Evening star., 1895-06-15

speak to these heh you will wait and see
what happens. If you are called upon to
draw you must see that neither of them,
in the event of there being two, escapes
from US. l shall myself assist you."
But, sire" l cried, Il have no, doubt
sword, but would it not be better that
should bring scomrade than that you
Should be forced to- join in such strug-
"Ta, ia, ta," said he, II was a soldier
before I was an emperor. Do you think.
then, that artillerymen have not swords
as we'll as the hussars? But I ordered you
not to argue with ME. You will do exactly
what tell you. If swords are once drawn,
reither of these men is to get away alive"
They shall not. SIRE said 1.
Very good I have no more instructions
I turned to the door, and then an idea
occurring to me, I turned
II have been thinking. sire," said i
he sprang at me with the ferocfty OF
wild beast. I really thought that he would
have struck me-
Thinking" he cried. you! You! Do
You imagine l chose you out because you
could think. Let me hear of your doing
such thing again! You, the one man-but
o'clock"
My faith I was right glad to get out of
the room. If 1 have a good horse under
me. and sword clanking against my stir
rup iron, L know where 1 am. And In all
eHdt relates 10 green 1OQQer OF OTy, Ddrley
and oats and rye, and the handling of
squadrons upon the march, there is no one
VINO can teach me very much, but when l
meet a chamberlain and a marshal of the
palace, and have to pick my words with an
emperor, and find that everybody hints in
stead of talking straight out, 1 feel like
troop horse who has been put in ladys
caleche 1t is not my trade, all this minc-
ing and pretending. 1 couldn't do 1t, and
never like those who can. So l was right
glad TO get into the fresh air again, and
ran away up to my quarters like school
boy who has just escaped from the semi
nary master.
But as I opened the door the very first
tfihg that my eyes rested upon was long
pair OF sky-blue legs, with hussar boots,
and short pair of black ones. with knee
breeches and buckles. They both sprang
up together to greet me.
We'll, what news?' they cried, the two
of them.
None" I answered.
The emperor refused to see your
mo. have seen him.
And what did he say?"
Monsieur de Talleyrand," answered, Il
regret to say that it is quite impossible for
me to tell you anything about it. 1 have
promised the emperor"
Pooh, pooh my dear young man." said
ne siding up to me cat does when 1t
Is about to rub itself against you. This
Is all among friends. you understand. and
goes no further than these four walls Be-
sides, the emperor never meant to include
me In this promise"
ut is but a minutes walk to the pal
ace Monsieur de Talleyrand," I answered.
IF 1t would not be troubling you too much
to ask you to step up to it, and to bring
back the emperor's written statement that
he did not mean to include you in this
promise. shall be happy to tell you every
word that passed.
He showed his teeth at me then, like the
old fox that he was.
Monsieur Mo sic Gerard appears to be little
see things in their just proportions. AS he
grows older he may understand that 1t is
not always very discreet for a subaltern of
cavalry to give such very abrupt refusals."
1 did not know what to say to this, but
Lasalle came to my aid in his downright
fashion. -
''The lad is quite right" said he. eff 1
had known that there was a promise I
should not have questioned him. You know
very well, Monsieur de Talleyrand, that If
he had answered you. you would have
laughed in your sleeve and thought as much
about him think of the bottle when the
Burgundy is gone. AS to me, promise you
that the tenth would have had no room for
him. and that we should have lost our best
swordsman, if had heard him give you
the emperor's secret"
But the statesman became only the more
bitter when he law that had the support
of my colonel
II have heard, Cob Lasalle." said he with
an icy dignity 'that your opinion is of
great weight upon the subject of light cav
airy. Should 1 have occasion to seek in
formation about that branch of the army
1 shall be very happy TO apply to you. At
present, however, the matter concerns di-
plomacy, and y1u will permit me to form
my own views upon that question. AS long
as the welfare of France and the safety of
the emperors person are largely committed
to my care. I will use every means in my
power to secure them, even if it should be
against the emperor's own temporary
wishes. I have the honor, Col. Lasale, to
wish you very good day." He shot a
most unamiable glance in my direction, and
ft,rr inc hfG hno ho0 llroI
quick, noiseless steps out of the room.
I could see from Lasalles face that he did
not at all relish finding himself at enmity
with the powerful minister. He raped out
an oath or two, and then, catching up his
saber and his cap he clattered away down
the stairs. AS looked out of the window
I saw the two of them, the big blue man
and the little black one, going up the street
together. Talleyrand was walking very
rigidly, and Lasalle was waving his hands
and talking. so 1 supposed that he was try
ing to make his peace.
The emperor had told me not to think, and
I endeavored to obey him. took up the
cards from the table, where Regnier had
left them, and I tried to work out few
combinations at ecarte, but I could not re-
member which were trumps, and I threw
them under the table in despair. Then
drew my saber, and practiced giving point
until I was weary, but 1t was all of no use
at all. My mind would work in spite of
myself. At 10 o'clock I was to meet the
emperor in the forest OF all extraordinary
comp atlonS OF events IN this whole world
surely this the last which would have
occurred to me when rose from my couch
that morning But the respon sibility-the
dreadful responsibility! 1t was all upon my
shoulders. There was one to halve 1t
with me. 1t made me cold all over. Often
as have faced death upon the battlefield.
I had never known what real fear was un-
til that moment. But then 1 considered
that after all could but do my best, like
1 brave and honorable gentleman. and
above all, obey the orders which I had re-
ceived to the very letter. And If all went
well, this would surely be the foundation
CT my fortunes. Thus alternating between
my fears and my hopes, 1 spent the long,
long evening until it was time for me to
keep my appointment.
CHAPTER ".
put on my military overcoat, as I did
not know how much Of the night 1 might
have to spend in the woods. and fastened
my sword on the inside of 1t. put off my
hussar boots also, and wore a pair of shoes
r srvI,k l.a1