Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-30

"a In Iaurens took the cats death very
seriously, insisting that 1t had died OF
6oison administered in most sinister
fashion. and one that could not fail to re-
call to our minds the Borgian popes 1t
needed no more than this to direct my sus,
picions to the Florentines who swarmed
king had let drop SO many threats. BUT
the indisposit.o1 which excitement mad tor
a time kept at bay began to return upon
me; and I WAS presently glad 10 drop Ihe
subject anil retire to my own apartments.
Consequently, I was not with him when
the strange discovery which foliowed was
made. In the ordinary course OIL dresSnS,
one of the servants going 70 the lHep.ace
to throw away piece of waste linen,
thought that he heard rat STIR amonS
the boughs. He moved them, and IN
moment a small snake crawleo our. hiss
ing and darting its tongue. 1t was Killed.
and then 1t at once occurred 10 the king
that he had the secret OF he cats deatn.
He came to me hot-fooe with the news,
and found me With I'u Laurens. who was
In the act of ordering me to bed
/ confess that I heard :he story almost
with apathy. so Ill was I. Not SO the ply
stefan. After examining the snake, which,
by the kings orders. had been brougnt
for my inspection. he pronounced that 1t
was not Of French origin. ut has escaped
from some snake charmer, he said.
The king seemed to be increduious
II asure you that l speak tho truth,
SIRE Du Laurens persisted.
But how then did 1t come In my ronm?'
THAT is what I should like to know,
SIRE" the physician answered. severely.
land yet / think l can guess. 1t was put
there. fancy. by the person who semi Up
The milk to your chamber"
why do you say so?' Henry asked.
Because. sire, all snakes are inord;nate-
ly fond of milk
"Ahr' the king said slowly. with change
of countenance and shudder which he
could not repress. land there was milk
on the floor in the morning."
floor
head of your bed"
But at this stage 1 was attacked by a
fit of illness severe that had to break
in on the discussion and beg the king to
withdraw. The sickness increased on me
during the day. and by noon 1 was pos
trate, neither taking interest in anything
nor allowing others VINO began 10 fear
for my life. to divert their attention. After
twentyfour hours 1 began to mend. but
still several days elapsed before was able
to devote myself to business, aid then
| and the king. always ilkewar!n in the
pursuit. nothing had been done to detect
and punish the criminal.
l could not rest easy. however, with so
| abominabe a suspicion attaching to my
| house. and as soon as I could bend my
| mind to the matter I began an inquiry.
| At the first stage, however. 1 came to an
| impasse: the butler. who had been Icing
| in my service, cleared himself without diff
| ficulty, but few questions discovered the
| fact that person who had been in his de-
partment on the evening in question was
| now to SEEK having indeed disappeared
| from that time. This was the gypsy girl
whom La Trape had mentioned and whose
presence in my household seemed to need
| the more calculation the farther 1 pushed
| the inquiry. In the end / had the butler
punished. but though my agents sought the
| girl through Paris and even traced her to
| Meaux, she was never discovered.
| The affair." at the kings instance, was
not made public; nevertheless. it gave Kim
| so strong a distaste for the arsenal that
| he did not again visit me nor use the
rooms I had prepared. That later. when
a few months the malice of his enemies
prevailed over my utmost precautions and
| robbed me of the best of masters: strange
| ly enough. as all the world now knows, at
the corner Of that very Rue de la Feron-
merle which he had seen in his dream.