Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-12-02

I aA oiu lricNu So sCurFy d IIlCh.
 You are to go to him." he an swered, when he came back with the ] water.
 I What? To the cardinal?" I cried.
 "Ycs," he answered.
 "Good!" exclaimed; and in my joy ] I sprang up at once, and began tc refresh my dress. "So all this time l have been doing him an injustice Vive Monseigneur! might have known it."
 Don't make too sure!" the man answered spitefully. Then he went on: T have something else for you A l friend of yours left it at the gate,'' he added. And he handed me packet 1 Quite sol" I said, reading his ras- cally face alright And you kept it as long as you dared-as long as you thought I should hang, you knaye! 1 Was not that SO? But there, do not | lie to me. Tell me instead which of my friends left it." For, to confess 1 the truth, had not so many friends at this time; and ten good crowns i the packet contained no less a sum argued pretty staunch friend, and i one of whom man might be proud.
 The knave sniggered maliciously. "A crooked, dwarfish man left it. he said. T doubt I might call him tailor and not be far out"
 "Chut!" I answered; but was a lit tie out of countenance "I understand. ! An honest fellow enough, and in debt to me! I am glad he remembered. But when am I to go, friend?" Tn an hour" he answered sullenly. Doubtless he had looked to get one of the crowns; but was too old a hand for that. If came back could buy his services; and if I did not I should have wasted my money.
 Nevertheless, a little later, when found myself on my way to the Hotel Richelieu under so close guard that could see nothing except the figures that immediately surrounded me, wished I had given him the money. At such times, when all hangs in the balance and the sky is overcast, the mind runs on luck and old supersti- tions, and is prone to think crown 1 given here may avail there-though there" be hundred leagues away.
 The Palais Richelieu was at that ! time in building, and we were required to wait in long, bare gallery, where the masons were at work. I was kept full hour here, pondering uncom- fortably on the strange whims and fan cies of the great man who then ruled France as the kings lieutenant-gen- eral. with all the kings powers; and whose life I had once been the means of saving by little timely informa- tion. On one occasion he had done something to wipe out the debt; and at other times he had permitted me to be free with him. We were not un- known to one another, therefore. Nevertheless, when the doors were at last thrown open, and was led into his presence, my confidence under went shock His cold glance, that, rowing over me, regarded me not as man but an item, the steely glitter of his southern eyes, chilled me to the bone. The. room was bare, the, floor without carpet or covering. Some of the woodwork lay about, unfinished and in pieces. But the man-thisf man. needed no surroundings. His keen, pale face, his brilliant eyes, even his presence though he was of no great height and began already to stoop at the shoulders-were enough to awe the boldest. I recalled as looked at him 8 hundred tales of his iron will, his cold heart, his unerring craft. He had humbled the kings brother, the splen- did Duke of Orleans, in the dust. He had curbed the queen-mother A doz- en heads. the nobles in France, had come to the block through him. Only two years before he had quelled Ro- chelle; only few months before he had crushed the great instruction in : Languedoe: and though the south, stripped of its old privileges. still seethed with discontent, no one in this year 1630 dared lift a hand against him-openly, at any rate. Under the surface a hundred plots, a thousand intrigues, sought his life or his power; but these, l suppose, are the hap of every great man.
 No wonder, then; that the courage on which plumed myself sank low on sight of him; or that it was as much as could do to min gle with the humility of my salute some touch of the sangfroid of old &C., quaintanceship.
 And perhaps that had been better left out. For this man was without bowels. For moment, while he stood looking at me and before he spoke to me. gave myself up for lost. There was glint of cruel satisfaction in his eyes that warned me before he spoke, what he was going to say to me.
 'I could not have made a better catch, M. de Berault," he said, smil- Ting villainously, while he gently smoothed the fur of a cat that had sprung on the table beside him. "An old offender and an excellent exam pie. I doubt it will not stop with you But later, we will make you the war rant for flying at higher game"
 "Monseigneur has handled a sword himself. blurted out. The very room seemed to be growing darker. the air colder. I was never nearer fear in my 1ffa