Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-02-23
CHAPTER XIII.
THE LOUVRE.

It wanted full ten minutes to the hour
when l rode through the gates of the
Hotel de Belin, and a moment or so
after was with my friend. He was
standing in the great hall as entered,
in the midst of a small, but brilliantly
dressed group of cavaliers. On my be-
ing announced, however, he came for
ward to meet me with outstretched
arms.
"Fardieu!" he exclaimed, stepping
back half pace after our greeting, so
you have dropped the Huguenot? We
poor devils will have but bad time OF
it if you turn courtier."
as that likely?" l asked, little bit
terly, and then, in low tone, have you
made Ravaillac safe?"
''He has made himself safe," he whis-
pered; "he is gone"
"Gone!"
"Yes-vanished. 1t is perhaps best
so. 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 a well-bred curiosity.
Gentlemen, permit me to introduce
my old comrade, the Chevalier d'Auriac
the Due de Bellegarde, whom we all
call NJ. lie Grand, the Viscompte de
Vitry, the Seigneur de Valryn and the
Cheyalier d'Aubusson, who, like you,
d'Auriac, is new to the court"
And who is delighted to meet with
- 10, tv-t.g -tg Inf
de Preaulx is in as good a way"
Gas the company from Paradise-eh,
chevalier?" l put in.
Fairly HIT" exclaimed the lieuten-
ant, and then he must needs tell the
story Of our little adventure, at which
there was much laughter, and it was
easy to see that the marshal and Zamet
had no friends in the Rue de Bourbon
nais.
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 a number of long-necked
glasses filled with the wine of cham
pagne were brought to us. Holding his
glass high above his head, de Belin
called out:
conference.-the king"
The toast was drunk with cheer in
which my voice alone was still, but l
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 at the scene.
Down through that roaring crowd, that
cheered them again and again as they
Eassed, it was as if all the old historic
names of France had gathered to do
honor to the day. And felt, too, as l
looked at the endless sea of heads, that
this was no longer a France, at MUIR
derous war with itself, but united
and powerful nation, that was being
led onward to its destiny by the strong
hand of man who had quenched
fratricidal struggle, and for the mo-
ment l forgot how small he could be
who was yet so great.
The throng was so thick that for n
time we were unable to gain passage,
and were compelled to go at a walking
pace, and Belin, refining in his fretting
beast, exclaimed: Faith, tbs the
largest gathering l have ever seem"
"All 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 l
should say when l 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 it's 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 hall below; but here the music was