The Washington herald., 1913-02-16
PART THREE.
CHAPTER uI-Continued.

he minister OF ponce dppiieQ Hiih-
self to the trout la Mayenne which
was before him.
He felt himself isolated by his ma
jcsty's displeasure, as indeed he was.
The Comtesse de Coigny, to whom he
addressed his next remark, replied in
monosyllables and the Able Fremont
was entirely engaged with his fish,
while De Maupeou, as if drawing life
from the position of his enemy, became
less like parchment and almost bril-
liant in his conversation.
To be frank, some of the converse
ton was shade too daring for re-
production in print. That frigid eti-
quette which at the table of the Grand
Monarch imposed silence on all the
guests till the king should speak and
condemned them to eat only when his
majesty set the example, was entirely
absent from this dinner-table, where
with the first glass of champagne wit
took the dullness of license and mod
eSty the wings of wit.
The last course was about to appear
when a pause came in the service,
which had hitherto been conducted with
the precision and ease of a perfect
mechanism. One might have thought
that some frightful culinary accident
had occurred but for the faces of the
servants, perfectly unmoved, and the
fact that they drew away from their
positions behind the chairs OF the
guests and ranged themselves along
the walls of the ROOM
Scarcely had they done so when the
blast of trumpet sounded from the
outside, the door few open and tg-
ure entered, black as ebony, four feet
in height dressed in crimson brocadc
and having a wand in its hand. 1t was
Zamore, governor of Luciennes.
Behind the little negro in his absurd
dress came servant bearing an enor-
nous pie.
Madame du Barry clapped her hands,
the guests followed suit, and the king
looked amused
"Ah, the pie,' said his majesty.
Monsieur, de Maupeou. you have not
forgotten the pie which the comtesse
promised u.s."
No. Sire" replied the vice chancellor
in a sprightly voice, nor the promise
OF Madame la Comtessc as to its con-
tents"
Then. Monsieur" said the favorite,
in reward for YOUR remembrance you
shall have the honor of cutting it. "a
more. place the pie before Monsieur
dc Maupeou.'
The vice chancellor OF France, laugh
ing as though at a secret known only
To himself. the king. and Madame du
Parry. stood up to the business.
Place the knife beneath the edge OF
the crust, and raise the crust in one
piece" commanded the comtessc.
The vice chancellor. knife in hand.
bowed to his hostess. the crust tumbled
off like a lid and out burst whlrlins
swarm of cockchafcrs.
The women shrieked and sprang
from the table, a cockchafer hit De
SartineS in the eye, half binding him
in reality for moment. The king,
lolling back in his chair, the picture of
a fool, laughed till nc had to hold his
sides. while Zamorc. mad with excite
ment. chased the insects hither and
thither. needless where he went and
checked by nothing, not even the skirts
OF the women.
But the hero OF the day was De
Maupeou The insects rewarded their
deliverer by Swarning on his great wig
till he presented such an extraordinary
spectacle that even Zamore forgot the
chase and clapped his hands.
The vice chancellor, delightfully."- SOL
eTnn under the buzzing swarm, clapped
his hand to his wig, seized one OF the
insects. glanced at it. and let it escape
'Mordieu." said he For the mo-
ment | thought | was beset by philos-
ophersp He advanced to a window
that had been flung open, took off his
wig. and beat the creatures from it.
81,
with napkins, attacked the remainder,
and in minute not a cockchafer re-
NAMED.
De Sartines looked at his watch and
then at the haccid face of the king
He saw the utter hopelessness of any
attempt at serious business with him !:
he knew that De Maupeou had the Du
Barry on his side and would succeed
in whatever scheme he had on foot
He had one move left, and to execute
it he must depart at once.
Your majesty will excuse me- said
he but I am torn away by most im-
portant business
Monsieur, you are excused replied
his majesty, "and tell Monsieur Rous-
seau-ha! ha tell Monsieur Rousseau
of the conduct of his disciples, and
OF Monsieur de Maupeou's remark
De Sartines bowed to Madamc du
Barry, who scarcely listened to his cx-
cuses, then he left the room. When
he reached the hall of entry, instead
of leaving the palace, nc passed to
little room where, touching bell, he
ordered the servant who answered it
TO call Monsieur Rappclier. De Sar-
tines had not only the policing of Paris
on his hands, but that of the palace of
Versailles, which he declared some
times, with grim smile, to be much
more difficult business than the policing
of the city. The thousands of ser
wants. male and female, of Versailles.
the Trianon and Luciennes were for
ever under the eyes of the forty-fve
or fifty watch dogs of De Sartines,
who had also to keep a discreet eye
on the thousands OF guests and cour-
tiers, the ambassadors and their suites,
the couriers who were always going
and coming from and TO the four quar-
tiers of Europe, and the tradesmen
who were always ready to fleece his
majesty with false weight and corrupt
the servants with bribes.
In answer to the summons of the
servant, Rappelier, the chief of the
agents of safety made his apOearance