The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-08-25

! her. DOUBTLESS she was afraid that your
answered.
Il did not ask your the queen re-
joined.
looking from the ring to the trembling
girl. The silence was such that the clat-
ter of the pages in the anteroom could
be heard. Still Mademoiselle stood dumb
and COMPOUNDED.
.well, what is the mystery?" the
queen said, looking round with little
wonder What is the matter? It is the
fa Mny No y0n ns eWh is wondering
where are the other things she left with
itp' Bassompierre said in a silky tone.
THE things she left at Parlot the YER
derer's. when she dropped the ring. But
she may free her mind; have them
| here"
What do you mean?" the queen said.
What things. monsieur? What has the
girl been doing?"
only what many have done before
her Bassompierre answered, bowling
| to his unfortunate victim, who seemed to
I be paralyzed by terror: disappearing
in other peoples clothes. I propose, mad
anne, that, for punishment, you order her
to dress in them, that we may see what
| her taste isl
II do not underestimate the queen said.
"Your majesty will, if MademoiselIe
Palsptti will consent to humor us.
At that the girl uttered a cry, and
looked round the circle as if for way
| of escape; but a court is cruel place,
in which the ugly or helpless find scant
! pity. A dozen voices begged the queen
| to insist; and, amid laughter and loud
jests, Bassompierre FASTENED to the door,
! and returned with an armful of women's
| gear, surmounted by wig and feath-
| cred hat.
IF the queen will command mademoi-
selle to retire and put these on he said,
| Il will undertake to show her something
! that will please her.
'Go!" said the queen.
q fling herself
| her skirts, burst into a flood of tears and
prayers; while her sister-in-law stepped
| forward as if to second her, and cried
out. in great excitement, that her maj
esty would not be so cruel to
''Hoity, toityr' said the queen, cutting
| her short very grimly, What is all this?
tell the girl to put on masquerade
which it seems that she has been keep
| ing at some cottage-and you talk as II
[ were cutting off her head! 1t seems to
me that she escapes very tightly! Go!
| goi and see, you, that you are 'arrayed
in five minutes, or L will deal with your
perhaps MademoiseIle de La Force
| will go with her, and see that nothing
| is omitted" Bassompierre said with NAL
| ice.
The laughter and applause with which
| this proposal was received took me by
surprise; but later ] learned that the
two. young women, were rivals. Yes,
| yes" the queen said. go, MademolSelle,
and see that she does not keep us wait
| ing
knowing what did, had by. this time
fair idea of the discovery which Bas-
sompierre had made; but the mass, of
courtiers and ladies round me, who had
not this advantage, knew not what to eX-
sompierre had in the business-but made
most diverting suggestions, the majority
favoring the opinion that Mademoiselie
Paleotti had repulsed him. and that this
was his way of sivenging himself. A few
of the ladies even taxed him with TINS,
and tried by random reprOaches, to put
him at least on his defense; but, merrllY
refusing to be inveigled, he made to all
the same ansWer-that when Mademoi-
selle Palcotti returned they would see
This served only to whet curiosity al
ready keen, inSomuch that the door was
watched by as many eyes as II miracle
had been promised; and even n. Epernon
and Vendome, leaving the kings side,
| pressed in to the crowd that they might
see the better. I took the opportunity OF
going to him, and, nesting his eyes as
| did so, read in. them a look of pain and
distress. AS I advanced he drew back
pace, and signed to me to stand before
him.
| had scarcely done so when the door
opened and Mademoiselle Paleotti, pale
and supported on one side by her rival,
| appeared at it; but so Wondrously trans
formed by q wig, hat, and tedingote that
I scarcely knew her. At first, as she
stood, looking at the staring crowd, the
impression made was simply one OF be-
wiiderment, so complete was the disguise
But Bassompierre did not long suffer her
to stand so. Advancing TO her side, his
hat under his arm, he offered his hand
Charlottesville" he said, will you
oblige me by walking as far as the end
of the gallery with me-"
She complied involuntarily, being almost
unable to stand alone. But the TWO had
not proceeded half way down the gallery
before a low murmur began to be heard
| that, growing quickly louder, culminated
in an astonished cry. of Madame de
Condei Madame de Condep'
NJ. Bassompierre dropped her hand with
low bow, and turned TO the queen
| MADAME" he said, this I find, is the
lady whom 1 saw on the terrace when
Madame Paleotti was so good as TO ~
vite me to walk ON the Bos-le-Roi road 1..a
For the rest, your majesty may draw
your conclusions
1t was easy to see that the queen had
already drawn them; but, for the mo-
ment the unfortunate girl was saved
from her wrath With low cry, Made
moiselle Paleoti did that which she
would have done q little before. had she
been wise, and swooned on the floor
7 turned to look at the king, and found
him gone He had withdrawn unseen in
the first confusion of the surprise; nor
intrude on the strange mixture of regret
and relief, wrath and longing, that prob
ably possessed him i'll the silence OF his
closet. It was enough for me that the
Italians plot had failed, and that the
danger of a rupture between the king ana
0Ceen. which these nniscreants desired
and [ felt TO be SO great and imminent,
was, for this time, overcast
The Paleottis were punished, pelnG sent
home in disgrace, and penury, winch,
doubtless, they felt more keenly.