The day that Mademoiselle de la Fayette was presented at court by the "Happy," said the king, "is the man Princess Marie of Mantova she was mag- who feels that he is personally regretted nificently dressed; all admired the ex--he has a motive in desiring glory. treme beauty of the maid of honor, and were charmed with an indescribable attraction about her. The king, evidently struck by the naïveté and elegance of her whom he then saw for the first time, approached Mademoiselle de la Fayette, and complimented her warmly on her beauty and graceful manners. The maid of honor only blushed aud made no reply.

At these words he rose, without waiting for a reply. Mademoiselle de la Fa'The money I demand,' said yette followed him with her eyes, and all he, is neither to be wasted in gambling the rest of the evening experienced an in-nor in idle expenses. I do not demand it voluntary absence of mind.

in vain, my entire confidence shall be the reward. I go to-morrow, but I shall cherish this tender recollection in my heart. Continue to think of me, I entreat, with the same touching sensibility. If it pleases Heaven to preserve me, it will be my greatest consolation."

This conversation was interrupted by the Duchesse de Chevreuse, who, on leaving the queen's apartment, passed through the ante-room. The king, who had risen, was opening the door. He advanced towards the duchess, and addressed her in some embarrassment. The duchess instantly seized on this moment, when she saw he was confused, to request a favor. Such a petition at that moment entirely removed all recollection of the scene that had just taken place, and at once relieved the king from embarrassment, who, in gratitude for the tact shown by the duchess, at once and most graciously granted her request. When he had left the room, the duchess seated herself by Mademoiselle de la Fayette, laughing at what had passed, who, somewhat recovered from her agitation, was stitching away with exemplary diligence at a small piece of embroidery she held in her hand. Smiling at the duchess, she asked her the reason of her her mirth.

"I am laughing," replied she, "at the idea of the admirable presence of mind I have just shown; and as you are but a débutante at court, I will give you a little description of it for your especial instruction. The king does not exactly hate me, but at the same time no love is lost between us. He is afraid of my flightiness and my inclination to turn every thing into ridicule. Certainly of all the persons who might have interrupted your conversation, I am the very last he would have desired to behold. He advanced towards me full of confusion. I at once saw the advantage I might derive from this favorable opportunity. I know that when people are afraid they are always obliging, particularly at the first moment. Well, I at once requested a favor that is of great importance to me; and, as I foresaw he did not hesitate to grant it, I shall be grateful, and will tell no one of this little adventure. But do own now that it was capital."

"Mademoiselle de la Fayette would agree to nothing of the sort. She affected not even to understand what the duchess meant. She endeavored to represent the

marked preference shown for her by the king as simple politeness.

The duchess ridiculed both her reserve and her prudery.

"When the king returns," continued she, "we will resume this conversation. My good advice shall be at your service; and if you will only follow my directions, in six months you will upset the whole court, which, truth to say, will be all the better after a general regeneration. We live in a state of horrible apathy-nothing advances-every thing is paralyzed. We are terribly in want of life and animation, and nothing will be more easy than for you to accomplish all this, if you will only follow precisely the plan I will trace out for you."

Mademoiselle de la Fayette chose only to understand as a joke this, in fact, serious admonition of the Duchess de Chevreuse.

As soon as Mademoiselle de la Fayette was left to herself she made a pretext for retiring, and, shutting herself up alone in her room, sat down to reflect calmly on the farewell of the king. At last he had spoken out. He wanted a friend-he had made choice of one, and had promised, moreover, his entire confidence. His religious principles were too well known to have given ground for the slightest suspicion during his liaison with Mademoiselle de Hautefort; it would, therefore, be absurd in her to reject his proffered friendship. The petty maid of honor greatly desired to see Louis XIII. displaying rather more firmness of character than was his wont; she fervently wished to emancipate him from the dominion of Richelieu, who, appropriating all the glory attached to the throne, only left to his pupil the responsibility of governing, and the reproach of being governed. This weakness was a fault which, to be frank, by no means annoyed her; on the contrary, she, as well as other women, liked a feeble character. To correct, to perfect, to suggest, is with them, to act, to domineer, to reign; it is the only legitimate province that nature has granted to the sex, of which no effort can ever deprive them. With what lofty frankness, with what energy Mademoiselle de la Fayette proposed to address the king, and to open her heart to him! She did not doubt that in reality he possessed much more firmness of character than was generally supposed. Had he not addressed the parliament with the utmost decision?

Did he not display much vigor in continu- | her, for in her mind it was unmixed with ing the war, and placing himself in person any idea of love.

at the head of his troops? With his The danger to which Louis was exposed mind and sensibility guided by good ad-made her tremble; but feeling certain that vice, why might he not equal the renown the time was now arrived when he would of his gallant father? Why, indeed, himself hold the reins of government, and might he not surpass him? The influence display all the nobleness of character she of friendship would restore his activity; it attributed to him, her thoughts dwelt would inspire him with a taste for busi- principally on the loss France would susness. He already possessed courage and tain by his death. She passionately deacquirements, and he was superior to sired his return, not for the sake of the Henri IV. in his conduct and principles, frivolous pleasure of again seeing and conboth of unspotted purity. In a word, if versing with him, but to speak to him of it were desirable to possess the esteem and his duties, to elevate his soul, to inspire confidence of a hero, it was a still nobler him with generous resolves, and to adtask to form one, and to render him worthy monish him to persevere in his present of the admiration of the whole universe. line of conduct. Such at least was the conviction, however delusive, of Mademoiselle de la Fayette. At length the successful termination of the campaign was announced. The king had re-taken the places conquered by the Spaniards, and these latter, everywhere defeated, were obliged to re-pass the Somme. On the other side, the Imperialists, who had penetrated into Burgundy, were repulsed to the banks of the Rhine by the Cardinal La Valette and the Duke of Weimar.

All these seductive yet vague ideas passed through the brain of La Fayette; they took root there, were gradually developed, and raised her hopes and her feelings to the utmost pitch of enthusiasm. The king took his departure next morning at daybreak, and almost all the courtiers, both young and old, followed him. After they had left, many ladies affected an exaggerated display of anxiety, and many more betrayed, in spite of themselves, secret regrets that they would fain have concealed. This affectation on one side, and constraint on the other, diffused a cloud of dullness and ennui over the whole court. At last every one was of opinion that some amusement must be invented, and, without in words admitting that any one could possibly be entertained during such an anxious moment, all the usual amusements were re-commenced with renewed ardor. News soon arrived from the army, announcing brilliant successes, due to the valor of the king and the bravery of the French troops.

During this time of glory and of peril Louis XIII. was no longer that timid, feeble prince, often almost overlooked in his own court; he was metamorphosed, indeed, and became suddenly a brilliant monarch, every way worthy of the throne. He was described as ever foremost in danger, leading his troops into action in person. All parties agreed in applauding his conduct: he was loved and admired-he really reigned.

Every day that his absence lasted, and every fresh intelligence that arrived, added to the state of excitement in which Mademoiselle de la Fayette found herself. Her own perfect purity insured her safety. Such an attachment could not alarm

The king returned to Paris, which, not having been considered out of danger from the attacks of the enemy, received him with transports of joy. Mademoiselle de la Fayette, witness of this universal enthusiasm, saw in Louis the worthy successor of Henri the Great, and the inheritor of all his glory. Intoxicated by these delusions, she imagined that even the advice dictated by her friendship would be in future needless, and that the king would of his own accord suppress the arrogance of Richelieu, lower his inordinate power, and from henceforth exercise himself the royal authority.

The next morning Louis visited the queen, remained, as usual, some minutes, and only stayed in the ante-chamber for a moment, during which time he approached Mademoiselle de la Fayette, and conducted her aside.

"I do not know," said he, "when I shall be able to resume those conversations that are so infinitely delightful, for after an absence of some months, I am overwhelmed with business."

"Ah, so much the better !" cried Mademoiselle de la Fayette. May you, sire, ever be thus fully occupied." The king smiled.

"You have doubtless heard me blamed

for my idleness," said he "I am sure you have; but all I ask is, that you will suspend your judgment, and do not condemn me at least before you have heard my defense."

"Sire, how can I wait, when my heart already has decided ?"

"May it ever induce you to justify me, and you will not be mistaken. This will console me for a world of injustice."

After having uttered these words with an emotion that touched Mademoiselle de la Fayette to the very soul, the king left the room.

From Fraser's Magazine.

DEVONSHIRE

WORTHIES.

walk demurely to their open seats in the side aisle. We do not happen to be aware whether the society of the little town still merits the stigma attached to it by the Pendennis family, namely, that it was" by no means amusing or pleasant," but we feel quite sure that the present rector's wife is far too intent upon studying rubrics and fashions ecclesiastical ever to be caught "looking out of the drawing-room window, wondering what Mrs. Pybus can want cheapening fowls again in the market, when she had poultry from Livermore's two days before." But although progress has shown itself in the church, there is none as yet in the Clavering and Chatteris branch of the Great Western Railway; even the preliminary works mentioned by Pendennis are among the things that shall be, and it is still by the coach which has succeeded the Alacrity, alius Celerity, of bygone days, that you must journey over "the sunshiny hills" which stretch from Clavering westward to the sea, in order to arrive at our terra incognita.

In these busy, jostling, nineteenth-centu- | church and up the organ loft stairs," but ry days, when, through the agency of iron and steam, the ends of the earth have been brought together, it may well seem almost impossible to find a quiet primitive spot, out of sight and sound of rushing engine and screaming steam-whistle. Yet for those who diligently seek them, such nooks and corners do still exist, and in one of them we were lucky enough to spend the early part of our long vacation. The place is situated on the coast of the most beautiful of our south-western counties, and though for certain reasons we do not intend to disclose its name, the sagacious amongst our readers will be able to form a pretty good idea as to its whereabouts when we admit that it is not very distant from the birthplace of Pendennis, that "little old town of Clavering St. Mary," past which the rapid river Brawl holds on its shining course, and which boasts a "fine old church, with great gray towers, of which the sun illuminates the delicate carving, deepening the shadows of the huge buttresses and gilding the glittering windows and flaming vanes." Things have, however, a little changed at Clavering since Mr. Thackeray spent many a pleasant summer holiday there in his boyhood. The old collegiate church has been swept and garnished, and bedizened with finery till it scarcely knows itself, and the Wapshot boys no longer make a "good cheerful noise scuffling with their feet as they march into

The farm in which we had taken lodg ings was about a mile from the little town where the Clavering and Chatteris coach set us down one pleasant summer evening. The house was one of those quaint old buildings which are not uncommon in the West of England, built of gray stone in the form of the letter E; the centre projection containing the doorway being en