The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1906-12-06
CHATTER XIY

2
ed a faint In the days when
she wished TO dissrm the an.
ger Of the king But now
she knew what IL was 10 have the
senses struck out Of her by word
I size could not doubt the truth OF what
she heard There was that In her rivals
face. In her steady eye, IN her quiet
voice, which carried absolute conyic-
I tion with H. She stood stunned for an
instant. painting her outstrctched hands
( feeling AZ the air, her defiant eyes dull
I ing and glazing Then with short
sharp cry, the wall OF one who has
I fought hard and yet knows that she
/ can fight no more, her proud head
I dropped and she fell forward senseless.
/ Nine. de Maintenon stopped and
raised her up In her strong white
arms There were true grief and pity
In her eyes as she looked down at the
snow-pale face which lay against her
/ bosom, all the bitterness and pride
gone out OF II and nothing left save the
I tear which sparklcd under the dark
lashcs and the petulant droop OF the
| lip, Ike that OF child which has wept
| itself 10 sleep. She laid her on the
ottoman and placed sllken cushion
under her head. Then she gathered
together and put back into the open
cupboard all the jewels which were
scattered about the carpet. Having
locked II and placed the key on a table
where its owners eye would readily
fall upon IT, she struck gong which
summoned the page.
your mistress Is indlsposed," said
she Go and bring her maids 10 her"
And so. having done all that lay with
her TO do, she turned away from the
great silent room where, amid the vel
vet and the gliding, her beautiful rival
lay like a crushed flower, helpless and
hopeless.
Helpless enough, for what could she
dor And hopeless, too, for how could
fortune aid herr The instant that her
senses had come back to her she had
sent away her waiting women and lay
with clasped hands and n drawn face
planning out her own weary future.
She must GO that was certain. Her
spirit was broken at last She must
accept defeat, and she must go
She rose from the couch feeling that
she had aged ten years In an hour.
There was much TO be done and little
time in which to do 1t. She had cast
down her jewels when the king had
spoken as though they would atone for
the loss OF his love. But now that the
love was gone there was no reason
why the jewels should be lost too II
she had ceased TO be the most power
full, she might still be the richest wo-
man In France. There was her pen
sion, of course. That would be mu-
nificent one, for Louis was always
generous And then there was all the
spoil which she had collected during
these long years, the jewels, the pearls,
the gold. the vases, the pictures, the
crucifxes, the watches, the trlnkets-
together they represented many mil
lions of lvres With her own hands
she packed away the most precious and
portable OF them, while she arranged
with her brother for the safe keeping
Of the others BY evening all was
ready, and she had arranged that her
property should be sent after her to
Petit Bourg, to which castle she in |
tended TO retire.
II wanted half an hour OF the time
GynJ fnr bar dana yrhan a yaupp L
cavalier whose face was strange to her |
was ushered into her room.
He came with message from her |
brother
M. de Vivonne regrets, madame,
that the rumor OF your departure has
got abroad among the court"
what do I care for that. MONSIEUR"
she retorted.
He says, madame that the courtiers
may assemble at the west gate to see
you go; that Nine. de Neuilly will be
there, and the Duchesse de Chambord
and
The lady shrunk with horror at the
thought OF such an ordeal To drive
away from the palace where she had
been more than queen under the scorn-
ful eyes and bitter gibes OF personal
enemies,
"Tell my brother, monsieur, that l
should be obliged II he would make
fresh arrangements"
''He babe me say that he had done
so. madame"
a A hnt
NOV. As soon as possible"
Il am ready. At the west gate,
them
-No. AT the east. The carriage
waits"
"And where Is my brother|
I'VE are to pick him M at the park
cate. lie Is watched. and were he
seen beside the carriage all would be
known"
VERY good. Then, monsieur. II you
will take my cloak and this casket we
may start al once"
They made their way by clrcultous
route through the less ussl cOrfriors
she burrylng on like guilty creature.
hood drawn over her face and her
heart In n fuiter AT every stray foot.
fall But fortune stood her friend
She me, no ope and soon found her
SELF at the eastern postern gate. A
couple Of phlegmatic Swiss guardsmen
leaned upon their muskeis upon either
side and the lamp above sbone upon
the carriage which awaited her The
door was opca- and tall cavalier
swathed In a black cloak handed her
into H. He then took the seat opposite
10 her. slammed the door, and the
ealeche ratified away down the main
drive
II had not surprised Der that this man
should Join her inside The coach, for II
was usBal 10 hnve a gEard there. and
bc was douhsleSs taking the place
which hrr brother would atterward &C.
cUpy. That was all natural enough
BBt when ten minniss paSsed by and
BE- had ei,ler moved nor spoken she
peerad nj him through the gloom with
some curiosity. Al last The silence i'm
pressed bef with n vague uneasiiaess
III was time 70 bring Il 20 an end.
A fltr{N rau through, her nerves Who