Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-27
Continued From Last Saturday.
CHAPTER Nj.
The Gentleman From Calais.

Continued From Last Saturday.
CHAPTER XII.
The Gentleman From Calais.
Good fortune and bad had combined to
make me somewhat more of figure In the
eyes of the court than was warranted by
my abilities or my station. The friend of
Mistress Gwyn and the favorite of the
Duke of Monmouth (for this latter title his
grace's signal kindness soon extorted from
the amused and envious) was a man whom
great folk recognized, and to whom small
folk paid civility. Lord Carford had be-
come again all smiles and courtesy. Darrell.
who arrived in the secretary's train. COM
pensated IN cordially for what he lacked
in confidence: my Lord Arlington himself
presented me in most fattering terms to
the French kings envoy. NJ. Colbert de
Grossly, who. in his turn, greeted me with
q warmth and regarded me with a curios-
ity that produced equal qualification and
bew!lderment in my mind. Finally. the
Duke of Monmouth insisted having me
with him in the castle, while the greater
part of the gentlemen attached to the royal
and noble persons " ere sent to lodge in the
town for want of accommodation within
the walls My private distress, from which
/ recovered but slowly. or. to speak more
y,
to prevent me from becoming pulled up
with the conceit which this success might
well have inspired.
The first part of Betty Nasroth's proph-
ecy now stood fulfilled, aye, as 1 trusted,
utterly finished and Accomplished: the rest
carried L had guessed that there was a
secret what II was remained unknown TO
me- ana. as L soon suspected. TO people
more Important The interval before the
arrival OF the Duchess of Orleans was oc-
Cupied III many councils and conferences;
at most of them the Duke of Monmouth
was present. and he told me no more than
all the court cOnlectured when he said that
Mime. d OrieanS came with a new project
for French alliance and fresh war with
the Dutch But there were conferences al
which he was not present, nor the Duke of
BUCKINGHAM. but only the king, his broth
er $50 soO1 as his royal highness Joined us
from l-ondon). the French envoy and Cliff
ford ami Arlington. OF what passed at
these my master knew nothing. though he
teISned knowledge: he would be restless
when |, having used my eyes. told him that
The king had been with NJ. Colbert de
Croissy for two hours, and that the Duke
of York had walked on the walls above an
hour in earnest conversation with the
treasurer. He felt himself ignored and
poured out his indignation unreservedly to
Carford- Carford would frown and throw
his eyes toward me. though to ask if /
were 10 hear these things. but the duke re-
fused his suggestion Nay. once he said in
jest:
What 1 say is safe with him as with
you, my lord, safer.
i wondered to see Carford indignant
why do you say safer. sir?'' he asked,
haughtily. while the color in his cheeks
was heightened lis any mans honor more
to be trusted than mine?'
..Ah, man. / meant nothing against your
honor. but Simon here has discretion that
heaven does not give to every one"
Now, when i see man SO sensitive to
to find Z in avprv aIaga
word. am Set to thinking whether he may
not have some cause to fear suspicion.
Honesty expects no accusation. Carford' s
readiness to repel charge not brought
caught my notice. and made me ponder
more on certain other conferences to which
also his grace my patron was a stranger.
More than once had found Arlington and
Carford together, with NJ. Colbert in their
company. and on the last occasion of such
an encounter Carford had requested me not
TO mention his whereabouts to the duke,
advancing the trivial protest that he should
have been engaged on his grace'S business.
His grace was not our schoolmaster But
/ was deceived. most amably deceived and
held nay tongue as he prayed Yet l watch
ed him close. and soon. had man told me
that the Duke OF York thought 1t well to
maintain a friend of his own in his
nephew's confidence. 1 would have hazard
ed that friends name without fear of mis-
take.
So far the affair was little to me. but
when Mistress Barbara came from London
the day before madame was to arrive
hardly an hour passed before l perceived
that she also. although she knew it not
had her part To play / cannot tell what
reward they offered Carford for success
full service; il a man who sells himself at a
hiSh price be In any way less villain than
ne VINO taxes penny, L trust that the
price was high. for in pursuance of the eff
fort to obtain Monmouth's confidence and
an 2scendancy over him, Carford made use
OF the lady whom he had courted and as
IsRi Nad
He threw her in Monmouth's way by trictxs
too subtle for her to detect, but plain to an
attentive observer. i knew from her father
mat lately he had again begged her hand,
and that she had listened with more show
OF favor Yet he was the dukes very hum
bic servant in all the plans which that
headstrong young man now laid against
the la1y's peace. Is there need to state
the scheme more plainly? In those DAYS a
man might rise high and learn secrets II
he knew when to shut his eyes and how to
knock loud before he entered the ROOM
should have warned her. IL Is true Int
the mischief lay in the fact that by no
means could induce her to exchange a
word with me She was harder by far to
me than she had shown herself In London
ferhapS she had heard how / had gone
TO -: but whether for good reason or bad
my crime seemed without pardon Stay:
perhaps my condition was below her notice
~ IT SIN ana condition so worked together
that she would have nothing of me- and
could do nothing but look on with outward
calm and hidden sourness while the duke
Piled her with batteries that soon grew m
passionate avowais. and Carford paid defer.
ehtiai slit when his superior was not in the
way. She tr'umphed in her success as Girls
VIII blind to its periis as girls are: and
Monmouth made no secret of his hopes OF
success. as he sat between Carford's sto,iJ
face and my downcast eyes
She's the lovelest creature in tn.
world he would cry. Come. drink a toa al
to herr And l drank silently while car
FORD led him on to unrestrained boasts and
artfully famed his passion
At last--it was the evening of the d.v no
fore madame was TO GOMEZ met her wher,
she could not avoid me. by the constabla.s
tower and alone. i took my courage in m,
hands and faced her. waraing her of he,
peril In what delicate words 1 could find
Alas. L made nothing OF IT, A scornfu
jest at me and my righteousness Of which
said she. all London had been talking ,
little while back. was the first shot from