Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-03-08
CHAPTER VIII.
The PrSuceSSeS.

The Prsucesses.
If we follow the princesseS of the
house of Conde into their exile at
| Chantilly, what shall we seq
Under those beautiful chestnut trees,
covered with their white blossoms, on
those green banks, sloping down to
the blue water, a number of persons
were passing necessarily t. and fro,
laughing and talking, while the sound
Of music is heard from different parts
of the garden. On the terrace, three
| by mute and respectful squire, are
walking with majestic step. In the
center, lady Of noble appearance.
ia spite of her fifty-seven years, is
| talking to a young lady on her right,
who is pale and upright, with a frown
on her face. and an old lady ON her
| left, who is the stiffest of the three.
! because she Is Of less iIlustrious rank
The first mentioned lady is the dow
ager princess, mother of the congueror
at Rocroy, at NordIingen, and at Lens,
and whom they have begun, since his
persecution, to call the great Condo
a name preserved by posterity. You can
trace in this lady the remains of that
beauty which made her the hast and
widest passion Of Henry ". She has
| been wounded in her love and pride
by a fellow who was called Mazarini,
when he was the servant of Cardinal
Bentivogho, but who is called the
Cardinal Mazarin, since he became the
lover of Anne of Austria, and the
prime minister of France. It is he
who has dared to imprison Condo,
and exile the wife and mother Of the
lllustrious prisoner.
The lady on her right is Claire de
MaiIle, Princesse de Condo, who is gen
orally called Madame Ia Priueesse.
She was always proud, but since her
! persecution her pride has increased
eenfold. From the period Of her hHs-
bands Imprisonment she has become
q heroine, and her little son, the Due
d Enghfen, who is just seven years of
The other lady is the Marci1ioness de
Tourville, a politician, and thinks she
inherits the military genius of her hl1s-
band, who was killed at Rochelle.
Since she has been at ChaUtilly with
the Processes she has drawn out for
them no less than three plans of ac-
| ton, the execution of which is only
! delayed for & time. Indeed, in spite
of its festive air, Chantilly is full of
plots and preparations for war, The
ladies seem expecting some one. and at
last the elder Lady says, with a sigh.
Eve shall fail, my daughter. Neither
NJ. de Turenne, nor N. de Larechefou-
cau1t, nor NJ de Bouillon. Gomez
and no money" added Madame Ia
Prineesse, IF even Claire forgets us?''
AND who tells you, my daughter,
that Madame de Cambes forgets us?
''She-does not-return."
Perhaps she is prevented You
know the roads are guarded by the
/ soldiers Of de ST. Afghan"
"She might write at least"
How could she .entrust to paper
the adhesion Of a city like Bordeaux
to our side? No, it is not about her
that I am uneasy
81 believe you are right, madam.
Perhaps she could not get the money;
perhaps those people at GUienne have
drawn back. in spite of the promises,
like true Gasccns.
Yes" said Madame de Tourvllle,
individually they are brave, but bad
soldiers as z body; only good to cry
'Viye NJ. lie Prince when they are
afraid of the Spaniards.''
But they detest NJ. d'Epernop,' said
the dowager, they hanged him in
eftigy, and promised to hang him in
person if be ever came to Bordeaux -
1T is all doubtless the fault Of NJ.
Pierre Lenet, whom you persist in
keeping" said Madame de Tourville.
J THAT obstinate counsellor, who does
! nothing but overturn all my plans. II
he had not rejected my second, which
was, you recollect, to take by sur
prise the Castle of Vayres, the Isle
st. George, and the Fort de Blaye,
we should have had Bordeaux in our
hands and forced them to surrender y
II prefer that they should come
of their own free WILL said voice
behind them whose respectful tone
was not unmixed with irony. - town
yielding itself to force engages itself
TO nothing; but a town which offers
itself is compromised and cannot draw
back
The ladies turned and saw NJ. Pierre
Lenet who being trusted by the pris-
oner to watch both his friends and
his enemies had more difficulty with
the former than with the latter TO keep
them from running his cause by their
indiscreet zeal. At Chantilly he had
numerous battles and had also found
it necessary not to be too communica-
tive. Some of his best plans had al
ready been defeated by the want Of
discretion Of the ladies' However. in
spite Of his opposition the princess
fully recognized his devotion and use
| fitness and received him cordially.
! "Well, N. Lenet," said the doNager,