the chateau. An ideal Gruyere
beauty was la Belle Luce, with the vigorous perfection of her race and a
smile of such naive sweetness and charm as still lingers in the popular
tradition. Count Jean gave her his fairest mountain as a gage of his
affection and villages and rich pasture lands to her brave son, his
namesake, who had fought by his side at the Bicoque. The gallant count
was, according to tradition, very prodigal in his favors, and a certain
road, leading to the neighboring village of Charmey where the unhappy
Countess Marguerite could watch her faithless lord as he rode away on
his various adventures, is still known as the "_Charriere de
Creve-Coeur_."

Married for reasons of family policy to the daughter of the de Vergys,
who resided for the most part in the chateau of Oron, Count Jean passed
his happiest days with la Belle Luce at Gruyere. After the death of his
countess, and the passing of his youthful loves, he married Catherine de
Monteynard, with whom he honorably passed the last decade of his life.

CHAPTER IX

THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF GRUYERE

The three sons of Count Jean II not strangely reflected the conditions
of their birth and the widely differing characters of their mothers.
Francois, only son of his second marriage, which was founded on a real
preference and esteem, possessed the kindly and charitable nature of his
mother and the firm character of his distinguished Gruyere ancestors.
Jean, the illegitimate son of Luce d'Alberguex, was lovable and
valorous, but lacking in firmness or dignity of character. Michel, the
heir of Gruyere, and the child of Count Jean's loveless marriage with
Marguerite de Vergy, while personifying in their perfection the physical
beauty and charm of his line, was like the fair fruit of a decaying tree
hollow at heart, and was only too well fitted by his fantastic
pretensions and his frivolous weakness of character for the tragic role
which was assigned to him in the fall of his house.

"_Vela, Michel li preux li beaux
Fleur de tous autres damoiseaux._"

a couplet describing the romantic figure of the last count of Gruyere,
is still rhymed by the people and still finds its place among their
records. Imposing in height as his great forerunner Francois de Gruyere,
his features were of a beautiful regularity and nobility, his manner had
that princely pride and simplicity which was the greatest charm of
Francois I of France. At the French court, as in