Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-10-25
CHAPTER XIII.

OGAH i Eh A1lls
THE LOUVRE.
It wanted full ten minutes to the hour
when I rode through the gates of the
Hotel de Belin, and moment or SO
after was with my friend. He was
standing in the great hall as entered,
In the midst of small, but brilliantly
dressed group of cavaliers. On my be-
Ing announced, however, he came for
ward to meet me with outstretched
arms.
"Pardieu!" he exclaimed, stepping
back half pace after our greeting, $50
you have dropped the Huguenot? We
poor devils will have but bad time of
1t II you turn courtier."
"Is that likely?" I asked, little BIT
terly, and then, in low tone, have you
made Ravaillac safe?"
"He has made himself SAFE" he whis-
pered; she is gone"
"Gonel"
"Yes-vanished. It is perhaps best
80. We will discuss him later" and
raising his voice, come, let me present
you to my friends" and he led me to his
companions, who, gathered in little
knot near the huge fireplace. stood sur
veying me with well-bred curiosity.
Gentlemen, permit me to introduce
my old comrade, the Chevalier d Auriao
the Duo de Bellegarde, whom we all
call NJ. lie Grand, the viscompte 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
On old acquaintance, and trusts that NJ.
de Preaulx is in as good way"
"As the company from Paradise-eh,
chevalier?" I put in.
Fairly hit" exclaimed the lieuten-
ant, and then he must needs tell the
story OF our little adventure, ut which
there was much laughter, and it was
easy to see that the marshal and Zamet
had no friends In the Rue de Bourbon
nails.
Come, gentlemen" said de Belin,
IF we delay longer we shall miss the
cinque-pace--one health round and let
us start"
AS he spoke number of long-necked
glasses filled with the wine of cham
payne were brought to us. Holding his
glass high above his head, de Belin
called out:
"Gentlemen-the king"
The toast was drunk with cheer in
which my voice alone was still, but
joined with the others in shivering my
glass in fragments on the white marble
of the floor, and then, gay, laughing
crowd, we took horse for the Louvre.
As we approached 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 wave of the hand
from the king whom they now loved
with their whole hearts. They came all
in their gayest, and as the cheerful
crowd swayed backward and forward
beyond the long line of guards that
kept the entrance to the palace free, it
was for all the world like bank of
flowers stirred by the wind.
Absorbed as was in my own trou-
bles, l could not restrain feeling of
pride that rose within me ut the scene.
Down through that roaring crowd, that
cheered them agnin and again as they
passed, it was us if all the old historic
names of France had gathered to do
honor to the day. And I felt, too, as l
looked at the endless sea Of heads, that
this was no longer France, ut muir
derous war with itself, but united
and powerful nation, that was being
led onward to its destiny by the strong
hand of n man who had quenched a
fratricidal struggle, and for the mo-
ment forgot how small he could be
who was yet so great.
The throng was SO thick that for a
time we were unable to gain passage,
and were compelled to go at walking
pace, and Belin, refining in his fretting
beast, exclaimed: Faith, tits the
largest gathering have ever SEEN"
IAN France is here to-day" said de
valryn. "There go d'Ossat and his en-
inence, fresh from the quirinal."
By this time had collected myself
in some degree, and began to try and
rapidly rehearse in my mind what
should say when / came face to face
with the king; but am not ashamed to
confess that at each attempt found
myself getting more and more hopeless
ly confused, and. finally dropping the
effort, determined to let the occasion
find its own words. AT last we were on
the stairway, and in twenty minutes had
entered the great hall which Henry had
built himself, and which was known as
the Galerie d'Apollon. Except for the
vacant space around the still empty
throne, the full length of its seventy
yards was almost as much crowded as
the hail below; but here the music was
much louder, though the laughter and
talk was not less merry and incessant
There was not, of course, nearly Sc
much movement, and the people were
more or less gathered in little knots OF
groups, though there were many gay
butterflies fitting from one of these to
the other.
Keep by me-" said de Belin, and al.
most as he spoke we came face to face
with Travannes, de Gle and de Cosse,
Brissac, oil dressed in the extreme OF
fashion. Belin saluted coldly, but my
heart warmed toward my old comrades
in arms, and stretched out my hand
This de Gle took Imply, but Trayannes
and de Cosse-Brissac contented them,
SELVES with hoxyo ~ AZ ,,o1,4.I