The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-02-11

escape, but by the use Of gay utmost
powers, I assumed a serious and
thoughtful air, and, without affecting
to disguise the fact that the king was
displeased with me, dismissed the en-
vOys with a few civil speeches, in which
/ did not fail to speak of his majesty
in terms that even maIevolence could
not twist TO my disadvantage.
When they both gone, doubtless to
tell Henry how I had taken it. ! sat
down to supper with La Font, Boisru-
ell, and two or three gentlemen of my
suite, and without appearing too
cheerful, cOutriVed to eat with my
usual appetite Afterward I withdrew
n the ordinary course to my chamber,
ind being now at liberty to look the
situation in the face, found 1t as seri
Gus as I had feared. The falling man
has few trends; he must act quickly
If he would retain any. 1 was not slow
in deciding that my sole chance of an
honorable escape lay in discovering
and that within a few hours-who stole
the cipher and conveyed II TO Nine.
de SVerneuiI and in placing before the
queen such evidence of this as must
con vince her.
BY way Of beginning, I summoned
Maignan and put him through a Sc
we're examination. Later, I sent for
he rest Of my hOusehoId-such,
ranging them against the walls of nv
chamber, took a fambeau in nv hand
and went the round Of them, question
ing each, and marking his air and as
pect as he answered. But with no re-
suit: so that, after following some
clues to no purpose, and suspecting
several persons who cleared themselves
on the spot, 7 became assured that the
chain must be taken up at the other
end, and the first link found among
Madame de VeTneuilS following.
BY this time II was nearly midnight,
and my people were dropping with IA
tigue. Nevertheless, a sense Of the
desperate nature OF the case ANNA
ing them, they formed themselves vol
UNFAIRLY into a kind Of council, all feel
ing their probity attacked, in which
various modes Of forcing the secret
from those who held IL were proposed
-Maignan's suggestions being espe-
cialIy violent. Doubling. however
whether madame had more than one
confidant. 7 secretly made up my mind
to a course which none dared to sug-
gest: and hen dismissing all to bed
kept only Maignan to lie in my cham
Der, that if any points occurred to me
in he night I might question him on
them.
At 4 O'Clock called him and bade
him go out quietly and saddle two
horses. This done, I slipped out my
self without arOusing any one, and,
mounting at the stables, took the Or
leans road through the forest My
plan was to strike at the head, and
surprising Nine. Verneul while the
event still hung uncertain, to wrest the
secret from her by trick or threat.
The enterprise was desperate, for I
knew the stubbOrnness and arrogance
of the woman, and the inveterate en-
nifty which she entertained toward me,
more particularly since the kings mar
riage. But in a dangerous case any
remedy is welcome.
I reached Malsherbes, where madame
was residing with her parents, a little
before o'clock, and riding without
disguise to the chateau, demanded to
see her She was not yet risen and
the servants, whom my appearance
threw into the utmost confusion, OBJ
jected this to me; but I knew that the
excuse was no real one. and answered
roughly that I came from the king and
must see her. This opened all doors
and in a moment l found myself in her
chamber. She was sitting up and
clothed in an elegant nightrail, and
seemed in no wise surprised to see me
On the contrary, she greeted me with
a smile and a haunting word; and
omitted nothing that might evince her
disdain or hurt my dignity. She let me
advance without offering me a chair;
and when. after saluting her, I looked
about for one, I found that all the
seats except one very low stool had
been removed from the room.
This was so like her that it did not
astonish me, and I bafFled her malice
by leaning agaist the wall This Is
no ordinary honor-from Monsieur de
Rosny," she said, f1outing me with her
eyes.
st come on no ordinary mission.
madame I said as gravely as I could
Mercy" she exclaimed in a mock
ing tone. 81 should have put on new
ribbons, I suppose"
From the king, madame" con-