The Washington herald., 1912-11-17
THE MINISTER OF POLICE

with letters; De Lussac, kinsman
though he is to the Due de Richeiieu,
is, am assured, a member of that
internal Society of the Midi, and up
to his eyes in the new movement that
/ threatens to subvert order and destroy
| the state"
He is very young man.
Your majesty, said De Sartines
earnestly. "the two most important en-
emies of the state are the very old
men who are filed with old rigid ideas
they cannot get rid of, and the very
young men who are filed with new
fantastical ideas they cannot digest"
(which reminds me, monsieur" said
the king, that am suffering from
indigestion; the politics of the present
day are stew made by the politicians
of the past-they were bad cooks. II
you attempt to swallow il you. will get
indigestion, as | have done Let us
leave it to the politicians of the fu-
ture. Look after De Lussac and his
friends as much as you please. For me
they are like madame's marmosets (;
they chatter and chatter and scratch
each others heads. Let them chatter,
as long as they don't chatter too loud
and disturb our peace"
The king moved in his chair to indi-
cate that the interview was over, and
De Sartines, knowing his majesty bet
ter than his majesty knew himself,
Judged that he was now bored sufiici-
emily for his purpose He rose, bowed,
and taking a paper from his pocket
placed it on the table.
Ii was a lettre de cachet in blank.
Your majestys wish is law, and
now, Sire, on matter of police, may
| ask your signature to this%
The king glanced at the paper. made
a face, took pen, tested the nib, and
signed
"Here is your weapon, dear De Sar-
tines: only don't let it bring Monsieur
lie Marechal growing to me because
his kinsman has been given apartments
at Vincennes, or in our fortress of the
Bastile. without a cause"
81 never act without a cause, Sire"
"True-it is your affair. But remem-
Der, also, De Sartines, that Madame la
Baronne is sacred-as far as her per-
son; she is accredited to US in way"
''0h, your majesty" replied De Sar-
tines, putting sand on the paper, you
may be sure that-I am circumspect in
all my dealings with ladies. Have you
ever known me, Sire, to cross my
sword with a fan in the open? | never
approach a lady of rank III my busi-
ness. except through one of those three
avenues which a woman keeps open for
her ruin.
And those three avenues are"
Her lover, her maid, and her milli-
ner, Sire"
De Sartines, seeming greatly pleased
with himself folded the paper, placed
If in his pocket, and 6owing profound
", advanced backward to the door.
ne door seemed to open TO its own
accord as this deft courtier and per-
feet nobleman, bowling again, made a
half-turn and movement of the hand
that brought him outside it, face 'front.'
ing the crowd in the Hall of Mirrors,
and with the door of the kings cabi-
net closed behind him.
The crowd divided before him as he
made his way to the vestibule. Here
he received his hat and cane from
Joaquin. Then, getting into his carriage
and drawing his robe of marten fur
about him, he gave the word TO his
coachman-"Paris."
He did not tell his majesty that only
the day before the police had raided
the head Office of the Society of the
Midi, arresting Messieurs Barthelmy
and Contains, not to speak of twenty
other more insignificant persons, and
finding among the papers of the society
hints indicating that the Cheyalier de
Lussac was implicated in the doings of
this, the third most important revolu-
tiOnary society in Paris
His majesty was not in the mood for
domestic politics at the present mo-
ment, an attitude of mind not disagree
able to the minister, as his majesty
was disposed in these matters to bear
toward leniency.