Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-04-06
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6I{UXSY trencbcd in the stronghold OF
the valley. From the east the
red orb began its attack: out of the
west rode the swift moving zephyrs,
and. vanquished, the wavering vapor
stole off into thin air or hung in lsolat
ed wreaths above the foliage OH the
hillside. Soon the cOnquering light
brightly illumined a medieval castle
commanding the surrounding country;
the victorious breeze whispered loudly
at it's gloomy easements A great Nor
man structure. somber. alstere. it was,
however, frightened with many mod
ern features that threatened gradually
to sap much of its ancient majesty.
Fiji UP the moat," Francis had or
dcred It's barbaric' What lover
would sigh beneath walls thirty feet
thick. And the portcullis-away with
ii. Summon my Italian painters to
adorn the walls. We may yet make
habitable these legacics from the saw
age, brutal past
SO the mighty walls once set in q
comparative wilderness. tangle Of
thicket and underbrush. now arose
from garden, lawn and park, where
even the deer were no longer shy. and
the water propelled by artificial pow
er. shot upward in jets.
Scented ut n window which overlook
ed this sylvan aspect, modified IL not
fashioned by man. n young woman
with seeming conscientiOusness told
her beads. The apartment, though
richly furnished, was in keeping with
the dcvout character of its fair mis-
tress A brush or aspersorium. used
for sprinklng holy water. was leaning
against the wall. Upon a table lay an
open psalter. with its long banging
cover and ball ut the extremity of
the forel. Behind two tall candle
sticks stood an altar table which, be-
ing unfolded. revealed three compart-
ments, each with a picture painted by
Andrea del Sarto. the once honored
guest of Francis.
The Princess Louise. cousin of Fran
els former queen. Claude. had been
reared With rigid strictness. although
provided with various preceptors who
IN the profane letters. as they were
then called, Latin. Greek. theology and
philosophy The fame of her beauty
had corl abroad her hand had been
often sought. but the Obdurate king
had steadfasty refused to sanction
her betrothal until Charles, the EN-
peror. himself proposed a union be
tween the fair ward Of the French
monarch and one of his mobiles, tho
young Duke of Friedwald. 10 thi!
Francis had assented, for he calcu
lated upon thus drawing to his inter
ests one of his rivals most chivalrou'
knights. while farsecing Charles be
lcved he could not only retain th'
duke but add To his own court III,
lovely and learned ward of the king.
And in this comedy of nggrandize
ment the puppets were willing, as pup
pets must needs be. Indeed, the duk'
was seriously enamored of the prin
Tess. whose portrait he had seen il
miniature. and had himself importlnet
knowing that the only way 10 thu
lady's hand was through the good of
fees Of him who aspired to the master.
of all Europe, IL not the world
Charles. unwilling to disoblige ON
whose principally was the most pow
erful of the Austrian provinces h
sought to absorb in his scheme for tn
unifcation of all nations. offered n
demur to Il request fraught with nd
vantage to himself Besides, cold an,
calculating though he was. the EN-
peror entertained certain affection
for the duke. who on one occasion
when Charles had been sore beset b.
the troops of Solyman. had extricate
his royal leader from the alternativ
of ignominlous capture or an untimel
end. Accordingly, formal propose
couched in language of warm frient
ship to. the king. was dispatched b
the emperor. When Francis, wit
some misgiving. arising from exper
ence with womankind. laid the matte
before Louise, she, to his surprise
proved her devotion and loyalty by he
entire submissiveness and the kim
kissing her hand generously vowe
the wedding festivities should b
worthy of her beauty and fealty.
Was she thinking of that scene no'
and the many messages which ha
subsequently passed between her di
tant lover and herself MS the whit
fingers ceased to tell the beads? Wa
she questioning fate and the futur
when the rosary fell from her han
and the clnking OF the great gas
beads on the hard floor aroused ht
from reverie? Languidly she rose an
crossed the room toward low dres
ing table when at the same time on
of the several doors of the apartmel
opened. admitting the jestress, Jacqu
line, whose long. flowing gown of dar
green bore no distinguishing mark {
the motley she had assumed the nigl
before. The dreamy, almost lethargi
gaze of the princess rested for a III
Inent upon the ardent eyes of the maj
who stood mOtionless before her.
1.-THE dukes jester who arrived In
night awaits your pleasure without
said the girl.
bid him enter. Stay. The fllet Il
my hair. Seems he merry fellow?"
80 merry. madam, he mimicked Il
king last night in Fools hall, beat tt
bullet, appointed knaves in jest to hil
offices, and had been hanged for h