Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-12-14
WHO but Charlotte d'orleans. Mile. de

Who but Charlotte d'Orleans. Mile. de
Valois!"
mile. de valois!" I gasped. 'The
daughter of the regent! Why. man.
you must be mad." and I gazed in as
while plotting against the father dared
make love to the daughter.
IF you but saw her. de Brancas."
cried the duke. you would say I was
far from mad. l fell in love with her
n first time her eyes met mine.
was at a ball given a month G for
the Duchess de Lorraine, when the re-
gent was celebrating her visit to Paris.
o have never seen such eye de
Brancas. We rave over Madame du
Names eyes.-you have seen them n
know how wonderful they are,-but
they fade as the stars fade at sunrise
when Charlotte d'Orleans appears. No.
tbs not q lovers rhapsody" he added,
seeing me smile: there are none in the
kingdom to compare with them. Were
this not SO I should not so readily have
fallen victim. for I have gazed into
many and many without a quickening
OF The pulse"
again, and as lie folded 1t and placed it
tenderly III mis- pocket 1 saw he was in
earnest. Indeed, h eye must needs
be beautiful which could so move the
heart OF this seasone courtier.
but the regent" I said. at last, the
regent. What thinks he of all this? l
had not thought him a friend OF
yours"
"A friend OF mine!' cried Richelieu.
DE Brancas. il there is one person in
Paris whom he detests above all others,
it is myself
But then I began, and stopped. 1
had no wish to seem too curious.
tJtnf fhnp ~ cnil TSipl,o1io1I no1tctnU
in his walk up and down the DON
Go on. de Brancas. What would you
say?"
"Then he does not know?' I asked.
You have met with obstacles?'
"Obstacles!" n Richelieu smiled at
me with triumphant lace. "Yes,-such
as most men would falter at. Imagine
wooing Il woman with whom you can
never speak,-who is kept from you as
from the plague! All, there was q
problem, n II Of the sort 1 love to
solve. Why. de Brancas. ii her father
suspected that l had in my pocket a
note from his daughter, he would have
me back in a trice in my old cell at The
bastille."
He paused a moment and touched the
note with trembling fingers.
mo. l could never exchange a word
with her. he went on, at last, but l
made progress, nevertheless. Gold will
work many miracles. Every morning
she found q note in a bouquet of now-
crs,-on her writing desk, on her dress
ing table, or her embroidery frame.
All, how l cudgelled my poor brain in
writing those notes, pleading, passion
ate. despai1ing by turns! AT every bali,
every concert. every fete where she
was like to be. there was I, and If I
could not use my lips, at least / could
use my eyes. She looked at me first
indifferently. then curiously, then shyly
and last night at the opera She
bluslled when her eyes met mine. and
row night l can speak to her. All, how
l shall make her love mel"
Well, he was worth loving. My eyes
blur with tears wen yet as l see him
again standing there. so glad, so
straight. so gallant, and think of what
l should have loved him. heart n
soul. Even as a man, tits little less
! than that.
I'm affairs of the heart, as in affairs
OF state. my sword is at the service Of
M. lie due" I said. no little moved, and
again we struck hands pom our COM
pact, In which, l could not but think,
It was who must reap the most adj
vantage. For Of what service could the
sword OF an unknown youth of 20 be to
Richelieu? And yet. as I was soon to
learn. even a humble sword, when
backed by q loyal heart, may be Of SER
vice to the greatest.
Jacques was called and told to show
me my apartment. What q contrast II
was to that den under the cutters in
the Rue Bailleul! Richelieu declared
he would not part with me. and with
some reluctance I gave Jacques the adj
dress OF my former lodging, that he
might bring away my wardrobe. That
done, I a soon abed, turned to the
wall, and slept a sleep infinitely sweet
ened by this sudden change in my cir
cumstances.
CHApTER w