Flower o' the Corn
A Romance of the Seventeenth
Century Religious War
w
(CopyrtRht. 1902. by 8. R. Crockett.)
t'JIAI'TKIl XXIX.
Apples of Soilom.
llIBN the boat reached the other
Ida of the Tarn, Cavalier could
see dimly the forma of grenadiers
P03K ,n the,r UU PPaked "P" lrwa
up on either aide. In the dark
aess he could hear the unanlmoua rustle
f ordered movement aa the arms rose to
the salute and fell again to the men's side.
Near by there was a grove of dark trees
pines by the sound of the wind among
their brant-he. For Ave minutes Cavalier
threaded aisle after somber siele of these.
They descended Into a dell, as It had been
an ancient quarry. Here, biasing with
light. tent was pitched. Others less
height and gay stood around.
The Marquis de Montrevcl led the way,
and what was the young man's wonderment
to see that on his arm there hung, looking
tenderly up Into his weather-beaten face
who but Yvette Foy, daughter of the Cam
laard, innkeeper of La Cavalcrle.
The table was spread for supper as they
entered. Servsnts st tired like the foresters
of a great nobleman and mighty hunter
stood In ordered rows. The grenadiers
halted at the tent door. Officers In splen
did uniforms rose to greet their commander-in-chief.
That sturdy veteran con
ducted Yvette with grave courtesy to the
head of the tabl. As he stood for a mo
ment waiting till a little buntle subsided
at the end of the tent nearest to the door,
he glanced down at his companion with
pride, and yet with an appreciation of th
Situation mors than half humorous.
There wss a proud smile of triumph oa
her beautiful, dark face. And It was poor
Jean Cavalier's thought, the rat of a use
less remorse gnawing at his vitals, that
ever woman looked so beautiful.
The marshal raised his hand, and com
aaanded silence with a feature at one
Teat and gracious.
Then he look Yvette Foy by the hand,
holding the fingers a little high In his, not
without a certain pride.
"Oentlerreo of the king's army and my
good comrades," he said, "I present to you
ay wife, the Marquise de Montrevel."
Whereupon he sat down and ordered la
the soup.
Yvette was seated on his right hand, and
Cavalier, all overwhelmed and a little dated
by the lights and the flood of emotions,
found himself on his left. Us stood as
tonkhod, almost In act to flee, till the ser
vant detailed to wait upon him, seeing his
difficulty, seated him on his chair with a
gentle compulsion.
A flocd of Indignant wonder rose slowly
Within him. Verily he hod fold himself
for naught for the light word of a womaa
Without honor.
The repast went on. Caval'er ate what
wss on his plate mechanically, or more
ft en left It untouched.
The Marechal, an old campaigner and
ansa of the world, perhaps divining soma
part of the young man's feeling, left hint
pretty much to himself, only pledging him
noe or twice for form's sake under the
designation of "Moa Cousin."
Yvette never so much as glanced at htm.
The building was raised now. The scaf
folding might come down when It liked.
The dinner drew to a rlcse with the clear:"'
lag of all the fragments down to .13 "far
ther end of the table, where 0' soldier
aervants and officers of the Marshal's
household proceeded forthwith to regal
themselves, as was t,e Jovial custom of
tbo coniinanderMu-'chU't of the Cevennea,
while tho.HVat the upper end drew closer
togher and drank In great bumpers to the
health of the king, to that of the general
and to "All the Glories of France."
De Montrevcl touched him on the shoulder
Immediately after and aald, "Now, sir. If
you are ready wo will proceed to finish
our affair."
Then he turned to the company with hta
usual courtesy.
"You will excuse us," he said. "I hare
some matters to arrange with this, my
young kinsman, who haa been good enough
to escort my wife to our camp."
A signal to the guard followed. They
fell la before and behind, silent and pre
cise. The Marquis de Montrevel gave his
arm to his wife. Jeaa Cavalier followed
behind, his bead bowed and his soul la
sackcloth and ashes.
Tbsy saouated out of lb quarry, but had
aot tar to go through the pinewood before
they cam to the headquarters of the gea
rai. It was a whits house la a vineyard
with tall, winter-atripped trees like senti
nels before the door. Guards lined the
approaches, standing near enough for him
t see. even la the dim light, the round
pots of light msde by their buttons and
the whiter splotches of their buckles, gait
rs and arcoutermenle.
"And bow. General Cavalier." said the
smarshal, after he had motioned the young
ansa to a chair, "what hav you to asy to
aaer
Jeaa Cavalier was a young and a brave
anaa. lie had no Idea of falling back upon
the plea ancient Adamic, "The woman thou
(vest t b with me. she gave me to eat!"
"Sir," he answered, looking straight Into
the eyrs of ths sturdy old soldier of King
Louis, "it Is for you to speak to me. This
lady at jour ilfcot hand haa luforincd me
that It was your wish to see me. I am
here."
"I am given to understand," said ths
marshal, "that you wish to put an end to
the war by surrendering to the clemency
of the king!"
"Not to his clemency, but to his Jus
tice!" said Cavalier, boldly.
The old soldier shrugged his shoulders.
"I presume," he said, "that you did not
come here to dispute with me about words.
You desire to end this war. So, I may
admit, do I. The question Is, 'What
thenr "
"This lady has Informed me," Cavalier
adhered to the formula, finding a certain
satisfaction In It, "that In return for a
worship that we detest upon the pain of
death or exile?"
"I promise you that you shall be able to
worship your God In your own way, so long
as no display is made. You shall have your
pastors, who shall dwell among you and
break bread with you. More I cannot
promise, a an honest man and a servant of
the king."
"And If we do not?" said Cavalier, ris
ing to his feet.
"Ah," said the marshal, his face falling.
"I trust it will not come to that. My reign
here is nearly over. If the matter la not
finished now, the wind that Is already sown
shall be reaped as the whirlwind among
these mountains. I have fought you fairly
"Life Is very hard for a woman, Jean. I
do not ask you to forgive me but be kind
to me for for my heart is broken
broken!" She breathed the final word npoa the abr
with a wonderful tenderness.
But the heart of the young maa was not
so easily moved this time.
She was compelled, therefore, to try an
other tack.
Like a flash of lightning the anger passed
sudden white across her faco.
"Sir," she said, "you may thank yoar
gods that I brought you here. Yon hav
come to the house of a man who knows how
to deal honestly. You are offered such
terms as will never be given to yon ataln.
"GOOD MORNING, ANGLAIS," SAID
A VOICE. "WE HAVK BERN WAITING FOR YOU."
cessation of the war In the countries of
the Cevennes, the king would grant free
dom of faith and worship, and permit us
to serve his majesty in his foreign wars,
where we lould prove our devotion to his
person."
The marshal pinched Yvette's ear as she
sat beside him.
"I fear." ho said, "that this pretty one
hath somewhat exceeded her instructions.
I will promise you no terms that I do not
believe that I can persuade the king to
agree to."
"But I can promise you," he said, after
a pause, "that the king will accept your
service that he will make you commander
of all the troops you are able to raise for
service abroad. He will also remove the
officers who have been signally unsuccess
ful In restoring order in the Cevennes, and
he will grant you freedom of opinion la
matters religious!"
"What does that mean?" said Cavalier
brusquely, "caa we worship according to
our consciences the God of our fathers?"
The Marquis de Montrevsl made a slight
motion of impatience.
"As to that," he said, "it depends what
you mean. His majesty is, as you know, of
the religion Catholic. So am I. So is my
wife. (He bowed.) So are all officers and
true servants of the king.
"So," continued the marquis more
gravely, "it amounts to this, that I can
promise you liberty of conscience but not
liberty of proclaiming that conscience. You
will then have aa much froedom as I I am
not always abld to declare my own. It is
a good maxim take it from a man well
nigh thrloe your age 'Tell halt the truth
to a woman the hundredth part thereof to
a king.' "
"If the Cevennes are pacified." aald
Cavalier, his downrightness cutting the
sophistry as a knife cuts butter, "will we
of Iks talth be dragooned into attending a
no man of you can eay other than that!
But the man who comes after will burn
your homes wrth fire, bow your hearth
stones with salt and leave the High Ce
vennes bare as the palm of my hand, and
without Inhabitants, as a land where never
man curae!"
During this speech Yvette for the first
time raised her eyes, not to the face of
Ca alter, but to that of her husband. She
moved her head aside very slightly, as if
making a signal agreed upon. The mar
quis nodded, touched a bell at bis side, and
an officer Instantly appeared.
"I have a letter to write, very urgent."
he said. "I pray you bear my wife com
pany till my return. Pardon the dis
courtesy. I shall not keep you long wait
ing." CIIAPTKR XXX.
Jeaa Cavalier's I.ant Temptation.
With a bow and a smile he went out and
Jean Cavalier wia left once more alone
with Yvett Foy. The girl regarded him
long aud steadily from under her lashes.
Had tho scepter indeed departed from her?
Was her power utterly gone? It seemed
like It, for the young man never so much ss
glanced at her.
"I do not ask you to forgive me," she
murmured. "That I cannot hope for. I
only ask you to believe that if there was
any deceit it waa not of my own will. I
was sworn to silence. To speak the whole
truth would have ruined hin.!" (Sho
pointed without to where in an anteroom
the steady murmur of a voice told that the
marshal was dictating hU dispatch.) "He
made me promise never to reveal our mar
riageto keep it even from my own father.
For his sake I have done so, and only to
night has he removed the oath from me by
proclaiming the truth himself."
Yvette had risen rnd now stood beside
the young Camisard leader,
If you have anything against me go with
your complaint to my husband. He will
answer for me."
"I have nothing against you," si'.d Jeaa
Cavalier, more gentle than can bo believed;
"nothing against any save only myself!"
"Forgive me. Do net waste time about
that." she bald. "Agrco quickly with the
marshal. He Is not a hard msn. You shall
go back to the folk of the mounUlns with a
message of peace. You and 1 will end tho
war. I pledge myself that you shall see the
king himself, and that he will ratify tho
word which my husband speaks."
"I canrot betray those who have trusted
me." said Cavalier. "I will go back as I
came. I will dl-j as a soldier of the Lord,
in the trenches. If Indeed I am no more
vcrthy to lead the people In the day of
battle."
"Ah, do so!" answered the girl with a
slight curve of the Hp.
Cavalier sti-do to the door without
d:igning any answer. He passed the cpen
alcove In which the marshal was atill dic
tating to bia secretin y. Do Montrevel did
not pause or look up. But, as Cavalier
opened the door a common countryman's
kltoheo door opening outward In two
leaves, his eye taught a descending flash of
steel. He found two bayonets at his breast
and two raoro crossed before him to bar hit
way.
Finding hie way thus barred by the sol
diers of the king, the young man turned and
going straight back into tho chamber where
the conference had begun, he waited.
Triumphant as she was, Yvette could not
escape a certain shiver of anxiety as she
turned to face Jean Cavalier. For once bhe
felt herself the veaker. Yet there was
nothing militant or even reproachful about
tho aspect of the young peasant soldier.
He had rather the air of a man who knew
his own responsibility and accepted its con
sequences. He stcod by the fireplace, oa