Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-13
TwENTY-EIGHTH INsTALLMENT.


THE grand master Of Burgundy
was well aware of the danger
Gus game to which he set his
Il hand the moment the dukes
back was turned. His first move
was to send Sire de Chavaigny to Jo-
hanna with request that she trans
NIT to him the written reprieve which
RhynSault had given her for Philip on
the morning of the execution and copies
of which had been affixed to her me-
mortal. He assigned as reason for
this action hope that the duke might
reopen the case If the actual reprieve
were presented to him.
Rhynsault's trial was held on the day
after his arrest in the great hall of the
palace.
Thither, in response to summons,
came Mistress Johanna, attended by
her servants and followed by that train
of friendly witnesses from Middelburg.
She came in awe, almost with reluc-
lance. There was an ordeal ahead OF
her far sterner than any for which she
had been prepared, in that she must
now meet the eyes OF Count Anthony
with the knowledge that he was in
formed of all the grounds OF her Bit
ter shameful plant.
Came a flourish of trumpets such as
usually announced the advent of the
duke, but all heads were barred in the
great hall.
Through this doorway came four
archers of the guard; after these came
a herald bearing the sword of state,
and then in a robe of cloth OF gold,
such as the duke wore on these occa-
Sions, a fiat bonnet Of scarlet velvet on
his head, pale and stern, the grand
master of Burgundy emerged. HIS
voice, that clear, melodious voice the
memory of which had ever haunted
Johanna's ears, rang through the Silent
hall.
Bring in the Sire Claude de Rhyn-
sault."
They brought him in, his bearing
shorn of much of its habitual mag
Read him the Indictment" the
grand master commanded.
A clerk discharged that duty. 1t
was not quite what the Sire de Ryhn-
sault had expected, and there was a
| quality in it which shook the asSur-
/ ance which hitherto had fully sus-
tanned him, awoke the alarm from
which hitherto he had been immune.
There was no question, as he had so
| confidently supposed, of rejudglng the
| case of Philip Danvelt by establishing
Danvelts innocence, impeaching his
judge for careless administration OF
! Justice and for excluding evidence
which, fully as available then as now,
should certainly have been admitted
| The indictment was framed upon
quite other lines. Danvelt'S guilt was
| assumed, accepted on the mans own
| confession without any question as to
| how it might have been extorted. IN
deed, the assumption Of his guilt was
actually made the corner stone OF the
| hn ~
| sault'S offenSe was made to lie In the
fact that he had subverted to his own
ends the dukes justice, by reprieving
| a man whose guilt of treason he &C
counted fully established by the evil
| dence upon which he had sentenced
! him to death. since otherwise it was
inconceivable that he could so have
sentenced him. To this was added the
| comparatively minor charge of his hav-
| ing neglected to proceed, as by law re-
quired, to the confiscation OF the prop
| erty of a man convicted of treason
and by that neglect having defrauded
the dukes revenues.
AS the clerk finished the reading
and was reSuming his seat, RhynSault
beloved out his answer.
This is a judged affair" ne pro,
tested angrily: 1T IS Judged ,,; and
authority to reopen it. You are abus-
ing your office, sir, IN the dukes alb
| Sence."
Very calmly the grand master an
swered him: my Lord of RhynSault,
| it was not yet my Intention to come
| to that although come to 1t In the
end I must. But If you rest your
defense upon 1t I am content to pro-
| coed along the line you are opening.
| Il do rest my defense upon 1t. His
highneSs has pronounced in this mat
| ter, and it is closed"
"a matter that is closed by false
statement may be reopened at any
| time when the truth becomes apparent.
The dukes highneSs, as you correct
ly state. closed this matter upon re-
ceiving your clear denial that you had
granted this reprieve, a denial backed
by your knightly word. You will re-
member that"
IT do remember it. I am relieved
that your lordship does the same. I
ask myself, this being so, why you
presume to modest me in this manner
and to drag me here to be questioned
again."
ut is because, sir, since you uttered
that denial to the duke certain further
knowledge has reached me which
makes it clear that by that denial you
abused the dukes confidence and his
trust in the knightly word which you
had pledged. 1t is upon this further
knowledge that the present indictment
has been drawn. In this I proceed
as must suppose the duke himself
would proceed had he remained to
learn what 1 have learned"
Had he remained you would never
have dared"
Shall we keep to the Indictment"
He was of most exquisite courtesy
in meeting the deliberate rudepeSs of
the defense you made before the duke?
Do you persist in the denial that YOU
granted this reprieve to q convicted
traitor?"
IT answer now as answered then:
The man was hanged. That is answer
enough. How could he have been
hanged II I reprieved him? The charge
is ludicrouS. The facts destroy it."
Il will answer your question SIR" the
grand master replied, ignoring all else
that Rhynsault had said. How this
man came to be hanged notwithstand-
ing the reprieve is a matter not to be
cleared up without seeking more evil
dence than we possess at present. But"
he continued, impressively and sur
priSingly. at least in the ears of Rhyn-
Sault, that matter is not of great i'm
portance; indeed, hardly relevant. The
existence OF the reprieve is a full proof
OF the intention, and in matters con-
nected with treason the intent Is as
punishable as the act ITSELF"
RhynSault was utterly contemptuouS
in his confidence that all this was mere |
buster based upon a faith. attached to |
the copy OF the reprieYee which formed