The Saint Paul globe., 1897-09-26
CHAPTER XIII.
The Louvre.

The Louvre
1t wanted full ten minutes to the
hour when l rode through the gates OF
the hotel de Belin, and a moment or so
after was with my friend. He was
standing in the great hall as l entered.
in the midst of a small, but brilliantly
dressed, group of cavaliers. On my
being announced, however, he came
forward to meet me with outstretched
arms.
'Pardieur he exclaimed, stepping
back a half pace after our creating,
$50 you have dropped the Huguenot?
We poor devils will have but bad
time of it if you turn courtier.'"
us that likely?" I asked, a little
bitterly, and then in a slow tone,
"have you made Ravaillac safe?"
HHe has made himself SAFE" he
whispered 'the is gone"
Gomez
"Yes-vanished. 1t is perhaps best
so. We will discuss him later" and
raising his voice, come, let me present
YOU to my friends and he led me up
to his companions, who, gathered In a
little knot near the huge fireplace,
stood sLfveying us with Well-bred
curiosity.
Gentlemen, permit me to introduce
my old comrade, the Chevalier d'Aur-
iac-the Due de Bellegarde, whom we
all call M lie Grand, the Viscomte de
Vitry. the Seigneur de Valryn and the
Chevalier d'Aubusson, who, like you,
d'Auriac, is new to the court.
"And who is delighted to meet with
and old acquaintance, and trusts that
M. de Preaulx is in as good way"
LAS the company from Paradise-eh,
chevalier?" I put in.
Fairly hit" exclaimed the ieuten-
ant. and then he must needs tell the
story of our little adventure, at which
there was much laughter, and 1t was
easy to see that the marshal and Zam-
ct had no friends in the Rue de Bour-
donnais.
Come, gentlemen" said de Belin, "ff
we delay longer we shall miss the
cinoue-pace-on health around and let
US start"
AS he spoke a number of long-necked
glasses filled with the wine Of Cham
payne were brought to us. Holding his
glass high above his head, de Belln
called out:
"Gentlemen--the king"
The toast was drunk with a cheer in
which my voice alone was still, but l
Joined with the others In shiverlng my
glass to fragments on the white mar
BILE of the floor, and then, gay, laugh
ing crowd, we took horses for the
Louvre.
AS we trotted along, could not help
wondering to myself at my own out
ward gayety, and whether the same
bright mask covered thoughts as dark
as mine in my companions hearts.
Who, on looking at de Belin and hear
ing the frivol of his talk, or on cast
ing a glance at the red and honest face
of de Vitry, would imagine that these
men were hilt deep in the intrigues of
the court Perhaps the stately Belle
garde, the cynical lord Of Valryn, the
Thersites of his day, whose ribald
tongue had silenced even de Sancy,
and that devil-may d'AubuSSon
were up to the elbows in the same pie.
Absorbed for a moment or two in
these reflections, / became silent, and
was only aroused by Bellegarde riding
llp alongside of me and calling out:
"A tester for your thoughts, ,chevalier,
and three hundred pistoles for your
nag"
my thoughts would be expensive at
that price, due, and the plstoIeS VIII
not buy Couronne."
'MOrbleu! Then name your own price.
'Tis' Just such horse as that l have
dreamed of to lead the kings house
against NJ. de Savoye."
Il may need her for the Italian war
myself, monseigneur. No, Couronne IS
not for sale. She bears too heavy
stake for us to part"
Bellegarde looked at me cur1ouSly on
nv speech. and [ half repented of my
last words: but he said no more, and a
second or so later we were past the
Magasins and approaching the main
entrance to the Louvre.
The sight before US was gay beyond
description. All the good commons of
Paris had thronged to see the court
reopen. and to catch a glimpse and
perhaps a wave Of the hand from the
king whom they now loved with tneir
whole hearts. They came all IN thelr
pavest.and as the cheerful crowd sway
cd backward and forward beyond the
long line of guards that kept the en-
trance to the palace free, it was for all
+he world like a bank of flowers stirred
by the wind.
Rut it was not the commons alone
had gathered there. From within the
naIace itself we caught the continual
flashes of silvered armor, the sheen
of silk and satin, the waving OF plumeS
and the glitter of jewels, and, as far
as the eve could reach along the river
face there was an apparently endlesS
cavaIcade approaching the Louvre. In
that great heaving crowd, wherein
all the strength of France was gain
cred we saw as the wind caught the
banners and spread them to the sun
1i0ht that there was hardly house
In France but was represented here.
from the lordly seigneurs Oh Chdln :
naone and Guienne, with their Splen-
Sid foIlowings, to the poor knights
of Gascony and Bearn, who had not q
tower that was not in ruins amongst
them and could barely maintain the
brace of starveling lackeys that rooe
at the heels of each of these lean
1,ursed but long-sWorded gentIellien
Here one saw the white shield OF Cou.
ci the lilies of Conde, the gr1tflns OF
Fnernon, there the cross of Croye, the
cfar of d'Andelot, the red hand OF
d'Auvergne, and the black wolves on
fhe goJIen shield of La Roche Guyon'
fhe nroudest lord of Burgundy, VINO
traced his descent far back into the
n1ists beyond the middle ages
Absorbed as l was in my own trou-
bIes. I could not restrain teellIlg ol
nride that rose within me at the scene.
Hovn through that roaring crowd, that
cbaarad them again and again as they
nassed it was as if all the old historic
names of France had gathered to do
honor to the day. And 1 felt, too, as /
looked at the endless sea OF headS, that
this was no longer a France at muir
derous war with itself. but a united
and powerful nation. that was being
led onward III IT'S oeSllIly ny tH0 90
hand of man who had quenched a
fratricidal struggle, and for the mo-
;nent [ forgot how small he could be
who was yet so great
had yet to learn how great he could
ne. and here, as 1 write these lines in
my study, in the watch tower of Aur-
lac. round which the sea gulls circle