Show I 1 4 V qa IW by johnson 0 o letter yes tes I 1 have seen changes when I 1 ill farst t served at court whither I 1 went tit in the year 1573 1579 sc beien on years a after f ter the elie st bartholomew the king received all in ills bedchamber and there every evening played primero with aith ills his intimates until it was time to retire rosny and hiron biron arid and the great men of the day standing or sitting on chests round tho the chamber it if he would be more private he be lad had ills his cabinet or if 1 the matter were ot of prime importance he would take hla his confidants to an open space in the garden such as the white mulberry brove encircled by tile canal at fontainebleau where posting a swiss guard who did not understand french at the only bridge that gave access to the place ho he could talk without reserve in those laya days the court rode or it if sick went in litters conches coaches only coming into fashion tash lon henry who aho tested nothing else ha hailing ing so invincible a distaste for them that he was mont ant to turn pale it if the coach in fit which he traveled swayed more th than all usual ladles ladies rode sideways on pads their feet supported by a little oard loard l and sidesaddles side saddles were rare at great fircht banquets the fairest al reit and noblest the tables we dined at 10 in the country and 11 in pails pat Is instead ot of at noon as rs is the custom now when the X king I 1 nu lay jay alone his favorite pages took it by turns to sleep at his leet feet the tha page on duty using a low truckle bed that in daytime fitted under the kings bed and at night was drawn out not seldom however and mo more r e often oltan 1 if the times were troublous lie he w would invite one of 0 ills his counci lois to share his couch and talk the night through with him a course which in these days might seelem undignified frequently lie and the queen received favorite courtiers before rising particularly ticul arly on new years morning it was the duty of the finance minister to wait on them and awaken them 1 w jib ith a present of 0 medals struck oft off tor for the purpose and I 1 recall many other changes but one thing which some yours sparks with a f aness neither cr becoming la in them nor respectful to tile me have ventured to slyly suggest even in my presence that we who lived in the old war time were a rougher bred aud and a less dainty and chivalrous race than the BuckIng buckinghamm Buckl nehama hams and of today 1 roundly deny on the con biary I 1 would have these to know that lie who rode in the wars wara with henry of guire pr or against him had for or his example not only the handsomest but the most courtly man of oc all times and has nothing to learn from a set of poor fellows to a who i ila unable to acquire the stately courtesy that becomes a gentleman are fain to air themselves in a dandl tied ned simpering simmering sim tring trim of theli their own that such are stouter than the men of rny my day no one date daie maintain I 1 have seen cryllon crillon Crl Cr llon illon whom veterans called the tha brave and I 1 have talked with la noue none of the iron iran arm tor for the rest I 1 can tell you ot of one and he a boy bay ll 11 years old known to me in my youth vho aho had it not in him to fear lie he was a page with me to the king ot of navarre a year my junior and rny my rival at riding rl dins shooting and fencing lie was the better at davyne and tennis be always won but naturally being the older elder I 1 had the greater strength and when the sharp sting of big wit provoked me could drub him and did r RO a more than once no extremity of defeat however no nor any severity of 0 punishment rould could wring from antoine antolic IL a word or of prostrate with willi bleeding face ace he was as ready to fly at my throat as ever and more though I 1 was the senior lie was tho the life and soul DOW of the antechamber ante cha chamber anber the first in mischief the last in retreat the first to cry a nickname nick name after a burly priest who chanced to pass us its as we lounged at the gates and the first to be whipped when it turned out that fit the king had a mind to please father cotton it followed ollow pd that front from the first I 1 viewed jilin him with a strange mixture of 0 rivalry and affection ready one moment to I 1 quarrel him and beat him for a elsword ml sword and the next to let hint him brat beat rne me if it pleased him at till tills s time lime tile king of 0 navarre lad had ills his co court urt sometimes at montauban Mont auban autian sometimes at ne rac and there were rumors of a war between him and the king of france to be clear it was avas this year that in the hope of maintaining peace the lotters mother the queen catherine came with a glittering tiala of 0 ladles ladies to gerac and here were balls und pageants and gay doings by lay day and night but the huguenots Huguen were not easily moved and an dunder under this fair mask suspected treachery and nut not without reason one night during s a ball catherines friends seized a strong town and but for or henrys readiness nyss who took horse that moment and before daylight had a town of 0 I 1 france to sot set against it would have rained the advantage so in the event catherine did little no one trusting her and in fit the end she letu ined to parl but for a time the court cour I 1 con continued tinned and there inure avei e mat masques ques and dances it and 11 d the thought of 0 war was seemingly abandoned N now w in the room which was then the kings 0 chamber at Mont montauban auban are two windows at a great height from the ground round fr it a ravine lying ivlow below then them Je between tween tile the two to Is a projecting buttress and outside the sill kill of ench each Is f FL a stone ledge a foot wide which runs runa around the buttress but I 1 do not know who first thought ilioU Klit of it but one day when ahen the king was absent and we pages were lounging sri in the room which it was against the rules since we should c have been in the antechamber ante chamber some rome one challenged antoine to walk malk on the ledge around the battres bU out by one window and returning by the other I 1 have said paid that the ledge was but a foot wide the depth below infinite it turned me sick only to look down and see tho hawks hang haar and elide in the lie gulf culf Newit heleas th cless before any could aleak iral antoine was wait outside the casement poising bini self on the dry airy lodge a moment and with liln ills face turned towards to the wall ills his blight figure outlined against the t ky lie began to edge his way around the buttress I 1 called to him to come back I 1 expected I 1 each moment to see him reel arid and fall the ot other hertt too stood staring with pale faces but lie he did not heed too an instant and he vanished around the buttream and still ine w stood and no one moved no one moved until with nith ft a shout about he showed himself at the other window and shiang down into the room can ills eyes were bright with the atrium triumph I 1 it of 0 it ills hair waved back from his brow as it the breeze from tilt gulf still stirred it lie ho cried to me inc to do the feat in my turn lie he point ed his linger finger at me dared me and before them all called me coward cowarde but I 1 am not ashamed to confess a duani weak weakness ess I 1 share with many brave nien men I 1 could never face ace a great height and though a burned with wrath and shame and raged under his taunt though I 1 could have confronted any other form ot of death or r thought so though I 1 even went nent so 0 o far as to leap on the seat within the window and stand and stand irresolute 1 I stopped there I 1 could not do it the victory was with antoine lie AN horn I 1 lad had thra thrashed shod for some impertinence only the night flight before now held me up to scorn and drove me from tilt I 1 lie room with leers jeers and laughter none of the other had greater courage but I 1 was the eldest and the biggest and the iron iran entered into my heart day after day for a week 1 whenever hen ver the chamber was empty I 1 crept to the window arid and looked donn dow n and watched the kites hoyer hover and drop still and plumbed the depth with my eyes but only to turn away I 1 could not do it resolve as I 1 might at night in the lie morning on the window ledge edge I 1 was a coward one evening however when the king was supping cupping with 11 ie do roquelaure roqua and the chamber was deserted I 1 chanced to so go to that window after nightfall I 1 stepped on the seat that I 1 had done often before but this time looking down I 1 found that I 1 no longer quailed qu ailed the darkness veiled the ravine to my astonishment I 1 felt falt no qualms moreover I 1 had had supper my heart was uris high find and in a moment it occurred to me that now now in the dark I 1 could do it and regain my pride I 1 lid did not give myself time to think but went straight out to the gallery where I 1 found antoine and two iwo or three torce others teasing caking mathurine tho the fool my entrance was the signal for a taunt ho miss white race face an tolne colne cited cilcy standing out aud and confront me it Is you Is it yes tes I 1 answered sharply meeting his eyes arid and speaking peaking in a tone I 1 had not used tor for a week and it you do not mend your manners master an wine go round the buttress he retorted with a grimace 1 I will I 1 anaw answered prod 1 I willi will and I 1 then hen come I 1 said come and see and when I 1 have done it my friend I 1 lid did not finish the sentence but led the way back to the chamber assuming a courage which as a tact fact was fast oozing from me the cold air that met mo me as I 1 approached the open window sobered me still more lut lilt an jeers and my companions incredulity stung me to the point and I 1 stepped mopped on oil the ledge and without giving myself time to think turned my face to the wall and beg begin began in to edge slowly along it my heart in my mouth roy my flesh creeping as I 1 gradually realized N w here I 1 was every net nerve ve in my body strung to quiver quivering iniz point certainly in the daylight I 1 could not have done it even now when the depth over which I 1 balanced i myself ysela was as hidden by the dai dat knoss and I 1 it had only my fancy to conquer I 1 trembled my knees shook a bat skimming by my ear car almost caused me to fall I 1 was bathed in perspiration yet tet I 1 turned the corner of 0 the buttress in safety and edged my wa way y along its front glue ing myself to the wall and came at last bi breathing hard to the second corner and turned it and saw with a gasp of 0 relief the lights in the room A moment a moment more and I 1 should be safe at that instant I 1 heard something and cast it a wiry wary eye backwards the way avay I 1 had come I 1 saw raw a shadowy form at my elbow and I 1 guessed that antoine was following me with 0 a shudder I 1 hastened my steps to avoid him and I 1 was waa already tit in the angle formed by the wall and buttross buttress whence I 1 could leap leal down into the room when v lion lie called to me Ill hist st ho he cried softly stop man the king Is there I 1 thought it only too likely tor for I 1 could see none of at our comrades at tho the window and I 1 tent 41 voices to go on therefore was to be punished and I 1 paused and crouched down in the angle I 1 recognized the kings voice and 31 Gour dons and st martins the captain of the guard I 1 caught even their words and in less than a minute I 1 had surprised a secret HO great a secret that I 1 trembled almost as much as I 1 had treni trembled bled at the outmost angle of the buttress hanging between earth and sky for they were planning tile tho great assault on cahors for tile alie first time I 1 heard named tile walnut grove and the thice gates and the bridge that fame and france will never forget I 1 heard all the night tho the hour the numbers to be engaged and turned quaking to learn what antoine thought of it turned but neither saw nor ad diessel him for my eye incautiously cast down saw far tar far beneath me a torch and it a little group of 0 men and turning giddy at the sudden view of the abyss I 1 wit wavered vered an instant and then with a cry of tear fear chose tho the less pressing danger and tuni tumbled bled forward into the room it do de roquelaure had ills hla point at my throat before I 1 coull rise arid and I 1 had a vision of halt half a dozen doze startled faces glaring at tile me pat foi tuna tely however low M de rosny rosily knew tile me and hold held the others arm I 1 was plucked up and met act of on my feet beet before the king who alone had biad kept hla seat and amid a shower ot of threats I 1 was bidden to explain my presence you knavel knave I 1 wish I 1 had spitted your you cried with an oath whon I 1 had biad done so you heard all yes monsieur they scowled at me between wrath ant and chagrin filand rosily you were a tool fool NI de roquelaure said grimly 1 I think I 1 was the other answered but a flogging dogging vl a gag bag and the black hole will keep ills hla tongue still until it Is over henry laughed 1 I think we can do better than that he said with a of good natcie haik you my lad you are big enough to tight we will trust you and you shall wear sword award for the hist time lime B but t it the surp ilsc tall fall we know whom 11 an to blame and you will have to re reckon ok 0 wl walli M d di rosny I 1 tell fell on oil my knees anil and thanked th hint him willi tears while ROSILY and st martin take my word ord tor for it ho he will blurt it out said bald the one and the other you had bettor better deliver hirn to me tire lre no henry said kindly t r will trust him lie comes ot of a good stock 1 it f the oak bonds bends what tree shall we 1 tr runt mt tile onh oak benda fast enough tire hire when when jt it la Is a sapling rosny retorted in thai flint case you shall apply your sapling the king answered laughing and with that and a mind full ot of amazement I 1 was waa dismissed di and loft left the presence it a grown brown man overjoyed that the greatest serape scrape ot of my life had turned out the happiest foreseeing honor anti and rewards and already scorning alcorn the other pages as aa beneath me it was a full minute before I 1 thought of antoine and the charce char cc that lie he t too oo 00 hall hail oVerl overheard icard tho the kings plan then I 1 stood in the passage my first impulse to return and tell the kins king it came too 1 lit ftp how however e ver for in tile the meantime lie he arid and at do de rosny had repaired to the closet 0 and the th lad had left and while I 1 stood he hesitating slAtIng anto antolic alap ped out of the chamber unseen and came me to me on oil the stairs UN art t words went tar far to relieve m me tor they told me that a t lie he lad had overheard something but ri not 0 t all enough to know that one che ring king intended to sur or arlie arige a place of strength WILL and some details but not the th name of nf the place As a soon on ila aa I 1 undo understood stood this ill all anil that I 1 h had W nothing to fear car from him I 1 1 li I 1 could not hide my triumph when lie declared him intention of 0 going with me I 1 I 1 laughed at him you I 1 sall gall you dont understand this la is not childs play piny and ami you will not tell where it la Is lie naked rasing raging no r go a to your nurse and your child d lie flew at me inc at that like it a triad mad cat and I 1 had to beat him until tile the blood ran down ills his face abc acc before I 1 could shake him ok off even then and while I 1 thrust him out gabbing lie he begged me to 1 tell 11 him only to tell him nor was wag that nil 11 through all the next nem day lie haunted me arid and persecuted now with prayers and now with willi threats following I 1 n g me everywhere with eyes of such i hot tat longing ionizing that |