The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-10-21

hearing this; for although I might
/ have thought nothing of the matter
before my suspicious were aroused
since any man might visit such a place
out of curiosity-now, my mind being
disturbed, l was quick to conceive the
worst, and saw with horror my be-
! loved master already destroyed
! through my carelessness. L questioned
| La Trape in a fury but could learn
nothing more. He had seen the man
! slip out, and that was all.
! But did you not go in yourself?" [
said. restraining my Impotence with
difficulty.
afterwards? Yes, my lord
'And made no discovery
| He shook his head.
Was anything prepared for his
majesty"
There was sherbet and some
water"
you tried them?"
La Trape grinned. mo, my lord" he
said. But 1 gave some to Maignan."
mot explaining?"
mo, my lord"
you sacrilegious rascal!' 1 cried.
amused in spite of my anxiety. "And
he was none the worse?"
mo, my lord"
Not satisfied yet, I continued to
press him, but with so little success.
that / still found myself unable to de-
eide whether the Spaniard had wan
dered in innocently or to explore his
ground. In the end, therefore, I made
up my mind to see things for myself:
and early next morning, at an hour
when / was not likely to be observed, /
went out by back door, and with my
face muff1ed and no other attendance
than Maignan and La Trape, went to
the tenniS-court and examined the
dressing-room.
This was a small closet on the first
floor, of size to hold two or three
persons, and with a easement through
which the king, if he wished to be pri-
vate, might watch the game. Its sole
furniture consisted of a little table
with a mirror, a seat for his majesty,
and couple of stools, so that it Of
fered small scope for investigation.
True, the stale sherbet and the water
were still there, the carafes standing
on the table besides an empty comfit
box, and a few toilet necessaries; and
it will be believed that 1 lost no time
in examining them. But L made no
discovery, and when l had passed my
eye over everything else that the room
contained, and noticed nothing that
seemed in the slightest degree sus-
picious, l found myself completely at a
loss. 1 went to the window, and for
moment looked idly into the court
But neither did any light come
thence, and I had turned again and
was about to leave, when my eye
alighted on q certain thing and l stop
ped.
What is that?" I said. 1t was a
thin case, book-shaped, of Genoa vel
vet, somewhat worn.
Plaster" lMaignan, who was wait
ing at the door, answered. His mai
eSty's hand is not we'll vet. and as
your excellency knows, he
Silence, fool!'' L cried. And I stood
rooted to the spot, overwhelmed by
the conviction that 1 held the clue to
the mystery, and so shaken by the
horror which that conviction natural
ly brought with it that I could not
move a finger. A design so fiendish
and monstrous as that which 1 sus-
pected might rouse the dullest sensi-
bilitieS, in a case where it threatened
the meanest; but being aimed in this
at the king, my master, from whom
had received so many benefits, and on
whose life the well-being of all de-
pended, it goaded me to the warmest
resentment. [ looked around the ten
nis-court-which, empty, shadowy and
silent, seemed a fit place for such hor-
rors-with rage and repulsion; appre-
bending in moment of sad presage
all the accursed strokes of an enemy
whom nothing could propitiate, and
who, sooner or later, must set all my
care at nought, and take from France
her greatest benefactor.
But it will be said I had no proof,
only conjecture; and this is true, but
of it hereafter. Suffice it that. as soon
as I had swallowed my indignation,
took all the precautions affection
could suggest or duty enjoin, emitting
nothing; and then, confiding the mat
ter to no one-the two men who were
with me excepted prepared to OBJ
serve the issue with gloomy satisfac-
ton.
The match was to take place at 3
in the afternoon. A little after that
hour I arrived at the tennis-court, at
tended by La Fort and other gentle
men, and NJ THuillier, the coun-
cillor, who had dined with me. L'Huil