The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-03-02

glazed window. his night cap on his
bald head, and his face plastered
where the sherd had slipped, and 1
puffed out my cheeks to think that i
had climbed so high. High? How
high might not Il man climb who had
married the daughter Of the queen $
under porter. and had sometimes the
ear Of my lord, the queens minister!
My lord of Beauvais, in whom all men
saw the coming master of France! My
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. went below at the usual
hour: at the usual hour monseigneur
left. attended. for the council: pres
emily all the house was in an uprCar.
My lord had returned and called for
Prosper. ! fancied that l caught even
then something ominous in the sound
Of my name as it passed from lip to lip,
and ] hastened. scared, to the chamber.
hut fast as | went ! did not go fast
enough; one thrust me on this side,
another on that. The steward cursed
me. the head clerk stormed at mo, the
secretary 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 land l hope your skin may
pay for it,"
Naturally by this time ! was quak-
ing Monseigneur's looks finished me.
He stood i'm the middle of the chamber.
snawing the nails of his left hand, and
scowled at me, his handsome face pale
and sullen. Yes" he said, curtly.
"that is the fellow
wretch" the head clerk cried, seiZ-
Ing me by the ear and twisting it until
] fell on my knees. ''Imbecie! Or
more likely he did it on purpose."
"Bribed!" said the secretary.
"IIe should he hung up." the stew
ard cried truculently. 'bcfore he does
further mischief. And if my lord will
give the word"
"Silence!" the bishop said, with n
dark glance at me. What does he
plead"
] creamed "Ingrate." he cried. do
you hear his grace speak to you? An
swer.'
MY lord" cried. piteously. II have
done nothing! Nothing"
Nothing" half Il dozen echoed.
Nothing" the head clerk added, bru-
tally. Nothing, and you added a ci-
pher to the census Of Paris Nothing.
and your lying pen led my lord to
state the population to be five millions
instead of five hundred thousand! :!
Nothing. and you sent his grace's high
ness to the council to he corrected by
low clerks and people. and made a
laughing stock for the cardinal, and"
'Silence!" said the bishop. fiercely.
"Enough Take him away and"
Hang him" cried the steward.
mo. rascal. but have him to the
courtyard. and let the prooms fog him
through the gates. And have a care -
ne continued, addressing me. that I
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 ntiless. and before could utter
three words a dozen ofiicious hands
plucked me up and We're thrusting me
to the door. outside worse things
awaited me. A shower of kicks and
cuffs and blows rained upon me: vain
ly struggling and shrieking. and seek
Ing still to gain his ear. ] was hustled
along the passage to the courtyard and
there dragged amid brutal jeers and
laughter to the fountain. ard nung in
When ] scrambled out. they thrust me
back again and again. until trembling
with cold and rage ! ut last evaded
them. only to be hunted round the
yard with feathers and brides that cut
like knives. and drew "a scream ut