cerning Count Saxe, except what
is put down in this book. I know that the women ran after him enough
to drive him to drink, had he been so inclined. How much attention
Count Saxe paid them in return I have not the slightest notion, and I
never was the man to pretend to know what I did not know.

In January of 1728 Gaston Cheverny joined us. We had scarcely
established ourselves in our old quarters at the Luxembourg, when one
evening, while the snow lay deep on the streets of Paris, the door to
my room, next Count Saxe's, burst open, and Gaston Cheverny, gay and
bold, dashed in.

I was rejoiced to see him again, and only grumbled that he had not
arrived before to aid me in many troublesome matters, like that of
providing an equipage for Count Saxe at a night's notice; but he took
my rating with laughter. The evening was cold, and a fire blazed upon
the hearth, before which Gaston stretched his legs and pulled off his
boots, replacing them with fine shoes of Spanish leather. We had only
been separated four weeks, but we had many questions to ask of each
other. Gaston, as a soldier, was eager to know of Count Saxe's plans.
I told him of the project to buy the regiment of Spar, which was
shortly after carried through, and of the king's evident determination
to keep Count Saxe in his service.

"Good!" cried Gaston; "I knew I made no mistake when I cast my
fortunes with Count Saxe. Let but the drum beat on the Rhine, in the
Pyrenees, or in Savoy, and we shall be on the march within twenty-four
hours."

Such is the way ardent young men talk.

Then I asked what had been burning on my tongue ever since he entered
the room. What of the ladies at the chateau of Capello--meaning
Francezka, but naming Madame Riano first.

"Madame Riano is the same Peggy Kirkpatrick. The warfare between her
and the Bishop of Louvain is grown more bloody and desperate than
ever. Quarter is neither asked nor given. Madame Riano has told the
story of the bishop being near frightened out of his wits by the
burning out of a chimney, and declares he was so panic-stricken he had
to take to his bed that minute. The bishop preaches openly at Madame
Riano, doing everything but calling her by name from the pulpit."

And then I spoke the word both of us had longed to hear.

"And Mademoiselle Capello?"

It was as if the sun had blazed out of twilight, Gaston Cheverny's
face glowed so.

"She is in great beauty, perfect health and happiness. She desire