The Washington times., 1903-02-01
CHAPTER XXI.
A MEETING IN GASCONY.

eTnor OF LeyignaC and present COM
mander of a detachment of royal ma
rines.
Perhaps his punctiIious regard for the
family honor prompted him to omit Ger
tain details from the description, or
he may have thought it superHuous to
dwell unduIy upon the subject with
jeanette
/ Levignac was a hamlet comprising
nine cottages in all. One of its prin-
cipal excuses for existing was a shall
low ford in the Garonne River, where the
royal highway crossed. Perched upon a
! slight elevation sufficient to command a
prospect of the hamlet and the surround
ing country. was the dilapidated manor.
which Jean du Barry had called by cour-
tesy the castle of Levignac
There was a time when the, ancient
castle was deserving of the title, but
since the passing of the sieur Antoine
du Barry. and the subsequent decline Of
the family fortunes. the place had fallen
+ into decay. Only six windows remained
intact. or enough so to conscientiousIy
/ boast of CLASSY surfaces. The remand
er were either apertures OF were board
ed up in fashion that was eloquent on
better days.
/ As the sun was still three hours be
low the meridian. the seneschaI Of the
castle, in the person of the Comte du
Barry. was not vet in evidence on the
morning that the ChoiseuIs we're hatch
/ ing their conspiracy at Versailles. He
was sleeping of the fumes Of the pre-
ceding night. which he had spent in
company with some dozen boon compan-
ions at the Seven DiaIs Tavern.
Mine host of the Seven DiaIs was the
rod and staff which comforted Comte
/ Guillaume-probabIy because living with
/ him was synonymous with drinking AMI
+ brawIine
/ GuilIaume was built like a tower-a
/ fortress Of heroic Devastating six
feet four in his boots. His fame as
swordsman had Travelled far and wide
through the region. Possessed Of ire
mendous energy-when he chose 10 exert
himself-and a passing skill with the
short sword and rapier. he was respected
when he had either in his hand as
much as he was cajoIed in their alb
sence.
As there was no one in that part Of
France who was worthy of his metal.
the good-natured Guillaume had gradu-
ally sunk into a confirmed Iethargy.
Awake and sober he was a sort Of pa
thetIe Giant Despair Ianguishing in his
Doubling Castle. But his sober moments
were comparatively few and incompar-
ably brief; so that he had earned the
sobriquet Of sac-a-Vin-
OF the multitude Of seTvitors who once
had done the bidding Of the master Of
Levignac, but one old crone remained.
Dame Margot was a relic of the house
hold. She had become superannuated in
+ the service Of the Du Barrys. which she
had entered in the time of Sieur An
tome, and had descended 10 the present
master merely as a part and parcel Of
his Inheritance. As Dame Margot had
reached an age when but to live was
. her sole aim and ambition. she had been
retained by the Comte GuiIIaume sans
wages.
This morning the old woman had
thrice tried to awaken her master. but
each effort had resulted in failure. Mon
siaur GuiIIaume had an easy conscience.
Just as she was preparing to make
fourth attempt loud knock resounded
through the house
Although Margot hurried to the portal
as fast as her age and twinging rheuma-
tism would permit. it required several
minutes for her to reach the end Of her
Journey Then, upon opening the wicket.
she saw the royal mail coach standing
ia the road a few rods from the door
and the courier vociferousGy swearing
at the de!av.
So seldom did the mail coach tarry
at Levignac longer than 10 permit OF
the courier refreshing himself at the
Seven DiaIs before hanooing on his way.
that the aged servant now started as
though she were face to face with
specter. She was quickly undeceived
by the worthy courier
Dame, Does it take a cannon 10
rouse a sentinel in this old fortress %
he inquired in a voice expressing at
once his Impotence and Importance.
''But-but monsieur only knocked this
moment" feebly objected the old wo-
man. Her Difference had a pacific effect
upon the courier.
This moment. Out upon you. Il
have been bOmbarding the place for an
hour by any clock in the kingdom. But
is your master at home ," he asked.
mentally adding. as he surveyed the
PREMISES eff such a crazy old ark no (