The Washington times., 1902-10-05

buried in myself.
Some beggars started from novels
running like dogs, holding diseased an:
crooked-eyed childy.n up for aims. ant
pleading for Gods sake that we woult
have pity on them. When they disap
peared with their coin asked the mar
quis if there had always been vretched
ness in France.
There is always wretchedness orery'
where" he answered. Napoleon car
turn the world upside down, hut he can
not cure the disease of hereditary pow
erty. 1 never rode to Versailles with
out encountering these people,"
| When we entered the Place d'Armef
| fronting the palace, desolation worse
than that Of the beggars faced US. That
vast noble pile. untenanted and sacked.
symbolized the vanished monarchy OF
France. Doors stood wide. TIE court
was strewn with litter and filth; and
grass started rank betwixt the stones
where the proudest courtiers in the
world had tried. l tried to enter the
queens rooms. but sat on the steps lead
ing to them, holding my head in my
hands. It was as impossible as 1t had
been to enter the temple.
The fountains which once made con-
cert of mist around their lake basin. sat
isfying like music. the marquis said.
were dried. and the figures broken. Mil
lions had been spent upon this domain
of kings, and nothing but the summers
natural verdure was left to unknown
stretches. The foot shrank from send
ing echoes through empty palace. apart
ments, and from treading the weedy
margins of canal and lake.
Il should not have brought you here.
Lazarre," said my friend.
Il had to come, monsieur
We walked through meadow and park
to the little palaces pllled Grand and
Petit Trianon, where the intimate life
of the royal family had been lived. I
looked we'll at their outer guise, bu,
could not explore them.
The groom held our horses in the
street that leads UP to the Place
d 'Armes, and as we sauntered
back, / kicked old leaves which had fall
len autumn, after autumn and banked the
path.
1t rushed over me again!
/ felt my arms go above my head as
they did when 1 sank into the depths of
Arn IN, r1<
Marquis du Plessy seized me.
II remember! / remember! l was
kicking the leaves-I was walking with
my father and mother-somewhere-
something threatened
us!"
"It was in the garden of the Tuiler-
es,'' said the Marquis du Plessy stern
Iy. "The mob threatened you, and you |
were going before the National Assem-
bly,! l walked behind. l was there to |
help defend the king"
We stood still until the paroxysmal |
'ending in my head ceased. Then l sat |
IN the grassy roadside trying to smile
It the marquis. and struggling an apol-
he arched trees disappeared. and when
lext ! recognized the world we wer,
moving slowly toward Paris in heavy
arriage, and 1 was smitten with the
that my friend had not eaten
he dinner he ordered in the town of
Tersailles.
l felt ashamed of the weakness which
anne like an eclipse, and withdrew leay-
ng me in my strength. 1t ceased 10
isit me within that year. and has never
roubled me at all In later days. Yet.
l look back as to The
lamour of youth: and though it worked
1e hurt and shame, half regret that '
. is gone.
The more l saw Of the Marquis du ;
lessy the more my slow tenacious heart g,
,ok hold on him. We went about
verywhere together. think 1t was his J.,
ope to wed me to his company and to f,
aris, and shove the Mittau venture into o
q indefinite future; yet he spared no +
aims In obtaining fer me my passports 7
Courland. n
At this time, with cautious. half rs-
nase of life which astonished and re- a
,lted me. The painted semblances Of t.
omen who inhabited a world of sensa- !,
on had no effect upon me.
"You are wonderfully fresh. Lazarre." v
e marquis said. 'If you were not 30 &
& and male would call you made- +,
oiselle! Did they never sin in tho D
nerican backwoods?" "
Then he took me in his arms like a 8,
other and kissed me, saying, Dear al
n and sire. am worse than your d.
n
Yet my zest for the gayety of the old W
~ grew as much as he desired. The b'
lden dome OF the Invalides became my W
bible of Paris, floating unders sunny
Whenever went to the hotel which 'e
Chaumont had hired near the Tuiler- w
!, Nine de Ferrier received me kindly. ~
wing always with her Mile. de Chau- !"
INT or Miss Chantry. SO that we :,
yer had a word In private. 80
ought she might have shown ~,
little feeling in her rebuff, 80
pondered on her point of view re- :,
riding secret rank. De Chaumont. on ne
: other hand, was beneath her in Sc
erything but wealth. How might she OF
gard STOPPING TO him? br
Hiss Chantry was divided between en- tn
ced Difference and Saxon necessity So