The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1857-02-11

power will not be severely taxed at present;
it is but a trife--a bagatelle--that am inter
ested about just now; but think you are the
only person who can crafty my wish. 1 de-
sire but to know who and what certain Pa
risian lady is, who bears the name of Madame
Laura?'
"Madame Laura-Madame Laura!'' rejoin-
ed the ambassador, turning his eyes on the
ground. ,-a.s.t-.ysa 45soL to aa"zusds
Eyes, Madame Laura said the queen i'm
patiently; "does your exeellency know her?''
Upon the dip!omatist avouching that he ney-
er in his life had heard Of such lady, Chris
tina tapped the ground restless]y with her foot,
and appeared annoyed. .- -rtss> ~
Then your exceIlency,' said she at length,
with an mpelious voice, Twill have the good
ness to favor me by finding out the lady. Let
an express set out for Paris this night, and re-
turn without moments delay, with full de-
tails respecting the position and character Of this
Madame Laura .....
The ambassador bowed respectfully, and re-
tired to give immediate orders to a courier TO
proceed on this extraordinary mission. " "
1t has been said that the queen of Sweden
initiated or at least resembed Elizabeth in her
fashion Of coquetting with some favored noble
Of her court. The parsonage on whom, at the
date Of our story, the favor Of Christina seem
ed 10 have fallen, was the young Frenchman,
who, exiled for political reasons from his own
country, had come to Sweden in the hope Of
obtaining military service. The queen recciy-
ed him with peculiar marks Of distinction, gave
him commission in her life guards, and con-
Quoted herself towards him, altogether, in such
a manner, as would have given even a very
modest man reason to believe himself an object
Of marked regard. To young man Of oftwenty-
five bold and ambitious, such a conviction was
likely to be fatteriny and seductive. We can
not say that it was not so in the3case of count
d Harcourt, but whatever mil ight be his dreams
Of ambition, his affections had lighted on anoth
er object than the sovereign Of Sweden. This
was the baroness Helena of Stenberg. young
and beautiful countrywoman of bis own. and the
widow of a deceased Swedish noble. The bar
oneess returned d 'HarcourL's passion warmly,
and the jealous eye Of love soon advised her of
the potent rival with whom she had to combat
for his affection On the occasion OF the mask
ed ball, Christina had herself deigned to sug
gest the character Of Essex to the young count
d'Harcourt The baroness, when informed of
the circumstance, saw its full significance, and
was bold enough to venture on answering the
hint of the queen by covert allusion of the
same practical kind. Finding a portrait of la
dy Sydney, widow of Sir Philip, whom Essex
had privately made his countess, the baroness
had assumed the character Of that lady at the
risk of giving offence. Hence the unwilling
ness of d Hurcourt to attract attention at the
masquerade, the baroness being then his com
panion. Well would it have been for the young
noble had he been equally cautious with regard
to his speech! But, in reality, the costume OF
Christina, which had called from him the mys-
terious remark about Madame Laura, was some
what ridiculous. The numberless frlls of Eliza
beth's usual dress, with all its other stiff and
stately points, were very much out of place on
the restless, careless, and petulant queen of
Sweden. Perhaps she was partly suspicious
of this on reflection, and the more CALLING was
the idea Of being an object of ridicule 10 the
man she favored, and, above all, to her rival an
his regard.
The impatient queen received an answer from
Paris in eight days, SO actively did the courier
fill the orders given. "Madame Laura,'' said
the document which he bought, ''is court
lady who has become mad Her mania con-
Slsts in a belief that she is queen of France, and
in her endeayorlng to rival the real sovereign,
Maria Theresa, in all her dresses and decora-
tons. The poor woman passes her life in this
sole occupation. The queen never assumes a
habit which snot seen Immediately afterwards
on Madame Laura. AS she is as inonenSive
as ridiculous, nobody meddles with her, and she
is everywhere known in Paris by the name of
the queen's carricature. ." This dispatch had
additional details of the same kind, and conclud-
ed by exhibiting portraiture of poor Madame
Laura, dressed as Maria Theresa and looking
inexpressibly ridiculous.
The rage Of the queen of Sweden knew no
bounds. She had conceived that there was some
little point about d. Harcourt's comparison some
what unfa> orable but 10 find that she had been
compared altogether to vain and ridiculous
madwoman, she, the heroine and pride of the
north--she, who bad almost allowed the author
of this gross insult to know that She loved him
she, TO be an object of contempt to this strange
youth and His lady Sidney, the woman for whom
he seemed to re- ject hersef--such a thought
was turturing to- the heart of the proud and wiful
princess. '.Wretchesn'' she exclaimed, this
is the comparison yc would have me to believe
d eoiit plihoHe'
Filled with such emotions, the queen again
chanced to look at the detailed account Of Ma
dame Laura. innocent as the madness of the
lady really is, said one part of the paper ''she
is an austere sovereign, and by no means in
cIined to admit cIemcncy among the royal viz
tues. She speaks ever of executing Justice -
The passage tailed with the state Of the queens S
mind. Yes" cried she, s.if AIN ridiculous,
like her, will be similar to her in all things -
Then she set herself TO discover a fiji chastise-
ment of d'Harcourt. None appeared to her
sufficiently heavy, sharp, or sudden. In this
temper passed the day on which she received
this calling document from Paris. +. =.
Sleep, or the calm Of night. brought change
over her feelings. She arose with an altered
mind from her couch, and in place of an order
for his confinement in dungeon, she sent to
d'Harcourt, on that morning. the brevet of the
additional rank of lieutenant colonel
The count, who had been preparing himself
for leaving Stockholm. was surprised and con
founded on receiving this intelligence. He was
the more SO as he had not the least doubt but
that the queen must have discovered the secret
of his aluson to Madame Laura from some of
the Frenchmen about the court, The conduct