Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-12-14
CHAPTER vIII.-CoNr1suEp.

MaQame de MOnteSpan, the relgnlnS
favorite of the king, held her court.
About her crowded statesman and SOL
der, wit and court beauty, knowing
well that to gain her influence meant
the favor of the king. She was clad
in a gown whose skirt was Of silver
tissue, embroidered in gold touched
with 1ame-color, with coat of Gros de
Tours also richly embroidered in gold.
Her hair was dressed in numberless
eurls tone on each side of the temples
falling low on her cheeks, tied here
and there with black ribbons, to
which the magnificent pearls, once the
property of the MARKETABLE de PHopi-
tai, were attached. A mantle of gold
d'Espagne partly concealed one dim
pied shoulder, leaving the other with
out cover. Her arms were bare to the
elbow, and encircled above by a gold
open-work bracelet set with opals,
while gloves of cream-colored Brussels
lace covered her forearms and hands.
Right royal did she appear in all the
refulgence of her voluptuous beauty:
the envy of every Seminine mind; the
shrine before which each masculine
heart bowed.
The two men, first on the outskirts
of the crowd, gradually worked their
way toward the center of attraction,
listening to the conversation of those
they passed.
women are rakes by nature and
prudes from necessity" remarked La
Ro%chefoucauld in a low tone and with
a significant glance at Madame de
Montespan.
"True, most m prefer that we
should talk ill of their virtue rather
than ill of their wit or their beauty"
smilingly replied Fontanelle, the
young nephew OF Corneille.
For good reason" rejoined La
Rochefoucauld. Are not beauty and
youth as necessary to a woman as the
air they breathe and the wine they
drink? Is it not valueless to a woman
to be young unless pretty, or to be
pretty unless young?"
what angels beautiful women ap-
pear TO be-" sighed Racine, joining the
party, "and what demons they really
are, who make us enter hell through
the door of paradise"
Say, rather, that man is fire, wo-
man tow, and the devil it is who comes
and blows gloomily remarked tht
Able Guyart.
you will agree with me, Sir Abbe,'
laughed La Rochefoucauld, Saying
that man, woman, and the devil art
the three degrees Of comparison. o.
perhaps you would put woman last?'
Before the priest could make reply
the voice of Madame de Montespan was
heard calling to them;
What are you co%nspirators talkins
about that you speak so low we canno
hear you? Let ~, too, share you
jest, or benefit by your wisdom"
~ have just said," replied La Roche
foucauld unblushingly, that Their
were few women whose charms outliv
their beauty, but that your wit
madame, the famous wit of the Morte
mars, would yet charm the world wer
: your unsurpassed beauty to fade an
become but equal to that of othe
women"
Although he was a moralist, Il
Rochefoucauld was still a courtier.
"And I had but remarked previous
ly," spoke up the young liar Fon
t%anelle, that, in the words of F'ranci
Ei,,c4 ~ n,,oo;o,,c ,,,oponrv rpuo
court without women is like a yea
without spring; a spring withou
flowers"
The person to whom these speeche
were addressed smiled sweetly upo
the speakers, for all fattery, howeve
gross, was a sweet-smelling incense t
her nostrils.
"And you, Sir Explorer" she sait
looking at La Sale, who now stoo
with Tonti within the inner circl'
what does your experience teach 70
to say upon this subject"
"My experience in New Franc
Madame, has been mainly among say
ages. The word woman is always as
ISOLATED there with the word mai
rage" Then, seeing by the frow
Upon the beauty's face that he ha
committed an indiscretion, he adde'
"but there beauty and wit are III
known quantities, and marriage
synonymous with servitude."
''That condition is not confined
New France" replied Madame 3
Montespan, with a bitter emphas
upon the New" what says vol
friend from Italy, the land of romano
and beauty?"
Tonti, to whom these remarks wei
addressed, replied:
"a soldier, though from Italy, hi
jects that belong to the domain of tt
court. Although as to marriage" !
added, with a smile and twinkle of Il
eye, II seem to remember a sayir
we have in Tuscany: Before goir
to wal say a prayer; before going
sea, say two prayers; before MARI,
ing, say three"
A burst of laughter from the grol
greeted this reply, but before anythir
else was said a whisper passed abo'
the room, ''The King!" and in a m
ment the crowd surrounding his +
vorite had parted, leaving an OPP
way, down which he passed.
Before them all he stood, the chi
puppet Of the play; backed by tt
strength of armies whose advan
meant destruction, yet weak as wat
beneath the caress Of a mistress
the wiles Of a crafty minister, yet 4
most polished vo%luptuary of his cour
shrewd almost to cunning in his cou
try's diplomacy, yet blinded by
,egotism so great that were his bite
est enemy also an accomplished ia
terer. he and that enemy WOULD