Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-08-10

shaken, and i'll came OF 1t, the king
would hardly forgive me Recognizing
this, and that | was face to face with
a crisis from which could not escape,
but by the use of my utmost powers. |
assumed serious and thoughtful air;
and without affecting to disguise the
fact that the king was displeascd with
me, dismissed the ENJOYS with n few
civil speeches, in which / did not fail
to speak of his majesty in terms that
even malevoience could not twist to my
disadvantage.
When they were gone, doubtless to
tell Henry how l had taken it,
| sat down to supper with La Font,
| Boisrueil, and two or three gentlemen
of my suite; and, without appear
ing too cheerful, contrivcd to eat with
my usual appetite. Afterwards with
| drew in the ordinary course to my
chamber, and, being now at liberty to
look the situation in the face. found it
rs serious as had feared. The falling
man has few friends; he must act
quickly if he would retain any. was
not slow in deciding that my sole
chance of al honorable escape lay in
discovering, ard that within q few
hours-who stole the cipher and con-
vcycd it to Mime. dc Vcrncuil; and in
placing before the queen sach evidence
of this as must convince her.
by way of beginning summoned
Maignan and put him through a severe
examination. Later, | sent for the
rest of my houschold-such. | mean,
as had accompanied ric-and, ranging
them against the walls of my chamber,
took q ilambeau in my hand and went
the round of them, questioning each,
and marking his air and aspect rs he
answered But with no result; so that
after following some clcws to no pur-
pose, and suspccting several persons
who cleared themselves on the spot, |
became assured that the chain must be
taken up at the other end, and the
first link found among Nine. de YER
nouil's following.
BY this time it was nearly midnight,
and my people were dropping with IA
tguc. Nevertheless, sense of the
desperate nature of the case animating
them, they formed themselves volun-
tarily into kind of council, all feeling
their probity attacked, in which va
rious modes of forcing the secret from
those who held it were proposed
Maignan's suggestions being especially
violent. Doubling, however, whether
madame had more than one confidantc,
secretly made up my mind to course
which none dared to suggest; and
then, dismissing ell to bed, kept only
Maignan to lie in my chamber, that if
any points occurred to me in the night
might question him on them.
At four o'clock | called him, and
babe him go out and quietly saddle
two horses. This done, l slipped
out myself without arousing any
one, and, mounting at the stables,
took the Orleans road through the for
est. Ny plan was to strike at the head, |
and. surprising Nine. de Verneuil while !
the event still hung uncertain, to wrest |
the secret from her by trick or threat.
The enterprise was desperate, for / |
Knew the stubbornness and arrogance of |
the woman, and the inveterate cnraity |
which she entertained towards me,
i1oiS Poi biSuiaiiy eilCc inc king mar |
rage. But in dangerous case any
remedy is welcome.
Preached Malesherbes, where madame
was residing with her parents, little |
before seven o'clock, and riding with
out disguise to the chateau demanded |
to see her. She was not yet risen, ard |
the servants, whom my appearance
threw into the utmost confusion, OBJ. |