The Washington herald., 1914-07-19


"Aphr1 Ben in lsis. and has continued 10 th'
present day.
You can count the historical nov.lists who hII'
achieved enduring place in htsrlture upon th'
fingers Of one hand-and Luise Muhlbach Is Gmoni
them.
OF all her works Prince Eugene" is. perhaps, tn,
most popular today. II Is hlled with action. IN,
Splendors and intrignes Of courts; the tumults o
love and hate: the clash Of armies and the policie
Of stAtecraft packed down and running over
in this story Its historical value. Aso. is not in
considerable.
, There is only one thing TO object to about it
One could wish that Laura had gone to live in
convent after her escape from Strozzi rather thar
in the villa Of Prince Eugene.
Enemies for n Generation.
The naughty Countess de Scissors and
Louvois, the great minister Of Louis
XIV, confronted each other angrily in
the drawing-room OF the former.
As Olympia Mancini, the niece Of the
great Cardinal Mszarin, she had once
dreamed OF becoming Queen Of France.
And among her suitors in the days of
her power and beauty Louvois had also
been her wooer.
so that is your last word. madam
said Louvois.
My last word. Ny daughter shall not
marry your son. There can be no SYM
pathy between the Mancini and the
Louvois, and it would seem that their
antipathies are to be perpetuated from
generation to generation
Then" replied the minister, the re-
pulse that 1 received twenty-one years
ago from Olympia Mancini she repeats
today in the person of her daughter. But
II may happen some day that the Man
cinis will be repulsed by the Louvois.'
"A threat?" cried the countess. her
eyes blazing.
The minister shrugged his shoulders
and replied: Il have sown love-and I
reap hate Countess de scissors, four
women have long meditated your de-
struction-the Queen, Nine. de Monte
span, Nine Maintenon. and Louis de la
Walters"
The Gauntlet Thrown Down.
The countess laughed. La Valliere is
in convent she said.
Yes" replied Louvois. but the scars
of YOUR prosecutions are upon her. AL
though she may be Christian. think
YOU she has ceased to be a-woman? a
"As for Nine. de Montespan, the bril-
liant assemblies at the Hotel de Sois-
sons are a source Of modification, for
she can never forget that the King has.
more than once, forgotten his engage
ments with her to Iinger by the side OF
his fascinating hostess.
AS for the pious De Maintenon' she
lives in constant terror lest some day or
other. your presence should recall to the
King that golden vision Of his youth
wherein Olympia Mancini was the en-
shrined divinity.
"As for the Queen. do you remember
Olympia. that you once opened one OF
her letters and stole thence note i'm
nlicating her in secret intrigues with
spain-which you showed to the King?
Your path has been strewn WITH
thorns. But to compass your ruin there
was wanting one strong arm to concen-
trste the scattered missiles and hurl
them in one great bomb at your head.
Countess de Soissons-that arm is
mine. You have thrown down the
gsuntIet-and I pick it up"
His Parting Shot.
Tne countess, speaking with the fash
ionable drawl of the day and sitting a
vawn. replied: 20. my dear Louvois'
how interesting. But I thank you Tor
recalling to me the day when a King
knelt at my feet and Louvois lived upon
my smiles.
"she who can look back to such con-
quests can afford to despise the vexa-
tions Of the present while she plumes
her victorious wings for further flight"
The great minister sneered.
Madam" said he, La Voisin," the
witch and poisoner, was arrested last
highland her papers have been seized
He bowed and disappeared behind the
portieres. The countess stood as II
turned to marble and heard, in a horrid |
dream, the footballs Of the minister as
he passed down the corridor.
Her Dreadful Vision.
She saw a vision Of the bloody Place
de Ia Greve-that place of execution
she saw, as she had seen a year or so
before, that square black with shout
ing, jeering people and at every win
dow gayly dressed ladies who looked
out-she had been among them-at the
Marchioness de BrinviIliers, beautiful
and fascinating. as she was led to exc
cution amid the curses of the mob.
Then silence which was so intense that
the voice of the condemned could be
heard as, kneeling beside the block, she
made her last prayer. And then the fall
ing of the head upon the blood-sprinkled
sand.
The countess sickened and sank into
a chair, pressing her hands before ner
eyes. Neither the rank, the charms. nor
the strenuous efforts OF her powerful
friends had served to save the Marchion-
ess de BrinviIliers from the block.
She had been convicted of poisoning
and had shared the fate of other male
factors of less repute. Her accomplice,
La voisin, had been arrested. but as
nothing could be proved against her,
she escaped conviction.
Good God" cried the countess at
last. "if my letters are found among La
Yoison's papers-what will be my fate?"
Not Easily Subdued. II
But the blood of the Mancinis and the
alazarins came surging back through her
veins and she sprang to her feet,
,,1ress aot easily To he siIhdued