Part 25 (2/2)

The fellow seemed likely to break his neck

”Be careful,” cried the King; ”don't you see that your ladder is a short one and is on castors? I have just co it”

”Monsieur,” said the man, ”a thousand pardons, but if you will do so, I shall betoday, all my companions have lost their heads and have left e crystal and silver chandelier, stepped down carefully, leaning on the King's shoulder, who graciously allowed hi hiht in the chateau every one was talking about the hardihood of soht of everybody had stolen a handsoh Provost had already been apprised of the an to smile as he said out loud before every one, ”I h to hush the matter up, as in cases of theft accomplices are punished as well, and it was I who held the ladder for the thief”

Then his Majesty told us of the occurrence, as already narrated, and every one was convinced that the thief could not be a novice or an apprentice at his craft Inquiries were instantly made, since so bold an attempt called for exemplary punishive themselves up as prisoners; their honour was compro in truth honest folk

When the Provost respectfully asked the King if he had had time to notice the culprit's features, his Majesty replied that the work fellow of about five-and-twenty, fair complexioned, with chestnut hair, and pleasant features of delicate, almost feminine cast

At this news, all the dark, plainones, however, were filled with fear

A the feutiers, whose sole duty it is to attend to the fires and candles in the royal apart Dutchman, whom his companions pointed out to the Provost They entered his roo articles: Two of the King's lace cravats, two shi+rts marked with a double L and the crown, a pair of pale blue velvet shoes embroidered with silver, a flowered waistcoat, a hat hite and scarlet plu, evidently part of so was discovered

When this young foreigner was taken to prison, he refused to speak for twenty-four hours, and in all Versailles there was but one cry,--”They've caught the thief!”

Next day ht The Provost infor servant arrested was not a Dutchman, but a very pretty Dutch woman

At the ti close to her father's house, and conceived so violent a passion for hiot country, fa the Netherlands with the French army, she followed her conqueror back to his capital, and by dint of perseverance ed to secure eht was to see the King as often as possible, and to listen to praise of his many noble deeds

”The articles found in my possession,” said she to the Provost, ”are most dear and precious to me; not for their worth, but because they have touched the King's person I did not steal theht theht entitled to such things, and ould have sold them indiscriminately to any one else The portrait was not sold to ot it from Madame la Marquise de Montespan, and in this way: One day, in the parterres, ood fortune to pick it up, and I kept it for three or four days inthat whoever brought the bracelet to madame should receive a reward of ten louis I took back the ornament, for its pearls and diamonds did not tempt me, but I kept the portrait instead of the ten louis offered”

When the King asked me if I recollected the occurrence, I assured hi sent for the girl, as iht to his chamber Such was her modesty, and confusion that she dared not raise her eyes froave her two thousand crowns to take her back to her own home The Provost was instructed to restore all these different articles to her, and as regarded h it orth a good deal ot back to her own country and the news of her safe arrival was confir sent her twenty thousand livres as a dohich enabled her to ood-natured disposition and blameless conduct

She made a marked impression upon his Majesty, and he was often wont to speak about the chandelier on account of her, always alluding to her in kindly, terms If ever he returns to Holland, I am sure he ant to see her, either from motives of attachhtly, was Flora

CHAPTER LVIII

The Observatory--The King Visits the Carthusians--How a Painter with His Brush May Save a Convent--The Guilty Monk--Strange Revelations--The King's Kindness--The Curate of Saint Doo

When it was proposed to construct in Paris that handso hi a map of his capital before him, he wished this fine edifice to be in a direct line of perspective with the Luxe, to which it should eventually be joined by the deap

The King was anxious that his idea should be carried out, but whenever he mentioned it to M Mansard and the other architects, they declared that it was a great pity to lose Lesueur's admirable frescos in the cloisters, which would have to be destroyed if the King's vast scheme were executed

One day his Majesty resolved to see for himself, and without the least announcement of his arrival, he went to the Carthusian Monastery in the Rue d'Enfer The King has great knowledge of art; he ads, in which the life of Saint Bruno is divinely set forth