The Washington herald., 1914-07-19


them thoroughly.
over one paper she fingered before de-
stroying it, reading II again and again
and holding 1t in her left hand while in
her right she held q small vial contain
ing a yellowish fluid.
"wha: If I should forget" she sighed.
Then she threw the paper into the fire
and drank the contents of the vial.
It was a love philter which she drank.
something which the hag. La voisin,
had persuaded her would bring back 10
her the love of the King.
Banned, but Cndaunted.
1t was the hour when the court drove
to the Pre- aux Cierres. Olympia ordered
her state carriage and drove there.
Eagerly did she try to catch the Kings
eyes as the royal equipage came rushing
by her own carriage. But the King
head was turned another way, and the
court swept back to the Louvre.
The poisoner! The poisoner!" cried the
| people in the street as the countess
passed back to her palace. The accom-
plice of La Voisin!'
Bafied, but still undaunted, she threw
herself in a chair in her boudoir and
thought.
The door opened and a slight, frail-
looking young man entered. Mother.
it is only l." he said.
"Ah, yes, my little manil1n." she re-
piled, my little abbe. You were with
me-yo1 saw, you heard. But you shall
live to be a cardinal. Eugene. and a
great one. too, like your uncle Mazarin-
and you will avenge your mother"
20 mother" said he, II have no vo-
cation for the priesthood"
why, what else could you do, poor
boy?' said the countess. Your feeble
of a soldier
yet that is what want to be-" an
swered the boy.
Prince Eugene.
Prince Eugene, who afterward wrote
his name so large in the military annals
of the world. was, at that time a boy OF
perhaps eighteen, and OF almost dwarfish
proportions. His head, which between
his excessively wide shoulders, was
perched upon a long, wry neck. was much
too large for his body.
His complexion was swarthy. his
cheeks high and sunken, and a nose
slightly turned up, together with the
shortness Of his upper lip which dis
to his face an air OF boldness.
But notwithstanding all this his eyes
were so superlatively beautiful that they
almost persuaded one into the belief
that he was handsome. For from their
lustrous depths streamed a meteoric
splendor which revealed the genius, the
enthusiasm of the noble soul to which
nature had assigned such an unworthy
body.
His father, now some years dead, had
been a prince of the reigning house OF
Savoie and Count Of Scissors in France
Instigated by the enemies of the Count
ess, the King had prosecuted him and
had conhscated most of his estates IN
France.
When he died dark rumor had gone
abroad that he had been poisoned by his
wife, who was said to have the secret
of certain ''poudre de succession"-a poi
son by which Objectionable relatives and
friends could be removed without detec-
tion.-
BcsieEed by the Mob.
At times Maintenon was meek and af- |
fected piety. With her. after the death |
of the Queen, Louis XVI contracted a |
morganatic marriage.
Montespan was bold, gay, and frivolous |
At the time our story opens the star Of |
the Marchioness de Montespan was sink |
ing rapidly toward the horizon and the |
OF Maintenon was all powerful |
at court.
No, not all powerful-for IL Maintenon
possessed more influence than any other
woman in France, next to the King him
self. the most powerful man was LOU
vols
But let us return to Prince Eugene and
mis- mother.
AS they talked there in boudoir OF the
there came a great noise and
servants rushed in to say that
he courtyard was filled with a great
mob, who were tearing up the pavements,
smashing the windows. and trying to
force the doors of the palace.
The future field marshal was at once
aroused to action. Hastily summoning
he servants, he armed them with guns
rom the armory and stationed them at
he windows on the right and left Of
he central one looking out upon the
He stationed himself at the central
window ana called upon the mob to dis
oerse. His answer was another shower
If stones.
Singing Out the Leader.
He saw large man who, with his hat
pulled Gown over his face and keeping
we'll behind the rioters, was evidently
heir leader
Eugene called upon his men to fire and
hey responded. Several Of the rioters
Iropped wounded upon the ground.
Calling the steward. he ordered him TO
AXE two men and. going out by a secret !
way to the street, to close and lock from {
he outside the great iron gates which J
pened into the courtyard. This was
one rapidly and secretly.
Then Eugene called to the leader of |
he mob to come forward. The leader
raIl. /