Show THE QUEENS ROSBS t BY S LEVETT YEATS I Author of The Honor of Savelli The Chevalier Anriac Etc CopyrIght 1S99by Let Yeats I C T I How Pompon Became An Oracle Perhaps It Is beause the tragedy of FotherIngy Is sUit fresh In my mind tat my eyes linger sally on the fade roe I have taken from my cabinet and me plac with tender hands before I men n Is a week ago since Blancheforet on his way back from Pars drew rein at Besme to give me the news of that dee of Infamy and left me stunned and bewildered as he galloped off red zleux Spurred to bear the tidings to Male There are those who say she deserved her death there are storIes I know about ber but they 1 lie InI their throats f ed who repeat them and InIstr with shame for my country that no sword wa drawn to save her who was once Queen of France As I stare at the flowers before me their delicate fragrance returns to the they seem to bloom again In their rich crimson splendor and the memor of that nlht In Tun whpn T eceIve iemr mthe hands oi Mary of Scotland comes back tome so tat my dIm hear Is full and my eyes grow dImShe She was of those women born to be queens over men of those women wAo come once In a thousand years who are In themselves the embodIed spirits of romnce and for whose smile men would throw aside life riches empire even honor as lightly a a wornout glove I was my late to come within the range of her power and I dId as the Test I the poor geteman of Quer the kings jesterdared to love her And yet I as not mad the feeling In my heart was as If I had met in flesh and blood that vision of the perfect woman whIch lies in all mens souls There was an immeasurable distance between us I knew all that I nursed no idle hope I looked upon her a a sheDherd on the mountains might gaze upon the morning stra some wandering wan-dering angel of light that had come to pass away yet never to oe forgotten And 5 because a jester must have something of the pot In his spirit I was accustomed to daydream a little and use to slip out from the Louvre into that wilderness of a garden that stretched as fa as the walls of ParIs between the TOUr de Bois and the Porte St Honor ad lose myself thereIn there-In enchanted dreams The place exists no longer I hear I Is all change now since th Medlcls began the new palace of the Tuieries near the tile fields and the sweet disorder of my garden has given place to sedate parterres terres trImcut hedges and walks that look like diagrams In the book of Euclid that LTac use to pore over hatred at college and I hate wIth a biter But atthe time I speak of when the sun was bright and the flowers were out xcept my own home In the farof Querc there was no spot more lovely to my mind than those neglected walks where the blndweed and dogrose srro the hedges where the celandine and red champion made a gay border to the green rIdes and from amidst Its spotted lcaes the cuckoopint lifted its purple wand dripping with dew Jere on a gras bank near an old oak I would lie for hours listening to the wind in the trees listening to the hum of the city that was s near and yet fO far and building my castles In cloud lana Whist IJompon my ape gm bled In the branches above me And her one morning in Juno I took my lute and with Pompon hobbling gravely grave-ly at my heels sought my retreat to eat mv lotus and be happy In my dreams I had almost come to the old rose pleaance beyond which lay my oak when I met Lorgae face to face as he stepped through a gap in the hedge and stood in the middle of the I path His drawn sword was in his I hand and for once the color a out of I his cheek and his Ups set and hard making him look though he was but i fveandtwenty a man touching on middle age You cannot pas he said str without any other greeting and whist I stopped for a moment In amazement I Pompon who knew him well ran up to him and began clutching at his cloak for a caress but he shook the ape from I him with a curse saying again You cannot pas Dc Beme Go back He celled me by my own name which he knew well for we were nextdoor I neighbor in the Querc and sworn L friends at college and ever after swor Only r last night he had bidden me a laughing I adieu calling me Le Brusquet the nickname I nick-name by which I was k own to my i tlmate and Indeed to all the cour and now here lIe was cold and stiff a I a Spaniard ordering me off the path as I I were a street beg r But I took hIm quIet Whistling Pompon back to me I said Come Lrgac I am only going tom to-m oak You caont pass he interrupted speaking like a machine Tudieu I burt out my temper rIsing If I is the kings order I go back but if I is some grasshopper you have In your head monsieurI clapped my hand to my side fOrgetting that I wore but a gilded wooden sword and as my fingers touched the hit I stopped disconcerted and began to laugh And while I laughed Lorac caught the humor of I and began smi lug too a he stepped forward and put his hand on my shoulder No old frIend There must be no quarrel between us but I pray you go back backI the road then blocked Yes lIe aid in a hesitating voice and I was about to shrug my shoulders and turn away when there wa a rustling in the hedge and a man heaped lightly through sing In an alarmed voice Lorac we are watchespied upon And tben le stopped and stare at me and I too stared back In blk astonishment for it was the Prince cl Conde the second prInce of the blood whom we alt thought at the sIege of Iarienbourg Hi face was haggard and wan and he was gray with dust as one who had ridden fat and far He struck tier vously at his boot with his rlcIlg whip and as we looked at each other I noticed no-ticed that In his clenched hand lay a womans glove small and white I took hIs words to apply t me and recoving myself hastened to explain oneigeur iot spied upon by me I came her But Conde himself Interrupted me > I was not you I m ant Brsquet It was some one else No one has passed this way mon reigueur Then some one was in hiding before we came Lorgac LlstenI was just about to come for you when I heard a laugh and a rustling in the hedges I rushed forward but could see nothing At last I head voices and came here Then a if a sudden suspicion had struck him I was not you Ems and he cast keen quct a eye on me I shock my head and Conde went on turnIng agaIn to Lrgac whose eyes were bent reprachfuly upon him c Jan do not look at me like that I was madness mycomlng here I know hut 1 could not help It And nowI c suppose It will be all over Paris In an I hour And he looked at me once more h I knewwel enough that the king was t boiling with wrath against Conde i Young as he w hIs brilliant achiever g meats his personal grace and happy spIrIt had won all heart Everything r that a subject can hope or seemed within his grasp and he was more than 1 gsp 3p ordinary subject as the scond 1 prInce of the blCod In a moment aU this Lu was change HIs commisIon a i his government of PIcard given to I Colgy and he who In the morning was In the full tide of court favor had hurried off at dusk aslmple volunteer for the defense of Iarlenbourg What the secret of this was I did not know I but Condes lat words and the look he gave me prIcked me and I answered him coldly I Monseigneur so far a I am con I cered no one will know that I have seen ou I would put my honor on M de Bemes word said Lorgnac as he added And now monselgneur let us monselgeur us go at once I pray you Too much mischief mis-chief has jeen done already I Is not for myself I fear but and the prince stopped for Lorgae made a warnIng geture that stayed L words For a space we three young men looked at each other and then mon seigneur held out his hand to me 10 M de Besme I spoke In haste r thank you for your promise Adieu Till better times I took the hand he held out to me I voice but a9 the two went dOn to te bat I got a glimpse of the wcomerB face I was Aon or d Ar mon as he called himself a broken captain ot the regiment of Anns and an utter scoundrel If ever there was one That there was man afoot I was sure now I was hopIngnay longing that they would stay and talk a little ere they went But this was not to be When they had steppe Into the boat however and pushed off dAramon threw himself back In the stern and laughed long and loudly to himself As for the Spaniard he said nothing but pulled steadlb across the rIver and ere the skiff had gone half way across the Seine I vanIshe from my eyes in shIne the golden dazzling glare of the sun I lay still for a few minutes and then rIsIng shook Pompon by the neck Ion Ami I aId the Delphic oracle was nothing to you Whereat he scu1c with me but I pacified him with a gIngernut and then we took our way slowly but with great content towaJs the palace CT n The Ambassadors Vage As I walked on however my mind was working like a clock Lorgnacs agitate manner his strange words at our prtng the presence of Conde In Paris the fact of his being spied upon by the SpanIsh embassy and by such an agent as dAmmon alL these pointed point-ed to some mystery My curiosity was excited to the highest pitch At that I I I time no badaud of Paris was as eager I 1 r1 H 1kii4 in 4 k I t t 1 i i I I TOOK ANOTHER LOOK AT M M and his grasp was firm and cordial Then he went back as he had come and Lrgac with hIm but ere the later left me he bent forward and said In a low voIce Stay here for an hour oro Let me know if any one passes here is life and death on thIs old frIend With that he followed the prince leavIng me with rl my day dreams knocked out of my head a prey tothQ most complete wonder and astonishment astonish-ment I made tp my mind to do what Lorg rise wished There was a council that day at which i was not necessary that Le Brusquet should attend and I would not be required until after the dinner hour Besides my curiosity was stirred to its depths and so I lingered keepIng keep-Ing a careful watch to the rIght and left of me but saw nothing At last I began to weary of this and on reflect lag that there were three ways out of the gardenne b1 the wIcket leading Into the Louvre thesecond near the Porte St Honore and the third at the Tour de BolsI came to the conclusion that If there was a spy about he would have plenty of chance to escape So I consulted the oracle I picked Pompon Pom-pon up and let him drop on the sward determined to follow the cotirse he took As ne touched the ground the little beast gave a chuckle and scampered across the grass In the direction of the rIver In brIef i was the river bank near he Tour de Bois that the oracle orce pointed at and I followed Pompon across the hedge and we went noiselessly noise-lessly through a tangled maze of brush and shrub and tree until we came to the old city wall that ended here on te rIver face No sooner had we reached i than Pompon swarmed up the wall With the aid of a frIendly yew tree r followed his example and stretching myself on the fat surface with tho ape cured 1P close beside me I waited and watched The day was perfect and I basked like a lizard in the war sunshine listening lis-tening to the buzzing of the wasps atl the cheery Whistle of a blackcap from hih ea 1k tmf a thorn bush not a bowshot from me But my eyes were not Idle I had a good vIew from where I was anI I watched like a hawk from a cliff But nothing came In sight except the slow procession of boats passing up a down the river and the crowd on the opposite bank like so may ants hum rIng to and fro I was begInning to despair and was laughing to myself at my Oracle when a little skiff that had been hugging the snore on my side stole quietly up and grounded sOft on the bank just beneath me Then was only one man within but I saw f Ib at a glane he was not a regular boatman boat-man of our rIver He was too tall and dark ad had a foreign air abouthlm With the aid of a towline he fastened the boat to a heavy stone and ten throwing his coat on hIs arrfor he was In his shirt sleeeshe stepped UI the bank and sat contentedly downbe neath the yew tree Oh ho I muttered to myself the oracle is Working Cratiin over I took mother look at my man but 4 could see little except his shoulder ani the top of his head His coat however was on the grass beside him and on its breast was embroidered the arms bl Span From the Spanish embassy 1 murmured mur-mured again This grows interesting And I stretched myself o that I could watch him wIthout movIng Iy only fear waS let Pompon should mae some noir or start off In pursuit of some Idle fancy s I stroked h urgently gent to keep him quIet and the ape blinked at me with sleepy beadlike lIes I had not long to wait maYQea half hour or so when a shrill whistle rang out from amongst the tree and m jurring whistled back as Spaniard jumpng up whlsPe bc a shtI Ten there was a moments silence followed bX the sound of hurrying hur-rying feet as a man ran up breathless with hate Caramba exclaimed the Spaniard You are late Twas not to be helped I caught sight of the fool Le Brsquet and pIs cursed ape mopIng about the garden and lay quIet to give the pair tmf tl go By the way thy came this 4ay Have ou seen anything of tern No one has Qeen her and the Spaniard lifting hIs oat prepare to drord to the boat M I a I to poke his nose Into maters that did not concern him And now that I am speaking of myself I might as el describe myself as I was then I was tall and slightly built but strong and active as a cat Mr features were sharp and pointed so that at college I got the unenviable nIckname of La Foulne or The Fltchet The mention of thIs always led to trouble sometimes some-times for me sometimes for my tormentors tor-mentors But the name had dropped I Into oblivion since I had come to mans estate although my sharp features remained re-mained I I I In the meantime there was this mystery mys-tery to be solved and I was determined to get at the bottom of the well I was clear that It was a political mater and I thenI looked around me and saw that I was near a most InvItnglooking seat where the banchM of a fallen tree I spread out like an easy chaIr My com panlou whose perception In mater of this nature was even keener than mine I I was already there and following Porn pos example I settled myself down to unravel the skeins of the puzzle i I had not been theI above half an i hour during whIch I made but little I i progress when I heard my name called out and saw Lorgac walking toward me with hasty steps Well he sid as he came up o me I have YOU seen anone I did not exactly like to give away my nuts for nothIng but I swear that I had I known how maters stood I would not have played with him as I did but have spoken out at once As I was I answered Cabbage for cabbage LorgnacteU me your secret and Ill tel you mine My secret is not my own he answered an-swered Nor I suppose Is mine and I am growing old and wise You remember the proverba close mouth catches no files He stampe impatiently Look here Le Brsquet I you have seen anyone any-one let me know who It Is I the prince has ben spied upon and seen there will be a frightful disaster unless we can prevent I Not only dIsaster for him but for He stopped hesitating and I lifted my hand Do not give away your secret Sit down and let us talk and Ill tel you what I have seen He took a seat beside me and I went on You see I am going t tel you In my own way But first I must ask you a question And that is tat Why are you a cadet of the regIment regI-ment of Aunis not with the army He blushed a little and stammered The peace of VauceUes still stands And yet we are fortifying Marien bourg and Rocroy and the admiral Is levyIng forces openly In PIcard What has this to do with the mater In hand Walt and see I will not be long now In coming to my point Ten come to It r tel you ever moment Is of import Hasten slowly Lorac I have told you what we are doIng and now fur the ethers I there Is war we will have SpaIn and England agaInst us for her Jar of England will side with Yesyes Well mon ami You are aware that England Is open to attack from Scotland Scot-land You arc aware too that the Cardinal Beaton and a large embary are coming to France You can see that an alan e between France and Scotlandsay If the dauphin wee towed to-wed the young queen of Scotswould make us strong Yeshls voice was very grave Ml thoughts had run far beyond my speech by this and I began to tremble at the end to which they were leading me I who had beln this tak In an Idle spirit of mischief was now being pricked by my own pins For a moment I remained silent and Lorgnacs hand closed upon my arm like a wIse Go on sid he his voIce husky He seed to be moved powerfully by some inward feUng Yel I would be a great thing for Spain to prevent such a marriage would It not He said nothing but kept starIng at me as I went on And now Lrgnamy own words came slowlY and painfullysuppose that the Spaniard could show there wash was-h instory tot Was whispered vOuId he snnal and that marriage II I could not be II What do ou mean His hand dropped from myarm as he spoke He I pretended not to understand though I he knew wel enough He rose from I I seat and face me and I rose too t and bent toward him t You know what I mean Dlalse do L gnac I i could be shown that I Conde hirre bac from arlenbourg ari had a secret meeting say under mY old oak tree wIth the queen of f Scots You spy he sid You have watched 1 coudhave struck him but I held mylt In wrhe was my friend and for the moaent was mad I Ts you who should wear the cap and bells Lrgnacnot I I am nosy I no-sy Zt I he watched the watcher The sccretis known and dAramon Is at thIs moment giving I to the Spanish ambassador DAramon Ttzat ruffian Yes And you did1jiot sty hIm Made 10 effort to stpphlm I have only just foundout the Im portace of thetjhlng myself Beside I did exactly wpit you asked me to do i You made no mention of staying peo pie Pe1 pieHe reflected for a moment a moment only for I ever there was a man of I acton It was L Qrgnac Then he SPOli De Besme can I count on your old frlendhlp I IS i not for myself I ask l I but for the faIr name of an innocent woman and a Queen There was no need to mention names I understood perfectly and for her saku would have willing given my life twIce over But as I looked at Lr sacs burning eager eyes I read In them the same secret that I kept locked In my heart He too Ah Was there a man who dd not love her I answered an-swered him gravely My head and arm are with yout the end Ad now do not waste time or give me half confidences What am I to do for our ou-r must get the prince from Paris at once but he is penniless and dare not go for mbney where he wI be known and Ihe laughed blterlyhave but a brace of Hnris Hinrls Where is theprlnce now rn my house In the Rue Tire Bo dIn Precisely Ihave no other 1 know that and should not have asked No one knows he Is there I keep no servant and you and I alone know this SP that I Conde can slip out of Paris there wI only be dArmons word to say he was here Exactly Then mon cher thing are not so black as they look With this I unfastened my pure from bigThere my belt and handed It to Lorgac say There are 40 fat crowns there They will carry the prince to farlenbour Dc Besme you are Indeed a frIend and Lorgnac tool the pure as he added add-ed I shall get him off at once and you must let her know he Is gone I Yesmanabe It somehow I have no chance of speaking to her but you have a hundred opportunities A norda hInt will suffice Very wellAtidjionliasten I will do my best r I Is check tnSpiin I think he said with a laugh and turned to go but I stayed him is there anyttiirtg else Le Brs quet slowly And our eyes met Then I said l frIend WIIbiI this is over you had better seek hwar and I shall gO back to grow pears at Besme I He made no answer but our handS met In a warm clasp I I had let him se that I knew his heart I had also let him read mIne So we stood for a moment and then wringing my hand he went off without another word I watched hIm until he was lost to vIew behInd the h thorns and then I calling Pompon took my watch back to I the Louvre I made a little detour passing my oak aQd rached the Ivy I grown wall heil litte wicket led to the Ladles terrace I had a passkey I pass-key gIven to me by the king himself I and opening the gate crossed the terrace ter-race and hastened towards the Pavilion I du Roy where thocourt vas held This faced the rIver In nIl the elegance of ot Its modem const iction I had been built on the site of the Great Tower the prIde of his andCCtors which Francis I Fran-cIs the late king had demolished to make room for hIs new structure I I went up the crowded staIrway Pompon at my heels exchanging a wof I with one a jest with another wohl archway leading Into the audience rooms the throng was so great that for the moment I could find no passage pas-sage I looked round and called out Way Way For the kIng of the Caps and Bels There was a laugh and a merry voice called out There Is room for your majesty here and for your prIme minister too I looked at the smiling ee and the curred laughing Ip and Pompon and I were by the speakers side In a moment mo-ment I was Mile de Folx whom we used to cal the Phoenixthe same for whom pQQr Lava jousted In scarlet armor at the last tourney held by the late king So your majesty has not attended he counci And she opened her all yer bonbon box No mademoiselle yet my most falhfutrsubjet and myself have ben employed on high affairs of stat I am sure they will benefit from such unite wIsdom and she gave a sweet to Pompon HeIn And Is thee no tribute for me I grumbled r always thought the honor went to th4 king but the spoIs to the minIster brit If your majesty will accept an of fexingan mademoiselle held out her box With a bow I helped myself to a dainty morsel and at the same mt ment the strafts of music foated tow to-w rd us and the Phoenix clapped her hands handsTIs TIs th cournto she crIed the queen of Scots and the PrIncess Elz beth dance in this I wish I could see f Trust to yoi knight madeoI relIc and the put a small hand In my arm 50 with laugh and jest and sometimes an elbow In the ribs of a gy courtier 1 at last succeed In gaining ar corer of vantage for my partner and myself There wer many aIr women and brilliant cavaliers in the dance There Tere vasthe Princess Elizabeth afterwards the hapless wIfe of the tyrant of Spain there were others I could name hut I had no eyes for thenor Indeed had anyone else Every look every glance was bent on a tall graceful figure robe In white with a luster of red rOses at her bosom With a laugh In her eyes and a smile on her lips she I floated through the dance like a thing of air Aye I have lived long at courts I have seen the fairest or my landand women are faIr In France but never one to be the peer of my queenf Mary of Scotland I she not lovely I waS the Phoenix who cut In upon my thought and I answered her aswere Mademoiselle The Greeks are right Nymph and dryad and goddess have lived heThe The Phoenix looked up a little puz zl d at my meaning and then someone addressing her I took the opportunity to slip away and move up to my seat of privilegeacushlon near the still ep ty chaIr of the king On my way I had to pas the Ielcs She was seated watchln the dance surrounded by some adles At he side stoOd Diana of Yalentnols with that marvelous face on whIch time could leave no trace The duchess smiled at me as I bowed to her who was the real queen of France and I knelt to her who was queen but In Ie to that wonderful oman whom we then thought to be but a mere stolid plec of humanity whom we because we aere tools loolied uponith aVsort of plyngcn tempt But a day came when she dropped the maEk that bred covered her orfiveandtwetityyearsandhen I can almost see the grisly trophies over the Gate of God fen r an almost I hear again the harsh clang from the belfry of St Geraln IAuxerol that summoned ParIs to the masncre mac As l rose from my knees before the queenshe had but given me a look from her dark unfathomable eye Catherine turned to the duchess sayIng say-Ing with a slight sneer I I see nothing to admire In her but all your French head have been turned I by that little Scotch queenlet French heads your majesty can but see with French eyes answered DI ann and the queen bit her Up But now the foldIng dom to our right were nungopen by the usher in violet and gold and the king appeared and around and behind him a brilliant whom De Vielie group amongst were Ie vle and St Andre whist towering above the other was the grim figure of the cardinal of Lorraine For a moment they stood watching the dance and then came slowly forward As Henri approached his seat the dancer danc-er sopped and bowed to him and walking up to Mary of fctand the Icing kIssed her on the cheek saying kindly 3ry daughter the rose you cam her bear the pam from those you have gathered In that nosegay Par dleu he continued wIth a laugh cntnue whist Mars face grew scarlet with pleasure Is there no kpIght here who cad turn a rondel to thee roses What say you my cousin of the kingdom of Folly There wa a general laugh but 1 was tongeted and could say nothing but the constable with the rough gallantry lant of a bear was ready with a speech I cannot use the pen he cried but old a I a I will try in the next war to write a verse with my sword on Spanish helmets A buzz arose at the word Thee may perhaps have been a veiled threat concealed In them I kno not but buzz and murmur were stled bJ a voice nasal dIscordant and harsh whIch rang through the rom I protest your majesty I protest In the name of my master the king of Span France and Span are at peace It was Chanton the Spanish ambassador bsdor and tall somber robe and thin with the star of St James at his neck he stepped forward from the group behind the king and stood fa lag 1IontmorencI a sinister smile playing lng on his lips I was art awkward moment From under hIs bushy white eyebrows the constable glared back at his adversary and the kIng looked from one to another an-other of them annoyance and vexation stamped upon his feature r protest the ambassador repeated nasal intona again wIth his strange ton hIs white fingers playing with the star at his neck Iontmorencs hand ban to finger the glove he held the stout old aol dier knew but one answer to mae at such a moment when the elcls spoke in her calm passionless voice My lords I seems but a light all these frowns to lower mater for al thee frws lower all abut a rose Put aside these dark looks I pry you and let us her the song the king has commandewI none n-one touch a lute The constables glove slipped back over his had and Chantonnay bowed low to the queen Still there was no answer to her request and there was a strained siece a Sudden a yolceIt waethat of the Phoenlxaled out Le BrsqueU The cry was caught up at once Wltn I I a clapping of hands and Le Brus quet I L Brsquet echoed through i the hall I met my queens eyes She was sin with the rest and then I the kings voice came to me You are named my cousin I It had to be but as I slipped the broad yellow ribbon frm my should era and took the lute In my hands I felt er Toy heart beat my fingers tremble and voIce fall me TwIce I struck my fa me strck I I the chords but the song would not t come and then I met her eye again J and was strong and the jesters voice I I rang out full ad clear but It was the knightS heart that spoke I Como Choose mo a flower from ut thy bower White blows the lily but red the rose 1 Whie Choose me a flower from out thy bower Belle Mabl she plucke him a red red rose Lo Hero Is a fowerthe queen of my bower Pale white Is the lily but red the rose whie hour of I dub thee my knlght In the Ride light ever for right and the red red ruse For God and my Lady my Queen of Aroady No shield will I bar but this red red rose In chargo or In rally In siege or In sally charge shan shrink at the red red rose Lo The night Is unfolden the moonlight L moon-light 15 golden lght hear and strong an let them go with the rose Lo The night Is unfolden thE moonlight Is golden Go King of my Heart and my Knight of the Rose I brought my song to a close with a flourish on the lutestrng For a lit fourIsh then low tIe thee was a hush and a murmur arose that swelled to a tumult murur of applause Kind faces pressed around I me there were kind voices In my ears I but I her them notthe place had I I gone from meand for a space I wan in a dreamland ot my own It was the king himself who put r I gold chain round my neck and as i rose from before hIm Chantonnayndd out to me a heavy pure saying The king my master knows also I to reward a minstrel There was that In the itdne that jarred upon me I drew myself up and I ansvOed Jed Monselgneur The servants of the king of France take guerdon but from France Chantonnay shrugged his shoulders as he put back his pure and lookIng around him said slowly to the king Your majesty has a faithful servant and a great poet to celebrate the wedding wed-ding dingI fail to understand monseigneur I crave your majetys pardon I understood that the Prince of Condo had returned and that YOUr majesuS consent was given There s ere eager faces enough around us as the nasal tcnes of the ambassador ambassa-dor drawled themselves out I glanced around and saw that Mary was gone Chantonna spoke slowly and deliberately deliber-ately and his meaning was not to be mistaken The king flushed with an gem Monseigneur be said Is this a jest And Chantonnay went on as a cat might with a mouser A jest your majesty A jest has never passed my lips inlY life I Hem ICut in jingling the bells on my cap and approaching the king fonselgneur speak the truth my cousin No word of jest has ever passed his lips They have all come through his nose A half suppressed titter followed the I speech The king frowned and Chan tonnas eyes looked death at me but I was his turn how to be on he cross and the constablc seIzed the oppor tunI Be not offended iy lord Le Ems quet but gave you his support TIs not to be despIsed I assure YOu This was too much for the SpanIard His face became pile his lips blue and then he said loudly for hIs temper had mastered him The prince Is In Paris I wager 1000 plstoles with am one that r prove my words by 9 oclock tonight And I take the waer All eyes turned to the voice that came from the middle of the han and then the crowd parted as Lortc stepped forward and he and Chantonay faced each two rapier other tlIr glances crossing like To Be ContludedNext Week > |