Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-14

swing door and the shrill. piping voice of a
child Growing and laughing in an ecstasy
of infantile pleasure came forth and met
us started as if a gun had exploded. 1
know that the sound. by giving my
patron assurance that he whom he sought
was not there. but in his closet. led to my
admission, and that without that assur-
anca my lord would have left me to walt
at the door AS it was he said nothing to
me- but went on; and p following him IN
my innocence through the doorway. came
at the same moment he did on scene as
rare as ii is by well remembered.
We stood on the threshold of a wide and
splendid gallery. set here and there with
great china vases. and hung with pictures
which even then / discerned to be OF great
beauty and afterward learned were of nc
less rarity. Letting my eyes travel down
this vista. they paused natur lilly at spot
under one of the windows where, with MS
back to us and ribbons in his hands,
slight gentleman beyond middle age. and
dressed in black. ambled and paced In
front of child four or five yeirs old Inc
wintry sunlight, which fell in cold bars on
the flocr. proved his progress TO be more
shrieked in its joy. and. dancing. jerked
the ribbons and waved a little whip. IN re-
Spouse to which the gentleman, whose long
curled periwig bobbed oddly on his Shout
ders-he had his back to us-pIanced more
stoutly, though on legs a little tnfh anu
oent
A long moment I stared at this picture.
little thinking Gu what / gaZed. nor was II
until a gentleman seated at a side table not
far from the pair rose hurriedly from his
chair and with a cultural exclamation
came toward u.s. that l remarked this third
occupant of the gallery When L did SO II
was to discern that ne was angry. and that
my Lord was taken aback and disturbed.
II even seemed TO me that my patron made
a hasty movement to withdraw. Before he
could do SO. however. or 1. who behind him
barred the way. could take the hint. the
gentleman in black. warned OF our pres
ence by the others exclamation. turned to
us. and still standing and holding the rib
bons in his hands. looked at U.S.
He had long, sallow face. which SEEM
ed the sallower for the dark, heavy wig
that fell round 1t; large hooked rose and
full peevish lips. with eyes both bright and
morose. / am told that he seldom smiled.
and never laughed, and that while the best
tales of King Charles'S court passed round
him. he would stand distracted. or on occa-
sion wither the teller by a silent nod. The
court wits who dubbed my Lord Noting
ham Don Dismallo could find no worse
title for him. Yet that he had a well of
humor deeply hidden and rarely drawn
upon no one could doubt who saw him APP
proach u.s. a flicker of dry amusement In
his eyes giving the lie to his pursed up
lips and the grimness of his yisage.
Your grace is always welcome" he said
speaking in English. little broken and
cultural. And yet-you might have come
more apropoS. | confess.
"A thousand pardons. SIR my lord an
swered. bowling until his knee well nigh
touched the ground. Il thought that you
were in your closet, sir, or / should have
taken your pleasure before 1 intruded.'
But you have news?'
"Ha, And this person"-he looked fix
edly at me-''is concerned"
Then, my Lord Buck" and he turned
and addressed the child who was still tug
ut hEa fan firf
you hear me? You must go. Go, petit
vaurien. l have business"
The child looked at him boldly. "Faut-
ill., said he.
''Oui, Oui, Say merci, and co.
'Merci. monsieur. the boy answered
And then 10 us with a solemn nod, ia
Gu sd majestic for my chevaux"
''Cheval, Cheval"' corrected the gentle.
man in black. And be on
Apprised by what L heard not only tina:
stood in the gallery of Kensington courts
mansion which his majesty had lately
bought from Lord Nottingham and made
his favorite resIdence-but that the gentle
man in black whom / had found SO simply
employed was no other than the king him
self. l ask you to imagine with what inter
est l looked upon him He. whom the ole
King of France had dubbed in bitter deri
sion the little squire Of Breda." ant
whom two revolutions had successfully
created Stakeholder of Holland and sever
eign of these isles. was at this time forty
and a prey to the asthma which Athlete,
his later life. Reserved in manner ant
somber. not TO say melancholy. IN aspect
hiding strong passions behind a pale mas
Of stoicism. as chilling to his friends as i
was battling to his enemies. he was sucl
a youth spent under the eyes of watch
full foes and a manhood in the prosecution
OF weiShty and secret designs made him
Descended on the one side from William tn
Silent. OF the other from the Great Henri
of France, he was thought to exhibit 1,
more moderate degree the virtues and fail
ingS which marked those famous princes
ard to represent. not in blood only. but II
his fortunes. the two soldiers Of the six
and skill in defeat still passed for ;
prover5: who. frequently beaten In tn
field. not seldom garnered the fruits of tn
campaign. and rose. Antaeus-like, tn
Stronger from every fall
That, in all stations, private person
a stakeholder and a king. his lat majest
remembered the noble sources whence h
sprang was proved, / think. not only b
the exactness with which his life wa
wrought 20 the pattern of those old mot
toes of his house: ..Saevus tranQuiIlus /
Cndis" and Tandem fit Surculus arbor''-
whereof the former was borne, have rea(
By the Taciturn. and the latter by Mauric
OF NasSau-but by two other particular
which i crave leave to mention. The frs
was that more majorum he took NATURAL
and from the first the lead as the champio
OF the Protestant religion in Europe: tn
second. that though he had his birth In
republic, and was called to be king b
election $50 that IL was no uncommon thin
for some Of his subjects to put sights upo
him as little more than their equal; ay,
and though he had to bear such affronts
eiience) he had the true spirit and prid
of king born in the purple and by RICH
this the gloom and reserve Of his manner