The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1906-10-04


4 shall Do so"
Then. should a note come from Ar
you understand the. the new one
Mime DC Main,enony
Precisely Bu, IL is more Discreet
no, 10 invn,inn names. should she send
. note. you vii take 81 and deliver u
quietly when the king gives you an
opportunity"
III shall I've done"
..But n the other should come. as u
possible enough the other, you under
stand me. the former
mime. de- Montespan."
.Ah, that soldierly tongue OF your,
captain, should she come. say, you
viii geutly bar her way. with courteous
words. yon understand. but on no ae'
count Is she TO be permitted 70 enter
the royal room"
Very good. Bontems."
And now we have but three min
utes." He strode through the rapidly
increasing group OF people In the cor
ridor with All air OF proud humility. as
betitted man who. II hs was valet.
was al least the king Of Wallets by be-
ing the valet OF the king. Close by the
door stood a line OF footmen resplen'
dent ar their powdered wigs, red plush
coats and silver shoulder knots. He
turned the handle once more and slip
ped into the darkened room,
II was large, square apartment,
with two high windows upon the fnr'
ther side. curtaIned across with price
less velvet hangings. In one corner
narrow couch with rug thrown across
Il showed where the faithful Bontems
had spent the night.
In the very center OF the chamber
there stood large four post bed, with
curtains OF Gobelln tapestry looped
back from the pillow. A square OF pol
isbed rails surrounded II, leaving q
space some five feet in width all round
between the inclosure and the bedside
As Bontems passed noiselessly across
the room, his feet sinking into the
mosslike carpet, there was the heavy
close smell of sleep In the mir, ana nc
could hear the long. thin breathing oi
the sleeper. He passed through the
opening In the rails and stood, watct
in hand, waiting for the exact instant
when the iron routine of the court de
manded that the monarch should p'
reused. Beneath him, from under th'
costly green coverlet of oriental Six
half buried in the fluffy yalencienne'
lace which edged the pillow, there pro
truded round black brlstle OF clos'
cropped hair, with the profile Of curv
Ing nose and petulant lip outlined
against the white background. In
valet snapped his watch and bent owe
the sleeper.
81 have the honor to inform you
majesty that 1t is half past g." said nc
"Ah!' The king slowly opened al
large dark brown eyes, made the sig
of the cross and kissed a little dar
reliouary which he drew from unde
his nightdress Then he sat up In bee
"Did you give my orders to the on
Ger of the guard. Bontemsr' he asked.
"Yes, sire"
"Who is on duty?"
"Major de Brlssac at the main guar
and Captain de Catinat In the col
ridor."
"De Catinat! All, the young man WI
stopped my horse at Fontainebleau.
remember him. You may give the sit
uni, po..tsnsr'
The chief valet walked swiftly acros
10 the door and threw it open.
rushed the officer of the ovens and u
four red coated, white wigged TOO
men, ready handed, silent footed, ea'
intent upon his own duties. The OF
seized upon Bontems' rug ana cou'
and In an instant had whipped the
of, into an antechamber, another hf
carried away the silver taper stan
while a third drew back the great Gu
| tains OF stamped velvet and let MOI
| OF light into the apartment.
They were hardly gone before n mo
august group entered the bedchamb'
, Two walked together in front. the o
!. n youth little over twenty years OF ~
Q middle sized, inclining to stoutns
| with a slow, pompous bearing, w
] turned leg and face which was con
Iy enough In masklke fashion, D
v which was devoid Of any shadow
expression except perhaps of an oc'
sIonal lurking CLEAN Of mischievo
= aumor. His companion was man
l. ,orty. swarthy, dignifed and solen
y As the pair faced the king there "
!! sufticient resemblance between
three faces 10 show that they were
!, one blood and to enable stranger
= guess that the older was monsieur
: Younger brother Of the king, while I
other was Louis the Dauphin, bis OF
I legitimate child.
Behind the kings son and the KIN
I brother there entered little group
i, notables and OF officials whom duty ,
= called to this daily ceremony. Th'
were the grand master OF the robes.
first lord Of the bedchamber, the
|, du Maine, a pale youth clad In biz
velvet limping heavily with his
=, leg. and his little brother, the yot
Comte de Toulouse, both OF them
illegitimate sons Of Nine. de Mont
~ pan and the king. Such were the ]
!, takers in the family entry, the hlsii
> honor which the court OF France %
aspire to.
Bontems had poured on the XII
ie bands few drops OF spirits OF WI
~ catching them again In silver q
" and the first lord Of the bedcham
y had presented the bowl OF holy wa
h' with which he made the sign OF
es cross. mutterlng to himself the 81
w office OF the Holy Ghost Then. '
Ie nod TO his brother and a short "
NJ OF greeting TO the Dauphin ana TO
W. Due du Maine. he swung his legs
~ the side OF the bed and sat, Ia bis
~ silken nightdress, his little white
ue dangling from beneath II. peri
ne position for any man TO assume
IL not that he had so heartfelt -
.re OF his own dignity that he could
Wy realize that under any circumstai
ed IL might be- compromised In the eye
an others. 50 he sat. the master OF Fra
os and yet the slave to every pun OF v
A. H.