The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-02
Ircopyright. 1896. by Stanley J. weyman-

riage--and third clerk to the most
noble the bishop of Beauvais, and even
admitted on occasions to write In MS
presence and prepare his minutes, who
should marry if might not?-it was
about a month after my marriage,
say, monsieur, that the thunderbolt, TO
which / have referred, fell and shat
tered my fortunes. rose one morning
they we've firing guns for The victory
of Rocroy, remember, so that IL mus!
have been eight weeks or more after
the death of the late king, and the
glorious rising of the sun of France
and who SO happy as /? A summer
morning, monsieur, and bright, and l
had ALI / wished. The river as 1t
sparlsled and rippled against the piers
of the Pont Neuf far below, the wet
roofs that twinkled under our gerret
window. were not more brilliant than
my lords fortunes, and as Is the squir-
rel SO is the tail. OF n certainty, was
happy that morning. thought of the
little hut underthe pinewood at Gabas,
and my father cobbling by the un-
glazed window, his nightcap on his
rald head, and his face plastered
where the sherd had slipped. and l
puffed out my cheeks TO think that l
had climbed so high. High? How
high might not man climb who had
married the daughter of the queens
under-porter, and had sometimes the
ear of my lord, the queens ministerl
NV lord of Beauvais. in whom all men
saw the coming master of Francei Ny
lord whose stately presence beamed
on world still chilled by the dead
hand of Richelieu!
But that morning, that very morn
ing, / was to learn that who climbs
may fall. i went below at the usual
1.our; at the ueual hour monseigneur
left. attended, for the council; pres
Cntly all the house was in an uproar.
NV lord had returned and called for
Prosper. / fancied that caught even
then something ominous in the sound
of NV name as it passed from lip to lip,
(. and / hastened, scared, to the chamber.
But fast as I went / did not go fast
enough; one thrust me on this side,
another on that. The steward cursed
me. the head clerk stormed at me, the
Becretary waited for me AT the door,
and seizing me by the neck ran me into
+, the room. "In, rascal, in!" he growled
IN my ear, "nnd hope your skin may
pay for It'll"
Naturally by this time was quak-
ing. Monseigneur's looks finished me.
He stood in the middle of the chamber,
cnawing the nails of his left hand, and
soowled at me, his handsome face pale
and sullen. 'Yes," nc said. curtly,
S'that is the fellowl"
"Wretchl" the head clerk cried,
seizing me by the ear and twisting 1t
until / fell on my knees. "Imbecilel
Or more likely he didit on purpose"
"Bribedl" said the secretary.
"He should be hung up!" the stew
ard cried truculently, before he does
further mischief. And IL my lord
will give the word--"
"Silencel" the bishop said, with a
dark glance at me. "What does he
plead?"
The head clerk twisted my ear until
\ screamed. 'Ingrate!' he cried. "Do
you hear his grace speak to you? An
swerl"
my lord" cried, piteously. 'Thave
VOnc uObiluBi NotuluS.
"Nothing?" half dozen echoed.
rNothingl" the head clerk added, bru-
tally. Nothing, and you added ci-
{. pher to the census of Paris! Nothing,
and your lying pen led my lord to
state the population to be fve millions
6nstead of five hundred thousand!
Nothing, and you sent his grace's high
ness to the council to be corrected by
low clerks and people, and made
laughing stock for the cardinal. and"
"Silenoel" said the bishop, fiercely.
sEnoughl Take him away and"
"Hang him." cried the steward.
"No, rascal, but have him TO the
courtyard, and let the grooms fog him
through the gates. And have a care"
he continued, addressing me, "that
DO not see your face again, or it will be
worse for you"
] flung myself down and would have
appealed against the sentence, but the
bishop, between rage and discontinue,
was pitiless, and before i could utter
three words dozen ofiicious hands
plucked me up and were thrusting me
to the door. Outside worse things
awaited me. a shower of kicks and
cuffs and blows rained upon me; VAIN
~ struggling and shrieking, and seek
ing still to gam his ear, was hustled
along the passage to the courtyard,
Bnd there dragged amid brutal jecrs
md laughter to the fountain, and flung
in. When scrambled out, they thrust
me back again and again, until trem-
xxxffh Il
tvaded them, only 10 be hunted round
the yard with feathers and brides
that cut like knives, and drew scream
at every stroke. doubled like a hare:
more than once knocked half dozen
men down; but was fast growing ex-
hausted. when some one more prudent
OF less cruel than his fellows. opened
the gates and darted into the street.
l was sobbing with rage and pain.
dripping. ragged. and barcfoot,-some