rel for its own sake, sided with the prosecution; and declaring that
"no children like his had ever been seen under the sun," took out a
"lettre de cachet" for Louise, who was sent up to Sisteron, where he
requested her to "repent of her sins at leisure in the Convent of the
Ursulines." Inheriting a brilliant, restless wit and unbridled morals,
her life with the stupid, vicious Marquis had not improved her natural
disposition, and she soon set Sisteron agog. On pretence of business all
the lawyers flocked to see her; and with no pretence at all the garrison
flocked in their train. When the Ursulines ventured to remonstrate, she
diverted them with such anecdotes of gay adventure as were never found
between the pages of their prayer-books. Finally the whole town was
divided into two camps; her foes called her "a viper," and many an eye
peered into the dark streets, many a head was judiciously hidden behind
bowed shutters, to see who went toward the Convent; till by wit and
scheming and after some months of most surprising incident, Louise
carried her point, left the good Ursulines to a well-merited repose,
and returned to the Castle of Mirabeau,--to laugh at the townsfolk of
Sisteron.

[Illustration: "THE CATHEDRAL IS NEAR THE HEAVY, ROUND TOWERS OF THE
OUTER RAMPARTS."--SISTERON.]

[Illustration: "THE BRIDGE ACROSS THE DURANCE."--SISTERON.]

When in the city, the prelates occupied their Castle of the Citadel with
the high lookouts and defences, far from their Cathedral, which is in
the lower town near the heavy, round towers of the ramparts. This
church, which has been very slightly and very judiciously restored, is
of unknown date, probably of the XII century, it is faithful to the
native architectural tradition, and in some details more interesting
than many of the Provencal Cathedrals. Its exterior is small and low.
There are the familiar, friendly little apses of the Romanesque; near
them, above the east end of the north aisle, the squat tower with a
modest, modern spire; and at its side, above the roof-line, is the
octagon that stands over the dome. All this structure is unaffectedly
simple. The walls and buttresses which enclose the aisles are plain, and
it is only by comparison with this architectural Puritanism that the
facade may be considered ornate. Near the top of its wall, which is
supported by sturdy piers, are three round windows, with deep, splayed
frames. The largest of them is directly above the high,