The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1906-09-13

across her. and a low voice was In
her ear Remember your promise to
the church" it whispered. She start
ed and turned to see the pale, eager
face of the Jesuit beside her.
Your hand has turned cold. Fran
coise,'' said Louis. Let us go, dear
est. We have been too long in this
dismal church,
Nine. de Montespan had retired to
rest, easy in her mind, after receiving
the message from her brother. She
knew Louie as few others knew him,
and che was well aware of that OBJ
stinacy in trifies which was one of his
characteristics. II he had said that
he would be married by the archbish-
Cd, then the archbishop it must b.
Tonight at least there should be no
marriage.
She dressed herself with care in the
morning. No news had come to her Of
the great event of the previous night,
although the court already rang with
it. for her haughtiness and her bitter
tongue had left her without a friend
or intimate. She rose, therefore, in the
best of spirits
| She was still in her boudoir putting
the last touches to her toilet when her
page announced to her that the king
was waiting in her salon. Nine. de
Montespan could hardly believe in such
good fortune. She had rached her
brain all morning as to how she should
win her way to him, and here he was
waiting for her.
He had come with every intention of
beginning the interview by telling her
bluntly of his marriage, but now, as
he looked upon her beauty and her
love, he felt that it would have been
less brutal to strike her down at his
feet. Let some one else tell her, then
She would know soon enough. All this
ran swiftly through his mind and she
| as swiftly read it off in his brown eyes.
You have something you came to
say, and now you have not the heart
to say 1t. God bless the kindly heart
which checks the cruel tongue
No. no. madame" said Louis. Il
would not be cruel. cannot forget
that my life has been frightened and
my court made brilliant during all
these years by your wit and your beau
|. ty. But times change, madame. and
for every reason l think that 1t is best
that we should arrange in the way
which we discussed the other day an1
that you should withdraw yourse:i
from the court"
Withdraw, sire. For how longr'
TT must be a permanent withdraw
al, madame. / need not say that ]
, shall make your retirement a happy
one a. far as in me lies. Your allow.
ance shall be fixed by yourself. A PAL
ever part of France you may prefer,
provided that it is twenty miles from
Paris. An estate also
ooh. sire, how can you think that
such things as these would compensate
me for the loss of your lOve?' Her
heart had turned to lead within her
breast. Had he spoken holly and an
grily she might have hoped to turn him
as she had done before, but this gen
tie and yet firm bearing was new to
: him, and she felt that all her arts We're
vain against it.
Madame" said he. Il have thought
well over this matter, and it must be
as say. There is no other way at all.
| have ordered your brother to have
his carriage at the postern at O'Clock,
: for | thought that perhaps you would
wish to retire after nightfall.
: ITO hide my shame from laughing
, court, 1t was thoughtful of you. sire.
And vet perhaps this, too, was duty,
since we hear 50 much of duties now
, adays. for who was it but you
| Il know, madame. l know. l con-
fess it, | have wronged you deeply.
, Believe me that every atonement which
2 is in my power shall be made. Nay, do
} not look 50 angrily at me- beg. Let
e our last sight of each other be one
! + which may leave a pleasant memory
2 behind it.
2 "a pleasant memory All the gen
5 tleness and humility had fallen from
e her now. and her voice had the hard
ring of contempt and of anger. "a
!, pleasant memory. 1t may well be
!, pleasant TO you who are released from
5 the woman whom you ruined. who can
turn now to another without any pale
' face to be seen within the salons of
your court to remind you of your per-
) fidy. But to me- pining in some lonely
i country house, spurncd by my hus-
band despised by NY family the scorn
! and jest of France far from all which
: gave a charm to life. far from the man
for whose love have sacrificed every
), thing-this will be a very pleasant
4 memory to me, you may be sure"