Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-12-27

CHAPTER 1.
SONG, sweet Jacquelinew
IAI mo, no.
.1s.. "Jacqueline, Jacqueline!'
EsSS9 mo more, I"say"-
A Jingle of tinkling bells mingled
with the squeak of viola, the guf
faws of rompish company blended
with the tuneless chanting of discord
ant minstrels. and the gray parrot IL
its golden cage, suspended from one OF
the oaken beams of the ceiling. shook
its feathers for the twentieth time ani
screamed vindictively at the roguisl
band.
Jingle, Jingle, went the merry bells
squeak, squeak. the frightened strings
beneath the persistent scraplng OF the
rosined bow. On, his throne in Fools
hall Triboulet, the kings hunchback,
leaned complacently back, his eyes
bent upon tapestry but newly hung
in that room, the meeting place OF
testers, buffoons and versifiers.
I'VE appeal to Triboulet'-
"Triboulet"
A girls silvery laugh rang out.
"Triboulet!"
Again the derisive musical tones.
Upon his chair Of state the dwarf
did not answer; professed not to hear.
BY the uncertain glimmer Of torches
and the fiickering glow Of the fire he
was engaged in tracing resemblance
to himself in the central figure Of the
composition wrought in threads Of silk
-Momus, fool by patent to Jove,
thrust from Olympus and greeting the
earth-born with great grin.
IAN excellent likeness! muttered
Triboulet. "a very pretty likeness"
he continued, swelling with pride.
And truly it was said that sprightly
ladies, working between love and
pleasure times, drew from the court
fool for their conception Of the mytho-
logical buffoon, reproducing Tribou-
let's great head; his mouth, proportion
ately large; his protruding eyes, his
bowed back. short, twisted legs and
long. muscular arms and his nose far
larger than that Of Francis, who 9TH
erwise had the largest nose In the
kingdom.
But how could they depict the mean
ness Of soul that dwelt in that extraor.
binary shell? The blithesome tapestry
makers, albeit adopts in form. grace
and harmony. could not touch the sub
jectiveness Of existence. Thus 1t was
a double pleasure for Triboulet to see
limned in we'll chosen hues. his form
the crookedness Of which he was as
proud as any courtier Of his sym
metry and beauty, the while his dark
vain soul lay concealed behind the
mask Of merry deformity and laughing
monstrosity.
would your majesty like to com
mand me?"
The mocking feminine voice recalled
Triboulet from his pleasing contempla
ton.
"No, no! he answered sullenly and
condescended to turn his glance upon
the assemblage.
Over a goodly gathering Of testers
buffoons, poets and even philosophers
he lorded it, holding his head as high
as his hump would permit and con
scious Of his own place In the esteem
of the king. Not long ago the monarch
had laughed and applauded wher
Triboulet had twisted his features into
a horrid grimace. and since then the
dwarf's little heart had expanded
with such arrogance 1t seemed to hin
he was almost Francis himself as ne
sat there on Francis sometime throne
and these Sir .Jollys were his subjects
all-Marot. Caillette, BrusQuet, Villo'
and the lesser lights, testers of barons
cardinals and even bishops. Rabelais
too, that poor, dissolute devil OF
, writer, learned as Homer, british as
Homers swine-all subjects Of his, the
king of testers, save One-one whom
he eyed with certain fear and wonder
fear because she was woman-ane
! Triboulet esteemed all the sex bu
"highly perfected devils"-and wonder
at finding her different from and more
perplexing than even the rest OF hel
kind.
"Jacqueline"
Now she was perched on one corner
of the table, and her face had a witch
like loveliness, as though borrowing
It's pallor and beauty from the moon
source of all magic and necromancy
Her eyes shone with such luster that
seeking their hue, they held the OBJ
servers gaze in mocking languor ane
cheated the inquisitive coxcomb OF hi
quest, the while the disdainful lip'
curved laughingly and 30 bewilderet
him he forgot the customary phrases
and stood staring like nonny. He
footstep fell so light, she was so agile
and quick, the superstitious dwar
swore she was but a creature of TIN
night and held surreptitious meeting'
with all the familiar spirits Of demon
ology. As she never denied the un
canny imputation, but only displayed
her small white teeth maliciously b!
way of answer. Triboulet felt assured
he was right and crossed himself re
iigiously whenever she gazed too fixed
ly at him.
A most gracieuse folle, her dress wa
in keeping with her character, yellow
being the predominating color. To tn
fanciful adornment of the gown he
1.-THE figure lent itself readily, whil'
her rebellious curls were well adaptet
to that badge Of her servitude, tn
jaunty cap that crowned their wavinl
abundance.
In especial disdain, from her positio
upon the corner Of the table, her glanC
wandered down the board and res
ed ON Rabelais, the gormand, befOr
whom were an empty trencher an
tankard. The priest-doctor-write
scamp who affected the company
testers and liked not little the ho
pitality of Fools hall, which adJOine
the pastry branch Of the castle kitche
and was not far removed from IL
wine butts. had just unrolled bund
of manuscript, all daubed with trencl
er grease and tankard drippings, III
was about to read aloud the stranl
adventures Of one Pantagruel whe
, overcome by indulgence, his head fe