The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-12-19
CHAPTER ".

averted. And yet how could he cut
the tie which bound them? This wo
| man would struggle hard, fight to the
bitter end. before she would quit the
position which was so dear to her. She
spoke of her wrongs. What were her
wrongs?
In his intense selfishness, nurtured
by the eternal fiattery which was the
very air he breathed. he could not see
that the fifteen years of her life which
he had absorbed or the loss of the hus-
band whom he had supplanted gave
her any claim upon him. In his view
he had raised her to the highest posi-
ton which a subject could occupy.
Now he was weary of her, and it was
her duty to retire with resignation
nay, even with gratitude for past IA
yors She should have a pension, and
the children should be cared for What
could a reasonable woman ask for
more?
On the whole. his conscience acquit-
been lax. From the first coming of
his gentle and forgiving young wife
from Spain he had never once permit
ted her to be without a rival. Now
that she was dead the matter was no
better. One favorite had succeeded
another, and if De Montespan had held
her own SO long it was rather from her
audacity than from his affection. But
now Father la Chaise and Bossuet
were ever reminding him that he had
topped the summit of his life and was
already upon that downward path
which leads to the grave. The time
had come for gravity and for calm,
neither of which was to be expected
in the company of Nine. de Montespan.
But he had found out where they
were to be enjoyed. From the day
when De Montespan had introduced
the stately and silent widow as gov
erness for his children he had found a
ure in her society. For time he had
thought that her piety and her talk Of
principle might be a mere mask, for
he was accustomed to hypocrisy all
round him. 1t was surely unlikely that
q woman who was still beautiful, with
as bright an eye and as graceful fig
ure as any in his court. could after
life spent in the gayest circles pre-
serve the spirit of a nun. But on this
point he was soon undeceived, for
when his own language had become
warmer than that of friendship he had
been met by an icineSs of manner and
brevity of speech which had shown
him that there was one woman at least
In his dominions who had higher re-
spect for herself than for him. And
perhaps it was better so. The placid
pleasures of friendship were very
soothing after the storms of passion.
To sit in her room every afternoon, to
listen to talk which was not tainted
with flattery and to hear opinions
which were not framed to please his
ear We're the occupations now of his
happiest hours. And then her inau-
ence over him was all so good.
And now he knew that the time had
come when he must choose between
her and De Montespan. Their infiu-
ences were antagonistic. They could
not continue together. He stood be-
tween virtue and vice, and he must
choose
Such were the thoughts which ran
through the kings head as he bent
topped his priedieu of carved oak. He
knelt in his own Enclosure to the right
Of the altar. with his guards and his
immediate household around him, while
the court, ladies and cavaliers. filed
the chapel. Piety was fashion now,
like dark overcoatS and lace cravatS.
and no courtier was so worldly minded
as not to have had touch of grace
since the king had taken to religion.
1t was the habit of Louis as he walk
ed back from the chapel to receive Pc
titions or to listen to any tales OF
wrong which his subjects might bring
to him. On this particular morning
there were but two or three-a Pa
risian who conceived himself injured
by the provost of his guild. peasant
whose COW had been torn by hunts
mans dog and a farmer who had had
hard usage from his feudal lord. A
few questions and then hurried order
to his secretary disposed of each case.
He was about to resume his way again
when an elderly man, clad in the garb
of respectable citizen and with
strong. deep lined face which marked
him as a man of character, darted for
ward and threw himself down upon
one knee in front of the monarch
What is this?" asked Louis. who
are you, and what is it that you
want.''
II am a citizen OF Paris, and have
been cruelty wronged.''
You seem n very worthy person. II
you have indeed been wronged you
shall have redress. What have you to
aAAnlAi. - ga
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