A Modern Telemachus | Page 9

he could copy the themes or translations made for him by his
faithful companion. Neither boy had the least notion of unfairness or
deception in this arrangement: it was only the natural service of the one
to the other, and if it were perceived in the Fathers of the Seminary,
whither Lanty daily conducted the young Abbot, they winked at it. Nor,
though the quick-witted Lanty thus acquired a considerable amount of
learning, no idea occurred to him of availing himself of it for his own
advantage. It sat outside him, as it were, for 'Masther Phelim's' use; and
he no more thought of applying it to his own elevation than he did of
wearing the soutane he brushed for his young master.
The Abbe was now five-and-twenty, had received the tonsure, and had
been admitted to minor Orders, but there was no necessity for him to
proceed any farther unless higher promotion should be accorded to him
in recompense of his brother's services. He was a gentle, amiable being,
not at all fit to take care of himself; and since the death of his mother,
he had been the charge of his brother and sister-in-law, or perhaps more
correctly speaking, of the Dowager Marquise de Varennes, for all the
branches of the family lived together in the Hotel de Varennes at Paris,
or its chateau in the country, and the fine old lady ruled over all, her
son and son-in-law being often absent, as was the case at present.
A fresh European war had been provoked by the ambition of the second
wife of Philip V. of Spain, the Prince for whose cause Berwick had

fought. This Queen, Elizabeth Farnese, wanted rank and dominion for
her own son; moreover, Philip looked with longing eyes at his native
kingdom of France, all claim to which he had resigned when Spain was
bequeathed to him; but now that only a sickly child, Louis XV., stood
between him and the succession in right of blood, he felt his rights
superior to those of the Duke of Orleans. Thus Spain was induced to
become hostile to France, and to commence the war known as that of
the Quadruple Alliance.
While there was still hope of accommodation, the Comte de Bourke
had been sent as a special envoy to Madrid, and there continued even
after the war had broken out, and the Duke of Berwick, resigning all the
estates he had received from the gratitude of Philip V., had led an army
across the frontier.
The Count had, however, just been appointed Ambassador to Sweden,
and was anxious to be joined by his family on the way thither.
The tidings had created great commotion. Madame de Varennes looked
on Sweden as an Ultima Thule of frost and snow, but knew that a lady's
presence was essential to the display required of an ambassador. She
strove, however, to have the children left with her; but her daughter
declared that she could not part with Estelle, who was already a
companion and friend, and that Ulysse must be with his father, who
longed for his eldest son, so that only little Jacques, a delicate child,
was to be left to console his grandmother.

CHAPTER II
--A JACOBITE WAIF

'Sac now he's o'er the floods sae gray, And Lord Maxwell has ta'en his
good-night.' LORD MAXWELL'S Good-night.
Madame La Comtesse de Bourke was by no means a helpless fine lady.
She had several times accompanied her husband on his expeditions,
and had only not gone with him to Madrid because he did not expect to
be long absent, and she sorely rued the separation.
She was very busy in her own room, superintending the packing, and
assisting in it, when her own clever fingers were more effective than
those of her maids. She was in her robe de chambre, a dark blue

wrapper, embroidered with white, and put on more neatly than was
always the case with French ladies in deshabille. The hoop, long stiff
stays, rich brocade robe, and fabric of powdered hair were equally
unsuitable to ease or exertion, and consequently were seldom assumed
till late in the day, when the toilette was often made in public.
So Madame de Bourke's hair was simply rolled out of her way, and she
appeared in her true colours, as a little brisk, bonny woman, with no
actual beauty, but very expressive light gray eyes, furnished with
intensely long black lashes, and a sweet, mobile, lively countenance.
Estelle was trying to amuse little Jacques, and prevent him from
trotting between the boxes, putting all sorts of undesirable goods into
them; and Ulysse had collected his toys, and was pleading earnestly
that a headless wooden horse and a kite, twice as tall as himself, of
Lanty's manufacture, might go