The Washington times., 1909-12-18
The CIeVerneSS of CardiILaC w5oa5sS Barr

, you are attracting attention to US If
! you refuse to take thought for yourself,
at least show some consideration for
me. You are in Paris for the purpose
Of advancing yourself. Day after day
/ you have attended these assemblies.
in that time how mary friends have
you NADER"
Not one.~-
How many enemies, them"
Not one. either / have spoken to
/ none"
! Then, sir. you have most vilely mis-
used both time and opportunity Being
a man well on in years, my own IN
| clination leans toward the making OF
| friends, but next to a friend an enemy
/ is useful for one who wishes to mount
the ladder. If you are so good
swordsman as you hint. why have you
/ let all these weeks pass without prov
! ing Il? mans word goes for nothing
/ here in Paris. I dare swear there are
! ten thousand swords within mile OF
the court better than yours
| Cardillac drew himself up haughtily,
! but doubtless on second thoughts con-
( sidered it better to make no remark.
| He saw that the old man loved TO talk,
from his garrulOUsness.
you may shout your prOwess from
the housetops. and no one will believe
you. They will laugh at you"
NO man laughs twice at me-" said
/ CardiIlac, land your master win yet
learn that I have not forgotten his
epistolary joke"
There is Denarsc, for instance, &C
counted a pretty swordsman. 1t hap
pens that my master looks upon him
with suspicion, for Denarac is supposed
to favor the queen-mother, now resid-
ing in Blois. when he should be loyal
subject Of our most gracious King,
Louis XIII, whom God preserve. Now,
81 Denarac Is ready enough with his
laugh, and II you crossed his path
would doubtless favor you with his
merriment. II thereupon you had is
sued your challenge. and run HIN
! through at the hour appointed, ME-. de
Luynes would speedily have sent for
You, instead Of allowing you to cool
your heels in his vestibule II a mans
sword is swift and sure. he needs no
letter Of introduction here in Paris
"Sir, 1 am not a swashbuckler, swag-
gering around TO find my enemies or
friends If a man insults me. why.
that's a different thing. Let him then
depend on his sword to defend him
from the mistake made by his tongue"
Wei, young sir, good swords viii
be needed before long in this land OF
France. BY the day, how stand your
For the dueen-mOJher, or for your
, lawful kingg'
IT trust I am for my lawful king.
otherwise what should I do here in
Paris?"
There are many in Paris VINO hold a
contrary opinion, hut the people OF
! France as a whole will never again
allow themselves 10 be ruled by an
Italian woman. The young king is a
Frenchman, whatever else may be said
; about him"
"OnIy half French. 7 think HI,
: mother is the Italian woman you speak
} Of"
The old man looked critically at his
younger vis-a-vis before he replied.
But his father was Henri the Great
and the son is Frenchman enough to
imprison his Italian mother"
1T was Luynes did that"
= Young man said the guard with
asperity. FOR one so little versed in
the ways of the world, you are over
fond Of cOntradicting."
VI AiAt HEEL UIue curing Lneir con-
e Iy. IS :
Perhaps 7 am" he said. Go on. ]
think you have something to propose
: I shall not contradict you again. I arr
! too anxious for work TO do. and viii
not again jeopardize my chance"
l II am a distant cousin Of NJ de
I Luynes. When there is any transaction
70 be carried through which requires Sc
crecy, caution and dispatch II is TO me
he intrusts its execution
The old Provencal gave utterance 70
E this statement with an air Of gentle
pride. not untafnted by the boastfuIness
Q OF the South. CardilIac, whose self-con.
r. ceft had been grievousIy wounded By
= the revelation that the letter on which
. he had depended as a guide-pOst on the
70 road TO fortune was merely a trap Il
u delUde the gullible, looked his inter
locutor up and down with a somewhat
. critical regard. not unmixed with IN
credulity. The young man was shrewd
. even II he had been taken IN BY the
il apparent cOrdiality OF this bogus let
ter, and It seemed to him rather ODD
- that the dictator OF France should IN
| trust his secret schemes TO a garru,
p lOus old braggart who conversed abo7I
e them with a stranger OF whom he knew
+ nothing.
= II seemed TO Cardillac that n tn,
y man in power had surrounded himself
o with country relatives so communica
: tive as this official. he might soon ex
D pect a downfall as sudden and com
; plete as his uprising But shrevd al
j. he was. tho Gascon's face was charac
terized by the guilelessness Of youtl
J. and the simplicity Of the country. an,
T. | the thoughts that passed through hi,
II mind cast some reflection on his amIabI
cOuntenance. The old man saw tn,
" expression OF disbelief that came int,
the yOuGRer's face.
E. II see you do not believe me-" n