rquise de Maintenon.

She repaired thither at the hour when she knew Madame de Maintenon
would be alone, taking the casket and jewels with her.

Madame de Maintenon might well wonder to see this dear old lady (who
was always kindness, sweetness and amiability personified), pale,
distressed, upset, coming in with uncertain steps. "In heaven's name,
what has happened to you?" she cried to her visitor, who was scarcely
able to stand upright, striving to reach the chair which the Marquise
drew forward for her. At last, when she could find words, she told her
what a deep, irremediable insult and outrage the thoughtless speech
which she had made in reply to the King had brought upon her.

Madame de Maintenon, when she had heard the whole affair properly
related, thought Mademoiselle Scuderi was taking it far too much to
heart, strange as the occurrence was--that the insult of a pack of
wretched rabble could not hurt an upright, noble heart: and finally
begged that she might see the ornaments.

Mademoiselle Scuderi handed her the open casket, and when she saw the
splendid and valuable stones, and the workmanship of them, she could
not repress a loud expression of admiration. She took the bracelets and
necklace to the window, letting the sunlight play on the jewels, and
holding the beautiful goldsmith's work close to her eyes, so as to see
with what wonderful skill each little link of the chains was formed.

She turned suddenly to Mademoiselle Scuderi, and cried, "Do you know,
there is only one man who can have done this work--and that is Rene
Cardillac."

Rene Cardillac was then the cleverest worker in gold in all Paris, one
of the most artistic, and at the same time extraordinary men of his
day. Short, rather than tall, but broad-shouldered, and of strong and
muscular build, Cardillac, now over fifty, had still the strength and
activity of a youth. To this vigour, which was to be called unusual,
testified also his thick, curling, reddish hair, and his massive,
shining face. Had he not been known to be the most upright and
honourable of men, unselfish, open, without reserve, always ready to
help, his altogether peculiar glance out of his grimly sparkling eyes
might have brought him under suspicion of being secretly ill-tempered
and wicked. In his art he was the most skilful worker, not only in
Paris, but probably in the world at that time. Intimately acquainted
with every kind of precious stones, versed in all their spec