Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-07-08


break, and wait for me With them on
the further side Of the town
Matthew sat talking with his cousin,
the hostess of lie Occur Loyal. When
night fell he went into the town. He
was far more definite next morning re-
specting the route they ought to follow
speak LII they were out of Moulins, and
then he asked if my lord vicomte knew
that the Constable had fed to Chantelle,
and had left it a few days later.
Il was not fully sure" ROLAND said.
Are you certain that your cousins
news may be trusted? A woman, you
know, is seldom accurate in the way she
repeats what she hears.
Matthew smiled.
Il am married, my lord. My cousin
Therese is honest, and speaks the truth,
but do not depend on her only. l have
friends in Moulins, and last night had
speech with two; / may not name
them; if / could not do so, my lord
would be satisfied. They tell me that
the Count de Layal-or, as they call
him here, the Chevalier de Retz-was
seen in talk with one GILES DupfaL
discharged servant of my lord the Con-
stable; they were watched, and next
morning this fellow rode off with Mon
sieur de Retz, before the Countess and
rest of the escort passed through Mou-
Inns. There seems to be no doubt that
de Retz and his men are tracking the
Duke, and in that case they are bound
for LIE Puy, in the Auvergne."
But what would the Constable be do
ing in the Auvergne? Between Lis
ieux and Laval / gathered that he was
levying troops so as to make head
against any force which the King
might send to arrest him.
Matthew shrugged his shoulders.
"Ah, my lord, he is wise and pow
erful; | cannot understand it. His
strength lies here, where he is known
and loved and trusted, where everyone
but a traitor would shed the last drop
of blood to uphold his cause against
the Regent, for my lord the Constable
has no quarrel with the King. My
lord will not wish to live an hour, or
would have asked him to see these
friends of the Duke. They say that he
will cross the Italian frontier <after he
has traversed Savoy, and that he Will
hold a command in the Italian army.
''He has then, probably, left France ="
Il crave my lords pardon; the Duke
must cross the Rhone at Vienne; and
while the army is at Lyons, l learn
that the river is jealousy guarded some
way up and down stream; 1t is thought
that his Highness for the present will
lie concealed in some of the little vii
lagos of the neighborhood, where he is
not known, but where, If recognized, he
would never be betrayed"
ROLAND rode on, biting his lips. 1t
seemed extremely probable that Laval
had gone in pursuit of the Constable
but it was puzzling that he should take
Jeanne along with him. At last he
said abruptly over his shoulder to
Matthew:
Ride UP close; l want to ask you a
question: You said yesterday that when
you were in Italy with my lord the
Duke of Bourbon the Chevalier de RetZ
was one, Of the officers of his staff Was
the Chevalier in favor with His High
ness?"
Yes. my lord, he was so till after
the first skirmish; and many of US,
who saw and heard things which so
noble a prince would not stoop TO be-
come aware of, wondered, while we
held our peace. 1t was, as | said, some
days after the first skirmish; the Duke
was riding by village to see Monsieur
de Pomperant who had been wounded.
Only Lao and l were riding a 6hort
way behind him, for Lao had come to
fetch him 10 see his friend. Flying out
from door in the stone wall OF a
garden came a girl-her feet seemed
scarcely to touch the ground till she
flung herself down on the road in front
of the Dukes horse. If the beast had
not been perfectly trained it would
have reared, and some mischance would
have befallen the girl; but the Duke
soothed and quoted it,though it morted
and trembled with terror. Before he
could speak, Lao and l had seen dark
face look out from the gate, the face
of the Chevalier de Reitz. My lord Duke
bent forward, and looked kindly at
the girl, who still knelt before him.
"'Rise, mademoiselle, he said in Ital-
ian-we used to say he had kindly
feeling for the people, seeing that his
lady mother came of Italian blood
it is not seemly that you should kneel
TO me, and you terrify my horse. If
you have a boon to ask, be kind enough
to let me hear it. My lord knows the
royal dignity with which he speaks,
and the gentleness that tempers l..
Tell me, mademoiselle, how l can help
you. You have nothing 20 fear Ny
lord, can never forget the despair IN
that girls eyes as she looked over her
shoulder at the gate. Then, seeing no
one-for the Chevalier disappeared as
suddenly as he came-shs lold her
story. Now that she stoodg1I2 we could
see that she was very tall, and she had,
| fancy, been beautiful, but her eyes
were swollen with weeping, and one
cheek was purple as from heavy
blow. She grew very white while she
spoke; it seemed to me that she mad a
hard trial 10 keep herself from sobs
and tears She said that she was an
orphan. her father had been a Milen-
csc officer and her mothers relations
were noble, but poor; as the French
troops entered Milan, De Retz had
seen her at window; she was nurs-
ing her dying mother. He had some
how found admission to the house. and
had gained the good will of her father.
Her mother died, her father was killed
by a chance shot; De Retz professed
ardent love for her, and proposed mar