The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-12-24


most as If he suspected him Of
treating serious subject with
levity
ASK your questions" he commanded
CURLY.
What convent between here and
Blois is the strictest in its rule? In
what community is all speech pro
hibited, surely severe burden TO cast
upon women2
You doubtless refer to the great
Convent of the Sacred Heart, on the
outskirts of BeauSency, at the edge Of
the forest that extends to BlOis.'
What convent is governed by an
abbess OF the blood royal, TO which no
novice is admitted unless she be Of
noble descent?
The Convent Of the Sacred Heart
at Be9ugeucy."
Then, my lord, your daughter IS an
inmate of the Convent of the Sacred
Heart"
tainly on thatg
Because old Tresor. who, neverthe-
less. mentioned no names, told me he
himself had conducted one of the
Queens ladies in waiting TO the strict
est convent in France; a convent ruled
by an elderly relative of the King"
The Due de MOntreuil leaned back
In his chair, plunged into deep thought,
and half closed his eyes; then he muir
INJURED, more to himself than 70 his
What object could that hound Ire
sor have In giving you such hforma-
ness lie was proving to me how clever
he was, and how much De Luynes de-
pended on his ingenuity"
The duke shook his head
He was misleading you for some
purpose OF his own What is that puH
pose2"
You DO not consider. my lord, that
L am OFT an unknown youth, one Of
many hanging round the precincts OF
the palace. He could have no object in
misleading me. Twas but the self
corcei- Of a Southern man. Surely /
should know the trait"
You forget that the Southern man
! was sending you to assasSinate me.
You and 1 were thus linked in his mind.
You are too trustfui, NJ. dc Cardillac,
/ even after the bitter lesson you have
! Just received under Tresors tuition
Nevertheless, l adhere 70 my firsl
opinion. II was but the g3rruloUsness
OF an old man who loves 20 hear his
/ own voice; 20 with your concurrence,
my lord, I viii accompany you to
| Chateaudun, and proceed south %
Beaugency instead Of TO Blois. In fur
| therance Of my design. I ask you 70
give me that lettre de cachet which
you got from the sergeant"
What is your design What do you
propose TO do with the lettre de
| cachetg'
81 shall proceed with all speed TO the
| convent, reaching il before any news
/ Of our escape can have come to Beau
gency. l shall at once call 70 my aid
| De Luyues' own men / possess, as
| you know, a letter written in the most
cordial terms, and signed by De LuyneS.
That, with the lettre de cachet, Will be
my credentials. Obtaining a guard Cf
De Luynes' men, 1 shall proceed to the
! convent
Having inscribed on the lettre de
cachet your daughters name, 7 shall
arrest her, and say IL is the will Of
the king that she is TO be imprisoned
| I'm the Castle OF MOutTiChaTd. Thither.
escorted by this contingent Of the
/ kings army. we will proceed. We Will
make our way through the forest to
the south of the Loire, avoiding Blois,
taking with US competent guide
from ~Beaugeucy- The distance to
MOntrichard cannot be more than
| thirteen 20 fourteen leagues.
once 1t MOntrichard, L will dis
miss my bOdyguard. ordering the
soldiers 60 return TO Beaugency. and
then l am safe, for / know every one
/ there; and when we cross the river
/ Cher, we are in the Due d'Epernon's
country, but five leagues or there
abouts 90 LOches. with the road free
Of kings men. Indeed, my lord, you
must travel fast 10 reach Loches be-
fore your daughter does"
The young man spoke with an ami
mated enthusiasm that was infec-
tious. Several times during the re-
CiteI the dukes somber eyes lit up
momrntarily. to subside again into
their customary gloom. The optimis-
tic CardiliaC accompanied his elO-
quence with gestures as vivid as
those of a Sicilian, and so carried
away was be by his own OratOry
that SO was quite evident he regarded
the deed as already done. The elder
man adopted a more cautious atti-
| tude, which proved him but half con
WINGED, although he did not wish TO
damp the others ardOr.
"The. plan may succeed from it's
very holiness, If it can be carried out
without loss of time, but the slightest
! delay means eyer-increaslng danger