The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1904-06-02

"Assuredly. My brother is to-day
king OF Paris. II he liked he could
keep you prisoner In Paris. My brother
does as he chooses. He could abolish
parliament tomorrow II he chose.
My brother can do all things-except
to win from you. Lady Catharine. one
word OF kindness, OF respect. Now.
then, he has come to the end. He told
me to come to you and bear his word.
He told me to say to you that this Is
the last time he will importune, the
last time that he will implOre. Oh.
Lady Cathartne! Once before l car
ried to you q message from John Law
from John Law, not in distress then
more than ne is now. even In this hour
Of his success"
Lady Catharine paled as she sank
back into her seat Her white hand
caught at the lace at her throat Her
eyes grew dark in their emotion.
Eyes, madam" went on VIII Law,
tears shining in his own eyes. twas
|, an unfaithful messenger. who. by
an error. wrought ruin for my brother
and for yourself. even as did for my
self Madam, hear me! l would be .
better messenger to-day"
The old wrinkle of perplexity gath
cred between the brows Of the woman
before him. Her face was clouded,
the changeful eyes now deep covered
by their lids.
Lacking the precise word for that
crucial moment. VIII Law broke fur
Their on into material details. ITO
be explicit. as l have said" resumed
he. Everything seems to center about
my brother, the director-general of
finance. He took the old notes Of the
government, worth not half their face,
and In q week made them treble their
face value. The king owes him over
one hundred million livres to-day. My
brother mas taken over the farming
of the royal taxes And now he forms
q little Company Of the Indies; and to
this he adds the charter Of the Senegal
Company Not content, he adds the
entire trade OF the Indies. OF China
and the South Seas. He has been
given the privilege Of the royal farm
ing of tobacco, for which he pays the
king the little trihe of two hundred
million livres. and assures to the king
certain interest moneys, which. | need
not say. The king will actually obtain.
In addition to these things, he has
lately been given the mint Of France.
ho uhNlo cninoUn NJ tho roalDl hoo
been made over to this Company of
the Indies. My brother pays the king
fifty million livres for this privilege,
and this no will do within fifteen
months All France Is indeed in the
hands Of my brother. Now, call John
Law an adventurer, gambler, IL you
will, and II you can; but at least adj
NIT that he has given life and hope to
the poor of France, that he has given
back to the king people which was
despoiled and ruined by the former
king. He has trebled the trade of
France, he has saved her honor. and
opened to her the avenues of new
world. Are these things nothing?
They have all been done by my
brother, this man whom you believe
Incapable Of faith and consistency. Good
God! 1t surely seems that he has at
least been constant to himself"
ooh, | hear talk of it all. hear
that share In the new company prom
ises dividends Of two hundred livres.
hear talk OF shares and subsidiaries
called mothers and daughters and
granddaughter and know not what.
1t seems as though half the coin were
divided into centimes, and as though
each centime had been planted by
your brother and had grown to be
worth thousand pounds admit
somewhat of knowledge of these
miracles"
True, Lady Catharine. Can there
not be one miracle more?"
Lady Catharine Knollys bent her
face forward upoH her hands, unhap-
piness In every gesture.
Sir" said she, "it grieves my heart
to say 1t: yet this answer you must
take to your brother, John Law That
miracle hath not yet been wrought
which can give US back the past
again"
This" said VIII Law, sadly. lis this
all the message l may take?"