Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1907-02-21
CHAPTER XIII.

III his messengers the king sat i'll
his cabinet attended only 10y
Louvois, his minister. There was a tap
at the door, and Bontems peeped in.
''The archbishop has arrived, sire"
"Very well, Bontems. Ask madame
to be so good as to step this way. And
order the witnesses to assemble in the
anteroom."
AS the valet FASTENED away Louis
turned to his minister. 81 wish you
to be one of the witnesses, Louvois."
ITO what, sire?"
"To my marriage"
The minister started. what, sire!
Already"
"Now, Louvois; within FIVE minutes"
Every good. sire"
There had meanwhile been busy 60
ings OF in the small room where the
red lamp burned In front Of the Virgin.
FRANCHISE de Maintenon stood In the
center, a little flush of excitement on
her cheeks and an unwonted light in
her placid gray eyes. She was clad in
q dress Of shining white brocade, trim.
med and slashed with silver serge and
fringed at the throat and arms with
costly point lace. There came a dis
Greet tap at the door.
ut is Bontems, madame" said Mile.
Nanon. He says that the king is
ready"
"Then we shall not keep him waiting.
Come, mademoiselle, and may God
shed his blessing upon what we are
about to do"
The little party assembled in the
kings anteroom and started from there
to the private chapel. In front walked
the portly bishop, clad in a green vest
ment, pulled out with the Importance
of the function, his missal in his hand
and his fingers between the pages at
the service de matrimoniis. The king
and Nine. de Maintenon walked side
by side, she quiet and composed, with
gentle bearing and downcast eyes, he
with a flush on his dark cheeks and
a nervous, furtive look in his eyes, like
a man who knows that he Is in the
midst of one Of the great crises of his
life. Behind them in solemn silence
followed a little group of chosen wit
nesses, the lean, silent Pere la Chaise,
Louvois scowling heavily at the bride,
the MARQUIS de Charmarante, Bontems
and Mile. Nanon.
The torches shed a strong yellow
light upon this small band as they ad-
vanced slowly through the corridors
and salons which led to the chapel. A
minute later they were before the al
tar, and the words were being read
which should bind them forever to-
gether. As they turned away again,
her new ring blazing upon her finger,
there was a buzz Of congratulation
around her. The king only said moth
ing, but he looked al her, and she had
no wish that he should say more. She
was still calm and pale. but the blood
throbbed in her temples.
But a sudden shadow had fallen
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 Louis as few others knew him,
and she was well aware of that OBJ
stinacy In trifies which was one of his
characteristics. If he had said that
he would be married by the archbish-
op, then the archbishop 1t must be.
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 ven Of the previous night.
although the court already rang with
II, 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. Mime. de
Montespan could hardly believe in such
good fortune. She had racked 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 1t would have been
less brutal to strike her down at his
feet. Let some one else tell her, then.
She would know oon enough. All this
ran swiftly through his mind, and she
as swiftly read 1t 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 tonguew
mo, no, madame" said Louis. 81
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 reaso / think that 1t Is best
that we should arrange In the way
which we discussed the other day and
that you should withdraw yourself
from the court"
Withdraw, sirel For how longi"