The Washington herald., 1913-02-09
CHAPTER ID.
A PIE AND A SURPRISE.

@NLY for half moment
In the next he was bowling to
his majesty and the comtesse,
VINO had turned and was oontempiat-
ing him with an expression curiously
difficult to analyze Was it dcrision,
was it mirth, was she angry with him.
or had she forgotten the broken ap-
pointment? The reader of faces, the
most astute physiogomist for whom the
human face, as a rule, was but vel
of gauze could read nothing for GER
tain in that beautiful face, so czpTic-
ious, so strangely unmarked by des-
tiny.
why, here is order" cried the COM
tesse, come upon the heels of law
and the church, My party is COM
plete. Monsieur de Sartines, you must
dine with US to-day"
Madame. l shall be charmed Would
that | have arrived earlier but"
Il know" she cut in, you had your
literary affairs to attend to. No mat
ter, dear poet, no matter how late,
YOU are always welcome"
Dear poet! So she had not forgot
ten; not only that, but the words and
the manner in which they were spok-
en- told him that she knew of his in
difference to the doings of the ballad
writers. and he saw III a fash that
De Maupeou had been before him not
only with the king but with the favor
lite.
Madame" said he. taking advantage
OF the fact that the others had drawn
slightly away. "of those scribblers
about whom YOU were speaking
to me: hope that the chief Of them
the only one who has not escaped
from Franco say l hope that the
chief of them will be safely in prison
by tonight
"Oh. Monsieur" replied she, Il hope
that will not happen ] do not wish
on account of my petty affairs that
France should lose so excellent a min
lister of police as Monsieur dc Sar-
tines"
She turned away, leaving this dagger
quivering in his heart, and even as SHE
turned dinner was announced and the
guests passed into the dining-room, the
unfortunate De Sartines bringing up
the rear. stricken, speechlcss, yet show
ing nothing of his discontinue in his
face.
The dining-room which they entered
was very different from that which had
once been the dining-room of the Prin-
cess Adelaide. The walls only were
the same; upholstered in crimson, with
oyerdoors by-Drouais, a Cupid-hsunt-
ed ceiling from the brush of Boucher,
and panel pictures daring in both color
and theme by Wien, the place looked
exactly what it was: the home of color
that paints the human lace, inpudence
that scents itself with patchouli.
There were nine covers laid and,
counting De Sartines. ten guests.
When all were seated, De Sartines
was left standing.
oh. ma fol" cried the comtesse, az
the servants hurried to lay a fresh
cover. Il had forgotten Monsieur de
Sartines. Lubin. place Monsieur de
Sartines' chair by the chair OF Mon
sieur rAbbe. on the left so that the
light will not try his eyes | know
YOU have 4 horror OF a strong light.
dear Monsieur de SartineS."
Monsieur de Sartines bowed as he
slipped into his seat; he had poison
GUS retort on his lips but he dared
not utter It.
Monsieur de SartineS, said the
king. who had commenced his soup,
what is this | hear the comtesse say
ing about your eyes
Only that ! am half blinded, sire.
Since when?
Always, your majesty, when | ind
myself in the presence OF superlatlre
beauty"
He bowed to the comtessc, who re
turned the bow mockingly and turned
her attention to the Due d'Aiguillon:
she was evidently still unappeaSed and
beyond the reach OF Establishment.
Monsieur de Sartincs, said the
king. finishing his soup and raising a
glass of topaz-colored wine to his lips,
1T seems to me there are only two
men in my kingdom who have port
folios and vet have the old wit that
bites in epigrams and charms IN COM
pliment."
And those two men. sirc:
They arc Monsieur le Due dc
Choiseul and Monsieur le Comte de
SartineS.'
20 sirel cried the minister of po-
lice, picking up his spirits, what you
say is false
False"
There is a third man who is, yet.
not a man, beside whom Monsieur do
Choiseul and Monsieur de Sartines are
blunderers at that game.
And who is this man who is not
man. pray"
"A king. sire"
Ma fol-" cried his majesty, laugh
ing, 1t seems to pe. Monsieur de Ssr-
tines, you pay that king a doubtful
20, Sire laughed De Sartincs,
amazed at himself and hating himself
for having made this faux pas, the
only one in all his life, since when is
a king a man, since he belongs to the
of those above us?'
De Maupeou, who had been sitting
up to this, cast his eyes up
to the ceiling and laughed. De Sar-
tines, the king, and all within the range
of the conversation looked up, only
to see that fat cupids OF Boucher leer-
ing at them from the ceiling.
"Um," said the king He turned to
the Able Fremont with some inquiry
as to the state of affairs in Picardy,
from which province the ccclesiastic
hailed. while the COmtesse d'Egmont,
unable to contain herself, laughed