Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1897-04-01
T i THE HOUSE q
| WS OF THE WOLF.
EgG) N}12 = a. = -
BY STANLEY J. NiEyasAN.
= ~ - :,
BY STANLEY J. WEYssAN.
CHATTER VII.-CcxTINUED

NHAt L v IL.-CtEI1NUED
] did not imagine anything else which
it could be. That is the truth, though
it may need explanation. was accus-
toned only to the milder religious diff
ferences, the more evenly balanced
parties of Quercy, where the peace be-
tween the Catholics and the Hugue-
nots had been welcome to all save a
very few. l could not gauge therefore
the fanaticism Of the Partisan populace,
and lost count of the factor, which
made possible that which was going
to happen-was going to happen il
Paris before daylight as surely as the
sun was going to rise! 1 knew that the
Huguenot mobiles were present in the
city in great numbers, but it did not
occur to me that they could as body
be in danger. They were many and
powerful, and as was said in favor with
the king. They were under the protec-
tion of the king of Navarre-France's
brother-in-law of week, and the
prince of Condo; and though these
princes were young, Coligny, the sa-
gacious admiral, was old, and not much
the worse 1 had learned for his wound.
He ct least was high in royal favor, a
trusted counselor. Had not the king
visited him on his sick-bed and sat by
him for an hour together?
Surely, L thought. if there were
danger. these men would know of it.
And then the Huguenots' main enemy,
Henri lc Balafre, the splendid duke Of
Guise, "our great man." and ''Lor-
raine,'' us the crowd called him-he, it
was rumored, was in disgrace at court.
In q word, these things, to say nothing
Of the peaceful and joyous occasion
which had brought the Huguenots to
Paris, and which seemed to put treach-
cry out of the question. were more than
enough to prevent me forecasting the
event.
If for moment, indeed, as hurried
along towards the river, anything like
the truth occurred to me, put it from
me. l say with pride 1 put it from me
as thing impossible. For God forbid
one may speak out the truth these 40
years back-God forbid, say 1, that all
Frenchmen should bear the blood-gui1t-
mess which came of other than French
brains, though French were the hands
that did the work.
1 was not greatly troubled by my
anu tAC oiehlC
of exaltation to which Nine. DOS con-
Idence had raised my spirits lasted
until one of the narrow streets by the
Louvre brought me suddenly within
sight of the river. Here faint moon
light bursting momentarily through
the clouds was shining on the placid
surface of the water. The fresh air
played upon, and cooled my temples
And this, with the quiet scene so
abruptly presented to me, gave check
to my thoughts. and somewhat sobered
me.
At some distance to my left could
distinguish in the middle of the river
the pile of buildings which crowd the
lie de la Cite. and could follow the near
er arm of the stream as it swept land
wards of these, closely hemmed in by
houses. but unbroken as yet by the
arches of the Pont Neuf which l have
lived to see built. Not far from me on
NV richt-indeed. within stones
throw the bulky mass Of the Louvre
rose dark and shapeless against the
sky. Only n narrow open space-the
foreshore-separ me from the
water: beyond which 1 could see an ir-
regular line of buildings, that no doubt
formed the Faubourg St. German.