Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1905-01-17
Under the Rose
By FREDERIC S. ISHAM,
CHAPTER VII.
Author Of "The Strollers

i AZ
CHAPTER VII.
MY1N spacious hall. begilt, bemir.
I8t rored. assembled on the even.
ESSs<s,9 ing Of the dukes arrival
ESSEJ Francis, his court and the
guest Of the occasion. From wide
spreading chandeliers, with their pend.
ent. pear shaped crystals. thousand
candles threw food of light upon the
scene, as mid trumpet blast and softer
strains Of harmony King Francis and
good Queen Eleanor led the way to
the royal table and thereat, shortly
after. at signal from the monarch
the company seated themselves.
At the head Of the board was the
king; on his right. his lawful consort.
pale. composed. sanity; on his left. the
Countess d'Etampes. rosy, animated,
free. Next to the favOrite sat the
''fairest among the learned and most
learned among the fair" Marguerite
beloved sister of Francis. and her sec
ond husband, Henry dAlbret, king Of
Navarro; opposite, Henry the dauphip
and his spouse. Catharine de- Medici
not far removed. Diane de POitiers
whose dark eyes Henry ever openly
sought. while Catharine complacently
talked affairs of state with the chan
cellOr.
In the midst Of this illustrious com
pany. and further surrounded by 8
plentiful sprinklipg of ruddy cardinals
fat bishops, cOnstables, governors, mar
shals and ladies, more or less dis
tinguished through birth or beauty.
the Duke Of Friedwald and the Prin-
cess Louise were a center Of attraction
for the wits whose somewhat free jests
the license Of the times permitted. At
the foot Of the royal table places had
been provided for Marot. Caillette, Tri-
boulet, Jacqueline and the dukes fool.
The heads and figures Of the ladies
of the court were for the most part
fearfully and wonderfully bedecked.
In some instances the horn shaped
headdress had been followed by yet
loftier steeples, "battlements to COM
bat God with gold, silver and pearls,
wherein the lances were great forked
pins and the arrows the little pins"
With more simplicity the Princess LOU
ise wore her hair cased In q network Of
gold and jewels, and the austere
French moralist who assailed the high
er bristling ramparts Of vanity would
perhaps have borne In silence this
more modest bastion Of the flesh and
the devil.
But the face beneath was greater
danger TO those who hold that beauty
Is q menace to salvation. On her cheek
hung the rosy banner Of youth. In her
eyes shone the bright arrows Of con-
quest. And the duke, discarding his
backwardness, as soldier his cloak
before battle. watched the hue that
mantled her face, proffered his open
breast to the shining lances Of her
gaze and capitulated Internationally
before the smile Of victory on her blood
red lips. With his great shoulders, his
massive neck and broad, virile face he
seemed u Cyclops among pygmies In
that gathering of slender courtiers' and
she but flower by his side.
"I thought, sire, your duke was tim
orous, bashful as boy?' murmured
the Countess d'Etampes to the king.
HE was-on the road!' answered the
king thoughtfully.
Then has he marvelously recovered
his assurance"
In love. madam, as In battle, the
zest grows with the fray" said Fran
els, with meaning.
And the duke is reputed n brave
soldier. He looks very strong, as if
almost-he might succeed with any
woman he were minded to carry OF.
"To carry off," laughed the monarch.
"'Tis he, madam. who will be bound
In tetlrers. At heart he's shamefaced
as Il callow younker."
She willfully shook her head. mo
woman could keep him In leading
strings. your majesty. There Is some
thin. domineering, savage, crushing,
In his hand. Look ut 1t OH the table
there. Is it not mighty as an iron
gauntlet? What other man ut the
board has such brutal hand? The
strength In it makes me shudder. VIII
she not bend to 1t; kiss it,
With amused superiority Francis re-
garded his fair neighbor on the left.
"Women, madam. are but hasty judges
Of men," he said dryly, land then It's
fancy more than reason which gov
erns their verdict. II the duke should
seem overconlident tits to hide a GER
tain modesty, and not to appear out OF
confidence in so large company"
"And yet. sire. at their first meeting
he did not comport himself like one
easily put out" persisted the favorite.
".'Tis with a cold hand you welcome
ME, princess he said, noticing her In
scnsibility Of manner. Then rising he
gazed upon her long and deep, as
soldier might survey a battlefield. And
yet said he, still holding her fingers,
IN warrant me warm blood could
course through this little hand At
that the color rose in her cheek. Be
hold, the statue was touched with life,
and she looked at him as drawn
against her will! II my hand be cold,
my lord she answered cOurteously, 1t
bellies the character Of your welcome
W'hereupon he laughed like one who
has had a victory"
"Beshrew me-" said the king, modi'
fying his last observation, "if women
are not all eyes and ears! l neither
heard nor saw all that. A little con-
straint-a natural blush to punctuate
their talk-the meeting seemed conven,
tional enough. 'Tis through your own
romantic heart you looked, Anne"
Quicker circulated the goblets of sill
yer. gold and crystal; faster babbled
the pretty lips; brighter grew the eyes
beneath the stupendous towers that
crowned the heads Of the court ladies.
All talked ut once without disturbing
the king. who now whispered soft
nothings in the ear Of the countess.
From the other tables in the hall arose
n varying cadence of clatter and laugh
ter which increased with the noise
and din Of the kings own bard, 0
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