Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-16

/ eff you viii give me leave, Charles"
he said, after a moment, II will seek
the Lady Catharine at cnce."
"I'll do more, Anthony. I will con-
duct you to her"
Together they came to the gallery
above the great hail. where a troupe
of Flemish players were entertaining
the assembled court.
The players on the dais at the end
of the hall SO engaged the attention
of the audience that the arrival of
the duke and his cousin went unper-
ceived It went unperceived also by the
Lady Catharir1e, for all that her atten-
| ton was nowise bestowed upon the
mummers She occupied chair almost
Immediately below the staircase by
which our gentlemen had been descend
ing, and where, since Count Anthony
had perceived her, they now stood ar
rested midway in their descent, OBJ
serving.
Her companion, tall, loose limbed,
youthful fellow, arrogant of bearing,
swarthy, black-browed and handsome
! in a sinister unpleasant way, was lean
lag upon the back of her chair, his
head bowed as he talked until 1t almost
touched her own; and when she looked
up into his face, their eyes were
scarcely foot apart.
his companion. He had intended that
Count Anthony should observe for him
self; but he had hardly expected that
there would be quite so much to
observe.
Nor were these two upon the stairs
the only observers. The Duchess of
Orleans, Count Anthony's kinswoman,
sat frowning as she looked sideways at
the Lady Catharine; and beside the
ali "a
~ Saint-Pol, at present in Brussels on
a mission from King Louis. Raising his
eyes, he cleared his throat to attract
attention and sound the alarm, and
scowled warningly upon the pair. But
they were deaf and blind to all but
each other
Count Anthony resumed his descent
Of the stairs quite needless Of the
dukes restraining hand.
Leave this to me-" his highness was
muttering regretting now that he had
not taken matters into his own hands
from the outset Leave me to deal
with Armagnac. He shall go home to-
morrow, by Saint Georgel"
Count Anthony puzzled him by his
answer:
why. what is he to me, that I
could dispute him with you? Nine.
Catharirle is not yet my wife, for which
on my knees shall render thanks to
our lady presently" And he went, on.
end as the comedy in the hall below
took its beginnings. The players had
given good entertainment, and, on the
closing lines of the epilogue spoken by
their leader, applause had greeted
them. Flowers, comf1ts and money fell
in q shower about them from their
grateful audience, and then the noisy
acclamations sank into the din of talk
as the groups in the hall broke up, to
reform elsewhere and break again, and
the movement became general.
The Summer daylight was fading.
Came servants with tapers, ushered by
a chamberlain, to light the /f1ambeau
and girandoles, and draw the great
curtains, each masterpiece of Flem-
ish art. Mems thoughts began to turn
to supper, but none supposed that 1t
was of supper that the Count of
Armagnac whispered just then in the
Lady Catharine's ear, invisible under
the band of her Ieaddress. OF what
ever 1t may have been, 1t provoked the
lady's laughter, which rose above the
general hum like a peal of little silver
bells. At least, that is how yesterday
Count Anthony would have described
it. This evening he discovered no music
In it. He found the sound detestable,
the frivolous tinkle of trivial, hollow
mind.
Looking up and around at that mo-
ment, she beheld him, quietly smiling,
at her side, and, beyond him, her
brother -in-law. Her laughter snapped
in the grip of a sudden and instructive
fear; fear rather of Count Anthony's
vague smile than of the dukes obvious
dispieasure.
The count inclined his bare golden
head he bent a little toward her from
his graceful, red-swathed height.
"Of your charity, madam, share with
Armagnac. Let us laugh with you,
madam"
Followed q long and awkward pause,
at the end of which the Lady Catherine
withdrew her fingers from Armagnac's
arm, and he, Strengthening himself
stifiy, shifted his hand from her shoul-
der to the back Of her chair. Where
upon Count Anthony cried out in q
mockery of courteous chagrtn:
But We discompose you. We In
trude. We place restraint upon you
We disturb fond attitudes. This must
not be. Charles, why did you bring me?
We are not wanted here"
The unready duke made noise In
his throat And, meanwhile, his cousin
prattled on quite pleasantly:
Madam Catharine Is reluctant, then,
to repeat the pleasantly which moved
her laughter The pleasantly being
my Lord of Armagnac's we can un-
derstand her reluctance. His pleas
antries are seldom nice"
Her ladyship's lovely face, clear-cut
In profile as a cameo, was going red
and white by turns. The Lord of
Armagnac, spurred by the glances of
ever increasing witnesses, staggered
to her rescue, to save her countenance
and his own.