Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-06-25
CHAPTER Y.
THE TOIIPNEsV To Avail.

CHAPTER V.
THE JOURNEY TO LAVAL.
Gilonne stood early by her mistress
bedside. Madame she said, 1.-The es-
cort from Laval is at the gates; it has
only come from Menoulas this morn
ing, and the leader babe me say that
if 1t is your pleasure. madame, he and
his men are ready to start for Laval as
soon as they have refreshed their
horses. Monsieur lie Comte has sent a
beautiful litter, madame; the inner
curtains are of silk broidered with
golden flowers and green satin leaves;
the cushions and footstocls are coy
cred with velvet from Genoa;
in one corner little mirror
is set in a silver frame; the
litter is truly a dainty nest, and mad
anne will be at her ease in it. 1t holds
all that can be wanted on journey.
There is, besides a wagon with stout
horses to carry the chests which
have ready, filled according TO my
lady's orders before she left u.s..
Jeanne gave the woman grateful
glance. Good Gilonne,' she said IT
you and my maids are ready, l will
go down."
In the sorrow and responsibility OF
these last months Jeanne had forgot
ten her childish dislike to Monsieur de
Retz. Now, as he made her rever-
entail bow when she appeared at the
outer portal of Longuedec, she was
pleased by his tact and good feeling
in not addressing her. She looked at
the litter before she entered it, ana
turning to Monsieur de Retz, she said
she had never seen so handsome We
hicle; Jeanne loved horses, and she
greatly admired the strong pair har-
messed to the litter. She had already
ordered that her own jennet and a
horse for Gilonne should accompany
the troop which was to escort her to
Laval.
The presence of the strange soldiers
in the courtyard helped the girl
through the painful leave-taking with
so many old retainers, most OF whom
had been at the chateau before her
birth: it was a relief to be on her
way, behind the closed curtains OF her
litter.
The distance between Longuedec and
Laval was not very much over num-
dred miles, yet it took four wearlsome
days TO reach the Chateau. At the
first nights halt at the st. Brieuc, De
Retz craved permission to wait on the
Young Countess, but Jeanne sent WORD
that she was greatly fatigued by the
long journey, and asked to be ex-
cused.
Gilonne took a secret pleasure IN de-
iivering this message, for De Retz had
not won her good opinion; she, now
ever. understood her mistress lar too
well TO arouse her contradiction by a
hint of her own distrust Of the leader
of the escort. Gilonne was a keen
witted Bretonne, she had travelled,
and she was shrewd observer. The
expression of the young mobiles eye as
she delivered her mistresss message,
disturbed her and made her inqulsi-
tive. Next morning, on the plea of
| leaving more room for her mistress
and the two maids. Anne ana Mathu-
rine. in the litter, Gilonne asked leave
to ride the horse provided for her.
| Jeanne herself would greatly have pre-
ferred riding to the slow Joltlng OF
| the litter, but she was still ABSORBED
bv sorrow, and she wished TO AVOID
| conversation; she saw that by re-
naming in the litter she could ENJOY
solitude without discourtesy. Every
morning. when she left her chamber
| to resume her place in the litter, she
| exchanged a formal greeting with dc
| Reitz. and every evening, when they
| halted. there was her husbands cou-
sin ready to hand her with the most
| courtlv grace from her litter into the
inn where they were to pass the night
! Sometimes a few words passed be-
tween them. but De RetZ was so qule'
| and sympathetic that Jeanne now
| looked on him as only useful safe
gnard. and smiled at the fancies she
| had once had about him; she told her
self as she saw him from between the
| curtains of her litter that he was
| graceful and accomplished cavalier; il
She had felt less sad she would have
enioyed a talk with him.
| Gilonne rode in front of the litter
| and her observation made her still
| more uneasy; the men spoke to one
| another in low voices, but on the ap-
| nroach of De Retz their talk ceased
| Manv Of them were. she thought evil
! looking, and these kept close to De
Retz and did not wear the expression
of sullen discomfort that showed on
| the more honest faces of the escort.
On the third day the woman rode be
hind the litter to escape observation
She had determined to question q
steady-looking man-at-arms, called
by his comrades Gildas. and she con-
trived after a while to ride beside him
out of sight of the sharp-eyed leader
| of the troop. :,
This is a pleasant day she SAID
| "both for man and beast"
Gildas did not lCok at her; he NUT
tered something in surly tone, and
she left him for the time to himself
Gilonne had not always lived al
Longuedec; her parents had moved
| from place to place, and when, as
girl. she came to live with Jeanne's
mother, she had accompanied her
mistress to the Court of the good
Queen Anne at Ambrose, and being
quick witted, she had learnt good
deal about men and women. She was
not at all discouraged by the first re-
buff. Presently two men riding be-
hind her began to talk.
Gillonne listened, but she could not
make out all they said, for they spoke
in a southern patois. to which her
Breton ears were unaccustomed: II
seemed to her. however. from what
she gathered that the Count de Lavafs
illness was more serious than she had
thought 1t, and that they were dis
..,z-;cr tba r,,oljficc Of Monsieur de