The Washington herald., 1912-11-17

1
at his instigation, his wife had poison
the Young Comte de Coigny and was
Stenlis and another gentleman stood
by listening and laughing.
"Ah, De Sartines," cried this noble
man, releasing De Coigny and turning
to the new-comeS, what a delightful
surprise to find you at Versailles! And
how is Justice?"
Very we'll, indeed, Monsieur" re-
piled the minister, with a freezing
smile; she was even asking after you
this morning" He passed on, still
making his way through the crowd,
| speaking a word to this gentleman,
nodding to that. He had not made
twenty PAGES when suddenly, as if at
the touch of wand, silence fell on
the Hall of Mirrors, and voice said:
/ Monsieur de la Vrilliere."
Ii was the kings voice He had just
| opened the door of his cabinet, and
De Sartines saw the Due de Ia Vrill-
| iere pass in. He drew close to the
door and waited He had not to wait
long-in a moment it opened again and
the due appeared. The kings hand
was resting upon his arm, detaining
him a moment for last word. Then
his majesty released him, glanced
round at the people, saw De Sartines
and made face. The minister of po-
lice took the grimace as an invitation
to enter the cabinet, and did so. The
king had been writing. On the desk
table, lighted by four rose-colored can
dies burning in silver candelsbra, lay
mass of correspondence. This lazy
monarch, who had cultivated idleness as
fine art, and of whom Il may be
said, at least, that he could do nothing
well, had his fits of activity, from one
of which he seemed now convalescing,
for he yawned as he took his place in
the chair by the desk and motioned his
visitor TO a fauteuil.
We'll, Monsieur de SartineS," said
the king, and how are we this even
ing-charmingly, l hope?"
Charmed, at least, your majesty, to
escape for a moment from the dullneSs
OF the Hotel de Sartines and exchange
its darkness for the sun of Versailles"
And it is Monsieur de Sartines or
the minister of police that ] see before
me?"
Both. Sire Monsieur de Sartines
to inquire after your majesty's health,
the minister of police to inform your
majesty of the health of his people"
And how are our dear people"
asked his majesty, casting some specks
OF gold sand off sheet of note-paper
and folding the sheet.
Still grumbling, Sire"
And the pamphleteers?"
Still writing, Sire"
And the philosophers
Still phiiosophizIng, your majesty"
And the price of corn?-for if al
ways seems to me that the price of
corn is at the bottom of all our trou-
bles."
Still rising, Sire"
Good" said the king. The word
escaped from him almost without his
knowing it 1t was, all the same,
meant; for the king and Monsieur de
SartineS had between them an interest
in the price of corn-they were, in fact,
partners, in that they had brought up
all the available grain and stored it in
granaries. They would presently sell
at an enormous profit Meanwhile, the
conspirators, with their eyes on the
market, maintained toward one another
a dignifed silence on the matter, the
king quite content to leave the business
details entirely in the. hands of his
minister.
"GoodI" said he again. with the
people and the markets in this disturb
ed state it is satisfaction to remem-
Der that we have a De Sartines at the
ministry of police to deal with our
philosophers and pamphleteers, who are
always grumbling at the state of
France, and our people, who are al
ways grumbling about their food. Ma
fol, Monsieur de Sartines, why do you
not feed all these troublesome subjects
of mine?"
with what, your majesty"
with the philosophers. Then the
pampleteers could write pamphlets on
the subject, and all would be peace"
"Oh, Sire" replied De Sartines |
they would never swallow Monsieur
Rousseau's coat, nor that hat, which |
covers, no doubt, multitude of things |
other than his thoughts He grows
more disreputable-looking day by day,
as he sits there at the Cafe de Reg
ence, playing dominoes with his right |
hand and spreading sedition with his |
left. That old man, Sire, gives me
more troublous thoughts than all the !
other sedition-mongers in a bundle. |
That old man, young man and a |
woman have been in my carriage with |
me all the way from Paris this even
ing"
Monsieur Rousseau in your car
riagel"
Il spoke metaphorically, Sire"
And the young man and woman
were they also with you metaphoric-
ally2"
Eyes, Sire"
who, then, is the young MANI"
"The Chevalier de Lussac, your
majesty"
dAhl De Richelieu's kinsman-and
the woman"
The Baroness Sophie Linden, with |
whom the chevalier is in love, Sire,
at least so my agents say"
The Austrian woman?
"Yes. your majesty, the same: ac-
credited by the court of Vienna. bear
ing letter for the dauphiness, linger-
ing on in Paris now that her work is
over"
"And do you not know why she is
lingering in Paris. Monsieur de Sar-
tines?"
That. Sire, is what l am determined
to find out"
Il can tell YOU"
you can, Sire?"
Ma fol, yes; you yourself have just
told ue-she Is IN 1--we with the cheve-