The Tupelo journal., 1915-08-13
A FLOWER
AMONG WEEDS
Story of the Eighteenth
Century.
BY r. A. mitchell.


During the reign Of Louis XIV. France
reached a elimination of pr0figacy
which had been growing for years.
While the king was in his minority the
regent, his uncle, Duke Of Orleans, set
the example Of debauchery to the court
and through the court to the kingdom.
Louis himself, on assuming the scep-
ter, by continuing in his uncle's foot
steps completed the work Of laying the
foundation for the French revolution
which broke out during the reign Of
his successor.
During the regency of the Duke OF
Orleans the wealthiest mobiles owned
estates in different parts of France
Only the more moral of these lived III
their country ~chateaus, for the profiI-
gate could not endure TO live elsewhere
than in Paris, where the intriguing
and debauchery We're going on. Among
those who preferred the virtue of rural
life was the young Marquis Castor de
Roquette, who. though a soldier of ac-
k~nowledged bravery, had a mind capa-
BILE of foreseeing the ruin the regent.
the princes of the blood and the nobil-
ity were bringing upon France.
However, the marquis was obliged
occasionally to go to Paris either at the
some duty connected with his station
as a peer of the realm. One day on
the street on which stands what was
then the palace of the louvre he
passed a young lady riding i'll her
chair" the very sight OF whom deeply
impressed him. She was not only
beautiful. but a natural purity showed
itself in every line of her countenance.
This was the more noticeable, for at
that time the women of the court Were
as bad as the men. and the lives they
led were discerniblc in their features.
The marquis followed the young lady
with his eyes. and when he saw her
carried into the palace he heaved q
sigh. for he did not believe that any
woman could enter that royal abode
and be good. Her entrance there. how
ever, proved that she was a lady OF
rank,
The marquis duty to the Sovereign
! later called him to the court. anA
saw there the lady whoa he h1q nse9
in her chair" Hanging F
was a famous but motor eus
most pronounced and sass4s
of that period. He was |; VERY sStsagtsSs
man. and he was also the most acgnar
| plished villain of his day Three tlnae5
he had been in the Bastille. the third
time for having attempted to betray
France.
Another sigh marked the marquis
| discovery that the girl who had made
| such an impression on him was prob
ably falling into the hands of this no
| torious villain. Leaving the palace
without even inquiring the name or
rank of the young lady. NJ. Roquette
returned to his estate and. shutting
himself up in his chateau. endeayored
to Danish her image. which had haunt
| ed him since the first moment he had
seen her.
This was not possible. TO the young
such impressions are very strong.
| What it was i'll that pure face that had
| taken hold of him he did not know.
What he did know vas that she was
a member of a protiigate court. that he
had seen its most notorious rake hang
ing over her, and he did notedoubt that
| sooner or later she would go down HIi-
der the influences which surrounded
her.
CASTOR de Roquette remained on his
estate for a month without returning
to Paris. Often was he tempted to go
there for another glimpse of the q G
that had enthralled him. but he be-
lieved that in yielding to the tempta-
ton he would only bring Upon himself
greater pain. SO he devoted himseI
to the care of his estate and to his ten
ants. He endeavored to occupy him
self with his books. but this was i'm
possible. for. whatever he did, his mind
was upon that pure being. growing like
a flower in the midst of poisonous
weeds.
Whether it was that the young mar
quiS was a poor sleeper or that CUPID
was keeping him awake. he vent 10
bed late and at times when unable to
sleep would arise. dress himself anu
walk about outside. No far from the
chateau was the church where he and
his household and his tenants wor-
SHIPPED and about which their forefa-
theirs slept. Within the structure We're
the bones of the De Roquettes incased
in sepulcllers or under the flags, the
sepulchers supporting marble figures OF
sthe departed. while here and there
were the arms the men had borne Ill
war.
CASTOR de Roquette often strolled
about during his midnight W''ks III the
c%hurchyard. but had never cared 10
enter the church at night when It was
deserted. One night when troubled