The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-12-01
|fRa!H TL8svStE kpAsfed!l9y. dpte the

HkeS nd n k|.YYk HE$s ky wv t..o
scheme, and the preparations were quite
out of proportion to its magnitude.
Nothing could have 3een more easy than
to destroy the little corner of land rifled
fissM 8hAaucesn, And tor aednz4H to a
mere marsh; but the support of England,
with the cooperation Of her feet, were to
be invoked; and in the meantime visit
of, inspection was made by the king in
person! :to the different stations of his
armies accompanied BY the queen, the
court, and household. Lauzun whose
sauoir uiure was universally arknowle az.
ed, was to be commander-in.chief under
his majesty. With an eye to the comfort
and luxury of the expedition, and pro.
foundly as it suited his purpose, no ore
was Who're fully aware Of the folly and
of such great preparations to
crush such feeble enamy. No one bet.
ter understood thatit was the str At
egy of a Turenne which was wanted, but
rather the wild impetuosity Of Beau.
fort; and that whilst the pride and vanity
Of Louis suggested to him the glory to be
won by so easy a conquest executed with
out danger with an overwhelming force
and with no undignified haste, the severe
genius Of William OF Orange would have
time to set to work to win sympathy and
succor from his neighbors.- Such refec.
tions as these were, however, safely con.
fiped to his own breast. His apparent
energy and enthusiasm knew nosbounds,
allowed no detail to escape him. no lux
ury to be rgotten-nothing that could
contribute to swell the glory ofthe grand
monarque in his triumphal progress to
remain unfulfilled. He even found time
to rescue Nine. de Montespan from fall,
receiving her in,~his arms, and thereby
obtaining useaexprcssions of graft
tude and the assertion that t'he had saved
her life;' but then, as he himself said
systematically. "Most women possess
a prodigious facility for getting their life
saved"
The kings; jealousy, which had been
set aside for; the moment, was however
only smoldering, aud quite ready to blaze
forth againssss Lauzan~ arrived at the con-
viction that a marriage with mademoisellc
was his. only safeguard against the
chances and changes of the future, and
after long conference with her royal
highness, it was decided that she should
at at once appeal to Lo !;! fof>his consent to
His replnwas sufficiently gracious he
remarked on the extreme distance which
separated bis. cousin from simple gen
tleman, Sit Sit added that, the first Sur
prise over,7hc did not see that the thing
was impossible. - ~
The news spread like wildfire .'madem-
oiselle is to marry Lauzun,'"' was the only
echo repeated through the whole dav.
Fluctuations, batteries, cadeau>r de noces,
poured mon every side.ls r. The contract
was signed; the s4duchy of Montpensier
and the principality of Dombes were set
tied on the bridegroom elect. But ell
the sunshine was presently overloaded.
The king sent for his cousin and inform.
ed her that he had Been .reproached for
sacrificing her and her fortune to the ag.
grandizement of Ieuzun, and tt at he
could not permit the affair to proceed.
All her tears andzsupplications were of
no avail. The king'szwill was inAexible
but thatsef,his cousin was no less so.
A clandestine marriage took place, and
Louis who had now legitimate excuse
for getting#rid of a man whose presence
had become importunate, sent for his
mousquetdires, and Lauzun found him.
self very shortly on. his way to the Cha.
tcau de Plauerol. =.
Nine yedrssof exile had passed away
when whisper spread like wildfire
through the court. Lauzun was pardon.
ed-Lauzung had returned-Lauzun was
to be presented! The counts old friends
hardly knowing what sort of welcome
should be accorded to the banished man,
determined TO wait, and regulate their
conduct by that Of the king. More than
one tender heart began once more tc
tremble at4a name so long forgotten,
while the younger members of the court
burned with anxiety to behold so bril-
liant starawhich had been so long
eclpsed. 1t was remarked that even the
kings eyes wandered Frequently to the
door upon the evening when the liberated
captive was&expected to appear; while
mademoisellc, whose happiness it was i'm.
possible to disguise, awaited her lover,
arrival with true womanly faith, we'll as.
sured that his accustomed saroir rivrt
would inspire him with the very looks
and words with whichto satisfy. his mai.
esty and to reinstate himself in the good
graces of the COURT At last he came,
and not the statue which descended at
the banquet of Don Juan, hal it taken q
fancy to present itself at the Louvre
could have produced more star thing i'm.
preston. The counts worn-out ~habili.
ments. his long beard, his disordered
hair. his altogether Gothic toilet. pro.
duced sensation equally sad and pro-
found. It was thought that his long suf
ferings had deprived him of his senses,
and the stupefaction became general
But Lauzun advanced with an air of dig.