Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-04-28
CHAPTER II.
THE PAVILION OF DIANA.

CAAAA 1L1O IL
THE PAVILION OF DIANA.
The two figures that approached
bore a marked contrast to each 9th.
er. One was tall, slender, hand.
some, ,ariStOcratic in bearing, dressed
as a diplomat of the first rank, his
velvet coat blazing with gold en-
brOidery; the other was short, stout,
in dark green uniform faced with
velvet, without so much as a gold
cord anywhere.
Yet the little stout mans face was
the face of the master, and the tall
man treated him with an obsequious
courtesy that showed he knew it.
The sentry, by the door of the
pavilion, raised his sabre to his lips
in salute, the little man acknowI-
edging it with a scarcely perceptible
movement of his small white hand,
as if he were used to being saluted
all day and found it bore to an
swer so many times.
He glanced carelessly at the fig
ure of the boy cuirassier, towering
over himself a head and shoulders ;
and Gabriel's cOuntenance fell as
the little man entered the pavilion,
saying:
''This way, monsieur the prince.
We shall be quiet here"
"He does not remember me-"
said the recruit to himself, and he
gave a sigh, as he resumed his
tramp up and down. "Yet why
should he ?" he muttered. "Even
he has changed. He has grown
stout, and his hair is cut short. The
emperor has forgotten consul and
general"
He pursued his walk in silence /;
but he did not feel satisfied for all
that. He was only boy yet, full
of ambition and romance, and he
had been indulging all sorts of hopes
from the time when he should see
the man he had not beheld face to
face since he saw him on the field of
MarengO.
But the emperor had passed him
by without noticing him any more
than if he had been a statue.
Presently, as the young sentry
paced his lonely round, he heard
the sound of voices inside the pavil-
ion, one of them raised as if in an
ger and he could not help stand
ing still to listen.
1t was the voice of the emperor
that he heard, and he remembered
it we'll
81 tell you, monsieur it must be
and if his majesty is not inclined to
be with me, he must be against me.
l am sick of these perfidiOuS Eli
glish, and they must be driven from
every port in Europe. They and
l cannot exist together, prince, do
you hear ?"
Gabriel listened intently and
heard the low tones of the Austrian
diplomat:
"Your majesty is too severe on
my master. We cannot abandon
our ancient allies to oblige even
your majesty"
Every well, prince, very WE'LL"
responded the other voice sharply,
"it is to be as you please. You
choose war, and you shall have it.
When the tricolor floats under the
shadow of st. Stephens at Vienna,
you will remember that | offered
you your choice"
Then there was q short silence,
and the sentry heard some one pac-
ing up and down the room as if in
Presently the smooth tones of the
Austrian broke in:
"And that is your majesty's ulti-
matum?
absolutely, prince, absolutely"
"Then / have no resource but to
ask the Minister of State for my
passports, and to bid your majesty
farewell" was the quiet reply.
The sentry outside trembled all
over with excitement. There was
tria, and he simple Gabriel Lenoir,
private soldier, knew it before the
Minister of State.
He could not help look of pride
on his face as the Austrian came out,
and the emperor stood in the door
way, lifting his hat coldly in re-
sponse to the profound salutation of
the diplomat.
Farewell, monsieur" was all he
said, and then the first man of
France stood in his favorite attitude,
his head bent forward, his eyes on
the ground, his hands behind his
back, while the Austrian walked
away.
Meantime the sentry continued
his walk as if he had not seen the
and the emperor remained
staring at the gravel, till the clash
of the sentry's accoutrements SEEM
ed at last to rouse him from his
thoughts, for he looked up in his
sharp, abrupt way.
"Come here" said the emperor.
The little man with the smooth,
marble face eyed Gabriel keenly,
and said:
81 remember you. Where have
/ seen your face?'
"At Marengo, sire, almost Whis-
pered the young cuirassier."
"Yes, yes, at Marengo. What
rank did you hold then? You were
a boy"
81 was trumpeter in the Ninth
Cuirassiers, sire, answered Gabriel.
The emperor nodded.
"Yes, yes trumpeter, trumpeter.
There was atrumpeter, remember,