Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-02-04
CHAPTER I. A :;::: ;::::::::: $: :: ' ,::::::::: :::::::::: vNHEy0 iNn r,1ora I Suu'

AuNS ol FoulplSu COillpuHS uieliNtcu with the tuneless chanting Jf diScord. mt minstrels, and the gray parrot iD its golden cage suspended from one of the oakep beams of the ceiling, shook its feathers for the twentieth time and screamed vindictively at the roguish band.
 Jingle, jingle. went the merry bells; squeak, squeak. tue frightened strings DcAealh the persistent scrapnS ol l.. rosined bow. On his throne in Fools hall Triboulet, the kings hunchback. leaned complacently back. his eyes bent upon Il tapestry but newly hung in that room, the meeting place of testers. buifoons and versiliers.
 eve appeal to Triboulet''-
 ''Triboulet"
 A girls silvery laugh rang out
 ''Tribouletr
 Again the derisive musical tones.
 Cpon his chair of state the dwarf did not answer; professcd not to Lear. By the uncertain elimmer Of torches and the fickering glow of the fire hc was engaged in tracing a resemblance to himself In the central figure of the composition wrought in threads of silk --Momus. fool by patent to love, thrust from Olympus and greeting the earth-born with great grin.
 "An excellent likeness" muttered Triboulet. "A very pretty likeness" he continued, swelling with pride.
 Aud truly 1t was said that sprlghtly ladies. working between love and pleasure times, drew from the court fool for their conception of the mytho- logical huffoon. reproducing Tribou- let's great head; his mouth, proportion ntely large: his protruding eyes, his bowed back. short, twisted legs and long, muscular arms and his nose far larger than that of Francis. who oth- erwise had the largest nose in the Kingdom.
 But how could they depict the mean ness of soul that dwelt in that eXtraor- dinary shell? The blithesome tapestry makers, albeit aGepts in form. grace and harmony. could not touch the sub jectiveness of existence. Thus it was a double pleasure fc~ Triboulet to see. limned in well chosen hues. his form, the crookedness of which he was as proud as any courier of hls 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 mel"
 The mocking feminine voice recalled Triboulet from his pleasing contempla- ton
 'No, nor he answered sullenly and 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 anplnuded when Triboulet had twisted his features into . horrid grimace. and since then the dwarfs little heart had expanded with such arrogance it seemed to him he was almost Francis himself ns he sat there on Francis sometime throne and these Sir Jollys were his subjects all-Marot. Caillette. Brusquet. Villot and the lesser lights. testers of barons, cardinals and even bishops. Rubelais, too. that poor. dissolute devil of a writer. learned as Homer. brutish as Homer's swine-all subjects If his. the King of testers. save one-one whom he eyed with certain fear md wonder. Tripoulet esteemed all the sex but .highly perfected deyils"-and wonder at finding Ter different from and m ,re perplexing ths1 even the rest Of her kind.
 "Jacqueline!"
 Now ste was perchei on one corner of the table and her face had q witch like lovel.ness. as though borrowing its palor and beauty from the moon. source of all magic and necromancy.
 
 seel:in; their hue. they held the o5- servers gaze ih mocking languor and cheated tue inqu.sitive coxcomb of his quest. tie while tue dls1ainful lips curved iaughinsly and so bewilderei h.n he forgot inc customary phrases and s,vol staring Ike z noIny. Her footsteo fell so light. shc was so agile and quick. tie supersti;lous dwarf swo7e she was but a creature uf tie n.-bt and bed surrept,t.0Is meetings with al the familiar spirits of demon olozy. Az she never denied the un- canny i1putation. but only displayed her small white teeth maliciOusly by way Of answer TriJoulet felt assured he wss rig.4t and crossed himself re- IiSiously whenever sae gIzei 100 fixed ly at him.
 4 most Erasieuse folIs. her dress was sn keering with Ter character. yellow be.ng fhs preti1m,ls7tinE e9.Or. To tie fanciful ado.ument Of the gown her 1.-the figure ent itself readily. while her rebe.l.oas cr.ris were well adapted 10 that badge Of be- serviigde. the .auuty cap that crowned thssT waving sIsunsfznee
 Ia especiaI d-sdain- from her poSi,Ios upon tLe csrusr ef the table Ter gIsnce wandered down He J91rI and rest si On Ea5eIais. the g,ruIanI before whom were an empty treacfeT and tanksTd TEe pr.estioctoru writer ecang who aEeaeI tbe cOapzny of