_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 Maxw