The Winslow mail., 1900-04-05

after holding the highest offices, after be
ing practically king, after shedding an i'm
perishable glory on his country by his vic
tories, and staining her memory indelibly
by his perfidy, died at last, with all his fine
spun webs broken. And Bayard-old as
am, my eyes grow moist when think of that
glorious day at the passage OF the Sesla,
when, covered with wounds, overborne by
numbers, and fighting to the last against
hopeless odds, Pierre du Terrail gave back
his soul to God But long years were to
pass before this happened, and Bayard was
at present in the hey-dey OF his career.
The table for the gentlemen of the suite
was placed just below the dais, and extend
ing further down the room were other
tables, for all who could obtain seats there
at, whilst at the extreme end of the room
was high stand, whence anyone was at lib
erty to bear away much of meal as he
could carry off on the point of his dagger.
Estimating roughly, should say that fully
800 persons dined daily in this manner, with
d D'Amboise, and this hospitality, which he
exercised in the manner of French feudal
noble, was the subject of much amusement
at the papal court, where they prided them
selves on a more refined and delicate style
of living. At any rate, all that was here
was safe to touch, and no one had need to
fear that a dinner at the PalaZZo COrneto
with the Cardinal of Rouen was prelude to
supper with st. Peter in Heaven. His
eminence, who was a notable trencherman,
beamed down from his high seat on us all,
and tried valiantly to assay conclusions with
the Cardinal of Strigonia, but was compelled
at last to own himself beaten, for Ippolyte
d'Este was one in thousand at table; in
fact, this jovial prelste ended his days sud-
denly, after a prodigious dinner, which be-
gan at IL in the morning and ended at four
in the afternoon, concluding with SO light
dainty as dish of roasted crayfsh, washed
down with a bottle of vernaccia, wine Of
hich he was inordinately fond. At our
own table there were about dozen or more,
and found myself seated next st. Armande,
whilst opposite to me was lie Clerc, the car
dinals chaplain, and next to him an officer
of the papl guards, Spaniard who spoke
little and ate much. st. Armande passed
by the wine, drinking only water, and in re-
ply to a question of mine answered that he
was under vow.
owe can absolve you here easily, cheva-
lier," said LIE Clerc, who overheard the re-
mark, FFhere is some Orveto which / can
recommend" and he pushed the flask to-
wards St. Armande
The latter, however, would not be tempt
ed, and lie Clerc shook his head.
"A willful man must have his own way,
chevalier but that Orvieto was a present
from Pierrot, our lords most favored serv-
ant"
Indeed said the Spaniard; "then can
safely say it is the last present you will re-
ceive from Don Pierrot."
"How so?'
"Cesare arrived last night, very suddenly,
with two men only, they say. He has not,
however, yet seen his holiness - although
he is in the vatican"
LIE Clerc remained silent, but st. Ar
mande asked in his low voice:
81 do not follow, sir. Could you not ex-
plain? Unless | ask too much. You see
I am stranger in Rome"
The Spaniard smiled grim1y.
ut means, chevalier, that Pierrot was
found this morning with dagger sticking
up to the hilt in his heart"
St. Armande turned pale, and LIE Clerc
asked in low tone:
"Are you sure of this? When did it hap
pen?'
CAS- sure as sit here. It happened an
hour or so after Cesare's coming. The pope
is said to be overcome with grief" and the
lips of Don Diego de Leyva took sarcastic
curve.
Great heavens!" said LIE Clerc. "Poor
Pierrot!"
The chaplain rose from his seat with a
slight apology, and approaching D'Amboise,
leaned over him and whispered few
words in his ear. The cardinal nodded with
apparent unconcern, and LIE Clerc came
back; but watching D'Amboise narrowly,
l saw that although he still appeared to
laugh and Jest, his eyes were grave and his
brow troubled. In fact, shortly afterwards,
the high table broke up, and we followed
suit very soon. Despite his efeminate ap-
pearance, 1 had begun to take liking to
st. Armande, and the next few hours
were at our disposal, invited him to ride
out with me, as | had mind to try Cas-
tors PAGES. This, however, he declined,
with the somewhat shy air that marked his
manner, and, leaving him to his devices, /
ordered Castor to be saddled and took him
out. When l returned, about five in the
afternoon, felt that all that had been said
of the generous beast rode underrated his
value, and that l possessed a matchless
steed, who was fit to run for kingdom.
For the next few days the routine of my
life was exactly the same, the morning at
tendance at the cardinals levee, the daily
dinner in public, and long rides with Cas-
tor in the afternoons, in which was some
times accompanied by st. Armande; but
this was not always possible, as he was
closely attached to D'Amboise's person.
D'Amboise frequently asked me to accom-
pany him to the vatican; but up to now
| had begged permission to decline his lnvi-
II L
tation, on the plea that, with the business
before me, it would perhaps be well for me
to live as much in retreat as possible. The
cardinal said, with that good-tempered
laugh OF his, which entirely beEed his as
tute scheming nature, that as l was as yet
ignorant of my task need not be so care
full l replied to his eminence that it was
just because l was in the dark that l was
so circumspect, and he was then good
enough TO agree with me. was, however,
naturally anxious to see something of the
vatican, and one of my reasons for refus'
ing, besides that of prudence, was that ]
was not sufficiently well equipped. This,
however, with the funds at my disposal,
was soon mended, but from some cause or
other, had up to now not gone. Jacopo
was not so successful as he anticipated he
would be, in raising his men. 1t was, above
all, necessary to have them trustworthy,
and it was difficult to get men of this class for
merely temporary employment, such as
| offered. At last the matter was ar
ranged, and by the end of the week mus
tered body of six stout fellows, all of them
fairly well mounted, and, what was bet
ter, all of them trained soldiers. l had
them lodged near the Ripetta, and the car
dinals table afforded them a free dinner,
Of which they were not slow to take advan-