Year: 1866

bring me cool draught OF water from
the spring yonder."


With light step the young girl
took q pitcher and passed ott to the
spring that was but shor distance
from the door. AS she glid.d by the
window, on returning, she glanced in
and saw, much to her surprise, her
visitor bending over the stand of flow
ers, and apparently sprink ing some
thing from her hand upon those she
had laid aside for the King. When
she took it away, her eyt caught a
CLEAN of a small golden flask, such as
the ladies of that period ust ID for their
cosmetics and perfumery. But when
she entered the room, she found her in
her in the same position in which she
left her.


She could not forbear an exolama-
tion of surprise as she observed how
deadly pale was her countenance.


"Tis but the odor of the flowers"
said the Countess, as drawing her
robes around her she turned to tho
door.


"Takc my advice, my good girl ::
place the stand nearer the window
and be not much over them; their
perfume is quite too strong for so small
ROOM"


There was something about these
words, carelessly spoken though they
were, that deepened the underlined sus-
picions in the young girls heart, and
following her suggestion, she placed
the.stand of flowers directly in front of
the window. Then, by close exami-
nation of the bouquet destined for the
King, she detected the presence of a
fine white powder, impalpable to the
eye upon the white petals of the rose
but clearly visible upon the hlies,whose
peculiar shape, by exposing the leaves
to the tnil rays of the SUM- wcll as
strong relief and as she bent over
them the faint but penetrating odor
that arose made her so giddy that she
would have fallen had it not been for
the tall shapely youth who had just
entered and whose livery showed him
to be in the service of the King.


1t was her lover, Francois, King
Phillips body servant, and who pass
ing by the house, called to have chat
with his betrothcd.


"How, now, Marie l"ho said, look
ing into her face. "What has fright
ened the roses from your cheek, and
given you such strange look :"


The honest hearted fellow was sim
cerely attached to his royal master,
and he listened gravely TO Marie's ac-
count of the strange conduct of her
visitor, and the suspicious to which it
gave rise.


sFlt has bad look," he said thought
fully /; "though l believe there is
nothing in it. BY good luck, I have
orders to attend His Majesty in his
private apartments an hour hence. /
will put him on his guard then sure.
ly no harm can come of it,"


Somewhat to the surprise of Fran.
co.'s, the King manifested no disquie.
tude at this disclosure, though the
grave look and attentive manner with
which he listened showed that he con-
sidered it of no light import. He
bade him charge Marie


"To tell no one what she had dis
covered, but to come to the Palace
with her flowers IN hour earlier than
was her wont, by no means forgetting
her golden lilies" :
King Phillip sat in his audience hall
surrounded by his retinuc. A mum
Der, of the royal family stood near
him-among them the Count de Ne
vile, his wife, and the little son, a
sweet boy of three, whose winning and
sprightly ways made him favorite
| with the King.


"And please your Majesty, Marie,
the flower girl, is awaiting Without"
said one of the guard. II
"Admit her." said the King.
Marie had never seen King Phillip
in his robes of state, and tie royal
pomp surrounded her with a heling Of