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 The chevalier de St. Denis 
 
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THE CHEVALIER De St. DENIS 
 
The CHEVALIER 
 De St. DENIS 
 
 By ALICE ILGENFRITZ JONES 
 
 AUTHOR OF "BEATRICE OF BAYOU T E C H E '' 
 
 SECOND EDITION 
 
 CHICAGO . A. C. McCLURG AND 
 COMPANY . • • 190 I 
 
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 C5 
 
 Copyright 
 
 By a. C. McClurg & Co. 
 
 A.D. igoo 
 
 Ail rights reserved 
 
 
 -ffoi/^i^ 
 
 ^ A ^^' 
 
TO 
 
 Cbe jlemorp 
 
 OF 
 
 HARRY LLOYD ILGENFRITZ 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 FIRST BOOK 
 
 A WORD IN ADVANCE 
 
 MR. CHARLES GAYARRfi, in his " His- 
 tory of Louisiana," says of the hero of 
 this romance, — 
 
 " St. Denis is one of the most interesting characters in 
 the early history of Louisiana. 
 
 " ' He hither came, a private gentleman, 
 But young and brave, and of a family 
 Ancient and noble.' 
 
 " He was a knight-errant in his feelings and in his do- 
 ings throughout life, and everything connected with him, 
 or that came within the purview of his existence, was 
 imbued with the spirit of romance. The noble bearing 
 of his tall, well-proportioned, and remarkably handsome 
 person was in keeping with the lofty spirit of his soul. 
 He was one in whom nature had given the world assur- 
 ance of a man, and that assurance was so strongly marked 
 in the countenance of St. Denis that, wherever he ap- 
 peared, he instantaneously commanded love, respect, and 
 admiration . " — ■ History of Louisiana. 
 
 This sounds extravagant. But it was the lan- 
 guage of Mr. Gayarr^'s day, and let us amiably 
 
 7 
 
8 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 believe it to be merely the language of sincerity 
 aflame with enthusiasm. 
 
 Making all reasonable discount, we must still 
 accept St. Denis as a man of unusual parts. 
 For there is no lack of other testimony than Mr. 
 Gayarrd's concerning him. The quills of his day, 
 both French and Spanish, in the Old World and 
 the New, appear to have been pretty busily 
 employed with his affairs, and the archives of 
 several national capitols contain interesting memo- 
 randa of his exploits. Down to this day, in the 
 places to which he gave the vivid glow of life 
 and action, the interest in him has not waned. 
 But recently some able pens in the broad Lone 
 Star State, where he was wont to course on his 
 famous Andalusian steed, have written treatises 
 upon him. 
 
 That the reports of his acts and motives are 
 often contradictory is due of course to the diverse 
 points of view of the writers. We should not 
 expect, when there are conflicting interests, that 
 a Spaniard or a Mexican would hold the same 
 opinions as a Frenchman. 
 
 St. Denis was born in Montreal in the year 
 1690, and being orphaned at an early age, his 
 kinsmen on the mother's side, the patriotic and 
 chivalrous Lemoynes, sent him to France to be 
 educated as became his rank, with the understand- 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 9 
 
 * 
 
 ing that he should return and devote his services 
 to the colonies in like manner with themselves. 
 
 And the lad would have scorned to harbor a 
 thought foreign to this plan. He had his share 
 of the Lemoyne family pride, that stanch bul- 
 wark of self-respect. 
 
 It was St. Denis's ambition, ardent even in his 
 tenderest years, to follow in the footsteps of his 
 gallant father, and the Sieurs d'Iberville and de 
 Sauville, — whose lives had already been sacrificed 
 on the altar of country, — and Bienville, who was 
 still battling mightily with the untamed forces of 
 the wilderness, and, as shown by the records of 
 the time, with a still more difficult element which 
 had been injected into it from the congested ar- 
 teries of the Old World. 
 
 Every letter St. Denis received from the valiant 
 young governor of Louisiana inflamed his desire 
 to have done with his routine training, and be off 
 to take his part in the grand struggle. 
 
 However, the training itself was not irksome; 
 he had little of that impatient spirit which looks 
 only to the goal and grudges the steps that lead 
 to it. He was leisurely-minded, as one who will 
 not think the time wasted if he pause on his way 
 to pick a flower or hearken to a bird-note. He 
 had an appetite for every-day life. 
 
 At the time when we take up his history he 
 
lo The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 had already finished at the royal college and was 
 well along in the course at the mihtary academy, 
 then under the personal supervision of the Duke 
 of Burgundy, that promising dauphin who was 
 destined never to wear the crown. 
 
 St. Denis had for a companion in his studies, 
 and also in his modest lodgings at the Hotel de 
 Girond, the Sieur de Bel, a stripling descended 
 from some branch of the Bourbon-Condds. 
 
 In his early childhood de Bel had been the pet 
 and protegd of Mademoiselle de Montpensier, and 
 on the posthumous bounty of that eccentric lady 
 he still subsisted. His loyalty to her memory was 
 his dominant principle. As a matter of fact it 
 warped his judgment; he could see no faults in 
 the persons who had been her friends, and no 
 virtues in her enemies. Naturally his antago- 
 nism was most bitter toward that arch-offender 
 the Duke of Lauzun, to whom " Mademoiselle " 
 had given her hand and the half of her fabulous 
 fortune. 
 
 De Bel had once witnessed a violent quarrel 
 between these two, and the scene made an awful 
 impression on his infantile mind; and since that 
 day he had looked upon Lauzun as a monster, a 
 reptile to be avoided or spurned out of his path. 
 
 Being of the noblesse de cour, de Bel had no 
 aspirations beyond the court, that dazzling centre 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 1 1 
 
 toward which the whole life of France set in a 
 mighty current. 
 
 St. Denis, on the contrary, was as indifferent to 
 the splendors of Versailles as any old confrere 
 of Madame de Lambert's celebrated bureau d'es- 
 prits, in the Palais Mazarin, — the only fine house 
 in Paris, by the way, of which our young gentlemen 
 had the entree. He hardly knew the features of 
 a single court lady. On those rare occasions 
 when the king and his train, including the royal 
 dames and their satellites, witnessed the ma- 
 noeuvres of the cadet corps to which he belonged, 
 he held his glance strictly to the business in hand, 
 — though the friendly and admiring plaudits often 
 enough bore reference to himself For it was im- 
 possible that his stature and natural command of 
 noble pose should be passed over by the most 
 careless eye, even in a uniform that was generally 
 successful in effacing personal distinctions. His 
 swordsmanship had been praised by the best 
 fencers in Paris. 
 
 Besides de Bel, St. Denis had one other and 
 even more intimate friend, the eccentric young 
 surgeon, Pierre Jallot, — apart from whom St. 
 Denis's history could scarcely be written. 
 
 Jallot was half French, half English. He had 
 spent a great part of his life in London, in a 
 society that had sharpened his wits and given him 
 
12 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 a curious sort of education, moral, political, phil- 
 osophical, — no less a society indeed than that of 
 the poet Prior and his celebrated coterie which 
 included the mighty, the haughty, the convivial 
 Bolingbroke, of whom Pope wrote so famously, — 
 
 " There St. John mingles with my flowing bowl 
 The feast of reason and the flow of soul." 
 
 Not that Jallot was on the same level with these 
 luminaries, — youths of his calling ranked little 
 above barbers those days; though, as a matter 
 of fact, the barber trade has fallen off since men, 
 alas ! gave up making themselves brave and fine 
 in appearance. 
 
 In addition to his profession, — and he was 
 much above the common in his use of surgeons' 
 tools, — Jallot had two fine natural gifts: he was 
 a musician and a linguist. 
 
 He loved St. Denis to the point of adoration. 
 
CHAPTER I 
 
 ST. DENIS was awakened one morning, at an 
 hour when healthy youth abhors having its 
 slumbers interrupted, by the noise of carts, of feet 
 running blithely, of shouting and laughter. Then 
 he remembered that it was a fete day, and fancied 
 he could hear de Bel cursing to himself in the next 
 room. For de Bel had an aristocratic intolerance 
 of these vulgar demonstrations of the proletariat. 
 
 Thrilled by the sound of trumpets and drums, 
 he got up and dressed himself and went forth — to 
 see what he should see. 
 
 Already — and despite the national gloom 
 caused by threatening armies on every hand, for 
 this was the direful year 1710^ — -the city wore a 
 
 1 For sixty-seven years Louis XIV. had ruled over 
 France, and for nearly three quarters of that period he had 
 been at war with his neighbors. France had given thou- 
 sands of the choicest of her sons and millions of her treasure 
 to support the claims of her ruler ; thus burdened by taxa- 
 tion, the French had wellnigh lost all hope, but the end was 
 not yet. The winter of 1709 found the resources of the 
 country dried up, means of raising money exhausted, and 
 famine scattering death throughout the provinces. The 
 king and his nobles sent their plate to the mint. The most 
 illustrious families in Versailles lived on oaten bread, Mme. 
 
14 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 fine festive air. People were pouring into the 
 streets from every direction, — men, women, and 
 children, — all eager for diversion, for an excitement 
 in which there was a semblance of pleasure instead 
 of the everlasting, famihar forebodings of war and 
 ruin. 
 
 St. Denis found abundant entertainment in the 
 spectacle. The romance of life — that is, the vital, 
 
 de Maintenon setting the example. To add to the sufferings 
 of the people, the cold was unprecedented in its severity, so 
 that the impetuous waters of the Rhone Were covered with 
 ice, and the olive froze in the ground. Whole families per- 
 ished in their wretched hovels. Labor and commerce were 
 almost suspended, and all kinds of provisions rose to famine 
 prices. Defeat after defeat had met the soldiers of France 
 at the hands of Marlborough and Eugene, and the king 
 wavered in his support of his grandson Philip's claim to the 
 throne of Spain, so that on March 9, 17 10, his ambassadors 
 met representatives of the allies (England, Holland, Austria, 
 Prussia, and the Elector Palatine) at Gertruydenberg, a small 
 fortress in Holland, to arrange a peace ; but on July 25 they 
 adjourned without coming to • an agreement. For while 
 Louis XIV. had stood ready to grant the major part of the 
 claims of the allies, he declined to agree to eject, if necessary, 
 his grandson from Spain by force, notwithstanding that 
 Mme. de Maintenon, sympathizing with' the hopes of the 
 peasantry, had urged the king to withdraw his support from 
 Philip. The revival of military ardor among the members of 
 the court circle and the diplomatic arts of the Princesse des 
 Ursins, Louis's representative at the court of Madrid, caused 
 him in his heart to desire a renewal of hostilities, and to 
 make one last effort to securely seat his grandson on the 
 Spanish throne. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 15 
 
 the intimate, the tender, the things, in fine, that 
 have to do with the heart — had but just begun to 
 attract him even though it was an age when hearts 
 were early awakened, and men younger than he 
 were the heads of families. 
 
 He thought he had never before seen so many 
 demure and laughing girl-faces. They set his 
 pulses beating to a lively tune, and filled him with 
 emotions uneasy and delicious. 
 
 All at once Jallot was at his elbow, swearing 
 there was nothing to see worth the price of one's 
 time. 
 
 " It is simply that you are blas6, Pierre," St. 
 Denis answered, smiling. 
 
 " No, 't is a tawdry performance altogether," 
 persisted Jallot, with a mighty scowl. 
 
 There was an interval of silence. 
 
 " Are you aware what day this is ? " St. Denis 
 asked. 
 
 " What day? I should say, at random, that it is 
 a Tuesday," returned Jallot. 
 
 " 'T is my twentieth birthday." 
 
 "Zounds! and never a word of it till now? 
 That is not fair, by Jove ! the birthday of Louis 
 St. Denis and nothing made of it." 
 
 " I beg your pardon, all Paris is celebrating it ! " 
 
 "Va!" 
 
 Suddenly Jallot's expression changed ; he caught 
 
1 6 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 St. Denis by the shoulder, and turned him half 
 round. 
 
 "Look!" he cried. 
 
 Moving up toward the Place du Palais Royal, was 
 a procession of great traveling coaches attended 
 by a small mounted retinue in Spanish livery. A 
 little in advance was the state carriage of the Duke 
 of Alva, who had evidently gone out to meet his 
 compatriots. A body of his household guards 
 rode alongside. 
 
 All necks were stretched with curiosity, and 
 " What does it mean ? " went from lip to lip, for in 
 these times everything was significant. 
 
 " What do you make of it? " St Denis asked. 
 
 Jallot pressed his lips together and shook his 
 head, but with an air. He might have an idea, 
 but would hold it in check till something turned 
 up to give color to it or put it to rout, as the case 
 might be. 
 
 " Come," he said presently, " I have premoni- 
 tions of a music-fit, I will improvise something in 
 honor of this great day." 
 
 St Denis expressed his satisfaction in flattering 
 terms. Jallot's music-fits were all too rare. 
 
 They turned and walked toward the river, 
 crossed the crowded bridge, and entered a narrow 
 lane that ended in the shadow of Notre Dame. 
 
 Jallot lived in an old stone building flush with 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 17 
 
 the street, whose other occupants were all students 
 or followers of some underpaid calling. 
 
 He led the way to his private door, and pro- 
 ceeded to undo some complicated fastenings of his 
 own device, — chains, hooks, and staples that made 
 a prodigious rattle as he laid hold of them. 
 
 "I take these precautions," said he, "lest some 
 thief should be tempted by the siren voice of ray 
 lady." 
 
 His " lady " was a very beautiful violin which his 
 noble patron the Mardchal Villars had brought 
 home from Italy after one of the wars, and made 
 him a present of. It was so fine an instrument, 
 that Nicholas Bertrand the violin-maker often 
 tramped over from his shop in Rue St. Anne to 
 take a reverent look at it. 
 
 It abode under the bed. 
 
 Jallot drew it forth and began deftly those neces- 
 sary preliminary manipulations of keys and strings 
 that try the patience of some persons and excite 
 in others pleasurable expectations. 
 
 " I '11 have her all right in a moment," he prom- 
 ised ; " she gets sullen if she is neglected, like the 
 rest of her sex. There, now you are coming round, 
 my beauty, — take the other chair, Louis. What, 
 a little cross yet? Fie, fie ! — Or get upon the 
 bed, that's a clean pillow. So now we're ready." 
 
 He drew the bow with the firm light hand of the 
 
1 8 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 master, and there stole forth a melody as shadows 
 steal over a lawn on a summer afternoon, imperv 
 ceptibly but surely, — a melody that was like a 
 day-dream, a fancy that lays no tax upon the 
 brain, the reflection of a color, the breath of a 
 rose, a subtle part of the listener's own ineffable 
 consciousness. And soon it swelled and deepened 
 and filled the whole place, and was of such quality 
 that all material things were dissolved in it 
 and faded away, — faded away as completely as 
 when death opens the windows of that other world 
 where the glories and the mysteries are waiting. 
 
 St. Denis had profited by Jallot's agreeable 
 suggestion, and fixed himself comfortably upon 
 the bed, and there lay, his eyes in a far dark 
 corner where a spider was busy with his web. 
 And first he surrendered himself to a state of 
 simple, unthinking bliss. Then presently he was 
 lifted up and borne away into an enchanted land, 
 and all the raptures he had ever known, in rapid 
 succession flocked back and danced upon his 
 heart. He was strangely conscious of forms and 
 faces more ravishing than he had ever seen, of 
 sweeter flowers, of softer skies than he had ever 
 beheld, of laughing waters and singing foliage, — 
 the lullaby of angels. And amidst all these ecsta- 
 sies he was aware of extraordinary potentialities 
 in himself, —the potentiality of valor, strength, 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 19 
 
 achievement, of love even, to which he was as 
 yet a stranger, except as youth is ever in love with 
 girlhood. Ah, what might he not be, what might 
 he not do — 
 
 The music ceased. The lovely forms vanished, 
 the magic skies disappeared, the trees were hushed, 
 the waters silent, the flowers gone. The visible 
 world emerged as a ship from the fog, and all 
 things were as before. 
 
 In the far dark corner the spider was still busy 
 with his web, and the awakened dreamer knew 
 that all through his transcendent experience he 
 had watchfully followed the little fellow's move- 
 ments, and had wondered in some obscure recess 
 of consciousness how any creature could be so 
 worldly-minded as not to leave off his petty oc- 
 cupations and look up when the heavens opened. 
 
 " And now," said Jallot, restoring the violin to 
 its green bag and its hiding-place, " let us celebrate 
 in another fashion. I know a place where you can 
 get the best truffles in Paris ! And that is a dish 
 most highly esteemed by her English Majesty. 
 There is a woman who has a right royal appetite, 
 to say the least for her." 
 
 " Doubtless it is to that healthy appetite she 
 owes her title of the Good ^Queen," returned St. 
 Denis. " Ma foi ! a little while ago I was not 
 aware I had a stomach, and now since your men- 
 
20 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 tion of those truffles I am as ravenous as a grey- 
 hound." 
 
 "You have had breakfast?" said Jallot. 
 
 " Not a morsel." 
 
 " Good." 
 
 They were out upon the street again and headed 
 toward the cafd in question; and soon they were 
 seated in a snug place with a table between them, 
 waiting for the coveted viand. 
 
 During those tedious moments their eyes wan- 
 dered to another table where some foreign-looking 
 persons sat eating and drinking, and talking freely 
 in an alien tongue. 
 
 Presently Jallot pricked up his ears and ex- 
 plained in an undertone that those men, by their 
 talk, belonged to the procession they had witnessed 
 awhile back, escorted by the Duke of Alva. 
 
 " I gather," said he, " that some of the duke's 
 relatives and friends have made this little journey 
 from Madrid to pay him an affectionate visit. 
 Va ! is 't a likely story, when their country is over- 
 run with hostile armies and their king trembHng 
 for his crown? " 
 
 " Come, then, out with it ! " laughed St. Denis ; 
 " what in your wisdom does the visitation portend ? " 
 
 " 'T is an easy eno^gh riddle, i' faith ! " answered 
 Jallot, with a shrug. " Through these people 
 Philip will make another appeal to the king not" 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 21 
 
 to abandon him to the allies. And I '11 wager 
 a louis d'or that ambitious woman the Princesse 
 des Ursins is at the bottom of it ! " 
 
 " Absurd ! " returned St. Denis, indifferently, 
 wondering whether the cooks in this establishment 
 were of a slow or an expeditious habit. " Who 
 imagines the king has any thought of abandoning 
 Philip to the allies?" 
 
 Jallot smiled, — the smile of the elect. " You of 
 the military are kept in the dark," said he, " and 
 at your fine Palais Mazarin they scorn such vulgar 
 themes as war. Well, I will enlighten you." He 
 folded his arms on the table and leaned forward 
 a little. " The king cannot help himself. He 
 loves Philip because he is his grandson, and he 
 is proud of having set him upon the throne of 
 Spain. But he is powerless to keep him there. 
 Mark my word, before he is well out of these 
 present troubles that are hanging over him he will 
 have all he can do to hold fast his own throne." 
 
 " You are mad," St. Denis answered, pricked at 
 last in a vulnerable spot. "You forget what 
 France is, what Louis XIV. is ! " ' 
 
 " Was," corrected Jallot, vehemently ; " the glory 
 of both is in the past tense. I tell you we are in 
 the last ditch. I have heard Mar^chal Villars talk, 
 when there were no gossips to carry his words to 
 the king. I attended the surgeon who treated his 
 
22 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 wound after the battle of Malplaquet, you remem 
 ber, and was often left in charge. The mar^chal 
 is a free talker among his intimates, and me he 
 did not mind any more than the tables and chairs. 
 Naturally no man is better acquainted with our 
 affairs than he, and he swears that if the Grand 
 Alliance hold together much longer, the outcome 
 will be death and destruction to France. In fact, 
 our hope now is not in the king, nor in our army, 
 but in the Good Queen Anne, who, 't is said, is 
 heartily sick of these miserable wars.!' 
 
 "Ah, there speaks the English half of you, 
 Pierre ! " laughed St. Denis. 
 
 " Maybe so," returned Jallot, with a grin, and 
 prepared to do the honors, for the lacquey whose 
 services he had bespoken was approaching with 
 the tray. And the conversation took a sudden 
 turn. 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 THERE was amusement of one kind or an- 
 other all day long, processions, bands of 
 music and comic performances, and consequently 
 a kind of orderly mobilization of the masses. But 
 toward nightfall these entertainments came to an 
 end, and the great surging throng, as irrespon- 
 sible and uncertain of itself as the sea in a storm, 
 broke up and began to recrystallize in the vicinage 
 of theatres, caf^s, and noisy drinking-places. 
 
 St. Denis, who had remained indoors all the 
 afternoon, was tempted to try the street once 
 more, and threw out an intimation to his two 
 comrades, who chanced to be in the room, that 
 the company of either or of both would not be 
 considered an intrusion. But with the apathy of 
 assured friendship they let it pass. For which 
 apathy they were doomed erelong to suffer a 
 poignant remorse. 
 
 De Bel was poring over an old book of English 
 heraldry Jallot had loaned him, and Jallot was 
 tinkering at St. Denis's firearms, which he de- 
 clared were in a shameful state of neglect. 
 
24 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 St. Denis, not in the least affected by their in- 
 difference, went forth alone. But a day or two 
 before he had received; a news budget from Bien- 
 ville, and had a world of things to think about. 
 His mood of the morning had vanished, and he 
 now heeded nothing save what was going on in his 
 own mind, — scarcely even whither his footsteps 
 were tending. 
 
 He had just started to cross the Rue de I'An- 
 cienne Com6die when a carriage, rumbling over 
 the cobblestones, pulled ,up directly in front of 
 him, cutting off his further advance. 
 
 There had been rain the night before and the 
 streets were full of slime, with which was mixed 
 all sorts of rubbish from the lunch baskets of the 
 country folk and refuse from huckster carts and 
 fruit stalls. 
 
 The occupant of the carriage, a young gentle- 
 man in a flowing blond periwig and courtly dress, 
 whose face was not unknown to St. Denis, looked 
 out, frowned at the driver, and demanded with 
 an oath why he had stopped in the middle of the 
 vile street. 
 
 The man, with a muttered apology, laid the 
 blame on the crowd blocking the way. And the 
 crowd, resenting the insinuation that it had not 
 as good a right to the street on that day as 
 royalty itself, would not budge. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 25 
 
 The courtier made no more ado, but shrugged 
 his shoulders and stepped down from the carriage. 
 
 St. Denis noted with a i kind of pity his small, 
 pointed, high-heeled shoes, on top of which sparkled 
 clusters of brilliants set in great bows of black silk 
 ribbon. 
 
 He began to pick his way ruefully, but with an 
 airy grace that won the grudging admiration of 
 the spectators, toward the Com^die Frangaise. 
 
 It was a question whether he would be able to 
 keep his footing on the slippery, uneven pave- 
 ment, and the idle mob manifested a half-humor- 
 ous, half-brutal desire to see him measure his fine 
 length in the mud. 
 
 But he had the pluck to withstand this grin- 
 ning hostility. He looked around, smiling good- 
 naturedly, as he spread out his white hands, half 
 hidden in frills of costly lace, to balance himself. 
 And he had about reached the middle of the 
 crossing when some lout, pushed by his mates, 
 jostled violently against St. Denis, who instinc- 
 tively threw out his hand to save himself from a 
 fall. The next instant the courtier's plumed beaver 
 was floating on a little pool of muddy water. A 
 bystander caught it up and twirled it on his stick. 
 
 The courtier faced St. Denis angrily. 
 
 " Monsieur, you are rude ! " cried he, and 
 whipped out his sword. 
 
26 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 "No more so than yourself, monsieur," St. 
 Denis answered witli spirit, and lost no time in 
 responding to the other's manoeuvre, though he 
 saw at a glance that with himself, unfortunately, 
 it must be a mere question of parrying, for the 
 fiery gallant was not his match. He was but a 
 slender youth, with the waist of a girl, and St. 
 Denis out-topped him by half a head. 
 
 The delighted crowd sent up a lusty cheer, 
 and by this very means apparently spoiled the 
 sport. For almost before the combatants could 
 plant their feet firmly in the ooze of the street, 
 which now neither of them regarded, half a score 
 of policemen swarmed into the ring that had been 
 formed around them, snatched the weapons from 
 their hands, and hurried them to a great lumbering 
 coach that had. just drawn up on the outskirts of 
 the throng. 
 
 St. Denis stood aside and waited for the cour- 
 tier to precede him. But the courtier protested 
 against his arrest with a lofty disdain. He swept 
 the street up and down with his steel-blue glance, 
 and appeared to think it incredible that rescue 
 was not immediately forthcoming from some 
 quarter. 
 
 " Diable ! what a pickle is this," muttered he, 
 with no thought of the curious bystanders, who 
 might have been so many gaping pigs. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 27 
 
 " Come, monsieur," urged the captain of the 
 police, holding open the carriage door. 
 
 And with that monsieur turned upon him in 
 a blaze of wrath, as having but just discovered 
 him, and discovered in him the source and cause 
 of all this trouble. 
 
 "The devil take you, man, I have an engage- 
 ment ! " cried he ; and then, his temper mounting 
 still higher, " How dare you lay hands on me? 
 Your business is with the canaille, not with noble- 
 men." 
 
 The canaille glared. And the ofiScer, though he 
 took no offence, insisted still more peremptorily. 
 
 At last, in desperation, the courtier put his foot 
 upon the step, but waited to take one more long 
 look around. And at that moment another car- 
 riage, whose gilded panels bore a coat of arms, 
 dashed by. The dusk of evening was thick upon 
 everything, but the courtier's eye, sharpened by 
 distress and eagerness, caught the insignia, and 
 he ^houted lustily, " Hold ! hold there. Monsieur 
 d'Argenson ! " But his voice was lost in the 
 rumbling of the wheels. 
 
 He faced the officer in a frenzy. " Send some 
 one to stop that coach ! Quick, quick ! " he 
 commanded. " That is the king's lieutenant, the 
 chief of police, — he will get me out of this. Do 
 you hear, man? do you hear?" 
 
28 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 He stamped his bejewelled foot and made tight 
 little fists of his elegant hands, at which the big- 
 fisted fellows in the crowd jeered. But to no 
 purpose. The officer stood imperturbably in his 
 tracks. " I have my orders, monsieur," replied 
 he, and his tone rather than the words put an 
 end to the parley. 
 
 The two offenders against the peace got into 
 the vehicle and took seats facing each other. 
 The officer followed and closed the door. Two 
 policemen threw themselves into the rumble, an- 
 other took his place beside the driver, and away 
 they went with crack of whip, the disappointed 
 mob breaking away before them. 
 
 The courtier gazed anxiously from the windows, 
 now on this side, now on that, as if questioning 
 whither they were bound. 
 
 Suddenly he addressed the officer : " Why have 
 we so strong an escort, monsieur le capitaine? 
 This coach is loaded down with your men. Surely 
 their services would be better employed in yon 
 villanous street than in this pretence of guarding 
 — two peaceable gentlemen ! " 
 
 His hesitancy about including his vis-a-vis in 
 this category of peaceable gentlemen brought the 
 fire to St. Denis's eye, but he held his peace. 
 
 " Monsieur forgets that the gentlemen had drawn 
 their swords," answered the officer with a grin, 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 29 
 
 — which was so distasteful that the marquis sank 
 back into his corner with an oath and said no 
 more. 
 
 A morose gray curtain had obscured the sunset 
 and cheated the day of its twilight. It broke 
 away now and let the moon have her way with 
 the world. It was a moon just started on its 
 second quarter. St. Denis chanced to sit full in 
 its light. The courtier's eyes travelled over him, 
 and finally settled with a growing interest and 
 attention upon his face. 
 
 St. Denis bore the scrutiny with composure. 
 
 By and by the courtier smiled. " This is a fine 
 predicament, monsieur ! " said he. 
 
 " The sorry outcome of an accident," St. Denis 
 replied, having no mind to be held accountable 
 for a thing that was no fault of his. 
 
 But the courtier, still smiling, shook his head. 
 
 " I beg to assure you, monsieur," St. Denis in- 
 dignantly protested, "that I was jostled by the 
 crowd. I had no intention — " 
 
 The courtier stopped him with a gentle motion 
 of the hand. " Pardon ! I have made no accusa- 
 tion, my friend, that is," smiling, "since we met 
 on the field of honor. I confess that I was hasty. 
 Do you believe in presentiments? The thought 
 never occurred to me until this moment, but I 
 know now that for some time past a cloud has 
 
30 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 been hanging over me. I have felt it in the air, 
 I have seen it in the faces of the people about me. 
 Parbleu! 'tis no accident that has brought me 
 to this pass." 
 
 His eyes fell in melancholy meditation, but were 
 soon raised again. " Come," he exclaimed com- 
 panionably, " let us know each other ; my name 
 is de Larnage, at your service." 
 
 "Yes," returned St. Denis, acknowledging the 
 ihtroduction, — "the Marquis de Larnage. Mine 
 is St. Denis." 
 
 The marquis stiffened, and there was a thought 
 stamped plainly upon his face. "What! this 
 stripling of the military was aware of my quality, 
 yet presumed to cross swords with me ? " 
 
 "Your pardon, monsieur le marquis, for not 
 permitting you to run me through ! " said St. Denis. 
 
 The marquis laughed with some touch of em- 
 barrassment. " I must beg your indulgence, mon- 
 sieur," he replied, " this business has disconcerted 
 me." And then musingly, " St. Denis, St. Denis, 
 — sacrd ! I have had a narrow escape. I have 
 made bold to confront the prize swordsman of the 
 Academy, is it not so, — I have it from Burgundy 
 himself ? " 
 
 " And if so, why say you have had a narrow 
 escape?" returned St. Denis. "It is the bad 
 swordsmen that are dangerous ! " 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 3 1 
 
 " Oho ! I understand, — you would have dealt 
 gently with me. Noblesse oblige ! " the marquis 
 cried acridly. " Monsieur, I am your most 
 humble and grateful servant. And allow me to 
 compliment your wit as well as your swordsman- 
 ship ; ma foi ! one cuts as keenly as the other." 
 
 His pique vanished quickly, however, and he 
 continued, " You live at the Hotel de Girond, you 
 and the Sieur de Bel, he of the grave and classic 
 countenance?" 
 
 " I am honored," returned St. Denis, coldly, 
 " that the Marquis de Larnage should have taken 
 the trouble to remember my name and where- 
 abouts. But if you choose to speak offensively of 
 my friend, I beg — " 
 
 " A thousand pardons ! " cried the marquis, 
 " I meant no offence, I assure you, I have a great 
 respect for the Sieur de Bel, though I have not 
 the honor of his acquaintance. I respect him," 
 he smiled, " for his consistently hostile attitude 
 toward monsieur le Due de Lauzun. Both your- 
 self and de Bel," he added, " have a faithful and 
 admiring historian in that excellent woman the 
 Marquise de Lambert." 
 
 St. Denis replied modestly that madame was 
 most kind. 
 
 " And wise," supplemented the marquis. " A 
 young man would do well to follow her sage ad- 
 
32 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 vice, but he would forego a world of delights ! 
 St. Michael, I have not yet passed a score of years, 
 but I have lived, I have lived ! " 
 
 Memory clutched him and held him in a pro- 
 found revery, and St. Denis, fascinated by his 
 charm, gazed on him in silence. 
 
 The carriage rumbled on, and the marquis did 
 not recover himself until it thundered over a 
 drawbridge and swept beneath a heavy portcullis 
 that fell with a terrible sound behind them. Then 
 he started up. " The Bastille, by the inferno ! " 
 cried he, and sank back with a groan. 
 
CHAPTER III ' 
 
 THE carriage passed through the deep arch- 
 way and entered the court round which 
 loomed the awful walls and towers of the prison. 
 
 The officer opened the door and stepped out. 
 The gentlemen followed. 
 
 Except for the clanking of the harness as the 
 tired horses shook their heads, dead silence filled 
 the place. 
 
 " I am sorry you lost your hat, monsieur," St. 
 Denis said. The marquis's curled periwig gleamed 
 brightly in the soft light 
 
 " Ah, I had forgotten it," he replied, clapping 
 his hand to his head. " But no matter, I '11 wager 
 another I shall have no need of a hat before yon 
 virgin moon is a pale old profligate getting to her 
 couch at dawn." 
 
 " Surely our detention will be but temporary ! " 
 exclaimed St. Denis. 
 
 " Yours may be," returned the marquis. 
 
 Lively emotions occupied St. Denis as they 
 were ushered into the council chamber of the 
 dread despot of the Bastille, not the least of which 
 was curiosity. 
 
34 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 The council chamber was a large and lofty- 
 apartment, whose size seemed vaguely increased 
 by a graduated gloom that deepened to actual 
 darkness in the remote corners. For it was lighted 
 only by a single flaming cresset in the centre, 
 mounted upon an iron post some six feet from the 
 floor. 
 
 Within the circle of wavering and smoky light 
 was a massive table of some black-looking wood, 
 supported upon stout legs ending in monstrous 
 claws. 
 
 At this table sat the governor of the prison, and, 
 to their surprise, the king's lieutenant, who a short 
 while before had passed them in his gilded coach 
 in the Rue de I'Ancienne Com^die. Some papers 
 were outspread before them, but they had evi- 
 dently finished with these. 
 
 The marquis quickly recovered from his as- 
 tonishment and stepped forward joyfully and con- 
 gratulated himself on his good fortune at finding 
 Monsieur d'Argenson in the Bastille. 
 
 He presented St. Denis, and gayly explained : 
 " We have sore need of your friendly offices, 
 monsieur, for we have just had the ill luck to be 
 arrested for a trivial off'ence, the result of an ac- 
 cident. And I trust you will have the goodness, 
 as you have the power — " 
 
 D'Argenson interrupted him in some embar- 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 35 
 
 rassment, but with a hard finality of voice and 
 manner : " I have no power, my dear marquis, that 
 reaches above the law. Duelling is now a crime, 
 as you must know, and the regulations are very 
 strict, on fete days especially. The king makes 
 no exceptions, — I think it would be the same if 
 you were the dauphin. I am truly sorry, but," 
 with a smile to make light of the situation, " I 
 trust you will find that the Bastille is not the 
 worst place in the world to spend the night in." 
 
 De Larnage stepped back with a grimace. 
 
 " Voila ! I am a soldier," said he, " and I have 
 learned to bivouac where fortune wills. What 
 sayst thou, comrade ? " 
 
 His face wore a gay smile, but St. Denis felt 
 a tremor in the hand that was laid upon his arm. 
 
 He answered gallantly, " I welcome the good 
 fortune that favors me with your company, mon- 
 sieur, without regard to the circumstances." 
 
 De Larnage turned laughingly to the lieutenant, 
 " I beg you, Monsieur d'Argenson, to commend 
 this young gentleman to the king, he can teach 
 courtiers how to pay compliments." 
 
 " Let us hope he may speedily have a better 
 advocate at court, — yourself, monsieur." 
 
 D'Argenson at least had smooth manners to 
 grace his harsh calling. 
 
 But the governor was of another order. St. 
 
36 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 Denis, who had heard him described as a surly 
 beast, thought the definition inadequate. Nature 
 had been brutally frank in choosing the mould to 
 fit his character. The very cast of his features 
 stirred up rebellion, his casual glance was an af- 
 front. 
 
 He had kept his seat, as though discourtesy to 
 prisoners augmented his dignity. 
 
 It was evident that the conversation did not 
 please him. He fidgeted, lost his patience, on 
 which he never had a very strong grasp, and 
 finally beckoned forward two ghostly shapes that 
 had been standing all the while among the shadows 
 at the farther end of 'the room, and curtly ordered 
 them to take charge of the prisoners. Each of 
 these men had a dark-lantern, and a bunch of 
 heavy keys dangling from his leathern girdle. 
 
 As they left the council chamber they opened 
 the slides of their lanterns, for the ways they were 
 about to traverse were pitch dark, save here and 
 there where a tiny candle affixed to the wall, gave 
 warning of a stairway or a turning. 
 
 They went in procession, one attendant walking 
 ahead, the other behind. Occasionally the flash 
 of a lantern revealed a narrow jib-door set in a 
 framework of iron, and at one of these doors the 
 man in the rear paused for a moment to examine 
 the bolts. De Larnage, on the alert for such an 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 37 
 
 opportunity, took instant advantage of it to whisper 
 to his companion, " You will doubtless be released 
 to-morrow, — there is no one interested in keeping 
 you here, — here, take this," he passed St. Denis a 
 small packet, " and give it into the hands of the 
 Duchess of Burgundy. On your life, let no one 
 else see or touch it." 
 
 St. Denis protested that he had no access to the 
 lady whatever, and that — 
 
 " Hst ! there will be a way," said the marquis. 
 
 A few steps farther, at an intersection of cor- 
 ridors, they were forced to separate. 
 
 St. Denis had not counted upon this, and ex- 
 claimed against it, " What ! are we not to bear 
 each other company? " 
 
 " In the case of two such black criminals as we, 
 the risk would be too great," returned De Larnage. 
 " We might subvert the government overnight, or 
 plan to turn the country over to Marlborough." 
 
 They embraced affectionately, de Larnage ex- 
 claiming with tears in his eyes, " Adieu, and may 
 the holy angels guard you in this accursed place ! " 
 
 " Alas ! that I should have been the means of 
 bringing you here, monsieur," returned St. Denis. 
 
 " Had it not been you, it would have been an- 
 other," answered the marquis. " 'T was in my 
 horoscope, fate was lying in wait for me, and you 
 were the instrument nearest to hand." 
 
38 The Chevaliev de St. Denis 
 
 One of the jailers led him away, down a dark 
 corridor, along which the light of the lantern 
 twinkled like a will-o'-the-wisp. The other pro- 
 ceeded a few paces and opened a heavily barred 
 and bolted door which gave upon a narrow pas- 
 sage as dank and grewsome as a tomb. St. Denis 
 started back as its thick, clammy atmosphere 
 struck upon his face, and he felt an impulse to 
 grapple with his man and challenge death on the 
 spot. But the man was already at the farther end 
 of the passage and busy with another door. The 
 passage was but the length of the thickness of a 
 wall, ten or a dozen feet. 
 
 The second door admitted to a small chamber 
 furnished with an indifferent bed, a rude table, a 
 stool, a jug of water. 
 
 The turnkey lighted a small taper that stood 
 ready on the table, and without a word took his 
 departure, clanking the door behind him as if 
 thanking his stars, that his day's duties were 
 over, and he was at liberty to go about his 
 pleasures. 
 
 An unspeakable loneliness fell upon the prisoner. 
 Subsequently in a letter to the Sieur de Bienville 
 he undertook to describe his sensations. 
 
 " I listened for the closing of the outer door, a 
 remote, dull sound. And then there was an ap- 
 palling silence, as though the world stood still in 
 
The Chevalier de Sf. Denis 39 
 
 some great awe. I found it hard to accustom my 
 ears to it. And I knew not what to do with my- 
 self. First I mounted upon a stool and put my 
 eye to a narrow grating through which the air 
 came, but it was so contrived that nothing was 
 visible between the slats. I got down and began 
 walking to and fro like a caged beast, and becom- 
 ing thoroughly tired, I finally threw myself upon 
 the bed, — not without misgivings, for God knows 
 what wretch might have lain there before me ! My 
 brain was on fire, so many thoughts teemed in it. 
 I could not but wonder what de Bel would think. 
 We were to have gone together that evening to the 
 Marquise de Lambert's, to hear Madame Dacier 
 read from her new translation of the Odyssey, and 
 enjoy the lively discussion which must inevitably 
 follow. And Jallot! My mysterious disappear- 
 ance — on a f6te day, when there was always so 
 much deviltry — would throw him into a frenzy. 
 I knew that he would tramp all over Paris looking 
 for me, — I could see him in my mind's eye rush- 
 ing about, hatless and cravatless, an ugly knife 
 stuck in his belt, ready to slay any man he might 
 suspect of having made away with his friend. My 
 fierce Jallot — who would not harm a kitten ! " 
 
 This picture of Jallot's distress almost moved 
 him to tears. Then suddenly his thoughts flowed 
 into a new channel. He drew forth from his 
 
40 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 doublet the little packet the marquis had forced 
 upon him. It was hard and disk-shaped, wrapped 
 in a piece of silk. A locket apparently, perhaps it 
 contained a miniature of the Duchess of Burgundy. 
 Mon Dieu ! had he not sometime listened to a 
 chapter of gossip concerning that royal lady? 
 Not at the Palais Mazarin surely : the distinguished 
 company that gathered there did not stoop to 
 vulgar personalities, though occasionally the fri- 
 volities of the court were touched upon to give 
 point to a maxim or to substantiate a theory. 
 Perhaps Madame Dacier had let fall something, or 
 the keen-witted Mademoiselle de Vichy-Chamrond. 
 He could not remember, he only knew he had got 
 the impression somehow, that the chief lady of the 
 court, despite her high rank, her many noble quali- 
 ties, and a personal dignity that commanded univer 
 sal respect, — and who had for her husband the 
 noblest man in France, — was not above luring 
 young gentlemen with her fascinating glances. 
 
 The pursuit of this phantom impression made 
 him drowsy apparently, for he fell asleep while 
 still on its trail. And he did not awake until noon 
 the following day, when the turnkey entered his 
 chamber with a bowl of soup for his breakfast. 
 He sprang up and began to put questions to the 
 fellow, but was cut short with the warning that 
 speech was forbidden. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 41 
 
 "And who is to hinder, pray?" he demanded. 
 " Have these walls ears ? I doubt if the saints even 
 could hear a prayer uttered in this dungeon ! " 
 
 " The blessed saints would hear our prayers if 
 we were at the bottom of the sea, monsieur," re- 
 buked the jailer, and piously crossed himself. 
 
 That day passed somehow, and the next the 
 jailer came again with another breakfast, duplicate 
 of the first. ' He set the bowl upon the table and 
 stood with his back to the door, until St. Denis 
 had swallowed the last spoonful, then told him that 
 he was now to conduct him back to the council 
 chamber. 
 
 " And what then?" cried St. Denis, bounding to 
 his feet. 
 
 " That I know not," replied the keeper, and 
 then angrily, " There, monsieur, you have forced 
 me to speak again, and it will cost me fifty cen- 
 times to get absolution for the lies I must tell ! " 
 
 St. Denis laughed, and threw him a piece of 
 silver. " There, my man, that will wipe out the 
 score," said he, " and perhaps cancel any other 
 little accounts that may be worrying your tender 
 conscience. Unless the priest is very unreason- 
 able." 
 
 " The priests come down upon us hard enough, 
 God knows ! " answered this good Christian, stow- 
 ing away his coin. 
 
42 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 The governor was alone, save for an attendant 
 or two, dressed for a drive, and waiting im- 
 patiently. 
 
 He turned his disagreeable visage upon St. 
 Denis and favored him with a brief harangue. 
 
 " Young man, your offence being merely one of 
 the vulgar incidents of a holiday, has been gra- 
 ciously pardoned by his Majesty, — whose clem- 
 ency I trust you will appreciate. I therefore 
 restore to you your liberty and your sword. But 
 I warn you to keep out of street brawls in the 
 future, to which end I advise you to cultivate 
 more temperate habits." 
 
 Offensive as this speech was in substance, the 
 manner of its delivery was infinitely more so. 
 Each word was like the sting of a lash, and the 
 speaker thrust out his chin and blinked his eyes in 
 a way that fairly invited a blow in the face. And 
 in truth St. Denis's hands were clenched so that 
 his nails dug into the palms. He began an indig- 
 nant protest, but was put down. 
 
 " I would still further recommend," continued 
 the tyrant, " that you say nothing about the matter 
 of your arrest, even to your friends, — it is not to 
 your credit." 
 
 " Permit me to be the judge of that, monsieur," 
 St. Denis retorted, quivering with rage. And then, 
 as the governor, motioning to a lacquey to bring 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 43 
 
 the sword, turned away, he sprang in front of him. 
 " The Marquis de Larnage ! " he cried, " what have 
 you — " 
 
 " Hst ! " the governor raised a threatening finger. 
 " We speak no names in this place, mark you ! 
 And when you go out from here, I warn you that 
 the less you have to say about that young noble- 
 man the better — for him ! " 
 
 " His offence was the same as mine, — indeed, 
 but for me he would have committed no offence," 
 St. Denis protested. 
 
 The answer was a shrug, so outrageously insult- 
 ing that it was not to be borne. 
 
 " By the Holy Mother ! " he swore, " I will in- 
 vestigate this business, monsieur le gouverneur, 
 and we shall see whether there .is any justice in 
 France. The marquis shall have fair play, though 
 I appeal to the king himself! " 
 
 The governor smiled. And this was worse than 
 anything that had gone before. The smile had a 
 touch of amusement, a touch of contempt, and 
 more than a touch of lofty superiority. 
 
 St. Denis's passion broke' all bounds, and there 
 rose in him, as the very flower of his frenzy, the 
 pride of a great ancestry, — till this moment asleep 
 in the background of his consciousness. " And 
 you shall see that the prayer of a Lemoyne will 
 not be disregarded ! " he shouted, throwing his 
 
44 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 modesty to the winds, and glorifying himself with 
 the splendor of that name. 
 
 The governor stalked out of the room, and St. 
 Denis presently found himself standing in the Rue 
 St. Antoine so shaken with anger that he scarce 
 knew how he had got there. 
 
 At that moment only two things in life seemed 
 worth the doing, to be revenged on the execrable 
 Governor of the Bastille, and to effect the release 
 of de Larnage. 
 
 Preoccupied as he was with these two passions 
 that had so suddenly engulfed him, he did not fail, 
 as he walked onward into the city, to contrast the 
 dead quiet of the streets with the uproar and ner- 
 vous hilarity of two days before. The people had 
 gone back to their homes, their shops, their mo- 
 notonous occupations and anxious forebodings. 
 From the highest to the lowest, all were waiting, 
 with a common interest, for definite and final news 
 from Gertruydenberg, where the council of nations 
 had been dallying month after month. 
 
 Business was stagnant. A poor peasant durst 
 not buy a pig or a cow, lest word should come 
 that the war was to go on, or that a ruinous peace 
 had been effected. In either case it would be the 
 part of wisdom to have his little hoard secreted 
 in the bed-tick rather than invested in seizable 
 property. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 45 
 
 Weddings were postponed and funerals con- 
 ducted without display. There was no life any- 
 where, except when a rumor came that the Dutch 
 and English were still holding out stubbornly, 
 determined to humiliate Versailles to the dust. 
 Then there were sudden gatherings in the streets, 
 characterized by wild excitement, a vindictive 
 patriotism and passionate loyalty to the king — 
 almost strong enough to beguile the hidden gold 
 piece from the bed-tick. For all knew the king's 
 
 sore need of money. 
 
 It was not until he stood on the Steps of the 
 
 Hotel de Girond that St. Denis bethought him of 
 
 the account he must give of himself to his friends. 
 
 A simple enough matter so far as he was concerned, 
 
 but what of the marquis ? 
 
 Well, there was always one safe course, he 
 
 reflected, and that was for a man to hold his 
 
 tongue. 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 
 HE had no more than exchanged greetings 
 with de Bel, who was curious but too 
 polite to be inquisitive, when Jallot burst into the 
 room and threw himself upon him in an ecstasy 
 of rejoicing, 
 
 " Oho ! so you 've come back, thank God ! 
 Alack, 't was a vile joke to play upon your 
 friends, a cruel joke forsooth. I was about to 
 have the river dragged, for I thought some mur- 
 derous thief had put his knife into you and sent 
 you to a watery grave, the town was so full of the 
 damned canaille." 
 
 He drew back and perched himself on a corner 
 of the table, a convenience for books, papers, 
 writing implements, hats, swords, pistols, and any 
 article one desired to put out of the hand. 
 
 His legs were so short that but one foot touched 
 the floor, the other dangled. He pulled off his 
 hat, — a hat was hateful to him, — and his thick 
 black hair formed a tangled thatch above his fore- 
 head. 
 
 His sleeves were pushed up and there were sus- 
 picions of blood on his hands and on his clothing 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 47 
 
 " You have n't been killing people on my ac- 
 count, Pierre?" exclaimed St. Denis. 
 
 Jallot laughed and showed — one would have 
 sworn — more than the usual number of superb 
 white teeth. 
 
 " I had not got so far as that," replied he, 
 " though God knows I was coming to it ! What 
 do you suppose I 've been doing? " His quizzical 
 glance included de Bel. 
 
 "Dissecting a dead body," said de Bel, con- 
 temptuously. 
 
 " No, by Jove ! a live one," said he. " I have 
 cheated the coroner out of a fee. 'T was a duel 
 case, — a duel in earnest, mind you. I was on my 
 quest for you, Louis, and stumbled upon the 
 scene by accident. Heavens ! you never saw a 
 more beautiful wound ; the bullet had — " 
 
 " Spare us the details of the wound. Dr. Jallot, 
 and give us the details of the fight," interposed 
 de Bel; "who were the parties to it?" 
 
 Jallot shrugged his shoulders. " I am sworn to 
 secrecy," replied he. " Indeed, it was my known 
 discreetness that procured me the honor of saving 
 the gentleman's life. I have a reputation for keep- 
 ing a close mouth." 
 
 " Evidence of a great mind," drawled de Bel. 
 
 " I have not a great mind,"^ answered Jallot, " but 
 one capable of holding the secrets of my profes- 
 
48 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 sion, I hope. I may tell you one thing," with a 
 fine air of candor, — " the quarrel was about a 
 woman, of course. Ma foi ! what creatures they 
 are for getting men into trouble, — and they ap- 
 parently so guileless ! It passes belief. Look 
 now at yon poor Marquis de Larnage, as fine 
 a lad as ever wore a periwig, shut up in the cursed 
 Bastille to waste his charming youth, all because 
 a pretty woman entices him to make love to her. 
 Saints and devils, it makes me sick ! " 
 
 He dropped down from the table, and catching 
 up a pistol ran to the window and fired it into the 
 sky, and having thus relieved his feelings went 
 back to his place again, — the while the people 
 in the street were looking around in consternation, 
 for a pistol shot might be the signal of a revolution. 
 
 "You are not bound to secrecy on that score 
 also, are you, , Dr. Jallot? " asked de Bel, who 
 took a lively interest in everything that smacked 
 of gallantry. 
 
 " Hardly," said Jallot, " since every hairdresser 
 in Paris is regaling his customers with the particulars 
 of it ! Is it possible you two are in ignorance ? " 
 He glanced from one to the other. 
 
 " Voila ! we are such a pair of innocents that no 
 one has the hardihood to hint at a scandal in our 
 presence," said de Bel. 
 
 " So ? Then I crave your innocencies' pardon ! " 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 49 
 
 And seized by one of his unaccountable whims, 
 Jallot again dropped to the floor, and was gone 
 without another word. 
 
 St. Denis sprang up and overtook him at the 
 foot of the stairs. " What is this about the Mar- 
 quis de Larnage, Pierre?" he demanded, white 
 with excitement. 
 
 Doors were ajar here and there, and people 
 were coming and going. 
 
 " Let us step outside," returned the prudent 
 Jallot; and as they walked along he explained. 
 
 "Why, it appears — or so the story goes — that 
 monsieur has been casting too bold an eye on her 
 grace the Duchess of Burgundy, — an indiscretion 
 no mortal can blame him for, if, as it is hinted, 
 the lady herself threw out a bait. ' Tis said she 
 has a way St. Anthony could not resist. So they 
 brew a little plot yonder at Versailles to get him 
 Out o' the way before the matter comes to the 
 duke's ears. For the duke, mind you, is of an- 
 other pattern from his royal grandfather. The 
 whole performance is dastardly. It is known that 
 the marquis is bound for the Com6die Francaise, 
 and he is followed, betrayed into a street scuffle, 
 seized by the minions o' the law and carried off 
 to the Bastille to languish, God knows how long ! " 
 
 " Are you sure the arrest was premeditated, 
 Pierre? " St. Denis asked, with a miserable sinking 
 of the heart. 
 
50 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 " There 's not a doubt of it," said Jallot. 
 
 " But why so much contriving ? The king has 
 the power — " 
 
 " Mon Dieu, to save the lady's honor, innocent ! 
 A commodity the dear ladies themselves are not 
 always so careful of, but the men must suffer for 
 it. They are very cunning, they take advantage 
 of the fete day, when the city is packed with low 
 people, and everybody drunk with wine and ex- 
 citement. The police, as I said, had instructions 
 to set a trap for the victim, and he was so obliging 
 as to step into it the moment it was sprung. Some 
 fellow in the press knocked his hat off, — which 
 of course was no accident, — and he out with his 
 sword, for he 's a mettlesome youngster, and 
 presto ! the king's lieutenant, soft-spoken gentle- 
 man but hard as flint when it comes to the rub, 
 is on the spot with the warrant ready in his pocket. 
 He makes haste to the prison and has the busi- 
 ness all fixed up before the unhappy youth 
 arrives." 
 
 "Yes," returned St. Denis. "Did you — did 
 you chance to learn who it was that knocked the 
 marquis's hat off ? " 
 
 " No," replied Jallot, " but that is of no conse- 
 quence ; it was mere play, you see." 
 
 " M — m. How do you manage to pick up so 
 much information, Pierre?" 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 5 1 
 
 Jallot lifted his shoulders. "There are many 
 leakages about a court," said he, " and once a 
 secret is let loose there, it filters downward through 
 all the strata of society, e'en to the street gutters, 
 where it is sucked up by the rabble. As for me, 
 I do not always get it out of the gutters, — though 
 sometimes, for my profession takes me into all 
 sorts o' company. Va ! I 'm as full o' secrets as 
 my lady is o' tunes." 
 
 After a little he went on, " I do not say much, 
 except to you, mon ami, for I find it best not to 
 scatter the seeds of gossip I pick up, or that are 
 stuffed into my pockets." 
 
 " Yes," assented St. Denis, absently, his thoughts 
 all employed upon the part he himself had played 
 in the little drama Jallot had so unwittingly de- 
 scribed. He dwelt with peculiar mortification on 
 his rencounter with the detestable governor of the 
 Bastille, who had had the tremendous advantage of 
 knowing what he was about, while he, St. Denis, 
 was in the dark. No wonder the brute had smiled 
 when he spread himself so valiantly and threatened 
 to appeal to the king. The king, indeed ! Alas ! 
 what folly had he been guilty of, thus to trail the 
 unsullied Lemoyne name in the dust ! 
 
 For the time his own great personal discom- 
 fiture occupied him entirely. Then followed the 
 thought that the half-built fabric of his plans for 
 
52 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 the liberation of the marquis was utterly swept 
 away. He was powerless to serve him, except in 
 that small matter of fulfilling his commission to 
 the Duchess of Burgundy, — and that he would 
 do, he vowed, though the heavens should fall ! 
 
 Jallot, marveling at his preoccupation, once 
 more broke the silence. " Ah, mon Dieu, your 
 disappearance caused me a frightful time, Louis, 
 you don't know ! It was just as it used to be 
 when I was a little child, and my mother — 
 God rest her sweet soul ! — lay down on the bed 
 beside me to put me to sleep, and by and by 
 loosed my arms from her neck and slipped away. 
 When I awoke and found her gone, my first sen- 
 sation was of terror and appaUing loneliness. I 
 would roll off the bed and run about screaming 
 at the top of my voice until I found her and had 
 her fast by the skirts, then all my trouble was gone. 
 A' little while ago I was running about the city, 
 screaming in my heart and horribly afraid. I 
 went into all the churches and said prayers to the 
 saints. I wanted to clutch the Virgin's painted 
 robes and hide my face in them. But now, thank 
 God ! I shall not worry the poor saints any more." 
 
 " Pierre," said St. Denis, " I have been in the 
 Bastille; it was I who was so unfortunate as to 
 knock the marquis's hat off. And I need not tell 
 you 't was an accident." 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 J ALLOT had made a shrewd guess with respect 
 to the Spanish visitors. The Princesse des 
 Ursins, who could not endure the distress of her 
 royal prot6g^s, standing at bay against a rapacious 
 world and about to be abandoned, as they feared, 
 by the only power that could save their throne, 
 had indeed cajoled Philip into sending the unpre- 
 tending delegation to Versailles. 
 
 She had taken particular pains to coach one of 
 the party, the beautiful Comtesse de Carefio, whose 
 husband was a nephew of the Duke of Alva, — 
 telling her how she must conduct herself at the 
 French Court, how she might manage to get the 
 ear of the king, and how hoodwink Madame de 
 Maintenon. 
 
 " Madame de Maintenon," she explained confi- 
 dentially, " is a sly old cat, but she has her blind 
 side. She is so shrewd herself that she hates that 
 quality in other women. Be a simpleton and she 
 will love you." 
 
 The countess took on the character to perfec- 
 tion, for she had the subtle dramatic instinct that 
 
54 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 so often goes with great fascination. Her husband 
 and all the eligible men of her family were in the 
 army fighting for a forlorn hope, yet she appar- 
 ently was absorbed in dress and gayeties, and 
 seemed so indifferent to public affairs that Madame 
 de Maintenon, who was secretly doing everything 
 in her power to make the king withdraw his sup- 
 port from Philip, and whose fears had taken alarm 
 at the sudden advent of these people, was thrown 
 completely off her guard. It had been her policy 
 to discountenance all approach to intimacies, and 
 to keep the visitors away from the king. But now 
 she invited the lively countess to visit her in her 
 private apartments. And here the countess came 
 in friendly contact with the Duchess of Burgundy, 
 toward whom, as the sister of the unhappy Queen 
 of Spain, she felt peculiarly drawn. 
 
 With a view to grounding herself more firmly, 
 the countess let slip several excellent opportunities 
 to speak to the king on the all-important subject. 
 
 But the right moment came at last. She 
 was sitting with Madame de Maintenon, and his 
 Majesty was there as usual. She would have 
 preferred to speak to him alone, but that was 
 out of the question. 
 
 The king was reclining in his easy-chair and 
 madame was busy with her embroidery, the coun- 
 tess at her side, industriously copying some of her 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 55 
 
 rare stitches, — stitches that madame herself had 
 invented. 
 
 They had spoken of a ball in prospect, — it was 
 madame's shrewd idea to fill in the visitors' time 
 with festivities, — and the volatile countess cried 
 gayly, " Oh, how happy I shall be to dance again ! " 
 and tapped the floor with her foot as though eager 
 to begin that instant. " Really, one forgets how 
 to smile in Madrid ; there everybody pulls a long 
 face and goes about in sackcloth and ashes." 
 
 " They are fooHsh to do that," returned madame ; 
 " a cheerful spirit wins half the battle." 
 
 " Exactly what I say," answered the countess. 
 " And then they call me frivolous, heartless, when, 
 God knows, I love my country and my king as 
 much as any of them. I put almost my whole 
 income into the public treasury to help defray the 
 expenses of the war." 
 
 " That is noble ! " declared madame, warmly. 
 
 " And I will do even more if the pinch comes," 
 continued the countess ; " I will sell my jewels and 
 give the money to the queen, as the poor peasants 
 are doing." 
 
 " The poor peasants, are they selling their 
 jewels ?" madame asked ironically, glancing ner- 
 vously at the king. 
 
 " They are taking the bread out of their mouths,, 
 madame." The countess dropped her work and 
 
s6 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 turned her lovely eyes upward to the king. " Ah, 
 sire," continued she, " we can never repay the 
 debt of gratitude we owe your Majesty in giving 
 us our Philip and Marie Louise ; the people wor- 
 ship them ! " 
 
 " God grant their devotion may be rewarded," 
 responded the king. 
 
 " There is no doubt of that, your Majesty," she 
 answered, with an abandon of innocent confidence. 
 " Our trust is in God and in you, who will not 
 suffer the overthrow of a monarchy which you 
 have yourself established." 
 
 The words so softly spoken were a cruel thrust 
 at a proud heart already torn with grief and 
 misgivings, and the trouble in the king's face 
 provoked the cold interference of Madame de 
 Maintenon, who felt a mighty impulse to prick the 
 artless countess with her needle. 
 
 " My dear countess," said she, " you must know 
 that it is no longer a question of choice with the 
 king ! " 
 
 Unlucky remark, as she herself instantly realized. 
 The king would have preferred a charge of indiffer- 
 ence to the suggestion of impotence. His pale 
 face flushed angrily. 
 
 " Is it so, madame ? " demanded he ; " we shall 
 see." 
 
 " Oh, forgive me, both of you ! " cried the coun- 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 57 
 
 tess, " if I have unwittingly ofifended you. Indeed 
 I have but spoken the truth, and why should I 
 not? Believe me, your Majesty, Spain has im- 
 plicit confidence in the King of France and his 
 armies." 
 
 A spark of the old wonted fire was kindled in 
 Louis' troubled eyes. He rose, drew his figure 
 erect, and began pacing the floor. 
 
 And the countess, entirely satisfied with her 
 morning's work, presently made her adieux and 
 withdrew. 
 
 Madame de Maintenon remained in her seat, 
 bending over her embroidery frame, and glancing 
 furtively now and again at the king. She had 
 made a frightful blunder, but was too wise to try 
 to amend it with words. 
 
 The portieres, at the farther end of the room 
 were suddenly swept aside, and the Duchess of 
 Burgundy stood in the parting, with a poise 
 like the poise of a bird, — alert, delicate. 
 
 Her brilliant eyes, which saw everything at a 
 glance, but appeared to see nothing that people 
 sought to keep hidden, instantly discovered that 
 something had gone wrong between the elderly 
 pair. t 
 
 And no one knew better how to right such 
 matters than she. She crossed the room with a 
 light, glancing step, as though her feet scarcely 
 
58 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 touched the floor, and linked her arm in the king's 
 and playfully kept step with him. She chattered 
 gayly, patted his hand, laid the velvet of her cheek 
 against the velvet of his coat, and rallied him on 
 his gloomy looks. Then left him, butterfly fashion, 
 and flitted over to Madame de Maintenon, pulled 
 the work out of her hands, and cuddled into her 
 lap. " Always stitching, stitching, stitching, dear 
 aunt ! " cried she, and patted the faded cheek. 
 She picked up the embroidery. " Is this also for 
 St. Cyr? Mon Dieu, I am envious of that pet of 
 yours ; do give me some of these beautiful things 
 to keep until I am an old, old woman ! " She 
 emphasized the request with a kiss. Then another 
 thought brought her to her feet again. 
 
 " Oh ! I am come to talk about our festivities, 
 madame. Think of our having a ball with so few 
 young men ! Are there really no more noble 
 youths in France? It has come to the pass that 
 my ladies have sometimes to dance with one an- 
 other for lack of men partners." 
 
 She threw a drolly mournful look into her great 
 eyes and glanced poutingly at the king, her full 
 red lips not injured by the pout. 
 
 His Majesty coul^ not repress a smile. 
 
 " Our noble youths are in the army, my dear 
 Adelaide," replied he. 
 
 She stamped her little foot. " Oh, mon Dieu ! " 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 59 
 
 she cried, " I wish there were no such thing as 
 war. It is always war, war, war ! " 
 
 " True," he answered with a sigh. " War there 
 always has been, and war there always will be, and 
 it takes men to fight. As for your dancing pup- 
 pets, I think Monsieur Lauzun will drum up 
 enough for the purpose, — we have given him 
 carte blanche." 
 
 She made a wry face. " Va, no puppets ! no 
 puppfets, sire, for heaven's sake ! I 'd rather dance 
 with a woman myself than with a popinjay." 
 
 A maid came to announce that the duchess's hair- 
 dresser was waiting, and she left the room, throw- 
 ing kisses and arch glances back over her shoulder 
 as she swept through the portieres. She drew the 
 portieres together behind her, and then parted 
 them again to take a final mischievous peep. 
 
 The old pair looked at each other tentatively, 
 then smiled. 
 
 As for the playful duchess, the laugh left her 
 eyes. Youth has its troubles as well as age, but 
 this delightful woman had a rare faculty for con- 
 cealing hers. 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
 THE H6tel de Girond was not much more 
 than a stone's-throw from the Palais Maza- 
 rin, but infinitely remote in point of respectability. 
 
 It did not even turn an eye upon the same gay 
 thoroughfare, but faced another way. The street 
 upon which it fronted was not paved, and few fine 
 equipages passed that way. 
 
 But on that same morning when the Duchess 
 of Burgundy discussed the approaching court ball 
 with his Majesty and Madame de Maintenon, St. 
 Denis was surprised to see a handsome carriage, 
 emblazoned with a coat of arms, pull up beneath 
 his window. 
 
 " Jesu, I wonder if there are any royal personages 
 stopping at this hostelry ! " said he. 
 
 De Bel came to the window in time to see a 
 velvet-coated gentleman, in a great hat loaded 
 with ostrich plumes, disappear in the vestibule. 
 
 " Some villainous court intriguer, doubtless, who 
 has an assignation here," he replied with ready 
 imagination. 
 
 "But in broad day and in such a turnout?" 
 said St. Denis. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 6i 
 
 They had not long to speculate. The stranger 
 tramped up the stairs, and in a moment the door 
 of their modest salon was flung open, and no less 
 a person than the Duke of Lauzun walked boldly 
 in at the heels of the lacquey who bawled his name. 
 
 He was in fine attire. The skirts of his velvet 
 coat stuck out like the skirts of a ballet-dancer. 
 His azure doublet was heavily embroidered with 
 gold, and a jeweled sword clanked at his side, — 
 that same sword which had been presented to him 
 by King James II. for his gallant services in 
 Ireland. 
 
 He advanced into the room, bowing so low that 
 the plumes of his wonderful hat almost swept the 
 ground. 
 
 St. Denis rose. And de Bel, who was standing, 
 drew himself up and demanded, with a dignity 
 which seemed as much above his years as the 
 duke's frivolity was beneath his, " Wherefore this 
 extraordinary honor. Monsieur de Lauzun ? " 
 
 The insulting tone had no apparent effect upon 
 the elderly courtier. He smiled with engaging 
 friendliness, and produced a folded paper from 
 some receptacle of his rich apparel. 
 
 " I am come as the messenger of the king," 
 replied he, " or rather of the Duke and Duchess of 
 Burgundy, who desire to swell the ranks of the 
 young nobility at Versailles by such additions 
 
62 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 as will reflect lustre upon the court. And," 
 with another grand bow, " I am not surprised, 
 messieurs, to find your names upon my list." 
 
 St. Denis, abashed at so broad a compliment, — 
 the duke had directed a flattering look at him 
 especially, — acknowledged it the best he could. 
 But de Bel maintained his rigid attitude, his 
 haughty eye never wavering from the visitor's 
 face. 
 
 " I beg to assure you," continued Lauzun, " that 
 not all who are eligible in mere point of birth are 
 numbered here," tapping the paper with his 
 finger. " It is merit that counts with the virtuous 
 Burgundy, and," closing one eye in a rascally 
 manner, " youth and good looks count with his 
 gracious lady, eh?" 
 
 St. Denis, moved by an impulse of youthful 
 modesty, averted his glance. 
 
 And de Bel asked scornfully, " How is it that 
 you, monsieur, are the chosen messenger? One 
 would suppose their Majesties — " 
 
 " Ah, you are evidently not aware," cut in the 
 duke, as one would ward ofi" an impending blow, 
 " that I have fallen into the pleasurable habit in 
 my old age — he, he ! — of keeping the king in- 
 formed about the oncoming generation. I have 
 recommended scores of young gentlemen to the 
 royal favor. And," with a flash of the eye at 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 63 
 
 de Bel, " I may add that my friendly offices have 
 hitherto been received with, to say the least, 
 courtesy ! " 
 
 St. Denis, to whom this turn of affairs seemed 
 almost providential, made haste to relieve the 
 situation. 
 
 " Are we to infer, monsieur le due," he in- 
 quired, " that you have been so good as to speak 
 for us at court?" 
 
 Lauzun turned to him eagerly. " I had the 
 honor this very morning to mention your names at 
 the king's lever." 
 
 "Wherefore, pray, in my case?" sneered 
 de Bel. 
 
 " My dear Frangois," — Lauzun laid a hand upon 
 his heart and threw a melting look into his dissi- 
 pated eyes, — " believe me, I have ever followed 
 your career with the deepest interest, not to say 
 affection. I cannot forget that you were the fa- 
 vorite of my beloved " — he faltered, smitten by a 
 bolt from the young man's fiery eyes, but recovered 
 himself quickly and amended his sentence, — " of 
 the Duchesse de Montpensier." 
 
 Realizing the hopelessness of the attempted 
 reconciliation, and feeling that his temper would 
 not hold out much longer, he went on rapidly and 
 in a more business-like way to explain about the 
 court ball, which was one of a series of brilliant 
 
64 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 entertainments to be given at Versailles in honor 
 of some distinguished visitors from Madrid. 
 
 " Of course," he added, addressing himself now 
 only to St. Denis, " you will in the mean time pay 
 your respects to his Majesty, — I am at your ser- 
 vice any morning. You will find me in the king's 
 antechamber." 
 
 St. Denis thanked him and accompanied him to 
 the street door. At the foot of the stairs Lauzun 
 turned and laid a hand upon his arm and said 
 abruptly, " You and the Marquis de Larnage are 
 friends?" 
 
 " Friendship, I believe, presupposes a long 
 acquaintance," answered St. Denis ; " I cannot 
 boast of that." 
 
 Lauzun eyed him curiously. 
 
 " Well, I have just received a letter from him," 
 said he, " of which you are the sole theme. If 
 your acquaintance is so slight, I congratulate you 
 on the impression you have made ! " 
 
 "Is the marquis ^t Versailles?" St. Denis in- 
 quired with great subtlety. 
 
 The veteran courtier lifted his shoulders. " How 
 should I know ! " cried he, as though the question 
 had angered him. " Can I keep tab on all the 
 young blades in Paris, at all hours of the day and 
 night? I am not omniscient nor omnipresent, my 
 young friend, despite my avocation." And then 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis ej 
 
 with a quizzical expression — which was like a 
 sign of freemasonry, intended to convey every- 
 thing to the initiated but nothing to the outsider, 
 — "I might have been able to answer your ques- 
 tion more to the point had not the young gentle- 
 man omitted to put his address in the letter. A 
 curious oversight, I swear ! " 
 
 So, then, the marquis was still in the Bastille, 
 and Lauzun knew it, but St. Denis had no mind to 
 break down reserves and come to confideilces With 
 the notorious old intriguer. 
 
 " I suppose it is this letter which is the feal 
 cause of your visit here?" he hazarded. 
 
 Lauzun laughed. "A shrewd guess, my friend. 
 Eh bien, I '11 be frank with you, for 't is my 
 practice to be so With all men, the worse for me ! 
 It was as though a brade of partridges fell at one 
 shot. I received this letter describing you as a 
 desirable ornament for the court, — Dieu ! I am 
 not surprised, — and at the same time came his 
 Majesty's order for a new invoice of young nobili- 
 ties for the festivities at Versailles> such as yourself 
 and your amiable friend up yonder. The two 
 incidents fitted each other as the glove fits the 
 hand, and I lost no time in putting them together." 
 
 " I pray you to accept my grateful thanks," 
 returned St. Denis. 
 
 " Your prompt appearance at Versailles will best 
 5 
 
66 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 demonstrate your gratitude," answered the duke, 
 gayly. " Au revoir, we shall soon meet again. I 
 trust you have not neglected the Terpsichorean 
 art?" He took a mincing step or two, broke off 
 with a laugh and a wink, and ran down the steps 
 with an air of youthful agility, sprang into his 
 carriage, and fluttered his lace handkerchief from 
 the window. 
 
 But his brows contracted as the carriage rolled 
 away. " Fool ! " he apostrophized de Bel. " I 
 suppose he imagines that if I had not got so much 
 of mademoiselle's money he might have got more. 
 Fine airs he puts on with me — me, the Duke of 
 Lauzun, the confidant of kings and queens. Voil4, 
 for one of my rank, to say nothing of my virtues, 
 I have been subjected to monstrous indignities in 
 my time, — indignities that would have extin- 
 guished a score of ordinary mortals ! " 
 
 As if his hardihood in this respect were a matter 
 for felicitation he laughed aloud. And no one 
 could better afford to laugh at the ill-humor of his 
 fellows, since from his cradle he had been the pet 
 of fortune. 
 
 He let the unpleasant memory of his uncom- 
 promising young enemy slip out of his thoughts 
 and turned to other things. 
 
 " De Larnage is right about this St. Denis," he 
 soliloquized. " My word ! what a figure, a model 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 67 
 
 for the masters. Diable ! there is a rival for you, 
 my fine marquis, I wonder you did not think of 
 that. What you were thinking of, what your ex- 
 traordinary interest in the young man means, is 
 beyond my poor wits to conjecture. And there is 
 nothing to be got out of St. Denis, discretion sits 
 on his very eyelashes." He took out the marquis's 
 letter and ran his eye over it. " Ah, you beat 
 'your wings against your iron cage," he continued, 
 " but I would gladly stand in your shoes, you 
 pretty fool, — I would,, by the holy Virgin! Oh, 
 mon Dieu ! to be young again, to be young 
 again ! " 
 
 He drew a deep sigh, tribute to the gallantries 
 of his vanished youth, and sank back upon the 
 cushions. 
 
 St. Denis ran upstairs with a light heart. 
 
 Jallot had come in during his absence, and stood 
 by the table examining a brace of pistols, and 
 wondering what was in the air. 
 
 De Bel's face wore a heavy scowl. 
 
 " Well, Francois," St. Denis exclaimed, " you 
 have got your wish, you may now sun your 
 gossamer wings in the blaze of the throne." 
 
 " You appear to be happy in the prospect," 
 answered deBel, crossly, " though you have always 
 professed an aversion to the court." 
 
 " My feehng hardly amounted to aversion," St. 
 
68 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 Denis replied good-naturedly, " call it indifference. 
 Come, the matter has taken an odd shape, — I care 
 little for the court per se, yet for certain reasons, 
 recently developed, I wish to avail myself of the 
 honor that has so unexpectedly befallen me. 
 You are attracted to it because you are a French- 
 man born, and your hereditary instincts — " 
 
 " My hereditary instincts will not permit me to 
 accept even royal favors that come through the 
 hands of that vile profligate," interupted de Bel, 
 passionately. 
 
 " True, the Duke of Lauzun is an unsavory kind 
 of person," agreed St. Denis. 
 
 " I, too, could have wished his Majesty had 
 chosen a different messenger — " then he remem- 
 bered that it was de Larnage who had chosen the 
 messenger, and broke off. " But what will you do, 
 Francois? a king's wish is a command. " 
 
 " I fancy the king has not heard of me as yet," 
 replied de Bel, " and my little property at Tours 
 needs looking after." 
 
 Jallot suddenly laid down the pistols. 
 
 " Diable ! women and love-scrapes, duels and 
 the Bastille, — those are the fine fruits of court life," 
 exclaimed he, and fled from the room. 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 DE BEL went to Tours. 
 And St. Denis put in an appearance at 
 the king's lever, which — he reported to Jallot — 
 amounted to nothing at all. His Majesty had 
 taken no notice of him whatever, despite Lau?uri's 
 strenuous efforts to that end, — efforts which had 
 made St. Denis's position somewhat embarrassing ; 
 he fancied he had detected a smile, and surely a 
 raised eyebrow, at his own expense, on two or 
 three faces. 
 
 After this he bestirred himself with reference 
 to the royal ball. If there was any virtue in dress, 
 he would not be laughed at there. It had ever 
 been the way with the Lemoynes to be neat and 
 even elegant in their personal appearance. 
 
 He visited hatters, tailors, shoemakers, and the 
 shops where fine laces were sold. 
 
 Madame de Lambert, to whom he appealed in 
 these matters, went with him and advised him 
 about the laces, and volunteered suggestions on 
 some other points in his dress. 
 
 The old marquise confided to her young friend. 
 
70 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 Mademoiselle de Vichy-Chamrond, that she was 
 astonished at the fastidiousness shown by so 
 young and inexperienced a youth, at the taste 
 and judgment he displayed respecting qualities 
 and styles. 
 
 " Would you believe it," said she, " he ordered 
 his dancing shoes at Des Noyers's and paid a 
 louis d'or for them ! " 
 
 As the result of his painstaking and his ex- 
 travagance, St. Denis made a very respectable 
 figure in his looking-glass. 
 
 Jallot, who helped him to dress, complimented 
 him as though he had been a ballet-dancer, swear- 
 ing he had the finest calves in Paris. 
 
 These calves were set off with beautiful white 
 silk hose. His trousers and coat were of dark 
 blue velvet, the latter touched up with silver em- 
 broidery of a delicate and frost-like pattern. 
 
 But his particular elegance was a brocaded 
 white satin doublet fastened with a great many 
 small diamond buttons, which had once belonged 
 to the Sieur de Sauville, who had had his day in 
 Paris. They had been presented to him by Bien- 
 ville as a parting gift. 
 
 Lauzun waited for him at the palace entrance, 
 and they melted into the current that streamed 
 upward into the grand gallery. 
 
 That gallery ! the wonder and pride of the 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 71 
 
 fashionable world, with its countless lights, its 
 flowers and perfumes, its pictures and tapestries 
 and rich gildings, the seductive Italian music, the 
 resplendent throng of men and women blazing 
 with jewels, and the great mirrors that multiplied 
 the scene over and over ! 
 
 But that of course which gave point and dignity 
 to all this magnificence was the king, — a regal 
 figure still, despite his great age. 
 
 He stood at the farther side of the salon, in 
 his lilied mantle and splendid decorations, sur- 
 rounded by ladies and courtiers, many of them of 
 his own household. 
 
 Near him was Madame de Maintenon in a plain 
 gown of dead-leaf satin damask, a head-dress en 
 battant Pceil, and her own decoration the cross k 
 la Maintenon. 
 
 On the other side of the king stood a lady to 
 whom people seemed to be drawn as moths to a 
 candle. Her dress was a shimmer of silver lace 
 set off with rubies and diamonds ; and her small 
 pointed shoes, her silk mittens reaching to the 
 elbow, and tissue fan all matched the gown. A 
 curious wasp made of brilliants hovered among 
 the many little curls piled above her forehead. 
 
 But her dress was absorbed in her personality 
 and lost sight of as the beholder came nearer. 
 She had an admirable poise, queenly yet fairy- 
 
72 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 like, and seemed to move in a light that came 
 from herself. Her kindly smile knew no prefer- 
 ences ; it beamed on each in turn with a particular 
 sweetness. 
 
 St. Denis was astounded to learn that this was 
 the famous Duchess of Burgundy. 
 
 Beyond the duchess stood the beautiful Com- 
 tesse de Careno, her lovely shoulders screened by a 
 mantle of gold point d'Espagne, and at her side was 
 a young girl with the most wonderful speaking eyes. 
 St. Denis caught one glance and was spell-bound, 
 and stood gazing upon her and hoping she would 
 look his way again, when Lauzun plucked him by 
 the !?leeve. 
 
 They had been standing apart, waiting for the 
 crowd to break, and now they advanced and St. 
 Denis was presented to the king, who addressed 
 him in a manner that indicated an astonishing 
 familiarity with his personal history and family 
 connections; the secret of this being that the 
 duke held tenure of his petty office, an office that 
 afforded him amusement and kept him near the 
 king, chiefly through his ability to supply his 
 Majesty with biographical gleanings to be turned 
 to account in this manner. 
 
 Madame de Maintenon was gracious also, in 
 her grave way. She inquired if she had not met 
 St. Denis before, — his face seemed familiar. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis Th 
 
 " Pardon, madame ! " exclaimed Lauzun. " You 
 are doubtless reminded of his illustrious kins- 
 man the Sieur de Sauville, whom he greatly 
 resembles." 
 
 "Ah, it may be so," she replied; and then in 
 the retrospective way so agreeable to the aged, 
 " Sauville was one of the most accomplished young 
 gentlemen I have ever known. The king gave 
 him authority in one of our colonies, - — Louisiana, 
 I think. And he died — at Biloxi. His death was 
 a great grief to us all. We shall look to you. 
 Monsieur St. Denis, to fill his place — Aere, not 
 there; those distant provinces are attracting too 
 many of our valuable subjects," 
 
 The Dauphin remembered St. Denis and paid 
 him a compliment; and other of their high- 
 nesses, in particular the Duchesse du Maine, — the 
 vixen of the court, as they called her, — smiled 
 upon him. 
 
 And he conducted himself in a way highly 
 pleasing to his patron Lauzun. 
 
 Had he given the matter a thought, he must 
 have been surprised at his own ease in the pres- 
 ence of so much royalty. But he was conscious 
 only — aside from the motive which had brought 
 him there — of a very full contentment in the great 
 social spectacle which humored so many of the 
 senses at one time, and of an insistent desire to 
 
74 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 surprise another flash of that entrancing intelli- 
 gence he had encountered awhile back. 
 
 He was at some distance now from the youth- 
 ful sefiorita, — Lauzun told him she was the niece 
 of the Comtesse de Carerio, — but he kept her in 
 his eye. This was not difficult ; her simple white 
 dress seemed to him the most conspicuous in the 
 place. No matter which way he turned, or how 
 many persons claimed his attention, it still held 
 its place in his field of vision. 
 
 She was a small creature, so small that she had 
 the little red heels of her tiny slippers eight cen- 
 timetres high, and carried herself gallantly to 
 make the most of her stature. She was intensely 
 alive to everything that was going on around her. 
 As a matter of fact, she was just out of the 
 convent. 
 
 There was one moment when St. Denis's glance 
 relinquished her. He caught sight of d'Argenson, 
 and hastily put himself in his way, burning to 
 question him about the marquis. 
 
 But the lieutenant made as though he had never 
 set eyes on him before, and passed on and paid 
 his respects to the Duchess of Burgundy. And 
 being almost immediately forced onward to give 
 place to the lion of the time, Mar^chal Villars, he 
 was lost in the crowd and St. Denis did not see 
 him again. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis n 
 
 Villars, by virtue of his military fame and 
 achievements, addressed himself to the duchess 
 and the Comtesse de Careno with great familiarity. 
 
 " I never regret that cursed battle of Malplaquet 
 so much," he declared in a loud voice, " as when I 
 am in a place like this, seeing that I cannot dance." 
 
 " Does your wound trouble you very much, 
 monsieur?" asked the duchess, sympathetically. 
 
 " I shall carry a stiff knee to my grave, madame," 
 he replied, frowning. 
 
 " But at least you have one consolation," she 
 said archly ; " that wound is a badge of honor more 
 glorious than the king can bestow ! " 
 
 " Voila ! that may comfort my vanity, but it can- 
 not ease my bones." 
 
 " Your vanity should be in a healthy state, mon- 
 sieur le mar^chal," exclaimed Lauzun, boldly edg- 
 ing his" way into this group ; " it' has been so well 
 anointed with pretty speeches." 
 
 " I do not remember that I am indebted to you," 
 retorted Villars, and laughed at his own wit. 
 
 " I am but a plain-spoken man, not skilled in the 
 art of paying compliments," returned Lauzun, his 
 gaze devouring the lovely countess. 
 
 Villars rolled his eyes to the ceiling. " You 
 may not know, madame," he said, " that our friend 
 here is a famous jester." Then coolly putting the 
 intruder out of the conversation, "By the way, 
 
•}6 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 countess, what about their Majesties of Spain? 
 Have they concluded to abdicate, eh? " 
 
 " Do all Frenchmen jest, monsieur?" she asked 
 reproachfully. " Our sovereigns will not abdicate, 
 because the Spanish nation will not permit them. 
 Ah, such devotion as our people show, down to 
 the meanest peasant ! It cannot go unrewarded. 
 God himself will be our ally." 
 
 The fine strain of emotion that vibrated in her 
 voice was lost on the mardchal. 
 
 " God or the Duke of Venddme perhaps ! " 
 laughed he, forgetting or ignoring the fact that it 
 was an offence to mention Vendome's name in the 
 presence of the royal family. 
 
 The amiable duchess drew herself up and moved 
 haughtily away. 
 
 And Villars continued : " The duke is dying to 
 recover the prestige he lost at Oudenar'de, and 
 would like nothing better than another stroke at the 
 English, — the same as myself." 
 
 " But which will of course be denied you if peace 
 is declared between France and the allies," spoke 
 up the countess, eagerly scanning his weather- 
 beaten face. For at this juncture Louis XIV. 
 could not obtain peace from the aUies otherwise 
 than by abandoning Philip to his fate. 
 
 " Ha ! mark my word, madame," Villars lowered 
 his voice and brought his face close to hers, 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 77 
 
 " peace will not be declared. The allies are puffed 
 up over their victories, and will overstep the limits of 
 decency in this present parley at Gertruydenberg, 
 and the king's pride will not bear the strain, — nor 
 will the pride of France ! " 
 
 The countess blushed with delight, and begged 
 him to go on, to explain the situation more fully. 
 
 Meantime the vigilant Lauzun had seen the 
 duchess turn away from Villars, and in a twinkle 
 he had St. Denis making his bow to her. 
 
 The next moment some one else claimed Lau- 
 zun's attention, and St. Denis saw that his oppor- 
 tunity had come, and made ready for it. 
 
 The benignant lady smiled upon him with a 
 half-questioning look, as though she would know 
 more of him, and let fall some of the graceful 
 things that came so readily to her lips. And he, 
 under cover of the music and the buzz of voices, 
 looked into her splendid eyes, and said quietly, 
 " Madame, I have in my hand a small packet 
 which I was commissioned to place in yours." 
 
 He had not counted amiss on the quickness of 
 her wit. She murmured some reply, then asked 
 him a few questions about himself, to which he 
 gave answers that appeared to interest her. And 
 presently he was upon his knee picking up a bit of 
 a lace handkerchief When he restored it to her, 
 the packet went with it. 
 
78 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 She thanked him, and as he bowed himself 
 away to give place to others, she expressed a hope 
 that she should see him at the fete-champetre the 
 following Saturday. 
 
 The dancing began soon afterwards; and St. 
 Denis could hardly believe in his good fortune 
 when told that he was to lead out the petite 
 senorita, whose charming name was Maria de 
 Villescas. 
 
 It was his supreme moment when, with beating 
 heart, he took her little hand and her speaking 
 eyes flashed their wonderful light up into his. 
 
 Her eyes indeed had need to speak, and his 
 also, for she was ignorant of French and he knew 
 no Spanish. 
 
 But this was no insurmountable barrier to con- 
 versation, — spoken language is artificial and may 
 easily be dispensed with. 
 
 They understood each other perfectly from the 
 first moment. Once she seemed to say, " Do not 
 be afraid of crushing my hand, monsieur, — heavens, 
 I shall surely fall ! " He tightened his clasp on 
 the rosebud fingers, and she laughed, " Ah, that is 
 better, thank you ! now we shall get on." 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 
 " A RE you awake, Louis, — you have a vis- 
 
 .Za. itor?" Jallot had tiptoed into St. Denis's 
 room and touched him on the shoulder. This 
 was one of his friendly prerogatives. 
 
 St. Denis turned over on his back, smiled, and 
 lay still. He had heard Jallot come in, but he 
 was in the midst of a half-dream, and had kept 
 his face to the wall, and his eyes closed, holding 
 fast his sensations. 
 
 All of a sudden his eyes flared open. 
 
 "Pierre, you know the Spanish language?" he 
 exclaimed. 
 
 "To some extent," replied Jallot; "but your 
 visitor is not a Spaniard : he is that fine nobleman 
 the Duke of Lauzun. Va ! what a horrid skin 
 he has, and what a disagreeable nose ! 'T is often 
 so with dukes, and e'en with royalties. There 
 is the Prince Eugene, a monstrous ugly man, so 
 ugly you would pick him out in a crowd. Come, 
 mon ami, your guest is waiting. I told him I 
 was your valet, and would have you ready in a 
 twinkle." 
 
8o The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 He poured water into a basin and brought out 
 St. Denis's every-day apparel. 
 
 " There was another," he added, " a fellow from 
 Mar^chal Villars. The mar^chal desires you to 
 pay him a visit in his lodgings at Versailles, at 
 your convenience. I suspect he is minded to 
 offer you a commission in the army." 
 
 " He may save himself the trouble," yawned St. 
 Denis. As soon as he had made his toilet he 
 went out, and Jallot picked up and put carefully 
 away the finery he had worn the evening before. 
 
 Lauzun, whose skin and nose were none the 
 better for the late hours he kept, had come to 
 invite St. Denis to breakfast with him at the Caf^ 
 Mouton. His carriage was at the door. 
 
 St. Denis could not well refuse, though there 
 was fast growing up in him a disgust of the old 
 courtier almost equal to de Bel's. He wondered 
 what de Bel would have thought had he seen 
 Lauzun exploiting him at the ball! 
 
 The Caf^ Mouton was an unpretentious-looking 
 place in the Rue St. Martin. At the front was a 
 large public salon filled with little tables, at which 
 customers of a bourgeoisie sort were taking their 
 luncheon or late dejeuner. 
 
 The duke signalled to an attendant, pushed on 
 through this place, and entered a small but ele- 
 gant apartment at the back of it. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 8i 
 
 "Cosy little place for a tdte-i-tSte, eh?" he 
 exclaimed, giving St. Denis a friendly pat on the 
 shoulder. 
 
 St. Denis could barely summon a smile for 
 reply. The cosiness implied an intimacy against 
 which his healthy young blood rebelled. 
 
 Lauzun gave his orders, and then crossed the 
 room and popped his head Out through a window 
 which gave upon a tiny court. In this court was 
 a young girl watering her flowers. 
 
 Lauzun winked at the girl, and she blushed 
 and ran indoors. Immediately a gray-haired dame 
 appeared at the window opposite and shook her 
 fist at him angrily; and the old gallant laughed in 
 her face, and impudently blew kisses at her from 
 his finger-tips. 
 
 " St Francis ! " he exclaimed, turning back into 
 
 the room; "the demoiselles are become so shy, 
 
 and the old beldames so vigilaiit, that there is 
 
 never a bit of fun to be had any more. Or — "he 
 
 surveyed himself in a mirror — " is the fault with 
 
 me perhaps ? Diable ! my eyes are surely not so 
 
 bright as once they were, nor my complexion so 
 
 delicate." He sighed. " Now, if you had gone to 
 
 the window, monsieur, the young one would not 
 
 have run to cover, and the old one would have 
 
 kept her hawk's nose out of the game, he, he, 
 
 he!" 
 
 6 
 
82 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 St. Denis answered stiffly that he had learned 
 no tricks of gallantry. 
 
 " Oho ! but you are young yet, my friend, — 
 and indeed I thought you made a very pretty 
 beginning last night ! " He laughed again, and 
 did that disagreeable thing, — closed one eye. 
 
 The blood mounted to St. Denis's forehead, and 
 he felt an impulse to fly from the place. 
 
 Lauzun saw his mistake, and quickly changed 
 his tactics, and all through the protracted break- 
 fast entertained his guest with an account of his 
 travels, his ten years' imprisonment at Pignerol for 
 the offence of having married the king's cousin, 
 his acquaintance with Fouquet and other remark- 
 able people he had met under remarkable cir- 
 cumstances, of his exploits in battle, — it was true 
 that he had always shown a reckless courage, — 
 and of the romantic part he had played in the 
 affairs of King James and Mary of Modena. 
 
 In all this he was so agreeable that he almost 
 redeemed himself in St. Denis's eyes. 
 
 But as they pushed back from the table, he 
 began to boast of his great influence with the 
 king, and of the benefits which it had been in his 
 power to secure for his friends. 
 
 Apropos of this he produced a letter, explain- 
 ing that it was from a remote kinsman of his, — 
 remote both in kinship and distance. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 83 
 
 " The writer," said he, spreading the large sheet 
 upon the table, " is the Sieur de la Mothe Cadillac, 
 a commander in the Canadian army, — you may 
 have heard of him ? " 
 
 Yes, St. Denis had heard of him; he was 
 stationed at Michilimackinac. 
 
 "Exactly! Well, he married a cousin of mine," 
 continued Lauzun, " down in Gascony, and for 
 this benevolent act I procured him his appoint- 
 ment. I do assure you " — he threw back his 
 head and laughed — " that I have been a thousand 
 times repaid for my trouble in the letters I have 
 received from him describing that wretched country 
 and the hardships he has endured in it ! " 
 
 " They must have been very amusing," said St. 
 Denis, dryly. 
 
 " Oh, immeasurably ! Listen to this." He ad- 
 justed his glasses and took up the sheet. 
 
 " 'We are now in the midst of April, but the ice is 
 not melted off the rivers, though it is rotten in many 
 places, which makes travel difficult and even hazardous. 
 The streams are incredibly deep and the current mon- 
 strous swift, so that if your footing breaks you are in 
 peril of being swept away instantly. Yesterday I and 
 two of my lieutenants went a-hunting a short distance 
 from the fort, — a necessary expedition to keep starva- 
 tion from our doors! — and in attempting to cross one 
 of these congealed streams, I, who was in the advance, 
 broke tlirough. But by the help of Our Lady I was able 
 
84 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 to cling to the ice until the others rescued me by means 
 of long poles. I was of course completely soaked, and 
 when the freezing wind got a chance at my wet garments 
 you may imagine the plight I was in. I hope I may 
 never be compelled to wear another such coat of mail. 
 At first I could scarcely walk — or I thought I could not, 
 but a man never knows what he is equal to till he is put 
 to it. We had gone but a few paces when out there 
 sprang upon us — from God knows where ! — half a score 
 of red devils in feathers and paint, flourishing their toma- 
 hawks and yelling their blood-curdling war-cry. I had 
 lost my gun in the stream. But my companions fired 
 theirs, — somewhat at random, I fear, since they did no 
 execution, — and, being greatly outnumbered, we took to 
 our heels. The enemy did not follow us, for we were 
 too near the fort. I was amazed at their temerity in 
 attacking us at all, but the American Indian is a foe con- 
 cerning whose military tactics you can form no reasonable 
 hypothesis. In one respect this was a fortunate incident, 
 for in running my blood became heated, and I no doubt 
 escaped my death-cold. The savages have been very 
 troublesome lately, and my poor wife is in daily and 
 nightly dread of having her house burned over her head, 
 and herself and our beloved daughter Josephine mur- 
 dered in cold blood. For I, busy with my public duties, 
 cannot always be at hand to protect them.' " 
 
 Lauzun could not go on for laughing, the paper 
 shook in his hands. 
 
 " Mon Dieu, what a picture is that ! " sputtered 
 he, with tears in his eyes. " La Mothe Cadillac — 
 Jesu ! you should see the man to appreciate it 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 85 
 
 fully — in his drenched clothes fleeing from those 
 yelling savages, ha, ha, ha ! " 
 
 But St. Denis could not join in the laugh. He 
 answered with a rigid countenance : " I crave your 
 pardon, monsieur, but I see no grounds for merri- 
 ment in your letter. On the contrary, it arouses 
 my heartfelt sympathy. It is a tragic picture the 
 poor gentleman has drawn, and, I can well believe, 
 a true one. I know that country well ; there are 
 hardships and dangers there which it would ill 
 become me to make light of." His voice vibrated, 
 there was a fiery glow in his usually serene eyes. 
 
 Lauzun dropped his jaw and gazed at him in- 
 credulously. Had he heard aright? Why, the 
 king himself had laughed until he cried over this 
 very letter ! And did this beardless youth set 
 himself up — St. Francis ! what prigs our young 
 men were getting to be ! Hardened as the man 
 was, he was wounded to the quick. Monstrous, 
 when the young so sit in judgment on the old ! 
 He bit his lip ; he could almost have wept. He 
 refolded the letter with trembling fingers, and 
 they both rose and passed out. 
 
 The carriage was waiting, but St. Denis could 
 not bring himself to enter it again. He excused 
 himself on the plea of having some business in 
 the neighborhood, and Lauzun drove away in 
 such a rage as he had not felt for many a day. 
 
86 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 "So!" he cried, "I make a stepping-stone of 
 myself for these young bloods, and the next thing, 
 I am spurned out of their way. Vile, vile ! But 
 you shall repent of this, my young friend. You 
 shall yet learn that the Duke of Lauzun is not 
 to be despised. I will set my foot upon your 
 neck. I have the power — ha ! and by the holy 
 Virgin, my respected cousin points out the way ! " 
 
 Again he drew forth Cadillac's letter and turned 
 to the closing part, the part St. Denis had not 
 heard. "I confess that I am sick of my post 
 here," wrote the commander of Michilimackinac. 
 " Neither I nor my family can endure it much 
 longer. Now, by your leave, I am coming to 
 the point. I am told that the province of Louisi- 
 ana is in every way to be preferred to this, and I 
 am persuaded, my honored and puissant cousin, 
 once more to throw myself on your indulgence and 
 implore you to procure me an appointment in 
 that more favored locality." 
 
 " Aha," mused Lauzun, with a malicious glitter 
 in his eye, " I wonder if your qualifications would 
 fit you for the governorship? " 
 
 He read on, making occasional interpolations: 
 
 " ' 'T is said the climate of Louisiana is most agreeable, 
 and the soil extremely fertile ; that the forests abound 
 with game, and the rivers with fish and oysters, and that 
 the mines are bursting with wealth ; and, best of all, that 
 the Indians give but little trouble.' 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 87 
 
 " So ? I have heard a different story ! 
 
 " ' If you will have the supreme goodness, my dear 
 monsieur le due, to effect my transfer to this land of 
 promise, you wiU put me under such obligation as death 
 itself cannot cancel. For, alas ! our material surroundings 
 do greatly affect our spiritual character, and I shall be 
 your debtor even in Paradise.' 
 
 " Tut, tut, my pious relative, you are bordering 
 on blasphemy. 
 
 " ' And my dear wife and Josephine will not cease to 
 call down heaven's blessings on your head.' 
 
 " Well, that is something, — or would be if I 
 might dictate the particular kind of blessing I most 
 desire at this moment ! " 
 
 He lost himself for a time in profound thought, then 
 started up and shouted to the coachman to drive to 
 the Hotel de Croissi, — he would have a word with 
 M. de Torcy, secretary of state for foreign affairs. 
 
 He was received by the minister's aunt, Madame 
 de Croissi, who informed him of a fact which he 
 might have known, that de Torcy was with the 
 plenipotentiaries at Gertruydenberg. 
 
 The duke and Madame de Croissi were old 
 acquaintances, therefore he felt bound to linger 
 for a decent moment. While they sat talking, 
 rather dully, for neither was a stimulant to the 
 other, another lady entered the room, and the 
 atmosphere was instantly electrified. 
 
88 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 Lauzun broke off in the middle of a sentence, 
 and flew to her with outstretched hands. 
 
 " My dear Madame de Tencin, what a pleasure ! " 
 he cried. " I had no expectation of meeting you 
 here." 
 
 " No ? " she drawled, — one would have thought 
 she was not more than half awake. 
 
 Madame de Tencin was a beauty, with large lan- 
 guid eyes, — eyes which a little later won the heart 
 of the renowned Englishman Lord Bolingbroke. 
 
 From sheer inertia, as it were, she permitted 
 Lauzun to retain her lissome white hands and 
 lead her to a seat. 
 
 He seated himself beside her and rained com- 
 pliments upon her, without materially reviving her. 
 There was fire there, however, as he well knew. 
 But, alas ! he had not breath to fan it to a flame. 
 
 He turned to the older woman. "I came 
 hither," he said, "to obtain a piece of informa- 
 tion from the Marquis de Torcy. But who, my 
 dear madame, is so well qualified to impart infor- 
 mation on all subjects as this our charming 
 friend?" 
 
 " Ah, you are trying to cajole me, monsieur," 
 smiled the beauty. " What is it you are in quest 
 of, — some state secret?" 
 
 " Indeed, no ; 't is a very innocent matter. I 
 wish to learn somewhat concerning our colony 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 89 
 
 of Louisiana, — how it is flourishing, and so 
 forth." 
 
 " What far-reaching sympathies ! " she ex- 
 claimed. " I had supposed monsieur le due's 
 thoughts were all concentrated upon the court." 
 
 " You are unkind," he answered reproachfully. 
 " I assure you I am not altogether a butterfly." 
 
 " Oh, no, indeed. History — one might almost 
 say ancient history — would contradict that." 
 
 " Now you are even cruel ! " 
 
 She took the trouble to lift her heavily fringed 
 lids and give him the benefit of her fine eyes. 
 " Does not an old soldier always love to see his 
 deeds of valor recorded in history?" she asked 
 innocently. 
 
 He shrugged his shoulders. " Madame, you are 
 incorrigible, but," turning to Madame de Croissi, 
 "she is too beautiful ^to quarrel with, n'est ce 
 pas ? — Come, siren, have you no news for 
 me?" 
 
 She sat up and ^viiifced some interest. 
 
 "By a singular coincidence," she replied, "I 
 have just received a letter from an old friend of 
 mine, Madame Boisbriant she is now. You may 
 remember herj she was sent out to take charge 
 of a company of girls designed as brides for the 
 youths of the colony. She herself married the 
 commandant at Fort Biloxi." 
 
90 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 " Ah, yes," said Lauzun. 
 
 " She writes," continued Madame de Tencin, with 
 smiling eyes, " that the colony is starving." 
 
 " The devil take that cursed continent ! " ex- 
 claimed Lauzun. " We get the same reports from 
 both north and south. I do not see why it should 
 be so bad in Louisiana, where there is said to be 
 a remarkably fine chmate, a productive soil, and 
 every means of comfort and wealth." 
 
 " Madame Boisbriant says the country is not well 
 governed," returned the lady. 
 
 " Indeed ? What is the trouble ? " 
 
 Madame de Tencin laughed indolently. " Oh, 
 the trouble is that she herself does not like Bien- 
 ville. He is her husband's cousin, you know, and 
 he opposed the marriage, — on the ground that it 
 was a mesalliance. Is not that a sufficient reason 
 why things are going badly in Louisiana ? " 
 
 Lauzun was too deep in his own thoughts to 
 heed the question. Presently he asked : " By the 
 way, do you know anything about a movement to 
 grant a charter of privileges in Louisiana to our 
 financial prodigy Crozat? Some persons think it 
 advisable to farm out that country, put it in the 
 hands of an enterprising man who has means 
 enough to open up the mines, start commerce, and 
 so on." 
 
 " Without doubt that is the thing that should be 
 
The Chevalier d^ St. Denis 91 
 
 done," answered Madame de Croissi, " and I 
 believe it is no secret that it is the thing that is 
 about to be done. Anthony Crozat has money- 
 enough to found a principality." 
 
 " But what does Crozat want with a principality 
 in the wilderness when he may live like a prince 
 here ! " exclaimed Lauzun. 
 
 " Oh, he will not emigrate, he will delegate his 
 authority to some one else, Governor Bienville 
 probably." 
 
 " Unless my dear Madame Boisbriant should 
 interfere," said the younger woman. 
 
 Lauzun, as if suddenly conscious that time 
 pressed, got upon his feet, made effusive adieux, 
 and hurried away. 
 
 " I wonder what game the old fox is up to now ! " 
 laughed Madame de Tencin. 
 
 "Whatever it is, I suspect you have put a 
 good card into his hand," replied Madame de 
 Croissi. 
 
 Lauzun got into his carriage and bade his man 
 drive to a place in the Rue St. Michel. On 
 the way he fell into a pleasant soHloquy. "So, 
 now. Monsieur St. Denis, I have got my cue, and 
 we shall see what will happen, we shall see ! You 
 expect to go out to Louisiana, take a hand in the 
 government, and build up your fortunes. Now 
 that I think of it, there have been rumors before 
 
92 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 today of dissatisfaction with the Sieur de Bien- 
 ville, and that it would not take much to displace 
 him. It may be that my hand is strong enough for 
 that service ! So, you are moved by the suffer- 
 ings of my worthy cousin, are you? You think I 
 am a heartless wretch to be amused at his sorry 
 plight. Well, poor La Mothe has had a hard time 
 of it, for a fact ! Let us see if we cannot better his 
 fortunes, — you, my gentle friend, will not object 
 to making a few sacrifices for those distressed 
 ladies who are looking every night to be toma- 
 hawked in their beds, surely not ! Perhaps you 
 will exchange places with them. You go back to 
 Canada — you should be well acclimated, having 
 been born there — and let them have the pretty 
 nest Bienville has feathered for you ! " 
 
 The carriage stopped before a superb new 
 mansion standing in the midst of a broad lawn, 
 newly grass-covered', where lately had squatted a 
 motley brood of old buildings. The owner of the 
 mansion, which was called Hotel du Chatel in 
 honor of Crozat's marquisate, had bought up a 
 whole neighborhood to make a place for himself. 
 
 Lauzun, apart from his business with the wealthy 
 marquis, had some curiosity to view the interior 
 of this famed mansion. And being admitted into 
 a vast hall, or salon, where he was forced like any 
 common mortal to await the convenience of 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 93 
 
 Monsieur Crozat, — to whom time was the most 
 valuable thing in the world, — he turned loose his 
 gaze upon the fine walls and ceiling, the sumptuous 
 furniture, the pictures, and bronzes, and carved 
 copper vessels, and the grand staircase which was 
 the realized dream of a great architect. 
 
 Up this staircase he was presently taken, and 
 through several long corridors, catching glimpses 
 on the way, through portieres or half-open doors, 
 of large sunny rooms hung with Gobelin tapestries 
 in the newest and most beautiful designs, and 
 crowded with costly things, — solid silver couches, 
 Boule cabinets, mirrors in gold and silver frames, 
 rare vases and lovely marbles, and the innumerable 
 knick-knacks that tempt the full purse. 
 
 The room into which the visitor was finally 
 ushered was furnished only with such things as 
 belong strictly to a place of business, — for Crozat 
 carried on a good share of his business at home. 
 The great man was seated at a writing-desk, but 
 rose at once and laid down his pen. He had a 
 reserved, thoughtful manner, and clearly was not 
 a man to be taken by storm. 
 
 The two had met before, and a moment or two 
 was spent in recapitulating their acquaintance. 
 Then Crozat waited, with his eyes on the visitor's 
 face. 
 
 " I am aware, monsieur le marquis," began 
 
94 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 Lauzun, blandly, " that to a man of large affairs, 
 like yourself, minutes are precious." 
 
 This was not contradicted. 
 
 '• Therefore I shall waste no time in circumlo- 
 cution," he continued, and instantly glimpsed the 
 fact that even these few words were set down as 
 superfluous by the strict judge of values who sat 
 opposite, and he hurried on, warned at last to 
 strip his thought naked. " I trust you will pardon 
 me if I say something which may indicate a seem- 
 ingly unwarrantable knowledge of your plans and 
 purposes." 
 
 Crozat raised a pair of discreet eyebrows. 
 
 " I refer, of course, to the Louisiana charter. 
 Such a gigantic enterprise, monsieur, must become 
 known to all the world sooner or later. With me 
 it happens to be sooner. For I may tell you that 
 I am in his Majesty's confidence in this matter, I 
 myself having a peculiar interest in those American 
 colonies ; though what I came here to talk with 
 you about, concerns your interests more than my 
 own. You are aware, of course, that the present 
 government of Louisiana is unsatisfactory, not 
 only to our government but to the colonists them- 
 selves, and you must know that it is very im- 
 portant to your interests to have this rectified." 
 
 Crozat's brows began to betoken an interest. 
 As a rule, he could not endure that any one should 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 95 
 
 presume to meddle in his affairs. But he had 
 been born a plebeian, and had a plebeian's re- 
 spect for the nobility; and Lauzun, of whose 
 private character he was ignorant, was very near 
 the throne. 
 
 " I know," he replied, opening his lips for the 
 first time, " things are not just as they should be 
 over there." 
 
 " There should be perfect harmony, monsieur," 
 said Lauzun, warmly, " not only between yourself 
 and the officers of the colony, but between those 
 officers and the people, else it would be unsafe 
 to intrust them with the vast sums you propose 
 to expend in your undertaking. Permit me to 
 offer you a hint, my dear marquis, from the stand- 
 point of an older man, one who has had much 
 experience of the crooks and blemishes of human 
 nature. The present incumbents, who have had 
 things their own way so long, scarcely recognizing 
 the authority of the king himself, will naturally 
 resent your authority, and in all likelihood try to 
 thwart rather than carry out your plans. Bien- 
 ville, as I happen to know, is a haughty, self- 
 willed man, who acknowledges no superior. He 
 was born in America, and cherishes a sentimental 
 patriotism for that country. He pays no attention 
 to the mines, — in fact, declares that there are no 
 mines there. He gives all his energies to agricul- 
 
96 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 ture and surface industries, and to civilizing the 
 barbarians, — think of that ! " 
 
 Crozat was giving the best of attention. 
 
 "Well," continued Lauzun, coming to the 
 awkward point, " I have not paid you this 
 visit merely to tell you these things, — which per- 
 haps you know fully as well as I, — but I wish 
 you to know that it is my knowledge of the 
 facts which leads me to make a certain pro- 
 posal to you." And out came the qualifications, 
 claims, pretension, and accomplishments of his be- 
 loved kinsman Cadillac, who surely had never 
 before sat for so flattering a portrait, not even 
 when Lauzun had first recommended him to the 
 king. 
 
 Crozat replied, with great smoothness but 
 an unmistakable finality of manner, that it wcis 
 impossible for him to pledge himself at that 
 moment, his plans were as yet immature, and 
 the appointing of a governor was a secondary 
 step. 
 
 Lauzun sprang to his feet with a gesture of 
 entire satisfaction. " I merely desire, my dear 
 marquis, to direct your attention to a worthy man," 
 he repHed. "I need only refer you to the king; 
 his Majesty is well aware how faithfully and com- 
 petently Monsieur Cadillac has always discharged 
 his public duties." And then, with an ingratiating 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 97 
 
 smile, " When the time is ripe, if you will kindly- 
 ad vise me — " 
 
 " With pleasure," responded Crozat ; and, con- 
 trary to custom, he accompanied the duke down- 
 stairs, and stood at the door until he entered his 
 carriage. 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 
 ST. DENIS mounted his horse and galloped to 
 Versailles. He took pains to skirt the beau- 
 tiful grounds belonging to the Duke of Alva's 
 residence, in the hope of catching a glimpse of 
 the Senorita Maria de Villescas,' — for the lovely 
 June weather, he argued, must tempt the ladies 
 out of doors, — but not a shimmer of woman's 
 draperies did he see, and he rode on to the 
 palace and paid his respects to the king; that is, 
 he spent some* tedious moments in the royal ante- 
 chamber, and saluted when his Majesty appeared. 
 Then he sought the quarters of Marechal Villars. 
 
 The great general was in his dressing-gown and 
 slippers. He sat in a deep arm-chair with his 
 lame leg, wrapped in flannel, laid across a stool. 
 There was a large table at his elbow, littered with 
 maps, charts, and papers. 
 
 Evidently his wound pained him, and he was in 
 a bad humor. But his face brightened at sight of 
 his visitor, whom he greeted cordially, and then 
 began to talk of affairs in Flanders, broke off sud- 
 denly, and inquired of St. Denis why he was not 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 99 
 
 in the army, and on the heels of the question 
 made him a flattering proposal. 
 
 St. Denis undertook modestly to explain his 
 position, and the mar^chal bore with him only 
 long enough to get the drift of his words, and then 
 cut in, impatiently snapping the fingers of both 
 hands and frowning ominously. 
 
 " Tut, tut, a man's first duty is to the parent 
 country, no matter where he happens to be born. 
 If accident had made China my birthplace, should 
 I cast in my lot with the pigtails? The parent 
 country is the trunk of the tree ; if the branches are 
 lopped off, no great damage is done, but if the 
 trunk is destroyed, everything perishes. Come, 
 you are first of all a Frenchman, and France calls 
 to you in her extremity, the same as to me and to 
 every soldier camping yonder on Flemish soil. I 
 tell you your duty is plain, plain as the nose on 
 your face. I wonder you cannot see it so ! " 
 
 His rugged features softened. " Faith, I have 
 taken a liking to you, St. Denis," he went on. " I 
 singled you out at the ball ; I said to myself that 
 there was a young man I must have on my staff." 
 
 St. Denis attempted a suitable acknowledgment; 
 but Villars, as though he had not heard, continued 
 his argument, — 
 
 " Military distinction usually has attractions for 
 youth, and there has never been a better oppor- 
 
loo The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 tunity than now for the young men of France to 
 distinguish themselves in the field." 
 
 He glanced at a military map spread out upon 
 the table and said petulantly : " I find myself in 
 such straits as, I verily believe, few commanders 
 have ever experienced in this world ! Over yon- 
 der, beyond Valenciennes lies a numerous and 
 perfectly equipped army, living on the fat of the 
 land, which I — as soon as this farce of a peace 
 parley is at an end — will be expected to confront 
 in the field, with my ill-fed and poorly clad troops. 
 I have just had the unexampled hardihood to lay 
 our affairs before the king in all their nakedness, 
 telling him of the lack of provisions, of the wretched 
 condition of our garrisons, our soldiers serving 
 without pay, — oh, do not look so astonished, my 
 friend, it is no secret, or rather it is an open secret, 
 though we try to put the best face on it we can. 
 But, holy saints ! what do I get for my frankness? 
 Anger, coldness, wilful unbelief. Is it not a strange 
 thing, monsieur, that kings do permit — nay, per- 
 suade themselves to become the dupes of their 
 own stubborn wills? They carefully examine the 
 reports that are brought to their ears, and pick 
 out only such as please them, — as one sorts over 
 a dish of sweetmeats and selects what suits his 
 palate. As though one may have choice oi facts! 
 I might as well believe only in my good leg, — then 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis loi 
 
 what would happen if I should undertake to run a 
 race?" 
 
 He smiled, — an acrid little smile that went not 
 far beyond the lips. 
 
 " The trait you speak of is not confined to kings, 
 is it, monsieur? " St. Denis answered. 
 
 "Well, let us include fools in the category," 
 growled the mar6chal. 
 
 He lowered his lame foot carefully to the floor, 
 and with the other kicked the stool out of his way 
 and got up and essayed to hobble about the room, 
 but gave it up and came back and sat down again 
 with a groan. 
 
 St. Denis inquired anxiously whether there was 
 anything he could do ; but the marechal, compress- 
 ing his lips, shook his head. 
 
 As soon as he was eased a little, he resumed his 
 theme. " We can do nothing, of course, until that 
 damned conference breaks up, and then, if things 
 turn out as I predict, we shall all think the devil 
 has broken loose. Oh, mon Dieu, my leg ! Will 
 you have the goodness to call that cursed valet of 
 mine, and tell him to come and rub my knee? " 
 
 St. Denis executed this commission and then 
 took his leave, the marechal urging him to come 
 again, and above all to think over what he had 
 said. 
 
 A little way out of the town St. Denis met a 
 
102 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 party of ladies and gentlemen on horseback, and 
 who should be among them but that exquisite 
 maid the Seriorita Maria, in a blue habit, with 
 white plumes on her hat ! 
 
 Her eyes- — those wonderful eyes — were brim- 
 ming over with excitement and pleasure, her lips 
 were wreathed with smiles, and her cheeks were 
 like the dawn for softness of color. 
 
 He reined in and saluted, and the gay cavalcade 
 clattered on, many of them smiling a recognition 
 as they passed. But as for him he saw only the 
 senorita. She rode a white horse, and he was 
 stepping daintily, and arching his neck as though 
 proudly conscious of the lovely burden he carried. 
 
 This picture St. Denis carried back with him to 
 the Hotel de Girond, and it occupied his mind to 
 the exclusion of everything else. Yet, pleasant as 
 this occupation was, he was very restless. He knew 
 not how to put in the time till he should see her 
 again. 
 
 To see her again and yet again was as far as his 
 thought ventured at present. 
 
 He went that night to the Palais Mazarin, which, 
 as has been said, was the one bit of the fashionable 
 world with which he was familiar. 
 
 And even this was not of the fashionable world, to 
 speak strictly, but a world apart, an aristocracy of 
 genius and culture, an intellectual and social 61ite. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 103 
 
 The usual company was there, — Fontenelle, La 
 Motte, the Marquis du Deffand, Madame Dacier, 
 Madame de Caylus, — Madame de Maintenon's 
 lovely niece, — and many other brilliant personages 
 who stamped their gracious individuality upon that 
 day and generation. 
 
 Madame de Caylus made a place for St. Denis 
 near herself, and explained that the topic at pres- 
 ent engaging the company was patriotism; and 
 St. Denis, having so lately heard Mardchal Villars 
 on that subject, prepared to give close attention. 
 But, alas ! an equestrian vision was continually 
 tangling itself up in the thread of the conversation 
 and distracting him in spite of himself He heard 
 as in a dream the voice of the famous author of 
 Entretiens sur la plurality des mondes : " At the 
 most we inhabit but a little planet, and shall we 
 be so infinitesimal as to embrace only a fraction of 
 it in our philanthropy, — shall we show ourselves 
 so narrow — " 
 
 The rest was lost, and presently another voice, 
 La Motte's : " Oho ! Fontenelle travels about so 
 much among the other worlds, and is on such terms 
 with the universe at large, that he has fallen into 
 the habit of simply referring to t/ie Earth as his 
 native land. Just as when I am in Marseilles or 
 Tours I talk in quite a proprietary way of Paris ; 
 when I go to Italy I enlarge my speech still further. 
 
I04 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 taking in the whole of France ; and should I visit 
 Asia or Africa — " 
 
 Oh, imperious vision, that puts itself before these 
 words of wit and wisdom, that eclipses with its 
 brilliancy these great stars shining all about, mak- 
 ing them seem like ordinary men and women, — 
 and a little tiresome at that ! 
 
 It was Madame Dacier next, and she ended with 
 an English couplet about a " httle house in a little 
 street that one calls home." 
 
 And again Fontenelle : " A mere selfish instinct, 
 madame. One is more comfortable in his accus- 
 tomed place, among his own people and belong- 
 ings, where he is not obliged to adjust himself 
 continually to new conditions and new idiosyn- 
 crasies. One becomes fond of the caprices of 
 his friends, but who can tolerate the whims of 
 strangers ? " 
 
 " Mon Dieu ! " — St. Denis pulled himself to- 
 gether, for this was Madame de Caylus at his 
 elbow. " Is patriotism then mere physical ease, 
 love of our own particular corner, our particular 
 stuffed chair? A cat, by that token, is a good 
 patriot." 
 
 " My dear madame," returned Fontenelle, " pa- 
 triotism is a very narrow virtue, only a little 
 broader than family loyalty. Jesus Christ was 
 not a good patriot." 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 105 
 
 "Sophistry!" cried she. "Shall I be called 
 narrow because I reverence the soil my forefathers 
 loved and fought for, the scenes they delighted in, 
 the tombs at which they wept and where now they 
 sleep?" 
 
 Some one beyond took this up, and the ball of 
 conversation being presently tossed to the farther 
 side of the room, and quite out of Madame de 
 Caylus's reach, St. Denis said to her, tete-a-tete, 
 " What if one's native land happens not to be a 
 country made sacred by the traditions of one's 
 ancestors ?" 
 
 " What do you mean? " she asked. 
 
 " I was born in America. If called upon to 
 choose between my native land and this, where, 
 think you, should I place my allegiance ? " 
 
 " What an unhappy dilemma ! " she cried. " It 
 is as though a man stood between his mother and 
 his child when both were in danger, — and the one 
 perhaps old and feeble, the other young and help- 
 less." 
 
 Fontenelle's ear caught this. "An excellent 
 simile, madame," said he, — " the one sinking into 
 her grave, the other full of the promises of life." 
 
 Madame de Caylus clapped her hands to her 
 ears. " Oh, I will not hear that," she replied. 
 " France is not an old woman in her dotage ; she 
 is a vigorous matron, with strong young sons at 
 
io6 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 her side, who will not desert her." She glanced 
 up at St. Denis with an affectionate smile. " I did 
 not know that you were foreign-born," she said, 
 " but no matter, I knight you a Frenchman ! " 
 And she laid her hand on his. 
 
 " I ask no better accolade," said he, and carried 
 the hand to his lips. 
 
 "What solemn ceremony is this?" exclaimed 
 Mademoiselle de Vichy-Chamrond ; but imme- 
 diately her attention was attracted elsewhere. 
 
 " This question of your allegiance must have cost 
 you a deal of worry, monsieur?" said Madame de 
 Caylus. 
 
 " None whatever," he replied ; " there has never 
 been the smallest question in my mind as to where 
 my duty lies." 
 
 " Ah, there spoke a true son of France ! " said 
 she. 
 
 " No, you mistake me, — allegiance means the 
 dedication of a man's sword, his services, and his 
 life. Mine are dedicated to America." 
 
 " Now you seem foreign and strange to me," 
 she said, drawing away from him with almost a 
 touch of coldness. Then she sighed. " Oh, the 
 world is in such a strange whirl ! When I was a 
 child, France was the universe, and all things were 
 stable, settled, eternal. Now those distant colonies, 
 those remote, barbarous lands, claim the loyalty 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 107 
 
 of such as you ! Mon Dieu, what are we coming 
 to!" 
 
 "To a broader humanity, it may be, madame," 
 replied Fontenelle. 
 
 It was early yet when St. Denis left the Palais 
 Mazarin, his mind overflowing, not with what 
 he had heard there, but with thoughts of an 
 angel in blue, mounted upon a spirited pal- 
 frey, with white plumes waving and black eyes 
 shining. 
 
 Blue or white, — which was the more becoming 
 to a little lady with black eyes and snowy skin 
 dashed with red in lip and cheek? And was a 
 little lady who had the most perfect figure and 
 proudest carriage in the world, more enchanting 
 in the saddle or in the dance ? Va ! was it at all 
 a question of what she wore or what she did? 
 No, the secret of her witchery was in herself. 
 Other women dressed in blue and in white, and 
 danced and rode horseback. But she, she only, 
 gave charm to color, to the dance, to everything 
 she was connected with. At the ball she was so 
 charming and yet so tantalizing ! Now she stood 
 yonder, and that place became illuminated; then 
 she was away brightening some other spot. One 
 must be continually following her about. Ah, if 
 he might follow her about all his life long ! — 
 
io8 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 What? The word seemed to be shot out of the 
 silence of the night. It brought him to a stand- 
 still. What, indeed! Was he in love, then, in 
 love with a woman to whom he could not speak 
 a single inteUigible syllable? But what of that? 
 Was love a matter of speech, or was it not rather 
 independent of all things? 
 
 In his secret soul he had always expected to be 
 in love sometime, — but not in this tumultuous 
 fashion, not swept off his feet and whirled away 
 into this perplexing maze of sensations, that made 
 him as one intoxicated and robbed of his ordinary 
 powers of judgment. 
 
 Of all the discouraging conditions that con- 
 fronted him as the suitor of a noble Spanish lady, 
 he took account of but one, — how was he to tell 
 her of his love and ask her to marry him ? — so 
 bold already was his new-fledged thought. 
 
 A great rapture possessed him, and he knew 
 not the flight of time nor whither his footsteps 
 tended. 
 
 It was a night for dreaming. The sky was 
 unclouded and the moon swinging clear of the 
 horizon. Dew sparkled on the grass and scant 
 shrubbery, and brought out the fragrance of the 
 flowers, and the city was strangely quiet. 
 
 Presently afar up the street the silence was 
 broken by a jocund voice, — 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 109 
 
 " Oh, bear me to the paths of gay pell mell ; 
 Safe are thy walks, pleasant is thy smell." 
 
 The voice let itself out freely, and seemed to 
 fill all space with its careless melody. St. Denis 
 felt its reverberations in his inmost heart, curling 
 like incense about the lovely image he had so 
 lately enshrined there. 
 
 Soon Jallot was beside him, asking in surprise 
 what he did there. 
 
 He replied that he had been to the Palais 
 Mazarin. 
 
 " Jesu, they keep late hours," said Jallot. " I my- 
 self have been attending a patient. 'Tis verging 
 on to-morrow." 
 
 They walked on together. St. Denis's thoughts 
 reverted to the discussion at the Palais Mazarin, 
 and he asked, " Pierre, do you count yourself 
 English or French ? " 
 
 " 'T is a mooted question," replied Jallot, shrug- 
 ging his shoulders. " To-night I am an English- 
 man, to-morrow I shall be French." 
 
 "Why does your English blood assert itself 
 to-night?" 
 
 " God knows ! But 't is ever so, my night 
 memories of England are the stronger. Perhaps," 
 he added more softly, " it is because I am always 
 reminded of my mother when the moon and stars 
 are shining, for we used to walk abroad then. My 
 
I lo The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 father kept a little shop not far from our home, 
 and stayed there evenings ; and about nine 
 o'clock my mother, who managed to keep me 
 awake till then by all manner of pleasant wiles, — 
 for she was very young and timid, and afraid to go 
 out alone after dark, — would take me by the 
 hand and lead me over to the shop in order to 
 walk home with my father, whom she loved even 
 better than she did me, if it were possible. And 
 we turned our faces upward to the sky, and she 
 would say little verses about the moon and the 
 stars, and assure me that heaven was up there 
 somewhere. Ah me ! I remember the very smells 
 that were in the air, so pungent on summer 
 nights, and the strange noises that often made us 
 take to our heels, our hearts beating like drums. 
 And in the autumn, when the hoar-frost glistened 
 on the stiff grass, how briskly we trudged along, 
 my small hand snuggled in hers, the cold biting 
 my nose almost to the point of making me cry. 
 But how adroitly she kept my courage up, — 
 ' Never mind, sonny, we 're 'most there now ; sonny 
 is a brave little boy ! ' 
 
 " Of course I have other recollections," con- 
 tinued Jallot, putting away these precious ones 
 with a sigh. " I once played valet and barber to 
 our good monk Abb6 Gautier, when he went to 
 England about one of those secret missions of 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 1 1 1 
 
 diplomacy they employ him on. I lived for a 
 while with the poet Prior, and saw much of the 
 great St. John, who is the gayest bird I know. 
 Mon Dieu ! fine times we had o' nights then, 
 always o' nights, waking up the dirty tritons 
 on the stairs and making them row us on the 
 Thames." 
 
 He broke off and sang lustily, — 
 
 " ' When drapers' smugged apprentices 
 With exchange girls most jolly, 
 After shop was shut and all, 
 Could sail up to the Folly.' 
 
 " Folly was the name of an old barge moored 
 opposite Whitehall, and turned into a pleasure 
 resort for the commoners. St. John and the poet 
 would dance and drink wine with the pretty girls, 
 and sometimes, along o' that, they fell into a 
 scuffle with the 'prentices, and ran much risk of 
 getting broken heads. But the great man has a 
 pretty manner and a smooth tongue, and gold in 
 his pockets, and so — " 
 
 But St. Denis's thoughts had wandered hope- 
 lessly from these reminiscences, which he usually 
 found very entertaining. He stopped abruptly on 
 the walk and balked Jallot at high tide, as it were, 
 by clapping a hand upon his shoulder and 
 exclaiming, — 
 
112 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 " Pierre, it is not late ; come over to the 
 Hotel de Girond and teach me a little Spanish, 
 write me out some lessons, will you ? " 
 
 Jallot's eyes twinkled. "Why, no, it is not 
 late," said he ; " in fact, 't is rather early, the sun is 
 not up yet." 
 
CHAPTER X 
 
 THE next day was Saturday, and St. Denis 
 put in all the morning — for he was up 
 betimes, notwithstanding he had gone to bed at 
 dawn — conning the lessons Jallot had prepared 
 for him; and by the time he was ready to set 
 out for the fete-champ^tre, he felt himself fairly 
 equipped for the delightful encounter toward 
 which all this study tended. 
 
 He drove to Versailles in a fiacre, and turned 
 himself out in the palace gardens as from a band- 
 box. 
 
 The scene must have charmed him even with- 
 out its greatest attraction, the seiiorita, — she was 
 there, he made sure of that first of all ; and she 
 was more beautiful than ever, though her dress 
 was neither white nor blue, but a mixture of several 
 colors harmoniously blended. She carried a long 
 spray of blood-red flowers, with which she toyed 
 as Spanish ladies are wont to toy with a fan. 
 
 The sun was dazzling, and every one sought the 
 shade of trees or of the gayly decked pavilions... 
 
 The Italian orchestra was hidden in the orange 
 grove. The water tinkled and plashed in the 
 
1 14 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 fountains, the parterres of flowers filled all the 
 place with fragrance and gave a gorgeous chro- 
 matic effect to the scene. The grass, smooth- 
 shorn and thick, was as velvet to the feet. 
 
 It was a very large gathering. Many were there 
 from the city, some from Meudon, the Duchesse 
 du Maine with all her gay following from Sceaux. 
 
 The Duchess of Burgundy was, as always, the 
 prevailing spirit, attentive to every one, looking 
 out for every one's comfort and pleasure, seeming 
 to be in a dozen places at once. St. Denis made 
 his way to her and then to the Comtesse de 
 Careno, whose lovely niece was at her side. 
 
 He made his bow to the little lady, and at once 
 began to put in practice his new linguistic ac- 
 complishment. 
 
 " Cuanto me alegro de ver a V., Senorita de 
 Villescas," was his first frank venture ; and he took 
 care that no single syllable was slighted. 
 
 " De veras 1 " cried she, and looked at him with 
 astonished eyes that quickly brimmed with merri- 
 ment. And from her rosy lips there fell a torrent 
 of silvery Castilian as delicious to his ears as a 
 nightingale's song. He did not know whether she 
 said in words that she was glad, too, to see him, 
 but he fancied that this was in her eyes and in the 
 accents of her voice. So he struggled on, telling 
 her with great precision that he was happy to see 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis nj 
 
 her looking so well, and that those flowers in her 
 hand were very beautiful. And then, having ex- 
 hausted all the phrases that were of a personal 
 character, he proceeded to tell her, at little inter- 
 vals, that it was a fine day, that it was pleasant 
 to walk abroad on a fine day, and did not she like 
 to walk abroad on a fine day ? Jallot had perhaps 
 been too conservative in preparing his primer 
 lesson,, or else he had forgotten or had misgivings 
 concerning some parts of it, and thought best to 
 continue working his one sure adjective. He re- 
 marked that Paris was a fine city, the Seine was 
 a fine river, and so on ad infinitum. And in be- 
 tween these studied phrases came her voluble, 
 incomprehensible replies, mingled with irrepres- 
 sible, exquisite laughter. 
 
 He could not have conceived of a more thor- 
 oughly delightful situation. But he was fast coming 
 to the end of his tether. He racked his memory 
 and brought forth another expression, forgetting 
 that Jallot had cautioned him about the use 
 of it. 
 
 " Que hermosa eres ! " he burst out, and the 
 senorita blushed stormily and added a full inch 
 to her height. 
 
 Madame de Caylus, who stood near, talking to 
 some other lady, turned her face toward him, 
 arched her brows, and smiled oddly. 
 
ii6 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 " Mon Dieu, madame, what have I done ? " cried 
 he. 
 
 She shook her head, "You should not pay such 
 bold compliments, Monsieur St. Denis ! " 
 
 " But what did I say? Indeed, madame, I am 
 as ignorant as a parrot. Surely mademoiselle 
 understood that I was merely rehearsing my little 
 lesson — my very first lesson in Spanish. I beg 
 you to explain, tell her I had no thought of saying 
 an improper thing, — and I implore her to pardon 
 me!" 
 
 She complied. But this scarcely mended mat- 
 ters. For the seiiorita tossed her head proudly, 
 and answered that the Sefior St. Denis was quite 
 welcome to take back his silly compHments. 
 
 " But assure her that I do not wish to take them 
 back," he protested ; " I would prefer to multiply 
 them ten times over." 
 
 Kind Madame de Caylus concealed her amuse- 
 ment, and interpreted this so adroitly that the 
 peace was presently restored. 
 
 Sometime later it occurred to her that the 
 Comtesse de Careilo was a singularly careless 
 chaperon, and she purposely directed her attention 
 to the happy pair. 
 
 But the countess answered lightly, — 
 
 " Youth must have its pleasures, dear friend." 
 And then explained confidentially that her niece's 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 117 
 
 future was already settled, that she was to marry 
 a young Navarrese, Don Gaspardo de Anaya, 
 whom her father's sister, the Doiia Romelio, had 
 obligingly picked out for her. 
 
 " But Maria's father, Don Pedro, is very indul- 
 gent ; he will let her take her own time," added 
 the countess. 
 
 " Then I fear Don Gaspardo will wait a long 
 while for his bride, if he does not lose her en- 
 tirely," returned Madame de Caylus, " for yonder 
 surely is a case of love'' 
 
 " Eh bien, the blame will fall upon me," laughed 
 the countess, " and I may look to be stabbed or 
 poisoned ; for Dona Romelio is most determined 
 about the match, for some dark reason of her own. 
 She is a perfect cabinet of secrets." 
 
 " I infer that you and she are not the best of 
 friends," said Madame de Caylus. 
 
 " Friends ! My dear, we detest each other, and 
 take a wicked pleasure in thwarting each other, — 
 strategetically ; there is never open warfare, on the 
 surface our relations are beautiful. ^Dona Romelio 
 would have had Maria married at fourteen if I had 
 not had some influence with Don Pedro. She was 
 frightfully angry because he permitted her to come 
 with me here. But" I am very fond of my niece, 
 she is the only child of my sister who is dead." 
 
 The countess paid the tribute of a sigh to the 
 
ii8 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 memory of her dead sister, and then remarked, 
 " This St. Denis, he is of good family I am told?" 
 
 Madame de Caylus answered loyally that there 
 was no better blood in France, and that St. Denis 
 himself was no discredit to his name. 
 
 St. Denis took leave of the senorita that evening 
 with the determination to put in his every spare 
 moment learning the Spanish tongue. He would 
 prepare himself so that he need not come into her 
 presence and keep his lips closed like a dumb man, 
 — though even that situation had its fascinations, 
 as he had proved. 
 
 The versatile and obliging Jallot continued his 
 oflfice of teacher, and marveled at his pupil's 
 progress. 
 
 "You have a gift for acquiring languages, men 
 ami," declared he. 
 
 " No, I have simply a motive," St. Denis an- 
 swered. 
 
 "Then give me a motive in preference to 
 genius," said Jallot, " for no natural-born linguist 
 was ever quicker at grasping a foreign tongue 
 than you and that great statesman, St. John. He 
 mastered Spanish in six weeks, in order to fill a 
 diplomatic appointment. No interpreters for him, 
 mark you ; he will have nothing at second hand." 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 
 AND meantime St. Denis came to be regularly 
 looked upon as a courtier, — though for 
 himself he regarded the court principally in the 
 light of the Seiiorita Maria's pleasant environment, 
 a fact that was patent to the dullest observer. But 
 no one took exception. That " all the world loves 
 a lover" was amply verified in his case. He 
 moved in the lambent light of approbation, of 
 kindly indulgence, — and, it must be admitted, did 
 very little in return. 
 
 However, that ennuied and somewhat dis- 
 heartened society did not expect its idols to do, 
 but to be. Which means more than appears at 
 the first blush. To be — a delight to the eye, a 
 stimulant to the imagination, the very incarnation 
 of hope, of love, of aspiration and enthusiasm, and 
 faith in God and man, — in a word to be a pulse- 
 quickener. 
 
 St. Denis was' at Maria's side continually, some- 
 limes on horseback, — which was their greatest 
 delight, — but oftenest at fetes and balls, for 
 one entertainment followed fast upon the heels 
 of another. 
 
I20 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 And the Comtesse de Carefio was oblivious, and 
 Madame de Caylus began to suspect that she 
 was planning a grand coup against her arch enemy 
 the Dona Romelio, — a deplorable thing from the 
 standpoint of St. Denis's friends, of whom Madame 
 de Caylus was one assuredly. But she had too much 
 delicacy, and indeed too much wisdom, to interpose. 
 
 She was heartily glad when the time drew near 
 for the Spanish visitors to take their departure. 
 
 And St. Denis, on the other hand, prayed for a 
 prophet to turn backward the shadow on the dial 
 of Ahaz. 
 
 And strange as it may appear to those of little 
 faith, his prayer was answered. Not miraculously, 
 but according to the nature of things in this 
 world. The chain of golden days had dropped 
 almost its last link, — in fact it was the evening of 
 the last day but one before that appointed for the 
 exodus, that the Due de Noailles drew St. Denis 
 aside and put this astounding question. 
 
 " How would it please you, St. Denis, to go on 
 a little journey to Spain?" 
 
 " Monsieur ! " The blood rushed to St. Denis's 
 face. Chaffing was a thing he could not endure 
 with a good grace, and the Due de Noailles had 
 never before ventured upon a familiarity. 
 
 "The king has deputed me to escort these 
 honored guests home to Madrid," explained de 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 121 
 
 Noailles, unconscious of offence. " And I will tell 
 you frankly that I solicit your company in order to 
 provide against a stupid and solitary return trip." 
 
 " Indeed you do me a very great honor, mon- 
 sieur le due," St. Denis answered with a complete 
 change of front. " I am at a loss how to express 
 my appreciation," 
 
 " Actions are more eloquent than speech," re- 
 turned the duke, smiling; " accept my invitation, 
 and I shall not doubt your sincerity." 
 
 St. Denis accepted with all his heart, and spent 
 every instant of the intervening time making his 
 preparations. And Jallot, who was to accompany 
 him, did likewise. 
 
 Except when they consulted together about this 
 or that, each was absorbingly occupied with his 
 own thoughts. Jallot, who loved travel, specu- 
 lated about the new scenes and experiences in 
 prospect. And St. Denis indulged in visions of 
 himself riding beside the seiiorita's carriage for 
 days at a stretch, of helping her to alight, of lying 
 at her feet in shady places when they stopped to 
 rest, of bringing her wild flowers from the dells 
 and cool drinks from the mountain streams, — in 
 short, of living in her presence continually and 
 sharing in every little incident of her life. 
 
 He knew that he had nothing to fear from the 
 Comtesse de CareSo, who was kindness itself so far 
 
122 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 as he was concerned. And Maria — well, they had a 
 perfect understanding now, and she was as happy as 
 himself at this most unexpected turn in their affairs. 
 
 " Of course," St. Denis assured her, when they 
 talked it over, " I should have followed you pres- 
 ently, but this is a thousand times better." 
 
 The Due de Noailles took occasion to say to 
 St. Denis : " I do not mind telling you that we are 
 going on a secret mission of diplomacy. What- 
 ever is done by a king, a courtier, or a politician, 
 St. Denis, has, you may be sure, two separate 
 motives, — one lying frankly exposed on the sur- 
 face, the other hiding itself with the devil's own 
 cunning. Now we shall make a fine show of 
 giving these people courteous escort. Our sub- 
 motive — which is the real object of this polite 
 attention — is to correct any false impressions 
 they may carry back to their youthful sovereigns 
 relative to the king's intentions toward them. It 
 was designed to afford no opportunity for a word 
 on that subject while the visitors were here, but 
 that clever countess — a charming creature, indeed ! 
 — outwitted Madame de Maintenon and got the 
 king's ear and surprised his real feelings. So 
 now I am to counteract that unlucky incident, and 
 give a decided negative to Philip's appeal for aid. 
 Spain must look out for herself." 
 
 " Is it possible ! " cried St. Denis. " Then 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 123 
 
 Spain's condition is surely hopeless." And he 
 had some wild thought of trying to prevent the 
 Senorita de Villescas from returning thither — to 
 be devoured by the red dragon of war ! 
 
 To some members of the party the journey 
 might have been monotonous. But to the lovers 
 it was full of memorable events, — as the finding 
 of a bird's nest, with tiny eggs in it, in the furze 
 bushes near Angouleme. 
 
 Even the picking of a wayside flower to hand 
 through the carriage window was a thing to be 
 set down in St. Denis's diary. And as for Maria, 
 she pressed the flower between the leaves of her 
 prayer-book. 
 
 And all the while he was perfecting his knowl- 
 edge of her language, and his love-making kept 
 pace with his learning. 
 
 He could now say with bold intention, " Que 
 hermosa eres," and she would answer with demure 
 piety that if she was beautiful, the dear saints had 
 made her so in order that he might love her; 
 and then he would protest that it was not her 
 attributes but her divine self that he worshipped. 
 
 She told him not a word about Don Gaspardo 
 de Anaya until the last day of the journey; and 
 then it was but a slender story, to which he gave 
 no thought, further than to congratulate himself 
 upon being preferred to this unknown suitor. 
 
CHAPTER XII 
 
 THE house, or palace, of Don Pedro de Vil- 
 lescas was very old, and everything about 
 it betokened broken fortunes. 
 
 But there was a delightful garden, an unkempt 
 wilderness of fruit trees, shrubbery, and flowers, 
 and vines rioting over walls and trellises. 
 
 Jallot and St. Denis were lodged in a house 
 whose grounds were separated from this enchant- 
 ing garden only by a low stone partition. 
 
 The two places had belonged originally to mem- 
 bers of the same family, and a high wall, enclosing 
 both, cut them off from the street on all sides. 
 
 St. Denis went immediately to pay his respects 
 to Maria's father and her formidable aunt. 
 
 The latter made so profound an impression 
 upon him that he found it difficult to dismiss her 
 from his mind. She was a tall thin woman, very 
 erect, with a pale olive complexion, and large, 
 sombre, haunting eyes, deep-set beneath arching 
 brows. 
 
 It was impossible to believe that she ever smiled, 
 — and indeed Madame de Careno assured him 
 there was not even a tradition to that effect. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 125 
 
 Her dress, dead-black, suggested the cloister, 
 the garments hanging in still folds that seemed 
 to exhale mysteries. Her head was swathed in 
 black lace. 
 
 She moved noiselessly, and — this was St. Denis's 
 curious feeling — as though at the head of invisible 
 legions. Her entrance into a room always had 
 the effect of a surprise. Which was one of the 
 Comtesse de Careiio's grievances against her. The 
 countess, who always announced her coming with 
 a lively step, an anticipatory greeting, a rustle of 
 silk, declared that a noiseless footfall was more 
 trying to her nerves than the tramp of a regiment. 
 
 Don Pedro made excuse of a slight indisposi- 
 tion to receive his visitor in his dressing-room. 
 
 Even in neglige he was a superb-looking man, 
 tall and erect like his sister, but with a slight ten- 
 dency to corpulence. His skin was ruddy, and 
 his dark eyes peculiarly soft and limpid. At times 
 there was a touch of wistfulness in the eyes, as 
 though he begged the world to leave him in peace 
 and not be too hard upon him. One had only to 
 look at his plump hands, with their delicate, taper- 
 ing fingers, to know that he was not made for hard 
 knocks. 
 
 He greeted St. Denis with great dignity and 
 equally great cordiality, and with the ease of a 
 thoroughly cultured man glided at once into a 
 
126 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 delightful stream of talk; — as though he said, 
 " Come, if we are to voyage together for half an 
 hour, let us set sail and not waste the time in 
 preliminaries." 
 
 He chose subjects entirely foreign to the gossip 
 of the day. In fact, the gossip of the day, of 
 which the war was of course the principal theme, 
 was distasteful to him, and he purposely avoided it. 
 
 Physically he was the most indolent of men, and 
 a lover of harmony and quiet. Books were his 
 occupation, his dissipation. Especially did he 
 revel in the old poets, BoScan Almogaver, Gar- 
 cilasso, and in the old monastic scholars. 
 
 But with all his indolence and amiability, Don 
 Pedro de Villescas was not lacking in the usual 
 Spanish traits of pride and obstinacy, as, alas ! 
 St. Denis learned the instant he ventured to broach 
 the subject uppermost in his heart. 
 
 Don Pedro answered him as if from a lofty 
 height, and with a serene finality that made fur- 
 ther discussion impossible, — 
 
 " My daughter's hand is already disposed of, 
 senor." 
 
 But, whether he supposed that these words had 
 smothered the suitor's aspirations, or from mere 
 indolent good-nature, he put no restrictions upon 
 the young people. 
 
 It might have been that confidence in Maria 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 127 
 
 was the ground of his indulgence. For there 
 proved to be in her, as St. Denis presently dis- 
 covered, a vein of that same adamant which char- 
 acterized her father and her aunt. She loved him, 
 that she freely confessed, yet she would never 
 marry him without her father's consent. But — 
 she would never marry any but him. 
 
 This was the situation St. Denis was obliged to 
 face. And discouraging as it seemed, he y&i found 
 in it good ground for hope. 
 
 The great thing, he assured himself, was to win 
 a woman's love. The rest should be easy. 
 
 To Maria he said, — 
 
 " Never fear, querida, it will all come right, — 
 it must, I have faith in my destiny." 
 
 And when she with childish awe asked what he 
 meant, he replied, — 
 
 " I hardly know how to explain. It seems to 
 me that the life of each of us has its recurrent 
 rhythm, — that what happens to an individual once 
 will happen again and again, in different forms 
 and in different degrees, — and one must calculate 
 his chances of success or failure on the aggregate 
 of these happenings. This man's experiences will 
 be monotonous year after year, and that man's 
 varied. One may have round after round of tri- 
 umphs, another round after round of failures. I 
 have been in peril of death three times, — once from 
 
128 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 fire, once from savages, and the third time from 
 shipwreck." 
 
 " Oh ! " she cried with a shudder, " do you 
 mean that you must always be coming face to 
 face with death?" 
 
 "What matter, if I continue to survive?" he 
 answered. " Of course I do not say that I bear 
 a charmed Hfe, but only that my chances are bet- 
 ter than — if I had succumbed the first time." 
 
 The poor jest evoked but the ghost of a smile. 
 
 " A gypsy told my fortune once," he continued. 
 " ' Holy Marie ! ' cried she, looking at my hand, 
 ' at every turn in your life, monsieur, the Fates 
 will start up with drawn swords and cry, " On 
 Guard ! " ' And though I believe little in fortune- 
 tellers, the warning sticks by me, — I shall be 
 ready for those terrible Fates, never fear, querida ! " 
 And he smiled, with the high bright look that she 
 loved. 
 
 The Comtesse de Careno's house was closed 
 because of her husband's absence in the army, 
 and she was staying at Don Pedro's. 
 
 For once she laid herself out to be agreeable 
 to Dona Romelio. She talked to her by the 
 hour about what she had seen and heard at Ver- 
 sailles, — discovering to her surprise that the 
 monkish old woman had a keen appetite for gos- 
 sip. Especially did she prick up her ears at every 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 129 
 
 tidbit concerning Madame de Maintenon. She 
 was curious about her dress, her personal appear- 
 ance, her occupations, and examined minutely the 
 patterns which the countess had copied from her 
 embroideries. 
 
 All this that the lovers might enjoy uninter- 
 rupted tete-a-tetes in the garden ! 
 
 But the countess had other matters in hand 
 also. Directly after her return she hastened to 
 the royal palace and was closeted with the Prin- 
 cesse des Ursins, who had been awaiting her ar- 
 rival with the greatest impatience. And the story 
 she told sent that imperious lady flying to the 
 youthful sovereigns, to whom she triumphantly 
 proclaimed that King Louis's heart was not hard- 
 ened against Spain, — a fact from which everything 
 was to be hoped ! 
 
 Consequently, the harsh message of the Due de 
 Noailles, coming a little later, produced no great 
 effect. There was a solemn assemblage of the 
 grandees, and the astute and polished Count of 
 Frigiliana drew up a memorial, which all signed, 
 imploring more boldly and insistently than ever 
 the protection and support of France. The one 
 thing specified being that the Duke of Vendome, 
 then in high disgrace at the French court for his 
 scandalous treatment of the Dauphin, should be 
 sent to take command of the Spanish forces. For 
 
I30 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 whatever his .personal blemishes, Vendome was 
 believed to be a great general. 
 
 In addition, Philip himself made an affectionate 
 filial appeal in a private letter to his royal grand- 
 father. 
 
 These documents the Due de Noailles was 
 requested to carry back with him to the French 
 court. 
 
CHAPTER XIII 
 
 DOWN to his very last evening in Madrid St. 
 Denis had not met Don Gaspardo de 
 Anaya, and now an uncharitable fate brought 
 them together. 
 
 Naturally the lovers were spending that last 
 precious evening in the garden where they had 
 passed so many happy hours. They were moving 
 slowly side by side, talking little, thinking unutter- 
 able things, their hearts trembling on the narrow 
 line between joy and sadness, for the parting was 
 so near. 
 
 Suddenly on the path above them appeared the 
 fine figure of a cavalry officer. 
 
 Maria started and cried out in a hard metallic 
 voice, singularly unlike her usual dulcet tones, 
 " Ah, Seiior Gaspardo ! " — the words intended 
 more as an explanation to the man at her side 
 than as a greeting to the Navarrese. And she 
 added coldly, " You are a great stranger." 
 
 He took his cue adroitly. " A thousand par- 
 dons, senorita, if I have seemed to neglect you ! " 
 he replied, and went on, entirely disregarding her 
 companion : " 'T is one of the hardest things in a 
 
132 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 soldier's life to crush down his heart's desires. ] 
 have but this moment returned from Valladolid, — 
 see, I have not taken time to change my dress ! 
 Will you not forgive me, querida?" 
 
 " Querida ! " St. Denis moved back a pace. 
 
 " Pray do not imagine that I was reproving you, 
 senor," answered Maria, in that same hard voice 
 that sounded so strangely to St. Denis, yet pleased 
 him mightily to hear. 
 
 " And if you did reprove me," returned Gas- 
 pardo, approaching her, " Spain, your only rival 
 in my heart, would plead for me." 
 
 She retreated, answering with a nervous little 
 laugh, " Indeed, senor, I have no wish to rival 
 Spain in the hearts of her soldiers ! " 
 
 He was about to make some gallant reply, but 
 she turned quickly and addressed St. Denis, and 
 somehow effected an introduction between them, 
 which they acknowledged with mutual frigidity. 
 
 The Seiiorita de Villescas had the tact of her 
 sex and her race, but the moment was too difficult 
 even for her. St. Denis relieved it by taking his 
 departure. He walked for hours, hither and 
 thither, no matter where, in a high state of ex- 
 citement, first entertaining with a fierce pleasure, 
 and then combating, with all the power of his 
 judgment, these unreasonably perturbed feelings. 
 
 Excepting the odious governor of the Bastille, 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 133 
 
 he had never in his life before felt such an antipa- 
 thy toward mortal man as he now felt toward this 
 suddenly materialized and very vivid Gaspardo de 
 Anaya, who up to this moment had been but the 
 vague shadow of a man, darkening now and then 
 the bright life of his beloved. 
 
 Here indeed was no shadow, to be lightly 
 brushed aside, — as he had confidently repre- 
 sented to the ofttimes sceptical Maria, telling her 
 that Gaspardo, as a man of honor and notoriously 
 proud, would assuredly withdraw his suit as soon 
 as he should see how his case stood. 
 
 No, Gaspardo was an individual to be reckoned 
 with, — an individual to measure swords with, it 
 might be. Well, that would not be bad. 
 
 He returned to his lodgings. 
 
 The capable Jallot was sitting over a candle 
 mending his hose ; and St. Denis, throwing him- 
 self into a chair, asked if he knew at what hour 
 the duke proposed to set off. 
 
 "He vaay propose to set off at peep of dawn," 
 replied Jallot, " but I doubt if he gets started by 
 noon. You may have observed that his grace is a 
 man of slow habits. We were a mortal time getting 
 over here, all because he would lie abed mornings 
 and smoke a dozen pipes at noontimes." 
 
 " I did not find the journey tedious," said St. 
 Denis. 
 
134 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 " No ? " Jallot grinned. " Well, no more did I. 
 There was much to see. Holy saints, there is 
 much to see here ! What devils of patriots these 
 Spanish are, — down to the very lowest, the beg- 
 gars, the banditti even, the very babes in the 
 cradles. I have been into all sorts of places, — 
 my surgeon's tools are my passport. Yesterday 
 I mended a broken leg for a poor wretch that had 
 got himself into trouble, — Spanish bones are the 
 same as other men's ; and to-day I visited a sick 
 old woman. Jesu, what a scene was that ! Some 
 kind lady had sent the hag a plate of fresh 
 fruit, — it made one's mouth water to look at it, 
 so fine and juicy. Her eyes lighted up, and she 
 took a piece in her palsied fingers and was carry- 
 ing it to her toothless lips, when suddenly, with 
 what you might call a spasm of anguished .self- 
 denial, she put it back. ' Take it away, take it 
 away ! ' she cried in her shrill voice ; ' go sell it 
 in the market-place and put the money yonder in 
 my cracked pitcher to give to our good queen.' 
 Her daughter, or maybe granddaughter, who 
 stood holding the plate, burst into tears and be- 
 sought her to eat just one little red plum. But, 
 ' No, no,' cried she, ' shall I feast and let Spain 
 perish?' 
 
 " Every pistole that can be scraped up is saved 
 and given to their Majesties for carrying on the 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 135 
 
 war. Patriotism, or that which they conceive to 
 be patriotism, — which is neither more nor less 
 than a most vicious hatred of foreigners, — is a 
 rehgion with them, a fanaticism. Every one lays 
 a duty upon his conscience, and is as honest with 
 himself as the starving mother who takes the bite 
 out of her mouth and gives it to her famishing 
 child. Or if one shows himself not equal to this 
 passion of sacrifice, he is summarily punished. 
 This very morning I saw a gang of little ruffians 
 fall upon one of their number and beat him most 
 barbarously, he bawling at the top of his voice, 
 ' Que ma matan ! que ma matan ! ' I learned 
 from one of the juvenile mob that the wretch had 
 filched a coin from his own savings-box and 
 squandered it for bon-bons. Such meanness was 
 not to be tolerated, and I doubt if that infant Cas- 
 tilian ever recovers prestige among his fellows. 
 This evening I saw him again, hovering along the 
 wall, abject and forsaken, the little patriots jeering 
 him at a distance, calling out that he was a Portu- 
 guese, a Catalan ! So in my opinion," Jallot gath- 
 ered up his belongings and made ready to retire 
 to his own apartment, " it will be a long day 
 before the doughty Germans and my English half- 
 brothers succeed in their little game of ousting 
 Philip ; and even if they should succeed, diable, 
 were I the Archduke Charles I 'd challenge Lucifer 
 
136 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 for his unenviable seat rather than try to rule 
 here in Madrid ! " 
 
 St. Denis had listened at first with lax attention, 
 but in the end his interest became intense. And 
 Jallot had no more than quitted the room when he 
 started up with the wild thought, " Sacr6 ! why 
 should not I myself join King Philip's army?" 
 And with that his blood was on fire. 'Twas a 
 noble cause, indeed, whose righteousness none 
 might question. For here was a distracted people 
 fighting for native land and a beloved monarch, 
 against hateful aggressors. Was it not the part 
 of a chivalrous man to offer the service of his sword 
 to the oppressed, to help to wrest a nation's liberty 
 from the hand of alien tyranny, even though that 
 nation was not his own ? Could anything be finer 
 than this ? It was a thought to warm the blood, 
 to expand the soul. 
 
 And then — and then, was there any better 
 way to prove himself worthy of Maria in her 
 father's eyes than by throwing himself into this 
 war? 
 
 But what of that principle of which he had been 
 so profoundly convinced only a short while ago, 
 which had made him firmly and rather loftily 
 refuse his sword to France? He had used it as a 
 foil against the ardent overtures of ViUars. But 
 now, what was it that Fontenelle had said, — that 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 137 
 
 no man could be a patriot and a true humanitarian, 
 that all men were one flesh and should love and 
 help one another? How just and beautiful these 
 sentiments ! 
 
 So ran his thought. And he did not forget that 
 the course he had now so suddenly determined 
 upon was utterly at variance with the expectations 
 of his family. However, a man could not sufi"er 
 himself to be enslaved by family obligations, there 
 must be some play of the individual. Besides, the 
 Lemoynes were a chivalrous race, they would not 
 fail to understand. And then, if Jallot's conclusions 
 could be depended upon, the struggle would be 
 brief perhaps, and end gloriously. And he should 
 have gained everything and lost nothing, for what 
 were a few months in a man's whole abundant 
 lifetime ! 
 
 Thus he argued with himself and made up his 
 mind irrevocably. He went to the window over- 
 looking the Villescas garden, and gazed at the 
 silent mansion, bathed in moonlight, within which 
 his beloved was sleeping, — or perhaps lying awake 
 thinking of to-morrow's parting, her pillow wet 
 with tears. How quickly he should dry those 
 tears ! 
 
 He rose betimes in the morning, and went to 
 pay a visit to the duke, who was not up yet, but 
 came out presently, half-dressed and in robust 
 
138 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 spirits. " Hi, you are an early bird, my friend ! " 
 he shouted. 
 
 St. Denis answered that the importance of hi& 
 business must be his apology. 
 
 " Apology ! Apologies accord ill with pleas- 
 urable things, monsieur, and what could be more 
 pleasant than your own agreeable company? " 
 
 He went on with his dressing, begged St. Denis 
 to be seated, commanded his valet to bring coffee, 
 and expressed an interest in the business to which 
 he was indebted for the happiness of this visitation. 
 
 Then, as St. Denis made known his determina- 
 tion, supporting it with all that Jallot had said to 
 him the previous evening, he stared, puckered his 
 brows, ejaculated, shook his head. 
 
 " I have no great love for the Spanish people," 
 he said, " and but little faith in the success of their 
 cause, as you know. But I can sympathize with 
 you, my friend ; I know what a fool, what a rash, 
 happy fool, a man can be at twenty ! " 
 
 St. Denis colored at this unexpected turn, and 
 the duke continued, — 
 
 " You understand, of course, that I cannot leave 
 you here ; they will count noses when I go back, 
 and yours is one that would be missed, eh? There 
 have been many desertions from the French to the 
 Spanish army, and the king has winked at them. 
 But he would not wink at them now. I give it you 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 139 
 
 in confidence, monsieur, that the sooner the 
 Spanish sceptre is wrested from Phihp's hand the 
 better it will please Madame de Maintenon, ergo 
 the king." 
 
 " Is it possible?" St. Denis cried aghast. 
 
 " Hst ! Spain is to France as a putrid thumb on 
 a man's hand, at this moment, — and you know 
 what the surgeons advise in such a case. How- 
 ever," he made a gesture as though throwing off a 
 responsibihty, " it is not for me to decide. You 
 are not exactly amenable to the king for your 
 actions, but there is a courtesy to be observed in 
 these things. Do you come back with me to 
 Versailles and open your batteries upon his 
 Majesty as you have opened them on me. And 
 do not forget Dr. Jallot's sick old crone, nor the 
 little glutton who spent his centime for a sugar- 
 stick, ha, ha ! Those tales may move his Majesty 
 to spare Vendome at least, since he is in such bad 
 odor at home." 
 
CHAPTER XIV 
 
 ST. DENIS had blessed the worthy duke for 
 their leisurely journey from Versailles. For 
 he as well as Jallot knew that it had been unneces- 
 sarily protracted. 
 
 But it was different on the return trip ; he chafed 
 continually at the slow progress they made. It 
 was absurd, he complained to Jallot, that they 
 should be forced to he by for several hours at a 
 stretch simply because the sun was a little hot, or 
 crowd into a miserable inn to escape a shower. 
 
 At Poitou they stopped for a whole day because 
 the duke had friends there whom he wished to 
 visit. 
 
 Jallot embraced the opportunity to prowl about 
 the town and visit the old monks at the convent 
 of Bressuire. 
 
 But St. Denis could do nothing but fret at the 
 waste of time. Early the next morning he repaired 
 to M. de Noailles's hotel, and found to his dismay 
 that the duke was ill in bed, suffering from an acute 
 attack of influenza. 
 
 The poor gentleman had a high fever, and so 
 bad a throat that he could barely articulate a 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 141 
 
 " bon jour." fie complained of chills along with 
 the fever, and was muffled in the bed-clothes, his 
 neck wrapped in flannel and his nightcap drawn 
 over his head. 
 
 He turned his round red face lugubriously to St. 
 Denis and whispered hoarsely : " This delay frets 
 you, monsieur ; I am sorry. But I have a plan. 
 Do you take a couple of dragoons and push on as 
 fast as you like. I will give you the papers in- 
 trusted to me, they will insure you an audience 
 with the king." 
 
 St. Denis, putting his own feelings aside, pro- 
 tested that it would be a monstrous unkindness to 
 leave monsieur in his present sad plight, and he 
 should not think of such a thing. 
 
 " But this business of Philip's is urgent," an- 
 swered de Noailles, who, now that he was unable 
 to move, began to see the need of haste. And 
 within the hour St. Denis was on the road with 
 his two dragoons, their horses stretched at a 
 gallop. 
 
 He' had made good choice of his men, but 
 though they were hardy fellows and well used to 
 the saddle, they had often good cause to grumble 
 at the speed to which they were pUt. Especially 
 did they detest being routed out of their beds of a 
 morning while the stars were still shining. 
 
 They were more than commonly intelligent for 
 
142 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 men of their class, and St. Denis was often inter- 
 ested in their talk. 
 
 " It 's the Duke of Vendome they are wanting in 
 Spain," one of them said one day, as they were 
 jogging along in front of him. " My word ! Ven- 
 dome would drive those English and those Ger- 
 mans into the sea, once he was at their heels." 
 
 " Ay," returned his comrade, " Vendome 's as 
 great a general as Prince Eugene, if things did go 
 wrong at Oudenarde. I was in that battle myself, 
 and saw how it went. We were unfortunate, but 
 it was not the fault of Vendome." 
 
 " Whose fault was it, eh? " asked the other, slyly. 
 
 " I am not saying whose fault it was." 
 
 " Should you like to serve under Mar^chal 
 Vendome in Spain, my man?" called out St. 
 Denis. 
 
 " In Spain or elsewhere, monsieur," he replied. 
 " I care not for the place, so that I have a general 
 over me who is kind to us poor devils of soldiers, 
 and not above cracking a joke with the meanest. 
 And that is what you can say for Vendome." 
 
 When they reached Paris, St. Denis found that 
 the court was at Marly, and he pushed on and 
 made all haste to the palace. 
 
 The royal antechamber was packed with courtiers 
 and soldiers, or rather military officers, talking in 
 whispers and wearing anxious faces. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 143 
 
 "What is the matter?" he inquired of one of 
 the guards, and was told that his Majesty was re- 
 ceiving the plenipotentiaries from Gertruydenberg. 
 
 "What! they have returned?" he asked. 
 
 " Yes, monsieur." 
 
 "And is it known what word they bring?" He 
 looked around, but every eye negatived thequestion. 
 
 However the suspense was soon ended. The 
 door of the royal cabinet was thrown open, and the 
 king came forth, followed by the Marquis de 
 Torcy, Abb6 de Polignac, Mar^chal d'Huxelles, 
 and several of the princes, all deeply agitated. 
 
 Every whisper was hushed, and St. Denis, as 
 though conscious that this was a pivotal moment 
 in the history of France and perhaps of the world, 
 could almost hear his own heart-beats. 
 
 The king's face was as white as parchment, but 
 there was fire in his eye, and his form had all its 
 old-time statehness. He carried a paper unrolled. 
 
 " Messieurs," he said, and his voice rang clear 
 and strong, " this document which I hold in my 
 hand is an insult to you, to me, and to France. 
 The conditions set forth in it are such as.no French- 
 man may consider for one moment. Therefore let 
 us make all haste to iling it back into the faces 
 of those from whom it came ! " 
 
 There was an angry murmur of acquiescence; 
 but he raised his hand, and it ceased. 
 
144 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 " I will explain," continued his Majesty, " that 
 you may all understand. Our enemies still per- 
 sistently and insolently require of us that we do 
 immediately relinquish all territory we have honor- 
 ably acquired in more fortunate times; that we 
 shall despoil ourselves of every means of defence 
 by demolishing our fortresses witk our own hands ; 
 and that we ourselves, by force of arms if neces- 
 sary, shall drive King Philip out of Spain and 
 wrest from his hand the monarchy of the Indies. 
 I crave your pardon, messieurs, for offending 
 your ears with these monstrous and most ignoble 
 propositions." 
 
 Such a storm of indignation swept through 
 the chamber as none had ever before witnessed. 
 Tears of rage bhnded many eyes, and fierce impre- 
 cations fell from many lips. 
 
 But the king spoke again, and with the words 
 his form towered still more majestically, and a 
 brilliant light shone in his lofty glance. " No, my 
 people ! the pride of France and of her king may 
 not suffer such ignominy. Our answer shall be 
 war ! If I must fight, I will fight my enemies, not 
 my grandson." 
 
 Amid the deafening applause that followed, St. 
 Denis shouted at the top of his voice, — 
 
 "France will stand by your Majesty; tell the 
 autocrats to do their worst! We will save King 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 145 
 
 Philip's crown ! " It was but an indistinguishable 
 note of the wild chorus. 
 
 " FHng the glove in their faces, your Majesty ! " 
 
 " We '11 back your royal challenge with every 
 drop of our blood ! " 
 
 " And with every gold piece in our coffers ! " 
 
 " And every jewel in our coronets ! " 
 
 The king acknowledged their loyalty, and turned 
 to go back into his cabinet. St. Denis stepped 
 forward, bent his knee, and begged an audience, 
 explaining his reasons. 
 
 He was admitted into the cabinet, and the king 
 took his packets and read them standing. 
 
 " So, so 1 " he exclaimed, a ring of satisfaction 
 in his voice. " They will not yield, — they are 
 full of courage still ! What did M. de Noailles 
 gather from his personal observation, — ah, the 
 duke is ill, you say, at Poitou? Well, tell me, 
 Monsieur St. Denis, what think you of affairs in 
 Spain ? " 
 
 " Have I your Majesty's gracious permission 
 to speak?" asked St. Denis, trembling with 
 excitement. 
 
 " Speak, — tell us all that it may be to our in- 
 terest to know," said his Majesty. 
 
 St. Denis made the most of his opportunity, 
 and his story brought a smile of pride and pleas' 
 ure to the king's lips. 
 
146 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 " And they ask for Vendome," he said musingly. 
 " Eh bien, they shall have him and welcome." 
 
 " With your Majesty's gracious permission, I also 
 will serve in Spain," spoke up St. Denis, boldly. 
 
 " You ! I thought you would return to the 
 colonies," said his Majesty, coldly. 
 
 " Afterwards, sire." 
 
 "Afterwards." The king smiled. "You mean 
 after you and Vendome shall have settled the 
 business for Archduke Charles?" 
 
 " I have faith in the Spanish monarchy, sire," 
 St. Denis answered with dignity. 
 
 "Is it so? Well, go to Spain, then, monsieur, 
 and do your best there, and God be with you ! " 
 said his Majesty. 
 
 Vend6me, forsaken by all the world, — a most 
 perfect exemplification of the truth that Pride 
 Cometh before a fall, — was idling at his country- 
 seat of La-Ferte-Aleps, with no other companion- 
 ship than his dogs, his horses, and the humble folk 
 who looked after his personal comfort. And he 
 could have wept for joy when word was brought 
 him that he was to repair to Versailles and make 
 ready with all speed to go and take command of 
 the armies in Spain. He lost not a moment's 
 time, and, in spite of all the cruel snubs he had 
 received at court, he presented himself there with 
 head uplifted as arrogantly as ever. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 147 
 
 Meantime, the Due de Noailles, having suffi- 
 ciently recovered from his illness, came on from 
 Poitou with all haste, — this because he was the 
 bearer of evil tidings. These tidings burst upon 
 St. Denis like a thunderbolt. He was at the 
 palace. A large company of ladies and gentle- 
 men was assembled in the apartments of the Duch- 
 ess of Burgundy. Presently the word went round 
 that the Due de Noailles had but just arrived 
 with the news that there had been terrible fighting 
 in Spain, and that Philip, who had been master of 
 Aragon all the spring, had been driven back under 
 the walls of Saragossa. 
 
 St. Denis happened to be standing near Madame 
 de Maintenon, who turned to the king with an 
 ironical smile, and said in a low voice, " Is it 
 worth your Majesty's while to prop up so weak a 
 cause ? " 
 
 St. Denis did hot close his eyes in sleep that 
 night, his mind was so filled with forebodings and 
 with private schemes of his own, should the 
 king hearken to Madame de Maintenon's cruel 
 suggestion. 
 
 But in the morning his fears and worries were 
 happily swept away; he learned that the king 
 stood firm, and had given orders for Vendome to 
 push, his preparations with all possible despatch. 
 
 There was the greatest activity everywhere. 
 
148 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 Villars had returned to Flanders, taking with him 
 the Sieur de Bel and many more of the young 
 nobility who had not yet seen active service. The 
 martial spirit was fully revived in France. 
 
 St. Denis, though he was at the highest pitch 
 of excitement, attended carefully to his personal 
 affairs, and did not neglect to pay a farewell visit 
 to the Palais Mazarin. So great was the change 
 in him in these few weeks that his friends com- 
 mented upon it. 
 
 " He is no longer a boy," said Madame de 
 Lambert, sighing. 
 
 " No, his very expression has changed," returned 
 Madame Dacier; " a man's spirit has been born in 
 him." 
 
 " A soldier's spirit ! " cried Mademoiselle de 
 Vichy-Chamrond. " Mon Dieu, I quite stand in 
 awe of him, so stern and warlike an expression 
 sits upon his face." 
 
 "Yet 'tis a sweet face," protested Madame 
 de Caylus. 
 
 At the last moment something occurred that 
 touched St. Denis deeply. He was summoned to 
 the royal presence, and his Majesty knighted him a 
 Chevalier of the Order of St. Louis. 
 
 De Noailles explained to him afterwards that 
 this was no doubt intended to insure him greater 
 respect among the haughty Spaniards, who could 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 149 
 
 no more dispense with titles than a woman could 
 dispense with jewels. 
 
 In addition to this honor, the Duchess of Bur- 
 gundy presented him with a superb war-horse, 
 describing the graceful act as a compliment to her 
 beloved sister the Queen of Spain, in whose service 
 he was about to engage. 
 
 Vendome, though a much less agreeable travel- 
 ing companion than the Due de Noailles, was in 
 one respect far more satisfactory, — he was in as 
 great haste to get forward as St. Denis himself, up 
 to the time when they were within half a league 
 of Bayonne, when a most unlooked-for thing 
 happened. 
 
 It was near sunset, and as they were to stop 
 overnight in Bayonne, there was for the moment 
 no need of haste. 
 
 St. Denis was riding ahead, in a more tranquil 
 frame of mind than he had experienced for many 
 days. He even had some consciousness of the 
 beauty of the scene before him, — the gold and 
 crimson sky, the splendor of the tree-tops wher- 
 ever the level sunbeams struck them in the wind- 
 ings of the road. And he was not unmindful of 
 the twittering of the birds as they fussily settled to 
 rest in the thickets. He was thinking to himself 
 with a half-smile that this international highway 
 was becoming as familiar to him as the streets of 
 
ISO The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 Paris. Just ahead of him now, but still hidden by 
 the shrubbery, was a wooden bridge. At that very 
 instant he heard the clatter of hoofs on the bridge, 
 and some few seconds later he was face to face 
 with a dust-covered courier riding at full gallop. 
 
 The boy — he was a mere stripling — pulled up 
 and hailed him, panting, " Have you come far on 
 this road, seiior? Mayhap you have seen the 
 Mar^chal de Venddme, or are you he ? " 
 
 His speech was Spanish. 
 
 St. Denis explained that the mar^chal was but a 
 few paces behind. 
 
 " Thank the holy saints ! " The youth took a 
 long breath, and dropped the rein on the neck of 
 his jaded beast. " 'T is easier to find a man on the 
 road than in the town," he added, " and I was 
 right to push on, though 't was thought by some I 
 had best wait for him yonder in Bayonne." 
 
 He wiped his begrimed face with a much soiled 
 handkerchief, and had barely completed this bit of 
 a toilet when Vendome came in sight. Straighten- 
 ing himself gallantly in his saddle, he spurred for- 
 ward, saluted the marechal, and dropped lightly to 
 the ground. 
 
 He had a message from Philip. There had been 
 another battle, in which the allies were again 
 victorious, and the Spanish army, driven out of 
 Saragossa, was in full retreat to Madrid. Philip 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 151 
 
 implored Vendome to hasten to his aid ere the 
 capital was lost. 
 
 Having delivered his message and answered such 
 questions as the mar^chal put to him, the courier 
 remounted, and, being hailed by Jallot in his own 
 tongue, — for Jallot never let slip the chance of a 
 promising new acquaintance, — he fell back to the 
 rear. 
 
 Jallot had had no mind to be left behind in this 
 adventurous expedition ; and as Vendome was to 
 be allowed no following to speak of, he took the 
 character of valet to the Chevalier de St. Denis, as 
 he now persistently addressed his friend. 
 
 Vendome rode up beside St. Denis. " A pretty 
 piece of business, this ! " he exclaimed in disgust. 
 
 St. Denis, with but one thought in his mind, re- 
 plied eagerly, " We can make several more leagues 
 yet to-night, monsieur; the roads are excellent, 
 and though there is no moon, the sky is clear." 
 
 Vendome laughed harshly. " Diable ! do you 
 suppose I am going to put my hand into a wasp's 
 nest, monsieur le chevalier ? " said he. 
 
 St. Denis jerked himself round in his saddle and 
 searched the mardchal's face. 
 
 " I do not understand," he replied. 
 
 " In the face of these new developments," an- 
 swered Vendome, " I shall put up here in Bayonne 
 and await instructions from Versailles." 
 
152 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 St. Denis's blood seemed to freeze in his veins. 
 " What ! " he cried, " you will tarry here until a 
 messenger shall go to Versailles and return ? " 
 
 Vendome drew himself up haughtily. " I have 
 learned one lesson in the course of my life, mon- 
 sieur, and that is, that it is the part of wisdom for a 
 mar6chal of France to consult the higher authority 
 in all that he does. Should I be justified in 
 rushing on and challenging the victorious allies 
 with this noble army his Majesty has given me ? 
 Dieu ! I have no great respect for General Star- 
 hemberg, or my Lord Stanhope either, but I should 
 pay them a better compliment than that ! " 
 
 " I have but lately left Spain, monsieur," St. 
 Denis answered, " and I know that there are 
 hundreds — thousands of men waiting for you, 
 waiting for the Mar^chal de Vendome to mould 
 them into an invincible army." 
 
 Though it was evident that Vendome's vanity 
 was flattered, St. Denis saw that he was but 
 wasting words — and precious time as well. He 
 broke off and begged leave to go forward himself 
 
 To this Vendome offered no objections, though 
 he took occasion to deride the foolhardiness of 
 youth, which mattered Httle to St. Denis. 
 
 Jallot was the messenger selected to return 
 to Versailles; and St. Denis, with the Spanish 
 courier for company, set off in the opposite direc- 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 153 
 
 tion. This youth had been in the battle of Sara- 
 gossa, and had many interesting things to relate 
 abput that, as well as about other matters. The 
 queen and her ladies, he said, had gone to Corella 
 in Navarre to escape the August heat; likewise 
 most of the nobility; and St. Denis naturally 
 conjectured that the Villescas household must be 
 there, — a pulse-quickening thought, since he 
 should see the senorita all the sooner. 
 
 The moment they crossed the border and got 
 into Spanish territory more news poured in upon 
 them. Spain was like a swarm of bees driven out 
 of the hive, and there was an incessant buzzing 
 everywhere. Madrid had emptied itself of all that 
 could get away, and was left naked and defenceless 
 to the enemy. 
 
 One evening, as the two travel-worn horsemen 
 spurred into the picturesque Navarrese village, they 
 found it swarming with the aristocracy. Many a 
 white tent dotted the green lawns, for the houses 
 could not hold all the people. 
 
 Flags floated over every tent and housetop. A 
 band was playing in the open air, and every out- 
 ward sign indicated a spirit of hope and bravado. 
 
 But in many of the tents and houses were those 
 who mourned for fathers, husbands, brothers, 
 lovers, that had fallen at Saragossa. 
 
 The band was stationed in a narrow, rocky 
 
154 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 street in front of an old stone chateau set high 
 above the street level ; and the riders instinctively 
 turned their horses' heads in that direction. 
 
 A considerable crowd was gathered about the 
 musicians, and all eyes were turned upward to the 
 chateau. Presently upon a little hanging balcony 
 beneath the roof appeared the queen, holding in 
 her arms her infant son. 
 
 The people cheered enthusiastically, and cried 
 " Bravo, bravo ! " when the little prince smiled 
 down at them, and at his mother's bidding waved 
 his baby hand. 
 
 The queen, whose eyes were full of tears, gave 
 the boy into the arms of his nurse and turned 
 away to hide her emotion ; and St. Denis roundly 
 cursed Vendome's prudence, which must cost the 
 lovely queen still more tears when she should hear 
 of it. 
 
 He was about to move on, when a messenger 
 came flying down the terrace of a neighboring 
 chateau and called out to him that there were 
 ladies yonder who desired to speak with him. 
 
 He looked up. 
 
 On the steps of the chateau stood the Comtesse 
 de Careno, and at her side Maria, waving their 
 handkerchiefs. The weariness of travel fell from 
 him like a garment. 
 
CHAPTER XV 
 
 ST. DENIS had not a doubt that the king 
 would order Vendome to proceed as soon 
 as ever he got the word with which Jallot was 
 commissioned, and he had no mind to be idle 
 in the mean time; though he could have im- 
 agined no greater happiness than to while away 
 the long bright summer days in cool, alluring 
 Corella — in the most agreeable society in the 
 world ! 
 
 He obtained permission from Philip to begin 
 the raising and drilling of a new army against 
 the arrival of Vendome, and was promised the 
 command of the first company he should be 
 able to form. 
 
 This company, once it was started, was like a 
 ball set rolling in snow. Scores of men flocked 
 daily to the standard which the enthusiastic for- 
 eigner set up on the wind-blown plains of Valla- 
 dolid. It soon appeared that he had a genius for 
 the business of war, albeit his task was rendered 
 comparatively easy by the eagerness and almost 
 reverent docility of the recruits. 
 
is6 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 He was in the saddle almost constantly from 
 daylight until dark, and had an eye to every 
 detail of the affairs in hand ; and the results of 
 his industry and his capacity were marvellous. 
 The discipline and intelligent understanding which 
 he was presently able to exhibit to King Philip 
 were not common among Spanish troops, whose 
 greatest misfortune had been, lately, that they 
 were not well officered. 
 
 Not once in all the time that elapsed before 
 Vendome appeared did St. Denis take time to 
 visit Navarre. But he heard from Maria fre- 
 quently, she finding means to send letters to him 
 much oftener than he dared write to her. For 
 Don Gaspardo's jealousy was fiercely aroused, and 
 old Dona Maria was on the watch and ready to 
 make trouble with Don Pedro. 
 
 But, to tell the truth, it was much of a relief to 
 St. Denis to know that it was not in his power to 
 send answers to all these dear letters. A man's 
 thoughts must be here or there, not in two places 
 at once, and just now his thoughts, his spirit, and 
 energy were swallowed up completely in the thing 
 he had so gallantly undertaken. 
 
 He had, as it were, locked Maria's image in 
 some sacred cabinet of his soul, and knowing it 
 was safe, left it there. It was well perhaps for 
 Maria's peace of mind — for with all her perfec- 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 157 
 
 tions she had her woman's share of self-love — that 
 she did not know how often, exhausted from ardu- 
 ous service of her country, he fell asleep on his 
 tent couch at night with barely a thought of 
 her! 
 
 He was like the faithful toiler who puts forth, 
 day after day, all that is in him in labor for the 
 comfort of wife and children, and has little time, 
 little heart even, for the graces of affection, 
 though the affection is there, loyal and true, — the 
 inspiration, the spirit and essence of that all- 
 absorbing toil. 
 
 Vendome came on at last, and verified by his 
 own observation what St. Denis had told him, that 
 the people were waiting for him as for a savior. 
 Truly, as has been so often said since then, his 
 name was worth a whole army. 
 
 He was amazed at what had already been done, 
 and at the unfailing encouragement that came 
 from every quarter. His own spirit took fire from 
 the conflagration all about, and his original motive 
 and desire — to break away from the thraldom of 
 disgrace and solitude in France — shriveled and 
 disappeared in this splendid flame. Dieu ! he 
 would yet compel the respect and admiration of 
 that haughty court of Versailles. 
 
 In his turn he gave new hope to those who had 
 inspired him with so high a courage. 
 
iS8 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 He assured Philip, in the rough language which, 
 it was his pleasure to use, that he had not a doubt 
 of a victorious and ^nal campaign, and went about 
 wearing this bold confidence of manner both at 
 court and in the field. 
 
 He laid his plans boldly, but with great care 
 and forethought. It was his intention first to 
 sweep down with an overwhelming force and drive 
 the allies out of Madrid; and to this end he 
 busied himself day and night getting his troops 
 ready for the attack. 
 
 But in the midst of all this bustle and excite- 
 ment of preparation, messengers came pouring 
 into camp bursting with news. The allies were 
 leaving Madrid of their own accord ! — because, 
 said these breathless couriers triumphantly, the 
 citizens treated them so badly and made them 
 think Madrid was so gloomy a city, with every 
 window barred, and never a pretty face to be 
 seen anywhere, that they could not endure it. 
 Yes, and the Archduke, in a pet at this state of 
 things, which showed him how hated he was, had 
 put off to Barcelona, where his Archduchess was 
 waiting to have the Crown of Spain set upon her 
 head. Well, let the great lady wait, and mean- 
 time her gracious Majesty Queen Marie Louise 
 would take care of the Crown of Spain. 
 
 But what of the hostile armies, — Stanhope's, 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 159 
 
 Starhemberg's, the Portuguese ? Vendome inquired. 
 And there were plenty to answer, for the move- 
 ments of those armies were watched from every 
 hillside and glen, and from behind every stone 
 wall and tree and clump of bushes, and swift 
 feet were not lacking to bear the news to head- 
 quarters. 
 
 But on the other hand, not a word could the 
 enemy get out of the meanest peasant, either by 
 threat or bribe. 
 
 These peasants, often mere boys, were shrewd 
 observers. They saw that the foreigners were per- 
 plexed and knew not which way to turn, — some 
 going toward Toledo, as though they would inter- 
 cept General Bay, who was hurrying up the Tagus, 
 and others making for Aragon. 
 
 Now, therefore, plans must be changed, and it 
 was decided, first of all, that Philip should make a 
 triumphal entry into Madrid to gratify the people. 
 
 As this would take time, St. Denis saw an op- 
 portunity to fly to Corella for a last brief visit 
 before the campaign began. 
 
 He found the seiiorita in a much less courageous 
 mood than her letters had led him to expect. She 
 was oppressed with forebodings, and affected al- 
 most to the point of despair at thought of the sep- 
 iaration. She clung to him, caressed him as she 
 :never had done before, " Oh," cried she, " now 
 
i6o The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 that you are here once more, how can I give you 
 up, — to be shot at, to be thrust at by those cruel 
 foreigners ! Now I may look into your eyes, and 
 there is life in them. I touch your hands, and they 
 are warm and strong. I feel your heart, and it 
 beats, beats, beats. But how will it be by and by? 
 — Oh, Holy Mother 1 what visions rise before my 
 eyes ! Why did you not stay in France, my dear 
 one? — there you would at least have been safe. 
 Ah, men go laughing to the wars as though it were 
 a light matter, and as though they were made of 
 wood or stone ; and they are but flesh and blood, 
 a most perishable substance." 
 
 He was both moved and thrilled by her tender- 
 ness, and gave her such doubtful comfort as a 
 soldier-lover may, on the eve of battle, each word 
 a stab, each look a thrust into the place of tears. 
 
 She informed him that Gaspardo had been to 
 see her, and they had had a stormy meeting. 
 
 " Gaspardo is terrible," she added with a shudder. 
 " And, oh, Louis, I am afraid, afraid." 
 
 " Afraid, dearest, — Gaspardo cannot harm you," 
 he answered soothingly, and touched lightly the 
 curls of her hair. 
 
 " No, no, not me, — you" she said. 
 
 " Now you pay me a poor compliment, querida; 
 am not I a match for Don Gaspardo ? " 
 
 " He may take an advantage." 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis i6i 
 
 " Jesu ! I think not so meanly of him ; he seems 
 a brave and honorable gentleman, — ■ hot-blooded, 
 without doubt, which is nothing against him, and 
 a bit sour when he looks at me, for which discour- 
 tesy I heartily forgive him." 
 
 " If — if he should challenge you to fight a 
 duel — " 
 
 " I should remind him that his country has sore 
 need of him at this present crisis, and beg him to 
 postpone personal hostilities until after the war is 
 ended." 
 
 " But if he should attack you? " 
 
 " Then have I your gracious permission to defend 
 myself? " 
 
 " With all your might, with all your might ! " 
 
 St. Denis's good steed bore him swiftly to Madrid, 
 where the people were wild with enthusiasm over 
 their recovered capital and their king, and then on 
 to Talavera to join Vendome, 
 
 The mar^chal told him, with many a jovial 
 oath, that his plans were all matured and his 
 work cut out down to the last detail, — he had got 
 such information, of very recent date, as to make 
 this a simple matter. 
 
 And indeed within a few hours after St. Denis's 
 arrival the squadrons began to move with thun- 
 derous tread over the frozen ground. 
 
 The king marched out of the city, and met them 
 
1 62 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 at the head of his Guards, and such acclamations 
 rose from all their ranks as might almost have been 
 heard over yonder at Brihuega, where the English 
 settlers were baking bread, and English soldiers 
 were smoking their pipes and jesting profanely 
 about the Archduke, — how they had set him upon 
 the Spanish throne only to see him jump down 
 and run away like a naughty little boy ! 
 
 They were cooking and smoking and jesting 
 and idling about on the fine morning when Ven- 
 dome's infantry began its ominous tramp over the 
 bridge a few miles below, and the cavalry plunged 
 merrily into the stream. 
 
 And not a soul to give them warning ! 
 
 But scores of watchful spies were lurking in the 
 wooded hills above, peeping down into that little 
 cup rimmed round with its old Moorish walls, and 
 running with switt feet, one after another, carrying 
 continuous news of what they had seen to the 
 advancing hosts. 
 
 A few cavalrymen were in the lead, among them 
 both St. Denis and Don Gaspardo de Anaya. 
 
 A small lad, riding down the narrow, rocky 
 road, backed his pony into the bushes to let them 
 pass, and stared so eloquently with his wide black 
 eyes that St. Denis, with a smile, asked what he 
 did there. 
 
 " I tend cattle, senor," he replied, jerking his 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 163 
 
 head toward the valley below, where it might be 
 supposed his herd was grazing, "but they've 
 killed them all now, those English, to make bar- 
 becues for themselves. I was to see them just now," 
 he added quickly, not to lose his opportunity. 
 
 "To see whom, — the English? " asked St. Denis. 
 
 " Si, senor, and I saw the others yesterday." 
 
 "What others, boy?" 
 
 " Why, the Germans ; " and he nodded eastward. 
 
 This corroborated previous reports to the effect 
 that Starhemberg was not far off, — the two armies, 
 it was surmised, had separated for foraging pur- 
 poses. 
 
 While St. Denis interviewed the boy, the others, 
 led by Gaspardo, rode on, and were soon looking 
 down into the village, gay with redcoats and Brit- 
 ish flags, but withal wearing a peaceful and domes- 
 tic look. Veteran soldiers lounged about in the 
 sun, watching the younger ones play some boyish 
 game. Newly washed clothes were drying on the 
 lines, servants were going about on their various 
 employments, or standing, arms akimbo, cracking 
 jokes one with another. 
 
 St. Denis came up, and observing that the Eng- 
 lishmen were beginning to point their glasses to 
 the hills, he ordered the troops that were under 
 him to form a line around the town to cut off 
 escape, — ■ thinking it of the greatest importance 
 
1 64 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 that no messenger should be allowed to make his 
 way to Starhemberg's camp. 
 
 As the words left his lips, Don Gaspardo wheeled 
 his horse around and confronted him. 
 
 " Does the Chevalier de St. Denis presume to 
 give orders in the place of Mar6chal Vendome?" 
 he demanded with blazing eyes. 
 
 "We were in error to show ourselves so con- 
 spicuously to the enemy in advance of Mar^chal 
 Vendome," St. Denis answered, " but having done 
 so, he will surely expect us to prevent their taking 
 advantage of our indiscretion." 
 
 " Do you accuse me, senor? " Gaspardo's hand 
 was on his sword. 
 
 "We are in the same case, Senor Gaspardo," 
 coolly replied St. Denis ; and turning away, he 
 bade a courier gallop back and report to Vendome. 
 
 The mar^chal, far from displeased with St. 
 Denis's precaution, ordered the picket line to be 
 strengthened and the strictest watch kept upon 
 the town. Then he gave command for the regi- 
 ments to close their ranks and move with as little 
 noise as possible, to deceive the enemy as to their 
 numbers. 
 
 And when the winter sun sank beneath the 
 hills, and the hollow within their circle darkened, 
 this silent phalanx rose above their crest, and bent 
 and flowed downward, and like a molten mass 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 165 
 
 filled all the space around the antique wall. And 
 presently the mass was parted here and there, and 
 artillery dragged through and cannon stationed 
 open-mouthed at every street. 
 
 St. Denis had command of the picket-guard, 
 and was in the saddle all night. 
 
 All night long the preparations went on, — 
 within the town as well as without. For the 
 astounded EngHshmen were aroused to the great- 
 est activity, and were throwing up barricades, cut- 
 ting openings between the closely packed houses 
 for freer movement, and making loopholes for 
 their musketry, — cannon they had none ; and for 
 this deficiency they cursed the German general in 
 good British fashion, since he had insisted upon 
 taking charge of all the heavy ordnance. But 
 they were philosophical. " The damned French- 
 men will batter down these old walls, and then 
 we '11 have at them with our small arms," said 
 they, cheerfully. 
 
 It was a true word. At dawn Vendome sent 
 a haughty demand to Lord Stanhope to sur- 
 render. The Englishman's answer was an equally 
 haughty refusal. At once the bombarding began, 
 and the rotten masonry gave way. At almost 
 every gape in the treacherous wall a cannon 
 opened its iron throat, and its cruel breath 
 swept a pathway through the British ranks for 
 
1 66 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 Spanish infantry ; and soon the streets were so 
 filled with the intruders that the cannon were per- 
 force hushed, and there was only to be heard on 
 either side the incessant bang of musketry, and 
 the terrible under-sounds of battle, the cursing, 
 groaning, rushing, trampling, falling of the men. 
 
 But though the assailants were as four to one, 
 the English held their ground hour by hour, — 
 until the whispered cry, " God of heaven, our 
 ammunition is exhausted ! " ran like wild-fire 
 through their ranks. 
 
 The white signal went up, England's proud flag 
 came down, and all was over for that day. 
 
 Throughout the day many attempts had been 
 made by the besieged to send word to Starhemberg, 
 but not a single messenger had got by the vigilant 
 outposts. St. Denis had arrested two with his 
 own hands, and the fact that but for him one of 
 of them at least would have passed the lines, 
 reconciled him to his comparative inactivity while 
 the fighting was going on below. He also cap- 
 tured a courier who carried a despatch from Star- 
 hemberg to the English general, and by this means 
 learned that rumors of the battle had reached the 
 German camp through a party of foragers who had 
 come near enough to Brihuega to hear the firing, 
 but had been too stupid to verify the matter before 
 returning to headquarters with their meagre news. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 167 
 
 So now, when the capitulation was over and all 
 quiet in the valley, — save for the groans of the 
 wounded, and the movements of those who were 
 going about to give them succor, — St. Denis, 
 leaving an aide-de-camp in charge on the hillside, 
 came down and laid Starhemberg's intercepted 
 message before the king and Vendome. 
 
 " Diable ! " cried Vendome, " he will not rest 
 now until he has found out everything. ■ No doubt 
 he has despatched a dozen couriers, and some of 
 them will be cunning enough to do their work 
 properly." 
 
 " He will be upon us to-morrow," said Philip, 
 with a kindling eye. 
 
 " Undoubtedly, your Majesty," replied the mar6- 
 chal, with a gloomy brow. " And he is better 
 equipped than was my Lord Stanhope here; he 
 has artillery and cavalry." 
 
 "And what may be your plan, monsieur?" 
 modestly inquired his Majesty. 
 
 Vendome, with his amazing disregard of what 
 was due to royalty, answered nothing at all, but 
 sat with his eyes upon the ground, abstractedly 
 biting his lip. 
 
 The two were sitting at a table in the best house 
 in the town. Some papers were scattered upon 
 the table, and several candles were burning in 
 quaint old Moorish sconces. 
 
1 68 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 Here, a short while before, Lord Stanhope had 
 signed the articles of surrender. 
 
 It was past midnight. Thousands of spent 
 soldiers had thrown themselves down upon the 
 bare ground and were huddled together like sheep, 
 to economize the warmth of their bodies. Many 
 others lay stark and cold. 
 
 Vendome at last raised his eyes to St. Denis 
 and asked in a disagreeable, bantering tone, such 
 as he might have used to a corporal whom he 
 stooped to tease, — for he was much given to 
 such pleasantry with those beneath him, — " Eh 
 bien, what think you, monsieur le chevalier?" 
 
 St. Denis flushed, but answered with dignity, 
 " If his Majesty the king, and you, monsieur, will 
 permit me to speak, I beg to say that it were 
 better the German general should not find us 
 here." 
 
 " Bravo ! " cried the king. But the mardchal 
 frowned. "How is that? Would you rouse up 
 our tired soldiers to go and meet him?" he asked. 
 
 " Unless you are persuaded that these paroled 
 EngUshmen will not break faith with us at sight 
 of their confederates," returned St. Denis. 
 
 Before Vendome could speak again, the door 
 was pushed open a few inches and a ragged little 
 figure sidled into the room, excited, breathless, 
 hands and feet red with the cold. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 169 
 
 " They 're coming, senor, the Germans are com- 
 ing ! " he panted, singling out St. Denis. 
 
 " Hst, youngster ! " cautioned the mar^chal. 
 
 " You have been to see them again? " asked St. 
 Denis. 
 
 " Si, senor ; I thought they would be coming 
 at us when they heard the cannon roaring." 
 
 Vendome was about to question the small scout, 
 when two couriers entered whom St. Denis had de- 
 spatched in the direction of Starhemberg's camp ; 
 and these confirmed the startling news, — the Ger- 
 mans were coming in full force. 
 
 Within the hour every Spanish soldier was 
 aroused from his heavy sleep by the whispered 
 warning, "The Germans are coming! ".and not 
 another word was needed to make them spring 
 to their feet and buckle their loosened armor. 
 
 Some slight rations were hastily served out, and 
 then, leaving a guard over their unsuspecting 
 prisoners, they stole out of Brihuega as silently as, 
 not much more than twenty-four, hours earlier, 
 they had stolen into it. 
 
CHAPTER XVI 
 
 THEY marched steadily, swiftly, without beat 
 of drum. It was their purpose to meet the 
 new enemy as far from Brihuega as possible. 
 
 Dawn — the gray, tardy dawn of a December 
 morning — showed them the advancing columns 
 of the German army, their banners hoisted, their 
 bands playing. At that sight every throat in the 
 forward regiments opened with a defiant shout, 
 which was instantly taken up by those that fol- 
 lowed, and drum and trumpet sounded forth as 
 bold a challenge as ever wind wafted to the ears 
 of a foe. 
 
 The king and Venddme held a hasty conference, 
 and decided to let the attack come from the 
 enemy. 
 
 So now the scene changed magically. The 
 massed troops spread out as they had been wont 
 to do on the plains of Valladolid. Every piece of 
 artillery was put in position, every squadron was 
 in its place, and every man stood ready, thrilled to 
 his finger-tips, and trembling with eagerness like a 
 hound before the ch^se. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 171 
 
 It was believed that this day would decide the 
 fate of the kingdom. Not a man doubted of 
 the outcome, least of all, St. Denis. He rode 
 down the lines to see that all was in order, and 
 his heart rose in his throat for pride in those 
 gallant regiments which his own hand had formed 
 out of the crude material of the peasantry. And 
 every eye brightened as it rested upon him, not 
 alone from affection, admiration, gratitude, — 
 Spanish chivalry was touched by the romantic 
 motive which had actuated the foreign-born young 
 Frenchman to enhst in this desperate war. 'T was 
 a notch above patriotism ! 
 
 Vendome, watching the enemy's manoeuvres 
 through his glass, cried out in rage and disgust, 
 " By St. Michael, yon cowardly devils show the 
 white feather ! We must charge, your Majesty ! " 
 
 The king, pale with excitement, and with a look 
 of high courage on his boyish features, bent toward 
 him and made reply in a low tone, then straight- 
 ened himself in the saddle and galloped to the 
 head of his regiment. And Vendome thundered 
 the word, " Royal Guards — - Forward — Charge ! " 
 
 And that rash, impetuous, gallant dash was 
 made which swept the German left wing off the 
 field, its cannon deserted, the men flying for their 
 lives ; and the amazed and disgusted commander- 
 in-chief, losing sight of the great advantage to be 
 
172 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 gained by closing in behind the reckless Guards 
 and capturing the king on the spot, gathered all 
 his remaining force and hurled it against the 
 Spanish left and centre, which stood, a living wall, 
 tense, braced, holding itself for the shock of that 
 terrible encounter. A storm of musketry burst 
 simultaneously from either side. Then both armies 
 advanced with deadly resolution, as though im- 
 patient of the little distance that still divided them, 
 and pressed nearer and nearer yet, until muskets 
 dropped and sabres flashed, and men grappled 
 hand to hand as in fiercest personal hate. 
 
 On both sides every gap was filled the instant 
 it was made, and neither gave an inch of ground, 
 only that now one line bent a little and now the 
 other, then both stood firm again, like two mighty 
 wrestlers struggling. Heaps of the slain marked 
 those zigzag lines, and a river of blood flowed 
 between. The fighters heeded neither blood nor 
 fallen bodies, nor wounds, nor groans, nor any- 
 thing save all-conquering death. A man would 
 set his foot upon the breast of his dying comrade 
 and not know the horror he committed. He had 
 but one thought, — to strike; but 9ne resolution, — 
 not to give way. 
 
 The Spaniards were the first to yield, — how or 
 why they could not tell, for such a weakness was 
 in no man's heart. In some way their left wing 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 173 
 
 was broken and forced back from its guns. And 
 the men, become suddenly confused and helpless, 
 as in a horrible nightmare, their faces streaming 
 with sweat and blood, and distorted with an agony 
 that dulled the pain of their hideous wounds, — 
 which indeed they felt not at all, — knew not which 
 way to turn. On every hand foes were swarming 
 and blows falling from uplifted blades. Yet no 
 man turned his back. 
 
 Vendome, looking on, declared the battle lost, 
 and gave command for the retreat to be sounded ; 
 and at this many strong men, weakened now by 
 fatigue and despair, burst into tears and fell pros- 
 trate upon the ground, having no heart to live. 
 
 St. Denis, maddened beyond all bounds of rea- 
 son, would not have it so. He rallied his troops 
 once more in spite of everything, riding among 
 them like a whirlwind, waving his sword high 
 above his head, shouting, imploring them not to 
 yield, not to turn back ! Seeing a trumpeter about 
 to obey Vendome's order, he rode at him furiously. 
 " God ! the day is not ended yet," he cried, and 
 bent down and struck the brazen mouthpiece from 
 his lips. Don Gaspardo saw the act, and with a 
 hate more deadly than that of the foe, rushed at 
 him from behind, exclaiming that 't was treason to 
 countermand the orders of the mar^chal, and rising 
 in his stirrups, he struck at his rival with all the 
 
174 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 power of body and soul. But his sword cleaved 
 the empty air, and he wellnigh pitched headlong- 
 to the earth, for St. Denis, not seeing him at all 
 and not hearing his words, was off like an arrow, 
 and in the midst of his squadron again ; and with 
 every living man of them to bear him company, he 
 made a rush at the captured guns. 
 
 And now there was such fighting as the oldest 
 veterans had never seen before. The Germans, 
 for their part, were elated with the prospect of 
 victory, and the Spaniards reahzed that they 
 were making their last desperate stand; both 
 fought with unparalleled fury. Above them rose 
 a dense smoke, and in this sabres flashed as 
 hghtning plays in cloud. For noise 'twas like a 
 raging storm, with never-ceasing thunder and 
 wind and rain, and that appalling undercurrent 
 of perpetual alarms which is the deadly spirit of 
 destruction. But in all this noise of collision, of 
 trampling hoofs, the rattle of armor, the clang of 
 steel against steel, the snapping of blades, the 
 intolerable crowding and bearing down upon one 
 another, the heat and agony of that awful contest, 
 •there was no sound of human voice. The panting 
 men used all their strength of lung, as well as of 
 arm, for blows, and had scarce breath left at last 
 for dying groans, but fell spent and gasping. The 
 only cries were from the distressed horses as they 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 175 
 
 sank, weltering in blood, from deep sword-thrusts 
 in their gallant breasts. An overpowering smell 
 of blood and of reeking men and horses filled the 
 air. Flags and banners, waving proudly above the 
 battle-smoke, toppled and went down like masts of 
 sinking ships. And so, growing fiercer, more mer- 
 ciless, and more terrible every moment, the battle 
 raged on. 
 
 Another officer, having failed to receive Ven- 
 dome's order, made a charge similar to this at 
 another point. And those who were falling back, 
 and those who had thrown themselves upon the 
 ground to die of their despair, caught the sound 
 and understood the spirit of this new fighting, and 
 were seized with a wild delirium of hope. And 
 all began to run forward, picking up the arms 
 they had thrown down, or snatching from the 
 grasp of dead comrades or dead enemies their 
 bloody sabres. Soon the whole scattered army 
 had stiffened into line again, and came sweeping 
 on impetuously with courage a hundred times 
 renewed. And there was no withstanding this 
 regenerated force; the Germans, disheartened, 
 panic-stricken, wheeled and fled, leaving behind 
 them their guns, baggage, equipages, and all their 
 stores of food. 
 
 The Spanish cavalry rode after them in hot pur- 
 suit, killing, capturing, — apparently never dream- 
 
176 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 ing of turning back so long as there was a foe at 
 large. They shouted lustily to one another as 
 they galloped, — 
 
 " We '11 make an end of the cursed Germans ! " 
 
 "We'll drive all that's left of them into the 
 sea ! " 
 
 " We '11 on to Barcelona and pay our respects 
 to Archduke Charles!" 
 
 Night came and put a temporary stop to the 
 mad race. The soldiers slept wherever darkness 
 found them. Even the king, who had borne him- 
 self nobly throughout the day, looked over the 
 houseless plain and said with a smile, " I too must 
 bivouac on the bare ground to-night." 
 
 "Not so, your Majesty," exclaimed Vendome, 
 who had had the wit to recall his order for retreat 
 barely in time to save his reputation, — " you shall 
 have such a bed as monarch never slept on ! " 
 And he had all the captured English flags and de- 
 serted German banners brought and spread down, 
 layer upon layer; and the king stretched himself 
 upon this glorious couch, roofed and draped with 
 the Lilies of France and Spain. 
 
 As soon as morning dawned the pursuit beg&n 
 again; for now every one knew that the end of 
 the war had come, and it was best to set the seal 
 upon it completely. 
 
 To the pursuers it was no hardship, for they 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 177 
 
 were sure of finding friends among the people 
 whenever they were in need of food or shelter. 
 But such hospitality was denied the luckless fugi- 
 tives, who on the contrary were sorely harassed at 
 every turn. 
 
 Both pursuers and pursued were much Scattered, 
 sometimes one man riding alone, sometimes two or 
 three together, as happened. 
 
 Peasants were often startled by the sound of 
 galloping hoofs near their cottages, as one man 
 essayed to ride down another. Occasionally there 
 was a hand-to-hand struggle, which always ended 
 fatally for one of the combatants. If it was the 
 Spaniard who fell, the peasants made sure that 
 the victor did not survive him. 
 
 A few of the pursuers who were in the advance 
 had reached a hilly country sparsely covered with 
 pines, small oaks, and beeches. Gaspardo de 
 Anaya was the very foremost in one of these 
 straggling lines. In order to avoid a somewhat 
 steep ascent he had turned out of the narrow 
 highway — traversed in times of peace by pack- 
 mules — and followed the dry sandy bed of a 
 stream that at certain seasons watered the valley. 
 This natural pathway bent in a half-circle to the 
 eastward, and Gaspardo was about to emerge into 
 the highway again when he was arrested by the 
 sound of strange foreign voices. Not far from 
 
178 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 the road, from which they were screened by a 
 clump of pines, was a group of German soldiers 
 on horseback. 
 
 Gaspardo was familiar enough with their lan- 
 guage to catch what they were saying. 
 
 " Anyhow," exclaimed a strapping blond fellow, 
 " I 'd. as Hef die fighting as running." 
 
 " Then why did you run in the first place, 
 Chris?" asked a teasing comrade. 
 
 "To keep company with the rest of you," 
 retorted Chris. " Gott im himmel ! 't was hell- 
 fire for the whole of us yonder." 
 
 Gaspardo, his hair fairly standing on end with 
 the fear that his horse might neigh a greeting 
 to the strange animals, wheeled and went flying 
 back the way he had come, thanking the saints at 
 every step for the deep, dry sand that gave back 
 no sound. The Germans had all been facing the 
 other way, and it was late in the afternoon and 
 already half dark in the woods, especially in the 
 ravine. 
 
 Meantime St. Denis, riding a little in advance of 
 his faithful Jallot and one or two others, was not 
 far behind Gaspardo. He had come on — not, as 
 was the case \Yith the native soldiers, because he was 
 carried away by the thirst for blood, but in order 
 to satisfy himself that there was no danger of the 
 enemy rallying again and coming back to fight the 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 179 
 
 battle over. Already in his mind the horrid 
 thought of war was giving place to gentler senti- 
 ments. He could not but feel that his conduct in 
 this most decisive campaign, and the high favor in 
 which he knew himself to be held by King Philip, 
 and indeed by the whole court and the army, — 
 with one exception, — must set him on an equal 
 footing with Gaspardo in the eyes of Don Pedro, if 
 not in those of old Dona Romelio. Maria's prefer- 
 ence would tip the scale. 
 
 The thought of Gaspardo appeared to evoke his 
 presence, for at that moment he came round the 
 base of the hill, riding now at such a pace that the 
 white sand rose about him in clouds. 
 
 He slackened his speed, however, so as not to 
 come out into the road until St. Denis had passed. 
 Then again he trotted briskly forward and called 
 out guardedly to the others who were approaching, 
 " Go back, there 's an ambush yonder ! " 
 
 He pointed to the brow of the hill over which 
 St. Denis at that moment disappeared. 
 
 Jallot, whom he had not at first recognized, put 
 spurs to his horse and swept by him like the wind. 
 
 " It 's death, I tell you ! " shouted Gaspardo, 
 wishing above all things that no one should go to 
 St. Denis's assistance, — for here, at last, a kind 
 providence had surely interposed to rid him of his 
 hated rival. 
 
i8o The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 " Let it be hell ! " yelled back the frantic Jallot. 
 Gaspardo, had there been no witnesses, would 
 have thought it a pious act to send a bullet after 
 him. " But there will be three to one, as it is," he 
 muttered with wicked satisfaction. 
 
 It was not an ambush, however, simply half a 
 dozen tired soldiers who had accidentally come 
 together and halted to give a breathing spell to 
 their horses, thinking that if they were over- 
 taken they might be strong enough to repel an 
 attack. 
 
 They were still there, wondering among them- 
 selves how they were to get food and where they 
 should spend the night, when St. Denis unwittingly 
 showed himself on the crest of the hill. The pines 
 hid them from his view. They waited to see if 
 more were coming, and then the one they called 
 Chris whispered, " Let's at him ! " 
 
 His more prudent comrades restrained him, but 
 a horse whinnied plaintively, as if asking to be fed, 
 and St. Denis straightened himself in the saddle 
 and looked about. 
 
 In a moment the whole party sprang into view, 
 drew their swords, and made as if to surround and 
 attack him. He had choice only of dashing on, or 
 making a stand and selling his life at as good a 
 price as was in the strength of his arm. He de- 
 cided in the twinkle of an eye. Snatching a pistol 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis i8i 
 
 from the holster, he fired, then clapped spurs to his 
 horse. The gallant beast leaped over the body of 
 the man who fell at his shot, and was off like an 
 arrow. 
 
 Fearful of bullets, he bent forward till his 
 face was close to the tossing mane, and pressed 
 hard upon the cruel spurs, — for the pounding of 
 the hoofs behind him was terrific. 
 
 Presently the hills and the timber alike disap- 
 peared and he was racing over the level plain. 
 There was a time when he seemed to have dis- 
 tanced his pursuers, then on they came again, and 
 he flew faster, faster. In his ears there was the 
 sound as of a strong wind singing over the dry 
 grass, but it was a wind made by his own motion. 
 A shot was fired, and he wondered why this had 
 not happened before. Another, and the horse 
 groaned, stumbled. The sky appeared to swing, 
 to reel, to be turning upside down, and the rider 
 lay upon the ground stunned and bleeding. 
 
 There was a sound of loud, exultant voices 
 speaking in an unknown tongue. He opened his 
 eyes languidly and beheld with indifference a gi- 
 gantic figure standing over him with raised sabre. 
 And then the voice of Jallot, panting, "For -God's 
 mercy's sake ! spare him, good sirs, — listen ! he is 
 worth a heavy ransom." 
 
 The words were in English, and were understood 
 
1 82 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 by the leader of the little company. He spoke up 
 authoritatively : " Let be, Chris, we will take them 
 both prisoners, and see what will come of it. 
 Maybe, by means of these fine gentlemen we shall 
 be able to squeeze a little civility out of the cursed 
 peasants as we go along." 
 
 " That last is a wise thought, sergeant," an- 
 swered Chris, lowering his blade ; " I wonder it did 
 not come into my own head."- The comrade who 
 had taken him up once before, lost no time in 
 retorting, " Thy stupid head has no such visitors, 
 Chris." 
 
 Jallot knelt beside St. Denis and poured wine 
 into a little silver cup and gave him to drink, and 
 then began to examine his wound. One of the 
 shots had taken effect in his shoulder. 
 
 " Damnation ! are we to stay pottering here all 
 night?" cried the irascible Chris. It was now 
 almost dark. 
 
 Not far from where they were, a little away 
 from the road, was a grove above which curled 
 a thin volume of smoke. Two men were sent 
 to reconnoitre, and came back with the word 
 that there was a farmhouse in the grove, that 
 sleek cattle were munching good fodder in the 
 sheds, and that the housewife was cooking a 
 supper the smell of which made their mouths 
 water. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 183 
 
 " God be thanked ! " exclaimed the sergeant ; 
 " we '11 turn out the cattle to make room for our 
 horses, tie the good farmers to their bedposts to 
 keep them from carrying news to the neighbors, 
 and will ourselves eat that savory supper ! " 
 
CHAPTER XVII 
 
 ALL the hospitals in Barcelona were crowded 
 with sick and wounded soldiers, and the 
 overflow — those who came straggling in day after 
 day, more dead than alive — were distributed in 
 the ships lying at anchor in the harbor. 
 
 St. Denis, whose wound had been greatly aggra- 
 vated by hard travel, and who was prostrated by 
 a raging fever, was carried on board a British 
 frigate equipped as a man-of-war and manned 
 chiefly by Portuguese sailors. 
 
 Jallot, who was in great demand, there being a 
 scarcity of doctors and surgeons in comparison 
 with the great number of sufferers, made consid- 
 eration for his friend the price of his valuable 
 services. " If any harm befalls the Chevalier de 
 St. Denis, you may look out for yourselves, for I 
 care not what becomes of me," he declared, and 
 clinched the threat with most convincing profan- 
 ity; and St. Denis was subjected to no ill-treat- 
 ment on the part of his captors. 
 
 Day after day the ships rocked on the water, 
 and night after night Jallot sat beside the sufferer, 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 185 
 
 faithful as a watchdog, tender as a woman, some- 
 times permitting himself to doze, but starting up 
 at the least sound. 
 
 He was allowed perfect liberty; and having 
 engaged a bright English cabin boy to watch over 
 St. Denis in his absence, he went ashore almost 
 every morning to purchase wine and other deli- 
 cacies, — not alone for his friend, but for all who 
 were in sore need, making free use of St. Denis's 
 purse when his own was emptied. He never failed 
 on these excursions to inquire diligently for news, 
 and from all he was able to gather he was con- 
 vinced that peace would soon be formally declared 
 and arrangements made for an exchange of pris- 
 oners, and by the time St. Denis was able to leave 
 the ship they would be at liberty to set out for 
 home. 
 
 In St. Denis's lucid moments he imparted to 
 him these cheering prospects, just as he put an 
 elixir to his parched lips. For there was a sore 
 spirit to be healed as well as a racked body. St. 
 Denis blamed himself bitterly, not only for his 
 own sorry plight, but because Jallot had been 
 drawn into the whirlpool with him, — Jallot, who 
 but for love of him would not have been in the 
 war^at all; and his faithful friend had great diffi- 
 culty to convince him that it was a bit of experi- 
 ence which he did not in the least regret. 
 
1 86 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 One night, after a particularly wearisome day to 
 them both, Jallot sat dozing more soundly than his 
 wont when he was aroused by the unmistakable 
 stride and swish of a ship in motion. He started 
 up, and with a glance at St. Denis, who was in a 
 deep sleep, ran out to see what was happening. 
 
 The sailors with a peculiar elation of manner, 
 coupled with a strange silence and stealthiness, 
 were busy about their various tasks. 
 
 "What's up?" demanded Jallot. 
 
 The mate, an Englishman, stood on the quarter- 
 deck with an eye to the receding docks, though it 
 was a black night and nothing to be seen save the 
 twinkling lights ashore. 
 
 He turned his head over his shoulder and re- 
 plied coolly that he had taken command of the 
 ship and proposed to leave that port. 
 
 " A mutiny ? " exclaimed Jallot. 
 
 And the other answered, " Call it what you like, 
 and be damned ! " 
 
 " And where, pray, is your captain ? " 
 
 " Yonder in the town, amusing himself with wine 
 and dice and fair ladies." 
 
 "And what, may I. ask, do you propose to do?" 
 
 " Humph, man ! it goes withoiit saying. I pro- 
 pose to strike out and make my fortune, as many 
 good people have done before me, and will do 
 after me, God willing." 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 187 
 
 "'^\isX, pirating?" 
 
 " 'T is a nasty word, but, by God, it fits the 
 case ! " 
 
 Jallot, with a rapidly dawning sense of all that 
 this would mean to St. Denis, — as usual he thought 
 not at all of himself, — broke out angrily, — 
 
 "'T would have been a decent courtesy, mister 
 mate — " 
 
 " Captain now, if you please," corrected the 
 other, sternly. 
 
 " As you like, sir. I say it would have been a 
 decent courtesy had you set me ashore with the 
 chevalier before starting out on your infernal 
 enterprise." 
 
 The self-made captain shrugged his shoulders 
 and gave a dry laugh. " Indeed, sir," returned 
 he, " 't is a hazardous business we are adventuring 
 upon, and some of us are liable to need your 
 valuable services." 
 
 " What ! " Jallot cried, " you propose to take 
 us with you? you will not let us off the ship? 
 Then I swear that I will see you rot, you and your 
 whole vile crew, before I will prostitute my ser- 
 vices to — " 
 
 " Hold ! " The captain turned upon him with a 
 temper to match his own. " Ugly words are 
 harshly remembered sometimes. It remains to 
 be seen what you will do, sir, — do not forget that 
 
1 88 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 I have a hostage for your good behavior." And 
 with this menace he turned on his heel and went 
 below. 
 
 The mutineers, if this peaceable running away 
 with a ship might be called mutiny, had chosen 
 their opportunity wisely. As has been said, the 
 night was dark, not a star was to be seen when 
 they slipped their cable. And now a steady, 
 strong, easterly wind, charged with a fine rain, 
 bore hard upon their sails and gave them a fine 
 start of any who might some time later come in 
 pursuit. 
 
SECOND BOOK 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 IN the year 17 14 the house of the Sieur de Bien- 
 ville, erstwhile Governor of Louisiana, was in 
 one way the most popular and in another the most 
 exclusive house in"Mobile. 
 
 It occupied the centre of a great square filled 
 with pines and cypresses, magnolias, holly thickets, 
 and trailing vines. 
 
 A well-beaten path led to it from the esplanade 
 or public grounds surrounding the fort, for it was 
 a house the young men of the town delighted to 
 frequent. Not because it boasted any particular 
 elegance, or offered many substantial inducements 
 aside from a constant generous supply of tobacco. 
 
 The rough board floors were bare except for 
 some well-cured buffalo skins, the gift of the 
 natives, and the furniture was of the plainest. 
 But the benches and chairs, though rude to the 
 eye, were of stanch workmanship and comfortable 
 to sit upon. And there were a plenty of them. 
 
 Everything was on an ample scale. As many 
 as twenty sitters could range themselves in a half- 
 
I90 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 circle before the great fireplace in the salon. It 
 was one of the principal employments of Gabe, 
 the negro boy, to keep on hand an unstinted 
 supply of fat pine, which made a glorious blaze 
 and a fine hospitable warmth on frosty nights. 
 
 Upon a shelf above the fireplace were the to- 
 bacco boxes and a noble array of pipes, of which 
 any guest was at liberty to take his choice. 
 
 An immense table stood in the middle of this 
 room, and upon it an occasional supper was served 
 to the habitues of the house, in as handsome style 
 as the resources of the country could afford. For 
 Bienville's housekeeper, black Marie, was a famous 
 cook, and like all successful artistes, took delight 
 in showing off her handiwork. 
 
 No white woman had ever had the entree of this 
 house, though it is safe to assume that there was 
 no woman in the town but had a burning curiosity 
 to know how it looked inside. The reports that 
 came to their ears were vague but alluring, — it 
 was a place where the young men had " good 
 times." 
 
 Late one afternoon in December Bienville sat at 
 the great table, which was bestrewn with papers 
 and writing materials. His arms lay listlessly upon 
 the table, and his dark eyes, heavy with gloom, 
 were fixed on vacancy. 
 
 So great was his abstraction that he paid no 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 191 
 
 heed when a vigorous step crossed the threshold 
 and a breezy presence and frank, loud voice took 
 possession of the place. 
 
 " What, ho, cousin ! not ready yet ? " cried this 
 cheerful intruder, whose well-worn military dress 
 showed signs of recent careful furbishing. " His 
 Excellency will construe our tardiness into an in- 
 tentional affront" 
 
 At this reference to the new governor, the cloud 
 in Bienville's eyes was as if shot- through with 
 sparks of fire. 
 
 " The devil take his Excellency ! " cried he ; "I 
 care not what construction he puts upon any act of 
 mine." 
 
 " Holy saints ! " said the other, " have you lost 
 your reason, Baptiste? In God's name, what has 
 happened? " 
 
 " Nothing, Henri, — I am sick of life, I wonder 
 why I ever was born ! " 
 
 Henri Boisbriant threw back his head and 
 laughed long and loud, by way of trying to dispel 
 his friend's melancholy, — a kindly-intentioned, 
 clumsy way which was all his own. 
 
 " Ma foi ! " marveled he, " Jean Baptiste Le- 
 moyne, past Governor of Louisiana, present 
 Lieutenant-Governor, renowned soldier, famous 
 explorer, charmer of savages and women, wonders 
 why he ever was born ! Why, cousin, when you, 
 
tg2 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 who have such parts and graces and have risen to 
 such high honors, speak thus, how shall we humbler 
 devils stand, up and glorify ourselves, as we some- 
 times do, — meaning Captain Richebourg and my- 
 self? " 
 
 The last with a wink, for at that moment Captain 
 Richebourg's soldierly figure framed itself in the 
 doorway. 
 
 Bienville paid some slight courtesy of recogni- 
 tion to this second visitor, and Richebourg raised 
 a pair of fine eyebrows at Boisbriant to demand in 
 what connection his name had been used. 
 
 " I have been telling his late Excellency," ex- 
 plained Boisbriant, " that he ought to be satisfied 
 with himself for having reached a pinnacle so 
 much above you and me, even though he has been 
 temporarily — I am sure 'tis but temporarily — set 
 back a peg." 
 
 " I beg you not to think I am disturbed by the 
 mere fact of having been superseded," exclaimed 
 Bienville ; " the sting is in being superseded by such 
 a man ! " 
 
 " Such a pompous wind-bag of a man," offered 
 Boisbriant, consolingly. 
 
 " How the devil did such an ass as this Cadillac 
 ever get himself appointed ? " asked Richebourg, 
 who had taken a pipe from the mantel and was 
 carefully filling it. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 193 
 
 " God knows," answered Bienville. 
 
 " I doubt that," said Boisbriant. " 'T is reported 
 that the Duke of Lauzun had a hand in the business, 
 and I venture to say his ways are hid even from 
 the Almighty." 
 
 "Whence cometh your information, major?" 
 inquired Richebourg, and a cloud fell upon Bois- 
 briant's genial face. The inference was that he 
 had got it from his wife, who kept up a diligent 
 correspondence with her Paris friends, and who 
 was on intimate terms with the new governor's 
 family, and the Curd de la Vente, and all that 
 clique. 
 
 Boisbriant's position was difficult. He had a 
 sickening suspicion that his wife had somehow 
 meddled in Bienville's affairs and helped to bring 
 about his downfall, — a fact which filled him with a 
 loathing consciousness as of personal treachery. 
 Moreover, he was convinced that both Bienville 
 and Richebourg — who could not conceal even 
 from him their dislike of Madame Boisbriant — 
 shared his suspicion ; and his conjugal fealty with- 
 held him from introducing her name into these 
 familiar conversations oftener than was unavoid- 
 able. But he was a transparent soul, and often let 
 fall an innocent remark that illumined a whole 
 situation. 
 
 Richebourg forbore to press his question, and 
 13 
 
194 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 Boisbriant turned to a window and let his eyes 
 rest upon Gabe, who was idhng over the woodpile, 
 hearkening to bird-calls and to the wind among 
 the pines, himself as much a part of untamed 
 nature as bird or wind. 
 
 "Well, what about this party?" asked Riche- 
 bourg, and Bienville got up and called to the 
 ebony youth, who dropped his axe and came in, 
 saluted the visitors gravely in the military fashion 
 some of the younger frequenters of the place had 
 been at great pains to teach him, and followed his 
 master into his dressing-room, — for he was valet- 
 de-chambre as well as wood-chopper. 
 
 Richebourg glanced at the major, his eyebrows 
 putting the question, "What is the matter with 
 Baptiste ? " 
 
 Boisbriant drew near and answered in a low 
 voice, for there were but thin board partitions in 
 the house, " You saw those packing-cases outsid,e ? 
 
 — St. Denis's effects came in them more than a 
 year ago, and were never taken out until yesterday." 
 
 " Oh ! " Richebourg took the pipe from his lips 
 and held it in his fingers. 
 
 " Baptiste could never bear to touch them," con- 
 tinued Boisbriant. " I unpacked the boxes my- 
 self The youngster was a good deal of a dandy, 
 
 — you'd be surprised at the fine apparel, lace 
 ruffles that must have cost at the least five louis 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 19s 
 
 d'or the pair, and such shoes as you would wonder 
 how a man could get his foot into." 
 
 "That was like de Sauville," said Richebourg, 
 adding with an inadvertent glance at his own frills 
 and velvet, " refinement of taste often goes with 
 high courage ; and the lad must have had courage, 
 though why he should choose to throw his life 
 away in that cursed Spanish war I have never been 
 able to conjecture. 'Twas an ungrateful thing to 
 do, to say nothing of the pity of it." 
 
 Boisbriant, who had his share of the family loy- 
 alty, bristled up. "Youth has ever a passion for 
 romantic ventures," said he. " And besides, how 
 was he to know 't would be the end of him, — a 
 brave man never looks so far as that ! " 
 
 " Eh bien, it is not known absolutely that it was 
 the end of him," said Richebourg, relighting his 
 pipe. 
 
 " Mon Dieu, the sod is thick upon his grave 
 this many a day," sighed Boisbriant, " if so be that 
 he has a grave. 'T is not to be wondered at that 
 his body was not identified after that bloody battle 
 of Villa Viciosa, — so many of the slain were buried 
 in heaps. Had he been taken prisoner, he would 
 have turned up in the exchange, as we have so 
 often said. That was what Baptiste waited for so 
 long before letting his friends send his things on 
 here. And even then he delayed and kept on 
 
196 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 delaying because there was no definite word, and 
 he would not admit that he had given up hope. 
 Betwixt you and me, Richebourg, 't is the loss of 
 that promising youth which weighs upon Bienville 
 more than all else." 
 
 Bienville emerged from his dressing-room, and 
 the major — to cover up that they had been talk- 
 ing about him — approved loudly of his appear- 
 ance. 
 
 They set forth immediately, as fine a trio as the 
 Court of Versailles could have turned out, — to 
 speak strictly of themselves, not their dress, though 
 even in this they were not to be scoffed at as a 
 whole. 
 
 Boisbriant was the largest and least elegant, 
 Captain Richebourg the handsomest, and Bienville 
 the perfect pattern of a high-born gentleman. 
 
 They traversed the path through Bienville's 
 grounds, and crossed the esplanade behind the 
 fortress, passing within hailing distance of Bois- 
 briant's house, — where his unhappy lady was laid 
 up with a sprained ankle, — and so on around by 
 the residence of the seminary priests to the com- 
 modious mansion built by Bienville's ambitious 
 brother Chateaugud, and usurped by the new 
 governor. 
 
 The change in ownership had been in some 
 respects an advantage to the place. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 197 
 
 At the suggestion of his obliging relative the 
 Duke of Lauzun, Cadillac had gone to France 
 to get his commission and instructions from the 
 great Crozat; and he had brought back many 
 horticultural ideas from Versailles, where he had 
 been summoned to an audience with the king, — 
 an honor which had almost upset his reason. 
 These ideas he communicated to his wife, and she 
 had endeavored to carry them out as far as prac- 
 ticable in their new premises. 
 
 A wide gallery had been built across the front 
 of the house, and was curtained with vines trans- 
 planted from the forest. The evergreen shrub- 
 bery Chateaugu6 had set out in great profusion 
 was trimmed fantastically, and a brave attempt 
 had been made to carpet the naked lawn with 
 fine grass and clover. 
 
 Artistically constructed rustic seats filled the 
 gallery; and the view being fine, — for the man- 
 sion faced the bay, — and there being a very 
 pretty young lady in the premises, it should have 
 been a favorite resort for the youth of the town. 
 
 Yet it was not an uncommon thing for the 
 governor and his family to sit all by themselves 
 of a summer evening, brushing away the mos- 
 quitoes and listening to the amazing chorus of 
 the frogs, the while the flower of Mobile young- 
 manhood congregated at Bienville's, — where 
 
198 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 always there were choking clouds of tobacco 
 smoke, and dogs lying around in comfortable 
 good-fellowship. 
 
 On such perfect nights as were made expressly 
 for lovers, the gentle Josephine often sighed in 
 secret maidenly longing for her share of certain 
 romantic experiences which nature has set down 
 among the inalienable prerogatives of youth. 
 
 Occasionally Madame Cadillac — a plain, thrifty, 
 kindly-disposed woman, not greatly gifted with 
 tact — ventured a mild criticism upon the un- 
 sociability of the Bienville coterie. But this al- 
 ways aroused the governor's ire. On one such 
 occasion he broke out roughly, " They spend their 
 time carousing among themselves, they are an un- 
 godly lot, and it is well for them that they do not 
 presume to make too free of this house ! The Cur6 
 de la Vente tells me that not one of them takes 
 the holy sacrament even at Easter tide. 'T is dis- 
 graceful, abominable ! Voili, I do not wonder 
 that this country is accursed of God ! " 
 
 Josephine protested : " Oh, papa ! it seems to me 
 that if God and the holy saints smile upon any 
 country it is this." 
 
 " I mean the colony, not the locality, foolish 
 child," he answered gruffly. 
 
 "I fear," put in Madame Cadillac, "that our 
 good cur6 has not succeeded in making himself 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 199 
 
 beloved by Monsieur Bienville and the others, and 
 that may be the cause of their neglect of the sacra- 
 ments. Which is not right, of course, but then 
 young men are apt to scorn the service if they 
 dislike the priest." 
 
 "No, they do not love the Cur6 de la Vente," 
 sneered his Excellency, " and for a good reason : he 
 had the temerity to report their arrogance and 
 misconduct to the king." 
 
 " I have heard," persisted madame, who had 
 upon occasion a quiet, and, as her lordly husband 
 sometimes thought, a stupidly exasperating way 
 of saying her say, " that they base their aversion 
 upon other grounds." 
 
 "What grounds?" he demanded savagely. 
 
 " Well, it is said that the cur^ is in the habit of 
 appropriating the contributions to his own personal 
 use, instead of laying them by to build a church." 
 
 His Excellency flew into a towering passion. 
 " Madame, I forbid you to hsten to such tales, 
 such vile slanders," cried he, " I forbid it ! " So 
 great was his anger that his whole body shook with 
 it, and the long black curls of his enormous wig 
 danced impishly upon his shoulders. 
 
 Madame said no more, but thought her own 
 thoughts. 
 
 There were, however, a number of young gentle- 
 men who regularly visited the gubernatorial man- 
 
200 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 sion, — officers of the army who boasted noble 
 hneage, such as Terrine, Villers, Latour, Marigny 
 de Mandeville, and some others engaged in civil 
 affairs. They dressed well, danced well, talked 
 with considerable esprit, and had souls for any- 
 thing that might turn up in this new and wonder- 
 ful land. 
 
 To Mademoiselle Josephine and other young 
 ladies of the colony these light-hearted gentlemen 
 
 — who could not have taken even death seriously 
 
 — might have been entirely satisfactory had there 
 been no Bienville and no Captain Richebourg. It 
 takes only one or two in a community, large or 
 small, to set up a standard which is the despair 
 of the majority. 
 
 The trio was not culpably late, to judge by 
 other arrivals. The Marquis du Tisn^ and the 
 king's commissary, Duclos, both warm friends of 
 Bienville, came at the same time with themselves. 
 The Sieur de Serigny and the comptroller Lebas 
 arrived later, and last of all, the business agents 
 of the temporary lord of the land, Dirigoin, and 
 La Loire des Ursins. 
 
 All the dignitaries of the town were invited 
 to the governor's banquet, — or rather Madame 
 Cadillac's banquet. The good lady was deter- 
 mined to bring about a general harmony. She 
 wished especially to placate the lieutenant-governor. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 201 
 
 not only as the head of the opposing faction, but 
 because he, if any one, had a justifiable grievance. 
 
 But her heart was a better organ than her head. 
 Every smile she bestowed upon Bienville seemed 
 barbed with the thought, " I am so sorry for you, 
 monsieur, because we have displaced you ! " And 
 this was almost more unendurable than her hus- 
 band's outrageous arrogance. 
 
 To-night, as he found himself t^te-A-tete with her, 
 he grimly essayed to ward off her compassionate 
 attentions by imitating the volatile gayety of young 
 du Tisnd, who was as full of chatter as a magpie, 
 — and his natural cleverness righteously forsook 
 him and left him floundering in a sea of platitudes. 
 He let fall one trite remark after another, and 
 finally touched upon the improvements about the 
 gubernatorial premises, — so stale a topic that his 
 heart sickened almost before the words left his 
 lips. And moreover, it was a delicate topic and 
 brought about the very thing he was endeavoring 
 to avoid. Madame's thought instantly reverted 
 to the fact that it had been his brother's house. 
 
 " Alas, I fear that we have done away with much 
 that was dear and familiar to you, monsieur," replied 
 she. 
 
 " Familiar perhaps, but not dear, I assure you," 
 he answered quickly. " A bare dooryard and a 
 pack of yelping dogs are not especially tender 
 
202 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 memories, and those are the things I seem to re- 
 member best." 
 
 Josephine, who was in conversation with Maurice 
 Latour, one of the younger men, but whose ear 
 was strained toward Bienville, could not forbear 
 looking up at him and exclaiming, " Oh, but dogs 
 are dear creatures, monsieur, and so intelligent ! " 
 
 Bienville, glad of the diversion, turned toward 
 her, and the full attention of his fine gray eyes 
 brought the roses to her cheeks. 
 
 " Dogs and horses rank next to men in intellect," 
 proclaimed Latour. And the beardless Marquis 
 du Tisn6, who was hovering on the outskirts of this 
 attractive group, slipped in cheaply with the query, 
 "What have you to say for the monkey?" 
 
 " Ma foi ! monkeys have no sense whatever," 
 answered Latour the wise ; " they are simply mis- 
 chievous." 
 
 " Then they must have the sense of humor? " 
 
 " Not at all. Did you ever see a monkey laugh ? " 
 
 " Oh, if that is your gauge of intelligence ! " Du 
 Tisne's gaze fell as if by accident upon a young 
 gentleman of the name of Vinot, whose parted lips 
 were always wreathed with an inane smile. 
 
 " Cruel ! " exclaimed Josephine, with a shocked 
 look at Bienville. And because he smiled, — not 
 at the heartless jest, but because she was so very 
 pretty, — she smiled too, the dimples breaking out 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 203 
 
 sweetly round her rosebud mouth and attesting 
 her perfect happiness. She was a sensitive young 
 creature ; the delicate lace of her gown fluttering 
 against his velvet sleeve thrilled her like the touch 
 of a hand or a caressing glance. 
 
 And as for Bienville, he forgot in her charming 
 presence his burden of sorrows, — sorrow for this 
 beloved land given over to rapacious speculators, 
 sorrow for his powerlessness to carry out those 
 great schemes planned by his dead brother and 
 himself, — sorrow above all for that lost youth of 
 noble promise whom he had most dearly loved. 
 And he forgot even that this charming girl was 
 the daughter of M. la Mothe Cadillac, his hateful 
 successor ! 
 
 Richebourg at the farther side of the room was 
 monopolizing, with her apparent approval, the 
 beautiful Marguerite d' Argent, the , acknowledged 
 belle of Mobile. Marguerite was the intimate 
 friend of Josephine. She was the only woman 
 invited to this function except Madame Boisbriant, 
 whose injured ankle had prevented her acceptance, 
 — such was her excuse, at all events. But there 
 was a suspicion in the minds of some, that it was 
 not her disability that kept her at home, but her 
 hatred of Bienville and Richebourg. She could 
 not endure to be in the same house with them. 
 
 The governor had cornered des Ursins, and was 
 
204 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 holding him fast to some topic or other, in his 
 pompous, domineering way. His Excellency often 
 found it hard to get an audience ; so once he had 
 beat up a hstener, he did not easily let him go. 
 
 The remaining men, inwardly cursing Riche- 
 bourg, endeavored in the trying antedinner inter- 
 val to make the best of one another. 
 
 At last the welcome signal came. Madame 
 Cadillac entered the dining-room with Major Bois- 
 briant, Bienville gave his arm to the happy Jo- 
 sephine, and the governor despoiled Richebourg, 
 who surrendered Mademoiselle d' Argent with an 
 eloquent look, she scarcely refraining from a pout. 
 
 " That hateful Madame Boisbriant ! " thought 
 she, — for if Madame Boisbriant had been there, 
 she would have had the place of honor. 
 
 The dining-room was so beautifully decorated 
 with forest greenery, and the table with flowers 
 and scarlet berries, as to offer a broad hint to con- 
 versation. Which hint was not neglected. Each 
 guest had his own separate comment or exclama- 
 tion, and all talked at once. 
 
 The voice of Duclos, the king's commissary, held 
 out after the others had subsided. 
 
 " In the profusion and variety of these beautiful 
 decorations," said he, " may we not see the finger 
 of the Almighty pointing to the agricultural possi- 
 bilities of this country?" 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 205 
 
 "What a pity," rejoined Serigny, — a peculiar 
 thing about Serigny was that one could never tell 
 whether he was in jest or earnest, — " that his 
 Majesty does not take the divine hint and send out 
 a few ship-loads of farmers ! " 
 
 " Instead of so many miners and prospectors, 
 eh ? " laughed Duclos, with a glance at des Ursins 
 and Dirigoin. 
 
 " I should not object," answered the latter, with 
 a shrug, — " anything to make the country prosper." 
 
 The governor frowned, and his glance darted 
 suspiciously here and there, as though he sniffed 
 treason and sacrilege. 
 
 " Gentlemen," he said loftily, " our first business, 
 as the king himself has decreed, is to seek beneath 
 the surface. After, we have exhausted the gold 
 mines and the pearl fisheries, it will be time enough 
 to turn our attention to farming !" 
 
 No one ventured to reply, lest he should attract 
 the governor's eloquence to himself, and his Excel- 
 lency continued with increasing warmth : " I must 
 confess that I am both amazed and perturbed at the 
 indifference manifested in this colony respecting 
 the wishes of the king and the plans of our illus- 
 trious patron Monsieur Crozat. It seems to me, 
 gentlemen, that it is high time for us to make a 
 beginning, — high time indeed ! " 
 
 Madame Cadillac, distressed at this turn, looked 
 
2o6 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 beseechingly at her husband, but his excited glance 
 passed her by and fastened upon Bienville. " How 
 is it, monsieur? Is there any possibility, think you, 
 of getting your lazy Indians to go to work ? " 
 
 This was like a slap in the face, and Bienville's 
 color rose. His Indians they were indeed, for he 
 had been their friend, their ally, their counsellor; 
 and the new government had laid it down as his 
 chief duty to cajole or force them into its great 
 industrial schemes. 
 
 " In my opinion it will be difficult, your Excel- 
 lency," he replied coldly. " The men, as you are 
 aware, think it disgraceful to labor, and we should 
 hardly care to put their women in the mines." 
 
 There was a twitter of laughter here and there, 
 but Cadillac's frown deepened. . 
 
 " It is inconceivable," declared he, raising his 
 voice, " that a subjugated people cannot be com- 
 pelled to submit to the decrees of their conquerors. 
 I believe there is not another such instance in the 
 world's history ! You might kill the half of these 
 people by way of example, and the other half 
 would go on defying you." 
 
 "Your Excellency has spoken truly," returned 
 Bienville, with a flashing eye. 
 
 Fortunately Dirigoin took hold of the conver- 
 sation and carried it on to another point. He 
 said that farther west there were some very thrifty 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 207 
 
 tribes, the Natchitoches in particular, with whom 
 he thought it would be wise to open up friendly 
 relations. 
 
 And from this the talk widened into a general 
 discussion about commerce with Mexico. 
 
 The governor, notwithstanding he was singu- 
 larly ignorant concerning all these matters, was 
 the dominant speaker. He prevailed like a dis- 
 agreeable wind ; and his vague and wordy theories 
 were rather disheartening to the brighter minds 
 that were trying to evolve some definite plan of 
 action. 
 
 Meanwhile some one now and then, guiding his 
 voice mto a lower key than the governor had 
 pitched, dropped in a comment upon the excel- 
 lence of the menu, meaning not only to compli- 
 ment the hostess, but to praise with true patriotic 
 pride the resources of a country that made it pos- 
 sible to spread so grand a feast ; and these digres- 
 sions were like taking momentary refuge in some 
 quiet nook which the gale could not- reach. They 
 were the only opportunities the Cadillac ladies 
 had. Margtierite d'Argent had none at all, with his 
 Excellency on one side forgetting her entirely in 
 his excitement, and the Cure de la Vente on the 
 other hopelessly absorbed in his plate and his 
 glass. She at least was delighted when the ban- 
 quet was at an end and they were at liberty to 
 
2o8 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 drift out upon the gallery. Richebourg again 
 adroitly placed himself at her side, and they went 
 down the steps and across the lawn to the gate. 
 
 It was a charming hour. The sun was about 
 to set in great splendor. The air was as vibrant 
 as a well-strung violin, everything that touched 
 it produced musical tones. The broad water be- 
 fore them was like an unruffled sea of molten gold. 
 
 "Shall we not go on?" he asked, his hand on 
 the latch, his eyes upon her face, infinite deference 
 in his manner. 
 
 She assented, and they passed through the gate 
 and sauntered down the long bridge extending 
 over the swamp-ground near the shore and ending 
 in the embarquadere. 
 
 A bare-headed youth gliding over the shining 
 water in a canoe, his oars flashing at every stroke, 
 was aiming for that point. 
 
 " What a picture," exclaimed Marguerite, " and 
 what haste he appears to be in ! " 
 
 The youth rowed as though not to waste a 
 moment, looking over his shoulder now and then 
 at some little specks of boats following him. He 
 pulled up at the landing, saluted hastily, and called 
 out that an English ship had brought to at Dau- 
 phine Island and put off two passengers for Mobile. 
 " They 're in yon schooner," he said, pointing sea- 
 ward, " but there 's not a breath o' wind, you see, 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 209 
 
 and God knows when they'll get here. I was the 
 first to come away and bring the news." 
 
 The two recipients of the news acknowledged 
 the obligation with a smiling " Bravo ! " and Riche- 
 bourg tossed the lad a silver coin. 
 
 They could just make out the tall masts of the 
 schooner far down the bay. 
 
 While they stood looking with their hands above 
 their eyes, the water began to undulate. 
 
 " Ah, now they '11 come on," said Richebourg. 
 
 Their attitude and the presence of the canoe 
 awoke curiosity up at the house, and the whole 
 company moved toward the water. 
 
 A field-glass showed that the schooner's sails 
 had filled and she was moving. 
 
 The governor became violently excited ; an Eng- 
 lish ship off Dauphine Island, — mon Dieu ! what 
 could it mean? some international affair, without 
 doubt ! and he strutted up and down the embar- 
 quadere. But there was nothing to be done ; he 
 could only wait until the schooner came up and 
 landed her passengers. And the breeze was, after 
 all, so light that there was no telling when that 
 would be. 
 
 The air grew chill after sunset, and it was 
 thought best to retreat to the house and await 
 there the arrival of the schooner. 
 
 Sooner than was expected word came that she 
 14 
 
2IO The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 was beating up, and the men all hastily excused 
 themselves and returned to the water-side. 
 
 The two young ladies put something about their 
 shoulders and sat in the gallery, as full of curiosity 
 as the men, but holding themselves with the 
 trained patience of their sex. The moon had 
 risen, but they could not make out much at that 
 distance. They listened to the familiar noises that 
 accompany the mooring of a large boat, and they 
 could see figures moving about on the wharf for 
 what seemed to them an interminable time. At 
 last one figure detached itself and came rapidly 
 toward the house. 
 
 " The Marquis du Tisnd," said Josephine ; " now 
 we shall hear all about it." 
 
 " In his own good time," rejoined Marguerite, 
 rather crossly, — for where all this while was the 
 devoted Captain Richebourg? 
 
 The marquis ran up the steps and threw himself 
 panting into a chair. " You will not guess in ten 
 moons who those strangers are?" exclaimed he. 
 " Of all the surprises I have had in my lifetime 
 this night has brought me the greatest." 
 
 "We quite feared," answered Marguerite, coldly, 
 " that you had all forgotten to come back and 
 report to us." 
 
 " Forgotten ? Parbleu ! we forgot everything, 
 we were so taken aback, so absolutely stunned. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 21 r 
 
 We should have forgotten our dinner if we had 
 not tasted food for a week." 
 
 " But now that you are at last here," pleaded 
 Josephine, demurely, " will you not please gratify 
 our curiosity, monsieur, — consider the state we 
 are in from such long suspense ? " 
 
 Du Tisn6 laughed. " A thousand pardons ! 
 'T is that I came for, to be sure, and I was about 
 to get to it. You have both heard of Bienville's 
 nephew and prot6g6, Louis St. Denis, whom the 
 king knighted and sent to the wars in Spain? " 
 
 " Surely," replied Marguerite. 
 
 And Josephine added : " I have not lived here 
 a great while, but there is hardly a name in Mobile 
 more famihar to me than that one. The poor 
 young gentleman's fate was so sad ! " 
 
 " Not so fast, mademoiselle ! " cried the marquis, 
 " for his fate is not a sealed book yet, — one of 
 those stranger passengers is no other than Louis 
 de St. Denis, Chevalier of the Order of St. Louis ! " 
 
 " Oh, incredible ! " ejaculated Josephine. 
 
 " But in an English ship?" said Marguerite. 
 
 Others began to arrive by this time, among 
 them Captain Richebourg, who told the ladies 
 that he was charged with the excuses and adieux 
 of Bienville and the major, who had gone with 
 the new arrivals directly to Bienville's house, A 
 thoughtful fiction on his part, since by his own 
 
212 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 showing Bienville at least had been incapable of 
 entertaining a thought about anything save the 
 great fact of St. Denis's restoration. 
 
 He took a seat beside Marguerite, and while the 
 others were explaining to Madame Cadillac and 
 Josephine, he told her all that he had been able 
 to gather. He said that when a tall young gentle- 
 man in English dress stepped off the schooner and 
 inquired in good Parisian French if any there 
 present knew aught of the Sieur de Bienville, 
 Bienville himself advanced, suspecting nothing. 
 But all of a sudden he stopped, cried out, " Louis ! 
 Mon Dieu, it is^ — it is — " and staggered toward 
 him, and would have fallen to the ground had not 
 St. Denis himself sprung forward and upheld him. 
 
 As soon as he was sufficiently recovered he had 
 insisted upon going at once to his own home. 
 But he was really so weak as to require support, 
 and St. Denis and Boisbriant walked with him, 
 one at either side. 
 
 " And I myself," added Richebourg, " fell in and 
 went a little way with the other gentleman, Jallot 
 is his name. He and St. Denis are devoted friends. 
 Ma foi ! they have been through hardships enough 
 together to knit them closer than brothers ! They 
 were prisoners, he says, for upwards of three years, 
 to a gang of pirates. They had been shipwrecked, 
 and have endured all sorts of bloody and terrible 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 213 
 
 experiences. Lastly they were in Charles Town 
 for many months, — and this of itself is a fine 
 brave tale. It seems that they were rescued with 
 great gallantry by a British man-of-war in the 
 West Indies and carried to Charles Town, where 
 they were treated very 4iandsomely. And in re- 
 turn they felt that they could do no less as soldiers 
 and gentlemen, than to offer to turn their complete 
 knowledge of piratical warfare to account by help- 
 ing their benefactors rid themselves of the pests 
 that swarmed along their shores and periodically 
 raided the country. ■ A work they entered into 
 with a right good-will on their own account, Jallot 
 swore, for they had a long private score of their 
 own, as you may well suppose, to settle with the 
 buccaneers. In the battles that ensued St. Denis 
 was severely wounded, and he lay ill for many weeks. 
 And upon his recovery the English had in their 
 turn acknowledged his and Jallot's services, not 
 only by a legislative vote of thanks, but by a more 
 substantial expression of their gratitude, — one 
 small feature of which was the tender of safe 
 convoy to Mobile. 
 
CHAPTER XIX 
 
 WHEN the four gentlemen reached Bienville's 
 house, Jallot plucked Boisbriant by the 
 sleeve and said, " Come, monsieur le major, what 
 do you say to continuing our walk a bit farther? I 
 have a curiosity to explore this strange country by 
 moonlight, for the like of it I have never clapped 
 eyes on before ! " 
 
 The pliant major allowed himself to be swept 
 onward through the forest and out again toward 
 the bay, notwithstanding an uneasy consciousness 
 that Madame Boisbriant would reasonably be ex- 
 pecting his return, in order that she be not kept in 
 suspense about the banquet. 
 
 True, the major was not reportorially gifted, but 
 madame could manage to pick enough out of him 
 to satisfy the first keen hunger of her curiosity. 
 He would remember the menu, of course, and 
 could tell her — if he would — what gentlemen 
 Marguerite d' Argent had favored with her coquette- 
 ries. But she must depend upon the Cur^ de la 
 Vente to describe how Bienville, Captain Riche- 
 bourg, and all that exasperating clique had borne 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 215 
 
 themselves under the inquisitorial eye of the 
 governor. 
 
 Boisbriant, as he tramped at Jallot's side, soon 
 comforted himself with the thought that he should 
 eventually carry home to the connubial chamber — 
 to madame in her ruffled nightcap and ruffled 
 temper — that which would serve as a buffer 
 against her wrath. For Jallot, anxious to beguile 
 him, poured out blood-curdling tales of piracy, 
 captivity, battles on the high seas, and kindred 
 horrors, such as Boisbriant, though his own 
 career had been none of the mildest, had hardly 
 dreamed of. And true tales, every one of them, 
 Jallot swore, of his own and the chevalier's experi- 
 ences. 
 
 As soon as ever his good wife should open her 
 hps, thought the cunning major, he would begin 
 cramming these delicacies down her throat, and 
 she would, for the time being, forget all about the 
 banquet. 
 
 The wisdom and delicacy of Jallot's manoeuvre 
 — the cunning of which was not apprehended by 
 the simple-minded major, though he did indeed 
 marvel somewhat that a man of Jallot's experiences 
 should still hunger for adventure — were apparent 
 ia the fact that Bienville and St. Denis, when left 
 to themselves, threw off the slight reserve enjoined 
 by the presence of others. 
 
2i6 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 Not that they fell into each other's arms or broke 
 into extravagant demonstrations of affection. They 
 were Frenchmen, but in both the emotional French 
 nature had been disciplined by hardy experiences. 
 
 Bienville paused at the threshold, and laid a 
 hand on St. Denis's breast and said, "Welcome, 
 Louis ! " And in the light of the great fire which 
 Gabe had recently kindled, and before which he 
 lay stretched in slumber, he gave him a long look 
 as tender and searching as a mother's. " You have 
 grown, and you have changed much, my boy," 
 said he. " Mon Dieu ! you are a man. The years 
 pass. Come and be seated. What will you have, 
 — a supper, wine, coffee ? The cook has left the 
 house and gone to sleep in her own cabin, but the 
 boy here can serve you." He touched Gabe with 
 his foot. 
 
 But St. Denis wished only a pipe of tobacco, and 
 Gabe was sent to his bed. 
 
 The dancing flames illumined the great salon, 
 reveahng its homely comforts and invoking its 
 genius loci to such a degree that St. Denis re- 
 marked, smiling, "You must have sociable times 
 here, monsieur ! " His glance went from one to 
 another of the rude decorations, carved wooden 
 images, drawings, and paintings done by the most 
 amateurish hands. 
 
 " Yes, there are a dozen merry rogues who make 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 217 
 
 free of my house," Bienville answered, smiling also, 
 — " mere schoolboys who must needs cut and 
 whittle, and mark with tljieir pencils." 
 
 It would seem to have been a time for intimate 
 confidences between the two. But a gap of years 
 is not bridged in a moment. In a way they had 
 not found each other yet. But they were on the 
 alert, watching, listening for the subtle signs in 
 word and look and tone which should give them 
 true knowledge of each other. Both were shaken 
 by the inrush of old memories and bursting with 
 affectionate curiosity, yet for the moment they 
 spoke only from the surface of their thoughts. 
 
 St. Denis had learned that Bienville was no 
 longer Governor of Louisiana, and his heart ached 
 as he noted the records of grief and baffled hopes 
 in that sensitive, high-bred face, in the dark hair 
 silvering before its time. 
 
 But he waited for Bienville to speak, which at 
 last he did. 
 
 There were many thoughts which Bienville had 
 long kept to himself, of which he could not speak 
 freely even to Richebourg and Boisbriant, though 
 he himself could hardly have told why, — it was 
 assuredly not from any doubt of their loyalty. But 
 now gradually these thoughts were poured out in 
 the ever-increasing rapture of a fine and perfect 
 understanding 
 
2i8 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 Yet he spoke with moderation, as one who had 
 thought much and who would not suffer himself to 
 be carried away by a sense of his personal wrongs. 
 " No man in office," he said, " can avoid stirring 
 up enemies. The spirit of rivalry is in human 
 nature, in all nature in fact. The very plants fight 
 for soil and sunshine, and crowd out their fellows. 
 With man the unfairness appears in the fact 
 that no account is taken of the price he may 
 have had to pay for what he has acquired, the 
 pains, the labor, the grinding of adverse circum- 
 stances. People see only the golden apple in 
 his hand and cry for it. Mon Dieu ! a man has 
 not merely to work his slow way among natural 
 difficulties, but must fight off the whole rabble of 
 the unsuccessful." 
 
 " Was it jealousy and personal enmity to you 
 which caused all these changes ? " St. Denis asked. 
 
 " Oh, no," Bienville answered, " though God 
 knows I have enemies enough. Avarice has struck 
 the hardest blow at this unhappy country. France 
 looks upon these distant colonies as a species of 
 spoils, to be not only appropriated for selfish use, 
 but wasted with shamelesss extravagance, as a 
 child wastes the food it cannot eat. 
 
 " Ah, in what brilliant colors my dead brothers 
 and I painted the future of this colony ! We be- 
 lieved that by the cultivation of the soil, the civihz- 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 219 
 
 ing of the natives,, and tke introduction of European 
 arts and industries, it might be made into a great and 
 prosperous commonwealth. Instead it is turned 
 over to a rampant commercial agency, which looks 
 not to its future but would squeeze it as one 
 squeezes an orange, for the present good there is 
 in it, or that is supposed to be in it, for they shoot 
 wide of the mark when they aim here for gold and 
 precious stones." 
 
 " Is that really a fallacy?" St. Denis asked. 
 
 "The most ridiculous in the world," Bienville 
 answered, and continued : " My pleasant task now 
 is to keep down the natives; until the yoke shall 
 have been screwed tight upon their necks, to trade 
 upon the personal influence bought by my long 
 residence among them cmd my honorable conduct 
 toward them, in the interest of this: soulless man- 
 agement ! Already Cadillac has shown himself 
 so faithless with respect to my treatiesi — " 
 
 " Cadillac \ " interrupted St. Denis;, — the name 
 was as an echo from some long-past time. " Is 
 Cadillac your successor, and is he from Canada ? " 
 
 " He is the present governor, and he came from 
 the Michilimackinac Post," replied Bienville. 
 
 St. Denis was greatly agitated. " Do you know 
 how he came by his promotion?" he inquired. 
 
 " Our cousin Henri Boisbriiint, who is in a po- 
 sition to know many things," returned Bienville, 
 
220 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 dryly, " says he got it through his notable relative 
 the Duke of Lauzun." 
 
 A flash of recollection showed St. Denis the 
 picture of the little room in the Caf6 Mouton in 
 the Rue St. Martin, and he rose to his feet trem- 
 bling with excitement. 
 
 " Then it is to me you owe all your misfortunes, 
 monsieur ! " he cried. " I knew Lauzun, and I 
 had the indiscretion to quarrel with him — pur- 
 posely, for I detested the man and wished to rid 
 myself of him; and he revenged himself upon 
 you. Jesu ! one should smile at every folly, wink 
 at every vice, endure every disgusting spectacle 
 rather than provoke the rich and powerful." 
 
 " Such a sentiment is unworthy of your name, 
 my boy," answered Bienville, sternly. " No man 
 has ever yet paid too great a price for the main- 
 tenance of his self-respect. Be at peace; you 
 have no cause to charge yourself with my misfor- 
 tunes. The change was bound to come. Had it 
 not been Cadillac, it would have been another, — 
 though I doubt if there could have been another 
 selection quite so bad." 
 
 The conversation turned finally to St. Denis's 
 affairs. He had never written a word to Bienville 
 about the motive which had induced him to enhst 
 in the Spanish war. But the story blossomed 
 spontaneously upon his lips; and so sympathetic 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 221 
 
 was Bienville's attention, so encouraging his inter- 
 est, that the lover's soul took fire; he became a 
 poet, a painter, a magician. Maria's very pres- 
 ence seemed to shimmer through the room. Her 
 witching face peeped from among the shadows; 
 her blithe form, petite and yet so queenly, danced 
 upon the waves of firelight. The very sound of 
 her voice was there, the rustle of her garments, 
 the faint elusive perfume that gave a haunting 
 charm to all her belongings. 
 
 But it was almost more than he could bear. 
 For, alas ! she was lost to him forever, this rare 
 and unforgetable one. She had gone from his 
 life as the rainbow vanishes, or as the sweet spirits 
 of the air that steal into our happy hours like 
 golden butterflies and flee away before the first 
 shadow of sorrow. 
 
 But Bienville would not listen to this. It was 
 nothing, he said, that no word had come from the 
 senorita in response to letters sent from Charles 
 Town, — it took time for a Httle missive to make 
 its precarious journey half round the world. And 
 then might not that old cat the Dona Romeho 
 intercept the letters? 
 
 Yes, St. Denis had thought of that, and had 
 written also to the faithful Comtesse de Carefio. 
 But nothing had come of it. His greatest fear, he 
 admitted, was that Maria, believing him dead. 
 
222 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 might have been induced to give her hand to 
 Gaspardo. 
 
 But Bienville, whose judgment indeed was 
 hardly to be relied upon, for affairs of the heart 
 had cut but little figure in his busy life, scouted 
 this also. He declared that it was not an easy 
 matter to fan a dead love into life again. To 
 which St. Denis raised a quick objection. " She 
 never did love Gaspardo," said he, " though she 
 admitted that she might have consented to marry 
 him, being ignorant of the meaning of love, had she 
 not met me." 
 
 " The memory of you will be a watchdog in her 
 heart to keep him away," Bienville answered. But 
 his face clouded. " Mon Dieu ! were I Governor of 
 Louisiana now, I should find means to aid you." 
 
 " Monsieur ! " St. Denis's hand was upon his arm, 
 " I beg you not to forget that I belong to a family 
 that knows how to meet reverses. We may miss 
 happiness, but duty seldom hides her face from a 
 Lemoyne. Though, alas ! the thought often comes 
 to me that I, of all the race, did indeed turn my 
 back upon duty, and am but justly punished." 
 
 " I forbid you that thought, Louis," Bienville 
 answered, the ring of authority in his voice. " A 
 man has a right to his love, and love is a poor 
 thing without the loyalty that would back it with a 
 sword." 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 223 
 
 Two diverse emotions made it difficult for St. 
 Denis to fall asleep that night. On the one hand 
 he was profoundly depressed by the condition of 
 the colony and Bienville's unhappy situation ; and 
 on the other, hope which had long been sleeping 
 in his heart, as verdure sleeps in winter, had sud- 
 denly awakened. 
 
 Now one feeling held him, and now the other. 
 But when at last his eyelids closed, it was hope that 
 crooned the lullaby ! 
 
 The next morning, in the first half-second of 
 waking, he had a sensation as of having received a 
 message from his beloved. Then he became con- 
 scious that a wonderful music was raining upon the 
 world. A mocking-bird very near at hand was 
 pouring forth his jocund matin6e, — a melody 
 so joyous, so penetrating and keenly sweet, that 
 it broke open long-sealed chambers in his soul, 
 and set free a range of blithe emotions wellnigh 
 forgotten. 
 
 He sat up in bed and lifted a corner of the win- 
 dow curtain. The fearless warbler, perched airily 
 within arm's reach, finished his strain, cocked a 
 meditative eye, and was silent. 
 
 The listener encored under his breath, and the 
 singer, as in flattered complacency, again opened 
 his little bill, filled his small reservoir of a throat, 
 and executed a series of wonderful fugues, let fall 
 
224 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 a shower of glittering trills, and then no more. 
 He raised his wings and twinkled away among the 
 trees. 
 
 St. Denis continued to gaze outward, and his 
 eye fell upon Gabe, at a little distance from the 
 house, squatted upon the ground picking up pieces 
 of wood with curious inattentiveness and putting 
 them into a wide-mouthed reed basket. 
 
 He was a strapping fellow, straight and well 
 built, with a perfectly black skin, large prominent 
 eyes that had a quiet, speculative roll, and teeth 
 startlingly white. For the rest, his features were 
 regularly ugly and droll beyond everything. His 
 head was covered with an enormous crop of wool, 
 into which he stuck long feathers, the gayest he 
 could find, in imitation of the native braves, whom 
 he greatly admired and also greatly feared. 
 
 St. Denis watched him with a keen interest. 
 He was entirely absorbed in what was going on 
 around him in the mysterious underworld. His 
 long fingers were feeling about inconsequently for 
 the sticks of wood, while his eyes were up among 
 the trees watching the antics of the squirrels, or 
 traveling along the ground after some starded 
 creature that showed only a pair of tiny heels as it 
 scuttled into hiding. By and by, as apparently 
 seeing nothing to tempt to further dallying, he got 
 upon his feet, rising like a young sapHng that 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 225 
 
 has been held down for a spell, and is suddenly 
 released. 
 
 He stood perfectly motionless, with ear intent, 
 and eyes rolling from side to side. Presently he 
 made a singular noise in his throat, listened again 
 as though expecting an answer from some quarter, 
 and finally took up the basket, set it upon his head, 
 and marched majestically toward the house. 
 
 St. Denis dressed himself quickly and went out 
 and stood bareheaded under the lofty trees. It 
 was a day of which one must not lose a moment ! 
 Some wondering speculation drifted through his 
 mind as to the cause of the singular elation that 
 possessed him, that quickened his blood and made 
 all things seem possible of achievement. Was it 
 due to the fact that he was at last here, in the 
 place toward which the high hopes and ardent 
 dreams of his youth had tended ? Was it because 
 of last night's conversation and Bienville's hopeful 
 words, or was it just that some divinely buoyant 
 quality in the atmosphere caught his spirit heaven- 
 ward ! 
 
 The sun already well up shone splendidly, but 
 his beams, sifted through layer upon layer of deli- 
 cate foliage, took on a cool greenish tinge in all 
 the wide underspaces. Here and there bits of 
 remote blue sky glanced like jewels through the 
 meshes of this airy lace. The air, charged with 
 
 15 
 
226 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 life, was very still, except that now and then a 
 playful puff of wind brushed the cheek with a 
 touch as of eider-down. The birds sang, the 
 pines whispered among themselves high over- 
 head. 
 
 Jallot's voice rang out in the distance, — 
 " A marvelous country this, Louis ; the air 
 intoxicates like wine ! " 
 
 He had tramped half the night with Boisbriant, 
 and had then gone to sleep at the barracks. 
 
CHAPTER XX 
 
 BIENVILLE'S friends accepted St. Denis as 
 by acclamation, and flocked to the house 
 continually. For there was now a season of gen- 
 eral inactivity pending the return of the pro- 
 spectors the governor had sent out, when it was 
 proposed to set on foot those great mining pro- 
 jects called for in the Crozat charter, and which 
 it was expected would engage the energies of all. 
 
 The days were invariably pleasant, for this year 
 the rainy season was belated, and usually they 
 lounged out of doors, some occupying rude 
 benches which Gabe had constructed with con- 
 siderable skill, others stretching themselves upon 
 the ground, or availing themselves of stumps or 
 fallen trees. 
 
 Much ingenuity was employed to draw from 
 St. Denis — who had little taste for narrative, 
 especially narrative in which he must, by infer- 
 ence at least, often play the part of hero — a more 
 complete account of that famous Spanish fight, 
 and of his capture, of the life of the bloody cor- 
 sairs and their no-quarter battles upon the high 
 
228 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 seas, and of the fighting at Charles Town, where 
 they had at last been got the better of. 
 
 And often the pipes went out, and the playful 
 du Tisn6 forgot to shy sticks at the squirrels. 
 And though the birds piped merrily, and the 
 pine-trees murmured their unceasing music, and 
 the brisk under-life went on as busily as usual, it 
 was to the listeners as though all nature held its 
 breath; for these were tales well fitted to the 
 times. 
 
 At night they gathered round ihe great fire- 
 place, a complete circle except for the absence 
 of Major Boisbriant, who, despite a remarkable 
 genius for fabricating excuses and for dissolving 
 under the very eye of his watchful spouse, was 
 sometimes kept away. 
 
 Gradually the burden of entertaining became 
 more equally distributed, and St. Denis had an 
 opportunity to judge of the others' parts and 
 accomplishments. 
 
 Richebourg was a capital singer, and several of 
 the company played upon musical instruments, 
 Boisbriant being a passable hand at the 'cello and 
 Bienville at the flute. Duclos was the principal 
 story-teller, and du Tisn6 was the danseuse. 
 
 Boisbriant had been cajoled into purloining a 
 petticoat from his wife's wardrobe, and du Tisn6, 
 having a slim figure and much grace and coquet- 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 229 
 
 tishness of motion, manipulated this modest gar- 
 ment with a truly feminine witchery, to the 
 uproarious delight of the spectators. 
 
 The major laughed and encored as violently as 
 any one, but quaked in his soul ; for if madame — 
 holy saints ! the very thought of her ever getting 
 an inkhng of his scandalous treachery froze his 
 blood ! 
 
 Du Tisn6 was the owner of a violin, with which 
 he had but little skill. At a hint from St. Denis 
 he offered it to Jallot, who took it sceptically. 
 But the instant he swept its strings he broke into 
 transports of delight, hugged it to his bosom and 
 called it twin-sister to his lady, and improvised a 
 jubilate on the spot. 
 
 Within a week after his advent in Mobile, Jallot 
 was on a familiar footing with the natives for miles 
 around. He hunted all day long with the braves, 
 partook of their simple fare, and often slept in 
 their tepees at night. This from an insatiable 
 thirst for first-hand knowledge. But now when 
 the music-fit was upon him, he remained at home 
 and entertained the company with such melody 
 as Mobile had heretofore been a stranger to. 
 
 Sometimes, in addition to music and story-telling, 
 there was a sip of wine, — glass in ' one hand, pipe 
 in the other. Games were played if they were in 
 the mood, but the stakes, for obvious reasons, were 
 
230 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 small. And there was occasional sport with the 
 foils. 
 
 It happened now and then that some curious 
 prying persons from the town hid themselves out- 
 side, and looked through the windows when the 
 gayety was at its highest. And the wine-glasses, 
 dice, cards, and — worst of all — Madame Bois- 
 briant's innocent petticoat, were responsible for 
 some grave charges brought against the Bienville 
 clique. The wildest rumors got afloat, and society 
 vyas all agog. 
 
 Ladies met and talked gravely over their tea- 
 cups, and were in doubt whether or no they should 
 sacrifice the flower of the land upon the altar of 
 respectability. 
 
 Madame Boisbriant bore down upon her luckless 
 husband and his friends more mercilessly than 
 ever. Madame Cadillac was sorely grieved, and 
 knew not what to do. 
 
 The governor's fears, always ready to bristle up, 
 took alarm for the peace and decency of the 
 commonwealth, and he summoned the Cur6 de 
 la Vente, and the two went into solemn, secret 
 conclave to determine what should be done. 
 
 The result of this conference was soon manifest. 
 One evening Bienville and St. Denis rose from 
 a hearty dinner, — one of Black Marie's particular 
 triumphs — lighted their pipes and seated them- 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 231 
 
 selves in the great armchairs before the fire, and 
 with feet stretched to the blaze were soon in a 
 delicious state of semi-conscious dozing, the result 
 of a long day's tramp in quest of game. 
 
 Some minutes passed in silence — for Marie 
 cleared the table with absolute noiselessness — 
 and then familiar sounds were heard without. 
 
 "There they come," said St. Denis, lifting his 
 heavy eyelids, and Bienville drew a long sigh. 
 
 The genial company trooped up into the gallery, 
 and by the tone of their voices it was evident that 
 something unusual was afoot. Boisbriant entered 
 first, flourishing a paper and crying out that they 
 had a fine piece of news for messieurs ! 
 
 " Our worthy governor," said he, " being sorely 
 troubled in his conscience about the condition of this 
 unchristian community, hath issued a manifesto 
 setting forth — Well, listen ! " He unrolled the 
 paper and began to read, standing in the middle 
 of the floor, the others dropping into their several 
 favorite places : — 
 
 '"Whereas — This City of Mobile, and by its 
 example the Country at Large, hath fallen into 
 a most disorderly state, through drinking, gaming, 
 dueling, and the conduct of lewd women,' " a pause 
 for reproachful looks at du Tisn6 — 
 
 " ' And whereas — No move hath yet been made 
 toward a suitable place of worship, for lack of which 
 
232 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 vice and impiety have taken such a formidable 
 hold upon the community that the Holy Sacra- 
 ments are no longer regarded as essential matters, 
 even by persons of birth and breeding, and who 
 by their position stand as models to humbler folk,' 
 — meaning you of course. Monsieur Bienville, — 
 
 " ' Therefore — I do solemnly decree and ordain, 
 
 " ' First — That for each several offence of 
 drunkenness or licentious behavior a fine of not 
 less than twenty livres shall be imposed, to be 
 paid by gentlemen in money, and by plebeians in 
 public labor. 
 
 " ' Second — It is prohibited to all gentlemen 
 to engage in dueling. And plebeians are enjoined 
 not to carry a sword or other weapon, by day or 
 by night, under penalty of one hundred hvres. 
 
 " ' All fines herein specified shall be paid into 
 the hands of the Cur6 de la Vente for the building 
 of a church.' " 
 
 The reading was interrupted by a general out- 
 break of disgust and ridicule. "You may trust 
 the curd to collect the fines," said one, and, " But 
 God help the church ! " cried another, and so on. 
 
 " ' It is furthermore ordained,' " continued the 
 major, — " and here, gentlemen, is the richest plum 
 in the whole pudding, — ' it is furthermore ordained, 
 as a protection to the exclusive rights and privileges 
 of patricians, that all persons of noble blood shall 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 233 
 
 deposit their letters patent in the archives of the 
 Superior Council to be duly examined and reg- 
 istered. Any gentleman failing to comply with 
 this enactment within one month after the issuing 
 of this proclamation shall forfeit his sword and 
 shall henceforth be treated in all respects as a 
 plebeian.' " 
 
 " What nonsense is this?" exclaimed Bienville. 
 
 Boisbriant tossed him the paper and began filling 
 a pipe. " Call it nonsense if you hke," he said, 
 " but the question is, what 's to be done ? If you 
 have a mad ruler, you must humor his whims, 
 n'est-ce-pas ? " 
 
 "Oh, we'll humor his whims," said S6rigny, 
 " we '11 create some letters patent, date 'em back 
 to the Capets or Charlemagne, and let his Ex- 
 cellency and the learned Council examine them at 
 their leisure." 
 
 The suggestion met with favor. 
 
 " Why not found a new Order?" proposed St. 
 Denis, whimsically. 
 
 " Bravo ! bravo ! " shouted the merry rabble. 
 
 "What shall we call it?" 
 
 " The Order of Cadillac le Grand." 
 
 " No, the Modern Nero." 
 
 " The- Wealth-Seekers ! " 
 
 " The Pearl-Divers ! " 
 
 "The Golden Calf!" 
 
234 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 " The Golden Calf! " reiterated du Tfsn6, spring- 
 ing up and perching himself on the back of his chair 
 the better to command attention. "That sounds 
 classical, is truly scriptural, and felicitously signifi- 
 cant of the business of our present government." 
 
 " We must inaugurate the new Order with ap- 
 propriate ceremonies," suggested Serigny. 
 
 " And install his Excellency Grand Master," 
 added Duclos. 
 
 " And send him forth on a fabulous quest," put 
 in Richebourg. 
 
 " Diable ! " cried du Tisne, " it pains me to hear 
 you gentlemen ridicule the husband of so excellent 
 a lady as Madame Cadillac, to say nothing of the 
 daughter. By Heaven ! I would break a lance 
 any day in behalf of the adorable Mademoiselle 
 Josephine." He leapt lightly to the floor and 
 waved his sword above his head. " Come on, 
 Serigny, — or thou, brave captain of dragoons ! I 
 am moved to uphold the dignity of the Cadillacs 
 with my blood ! " 
 
 Serigny pleaded a disabled thumb, which he had 
 put out of joint in a wrestling-match, and Riche- 
 bourg excused himself on the ground that his pipe 
 was not out. 
 
 " Cowards ! " hissed the doughty marquis, who 
 as a matter of fact was the most accomplished 
 fencer of them all. " Ha ! few there be that dare 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 235 
 
 cross swords with a du Tisn6. Monsieur le che- 
 valier, I have the honor to challenge you, the 
 flower of chivalry." 
 
 Instantly all was in an uproar, with cries of 
 " Bravo, bravo ! " " Come, chevalier, give the 
 youth a lesson ! " " Du Tisn6, thou art a bold 
 lad ! " and so on. 
 
 St. Denis good-naturedly pulled off his coat and 
 went at it in fine fashion, delighting the company 
 with every graceful manceuvre and delicate turn 
 known to the manly art. Du Tisnd, light as a 
 butterfly, agile, swift to find an opening and quick 
 to recover from a disadvantage, held his own 
 nobly until, his strength exhausted, he was driven 
 to the wall, when with a rueful cry for quarter he 
 sank panting to the floor, amid such vociferous 
 shouting as might almost have been heard over 
 yonder in the town. 
 
 And not another thought bestowed upon the 
 governor's proclamation ! 
 
 But indeed it would have been a waste of time had 
 the merry gentlemen given themselves a moment's 
 uneasiness concerning that pompous document. 
 For by another day his Excellency's own mind was 
 entirely diverted from it. The mine prospectors 
 returned from their long, laborious, and, alas ! 
 fruitless quest, and their report threw him into a 
 terrible rage. 
 
236 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 He loudly accused them, and along with them 
 the entire population, of being in a conspiracy 
 against him. For had not Monsieur Crozat as- 
 sured him with his own lips that this country 
 abounded in mineral wealth, and backed up that 
 assurance by the expenditure of vast sums of 
 money? Had not his eminent relative the Duke 
 of Lauzun told him that millions of gold and 
 bushels of precious stones ^ere to be got with a 
 mere pickaxe? And did not his Majesty expect 
 to replenish the empty coffers of France with 
 the product of Louisiana mines? And yet, saints 
 and devils ! these miserable prospectors had the 
 hardihood to stand up and tell him to his face 
 that there was not an atom of precious metal to 
 be found in the soil ! 
 
 " Not an atom, your Excellency, not so much 
 as you could put in your eye," firmly replied the 
 chief of the engineers. " We made diligent search 
 wherever there was the least show of our finding 
 anything. As for Monsieur Crozat," he made 
 bold to add, " and the duke, and even the king 
 himself, why, they have never been here, and it 
 was but hearsay — " 
 
 " Enough, enough ! " roared the governor, " your 
 insolence is insupportable. The fact that you 
 found nothing proves nothing but your own stupid- 
 ity. But by Heaven ! I am not to be balked by 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 237 
 
 you. I shall find some one blessed with a little of 
 the substance we call brains to carry out my orders, 
 if such an one exists in this addled community, 
 or I will go myself and make investigations. As 
 for you, messieurs, you may go, I am done with 
 you. Stay ! " he added with great sarcasm, " I 
 advise you to turn farmer, monsieur I'ingdnieur, 
 plough up this precious soil with your miners' 
 tools, and see if it will yield a crop of beans ! " 
 
 The engineer, an honest fellow, went out smart- 
 ing like a boy that has been flogged, and happen- 
 ing to run across the commissary in the esplanade, 
 he stopped and poured out his grievance to him. 
 
 Duclos threw back his head and laughed. 
 
 " God knows what our worthy ruler will do to 
 this country, if it does not presently yield up 
 something or other ! " said he ; and then fearing 
 his levity had wounded the man, he laid a kindly 
 hand upon his shoulder, and added, " Never mind, 
 my friend, we all must take our turns with his Ex- 
 cellency's unreasonable tempers ; it may be mine 
 next." 
 
 This prophecy came true within the hour. 
 Cadillac sent for him and laid before him the 
 miners' report, and excitedly declared that another 
 expedition must be fitted out at once, " At once, 
 monsieur ; there is not a moment to lose. And of 
 course we look to you to furnish the means." 
 
238 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 " Impossible ! there is not a sou in the ex- 
 chequer," replied Duclos. 
 
 " Then you must borrow." 
 
 " Borrow, your Excellency ! And where, pray, 
 shall I borrow? Who will be the lender?" 
 
 " That is your affair, not mine," his Excellency 
 answered grandly ; then seeing a faint smile dawn 
 on the commissary's lips, he flew into a .passion. 
 " If you are so barren of resources. Monsieur Du- 
 clos, upon what qualifications did the king base his 
 choice of a commissary, and wherefore did you 
 accept a post for which, by your own showing, you 
 have so little fitness?" 
 
 Duclos stared, opened his lips to speak, but re- 
 frained. Was it possible that any adult mind could 
 put forth such childish folly as this? 
 
 Dirigoin came hurrying in at this juncture to say 
 that the prospectors had brought back a rumor — 
 which the governor's violence had driven clean out 
 of their minds — to the effect that the Spanish 
 government in Mexico was about to set up a trad- 
 ing-post in the thrifty Natchitoches village. 
 
 This was very important; and Duclos, the mo- 
 ment he had learned all that the agent knew about 
 the matter, excused himself and hurried away to 
 talk it over with Bienville, who to his thinking 
 was the real Governor of Louisiana still. 
 
 Bienville was at home and alone, and Duclos 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 239 
 
 was gratified to see him manifest a keen interest in 
 his piece of news, and behave altogether "hke 
 himself." 
 
 " There is but one conceivable plan," said Bien- 
 ville, with a kindling eye. " An expedition must be 
 sent to Natchitoches to forestall the Spaniards, or, 
 if they are already there, to warn them away, and, 
 if they refuse, to incite the natives against them." 
 
 " Very good," agreed Duclos. 
 
 " But the first step," continued Bienville, with an 
 irrepressible frown, " is to shape his Excellency's 
 mind to this plan." 
 
 " A delicate commission, which you yourself are 
 best fitted to undertake ! " cried Duclos. " Lay 
 aside your pride, and put on your fine cloak of 
 diplomacy, and I warrant you can inject your ideas 
 into that simply contrived mind so adroitly that 
 they will fall out of his Excellency's mouth as 
 though he himself had originated them. You 
 should be the one to lead the expedition ; but he 
 will not consent to that, — he would expect the 
 natives to eat him if you were not here to protect 
 him. Eh bien, there is St. Denis ! " 
 
 " I was thinking of him," Bienville said, " and 
 also of another matter. One of the few wise things 
 Crozat proposed was that we should try to open 
 up friendly and commercial relations with the settle- 
 ments on the Mexican frontier. Well, supposing 
 
240 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 that this rumor proves to be groundless, it would 
 be a saving of time and expense for this same 
 expedition to push on to the Rio Bravo." 
 
 " Bravo, indeed ! " laughed Duclos. 
 
 " And in that event," continued Bienville, " St. 
 Denis, because of his perfect command of the 
 Spanish language, would still be our man." 
 
 They were still talking when St. Denis came in. 
 They laid the subject before him, and he expressed 
 unqualified pleasure in the prospect of engaging 
 in an enterprise which promised so much enter- 
 tainment, — prolonged travel amid strange scenes, 
 a visit to the famous Natchitoches village, a pos- 
 sible skirmish with the Spanish intruders, and above 
 all the proposed negotiations with the Spanish 
 officials on the frontier. This last appeared 
 to him, as to Bienville, a matter of the greatest 
 importance. 
 
 To tell the truth, he had already begun to ques- 
 tion in his secret consciousness — not a word even 
 to Jallot — this idle life at Mobile, to wonder how 
 long it would continue, and to compare the slow 
 progress of the colony with the progress the Eng- 
 lish were making at Charles Town. How far it 
 fell short of his boyish hopes and dreams ! It was 
 not in him to sit idle ; he was all for action, action ! 
 
 Bienville's pride was spared. Cadillac took the 
 initiative and sent for him, agreed to everything 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 241 
 
 he proposed, and in the end magnanimously left 
 the whole management of the expedition in his 
 hands, in order, as he said, that he himself might 
 be free to attend to the prospecting business, to 
 which he had determined to give his personal 
 efforts. 
 
 Bienville, more elated than he had been since 
 the beginning of Cadillac's incumbency, set about 
 the business at once, and within a week's time, 
 with St. Denis's capable help, had everything in 
 readiness. 
 
 Meanwhile the whole town waked up, and had 
 all been accepted that offered their services to the 
 undertaking, few white men would have been left 
 in Mobile. 
 
 16 
 
CHAPTER XXI 
 
 ON the morning the expedition was to set 
 forth, the entire male population was in 
 the esplanade, enviously inspecting the accoutre- 
 ments and tendering advice ; and women, col- 
 lected in neighboring galleries, evinced as much 
 interest as decorum allowed. Even Madame Bois- 
 briant, always careful to appear indifferent where 
 Bienville was concerned, viewed the departure 
 from behind her window curtains. 
 
 There were twenty Canadian coureurs de bois, — 
 who were expected to remain and make a settle- 
 ment at Natchitoches, — half as many Indians 
 carrying portable canoes, a number of pack-horses 
 loaded with bags and baskets of food, wine and 
 brandy, cooking utensils, knives, hatchets, tools, 
 belts, tobacco, blankets, and an infinity of small 
 articles with which to placate the natives en route. 
 
 St. Denis rode a small black genet, fleet of foot 
 and having remarkable powers of endurance. At 
 Bienville's suggestion he wore a full suit of arrow- 
 proof armor. 
 
 Jallot, who as a matter of course made one of 
 the party, was provided with a similar outfit. His 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 243 
 
 surgical instruments and a few cordials were 
 packed carefully in his saddle panniers', and he 
 carried, by means of a strap drawn over his 
 shoulder, a mammoth trumpet, a la Roland, which 
 he called his Olivant. 
 
 The other members of the company had equipped 
 themselves to the best of their resources, and 
 every man of them was filled with a wild rapture 
 of adventure, unmatched by any other human 
 emotion, — a rapture that showed itself in their 
 daring eyes, in the abandon with which they flung 
 themselves into the saddle and galloped forward 
 at the word of command, sending a ringing shout 
 behind them that in dying away left a strange 
 loneliness in the town. 
 
 For several days the weather was perfect, and 
 the country through which they passed offered 
 continuous allurements to eye and ear, and besides 
 called into play a vast range of emotions of which 
 their physical senses were the mere key-board. 
 
 St. Denis's spirits rose as on wings, and Jallot was 
 continually hanging his hat on his saddlebow and 
 riding bareheaded in an ecstasy of reverence, and 
 marveling that Almighty God had so long kept to 
 himself the secret of this wonderful country. 
 
 " Kept it from whom ? " St. Denis laughingly 
 inquired. 
 
 "From intelligent man," repHed Jallot; "these 
 
244 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 uncouth barbarians, going on from century to 
 century with no change of habit and no advance 
 in thought, are not in the Divine Confidence." 
 
 "Then, at all events, they cannot abuse the 
 Divine Confidence as intelligent man has done in 
 other quarters of the earth," rejoined St. Denis; 
 and then followed a long and animated debate, — 
 a practice that kept their intimacy sweet. 
 
 Usually they rode side by side, a httle apart 
 from the others, taking account of all that was 
 round about and overhead and underfoot, — the 
 unfamiliar bird-notes, the strange foliage, the vines 
 festooned from hmb to Hmb, interminable poly- 
 styles of stately tree-trunks canopied with green 
 and hung about with gray portieres, hushed and 
 solemn as a cathedral, except when they paused 
 and hearkened, and then there was always a re- 
 mote, melodious wind, that rose and fell like the 
 repressed swell of countless stringed instruments 
 under the control of a baton. 
 
 In the open plains the party galloped forward 
 as happened, laughing and hallooing in the joy 
 of boundless freedom and boundless space. But 
 in the forest they fell into a kind of order, and 
 were watchful, — not without reason, for although 
 day after day passed without their meeting a single 
 native at close quarters, they were often aware of 
 lurking forms in the distance, motionless as the 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 245 
 
 trees, that, whenever an eye was turned in their 
 direction, melted ghost-like into the gray-green 
 shadows. And once when St. Denis was riding 
 ahead with Jallot, an arrow sped through the 
 leafy space and glanced from his coat-of-mail. 
 Jallot blew a mighty blast on his trumpet to 
 summon the loitering coureurs de bois, who came 
 up quickly and scoured the place with zest and 
 thoroughness but could find no trace of the 
 enemy. 
 
 Sometimes the woods were clear of undergrowth, 
 and again there were such tangles of vine and 
 bramble and bladed palm that the men were forced 
 to dismount and cut a way through with their 
 hatchets. 
 
 Dark, noiseless streams ran athwart their course, 
 but the guides plunged fearlessly in. And often 
 they splashed through long stretches of shallow 
 water studded with the curious cypress-knees, 
 clustered together like groups of mimic statuary. 
 
 After traveling for leagues through such a 
 forest, they would come out suddenly upon a great 
 meadow with lush grass rising to the horses' flanks, 
 or upon a broad prairie whose moving billows of 
 verdure foamed with flowers, white or blue or 
 yellow, or upon a wind-blown morass full of tall 
 reeds and curious long-stemmed lilies. 
 
 Whatever the open might be, it offered num- 
 
246 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 berless targets for Indian arrows and French 
 muskets. Flocks of wild turkeys, fieldfares, par- 
 tridges were continually starting up from the plains 
 and meadows, and swans, geese, and ducks rose in 
 clouds from the marshes; and herds of wild 
 cattle, startled by sound or scent of danger, stam- 
 peded from their browsing-grounds. 
 
 St. Denis was a strict disciplinarian, and they 
 encamped always in mihtary fashion. Each night 
 they selected a place in the edge of a wood, and the 
 Canadians felled trees and made an intrenchment, 
 while the Indians cut saplings and put up the tents, 
 built fires, and made beds out of green boughs, 
 finished with a sumptuous top-dressing of leaves 
 and pine needles. 
 
 Sentries were posted and changed according to 
 the practice of armies, — a needful precaution, for 
 scarcely a night passed in which there were not 
 signs that the encampment was stealthily spied 
 upon. 
 
 One evening just as the boiling kettles had begun 
 to announce a savory supper, a half-grown Indian 
 lad, whose curiosity had tempted him too near, 
 was captured and dragged into the intrenchment. 
 He was half dead with fright, yet bore himself 
 stoically. 
 
 St. Denis ordered food to be given him, pre- 
 sented him with a number of small articles such as 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 247 
 
 a boy might covet, and released him, — a proceed- 
 ing which, he reasoned, would indicate their pacific 
 disposition to the- natives. 
 
 And so it proved. 
 
 That night a rain set in which threatened to 
 submerge the whole gulf coast. Unluckily they 
 had pitched their camp on low ground, and before 
 morning they were forced to get up and stand 
 about in several inches of water. 
 
 It was pitch-dark, and a fierce, bone-searching 
 wind threatened every moment to sweep away the 
 tents. 
 
 " I could not have believed this gentle climate 
 capable of so vicious a temper," declared Jallot, 
 stripping the blanket from his bed and wrapping 
 himself in it. To which a philosophical Canadian 
 replied, " Ma foi ! you can no more count upon a 
 smiling climate than upon a smiling woman." 
 
 Morning broke tardily upon a spiritless scene. 
 Torrents still poured aslant from a sky as dull as 
 lead. Scarcely a square yard of the earth's surface 
 was visible, and the drenched hanging-moss swung 
 drearily to and fro. 
 
 There was but one course to take, — they must 
 push on to higher ground. But what an intoler- 
 able misery to mount the wet and shivering horses 
 and ride forward in the face of the bitter wind and 
 rain ! 
 
248 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 They had encamped that night at the farther 
 edge of a wood, and soon they came out upon the 
 prairie and discovered at some distance a consider- 
 able cheniere, — an island in the midst of the inun- 
 dated land. 
 
 Nothing in that houseless country offered better 
 shelter than the great wide-branching oaks, and 
 the travellers put spurs to their horses and struck 
 out for the promised asylum. 
 
 The Indians dragged along the poles they had 
 cut-the night before, and they quickly set up the 
 tents on the high ground beneath the dense foliage, 
 and in addition made a wall of blankets and buffalo 
 hides to windward. And then a fire was kindled 
 and meat put to boil ; and the men, with the clothes 
 drying on their backs, lighted their pipes and 
 lounged about in tolerable comfort. 
 
 Jallot, with much adornment of English profanity, 
 inquired how long this weather was likely to last, 
 and one of the older Indians gave a grunt and held 
 up all the fingers of both hands. 
 
 However, the time passed more agreeably than 
 the circumstances promised, — with good eating 
 and drinking, story-telling, singing, gambling in a 
 small way, and plenty of sleep. 
 
 One day they descried a party of natives coming 
 across the prairie, and instantly cards were thrown 
 down and every man was upon his feet, musket in 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 249 
 
 hand. But a laugh broke out when it was discov- 
 ered that the boy whom they had caught and 
 treated so handsomely was dancing along in ad- 
 vance with ostentatious fearlessness, clothed only 
 with a strip of bright blue cloth which had been 
 among his gifts. 
 
 When they reached the edge of the ch^niere 
 they paused, and with eloquent gestures of good- 
 will laid their weapons down upon the ground. 
 
 St. Denis beckoned to them to advance, and 
 room being made for them around the fire, a 
 friendly conversation was carried on in dumb show 
 for a matter of several hours. For the visitors, 
 besides being gentlemen of leisure, were evidently 
 insatiably fond of society. The one visit whetted 
 their desire for more, and they came again the 
 next day, and the next, and so continued as long 
 as the bad weather lasted. They called themselves 
 Kouans, and belonged apparently to a not very 
 formidable tribe. 
 
CHAPTER XXII 
 
 SO much time had been spent in the Kouan 
 country, and so much ammunition had been 
 wasted in sport, that St. Denis determined to push 
 on as rapidly as possible, and gave orders that 
 there should be no more shooting except when 
 they were short of food supplies. 
 
 To the general disgust this did not happen for 
 several days, and the cortege moved onward with 
 lugubrious faces, and seldom a word spoken. 
 
 The commissary guarded the secrets of his de- 
 partment jealously, in spite of all importunities, 
 until the last scrap of meat was gone. 
 
 Finally one morning directly after breakfast he 
 announced that the larder was empty. Every 
 man gave a shout, looked to his musket, and 
 flung himself into the saddle, and soon they were 
 coursing over a wide prairie relieved here and 
 there with groups of live-oaks. 
 
 Jallot, who had taken the field-glass and gone on 
 in advance with the guide, presently came flying 
 back with the word that a herd of buffaloes was 
 grazing near one of these chenieres straight ahead. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 251 
 
 There was a hurried consultation, then all ad- 
 vanced as cautiously as possible. But the wind 
 favored the canny hunchbacks, some of whom were 
 browsing, others wallowing in the tall grass. They 
 caught the scent of the horsemen, and took wildly 
 to their heels in the direction of a narrow belt of 
 timber a Httle to the right. This shelter they 
 gained before a shot could be fired, raced on 
 along one of the well-beaten paths with which 
 their own hoofs had scarred the country in every 
 direction, debouched upon another prairie, and 
 made for a second and larger body of timber. 
 
 St. Denis himself, whose black genet was as 
 eager as a hound for the chase, soon distanced 
 all the others, gained upon the animals rapidly, 
 and just as the -last of the herd, a fine fat ox, was 
 disappearing in the thick underbrush, he fired. 
 The creature staggered but recovered himself and 
 ran on, but at the second shot fell forward upon 
 his knees with a bellow of pain. 
 
 St. Denis came tearing on and leapt to the 
 ground to finish the work with his hunting-knife, 
 but was arrested by a singular shouting behind 
 him, followed instantly by the whistling of arrows 
 which flew over his head and struck among the 
 bushes. He jerked himself round, and his eye 
 fell upon a stirring picture. Flying across the 
 plain to his left was a score of mounted sav- 
 
252 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 ages, some fitting arrows to their bows as they 
 rode, others brandishing tomahawks, and all yell- 
 ing like demons ; and to the right his own men 
 were emerging from the strip of timber through 
 which he had just passed. 
 
 Jallot was in the lead. He had witnessed the 
 discharge of arrows, and in a fury of apprehension 
 for St. Denis's safety had taken peremptory com- 
 mand of the company. The moment they were 
 in the open they fell into line and swept round and 
 confronted the warriors, to cut them off from the 
 isolated St. Denis, levelled their muskets, and fired. 
 
 The result was a panic ; the enemy wheeled and 
 fled like the wind, — all save one who had been 
 struck by a bullet and had fallen from his horse. 
 
 They had not gone far, however, when two of 
 their number turned and came trotting fearlessly 
 back, one of them holding up his hand as it were 
 a flag of truce. It was the hand of a white man, 
 who, with the exception of moccasins and fringed 
 leggings, was in European dress, even including 
 a small felt hat. His hair was long and black, but 
 curly. He wore cloth breeches and a blue doub- 
 let, with white fustian sleeves incredibly soiled. 
 
 His companion was in a complete suit of buck- 
 skin. 
 
 When they were within hailing distance, the 
 man in the doublet called out, — 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 253 
 
 " Vaya V. con Dios ! " 
 
 " Now, who in the devil's name are you ? " de- 
 manded Jallot. 
 
 " Amigo de V., caballero." 
 
 " Bien, you have given us a fine proof of your 
 friendship." 
 
 " Le pido a V., estimado caballero — " began 
 the stranger ; but by this time St. Denis had come 
 up, and Jallot turned the interview over to him, 
 and springing from his horse knelt down beside 
 the fallen brave, who was not dead, though no 
 sound had escaped his lips. 
 
 St. Denis beckoned to the man to come nearer. 
 He rode up, doffed his hat, and politely introduced 
 himself, " Me Uamo Miguel Lopez." 
 
 " Ah ! a Spaniard ? " said St. Denis. 
 
 " Si, senor." 
 
 "And what do you here on French territory?" 
 
 " Pardon, senor ! 't is the Natchitoches hunting- 
 grounds," replied Miguel Lopez, with some spirit. 
 
 " Eh bien, the Natchitoches hunting-grounds 
 are in the Province of Louisiana," retorted St. 
 Denis, convinced of course that the stranger be- 
 longed to the rumored Spanish settlement at 
 Natchitoches Village. 
 
 " That may be, senor," he replied with a shrug, 
 " I have little knowledge of such matters. Dios ! 
 't is too much trouble to follow so shifting a study 
 
254 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 as geography. I and my friend Juan Merlo 
 yonder are making a friendly visit at Natchitoches 
 village, and — " 
 
 " A visit ! " interrupted St. Denis, sceptically. 
 
 " Sf, sefior. And this morning our entertainers 
 desired to give us a little sport. And it so hap- 
 pened that the first game we sighted was that your 
 Excellency was in pursuit of I saw by your dress 
 and armor that you were a European, and tried 
 to restrain the braves. But they, thinking you 
 trespassed, were very angry, and I might as well 
 have whistled to the wind." 
 
 "And you really are but visiting here?" ques- 
 tioned St. Denis, with keen scrutiny of the man's 
 face. 
 
 " For supuesto que si," returned the Spaniard, as 
 though surprised at the question. 
 
 " Well, will you be so good as to give some ac- 
 count of yourself, Senor Lopez?" 
 
 " As to where I live ? " 
 
 "As to where you live, and as to what you do." 
 
 A faint smile touched the man's swarthy face. 
 " I do — what I choose, excelencia," replied he. 
 " And I live with the Cenis tribe, many leagues 
 west of here." He made a wide sweep with his 
 right arm. " 'T is only the red men, senor, that 
 know how to live in God's world, — I have found 
 that out. Only they know what it is to he free ! " 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 255 
 
 A flame leapt to his dark eyes, and he made as if 
 to go on, but corrected the impulse. 
 
 He glanced at Jallot, who had got out his sur- 
 geon's case ready to set to work upon the wounded 
 warrior. At sight of his glittering instruments the 
 poor wretch silently girded himself for unimagi- 
 nable tortures, and Miguel Lopez begged leave to 
 go and reassure him, revealing in this act the im- 
 pulse of a kind heart. Returning to St. Denis, he 
 explained that his friend Juan Merlo, a Spanish 
 Mexican, had also some skill in surgery, and 
 might, if permitted, assist the French doctor. 
 
 The request was granted, and Juan Merlo was 
 quickly down upon the ground, offering sugges- 
 tions which Jallot indignantly declined to act 
 upon. 
 
 " ' Tu enemigo es de tu oficio ! ' " laughed Miguel. 
 
 But there was better harmony in the doctors' 
 acts than in their speech, for while they disputed 
 hotly about each other's methods Juan's slim brown 
 hands lent themselves deftly to Jallot's directions, 
 and between them the bullet was extracted and 
 the sufferer made comfortable. And having con- 
 sumed a generous quantity of spirits, he was pres- 
 ently able to mount his horse with assistance, and 
 ride with ease, — with an abandon, indeed, that 
 furnished great amusement to the coureurs de bois. 
 
 St. Denis kept Miguel at his side and plied him 
 
2s6 The Chevalier de St. Deiiis 
 
 with questions. He said there was no Spanish 
 settlement at Natchitoches, and none talked of, so 
 far as he knew, thank God ! 
 
 "What do you mean by that? " St. Denis asked. 
 
 " I mean that 't is better as it is," replied he. " The 
 red men are happy till the priests come and put 
 trouble into their hearts, with talk of hell-fire and 
 endless punishment. And 't is always the priests 
 that are foremost when a settlement is talked of" 
 
 And then, with a diplomacy that would have 
 done credit to a cardinal, he endeavored to ascer- 
 tain if it was St. Denis's intention to pave the way 
 for a mission at Natchitoches. 
 
 He was promptly reassured. " My object is 
 purely mercenary," laughed St. Denis. And in 
 a way this was true. From the day of leaving 
 Mobile, the ambition had been growing up in him 
 to really possess all this great country for France. 
 It was not enough that France claimed it as a 
 proud gem in her crown, as a section of the world's 
 map. Not enough that yonder, many leagues to 
 the westward, as Miguel told him. La Salle, the 
 great explorer, had carved the Lilies on the trunk 
 of a mammoth oak. Formal ownership, the mere 
 setting of a seal like that, was not possession. 
 Possession was usage, was appropriation. 
 
 But how to appropriate, how to use, how to 
 wield this vast domain, that was the question, 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 257 
 
 the bee that kept buzzing in his brain all day- 
 long, and often drove sleep from his eyes at 
 night. 
 
 And it is not to be supposed that personal 
 desires and ambitions did not mingle with these 
 patriotic speculations. Why should not his be the 
 hand to mould this mighty wilderness into a noble 
 and fruitful land ? And why not establish his home 
 here, rather than in contentious Mobile? His 
 home — alas! if Maria — But reason once again, 
 as many times before in the long years since he had 
 parted from his loved one, counseled him to put 
 away that thought. And he obeyed with a sigh, 
 — a sigh which did not indeed tear his heart as of 
 old. Yet he would not have admitted even to 
 himself that life was beginning to tempt him with 
 other, if less sweet and tender, attractions. 
 
 He had ceased to ask questions, he had as a 
 matter of fact forgotten the Spaniard, and was rid- 
 ing along lost in his own reflections, when Miguel 
 said suddenly, " Behold, sefior ! " 
 
 He raised his eyes and then instinctively pulled 
 rein and brought the whole cavalcade to a halt. 
 Natchitoches Village lay spread out in the valley 
 before them, — a revelation in native thrift. At the 
 first glimpse of it the nebula of St. Denis's vast 
 imaginings were jarred into shape and swung clear 
 in the ether of thought. Ha ! the natives them- 
 
 17 
 
2s8 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 selves, of whom so little account was ever taken, 
 must constitute the industrial machinery of this 
 great prospective commonwealth. He was so 
 carried away by this new-born idea that it was 
 moments before he came to himself and gave the 
 order to move on. 
 
 Natchitoches, consisting of two long rows of 
 neat-looking huts, with a narrow street between, 
 flanked by broad fields of young corn, was a peace- 
 ful picture- in the distance. But as the party drew 
 near it took on a different aspect. The entire 
 population apparently was convened in the street, 
 listening with demonstrations of anger, amazement, 
 and sorrow to the tale that was being told them 
 by the returned hunters, some of whom had not 
 yet dismounted from their reeking horses. For 
 reasons of their own they had made a detour and 
 come into the village from another direction. 
 
 The men were clutching their clubs or their 
 spears or tomahawks, and the women wailing 
 loudly, no doubt for the one who had fallen in 
 battle. 
 
 This happy warrior, his blood warmed by the 
 good wine he had drunk, straightened himself at 
 sight of his people, and with a foolish smile crink- 
 Hng his dusky skin gave vent to a prodigious yell, 
 which acted like an electrical shock upon the 
 excited villagers. Every face was jerked in the 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 259 
 
 direction from which the daring and ferocious 
 trespassers were advancing. 
 
 It was high noon, and the dazzling sunbeams, 
 glancing from all the bright points in the dress 
 of the armored men, and turning the long swords 
 which St. Denis had ordered to be unsheathed to 
 tongues of flame, greatly magnified the formidable- 
 ness of the spectacle. 
 
 The people, with staring eyes and faces frozen 
 into awestruck lines, stood huddled like a group 
 of bronze statuary. 
 
 The procession halted at the head of the street, 
 and Miguel, at a word from St. Denis, took the 
 bridle of the wounded warrior and rode with him 
 into the midst of the crowd, and made a brief and 
 apparently satisfactory explanation; for instantly 
 all was changed. 
 
 The women modestly hurried into their huts, 
 and some of the older men came forward by com- 
 mand of the chief to welcome the magnificent 
 strangers and conduct them to his dwelling, into 
 which he had retired that he might receive them 
 with becoming dignity. 
 
CHAPTER XXIII 
 
 ST. DENIS wasted no time in laying his lines, 
 though to outward appearance it was the 
 same to him whether he spent a month or a 
 week in the pleasant Natchitoches village ; for he 
 quickly saw that it would be wise to fall in with 
 the humor of the natives, who took little account 
 of time and who would have been displeased at 
 any evidence of haste. 
 
 He flattered the vanity of the old chief Taeo by 
 asking to be shown the storehouses and the well- 
 tilled fields; and while they were about this 
 business his ready eye selected the sites for the 
 buildings and fortifications which he proposed to 
 erect. 
 
 His mind was full, night and day, with plans and 
 projects, yet he submitted with a good grace to 
 be entertained with feasting, hunting, and such 
 athletic performances as the Natchitoches youths 
 were skilled in ; and in return for these courtesies, 
 and from some ulterior motives of his own, he 
 commanded his Canadians to give some exhibitions 
 of target shooting with their muskets. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 261 
 
 The negotiations were greatly expedited by- 
 Miguel acting as interpreter, though rendered 
 more delicate through the Spaniard's deep aversion 
 to civilizing influences. He was continually saying, 
 with dark suspicious looks, " But no priests, ex- 
 celencia, no priests and no missions. The red 
 men have a religion which is good enough for 
 them." 
 
 Before setting out upon the second, and, as, he 
 believed, the most important part of his mission, 
 St. Denis arranged to send a letter to Bienville by 
 one of his own men and two Natchitoches warriors. 
 
 In this letter he wrote : — 
 
 " The chief at first showed signs of alarm and suspicion 
 at the idea of a fortress and garrison, but I came at him 
 with a counter irritant. ' What ! ' I cried with a fine 
 show of anxiety, ' does my red brother, after he has been 
 at the pains to collect and preserve a great store of hides, 
 such as I see here, desire that his enemies shall sweep 
 down from the north and despoil him of them, as they 
 have done in times past, by reason of their superior 
 numbers? Or when he shall have exchanged these hides 
 for French merchandise, will not that be a still greater 
 temptation to his envious neighbors ? My red brother 
 will learn that strong walls and French muskets are an 
 excellent protection against thieves.' I found this to be 
 a convincing argument, one that saved, me all further 
 difficulty. We have already staked out the grounds we 
 are to occupy, and I shall, as per instruction, leave a 
 force of men here to carry on the building, — in which 
 
262 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 the natives themselves show a surprising willingness to 
 assist. My friend Jallot judges this industry to be solely 
 due to a childish pleasure in experimenting with the bright 
 new tools we have furnished them. But I am not so 
 sceptical of the dignity of their motives ; it seems to me 
 that they have a true ambition to lift themselves out of 
 their slothful and indolent state. And I look forward 
 to seeing a flourishing city here, supported not only by 
 the fur trafiSc on which we have based all our plans thus 
 far, but by agriculture as well. And not alone here, but 
 in all the wide country we have traversed, and westward 
 to the Mexican frontier! " 
 
 Many w^eeks later St. Denis found means to 
 forward another letter, in which he described some 
 occurrences that took place after they left Natchi- 
 toches, — "occurrences," he said, "which tend to 
 increase and not diminish my hopes of the future 
 of this vast region." 
 
 And then he went on : — 
 
 "The Spaniard, Miguel Lopez, having finished his 
 visit, volunteered to bear us company as far as the city 
 of his adopted people, and even made bold to oifer us 
 the hospitality of that place for so long a time as we 
 might choose to remain there, thus proving his high 
 standing. I was anxious to see these people, about 
 whom he had talked so much, and concerning whom he 
 had thrown out hints of a nature to whet curiosity and 
 interest. For example, I one day remarked upon the 
 thrift of the Natchitoches women, their excellent cook- 
 ing, their well-tended fields, their neat huts, and he 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 263 
 
 answered with a shrug of the shoulders, 'San Christovall 
 would they might take lessons of the Cenis women.' 
 Another time he complained that his bones ached for 
 a good bed to lie upon, though I could find no fault 
 with the sleeping accommodations. 
 
 " The third day after our departure, as it was nearing 
 sunset, Miguel informed us with a kind of suppressed 
 elation of manner that we were within two leagues of 
 the Cenis village. And contrary to my expectation, he 
 proposed that we should spend the night in a grove near 
 which we then were, and he would send his factotum, 
 Juan Merlo, to apprise the chief of our approach. He 
 himself rode a little way with Juan, evidently to give him 
 instructions. For the next day, as we were advancing 
 toward the village, an imposing procession came to meet 
 us, — and I detected at a considerable distance some 
 very agreeable odors, indicating that a feast was in pros- 
 pect. At the head of the procession were the elders 
 of the tribe, twelve in all, dressed in goatskins and deco- 
 rated with feathers and paint, some proudly carrying 
 Spanish broadswords and others armed with bows and 
 arrows. After the elders came scores of warriors with 
 their tomahawks and painted clubs, and after these youths 
 and small boys bearing whatever semblance of a weapon 
 they were fortunate enough to possess. 
 
 " At a word from the Spaniard, who suddenly swelled 
 with importance, the procession fell apart in two lines, 
 and we rode gallantly down the lane thus formed to the 
 door of the chiefs dwelling, where the chief himself 
 awaited us with imposing dignity. To my greeting, made 
 with much ceremony, — for of a truth I find that courtly 
 manners are not thrown away even upon savages, — he 
 
264 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 gravely replied, ' Coussica,' meaning that he did not 
 understand, and looked to Miguel to do the honors. 
 We dismounted, and Miguel, with a pride he could ill 
 conceal, ushered us into the chief's dwelling, — which 
 was all in one room, about sixty feet in diameter, and 
 furnished with every needful comfort. At least so it 
 seemed to me, who am somewhat accustomed to being 
 deprived of the nicer luxuries. In the centre of the 
 room was a great fireplace made of stones, and the dinner 
 we had already had intimations of was cooking in earthen 
 pots on the coals, and was superintended by a number 
 of comely dark-hued women who glanced curiously at 
 us from out the corners of their eyes. 
 
 " The dinner was a very great marvel. It was served 
 in courses, one generous dish after another, from which 
 all helped themselves in turn, and all prepared with 
 such perfection of seasoning, and so forth, as to suggest 
 that Sefior Lopez himself must have instructed the cooks. 
 There was baked fish served with an excellent sauce, 
 roast fowls brown and tender, and with all their juices 
 preserved in them ; a savory pottage made of sagamite 
 cooked in venison broth, Indian corn bread, and still 
 another kind of bread, all hot from the oven. 
 
 "The floor, which was simply the hard-beaten earth, 
 was almost entirely covered with reed mats and buffalo 
 hides, with here and there a fine bear-skin. At one end 
 of the spacious room (to show you to what a pitch of 
 decency these barbarians have attained) was a kind of 
 dormitory, a row of beds — eight in number — separated 
 from one another by close-woven mats stretched on poles 
 in the manner of portiferes. The beds, made of canes, 
 were raised half a metre from the ground, and were piled 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 265 
 
 high with beautifully dressed skins. I no longer won- 
 dered at Miguel's complaint of the Natchitoches beds 
 which were flat upon the earth. 
 
 " It was, I assure you, a considerable temptation to 
 tarry indefinitely at the Cenis village, as we were strongly 
 urged to do, but I was impatient to push on to the end 
 of the journey. And therefore, after but three days' rest 
 (and great feasting), we again took saddle. To my sur- 
 prise and gratification the Spaniard and his half-breed 
 offered to escort us to the southwestern boundary of the 
 Cenis territory, a distance of some twenty-seven leagues ; 
 and it ended byiheir going with us all the way to the Rio 
 Bravo. 
 
 " Miguel, being well acquainted with all that country, 
 and even with Mexico, for he has been as far as the 
 capital, was able to give me much valuable information. 
 He knew the best fording-places on the various rivers we 
 crossed, and on more than one occasion averted trouble 
 with the natives, — he being on terms of camaraderie 
 with all those tribes except the fierce and jealous Co- 
 manches. So that I had cause on more than one account 
 to be thankful for his company. Once indeed we were 
 surely in great danger of leaving our bones to be picked 
 by the buzzards. We were crossing a desert place to the 
 eastward of the Colorado River when a band of twoscore 
 mounted savages, contrary to their usual custom, came at 
 us openly. But it being very windy, their arrows mis- 
 carried, and they were obliged to resort to their toma- 
 hawks, — which weapons are no match for our heavy 
 battle-axes. We were not long in putting them to flight. 
 But two of our men were so severely wounded that after 
 a little we were forced to leave them in the care of the 
 
266 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 good padre at the Spanish mission of Presidio de la 
 Bahal del Espiritu Santo. And now our force was so 
 weakened that it was hazardous to proceed, and I adopted 
 the bold course of riding into the new Spanish garrison of 
 San Antonio and asking for an escort. The captain of 
 the garrison was naturally inclined to be suspicious, but I 
 frankly explained the purpose of my journey, and it 
 ended in our having a very free talk on the subject of 
 commerce between our two countries. I think I con- 
 vinced him — as I hope to convince those in higher 
 authority — that there should be an unbroken line of 
 intermediate posts, both French and Spanish, where our 
 merchandise can be exchanged for Mexican horses, 
 cattle, and silver. Which posts would also serve as 
 trading-places with the Indians. Mon Dieu, when I 
 contemplate the advantages of this triangular arrange- 
 ment, I am filled with a boundless enthusiasm ! I am 
 persuaded that for both you and myself, — and for all 
 those good friends of yours who find the new adminis- 
 tration so intolerable, — there is here offered a field of 
 activity which is practically without limitations. 
 
 " You will no doubt wonder at this enthusiasm, which 
 must seem to accord poorly with a heart desolated by the 
 greatest of losses. It is not that I have forgotten, for 
 that I never shall do. But it seems to me that I have 
 got to that point where, if 1 must, I can close this volume 
 of my life and put it away, — not, indeed, out of my 
 thoughts, but out of my future. I hope there is strength 
 enough in me to go on building, with the element of 
 positive happiness left out, — knowing from my observa- 
 tion of others, and from some limited experience of 
 my own, that there is a satisfaction to be gained by mak- 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 267 
 
 ing the most of one's faculties, and by following where 
 the finger of destiny seems to point. 
 
 " We remained a full week at San Antonio, a delightful 
 place having a wonderful spring of cold water, and then 
 proceeded with a strong escort to the Rio Bravo. The 
 captain of the garrison advised me not to attempt to go 
 all the way to the capital of Coahuila, the first Mexican 
 'province, but to stop and see the commandant of the 
 Presidio of San Juan Bautista, two leagues beyond the 
 great river, — on the east margin of which I am at this 
 moment seated. Miguel has no wish to go farther, and will 
 return with the escort to San Antonio. And to his hands 
 I will commit this letter, hoping it may sometime reach 
 you should any misfortune befall me." 
 
CHAPTER XXIV 
 
 ABOUT an hour before sunset, standing upon 
 the high west bank of the Rio Bravo at 
 Pacuache Crossing, St. Denis and Jallot waved 
 adieux to Miguel Lopez and his friend Juan, and 
 turned their horses' heads toward San Juan Bau- 
 tista; and being eager to reach this place before 
 nightfall, they pushed on at a brisk pace over the 
 well-beaten aboriginal highway. 
 
 They had taken tinie at the Crossing for a bath 
 and a little toilet, and with faces smooth shaven 
 and clothes tolerably brushed, they felt that they 
 might, due allowance being made for their long 
 journey, present themselves at the presidio with 
 some confidence as to the decency of their 
 appearance. 
 
 Long before they reached the place, the sun's 
 level rays picked out a wooden cross and the bas- 
 tions of a fortress rising among some trees on the 
 banks of a little stream. 
 
 Both exclaimed in the same breath, and quick- 
 ened their pace yet a little more; and soon the 
 soft wind bore strains of music to their ears. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 269 
 
 " Felicite ! " cried Jallot, raising himself in the 
 stirrups. " Is it possible we hear the sounds of 
 civilization once more ? And — " as they ap- 
 proached nearer — " can those be real houses ? 
 Holy angels ! I see ladies yonder, coming out of 
 the chapel." 
 
 " And why not ? 'T is a civilized place," an- 
 swered St. Denis. 
 
 The space between them and the chapel was 
 considerable, and the light was fading, but the two 
 women coming down the steps had a distinction 
 that could not be mistaken. One was apparently 
 young, the other elderly, and both were dressed in 
 conventional black with lace head-covering. 
 
 The chapel was at the east, side of the plaza 
 round which the town was built. On the north 
 were the soldiers' barracks and a rough two-story 
 stone building which, as it was the most pretentious 
 edifice in the place, was at once singled out as the 
 commandant's residence. The two ladies walked 
 lingeringly toward it, as though enjoying the out- 
 door air and the music, but not caring to mingle 
 with the populace. 
 
 Something familiar in their appearance jarred 
 upon Jallot's consciousness, and he turned a quick 
 eye to his companion. St. Denis, white as marble, 
 seemed to be sending out his very soul to pierce 
 the mystery of those black-robed figures. When 
 
270 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 they disappeared within the stone building, he 
 clutched the bridle convulsively and made as if to 
 put spurs to his horse. But Jallot, close beside 
 him, laid a hand upon his arm and asked, — 
 
 " What is it, mon ami ? Why do you wish to 
 hurry ? " 
 
 " Those ladies ! " gasped St. Denis ; " did not 
 you recognize them, Pierre ? Mon Dieu ! 't is the 
 Senorita de Villescas ! " 
 
 " Nonsense, Louis, 't was the cultured air of the 
 ladies that suggested a resemblance," Jallot an- 
 swered lightly. " Think ! we have seen no women 
 save half-naked squaws for months." 
 
 " But their size, their height," argued St. Denis, 
 though already his first wild impression was giving 
 way. 
 
 " It is almost dark," returned Jallot, soothingly, 
 " and imagination played you a cruel trick ; that is 
 all. Parbleu ! think where we are." 
 
 The whole population of the town apparently — 
 soldiers and civilians, Spaniards, Mexicans, and 
 half-breeds — was gathered in the plaza, promenad- 
 ing to the music, standing indolently about or 
 sprawling upon the ground or on benches, the men 
 all smoking or drinking pulque out of little earthen 
 mugs. 
 
 But the advent of the strangers, riding boldly 
 into their midst, quickened every lounging figure 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 271 
 
 into an attitude of keen and slightly suspicious 
 curiosity. 
 
 They drew rein and asked to be directed to 
 the commandant's residence, and, as they had ex- 
 pected, the stone building was pointed out to 
 them. 
 
 There was a deep arched entrance at the front 
 of it, the heavy doors of which were not yet closed 
 for the night. A sentry paced to and fro. 
 
 St. Denis rode up and bade the man acquaint 
 the commandant that a gentleman from San An- 
 tonio de Bexar desired to pay his respects. It 
 was thus the captain of the garrison at San An- 
 tonio had recommended him to describe himself; 
 though the captain himself was a stranger to the 
 commandant, who was a new incumbent, he said. 
 
 The sentry obeyed, returning immediately with a 
 polite answer. St. Denis dismounted and was con- 
 ducted through the archway into a flagged patio, 
 a cool, fragrant place in which plants and vines 
 were growing profusely in enormous earthen pots. 
 
 Jallot preferred to remain outside and see that 
 the horses were properly cared for, and incident- 
 ally make some new acquaintances. 
 
 In the patio, there being high walls on all sides, 
 it was already quite dark, and a serving-woman was 
 lighting a tall iron lamp whose great blaze pres- 
 ently illumined the place. 
 
2/2 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 Around the walls, some ten feet from the ground, 
 ran a narrow gallery from which doors opened 
 into the second-story apartments. A flight of 
 stone steps, starting near the entrance, led up to 
 this gallery. On the other side of the entrance, 
 opposite the stairs, was the commandant's office, 
 the door of which stood open. 
 
 Just as St. Denis entered the patio, a lady, the 
 elder of the two he had seen outside in the plaza, 
 came out of the office and turned to go up the 
 stairs. For the moment he blocked her way. She 
 started, stopped short, and regarded him with large, 
 unsmiling eyes. 
 
 The black scarf folded about her head shadowed 
 her face, but there was no mistaking those eyes. 
 
 " Dona Romelio ! " cried St. Denis. 
 
 And she simultaneously, " The Chevaher de St. 
 Denis ! " and started back and threw up her hands 
 as if to ward off a ghost. 
 
 "Maria! where is she?" He advanced a step 
 toward her, and went on breathlessly, "I saw her; 
 she was with you but a moment agQ." 
 
 Doiia Romelio recovered herself and drew back 
 haughtily, though her whole body was a-tremble. 
 " Have you come back from the dead to seek her 
 in this wilderness?" she sneered. 
 
 " From the dead — did she believe me dead, and 
 did she — has she — " 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 273 
 
 A cruel smile curled the old woman's lip, and 
 he fancied there was a triumphant gleam in her 
 terrible eyes. 
 
 " Mon Dieu, madame ! have I — have I come 
 too late?" he implored. 
 
 A voice other than hers answered him, — a wildly 
 joyous, thrillingly familiar voice, ringing out from 
 above, " No, no, no ! " 
 
 He looked up, and at a bound he passed Dona 
 Romelio and was at the foot of the stairs. And 
 Maria, as though clearing the whole flight at a 
 single sweep, was in his outstretched arms. 
 
 And it mattered not that Dona Romelio raged 
 to and fro hke a caged tigress, driving out the 
 curious domestics, banishing the sentry who had 
 lingered near the door. 
 
 " Dios nos libre ! " she cried, " must the very 
 servants witness this disgrace ? Ay de m/ ! that 
 such a scandal should come upon the house of 
 Villescas ! Maria, have you no shame ? Caballero, 
 have you no honor? " 
 
 Her voice rose to a shriek. All her life long 
 
 had Dona Romelio held the taut rein of a mighty 
 
 will over herself, as she had held it over others. 
 
 But now the tension broke and left her at the 
 
 mercy of her raging passions. A violent spasm 
 
 seized her ; she reeled, staggered, and sank to the 
 
 ground. 
 
 18 
 
274 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 Maria and St. Denis flew to her. The latter 
 ordered the affrighted servants who came hurrying 
 in to bring certain restoratives, and sent outside 
 for Jallot, who soon appeared with his instruments 
 and cordials. 
 
 In the midst of the commotion Don Pedro 
 entered; but not until the senora had been 
 brought to her senses and carried upstairs, did he 
 express any astonishment at the presence of so 
 unlooked for a person as St. Denis. He turned 
 then and held out his hand, a lively and friendly 
 look showing in his handsome eyes. 
 
 " Asf, asi, it is indeed the Chevalier de St. Denis, 
 — bien venido, caballero, I congratulate you upon 
 being alive ! " 
 
 St. Denis bowed and answered, " I thank your 
 excellency. I have never so truly congratulated 
 myself upon that fact as at this moment." 
 
 The patio was not the place for explanations, 
 and Don Pedro led the way upstairs into a com- 
 fortable salon whose windows overlooked the plaza ; 
 and here words could not come fast enough for all 
 that needed to be said. 
 
 An hour passed, and then a servant entered, 
 spoke a word to Maria, and threw open the door 
 of the salle-^-manger. 
 
 Don Pedro rose, and with a graceful gesture of 
 invitation said smilingly, " Poor as our hospitality 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 275 
 
 is, gentlemen, you must perforce accept it. Bau- 
 tista boasts no public hostelry." 
 
 " Your pardon, excelencia ! I hold this to be 
 of a piece with the good fortune that guided us 
 hither," St. Denis answered, from the bottom of 
 his heart. 
 
 And Jallot politely seconded his words, — 
 though as a matter of fact he had no mind to 
 suffer himself to be cooped up in the presidio, 
 which was bolted and barred like a jail at night, 
 the time of all times when he loved to roam about. 
 
 The salle-d-manger was altogether sumptuous. 
 The tiled floor and fretted walls and ceiling showed 
 an attempt at Moorish decoration. Earthen pots 
 filled with pungent geraniums, marvelous fuchsias, 
 palms, and blood-red lilies, stood about on the 
 floor, and took up the wide window-seats. The 
 table was covered with immaculate damask, hand- 
 worked, and glittered with crystal and silver. 
 
 Before seating himself, Don Pedro sent a servant 
 to inquire about his sister. The answer brought 
 back was that the sefiora returned thanks and 
 was very comfortable, but desired to be excused. 
 Jallot, to bridge the awkward moment, exclaimed 
 rapturously about the unwonted luxury of sitting 
 at a table where the aesthetic sense was gratified 
 as well as the physical appetite. 
 
 This called forth disparaging remarks from Don 
 
276 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 Pedro concerning the lack of certain foods, and 
 more especially the poor quality of Mexican wine ; 
 and once again, as several times before, he re- 
 ferred to his habitation as a poor place, and begged 
 the indulgence of his guests. 
 
 " Pardon, senor ! permit me to say that 't is a 
 heavenly place," exclaimed Jallot ; and St. Denis's 
 look eloquently approved of that sentiment. 
 
 Don Pedro shrugged his shoulders. " It may 
 indeed appear so to one who has just ridden 
 hundreds of leagues over the plains and through 
 these vile swamps and forests," he agreed, " but 
 as a home, as a place to spend your lifetime in — 
 Dios nos libre ! " 
 
 St. Denis's reply launched him upon the story 
 of how he happened to be here. He had already 
 told it briefly, but it was a story he loved to am- 
 plify — as some persons love to amplify their 
 bodily ailments. 
 
 " After the war," said he, " there was nothing 
 left me to do but emigrate, as so many others did. 
 I was as bankrupt as the nation itself, and the 
 most flattering inducements were offered me to 
 come to Mexico. Ah," he sipped his wine, 
 leaned back in his chair, and drew his napkin 
 across his mouth, " how strange it is that truthful 
 words may so belie the truth ! I was promised 
 a lucrative and important position, and they that 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 277 
 
 made the promise did not lie ; it is an important 
 position in some respects, and my salary more 
 than suffices for our needs — here. They said I 
 should command a fortress, and I do; that I 
 should have oversight of a territory as large as 
 a dukedom, and I have ; I should command large 
 bodies of soldiers, horse and foot, — behold my 
 noble regiments of Mexicans and Indian half- 
 breeds ! I should be empowered to make treaties 
 and alliances. ?ape ! you shall see the gentlemen 
 with whom I sit in council." 
 
 Maria reached out and laid a caressing hand 
 upon his sleeve. " Poor papa ! " she murmured, 
 and then with a little flurry of consternation that 
 was the truest touch of her old-time self, so St. 
 Denis thought, — 
 
 " Cielo, papa ! you are quite forgetting to eat." 
 
 He took another sip of wine. " Yes," he con- 
 tinued, " I enjoy all the honors, privileges, and 
 emoluments that were promised me, yet am I bound 
 hand and foot. I have not the smallest voice in 
 the general government, even in those things that 
 most nearly concern myself and my people here. 
 I may not so much as communicate with the vice- 
 roy, but must refer all my affairs to the governor 
 of this province at Monclova." 
 
 It was apparent that in this last fact lay one of 
 the chief bitternesses of his position. 
 
278 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 " Now in this matter about which you have 
 come," he added, — St. Denis had briefly ex- 
 plained the object of his expedition, — "I can do 
 nothing, it must be carried to his excellency." 
 
 Maria looked up with a start, and so singular 
 was the expression of her eyes as they met her 
 father's that St. Denis made haste to say, " Pray 
 do not trouble about my affairs, seiior. I need ask 
 no more than your good word to the governor, 
 aud will go myself and lay the matter before him. 
 How far is Monclova from this place ? " 
 
 " About sixty leagues," rephed Don Pedro, and 
 changed the subject. 
 
 For the remainder of the meal Maria's face wore 
 an excited and anxious look, and when they rose 
 from the table she drew St. Denis to a window 
 under pretext of looking out upon the plaza, now 
 brilliantly illuminated with several great flambeaux. 
 
 " You do not know who our governor is? " she 
 said ; and he saw that the little hand she had rested 
 on the rim of a flower-pot trembled. 
 
 " No," he answered, wondering, but it came to 
 him in a flash before the name left her lips, — 
 
 " Gaspardo ! " 
 
 He was silent for a moment, then asked, — 
 
 " And he is your suitor still? " 
 
 " My implacable suitor still ! " 
 
 He drew himself up, his lips tightened, there 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 279 
 
 was spirit in his eye, resolution in every line of his 
 body. " Let it be so," he said. " God has guided 
 me to you through strange and devious ways, and 
 it shall not be in vain." The words rang out clear 
 and strong, he was careless as to who might hear 
 them. For now, now he would sue for her boldly, 
 fight for her if he must. The wheel of destiny 
 had turned round once again, again the fates rose 
 up and challenged him ; and he was ready, eager 
 for the battle. 
 
CHAPTER XXV 
 
 GASPARDO DE ANAYA, Governor of Coa- 
 huila ! Here was a revelation to drive 
 sjeep from St. Denis's eyes that night, even though 
 all the other remarkable happenings of this event- 
 ful day had failed. 
 
 Now then the battle was to be fought over again. 
 Gaspardo had won in the first encounter, St. Denis 
 would win in the second, — this he swore by the 
 helmet of Mars ! 
 
 It seemed that he must always meet the enemy 
 on the enemy's ground. But this disadvantage 
 was far outweighed by the fact that he was the 
 preferred lover. Moreover, he counted upon the 
 perfect friendliness of Don Pedro, and believed it 
 was now possible to break down the bar which the 
 proud old Castihan had forged in pledging his 
 word to Anaya. That he was no longer partial to 
 Anaya was sufficiently plain, and might it not be 
 for the very reason that the distasteful suitor still 
 bore hard upon that pledge, urging its redemption 
 in the face of Maria's persistent rejection of him? 
 For one thing was sure, — Don Pedro dearly loved 
 his daughter. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 281 
 
 The whole matter rested, then, upon the appar- 
 ently easy task of winning over this amiable old 
 man. Dona Romelio? He smiled as he recalled 
 her impotent rage. She was a bee that had lost 
 its sting. 
 
 There was another annoying thought, which 
 came after he had pretty thoroughly canvassed 
 this personal matter. With his deadly enemy 
 Governor of Coahuila, how should he be able to 
 carry out those brilliant plans for inter-provincial 
 commerce that for weeks back had engaged all his 
 thoughts ! 
 
 It was a question there was no possibility of 
 solving until he should have felt his way a little in 
 this strange land, and he put it from him and 
 turned his attention to pleasanter things, — to the 
 seiiorita, for whom he now knew his affection had 
 suffered no diminution. Ah ! he loved her a thou- 
 sand times better than before, . for she had been 
 true to him through all these hopeless years. 
 
 She was not greatly changed, — a little more wo- 
 manly, that was all. She had all her sparkle, all 
 her piquancy, the thousand little enchanting pecu- 
 liarities that had enmeshed his heart years ago 
 and held it ever since. 
 
 What wonder of wonders that his steps should 
 have turned unwittingly to this spot ! It was the 
 beneficent star of his destiny that had guided him, 
 
282 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 — the star which had rescued him from shipwreck, 
 from fire, from deadly battle, from murderous 
 enemies, from captivity and sickness. Was it not 
 a thought to make him face the future with a high 
 courage? 
 
 Notwithstanding that it was long past midnight 
 when Ke fell asleep, he was up betimes in the 
 morning, and was served, according to the cus- 
 tom of the house, with a light breakfast in his 
 apartment. 
 
 Glancing from a small window, slatted length- 
 wise, which overlooked the town, and which com- 
 manded also a wide sweep of country dotted here 
 and there with Indian villages, and with herds of 
 cattle tended by mounted men, his eye fell upon 
 Maria, just going into the chapel from which he 
 had seen her emerge the evening before. His 
 heart quickened ; he opened his door, stepped out 
 into the corridor that led to the gallery, and ran 
 down into the patio, his intention being to slip into 
 the church and kneel beside her and mingle his 
 thanksgiving with hers. 
 
 Some women were busy scrubbing the pavement, 
 and a man who had been directed to await his 
 coming informed him that the commandant pre- 
 sented his compHments and desired his presence 
 in the office, — a summons he reluctantly obeyed. 
 
 The office was a large square room with an un- 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 283 
 
 tidy floor and dingy walls. It was furnished with 
 a large table, hopelessly littered, some rude 
 benches and chairs, and a variety of ornamental 
 things characteristic of the country, such as bows 
 and arrows and other Indian weapons, rough tapes- 
 tries, earthen pots, images, antlers, and a great 
 assortment of skins, some of them very beautiful. 
 All these things, as St. Denis learned afterwards, 
 were the gifts of the kindly-disposed natives. 
 
 Don Pedro sat dejectedly at the table, with 
 rumpled hair and knitted brows. 
 
 A number of sullen-eyed Indians stood about 
 expectantly, and evidently some important ques- 
 tion was pending. 
 
 St. Denis was inchned to draw back, but Don 
 Pedro caught sight of him and instantjy readjusted 
 his pose. His face brightened, he rose and Came 
 forward, exclaiming cordially, — 
 
 " Ah, beso d V. la mano, chevalier ! " 
 
 Then, with form erect and commanding, he 
 turned to his dusky dependants and waved them off, 
 shooing them as they had been a flock of chickens : 
 " Now go, go, all of you. Uf ! get you gone, I will 
 attend to your business some other time." 
 
 " I beg you will not let me interfere with your 
 official duties, senor," protested St. Denis, with a 
 warmth not wholly disinterested ; " it were better 
 that my affairs should wait." 
 
284 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 " Oh, no, no, indeed," answered Don Pedro, clear- 
 ing a chair of some rubbish ; " I pray you to be 
 seated." 
 
 And as the swarthy figures filed sulkily out, he 
 added disgustfully, "I am more than glad to be 
 rid of those creatures ; I am sick of them and their 
 eternal complaining." 
 
 He reached for the tobacco box and invited his 
 guest to fill a pipe. 
 
 " Of what do they complain?" St. Denis asked, 
 his eyes wandering through the open window to 
 the little chapel where his heart was. 
 
 " Of everything," replied Don Pedro, the wearied 
 and hopeless look coming back into his face. 
 "Their vegetables are pulled up out of the gar- 
 dens, their fiplds of growing corn trampled into the 
 ground, the ripe grain stolen from their ware- 
 houses, their cattle driven off and slaughtered, 
 their daughters kidnaped, and God knows what 
 beside ! " 
 
 The recital fixed St. Denis's attention. 
 
 " Bon Dieu ! " he cried, " and who are the 
 thieves ? " 
 
 Don Pedro shrugged his shoulders. " Spaniards, 
 Mexicans," replied he. " In fact, I sometimes think 
 the entire civilized population is in league with the 
 highwaymen that everywhere infest this accursed 
 country. For it is not possible to get at the core 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 285 
 
 of the mischief by any process of law. Whichever 
 way I turn," he added fretfully, " I meet with eva- 
 sion, subterfuge, an undercurrent of treachery 
 showing that there is an almost universal con- 
 nivance against order and justice." 
 
 Such a confession appeared to St. Denis a suf- 
 ficient warrant for offering a modest suggestion. 
 "You have soldiers, your excellency; if the civil 
 law fails to reach these monstrous abuses, why not 
 try the military?" 
 
 " Uf ! the soldiers are of a piece with the people." 
 
 " Then I should appeal to the viceroy." 
 
 Don Pedro answered dryly, " Poor as the place 
 is, chevalier, I am not yet prepared to give the 
 signal for my dismissal." 
 
 St. Denis regarded him with surprise, commiser- 
 ation, and a faint, unacknowledged contempt for a 
 weakness and incapacity he could not comprehend. 
 And out of these mixed feelings rose the strongest 
 natural instinct of the Lemoyne blood, — the in- 
 stinct to plunge in himself and set matters right 
 with sword and flame, if need be. 
 
 " What of the natives themselves ? " he inquired ; 
 " usually the red men make horrible reprisals for 
 such outrages." 
 
 " Here," replied Don Pedro, " the priests have 
 pulled their fangs. They have converted them 
 and trained them in habits of industry, as against 
 
286 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 habits of warfare. You will be surprised at their 
 thrifty farms and neat villages. They go to Mass 
 regularly, and send their children to the schools. 
 But for all that, the white population cannot be 
 made to respect them or their property." 
 
 " If I were in your place, senor," St. Denis an- 
 swered, his blood tingling, " I should organize a 
 vigilance committee and catch some of these rogues 
 and make an example of them, whoever they might 
 be." 
 
 Don Pedro sighed. His handsome face, framed 
 with its thick white hair, which lent him great dis- 
 tinction, so plainly bore the stamp of incompetency 
 and despairing resignation, that again St. Denis 
 felt an itching to lift the burden from the shoulders 
 of the old caballero and lay it upon his own. 
 
 Don Pedro suddenly gave a toss of the head to 
 throw off his great responsibilities. 
 
 " About this business of yours, senor chevalier," 
 he exclaimed with a brightening eye ; " I have been 
 thinking — " 
 
 " Pardon me, excelencia ! " St. Denis interrupted, 
 "there is another matter about which, by your 
 leave, I wish first to speak, — a matter of far more 
 importance to me than any other. I refer to your 
 daughter ; I desire to renew my suit for her hand." 
 
 Don Pedro drew down his brows, but there was 
 distress rather than displeasure in his look. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 287 
 
 And St. Denis went on boldly, with warmth and 
 stress : " I love her, senor, I have loved her truly 
 and constantly all these years, and little as I de- 
 serve such favor she has been equally true to me. 
 We ask your consent to our marriage, — it is 
 Maria's wish, as it is mine." 
 
 But Don Pedro conjured about him so icy an 
 atmosphere that the suitor's heart grew cold in it. 
 
 " My daughter's hand is pledged to Don Gas- 
 pardo de Anaya," he replied in that same tone he 
 had used upon the one other occasion this subject 
 had been broached between them. 
 
 St. Denis made an angry gesture, but controlled 
 himself. " If Don Gaspardo de Anaya were not 
 in my way, would your excellency object to my 
 suit ? " he asked quietly, though this cost him 
 something. 
 
 His excellency smiled dryly. " Is it worth while 
 to consider that question ? " he returned. " Gas- 
 pardo is in your way, and he is a rock it would 
 be difficult to remove." He sighed heavily, then 
 drew himself up and added coldly : " Pray let us 
 drop the subject. The Senorita de Villescas will 
 marry Anaya, or no one." 
 
 " Then it will be no one, for I swear she will not 
 marry Anaya ! '' cried St. Denis, with flashing eyes, 
 rising to his feet. " What ! has she not steadily 
 refused him for years, and that too when she be- 
 
288 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 lieved me to be dead ? And will she accept him 
 now that I have, by the grace of God, come back 
 to her?" 
 
 " She knows the alternative," said this obdurate 
 father. 
 
 "But, sefior," St. Denis's voice softened, "you 
 surely do not forget that there are many years 
 between yourself and Maria ; she may not always 
 have a protector?" 
 
 Don Pedro shrugged his shoulders. " A most 
 impolite suggestion, chevalier," he replied; and 
 added, " holy church will be her protector when 
 I am gone." 
 
 "The church — what! a convent for Maria?" 
 
 " A convent is sometimes preferable to a 
 husband." 
 
 " I concede that," retorted St. Denis, and begged 
 leave to retire. 
 
 Once outside, in the fine fresh air, his anger 
 left him ; he would not suffer himself to lose heart 
 at the first venture. 
 
 Maria had finished her prayers and was coming 
 out of the church. She quickened her steps and 
 glided toward him with such a look as love only 
 can paint on woman's face. 
 
 " Ah, it is true then," she cried in the old blithe 
 way, " you are really here, you are a substance ! " 
 and she touched his hand. " This morning when I 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 289 
 
 awoke I thought — just for a breath,, for a second, 
 that I had been dreaming, my heart was so light. 
 Ah, I have dreamed of you so often, so often, and 
 such happy, happy dreams. And always such 
 sad awaking — until now! Oh, how wonderful, 
 how wonderful that you are here ! " 
 
 Her lively glance traveled over him from head 
 to foot, enveloped him, embraced him. 
 
 " It is not more wonderful than that I find you 
 here, querida," he answered. 
 
 Soldiers lounging on the plaza benches, and 
 men and women walking in the streets, eyed them 
 curiously. They scarcely observed this, yet in- 
 stinctively moved away, taking the path that ran 
 along down the river bank, — if the little stream 
 might be called a river. 
 
 The path was shaded by low umbrella trees. 
 
 It was very warm ; there was not breeze enough 
 to ruffle the prairie grass. The sky was a bright 
 indigo, broken by masses of slow-moving white 
 flocculent cloud. 
 
 Some brown-bodied half-breed urchins were 
 sporting in the bathing pool a little below the 
 town. Farther down an Indian youth sat motion- 
 less in his canoe with drawn bow. A flock of 
 ducks rose suddenly from the water, and he shot 
 an arrow and a plump bird dropped upon the 
 bank. 
 
 19 
 
290 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 St. Denis picked it up and tossed it to the dusky 
 sportsman. 
 
 The seiiorita called out, " Buenos dias, Enrico ! " 
 and he saluted respectfully. 
 
 " There is a youth one may depend upon," she 
 said ; and St. Denis turned his head and laughingly 
 declared that one so recommended deserved a 
 second look. 
 
 " Oh, I assure you there are many of these 
 natives to whom I would commit my life," she 
 answered. 
 
 Some little distance beyond was an Indian vil- 
 lage, Ayota it was called, — a queer little place 
 whose tiny houses were built of mud and sticks. 
 A thrifty vegetable garden flanked each dwelling. 
 In the sun-baked dooryards small brown chil- 
 dren were gravely playing. 
 
 Maria paused at an open doorway, explaining 
 that Enrico's mother, Medee, lived there. 
 
 A grizzled old woman came to the threshold, 
 nodding and smiling with great friendliness, but 
 uttering not a word. 
 
 Maria inquired about her health, her basket- 
 weaving, her garden, to all of which questions she 
 returned intelligent answers in dumb show. It 
 was not until they were about to move on that 
 she found her voice and muttered shyly, — 
 
 " Agradezco a V. su visita, senorita." 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 291 
 
 " You are very welcome to my visit, pobre vie- 
 jecita," Maria answered with a smile. 
 
 They turned about and found themselves face 
 to face with another Indian woman, who had 
 approached noiselessly and stood in the path as 
 though she had miraculously grown up there while 
 their backs were turned. 
 
 She was a young squaw, Enrico's married sister. 
 In addition to being uncommonly ugly, her face 
 wore a sullen scowl. 
 
 " Ah, Seta, como esta V. ? " Maria exclaimed 
 with a slight start. But Seta was as dumb as her 
 mother. 
 
 "Is anything wrong?" questioned the sefiorita 
 kindly, yet apprehensively. 
 
 " Indians angry," Seta burst out. " Excelencia 
 will not punish thieves. Thieves come steal, el 
 senor padre say Indians shall not kill, excelencia 
 will punish. No, that is lies. Now Indians will 
 kill, and let be damn ! " 
 
 The creature seemed fairly to choke with rage, 
 her small black eyes glittered like the eyes of a 
 snake. 
 
 " Oh ! " cried Maria, wringing her hands, " 't is 
 always the same story. Poor papa, poor papa ! " 
 
 " Come," said St. Denis, taking her hand ; and as 
 they walked on she repeated, with tears, the story 
 he had just had from Don Pedro. 
 
292 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 He listened, his brows knitted in thought. 
 Could he do anything? He would, he must ; this 
 state of things must not be. Maria, the joyous, 
 the light-hearted, should not weep. 
 
 Some sort of plan took shape in his mind. 
 
 " Dearest," he said, " I promise you that I shall 
 find a way to put an end to these troubles. Do 
 you believe in me? " 
 
 She looked up at him proudly through her tears. 
 His personality gave an emphasis' to the words 
 that would have driven doubt from a more scepti- 
 cal mind than hers. There was strength, power, 
 capacity in every feature of his face, in every line 
 of his body. 
 
CHAPTER XXVI 
 
 DON PEDRO cudgeled his brain and formu- 
 lated a plan concerning St. Denis's affairs, 
 which he took occasion to lay before him. 
 
 " Since matters are as they are," he said, " be- 
 tween yourself and Anaya, you cannot, of course, 
 go to him. An agent must do the work for you. 
 I myself, am too old for the journey, but I might 
 write a letter to his excellency, setting forth such 
 facts as may be necessary, and ask for authority to 
 negotiate with you, — of course withholding your 
 name." 
 
 St. Denis acquiesced. For one thing he could 
 devise nothing better, and for another, this ar- 
 rangement insured him a number of uninterrupted 
 blissful days in San Juan Bautista, — no, not unin- 
 terrupted, for he had work to do, a promise to 
 redeem. 
 
 Notwithstanding that Don Pedro set about at 
 once to communicate with Gaspardo, some time 
 elapsed before his despatches were ready. 
 
 St. Denis, though he himself might perhaps 
 have expedited matters, winked at Time stealing 
 
294 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 by on his velvet-shod feet, — for surely fate owed 
 him a little indulgence now. 
 
 Jallot, when he learned what was afoot, declared 
 a wish to accompany the messenger to Monclova. 
 
 "You?" exclaimed St. Denis. "You would 
 be recognized and the object of our expedition 
 defeated as surely as though I went myself. 
 Gaspardo will not have forgotten that you were 
 privy to his dastardly act after the battle of Villa- 
 Viciosa. And you are aware that other troubles 
 might arise that would touch me more nearly 
 than these commercial negotiations ; though, as to 
 that," — his lips tightened, — "I am tempted to 
 force an issue with Gaspardo and settle the matter 
 once for all, at the sword's point." 
 
 " 'T is a pity you had not done that years ago," 
 answered Jallot ; " it would have saved you a deal 
 of trouble." 
 
 " And you also," returned St. Denis. 
 
 " Va ! that is nothing. I have never regretted 
 my share of it." 
 
 About going to Monclova, Jallot urged that his 
 disguise was perfect. He had taken the fancy to 
 dress himself in buckskin and a sombrero, and with 
 his tanned skin and long black hair he looked not 
 unlike a native Mexican. He said that when they 
 reached the capital, which was a considerable place, 
 he could easily bribe his companion to lodge 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 295 
 
 him in obscure quarters and keep silent about 
 him. 
 
 " As you will, then," St. Denis answered, against 
 his better judgment; adding, "one would suppose 
 you had had enough of travel, Pierre." 
 
 "Of travel yes, but of sight-seeing no," re- 
 turned Jallot. " I would we might visit that 
 famous old city of Mexico while we are about 
 it." 
 
 The erratic doctor had excused himself to the 
 Villescas household and taken lodging in the bar- 
 racks with the soldiers, in order to indulge his 
 passion for night wandering. 
 
 In this quaint town, teeming with its half-bar- 
 barian life, the night was a-thrill with mystery. 
 Often he espied dusky forms moving stealthily 
 in the shadow of trees and buildings, intent, 
 he made sure, on some devilment, a theft or an 
 amour. Occasionally a canoe dropped down the 
 stream without plash of oar, and he heard faint 
 signals echoing and re-echoing from point to point, 
 unheeded by ears less acute than his. 
 
 On the night before he was to set out with the 
 courier to Monclova he was abroad as usual. 
 
 Everything was quiet, and he strolled along on 
 the margin of the stream with eyes upraised to a 
 moonless sky thickly powdered with stars. He 
 knew the myth-history of the heavens by heart, 
 
296 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 and in whatever quarter of the globe fate threw 
 him, such nights as this brought him hosts of 
 familiar friends, who conjured about him other 
 friends and other nights of long ago. 
 
 This little stream now, he fancied it the Thames, 
 and summoned back the jocund scene of a festal 
 evening when that famous river was alive with 
 boats, and some magic in the air made all sounds 
 musical save the wrangling of the boatmen. 
 
 But soon the illusion gave way and he was face 
 to face with the strange fact of his present where- 
 abouts, and with a sigh — which really had no 
 great depth, for he was not of a regretful tempera- 
 ment — he turned and walked back toward the 
 barracks. 
 
 He was passing through a fringe of small trees 
 that skirted the presidio when his moccasined feet 
 were brought to an abrupt halt. From one of the 
 slatted windows of the second story of the building 
 he heard a woman's voice call softly, so softly 
 that it seemed little more than the sighing of the 
 breeze, " Felix ! " 
 
 Another voice directly beneath, equally discreet, 
 responded, " Si, senorita." 
 
 A small packet immediately fluttered down and 
 was caught by the owner of the second voice, a 
 man, who murmured, " All 's well," and moved 
 stealthily away. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 297 
 
 " Ma foi, how these people love mystery ! " said 
 Jallot to himself. 
 
 He waited a few seconds, for politeness' sake 
 as he reasoned, and then went on his way to the 
 barracks and was soon asleep on the roof, where 
 the soldiers were wont to make their bed of a 
 sultry night. 
 
 At break of day he was up and making ready 
 for the early start. He had been warned to arm 
 himself to the teeth, for travel was hazardous in 
 that robber-infested country, in which the scant 
 population was unable to make adequate reprisals. 
 The terrible accordada for the arrest and sum- 
 mary execution of highwaymen was here a dead 
 letter. 
 
 The courier was a young Spaniard, handsome 
 though not prepossessing, whom Jallot had seen 
 lounging about the plaza, but whose acquaintance 
 he did not make until that morning, He was in- 
 troduced as Felix Sanchez. 
 
 " Oho ! " thought Jallot, " this must be the 
 gallant I spied upon last night, taking farewell of 
 his lady-love." 
 
 Despite his long apprenticeship to the saddle, 
 Jallot was not a good horseman, and the pace the 
 courier set was most uncomfortable, especially in 
 the rough hill country westward of the town. 
 
 " For God's sake, friend Felix," he cried, " why 
 
298 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 this break-neck speed? Have you a sweetheart 
 in Monclova?" 
 
 " Nay, I left her behind," said Felix. 
 
 "And are in haste to get back to her, then? " 
 
 " H6 ! I am not a boy, senor, I have been 
 married six years." 
 
 " Aha, a fine rogue this," thought Jallot ; " he 
 has a wife, yet billet doux rain down upon him 
 at midnight from another woman's window — of 
 course 'twas another woman's window ! " 
 
 Aloud he said, " Then why, in the devil's name, 
 run such a mad race as this ! The poor beasts 
 will drop in their tracks, and as for me, I shall not 
 be able to stand upright for a week." 
 
 Felix laughed, and Jallot liked him the less for 
 that. " The beasts will not suffer," he replied ; 
 " 't is a pace they are accustomed to." 
 
 " Well, I happen to know something of the 
 nature of this business we are on," continued Jallot, 
 the words jerked out of him by syllables, " and I 
 can swear that it is not a matter of hfe and death." 
 
 " Nevertheless I have orders to hasten," returned 
 the obdurate Felix. 
 
 " Come, I can scarce believe that, begging your 
 pardon ! " said Jallot ; " we might have been upon 
 the road several days ago had his excellency 
 the commandant felt any need of haste. Huy ! 
 I have a good mind to turn back." 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 299 
 
 It was a lucky threat. Felix drew rein instantly, 
 and Jallot might have felt flattered at his evident 
 unwillingness to part company with him. For the 
 remainder of the journey they went at an easy 
 gait. 
 
 Meantime to St. Denis the days flew by on 
 wings. He was too happy and too much occupied 
 with his own and Don Pedro's affairs to trouble 
 about the outcome of the Monclova expedition; 
 and at all events that matter had passed out of 
 his hands for the present, and he was not one to 
 waste thought in useless anxieties. He had already 
 settled it in his own mind that if the appeal to 
 Gaspardo failed he should make a bold attempt 
 at direct communication with the viceroy. 
 
 He had set about with energy to master the 
 whole condition of affairs at San Juan Bautista, — 
 the lax government, the justifiable dissatisfaction 
 of the people, — and, following this, to find a 
 remedy, as he had promised the senorita. 
 
 Don Pedro, besieged from morning till night 
 with petitioners from the Indian villages, — whom 
 he weakly endeavored to pacify with promises re- 
 newed again and again and never fulfilled, — let 
 it be seen that he was not averse to accepting aid 
 in the performance of his irksome duties. 
 
 St. Denis could not but smile at the willingness 
 with which the indolent old caballero slipped the 
 
300 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 burden from his shoulders and fell back upon his 
 pipe, his books, and sweet Mexican wine. Care 
 left his brow, and he was the genial, delightful 
 companion of old, and St. Denis once more found 
 himself building fine hopes on his good-nature. 
 
 One morning the two were riding side by side 
 over the prairie, on their way to a village which 
 had just been raided by the outlaws, when in a 
 burst of self-compassion, — a sentiment so often 
 entertained by the inefficient, — Don Pedro ex- 
 claimed, " Ah, why did not heaven vouchsafe me 
 such a son as you, chevalier, to share the burdens 
 of my old age ! " 
 
 The blood rushed up into St. Denis's bronzed 
 cheeks. " Senor, 't is the dearest wish of my heart 
 to be such a son to you," he answered. 
 
 Don Pedro smiled quizzically. " You mistake, 
 chevalier, you would but rob me of my daughter, 
 — you would not consent to remain here." 
 
 The last had almost the inflection of a question, 
 and St. Denis caught at it. 
 
 " Indeed it is quite possible that I could better 
 serve my government here than elsewhere," he 
 answered, and both instinctively reined in to a 
 slower pace. 
 
 " If we succeed in establishing the proposed 
 intercourse between the two governments," he 
 continued eagerly, " there must be agents ap- 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 301 
 
 pointed, and for the same reason that I was chosen 
 for the present undertaking, my knowledge of 
 Spanish, I may be located here. And then — " 
 
 " Uf ! 'tis a waste of words," interrupted Don 
 Pedro, and spurred forward. 
 
 But St. Denis was not discouraged. The thought 
 he had put forward, not a new one indeed, flashed 
 its light into the future and revealed dazzling pos- 
 sibilities. After all, though he had been modeled 
 for a soldier, why should he not turn tradesman 
 and accumulate wealth, as those thrifty English 
 were doing yonder in Charles Town, and be able 
 to surround Maria with luxuries befitting a noble 
 Castilian maid ! 
 
 But apart from these ravishing thoughts, and in- 
 dependently of the powerful incentive that moved 
 him to ingratiate himself with Maria's father, he 
 was already keenly interested in the task he had 
 set himself to do, namely, to establish the govern- 
 ment of San Juan Bautista upon a foundation of 
 law and justice, the only foundation that could 
 insure prosperity. 
 
 The weather continued fine, and he was in the 
 saddle every day, visiting the outlying settlements 
 and inquiring into the abuses that were being 
 constantly practised. 
 
 The fact that these abuses went on under his 
 very eyes as it were, and in insolent defiance of 
 
302 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 authority, filled him with a noble rage, and enlisted 
 his uttermost powers on behalf of the outraged 
 natives. 
 
 The chief difficulty, however, lay with Don Pedro 
 himself, as he had soon discovered. 
 
 One morning as he was riding alone in the direc- 
 tion of Ayota, he inet a singular procession, — a 
 long line of mounted Indians escorting two vaga- 
 bond Spanish-Mexicans strapped upon ponies, their 
 backs to the animals' heads. 
 
 Each pony was led by a stout warrior. 
 
 The Indians made no noise, but their faces were 
 resolute, and their black eyes shot forth savage 
 gleams, especially when the insolent captives de- 
 rided them with mocking smiles and obscene 
 words, — a significant thing considering the plight 
 they were in, as indicating how little they expected 
 punishment for whatever mischief they had per- 
 petrated. 
 
 St. Denis made inquiries and found it was the 
 old story, — the Mexicans had been stealing corn, 
 and when discovered had recklessly opened fire, 
 killing one man outright, and wounding a woman, 
 old Medee's daughter Seta. 
 
 And now the male population of Ayota, with 
 the culprits in hand, was on the way to demand 
 justice. 
 
 St. Denis turned about, and himself headed the 
 
The Chevalier cie St. Denis 303 
 
 procession to the presidio, and went in and laid 
 the case before Don Pedro with such force of lan- 
 guage as he could command in moments of high 
 excitement, which is saying not a little. 
 
 Immediately the familiar worry showed itself in 
 the commandant's knitted brows, — a worry which 
 St. Denis had learned by now to have its root in 
 the old nobleman's deep-seated aversion to any 
 disturbance of his personal peace and comfort. 
 
 He got up and strode about, swearing fine Cas- 
 tilian oaths, and at last gave commands. 
 
 " Bring the rogues hither. I will reprimand them 
 in a manner they will not soon forget." 
 
 " Reprimand them, your Excellency ! " exclaimed 
 St. Denis. " I beg you to consider the grave im- 
 portance of this matter, senor; these men were 
 caught in the act of stealing, and ended by commit- 
 ting murder. There is no question but they should 
 suffer the extreme penalty of the law ! " 
 
 " Dios nos libre ! would you have me set up the 
 accordada in San Juan Bautista ? " cried Don Pedro, 
 drawing himself up with great haughtiness. " Be- 
 lieve me, I have no stomach for ' such horrors, 
 chevalier." 
 
 " But these villains force your Excellency to sub- 
 mit to other horrors," St. Denis answered hotly. 
 " A taste of the accordada would, I am convinced, 
 have a salutary effect in San Juan Bautista. I do 
 
304 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 not wish to meddle unduly," he added, recollect- 
 ing himself, " but permit me to urge, as a friend, 
 senor, that the first duty of a ruler is to insure 
 the peace and safety of the people over whom he 
 rules." 
 
 " Qu^ ! would you have me offset the life of an 
 Indian with the life of a Spanish subject?" 
 
 " There are some rights which all men should 
 have in common," replied St. Denis, — " the right 
 to live, to enjoy the fruits of their honest labor, and 
 to defend their households against thieves and 
 murderers. And these rights should be secured to 
 your Excellency's native subjects the same as to 
 people of your own race, even at the cost of a few 
 Spanish throats." 
 
 Don Pedro's face worked painfully. It was plain 
 that he was bitterly incensed against this bold ad- 
 vocate of justice, and equally plain that he felt he 
 could not afford to throw away so much strength, 
 so able a helper. 
 
 He at last dropped despairingly into a chair and 
 gave orders that the miscreants should be lodged 
 in the jail to await trial. 
 
 St. Denis himself wished for a little delay in 
 order to collect evidence ; and such evidence 
 presently turned up as greatly augmented their 
 offence. It was proved that the two rogues, 
 whose reputation was very bad, were actually in 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 305 
 
 league with a gang of bandits that from time to 
 time swept down from the Peynotes hills and laid 
 waste the country. 
 
 When the proofs of this black villany were laid 
 before Don Pedro, he flew into a terrible rage, and 
 ordered the immediate execution of the traitors. 
 St. Denis abetted him in this, fearing their con- 
 federates might attempt a rescue if the matter was 
 delayed. 
 
 The Indians came en masse to witness this grue- 
 some spectacle, and to evince with their native 
 undemonstrativeness their complete satisfaction. 
 If there was one face that showed the supreme 
 ecstasy of revenge, that face was Seta's, which bore 
 the fresh scar of the wound she had received in the 
 late fracas. 
 
 St. Denis was elated. But Maria was apprehen- 
 sive. She did not fail to note the vengeful glances 
 with which certain Spanish and Mexican eyes fol- 
 lowed him. For though he of course assumed no 
 authority, even expressed no opinions except to 
 Don Pedro himself, the hand he played in public 
 affairs was known to all. 
 
 She spoke of this, and he laughed at her fears. 
 
 But if he made enemies he also made friends. 
 She observed with pride and tenderness the af- 
 fection and gratitude which the humble natives 
 displayed toward him, and the satisfaction and 
 
3o6 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 admiration with which his services were regarded 
 by the best citizens. 
 
 "When people have no selfish reason for hating 
 you," she said to him, " it is wonderful how they 
 love you ! " 
 
 Almost every day she had some new proof of 
 this theory. It was nearing the Festival of St. 
 John, and Maria was much occupied with getting 
 the children ready for their part of the celebration. 
 
 On the eve of that day she invited St. Denis 
 into the chapel to admire the'decorations. 
 
 Just as they mounted the steps an impulsive 
 voice shouted joyfully behind them, — 
 
 " Hola ! senor chevalier ! " And there was 
 Miguel Lopez, accompanied by the inevitable 
 Juan Merlo, trotting into the town. 
 
 St. Denis responded cordially and exclaimed 
 at the imexpectedness of their appearance. 
 
 Miguel returned, a little sheepishly, that he sup- 
 posed the chevalier might be about to return, and 
 he had a mind to bear him company again across 
 the prairies. " But your letter, senor," he added, 
 " I found a trusty messenger who will carry it safe 
 to Natchitoches." 
 
 St. Denis thanked him, and sent the two into 
 a pulque shop to refresh themselves while he went 
 into the church with Maria. 
 
 " That man has a great affection for you, Louis," 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 307 
 
 said she ; " he would follow you to the end of the 
 earth, like a faithful dog." 
 
 " He has lived with the Indians for ten years," 
 laughed St. Denis, " and that may account for 
 his interest in the first white man he has been as- 
 sociated with in all that time ! Of course Juan 
 Merlo does not count ; he is a hadf-breed." 
 
CHAPTER XXVII 
 
 THE flowers were not yet withered In the 
 chapel after St. John's Day when, late one 
 afternoon, the lovers went for a gallop over the 
 prairie, — a recreation in which both took the 
 keenest delight. Maria declared that a subtle 
 exaltation inhered in the very motion of the strong 
 beasts under them, in the clink of the harness, in 
 the creaking of the leather saddles. 
 
 They rode toward the west, and when the 
 horses had spent themselves a little, she said, 
 her face all alight with happiness, " I love to ride 
 in the face of the setting sun; these splendid 
 sky-pictures take the place of music, of the play, 
 of court balls, and then," laughing, " one is saved 
 all the trouble of dressing for them. Have you 
 observed, dear, that one never sees exactly the 
 same effect the second time ? " 
 
 " Which proves that nature makes only origi- 
 nals," said he. And with his smiling eyes upon 
 her instead of on the sunset, he added, " I can give 
 you another example of her versatility, — and 
 which also shows her limitations, — she never has, 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 309 
 
 and never can, produce the counterpart of la 
 Senorita de Villescas ! " 
 
 She blushed, and swept the heavens with her 
 radiant glance. " Ah, do not belittle yonder 
 majesty ! " she answered ; " can you not leave little 
 me out of the question for one small moment ? " 
 
 " Indeed, no," said he, " you are woven into the 
 woof and texture of my thoughts. What would 
 ' yonder majesty ' be to me without you ! With 
 you beside me, lending me the eyes of your soul, 
 the heavens unroll their glories to some purpose." 
 
 " And have you really admired no sunsets all 
 these years ? " she asked archly. 
 
 " I may have admired them, but they saddened 
 me," he answered. 
 
 The conversation took a reminiscent turn, ,as it 
 so often did now, and he spoke of the time he had 
 first seen her on horseback, in her blue habit and 
 white plumes, and of the impression she had made 
 upon him that morning. 
 
 " Fie ! and that was but the second time you 
 saw me," said she, with affected scepticism. 
 
 " What of that ? To see you once was the same 
 as seeing you a hundred times, since that once 
 did the mischief." 
 
 And thus the talk ran for some time, — along 
 the deliciously foolish line of lovers' personalities, 
 of which they never seemed to weary. 
 
3IO The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 There was an event that lay heavy on Maria's 
 heart, of which they spoke presently, — the sudden 
 death of the Comtesse de Careno soon after the 
 close of the war. 
 
 And there had been other grievous deaths, 
 among them that of the young Duke of Burgundy 
 and his peerless Duchess, — a piece of news that 
 had caused St. Denis to wonder much concerning 
 the fate of the Marquis de Larnage. 
 
 They talked of these things for a time and then 
 instinctively fell silent. 
 
 They had ridden farther than usual, and finally 
 Maria drew rein and exclaimed softly, — 
 
 " Look ! " 
 
 The sun stood out like a blood-red jewel trem- 
 bling on the horizon rim, and, all about, the sky 
 burst into flames of scarlet and purple and saffron, 
 above which depended huge masses of cloud- 
 drapery edged with flutings of amber and of silver. 
 
 The glory spread all around the vast circle, but 
 paling at the remotest point to delicate pink and 
 lavender. 
 
 The horses stood perfectly motionless, as if even 
 they were impressed by that grandeur of color 
 and the vast windless silence. 
 
 In front of them there was not a tree nor a living 
 thing ; and there was not the rustle of a blade of 
 grass. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 3 1 1 
 
 St. Denis put out his hand and clasped Maria's 
 as it rested on the saddle-horn, but no word did 
 they speak. 
 
 The sun disappeared and drew slowly after him 
 all his splendid properties, as though to dazzle 
 the next world upon which it was his purpose to 
 shine; and presently darkness crept along the 
 ground. 
 
 " Hark ! " jVIaria started, " did you not hear 
 hoof-beats?" 
 
 Before St. Denis could answer he saw far to the 
 left of them, rising and falling above the horizon, 
 the heads and shoulders of a dozen horsemen 
 riding at full gallop. 
 
 "They are coming this way; can they be ban- 
 dits ? " said Maria. 
 
 " They are hunters, probably," he answered 
 reassuringly, but inwardly rebuked himself for 
 venturing so far, at so late an hour, without at- 
 tendants. 
 
 They wheeled about; and whether it was that 
 the animals were eager to get back to their stalls, 
 or were instinctively conscious of their riders' ap- 
 prehensions, they needed no urging, but flew over 
 the ground at the top of their speed. 
 
 St. Denis, keeping an eye over his shoulder, 
 saw that the horsemen had veered a little and 
 were bearing straight down upon them. But that 
 
312 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 was nothing, for the: road, or trail, to San Juan 
 Bautista bent a little in that direction. However, 
 he caught hold of Maria's bridle, and the two 
 beasts ran neck and neck. 
 
 But Don Pedro's horses were of a poor breed, 
 and Maria's pony was no match for the black 
 genet. It began to show signs of weakening, and 
 at the same moment there was a yell from the 
 pursuers, some shots were fired, and a commanding 
 voice cried, " Halt ! " 
 
 St. Denis pulled up with a jerk, leapt to the 
 ground, and with a rapidity which belongs only to 
 moments of supreme peril, caught Maria from her 
 saddle and set her upon his own horse, command- 
 ing, " Ride for your life ! " 
 
 She tried to protest, to hold fast to him. 
 
 " Louis, dearest, let us die together ! " she cried. 
 
 He tore himself from her with an oath. " Die ! 
 you are a woman" he answered with passionate 
 significance, and dealt the innocent beast a cruel 
 blow with his broad Spanish blade. They were 
 not above half a league from the fort, and he be- 
 lieved she might reach it in safety. 
 
 The genet leaped forward and bounded like 
 a jack- rabbit over the prairie. Maria was power- 
 less to stop him; she could only cling to the 
 saddle. Her whole consciousness was crowded 
 into the listening sense, waiting for the shots that 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 313 
 
 would tell her all was over with St. Denis. But 
 no such sounds came to her ears, nothing but the 
 whistling of the wind caused by her rapid flight. 
 Suddenly hope and despair together seemed to 
 blazon the word " rescue " before her eyes, and 
 a mighty energy took possession of her. Oh, 
 God ! she might save him yet. She broke into 
 frenzied prayers to the Madonna and all the 
 blessed saints whose names came to her, and she 
 urged, coaxed, belabored the little animal whose 
 toughened sinews were already stretched to the 
 utmost, until it groaned in piteous remonstrance. 
 
 She reached the town and tore up to the pre- 
 sidio. Her father chanced to be outside, and she 
 poured out her story in a few breathless words. 
 The situation was one easily grasped. " The 
 bandits, the bandits ! " went from lip to lip ; and 
 even before the commandant gave the word, men 
 were running for their horses. 
 
 Maria was for going with them as they galloped 
 away, but her father lifted her from the saddle and 
 half carried her into the patio. 
 
 She shed no tears, but talked excitedly, her 
 great eyes twice their usual size. She described 
 all that had happened so far as she knew, — the 
 robbers had yelled like demons, fired their pistols 
 and called on them to halt, and the pounding of 
 their horses' hoofs had made a thunderous noise. 
 
314 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 But after St. Denis had set her upon his horse, she 
 had not heard a single shot. Therefore it must be 
 that they had spared his Hfe ; did not her father 
 think so? 
 
 " Ah, to be sure," he answered. " It is plunder 
 the villains are after, and if they have not already 
 released the chevalier, and our men do not succeed 
 in rescuing him, you may depend upon it they will 
 presently demand a ransom. We are not rich, my 
 darling, but I trust we can scrape together enough 
 to satisfy the wretches." 
 
 Nothing could exceed his kindness to her, his 
 tenderness. He put his arms about her, caressed 
 her, tried to persuade her to go up to her room, 
 remove her riding-dress, and take some hot 
 drink, for she shivered as though chilled to the 
 bone. 
 
 But she refused ; she would do nothing but walk 
 about rapidly, restlessly, and talk, talk, talk, — 
 stopping only now and then to listen with all her 
 soul for sounds of returning hoofs. 
 
 The Dona Romelio was upstairs in her own 
 apartments, where of late she had remained most 
 of the time, in order to avoid meeting St. Denis. 
 She had heard the disturbance outside, and with 
 ear to the window had gathered all that passed. 
 
 When the horses so quickly mounted had clat- 
 tered away, she turned back into her room with a 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 315 
 
 singular smile, and making the sign of the cross, 
 she muttered, " The saints be praised ! " 
 
 Then she went out into the gallery, and keeping 
 herself in shadow, peered down into the court and 
 listened to Maria's excited talk and Don Pedro's 
 comforting suggestions, and at last went down and 
 inquired innocently, — 
 
 " What was that noise I heard awhile ago, — the 
 galloping of horses ? Have we more guests ? " 
 
 Maria turned toward her with an exclamation, 
 and out came the whole dreadful story again. But 
 it fell upon cold ears. 
 
 " Ay de mf ! it was a great indiscretion for you 
 two to be riding at so late an hour unattended, — or 
 indeed at any hour," replied the seiiora, severely. 
 " You have been conducting yourself in a very 
 strange manner, Maria, for one in your station. 
 Ah, Dios ! it is this wild, lawless country ; such 
 things could not happen in Spain. As for el serior 
 chevalier, I fear he has made — " 
 
 Don Pedro tried to stop her before she voiced 
 the thought that was uppermost in his own mind, 
 but she would not heed. 
 
 " — has made himself enemies here." 
 
 "Enemies?" cried Maria.- 
 
 " You must know," went on Dona Romelio, with 
 a wicked sidelong glance at Don Pedro, " that the 
 Serior St. Denis has meddled greatly with what 
 
3i6 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 little concerned him here, a Frenchman and a 
 stranger ! " 
 
 Horrible suggestions crowded thick upon the 
 seiiorita. " You mean — " she began, but broke off 
 with a shriek, "Oh, no, no, no, — not that, not 
 that ! " And before her father could reach her, 
 she fell prone upon the pavement. 
 
CHAPTER XXVIII 
 
 THE fall and the shock of St. Denis's capture 
 and uncertain fate threw the senorita into 
 a serious illness, during which she became deliri- 
 ous and lived over again and again that maS ride 
 to the fort, — seeming always to hear the shots, 
 the shouts, the pounding of horses' hoofs. At 
 times it was all Don Pedro could do to hold her in 
 his strong arms. She clutched his white hair and 
 beat him with all her feverish strength, crying, 
 " On, on, we must save him, we must save him ! 
 Oh, blessed saints, holy Madonna, Jesu, save, 
 save ! " Then she would fall back upon the pillow 
 limp, colorless, all but lifeless. 
 
 The men who had gone in pursuit of the ab- 
 ductors, all returned empty-handed. The last to 
 appear, among whom were Miguel Lopez and Juan 
 Merlo, reported that they had confidently tracked 
 a large party of horsemen all the way to Monclova, 
 only to be laughed at and told that they had been 
 following a party of hunters. 
 
 Don Pedro wrung his hands in despair, for if 
 Maria lived, and consciousness ever returned to 
 those estranged eyes, how could he tell her ! 
 
3i8 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 It was not so difficult as he had feared. 
 
 One day, after a prolonged sleep, she looked up 
 into his face with perfect calmness and intelligence. 
 
 "They have come back, papa?" she whispered. 
 
 " Yes, darling," he replied. 
 
 " And they did not find him? " 
 
 " No, my child." 
 
 She closed her eyes and said no more. 
 
 Fro'm that time she began slowly to improve. 
 But during her long convalescence she never re- 
 ferred to the tragedy again, and Don Pedro dared 
 not. He half hoped, with singular ignorance of a 
 woman's heart, that she had at last put the unfor- 
 tunate St. Denis out of her thoughts. 
 
 One day when the maid was dressing her hair, 
 
 — this was after she was able to go about again, 
 
 — she suddenly put up her hand and stopped the 
 brush. 
 
 "Benita, has Felix returned from Monclova?" 
 she asked. 
 
 " Felix ? Why, surely, senorita, a very long time 
 ago," replied Benita. 
 
 " And where is Dr. Jallot? " 
 
 "Holy saints! I had forgotten all about the 
 good doctor," cried Benita, lying fluently. " And 
 no wonder, we were all in such trouble on account 
 of your illness that no one thought of anything 
 else." 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 319 
 
 " You have seen nothing of him ? " 
 
 " No, seiiorita, — but he may hav& returned for 
 all that, I go out so Httle." 
 
 " Finish my hair," commanded Maria, " and then 
 go bring Felix hither." 
 
 Felix was not difficult to find, being always a 
 familiar loiterer in the plaza and in the contiguous 
 drinking-shops. 
 
 He was curious to know what the seiiorita 
 wanted of him, but Benita replied saucily that he 
 would find out soon enough. 
 
 He had never been a favorite with Maria, — a 
 fact of which he was not ignorant, and he came 
 into her presence with ill-concealed embarrassment. 
 
 She went straight to the business in hand, hold- 
 ing his unwilling eye firmly. " Felix, where is the 
 French gentleman who went with you to Mon- 
 clova?" 
 
 " Dios ! that I know not, senorita," replied he. 
 
 " Where did you leave him, — when did you 
 last see him? " 
 
 " Why, we reached Monclova in the evening," 
 — his glance broke away from her and went hither 
 and thither, — " and I took the caballero to lodge 
 at my cousin's, because for some reason he did not 
 choose to be seen in the town. In the morn- 
 ing when I went to look for him in his chamber 
 he was gone. I waited three whole days and still 
 
320 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 he did not return, and I was forced to come away 
 without him.^ That grieved me sorely, for he was 
 excellent company, and the road a long one, and 
 full of dangers too. Ah, the merry songs that 
 he sang, and the tales he told of pirates and sea- 
 fights, delicious ! it froze my blood to listen to 
 them." 
 
 He would have gone on, but she interrupted 
 him sternly, " Did you not make search for him in 
 the town? " 
 
 " Toma, si, I looked everywhere. His Excel- 
 lency said the wolves must have eaten him." 
 
 " His Excellency? " She caught her breath. 
 
 " Si, senorita." 
 
 " Felix ! " She sprang to her feet, and fixed him 
 with eyes that pierced like steel. " Do wolves 
 come into a town and drag people out of their 
 beds? Or does the earth open at Monclova and 
 swallow men bodily, that they disappear so sud- 
 denly and no trace left of them ? Ha ! " 
 
 " It is very strange, senorita," he answered 
 weakly, but she did not hear him. She was not 
 locking at him now, but through and beyond 
 him, as at something invisible to mortal sight, 
 her face like marble, her eyes staring, her lips 
 apart. 
 
 Felix shivered and turned his head fearfully 
 over his shoulder, and feeling that her entranced 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 321 
 
 gaze took no note of him, he crossed himself and 
 invoked his patron saint. 
 
 In a moment she awoke as it were, and dismissed 
 him. Then she called Benita and bade her go 
 fetch Miguel Lopez. 
 
 Miguel, plunged into the deepest melancholy 
 on account of the failure to find St. Denis, had 
 already related to her — he being the only person 
 she had questioned — every detail of the pursuit. 
 
 He came at her bidding, but he had nothing 
 more to add, not even an opinion. 
 
 Nevertheless she asked him to go over the 
 story once again, and questioned him most par- 
 ticularly about all he had seen and heard in Mon- 
 clova, especially about the conduct of the governor. 
 She desired to convince herself more entirely, if 
 that were possible, of the startling revelation which 
 had come to her as in a dream. 
 
 She said nothing to Miguel, but as soon as he was 
 gone she sat down and wrote a remarkable letter. 
 
 To the Governor of Coahuila, el Seiior Don Gaspardo de 
 
 Anaya. 
 
 ExCELENCiA, — If any harm befalls the Chevalier de 
 
 St. Denis and his friend Dr. Jallot, beware of la Senorita 
 
 de Villescas, your most deadly enemy ! I shall spare no 
 
 pains to visit punishment upon you, I will even go myself 
 
 and lay the account of your cruelty and abuse of power 
 
 before the viceroy. 
 
 Maria. 
 
322 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 She folded the letter, and once more called 
 Benita and bade her bring a head-scarf, and the 
 two set out to walk to the village of Ayota. Not 
 since her illness had her step been so hght and 
 swift, and Benita wondered at it. 
 
 They stopped at old Medee's cottage, and Maria 
 asked for Enrico. He was at home, preparing for 
 a buffalo hunt; but when she told him that she 
 wished him to undertake a long journey for her, 
 he readily acquiesced. 
 
 " This packet," she explained, handing him the 
 letter, " is for his Excellency the Governor, and I 
 wish it to reach him as soon as may be." 
 
 " My pony will make the sand fly on the prairie," 
 replied he. 
 
 " And you will start at once ? " 
 
 He glanced skyward. "Before the sun goes 
 down I shall be many leagues away." 
 
 She thanked him. " And when you return," she 
 said, " come at once to me, lose not a moment." 
 
 He was back within the week. Maria was one 
 evening saying her prayers in the chapel, and 
 when she rose and turned to go out, there was 
 Enrico, the signs of hard riding upon him, kneehng 
 behind her. 
 
 He put a letter into her hand as she passed, — 
 none of the few worshipers were looking, and the 
 padre was facing the altar. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 323 
 
 She flew home, tore open the letter with trem- 
 bling fingers, and read, — 
 
 My dearest One, — How fcan you harbor such cruel and 
 unjust thoughts of me ? It was indeed a most unfortunate 
 thing that Dr. Jallot disappeared so mysteriously from this 
 place. Unfortunate, alas 5 for me, since I am held re- 
 sponsible for that disappearance. I am informed that he 
 chose to keep me in ignorance of his presence here, and 
 does not that fact prove my innocence in his case ? And 
 as for the Chevalier de St. Denis, no one could have been 
 more surprised than myself to learn that he was even on 
 this hemisphere. I hear that those two adventurers — 
 does not the word describe them truly ? — relate wonder- 
 ful stories about their exploits the past three or four years, 
 but who can tell what truth is in them ? They made a 
 fine show of gallantry in Spain, purely, I have not a doubt, 
 for the love of novelty and daring. But as soon as oppor- 
 tunity came they fled the country and went aboard of a 
 pirate ship. To be sure, they put a fine color upon that 
 act, and make heroes and martyrs of themselves, but 't is 
 too flimsy a tale to be believed. Having in their later 
 wanderings come unexpectedly upon you, can you not 
 see that they must perforce again disappear mysteriously 
 
 — surely they have a marvelous talent for disappearing ! 
 
 — in order still to appear well in your eyes ? 
 
 It is brutal to say so, — but brutal words only can 
 describe brutal acts, — twice this accomplished chevalier, 
 who cajoled you into thinking that he loved you, has es- 
 caped from you, and with such effect as to leave a halo at 
 the point where he vanished, to blind your eyes. It is 
 true that the second time the ruse took place under your 
 
324 The Cheualier de St. Denis 
 
 own eyes. But that proves nothing except that you, sweet 
 friend, are too easily deceived. You place too much 
 confidence in the perfidious Frenchman, and, alas ! too 
 little in your true and devoted 
 
 Gaspardo. 
 
 For a moment these specious arguments told 
 upon her, and then she flung herself down before 
 the crucifix, and with the sign of the cross prayed 
 to be forgiven for that moment's disloyalty. 
 
CHAPTER XXIX 
 
 ST. DENIS had left his pistols in the saddle- 
 holsters, but they would have availed little 
 against so many. 
 
 To his surprise the whole party pulled up around 
 him, and no order was given for the pursuit of his 
 companion ; and with the conviction that she was 
 safe, he faced his own situation as a Knight of 
 St. Louis should. 
 
 His sword was taken from him and his clothing 
 searched. At which he said, smiling, " I am sorry, 
 gentlemen, that your trouble should be so poorly 
 rewarded, I am but an impecunious soldier of 
 fortune." 
 
 But they looked only for weapons. The silver 
 he had about him they did not touch. 
 
 They lost not a moment, but ordered him to 
 mount one of their horses, the owner of which had 
 alighted and thrown himself on the back of Maria's 
 pony, and at the word " Vuelta! " from the leader, 
 they wheeled and galloped away in the direction 
 from which they had come, taking care to keep 
 the prisoner in their midst. 
 
326 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 They rode nearly all night, stopping only for a 
 few hours' rest before dawn, and refreshing them- 
 selves with some cold corn bread washed down with 
 a drink of pulque, — a feast in which St. Denis was 
 invited to share, — and were off again. This ardu- 
 ous journeying continued for two days and two 
 nights, a part of the way being hilly and rough; 
 and not a word could St. Denis get out of his cap- 
 tors as to whither they were taking him. 
 
 Near the close of the second day it began to 
 rain, and the sky was so thickly overcast that soon 
 it was pitch dark. St. Denis, inconceivably wearied, 
 ventured to say to the rider next him, " Abad night 
 for travel ! " And to his surprise and relief the man 
 answered that they were about at their journey's 
 end. 
 
 Soon lights began to twinkle through the mist, 
 and a little later they were moving through a 
 narrow street, with open doors on either hand 
 affording the cheerful spectacle of families at their 
 supper. 
 
 " What is the name of this place, may I ask ? " 
 inquired St. Denis, but his erstwhile communicative 
 companion was silent. 
 
 They clattered on until the sharp call of a sentry 
 halted them before a large stone building. 
 
 The leader of the party sprang to the ground, 
 gave a low word of explanation to the sentry, and 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 327 
 
 then ordered St. Denis to dismount and follow him. 
 Another man brought up the rear. 
 
 They passed through a lighted portal, and came 
 out into an unusually large court, littered with hay 
 and bags of grain and various sorts of rubbish. 
 Around three sides were stables and granaries, and 
 above these soldiers' barracks, as was plain by the 
 appearance of the men lounging in the roofed 
 gallery, smoking, drinking, gambling by the light 
 of swinging lanterns. 
 
 On the fourth side were offices. And before one 
 of these St. Denis was requested to dismount, and 
 was escorted by two uniformed men into a large 
 apartment lavishly furnished in the fashion of the 
 country, the floor being covered with skins and 
 reed mats, and a proftlsion of fur rugs ornamenting 
 the chairs and benches. 
 
 A great many candles were burning in silver 
 sconces, and upon a table stood a silver decanter 
 and wine-glasses. 
 
 The room had no occupant. St. Denis stood 
 for a moment and looked around. " Is it permitted 
 me to sit ? " he inquired ; and as neither of the 
 guards replied, he seated himself in an inviting, 
 fur-cushioned chair. The place was very quiet, 
 except for the occasional intruding voices of the 
 soldiers at the opposite side of the court. And 
 St. Denis, overcome by drowsiness and fatigue. 
 
328 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 leaned his head against the high back of the chair, 
 and was in the delicious borderland of sleep when, 
 through a door at the farther side of the room, 
 some one entered and came toward him, — a man 
 handsomely dressed. And a well-remembered 
 mocking voice cried in cheerful, affected surprise, — 
 
 " Ah, el Senor Chevalier de St. Denis ! Como 
 lo pasa V. ? " 
 
 St. Denis was upon his feet, astounded, but not 
 robbed of his presence of mind. 
 
 " At your service, Seiior Don Gaspardo de 
 Anaya ! " replied he. 
 
 Gaspardo dismissed the guards, bidding them 
 wait outside, and advancing stood before his visitor 
 with folded arms, and regarded him with open 
 hatred. 
 
 " Asi ! " he hissed, " you have followed me from 
 the other side of the world, to try once again 
 to rob me of that which rightfully belongs to 
 me." 
 
 St. Denis smiled. " Your pardon, seiior ! you 
 deceive yourself," he said. " I desire nothing that 
 belongs to you. And as to my following you 
 hither, you are again mistaken. It is you who 
 have been at some pains, I can but suppose, to 
 .secure my presence here. Knowing that I was in 
 this country, you doubtless knew also that I came 
 as an emissary of the French government in 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 329 
 
 Louisiana, and not for personal reasons, being 
 ignorant of whom I should find here." 
 
 " Emissary ! " sneered Gaspardo, " say spy, 
 rather, — for that is the character in which I, the 
 Governor of Coahuila, choose to regard you. As 
 such I have arrested you, and as such I shall pres- 
 ently execute you." 
 
 " Not so fast," returned St. Denis, " I have the 
 honor to inform you that I have credentials at San 
 Juan Bautista, and even you dare not violate the 
 courtesy of nations, however much you may 
 abuse — " 
 
 "I dare not? We shall see," interrupted Gas- 
 pardo ; " your life is worth no more at this moment 
 than the light of one of those candles, that may be 
 snuffed out with a pinch of the fingers. I will 
 give you just one chance to save it. Pledge me 
 your word to go back where you belong and 
 meddle no more in my affairs, and you are free. 
 Refuse, and you diey 
 
 " I make out to understand you," returned St. 
 Denis, " though you still choose your words badly. 
 You would bribe me to relinquish a treasure I hold 
 above price. Parbleu ! I gave you credit for better 
 discernment." 
 
 Gaspardo's face grew ghastly, and his hand went 
 to his sword-hilt. " Dios, why do not I strike you 
 dead ! " he cried. " Have you forgotten where you 
 
330 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 are? This is not France, nor Spain; it is Mexico. 
 And do you know what it is to be chief ruler of a 
 Mexican province ? " 
 
 "Excuse me, an honest answer would be most 
 unflattering," returned St. Denis. 
 
 The two looked unflinchingly into each other's 
 eyes. Gaspardo was the first to beat a retreat. 
 He wheeled about and called furiously to the 
 guards to come and take charge of their prisoner. 
 " And see that you go quietly, monsieur" he cau- 
 tioned sneeringly. " Spanish soldiers have not 
 much respect for French spies." 
 
 " Liar \ " retorted St. Denis. 
 
 " What ! do you dare — " Gaspardo's sword 
 flashed from the scabbard, but once more he con- 
 trolled his murderous impulse. " Begone with 
 him," he shouted. " Huy ! must I endure such 
 insults ? " 
 
 The soldiers marched the prisoner out into the 
 night. It was still raining and pitch dark. The 
 prison was some distance from the fort, and to 
 reach it they traversed a stretch of moist ground. 
 St. Denis was thrust into a small windowless 
 room, furnished only with an old sheepskin, as 
 he saw by the light of the lantern the men 
 carried. 
 
 The moment he was left alone he groped his 
 way to this bit of a couch and threw himself upon 
 
The Ckevulier de St. Denis 33 1 
 
 it, and in spite of everything was soon in a deep 
 sleep. 
 
 When he awoke there was a faint light in his 
 cell, but the small slatted space above the door, 
 through which it came, gave only upon a nar- 
 row corridor, beyond which nothing was to be 
 seen. 
 
 Having made an examination to this effect, he 
 threw himself down again and reviewed his situa- 
 tion. None could have been more disheartening. 
 Yet he could not bring himself to believe that Gas- 
 pardo wot^d take his life, else why had he not done 
 so at once? He had boasted of his power, but 
 it was not supreme ; the viceroy, it was said, kept 
 a jealous eye on his subordinates, and brooked 
 no infringement upon his higher authority. 
 
 Many questions presented themselves. How 
 had Gaspardo learned of his presence in San Juan? 
 What had become of Jallot? As a matter of fact, 
 Jallot and the courier, Felix Sanchez, should have 
 returned to the presidio several days ago. But 
 he had been so occupied that he had given little 
 thought to their prolonged -absence, though now 
 he remembered that Don Pedro had commented 
 upon it. Was this Felix to be trusted ? Perhaps 
 he had betrayed Jallot into Gaspardo's hands. 
 But wherefore? The answer to all these riddles 
 came in one word, — Dona Romelio ! And he 
 
332 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 had made the grievous mistake of despising that 
 terrible old woman. 
 
 Hours passed, and then the cell door was 
 opened a little way and food thrust inside. 
 
 " Is this my breakfast?" he asked, for the sake 
 of talking. 
 
 " Breakfast, dinner, supper, whichever you please 
 to call it, senor," was the cheerful answer. " We 
 serve but one meal a day in this hostal." 
 
 The food was very bad, so bad that St. Denis 
 left it untasted. It was no better the second day ; 
 and the third, seeing that P6pe, the jailor, was a 
 good-natured fellow, he tried the effect of a bribe, 
 and after that fared better. 
 
 Many days went by, — days of dreadful solitude, 
 relieved only by Pipe's brief visits. Then one 
 morning Gaspardo himself appeared, handsomely 
 dressed and with the fine, ruddy look of the well- 
 fed. 
 
 " Buenos dias, monsieur chevalier ! " he gayly 
 exclaimed. " I trust that you will pardon me if, 
 in the pressure of my official duties, I have seemed 
 to neglect you since you have been the guest of 
 my capital ? " 
 
 " I have not complained," St. Denis answered. 
 
 Gaspardo shrugged his shoulders. " I have 
 always supposed that the French were a polite 
 people," said he, " but perhaps the quality has 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 333 
 
 been washed out of you on the high seas, — buc- 
 caneers are said not to have pretty manners. 
 Diantre, I find it hard to breathe in this place, 
 I wonder how you can endure it ! I must ask you 
 to come out into the court, for I have something 
 to say to you." 
 
 When the strong light struck upon St. Denis's 
 face, he exclaimed in mock solicitude : " I hope 
 your health does not suffer, monsieur, you look 
 pale. And why do you not make that beast of a 
 P6pe trim your hair and beard ? Believe me, your 
 dearest friend would not recognize you." 
 
 " Is this what your excellency desired to say to 
 me?" asked St. Denis. 
 
 " No, it is not." Gaspardo dropped his banter- 
 ing tone. " As I have just remarked, my official 
 duties occupy the most of my time, and I am 
 denied many social privileges." 
 
 " If you count this among your social privi- 
 leges — " began St. Denis; but Gaspardo broke 
 in with a laugh, — 
 
 " Heaven forbid ! That would be stretching 
 courtesy too far, even for a Spaniard. No, mon- 
 sieur chevalier, my visit is meant solely in kindness 
 to you." 
 
 " Pray accept such thanks as will requite that 
 kindness ! " 
 
 "I see you are sceptical, but I will prove my 
 
334 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 words. I am about to throw my public duties 
 aside for a time and pay a long-deferred visit to 
 that charming village San Juan Bautista. And I 
 thought you might wish to send some message, 
 a message of farewell perhaps,, — since life is pre- 
 carious under certain conditions." 
 
 Up to this time St. Denis had held his temper, 
 but now it broke away from him. 
 
 " If I wished to send word to a dog," cried he, 
 " I should choose a more honest messenger." 
 
 " Ha ! do not tempt me, monsieur," Gaspardo 
 answered. "A dog? Dare to say that word 
 again and it will be as though you put a club in 
 my hand, — I '11 have you beaten like a dog. Uf ! 
 we are wasting time. I came here to demand of you 
 once for all, that you relinquish your absurd pre- 
 tensions to the hand of la Seiiorita de Villescas." 
 
 " I suspected as much," returned St. Denis, 
 " and I marvel that you, a Spaniard, should be 
 ignorant of the first law of chivalry. For by this 
 time, you must know my quality and must measure 
 me, whether you would or no,, by the full pattern 
 of a man. Need I tell you that no man worthy 
 of the name will turn his back upon the woman 
 who has favored him with her love, for the mere 
 sake of saving his life ? Va ! death can come but 
 once." 
 
 Gaspardo's face blanched. " There are worse 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 335 
 
 things than death," he answered in a voice that 
 trembled with rage, " and you may have a taste 
 of them yet ; you have not yet felt the full weight 
 of my hand. You dare to boast of her love? 
 Well, listen, I swear that she shall be my wife, I 
 swear it \ I shall bring her here, — if we were out- 
 side I could show you the very windows from 
 which she will gaze upon this prison. And some- 
 times you may hear her voice, her silvery laughter 
 as she rides by your loathsome dungeon. Sweet 
 music, sweet music, — n'est-ce pas, as you would 
 say in your elegant French ? " 
 
 " You have an extraordinary imagination," re- 
 plied St. Denis. " I confess it surpasses mine. I 
 have no s.uch visions. I. can only see la Senorita 
 de Villescas scorning you in the future just as she 
 has always done in the past." 
 
 " No, by the holy mother, not always ! " swore 
 Gaspardo, "only since she met yow^ you,. — and 
 fell a victim to your damnable French wiles. Ha ! 
 get you back to your kennel, and may the devil 
 keep you company ! " 
 
 " I shall have nothing to complain of in the 
 exchange," retorted St. Denis. * 
 
CHAPTER XXX 
 
 A FEW days after Maria received Gaspardo's 
 letter, Gaspardo himself came riding into 
 the town, — with considerable display, as became 
 his rank, a company of soldiers for his body-guard. 
 
 Maria, as it chanced, was in the patio when he 
 unexpectedly entered. 
 
 " At your feet, la senorita ! " he cried joyfully, 
 advancing with a swift step. " I take it as a good 
 omen that my eyes rest upon you the first moment 
 of my arrival, — though," glancing ruefully at his 
 dust-covered boots and clothing, " I regret that 
 you should have seen me in this plight." 
 
 The sight of him seemed to turn her to stone. 
 With an effort she spoke his name coldly; then, 
 quickly taking her cue from his last remark, she 
 bade a servant conduct him to the apartments 
 he was wont to occupy whenever he visited the 
 presidio. 
 
 His face clouded. " Ah, I see," he said re- 
 proachfully, " you cannot endure my untidy ap- 
 pearance even for one moment. Dios ! were you 
 in rags I should not be conscious of them so long 
 as I looked upon your sweet face." 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 337 
 
 "Your compliments do not please me, Senor 
 Gaspardo," she answered icily. 
 
 " Then teach me some form of speech that will 
 please you," he returned, " and I will say it more 
 piously than I say my prayers." 
 
 " It is near the dinner hour, your Excellency 
 will have barely time to rid yourself of the effects 
 of your journey," said she. 
 
 That he had come expressly for an interview 
 with her she did not doubt, but it is an instinct 
 of human nature to defer the disagreeable. 
 
 At dinner Gaspardo had the hardihood to open 
 the subject of St. Denis's disappearance, attribut- 
 ing it, as a matter of course, to the highwaymen. 
 
 Maria for once raised her head and looked him 
 full in the eyes. He returned her gaze frankly 
 and went on. The robbers, he declared, were 
 getting more daring and ferocious than ever since 
 the setting up of that terrible tribunal the accor- 
 dada, which he sweepingly condemned not only 
 on the ground of barbarity but of possible mon- 
 strous injustice ; and he cited a case in point, 
 
 " Only the other day, not far from Zacatecas, 
 a young man was seized by one of these vigilance 
 committees, tied to a tree and riddled with bullets, 
 without trial or benefit of clergy. And it turned 
 out that he was, after all, an honest traveler, going 
 about his own business." 
 
338 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 " A sad story," returned Don Pedro, " and I 
 suppose it is inevitable that such mistakes will 
 sometimes happen. But still I am inclined to 
 believe in the accordada. I shall assuredly enforce 
 its discipline if ever I lay my hands on the villains 
 that have spirited away our honorable guest." 
 
 " Well, for heaven's sake, first make sure that 
 you have caught the right ones, brother ! " ex- 
 claimed Doiia Romelio ; and her eye furtively 
 sought Gaspardo's. 
 
 " Ah, yes," said Gaspardo, " for my part I 
 have learned caution in the administration of 
 justice." 
 
 It was not until the next evening that the inter- 
 view which Maria dreaded took place. 
 
 They had left the supper-table and repaired to 
 the salon. Don Pedro was summoned to his 
 office, and Dona Romelio shrewdly excused her- 
 self on plea of household duties. 
 
 Both Maria and Gaspardo had risen to their feet, 
 the latter to make his bow and open the door for 
 the sefiora. 
 
 He turned to Maria and asked humbly, — 
 
 " May I have a word with you, senorita ? My 
 time is limited, I shall leave to-morrow morning, 
 perhaps before your eyes shall have opened to the 
 light." 
 
 Her body stiffened and her face grew white in 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 339 
 
 spite of all she could do. " What is it you would 
 say to me ? " she answered. 
 
 " You received my reply to your letter ? " 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " Then why do you treat me so cruelly ? " 
 
 " Because I do not believe you." 
 
 He searched her face for some sign of weakness 
 in this professed unbelief, but saw none. 
 
 " You still think I have entrapped your French 
 lover?" His lips tightened, lightnings began to 
 play in his sombre black eyes. He could not 
 think of St. Denis, much less speak of him, with- 
 out anger. 
 
 " I know that you caused the Senor St. Denis 
 and his friend to be seized," she answered, " and 
 it takes away something from the odium of this 
 meeting to be able to tell you to your face what 
 I wrote you in my letter, that if harm comes to 
 them through you, you shall not go unpunished." 
 
 He looked at her, letting some seconds pass. 
 His eyes were pathetic in their passion of appeal, 
 but they did not move her. 
 
 " It seems strange," he said at last, almost with 
 a sob in his voice, " to hear you threaten me, 
 Maria ! " Then his voice changed. " Do you think 
 I am a coward? If so, would I have flung insult 
 after insult in the face of so boastful a swordsman 
 as St. Denis?" 
 
340 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 " You know well why he bore those insults," she 
 retorted. " It was because he realized that Spain 
 needed you both; and because his love for me 
 was stronger than his hatred of you. He re- 
 strained the passion to cross swords with you 
 which your insults provoked, because he knew 
 that whatever the outcome it would be a grief 
 to me." 
 
 " Oh ! you mean that you had a little feeling for 
 me also, that you would have grieved somewhat 
 had I been the one to fall?" 
 
 " By his hand, yes." 
 
 " Dios ! you are cruel, Maria ! " A ghastly 
 pallor overspread his face, and his eyes were wild 
 in their agony. It was a wonder she dared brave 
 him so, except that the tension she labored under 
 was as great as his. " It would have offended 
 your dehcate sensibilities," he went on, " to see 
 his hands stained with my blood, — the blood of 
 one who had worshiped you, who would have 
 given his soul as well as his life for you? Well, 
 be comforted, seiiorita, for that you will never 
 see ! " 
 
 With his burning gaze fixed upon her, he took 
 counsel with himself, — had the time come for his 
 last desperate move, for the thing he had decided 
 upon if all else failed ? 
 
 In that moment of debate a spasm of hatred of 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 341 
 
 her took possession of him, — as she stood there 
 in her slight girUsh beauty, in her tremendous 
 antagonism ; and love and hate struggled together 
 and made a bloody battle-ground of his torn 
 heart. 
 
 " You did not believe what I wrote you," he 
 said at last, slowly, and watching the effect of each 
 word as it fell from his lips, as a chemist watches 
 the result of his experiments. " I hardly supposed 
 that you would, for I knew you must have had 
 intimations from some source, and an intimation 
 that runs with one's own inclination is as good as 
 an oath. And, alas ! you are inclined to hard 
 thoughts of me. Uf ! you were right not to be- 
 lieve me. I was jesting, or killing time rather. I 
 desired the pleasure of telling you with my own 
 lips of the amazing good fortune that threw your 
 precious Frenchman into my hands. It is true, 
 seiiorita, I have him fast, like a rat in a trap." 
 
 BeHef is one thing, knowledge another. 
 
 Maria was pale before ; she grew livid now, and 
 clutched the back of a chair to keep herself from 
 falling. 
 
 " Yes," Gaspardo went on exultingly, " he is in 
 my hands now, and you may rest assured I will 
 act my pleasure upon him, — God knows I have 
 good cause ! " 
 
 She rallied a little, and drew from her bosom 
 
342 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 a small jeweled dagger with a point like a needle. 
 " Dare to injure him," she cried, " and this knife 
 shall be devoted to your death as surely as I live ! " 
 
 He laughed. " Poco A poco, my dear, I am not 
 afraid of your threats. Indeed there might even 
 be a certain sweetness in dying by your beloved 
 hand. Come, show me how you would strike, 
 — here is my heart, and here my naked throat. 
 Choose ! No ? Well, listen and I will tell you 
 for your comfort that I have no immediate designs 
 upon the life of your chevalier. The insults you 
 have to-day heaped upon me for his sake demand 
 a protracted vengeance. He is young and strong, 
 so are you and I. We may all live many years, 
 but with a difference. You and I shall have free- 
 dom, and the sweet air and light of heaven, and 
 all the good things of life. He will have chains 
 and a dungeon, and feed upon coarse food — when 
 the careless Pdpe does not forget to give it to him. 
 He will lie, winter and summer, upon a stone floor, 
 and for society have only such creatures as crawl 
 about in damp, unwholesome places. P^pe says 
 he is at present cultivating the friendship of a 
 lizard. Uf ! " 
 
 Maria's limbs trembled, and she sank limply upon 
 the chair beside which she had been standing. 
 
 " You shall not, you dare not, treat him so," she 
 answered ; " there is law even in Mexico ! " 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 343 
 
 He shrugged his shoulders. " I remember you 
 threatened in your letter to report me to the vice- 
 roy. But even were you able to carry out so pre- 
 posterous a venture, I should then turn him over 
 as a French spy, and the government would hang 
 him and that would be the end of it. Ah, you 
 profess to love him, senorita, but it is plain that 
 you love yourself better — when you decline to 
 purchase his liberty, his life even, at the cost of 
 fulfilling your long-standing contract with me ! " 
 
 " You speak falsely," she said, " you know that 
 I never made any contract with you. St. Denis 
 would not accept either liberty or life at such a 
 price." 
 
 " Ha ! do not deceive yourself. I say again that 
 he is an adventurer ; he does not, he cannot love 
 you as I do, Maria. What is the love of a frivolous 
 Frenchman to my love? Dearest, be mine, be 
 mine ! " He threw himself at her feet. 
 
 She drew back. " What ! this," she cried, 
 " when you have just shown me your wicked heart, 
 and all that you are capable of ? " 
 
 He rose, trembling, and retreated toward the 
 door. " No, I have not shown you all that I am 
 capable of," he menaced. " I go, senorita, I go, and 
 I will trouble you no more. Henceforth, if there is 
 any suing to be done, la seiiorita will take the part. 
 For if you should sometime hear that this lover of 
 
344 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 yours is starved, beaten like a dog, his cursed eyes 
 that he has dared lift to you burned out with hot 
 irons — " 
 
 She shrieked and covered her own eyes with her 
 hands. 
 
 A laugh more terrible than oaths smote upon 
 her ears. His hand was upon the door. 
 
 " Gaspardo, Gaspardo ! " She sprang to her feet 
 and ran toward him. " Take back those awful 
 words," she cried, " take them back ! Oh, Mother 
 of Christ, what shall I do ! Gaspardo, do not go ! 
 Stay, let me think. Have I been cruel to you? 
 It must be that which makes you so terrible. You 
 were not so once, you were gentle, and I felt 
 kindly toward you. I remember those old days, 
 I was happy, I had not a care. We were both 
 so young ! I threw flowers at you when you 
 sang beneath my window. Ah, 'tis a long, long 
 time ago." Her voice was full of tears, but her 
 lips smiled bravely. " Gaspardo," she went on, " I 
 will — I will try to feel kindly toward you again if 
 — if you will blot out all these horrors by giving 
 St. Denis his liberty?" 
 
 He took a step toward her. " You will be my 
 wife?" 
 
 She raised her eyes to his face, drew herself up 
 and answered firmly, — ■ 
 
 " Yes." 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 345 
 
 He looked at her incredulously, joyfully. 
 
 "When?" he asked. 
 
 " You will give me a little time? " 
 
 " How much time, — a fortnight, a month? " 
 
 " Six months." 
 
 " For Dios ! 't is a weary while to wait — for me, 
 and what will it be for el senor chevalier ? " 
 
 " The compact is not closed yet," she answered 
 coldly, " there are conditions. For one thing, you 
 must give me your word that he shall not be ill- 
 treated." 
 
 " I give it gladly,'' he assented, " and I swear to 
 keep it ! For six months he shall enjoy whatever 
 comforts prison life may afford. And the moment 
 you are ready to redeem your pledge, he shall 
 have the freedom of the world, so far as I am con- 
 cerned, — except this one Province of Coahuila." 
 
 She bent her head. 
 
 He stood looking at her for a moment, but did 
 not approach her. " A Dios," he said gently, 
 bowed, and went out. 
 
CHAPTER XXXI 
 
 HIS footsteps, buoyant with hope and joy, 
 died away in the corridor; and Maria 
 listened, smiled, her eyes aflame, the blood pound- 
 ing in her veins and setting its crimson blossoms 
 in her white cheeks. " Asf ! " she cried with a 
 shrug. "I will repay falsehood with falsehood, I 
 will jest, I will kill time, as you did, Gaspardo. I 
 promised to be your wife, I said ' yes,' — oh, mon- 
 strous, if it were a true word ! What a small thing 
 is a word, but what value in it ! A word — my 
 word to be worth more than a crown, a kingdom ! 
 Louis, my dear one, I have purchased you six 
 months' respite with that little word Yes, and I will 
 move heaven and earth to effect your release before 
 the truce expires. Gaspardo, you have yet to learn 
 the resources of a desperate woman. The wonder is 
 that you, so skilled in lying, believed me. Strange, 
 I never before told a lie, — uf! a man will lacrifice 
 all that he possesses to save his life, to gain his 
 liberty, — all except his honor, and his honor is 
 his true word ! Who was that great Roman that 
 went back to his enemies, and suffered a horrible 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 347 
 
 death rather than break his word ? Pah ! I am a 
 woman, and I will deal a blow to mine own honor 
 for your sake, Louis, for your sake, though I carry 
 the scar through all eternity ! I said ' yes,' Gas- 
 pardo, but this little dagger, my mother's pretty 
 plaything, shall in the last extremity release me 
 from the bondage of my word." 
 
 She opened the door and hurried to her own 
 apartments. Benita, bending over her sewing, 
 looked up and exclaimed admiringly, — 
 
 " Ah, seiiorita, your cheeks are like our scarlet 
 amaryllis ! " 
 
 Gaspardo was in the saddle at break of day. 
 Maria heard the horses clatter away, and then, 
 though she had not closed her eyes the night long, 
 she arose and dressed herself. At sunrise she 
 waked Benita and told her to go out and find 
 Miguel Lopez, or leave word for him to come to 
 her at the earliest possible moment. 
 
 Benita dressed herself with the clumsy finger of 
 one still half asleep, and putting a gay rebozo round 
 her head, went obediently, yawning in the open air 
 until her eyes watered. She did not observe at all 
 that the whole world was in a pink bath from the 
 glow in the east, but only wondered why a young 
 woman should be got out of her bed at such an 
 hour to go on such an errand ! 
 
 Miguel was not to be found, but the keeper of a 
 
348 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 pulque-shop, who was setting his pigskins in order, 
 told her he was sure to turn up presently for his 
 morning drink. 
 
 It was about an hour before he appeared in the 
 patio, where Benita waited to receive him and 
 conduct him as unobtrusively as possible to her 
 mistress. 
 
 Maria had lain awalce all night to some purpose. 
 She had made her plans, and did not hesitate to 
 lay them before this man, whose affection for St. 
 Denis she could not doubt, having once seen the 
 glow and tenderness of it in his eyes. 
 
 First she told him where St. Denis was, — at 
 which he instantly exclaimed that he would go and 
 collect an army of Indians and storm that accursed 
 prison ! 
 
 " No, no," she replied, shaking her head, " there 
 is a better way, Seiior Lopez, — if you are willing 
 to undertake it?" 
 
 "I will undertake anything," he assured her, 
 '• you may depend upon me to the last drop of my 
 blood." 
 
 " I know that," said she, " I know it so well that 
 I have made your loyalty my only dependence. I 
 will say to you, as I have said to myself, we must 
 fight the enemy with his own weapons, — cunning 
 with cunning, deceit with deceit, cruelty with 
 cruelty if need be. My plan is to notify the vice- 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 349 
 
 roy that the Governor of Coahuila has seized and 
 is holding on his own account a French spy, in the 
 hope of a large ransom." 
 
 " What ! " Miguel's eyes flared wide with aston- 
 ishment. " You would have such a message as that 
 carried to Mexico, senorita?" 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 •' But do you not know what is usually the fate 
 of a spy? Suppose the viceroy should really 
 believe — " 
 
 She interrupted him. " He will find out the 
 truth. I know somewhat of the character of the 
 Due de Linares, — he is not an ordinary ruler. 
 He is doing his best to purge this wretched gov- 
 ernment of its many evils, as witness the accordada. 
 He will be sure to investigate the abuse of power 
 which our accusation will imply. And such an 
 investigation must, I am convinced, result in the 
 speedy release of our dear friend. And at the 
 worst, senor, at the very worst, he will suffer less 
 from the state than from his cruel private enemy ! " 
 
 Miguel was convinced. " And how shall I pro- 
 ceed ? " he asked, eager to begin his task. " Do 
 you wish me to carry a letter to his Grace the 
 Viceroy?" 
 
 " By no means," she answered. " My hand must 
 not appear in the matter, and my father even must 
 not know of this, lest in some way he should be 
 
350 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 compromised, — he holds his office of comman- 
 dant here at Don Gaspardo's pleasure. You must 
 trust to your own wits, sefior. When you arrive 
 in Mexico City — you see that I am taking it for 
 granted you will go ? " 
 
 " Oh, to be sure." 
 
 " You might contrive to circulate such a report 
 as I have suggested, and make sure that it reaches 
 the duke's ears. Do you think that possible ? " 
 
 Miguel's eyes sparkled excitedly. " I have a 
 cousin in the palace," said he, " or he was there 
 the last I knew, and he is the greatest gossip under 
 the sun. I can fill his budget, and I doubt not he 
 will empty it out into his Grace's own ears." 
 
 " How wonderfully things sometimes fit together 
 in this world ! " exclaimed Maria ; " 't is the will 
 of our blessed Lady." 
 
 Miguel, usually taciturn, was full of talk now. 
 "This cousin of mine, Antonio," he continued, 
 " has a greed for tales of adventure. He has never 
 been ten leagues from the capital, and the stories 
 I tell him whenever we meet make goose-flesh of 
 his whole body ; and he can no more keep any- 
 tl;iing to himself — he is a barber, you see — than 
 a leaky jug can hold water. What goes in at his 
 ears comes out of his mouth the moment he gets 
 an audience. And he is amusing, even grand folk 
 listen to him." 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 35 1 
 
 " And if your cousin should not be there now, 
 you will find other means?" said Maria. "Be 
 sure to dwell upon the fact that the supposed spy 
 is a very distinguished person, Miguel, for then 
 the story will command more attention." 
 
 " Dios ! I will make him a Dauphin of France, 
 if need be." 
 
 Miguel was to set forth at once, taking with him 
 of course Juan Merlo. 
 
 " 'T is a precarious journey," said he, " that 
 journey to Mexico City, and we may meet with 
 interruptions. But we know fairly well how to 
 manage, we shall pass for honest men among 
 honest men, and for thieves among thieves, and 
 give them the slip as we can." 
 
 Maria brought a purse of gold, which at first 
 Miguel refused but finally accepted. 
 
 " It may be that Antonio is dead," he reasoned, 
 " or dismissed from his place; and then 1 1 should 
 have need of it, for it takes money to make friends 
 in a Christian country." 
 
 To Maria the weeks that followed were terrible. 
 No sooner was her messenger gone than she began 
 to feel the torment of fears and misgivings. Had 
 her move been a wise one, and what would be the 
 outcome of so daring a piece of strategy? Sup- 
 pose, as Miguel had suggested, St. Denis should 
 be dragged to the City of Mexico and executed 
 
352 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 for a spy, — having no means to prove his inno- 
 cence ! But there was really so little probability 
 of this, considering the intelligent and energetic 
 character of the Due de Linares, that she put 
 the thought from her as often as it came into her 
 mind. But what if harm came to Miguel Lopez ! 
 The road to Mexico was indeed perilous, with 
 rapacious robbers and marauders at every turn. 
 But Miguel was shrewd and way-wise. Ah, well, 
 in any case, she must wait and pray, wait and 
 pray. And indeed much of her time was spent 
 kneeling in the church or before the crucifix in 
 her own room, though not once in all those 
 weary weeks did she visit the confessional. The 
 padre began to look at her with questioning and 
 reproachful eyes, but she avoided him as much 
 as possible and kept her own counsel. 
 
 Finally one day, when it seemed as though 
 neither her courage nor her strength could holdout 
 any longer, Benita came to her as she lay upon 
 her couch, and said contemptuously, " Senorita, 
 that dirty-looking Senor Lopez is in the patio and 
 says he wishes to see you without delay." 
 
 Maria bounded from the couch. "Bring him 
 hither," she cried, and she could hardly wait until 
 he came. 
 
 His face told the story. 
 
 "You have succeeded !" she said. 
 
The Chevalier/ de St. Denis 353 
 
 " He is on the way to Mexico, senorita, under 
 a fine escort." 
 
 She bade him be seated and tell her in detail all 
 that happened. 
 
 And it seemed that their plans might have been 
 a prophecy, so accurately had they been carried 
 out up to the present point. 
 
 Antonio was still in the palace, and as fond of 
 news and as much of a gossip as ever. 
 
 " I threw out hints," said Miguel, enjoying the 
 reminiscence, " until my barber-cousin was well- 
 nigh distracted, and one evening after we had 
 drunk a good deal I let out the whole story, but 
 begged him not to whisper it to a soul, for if it 
 got to the viceroy's ears the devil would be to pay. 
 Well, the very next day Antonio came to me and 
 said sheepishlythat by a mere accident he had let 
 fall a word or two of what I had told him, and it 
 had somehow got to the viceroy, who had com- 
 manded him to bring me into his presence. I 
 pretended to be very angry, but permitted myself 
 to be led peaceably to the palace, where I soon 
 learned that Antonio had faithfully reported every 
 word of my story. I made a show of distress to 
 his grace at having had my confidence abused, 
 and said, as an excuse for my own tattling, that one 
 was always in danger of letting his tongue wag 
 too freely after permitting himself a few glasses 
 
 23 
 
354 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 of that excellent Mexican wine. At this his Grace 
 laughed, and winked at another gentleman who 
 sat there, and ordered me a huge drink. And 
 after that I let him worm all the particulars out 
 of me, making them up the best I could as I went 
 along. I knew very well what I was about, for it 
 is a fact, senorita, that wine never goes to my head 
 as to some men's, unless I make a fish of myself 
 
 " Well, the very next day I heard from Antonio 
 that his Grace had given orders for a score of 
 soldiers to start at once for Monclova, to demand 
 the French prisoner of his Excellency and bring 
 him with all speed to the capital. Juan and I im- 
 mediately left the city and went out a little way on 
 the road and waited till the soldiers overtook us, 
 when we humbly begged leave to avail ourselves 
 of their protection on the long and hazardous 
 journey to the north, where our friends and 
 relatives resided. They were very good-natured 
 and did not object, only made frightful threats as to 
 what they would do to us if we were up to any mis- 
 chief They being well armed and in the govern- 
 ment uniform, we had no difficulty whatever as to 
 the bandits, and we reached Monclova without 
 loss of time, • — except such time as they spent 
 drinking and gambling in the towns we passed 
 through." 
 
 " And the governor gave him up at once, he : 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 355 
 
 made no difficulty? And did you wait, did you 
 see the chevalier ? " All this breathlessly. 
 
 " I saw him, but he did not see me," Miguel 
 answered, " for I kept dark." 
 
 "Ah, you were discreet, that was right. But 
 tell me how he looked, Miguel, — how did he bear 
 himself? " 
 
 " He looked a little pale, maybe, but otherwise 
 very well, I thought. And he bore himself — well, 
 as you would expect him to, seiiorita. He was 
 ordered to mount one of the horses, and he made 
 some joke about being out of practice. At which 
 the captain of the band told him he would not 
 have long to complain of that. We stayed only 
 to see them off and then came on as fast as our 
 horses could carry us to report to you." 
 
 " The saints will reward your faithfulness ! " she 
 answered fervently. " And you think they will 
 be kind to him, those soldiers ? " 
 
 " I am positive of that, senorita. As I have told 
 you, they are good-natured fellows. And now if 
 the remainder of the business turns out as well — " 
 
 " Oh, it will, it will, — I have no fears on that 
 head," she interrupted. " Of course the viceroy 
 will look into the case very particularly, and St. 
 Denis will have an opportunity to explain himself. 
 Without doubt the Due de Linares is familiar 
 with his exploits in the Spanish war. And per- 
 
356 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 haps his papers will be sent for, I have them in 
 my possession. Oh, Miguel, I am so happy, I am 
 so happy ! " And as she spoke the tears were 
 raining down her cheeks. 
 
 Two days after Miguel's return Gaspardo again 
 appeared unexpectedly in San Juan. 
 
 It was toward evening, and Maria, as was often 
 her fancy, was walking to and fro in the path 
 beside the rivulet, holding by the hand a toddling 
 barefooted picarillo with skin as brown as a nut. 
 Benita sat on the church . steps, amusing herself 
 with some other children. 
 
 Gaspardo's glance fell upon Maria, and dis- 
 mounting he bade his retinue ride on and hastened 
 to join her. 
 
 He called out a greeting as he approached, and 
 added appealingly, " May I not hope that you are 
 a little glad to see me, sefiorita? " 
 
 He might have felt encouraged by the fact that 
 she was looking much better than when he parted 
 from her some months before, and that her eyes 
 had no horror of him, — there was almost a smile 
 in them. 
 
 " I can truly say that I am surprised to see 
 you," she replied. 
 
 "No more than that?" 
 
 " Did you expect more ? " 
 
 " Assuredly." 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 357 
 
 " After what has passed between us ? " 
 
 " Because of what has passed between us, — 
 have you not promised to be my wife ? " 
 
 The smile that had lain deep in her eyes rose 
 like a buoy to the surface. " Can it be possible 
 you have yet to learn that promises may sometimes 
 be broken ? " she replied. 
 
 "What — what is this you say?" he cried, start- 
 ing as from a blow, his look and voice so terrible 
 that the brown infant put up its lip to cry, loosed 
 its hold of Maria's hand, and ran awkwardly on its 
 short stubby legs to the protection of its mates. 
 
 " My meaning should be plain enough," she an- 
 swered. " I simply do not intend to keep my 
 promise, I shall never marry you." 
 
 "You — you trifled with me?" 
 
 "As you with me. I was but 'killing time,' as 
 you did when you lied to me. I was a more apt 
 pupil than you thought me." 
 
 " You are but teasing me, Maria, you do not 
 mean what you say. What !. are you ready to give 
 the Frenchman over to my vengeance ? " 
 
 Her eyes fell to the ground, the toe of one small 
 slipper busied itself with the sand in the path. 
 
 " I have studied about this matter more — much 
 more than you may suppose ; and my mind is 
 made up, you may do what you will." 
 
 " Ha ! you affect this indifference hoping to 
 
3S8 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 deceive, to disarm me. But I am not so easily- 
 imposed upon. This change is too sudden, too 
 great. Recall those words, Maria, or I swear that 
 I will ride back to Monclova and have your fine 
 chevalier quartered and his body flung to the 
 wolves ! " 
 
 She raised her eyes and looked at him. " Gas- 
 pardo, you are horrible," she said, " but you can- 
 not move me." 
 
 Her calmness gave him an inkling of the truth, 
 and his rage and disappointment seemed to know 
 no bounds. 
 
 " Oh, you will repent of this ! " he cried, glaring 
 upon her like a madman. "You shall feel my 
 vengeance in more ways than one. You profess 
 indifference to the fate of St. Denis. How will it 
 be with you when your father is turned out a 
 beggar in the street?" 
 
 She drew herself up, and, small as she was, 
 seemed to look down upon him from a lofty height. 
 " Let those be the last words you ever speak to 
 me ! " she said, and turned her back upon him. 
 
CHAPTER XXXII 
 
 ST. DENIS was able to learn nothing from the 
 soldiers who were escorting him, except that 
 they had been ordered by his Grace the Viceroy 
 to bring him without delay to the City of Mexico, 
 which, in fact, was all they themselves knew about 
 his case. As if anxious to carry out the injunction 
 to the letter, they coursed over the hot, sandy 
 plains at a speed which was most distressing to one 
 who for months had been confined in a stone 
 prison into which the sunlight never penetrated. 
 
 But St. Denis subsequently gathered that this 
 was done principally in order to gain time to loiter 
 in the seductive towns and cities along the route. 
 They had one other incentive, however, they were 
 constantly praying that they might reach the 
 mountain region without encountering any of the 
 frightful sand storms that were wont to sweep over 
 this desolate region, — a region peopled only with 
 jack-rabbits, that got their living — both food and 
 drink — from the sweet juicy pulp of the mesquite 
 bushes. So numerous were these creatures that 
 the discriminating hawks, circling toward sunset 
 
36o The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 above the plains, might swoop down and take their 
 pick of the young and tender. 
 
 Heat and dust together created an intolerable 
 thirst, and the men were continually moistening 
 their Ups from the huge leathern pulque bottles 
 they ^ carried. The horses were as continually 
 breaking off and chewing as they went along the 
 thick leaves and stalks of the ever-present cactus. 
 
 But the monotonous plains ended at last, and 
 the road began to incline upward toward the old 
 city of Zacatecas. And now the men were more 
 in haste than ever, urging their weary horses up 
 grade after grade, and hardly giving them a breath- 
 ing spell from one steep ascent to the next. 
 
 St. Denis ceased to wonder at their eagerness 
 when finally they came out upon the wonderful 
 table-land, — with its wreath of hills, and the 
 mountains in the blue distance, — in the midst of 
 which the city lay, teeming with hfe and color 
 and resounding with the familiar sounds of traffic. 
 Men were going about the streets with water jugs 
 strapped upon their foreheads. They stopped the 
 first of these they met, and drank, drank, drank to 
 their hearts' content, and then clattered on to the 
 plaza that the impatient horses, neighing in an 
 agony of thirst, might satisfy themselves at the 
 great stone fountain in its center. 
 
 Here they flung themselves from their saddles, 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 361 
 
 ogled the pretty senoritas who were filling their 
 jugs at the fountain, and proceeded to draw lots, 
 the outcome of which ceremony was that two of 
 their number — a rueful pair — were left in charge 
 of the prisoner, while the others with much hilarity 
 disappeared in the adobe drinking-shops. 
 
 St. Denis still retained his purse, and by way of 
 cheering his sulky companions, he produced some 
 pieces of silver and suggested that they have a 
 feast there in the shade of the great palms that grew 
 about the fountain. 
 
 The suggestion was joyfully acted upon, one of 
 the men undertaking the office 'of purveyor while 
 the other, pistol in hand, threatened the prisoner 
 with instant death should he attempt to escape. 
 
 " Why should I wish to escape, friend ? " St. 
 Denis asked, smiling, — "I, a foreigner, alone, 
 friendless in this strange land?" 
 
 And indeed he was not troubled at this extra- 
 ordinary turn in the wheel of fortune; anything 
 was preferable to that he had just escaped from, 
 though naturally his mind was filled with specula- 
 tions as to what new experience was about to 
 happen to him. 
 
 All along the streets men and women were ped- 
 dling vegetables and fruits, and outside the door 
 of every mud hut near the plaza housewives were 
 busy baking tortillas, — which all were eager to 
 
362 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 sell, no matter if husbands and children sat hungrily- 
 waiting for relays from the hot stones. And it was 
 not long until a sumptuous repast, which included 
 a bottle or two of sweet wine, was spread upon 
 a convenient bench, and the trio gathered round 
 it. 
 
 Unhappily, when night came, St. Denis was con- 
 fined in the city prison, a horrible place, and kept 
 there for thirty-six hours, when to his great relief 
 the journey was resumed. 
 
 And now the men, ill-tempered from the effects 
 of their carousals, began to grumble and to belabor 
 their poor beasts, and they continued in this bad 
 humor until after they had crossed the wide flat 
 country beyond Zacatecas and began climbing the 
 rugged steeps to Aguas Calientes, where it was evi- 
 dent they meant to repeat their dissipations. 
 
 St. Denis, alarmed at certain signs which led him 
 to suspect it was the captain's intention to have 
 him immediately thrown into prison for safe keep- 
 ing, made bold to bribe him privately with a gold 
 louis, and so retained his customary measure of 
 liberty, and with tact and a judicious use of silver 
 he managed to keep down the impatience of the men 
 detailed to look after him. 
 
 As a result of their incessant drinking, he might 
 easily have escaped a dozen times. But he had 
 spoken truth when he said he felt safest with 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 363 
 
 his keepers ; then, too, there was a point of honor 
 in the question, considering their indulgence toward 
 him. 
 
 Often, as they lay dead asleep on the ground, 
 he got up and walked leisurely about, viewing the 
 strange and interesting scenes. 
 
 The weather was extremely warm, and in" the 
 day there was no activity whatever. The very 
 trees dozed in the sun, and murmured complain- 
 ingly when some unusual pufF of wind disturbed 
 their leaves. 
 
 One day — it chanced to be a Sunday — they 
 drifted into the great public garden of San Marcos, 
 attracted by the beautiful flowers and fruit trees, 
 and perhaps also by the coquettish senoritas of 
 mixed Spanish and Indian blood, who promenaded 
 there, and who glanced coyly at the strange sol- 
 diers whose fine uniforms charmed their half- 
 barbarian eyes. 
 
 The bells in the many steeples around the square 
 were chiming sweetly, and crowds of people, rich 
 and poor alike, filed continuously. into the churches. 
 Sometimes a bevy of pretty young women, in 
 gayly striped rebozos, tripped along together. 
 Sometimes a lady in aristocratic black moved 
 statelily toward her chosen temple of worship, fol- 
 lowed by a maid decked out in gaudy colors. 
 And at the same time the market-places were 
 
364 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 filled with venders of fruit, flowers, vegetables, and 
 confections. 
 
 St. Denis and his two attendants paused in the 
 shade of some mammoth oleanders, full of pink and 
 white blossoms. Some loiterers stopped to speak 
 to them. And from one of these St. Denis learned 
 that it was now the season when invalids and rich 
 people from all over the country came to this 
 city to avail themselves of the baths. " His Grace 
 the Viceroy had just arrived with a party of his 
 friends from the capital," the stranger said ; " he is 
 yonder in the governor's palace," pointing to a fine 
 stone building with a gayly variegated facade, to the 
 right of them. 
 
 This piece of news quickened St. Denis's heart- 
 beats. Why should he be dragged all the way to 
 Mexico, when he might appeal to the viceroy 
 here and learn his fate at once ! 
 
 The loiterers passed on, and he turned eagerly to 
 his companions. To his surprise their faces wore a 
 look of dismay, and they swore roundly that they 
 had no desire to meet his Grace in Aguas Calientes. 
 
 Presently some gentlemen came out of the palace 
 and walked toward the cathedral. 
 
 " Por Dios ! 't is the viceroy's own self," mut- 
 tered one of the men, and they crouched back 
 into the shrubbery lest some casual eye in the 
 party should fall upon their uniforms. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 365 
 
 St. Denis stood up and gazed upon the man in 
 whose hands his destiny lay, and at each of his 
 followers as they filed into the church. 
 
 Nearly all of them were young men, fine of 
 figure and handsomely appareled. One figure in 
 particular attracted him, for it bore a startling 
 resemblance to that of the Marquis de Larnage, 
 the same poise, the same graceful carriage! 
 
 He turned impatiently to the soldiers. 
 
 " Why do you wish that the viceroy should not 
 see you here?" he demanded; "you are upon 
 honorable business, are you not?" 
 
 " If the viceroy finds a man dawdling about 
 a thing he has set him to do," came the answer, 
 " that man might as well go and hang him- 
 self." 
 
 " But you could explain," urged St. Denis, " that 
 being good Christians you had merely stopped 
 over on the holy Sabbath day to say your prayers 
 in church and get absolution for your sins." 
 
 "Uf! there's no hoodwinking the Due de 
 Linares, — we have already been here three days, 
 and there would be no hiding that from his hawk's 
 eye." 
 
 They stole quickly out of San Marcos and sought 
 a more obscure part of the city. And here one 
 of them remained with St. Denis, while the other 
 went in search of the captain, to warn him of the 
 
366 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 danger they were in. And the following morning 
 at break of day they were in the saddle again, and 
 by the time the sun was gilding the steeples they 
 had passed all the beautiful walled gardens, the 
 fields, and vineyards that environed the ancient 
 city. 
 
 Again they went at full speed over the plains, 
 over the green alfalfa meadows, and through 
 mountain passes, halting only in the towns. 
 
 About noon one day, — a day of cloudless sky, 
 of breathless heat, the very air sifted with powdered 
 gold, — the dazzling capital burst into view. St. 
 Denis exclaimed in wonder and admiration. But 
 the soldiers only swore about their physical dis- 
 comfort, and crowded their horses into the shade 
 of the trees that lined the long avenue. 
 
 In the city no one was astir. Some of the 
 people were sheltering themselves in their houses, 
 others were lying asleep on the bare ground wher- 
 ever a wall or a tree afforded shelter from the sun. 
 All were waiting for the cool of the evening to 
 resume their occupations or pleasures. 
 
 The sweltering cavalcade rode at a slow pace 
 through the lifeless streets, and halted at the great 
 prison, so forbidding even in its outer aspect that 
 St. Denis, with his knowledge of prison interiors, 
 felt his heart sink as never before. 
 
 The portal opened, and he was ordered to go 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 367 
 
 forward into the court, — where the guards even 
 were lying asleep. 
 
 " This is where we leave you, seiior, — farewell ! " 
 said the captain of the escort kindly, and turned 
 him over to the officer in charge, who had been 
 awakened from his nap. This man, long used to 
 his ungracious office, did not so much as cast a 
 look of inquiry at his new prisoner, but motioned 
 to a subordinate to fetch him along. 
 
 He was conducted into a narrow passage, and 
 from there thrust into a cell about the size of his 
 late quarters in Monclova; and then, as he might 
 have secured an ox in the stanchions, the officer 
 clamped a chain on one of his ankles. 
 
 St. Denis cried out in protest, " Surely, senor, 
 there is no necessity for this ! " 
 
 But the man paid no more heed than if he had 
 been a rebellious animal. He went out, closing 
 and fastening the door. 
 
 There was a small grating in the door, through 
 which came a little light, — just enough, when he 
 got accustomed to it, to show the haggard, hairy, 
 beast-like faces of other prisoners at other little 
 gratings along the corridor. 
 
 The smothering heat and deadly prison stench 
 were not to be borne in the first moments, and St. 
 Denis sank in a swoon to the ground. When he 
 came out of this, he started up and staggered to 
 
368 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 the grating, but meeting a pair of ghoulish eyes 
 staring at him from the opposite side, he shuddered 
 out, and turned away. 
 
 His vis-d-vis gave a dreadful laugh, and shrieked 
 out, " Oho ! here is a fine caballero ! " 
 
 And the words were taken up and echoed and 
 re-echoed throughout the place. He conceived 
 the prison to be full of madmen. Perhaps this 
 foul air made men mad. Then he, too, was 
 doomed ! But no, he would fight against that 
 awful fate ; it was too horrible for behef that he 
 should ever be like those caged animals yonder ! 
 He would fight against it — oh ! with all the power 
 of his youth, his strength, his will, his oft-neglected 
 religion. 
 
 His chain, fastened to a staple in the wall, gave 
 him the liberty of the cell ; and he paced to and 
 fro, and flung his arms about until he was ex- 
 hausted. 
 
 One thought tormented him almost more than 
 all others, — when would the viceroy return ? 
 Surely so conscientious and industrious a ruler 
 would not absent himself from his capital for more 
 than a few — he dared not say weeks, that was too 
 long, too long, his brain reeled at the thought of 
 weeks spent in this awful place. No, the viceroy 
 must return in a few days. 
 
 Seven days passed, and seven more, and yet 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 369 
 
 another seven. He had eaten the coarse food 
 that had been brought to him daily, and had tried 
 to keep up his strength and courage. 
 
 But the strain was too great; he fell ill and 
 reason deserted him, leaving him at the mercy of 
 a rudderless, excited imagination. 
 
 In his delirium he seemed always to be journey- 
 ing from Monclova to Mexico. Sometimes he 
 was on the dusty plains, overcome with heat. 
 Sometimes walking in the streets of the curious 
 old cities, admiring the brilliant pomegranates and 
 pepper-trees in the walled gardens, listening to the 
 song-birds, the noisy parrots. Or he sat in the 
 beautiful plazas and heard the plash of the foun- 
 tains, and watched the women filling their jugs; 
 and when he besought them for a drink of the cool 
 sparkling water, they jeered and turned away. 
 
 He stretched his hands toward the golden oranges 
 that hung on the trees, but they were always be- 
 yond his reach. 
 
 Sometimes he was in pursuit of the viceroy, who 
 cunningly eluded him at every corner, and unex- 
 pectedly reappeared a little farther on only to 
 vanish again. 
 
 But his robust constitution triumphed over all. 
 He lay quiet at last, weak and exhausted but con- 
 scious. There followed a period of great mental 
 and physical lassitude. The dreadful prison sounds 
 
 24 
 
370 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 went on, but made little impression upon him. 
 All actual things seemed remote, or something 
 appeared to Hft him- above and apart from this 
 hideous stream of life. 
 
 But this peaceful phase did not last ; his strong 
 spirit again asserted itself, and new tortures as- 
 sailed him. In this monstrous misfortune that had 
 befallen him, — the first that had ever robbed him 
 of hope, — he could see only the hand of his rival. 
 True he had gathered from the talk of the soldiers 
 that Gaspardo had been much disturbed at the 
 viceroy's requisition. But this, of course, was a 
 feint. The wonder might have been that Gas- 
 pardo had not simply taken his life, but that this 
 was a more diabolical revenge. 
 
 One day the need of human intercourse came 
 upon him so strongly that he went deliberately to 
 the grating, and when the hairy visage appeared 
 as before he asked companionably, — 
 
 " Are you still there, friend ? " 
 
 " Where else should I be ! " retorted the other, 
 and added : " Have you got over your bad humor 
 at last? The one that was there before you was 
 not so surly, and we helped each other to pass the 
 time. If we don't help each other, we shall be 
 idiots presently." 
 
 " I crave your pardon ! I have been ill," St. 
 Denis replied with humility. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis n\ 
 
 " I know it, you did not eat, I saw the guard 
 bring the food away." 
 
 " How did you help each other, you and the 
 other man ? " 
 
 " We talked ; that is something." 
 
 " What became of him ? Was he released ? " 
 
 " Released — yes, the saints took pity on him." 
 
 " How long since? " 
 
 " How long since ! Dios ! his body was dragged 
 out an hour before you were brought in. These 
 quarters do not go begging for tenants." 
 
 St. Denis shuddered. " How long have you 
 been here?" he asked, to change the subject. 
 
 " Five hundred and sixty-three days," returned 
 the other, promptly. 
 
 " Mother of Christ, can one live so long in a 
 place like this ? " 
 
 " If he is permitted to." 
 
 "What do you say?" 
 
 " Sometimes the prison gets over-full, then they 
 take out some that have been here the longest and 
 make targets of them for the soldiers' bullets." 
 
 "What! without trial?" 
 
 "Trial, did you say? Cielo ! can the viceroy 
 spend all his time with such wretches as we ? " 
 
 St. Denis took a few turns round his cell and 
 came back, childishly eager for the companionship 
 he had lately abhorred. The man was not wholly 
 
372 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 disagreeable, and besides there was a haunting 
 familiarity in his eyeS and in his speech that 
 puzzled him. 
 
 " Would it be an offence to ask the alleged 
 reason for your being here? " he inquired. 
 
 The man laughed, with a genuine ring of mirth. 
 
 " The alleged reason ? " he repeated. " Oh, I have 
 no fault to find with the indictment, senor, — I was 
 a knight of the road, and that's a hazardous 
 employment. I took my chances, and lost the 
 game." 
 
 "Should you mind telling me ybur name?" 
 
 " My name — well, what matter ! It is — or was 
 — we have no names here — Jos6 Lopez." 
 
 " Ah ! and you have a brother Miguel? " 
 
 The wretched outlaw started. " Dios ! how 
 knew you that, seiior?" he cried. 
 
 St. Denis explained. 
 
 And now here was a ground of mutual interest 
 that afforded entertainment for many days. Over 
 and over again Jos6 told the story of his early life 
 and his brother's, and of the great affection that 
 had ever existed between them. He admitted that 
 he himself had always had a turn for rascality, but 
 Miguel had ever been an honest lad. 
 
 But all themes are exhaustible if fed by no new 
 incidents, and the cup was empty at last, and to 
 recur to it was a weariness. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 373 
 
 St. Denis spent much time tramping to and fro 
 in his narrow quarters. When exhausted, he threw 
 himself upon the. ground and writhed under the 
 despotism of thought, — except when he could 
 manage to divert himself by the sounds that came 
 from other parts of the prison. He could tell 
 when a new victim was brought in, or an old one 
 taken out, without putting his eyes to the grating. 
 In fact, he knew most that was going on, for as the 
 hberty of his senses was curtailed, his instincts 
 became keener. 
 
 One day he heard the clatter of many hoofs in 
 the court, and as this was an unusual circumstance 
 he listened for what might follow. Soon there was 
 the sound of a multitude of footsteps in the cor- 
 ridor, the thrilling clank of swords. He sprang 
 to the grating with wildly beating heart, as did 
 every other poor wretch in his neighborhood. 
 
 There were several gentlemen in fine apparel, 
 attended by some prison officials. 
 
 One of the gentlemen clapped a handkerchief to 
 his face and muttered in French, " Mon Dieu ! can 
 these be men ! " 
 
 St. Denis, trembling so that he could barely 
 stand upon his feet, clutched the iron bars and 
 shrieked after him, "Yes, yes, monsieur, we are 
 men, men. For God's sake, take pity on us ! " 
 
 The gentleman turned his head quickly. 
 
374 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 " Ha ! a French voice ! " exclaimed he. " Who 
 are you, my good man, and what do you here? " 
 
 " I am a Frenchman, monsieur. I have been 
 unjustly accused and thrown into this vile den, — 
 I — Mon Dieu ! " His eyes seemed starting from 
 their sockets. " It is the Marquis de Larnage ! " 
 
CHAPTER XXXIII 
 
 THE Marquis de Larnage had apartments in 
 the vice-regal palace, and thither in a gilded 
 carriage St. Denis was borne as swiftly as wheels 
 could roll, and placed in the hands of that same fat 
 barber who already had played so telling a part in 
 his fortunes. 
 
 Some hours later, when ever3^hing possible had 
 been done for him in the way of bathing, shaving, 
 hair-dressing, food, and clothing, his rescuer came 
 to him. He was reclining upon a silken couch, 
 but would have risen had not de Larnage put a 
 quick hand upon his breast, and forced him back 
 upon the pillows. 
 
 " No, no, mon ami, rest, rest, be as comfortable 
 as you can, — only tell me, if it will not tax your 
 strength too much, how in the name of God you 
 came to be in that hell-hole ! I have been making 
 diligent inquiries, but no one appears to know any- 
 thing about you. The viceroy must know, but he 
 is gone out of the city." 
 
 St. Denis explained briefly, and then de Larnage 
 bade him be silent. " Tell me more when you 
 
376 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 have more strength," he said, " but meantime I will 
 talk to you. You may wish to know somewhat of 
 my life since last we met — and parted. 'T was all 
 one, a meeting and a parting. Unless even that 
 will tire you too much?" 
 
 " Oh, no, I meant to beg that favor of you," St. 
 Denis answered. " But first tell me, were you not 
 in the viceroy's party at Aguas Calientes some 
 weeks ago?" 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " I knew it ; my soul recognized you, though my 
 sluggish senses did not. Mon Dieu ! what suffering 
 might have been spared — va ! I am no more than 
 a cliild. The suffering is over now, and you my 
 deliverer, — ah, may you never know what you 
 have rescued me from ! " 
 
 There was a sob in his voice ; the recollection of 
 his past misery and horror, the ecstasy of the pres- 
 ent, were almost more than he could bear. 
 
 And de Larnage could not trust himself to reply. 
 He ordered wine, and poured out a glass for St. 
 Denis, and presently began his story. 
 
 " I was kept in the Bastille a whole year, — par- 
 bleu ! I should not complain of that — to you. You 
 know perhaps " — a slight flush rose to his cheek 
 — " the real reason for my arrest, — there was a 
 flimsy pretended cause, you remember?" 
 
 St. Denis nodded. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 377 
 
 " Well, the charge was false. I do not deny- 
 that I admired the Duchess of Burgundy, — I 
 adored her as one would a goddess. But who was 
 there that did not, and who could refrain? Ah, 
 there was a woman, St. Denis, the like of whom 
 God never made before nor since ! Ma foi, when 
 she came into a place everything was changed — 
 the whole chromatic effect. What was somber 
 caught a golden light from her ; the very atmos- 
 phere was altered, vivified. The music was sweeter 
 at the theatre when she was there. The flowers 
 bloomed more splendidly when she passed. Mon 
 Dieu ! what ecstasy to be in her presence, to earn 
 her smile, to hear the sweet music of her laughter ! 
 And because I understood and appreciated, be- 
 cause I had a soul that responded to her divine 
 charm, — innocently, I swear ! I was flung into 
 the cursed Bastille and kept there until she died ! 
 Yes, I never set eyes on her again." 
 
 He dropped his eyes and lost himself in his own 
 thoughts, — St. Denis well remembered that habit. 
 
 When he spoke again, his voice had lost some- 
 what of its tension. " There was no longer any 
 necessity for keeping me in prison. My liberty 
 was given me unconditionally. But it was impos- 
 sible for me to remain in France. I set out for 
 Spain. Accident threw me in the way of the Due 
 de Linares, and I became as a son in his household, 
 
378 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 for he took an unaccountable liking to me. When 
 he was appointed to his high office here, he chose 
 me for his chief aide-de-camp ; and that fell in with 
 my own wish, for of all things I desired adventure 
 and variety of life." 
 
 Before they finished their talk, St. Denis put 
 in a plea for Jos6 Lopez, " who is a criminal, by his 
 own confession," he explained. " But I leave it to 
 you whether almost two years of that awful exist- 
 ence is not sufficient penalty." 
 
 "Ay, though he had broken every command- 
 ment ten times over," replied the marquis. " Hon- 
 est Jos6 shall shout ' Viva la libertad ' before the 
 sun goes down." 
 
 In course of tinie, as he gathered strength, St. 
 Denis told all his story. And de Larnage hstened 
 with the deepest interest and sympathy. 
 
 " I can assure you of one thing," he said em- 
 phatically, " that you have nothing further to dread 
 from the Governor of Coahuila, either as regards 
 your own personal safety or the man's influence 
 over Don Pedro de Villescas. I think I see a way 
 to break that influence, and to aid you thereby in 
 the fulfilment of your dearest wishes ! " This with 
 reference to the senorita. 
 
 St. Denis was for setting out to San Juan Bau- 
 tista without delay. But de Larnage offisred a very 
 reasonable objection. " My power is Hmited," he 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 379 
 
 said, " and I should be taking an unwarrantable 
 liberty to permit you to depart before the viceroy's 
 return." 
 
 The viceroy had gone to Linares, in Nuevo Leon, 
 a town founded by himself, to look after some 
 public works. 
 
 He returned in the course of a week, and was 
 deeply conscience-smitten to find, in the friend 
 and honored guest of his beloved de Larnage, the 
 suspected French spy whom he had ordered to be 
 brought from Coahuila, and whom, in the pressure 
 of other affairs, he had forgotten. 
 
 But he made amends royally. He took St. 
 Denis at the marquis's word, and with characteristic 
 impulsiveness and generosity adopted him into his 
 friendship, loaded him with attentions and honors, 
 and ended by offering him high employments if he 
 would consent to remain in the capital. 
 
 St. Denis, with many polite acknowledgments, 
 refused, and begged only the single favor of being 
 sent back under safe convoy to San Juan with as 
 little delay as possible. 
 
 " 'T is a long and arduous journey," answered 
 the viceroy, with a shake of the head, " and you 
 have scarcely yet regained your strength, my dear 
 chevalier. And besides, as you see, we are enter- 
 ing upon the rainy season, and you would find the 
 roads impassable in many places. If you must 
 
38o The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 leave us, why, then, when the proper time comes I 
 shall be glad to furnish escort." 
 
 St. Denis acquiesced with as good a grace as pos- 
 sible. Yet in this wonderful palace, where Aztec 
 splendor was supplemented by Spanish taste and 
 magnificence, where gold and silver were almost as 
 common as clay, and where every conceivable 
 luxury was at his command, he longed to be again 
 in the saddle speeding to San Juan Bautista. 
 
 The vice-regal court was made up of Spanish 
 grandees who had flown to the New World to 
 mend their shattered fortunes, younger sons of 
 noblemen ambitious to achieve personal honors 
 and wealth, and many high dames and charming 
 seiioritas. 
 
 In this splendid society St. Denis met not a few 
 old acquaintances and persons who knew of his 
 gallant services in Spain, and he was f^ted and 
 lionized in a way that contrasted sharply indeed 
 with his recent experiences. 
 
 Meantime he did not neglect his diplomatic 
 mission, but did his best to incite this powerful 
 clique to a friendly attitude toward the French 
 colony. A rough fate had put more within his 
 reach than Bienville or Cadillac had dreamed of 
 
 The viceroy, as time went on, was more and 
 more loath to part with a visitor who not only 
 charmed him with his personal character and ac- 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 381 
 
 complishments, but of whose capability and shrewd 
 and intelligent comprehension of governmental af- 
 fairs he was profoundly convinced, and who, more- 
 over, despite his inalienable loyalty, showed an 
 extraordinarily cosmopolitan spirit. 
 
 " If you will not accept my offer, chevalier," 
 said his Grace, laughingly, " we must surely come 
 to terms with your government and have you ap- 
 pointed ambassador to our court ! " 
 
 And this sentiment was heartily applauded by 
 every one within hearing. 
 
 At last it became apparent even to the viceroy 
 that there was no longer any reasonable excuse 
 for further dallying, and he gave command for the 
 promised escort to be got ready, — an escort of 
 picked soldiers, twice as large as that which had 
 brought the supposed spy to Mexico. 
 
 And he loaded St. Denis with gifts, — indemnity, 
 he said, for the outrage he had suffered. 
 
 To add to St. Denis's cup of happiness, de 
 Larnage announced his intention to accompany 
 him. 
 
 " I have several reasons," explained the rnarquis, 
 " and you may well suppose that the first and 
 greatest is my desire to enjoy your society some 
 time longer ! The second is that your enemy, 
 Don Gaspardo, is strongly suspected of. being in 
 secret league and fellowship with the mountain 
 
382 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 bandits and of sharing in their spoils. The duke 
 desires me to make investigation of the matter. 
 And a third reason is this, — I wish to pay my re- 
 spects to la Sefiorita de Villescas, and, if agreeable, 
 invite myself to your wedding ! " 
 
 St. Denis could only reply, with emotion, that 
 this was a fitting crown to all his friend's previous 
 unrequitable kindnesses. 
 
 " But for you," he said, " I might never have 
 met la Senorita de Villescas, and but for you I 
 should now never set eyes on her again." 
 
 Once again, upon a Sunday, with the marquis 
 at his side, and the unspeakably happy Jos6 Lopez 
 following with the soldiers, St. Denis rode into 
 the beautiful gardens of San Marcos in Aguas 
 Calientes. The church bells were ringing, and 
 the people streaming toward the sacred portals 
 just as upon that other Sunday — ages ago ! 
 
 They moved toward the great fountain to let 
 the horses quench their thirst; and a haggard, 
 tattered, travel-stained figure started up from one 
 of the stone benches and ran to meet them, shout- 
 ing, " Louis, Louis ! God be praised ! " 
 
 " Jallot ! " answered St. Denis, and leapt to the 
 ground and threw himself into the outstretched 
 arms. 
 
 There was another meeting, also, even more 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 383 
 
 affecting than this, the meeting of the brothers 
 Lopez. 
 
 Jallot briefly told his story. He had managed 
 to escape from the Monclova prison and make his 
 way back to the presidio. Here the sefiorita her- 
 self had acquainted him with all that had taken 
 place in his absence, and filled with apprehensions 
 he had set out for Mexico, accompanied by 
 Miguel. But they had met with innumerable diffi- 
 culties, — steep and rocky roads made slippery and 
 dangerous by the heavy rains, swollen streams im- 
 possible to ford, and bandits whom they had not 
 found it easy to outwit. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIV 
 
 DE LARNAGE, retaining a part of the escort, 
 stopped at Monclova. St. Denis and the 
 others pushed on with all speed to San Juan. 
 
 The first piece of news that greeted their ears, even 
 before they had set foot in the presidio, was that 
 great dissatisfaction had again broken out among 
 the Indians. At that very moment they were 
 packing their carts and preparing to leave their 
 tilled farms and comfortable little homes, to go 
 and seek a new abode in the far north, where, 
 as they sullenly declared, they would at least 
 have the privilege of defending themselves from 
 their enemies without the interference of the 
 priests. 
 
 St. Denis, after but a brief visit with Maria and 
 a still briefer consultation with Don Pedro, — who 
 was in the depths of despair, not only on account 
 of the Indians, but by reason also of certain 
 ominous threats lately thrown out by Gaspardo, 
 — threw himself into the saddle and rode from 
 village to village, exhorting the people to recon- 
 sider the grave step they were about to take. 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 385 
 
 He painted in eloquent speech the hardships 
 that lay before them in the cold, bleak north, 
 played upon their superstitions by warning them 
 against the sin of abandoning the sacred hunting- 
 grounds of their forefathers, and in the end as- 
 sured them that the great white chief, the viceroy, 
 had turned his eyes to this remote province, and 
 that one of his most distinguished officers would 
 soon be among them and would set everything 
 right 
 
 His arguments prevailed, the projected exodus 
 was given up, some wagons already upon the 
 road were brought back. 
 
 Order was barely restored when de Larnage 
 appeared. In a conversation with St. Denis he 
 said that he had found such proofs of the gov- 
 ernor's maladministration as to warrant his arrest, 
 and his excellency was now a prisoner in his own 
 palace. " I shall take him back with me to 
 Mexico," he added, " and I have little doubt that 
 he will be sent out of the country with orders 
 never to put foot on this soil again." 
 
 All this was presently made known to Don 
 Pedro. And the old caballero rejoiced openly 
 at a turn of affairs which absolved him from a 
 pledge that had, he now confessed, long been 
 hateful to him, and which enabled him to make 
 another entirely in accordance with his own wishes. 
 
 2S 
 
386 The Chevalier de St. Denis 
 
 For, leaving Maria out of the question, he had 
 come to love St. Denis as a son, and to depend 
 upon him as the staff of his old age. 
 
 Excuse was made — where no excuse was 
 needed — of the marquis's limited time to hasten 
 the preparations for the wedding. 
 
 And one morning, at peep of dawn, cannon 
 began to boom from the fortress walls and flags 
 were hoisted on the battlements. The whole 
 population was out of bed, making ready with 
 swift feet and nimble fingers for such festivities 
 as had never before been dreamed of in San Juan 
 Bautista. 
 
 Jallot, by the light of numberless candles, helped 
 St. Denis with his toilet and complimented him as 
 of old. 
 
 And in another apartment Benita was robing 
 the bride, who stood up to have the filmy veil, her 
 mother's wedding veil, adjusted. 
 
 Benita, kneeling at her side, caught her hand 
 and pressed it to her lips. 
 
 " Por Dios ! " cried she, " 't is as cold as stone." 
 
 " The warmth is all here," laughed Maria, laying 
 the hand upon her heart. 
 
 The first sunbeams that shot above the horizon 
 kissed the wooden cross on the church, and, as it 
 were, set all the bells a-ringing. 
 
 Footsteps sounded in the corridor. The bride's 
 
The Chevalier de St. Denis 387 
 
 cheeks, white the moment before, flamed suddenly 
 red as roses. 
 
 There was the blare of trumpets outside, the 
 roll of drums, the murmur of a multitude of joyous 
 voices. The procession was forming for the 
 wedding-^arch. 
 
 THE END. 
 
BEATRICE OF BAYOU TECHE. 
 
 By ALICE ILGENFRITZ JONES. 
 i2mo, 386 pages. Price, $1.00. 
 
 A capital story, full of vigor and subtle knowledge of human nature ; 
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 The author writes with an attractive, graceful style, and with a keen- 
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The DREAD AND FEAR 
 OF KINGS 
 
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 t2mo . , $i,25 
 
 READERS will find in this historical romance a work of 
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 IT is this reign of terror in Rome that forms the back- 
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 in which types of the diverse nationalities that then thronged 
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 For sale by booksellers generally, or mailed on receipt of price, 
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The House of the Wizard 
 
 By M. Imlay Taylor 
 i2mo, gi.25 
 
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 OTHER BOOKS BY MISS TAYLOR 
 On the Red Staircase, i2mo, $1.25 
 
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 "Skillfully constructed, well written, and thoroughly interesting. " 
 
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ON THE RED STAIRCASE. 
 
 By M. IMLAY TAYLOR. 
 With Frontispiece. i2ino, 352 pages. Price, $1.25. 
 
 The scene of this thrilling story is Moscow, and the 
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By M. IMLAY TAYLOR 
 
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 Miss M. Imlay Taylor will be remembered as the author 
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a ^nn^tt Waluntuv 
 
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 It is a far cry from Russia to the United States, yet Mary 
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 has for historic background the events of the first half of the 
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