES, while the third, the captain her
guard, advanced rather nearer to her. / sand
ed her back the packet. She looked at it
thoughtfully for little while; then open d il,
and took out the letters and written ,pefs
which it contained, handed them to tbs, Mar
afS ghM oPaklasasch and insisted on bis ding
with the same stern look and the same eady
voice, whether he had any knowledge 7 the
documents which he had just been re ding.
The MARQUIS turned deadly pale, and ans cred,
that he had now read the papers referred 70 for
the first time. -,
"Do you deny all knowledge of them said
the Queen. ANSWER me plainly, sir. 'es or
no."
The Marquis turned paler still. II ny all
knowledge of them," he said, in faint ones,
with his eyes on the ground.
"Do you deny sll knowledge of these, 700 =,
said the Queen, suddenly producing a ~scond
packet of manuscript from under her DIRE 9, and
thrusting it in the Marquis's face. SGT
He started, drew back little, and an; wered
not word. The packet which the Que n had
given to me contained copies only. Tn origt
nal papers we're those which she had jus; thrust
in the Marquiss face.
"Do you deny your own seal and 70 y own
handwriting she asked. III
He murmured few words, acknow, sdging
both the seal and the handwriting to be his
own, and added some phrases OF exc lse, IN
which he endeavoured to cast the bla e that
attached to the writing of the letters On the
shoulders of other persons. While g was
speaking, the three men in attendance ON the
Queen silently closed round him.
Her Majesty heard him to the end. "You
are traitor" she said, and turned r back
on him. SO
The three men, as she spoke thos words
drew their swords.
The Marquis heard the clash Of tn, blades
against the scabbards, and, looking quick y
round, saw the drawn swords behind b N. BE
caught the Queen by the arm immedia ely, and
drew her away with him, first into Oh correl
of the gallery, then into another, entres. ng bel
in the most moving terms to listen to jim, and
to believe in the sincerity of his rep ,ntanee
The Queen let him 60 on talking, With 1T show
ing the least sign Of anger or impatiel ce. Hel
color never changed; the stern 10, never
left her countenance. There was 81 metnine
awful in the clear, cold, deadly r solu;ior
which her eyes expressed while they ested OF
the Marquis's face. |r.
At last she shook herself free from is gresp
still without betraying the slightest ritation
The three men with the drawn swords who hao
followed the Marquis silently as b led thu
Queen from corner to corner of tt gallery
now closed round him again, as soon 8 be VA
left standing alone. There was perfect sileac,
for minute or more. Then the aeen ad
dressed herself to me.
"Father," she said, charge you Il bear wit
ness that treat this man with the ST ctest I'm
partiality." She pointed, while she sp ke, to tn
| Marquis Monaldeschi with little ebc ~ riding
whip which she carried in her hand. 1 offe
that worthless traitor all the time he .quires-
more time than he has any right to 4 * fort
justify himself if he can"
The Marquis, hearing these words, ook som
letters from place of concealment i, his dress
and gave them to the Queen, alo with
small bunch of keys. He snatched hese las
from his pocket SO quickly, that he drew on
with them few small silver coins;f which fel
to the floor. AS he addressed him ,elf to tn
Queen again, she made sign with. her ebon
ridingwhip to the men with the dra, IN swords
and they retired towards one of the rindows q
the gallery. /, on my side, witht rev out q
hearing. The conference which nsued bt
tween the Queen and the Marquis ,steds neal
" an hour. When it was over, sr Majest
beckoned the men back again wit the Whit
and then approached the place v acre wi
standing.
"Father," she said, in her cla r, ringing