If I Were King

try had adorned the illustrious reign of the new Grand Constable. Mimic battles, fountains running wine, free doles of food, fantastic pageants, grotesque da

t mascarado in the Italian manner, to which all who were associated with the court were summoned. This revelry which began at sunset was intended to ov

of the heavenly bodies. On the table by which the king and Villon were seated lay a large chart of the country in the immediate neighbourhood of Pari

entertainment to be given that evening was to serve as a golden mask. Villon touched a point on the map which represented a spot very familiar to him, a little dip in the swelling land, where he

gundians to that hollow, the day is ours. The s

re leaned forwa

e of the lay

swered po

here when I was no highe

e as a man who

seems feas

from the table in

er," he said; "yet I have pra

wered him

eason like a se

praise Villon t

gate. Our horses' hooves will be muffled, no spur shall jingle, and no bridle clink. We will steal through the night like shadows. At the cross road some few of us

e king and his minister and passed out of the presence. As the

ts, my lords, but I love

answered

me from and God knows

ith him to the

the Maid of Orleans and her power with bearded men. He

feet died away in th

urned to

in. Yet it is no more than remembering the shape of a meadow where I played in childho

d him playfully

d you lea

eved that this dingy carcass swaddled a Roman spirit. In the pomp of

more popular than I made myself since my accession. In cour

y clap their hands and cry 'God save King Louis' lustily. A week ago your soldiers were mutinous because they were ill fed, worse clothed, and never paid at

are running out. Is your heart

om the tavern to the palace, and if the worse comes to t

rinned sar

orst?" he piped, "How is your

ered still on his l

he knows the heart of a woman

fail," the k

hical. In his heart he felt fairl

l be quiet enough. But either way you have given me a royal week, and I have made the most of it, l

s la

you had reigned

ntentious m

e sweet and snuff all the perfume but of a single hour, to push all its possibilities to the edge of the chessboard, is to live gr

d looked at his comp

hy may sound as fine when

and my wish run nose

re important matters in the world than the li

s seem in a conspiracy of confusion, the stars are all a tang

ked at him

of these sky doct

rowned at any hint of disbeli

f you fail, you shall hang to-morrow. Now leave me, for I must work while you play,"

colour among the rose trees. Its last rays, falling on the face of the god Pan, illuminated his fantastic features and seemed to lend them the life of an ironic leer. The warm air was rich with the b

ght to read there the secret which all flowers hold but which no flower has ever yet betra

to the end. Shall I win this wonderful woman? Am I mad to hope it? If I l

ght and cast the rose

t if I win, how will it be, I wonder, to marry my heart's desire, to grow old sedately, to live again with the children

s if he were dismissing

shadows where you belong, for your father may be hange

evellers gushed from the palace and flowed like a glowing wave of merry-making down the steps and into the walks and alleys of the rose garden. All the strange figures that a freakish fancy could suggest leaped and danced and shouted in a rapture of mirth-satyrs and follies, c

ic imagination took fire from the strange shapes and sounds about him. The sense of being in a dream, which had never deserted him from the first moment of his awakene

nother masker, habited like himself. The pair were exchanging salutations, in a speech that the speakers might well assume to be unknown to any person in the royal garden. The speech, however, jingled very familiarly on Villon's ear, f

grim question

u carry in

second a

a cockl

ilgrim ques

u carry in

second r

t of s

e first spea

rink the ki

swer came

agon of

rted and went their several ways and we

sity was pique

that people speaking the thieves' lingo of the Court of Miracl

y the image of the god Pan. The place was deserted; the revellers had drifted elsewhere. A lute lay on the marble seat. Villon seated himself and taking up the instrument was touching it carelessly, when a l

these ladies to p

n bow

ence," he said, "and

his is an eve which should please a poet. Rhyme u

sighed

but I have lingered in Provence where every man is a nightingale, and

s she pointed to he

therefore, nothing bett

orld," Villon said.

a plaintive minor. In a moment or two he began to recite, touching ev

in what Is

music fil

reen vall

dymion sprea

us linger

s blown the

es piping

the Gods o

the great

rose-red tom

us dust of

tra's yel

xander Do

s blown the

rd of the

he Dreams o

e Queen of H

in her be

range sea

and Cass

oserpina'

s blown the

r ghost does

he Girls of

lovers! Pa

s blown the

d yare, the

he Snows of

short space. Singer and listeners seemed to be in an exquisite isolati

the snows o

pe pomegranates, her mind was wandering in the Islands of the Blest with the lov

for, believe me, it will snow again next year and lie white and light on

rine and whispered the end

ve and lov

opped from cloudland and looked at him.

d; "shall we go to th

players

sed for a moment as if undecided as to his course, and then proceeded to cross the space of moonlit grass. He did not heed Katherine, standing in the shadow, till he almost touched her. Then he glanced at her, and with a stifled excla

d, and he, turning,

la

fancies. I thought b

lared on me from und

n fro

r the news is that he lies d

gave a lit

e dead, I hope he will not haunt me. Ah! I ting

s to-night," Villon responded.

e shook

a mood for moonligh

both of them like the silence of hours. The hearts of both were house

tion?" Villon said, a

rel

content

ve done

r seven days I have wr

he angels; I have mad

yal, the arm

here where courtiers f

swelled proudly

ing's court an orgy, where the king's honour melts like a pearl in a pot of vinegar. B

d that I were a man that

e to her and pee

. Heaven has been very

Perhaps I serve both

st time?" s

e that I may die to-morrow. Some of us will be dreaming our

the king's business, but so may I

r w

l you that

se weather-beaten wall the quaint old dial showed plainly in the bright moon

re is as wise as the wisest." And he rapidly r

fast time h

hour while i

e sun but ti

ever, retur

e tried

the seas," she said, and drew a litt

make-believe. To-night we are immortal, you and I, wandering forever in this green garden unde

to-morrow," she whispered, bu

with star wine, flower wine, song wine. The stars burn my brain; the roses pierce

y that only a lover's ea

what you plea

rt as if to keep it in t

name for a thousand meanings, and beggar the poor love-word to base kitchen usages and work-a-day desires. But I would keep it holy for the flame which it sometimes pleases heaven to light in one heart for the worship of another. I never

d his eyes were looking into her

he is wise, or gentle-for a thousand thousand reasons. But the best of all reasons for a woman loving a man is just because she loves him, without

nly the god Pan smiled and sneered as if he knew that sometimes lovers' lips fail to

her closer to him. Love, happiness, life

no heed to a footstep upon the terrace, till a voice struck lik

?" Noel said mockingly as he slowl

art, but he bridled it as he turned

erine, and then waving his hand at Noel with a g

lady-bird, f

s sword hilt. There was courage in the foppish substance, and he w

and sword with you at any season, but n

ughed at

the smooth of my tongue and the flat of my falchion. Compas

ger to spring at each other's throats. Katherin

importuned me for audience. I will

turned

"Till then I shall busy myself in writing my last will and testament, and bequeathing a thousand nothings to a thou

e Noel, na

o love him,

hip, a house

ook, a sword

clock, a lea

heet, a boar

tongue, a sa

nothingnes

is back. He was very irate, but he was r

ng?" Katherine whisper

ys the heart

to the liquid darkness of the rose

urned to No

?" sh

seek you nowaday

and her tresses trembled li

so old that the wooing

ined, "since a fellow from nowher

yes showered

iling at him, but it does

ght at t

me once," h

her head

y to say 'I love you,' and often very sweet; yet the coloured balls roll in

on puckered Noel's

tgrown me?"

moonlight that shone between them la

a week ago. To-day

up his arms

etter? show a brighter sword in quarrel, or tune a smoother lute in calm? Can he out-dance me, out-dr

y, began to ascend the steps to th

ile to be a woman. You will learn that som

ret

of a king. Gentlemen who brag little may

rowned at h

nted Sphinx, but I am

she vanished

d after he

?" he asked himself querulously. "Well, there are ot

me wine and drank it, seeking consolation. His duty called him shortly to the serv

astrologer plays his part and tells the weak king

plaints of the Grand Constable, had suggested to him, in apparent artlessness of heart, that he could play upon the king's superstitions through a new astrologer and had promised to find him a star-gazer who would say anything and everything th

d Pan could see the face that smiled under the pilgrim's hood-a girl's face, with bright eyes framed in golden hair, but when the girl saw Noel, she s

and faced, as he believe

leman?" Huguette asked, disguising

d aside i

ilgrim. I am in no

t the persistent p

id's mood, or a

pped imp

well as pilgrim?

rtinacity was no

young or old, dark or

wered wh

e of the ancient world, of the height of any man'

ff her mask and t

eet, favour, ye

her face Noel gave

e shouted, "for you. bring

girl in his arms, but s

plotter. The world spins like a potter's wheel to shape the vessel of

dded de

is greedy of star-wisdom. Does y

When all is quiet, gi

g him. He will warn th

aise Tristan, applaud

Noel l

chu

nd you shall have a great gold chain a

in Huguette's voice, as she an

he way to w

roker, I thank heaven!" N

he spoke and sought to kiss her,

ou when you wi

e palace chimed the half-hour and struck upon his memory as well as upon his ear.

tician," he sighed. "I

looking regretfully at the girl, who smiled at him temp

aring changed. Her face and gesture blazoned

she turned sadly on her heel as another man's name came into her heart and fluttered

re Villon had left it. She took it up and began to thrum it

, one and all, Of form

came into the moonlit space and saw the cloaked and hooded figure where it sat. In a mo

elf, determined now to solve the mystery. He crossed

little

to her feet and

little

?" Villon asked in

lgrim answere

must need be a sister of mine.

retorted, "if you

hrugged he

ye," she said, and turned to leave h

ur heels till I show myse

face. To his amazement he found himself looking on the fair, familiar face of Huguette, and i

you? "s

r, Villon

any sign of recognition, then suddenly the knowledge cam

They said you were banished. How brave you are! Where did you steal

d to stay h

ou doing he

am making an age-long fool of him. Kiss me," she urged, putti

your kisses for t

w away from

ian. Has some great lady bewitched you? Can you only woo in silk and win in velvet? If th

of her petulance but

ou doing he

as a summer's shower. She tur

r smooth face. Ren de Montigny has a great game

me?" Vil

te ans

dvise the king to fling his Grand Constable out of the window and call Messire Noel in at the door, but the comrades of the cockleshell really mean much more misc

aught hi

cried. "But who i

red, "who pretends to be dead,

. He remembered what Kath

was he!

ent on wit

the signal by crying

y thoughts in his mind a

ered to himself, as he paced restlessly on the grass. "I have but to close my eyes and shut my ears and the

er him, catching at h

you talk

nheeding her, whi

rld were rid of a crooked-witted king, and I free to w

," Huguette pleaded, b

rough my ten commandments. But I have learned a thing cal

in front of him and sto

is! Fra

child,

to you what they do

his pie. Abbess, for the old sake'

oked up at

ways do yo

hells and I have returned to authority. Give me your pilgrim's gown, girl, and

's gown, and Huguette stood before him

ses until the spor

ung her arm

n ran swiftly away from him and dis

after the gi

ted," he said to himself. Then he flung Huguett

and he weighed the air with his hands as if t

ife; in the other, a poor poet's h

er sunset, if a woman's heart were not his for the winning, he would be swinging, grisly enough, with his tongue through his teeth, and the ravens wheeling about his ears, upon the Paris gallows. It was but to let Thibaut d'Aussigny play out his play and sn

d given his word. That would not have meant much to him eight days ago when he lived in a sick atmosphere of lies and dodges and tricks and meannesses, where the lips were as ready to deceive as the fingers to filch, and where a successful falsehood was almost as much applauded as a successful theft. But now, as he had said, he had lear

mself face to face with Noel le Jolys. Noel started in astonishment at the sight of his rival, but Villo

d swiftly up the winding stairs that led to the king's room, while Noel, left alone, pushed open the door again and passed out into the garden, his head dizzy with strange news. Placing his hands like a shell about his mouth