Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-24

"Of what date?'
Three days gone The couriers Travelled
night and day"
'They may be true and still she may be
here today?" he said, staring at me.
Impossible, sire!'
But, man.. 1 Rave just seen her? he
cried, impatiently.
Eyes, Madame de Condo. or am mad
man. Henry answered, speaking little
more moderately Il saw her gallop out OF
the patch of rocks at the end of the Dor
moir-where the trees begin. She did not
heed the line of the hounds, but turned
straight down the lockwood ride; and after
that led as I followed. Did you not see
herr"
mo, SIRE" said, inexpressibly alarmed
1 could take it for nothing but fantasy-'1
saw no one"
land 1 saw her as clearly as I see you."
he answered. 'She wore the yellow ostrich
feather she wore last year and rode her
favorite chestnut horse with a white stock
ing. But / could have sworn to her by her
figure alone; and she waved her hand to
me-"
''But. sire, ont of the many ladies riding
today"
There is no lady wearing yellow
feather" he answered passionately. And
the horse! And knew her. man! Besides,
she waved to me! And for the others-why
should they turn from the hunt and take to
the woods? '
I could not answer this, but I looked at
him in fear: for as 1t was impossible that
the Princess de Condo could be here, l saw
no alternative but to think him smitten
with madness. The extravaganza Of the
passion which he had entertained for her
and the wrath into which the news of her
flight with her young husband had thrown
him, to say nothing of the depression under
which he had since suffered. rendered the
idea not so unlikely as 1t now seems. AT
any rate, 1 was driven for moment to
entertain 1t, and gaZed at him in silence,
prey to the most dreadful apprehensions.
We stood in a narrow ride, bordered by
evergreens, with which that part OF the
forest is planted. and but for the songs OF
the birds the stiffness would have been
absolute. On sudden the kinS removed
his eyes from me, and, walking his horse
pace or two along the ride, uttered cry
Of joy.
right" he said. 'There are her tracks
Gene! We will cvertske her yet.
1 looked and saw the fresh prints OF
horses shoes, and felt great weight roll
off my mind. for at least he lad seen some
one I no longer hesitated to fall in with
his humor, but, riding after him, kept at
his elbow until he reached the end of the
ride. Here, a vista opening right and left,
and the ground being hard and free from
tracks, we stood at loss; until the king,
whose eyesight was always of the keenest,
uttered an exclamation and started from
me at a gallop.
I followed more slowly, and saw him
dismount and pick up glove, which. even
the middle Of enc of the paths. He cried,
with a flushed face that 1t was Madame
de Condos, and added: 1T has her per-
fume-her perfume, which no one else
usesT'
I confess that this so staggered me that
I knew rot what to think, but between
sorrow at seeing my master so infatuated
and bewilderment at riddle that grew
each moment more perplexing, 1 sat gaping
at Henry like man without counsel How
ever, at the moment, he needed none, but,
getting to his saddle as quickly as he could,
he began again to follow the tracks Of the
horses feet, which here were visible, the
path running through a beech wood. The
branches were still bare, and the shining
trunks stood up like pillars, the ground
about them being soft. We followed the
prints through this wood for a mile and a
half or more, and then, with a cry, the
king darted from me, and, in an instant
was racing through the wood at break-neck
speed.
1 had glimpse of a woman flying far
ahead of u.s. and now hidden from us by
the trunks and now disclosed; and could
even see enough to determine that she wore
yellow feather dropping from her hat,
and was in figure not unlike the princess.
But that was all; for once started, the in
equalities of the ground drew my eyes
from the flying form, and, losing it. 1
could not again recover it. On the con-
trary. it was all could do to keep up with
the king; and of the speed at which the
woman was riding, could best judge by
the TACT tnat IN less imam nVo minutes ne,
too. pulled up with a gesture of despair
and waited for me to come abreast of him.
"You saw her?' he said, his face grim,
and with something of suspicion lurking
in 1t.
Eyes, SIRE" 1 answered, IT saw a wo-
man, and a woman with yellow feather,
but whether 1t was the princess"
at was?' he said. IF not. why should
she flee from us?'
To that, again, had not a word to say,
and for a moment we rode in silence. OBJ
serving. however, that this last turn had
brought us far on the way home, I called
the kings attention to this, but he had
rode along with his eyes on the ground.
We proceeded thus until the slender path
we followed brought us into the great
road that leads through the forest to the
kennels end the new canal.
Here I asked him If he would not return
to the chase, as the day was still young.
Mon Dieu, nor he answered passionate
Iy. IT have other work to do. Hank We,
M. lie Due. do you still think that she is in
Brussels?"
Il swear that she was there three days
ago, sire!'
SO, God forgive you, for I shall notv'
ut is no trick of mine, SIRE" I answered
firmly.
Trick" he cried, with a flash of his
eyes. "a trick, you say? No. ventre de
Saint Girls! there Is no man in France dare
trick me SOL"
. did not contradict him, the rather as
we were now close to the kennels, and
was anxious to allay his excitement; that
1t might not be detected by the keen eyes
that lay In wait for us, and so add to the
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