Avon Modern Short Story Monthly #36 — page 41: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

*» Wry 4 : ft ae Ces Be. 7 i a OM sey, © : - i ih ei = aA , we ey © tis Oe ee ory mY An Rat Ps ’ ie ae es ht Ne eee e as > yee oa Cie: cr =e a ay as re: |“ HISTORICAL NIGHT : rs" EN TERTA Al NME NT . c *o * om ? - . i whose arrest followed quickly upon her own, who had not cher . + a feealed 4 a great ‘ead ‘ee her terror of the horrible p punist ment re- served for regicides prevented her to the day of her death at the take: 14 —in February of 1680—from saying a word of her association with oo Madame de Montespan. AS aa But there were others whom she betrayed under torture, strength of character. Among these were La Filastre and the magician | Lesage. When it was found that these two corroborated each other a in the incredible things which they related, the Chambre Ardente took fright. La Reynie, who presided over it, laid the matter before a the King, and the King, horror-stricken by the discovery of the ree volting practices in which the mother of his children had been en- a gaged, suspended the sittings of the Chambre Ardente, and com- manded that no further proceedings should be taken against Lesage i and La Filastre, and none initiated against Romani, Bertrand, the Abbé Guibourg, and the scores of other poisoners and magicians ; a who had been arrested, and who were acquainted with Madame de ¥) he Montespan’s unholy traffic. Ng But it was not out of any desire to spare Madame de Montespan a that the King proceeded in this manner; he was concerned only to! 3 spare himself and his royal dignity. He feared above all things the scandal and ridicule which must touch him as a result of publicity, — and because he feared it so much, he could impose no punishment upon Madame de Montespan. rae This he made known to her at the i interview between them seis cured by his minister Louvois, at about the time that the sittings bs the Chambre Ardente were suspended. rh To this interview that proud, domineering woman came in dreads ie and in tears and humility for once. The King’s bearing was cold and — n hard. Cold and hard were the words in which he declared the extent of his knowledge of her infamy, words which revealed the loathing we: and disgust this knowledge brought him. If at first she was terror- stricken, crushed under the indictment, yet she was never of a tem-— per to bear reproaches long. Under his scorn her anger kindled ~*~ 7 : her ee * was sloughed.