Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1894-07-13
CHAPTER VI

Time and again the prime minister
had acknowledged that the foplings
and ooquettes around the king de-
signed him infinitely more labYrinths
to thread than the whole phalanX of
European statesmen. Perhaps he
accounted Baradas too cheap. but
the young man with all his nature
thirsted persistently for the blood OF
one who had so often made his own
run cold, He called that attenuated
blood tho very veins OF his present
design. There was an additional
goad in his cravings for Julie de
Mortemar In childhood's sports he
bod met in Adrien stronger play
mate, and when taller grown the
manier fellow had carried away the
hearts. He had now. if the news
sent him by the faithless Huguet
were had out-generalel him for
the heart OF Richelieus ward. He
loved so wildly that he made that
passion the bone and nerve OF his
ambition.
There was no time to be lost in
action, for the cardinals priestly
power could expedite matters OF
matrimony. The count fastened at
once to the king. and. whilst artfully
pretending ignorance of the royal
penchant for the witching girl. fired
his usually indolent nature into
prompt act. He left him armed with
a royal writ to prevent the marriage
or to annul it IL already performed
on the penalty OF death to the disc.
bcdient gentleman. The same pun
lshment forbade correspondence be-
tween the lovers
They had been left a,one b. the
retirement OF the cardinal. IL was
into their fools paradise that the
bearers of the decree tramped with
the more roughness on finding at the
mouth OF the den that the old Rey-
nard had decamped in the night
The warrant therefore fell on them
like n thunderbolt bursting between
them. As if to console his old
friend, Baradas ingeniously ar
rived on the heel OF the officer de-
livering the mandate. and took Mad
prat's hand pathetically. As
they stood in the chapel of the al
most deserted palace of the cardinal,
whence Julie had been hurried away
by Lady Hautfort and the chief valet
Beringhen, the courtier looked at
the soldier with only partly gratified
malice.
Railing at The king alone" said
he. "Only the king? Poor dear
Adrien? See you not tho snare, the
vengeance worse than death, Of which
you are the victim from another?"
"Snares! Vengeance" cried Maui
pratt to his friend ''Bo palmer"
"What so clear? Richelieu has
but two passions"
"Richelieu"
"Yes. Ambition and revenge both
blended in you. First, for ambition:
Julie is his ward. innocent. docile
plant to his will. When he failed
to charm the king with his niece,
now Lady Combalet. he called her
to the court, foreseeing the rest; the
king loves Julie"
"Merciful heaven! the king! no. 10.
II is Lady Hautfort. OF whom he is
enamOrcQ.
.Believe that, and drink water I'M
der the impression that 1t is nectar.
Louis loves Julie-have we not been
bored deeply enough by his hourly
avocation OF tho name? Here comes
in the satanic cunning OF the raven
whom you take to be a swan. Court
etiquette must give such cupids the
veil OF Hymen. The cardinal looked
abroad, found you his foe, and thus
served ambitiou-by the grandeur Of
his ward, and vengeance-by dishonor
to his foe You have the proof, man,
in the royal order, and YOUR strange
exemption from the general pardon,
/ known but to Richelieu.
81 see it all" groaned the knig ut.
Mock pardon, hurried nuptials, the
flight. False bounty-all! the SER
/ pent OF that smile. Oh! it stings
! home"
/