Evening star., 1899-01-28

The brow of Duke John flushed with an
ger, but he did not disobey. He raised his
head and gazed straight at the three men.
hxins his eyes, however with studied
| discourtesy upon Shelto instead of upon the
natural leader and spokesman.
Behind his chair Pierre de rHopital let
| ms deep. nscrutable eye drooP once upon
his master. and his spare and sinewy wrists
| twhched as he held his arms by his side.
He seemed upon the point of dealing ducal
dignity box on the ear both sound and
| improving
Il am the Lord James of Dough md
| Avondale, said the leader of the Scots.
| with grave dignity, land l had three years
ago the honor of breaking lance with
you in the tilt yard of Potiers. when in
eaat town your grace met with the King
| of France and the Duke of Burgundy"
AT this John of Brittany looked up
quickly.
Il do not remember you,'' he said. land
never forget faces. Even Pierre will
| grant me that!'
Your grace may possibly remember.
then, the dint in your shoulder that you
got from the point of a spear. caused by
| the breaking of the links of your shoulder
piece
A light sprang into the dukes eyes.
what he cried, you are the young
| Scot who fought so well. and kept his
shield up all day over the door of a COM
mon sergeant's tent, having no pavilion of
his own, till it was all over dints, like an
| ale house tankard?"
| "As were also the knights who dinted itr'
grimly commented Pierre de rHopital.
The Lord James of Avondale bowed
.! am that knight!'' he said, quietly and
with gravity.
| But cried the duke 81 knew not that
you were of Douglas. That is a great
name at Potiers, and had we known your
race and quality we had not been ready
with our shield rapping.''
AT that time" said James Douglas, II
had not the right to add of Douglas to my
titles. But during this year my father hath
succeeded to the earldom and estates.
| .What-then is your father Duke of
Touraine?" cried the Duke of brittany,
much astonished.
| NAY, my lord said James Douglas, with
some little bitterness. The King of
France hath caused that to revert to him
self by the success which attended a GER
tain mission executed for him in Scotland
by his chamberlain, Marshal de Retz. con-
| corning whom We have come from far to
| speak with you"
| "Ah, my Cousin Gillesv' cried Duke John
He is not a beauty to look at, but he is a
| brave man. our GILES. l heard he had
gone to Scotland. L wonder if he contrived
to make himself as popular in your land
| as he has done in ours?"
| With a certain grave severity to which
Pierre de fHopitai nodded approval, the
Lord James replied: AT the instigation of
| the King of France and Louis the Dauphin,
| he succeeded in numbering my two cousins
William and David of Doug as, and in car
rying over hither with him to his own
| country their only sister, the little Countess
| of Galloway-thus roofing out the greatest
house in Scotland to the hurt of the whole
| realm
! But to your profit, my Lord James of
| Avondale,' commented the hollow voice of
Pierre de fHopital, speaking>over his mas
| ter's head.
The face of James Douglas flushed quick
| lY.
No, messre,'' he answered with swift
heat. mot to my prolific my infinite loss.
For loved my cousin. honored him, and
| for his sake would have fought to the
| death. For his sake have 1 renounced my
own father that begat me. And for his
sake / stand here to ask for justice to the
little maiden, the last of his race, to whom
by right belongs the fairest province of his
domlnions. No. messire you wrong. In
all this have 1 had no profit, but only in
finite hurt"
Pierre de rHopital bowed low There
was pleased look on his face that almost
amounted to smile.
Il crave your pardon my lord" he said
that is well said, indeed, and he is a gen.
| tleman who speaks it,
Aye, it is indeed well said, and he had
you shrewdly on the hip that time Pierre
| cried Duke John. Il wish he could teach
| me thus cleverly to answer you when you
| croak.''
IF you had as good a cause. my lord"
said the president of Brittany to the duke,
| 1T were not difficult TO answer me
| sharply! But we are keeping these gentle
men from declaring the purpose of their
| journey hther."
The Lord James waited for no further in
, vitation.
II come he said. boldly. holding a
|
| received from the Lady Sybilla, ito de-
| nounce GILES de Retz and to accuse him
| of many cruel and unrighteous acts such
| as have never been done in any kingdom.
| l accuse him of the murder of over 400
| children of all ages and both sexes in cir
! cumstances of unparalleled barbarty. l
| am ready to lead you to the places where
! lie their bodies, some of them burned and
| their ashes cast into the ditch, others
| charred and thrown into unused towers. L
| have here names, circumstances, evidence
| condemn a hundred
| monsters such Giles de Retz,'
"Ah, give me the paper came the rau-
| cous voice OF the president of Brittany
| reaching a bony hand over his masters
head to seize it.
The Lord James advanced, and handing
| it to him, said: "Messre, L would have you
| know that copy of this is already in the
hands of q trusty person in each of the
! towns and villages whicn are named here,
| and from which children have been led to
cruel death by him whom i have accused,
GILES de RetZ marshal of France
| The president of Brittany nodded he
almost snatched the paper in his eagerness
| to peruse it.
| The point is well taken" he said. "as
| justly indeed, as if you knew my lord of
| Brittany as well as for instance, L know
| him.
| The duke was obviously discomfted He
| shuftied his feet more than ever on the |
dais and combed his struggling fair beard
with soft, white, tapering fingers.
This is wild and wholly absurd he said |
without, however looking at James Doug
las; ''our cousin Giles is in il-odor with |
the commonalty. He is a philosopher and
| makes smells with bottles. But there is |
neither harm nor witcncraft in it, He is |
only trying to discover the elixir of life So |
the silly folk think him a wizard | |
know him better. He is brave soldier and |
my good cousin. | will not have him mo- |
leSted.'
My lord speaks of kinship," grated the |
voice of Pierre de rHoptal. Here are the |
| names of 400 fathers and mothers who have
also a claim to be heard that subject, |
and whose voices, if l judge right, are be- |
ing heard at this moment around the cas- |
ties of Machecoul. Tiffauges, Champtoce |
and PouZages. | wot there is now crowd |
OF thousand men pouring through the |
passages of the Hotel de Suze in your |
graces own ducal city of Nantes And if |
there goes bruit abroad that your high |
ness is protecting this monster whom the |
people hate and the evidences of whose |
horiid cruelty are in their hands-weli, |
Your grace knows the Bretons as well as |. |
They will make one end of Giles de Retz
and of his cousin John, Duke of Brittany |
Think you so-think you SO, truly, be |
true. But the king-what of the prince? |