The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-08-27
The Cat, and the King.

BY STANLEY }. wEYMAN'

and, to my amazement, dealt the pros
trate man hearty kick, bidding him OF
the same time TO rise. "Get up, fooll
Get up" he continued, harshiy, yet with
ring OF triumph in his voice, "all you
have got is the collie, and 1t IS no more
than you deserve. Get up, say, and
beg his maiesty's pardoni"
"But,n the King demonstrated in
tone OF anger, "the man Is dyingl"
''He is no more dying than you are,
sire, F" the other answered. "Or, III he Is,
il is OF offright There, he can stand az
we'll as you or IL
And TO be sure, as he spoke. La Trape
scrambled TO his feet, and with mien be-
tween shame and doubt stood staring at
US, the very picture of a simpleton. II
was no wonder that his jaw fell, and his
| impudent face burned; for the room
| shook with such q roar of laughter, at
first low, and then as the King joined In
| il, swelling louder and louder, as few OF
us had ever heard. Though i was not
| little mortified by the way In which we
had deceived ourselves, j could not help
| joining in the laugh; particularly as the
| more closely we reviewed the scene In
| which we had taken part, the more alb
surd seemed the Jest. Ii was long before
silence could be obtained:; but at length
| Henry. quite exhausted by the violence
of his mirth, neld up his hand. seized
the opportunity.
"Why. you rascal" / said, addressing
La Trape, who did not know which way
TO look, "where are the ten crowns OF
which you defrsuded the scullion?"
$40 be sure, ~ the King said, going on
into another roar. "And the third pup
py?"
Eyes" said, "you sOoundrel; and
the third puppy?" L
Gay, and the gipsy girl?' the King
continued. The buffers wench, what of
her? And OF your evil living3 Begone,
hA fol
into fresh paroxysm, "or you will XIII
us in earnest Would nothing else do
for you but to die in my chamber! be-
gonel"
] took this as hint to clear the room,
no. only of La Trape himself but OF all;
mained with the King. 1t then appeared
that there was still mystery, and enc
which il behooved us to clear up; mas
much as Du Laurens took the cats death
very seriously, insisting that 1t had died
of poison administered in most sinister
fashion, and one that could not fail TO
recall TO our minds the Borgian popes.
II needed no more than this TO direct my
suspicious to the Florentines who swarm
ed about the Queen, and against whom
the King had let drop so many threats.
But the indisposition which excitement
had for time kept at bay began to re-
turn upon me; and i was presently glad
to drop the subject and retire to my own
apartments, leaving the King to dress.
| Consequently i was not with him when
the strange discovery which followed was
made. In the ordinary course OF dressing
some OF the servants going to the fre,
place to throw away a piece OF waste
linen thought that he heard a rat stir
amcng the boughs. He moved them, anc
in a moment small snake crawled out
kissing and darting out its tongue.
4 | was killed, and then il at once occurred
1 II lsot ~ A. f1s.a al <af hi
= cats death. He came to me hot-footet
| with the news, and found me with Dt
Laurens who was in the act OF ordering
| me TO bed.
! / confess that heard the story almos
with apathy. so i'll was ]. Not SO tn
physician. After examining the snak
which, by the Kings orders, had beei
? brought tor my inspection, he pronounc
ed that il was not OF French origin. II
> has escaped from some snake-charmer,
he said.
The King seemed to be incredulous
81 assure you that j speak the truth
sire, - Du Laurens persisted.
"But how then did il come in m,
room?'
"That is what should like to know
/ sire, - the physician answered, severely
land yet / think that / can guess. /
? was put there, fancy, by the person wh'
sent up the milk to your chamber.
"Why do you say so?' Henry asked.
because, sire. all snakes are inordi
l nately fond of milk.
"Ahl" the King said, slowly, with
; change OF oountenance and shudde
which he could not repress; land ther
was milk on the floor In the morning"
= "Yes, sire; on the floor, and besid
e the head of your bed. F"
e But at this stage ] was attacked by
fit of illness SO severe that had to breal
in on the discussion, and beg the Kinj
. to withdraw. The sickness increased oil
!, me during the day, and by noon l wa