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<div style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Queen&rsquo;s Necklace, by Alexandre Dumas, père</div>
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<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: The Queen&rsquo;s Necklace</div>
<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Alexandre Dumas, père</div>
<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: December 16, 2006 [eBook #20122]<br />
[Most recently updated: August 3, 2021]</div>
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<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE QUEEN&rsquo;S NECKLACE ***</div>

<div class="figcenter" style="width: 586px;">
<img src="images/illus-001.jpg" width="586" height="881" alt="CAGLIOSTRO AND OLIVA
Dumas, Vol. Eight" title="CAGLIOSTRO AND OLIVA
Dumas, Vol. Eight" />
</div>

         <h3> THE WORKS OF</h3>
         <h2>ALEXANDRE DUMAS</h2>

       <h3>IN THIRTY VOLUMES</h3>

             <h1>THE<br />
      QUEEN&rsquo;S NECKLACE</h1>

<h4>ILLUSTRATED WITH DRAWINGS ON WOOD BY</h4>
<h4>EMINENT FRENCH AND AMERICAN ARTISTS</h4>

          <h3>NEW YORK</h3>
   <h3>P. F. COLLIER AND SON</h3>
     <h3>MCMIV</h3>

<hr style="width: 65%;" />

<div class="chapter">

<h2>THE QUEEN&rsquo;S NECKLACE.</h2>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h4>PROLOGUE.&mdash;THE PREDICTIONS.</h4>

<h4>AN OLD NOBLEMAN AND AN OLD MAÎTRE-D&rsquo;HÔTEL.</h4>

<p>
It was the beginning of April, 1784, between twelve
and one o&rsquo;clock. Our old acquaintance, the Marshal de
Richelieu, having with his own hands colored his eyebrows
with a perfumed dye, pushed away the mirror which
was held to him by his valet, the successor of his faithful
Raffè and shaking his head in the manner peculiar to
himself, &ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;now I look myself;&rdquo; and
rising from his seat with juvenile vivacity, he commenced
shaking off the powder which had fallen from his
wig over his blue velvet coat, then, after taking a turn
or two up and down his room, called for his maître-d&rsquo;hôtel.
</p>

<p>
In five minutes this personage made his appearance,
elaborately dressed.
</p>

<p>
The marshal turned towards him, and with a gravity
befitting the occasion, said, &ldquo;Sir, I suppose you have prepared
me a good dinner?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly, your grace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have the list of my guests?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I remember them perfectly, your grace; I have prepared
a dinner for nine.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There are two sorts of dinners, sir,&rdquo; said the marshal.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;True, your grace, but&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The marshal interrupted him with a slightly impatient
movement, although still dignified.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you know, sir, that whenever I have heard the
word &lsquo;but,&rsquo; and I have heard it many times in the course
of eighty-eight years, it has been each time, I am sorry
to say, the harbinger of some folly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your grace&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;In the first place, at what time do we dine?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your grace, the citizens dine at two, the bar at three,
the nobility at four&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And I, sir?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your grace will dine to-day at five.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, at five!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, your grace, like the king&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And why like the king?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because, on the list of your guests, is the name of a
king.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not so, sir, you mistake; all my guests to-day are
simply noblemen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your grace is surely jesting; the Count Haga,<a name="FNanchor_A_" id="FNanchor_A_"></a><a href="#Footnote_A_" class="fnanchor">[A]</a> who
is among the guests&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, sir!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The Count Haga is a king.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I know no king so called.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your grace must pardon me then,&rdquo; said the maître-d&rsquo;hôtel,
bowing, &ldquo;but, I believed, supposed&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your business, sir, is neither to believe nor suppose;
your business is to read, without comment, the orders I
give you. When I wish a thing to be known, I tell it;
when I do not tell it, I wish it unknown.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The maître-d&rsquo;hôtel bowed again, more respectfully, perhaps,
than he would have done to a reigning monarch.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Therefore, sir,&rdquo; continued the old marshal, &ldquo;you
will, as I have none but noblemen to dinner, let us dine
at my usual hour, four o&rsquo;clock.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
At this order, the countenance of the maître-d&rsquo;hôtel
became clouded as if he had heard his sentence of death;
he grew deadly pale; then, recovering himself, with the
courage of despair he said, &ldquo;In any event, your grace
cannot dine before five o&rsquo;clock.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why so, sir?&rdquo; cried the marshal.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because it is utterly impossible.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sir,&rdquo; said the marshal, with a haughty air, &ldquo;it is now,
I believe, twenty years since you entered my service?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Twenty-one years, a month, and two weeks.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, sir, to these twenty-one years, a month, and
two weeks, you will not add a day, nor an hour. You
understand me, sir,&rdquo; he continued, biting his thin lips
and depressing his eyebrows; &ldquo;this evening you seek a
new master. I do not choose that the word impossible
shall be pronounced in my house; I am too old now to
begin to learn its meaning.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The maître-d&rsquo;hôtel bowed a third time.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This evening,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;I shall have taken leave of
your grace, but, at least, up to the last moment, my duty
shall have been performed as it should be;&rdquo; and he made
two steps towards the door.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you call as it should be?&rdquo; cried the marshal.
&ldquo;Learn, sir, that to do it as it suits me is to do it as it
should be. Now, I wish to dine at four, and it does not
suit me, when I wish to dine at four, to be obliged to
wait till five.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your grace,&rdquo; replied the maître-d&rsquo;hôtel, gravely, &ldquo;I
have served as butler to his highness the Prince de Soubise,
and as steward to his eminence the Cardinal de
Rohan. With the first, his majesty, the late King of
France, dined once a year; with the second, the Emperor
of Austria dined once a month. I know, therefore,
how a sovereign should be treated. When he visited the
Prince de Soubise, Louis XV. called himself in vain the
Baron de Gonesse; at the house of M. de Rohan, the
Emperor Joseph was announced as the Count de Packenstein;
but he was none the less emperor. To-day, your
grace also receives a guest, who vainly calls himself Count
Haga&mdash;Count Haga is still King of Sweden. I shall leave
your service this evening, but Count Haga will have been
treated like a king.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But that,&rdquo; said the marshal, &ldquo;is the very thing that
I am tiring myself to death in forbidding; Count Haga
wishes to preserve his incognito as strictly as possible.
Well do I see through your absurd vanity; it is not the
crown that you honor, but yourself that you wish to glorify;
I repeat again, that I do not wish it imagined that
I have a king here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What, then, does your grace take me for? It is not
that I wish it known that there is a king here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then in heaven&rsquo;s name do not be obstinate, but let
us have dinner at four.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But at four o&rsquo;clock, your grace, what I am expecting
will not have arrived.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What are you expecting? a fish, like M. Vatel?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Does your grace wish that I should tell you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;On my faith, I am curious.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then, your grace, I wait for a bottle of wine.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A bottle of wine! Explain yourself, sir, the thing
begins to interest me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Listen then, your grace; his majesty the King of
Sweden&mdash;I beg pardon, the Count Haga I should have
said&mdash;drinks nothing but tokay.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, am I so poor as to have no tokay in my cellar?
If so, I must dismiss my butler.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not so, your grace; on the contrary, you have about
sixty bottles.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, do you think Count Haga will drink sixty bottles
with his dinner?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, your grace; but when Count Haga first visited
France, when he was only prince royal, he dined with the
late king, who had received twelve bottles of tokay from
the Emperor of Austria. You are aware that the tokay
of the finest vintages is reserved exclusively for the cellar
of the emperor, and that kings themselves can only drink
it when he pleases to send it to them.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I know it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then, your grace, of these twelve bottles of which
the prince royal drank, only two remain. One is in the
cellar of his majesty Louis XVI.&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And the other?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, your grace!&rdquo; said the maître-d&rsquo;hôtel, with a
triumphant smile, for he felt that, after the long battle
he had been fighting, the moment of victory was at hand,
&ldquo;the other one was stolen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;By whom, then?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;By one of my friends, the late king&rsquo;s butler, who was
under great obligations to me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! and so he gave it to you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly, your grace,&rdquo; said the maître-d&rsquo;hôtel with
pride.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And what did you do with it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I placed it carefully in my master&rsquo;s cellar.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your master! And who was your master at that
time?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;His eminence the Cardinal de Rohan.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, mon Dieu! at Strasbourg?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;At Saverne.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And you have sent to seek this bottle for me!&rdquo; cried
the old marshal.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;For you, your grace,&rdquo; replied the maître-d&rsquo;hôtel, in a
tone which plainly said, &ldquo;ungrateful as you are.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The Duke de Richelieu seized the hand of the old
servant and cried, &ldquo;I beg pardon; you are the king of
maîtres d&rsquo;hôtel.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And you would have dismissed me,&rdquo; he replied, with
an indescribable shrug of his shoulders.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I will pay you one hundred pistoles for this
bottle of wine.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And the expenses of its coming here will be another
hundred; but you will grant that it is worth it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will grant anything you please, and, to begin, from
to-day I double your salary.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I seek no reward, your grace; I have but done my
duty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And when will your courier arrive?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your grace may judge if I have lost time: on what
day did I have my orders for the dinner?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why, three days ago, I believe.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It takes a courier, at his utmost speed, twenty-four
hours to go, and the same to return.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There still remain twenty-four hours,&rdquo; said the
marshal; &ldquo;how have they been employed?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Alas, your grace, they were lost. The idea only came
to me the day after I received the list of your guests.
Now calculate the time necessary for the negotiation, and
you will perceive that in asking you to wait till five I am
only doing what I am absolutely obliged to do.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The bottle is not yet arrived, then?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, your grace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, sir, if your colleague at Saverne be as devoted to
the Prince de Rohan as you are to me, and should refuse
the bottle, as you would do in his place&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I? your grace&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes; you would not, I suppose, have given away such
a bottle, had it belonged to me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I beg your pardon, humbly, your grace; but had a
friend, having a king to provide for, asked me for your
best bottle of wine, he should have had it immediately.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; said the marshal, with a grimace.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is only by helping others that we can expect help
in our own need, your grace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, then, I suppose we may calculate that it will be
given, but there is still another risk&mdash;if the bottle should
be broken?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! your grace, who would break a bottle of wine of
that value?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, I trust not; what time, then, do you expect
your courier?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;At four o&rsquo;clock precisely.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then why not dine at four?&rdquo; replied the marshal.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your grace, the wine must rest for an hour; and had
it not been for an invention of my own, it would have
required three days to recover itself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Beaten at all points, the marshal gave way.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Besides,&rdquo; continued the old servant, &ldquo;be sure, your
grace, that your guests will not arrive before half-past
four.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And why not?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Consider, your grace: to begin with M. de Launay;
he comes from the Bastile, and with the ice at present
covering the streets of Paris&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No; but he will leave after the prisoners&rsquo; dinner, at
twelve o&rsquo;clock.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pardon me, your grace, but the dinner hour at the
Bastile has been changed since your grace was there; it
is now one.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sir, you are learned on all points; pray go on.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame Dubarry comes from the Luciennes, one
continued descent, and in this frost.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That would not prevent her being punctual, since she
is no longer a duke&rsquo;s favorite; she plays the queen only
among barons; but let me tell you, sir, that I desire to
have dinner early on account of M. de la Pérouse, who
sets off to-night, and would not wish to be late.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, your grace, M. de la Pérouse is with the king,
discussing geography and cosmography; he will not get
away too early.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is possible.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is certain, your grace, and it will be the same with
M. de Favras, who is with the Count de Provence, talking,
no doubt, of the new play by the Canon de Beaumarchais.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You mean the &lsquo;Marriage of Figaro&rsquo;?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, your grace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why, you are quite literary also, it seems.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;In my leisure moments I read, your grace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We have, however, M. de Condorcet, who, being a
geometrician, should at least be punctual.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes; but he will be deep in some calculation, from
which, when he rouses himself, it will probably be at least
half an hour too late. As for the Count Cagliostro, as he
is a stranger, and not well acquainted with the customs
of Versailles, he will, in all probability, make us wait for
him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said the marshal, &ldquo;you have disposed of all
my guests, except M. de Taverney, in a manner worthy
of Homer, or of my poor Raffè.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The maître-d&rsquo;hôtel bowed. &ldquo;I have not,&rdquo; said he,
&ldquo;named M. de Taverney, because, being an old friend,
he will probably be punctual.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Good; and where do we dine?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;In the great dining-room, your grace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But we shall freeze there.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It has been warmed for three days, your grace; and
I believe you will find it perfectly comfortable.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very well; but there is a clock striking! Why, it is
half-past four!&rdquo; cried the marshal.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, your grace; and there is the courier entering the
courtyard with my bottle of tokay.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;May I continue for another twenty years to be served
in this manner!&rdquo; said the marshal, turning again to his
looking-glass, while the maître-d&rsquo;hôtel ran down-stairs.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Twenty years!&rdquo; said a laughing voice, interrupting
the marshal in his survey of himself; &ldquo;twenty years, my
dear duke! I wish them you; but then I shall be sixty&mdash;I
shall be very old.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You, countess!&rdquo; cried the marshal, &ldquo;you are my
first arrival, and, mon Dieu! you look as young and charming
as ever.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Duke, I am frozen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come into the boudoir, then.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! tête-à-tête, marshal?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not so,&rdquo; replied a somewhat broken voice.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! Taverney!&rdquo; said the marshal; and then whispering
to the countess, &ldquo;Plague take him for disturbing us!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Madame Dubarry laughed, and they all entered the
adjoining room.
</p>

<div class="footnote"><p>
<a name="Footnote_A_" id="Footnote_A_"></a><a href="#FNanchor_A_"><span class="label">[A]</span></a> The name of Count Haga was well known as one assumed
by the King of Sweden when traveling in France.
</p></div>

<hr style='width: 25%;' />

<h4>II.&mdash;M. DE LA PEROUSE.</h4>

<p>
At the same moment, the noise of carriages in the street
warned the marshal that his guests were arriving; and
soon after, thanks to the punctuality of his maître-d&rsquo;hôtel,
nine persons were seated round the oval table in the dining-room.
Nine lackeys, silent as shadows, quick without
bustle, and attentive without importunity, glided
over the carpet, and passed among the guests, without
ever touching their chairs, which were surrounded with
furs, which were wrapped round the legs of the sitters.
These furs, with the heat from the stoves, and the odors
from the wine and the dinner, diffused a degree of comfort,
which manifested itself in the gaiety of the guests,
who had just finished their soup.
</p>

<p>
No sound was heard from without, and none within,
save that made by the guests themselves; for the plates
were changed, and the dishes moved round, with the most
perfect quiet. Nor from the maître d&rsquo;hôtel could a whisper
be heard; he seemed to give his orders with his eyes.
</p>

<p>
The guests, therefore, began to feel as though they
were alone. It seemed to them that servants so silent
must also be deaf.
</p>

<p>
M. de Richelieu was the first who broke the silence, by
saying to the guest on his right hand, &ldquo;But, count, you
drink nothing.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
This was addressed to a man about thirty-eight years of
age, short, fair-haired, and with high shoulders; his eye
a clear blue, now bright, but oftener with a pensive expression,
and with nobility stamped unmistakably on his
open and manly forehead.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I only drink water, marshal,&rdquo; he replied.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Excepting with Louis XV.,&rdquo; returned the marshal;
&ldquo;I had the honor of dining at his table with you, and
you deigned that day to drink wine.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! you recall a pleasing remembrance, marshal;
that was in 1771. It was tokay, from the imperial cellar.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It was like that with which my maître-d&rsquo;hôtel will
now have the honor to fill your glass,&rdquo; replied Richelieu,
bowing.
</p>

<p>
Count Haga raised his glass, and looked through it.
The wine sparkled in the light like liquid rubies. &ldquo;It is
true,&rdquo; said he; &ldquo;marshal, I thank you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
These words were uttered in a manner so noble, that
the guests, as if by a common impulse, rose, and cried,&mdash;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Long live the king!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said Count Haga, &ldquo;long live his majesty the
King of France. What say you, M. de la Pérouse?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My lord,&rdquo; replied the captain, with that tone, at once
flattering and respectful, common to those accustomed
to address crowned heads, &ldquo;I have just left the king,
and his majesty has shown me so much kindness, that no
one will more willingly cry &lsquo;Long live the king&rsquo; than I.
Only, as in another hour I must leave you to join the two
ships which his majesty has put at my disposal, once out
of this house, I shall take the liberty of saying, &lsquo;Long
life to another king, whom I should be proud to serve,
had I not already so good a master.&rsquo;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This health that you propose,&rdquo; said Madame Dubarry,
who sat on the marshal&rsquo;s left hand, &ldquo;we are all ready to
drink, but the oldest of us should take the lead.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Is it you, that that concerns, or me, Taverney?&rdquo; said
the marshal, laughing.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not believe,&rdquo; said another on the opposite side,
&ldquo;that M. de Richelieu is the senior of our party.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then it is you, Taverney,&rdquo; said the duke.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, I am eight years younger than you! I was born
in 1704,&rdquo; returned he.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How rude,&rdquo; said the marshal, &ldquo;to expose my eighty-eight
years.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Impossible, duke! that you are eighty-eight,&rdquo; said
M. de Condorcet.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is, however, but too true; it is a calculation easy
to make, and therefore unworthy of an algebraist like
you, marquis. I am of the last century&mdash;the great century,
as we call it. My date is 1696.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Impossible!&rdquo; cried De Launay.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, if your father were here, he would not say impossible,
he, who, when governor of the Bastile, had me
for a lodger in 1714.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The senior in age, here, however,&rdquo; said M. de Favras,
&ldquo;is the wine Count Haga is now drinking.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are right, M. de Favras; this wine is a hundred
and twenty years old; to the wine, then, belongs the
honor&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;One moment, gentlemen,&rdquo; said Cagliostro, raising
his eyes, beaming with intelligence and vivacity; &ldquo;I
claim the precedence.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You claim precedence over the tokay!&rdquo; exclaimed
all the guests in chorus.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Assuredly,&rdquo; returned Cagliostro, calmly; &ldquo;since it
was I who bottled it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, I; on the day of the victory won by Montecucully
over the Turks in 1664.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
A burst of laughter followed these words, which Cagliostro
had pronounced with perfect gravity.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;By this calculation, you would be something like one
hundred and thirty years old,&rdquo; said Madame Dubarry;
&ldquo;for you must have been at least ten years old when you
bottled the wine.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I was more than ten when I performed that operation,
madame, as on the following day I had the honor
of being deputed by his majesty the Emperor of Austria
to congratulate Montecucully, who by the victory of St.
Gothard had avenged the day at Especk, in Sclavonia, in
which the infidels treated the imperialists so roughly,
who were my friends and companions in arms in 1536.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said Count Haga, as coldly as Cagliostro himself,
&ldquo;you must have been at least ten years old, when
you were at that memorable battle.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A terrible defeat, count,&rdquo; returned Cagliostro.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Less terrible than Cressy, however,&rdquo; said Condorcet,
smiling.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;True, sir, for at the battle of Cressy, it was not only
an army, but all France, that was beaten; but then this
defeat was scarcely a fair victory to the English; for
King Edward had cannon, a circumstance of which Philip
de Valois was ignorant, or rather, which he would not
believe, although I warned him that I had with my own
eyes seen four pieces of artillery which Edward had
bought from the Venetians.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah,&rdquo; said Madame Dubarry; &ldquo;you knew Philip de
Valois?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, I had the honor to be one of the five lords
who escorted him off the field of battle; I came to France
with the poor old King of Bohemia, who was blind, and
who threw away his life when he heard that the battle
was lost.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, sir,&rdquo; said M. de la Pérouse, &ldquo;how much I regret,
that instead of the battle of Cressy, it was not that of
Actium at which you assisted.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why so, sir?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, because you might have given me some nautical
details, which, in spite of Plutarch&rsquo;s fine narration, have
ever been obscure to me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Which, sir? I should be happy to be of service to you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, you were there, then, also?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, sir; I was then in Egypt. I had been employed
by Queen Cleopatra to restore the library at Alexandria&mdash;an
office for which I was better qualified than any one
else, from having personally known the best authors of
antiquity.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And you have seen Queen Cleopatra?&rdquo; said Madame
Dubarry.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;As I now see you, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Was she as pretty as they say?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, you know beauty is only comparative; a
charming queen in Egypt, in Paris she would only have
been a pretty grisette.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Say no harm of grisettes, count.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;God forbid!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then Cleopatra was&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Little, slender, lively, and intelligent; with large
almond-shaped eyes, a Grecian nose, teeth like pearls,
and a hand like your own, countess&mdash;a fit hand to hold a
scepter. See, here is a diamond which she gave me, and
which she had had from her brother Ptolemy; she wore
it on her thumb.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;On her thumb?&rdquo; cried Madame Dubarry.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes; it was an Egyptian fashion; and I, you see,
can hardly put it on my little finger;&rdquo; and taking off
the ring, he handed it to Madame Dubarry.
</p>

<p>
It was a magnificent diamond, of such fine water, and
so beautifully cut, as to be worth thirty thousand or forty
thousand francs.
</p>

<p>
The diamond was passed round the table, and returned
to Cagliostro, who, putting it quietly on his finger again,
said, &ldquo;Ah, I see well you are all incredulous; this fatal
incredulity I have had to contend against all my life.
Philip de Valois would not listen to me, when I told him
to leave open a retreat to Edward; Cleopatra would not
believe me when I warned her that Antony would be
beaten: the Trojans would not credit me, when I said to
them, with reference to the wooden horse, &lsquo;Cassandra is
inspired; listen to Cassandra.&rsquo;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! it is charming,&rdquo; said Madame Dubarry, shaking
with laughter; &ldquo;I have never met a man at once so
serious and so diverting.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I assure you,&rdquo; replied Cagliostro, &ldquo;that Jonathan
was much more so. He was really a charming companion;
until he was killed by Saul, he nearly drove me
crazy with laughing.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you know,&rdquo; said the Duke de Richelieu, &ldquo;if you
go on in this way you will drive poor Taverney crazy; he
is so afraid of death, that he is staring at you with all his
eyes, hoping you to be an immortal.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Immortal I cannot say, but one thing I can affirm&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What?&rdquo; cried Taverney, who was the most eager
listener.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That I have seen all the people and events of which
I have been speaking to you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have known Montecucully?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;As well as I know you, M. de Favras; and, indeed,
much better, for this is but the second or third time I
have had the honor of seeing you, while I lived nearly a
year under the same tent with him of whom you speak.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You knew Philip de Valois?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;As I have already had the honor of telling you, M.
de Condorcet; but when he returned to Paris, I left
France and returned to Bohemia.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And Cleopatra.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, countess; Cleopatra, I can tell you, had eyes as
black as yours, and shoulders almost as beautiful.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But what do you know of my shoulders?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They are like what Cassandra&rsquo;s once were; and there
is still a further resemblance,&mdash;she had like you, or
rather, you have like her, a little black spot on your left
side, just above the sixth rib.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, count, now you really are a sorcerer.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, no,&rdquo; cried the marshal, laughing; &ldquo;it was I
who told him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And pray how do you know?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The marshal bit his lips, and replied, &ldquo;Oh, it is a
family secret.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, really, marshal,&rdquo; said the countess, &ldquo;one should
put on a double coat of rouge before visiting you;&rdquo; and
turning again to Cagliostro, &ldquo;then, sir, you have the art
of renewing your youth? For although you say you are
three or four thousand years old, you scarcely look
forty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame, I do possess that secret.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, then, sir, impart it to me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To you, madame? It is useless; your youth is
already renewed; your age is only what it appears to be,
and you do not look thirty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! you flatter.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, madame, I speak only the truth, but it is easily
explained: you have already tried my receipt.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How so?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have taken my elixir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You, countess. Oh! you cannot have forgotten it.
Do you not remember a certain house in the Rue St.
Claude, and coming there on some business respecting
M. de Sartines? You remember rendering a service to
one of my friends, called Joseph Balsamo, and that this
Joseph Balsamo gave you a bottle of elixir, recommending
you to take three drops every morning? Do you
not remember having done this regularly until the last
year, when the bottle became exhausted? If you do
not remember all this, countess, it is more than forgetfulness&mdash;it
is ingratitude.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! M. Cagliostro, you are telling me things&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Which were only known to yourself, I am aware;
but what would be the use of being a sorcerer if one did
not know one&rsquo;s neighbor&rsquo;s secrets?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then Joseph Balsamo has, like you, the secret of
this famous elixir?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, madame, but he was one of my best friends, and
I gave him three or four bottles.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And has he any left?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! I know nothing of that; for the last two or
three years, poor Balsamo has disappeared. The last
time I saw him was in America, on the banks of the
Ohio: he was setting off on an expedition to the Rocky
Mountains, and since then I have heard that he is dead.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come, come, count,&rdquo; cried the marshal; &ldquo;let us
have the secret, by all means.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Are you speaking seriously, sir?&rdquo; said Count Haga.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very seriously, sire,&mdash;I beg pardon, I mean count;&rdquo;
and Cagliostro bowed in such a way as to indicate that
his error was a voluntary one.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then,&rdquo; said the marshal, &ldquo;Madame Dubarry is not
old enough to be made young again?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, on my conscience.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, then, I will give you another subject: here is
my friend, M. Taverney&mdash;what do you say to him?
Does he not look like a contemporary of Pontius Pilate?
But perhaps, he, on the contrary, is too old.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Cagliostro looked at the baron. &ldquo;No,&rdquo; said he.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! my dear count,&rdquo; exclaimed Richelieu; &ldquo;if you
will renew his youth, I will proclaim you a true pupil of
Medea.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You wish it?&rdquo; asked Cagliostro of the host, and
looking round at the same time on all assembled.
</p>

<p>
Every one called out, &ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And you also, M. Taverney?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I more than any one,&rdquo; said the baron.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, it is easy,&rdquo; returned Cagliostro; and he drew
from his pocket a small bottle, and poured into a glass
some of the liquid it contained. Then, mixing these
drops with half a glass of iced champagne, he passed it
to the baron.
</p>

<p>
All eyes followed his movements eagerly.
</p>

<p>
The baron took the glass, but as he was about to drink
he hesitated.
</p>

<p>
Every one began to laugh, but Cagliostro called out,
&ldquo;Drink, baron, or you will lose a liquor of which each
drop is worth a hundred louis d&rsquo;ors.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The devil,&rdquo; cried Richelieu; &ldquo;that is even better
than tokay.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I must then drink?&rdquo; said the baron, almost trembling.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Or pass the glass to another, sir, that some one at
least may profit by it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pass it here,&rdquo; said Richelieu, holding out his hand.
</p>

<p>
The baron raised the glass, and decided, doubtless, by
the delicious smell and the beautiful rose color which
those few drops had given to the champagne, he swallowed
the magic liquor. In an instant a kind of shiver ran
through him; he seemed to feel all his old and sluggish
blood rushing quickly through his veins, from his heart
to his feet, his wrinkled skin seemed to expand, his eyes,
half covered by their lids, appeared to open without his
will, and the pupils to grow and brighten, the trembling
of his hands to cease, his voice to strengthen, and his
limbs to recover their former youthful elasticity. In
fact, it seemed as if the liquid in its descent had regenerated
his whole body.
</p>

<p>
A cry of surprise, wonder, and admiration rang
through the room.
</p>

<p>
Taverney, who had been slowly eating with his gums,
began to feel famished; he seized a plate and helped
himself largely to a ragout, and then demolished a partridge,
bones and all, calling out that his teeth were coming
back to him. He ate, laughed, and cried for joy,
for half an hour, while the others remained gazing at
him in stupefied wonder; then little by little he failed
again, like a lamp whose oil is burning out, and all the
former signs of old age returned upon him.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; groaned he, &ldquo;once more adieu to my youth,&rdquo;
and he gave utterance to a deep sigh, while two tears
rolled over his cheeks.
</p>

<p>
Instinctively, at this mournful spectacle of the old
man first made young again, and then seeming to become
yet older than before, from the contrast, the sigh
was echoed all round the table.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is easy to explain, gentlemen,&rdquo; said Cagliostro;
&ldquo;I gave the baron but thirty-five drops of the elixir. He
became young, therefore, for only thirty-five minutes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh more, more, count!&rdquo; cried the old man eagerly.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, sir, for perhaps the second trial would kill you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Of all the guests, Madame Dubarry, who had already
tested the virtue of the elixir, seemed most deeply interested
while old Taverney&rsquo;s youth seemed thus to renew
itself; she had watched him with delight and triumph, and
half fancied herself growing young again at the sight, while
she could hardly refrain from endeavoring to snatch from
Cagliostro the wonderful bottle; but now, seeing him
resume his old age even quicker than he had lost it,
&ldquo;Alas!&rdquo; she said sadly, &ldquo;all is vanity and deception;
the effects of this wonderful secret last for thirty-five
minutes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is to say,&rdquo; said Count Haga, &ldquo;that in order to
resume your youth for two years, you would have to drink
a perfect river.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Every one laughed.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; said De Condorcet, &ldquo;the calculation is simple;
a mere nothing of 3,153,000 drops for one year&rsquo;s youth.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;An inundation,&rdquo; said La Pérouse.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;However, sir,&rdquo; continued Madame Dubarry; &ldquo;according
to you, I have not needed so much, as a small
bottle about four times the size of that you hold has been
sufficient to arrest the march of time for ten years.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Just so, madame. And you alone approach this
mysterious truth. The man who has already grown old
needs this large quantity to produce an immediate and
powerful effect; but a woman of thirty, as you were, or a
man of forty, as I was, when I began to drink this elixir,
still full of life and youth, needs but ten drops at each period
of decay; and with these ten drops may eternally
continue his life and youth at the same point.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you call the periods of decay?&rdquo; asked
Count Haga.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The natural periods, count. In a state of nature,
man&rsquo;s strength increases until thirty-five years of age.
It then remains stationary until forty; and from that
time forward, it begins to diminish, but almost imperceptibly,
until fifty; then the process becomes quicker and
quicker to the day of his death. In our state of civilization,
when the body is weakened by excess, cares, and
maladies, the failure begins at thirty-five. The time,
then, to take nature, is when she is stationary, so as to
forestall the beginning of decay. He who, possessor as I
am of the secret of this elixir, knows how to seize the
happy moment, will live as I live; always young, or, at
least, always young enough for what he has to do in the
world.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, M. Cagliostro,&rdquo; cried the countess; &ldquo;why, if you
could choose your own age, did you not stop at twenty
instead of at forty?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because, madame,&rdquo; said Cagliostro, smiling, &ldquo;it
suits me better to be a man of forty, still healthy and
vigorous, than a raw youth of twenty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; said the countess.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Doubtless, madame,&rdquo; continued Cagliostro, &ldquo;at
twenty one pleases women of thirty; at forty, we govern
women of twenty, and men of sixty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I yield, sir,&rdquo; said the countess, &ldquo;for you are a living
proof of the truth of your own words.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then I,&rdquo; said Taverney, piteously, &ldquo;am condemned;
it is too late for me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Richelieu has been more skilful than you,&rdquo;
said La Pérouse naïvely, &ldquo;and I have always heard that
he had some secret.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is a report that the women have spread,&rdquo; laughed
Count Haga.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Is that a reason for disbelieving it, duke?&rdquo; asked
Madame Dubarry.
</p>

<p>
The old duke colored, a rare thing for him; but replied,
&ldquo;Do you wish, gentlemen, to have my receipt?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, by all means.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, then, it is simply to take care of yourself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, oh!&rdquo; cried all.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, M. Cagliostro,&rdquo; continued Madame Dubarry, &ldquo;I
must ask more about the elixir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, madame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You said you first used it at forty years of age&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And that since that time, that is, since the siege of
Troy&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A little before, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That you have always remained forty years old?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You see me now.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But then, sir,&rdquo; said De Condorcet, &ldquo;you argue, not
only the perpetuation of youth, but the preservation of
life; for if since the siege of Troy you have been always
forty, you have never died.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;True, marquis, I have never died.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But are you, then, invulnerable, like Achilles, or still
more so, for Achilles was killed by the arrow of Paris?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No. I am not invulnerable, and there is my great
regret,&rdquo; said Cagliostro.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then, sir, you may be killed.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Alas! yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How, then, have you escaped all accidents for three
thousand five hundred years?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is chance, marquis, but will you follow my reasoning?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, yes,&rdquo; cried all, with eagerness.
</p>

<p>
Cagliostro continued: &ldquo;What is the first requisite to
life?&rdquo; he asked, spreading out his white and beautiful
hands covered with rings, among which Cleopatra&rsquo;s shone
conspicuously. &ldquo;Is it not health!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And the way to preserve health is?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Proper management,&rdquo; said Count Haga.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Right, count. And why should not my elixir be the
best possible method of treatment? And this treatment
I have adopted, and with it have preserved my youth, and
with youth, health, and life.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But all things exhaust themselves; the finest constitution,
as well as the worst.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The body of Paris, like that of Vulcan,&rdquo; said the
countess. &ldquo;Perhaps, you knew Paris, by the bye?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Perfectly, madame; he was a fine young man, but
really did not deserve all that has been said of him. In
the first place, he had red hair.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Red hair, horrible!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Unluckily, madame, Helen was not of your opinion:
but to return to our subject. You say, M. de Taverney,
that all things exhaust themselves; but you also know,
that everything recovers again, regenerates, or is replaced,
whichever you please to call it. The famous knife of St.
Hubert, which so often changed both blade and handle,
is an example, for through every change it still remained
the knife of St. Hubert. The wines which the monks
of Heidelberg preserve so carefully in their cellars, remain
still the same wine, although each year they pour
into it a fresh supply; therefore, this wine always remains
clear, bright, and delicious: while the wine which
Opimus and I hid in the earthen jars was, when I tried
it a hundred years after, only a thick dirty substance,
which might have been eaten, but certainly could not
have been drunk. Well, I follow the example of the
monks of Heidelberg, and preserve my body by introducing
into it every year new elements, which regenerate
the old. Every morning a new and fresh atom replaces
in my blood, my flesh, and my bones, some particle
which has perished. I stay that ruin which most men allow
insensibly to invade their whole being, and I force into
action all those powers which God has given to every human
being, but which most people allow to lie dormant. This
is the great study of my life, and as, in all things, he
who does one thing constantly does that thing better
than others, I am becoming more skilful than others in
avoiding danger. Thus, you would not get me to enter
a tottering house; I have seen too many houses not to
tell at a glance the safe from the unsafe. You would not
see me go out hunting with a man who managed his gun
badly. From Cephalus, who killed his wife, down to the
regent, who shot the prince in the eye, I have seen too
many unskilful people. You could not make me accept
in battle the post which many a man would take without
thinking, because I should calculate in a moment the
chances of danger at each point. You will tell me that
one cannot foresee a stray bullet; but the man who has
escaped a thousand gun-shots will hardly fall a victim to
one now. Ah, you look incredulous, but am I not a
living proof? I do not tell you that I am immortal, only
that I know better than others how to avoid danger; for
instance, I would not remain here now alone with M. de
Launay, who is thinking that, if he had me in the Bastile,
he would put my immortality to the test of starvation;
neither would I remain with M. de Condorcet, for
he is thinking that he might just empty into my glass
the contents of that ring which he wears on his left hand,
and which is full of poison&mdash;not with any evil intent,
but just as a scientific experiment, to see if I should
die.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The two people named looked at each other, and colored.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Confess, M. de Launay, we are not in a court of justice;
besides, thoughts are not punished. Did you not
think what I said? And you, M. de Condorcet, would
you not have liked to let me taste the poison in your ring,
in the name of your beloved mistress, science?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Indeed,&rdquo; said M. de Launay, laughing, &ldquo;I confess you
are right; it was folly, but that folly did pass through
my mind just before you accused me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And I,&rdquo; said M. de Condorcet, &ldquo;will not be less candid.
I did think that if you tasted the contents of my
ring, I would not give much for your life.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
A cry of admiration burst from the rest of the party;
these avowals confirming not the immortality, but the
penetration, of Count Cagliostro.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You see,&rdquo; said Cagliostro, quietly, &ldquo;that I divined
these dangers; well, it is the same with other things. The
experience of a long life reveals to me at a glance much
of the past and of the future of those whom I meet. My
capabilities in this way extend even to animals and inanimate
objects. If I get into a carriage, I can tell from
the look of the horses if they are likely to run away;
and from that of the coachman, if he will overturn me.
If I go on board ship, I can see if the captain is ignorant
or obstinate, and consequently likely to endanger me. I
should then leave the coachman or captain, escape from
those horses or that ship. I do not deny chance, I only
lessen it, and instead of incurring a hundred chances,
like the rest of the world, I prevent ninety-nine of them,
and endeavor to guard against the hundredth. This is
the good of having lived three thousand years.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then,&rdquo; said La Pérouse, laughing, amidst the wonder
and enthusiasm created by this speech of Cagliostro&rsquo;s,
&ldquo;you should come with me when I embark to make the
tour of the world; you would render me a signal service.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Cagliostro did not reply.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Richelieu,&rdquo; continued La Pérouse, &ldquo;as the
Count Cagliostro, which is very intelligible, does not wish
to quit such good company, you must permit me to do so
without him. Excuse me, Count Haga, and you, madame,
but it is seven o&rsquo;clock, and I have promised his majesty
to start at a quarter past. But since Count Cagliostro
will not be tempted to come with me, and see my ships,
perhaps he can tell me what will happen to me between
Versailles and Brest. From Brest to the Pole I ask nothing;
that is my own business.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Cagliostro looked at La Pérouse with such a melancholy
air, so full both of pity and kindness, that the others were
struck by it. The sailor himself, however, did not remark
it. He took leave of the company, put on his fur
riding coat, into one of the pockets of which Madame
Dubarry pushed a bottle of delicious cordial, welcome to
a traveler, but which he would not have provided for
himself, to recall to him, she said, his absent friends
during the long nights of a journey in such bitter
cold.
</p>

<p>
La Pérouse, still full of gaiety, bowed respectfully to
Count Haga, and held out his hand to the old marshal.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Adieu, dear La Pérouse,&rdquo; said the latter.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, duke, au revoir,&rdquo; replied La Pérouse, &ldquo;one would
think I was going away forever; now I have but to circumnavigate
the globe&mdash;five or six years&rsquo; absence; it is
scarcely worth while to say &lsquo;adieu&rsquo; for that.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Five or six years,&rdquo; said the marshal; &ldquo;you might
almost as well say five or six centuries; days are years at
my age, therefore I say, adieu.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Bah! ask the sorcerer,&rdquo; returned La Pérouse, still
laughing; &ldquo;he will promise you twenty years&rsquo; more life.
Will you not, Count Cagliostro? Oh, count, why did I
not hear sooner of those precious drops of yours? Whatever
the price, I should have shipped a tun. Madame,
another kiss of that beautiful hand, I shall certainly not
see such another till I return; au revoir,&rdquo; and he left the
room.
</p>

<p>
Cagliostro still preserved the same mournful silence.
They heard the steps of the captain as he left the house,
his gay voice in the courtyard, and his farewells to the
people assembled to see him depart. Then the horses
shook their heads, covered with bells, the door of the
carriage shut with some noise, and the wheels were heard
rolling along the street.
</p>

<p>
La Pérouse had started on that voyage from which he
was destined never to return.
</p>

<p>
When they could no longer hear a sound, all looks were
again turned to Cagliostro; there seemed a kind of inspired
light in his eyes.
</p>

<p>
Count Haga first broke the silence, which had lasted for
some minutes. &ldquo;Why did you not reply to his question?&rdquo;
he inquired of Cagliostro.
</p>

<p>
Cagliostro started, as if the question had roused him
from a reverie. &ldquo;Because,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;I must either have
told a falsehood or a sad truth.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How so?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I must have said to him,&mdash;&lsquo;M. de la Pérouse, the duke
is right in saying to you adieu, and not au revoir.&rsquo;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said Richelieu, turning pale, &ldquo;what do you
mean?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Reassure yourself, marshal, this sad prediction does
not concern you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What,&rdquo; cried Madame Dubarry, &ldquo;this poor La Pérouse,
who has just kissed my hand&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not only, madame, will never kiss it again, but will
never again see those he has just left,&rdquo; said Cagliostro,
looking attentively at the glass of water he was holding up.
</p>

<p>
A cry of astonishment burst from all. The interest of
the conversation deepened every moment, and you might
have thought, from the solemn and anxious air with which
all regarded Cagliostro, that it was some ancient and infallible
oracle they were consulting.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pray then, count,&rdquo; said Madame Dubarry, &ldquo;tell us
what will befall poor La Pérouse.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Cagliostro shook his head.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, yes, let us hear!&rdquo; cried all the rest.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, then, M. de la Pérouse intends, as you know,
to make the tour of the globe, and continue the researches
of poor Captain Cook, who was killed in the Sandwich
Islands.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, yes, we know.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Everything should foretell a happy termination to
this voyage; M. de la Pérouse is a good seaman, and
his route has been most skilfully traced by the king.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; interrupted Count Haga, &ldquo;the King of France
is a clever geographer; is he not, M. de Condorcet?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;More skilful than is needful for a king,&rdquo; replied the
marquis; &ldquo;kings ought to know things only slightly,
then they will let themselves be guided by those who
know them thoroughly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Is this a lesson, marquis?&rdquo; said Count Haga, smiling.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, no. Only a simple reflection, a general truth.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, he is gone,&rdquo; said Madame Dubarry, anxious to
bring the conversation back to La Pérouse.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, he is gone,&rdquo; replied Cagliostro, &ldquo;but don&rsquo;t
believe, in spite of his haste, that he will soon embark. I
foresee much time lost at Brest.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That would be a pity,&rdquo; said De Condorcet; &ldquo;this is
the time to set out: it is even now rather late&mdash;February
or March would have been better.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, do not grudge him these few months, M. de
Condorcet, for, during them, he will at least live and
hope.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He has got good officers, I suppose?&rdquo; said Richelieu.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, he who commands the second ship is a distinguished
officer. I see him&mdash;- young, adventurous, brave,
unhappily.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why unhappily?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A year after I look for him, and see him no more,&rdquo;
said Cagliostro, anxiously consulting his glass. &ldquo;No one
here is related to M. de Langle?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No one knows him?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, death will commence with him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
A murmur of affright escaped from all the guests.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But he, La Pérouse?&rdquo; cried several voices.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He sails, he lands, he reembarks; I see one, two
years, of successful navigation; we hear news of him, and
then&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Years pass&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But at last?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The sea is vast, the heavens are clouded, here and
there appear unknown lands, and figures hideous as the
monsters of the Grecian Archipelago. They watch the
ship, which is being carried in a fog amongst the breakers,
by a tempest less fearful than themselves. Oh! La
Pérouse, La Pérouse, if you could hear me, I would cry
to you. You set out, like Columbus, to discover a world;
beware of unknown isles!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
He ceased, and an icy shiver ran through the assembly.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But why did you not warn him?&rdquo; asked Count Haga,
who, in spite of himself, had succumbed to the influence
of this extraordinary man.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; cried Madame Dubarry, &ldquo;why not send after
him and bring him back? The life of a man like La
Pérouse is surely worth a courier, my dear marshal.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The marshal rose to ring the bell.
</p>

<p>
Cagliostro extended his arm to stop him. &ldquo;Alas!&rdquo;
said he, &ldquo;All advice would be useless. I can foretell
destiny, but I cannot change it. M. de la Pérouse would
laugh if he heard my words, as the son of Priam laughed
when Cassandra prophesied; and see, you begin to laugh
yourself, Count Haga, and laughing is contagious: your
companions are catching it. Do not restrain yourselves,
gentlemen&mdash;I am accustomed to an incredulous audience.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, we believe,&rdquo; said Madame Dubarry and the Duke
de Richelieu; &ldquo;and I believe,&rdquo; murmured Taverney;
&ldquo;and I also,&rdquo; said Count Haga politely.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; replied Cagliostro, &ldquo;you believe, because it
concerns La Pérouse; but, if I spoke of yourself, you
would not believe.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I confess that what would have made me believe,
would have been, if you had said to him, &lsquo;Beware of unknown
isles;&rsquo; then he would, at least, have had the chance
of avoiding them.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I assure you no, count; and, if he had believed me, it
would only have been more horrible, for the unfortunate
man would have seen himself approaching those isles destined
to be fatal to him, without the power to flee from
them. Therefore he would have died, not one, but a
hundred deaths, for he would have gone through it all
by anticipation. Hope, of which I should have deprived
him, is what best sustains a man under all trials.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said De Condorcet; &ldquo;the veil which hides from
us our future is the only real good which God has vouchsafed
to man.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nevertheless,&rdquo; said Count Haga, &ldquo;did a man like
you say to me, shun a certain man or a certain thing, I
would beware, and I would thank you for the counsel.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Cagliostro shook his head, with a faint smile.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I mean it, M. de Cagliostro,&rdquo; continued Count Haga;
&ldquo;warn me, and I will thank you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You wish me to tell you what I would not tell La
Pérouse?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, I wish it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Cagliostro opened his mouth as if to begin, and then
stopped, and said, &ldquo;No, count, no!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I beg you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Cagliostro still remained silent.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Take care,&rdquo; said the count, &ldquo;you are making me incredulous.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Incredulity is better than misery.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Cagliostro,&rdquo; said the count, gravely, &ldquo;you forget
one thing, which is, that though there are men who
had better remain ignorant of their destiny, there are
others who should know it, as it concerns not themselves
alone, but millions of others.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then,&rdquo; said Cagliostro, &ldquo;command me; if your
majesty commands, I will obey.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I command you to reveal to me my destiny, M. de
Cagliostro,&rdquo; said the king, with an air at once courteous
and dignified.
</p>

<p>
At this moment, as Count Haga had dropped his incognito
in speaking to Cagliostro, M. de Richelieu advanced
towards him, and said, &ldquo;Thanks, sire, for the
honor you have done my house; will your majesty assume
the place of honor?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Let us remain as we are, marshal; I wish to hear what
M. de Cagliostro is about to say.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;One does not speak the truth to kings, sire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Bah! I am not in my kingdom; take your place
again, duke. Proceed, M. de Cagliostro, I beg.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Cagliostro looked again through his glass, and one might
have imagined the particles agitated by this look, as they
danced in, the light. &ldquo;Sire,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;tell me what you
wish to know?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Tell me by what death I shall die.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;By a gun-shot, sire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The eyes of Gustavus grew bright. &ldquo;Ah, in a battle!&rdquo;
said he; &ldquo;the death of a soldier! Thanks, M. de Cagliostro,
a thousand times thanks; oh, I foresee battles, and
Gustavus Adolphus and Charles XII. have shown me how
a King of Sweden should die.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Cagliostro drooped his head, without replying.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; cried Count Haga, &ldquo;will not my wound then
be given in battle?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, sire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;In a sedition?&mdash;yes, that is possible.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, not in a sedition, sire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, where then?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;At a ball, sire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The king remained silent, and Cagliostro buried his
head in his hands.
</p>

<p>
Every one looked pale and frightened; then M. de Condorcet
took the glass of water and examined it, as if there
he could solve the problem of all that had been going
on; but finding nothing to satisfy him, &ldquo;Well, I also,&rdquo;
said he, &ldquo;will beg our illustrious prophet to consult for
me his magic mirror: unfortunately, I am not a powerful
lord; I cannot command, and my obscure life concerns
no millions of people.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sir,&rdquo; said Count Haga, &ldquo;you command in the name
of science, and your life belongs not only to a nation, but
to all mankind.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Thanks,&rdquo; said De Condorcet; &ldquo;but, perhaps, your
opinion on this subject is not shared by M. de Cagliostro.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Cagliostro raised his head. &ldquo;Yes, marquis,&rdquo; said he,
in a manner which began to be excited, &ldquo;you are indeed
a powerful lord in the kingdom of intelligence; look me,
then, in the face, and tell me, seriously, if you also wish
that I should prophesy to you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Seriously, count, upon my honor.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, marquis,&rdquo; said Cagliostro, in a hoarse voice,
&ldquo;you will die of that poison which you carry in your
ring; you will die&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, but if I throw it away?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Throw it away!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You allow that that would be easy.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Throw it away!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, yes, marquis,&rdquo; cried Madame Dubarry; &ldquo;throw
away that horrid poison! Throw it away, if it be only to
falsify this prophet of evil, who threatens us all with so
many misfortunes. For if you throw it away you cannot
die by it, as M. de Cagliostro predicts; so there at least
he will have been wrong.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame la Comtesse is right,&rdquo; said Count Haga.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Bravo, countess!&rdquo; said Richelieu. &ldquo;Come, marquis,
throw away that poison, for now I know you carry
it, I shall tremble every time we drink together; the ring
might open of itself, and&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is useless,&rdquo; said Cagliostro quietly; &ldquo;M. de Condorcet
will not throw it away.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No,&rdquo; returned De Condorcet, &ldquo;I shall not throw it
away; not that I wish to aid my destiny, but because this
is a unique poison, prepared by Cabanis, and which
chance has completely hardened, and that chance might
never occur again; therefore I will not throw it away.
Triumph if you will, M. de Cagliostro.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Destiny,&rdquo; replied he, &ldquo;ever finds some way to work
out its own ends.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then I shall die by poison,&rdquo; said the marquis;
&ldquo;well, so be it. It is an admirable death, I think; a
little poison on the tip of the tongue, and I am gone. It
is scarcely dying: it is merely ceasing to live.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is not necessary for you to suffer, sir,&rdquo; said Cagliostro.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then, sir,&rdquo; said M. de Favras, &ldquo;we have a shipwreck,
a gun-shot, and a poisoning which makes my
mouth water. Will you not do me the favor also to predict
some little pleasure of the same kind for me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, marquis!&rdquo; replied Cagliostro, beginning to grow
warm under this irony, &ldquo;do not envy these gentlemen,
you will have still better.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Better!&rdquo; said M. de Favras, laughing; &ldquo;that is
pledging yourself to a great deal. It is difficult to beat
the sea, fire, and poison!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There remains the cord, marquis,&rdquo; said Cagliostro,
bowing.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The cord! what do you mean?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I mean that you will be hanged,&rdquo; replied Cagliostro,
seeming no more the master of his prophetic rage.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Hanged! the devil!&rdquo; cried Richelieu.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur forgets that I am a nobleman,&rdquo; said M. de
Favras, coldly; &ldquo;or if he means to speak of a suicide, I
warn him that I shall respect myself sufficiently, even in
my last moments, not to use a cord while I have a sword.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not speak of a suicide, sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then you speak of a punishment?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are a foreigner, sir, and therefore I pardon you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your ignorance, sir. In France we decapitate noblemen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You may arrange this, if you can, with the executioner,&rdquo;
replied Cagliostro.
</p>

<p>
M. de Favras said no more. There was a general
silence and shrinking for a few minutes.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you know that I tremble at last,&rdquo; said M. de
Launay; &ldquo;my predecessors have come off so badly, that
I fear for myself if I now take my turn.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then you are more reasonable than they; you are
right. Do not seek to know the future; good or bad, let
it rest&mdash;it is in the hands of God.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! M. de Launay,&rdquo; said Madame Dubarry, &ldquo;I hope
you will not be less courageous than the others have been.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I hope so, too, madame,&rdquo; said the governor. Then,
turning to Cagliostro, &ldquo;Sir,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;favor me, in
my turn, with my horoscope, if you please.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is easy,&rdquo; replied Cagliostro; &ldquo;a blow on the head
with a hatchet, and all will be over.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
A look of dismay was once more general. Richelieu
and Taverney begged Cagliostro to say no more, but female
curiosity carried the day.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To hear you talk, count,&rdquo; said Madame Dubarry,
&ldquo;one would think the whole universe must die a violent
death. Here we were, eight of us, and five are already
condemned by you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, you understand that it is all prearranged to
frighten us, and we shall only laugh at it,&rdquo; said M. de
Favras, trying to do so.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly we will laugh,&rdquo; said Count Haga, &ldquo;be it
true or false.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I will laugh too, then,&rdquo; said Madame Dubarry.
&ldquo;I will not dishonor the assembly by my cowardice;
but, alas! I am only a woman, I cannot rank among you
and be worthy of a tragical end; a woman dies in her
bed. My death, a sorrowful old woman abandoned by
every one, will be the worst of all. Will it not, M. de
Cagliostro?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She stopped, and seemed to wait for the prophet to reassure
her. Cagliostro did not speak; so, her curiosity
obtaining the mastery over her fears, she went on.
&ldquo;Well, M. de Cagliostro, will you not answer me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you wish me to say, madame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She hesitated&mdash;then, rallying her courage, &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; she
cried, &ldquo;I will run the risk. Tell me the fate of Jeanne
de Vaubernier, Countess Dubarry.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;On the scaffold, madame,&rdquo; replied the prophet of
evil.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A jest, sir, is it not?&rdquo; said she, looking at him with
a supplicating air.
</p>

<p>
Cagliostro seemed not to see it. &ldquo;Why do you think
I jest?&rdquo; said he.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, because to die on the scaffold one must have
committed some crime&mdash;stolen, or committed murder, or
done something dreadful; and it is not likely I shall do
that. It was a jest, was it not?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, mon Dieu, yes,&rdquo; said Cagliostro; &ldquo;all I have
said is but a jest.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The countess laughed, but scarcely in a natural manner.
&ldquo;Come, M. de Favras,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;let us order
our funerals.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, that will be needless for you, madame,&rdquo; said
Cagliostro.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why so, sir?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because you will go to the scaffold in a car.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, how horrible! This dreadful man, marshal! for
heaven&rsquo;s sake choose more cheerful guests next time, or
I will never visit you again.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Excuse me, madame,&rdquo; said Cagliostro, &ldquo;but you,
like all the rest, would have me speak.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;At least I hope you will grant me time to choose my
confessor.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It will be superfluous, countess.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The last person who will mount the scaffold in France
with a confessor will be the King of France.&rdquo; And Cagliostro
pronounced these words in so thrilling a voice
that every one was struck with horror.
</p>

<p>
All were silent.
</p>

<p>
Cagliostro raised to his lips the glass of water in which
he had read these fearful prophecies, but scarcely had he
touched it, when he set it down with a movement of disgust.
He turned his eyes to M. de Taverney.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; cried he, in terror, &ldquo;do not tell me anything;
I do not wish to know!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, then, I will ask instead of him,&rdquo; said Richelieu.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You, marshal, be happy; you are the only one of us
all who will die in his bed.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Coffee, gentlemen, coffee,&rdquo; cried the marshal, enchanted
with the prediction. Every one rose.
</p>

<p>
But before passing into the drawing-room, Count Haga,
approaching Cagliostro, said,&mdash;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Tell me what to beware of.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Of a muff, sir,&rdquo; replied Cagliostro.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And I?&rdquo; said Condorcet.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Of an omelet.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Good; I renounce eggs,&rdquo; and he left the room.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And I?&rdquo; said M. de Favras; &ldquo;what must I fear?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A letter.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And I?&rdquo; said De Launay.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The taking of the Bastile.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, you quite reassure me.&rdquo; And he went away
laughing.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now for me, sir,&rdquo; said the countess, trembling.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You, beautiful countess, shun the Place Louis XV.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Alas,&rdquo; said the countess, &ldquo;one day already I lost
myself there; that day I suffered much.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She left the room, and Cagliostro was about to follow
her when Richelieu stopped him.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;One moment,&rdquo; said he; &ldquo;there remains only Taverney
and I, my dear sorcerer.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Taverney begged me to say nothing, and you,
marshal, have asked me nothing.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I do not wish to hear,&rdquo; again cried Taverney.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But come, to prove your power, tell us something
that only Taverney and I know,&rdquo; said Richelieu.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What?&rdquo; asked Cagliostro, smiling.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Tell us what makes Taverney come to Versailles,
instead of living quietly in his beautiful house at Maison-Rouge,
which the king bought for him three years ago.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nothing more simple, marshal,&rdquo; said Cagliostro.
&ldquo;Ten years ago, M. de Taverney wished to give his
daughter, Mademoiselle Andrée, to the King Louis XV.,
but he did not succeed.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; growled Taverney.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now, monsieur wishes to give his son Philippe de
Taverney, to the Queen Marie Antoinette; ask him if I
speak the truth.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;On my word,&rdquo; said Taverney, trembling, &ldquo;this man
is a sorcerer; devil take me if he is not!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do not speak so cavalierly of the devil, my old comrade,&rdquo;
said the marshal.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is frightful,&rdquo; murmured Taverney, and he turned
to implore Cagliostro to be discreet, but he was gone.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come, Taverney, to the drawing-room,&rdquo; said the
marshal; &ldquo;or they will drink their coffee without us.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
But when they arrived there, the room was empty; no
one had courage to face again the author of these terrible
predictions.
</p>

<p>
The wax lights burned in the candelabra, the fire
burned on the hearth, but all for nothing.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ma foi, old friend, it seems we must take our coffee
tête-à-tête. Why, where the devil has he gone?&rdquo; Richelieu
looked all around him, but Taverney had vanished
like the rest. &ldquo;Never mind,&rdquo; said the marshal, chuckling
as Voltaire might have done, and rubbing his withered
though still white hands; &ldquo;I shall be the only one to die
in my bed. Well, Count Cagliostro, at least I believe.
In my bed! that was it; I shall die in my bed, and I
trust not for a long time. Hola! my valet-de-chambre
and my drops.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The valet entered with the bottle, and the marshal
went with him into the bedroom.
</p>

<h4>END OF THE PROLOGUE.</h4>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER I.<br/>
TWO UNKNOWN LADIES.</h2>

<p>
The winter of 1784, that monster which devoured half
France, we could not see, although he growled at the
doors, while at the house of M. de Richelieu, shut in as
we were in that warm and comfortable dining-room.
</p>

<p>
A little frost on the windows seems but the luxury of
nature added to that of man. Winter has its diamonds,
its powder, and its silvery embroidery for the rich man
wrapped in his furs, and packed in his carriage, or snug
among the wadding and velvet of a well-warmed room.
Hoar-frost is a beauty, ice a change of decoration by the
greatest of artists, which the rich admire through their
windows. He who is warm can admire the withered
trees, and find a somber charm in the sight of the snow-covered
plain. He who, after a day without suffering,
when millions of his fellow-creatures are enduring dreadful
privations, throws himself on his bed of down, between
his fine and well-aired sheets, may find out that
all is for the best in this best of all possible worlds.
</p>

<p>
But he who is hungry sees none of these beauties of
nature; he who is cold hates the sky without a sun, and
consequently without a smile for such unfortunates.
Now, at the time at which we write, that is, about the
middle of the month of April, three hundred thousand
miserable beings, dying from cold and hunger, groaned
in Paris alone&mdash;in that Paris where, in spite of the boast
that scarcely another city contained so many rich people,
nothing had been prepared to prevent the poor from
perishing of cold and wretchedness.
</p>

<p>
For the last four months, the same leaden sky had
driven the poor from the villages into the town, as it sent
the wolves from the woods into the villages.
</p>

<p>
No more bread. No more wood.
</p>

<p>
No more bread for those who felt this cold&mdash;no more
wood to cook it. All the provisions which had been collected,
Paris had devoured in a month. The Provost,
short-sighted and incapable, did not know how to procure
for Paris, which was under his care, the wood which might
have been collected in the neighborhood. When it froze,
he said the frost prevented the horses from bringing it;
if it thawed, he pleaded want of horses and conveyances.
Louis XVI., ever good and humane, always ready to attend
to the physical wants of his people, although he
overlooked their social ones, began by contributing a sum
of 200,000 francs for horses and carts, and insisting on
their immediate use. Still the demand continued greater
than the supply. At first no one was allowed to carry
away from the public timber-yard more than a cart-load
of wood; then they were limited to half this quantity.
Soon the long strings of people might be seen waiting
outside the doors, as they were afterwards seen at the
bakers&rsquo; shops. The king gave away the whole of his
private income in charity. He procured 3,000,000 francs
by a grant and applied it to the relief of the sufferers,
declaring that every other need must give way before that
of cold and famine. The queen, on her part, gave 500
louis from her purse. The convents, the hospitals, and
the public buildings were thrown open as places of asylum
for the poor, who came in crowds for the sake of the fires
that were kept there. They kept hoping for a thaw, but
heaven seemed inflexible. Every evening the same copper-colored
sky disappointed their hopes; and the stars shone
bright and clear as funeral torches through the long, cold
nights, which hardened again and again the snow which fell
during the day. All day long, thousands of workmen, with
spades and shovels, cleared away the snow from before the
houses; so that on each side of the streets, already too
narrow for the traffic, rose a high, thick wall, blocking up
the way. Soon these masses of snow and ice became so
large that the shops were obscured by them, and they
were obliged to allow it to remain where it fell. Paris
could do no more. She gave in, and allowed the winter
to do its worst. December, January, February, and
March passed thus, although now and then a few days&rsquo;
thaw changed the streets, whose sewers were blocked up,
into running streams. Horses were drowned, and carriages
destroyed, in the streets, some of which could only
be traversed in boats. Paris, faithful to its character,
sang through this destruction by the thaw as it had done
through that by famine. Processions were made to the
markets to see the fisherwomen serving their customers
with immense leathern boots on, inside which their trousers
were pushed, and with their petticoats tucked round
their waists, all laughing, gesticulating, and splashing
each other as they stood in the water. These thaws,
however, were but transitory; the frost returned, harder
and more obstinate than ever, and recourse was had to
sledges, pushed along by skaters, or drawn by roughshod
horses along the causeways, which were like polished mirrors.
The Seine, frozen many feet deep, was become the
rendezvous for all idlers, who assembled there to skate or
slide, until, warmed by exercise, they ran to the nearest
fire, lest the perspiration should freeze upon them. All
trembled for the time when, the water communications
being stopped, and the roads impassable, provisions could
no longer be sent in, and began to fear that Paris would
perish from want. The king, in this extremity, called a
council. They decided to implore all bishops, abbés, and
monks to leave Paris and retire to their dioceses or convents;
and all those magistrates and officials who, preferring
the opera to their duties, had crowded to Paris,
to return to their homes; for all these people used large
quantities of wood in their hotels, and consumed no small
amount of food. There were still the country gentlemen,
who were also to be entreated to leave. But M. Lenoir,
lieutenant of police, observed to the king that, as none of
these people were criminals, and could not therefore be
compelled to leave Paris in a day, they would probably
be so long thinking about it, that the thaw would come
before their departure, which would then be more hurtful
than useful. All this care and pity of the king and
queen, however, excited the ingenious gratitude of the
people, who raised monuments to them, as ephemeral as the
feelings which prompted them. Obelisks and pillars of
snow and ice, engraved with their names, were to be seen all
over Paris. At the end of March the thaw began, but by fits
and starts, constant returns of frost prolonging the miseries
of the people. Indeed, in the beginning of April it
appeared to set in harder than ever, and the half-thawed
streets, frozen again, became so slippery and dangerous,
that nothing was seen but broken limbs and accidents of
all kinds. The snow prevented the carriages from being
heard, and the police had enough to do, from the reckless
driving of the aristocracy, to preserve from the wheels
those who were spared by cold and hunger.
</p>

<p>
It was about a week after the dinner given by M. de
Richelieu that four elegant sledges entered Paris, gliding
over the frozen snow which covered the Cours la Reine
and the extremity of the boulevards. From thence they
found it more difficult to proceed, for the sun and the
traffic had begun to change the snow and ice into a wet
mass of dirt.
</p>

<p>
In the foremost sledge were two men in brown riding
coats with double capes. They were drawn by a black
horse, and turned from time to time, as if to watch the
sledge that followed them, and which contained two
ladies so enveloped in furs that it was impossible to see
their faces. It might even have been difficult to distinguish
their sex, had it not been for the height of their
coiffure, crowning which was a small hat with a plume of
feathers. From the colossal edifice of this coiffure, all
mingled with ribbons and jewels, escaped occasionally a
cloud of white powder, as when a gust of wind shakes
the snow from the trees.
</p>

<p>
These two ladies, seated side by side, were conversing
so earnestly as scarcely to see the numerous spectators
who watched their progress along the boulevards.
One of them taller and more majestic than the
other, and holding up before her face a finely-embroidered
cambric handkerchief, carried her head erect and
stately, in spite of the wind which swept across their
sledge.
</p>

<p>
It had just struck five by the clock of the church St.
Croix d&rsquo;Antin and night was beginning to descend upon
Paris, and with the night the bitter cold. They had just
reached the Porte St. Denis, when the lady of whom we
have spoken made a sign to the men in front, who thereupon
quickened the pace of their horse, and soon disappeared
among the evening mists, which were fast thickening
around the colossal structure of the Bastile.
</p>

<p>
This signal she then repeated to the other two sledges,
which also vanished along the Rue St. Denis. Meanwhile,
the one in which she sat, having arrived at the Boulevard
de Menilmontant, stopped.
</p>

<p>
In this place few people were to be seen; night had
dispersed them. Besides, in this out-of-the-way quarter,
not many citizens would trust themselves without torches
and an escort, since winter had sharpened the wants of
three or four thousand beggars who were easily changed
into robbers.
</p>

<p>
The lady touched with her finger the shoulder of the
coachman who was driving her, and said, &ldquo;Weber, how
long will it take you to bring the cabriolet you know
where?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame wishes me to bring the cabriolet?&rdquo; asked
the coachman, with a strong German accent.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, I shall return by the streets; and as they are
still more muddy than the boulevard, we should not get
on in the sledge; besides, I begin to feel the cold. Do
not you, petite?&rdquo; said she, turning to the other lady.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then, Weber, we will have the cabriolet.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very well, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What is the time, petite?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The young lady looked at her watch, which, however,
she could hardly see, as it was growing dark, and said,
&ldquo;A quarter to six, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then at a quarter to seven, Weber.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Saying these words, the lady leaped lightly from the
sledge, followed by her friend, and walked away quickly;
while the coachman murmured, with a kind of respectful
despair, sufficiently loud for his mistress to hear, &ldquo;Oh,
mein Gott! what imprudence.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The two ladies laughed, drew their cloaks closer round
them, and went tramping along through the snow, with
their little feet.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have good eyes, Andrée,&rdquo; said the lady who
seemed the elder of the two, although she could not have
been more than thirty or thirty-two; &ldquo;try to read the name
at the corner of that street.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Rue du Pont-aux-Choux, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Rue du Pont-aux-Choux! ah, mon Dieu, we must
have come wrong. They told me the second street on
the right;&mdash;but what a smell of hot bread!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is not astonishing,&rdquo; said her companion, &ldquo;for
here is a baker&rsquo;s shop.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, let us ask there for the Rue St. Claude,&rdquo; she
said, moving to the door.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! do not you go in, madame; allow me,&rdquo; said
Andrée.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The Rue St. Claude, my pretty ladies?&rdquo; said a cheerful
voice. &ldquo;Are you asking for the Rue St. Claude?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The two ladies turned towards the voice, and saw,
leaning against the door of the shop, a man who, in spite
of the cold, had his chest and his legs quite bare.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! a naked man!&rdquo; cried the young lady, half hiding
behind her companion; &ldquo;are we among savages?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Was not that what you asked for?&rdquo; said the journeyman
baker, for such he was, who did not understand her
movement in the least, and, accustomed to his own
costume, never dreamed of its effect upon them.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, my friend, the Rue St. Claude,&rdquo; said the elder
lady, hardly able to keep from laughing.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, it is not difficult to find; besides, I will conduct
you there myself;&rdquo; and, suiting the action to the words,
he began to move his long bony legs, which terminated
in immense wooden shoes.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, no!&rdquo; cried the elder lady, who did not fancy
such a guide; &ldquo;pray do not disturb yourself. Tell us

the way, and we shall easily find it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;First street to the right,&rdquo; said he, drawing back
again.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Thanks,&rdquo; said the ladies, who ran on as fast as they
could, that he might not hear the laughter which they
could no longer restrain.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER II.<br/>
AN INTERIOR.</h2>

<p>
If we do not calculate too much on the memory of our
readers, they certainly know the Rue St. Claude, which
joins at one end the boulevard, and at the other the Rue
St. Louis; this was an important street in the first part
of our story, when it was inhabited by Joseph Balsamo,
his sibyl, Lorenza, and his master, Althotas. It was still
a respectable street, though badly lighted, and by no
means clean, but little known or frequented.
</p>

<p>
There was, however, at the corner of the boulevard a
large house, with an aristocratic air; but this house,
which might, from the number of its windows, have illuminated
the whole street, had it been lighted up, was the
darkest and most somber-looking of any. The door was
never seen to open; and the windows were thick with
dust, which seemed never disturbed. Sometimes an idler,
attracted by curiosity, approached the gates and peeped
through; all he could see, however, were masses of weeds
growing between the stones of the courtyard, and green
moss spreading itself over everything. Occasionally an
enormous rat, sole inmate of those deserted domains, ran
across the yard, on his way to his usual habitation in the
cellars, which seemed, however, to be an excess of modesty,
when he had the choice of so many fine sitting-rooms,
where he need never fear the intrusion of a cat.
</p>

<p>
At times, one or two of the neighbors, passing the
house, might stop to take a survey, and one would say to
the other:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, what do you see?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why,&rdquo; he would reply, &ldquo;I see the rat.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! let me look at him. How fat he has grown!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is not to be wondered at; he is never disturbed;
and there must be some good pickings in the house. M.
de Balsamo disappeared so suddenly, that he must have
left something behind.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But you forget that the house was half burned down.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
And they would pursue their way.
</p>

<p>
Opposite this ruin was a high narrow house inclosed
within a garden wall. From the upper windows, a light
was to be seen; the rest was shrouded in darkness.
Either all the inhabitants were already asleep, or they
were very economical of wood and candles, which certainly
were frightfully dear this winter. It is, however,
with the fifth story only that we have any business.
</p>

<p>
We must, in the first place, take a survey of the house,
and, ascending the staircase, open the first door. This
room is empty and dark, however, but it opens into
another of which the furniture deserves our attention.
</p>

<p>
The doors were gaudily painted, and it contained easy
chairs covered in white, with yellow velvet trimming, and
a sofa to match; the cushions of which, however, were so
full of the wrinkles of old age as scarcely to be cushions
any longer. Two portraits hanging on the walls next
attracted attention. A candle and a lamp&mdash;one placed
on a stand, about three feet high, and the other on the
chimney-piece&mdash;threw a constant light on them.
</p>

<p>
The first was a well-known portrait of Henry III., King
of France and Poland; a cap on his head, surmounting
his long pale face and heavy eyes; a pointed beard, and a
ruff round his neck.
</p>

<p>
Under it was the inscription, traced in black letters,
on a badly-gilded frame, &ldquo;Henri de Valois.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The other portrait, of which the gilding was newer,
and the painting more fresh and recent, represented a
young lady with black eyes, a straight nose, and rather
compressed lips, who appeared crushed under a tower of
hair and ribbons, to which the cap of Henry III. was in
the proportion of a mole-hill to a pyramid.
</p>

<p>
Under this portrait was inscribed, &ldquo;Jeanne de Valois.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Glance at the fireless hearth, at the faded curtains, and
then turn towards a little oak table in the corner; for
there, leaning on her elbow, and writing the addresses of
some letters, sits the original of this portrait.
</p>

<p>
A few steps off, in an attitude half curious, half respectful,
stands a little old woman, apparently about
sixty.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Jeanne de Valois,&rdquo; says the inscription; but if this
lady be indeed a Valois, one wonders however the portrait
of Henry III., the sybarite king, the great voluptuary,
could support the sight of so much poverty in a person
not only of his race, but bearing his name.
</p>

<p>
In her person, however, this lady of the fifth story did
no discredit to her portrait. She had white and delicate
hands, which from time to time she rubbed together, as
if to endeavor to put some warmth into them; her foot
also, which was encased in a rather coquettish velvet
slipper, was small and pretty.
</p>

<p>
The wind whistled through all the old doors, and penetrated
the crevices of the shaking windows; and the old
servant kept glancing sadly towards the empty grate.
Her lady continued her occupation, talking aloud as she
did so.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame de Misery,&rdquo; she murmured; &ldquo;first lady of
the bedchamber to her majesty&mdash;I cannot expect more
than six louis from her, for she has already given to me
once.&rdquo; And she sighed. &ldquo;Madame Patrick, lady&rsquo;s-maid
to her majesty, two louis; M. d&rsquo;Ormesson, an audience;
M. de Calonne, some good advice, M. de Rohan,
a visit; at least, we will try to induce him,&rdquo; said she,
smiling at the thought. &ldquo;Well, then, I think I may
hope for eight louis within a week.&rdquo; Then, looking
up, &ldquo;Dame Clotilde,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;snuff this candle.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The old woman did as she was bid, and then resumed
her place. This kind of inquisition seemed to annoy the young
lady, for she said, &ldquo;Pray go and look if you cannot find
the end of a wax candle for me; this tallow is odious.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There is none,&rdquo; replied the old woman.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But just look.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;In the ante-chamber.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is so cold there.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There is some one ringing,&rdquo; said the young lady.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame is mistaken,&rdquo; replied the obstinate old
woman.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I thought I heard it, Dame Clotilde;&rdquo; then, abandoning
the attempt, she turned again to her calculations.
&ldquo;Eight louis! Three I owe for the rent, and five I have
promised to M. de la Motte, to make him support his
stay at Bar-sur-Aube. Pauvre diable, our marriage has
not enriched him as yet&mdash;but patience;&rdquo; and she smiled
again, and looked at herself in the mirror that hung between
the two portraits. &ldquo;Well, then,&rdquo; she continued,
&ldquo;I still want one louis for going from Versailles to
Paris and back again; living for a week, one louis; dress,
and gifts to the porters of the houses where I go, four
louis; but,&rdquo; said she, starting up, &ldquo;some one is ringing!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, madame,&rdquo; replied the old woman. &ldquo;It is below,
on the next floor.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But I tell you it is not,&rdquo; said she angrily, as the bell
rang yet louder.
</p>

<p>
Even the old woman could deny it no longer; so she
hobbled off to open the door, while her mistress rapidly
cleared away all the papers, and seated herself on the
sofa, assuming the air of a person humble and resigned,
although suffering.
</p>

<p>
It was, however, only her body that reposed; for her
eyes, restless and unquiet, sought incessantly, first her
mirror and then the door.
</p>

<p>
At last it opened, and she heard a young and sweet
voice saying, &ldquo;Is it here that Madame la Comtesse de la
Motte lives?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame la Comtesse de la Motte Valois,&rdquo; replied
Clotilde.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is the same person, my good woman; is she at
home?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame; she is too ill to go out.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
During this colloquy, the pretended invalid saw reflected
in the glass the figure of a lady talking to Clotilde,
unquestionably belonging to the higher ranks. She then
saw her turn round, and say to some one behind, &ldquo;We
can go in&mdash;it is here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
And the two ladies we have before seen asking the way
prepared to enter the room.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Whom shall I announce to the countess?&rdquo; said Clotilde.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Announce a Sister of Charity,&rdquo; said the elder lady.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;From Paris?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No; from Versailles.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Clotilde entered the room, and the strangers followed
her.
</p>

<p>
Jeanne de Valois seemed to rise with difficulty from
her seat to receive her visitors.
</p>

<p>
Clotilde placed chairs for them, and then unwillingly
withdrew.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER III.<br/>
JEANNE DE LA MOTTE VALOIS.</h2>

<p>
The first thought of Jeanne de la Motte was to examine
the faces of her visitors, so as to gather what she
could of their characters. The elder lady, who might
have been, as we have said, about thirty-two years of age,
was remarkably beautiful, although, at first sight, a great
air of hauteur detracted slightly from the charm of her
expression; her carriage was so proud, and her whole
appearance so distingué that Jeanne could not doubt her
nobility, even at a cursory glance.
</p>

<p>
She, however, seemed purposely to place herself as far
as possible from the light, so as to be little seen.
</p>

<p>
Her companion appeared four or five years younger,
and was not less beautiful. Her complexion was charming;
her hair, drawn back from her temples, showed to
advantage the perfect oval of her face; two large blue
eyes, calm and serene; a well-formed mouth, indicating
great frankness of disposition; a nose that rivaled the
Venus de Medicis; such was the other face which presented
itself to the gaze of Jeanne de Valois.
</p>

<p>
She inquired gently to what happy circumstance she
owed the honor of their visit.
</p>

<p>
The elder lady signed to the younger, who thereupon
said, &ldquo;Madame, for I believe you are married&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have the honor to be the wife of M. le Comte de la
Motte, an excellent gentleman.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, Madame la Comtesse, we are at the head of a
charitable institution, and have heard concerning your
condition things that interest us, and we consequently
wished to have more precise details on the subject.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Mesdames,&rdquo; replied Jeanne, &ldquo;you see there the portrait
of Henry III., that is to say, of the brother of my
grandfather, for I am truly of the race of Valois, as you
have doubtless been told.&rdquo; And she waited for the next
question, looking at her visitors with a sort of proud
humility.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; said the grave and sweet voice of the elder
lady, &ldquo;is it true, as we have also heard, that your mother
was housekeeper at a place called Fontelle, near Bar-sur-Seine?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne colored at this question, but replied, &ldquo;It is
true, madame; and,&rdquo; she went on, &ldquo;as Marie Jossel, my
mother, was possessed of rare beauty, my father fell in
love with her, and married her, for it is by my father
that I am nobly descended; he was a St. Rémy de Valois,
direct descendant of the Valois who were on the throne.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But how have you been reduced to this degree of
poverty, madame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Alas! that is easily told. You are not ignorant that
after the accession of Henry IV., by which the crown
passed from the house of Valois to that of Bourbon, there
still remained many branches of the fallen family, obscure,
doubtless, but incontestably springing from the same root
as the four brothers who all perished so miserably.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The two ladies made a sign of assent.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then,&rdquo; continued Jeanne, &ldquo;these remnants of the
Valois, fearing, in spite of their obscurity, to be obnoxious
to the reigning family, changed their name of Valois
into that of St. Rémy, which they took from some property,
and they may be traced under this name down to
my father, who, seeing the monarchy so firmly established,
and the old branch forgotten, thought he need no longer
deprive himself of his illustrious name, and again called
himself Valois, which name he bore in poverty and obscurity
in a distant province, while no one at the court of
France even knew of the existence of this descendant of
their ancient kings.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne stopped at these words, which she had spoken
with a simplicity and mildness which created a favorable
impression.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have, doubtless, your proofs already arranged,
madame,&rdquo; said the elder lady, with kindness.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame,&rdquo; she replied, with a bitter smile,
&ldquo;proofs are not wanting&mdash;my father arranged them, and
left them to me as his sole legacy; but of what use are
proofs of a truth which no one will recognize?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your father is then dead?&rdquo; asked the younger lady.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Alas! yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Did he die in the provinces?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;At Paris, then?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;In this room?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, madame; my father, Baron de Valois, great-nephew
of the King Henry III., died of misery and
hunger; and not even in this poor retreat, not in his
own bed, poor as that was. No; my father died side by
side with the suffering wretches in the Hôtel Dieu!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The ladies uttered an exclamation of surprise and
distress.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;From what you tell me, madame, you have experienced,
it is evident, great misfortunes; above all, the
death of your father.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, if you heard all the story of my life, madame,
you would see that my father&rsquo;s death does not rank
among its greatest misfortunes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How, madame! You regard as a minor evil the
death of your father?&rdquo; said the elder lady, with a frown.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame; and in so doing I speak only as a pious
daughter, for my father was thereby delivered from all
the ills which he experienced in this life, and which continue
to assail his family. I experience, in the midst of
the grief which his death causes me, a certain joy in
knowing that the descendant of kings is no longer obliged
to beg his bread.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To beg his bread?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame; I say it without shame, for in all our
misfortunes there was no blame to my father or myself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But you do not speak of your mother?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, with the same frankness with which I told you
just now that I blessed God for taking my father, I complain
that He left me my mother.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The two ladies looked at each other, almost shuddering
at these strange words.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Would it be indiscreet, madame, to ask you for a
more detailed account of your misfortunes?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The indiscretion, madame, would be in me, if I
fatigued you with such a long catalogue of woes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Speak, madame,&rdquo; said the elder lady, so commandingly,
that her companion looked at her, as if to warn her
to be more guarded. Indeed, Madame de la Motte had
been struck with this imperious accent, and stared at her
with some astonishment.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I listen, madame,&rdquo; she then said, in a more gentle
tone; &ldquo;if you will be good enough to inform us what we
ask.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Her companion saw her shiver as she spoke, and fearing
she felt cold, pushed towards her a rug, on which to
place her feet, and which she had discovered under one
of the chairs.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Keep it yourself, my sister,&rdquo; said she, pushing it back
again. &ldquo;You are more delicate than I.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Indeed, madame,&rdquo; said Jeanne, &ldquo;it grieves me much
to see you suffer from the cold; but wood is now so dear,
and my stock was exhausted a week ago.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You said, madame, that you were unhappy in having
a mother,&rdquo; said the elder lady, returning to the subject.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame. Doubtless, such a blasphemy shocks
you much, does it not?&rdquo; said Jeanne; &ldquo;but hear my
explanation. I have already had the honor to tell you that
my father made a mésalliance, and married his housekeeper.
Marie Jossel, my mother, instead of feeling
gratified and proud of the honor he had done her, began
by ruining my father, which certainly was not difficult
to a person determined to consult only her own pleasures.
And having reduced him to sell all his remaining property,
she induced him to go to Paris to claim the rights
to which his name entitled him. My father was easily
persuaded; perhaps he hoped in the justice of the king.
He came then, having first turned all he possessed into
money. He had, besides me, another daughter, and a
son.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;His son, unhappy as myself, vegetates in the lowest
ranks of the army; the daughter, my poor sister, was
abandoned, on the evening of our departure, before the
house of a neighboring farmer.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The journey exhausted our little resources&mdash;my father
wore himself out in fruitless appeals&mdash;we scarcely ever
saw him&mdash;our house was wretched&mdash;and my mother, to
whom a victim was necessary, vented her discontent and
ill-humor upon me: she even reproached me with what
I ate, and for the slightest fault I was unmercifully beaten.
The neighbors, thinking to serve me, told my father of
the treatment I experienced. He endeavored to protect
me, but his interference only served to embitter her still
more against me.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;At last my father fell ill, and was confined first to
the house, and then to his bed. My mother banished me
from his room on the pretext that I disturbed him. She
made me now learn a sentence, which, child as I was, I
shrank from saying; but she would drive me out into the
street with blows, ordering me to repeat it to each passer-by,
if I did not wish to be beaten to death.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And what was this sentence?&rdquo; asked the elder lady.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It was this, madame: &lsquo;Have pity on a little orphan,
who descends in a direct line from Henri de Valois.&rsquo;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What a shame!&rdquo; cried the ladies.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But what effect did this produce on the people?&rdquo; inquired
Andrée.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Some listened and pitied me, others were angry and
menaced me; some kind people stopped and warned me
that I ran a great risk from repeating such words; but I
knew no other danger than that of disobeying my mother.
The result was, however, as she hoped: I generally
brought home a little money, which kept us for a time
from starvation or the hospital; but this life became so
odious to me, that at last, one day, instead of repeating
my accustomed phrase, I sat on a doorstep all the time,
and returned in the evening empty-handed. My mother
beat me so that the next day I fell ill; then my poor
father, deprived of all resources, was obliged to go to the
Hôtel Dieu, where he died.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! what a horrible history,&rdquo; cried the ladies.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What became of you after your father&rsquo;s death?&rdquo;
asked the elder lady.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;God took pity upon me a month after my father&rsquo;s
death, my mother ran away with a soldier, abandoning
my brother and me. We felt ourselves relieved by her
departure, and lived on public charity, although we never
begged for more than enough to eat. One day, I saw a
carriage going slowly along the Faubourg Saint Marcel.
There were four footmen behind, and a beautiful lady
inside; I held out my hand to her for charity. She
questioned me, and my reply and my name seemed to
strike her with surprise. She asked for my address, and
the next day made inquiries, and finding that I had told
her the truth, she took charge of my brother and myself;
she placed my brother in the army, and me with a dressmaker.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Was not this lady Madame de Boulainvilliers?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It was.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She is dead, I believe?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes; and her death deprived me of my only protector.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Her husband still lives, and is rich.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, madame, it is to him that I owe my later misfortunes.
I had grown tall, and, as he thought, pretty,
and he wished to put a price upon his benefits which I
refused to pay. Meanwhile, Madame de Boulainvilliers
died, having first married me to a brave and loyal soldier,
M. de la Motte, but, separated from him, I seemed more
abandoned after her death than I had been after that of
my father. This is my history, madame, which I have
shortened as much as possible, in order not to weary
you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where, then, is your husband?&rdquo; asked the elder
lady.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He is in garrison at Bar-sur-Aube; he serves in the
gendarmerie, and is waiting, like myself, in hopes of
better times.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But you have laid your case before the court?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Undoubtedly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The name of Valois must have awakened some sympathy.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I know not, madame, what sentiments it may have
awakened, for I have received no answer to any of my
petitions.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have seen neither the ministers, the king, nor
the queen?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No one. Everywhere I have failed.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You cannot now beg, however.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, madame; I have lost the habit; but I can die of
hunger, like my poor father.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have no child?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, madame; and my husband, by getting killed in
the service of his king, will find for himself a glorious
end to all our miseries.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Can you, madame&mdash;I beg pardon if I seem intrusive&mdash;but
can you bring forward the proofs of your genealogy?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne rose, opened a drawer, and drew out some
papers, which she presented to the lady, who rose to
come nearer the light, that she might examine them;
but seeing that Jeanne eagerly seized this opportunity to
observe her more clearly than she had yet been able to
do, she turned away as if the light hurt her eyes, turning
her back to Madame de la Motte.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But,&rdquo; said she, at last, &ldquo;these are only copies.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! madame, I have the originals safe, and am ready
to produce them.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If any important occasion should present itself, I
suppose?&rdquo; said the lady, smiling.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is, doubtless, madame, an important occasion
which procures me the honor of your visit, but these
papers are so precious&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That you cannot show them to the first comer. I
understand you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame!&rdquo; cried the countess; &ldquo;you shall see
them;&rdquo; and opening a secret drawer above the other, she
drew out the originals, which were carefully inclosed in
an old portfolio, on which were the arms of the Valois.
</p>

<p>
The lady took them, and after examining them, said,
&ldquo;You are right; these are perfectly satisfactory, and
you must hold yourself in readiness to produce them
when called upon by proper authority.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And what do you think I may expect, madame?&rdquo;
asked Jeanne.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Doubtless a pension for yourself, and advancement
for M. de la Motte, if he prove worthy of it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My husband is an honorable man, madame, and has
never failed in his military duties.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is enough, madame,&rdquo; said the lady, drawing her
hood still more over her face. She then put her hand in
her pocket, and drew out first the same embroidered
handkerchief with which we before saw her hiding her
face when in the sledge, then a small roll about an inch
in diameter, and three or four in length, which she
placed on the chiffonier, saying, &ldquo;The treasurer of our
charity authorizes me, madame, to offer you this small
assistance, until you shall obtain something better.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Madame de la Motte threw a rapid glance at the little
roll. &ldquo;Three-franc pieces,&rdquo; thought she, &ldquo;and there
must be nearly a hundred of them; what a boon from
heaven.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
While she was thus thinking, the two ladies moved
quickly into the outer room, where Clotilde had fallen
asleep in her chair.
</p>

<p>
The candle was burning out in the socket, and the
smell which came from it made the ladies draw out their
smelling-bottles. Jeanne woke Clotilde, who insisted
on following them with the obnoxious candle-end.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Au revoir, Madame la Comtesse,&rdquo; said they.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where may I have the honor of coming to thank
you?&rdquo; asked Jeanne.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We will let you know,&rdquo; replied the elder lady, going
quickly down the stairs.
</p>

<p>
Madame de la Motte ran back into her room, impatient
to examine her rouleau, but her foot struck against something,
and stooping to pick it up, she saw a small flat
gold box.
</p>

<p>
She was some time before she could open it, but having
at last found the spring, it flew open and disclosed
the portrait of a lady possessing no small beauty. The
coiffure was German, and she wore a collar like an order.
An M and a T encircled by a laurel wreath ornamented
the inside of the box. Madame de la Motte did not
doubt, from the resemblance of the portrait to the lady
who had just left her, that it was that of her mother, or
some near relation.
</p>

<p>
She ran to the stairs to give it back to them; but hearing
the street-door shut, she ran back, thinking to call
them from the window, but arrived there only in time to
see a cabriolet driving rapidly away. She was therefore
obliged to keep the box for the present, and turned again
to the little rouleau.
</p>

<p>
When she opened it, she uttered a cry of joy, &ldquo;Double
louis, fifty double louis, two thousand and four hundred
francs!&rdquo; and transported at the sight of more gold than
she had ever seen before in her life, she remained with
clasped hands and open lips. &ldquo;A hundred louis,&rdquo; she
repeated; &ldquo;these ladies are then very rich. Oh! I will
find them again.&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER IV.<br/>
BELUS.</h2>

<p>
Madame de la Motte was not wrong in thinking that
the cabriolet which she saw driving off contained the two
ladies who had just left her.
</p>

<p>
They had, in fact, found it waiting for them on their
exit. It was lightly built, open and fashionable, with
high wheels, and a place behind for a servant to stand.
It was drawn by a magnificent bay horse of Irish breed,
short-tailed, and plump, which was driven by the same
man whom we have already heard addressed by the name
of Weber. The horse had become so impatient with waiting,
that it was with some difficulty that Weber kept
him stationary.
</p>

<p>
When he saw the ladies, he said, &ldquo;Madame, I intended
to bring Scipio, who is gentle and easy to manage, but
unluckily he received an injury last evening, and I was
forced to bring Bélus, and he is rather unmanageable.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, Weber, I do not mind in the least,&rdquo; said the
lady; &ldquo;I am well used to driving, and not at all timid.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I know how well madame drives, but the roads are so
bad. Where are we to go?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To Versailles.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;By the boulevards then, madame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, Weber; it freezes hard, and the boulevards will
be dreadful; the streets will be better.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
He held the horse for the ladies to get in, then jumped
up behind, and they set off at a rapid pace.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, Andrée, what do you think of the countess?&rdquo;
asked the elder lady.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I think, madame,&rdquo; she replied, &ldquo;that Madame de la
Motte is poor and unfortunate.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She has good manners, has she not?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, doubtless.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are somewhat cold about her, Andrée.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I must confess, there is a look of cunning in her face
that does not please me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, you are always difficult to please, Andrée; to
please you, one must have every good quality. Now, I
find the little countess interesting and simple, both in her
pride and in her humility.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is fortunate for her, madame, that she has succeeded
in pleasing you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Take care!&rdquo; cried the lady, at the same time endeavoring
to check her horse, which nearly ran over a street-porter
at the corner of the Rue St. Antoine.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Gare!&rdquo; shouted Weber, in the voice of the Stentor.
</p>

<p>
They heard the man growling and swearing, in which
he was joined by several people near, but Bélus soon carried
them away from the sound, and they quickly reached
the Place Baudoyer.
</p>

<p>
From thence the skilful conductress continued her
rapid course down the Rue de la Tisseranderie, a narrow
unaristocratic street, always crowded. Thus, in spite of
the reiterated warnings of herself and Weber, the numbers
began to increase around them, many of whom
cried fiercely, &ldquo;Oh! the cabriolet! down with the cabriolet!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Bélus, however, guided by the steady hand which held
the reins, kept on his rapid course, and not the smallest
accident had yet occurred.
</p>

<p>
But in spite of this skilful progress, the people seemed
discontented at the rapid course of the cabriolet, which
certainly required some care on their part to avoid, and
the lady, perhaps half frightened at the murmurs, and
knowing the present excited state of the people, only urged
on her horse the faster to escape from them.
</p>

<p>
Thus they proceeded until they reached the Rue du
Coq St. Honoré, and here had been raised one of the most
beautiful of those monuments in snow of which we have
spoken.
</p>

<p>
Round this a great crowd had collected, and they were
obliged to stop until the people would make an opening
for them to pass, which they did at last, but with great
grumbling and discontent.
</p>

<p>
The next obstacle was at the gates of the Palais Royal,
where, in a courtyard, which had been thrown open,
were a host of beggars crowding round fires which had
been lighted there, and receiving soup, which the servants
of M. le Duc d&rsquo;Orleans were distributing to them
in earthen basins; and as in Paris a crowd collects to
see everything, the number of the spectators of this
scene far exceeded that of the actors.
</p>

<p>
Here, then, they were again obliged to stop, and to
their dismay, began to hear distinctly from behind loud
cries of &ldquo;Down with the cabriolet! down with those
that crush the poor!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Can it be that those cries are addressed to us?&rdquo; said
the elder lady to her companion.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Indeed, madame, I fear so,&rdquo; she replied.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Have we, do you think, run over any one?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am sure you have not.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
But still the cries seemed to increase. A crowd soon
gathered round them, and some even seized Bélus by the
reins, who thereupon began to stamp and foam most
furiously.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To the magistrate! to the magistrate!&rdquo; cried several
voices.
</p>

<p>
The two ladies looked at each other in terror. Curious
heads began to peep under the apron of the cabriolet.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, they are women,&rdquo; cried some; &ldquo;Opera girls,
doubtless,&rdquo; said others, &ldquo;who think they have a right
to crush the poor because they receive ten thousand
francs a month.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
A general shout hailed these words, and they began
again to cry, &ldquo;To the magistrate!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The younger lady shrank back trembling with fear;
the other looked around her with wonderful resolution,
though with frowning brows and compressed lips.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame,&rdquo; cried her companione, &ldquo;for heaven&rsquo;s
sake, take care!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Courage, Andrée, courage!&rdquo; she replied.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But they will recognize you, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Look through the windows, if Weber is still behind
the cabriolet.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He is trying to get down, but the mob surrounds
him. Ah! here he comes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Weber,&rdquo; said the lady in German, &ldquo;we will get out.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The man vigorously pushed aside those nearest the
carriage, and opened the door. The ladies jumped out,
and the crowd instantly seized on the horse and cabriolet,
which would evidently soon be in pieces.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What in heaven&rsquo;s name does it all mean? Do you
understand it, Weber?&rdquo; said the lady, still in German.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ma foi, no, madame,&rdquo; he replied, struggling to free
a passage for them to pass.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But they are not men, they are wild beasts,&rdquo; continued
the lady; &ldquo;with what do they possibly reproach
me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She was answered by a voice, whose polite and gentlemanly
tone contrasted strangely with the savage murmurs
of the people, and which said in excellent German,
&ldquo;They reproach you, madame, with having braved the
police order, which appeared this morning, and which
prohibited all cabriolets, which are always dangerous,
and fifty times more so in this frost, when people can
hardly escape fast enough, from driving through the
streets until the spring.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The lady turned, and saw she was addressed by a young
officer, whose distinguished and pleasing air, and fine
figure, could not but make a favorable impression.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, mon Dieu, monsieur,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;I was perfectly
ignorant of this order.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are a foreigner, madame?&rdquo; inquired the young
officer.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sir; but tell me what I must do? they are
destroying my cabriolet.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You must let them destroy it, and take advantage of
that time to escape. The people are furious just now
against all the rich, and on the pretext of your breaking
this regulation would conduct you before the magistrate.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, never!&rdquo; cried Andrée.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then,&rdquo; said the officer, laughing, &ldquo;profit by the
space which I shall make in the crowd, and vanish.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The ladies gathered from his manner that he shared the
opinion of the people as to their station, but it was no
time for explanations.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Give us your arm to a cab-stand,&rdquo; said the elder lady,
in a voice full of authority.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I was going to make your horse rear, and thereby clear
you a passage,&rdquo; said the young man, who did not much
wish to take the charge of escorting them through the
crowd; &ldquo;the people will become yet more enraged, if
they hear us speaking in a language unknown to them.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Weber,&rdquo; cried the lady, in a firm voice, &ldquo;make Bélus
rear to disperse the crowd.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And then, madame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Remain till we are gone.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But they will destroy the carriage.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Let them; what does that matter? save Bélus if you
can, but yourself above all.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame;&rdquo; and a slight touch to the horse soon
produced the desired effect of dispersing the nearest part
of the crowd, and throwing down those who held by his
reins.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your arm, sir!&rdquo; again said the lady to the officer;
&ldquo;come on, petite,&rdquo; turning to Andrée.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Let us go then, courageous woman,&rdquo; said the young
man, giving his arm, with real admiration, to her who
asked for it.
</p>

<p>
In a few minutes he had conducted them to a cab-stand,
but the men were all asleep on their seats.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER V.<br/>
THE ROAD TO VERSAILLES.</h2>

<p>
The ladies were free from the crowd for the present,
but there was some danger that they might be followed
and recognized, when the same tumult would doubtless
be renewed and escape a second time be more difficult.
The young officer knew this, and therefore hastened to
awaken one of the half-frozen and sleepy men. So stupefied,
however, did they seem, that he had great difficulty
in rousing one of them. At last he took him by the collar
and shook him roughly.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Gently, gently!&rdquo; cried the man, sitting up.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where do you wish to go, ladies?&rdquo; asked the officer.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To Versailles,&rdquo; said the elder lady, still speaking
German.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, to Versailles!&rdquo; repeated the coachman; &ldquo;four
miles and a half over this ice. No, I would rather not.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We will pay well,&rdquo; said the lady.
</p>

<p>
This was repeated to the coachman in French by the
young officer.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But how much?&rdquo; said the coachman; &ldquo;you see it is
not only going, I must come back again.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A louis; is that enough?&rdquo; asked the lady of the officer,
who, turning to the coachman, said,&mdash;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;These ladies offer you a louis.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, that will do, though I risk breaking my horses&rsquo;
legs.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why, you rascal, you know that if you were paid all
the way there and back, it would be but twelve francs,
and we offer you twenty-four.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, do not stay to bargain,&rdquo; cried the lady; &ldquo;he
shall have twenty louis if he will only set off at once.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;One is enough, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come down, sir, and open the door.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will be paid first,&rdquo; said the man.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You will!&rdquo; said the officer fiercely.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! let us pay,&rdquo; said the lady, putting her hand in
her pocket. She turned pale. &ldquo;Oh! mon Dieu, I have
lost my purse! Feel for yours, Andrée.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! madame, it is gone too.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
They looked at each other in dismay, while the young
officer watched their proceedings, and the coachman sat
grinning, and priding himself on his caution.
</p>

<p>
The lady was about to offer her gold chain as a pledge,
when the young officer drew out a louis, and offered it to
the man, who thereupon got down and opened the door.
</p>

<p>
The ladies thanked him warmly and got in.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And now, sir, drive these ladies carefully and honestly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The ladies looked at each other in terror; they could
not bear to see their protector leave them.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! madame,&rdquo; said Andrée, &ldquo;do not let him go
away.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But why not? we will ask for his address, and return
him his louis to-morrow, with a little note of thanks,
which you shall write.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, madame, suppose the coachman should not keep
faith with us, and should turn us out half way, what
would become of us?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! we will take his number.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame, I do not deny that you could have him
punished afterwards; but meanwhile, you would not
reach Versailles, and what would they think?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;True,&rdquo; replied her companion.
</p>

<p>
The officer advanced to take leave.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur,&rdquo; said Andrée, &ldquo;one word more, if you
please.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;At your orders, madame,&rdquo; he said politely, but somewhat
stiffly.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur, you cannot refuse us one more favor, after
serving us so much?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What is it, madame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We are afraid of the coachman, who seems so unwilling
to go.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You need not fear,&rdquo; replied he; &ldquo;I have his number,
and if he does not behave well, apply to me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To you, sir?&rdquo; said Andrée in French, forgetting
herself; &ldquo;we do not even know your name.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You speak French,&rdquo; exclaimed the young man, &ldquo;and
you have been condemning me all this time to blunder on
in German!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Excuse us, sir,&rdquo; said the elder lady, coming to Andrée&rsquo;s
rescue, &ldquo;but you must see, that though not perhaps
foreigners, we are strangers in Paris, and above all,
out of our places in a hackney coach. You are sufficiently
a man of the world to see that we are placed in an awkward
position. I feel assured you are generous enough
to believe the best of us, and to complete the service you
have rendered, and above all, to ask us no questions.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; replied the officer, charmed with her
noble, yet pleasing manner, &ldquo;dispose of me as you will.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then, sir, have the kindness to get in, and accompany
us to Versailles.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The officer instantly placed himself opposite to them,
and directed the man to drive on.
</p>

<p>
After proceeding in silence for some little time, he began
to feel himself surrounded with delicate and delicious
perfumes, and gradually began to think better of the
ladies&rsquo; position. &ldquo;They are,&rdquo; thought he, &ldquo;ladies who
have been detained late at some rendezvous, and are now
anxious to regain Versailles, much frightened, and a
little ashamed; still, two ladies, driving themselves in a
cabriolet! However,&rdquo; recollected he, &ldquo;there was a servant
behind; but then again, no money on either of them,
but probably the footman carried the purse; and the carriage
was certainly a very elegant one, and the horse could
not have been worth less than one hundred and fifty
louis; therefore they must be rich, so that the accidental
want of money proves nothing. But why speak a foreign
language when they must be French? However, that at
least shows a good education, and they speak both languages
with perfect purity; besides, there is an air of
distinction about them. The supplication of the younger
one was touching, and the request of the other was noble
and imposing; indeed, I begin to feel it dangerous to
pass two or three hours in a carriage with two such pretty
women, pretty and discreet also; for they do not speak,
but wait for me to begin.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
On their parts, the ladies were doubtless thinking of
him, for just as he had arrived at these conclusions, the
elder lady said to her companion, but this time in English:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really, this coachman crawls along; we shall never
reach Versailles; I fear our poor companion must be terribly
ennuyé.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Particularly,&rdquo; answered Andrée, smiling, &ldquo;as our
conversation has not been very amusing.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you not think he has a most distinguished air?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, certainly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Besides, he wears the uniform of a naval officer, and
all naval officers are of good family. He looks well in it,
too, for he is very handsome.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Here the young man interrupted them. &ldquo;Your pardon,
ladies,&rdquo; said he, in excellent English, &ldquo;but I must
tell you that I understand English perfectly; I do not,
however, know Spanish; therefore, if you can and like to
speak in that language, you are safe from my understanding
you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, monsieur,&rdquo; replied the lady, laughing, &ldquo;we had
no harm to say of you, as you must have heard; therefore
we will content ourselves with French for the remainder
of the time.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Thanks, madame, but if my presence be irksome to
you&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You cannot suppose that, sir, as it was we who begged
you to accompany us.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Exacted it, even,&rdquo; said Andrée.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame, you overwhelm me; pray pardon me
my momentary hesitation; but Paris is so full of snares
and deceptions.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You then took us for&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur took us for snares, that is all.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! ladies,&rdquo; said the young man, quite humiliated,
&ldquo;I assure you, I did not.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But what is the matter? The coach stops.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will see, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! I think we are overturning; pray take care,
sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
And Andrée, in her terror, laid her hand on the young
man&rsquo;s shoulder.
</p>

<p>
He, yielding to an impulse, attempted to seize her
little hand; but she had in a moment thrown herself
back again in the carriage. He therefore got out, and
found the coachman engaged in raising one of his horses,
which had fallen on the ice.
</p>

<p>
The horse, with his aid, was soon on its legs again, and
they pursued their way.
</p>

<p>
It seemed, however, that this little interruption had
destroyed the intimacy which had begun to spring up,
for after the ladies had asked and been told the cause of
their detention, all relapsed into silence.
</p>

<p>
The young man, however, who had derived some
pleasure from the touch of that little hand, thought he
would at least have a foot in exchange; he therefore
stretched out his, and endeavored to touch hers, which,
was, however, quickly withdrawn; and when he did just
touch that of the elder lady, she said, with great sang-froid,&mdash;&mdash;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I fear, sir, I am dreadfully in your way.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
He colored up to the ears, and felt thankful to the darkness,
which prevented it from being seen. After this, he
desisted, and remained perfectly still, fearing even to
renew the conversation, lest he should seem impertinent
to these ladies, to whom, at first, he had thought himself
rather condescending in his politeness.
</p>

<p>
Still, in spite of himself, he felt more and more strongly
attracted towards them, and an increasing interest in
them. From time to time he heard them speak softly to
each other, and he caught these words:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So late an hour! what excuse for being out?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
At last the coach stopped again, but this time it was
no accident, but simply that they had arrived at Versailles.
</p>

<p>
The young man thought the time had passed with
marvelous quickness.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We are at Versailles,&rdquo; said the coachman.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where must he stop, ladies?&rdquo; asked the officer.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;At the Place d&rsquo;Armes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;At the Place d&rsquo;Armes, coachman,&rdquo; said the officer;
&ldquo;go on.&mdash;I must say something to them,&rdquo; thought he,
&ldquo;or they will now think me a stupid, as they must before
have thought me impertinent.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Mesdames,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;you are at length arrived.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Thanks to your generous assistance.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What trouble we have given you,&rdquo; added Andrée.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame, do not speak of it!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, sir, we shall not forget; will you tell us your
name?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My name?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly, sir; you do not wish to make us a present
of a louis, I hope.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame, if that is it,&rdquo; said the young man,
rather piqued, &ldquo;I yield; I am the Comte de Charney,
and as madame has already remarked, a naval officer.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Charney,&rdquo; repeated the elder lady, &ldquo;I shall not
forget.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame, Georges de Charney.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And you live&mdash;&mdash;?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Hôtel des Princes, Rue de Richelieu.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The coach stopped. The elder lady opened the door
and jumped out quickly, holding out a hand to her
companion.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But pray, ladies,&rdquo; said he, preparing to follow them,
&ldquo;take my arm; you are not yet at your own home.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, sir, do not move.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not move?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No; pray remain in the coach.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You cannot walk alone at this time of night; it is
impossible.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now, you see,&rdquo; said the elder lady, gaily, &ldquo;after almost
refusing to oblige us, you wish to be too obliging.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, madame&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sir, remain to the end a loyal and gallant cavalier;
we thank you, M. de Charney, with all our hearts, and
will not even ask your word&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To do what, madame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To shut the door, and order the man to drive back
to Paris, without even looking where we go, which you
will do, will you not?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will obey you, madame; coachman, back again.&rdquo;
And he put a second louis into the man&rsquo;s hand, who joyfully
set off on his return.
</p>

<p>
The young man sighed, as he took his place on the
cushions which the unknown ladies had just occupied.
</p>

<p>
They remained motionless till the coach was out of
sight, and then took their way towards the castle.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER VI.<br/>
LAURENT.</h2>

<p>
At this moment our heroines heard the clock strike
from the church of St. Louis.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, mon Dieu! a quarter to twelve,&rdquo; they cried, in
terror.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;See, all the doors are shut,&rdquo; said Andrée.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, that is nothing; for, if they were open, we would
not go in here. Let us go round by the reservoirs.&rdquo;
And they turned to the right, where there was a private
entrance.
</p>

<p>
When they arrived there, &ldquo;The door is shut, Andrée,&rdquo;
said the elder lady, rather uneasily.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Let us knock, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, we will call; Laurent must be waiting for me,
for I told him perhaps I should return late.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will call,&rdquo; said Andrée, approaching the door.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who is there?&rdquo; said a voice from inside.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, it is not Laurent!&rdquo; said she, terrified.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Is it not?&rdquo; and the other lady advanced, and called
softly, &ldquo;Laurent.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
No answer.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Laurent?&rdquo; again she called, louder.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There is no Laurent here,&rdquo; replied the voice, rudely.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But,&rdquo; said Andrée, &ldquo;whether he be here or not, open
the door.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I cannot open it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But Laurent would have opened it immediately.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have my orders,&rdquo; was all the reply.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who are you, then?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Rather, who are you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Rude as the question was, it was no time to find fault,
so they answered, &ldquo;We are ladies of her majesty&rsquo;s suite,
we lodge in the castle, and we wish to get home.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, I, mesdames, am a Suisse of the Salischamade
company, and I shall do just the contrary of Laurent, for
I shall leave you at the door.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; murmured the ladies, in terror and anger.
</p>

<p>
Then, making an effort over herself, the elder lady
said, &ldquo;My friend, I understand that you are obeying
orders, and I do not quarrel with you for that&mdash;it is a
soldier&rsquo;s duty; only do me the favor to call Laurent&mdash;he
cannot be far distant.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I cannot quit my post.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then send some one.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have no one to send.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;For pity&rsquo;s sake!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, mon Dieu, sleep in the town, that is no great
thing; if I were shut out of the barracks, I would soon
find a bed.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Listen,&rdquo; said the lady again; &ldquo;you shall have twenty
louis, if you open this door.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And twelve years at the galleys: no, thank you.
Forty-eight francs a year is not sufficient pay for that.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will get you made a sergeant.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, and he who gave me the order will have me
shot.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And who did give you the order?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The king.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The king!&rdquo; cried they; &ldquo;oh, we are lost!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Is there no other door?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! madame, if this one is closed, be sure all the
others will be so also,&rdquo; said Andrée.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are right, Andrée. &rsquo;Tis a horrible trick of the
king,&rdquo; she said, with a contempt almost menacing.
</p>

<p>
There was a sort of bank outside the door, which they
sank down upon in despair. They could see the light
under the door, and could hear the steps of the sentinel
as he paced to and fro.
</p>

<p>
Within this little door was salvation; without, shame
and scandal.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! to-morrow, to-morrow, when they will find out,&rdquo;
murmured the elder lady.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You will tell the truth, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But shall I be believed?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! we can prove it; besides, the soldier will not
stay all night; he will be relieved, and perhaps his successor
will be more complacent.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, but the patrol will pass directly, and will find
me here, waiting outside. It is infamous; I am suffocated
with rage.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, take courage, madame! you, who are always so
brave.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is a plot, Andrée, in order to ruin me. This door
is never closed. Oh, I shall die!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
At this moment they heard a step approaching, and
then the voice of a young man, singing gaily as he went
along.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That voice,&rdquo; cried the lady, &ldquo;I know it, I am sure.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, yes, madame, he will save us.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
A young man, wrapped up in a fur riding-coat, came
quickly up, and without noticing them, knocked at the
door, and called, &ldquo;Laurent.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Brother,&rdquo; said the elder lady, touching him on the
shoulder.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The queen,&rdquo; cried he, taking off his hat.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Hush,&rdquo; said she.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are not alone?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, I am with Mademoiselle Andrée de Taverney.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, good evening, mademoiselle.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Good evening, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Are you going out, madame?&rdquo; asked he.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then you are going in.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We wished to do so.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Have you not called Laurent?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, we have, but&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But what?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You call Laurent, and you will see.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The young man, whom the reader has, perhaps, already
recognized as the Comte d&rsquo;Artois, approached and again
called &ldquo;Laurent.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I warn you,&rdquo; answered from within the voice of the
Suisse, &ldquo;that if you torment me any more I will go and
fetch my commanding officer.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who is this?&rdquo; asked the count, turning round in
astonishment to the queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A Swiss who has been substituted for Laurent.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;By whom?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;By the king.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The king?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, he told us so himself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And with orders?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Most strict, apparently.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Diable! we must capitulate.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you mean?&rdquo; she asked.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Offer him money.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have already done so, and he has refused it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Offer him promotion.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have offered that also, but he would not listen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then there is but one way.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To make a noise.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My dear Charles, you will compromise us.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not the least in the world; you keep in the background,
I will knock like thunder, and shout like a
madman; they will open at last, and you can slide in
with me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Try, then.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The young prince began calling Laurent, knocking at
the door and striking with his sword, till at last the
Swiss said, &ldquo;Ah, well! I will call my officer.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Go and call him, that is just what I want.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
They soon heard other steps approaching. The queen
and Andrée kept close, ready to slip in if the door
should open; then they heard the Swiss say, &ldquo;It is a
gentleman, lieutenant, who insists on coming in.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, I suppose that is not astonishing, as we belong
to the castle,&rdquo; said the count.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is no doubt a natural wish, but a forbidden one,&rdquo;
replied the officer.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Forbidden&mdash;by whom? morbleu!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;By the king.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But the king would not wish an officer of the castle
to sleep outside.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sir, I am not the judge of that; I have only to obey
orders.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come, lieutenant, open the door; we cannot talk
through this oak.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sir, I repeat to you that my orders are to keep it
shut; and if you are an officer, as you say, you know that
I must obey.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Lieutenant, you speak to the colonel of a regiment.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Excuse me, then, colonel, but my orders are positive.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But they cannot concern a prince. Come, sir, a
prince cannot be kept out.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My prince, I am in despair, but the king has
ordered&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The king has ordered you to turn away his brother
like a beggar or a robber? I am the Comte d&rsquo;Artois, sir.
Mordieu! you keep me here freezing at the door.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monseigneur, God is my witness that I would shed
my blood for your royal highness. But the king gave
me his orders in person, and confiding to me the charge
of this door, ordered me not to open to any one, should
it be even himself, after eleven o&rsquo;clock. Therefore, monseigneur,
I ask your pardon humbly for disobeying you,
but I am a soldier, and were it her majesty the queen who
asked admittance, I should be forced most unwillingly to
refuse.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Having said this, the officer turned away and left the
place.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We are lost,&rdquo; said the queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do they know that you are out?&rdquo; asked the count.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Alas, I know not!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Perhaps, then, this order is leveled against me; the
king knows I often go out at night, and stay late.
Madame la Comtesse d&rsquo;Artois must have heard something,
and complained to him, and hence this tyrannical order.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, no, brother, I thank you for trying to reassure
me, but I feel that it is against me these precautions are
taken.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Impossible, sister! the king has too much esteem&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Meanwhile, I am left at the door, and to-morrow a
frightful scandal will be the result. I know well I have
an enemy near the king.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is possible; however, I have an idea.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What? only be quick. If you can but save us from
the ridicule of this position, it is all I care for.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I will save you; I am not more foolish than he,
for all his learning.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Than whom?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, pardieu, the Comte de Provence.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, then, you also know my enemy.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Is he not the enemy of all that are young and beautiful,
of all who are better than himself?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Count, I believe you know something about this
order.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Perhaps, but do not let us stop here. Come with me,
dear sister.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You shall see, somewhere where at least you will be
warm, and en route I will tell you all I know about this.
Take my arm, sister, and you the other, Madlle. de
Taverney, and let us turn to the right.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, but now go on,&rdquo; said the queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This evening after the king&rsquo;s supper, he came to his
cabinet. He had been talking all day to Count Haga,
you had not been seen&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, at two o&rsquo;clock I left to go to Paris.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I know it. The king, allow me to tell you, dear sister,
was thinking no more about you than about Haroun-al-Raschid,
or his Vizier Giaffar, and was talking geography.
I listened with some impatience, for I also wanted to go
out; probably not with the same object as you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where are we going?&rdquo; interrupted the queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, close by; take care, there is a snow-heap.
Madlle. de Taverney, if you leave my arm you will certainly
fall. But to return to the king: he was thinking
of nothing but latitude and longitude, when M. de Provence
said to him, &lsquo;I should like to pay my respects to
the queen.&rsquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;&lsquo;The queen sups at home,&rsquo; replied the king.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;&lsquo;Oh, I believed her at Paris.&rsquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;&lsquo;No, she is at home,&rsquo; said the king, quietly.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;&lsquo;I have just come from there, and been denied to
her,&rsquo; said M. de Provence.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then I saw the king frown. He dismissed us, and
doubtless went to make inquiries. Louis is jealous by
fits, you know; he must have asked to see you, and
being refused, become suspicious.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, Madame de Misery had orders to do so.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then, to know whether you were out or not, he has
given these strict orders.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, it is shameful treatment. Confess, is it not?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Indeed, I think so; but here we are.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This house?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Does it displease you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, I do not say that&mdash;it is charming. But your
servants?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If they see me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come in, sister, and I will guarantee that no one sees
you, not even whoever opens the door.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Impossible!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We will try,&rdquo; said he, laughing; and laying his hand
on one of the panels, the door flew open.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Enter, I pray you,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;there is no one near.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen looked at Andrée, then, making up her
mind, went in, and the door shut behind them.
</p>

<p>
She found herself in a vestibule, small, but ornamented
in perfect taste. The floor was mosaic work, representing
bouquets of flowers, while numerous rose-trees on
marble brackets scented the air with a perfume equally
delicious as rare at that time of the year.
</p>

<p>
It looked all so charming, that the ladies began to forget
their fears and scruples.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So far well,&rdquo; said the queen; &ldquo;we have a shelter,
at all events, and seemingly a very charming one; but
you had better see to one thing&mdash;that is, to keep off your
servants.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, nothing more easy;&rdquo; and the prince, seizing a
little bell which hung on one of the pillars, rang one
clear stroke.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; cried the queen, frightened, &ldquo;is that the way
to keep them off? I should have thought it would bring
them.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If I had rung again, it would have done so, but when
I only ring once, they know they are not wanted.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, you are a man of precaution!&rdquo; said the queen
laughing.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now, dear sister, take the trouble to go up-stairs.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Let us obey,&rdquo; said the queen, &ldquo;the genius of this
place appears not disagreeable;&rdquo; and they went up, their
steps making no sound on the thick Aubusson carpet.
</p>

<p>
At the top, the prince rang another bell, which gave
them a fresh start of surprise, and their astonishment increased
when they saw the doors open of themselves.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really, Andrée,&rdquo; said the queen, &ldquo;I begin to tremble,
do not you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame, I shall follow fearlessly wherever your
majesty goes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Enter,&rdquo; said the prince, &ldquo;for here is your apartment;&rdquo;
and he ushered them into a charming little
room, furnished &lsquo;en buhl,&rsquo; with a painted ceiling and
walls, and a rosewood floor. It opened into a boudoir,
fitted up with white cashmere, beautifully embroidered
with groups of flowers, and hung with tapestry of exquisite
workmanship. Beyond the boudoir was a bedroom,
painted blue, hung with curtains of silk and lace,
and with a sumptuous bed in an alcove. A fire burned
on the hearth, and a dozen perfumed wax-lights in candelabra.
</p>

<p>
Such were the marvels which presented themselves to
the eyes of the wondering ladies. No living being was to
be seen; fire and lights seemed to have come without hands.
</p>

<p>
The queen stopped on the threshold of the bedroom,
looking half afraid to enter.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sister,&rdquo; said the count, &ldquo;these are my bachelor
apartments; here I come alone.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Always?&rdquo; asked the queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Doubtless,&rdquo; answered he.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I understand now,&rdquo; said the queen, &ldquo;why Madame
la Comtesse is sometimes unquiet.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Confess, however, that if she is unquiet to-night, it
Will be without reason.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To-night, I do not say, but other nights.&rdquo; Then,
sitting down; &ldquo;I am dreadfully tired,&rdquo; she said; &ldquo;are
not you, Andrée?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I can scarcely stand, and if your majesty permits&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Indeed you look ill, mademoiselle,&rdquo; said the count.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You must go to bed,&rdquo; said the queen. &ldquo;M. le
Comte gives us up this room; do you not, Charles?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Entirely, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;One moment, count. If you go away, how can we
recall you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You will not need me; you are mistress of this
house.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But there are other rooms.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly, there is a dining-room, which I advise you
to visit.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;With a table ready spread, no doubt.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, yes, and Mademoiselle de Taverney, who seems
to me to need it much, will find there jellies or chicken,
and wine, and you, sister, plenty of those fruits you are
so fond of.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And no servants?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;None.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We will see; but how to return?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You must not think of returning to-night. At six
o&rsquo;clock the gates will be opened, go out a quarter before,
you will find in these drawers mantles of all colors and
all shapes, if you wish to disguise yourselves. Go therefore
to the ch&acirc;teau, regain your rooms, go to bed, and all
will be right.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But you, what will you do?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I am going away.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We turn you out, my poor brother!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is better for me not to remain in the same house
with you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But you must sleep somewhere.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do not fear; I have three other houses like this.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen laughed. &ldquo;And he pretends Madame la
Comtesse has no cause to be anxious; oh, I will tell
her!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You dare not.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is true, we are dependent upon you. Then, to go
away to-morrow morning without seeing any one?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You must ring once, as I did below, and the door
will open.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;By itself?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;By itself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then good night, brother.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Good night, sister.&rdquo; He bowed and disappeared.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER VII.<br/>
THE QUEEN&rsquo;S BED-CHAMBER.</h2>

<p>
The next day, or rather the same morning, for our last
chapter brought us to two o&rsquo;clock, the King Louis XVI.,
in a violet-colored morning dress, in some disorder, and
with no powder in his hair, knocked at the door of the
queen&rsquo;s ante-chamber.
</p>

<p>
It was opened by one of her women.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The queen?&rdquo; asked Louis, in a brusque manner.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Her majesty is asleep, sire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The king made a movement, as though to pass in but
the woman did not move.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you not see,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;that I wish to come in.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But the queen is asleep, sire,&rdquo; again she said timidly.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I told you to let me pass,&rdquo; answered the king, going
in as he spoke.
</p>

<p>
When he reached the door of the bedroom, the king
saw Madame de Misery, the first lady-in-waiting, who was
sitting reading from her mass book.
</p>

<p>
She rose on seeing him. &ldquo;Sire,&rdquo; she said, in a low voice,
and with a profound reverence, &ldquo;her majesty has not
yet called for me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really?&rdquo; said the king, in an ironical tone.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, sire, it is only half-past six, and her majesty
never rings before seven.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And you are sure that her majesty is asleep in bed?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I cannot affirm that she is asleep, sire, but I can that
she is in bed.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The king could contain himself no longer, but went
straight to the door, which he opened with some noise.
The room was in complete darkness, the shutters closed,
and the curtains drawn. A night lamp burned on a
bracket, but it only gave a dim and feeble light.
</p>

<p>
The king walked rapidly towards the bed.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, Madame de Misery,&rdquo; said the queen, &ldquo;how
noisy you are&mdash;you have disturbed me!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The king remained stupefied. &ldquo;It is not Madame de
Misery,&rdquo; he murmured.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What, is it you, sire?&rdquo; said Marie Antoinette, raising
herself up.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Good morning, madame,&rdquo; said the king, in a surly
tone.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What good wind blows you here, sire? Madame de
Misery, come and open the shutters.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She came in instantly, as usual, opened all the doors
and windows, to let in light and fresh air.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You sleep well, madame,&rdquo; said the king, seating
himself, and casting scrutinizing glances round the
room.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sire, I read late, and had your majesty not disturbed
me, might have slept for some time longer.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How was it that you did not receive visitors yesterday?&rdquo;
asked the king.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Whom do you mean?&mdash;M. de Provence,&rdquo; said the
queen, with great presence of mind.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, exactly; he wished to pay his respects to you,
and was refused.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They said you were out.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Did they say that?&rdquo; asked the queen carelessly.
&ldquo;Madame de Misery&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The lady appeared, bringing in with her a number of
letters on a gold salver. &ldquo;Did your majesty call?&rdquo; she
asked.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes. Did they tell M. de Provence yesterday that I
was out? Will you tell the king, for really I forget.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire,&rdquo; said Madame de Misery, while the queen took
her letters and began to read, &ldquo;I told Monseigneur le
Comte de Provence that her majesty did not receive.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And by whose orders?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;By the queen&rsquo;s, sire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Meanwhile, the queen had opened one of the letters,
and read these lines: &ldquo;You returned from Paris yesterday,
and entered the ch&acirc;teau at eight o&rsquo;clock in the evening;
Laurent saw you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Madame de Misery left the room.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pardon, sire,&rdquo; said the queen, &ldquo;but will you answer
me one question?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What, madame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Am I, or am I not, at liberty to see M. de Provence
only when it pleases me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, perfectly at liberty, madame, but&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, his conversation wearies me; besides, he does
not love me, and I like him no better. I expected his
visit, and went to bed at eight o&rsquo;clock to avoid it. But
you look disturbed, sire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I believed you to be in Paris yesterday.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;At what time?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;At the time at which you pretend to have gone to
bed.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Doubtless, I went to Paris; but what of that?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;All, madame, depends on what time you returned.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, you wish to know at what time exactly I returned?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is easy. Madame de Misery&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The Lady reappeared.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What time was it when I returned from Paris yesterday?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;About eight o&rsquo;clock, your majesty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not believe it,&rdquo; said the king, &ldquo;you make a
mistake, Madame de Misery.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The lady walked to the door, and called, &ldquo;Madame
Dural!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame,&rdquo; replied a voice.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;At what time did her majesty return from Paris yesterday?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;About eight o&rsquo;clock, madame,&rdquo; replied the other.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The king thinks we are mistaken.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Madame Dural put her head out of the window, and
cried, &ldquo;Laurent!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who is Laurent?&rdquo; asked the king.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The porter at the gate where her majesty entered,&rdquo;
said Madame de Misery.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Laurent,&rdquo; said Madame Dural, &ldquo;what time was it
when her majesty came home last evening?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;About eight o&rsquo;clock,&rdquo; answered Laurent.
</p>

<p>
Madame de Misery then left the room, and the king and
queen remained alone.
</p>

<p>
He felt ashamed of his suspicions.
</p>

<p>
The queen, however, only said coldly, &ldquo;Well, sire, is
there anything else you wish to know?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, nothing!&rdquo; cried he, taking her hands in his;
&ldquo;forgive me; I do not know what came into my head&mdash;my
joy is as great as my repentance. You will not be
angry, will you? I am in despair at having annoyed
you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen withdrew her hand, and said; &ldquo;Sire, a
queen of France must not tell a falsehood.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you mean?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I mean that I did not return at eight o&rsquo;clock last
evening.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The king drew back in surprise.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I mean,&rdquo; continued the queen in the same cold
manner, &ldquo;that I only returned at six o&rsquo;clock this
morning.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And that, but for the kindness of M. le Comte
d&rsquo;Artois, who gave me an asylum, and lodged me out of
pity in one of his houses, I should have been left all night
at the door of the ch&acirc;teau like a beggar.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! you had not then returned?&rdquo; said the king,
gloomily; &ldquo;then I was right.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire, you have not behaved towards me as a gentleman
should.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;In what, madame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;In this&mdash;that if you wish to know whether I return
late or early, you have no need to close the gates, with
orders not to open them, but simply to come to me and
ask, &lsquo;Madame, at what time did you return?&rsquo; You have
no more reason to doubt, sire. Your spies have been deceived,
your precautions nullified, and your suspicions
dissipated. I saw you ashamed of the part you had played,
and I might have continued to triumph in my victory, but
I think your proceedings shameful for a king, and unworthy
of a gentleman; and I would not refuse myself the
satisfaction of telling you so.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is useless, sire,&rdquo; she continued, seeing the king
about to speak; &ldquo;nothing can excuse your conduct
towards me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;On the contrary, madame,&rdquo; replied he, &ldquo;nothing is
more easy. Not a single person in the ch&acirc;teau suspected
that you had not already returned; therefore no one could
think that my orders referred to you. Probably they were
attributed to the dissipations of M. le Comte d&rsquo;Artois&mdash;for
that I care nothing. Therefore, madame, appearances
were saved, as far as you were concerned. I wished simply
to give you a secret lesson, from which the amount of irritation
you show leads me to hope you will profit. Therefore,
I still think I was in the right, and do not repent
what I have done.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen listened, and seemed to calm herself, by an
effort, to prepare for the approaching contest. &ldquo;Then,
sire,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;you think you need no excuse for
keeping at the door of your castle the daughter of Maria
Theresa, your wife, and the mother of your children? No!
it is in your eyes a pleasantry worthy of a king, and of
which the morality doubles the value. It is nothing to
you, to have forced the Queen of France to pass the night
in this &lsquo;petite maison,&rsquo; where the Comte d&rsquo;Artois receives
the ladies of the Opera and the &lsquo;femmes galantes&rsquo;
of your court. Oh no! that is nothing. A philosopher
king is above all such considerations. Only, on this occasion,
I have reason to thank heaven that my brother-in-law
is a dissipated man, as his dissipation has saved me
from disgrace, and his vices have sheltered my honor.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The king colored, and moved uneasily on his chair.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh yes!&rdquo; continued the queen, with a bitter laugh,
&ldquo;I know that you are a moral king, but your morality
produces strange effects. You say that no one knew that
I was out. Will you tell me that M. de Provence, your
instigator, did not know it; or M. le Comte d&rsquo;Artois&mdash;or
my women? who, by my orders, told you falsehoods this
morning; or Laurent&mdash;bought by M. d&rsquo;Artois and by me?
Let us continue this habit, sire; you, to set spies and
Swiss guards; and I, to buy them over and cheat you;
and in a month we will calculate together how much the
dignity of the throne and our marriage has gained by it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
It was evident that her words had made a great impression
on him to whom they were addressed.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You know,&rdquo; said he, in an altered voice, &ldquo;that I am
always sincere, and willing to acknowledge if I have been
wrong. Will you prove to me that you were right to go
into Paris in sledges, accompanied by a gay party, which,
in the present unhappy state of things, is likely to give
offense? Will you prove to me, that you were right to
disappear in Paris, like maskers at a ball, and only to reappear
scandalously late at night, when every one else
was asleep? You have spoken of the dignity of the
throne, and of marriage; think you that it befits a
queen, a wife, and a mother, to act thus?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will reply in a few words, sire; for it seems to me,
that such accusations merit nothing but contempt. I left
Versailles in a sledge, because it is the quickest way of
getting to Paris at present. I went with Madlle. de
Taverney, whose reputation is certainly one of the purest
in our court. I went to Paris, I repeat, to verify the fact
that the King of France, the great upholder of morality&mdash;he
who takes care of poor strangers, warms the beggars,
and earns the gratitude of the people by his charities,
leaves dying of hunger, exposed to every attack of vice
and misery, one of his own family&mdash;one who is as much
as himself a descendant of the kings who have reigned in
France.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What!&rdquo; cried the king in surprise.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I mounted,&rdquo; continued the queen, &ldquo;into a garret,
and there saw, without fire, almost without light, and
without money, the granddaughter of a great prince, and
I gave one hundred louis to this victim of royal forgetfulness
and neglect. Then, as I was detained late there,
and as the frost was severe, and horses go slowly over
ice, particularly hackney-coach horses&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Hackney-coach horses!&rdquo; cried the king. &ldquo;You returned
in a hackney-coach?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sire&mdash;No. 107.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, oh!&rdquo; said the king, with every sign of vexation.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, and only too happy to get it,&rdquo; said the queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame!&rdquo; interrupted he, &ldquo;you are full of noble
feelings; but this impetuous generosity becomes a fault.
Remember,&rdquo; continued he, &ldquo;that I never suspected you
of anything that was not perfectly pure and honest: it is
only your mode of acting and adventurous spirit that displease
me. You have, as usual, been doing good, but
the way you set about it makes it injurious to yourself.
This is what I reproach you with. You say that I have
faults to repair&mdash;that I have failed in my duty to a
member of my own family. Tell me who the unfortunate
is, and he shall no longer have reason to complain.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The name of Valois, sire, is sufficiently illustrious not
to have escaped your memory.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; cried Louis, with a shout of laughter, &ldquo;I know
now whom you mean. La petite Valois, is it not?&mdash;a
countess of something or other.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;De la Motte, sire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Precisely, De la Motte; her husband is a gendarme.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And his wife is an intrigante. Oh! you need not
trouble yourself about her: she is moving heaven and
earth; she worries my ministers, she teases my aunts, and
overwhelms me with supplications, memorials, and
genealogies.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And all this uselessly, sire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I must confess it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Is she, or is she not, a Valois?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I believe she is.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, then, I ask an honorable pension for her and
a regiment for her husband. In fact, a decent position
for this branch of the royal family.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;An honorable pension? Mon Dieu! how you run on,
madame. Do you know what a terrible hole this winter
has made in my funds? A regiment for this little gendarme,
who speculated in marrying a Valois? Why, I
have no regiments to give, even to those who deserve
them, or who can pay for them. An income befitting a
Valois for these people? when we, monarch as we are,
have not one befitting a rich gentleman. Why, M.
d&rsquo;Orleans has sent his horses and mules to England for
sale, and has cut off a third of his establishment. I have
put down my wolf-hounds, and given up many other
things. We are all on the privation list, great and small.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But these Valois must not die of hunger.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Have you not just given them one hundred louis?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And what is that?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A royal gift.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then give such another.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yours will do for us both.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, I want a pension for them.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, I will not bind myself to anything fixed; they
will not let me forget them, and I will give when I have
money to spare. I do not think much of this little Valois.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Saying these words, Louis held out his hand to the
queen, who, however, turned from him and said, &ldquo;No, you
are not good to me, and I am angry.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You bear malice,&rdquo; said the king &ldquo;and I&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, you shut the gates against me; you come at
half-past six to my room, and force open the door in a
passion.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I was not in a passion,&rdquo; said the king.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are not now, you mean.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What will you give me if I prove that I was not, even
when I came in?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Let me see the proof.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, it is very easy; I have it in my pocket.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Bah!&rdquo; said the queen; but adding, with curiosity,
&ldquo;You have brought something to give me, but I warn
you I shall not believe you, unless you show it me at
once.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Then, with a smile full of kindness, the king began
searching in his pockets, with that slowness which makes
the child doubly impatient for his toy, the animal for his
food, and the woman for her present: at last he drew
out a box of red morocco leather, artistically ornamented
in gold.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A jewel box!&rdquo; cried the queen.
</p>

<p>
The king laid it on the bed.
</p>

<p>
She opened it impatiently, and then called out, &ldquo;Oh,
mon Dieu! how beautiful!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The king smiled with delight. &ldquo;Do you think so?&rdquo;
said he.
</p>

<p>
The queen could not answer&mdash;she was breathless with
admiration. Then she drew out of the box a necklace of
diamonds, so large, so pure, so glittering, and so even,
that, with sparkling eyes, she cried again, &ldquo;Oh! it is
magnificent.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then you are content?&rdquo; said the king.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Enchanted, sire; you make me too happy.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;See this first row; the diamonds are as large as filberts,
and so even, you could not tell one from the other;
then how beautifully the gradation of the rows is managed;
the jeweler who made this necklace is an artist.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They are two.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then I wager it is Bœhmer and Bossange.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have guessed right.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Indeed, no one but they would risk making such a
thing.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, take care,&rdquo; said the king; &ldquo;you will have
to pay too dear for this necklace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, sire!&rdquo; cried the queen, all the delight fading
from her countenance.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You must pay the price of letting me be the first to
put it on:&rdquo; and he approached her, holding in his hands
the two ends of the magnificent necklace, of which the
clasp was one great diamond.
</p>

<p>
She stopped him, saying, &ldquo;But, sire, is it very dear?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Have I not told you the price?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, Louis, we must not jest. Put the necklace back
again.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You refuse to allow me to put it on?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh no, sire, if I were going to wear it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What?&rdquo; said the king, surprised.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No,&rdquo; she said; &ldquo;no one shall see a necklace of this
price round my neck.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You will not wear it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Never.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You refuse me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I refuse to wear a million or a million and a half of
francs round my neck, for this necklace must cost that.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not deny it,&rdquo; said the king.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then I do refuse to wear such a necklace while the
king&rsquo;s coffers are empty, when he is forced to stint his
charities, and to say to the poor, &lsquo;God help you, for I have
no more to give.&rsquo;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Are you serious in saying this?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Listen, sire; M. de Sartines told me a short time since
that with that sum we could build a ship of the line; and
in truth, sire, the king has more need of a ship than the
queen of a necklace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; cried the king, joyfully, and with his eyes full
of tears, &ldquo;what you do is sublime. Thanks, Antoinette;
you are a good wife!&rdquo; and he threw his arms round her
neck and kissed her. &ldquo;Oh! how France will bless you,&rdquo;
continued he; &ldquo;and it shall hear what you have done.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen sighed.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You regret,&rdquo; said he: &ldquo;it is not too late.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, sire; shut this case, and return it to the jewelers.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But listen, first; I have arranged the terms of payment,
and I have the money.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, I have decided. I will not have the necklace;
but I want something else.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Diable! then my 1,600,000 francs are gone, after all.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What! it would have cost that?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Indeed it would.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Reassure yourself; what I ask is much cheaper.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you wish for?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To go to Paris once more.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! that is easy enough, and not dear.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But wait&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Diable!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To the Place Vendôme, to see M. Mesmer.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Diable!&rdquo; again said the king; but added: &ldquo;Well, as
you have denied yourself the necklace, I suppose I must
let you go; but, on one condition.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You must be accompanied by a princess of the blood.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Shall it be Madame de Lamballe?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, if you like.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I promise.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then I consent.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Thanks, sire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And, now,&rdquo; said the king, &ldquo;I shall order my ship of
the line, and call it the &lsquo;Queen&rsquo;s Necklace.&rsquo; You shall
stand godmother, and then I will send it out to La Pérouse;&rdquo;
and, kissing his wife&rsquo;s hand, he went away quite
joyful.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER VIII.<br/>
THE QUEEN&rsquo;S PETITE LEVEE.</h2>

<p>
No sooner was the king gone than the queen rose, and
went to the window. The morning was lovely, and had
the charming feeling of the commencement of spring,
while the sun seemed almost warm. The wind had gone
round to the west, and if it remained in that quarter this
terrible winter was probably at an end.
</p>

<p>
The snow was beginning to drip from the trees, under
the influence of this genial morning.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If we wish to profit by the ice,&rdquo; cried the queen, &ldquo;I
believe we must make haste; for look, Madame de Misery,
the spring seems to have begun. I much wish to make
up a party on the Swiss lake, and will go to-day, for to-morrow
it may be too late.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then at what hour will your majesty wish to dress?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Immediately; I will breakfast and then go.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Are there any other orders, madame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;See if Madlle. de Taverney has risen, and tell her I
wish to speak to her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She is already waiting for you in the boudoir, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Already?&rdquo; said the queen, who knew at what time
she had gone to bed.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She has been there for twenty minutes, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ask her to come in.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Andrée soon entered, dressed with her usual care, and
smiling, though rather unquiet.
</p>

<p>
The queen&rsquo;s answering smile quite reassured her.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Go, my good Misery, and send me Leonard.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
When she was gone, &ldquo;The king has been charming,&rdquo;
said the queen to Andrée; &ldquo;he has laughed, and is quite
disarmed.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But does he know, madame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You understand, Andrée, that a woman does not tell
falsehoods when she has done no wrong and is the Queen
of France.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Still, my dear Andrée, it seems we have been
wrong&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Doubtless, madame, but how?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why, in pitying Madame de la Motte; the king dislikes
her, but I confess she pleased me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Here is Leonard,&rdquo; said Madame de Misery, returning.
</p>

<p>
The queen seated herself before her silver-gilt toilet-table,
and the celebrated hair-dresser commenced his
operations.
</p>

<p>
She had the most beautiful hair in the world, and was
fond of looking at it; Leonard knew this, and therefore
with her was always tardy in his movements, that she
might have time to admire it.
</p>

<p>
Marie Antoinette was looking beautiful that morning:
she was pleased and happy.
</p>

<p>
Her hair finished, she turned again to Andrée.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have not been scolded,&rdquo; she said; &ldquo;you are
free: besides, they say every one is afraid of you, because,
like Minerva, you are too wise.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I, madame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, you; but, oh, mon Dieu! how happy you are to
be unmarried, and, above all, to be content to be so.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Andrée blushed, and tried to smile.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is a vow that I have made,&rdquo; said she.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And which you will keep, beautiful vestal?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I hope so.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Apropos,&rdquo; said the queen, &ldquo;I remember, that although
unmarried, you have a master since yesterday morning.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A master, madame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, your dear brother; what do you call him?&mdash;Philippe,
is it not?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Has he arrived?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He came yesterday.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And you have not yet seen him? I took you away
to Paris, selfish that I was; it was unpardonable.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame! I pardon you willingly, and Philippe
also.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Are you sure?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I answer for both of us.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How is he?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;As usual, beautiful and good, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How old is he now?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Thirty-two.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Poor Philippe! do you know that it is fourteen years
since I first met him! But I have not seen him now for
nine or ten.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Whenever your majesty pleases to receive him he
will be but too happy to assure you that this long absence
has not altered the sentiment of respectful devotion which
he has ever felt for his queen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will see him at once.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;In a quarter of an hour he will be at your majesty&rsquo;s
feet.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Scarcely was Andrée gone, when the queen saw reflected
in the glass an arch and laughing face. &ldquo;My
brother D&rsquo;Artois,&rdquo; cried the queen; &ldquo;how you frightened
me!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Good morning, your majesty,&rdquo; said the young prince;
&ldquo;how did your majesty pass the night?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very badly, brother.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And the morning?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very well.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is the most important; I guessed that all had
gone right, for I have just met the king, and he was
smiling most graciously.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen laughed, and he echoed it.
</p>

<p>
The queen had just cast off her dressing-gown of India
muslin, and put on her morning dress, when the door
opened and Andrée entered, leading by the hand a handsome
man with a brown complexion, noble black eyes,
profoundly imbued with melancholy, and a soldier-like
carriage. He looked like one of Coypel&rsquo;s or Gainsborough&rsquo;s
beautiful portraits.
</p>

<p>
He was dressed in a dark gray coat, embroidered in
silver, a white cravat, and a dark waistcoat; and this
rather somber style of dress seemed to suit the manly
character of his beauty.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your majesty,&rdquo; said Andrée, &ldquo;here is my brother.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Philippe bowed gravely.
</p>

<p>
The queen, who had until now been looking at his
figure reflected in her mirror, turned round and saluted
him. She was beautiful, with that royal beauty which
made all around her not only partisans of the throne, but
adorers of the woman. She possessed the power of
beauty; and, if we may make use of the inversion, the
beauty of power. Philippe, seeing her smile, and feeling
those limpid eyes, at once soft and proud, fixed upon
him, turned pale, and could hardly restrain his emotion.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It appears, M. de Taverney,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;that you
pay me your first visit; I thank you for it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your majesty deigns to forget that it is I who should
give thanks.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How many years have passed since we last met, monsieur?
Alas! the most beautiful part of our lives.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;For me, madame, but not for your majesty, to whom
all days are alike charming.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You were then pleased with America, M. de Taverney,
as you remained there so long?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; answered Philippe, &ldquo;M. de la Fayette,
when he left the New World, had need of an officer in
whom he could place confidence to take the command of
the French auxiliaries. He proposed me, therefore, to
General Washington, who accepted me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It seems,&rdquo; said the queen, &ldquo;that this new country
sends us home many heroes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your majesty does not mean that for me?&rdquo; asked
Philippe, laughing.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why not?&rdquo; Then turning to the Comte d&rsquo;Artois,
&ldquo;See, brother,&rdquo; she said; &ldquo;has not M. de Taverney the
look of a hero?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Philippe, seeing himself thus introduced to the young
prince, bowed low. He returned it, and said, &ldquo;I am
most happy to make the acquaintance of such a gentleman.
What are your intentions in returning to France, sir?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monseigneur,&rdquo; answered Philippe, &ldquo;my sister is my
first consideration; whatever she wishes, I shall do.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But she has a father, I believe,&rdquo; said the count.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Never mind him,&rdquo; said the queen, quickly, &ldquo;I prefer
Andrée under her brother&rsquo;s protection, and he under
yours, count. You will take charge of M. de Taverney,
will you not?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The count bowed an assent.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;For, do you know,&rdquo; continued she, &ldquo;that a very strong
link binds me to M. de Taverney?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you mean, sister?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That he was the first Frenchman who presented
himself to my eyes when I arrived in this country; and I
had taken a very sincere vow to promote the happiness of
the first Frenchman I should meet.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Philippe felt the blood rush to his face, and Andrée
looked at him rather sadly.
</p>

<p>
The queen observed these looks of the brother and
sister, and fancied she divined the cause. &ldquo;Why,&rdquo; she
thought, &ldquo;should not Monsieur de Taverney have partaken
the epidemic passion which pervaded all France for
the dauphiness in 1774?&rdquo; Marie Antoinette therefore
attributed these looks to some confidence of this kind
which the brother had made to the sister; and in consequence,
she smiled still more upon him, and redoubled
her kindness towards Andrée.
</p>

<p>
The queen was a true woman, and gloried in being
loved.
</p>

<p>
It was an innocent coquetry, and the most generous
souls have the most strongly these aspirations for the
love of all who surround them.
</p>

<p>
Alas! a time is coming for thee, poor queen, when
those smiles towards those who love thee, with which
thou hast been reproached, thou shalt vainly bestow on
those that love thee not!
</p>

<p>
The Comte d&rsquo;Artois approached Philippe while the
queen was talking to Andrée, and said, &ldquo;Do you think
Washington so very great a general?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly a great man, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And what effect did our French produce out there?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;As much good as the English did harm.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, you are a partisan of the new ideas, my dear M.
Philippe de Taverney; but have you reflected on one
thing?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What, monseigneur? I assure you that out there,
encamped in the fields, and in the savannahs on the borders
of the great lakes, I had plenty of time for reflection.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;On this, that in making war out there, it was neither
on the Indians nor on the English, but on us.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, monseigneur, I do not deny that that is possible.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Therefore I do not admire so much these victories of
M. de la Fayette and Washington. It is egotism, perhaps,
but it is not egotism for myself alone.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, monseigneur!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But do you know why I will still support you with all
my power?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Whatever be the reason, I shall be truly grateful.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is, because you are not one of those whose names
have been blazoned forth. You have done your duty
bravely, but you have not thrust yourself forward; you
are not known in Paris.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The young prince then kissed the queen&rsquo;s hand, and
bowing to Andrée, left the room.
</p>

<p>
Then the queen turned again to Philippe, saying,
&ldquo;Have you seen your father, sir?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why did you not go to see him first?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I had sent home my valet, and my luggage, but my
father sent the servant back again, with orders to present
myself first to you, or the king.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is a lovely morning,&rdquo; said the queen; &ldquo;to-morrow
the ice will begin to melt. Madame de Misery, order my
sledge and send my chocolate in here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Will not your majesty take something to eat? You
had no supper last night.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You mistake, my good Misery, we had supper. Had
we not, Andrée?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A very good one, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So I will only have my chocolate. Quick, Madame
de Misery; this fine weather tempts me, and the Swiss
lake will be full of company.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your majesty is going to skate?&rdquo; asked Philippe.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, you will laugh at us, M. l&rsquo;Américain; you, who
have traversed lakes where there are more miles than we
have feet here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; replied Philippe, &ldquo;here you amuse yourself
with the cold, but there they die of it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, here is my chocolate; Andrée, take a cup with me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Andrée bowed, coloring with pleasure.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You see, M. de Taverney, I am always the same,
hating all etiquette, as in old times. Do you remember
those old days? Are you changed since then, M. Philippe?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, madame,&rdquo; replied the young man, &ldquo;I am not
changed&mdash;at least, not in heart.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, I am glad to hear that, for it was a good one.
A cup for M. de Taverney, Madame de Misery.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame!&rdquo; cried Philippe, &ldquo;you cannot mean it;
such an honor for a poor obscure soldier like me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;An old friend,&rdquo; said the queen; &ldquo;this day seems to
remind me of my youth; I seem again happy, free, proud
and yet foolish. This day recalls to me that happy time
at my dear Trianon, and all our frolics there, Andrée and
I together. This day brings back to my memory my
roses, my strawberries, and my birds, that I was so fond
of, all, even to my good gardeners, whose happy faces
often announced to me a new flower or a delicious fruit;
and M. de Jussieu and that original old Rousseau, who is
since dead. But come,&rdquo; continued she, herself pouring
the chocolate into his cup, &ldquo;you are a soldier, and accustomed
to fire, so burn yourself gloriously with this
chocolate, for I am in a hurry.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She laughed, but Philippe, taking it seriously, drank it
off most heroically.
</p>

<p>
The queen saw him, and laughing still more, said,
&ldquo;You are indeed a perfect hero, M. de Taverney.&rdquo; She
then rose, and her woman brought her bonnet, ermine
mantle, and gloves.
</p>

<p>
Philippe took his hat under his arm, and followed her
and Andrée out.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Taverney, I do not mean you to leave me,&rdquo;
said the queen. &ldquo;Come round to my right.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
They went down the great staircase; the drums were
beating, the clarions of the body-guard were playing, and
this whole scene, and the enthusiasm everywhere shown
towards that beautiful queen by whose side he was walking,
completed the intoxication of the young man. The
change was too sudden, after so many years of exile and
regret, to such great joy and honor.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER IX.<br/>
THE SWISS LAKE.</h2>

<p>
Every one knows this piece of water, which still goes
by the same name. An avenue of linden trees skirts each
bank, and these avenues were on this day thronged with
pedestrians, of all ranks and ages, who had come to enjoy
the sight of the sledges and the skating. The toilets of
the ladies presented a brilliant spectacle of luxury and
gaiety, their high coiffures, gay bonnets with the veils
half down, fur mantles, and brilliant silks with deep
flounces, were mingled with the orange or blue coats of
the gentlemen.
</p>

<p>
Gay lackeys also, in blue and red, passed among the
crowd, looking like poppies and cornflowers blown about
by the wind.
</p>

<p>
Now and then a cry of admiration burst from the
crowd, as St. George, the celebrated skater, executed
some circle so perfect, that a mathematician could scarcely
have found a fault in it.
</p>

<p>
While the banks of the lake were thus crowded, the ice
itself presented a scene not less gay, and still more animated:
sledges flew about in all directions. Several
dogs, clothed in embroidered velvet, and with plumes of
feathers on their heads, looking like fabulous animals,
drew a sledge in which sat M. de Lauzun, who was
wrapped up in a tiger skin. Here you might see a lady
masked, doubtless on account of the cold, in some sledge
of a quieter character, while a handsome skater, in a
velvet riding-coat, hangs over the back, to assist and
direct her progress; whatever they may be saying to
each other is quite inaudible, amidst this busy hum of
voices; but who can blame a rendezvous which takes
place in the open air, and under the eyes of all Versailles?
and whatever they may be saying matters to no one else:
it is evident that in the midst of this crowd their life is
an isolated one; they think only of each other.
</p>

<p>
All at once a general movement in the crowd announces
that they have recognized the queen, who is approaching
the lake. A general cry of &ldquo;Vive la reine!&rdquo; is heard,
and all endeavor to approach as nearly as possible to the
place where she has stationed herself. One person alone
does not appear to share this feeling, for on her approach
he disappears with all his suite as fast as possible in the
opposite direction.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you see,&rdquo; said the Comte d&rsquo;Artois to the queen,
whom he had hastened to join, &ldquo;how my brother Provence
flies from you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He fears that I should reproach him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, no; it is not that that makes him fly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is his conscience, then.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not even that, sister.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What then?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will tell you. He had just heard that M. de Suffren,
our glorious commander, will arrive this evening; and
as the news is important, he wishes to leave you in ignorance
of it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But is the Minister of Marine ignorant of this
arrival?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, mon Dieu, sister, have you not learned enough
of ministers, during the fourteen years you have passed
here, as dauphiness and queen, to know that they are
always ignorant of precisely what they ought to know?
However, I have told him about this, and he is deeply
grateful.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I should think so,&rdquo; said the queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, and I have need of his gratitude, for I want a
loan.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; cried the queen, laughing, &ldquo;how disinterested
you are.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sister,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;you must want money; I offer you
half of what I am going to receive.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh no, brother, keep it for yourself; I thank you,
but I want nothing just now.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Diable! do not wait too long to claim my promise,
because if you do, I may not be in a condition to fulfil
it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;In that case I must endeavor to find out some state
secret for myself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sister, you begin to look cold.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, here is M. de Taverney returning with my
sledge.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then you do not want me any longer?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then send me away, I beg.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why? do you imagine you will be in my way?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No; it is I who want my liberty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Adieu, then.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Au revoir, dear sister.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Till when?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Till this evening.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Is there anything to take place to-night, then?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes; this evening the minister will bring M. de
Suffren to the jeu du roi.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very well, then, till this evening.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
And the young prince, bowing with his habitual elegance,
disappeared among the crowd.
</p>

<p>
Old Taverney, who was one of the nearest spectators
of all this, had been watching his son eagerly, and felt
almost chagrined at this conversation between the queen
and her brother-in-law, as it interrupted the familiar
intercourse which his son had before been enjoying;
therefore, when the young man returned with the queen&rsquo;s
sledge, and, seeing his father, whom he had not met for ten
years, advanced towards him, he motioned him away,
saying, &ldquo;We will talk afterwards, when you have left
the queen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Philippe, therefore, returned to the queen, who was
getting into the sledge with Andrée. Two attendants
approached to push it, but she said, &ldquo;No; I do not
wish to go like that; you skate, M. de Taverney?
Does he not, Andrée?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Philippe used to skate remarkably well,&rdquo; replied she.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And now I dare say he rivals St. George,&rdquo; said the
queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will do my best to justify your majesty&rsquo;s opinion,&rdquo;
said he; and putting on his skates, he placed himself
behind her sledge, and they commenced their course.
</p>

<p>
St. George, seeing the queen on the ice, began to execute
his most skilful maneuvers, and finished off by going
in circles round her sledge, making the most elegant
bows each time he passed her.
</p>

<p>
Then Philippe, moved to emulation, began to push
along the sledge with such wonderful rapidity that St.
George found no little difficulty in keeping pace with it.
</p>

<p>
Several people, however, seeing the queen move at this
marvelous rate, uttered cries of terror.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If your majesty desires,&rdquo; said Philippe, &ldquo;I will stop,
or go slower.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh no!&rdquo; said she, with that enthusiasm which she
carried into everything; &ldquo;oh no! I am not at all afraid;
quicker still, chevalier, if you can.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh yes, madame, and you are quite safe; you may
trust to me;&rdquo; and his vigorous arm propelled them at a
still increased pace. He emulated the circles of St.
George, and flew round as fast with the sledge as could
even that experienced skater without it.
</p>

<p>
Then, leaving these evolutions, he pushed the sledge
straight before him, and with such force that he himself
remained behind.
</p>

<p>
St. George, seeing this, made a tremendous effort to
gain the sledge before him, but was distanced by Philippe,
who once more seized it, turned it, and flew in a new
direction.
</p>

<p>
The air now rang with such acclamations, that Philippe
began to feel ashamed.
</p>

<p>
Then the queen, who had joined the applause with
her hands, turned round and said to him, &ldquo;And now,
M. de Taverney, that you have gained the victory, stop,
I beg, or you will kill me.&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER X.<br/>
THE TEMPTER.</h2>

<p>
Philippe, at this request of the queen, made a strong
effort, and stopped the sledge abruptly.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And now, rest yourself,&rdquo; said she, coming out of it
all trembling. &ldquo;Indeed, I never could have believed the
delight of going so fast, but you have made me quite
tremble;&rdquo; and she took Philippe&rsquo;s arm to support herself,
until a general murmur reminded her that she was
once more committing a breach of etiquette.
</p>

<p>
As for Philippe, overwhelmed by this great honor, he
felt more ashamed than if his sovereign had insulted him
publicly; he lowered his eyes, and his heart beat as though
it would burst.
</p>

<p>
The queen, however, withdrew her arm almost immediately,
and asked for a seat. They brought her one.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Thanks, M. de Taverney,&rdquo; said she; then, in a lower
tone, &ldquo;Mon Dieu, how disagreeable it is to be always
surrounded by spying fools!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
A number of ladies and gentlemen soon crowded round
her, and all looked with no little curiosity at Philippe,
who, to hide his confusion, stooped to take off his skates,
and then fell into the background.
</p>

<p>
After a short time, however, the queen said, &ldquo;I shall
take cold if I sit here, I must take another turn;&rdquo; and
she remounted her sledge.
</p>

<p>
Philippe waited, but in vain, for another order.
</p>

<p>
Twenty gentlemen soon presented themselves, but she
said, &ldquo;No, I thank you, I have my attendants;&rdquo; and
she moved slowly off, while Philippe remained alone.
</p>

<p>
He looked about for St. George, to console him for his
defeat by some compliment, but he had received a message
from his patron, the duke d&rsquo;Orleans, and had left
the place.
</p>

<p>
Philippe, therefore, rather tired, and half frightened
at all that had passed, remained stationary, following with
his eyes the queen&rsquo;s sledge, which was now at some distance,
when he felt some one touch him; he turned round
and saw his father.
</p>

<p>
The little old man, more shrunk than ever, enveloped
in furs like a Laplander, had touched his son with his
elbow, that he might not be obliged to take his hands out
of the muff that hung from his neck.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You do not embrace me, my son,&rdquo; said he.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My dear father, I do it with all my heart.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And now,&rdquo; said the old man, &ldquo;go quickly;&rdquo; and he
pushed him away.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where do you wish me to go, sir?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why, morbleu, over there.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To the queen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, I thank you, father.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How? No, I thank you! are you mad? You will
not go after the queen?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My dear father, it is impossible!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Impossible to join the queen, who is expecting you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who is expecting me!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, who wishes for you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Wishes for me? Indeed, father,&rdquo; added he, coldly,
&ldquo;I think you forget yourself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is astonishing!&rdquo; said the old man, stamping his
foot. &ldquo;Where on earth do you spring from?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur,&rdquo; said his son, sadly, &ldquo;you will make me
conclude one of two things.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Either that you are laughing at me, or else, excuse
me, that you are losing your senses.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The old man seized his son by the arm so energetically
that he made him start. &ldquo;Listen, M. Philippe,&rdquo; said he;
&ldquo;America is, I know, a country a long way from this,
and where there is neither king nor queen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nor subjects.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nor subjects, M. Philosopher; I do not deny it;
that point does not interest me; but what does so is that
I fear also to have to come to a conclusion&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What, father?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That you are a simpleton, my son; just trouble yourself
to look over there.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, sir!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, the queen looks back, and it is the third time
she has done so; there! she turns again, and who do you
think she is looking for but for you, M. Puritan?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, sir,&rdquo; said the young man; &ldquo;if it were true,
which it probably is not, that the queen was looking
for&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; interrupted the old man, angrily, &ldquo;this fellow
is not of my blood; he cannot be a Taverney. Sir, I repeat
to you that the queen is looking for you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have good sight, sir,&rdquo; said his son, dryly.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come,&rdquo; said the old man, more gently, and trying to
moderate his impatience, &ldquo;trust my experience: are you,
or are you not, a man?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Philippe made no reply.
</p>

<p>
His father ground his teeth with anger, to see himself
opposed by this steadfast will; but making one more
effort, &ldquo;Philippe, my son,&rdquo; said he, still more gently,
&ldquo;listen to me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It seems to me, sir, that I have been doing nothing
else for the last quarter of an hour.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; thought the old man, &ldquo;I will draw you down
from your stilts. I will find out your weak side.&rdquo; Then
aloud, &ldquo;You have overlooked one thing, Philippe.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What, sir?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;When you left for America, there was a king, but no
queen, if it were not the Dubarry; hardly a respectable
sovereign. You come back and see a queen, and you
think you must be very respectful.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Doubtless.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Poor child!&rdquo; said his father, laughing.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How, sir? You blame me for respecting the monarchy&mdash;you,
a Taverney Maison-Rouge, one of the best names
in France.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not speak of the monarchy, but only of the
queen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And you make a difference?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pardieu, I should think so. What is royalty? a crown
that is unapproachable. But what is a queen? a woman,
and she, on the contrary, is very approachable.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Philippe made a gesture of disgust.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You do not believe me,&rdquo; continued the old man, almost
fiercely; &ldquo;well, ask M. de Coigny, ask M. de Lauzun, or
M. de Vaudreuil.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Silence, father!&rdquo; cried Philippe; &ldquo;or for these three
blasphemies, not being able to strike you three blows with
my sword, I shall strike them on myself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The old man stepped back, murmuring, &ldquo;Mon Dieu,
what a stupid animal! Good evening, son; you rejoice
me; I thought I was the father, the old man, but now I
think it is I who must be the young Apollo, and you the
old man;&rdquo; and he turned away.
</p>

<p>
Philippe stopped him: &ldquo;You did not speak seriously,
did you, father? It is impossible that a gentleman of
good blood like you should give ear to these calumnies,
spread by the enemies, not only of the queen, but of the
throne.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He will not believe, the double mule!&rdquo; said the old
man.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You speak to me as you would speak before God?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, truly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Before God, whom you approach every day?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It seems to me, my son,&rdquo; replied he, &ldquo;that I am a
gentleman, and that you may believe my word.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is, then, your opinion that the queen has had
lovers?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Those whom you have named?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And others, for what I know. Ask all the town and
the court. One must be just returned from America to
be ignorant of all they say.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And who say this, sir? some vile pamphleteers!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! do you, then, take me for an editor?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, and there is the mischief, when men like you repeat
such calumnies, which, without that, would melt
away like the unwholesome vapors which sometimes obscure
the most brilliant sunshine; but people like you,
repeating them, give them a terrible stability. Oh!
monsieur, for mercy&rsquo;s sake do not repeat such things.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do repeat them, however.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And why do you repeat them?&rdquo; cried Philippe,
fiercely.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; said the old man with his satanic laugh, &ldquo;to
prove to you that I was not wrong when I said, &lsquo;Philippe,
the queen looks back; she is looking for you. Philippe,
the queen wishes for you; run to her.&rsquo;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! father, hold your tongue, or you will drive me
mad.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really, Philippe, I do not understand you. Is it a
crime to love? It shows that one has a heart; and in
the eyes of this woman, in her voice, in everything, can
you not read her heart? She loves; is it you? or is it
another? I know not, but believe in my own experience:
at this moment she loves, or is beginning to love, some
one. But you are a philosopher, a Puritan, a Quaker,
an American; you do not love; well, then, let her look;
let her turn again and again; despise her, Philippe, I
should say Joseph de Taverney.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The old man hurried away, satisfied with the effect he
had produced, and fled like the serpent who was the first
tempter into crime.
</p>

<p>
Philippe remained alone, his heart swelling and his
blood boiling. He remained fixed in his place for about
half an hour, when the queen, having finished her
tour, returned to where he stood, and called out to
him:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You must be rested now, M. de Taverney; come,
then, for there is no one like you to guide a queen
royally.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Philippe ran to her, giddy, and hardly knowing what
he did. He placed his hand on the back of the sledge,
but started as though he had burned his fingers; the
queen had thrown herself negligently back in the sledge,
and the fingers of the young man touched the locks of
Marie Antoinette.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XI.<br/>
M. DE SUFFREN.</h2>

<p>
Contrary to the usual habits of a court, the secret
had been faithfully confined to Louis XVI. and the
Comte d&rsquo;Artois. No one knew at what time or hour M.
de Suffren would arrive.
</p>

<p>
The king had announced his jeu du roi for the evening;
and at seven o&rsquo;clock he entered, with ten princes
and princesses of his family. The queen came holding
the princess royal, now about seven years old, by the
hand. The assembly was numerous and brilliant. The
Comte d&rsquo;Artois approached the queen, and said, &ldquo;Look
around you, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you see?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen looked all around, and then said, &ldquo;I see
nothing but happy and friendly faces.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Rather, then, whom do you not see?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! I understand; I wonder if he is always going
to run away from me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh no! only this is a good joke; M. de Provence
has gone to wait at the barrier for M. de Suffren.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, I do not see why you laugh at that; he has
been the most cunning, after all, and will be the first to
receive and pay his compliments to this gentleman.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come, dear sister,&rdquo; replied the young prince, laughing,
&ldquo;you have a very mean opinion of our diplomacy.
M. de Provence has gone to meet him at Fontainebleau;
but we have sent some one to meet him at Villejuif, so
that my brother will wait by himself at Fontainebleau,
while our messenger will conduct M. de Suffren straight
to Versailles, without passing through Paris at all.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is excellently imagined.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is not bad, I flatter myself; but it is your turn to
play.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The king had noticed that M. d&rsquo;Artois was making
the queen laugh, and guessing what it was about, gave
them a significant glance, to show that he shared their
amusement.
</p>

<p>
The saloon where they played was full of persons of
the highest rank&mdash;M. de Condé, M. de Penthièvre, M.
de Tremouille, etc. The news of the arrival of M. de
Suffren had, as we have said, been kept quiet, but there
had been a kind of vague rumor that some one was expected,
and all were somewhat preoccupied and watchful.
Even the king, who was in the habit of playing six-franc
pieces in order to moderate the play of the court, played
gold without thinking of it.
</p>

<p>
The queen, however, to all appearances entered, as
usual, eagerly into the game.
</p>

<p>
Philippe, who, with his sister, was admitted to the
party, in vain endeavored to shake from his mind his
father&rsquo;s words. He asked himself if indeed this old man,
who had seen so much of courts, was not right; and if
his own ideas were indeed those of a Puritan, and belonging
to another land. This queen, so charming, so
beautiful, and so friendly towards him, was she indeed
only a terrible coquette, anxious to add one lover more
to her list, as the entomologist transfixes a new insect
or butterfly, without thinking of the tortures of the poor
creature whose heart he is piercing? &ldquo;Coigny, Vaudreuil,&rdquo;
repeated he to himself, &ldquo;they loved the queen, and
were loved by her. Oh, why does this calumny haunt
me so, or why will not some ray of light discover to me
the heart of this woman?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Then Philippe turned his eyes to the other end of the
table, where, by a strange chance, these gentlemen were
sitting side by side, and both seemingly equally forgetful
of, and insensible to, the queen; and he thought that it
was impossible that these men could have loved and be
so calm, or that they could have been loved and seem so
forgetful. From them he turned to look at Marie Antoinette
herself and interrogated that pure forehead, that
haughty mouth, and beautiful face; and the answer they
all seemed to give him was: calumnies, all calumnies,
these rumors, originating only in the hates and jealousies
of a court.
</p>

<p>
While he was coming to these conclusions the clock
struck a quarter to eight, and at that moment a great
noise of footsteps and the sound of many voices were
heard on the staircase. The king, hearing it, signed to
the queen, and they both rose and broke up the game.
She then passed into the great reception-hall, and the
king followed her.
</p>

<p>
An aide-de-camp of M. de Castries, Minister of Marine,
approached the king and said something in a low tone,
when M. de Castries himself entered, and said aloud,
&ldquo;Will your majesty receive M. de Suffren, who has
arrived from Toulon?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
At this name a general movement took place in the
assembly.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sir,&rdquo; said the king, &ldquo;with great pleasure;&rdquo; and
M. de Castries left the room.
</p>

<p>
To explain this interest for M. de Suffren, and why
king, queen, princes, and ministers contended who should
be the first to receive him, a few words will suffice.
</p>

<p>
Suffren is a name essentially French, like Turenne or
Jean Bart. Since the last war with England, M. de
Suffren had fought seven great naval battles without sustaining
a defeat. He had taken Trincomalee and Gondeleur,
scoured the seas, and taught the Nabob Hyder
Ali that France was the first Power in Europe. He had
carried into his profession all the skill of an able diplomatist,
all the bravery and all the tactics of a soldier,
and all the prudence of a wise ruler. Hardy, indefatigable,
and proud when the honor of the French nation was
in question, he had harassed the English, by land and by
sea, till even these fierce islanders were afraid of him.
</p>

<p>
But after the battle, in which he risked his life like
the meanest sailor, he ever showed himself humane, generous,
and compassionate. He was now about fifty-six
years of age, stout and short, but with an eye of fire
and a noble carriage, and, like a man accustomed to surmount
all difficulties, he had dressed in his traveling-carriage.
</p>

<p>
He wore a blue coat embroidered with gold, a red waistcoat,
and blue trousers.
</p>

<p>
All the guards through whom he had passed, when he
was named to them by M. de Castries, had saluted him
as they would have done a king.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Suffren,&rdquo; said the king when he entered,
&ldquo;welcome to Versailles; you bring glory with you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
M. de Suffren bent his knee to the king, who, however,
raised him and embraced him cordially; then, turning to
the queen, &ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;here is M. de Suffren,
the victor of Trincomalee and Gondeleur, and the terror
of the English.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur,&rdquo; said the queen, &ldquo;I wish you to know that
you have not fired a shot for the glory of France but my
heart has beaten with admiration and gratitude.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
When she ceased, the Comte d&rsquo;Artois approached with
his son, the Duc d&rsquo;Angoulême.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My son,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;you see a hero; look at him
well, for it is a rare sight.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monseigneur,&rdquo; replied the young prince, &ldquo;I have
read about the great men in Plutarch, but I could not
see them; I thank you for showing me M. de Suffren.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The king now took the arm of M. de Suffren, in order
to lead him to his study, and talk to him of his travels;
but he made a respectful resistance.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;will your majesty permit me&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! whatever you wish, sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then, sire, one of my officers has committed so grave
a fault against discipline, that I thought your majesty
ought to be sole judge of the offense.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, M. de Suffren, I had hoped your first request
would have been a favor, and not a punishment.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your majesty, as I have had the honor to say, shall
judge what ought to be done. In the last battle the officer
of whom I speak was on board <i>La Sévère</i>.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, the ship that struck her flag!&rdquo; cried the king,
frowning.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sire. The captain of <i>La Sévère</i> had indeed
struck his flag, and already Sir Hugh, the English admiral,
had despatched a boat to take possession of his
prize, when the lieutenant in command of the guns of
the middle deck, perceiving that the firing above had
ceased, and having received orders to stop his own fire,
went on deck, saw the flag lowered, and the captain ready
to surrender. At this sight, sir, all his French blood revolted,
he took the flag which lay there, and, seizing a
hammer, ordered the men to recommence the fire, while
he nailed it to the mast. It was by this action, sire, that
<i>La Sévère</i> was preserved to your majesty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A splendid action!&rdquo; cried the king and queen simultaneously.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sire&mdash;yes, madame, but a grave fault against
discipline. The order had been given by the captain, and
the lieutenant ought to have obeyed. I, however, ask
for the pardon of the officer, and the more so as he is my
own nephew.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your nephew!&rdquo; cried the king; &ldquo;and you have
never mentioned him!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not to you, sire; but I made my report to the ministers,
begging them to say nothing about it until I had
obtained his pardon from your majesty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is granted,&rdquo; said the king. &ldquo;I promise beforehand
my protection to all who may violate discipline in
such a cause. You must present this officer to me, M.
de Suffren.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
M. de Suffren turned. &ldquo;Approach, M. de Charny,&rdquo;
he said.
</p>

<p>
The queen started at the sound of this name, which she
had so recently heard. A young officer advanced from
the crowd, and presented himself before the king.
</p>

<p>
The queen and Andrée looked anxiously at each other;
but M. de Charny bowed before the king almost without
raising his eyes, and, after kissing his hand, retired again,
without seeming to have observed the queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come now, M. de Suffren,&rdquo; said the king, &ldquo;and let
us converse; I am impatient to hear all your adventures.&rdquo;
But before leaving the room he turned to the queen and
said. &ldquo;Apropos, madame, I am going to have built, as
you know, a ship of one hundred guns, and I think of
changing the name we had destined for it, and of calling
it instead&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh yes!&rdquo; cried Marie Antoinette, catching his
thought, &ldquo;we will call it <i>Le Suffren</i>, and I will still stand
sponsor.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Vive le roi! vive la reine!&rdquo; cried all.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And vive M. de Suffren!&rdquo; added the king, and then
left the room with him.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XII.<br/>
M. DE CHARNY.</h2>

<p>
M. de Suffren had requested his nephew to wait his
return, and he therefore remained in the group as before.
</p>

<p>
The queen, speaking low to Andrée, and glancing towards
him, said: &ldquo;It is he, there is no doubt.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Mon Dieu! yes, madame, it is he indeed.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
At this moment the door opened, and a gentleman
dressed in the robes of a cardinal, and followed by a long
train of officers and prelates, entered the room.
</p>

<p>
The queen immediately recognized M. de Rohan, and
turned away her head, without taking the trouble to hide
the frown which overspread her face.
</p>

<p>
He crossed the room without stopping to speak to any
one, and, coming straight up to her, bowed to her more
as a man of the world bows to a lady than as a subject to
a queen, and then addressed some rather high-flown compliments
to her; but she scarcely looked at him, and,
after murmuring a few cold words in reply, began to talk
to Madame de Lamballe.
</p>

<p>
The cardinal did not seem to notice this chilling reception,
but bowed again, and retired without appearing
in the least disconcerted.
</p>

<p>
He then turned to the king&rsquo;s aunts, from whom he met
with a reception as cordial as the queen&rsquo;s had been the
reverse. The Cardinal Louis de Rohan was a man in the
prime of life, and of an imposing figure and noble bearing;
his eyes shone with intelligence, his mouth was well
cut and handsome, and his hands were beautiful. A
premature baldness indicated either a man of pleasure or
a studious one&mdash;and he was both. He was a man no
little sought after by the ladies, and was noted for his
magnificent style of living; indeed, he had found the
way to feel himself poor with an income of 1,600,000
francs.
</p>

<p>
The king liked him for his learning, but the queen
hated him. The reasons for this hate were twofold:
first, when ambassador to Vienna, he had written to
Louis XV. letters so full of sarcasm on Maria Theresa,
that her daughter had never forgiven him; and he had
also written letters opposing her marriage, which had
been read aloud by Louis XV. at a supper at Madame
Dubarry&rsquo;s. The embassy at Vienna had been taken from
M. de Breteuil and given to M. de Rohan; the former
gentleman, not strong enough to revenge himself alone,
had procured copies of these letters, which he had
laid before the dauphiness, thus making her the eternal
enemy of M. de Rohan.
</p>

<p>
This hatred rendered the cardinal&rsquo;s position at court
not a little uncomfortable. Every time he presented
himself before the queen, he met with the same discouraging
reception. In spite of this, he neglected no
occasion of being near her, for which he had frequent
opportunities, as he was chaplain to the court; and he
never complained of the treatment he received. A circle
of friends, among whom the Baron de Planta was the
most intimate, helped to console him for these royal
rebuffs; not to speak of the ladies of the court, who
by no means imitated the severity of the queen towards
him.
</p>

<p>
When he was gone, Marie Antoinette recovered her
serenity, and said to Madame de Lamballe:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you not think that this action of the nephew of
M. de Suffren is one of the most remarkable of the war?
What is his name, by the bye?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Charny, I believe,&rdquo; replied the princess.
&ldquo;Was it not?&rdquo; she said, turning to Andrée.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, your highness.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Charny shall describe it to us himself,&rdquo; said
the queen. &ldquo;Is he still here? Let him be sought for.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
An officer who stood near hastened to obey her, and
immediately returned with M. de Charny, and the circle
round the queen made way for him to approach.
</p>

<p>
He was a young man, about eight-and-twenty, tall and
well made; his face, animated and yet sweet, took a
character of singular energy when he spoke, and dilated
his large blue eyes; and he was, strange to say, for one
who had been fighting in India, as fair as Philippe was
dark.
</p>

<p>
When he had approached the place where the queen
sat, with Madlle. de Taverney standing near her, he did
not betray his surprise in any way, although it must
have been great, in recognizing the ladies of the evening
before. He did not look up until she addressed him,
saying:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Charny, these ladies experience the natural
desire, which I share with them, to hear from yourself all
the details of this action of your ship.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; replied the young officer, &ldquo;I beg your
majesty to spare me the recital, not from modesty, but
from humanity. What I did as lieutenant, a dozen other
officers doubtless wished to do, only I was the first to put
it in execution; and it is not worthy being made the
subject of a narration to your majesty. Besides, the
captain of <i>La Sévère</i> is a brave officer, who on that day
lost his presence of mind. Alas, madame, we all know
that the most courageous are not always equally brave.
He wanted but ten minutes to recover himself; my determination
not to surrender gave him the breathing
time, his natural courage returned to him, and he showed
himself the bravest of us all. Therefore I beg your
majesty not to exaggerate the merit of my action, and
thereby crush this deserving officer, who deplores incessantly
the failing of a few moments.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Right!&rdquo; said the queen, touched by these generous
words; &ldquo;you are a true gentleman, M. de Charny, and
such I already know you to be.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The young man colored crimson, and looked almost
frightened at Andrée, fearing what the queen&rsquo;s rash
generosity might lead her to say.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;For,&rdquo; continued the intrepid queen, &ldquo;I must tell you
all, that this is not the first time I have heard of M. de
Charny, who deserves to be known and admired by all
ladies; and to show you that he is as indulgent to our
sex as he is merciless to his enemies, I will relate a little
history of him which does him the greatest honor.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame!&rdquo; stammered the young man, who felt
as if he would have given a year of his life to be back in
the West Indies.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This, then, is it,&rdquo; continued the queen, to her eager
listeners: &ldquo;two ladies, whom I know, were detained out
late and became embarrassed in a crowd; they ran a
great risk, a real danger awaited them; M. de Charny
happily passed by at the moment: he dispersed the
crowd, and, although they were unknown to him, and it
was impossible to recognize their rank, took them under
his protection, and escorted them a long way, ten miles
from Paris, I believe.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! your majesty exaggerates,&rdquo; said M. de Charny,
laughing, and now quite reassured.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, we will call it five,&rdquo; said the Count d&rsquo;Artois,
suddenly joining in the conversation.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Let it be five, then, brother,&rdquo; said the queen; &ldquo;but
the most admirable part of the story is, that M. de Charny
did not seek even to know the names of these ladies whom
he had served, but left them at the place where they
wished to stop, and went away without even looking back,
so that they escaped from his protection without even a
moment&rsquo;s disquietude.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
All expressed their admiration.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A knight of the round table could not have acted
better,&rdquo; her majesty went on; &ldquo;and so, M. de Charny, as
the king will doubtless take upon himself to reward M.
de Suffren, I, for my part, wish to do something for the
nephew of this great man.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
As she spoke, she held out her hand to him, and
Charny, pale with joy, pressed his lips to this beautiful
hand, while Philippe looked on from an obscure corner,
pale with an opposite emotion.
</p>

<p>
The voice of M. d&rsquo;Artois interrupted this scene, saying
loudly, &ldquo;Ah, Provence! you come too late! you have
missed a fine sight, the reception of M. de Suffren.
Really, it was one that a Frenchman can never forget.
How the devil did it happen that you were not here&mdash;you
who are generally the punctual man par excellence?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
M. de Provence bit his lips with vexation, and whispered
to M. de Favras, his captain of the guards, &ldquo;How does it
come to pass that he is here?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! monseigneur, I have been asking myself that
question for the last hour, and have not yet found an
answer.&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XIII.<br/>
THE ONE HUNDRED LOUIS OF THE QUEEN.</h2>

<p>
Now we have introduced the principal characters of
this history to our readers, and have taken them both into
the &ldquo;petite maison&rdquo; of the Comte d&rsquo;Artois and into
the king&rsquo;s palace at Versailles, we will return to that
house in the Rue St. Claude where we saw the queen
enter incognito with Mademoiselle Andrée de Taverney.
</p>

<p>
We left Madame de la Motte counting over and delighted
with her fifty double louis; next to the pleasure
of having them, she knew no greater than that of displaying
them, and having no one else, she called Dame
Clotilde, who was still in the ante-chamber.
</p>

<p>
When she entered, &ldquo;Come and look here!&rdquo; said her
mistress.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame!&rdquo; cried the old woman, clasping her
hands in astonishment.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You were uneasy about your wages,&rdquo; said the countess.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame! I never said that; I only asked
madame if she could pay me, as I had received nothing
for three months.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you think there is enough there to pay you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! madame, if I had all that, I should be rich for
the rest of my life. But in what will madame spend all that?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;In everything.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The first thing, I think, madame, will be to furnish
the kitchen, for you will have good dinners cooked now.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Listen!&rdquo; said Madame de la Motte; &ldquo;someone
knocks.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I did not hear it,&rdquo; said the old woman.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But I tell you that I did; so go at once.&rdquo; She hastily
gathered up her money, and put it into a drawer, murmuring,
&ldquo;Oh! if Providence will but send me another
such a visitor.&rdquo; Then she heard the steps of a man below,
but could not distinguish what he said. Soon however,
the door opened, and Clotilde came in with a letter.
</p>

<p>
The countess examined it attentively, and asked, &ldquo;Was
this brought by a servant?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;In livery?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I know these arms, surely,&rdquo; said Jeanne to herself.
&ldquo;Who can it be from? but the letter will soon show for
itself;&rdquo; and opening it, she read: &ldquo;Madame, the person
to whom you wrote will see you to-morrow evening, if it
be agreeable to you to remain at home for that purpose;&rdquo;
and that was all. &ldquo;I have written to so many people,&rdquo;
thought the countess. &ldquo;Is this a man or a woman? The
writing is no guide, nor is the style; it might come from
either. Who is it that uses these arms? Oh! I remember
now&mdash;the arms of the Rohans. Yes, I wrote to M.
de Guémenée, and to M. de Rohan; it is one of them:
but the shield is not quartered&mdash;it is therefore the cardinal.
Ah! Monsieur de Rohan, the man of gallantry, the
fine gentleman, and the ambitious one; he will come to
see Jeanne de la Motte, if it be agreeable to her. Oh,
yes! M. de Rohan, it is very agreeable. A charitable
lady who gives a hundred louis may be received in a garret,
freeze in my cold room, and suffer on my hard chair;
but a clerical prince, a lady&rsquo;s man, that is quite another
thing. We must have luxury to greet him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Then, turning to Clotilde, who was getting her bed
ready, she said: &ldquo;Be sure to call me early to-morrow
morning;&rdquo; and when she did retire to rest, so absorbed
was she in her expectations and plans, that it was nearly
three o&rsquo;clock before she fell asleep; nevertheless, she was
quite ready when Dame Clotilde called her according to
her directions early in the morning, and had finished her
toilet by eight o&rsquo;clock, although this day it consisted of
an elegant silk dress, and her hair was elaborately dressed.
</p>

<p>
She sent Clotilde for a coach, and ordered the man to
drive to the Place Royale, where, under one of the arcades,
was the shop of M. Fingret, an upholsterer and
decorator, and who had furniture always ready for sale or
hire.
</p>

<p>
She entered his immense show-rooms, of which the walls
were hung with different tapestries, and the ceiling completely
hidden by the number of chandeliers and lamps
that hung from it. On the ground were furniture, carpets,
and cornices of every fashion and description.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XIV.<br/>
M. FINGRET.</h2>

<p>
Madame de la Motte, looking at all this, began to
perceive how much she wanted. She wanted a drawing-room
to hold sofas and lounging-chairs; a dining-room
for tables and sideboards; and a boudoir for Persian
curtains, screens, and knick-knacks; above all, she
wanted the money to buy all these things. But in Paris,
whatever you cannot afford to buy, you can hire; and
Madame de la Motte set her heart on a set of furniture
covered in yellow silk, with gilt nails, which she thought
would be very becoming to her dark complexion. But
this furniture she felt sure would never go into her rooms
on the fifth story; it would be necessary to hire the third,
which was composed of an ante-chamber, a dining-room,
small drawing-room, and bedroom, so that she might, she
thought, receive on this third story the visits of the cardinal,
and on the fifth those of ladies of charity&mdash;that is
to say, receive in luxury those who give from ostentation,
and in poverty those who only desire to give when it is
needed.
</p>

<p>
The countess, having made all these reflections, turned
to where M. Fingret himself stood, with his hat in his
hand, waiting for her commands.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame?&rdquo; said he in a tone of interrogation, advancing
towards her.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame la Comtesse de la Motte Valois,&rdquo; said Jeanne.
</p>

<p>
At this high-sounding name M. Fingret bowed low,
and said: &ldquo;But there is nothing in this room worthy
Madame la Comtesse&rsquo;s inspection. If madame will take
the trouble to step into the next one, she will see what
is new and beautiful.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne colored. All this had seemed so splendid to
her, too splendid even to hope to possess it; and this
high opinion of M. Fingret&rsquo;s concerning her perplexed
her not a little. She regretted that she had not announced
herself as a simple bourgeoise; but it was necessary
to speak, so she said, &ldquo;I do not wish for new furniture.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame has doubtless some friend&rsquo;s apartments to
furnish?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Just so,&rdquo; she replied.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Will madame, then, choose?&rdquo; said M. Fingret, who
did not care whether he sold new or old, as he gained
equally by both.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This set,&rdquo; said Jeanne, pointing to the yellow silk one.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is such a small set, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, the rooms are small.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is nearly new, as madame may see.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But the price?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Eight hundred francs.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The price made the countess tremble; and how was
she to confess that a countess was content with second-hand
things, and then could not afford to pay eight hundred
francs for them? She therefore thought the best
thing was to appear angry, and said: &ldquo;Who thinks of
buying, sir? Who do you think would buy such old
things? I only want to hire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Fingret made a grimace; his customer began gradually
to lose her value in his eyes. She did not want to buy
new things, only to hire old ones, &ldquo;You wish it for a
year?&rdquo; he asked.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, only for a month. It is for some one coming
from the country.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It will be one hundred francs a month.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You jest, surely, monsieur; why, in eight months I
should have paid the full price of it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Granted, Madame la Comtesse.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, is not that too bad?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I shall have the expense of doing it up again when
you return it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Madame de la Motte reflected. &ldquo;One hundred francs a
month is very dear, certainly; but either I can return it at
the end of that time and say it is too dear, or I shall then
perhaps be in a situation to buy.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will take it,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;with curtains to match.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And carpets.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Here they are.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What can you give me for another room?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;These oak chairs, this table with twisted legs, and
green damask curtains.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And for a bedroom?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A large and handsome bed, a counterpane of velvet
embroidered in rose-color and silver, an excellent couch,
and blue curtains.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And for my dressing-room?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A toilet-table hung with Mechlin lace; chest of
drawers with marqueterie; sofa and chairs of tapestry.
The whole came from the bedroom of Madame de Pompadour
at Choisy.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;All this for what price?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;For a month?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Four hundred francs.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come, Monsieur Fingret, do not take me for a grisette
who is dazzled by your fine descriptions. Please to
reflect that you are asking at the rate of four thousand
eight hundred francs a year, and for that I can take a
whole furnished house. You disgust me with the Place
Royale.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am very sorry, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Prove it, then; I will only give half that price.&rdquo;
Jeanne pronounced these words with so much authority
that the merchant began again to think she might be
worth conciliating.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So be it, then, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And on one condition, M. Fingret.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What, madame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That everything be arranged in its proper place by
three o&rsquo;clock.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But consider, madame, it is now ten.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Can you do it or not?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where must they go to?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Rue St. Claude.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Close by?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Precisely.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The upholsterer opened a door, and called, &ldquo;Sylvain!
Landry! Rémy!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Three men answered to the call.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The carts and the trucks instantly. Rémy, you
shall take this yellow furniture; Sylvain, you take that
for the dining-room; and you, Landry, that for the
bedroom. Here is the bill, madame; shall I receipt
it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Here are six double louis,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;and you can
give the change to these men if the order is completed in
time;&rdquo; and, having given her address, she reentered her
coach.
</p>

<p>
On her return she engaged the third floor, and in a
few hours all was in order.
</p>

<p>
The lodgings thus transformed, the windows cleaned,
and the fires lighted, Jeanne went again to her toilet, which
she made as recherché as possible, and then took a last
look at all the delights around her. Nothing had been
forgotten: there were gilded branches from the walls for
wax-lights, and glass lusters on each side of the mirror;
Jeanne had also added flowers, to complete the embellishment
of the paradise in which she intended to receive his
eminence. She took care even to leave the door of the
bedroom a little open, through which the light of a bright
fire gave a glimpse of the luxuries within.
</p>

<p>
All these preparations completed, she seated herself in
a chair by the fire, with a book in her hand, listening
eagerly to the sound of every carriage that passed; but
nine, ten, and eleven o&rsquo;clock struck, and no one came.
Still she did not despair; it was not too late for a gallant
prelate, who had probably been first to some supper,
and would come to her from there. But at last twelve
struck; no one appeared, the lights were burning low,
and the old servant, after many lamentations over her
new cap, had fallen asleep in her chair.
</p>

<p>
At half-past twelve Jeanne rose furious from her chair,
looked out of window for the hundredth time, and, seeing
no one near, undressed herself and went to bed, refusing
supper, or to answer any of the remarks made to
her by Clotilde; and on her sumptuous bed, under her
beautiful curtains, she experienced no better rest than
she had on the previous night. At last, however, her
anger began a little to abate, and she commenced framing
excuses for the cardinal. He had so much to occupy
him, he must have been detained, and, most potent of all,
he had not yet seen her. She would not have been so
easily consoled if he had broken the promise of a second
visit.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XV.<br/>
THE CARDINAL DE ROHAN.</h2>

<p>
The next evening Jeanne, not discouraged, renewed all
her preparations of the night before; and on this occasion
she had no time to grow impatient, for at seven
o&rsquo;clock a carriage drove up to the door, from which a
gentleman got out. At the sound of the door-bell
Jeanne&rsquo;s heart beat so loud that you might almost have
heard it; however, she composed herself as well as she
could, and in a few minutes Clotilde opened the door, and
announced the person who had written the day before
yesterday.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Let him come in,&rdquo; said Jeanne; and a gentleman
dressed in silk and velvet, and with a lofty carriage, entered
the room.
</p>

<p>
Jeanne made a step forward, and said: &ldquo;To whom
have I the honor of speaking?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am the Cardinal de Rohan,&rdquo; he replied; at which
Madame de la Motte, feigning to be overwhelmed with the
honor, courtesied, as though he were a king. Then she
advanced an armchair for him, and placed herself in another.
</p>

<p>
The cardinal laid his hat on the table, and, looking at
Jeanne, began: &ldquo;It is, then, true, mademoiselle&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; interrupted Jeanne.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pardon me; I forgot.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My husband is called De la Motte, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, yes; a gendarme, is he not?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And you, madame, are a Valois?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A great name,&rdquo; said the cardinal, &ldquo;but rare&mdash;believed
extinct.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not extinct, sir, since I bear it, and as I have a
brother, Baron de Valois.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Recognized?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That has nothing to do with it. Recognized or unrecognized,
rich or poor, he is still Baron de Valois.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, explain to me this descent; it interests me;
I love heraldry.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne repeated all that the reader already knows.
</p>

<p>
The cardinal listened and looked. He did not believe
either her story or her merit; but she was poor and pretty.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So that,&rdquo; he said carelessly, when she had finished,
&ldquo;you have really been unfortunate.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not complain, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Indeed, I had heard a most exaggerated account of the
difficulties of your position; this lodging is commodious
and well furnished.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;For a grisette, no doubt,&rdquo; replied Jeanne.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What! do you call these rooms fit for a grisette?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not think you can call them fit for a princess,&rdquo; replied
Jeanne.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And you are a princess?&rdquo; said he, in an ironical tone.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I was born a Valois, monseigneur, as you were a
Rohan,&rdquo; said Jeanne, with so much dignity that he felt a
little touched by it.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;I forgot that my first words should
have been an apology. I wrote to you that I would come
yesterday, but I had to go to Versailles to assist at the
reception of M. de Suffren.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monseigneur does me too much honor in remembering
me to-day; and my husband will more than ever regret
the exile to which poverty compels him, since it prevents
him from sharing this favor with me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You live alone, madame?&rdquo; asked the cardinal.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Absolutely alone. I should be out of place in all
society but that from which my poverty debars me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The genealogists do not contest your claim?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No; but what good does it do me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; continued the cardinal, &ldquo;I shall be glad to
know in what I can serve you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;In nothing, monseigneur,&rdquo; she said.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How! in nothing? Pray be frank.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I cannot be more frank than I am.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You were complaining just now.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly, I complain.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, then?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, then, monseigneur, I see that you wish to bestow
charity on me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sir, I have taken charity, but I will do so no
more. I have borne great humiliation.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, you are wrong, there is no humiliation in
misfortune.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not even with the name I bear? Would you beg, M.
de Rohan?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not speak of myself,&rdquo; said he, with an embarrassment
mingled with hauteur.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monseigneur, I only know two ways of begging: in a
carriage, or at a church door in velvet or in rags. Well,
just now, I did not expect the honor of this visit; I
thought you had forgotten me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, you knew, then, that it was I who wrote?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Were not your arms on the seal?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;However, you feigned not to know me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because you did not do me the honor to announce
yourself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This pride pleases me,&rdquo; said the cardinal.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I had then,&rdquo; continued Jeanne, &ldquo;despairing of seeing
you, taken the resolution of throwing off all this flimsy
parade, which covers my real poverty, and of going in
rags, like other mendicants, to beg my bread from the
passers-by.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are not at the end of your resources, I trust,
madame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne did not reply.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have some property, even if it be mortgaged?
Some family jewels? This, for example,&rdquo; and he pointed
to a box, with which the delicate fingers of the lady had
been playing. &ldquo;A singular box, upon my word! Will
you permit me to look? Oh, a portrait!&rdquo; he continued,
with a look of great surprise. &ldquo;Do you know the original
of this portrait?&rdquo; asked Jeanne.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is that of Maria Theresa.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Of Maria Theresa?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, the Empress of Austria.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really!&rdquo; cried Jeanne. &ldquo;Are you sure, monseigneur?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where did you get it?&rdquo; he asked.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;From a lady who came the day before yesterday.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To see you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal examined the box with minute attention.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There were two ladies,&rdquo; continued Jeanne.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And one of them gave you this box?&rdquo; said he, with
evident suspicion.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No; she dropped it here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal remained thoughtful for some time, and
then said, &ldquo;What was the name of this lady? I beg
pardon for being inquisitive.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Indeed, it is a somewhat strange question.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Indiscreet, perhaps, but not strange.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, very strange; for if I had known her name, I
should have returned it long before this.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then, you know not who she is?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I only know she is the head of some charitable house.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;In Paris?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No; in Versailles.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;From Versailles; the head of a charitable house!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monseigneur, I accept charity from ladies; that does
not so much humiliate a poor woman; and this lady, who
had heard of my wants, left a hundred louis on my table
when she went away.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A hundred louis!&rdquo; said the cardinal in surprise;
then, fearing to offend, he added, &ldquo;I am not astonished,
madame, that they should give you such a sum. You
merit, on the contrary, all the solicitude of charitable
people, and your name makes it a duty to help you. It
is only the title of the Sister of Charity that surprised me,
they are not in the habit of giving such donations. Could
you describe this lady to me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not easily, sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How so, since she came here?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, but she probably did not wish to be recognized,
for she hid her face as much as possible in her hood, and
was besides, enveloped in furs.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, but you saw something?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My impressions were, that she had blue eyes, and a
small mouth, though the lips were rather thick.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Tall or short?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Of middle height.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Her hands?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Perfect.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Her throat?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Long and slender.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Her expression?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Severe and noble. But you, perhaps, know this lady,
monseigneur?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why should you think so, madame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;From the manner in which you question me; besides,
there is a sympathy between the doers of good works.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, madame, I do not know her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, sir, if you had some suspicion.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How should I?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, from this portrait, perhaps.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, certainly, the portrait,&rdquo; said the cardinal,
rather uneasily.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, sir, this portrait you still believe to be that of
Maria Theresa?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I believe so, certainly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then you think&mdash;&mdash;?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That you have received a visit from some German
lady who has founded one of these houses!&rdquo; But it was
evident that the cardinal doubted, and he was pondering
how this box, which he had seen a hundred times in the
hands of the queen, came into the possession of this
woman. Had the queen really been to see her? If she
had been, was she indeed unknown to Jeanne? Or, if
not, why did she try to hide the knowledge from him.
If the queen had really been there, it was no longer a
poor woman he had to deal with, but a princess succored
by a queen, who bestowed her gifts in person.
</p>

<p>
Jeanne saw that the cardinal was thoughtful, and even
suspicious of her. She felt uneasy, and knew not what
to say.
</p>

<p>
At last, however, he broke the silence by saying, &ldquo;And
the other lady?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I could see her perfectly; she is tall and beautiful,
with a determined expression, and a brilliant complexion.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And the other lady did not name her?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, once; but by her Christian name.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What was it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Andrée.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Andrée!&rdquo; repeated the cardinal, with a start.
</p>

<p>
This name put an end to all his doubts. It was known
that the queen had gone to Paris on that day with
Mademoiselle de Taverney. It was evident, also, that
Jeanne had no intention of deceiving him; she was telling
all she knew. Still, he would try one more proof.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Countess,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;one thing astonishes me, that
you have not addressed yourself to the king.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, sir, I have sent him twenty petitions.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Without result?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, then, the princes of the blood; M. le Duc
d&rsquo;Orleans is charitable, and often likes to do what the
king refuses.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have tried him, equally fruitlessly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That astonishes me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, when one is poor, and not supported by any
one&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There is still the Comte d&rsquo;Artois; sometimes dissipated
men do more generous actions than charitable
ones.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is the same story with him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But the princesses, the aunts of the king, Madame
Elizabeth particularly, would refuse assistance to no one.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is true, monseigneur, her royal highness, to whom
I wrote, promised to receive me; but, I know not why,
after having received my husband, I could never get any
more notice from her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is strange, certainly,&rdquo; said the cardinal; then, as
if the thought had just struck him, he cried, &ldquo;Ah!
mon Dieu! but we are forgetting the person to whom
you should have addressed yourself first of all.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Whom do you mean?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To the dispenser of all favors, she who never refuses
help where it is deserved&mdash;to the queen. Have you seen
her?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No,&rdquo; answered Jeanne.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have never presented your petition to the
queen?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Never.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have not tried to obtain an audience of her?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have tried, but failed.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Have you tried to throw yourself in her way, that she
might remark you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But that is very strange.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have only been twice to Versailles, and then saw but
two persons there; one was Doctor Louis, who had
attended my poor father at the Hôtel Dieu, and the
other was M. le Baron de Taverney, to whom I had an
introduction.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What did M. de Taverney say to you? He might
have brought you to the queen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He told me that I was very foolish to bring forward
as a claim to the benevolence of the king a relationship
which would be sure to displease him, as nobody likes
poor relations.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I recognize the egotistical and rude old baron. Well,&rdquo;
continued he, &ldquo;I will conduct you myself to Versailles,
and will open the doors for you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, monseigneur, how good you are,&rdquo; cried Jeanne,
overwhelmed with joy.
</p>

<p>
The cardinal approached her, and said, &ldquo;It is impossible
but that before long all must interest themselves in
you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Alas! monseigneur,&rdquo; said Jeanne, with a sigh, &ldquo;do
you think so?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am sure of it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I fear you flatter me,&rdquo; she said, looking earnestly at
him, for she could hardly believe in his sudden change
of manner, he had been so cold and suspicious at first.
</p>

<p>
This look had no small effect on the cardinal; he began
to think he had never met a woman prettier or more
attractive. &ldquo;Ah, ma foi!&rdquo; said he to himself, with the
eternally scheming spirit of a man used to diplomacy,
&ldquo;it would be too extraordinary and too fortunate if I
have met at once an honest woman with the attractions of
a scheming one, and found in this poverty an able coadjutrix
to my desires.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monseigneur, the silence you keep every now and
then disquiets me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why so, countess?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because a man like you only fails in politeness to two
kinds of women.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Mon Dieu! countess, you frighten me. What are
you about to say?&rdquo; and he took her hand.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I repeat it,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;with women that you love
too much, or with women whom you do not esteem
enough to be polite to.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Countess, you make me blush. Have I, then, failed
in politeness towards you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Rather so, monseigneur; and yet you cannot love
me too much, and I have given you no cause to despise
me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, countess, you speak as if you were angry with
me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, monseigneur; you have not yet merited my
anger.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And I never will, madame. From this day, in which
I have had the pleasure of making your acquaintance,
my solicitude for you will not cease.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, sir, do not speak to me of your protection.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, mon Dieu! I should humiliate myself, not you,
in mentioning such a thing;&rdquo; and he pressed her hand,
which he continued to hold, to his lips.
</p>

<p>
She tried to withdraw it; but he said, &ldquo;Only politeness,
madame,&rdquo; and she let it remain.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To know,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;that I shall occupy a place,
however small, in the mind of a man so eminent and so
busy, would console me for a year.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Let us hope the consolation will last longer than
that, countess.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, perhaps so, monseigneur; I have confidence in
you, because I feel that you are capable of appreciating
a mind like mine, adventurous, brave, and pure, in spite
of my poverty, and of the enemies which my position has
made me. Your eminence will, I am sure, discover all
the good that is in me, and be indulgent to all the rest.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We, are, then, warm friends, madame;&rdquo; and he advanced
towards her, but his arms were a little more extended
than the occasion required. She avoided him,
and said, laughing:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It must be a friendship among three, cardinal.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Among three?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Doubtless, for there exists an exile, a poor gendarme,
who is called M. de la Motte.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, countess, what a deplorably good memory you
have!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I must speak to you of him, that you may not forget
him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you know why I do not speak of him, countess?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No; pray tell me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because he will speak enough for himself: husbands
never let themselves be forgotten. We shall hear
that M. le Comte de la Motte found it good, or found it
bad, that the Cardinal de Rohan came two, three, or
four times a week to visit his wife.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! but will you come so often, monseigneur?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Without that, where would be our friendship?
Four times! I should have said six or seven.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne laughed, &ldquo;I should not indeed wonder in
that case if people did talk of it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! but we can easily prevent them.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Quite easily. The people know me&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But you they have the misfortune not to know.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Therefore, if you would&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What, sir?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come out instead of me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come to your hotel, monseigneur?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You would go to see a minister.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! a minister is not a man.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are adorable, countess. But I did not speak of
my hotel; I have a house&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! a petite maison?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No; a house of yours.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A house of mine, cardinal! Indeed, I did not know
it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To-morrow, at ten o&rsquo;clock, you shall have the
address.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The countess blushed; the cardinal took her hand
again, and imprinted another kiss upon it, at once bold,
respectful, and tender. They then bowed to each other.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Light monseigneur down,&rdquo; said the countess; and
he went away.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; thought she, &ldquo;I have made a great step in
the world.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come,&rdquo; said the cardinal to himself as he drove off,
&ldquo;I think I have killed two birds with one stone; this
woman has too much talent not to catch the queen as she
has caught me?&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XVI.<br/>
MESMER AND ST. MARTIN.</h2>

<p>
The fashionable study in Paris at this time, and that
which engrossed most of those who had no business to
attend to, was Mesmerism&mdash;a mysterious science, badly
defined by its discoverers, who did not wish to render it
too plain to the eyes of the people. Dr. Mesmer, who
had given to it his own name, was then in Paris, as we
have already heard from Marie Antoinette.
</p>

<p>
This Doctor Mesmer deserves a few words from us, as
his name was then in all mouths.
</p>

<p>
He had brought this science from Germany, the land
of mysteries, in 1777. He had previously made his début
there, by a theory on the influence of the planets. He
had endeavored to establish that these celestial bodies,
through the same power by which they attract each
other, exercised an influence over living bodies, and particularly
over the nervous system, by means of a subtle
fluid with which the air is impregnated. But this first
theory was too abstract: one must, to understand it, be
initiated into all the sciences of Galileo or Newton; and it
would have been necessary, for this to have become
popular, that the nobility should have been transformed
into a body of savants. He therefore abandoned this
system, and took up that of the loadstone, which was
then attracting great attention, people fancying that this
wonderful power was efficacious in curing illnesses.
</p>

<p>
Unhappily for him, however, he found a rival in this
already established in Vienna; therefore he once more
announced that he abandoned mineral magnetism, and
intended to effect his cures through animal magnetism.
</p>

<p>
This, although a new name, was not in reality a new
science; it was as old as the Greeks and Egyptians, and
had been preserved in traditions, and revived every now
and then by the sorcerers of the thirteenth, fourteenth,
and fifteenth centuries, many of whom had paid for their
knowledge with their lives. Urbain Grandier was nothing
but an animal magnetizer; and Joseph Balsamo we
have seen practising it. Mesmer only condensed this
knowledge into a science, and gave it a name. He then
communicated his system to the scientific academies of
Paris, London, and Berlin. The two first did not answer
him, and the third said that he was mad. He came to
France, and took out of the hands of Dr. Storck, and
of the oculist Wenzel, a young girl seventeen years old,
who had a complaint of the liver and gutta serena, and
after three months of his treatment, restored her health
and her sight.
</p>

<p>
This cure convinced many people, and among them a doctor called Deslon, who,
from his enemy, became his pupil. From this time his reputation gradually
increased; the academy declared itself against him, but the court for him. At
last the government offered him, in the king&rsquo;s name, an income for life
of twenty thousand francs to give lectures in public, and ten thousand more to
instruct three persons, who should be chosen by them, in his system.
</p>

<p>
Mesmer, however, indignant at the royal parsimony, refused,
and set out for the Spa waters with one of his
patients; but while he was gone, Deslon, his pupil, possessor
of the secret which he had refused to sell for thirty
thousand francs a year, opened a public establishment
for the treatment of patients. Mesmer was furious, and
exhausted himself in complaints and menaces. One of
his patients, however, M. de Bergasse, conceived the idea
of forming a company. They raised a capital of 340,000
francs, on the condition that the secret should be revealed
to the shareholders. It was a fortunate time: the
people, having no great public events to interest them,
entered eagerly into every new amusement and occupation;
and this mysterious theory possessed no little attraction,
professing, as it did, to cure invalids, restore
mind to the fools, and amuse the wise.
</p>

<p>
Everywhere Mesmer was talked of. What had he done?
On whom had he performed these miracles? To what
great lord had he restored sight? To what lady worn
out with dissipation had he renovated the nerves? To
what young girl had he shown the future in a magnetic
trance? The future! that word of ever-entrancing interest
and curiosity.
</p>

<p>
Voltaire was dead; there was no one left to make
France laugh, except perhaps Beaumarchais, who was
still more bitter than his master; Rousseau was dead, and
with him the sect of religious philosophers. War had
generally occupied strongly the minds of the French
people, but now the only war in which they were engaged
was in America, where the people fought for what they
called independence, and what the French called liberty;
and even this distant war in another land, and affecting
another people, was on the point of termination. Therefore
they felt more interest just now in M. Mesmer, who
was near, than in Washington or Lord Cornwallis, who
were so far off. Mesmer&rsquo;s only rival in the public interest
was St. Martin, the professor of spiritualism, as Mesmer
was of materialism, and who professed to cure souls,
as he did bodies.
</p>

<p>
Imagine an atheist with a religion more attractive than
religion itself; a republican full of politeness and interest
for kings; a gentleman of the privileged classes tender
and solicitous for the people, endowed with the most
startling eloquence, attacking all the received religions
of the earth.
</p>

<p>
Imagine Epicurus in white powder, embroidered coat,
and silk stockings, not content with endeavoring to
overturn a religion in which he did not believe, but also
attacking all existing governments, and promulgating
the theory that all men are equal, or, to use his own
words, that all intelligent beings are kings.
</p>

<p>
Imagine the effect of all this in society as it then was,
without fixed principles or steady guides, and how it was
all assisting to light the fire with which France not long
after began to consume herself.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XVII.<br/>
THE BUCKET.</h2>

<p>
We have endeavored to give an idea in the last chapter
of the interest and enthusiasm which drew such
crowds of the people to see M. Mesmer perform publicly
his wonderful experiments.
</p>

<p>
The king, as we know, had given permission to the
queen to go and see what all Paris was talking of, accompanied
by one of the princesses. It was two days after
the visit of M. de Rohan to the countess. The weather
was fine, and the thaw was complete, and hundreds of
sweepers were employed in cleaning away the snow from
the streets. The clear blue sky was just beginning to be
illumined by its first stars, when Madame de la Motte,
elegantly dressed, and presenting every appearance of
opulence, arrived in a coach, which Clotilde had carefully
chosen as the best looking at the Place Vendôme, and
stopped before a brilliantly-lighted house.
</p>

<p>
It was that of Doctor Mesmer. Numbers of other carriages
were waiting at the door, and a crowd of people had
collected to see the patients arrive and depart, who seemed
to derive much pleasure when they saw some rich invalid,
enveloped in furs and satins, carried in by footmen, from
the evident proof it afforded that God made men healthy
or unhealthy, without reference to their purses or their
genealogies. A universal murmur would arise when they
recognized some duke paralyzed in an arm or leg; or
some marshal whose feet refused their office, less in consequence
of military fatigues and marches than from
halts made with the ladies of the Opera, or of the Comédie
Italienne. Sometimes it was a lady carried in by her servants
with drooping head and languid eye, who, weakened
by late hours and an irregular life, came to demand from
Doctor Mesmer the health she had vainly sought to regain
elsewhere.
</p>

<p>
Many of these ladies were as well known as the gentlemen,
but a great many escaped the public gaze, especially
on this evening, by wearing masks; for there was a ball
at the Opera that night, and many of them intended to
drive straight there when they left the doctor&rsquo;s house.
</p>

<p>
Through this crowd Madame de la Motte walked erect
and firm, also with a mask on, and elicited only the exclamation,
&ldquo;This one does not look ill, at all events.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Ever since the cardinal&rsquo;s visit, the attention with which
he had examined the box and portrait had been on Jeanne&rsquo;s
mind; and she could not but feel that all his graciousness
commenced after seeing it, and she therefore felt
proportionate curiosity to learn more about it.
</p>

<p>
First she had gone to Versailles to inquire at all the houses
of charity about German ladies; but there were there,
perhaps, a hundred and fifty or two hundred, and all
Jeanne&rsquo;s inquiries about the two ladies who had visited
her had proved fruitless. In vain she repeated that one
of them was called Andrée; no one knew a German lady
of that name, which indeed was not German. Baffled in
this, she determined to try elsewhere, and having heard
much of M. Mesmer, and the wonderful secrets revealed
through him, determined upon going there. Many were
the stories of this kind in circulation. Madame de Duras
had recovered a child who had been lost; Madame de
Chantoué, an English dog, not much bigger than her fist,
for which she would have given all the children in the
world; and M. de Vaudreuil a lock of hair, which he
would have bought back with half his fortune. All these
revelations had been made by clairvoyants after the
magnetic operations of Doctor Mesmer.
</p>

<p>
Those who came to see him, after traversing the ante-chambers,
were admitted into a large room, from which
the darkened and hermetically closed windows excluded
light and air. In the middle of this room, under a luster
which gave but a feeble light, was a vast unornamented
tank, filled with water impregnated with sulphur, and to
the cover of which was fastened an iron ring; attached
to this ring was a long chain, the object of which we shall
presently see.
</p>

<p>
All the patients were seated round the room, men and
women indiscriminately; then a valet, taking the chain,
wound it round the limbs of the patients, so that they
might all feel, at the same time, the effects of the electricity
contained in the tank; they were then directed to touch
each other in some way, either by the shoulder, the elbow,
or the feet, and each was to take in his hand a bar of iron,
which was also connected with the tank, and to place it
to the heart, head, or whatever was the seat of the malady.
When they were all ready, a soft and pleasing strain of
music, executed by invisible performers, was heard.
Among the most eager of the crowd, on the evening of
which we speak, was a young, distinguished-looking, and
beautiful woman, with a graceful figure, and rather
showily dressed, who pressed the iron to her heart with
wonderful energy, rolling her beautiful eyes, and beginning
to show, in the trembling of her hands, the first
effects of the electric fluid.
</p>

<p>
As she constantly threw back her head, resting it on
the cushions of her chair, all around could see perfectly
her pale but beautiful face, and her white throat. Many
seemed to look at her with great astonishment, and a
general whispering commenced among those who surrounded
her.
</p>

<p>
Madame de la Motte was one of the most curious of the
party; and of all she saw around her, nothing attracted
her attention so much as this young lady, and after gazing
earnestly at her for some time, she at last murmured,
&ldquo;Oh! it is she, there is no doubt. It is the lady who came
to see me the other day.&rdquo; And convinced that she was not
mistaken, she advanced towards her, congratulating herself
that chance had effected for her what she had so
long been vainly trying to accomplish; but at this moment
the young lady closed her eyes, contracted her
mouth, and began to beat the air feebly with her hands,
which hands, however, did not seem to Jeanne the white
and beautiful ones she had seen in her room a few days
before.
</p>

<p>
The patients now began to grow excited under the influence
of the fluid. Men and women began to utter sighs,
and even cries, moving convulsively their heads, arms, and
legs. Then a man suddenly made his appearance; no
one had seen him enter; you might have fancied he came
out of the tank. He was dressed in a lilac robe, and held
in his hand a long wand, which he several times dipped
into the mysterious tank; then he made a sign, the doors
opened, and twenty robust servants entered, and seizing
such of the patients as began to totter on their seats,
carried them into an adjoining room.
</p>

<p>
While this was going on Madame de la Motte heard a
man who had approached near to the young lady before-mentioned,
and who was in a perfect paroxysm of excitement,
say in a loud voice, &ldquo;It is surely she!&rdquo; Jeanne
was about to ask him who she was, when her attention
was drawn to two ladies who were just entering, followed
by a man, who, though disguised as a bourgeois, had still
the appearance of a servant.
</p>

<p>
The tournure of one of these ladies struck Jeanne so forcibly
that she made a step towards them, when a cry from
the young woman near her startled every one. The same
man whom Jeanne had heard speak before now called out,
&ldquo;But look, gentlemen, it is the queen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The queen!&rdquo; cried many voices, in surprise. &ldquo;The
queen here! The queen in that state! Impossible!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But look,&rdquo; said he again; &ldquo;do you know the queen,
or not?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Indeed,&rdquo; said many, &ldquo;the resemblance is incredible.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur,&rdquo; said Jeanne to the speaker, who was a stout
man, with quick observant eyes, &ldquo;did you say the queen?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! madame, there is no doubt of it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And where is she?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why, that young lady that you see there, on the violet
cushions, and in such a state that she cannot moderate
her transports, is the queen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But on what do you found such an idea, monsieur?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Simply because it is the queen.&rdquo; And he left Jeanne
to go and spread his news among the rest.
</p>

<p>
She turned from the almost revolting spectacle, and
going near to the door, found herself face to face with the
two ladies she had seen enter. Scarcely had she seen
the elder one than she uttered a cry of surprise.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What is the matter?&rdquo; asked the lady.
</p>

<p>
Jeanne took off her mask, and asked, &ldquo;Do you recognize
me, madame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The lady made, but quickly suppressed, a movement
of surprise, and said, &ldquo;No, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, madame, I recognize you, and will give you a
proof;&rdquo; and she drew the box from her pocket, saying,
&ldquo;you left this at my house.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But supposing this to be true, what makes you so
agitated?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am agitated by the danger that your majesty is incurring
here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Explain yourself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not before you have put on this mask;&rdquo; and she
offered hers to the queen, who, however, did not take it.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I beg your majesty; there is not an instant to lose.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen put on the mask. &ldquo;And now, pray come
away,&rdquo; added Jeanne.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But why?&rdquo; said the queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your majesty has not been seen by any one?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I believe not.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So much the better.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen mechanically moved to the door, but said
again, &ldquo;Will you explain yourself?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Will not your majesty believe your humble servant for
the present, that you were running a great risk?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But what risk?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will have the honor to tell your majesty whenever
you will grant me an hour&rsquo;s audience; but it would take
too long now;&rdquo; and seeing that the queen looked displeased,
&ldquo;Pray, madame,&rdquo; said she, turning to the Princess
Lamballe, &ldquo;join your petitions to mine that the queen
should leave this place immediately.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I think we had better, madame,&rdquo; said the princess.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, then, I will,&rdquo; answered the queen; then, turning
to Madame de la Motte, &ldquo;You ask for an audience?&rdquo;
she said.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I beg for that honor, that I may explain this conduct
to your majesty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, bring this box with you, and you shall be admitted;
Laurent, the porter, shall have orders to do so.&rdquo;
Then going into the street, she called in German, &ldquo;Kommen
sie da, Weber.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
A carriage immediately drove up, they got in, and were
immediately out of sight.
</p>

<p>
When they were gone, Madame de la Motte said to herself,
&ldquo;I have done right in this&mdash;for the rest, I must consider.&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XVIII.<br/>
MADEMOISELLE OLIVA.</h2>

<p>
During this time, the man who had pointed out the
fictitious queen to the people touched on the shoulder
another man who stood near him, in a shabby dress, and
said. &ldquo;For you, who are a journalist, here is a fine subject
for an article.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How so?&rdquo; replied the man.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Shall I tell you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The danger of being governed by a king who is governed
by a queen who indulges in such paroxysms as
these.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The journalist laughed. &ldquo;But the Bastile?&rdquo; he said.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pooh, nonsense! I do not mean you to write it out
plainly. Who can interfere with you if you relate the
history of Prince Silou and the Princess Etteniotna,
Queen of Narfec? What do you say to that?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is an admirable idea!&rdquo; said the journalist.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And I do not doubt that a pamphlet called &lsquo;The Paroxysms
of the Princess Etteniotna at the house of the
Fakeer Remsem&rsquo; would have a great success.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I believe it also.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then go and do it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The journalist pressed the hand of the unknown.
&ldquo;Shall I send you some copies, sir? I will with pleasure
if you will give me your name.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly; the idea pleases me. What is the usual
circulation of your journal?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Two thousand.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then do me a favor: take these fifty louis, and publish
six thousand.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, sir, you overwhelm me. May I not know the
name of such a generous patron of literature?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You shall know, when I call for one thousand copies&mdash;at
two francs each, are they not? Will they be ready
in a week?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will work night and day, monsieur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Let it be amusing.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It shall make all Paris die with laughing, except one
person.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who will weep over it. Apropos, date the publication
from London.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sir, I am your humble servant.&rdquo; And the journalist
took his leave, with his fifty louis in his pocket, highly
delighted.
</p>

<p>
The unknown again turned to look at the young woman,
who had now subsided into a state of exhaustion, and
looked beautiful as she lay there. &ldquo;Really,&rdquo; he said to
himself, &ldquo;the resemblance is frightful. God had his
motives in creating it, and has no doubt condemned her
to whom the resemblance is so strong.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
While he made these reflections, she rose slowly from
the midst of the cushions, assisting herself with the arm
of an attendant, and began to arrange her somewhat disordered
toilet, and then traversed the rooms, confronting
boldly the looks of the people. She was somewhat astonished,
however, when she found herself saluted with
deep and respectful bows by a group which had already
been assembled by the indefatigable stranger, who kept
whispering, &ldquo;Never mind, gentlemen, never mind, she is
still the Queen of France; let us salute her.&rdquo; She next
entered the courtyard, and looked about for a coach or
chair, but, seeing none, was about to set off on foot, when
a footman approached and said, &ldquo;Shall I call madame&rsquo;s
carriage?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have none,&rdquo; she replied.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame came in a coach?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;From the Rue Dauphine?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will take madame home.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do so, then,&rdquo; said she, although somewhat surprised
at the offer.
</p>

<p>
The man made a sign, and a carriage drove up. He
opened the door for her, and then said to the coachman,
&ldquo;To the Rue Dauphine.&rdquo; They set off, and the young
woman, who much approved of this mode of transit, regretted
she had not further to go. They soon stopped,
however; the footman handed her out, and immediately
drove off again.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really,&rdquo; said she to herself, &ldquo;this is an agreeable adventure;
it is very gallant of M. Mesmer. Oh, I am
very tired, and he must have foreseen that. He is a
great doctor.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Saying these words, she mounted to the second story,
and knocked at a door, which was quickly opened by an
old woman.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Is supper ready, mother?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, and growing cold.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Has he come?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, not yet, but the gentleman has.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What gentleman?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He who was to speak to you this evening.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
This colloquy took place in a kind of ante-chamber
opening into her room, which was furnished with old
curtains of yellow silk, chairs of green Utrecht velvet,
not very new, and an old yellow sofa.
</p>

<p>
She opened the door, and, going in, saw a man seated
on the sofa whom she did not know in the least, although
we do, for it was the same man whom we have seen taking
so much interest in her at Mesmer&rsquo;s.
</p>

<p>
She had not time to question him, for he began immediately:
&ldquo;I know all that you are going to ask, and
will tell you without asking. You are Mademoiselle
Oliva, are you not?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A charming person, highly nervous, and much taken
by the system of M. Mesmer.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have just left there.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;All this, however, your beautiful eyes are saying
plainly, does not explain what brings me here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are right, sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Will you not do me the favor to sit down, or I shall be
obliged to get up also, and that is an uncomfortable way
of talking.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really, sir, you have very extraordinary manners.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Mademoiselle, I saw you just now at M. Mesmer&rsquo;s,
and found you to be all I could wish.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sir!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do not alarm yourself, mademoiselle. I do not tell
you that I found you charming&mdash;that would seem like
a declaration of love, and I have no such intention. I
know that you are accustomed to have yourself called
beautiful, but I, who also think so, have other things to
talk to you about.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really, sir, the manner in which you speak to
me&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do not get angry before you have heard me. Is
there any one that can overhear us?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, sir, no one. But still&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then, if no one can hear, we can converse at our ease.
What do you say to a little partnership between us?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really, sir&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do not misunderstand; I do not say &lsquo;liaison&rsquo;&mdash;I say
partnership; I am not talking of love, but of business.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What kind of business?&rdquo; said Oliva, with growing
curiosity.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you do all day?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why, I do nothing, or, at least, as little as possible.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have no occupation&mdash;so much the better. Do
you like walking?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very much.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To see sights, and go to balls?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Excessively.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To live well?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Above all things.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If I gave you twenty-five louis a month, would you
refuse me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sir!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My dear Mademoiselle Oliva, now you are beginning
to doubt me again, and it was agreed that you were to
listen quietly. I will say fifty louis if you like.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I like fifty louis better than twenty-five, but what I
like better than either is to be able to choose my own
lover.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Morbleu! but I have already told you that I do not
desire to be your lover. Set your mind at ease about
that.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then what am I to do to earn my fifty louis?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You must receive me at your house, and always be
glad to see me. Walk out with me whenever I desire it,
and come to me whenever I send for you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But I have a lover, sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, dismiss him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, Beausire cannot be sent away like that!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will help you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No; I love him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A little.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is just a little too much.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I cannot help it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then he may stop.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are very obliging.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well&mdash;but do my conditions suit you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, if you have told me all.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I believe I have said all I wish to say now.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;On your honor?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;On my honor.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very well.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then that is settled; and here is the first month in
advance.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
He held out the money, and, as she still seemed to hesitate
a little, slipped it himself into her pocket.
</p>

<p>
Scarcely had he done so, when a knock at the door
made Oliva run to the window. &ldquo;Good God!&rdquo; she
cried; &ldquo;escape quickly; here he is!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Beausire, my lover. Be quick, sir!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nonsense!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He will half murder you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Bah!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you hear how he knocks?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, open the door.&rdquo; And he sat down again on the
sofa, saying to himself, &ldquo;I must see this fellow, and
judge what he is like.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The knocks became louder, and mingled with oaths.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Go, mother, and open the door,&rdquo; cried Oliva. &ldquo;As
for you, sir, if any harm happens to you, it is your own
fault.&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XIX.<br/>
MONSIEUR BEAUSIRE.</h2>

<p>
Oliva ran to meet a man, who came in swearing furiously,
and in a frightful passion.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come, Beausire,&rdquo; said she, apparently not at all
frightened.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Let me alone!&rdquo; cried he, shaking her off brutally.
&ldquo;Ah! I see, it was because there is a man here that the
door was not opened!&rdquo; And as the visitor remained perfectly
still, he advanced furiously towards him, saying,
&ldquo;Will you answer me, sir?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you want to know, my dear M. Beausire?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What are you doing here, and who are you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am a very quiet man, and I was simply talking to
madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That was all,&rdquo; said Oliva.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Will you hold your tongue?&rdquo; bawled Beausire.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now,&rdquo; said the visitor, &ldquo;do not be so rude to madame,
who has done nothing to deserve it; and if you are
in a bad temper&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, I am.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He must have lost at cards,&rdquo; murmured Oliva.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am cleaned out, mort de diable!&rdquo; cried Beausire.
&ldquo;But you, sir, will do me the favor to leave this room.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, M. Beausire&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Diable! if you do not go immediately it will be the
worse for you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You did not tell me, mademoiselle, that he was
troubled with these fits. Good heavens! what ferocity!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Beausire, exasperated, drew his sword, and roared, &ldquo;If
you do not move, I will pin you to the sofa!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really, it is impossible to be more disagreeable,&rdquo; said
the visitor, also drawing a small sword, which they had
not before seen.
</p>

<p>
Oliva uttered piercing shrieks.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, mademoiselle, pray be quiet,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;or two
things will happen: first, you will stun M. Beausire, and
he will get killed; secondly, the watch will come up and
carry you straight off to St. Lazare.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Oliva ceased her cries.
</p>

<p>
The scene that ensued was curious. Beausire, furious
with rage, was making wild and unskilful passes at his
adversary, who, still seated on the sofa, parried them
with the utmost ease, laughing immoderately all the
time.
</p>

<p>
Beausire began to grow tired and also frightened, for
he felt that if this man, who was now content to stand on
the defensive, were to attack him in his turn, he should
be done for in a moment. Suddenly, however, by a skilful
movement, the stranger sent Beausire&rsquo;s sword flying
across the room; it went through an open window, and
fell into the street.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, M. Beausire,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;you should take more
care; if your sword falls on any one, it will kill him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Beausire ran down at his utmost speed to fetch his
sword, and meanwhile, Oliva, seizing the hand of the
victor, said:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, sir, you are very brave; but as soon as you are
gone, Beausire will beat me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then I will remain.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, no; when he beats me, I beat him in return, and
I always get the best of it, because I am not obliged to
take any care; so if you would but go, sir&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, my dear, if I go now, I shall meet M. Beausire
on the stairs; probably the combat will recommence, and
as I shall not feel inclined to stand on the staircase, I
shall have to kill M. Beausire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Mon Dieu! it is true.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, then, to avoid that I will remain here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, sir, I entreat; go up to the next story, and as
soon as he returns to this room I will lock the door and
take the key, and you can walk away while we fight it out.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are a charming girl. Au revoir!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Till when?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To-night, if you please.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To-night! are you mad?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not at all; but there is a ball at the Opera to-night.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But it is now midnight.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That does not matter.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I should want a domino.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Beausire will fetch it when you have beaten him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are right,&rdquo; said Oliva, laughing.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And here are ten louis to buy it with.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Adieu! and thanks.&rdquo; And she pushed him out, saying,
&ldquo;Quick! he is coming back.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But if by chance he should beat you, how will you
let me know?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She reflected a moment. &ldquo;You have a servant?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Send him here, and let him wait under the window
till I let a note fall.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will. Adieu!&rdquo; And he went up-stairs.
</p>

<p>
Oliva drowned the sound of his footsteps by calling
loudly to Beausire, &ldquo;Are you coming back, madman?&rdquo;
for he did not seem in much hurry to reencounter his
formidable adversary. At last, however, he came up.
Oliva was standing outside the door; she pushed him in,
locked it, and put the key in her pocket.
</p>

<p>
Before the stranger left the house, he heard the noise
of the combat begin, and both voices loud and furious.
&ldquo;There is no doubt,&rdquo; said he to himself, &ldquo;that this
woman knows how to take care of herself.&rdquo; His carriage
was waiting for him at the corner of the street, but before
getting in he spoke to the footman, who thereupon
stationed himself within view of Mademoiselle Oliva&rsquo;s
windows.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XX.<br/>
GOLD.</h2>

<p>
We must now return to the interior of the room.
Beausire was much surprised to see Oliva lock the door,
and still more so not to see his adversary. He began to
feel triumphant, for if he was hiding from him he must,
he thought, be afraid of him. He therefore began to
search for him; but Oliva talked so loud and fast that he
advanced towards her to try and stop her, but was received
with a box on the ear, which he returned in kind.
Oliva replied by throwing a china vase at his head, and
his answer was a blow with a cane. She, furious, flew at
him and seized him by the throat, and he, trying to free
himself, tore her dress.
</p>

<p>
Then, with a cry, she pushed him from her with such
force that he fell in the middle of the room.
</p>

<p>
He began to get tired of this, so he said, without commencing
another attack, &ldquo;You are a wicked creature;
you ruin me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;On the contrary, it is you who ruin me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I ruin her!&mdash;she who has nothing!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Say that I have nothing now, say that you have
eaten, and drank, and played away all that I had.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You reproach me with my poverty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, for it comes from your vices.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do not talk of vices; it only remained for you to
take a lover.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And what do you call all those wretches who sit by
you in the tennis-court, where you play?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I play to live.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And nicely you succeed; we should die of hunger
from your industry.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And you, with yours, are obliged to cry if you get
your dress torn, because you have nothing to buy another
with.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do better than you, at all events;&rdquo; and, putting
her hand in her pocket, she drew out some gold and
threw it across the room.
</p>

<p>
When Beausire saw this, he remained stupefied.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Louis!&rdquo; cried he at last.
</p>

<p>
She took out some more, and threw them in his
face.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; cried he, &ldquo;Oliva has become rich!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This is what my industry brings in,&rdquo; said she, pushing
him with her foot as he kneeled down to pick up
the gold.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen,&rdquo; counted he, joyfully.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Miserable wretch!&rdquo; said Oliva.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Coward!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Infamous wretch!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
He got up. &ldquo;And so, mademoiselle, you have been
saving money when you kept me without necessaries.
You let me go about in an old hat, darned stockings,
and patched clothes, while you had all this money!
Where does it come from! From the sale of my
things?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Scoundrel!&rdquo; murmured Oliva, looking at him with
contempt.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But I pardon your avarice,&rdquo; continued he.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You would have killed me just now,&rdquo; said Oliva.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then I should have been right; now I should be
wrong to do it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why, if you please?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because now you contribute to our ménage.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are a base wretch.&rsquo;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My little Oliva!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Give me back my money.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, my darling!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If you do not, I will pass your own sword through
your body!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oliva!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Will you give it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, you would not take it away?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, coward! you beg, you solicit for the fruits of my
bad conduct&mdash;that is what they call a man! I have
always despised you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I gave to you when I could, Nicole.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do not call me Nicole.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pardon, then, Oliva. But is it not true?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Fine presents, certainly: some silver buckles, six
louis d&rsquo;or, two silk dresses, and three embroidered
handkerchiefs.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is a great deal for a soldier.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Hold your tongue! The buckles you stole from
some one else, the louis d&rsquo;or you borrowed and never
returned, the silk dresses&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oliva! Oliva!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Give me back my money.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What shall I give you instead?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Double the quantity.&rdquo;
</p>

<div class="figcenter" style="width: 592px;">
<img src="images/illus-002.jpg" width="592" height="862" alt="THE QUEEN’S NECKLACE
Dumas. Vol. Eight" title="THE QUEEN’S NECKLACE
Dumas. Vol. Eight" />
</div>

<p>
&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said the rogue, gravely, &ldquo;I will go to the Rue
de Bussy and play with it, and bring you back, not the
double, but the quintuple;&rdquo; and he made two steps to
the door.
</p>

<p>
She caught him by the coat.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;you have torn my coat.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Never mind; you shall have a new one.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That will be six louis, Oliva. Luckily, at the Rue de
Bussy they are not particular about dress.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Oliva seized hold of the other tail, and tore it right off.
</p>

<p>
Beausire became furious.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Mort de tous les diables!&rdquo; cried he, &ldquo;you will make
me kill you at last! You are tearing me to bits! Now
I cannot go out.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;On the contrary, you must go out immediately.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Without a coat?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Put on your great-coat.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is all in holes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then do not put it on; but you must go out.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will not.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She took out of her pocket another handful of gold,
and put it into his hands.
</p>

<p>
Beausire kneeled at her feet and cried, &ldquo;Order, and I
will obey!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Go quickly to the Capucin, Rue de Seine, where they
sell dominoes for the bal masque, and buy me one complete,
mask and all.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Good.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And one for yourself&mdash;black, but mine white; and I
only give you twenty minutes to do it in.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Are we going to the ball?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, if you are obedient.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, always.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Go, then, and show your zeal.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I run; but the money?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have twenty-five louis, that you picked up.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, Oliva, I thought you meant to give me those.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You shall have more another time, but if I give you
them now, you will stop and play.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She is right,&rdquo; said he to himself; &ldquo;that is just what
I intended to do;&rdquo; and he set off.
</p>

<p>
As soon as he was gone, Oliva wrote rapidly these
words: &ldquo;The peace is signed, and the ball decided on;
at two o&rsquo;clock we shall be at the Opera. I shall wear a
white domino, with a blue ribbon on my left shoulder.&rdquo;
Then, rolling this round a bit of the broken vase, she
went to the window and threw it out.
</p>

<p>
The valet picked it up, and made off immediately.
</p>

<p>
In less than half an hour M. Beausire returned, followed
by two men, bringing, at the cost of eighteen louis, two
beautiful dominoes, such as were only turned out at the
Capucin, makers to her majesty and the maids of honor.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XXI.<br/>
LA PETITE MAISON.</h2>

<p>
We left Madame de la Motte at M. Mesmer&rsquo;s door,
watching the queen&rsquo;s carriage as it drove off. Then she
went home; for she also intended to put on a domino,
and indulge herself by going to the Opera. But a contretemps
awaited her: a man was waiting at her door
with a note from the Cardinal de Rohan. She opened it,
and read as follows:
</p>

<div class="blockquot"><p>
&ldquo;Madame la Comtesse, you have doubtless not forgotten
that we have business together; even if you have
a short memory, I never forget what has pleased me. I
shall have the honor to wait for you where my messenger
will conduct you, if you please to come.&rdquo;
</p></div>

<p>
Jeanne, although rather vexed, immediately reentered
the coach, and told the footman to get on the box with
the coachman. Ten minutes sufficed to bring her to the
entrance of the Faubourg St. Antoine, where, in a hollow
and completely hidden by great trees, was one of those
pretty houses built in the time of Louis XV., with all the
taste of the sixteenth, with the comfort of the eighteenth,
century.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, oh! a petite maison!&rdquo; said she to herself. &ldquo;It
is very natural on the part of M. de Rohan, but very
humiliating for Valois. But, patience.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She was led from room to room till she came to a small
dining-room, fitted up with exquisite taste. There she
found the cardinal waiting for her. He was looking over
some pamphlets, but rose immediately on seeing her.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, here you are. Thanks, Madame la Comtesse,&rdquo;
and he approached to kiss her hand; but she drew back
with a reproachful and indignant air.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What is the matter, madame?&rdquo; he asked.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are, doubtless, not accustomed, monseigneur, to
receive such a greeting from the women whom your eminence
is in the habit of summoning here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We are in your petite maison, are we not, sir?&rdquo; continued
she, looking disdainfully around her.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, madame&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I had hoped that your eminence would have deigned
to remember in what rank I was born. I had hoped that
you would have been pleased to consider, that if God has
made me poor, He has at least left me the pride of my
race.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come, come, countess, I took you for a woman of
intellect.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You call a woman of intellect, it appears, monseigneur,
every one who is indifferent to, and laughs at,
everything, even dishonor. To these women, pardon me,
your eminence, I have been in the habit of giving a
different name.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, countess, you deceive yourself; I call a woman
of intellect one who listens when you speak to her, and
does not speak before having listened.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I listen, then.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I had to speak to you of serious matters, countess.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Therefore you receive me in a dining-room.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why, would you have preferred my receiving you in a
boudoir?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The distinction is nice,&rdquo; said she.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I think so, countess.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then I am simply to sup with you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nothing else.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I trust your eminence is persuaded that I feel the
honor as I ought.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are quizzing, countess.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, I only laugh; would you rather I were angry?
You are difficult to please, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh; you are charming when you laugh, and I ask
nothing better than to see you always doing so; but at
this moment you are not laughing; oh, no! there is anger
in that smile which shows your beautiful teeth.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not the least in the world, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is good.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And I hope you will sup well.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I shall sup well, and you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I am not hungry.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How, madame, you refuse to sup with me&mdash;you send
me away?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not understand you, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Listen, dear countess; if you were less in a passion,
I would tell you that it is useless to behave like this&mdash;you
are always equally charming; but as at each compliment
I fear to be dismissed, I abstain.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You fear to be dismissed? Really, I beg pardon of
your eminence, but you become unintelligible.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is, however, quite clear, what I say. The other
day, when I came to see you, you complained that you
were lodged unsuitably to your rank. I thought, therefore,
that to restore you to your proper place would be
like restoring air to the bird whom the experimenter
has placed under his air-pump. Consequently, beautiful
countess, that you might receive me with pleasure, and
that I, on my part, might visit you without compromising
either you or myself&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo; He stopped and looked at her.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well!&rdquo; she said.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I hoped that you would deign to accept this small
residence; you observe, I do not call it &lsquo;petite maison.&rsquo;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Accept! you give me this house, monseigneur?&rdquo;
said Jeanne, her heart beating with eagerness.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A very small gift, countess; but if I had offered you
more, you would have refused.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, monseigneur, it is impossible for me to accept
this.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Impossible, why? Do not say that word to me, for I
do not believe in it. The house belongs to you, the keys
are here on this silver plate; do you find out another
humiliation in this?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, but&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then accept.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monseigneur, I have told you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How, madame? you write to the ministers for a
pension, you accept a hundred louis from an unknown
lady&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, monseigneur, it is different.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come, I have waited for you in your dining-room. I
have not yet seen the boudoir, nor the drawing-room, nor
the bedrooms, for I suppose there are all these.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, monseigneur, forgive me; you force me to confess
that you the most delicate of men,&rdquo; and she blushed
with the pleasure she had been so long restraining.
But checking herself, she sat down and said, &ldquo;Now, will
your eminence give me my supper?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal took off his cloak, and sat down also.
</p>

<p>
Supper was served in a few moments. Jeanne put on
her mask before the servants came in.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is I who ought to wear a mask,&rdquo; said the cardinal,
&ldquo;for you are at home, among your own people.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne laughed, but did not take hers off. In spite of
her pleasure and surprise, she made a good supper. The
cardinal was a man of much talent, and from his great
knowledge of the world and of women, he was a man difficult
to contend with, and he thought that this country
girl, full of pretension, but who, in spite of her pride,
could not conceal her greediness, would be an easy conquest,
worth undertaking on account of her beauty, and
of a something piquant about her, very pleasing to a man
&ldquo;blasé&rdquo; like him. He therefore never took pains to be
much on his guard with her; and she, more cunning than
he thought, saw through his opinion of her, and tried to
strengthen it by playing the provincial coquette, and appearing
silly, that her adversary might be in reality weak
in his over-confidence.
</p>

<p>
The cardinal thought her completely dazzled by the
present he had made her&mdash;and so, indeed, she was; but
he forgot that he himself was below the mark of the ambition
of a woman like Jeanne.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come,&rdquo; said he, pouring out for her a glass of cyprus
wine, &ldquo;as you have signed your contract with me, you
will not be unfriendly any more, countess.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh no!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You will receive me here sometimes without repugnance?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I shall never be so ungrateful as to forget whose house
this really is.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not mine.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh yes, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do not contradict me, I advise you, or I shall begin
to impose conditions.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You take care on your part&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Of what?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why, I am at home here, you know, and if your
conditions are unreasonable, I shall call my servants&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal laughed.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, you laugh, sir; you think if I call they will not
come.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, you quite mistake, countess. I am nothing here,
only your guest. Apropos,&rdquo; continued he, as if it had
just entered his head, &ldquo;have you heard anything more
of the ladies who came to see you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The ladies of the portrait?&rdquo; said Jeanne, who, now
knowing the queen, saw through the artifice.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, the ladies of the portrait.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monseigneur, you know them as well and even better
than I do, I feel sure.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, countess, you do me wrong. Did you not express
a wish to learn who they were?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly; it is natural to desire to know your benefactors.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, if knew, I should have told you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. le Cardinal, you do know them.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If you repeat that &lsquo;no,&rsquo; I shall have to call you a liar.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I shall know how to avenge that insult.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;With a kiss.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You know the portrait of Maria Theresa?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly, but what of that?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That, having recognized this portrait, you must
have had some suspicion of the person to whom it
belonged.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And why?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because it was natural to think that the portrait of
a mother would only be in the hands of her daughter.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The queen!&rdquo; cried the cardinal, with so truthful a
tone of surprise that it duped even Jeanne. &ldquo;Do you
really think the queen came to see you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And you did not suspect it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Mon Dieu, no! how should I? I, who speak to
you, am neither son, daughter, nor even relation of
Maria Theresa, yet I have a portrait of her about me at
this moment. Look,&rdquo; said he&mdash;and he drew out a snuff-box
and showed it to her; &ldquo;therefore you see that if I,
who am in no way related to the imperial house, carry
about such a portrait, another might do the same, and
yet be a stranger.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne was silent&mdash;she had nothing to answer.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then it is your opinion,&rdquo; he went on, &ldquo;that you
have had a visit from the queen, Marie Antoinette.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The queen and another lady.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame de Polignac?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not know.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Perhaps Madame de Lamballe?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A young lady, very beautiful and very serious.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, perhaps Mademoiselle de Taverney.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is possible; I do not know her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, if her majesty has really come to visit you, you
are sure of her protection. It is a great step towards
your fortune.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I believe it, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And her majesty was generous to you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She gave me a hundred louis.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And she is not rich, particularly now.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That doubles my gratitude.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Did she show much interest in you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very great.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then all goes well,&rdquo; said the prelate; &ldquo;there only
remains one thing now&mdash;to penetrate to Versailles.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The countess smiled.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, countess, it is not so easy.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She smiled again, more significantly than before.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really, you provincials,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;doubt nothing;
because you have seen Versailles with the doors open, and
stairs to go up, you think any one may open these doors
and ascend these stairs. Have you seen the monsters of
brass, of marble, and of lead, which adorn the park and the
terraces?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Griffins, gorgons, ghouls, and other ferocious beasts.
Well, you will find ten times as many, and more wicked,
living animals between you and the favor of sovereigns.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your eminence will aid me to pass through the ranks
of these monsters.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will try, but it will be difficult. And if you pronounce
my name, if you discover your talisman, it will lose
all its power.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Happily, then, I am guarded by the immediate protection
of the queen, and I shall enter Versailles with a
good key.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What key, countess?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, Monsieur le Cardinal, that is my secret&mdash;or
rather it is not, for if it were mine, I should feel bound
to tell it to my generous protector.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There is, then, an obstacle, countess?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Alas! yes, monseigneur. It is not my secret, and I
must keep it. Let it suffice you to know that to-morrow
I shall go to Versailles; that I shall be received, and,
I have every reason to hope, well received.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal looked at her with wonder. &ldquo;Ah, countess,&rdquo;
said he, laughing, &ldquo;I shall see if you will get in.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You will push your curiosity so far as to follow me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Exactly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very well.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really, countess, you are a living enigma.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;One of those monsters who inhabit Versailles.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, you believe me a man of taste, do you not?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, here I am at your knees, and I take your hand
and kiss it. Should I do that if I thought you a monster?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I beg you, sir, to remember,&rdquo; said Jeanne coldly,
&ldquo;that I am neither a grisette nor an opera girl; that I
am my own mistress, feeling myself the equal of any man
in this kingdom. Therefore I shall take freely and spontaneously,
when it shall please me, the man who will have
gained my affections. Therefore, monseigneur, respect
me a little, and, in me, the nobility to which we both
belong.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal rose. &ldquo;I see,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;you wish me
to love you seriously.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not say that; but I wish to be able to love you.
When that day comes&mdash;if it does comes&mdash;you will easily
find it out, believe me. If you do not, I will let you
know it; for I feel young enough and attractive enough
not to mind making the first advances, nor to fear a repulse.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Countess, if it depends upon me, you shall love me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We shall see.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have already a friendship for me, have you
not?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;More than that.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! then we are at least half way. And you are a
woman that I should adore, if&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo; He stopped and sighed.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;if&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If you would permit it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Perhaps I shall, when I shall be independent of your
assistance, and you can no longer suspect that I encourage
you from interested motives.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then you forbid me to pay my court now?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not at all; but there are other ways besides kneeling
and kissing hands.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, countess, let us hear; what will you permit?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;All that is compatible with my tastes and duties.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, that is vague indeed.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Stop! I was going to add&mdash;my caprices.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am lost!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You draw back?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No,&rdquo; said the cardinal, &ldquo;I do not.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, then, I want a proof.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Speak.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I want to go to the ball at the Opera.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, countess, that only concerns yourself. Are
you not free as air to go where you wish?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, but you have not heard all. I want you to go
with me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I to the Opera, countess!&rdquo; said he, with a start of
horror.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;See already how much your desire to please me is
worth.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A cardinal cannot go to a ball at the Opera, countess.
It is as if I proposed to you to go into a public-house.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then a cardinal does not dance, I suppose?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh no!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But I have read that M. le Cardinal de Richelieu
danced a saraband.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, before Anne of Austria.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Before a queen,&rdquo; repeated Jeanne. &ldquo;Perhaps you
would do as much for a queen?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal could not help blushing, dissembler as he
was.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Is it not natural,&rdquo; she continued, &ldquo;that I should feel
hurt when, after all your protestations, you will not do
as much for me as you would for a queen?&mdash;especially
when I only ask you to go concealed in a domino and a
mask; besides, a man like you, who may do anything
with impunity!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal yielded to her flattery and her blandishments.
Taking her hand, he said, &ldquo;For you I will do
anything, even the impossible.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Thanks, monseigneur; you are really amiable. But
now you have consented, I will let you off.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, no! he who does the work can alone claim the
reward. Countess, I will attend you, but in a domino.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We shall pass through the Rue St. Denis, close to
the Opera,&rdquo; said the countess. &ldquo;I will go in masked,
buy a domino and a mask for you, and you can put them
on in the carriage.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That will do delightfully.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, monseigneur, you are very good! But, now I
think of it, perhaps at the Hôtel Rohan you might find a
domino more to your taste than the one I should buy.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now, countess, that is unpardonable malice. Believe
me if I go to the Opera, I shall be as surprised to
find myself there as you were to find yourself supping
tête-à-tête with a man not your husband.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne had nothing to reply to this. Soon a carriage
without arms drove up; they both got in, and drove off
at a rapid pace.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XXII.<br/>
SOME WORDS ABOUT THE OPERA.</h2>

<p>
The Opera, that temple of pleasure at Paris, was burned
in the month of June, 1781. Twenty persons had perished
in the ruins; and as it was the second time within
eighteen years that this had happened, it created a prejudice
against the place where it then stood, in the Palais
Royal, and the king had ordered its removal to a less
central spot. The place chosen was La Porte St. Martin.
</p>

<p>
The king, vexed to see Paris deprived for so long of its
Opera, became as sorrowful as if the arrivals of grain had
ceased, or bread had risen to more than seven sous the
quartern loaf. It was melancholy to see the nobility, the
army, and the citizens without their after-dinner amusement;
and to see the promenades thronged with the unemployed
divinities, from the chorus-singers to the prima
donnas.
</p>

<p>
An architect was then introduced to the king, full of
new plans, who promised so perfect a ventilation, that
even in case of fire no one could be smothered. He would
make eight doors for exit, besides five large windows
placed so low that any one could jump out of them. In
the place of the beautiful hall of Moreau he was to erect
a building with ninety-six feet of frontage towards the
boulevard, ornamented with eight caryatides on pillars
forming three entrance-doors, a bas-relief above the
capitals, and a gallery with three windows. The stage
was to be thirty-six feet wide, the theater seventy-two feet
deep and eighty across, from one wall to the other. He
asked only seventy-five days and nights before he opened
it to the public.
</p>

<p>
This appeared to all a mere gasconade, and was much
laughed at. The king, however, concluded the agreement
with him. Lenoir set to work, and kept his word. But
the public feared that a building so quickly erected could
not be safe, and when it opened no one would go.
</p>

<p>
Even the few courageous ones who did go to the first
representation of &ldquo;Adéle de Ponthieu&rdquo; made their wills
first. The architect was in despair. He came to the king
to consult him as to what was to be done.
</p>

<p>
It was just after the birth of the dauphin; all Paris was
full of joy. The king advised him to announce a gratuitous
performance in honor of the event, and give a ball
after. Doubtless plenty would come, and if the theater
stood, its safety was established.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Thanks, sire,&rdquo; said the architect.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But reflect, first,&rdquo; said the king, &ldquo;if there be a crowd,
are you sure of your building?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire, I am sure, and shall go there myself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will go to the second representation,&rdquo; said the king.
</p>

<p>
The architect followed this advice. They played
&ldquo;Adéle de Ponthieu&rdquo; to three thousand spectators, who
afterwards danced. After this there could be no more
fear. It was three years afterwards that Madame de la
Motte and the cardinal went to the ball.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XXIII.<br/>
THE BALL AT THE OPERA.</h2>

<p>
The ball was at its height when they glided in quietly,
and were soon lost in the crowd. A couple had taken refuge
from the pressure under the queen&rsquo;s box; one of them
wore a white domino and the other a black one. They
were talking with great animation. &ldquo;I tell you, Oliva,&rdquo;
said the black domino, &ldquo;that I am sure you are expecting
some one. Your head is no longer a head, but a weather
cock, and turns round to look after every newcomer.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, is it astonishing that I should look at the people,
when that is what I came here for?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, that is what you came for!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, sir, and for what do people generally come?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A thousand things.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Men perhaps, but women only for one&mdash;to see and be
seen by as many people as possible.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Mademoiselle Oliva!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, do not speak in that big voice, it does so frighten
me; and above all, do not call me by name; it is bad
taste to let every one here know who you are.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The black domino made an angry gesture; it was interrupted
by a blue domino who approached them.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come, monsieur,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;let madame amuse herself;
it is not every night one comes to a ball at the
Opera.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Meddle with your own affairs,&rdquo; replied Beausire,
rudely.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur, learn once for all that a little courtesy is
never out of place.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not know you,&rdquo; he replied, &ldquo;and do not want to
have anything to do with you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, you do not know me; but I know you, M. Beausire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
At hearing his name thus pronounced, Beausire visibly
trembled.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, do not be afraid, M. Beausire; I am not what
you take me for.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pardieu! sir, do you guess thoughts, as well as
names?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why not?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then tell me what I thought. I have never seen a
sorcerer, and should find it amusing.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, what you ask is not difficult enough to entitle me
to that name.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Never mind&mdash;tell.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, then! you took me for an agent of M. de
Crosne.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Crosne!&rdquo; he repeated.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes; the lieutenant of police.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sir!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Softly, M. de Beausire, you really look as if you were
feeling for your sword.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And so I was, sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Good heavens! what a warlike disposition; but I
think, dear M. Beausire, you left your sword at home,
and you did well. But to speak of something else, will
you relinquish to me madame for a time?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Give you up madame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sir; that is not uncommon, I believe, at a ball
at the Opera.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly not, when it suits the gentleman.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It suffices sometimes that it should please the lady.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you ask it for a long time?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really, M. Beausire, you are too curious. Perhaps
for ten minutes&mdash;perhaps for an hour&mdash;perhaps for all the
evening.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are laughing at me, sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come, reply; will you or not?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come, come, do not be ill-tempered, you who were so
gentle just now.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Just now?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes; at the Rue Dauphine.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Oliva laughed.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Hold your tongue, madame,&rdquo; said Beausire.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; continued the blue domino, &ldquo;where you were
on the point of killing this poor lady, but stopped at the
sight of some louis.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I see; you and she have an understanding together.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How can you say such a thing?&rdquo; cried Oliva.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And if it were so,&rdquo; said the stranger, &ldquo;it is all for
your benefit.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;For my benefit! that would be curious.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will prove to you that your presence here is as hurtful
as your absence would be profitable. You are a
member of a certain academy, not the Académie Fran&ccedil;aise,
but in the Rue du Pôt au Fer, in the second story, is it not,
my dear M. Beausire?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Hush!&rdquo; said Beausire.
</p>

<p>
The blue domino drew out his watch, which was studded
with diamonds that made Beausire&rsquo;s eyes water to look at
them. &ldquo;Well!&rdquo; continued he, &ldquo;in a quarter of an hour
they are going to discuss there a little project, by which,
they hope to secure 2,000,000 francs among the twelve
members, of whom you are one, M. Beausire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And you must be another; if you are not&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pray go on.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A member of the police.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, M. Beausire, I thought you had more sense. If
I were of the police, I should have taken you long ago,
for some little affairs less honorable than this speculation.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So, sir, you wish to send me to the Rue du Pôt au
Fer: but I know why&mdash;that I may be arrested there: I
am not such a fool.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now, you are one. If I wanted to arrest you, I had
only to do it, and I am rid of you at once; but gentleness
and persuasion are my maxims.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I know now,&rdquo; said Beausire, &ldquo;you are the man
that was on the sofa two hours ago.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What sofa?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Never mind; you have induced me to go, and if you
are sending a gallant man into harm, you will pay for it
some day.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Be tranquil,&rdquo; said the blue domino, laughing; &ldquo;by
sending you there, I give you 100,000 francs at least,
for you know the rule of this society is, that whoever is
absent loses his share.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, then, good-by!&rdquo; said Beausire, and vanished.
</p>

<p>
The blue domino took possession of Oliva&rsquo;s arm, left at
liberty by Beausire.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now!&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;I have let you manage poor
Beausire at your ease, but I warn you, you will find me
not so easy to talk over; therefore, find something pretty
to say to me, or&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I know nothing prettier than your own history, dear
Mademoiselle Nicole,&rdquo; said he, pressing the pretty round
arm of the little woman, who uttered a cry at hearing
herself so addressed; but, recovering herself with marvelous
quickness, said:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, mon Dieu! what a name! Is it I whom you call
Nicole? If so, you are wrong, for that is not my
name.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;At present I know that you call yourself Oliva, but
we will talk afterwards of Oliva; at present I want to
speak of Nicole. Have you forgotten the time when you
bore that name? I do not believe it, my dear child, for
the name that one bears as a young girl is ever the one enshrined
in the heart, although one may have been forced
to take another to hide the first. Poor Oliva, happy
Nicole!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why do you say &lsquo;Poor Oliva&rsquo;? do you not think me
happy?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It would be difficult to be happy with a man like
Beausire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Oliva sighed and said, &ldquo;Indeed I am not.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You love him, however.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A little.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If you do not love him much, leave him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why not?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because I should no sooner have done so than I
should regret it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you think so?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am afraid I should.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What could you have to regret in a drunkard; a gambler,
a man who beats you, and a black-leg, who will one
day come to the gallows?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You would not understand me if I told you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Try.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I should regret the excitement he keeps me in.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I ought to have guessed it; that comes of passing
your youth with such silent people.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You know about my youth?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Perfectly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Oliva laughed and shook her head.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You doubt it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really I do.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then we will talk a little about it, Mademoiselle
Nicole.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very well; but I warn you, I will tell nothing.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not wish it. I do not mean your childhood. I
begin from the time when you first perceived that you
had a heart capable of love.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Love for whom?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;For Gilbert.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
At this name Oliva trembled.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, mon Dieu!&rdquo; she cried. &ldquo;How do you know?&rdquo;
Then with, a sigh said, &ldquo;Oh, sir! you have pronounced a
name indeed fertile in remembrances. You knew Gilbert?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes; since I speak to you of him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Alas!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A charming lad, upon my word. You loved him?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He was handsome. No, perhaps not; but I thought
him so; he was full of mind, my equal in birth, but Gilbert
thought no woman his equal.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not even Mademoiselle de Ta&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I know whom you mean, sir. You are well instructed.
Yes, Gilbert loved higher than the poor Nicole:
you are possessed of terrible secrets, sir; tell me,
if you can,&rdquo; she continued, looking earnestly at him,
&ldquo;what has become of him?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You should know best.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why, in heaven&rsquo;s name?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because if he followed you from Taverney to Paris,
you followed him from Paris to Trianon.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, that is true, but that is ten years ago; and I
wished to know what had passed since the time I ran away,
and since he disappeared. When Gilbert loved Mademoiselle
de&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do not pronounce names aloud,&rdquo; said he.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, then, when he loved her so much that each tree
at Trianon was witness to his love&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You loved him no more.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;On the contrary, I loved him more than ever; and
this love was my ruin. I am beautiful, proud, and, when
I please, insolent; and would lay my head on the scaffold
rather than confess myself despised.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have a heart, Nicole?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I had then,&rdquo; she said, sighing.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This conversation makes you sad.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, it does me good to speak of my youth. But tell
me why Gilbert fled from Trianon.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you wish me to confirm a suspicion, or to tell you
something you do not know.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Something I do not know.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, I cannot tell you this. Have you not heard
that he is dead?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, I have, but&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, he is dead.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Dead!&rdquo; said Nicole, with an air of doubt. Then,
with a sudden start, &ldquo;Grant me one favor!&rdquo; she cried.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;As many as you like.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I saw you two hours ago; for it was you, was it not?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You did not, then, try to disguise yourself?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not at all.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But I was stupid; I saw you, but I did not observe
you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not understand.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you know what I want?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Take off your mask.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Here! impossible!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, you cannot fear other people seeing you. Here,
behind this column, you will be quite hidden. You fear
that I should recognize you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And that I should cry, &lsquo;It is you&mdash;it is Gilbert!&rsquo;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What folly!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Take off your mask.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, on one condition&mdash;that you will take off yours,
if I ask it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Agreed.&rdquo; The unknown took off his immediately.
</p>

<p>
Oliva looked earnestly at him, then sighed, and said:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Alas! no, it is not Gilbert.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And who am I?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I do not care, as you are not he.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And if it had been Gilbert?&rdquo; said he, as he put on
his mask again.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! if it had been,&rdquo; cried she passionately, &ldquo;and
he had said to me, &lsquo;Nicole, do you remember Taverney
Maison-Rouge?&rsquo; then there would have been no longer a
Beausire in the world for me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But I have told you, my dear child, that Gilbert is
dead.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! perhaps, then, it is for the best,&rdquo; said Oliva,
with a sigh.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes; he would never have loved you, beautiful as
you are.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you, then, think he despised me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No; he rather feared you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is possible.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then you think it better he is dead?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do not repeat my words; in your mouth they wound
me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But it is better for Mademoiselle Oliva. You observe,
I abandon Nicole, and speak to Oliva. You have
before you a future, happy, rich, and brilliant.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you think so?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, if you make up your mind to do anything to
arrive at this end.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I promise you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But you must give up sighing, as you were doing
just now.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very well. I sighed for Gilbert, and as he is dead,
and there are not two Gilberts in the world, I shall sigh
no more. But enough of him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes; we will speak of yourself. Why did you run
away with Beausire?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because I wished to quit Trianon, and I was obliged
to go with some one; I could no longer remain a &lsquo;pis
aller,&rsquo; rejected by Gilbert.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have, then, been faithful for ten years through
pride? You have paid dearly for it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Oliva laughed.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I know what you are laughing at. To hear a
man, who pretends to know everything, accuse you of
having been ten years faithful, when you think you have
not rendered yourself worthy of such a ridiculous reproach.
However, I know all about you. I know that
you went to Portugal with Beausire, where you remained
two years; that you then left him, and went to the Indies
with the captain of a frigate, who hid you in his cabin,
and who left you at Chandernagor when he returned to
Europe. I know that you had two millions of rupees to
spend in the house of a nabob who kept you shut up;
that you escaped through the window on the shoulders
of a slave. Then, rich&mdash;for you had carried away two
beautiful pearl bracelets, two diamonds, and three large
rubies&mdash;you came back to France. When landing at
Brest, your evil genius made you encounter Beausire on
the quay, who recognized you immediately, bronzed and
altered as you were, while you almost fainted at the
sight of him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, mon Dieu!&rdquo; cried Oliva, &ldquo;who are you, then,
who know all this?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I know, further, that Beausire carried you off again,
persuaded you that he loved you, sold your jewels, and
reduced you to poverty. Still, you say you love him,
and, as love is the root of all happiness, of course you
ought to be happy.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Oliva hung her head, and covered her eyes with her
hands, but two large tears might be seen forcing their
way through her fingers&mdash;liquid pearls, more precious,
though not so marketable, as those Beausire had sold.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And this woman,&rdquo; at last she said, &ldquo;whom you
describe as so proud and so happy, you have bought to-day
for fifty louis.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am aware it is too little, mademoiselle.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, sir; on the contrary, I am surprised that a
woman like me should be worth so much.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are worth more than that, as I will show you;
but just now I want all your attention.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then I will be silent.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No; talk, on the contrary, of anything, it does not
matter what, so that we seem occupied.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are very odd.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Take hold of my arm, and let us walk.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
They walked on among the various groups. In a
minute or two, Oliva asked a question.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Talk as much as you like, only do not ask questions
at present,&rdquo; said her companion, &ldquo;for I cannot answer
now; only, as you speak, disguise your voice, hold your
head up, and scratch your neck with your fan.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She obeyed.
</p>

<p>
In a minute, they passed a highly perfumed group, in
the center of which a very elegant-looking man was
talking fast to three companions, who were listening
respectfully.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who is that young man in that beautiful gray
domino?&rdquo; asked Oliva.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. le Comte d&rsquo;Artois; but pray do not speak just
now!&rdquo; At this moment two other dominoes passed
them, and stood in a place near, which was rather free
from people.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Lean on this pillar, countess,&rdquo; said one of them in a
low voice, but which was overheard by the blue domino,
who started at its sound.
</p>

<p>
Then a yellow domino, passing through the crowd, came
up to the blue one, and said, &ldquo;It is he.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very good,&rdquo; replied the other, and the yellow domino
vanished.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now, then,&rdquo; said Oliva&rsquo;s companion, turning to her,
&ldquo;we will begin to enjoy ourselves a little.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I hope so, for you have twice made me sad: first by
taking away Beausire, and then by speaking of Gilbert.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will be both Gilbert and Beausire to you,&rdquo; said the
unknown.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; sighed Oliva.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not ask you to love me, remember; I only ask
you to accept the life I offer you&mdash;that is, the accomplishment
of all your desires, provided occasionally you give
way to mine. Just now I have one.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That black domino that you see there is a German of
my acquaintance, who refused to come to the ball with
me, saying he was not well; and now he is here, and a
lady with him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who is she?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not know. We will approach them; I will pretend
that you are a German, and you must not speak, for
fear of being found out. Now, pretend to point him out
to me with the end of your fan.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Like that?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes; very well. Now whisper to me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Oliva obeyed with a docility which charmed her companion.
</p>

<p>
The black domino, who had his back turned to them,
did not see all this; but his companion did. &ldquo;Take care,
monseigneur,&rdquo; said she; &ldquo;there are two masks watching
us.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, do not be afraid, countess; they cannot recognize
us. Do not mind them; but let me assure you that
never form was so enchanting as yours, never eyes so brilliant,
never&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Hush! the spies approach.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Spies!&rdquo; said the cardinal, uneasily. &ldquo;Disguise your
voice if they make you speak, and I will do the same.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Oliva and her blue domino indeed approached; he came
up to the cardinal, and said, &ldquo;Mask&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you want?&rdquo; said the cardinal, in a voice as
unlike his natural one as he could make it.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The lady who accompanies me desires me to ask you
some questions.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ask,&rdquo; said M. de Rohan.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Are they very indiscreet?&rdquo; said Madame de la Motte.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So indiscreet that you shall not hear them;&rdquo; and he
pretended to whisper to Oliva, who made a sign in answer.
Then, in irreproachable German, he said to the cardinal,
&ldquo;Monseigneur, are you in love with the lady who accompanies
you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal trembled.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Did you say monseigneur?&rdquo; he asked.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You deceive yourself; I am not the person you think.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, M. le Cardinal, do not deny it; it is useless. If
even I did not know you, the lady who accompanies me
assures me she knows you perfectly.&rdquo; And he again
whispered to Oliva, &ldquo;Make a sign for &lsquo;yes.&rsquo; Do so each
time I press your arm.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She did so.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You astonish me!&rdquo; said the cardinal. &ldquo;Who is this
lady?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, monseigneur, I thought you would have known;
she soon knew you. It is true that jealousy&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame is jealous of me!&rdquo; cried the cardinal.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We do not say that,&rdquo; replied the unknown, rather
haughtily.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What are you talking about?&rdquo; asked Madame de la
Motte, who did not like this conversation in German.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, nothing, nothing!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; said the cardinal to Oliva, &ldquo;one word from
you, and I promise to recognize you instantly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Oliva, who saw him speaking to her, but did not understand
a word, whispered to her companion.
</p>

<p>
All this mystery piqued the cardinal.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;One single German word,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;could not much
compromise madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The blue domino again pretended to take her orders,
and then said: &ldquo;M. le Cardinal, these are the words of
madame, &lsquo;He whose thoughts are not ever on the alert, he
whose imagination does not perpetually suggest the presence
of the loved one, does not love, however much he
may pretend it.&rsquo;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal appeared struck with these words; all his
attitude expressed surprise, respect and devotion.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is impossible!&rdquo; he murmured in French.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What is impossible?&rdquo; asked Madame de la Motte, who
seized eagerly on these few words she could understand.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nothing, madame, nothing!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really, cardinal, you are making me play but a sorry
part,&rdquo; said she, withdrawing her arm angrily.
</p>

<p>
He did not even seem to notice it, so great was his
preoccupation with the German lady.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; said he to her, &ldquo;these words that your
companion has repeated to me in your name are some
German lines which I read in a house which is perhaps
known to you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The blue domino pressed Oliva&rsquo;s arm, who thereupon
bowed an assent.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That house,&rdquo; said the cardinal, hesitatingly, &ldquo;is it
not called Schoenbrunn?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She again made a gesture of assent.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They were written on a table of cherry-wood, with a
gold bodkin, by an august hand.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; bowed Oliva again.
</p>

<p>
The cardinal stopped, he tottered, and leaned against
a pillar for support. Madame de la Motte stood by,
watching this strange scene. Then the cardinal, touching
the blue domino, said: &ldquo;This is the conclusion of
the quotation&mdash;&lsquo;But he who sees everywhere the loved
object, who recognizes her by a flower, by a perfume,
through the thickest veils, he can still be silent&mdash;his
voice is in his heart&mdash;and if one other understands him,
he is happy.&rsquo;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, they are speaking German here,&rdquo; said a young
voice from an approaching group; &ldquo;let us listen. Do
you speak German, marshal?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You, Charny?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, your highness.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Here is M. le Comte d&rsquo;Artois,&rdquo; said Oliva softly to
her companion.
</p>

<p>
A crowd followed them, and many were passing round.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Take care, gentlemen!&rdquo; said the blue domino.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur,&rdquo; replied the prince, &ldquo;the people are
pushing us.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
At this moment some invisible hand pulled Oliva&rsquo;s
hood from behind, and her mask fell. She replaced
it as quickly as possible, with a half-terrified cry, which
was echoed by one of affected disquiet from her companion.
</p>

<p>
Several others around looked no little bewildered.
</p>

<p>
The cardinal nearly fainted, and Madame de la Motte
supported him. The pressure of the crowd separated the
Comte d&rsquo;Artois and his party from them. Then the blue
domino approached the cardinal, and said:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This is indeed an irreparable misfortune; this lady&rsquo;s
honor is at your mercy.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, monsieur!&rdquo; murmured the cardinal, who was
much agitated.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Let us go quickly,&rdquo; said the blue domino to Oliva;
and they moved away.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now I know,&rdquo; said Madame de la Motte to herself,
&ldquo;what the cardinal meant was impossible: he took this
woman for the queen. But what an effect it has had on
him?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Would you like to leave the ball?&rdquo; asked M. de
Rohan, in a feeble voice.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;As you please, monseigneur,&rdquo; replied Jeanne.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not find much interest here, do you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;None at all.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
They pushed their way through the crowd. The cardinal,
who was tall, looked all around him, to try and see
again the vision which had disappeared; but blue, white,
and gray dominoes were everywhere, and he could distinguish
no one. They had been some time in the carriage,
and he had not yet spoken to Jeanne.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XXIV.<br/>
THE EXAMINATION.</h2>

<p>
At last Jeanne said, &ldquo;Where is this carriage taking me
to, cardinal?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Back to your own house, countess.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My house&mdash;in the faubourg?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, countess. A very small house to contain so many
charms.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
They soon stopped. Jeanne alighted, and he was preparing
to follow her, but she stopped him, and said, &ldquo;It is
very late, cardinal.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Adieu, then,&rdquo; said he; and he drove away, absorbed
with the scene at the ball.
</p>

<p>
Jeanne entered alone into her new house. Six lackeys
waited for her in the hall, and she looked at them as
calmly as though she had been used to it all her life.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where are my femmes de chambre?&rdquo; said she.
</p>

<p>
One of the men advanced respectfully.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Two women wait for madame in her room.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Call them.&rdquo; The valet obeyed.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where do you usually sleep?&rdquo; said Jeanne to them,
when they entered.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We have no place as yet,&rdquo; said one of them; &ldquo;we can
sleep wherever madame pleases.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where are the keys?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Here, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, for this night you shall sleep out of the house.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The women looked at her in surprise.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have some place to go to?&rdquo; said Jeanne.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly, madame; but it is late. Still, if madame
wishes&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And these men can accompany you,&rdquo; she continued,
dismissing the valets also, who seemed rather pleased.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;When shall we return?&rdquo; asked one of them.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To-morrow at noon.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
They seemed more astonished than ever, but Jeanne
looked so imperious that they did not speak.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Is there any one else here?&rdquo; she asked.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No one, madame. It is impossible for madame to
remain like this; surely you must have some one here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I want no one.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The house might take fire; madame might be ill.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Go, all of you,&rdquo; said Jeanne; &ldquo;and take this,&rdquo; added
she, giving them money from her purse.
</p>

<p>
They all thanked her, and disappeared, saying to each
other that they had found a strange mistress.
</p>

<p>
Jeanne then locked the doors and said triumphantly,
&ldquo;Now I am alone here, in my own house.&rdquo; She now
commenced an examination, admiring each thing individually.
The ground-floor contained a bath-room, dining-room,
three drawing-rooms, and two morning-rooms. The
furniture of these rooms was handsome, though not new.
It pleased Jeanne better than if it had been furnished
expressly for her. All the rich antiques disdained by
fashionable ladies, the marvelous pieces of carved ebony,
the glass lusters, the gothic clocks; chefs-d&rsquo;œuvre of carving
and enamel, the screens with embroidered Chinese
figures, and the immense vases, threw Jeanne into indescribable
raptures. Here on a chimney-piece two gilded
tritons were bearing branches of coral, upon which were
hung jeweled fruits. In another place, on a gilded console
table, was an enormous elephant, with sapphires
hanging from his ears, supporting a tower filled with little
bottles of scent. Books in gilt bindings were on rosewood
shelves. One room was hung with Gobelin tapestry, and
furnished in gray and gold; another, paneled in paintings
by Vernet. The small rooms contained pictures. The
whole was evidently the collection of years.
</p>

<p>
Jeanne examined it all with delight. Then, as her
domino was inconvenient, she went into her room to put
on a dressing-gown of wadded silk; and, secure of meeting
no one, she wandered from room to room, continuing
her examination, till at last, her light nearly exhausted,
she returned to her bedroom, which was hung with embroidered
blue satin.
</p>

<p>
She had seen everything, and admired everything: there
only remained herself to be admired; and she thought, as
she undressed before the long mirror, that she was not the
object least worthy of admiration in the place. At last,
wearied out with pleasurable excitement, she went to
bed, and soon sank to sleep.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XXV.<br/>
THE ACADEMY OF M. BEAUSIRE.</h2>

<p>
Beausire had followed the advice of the blue domino,
and repaired to the place of meeting in the Rue du Pôt
au Fer. He was frightened by the apparent exclusion
which his companions had seemed to meditate, in not
communicating their plans to him; and he knew none of
them to be particularly scrupulous. He had acquired the
reputation among them of a man to be feared; it was not
wonderful, as he had been a soldier, and worn a uniform.
He knew how to draw his sword, and he had a habit of
looking very fierce at the slightest word that displeased
him&mdash;all things which appear rather terrifying to those of
doubtful courage, especially when they have reason to
shun the éclat of a duel and the curiosity of the police.
</p>

<p>
Beausire counted, therefore, on revenging himself by
frightening them a little. It was a long way, but Beausire
had money in his pocket; so he took a coach, promised
the driver an extra franc to go fast, and, to make up for
the absence of his sword, he assumed as fierce a look as
he could on entering the room.
</p>

<p>
It was a large hall, full of tables, at which were seated
about twenty players, drinking beer or syrups, and smiling
now and then on some highly rouged women who sat near
them. They were playing faro at the principal table, but
the stakes were low, and the excitement small in proportion.
</p>

<p>
On the entrance of the domino, all the women smiled
on him, half in raillery, and half in coquetry, for M.
Beausire was a favorite among them. However, he advanced
in silence to the table without noticing any one.
</p>

<p>
One of the players, who was a good-humored looking
fellow, said to him, &ldquo;Corbleu, chevalier, you come from
the ball looking out of sorts.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Is your domino uncomfortable?&rdquo; said another.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, it is not my domino,&rdquo; replied Beausire, gruffly.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; said the banker, &ldquo;he has been unfaithful to
us; he has been playing somewhere else and lost.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is not I who am unfaithful to my friends; I am
incapable of it. I leave that to others.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you mean, dear chevalier?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I know what I mean,&rdquo; replied he; &ldquo;I thought I had
friends here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly,&rdquo; replied several voices.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, I was deceived.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You plan things without me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Several of the members began to protest it was not
true.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I know better,&rdquo; said Beausire; &ldquo;and these false
friends shall be punished.&rdquo; He put his hand to his side
to feel for his sword, but, as it was not there, he only
shook his pocket, and the gold rattled.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, oh!&rdquo; said the banker, &ldquo;M. Beausire has not
lost. Come, will you not play?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Thanks,&rdquo; said Beausire; &ldquo;I will keep what I have
got.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Only one louis,&rdquo; said one of the women, caressingly.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not play for miserable louis,&rdquo; said he. &ldquo;We play
for millions here to-night&mdash;yes, gentlemen, millions.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
He had worked himself up into a great state of excitement,
and was losing sight of all prudence, when a blow
from behind made him turn, and he saw by him a great
dark figure, stiff and upright, and with two shining black
eyes. He met Beausire&rsquo;s furious glance with a ceremonious
bow.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The Portuguese!&rdquo; said Beausire.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The Portuguese!&rdquo; echoed the ladies, who abandoned
Beausire to crowd round the newcomer, he being their
especial pet, as he was in the habit of bringing them
sweetmeats, sometimes wrapped up in notes of forty or
fifty francs. This man was one of the twelve associates.
</p>

<p>
He was used as a bait at their society. It was agreed
that he should lose a hundred louis a week as an inducement
to allure strangers to play. He was, therefore,
considered a useful man. He was also an agreeable one,
and was held in much consideration.
</p>

<p>
Beausire became silent on seeing him.
</p>

<p>
The Portuguese took his place at the table, and put
down twenty louis, which he soon lost, thereby making
some of those who had been stripped before forget their
losses.
</p>

<p>
All the money received by the banker was dropped
into a well under the table, and he was forbidden to wear
long sleeves, lest he should conceal any within them,
although the other members generally took the liberty of
searching both sleeves and pockets before they left.
</p>

<p>
Several now put on their great-coats and took leave&mdash;some
happy enough to escort the ladies.
</p>

<p>
A few, however, after making a feint to go, returned
into another room; and here the twelve associates soon
found themselves united.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now we will have an explanation,&rdquo; said Beausire.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do not speak so loud,&rdquo; said the Portuguese in good
French. Then they examined the doors and windows to
make certain that all was secure, drew the curtain close,
and seated themselves.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have a communication to make,&rdquo; said the Portuguese;
&ldquo;it was lucky, however, I arrived when I did, for
M. Beausire was seized this evening with a most imprudent
flow of eloquence.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Beausire tried to speak.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Silence,&rdquo; said the Portuguese; &ldquo;let us not waste
words: you know my ideas beforehand very well; you
are a man of talent, and may have guessed it, but I
think &lsquo;amour propre&rsquo; should never overcome self-interest.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not understand.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. Beausire hoped to be the first to make this proposition.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What proposition?&rdquo; cried the rest.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Concerning the two million francs,&rdquo; said Beausire.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Two million francs!&rdquo; cried they.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;First,&rdquo; said the Portuguese, &ldquo;you exaggerate; it is
not as much as that.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We do not know what you are talking of,&rdquo; said the
banker.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But are not the less all ears,&rdquo; said another.
</p>

<p>
The Portuguese drank off a large glass of Orgeat, and
then began: &ldquo;The necklace is not worth more than
1,500,000 francs.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, then it concerns a necklace?&rdquo; said Beausire.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, did you not mean the same thing?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Perhaps.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now he is going to be discreet after his former
folly,&rdquo; said the Portuguese; &ldquo;but time presses, for the
ambassador will arrive in eight days.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This matter becomes complicated,&rdquo; said the banker;
&ldquo;a necklace! 1,500,000 francs! and an ambassador!
Pray explain.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;In a few words,&rdquo; said the Portuguese; &ldquo;MM.
Bœhmer and Bossange offered to the queen a necklace
worth that sum. She refused it, and now they do not
know what to do with it, for none but a royal fortune
could buy it. Well, I have found the royal personage
who will buy this necklace, and obtain the custody of it
from MM. Bœhmer and Bossange; and that is my gracious
sovereign the Queen of Portugal.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We understand it less than ever,&rdquo; said the associates.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And I not at all,&rdquo; thought Beausire; then he said
aloud, &ldquo;Explain yourself clearly, dear M. Mano&euml;l; our
private differences should give place to the public interests.
I acknowledge you the author of the idea, and renounce
all right to its paternity. Therefore speak on.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Willingly,&rdquo; said Mano&euml;l, drinking a second glass of
Orgeat; &ldquo;the embassy is vacant just now; the new ambassador,
M. de Souza, will not arrive for a week. Well,
he may arrive sooner.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
They all looked stupefied but Beausire, who said, &ldquo;Do
you not see some ambassador, whether true or false?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Exactly,&rdquo; said Mano&euml;l; &ldquo;and the ambassador who
arrives may desire to buy this necklace for the Queen of
Portugal, and treat accordingly with MM. Bœhmer and
Bossange; that is all.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But,&rdquo; said the banker, &ldquo;they would not allow such a
necklace to pass into the hands of M. de Souza himself
without good security.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I have thought of all that; the ambassador&rsquo;s
house is vacant, with the exception of the chancellor,
who is a Frenchman, and speaks bad Portuguese, and
who is therefore delighted when the Portuguese speak
French to him, as he does not then betray himself; but
who likes to speak Portuguese to the French, as it sounds
grand. Well, we will present ourselves to this chancellor
with all the appearances of a new legation.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Appearances are something,&rdquo; said Beausire: &ldquo;but
the credentials are much more.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We will have them,&rdquo; replied Mano&euml;l.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No one can deny that Don Mano&euml;l is an invaluable
man,&rdquo; said Beausire.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, our appearances, and the credentials having
convinced the chancellor of our identity, we will establish
ourselves at the house.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is pretty bold,&rdquo; said Beausire.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is necessary, and quite easy,&rdquo; said Mano&euml;l; &ldquo;the
chancellor will be convinced, and if he should afterwards
become less credulous, we will dismiss him. I believe an
ambassador has the right to change his chancellor.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then, when we are masters of the hotel, our first
operation will be to wait on MM. Bœhmer and Bossange.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But you forget one thing,&rdquo; said Beausire; &ldquo;our first
act should be to ask an audience of the king, and then we
should break down. The famous Riza Bey, who was presented
to Louis XIV. as ambassador from the Shah of
Persia, spoke Persian at least, and there were no savants
here capable of knowing how well; but we should be
found out at once. We should be told directly that our
Portuguese was remarkably French, and we should be
sent to the Bastile.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We will escape this danger by remaining quietly at
home.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then M. Bœhmer will not believe in our ambassadorship.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. Bœhmer will be told that we are sent merely to
buy the necklace. We will show him our order to do this,
as we shall before have shown it to the chancellor, only
we must try to avoid showing it to the ministers, for they
are suspicious, and might find a host of little flaws.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh yes,&rdquo; cried they all, &ldquo;let us avoid the ministers.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But if MM. Bœhmer and Bossange require money on
account?&rdquo; asked Beausire.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That would complicate the affair, certainly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;For,&rdquo; continued Beausire, &ldquo;it is usual for an ambassador
to have letters of credit, at least, if not ready
money; and here we should fail.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You find plenty of reasons why it should fail,&rdquo; said
Mano&euml;l, &ldquo;but nothing to make it succeed.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is because I wish it to succeed that I speak of the
difficulties. But stop&mdash;a thought strikes me: in every
ambassador&rsquo;s house there is a strong box.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes; but it may be empty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well! if it be, we must ask MM. Bœhmer and Bossange
who are their correspondents at Lisbon, and we will
sign and stamp for them letters of credit for the sum demanded.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That will do,&rdquo; said Mano&euml;l, &ldquo;I was engrossed with
the grand idea, but had not sufficiently considered the
details.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now, let us think of arranging the parts,&rdquo; said
Beausire. &ldquo;Don Mano&euml;l will be ambassador.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly,&rdquo; they all said.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And M. Beausire my secretary and interpreter,&rdquo; said
Mano&euml;l.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why so?&rdquo; said Beausire, rather uneasily.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am M. de Souza, and must not speak a word of
French; for I know that that gentleman speaks nothing
but Portuguese, and very little of that. You, on the contrary,
M. Beausire, who have traveled, and have acquired
French habits, who speak Portuguese also&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very badly,&rdquo; said Beausire.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Quite enough to deceive a Parisian; and then, you
know, the most useful agents will have the largest
shares.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Assuredly,&rdquo; said the others.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well! it is agreed; I am secretary and interpreter.
Then as to the money?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It shall be divided into twelve parts; but I as ambassador
and author of the scheme shall have a share and
a half; M. Beausire the same, as interpreter, and because
he partly shared my idea; and also a share and a half to
him who sells the jewels.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So far, then, it is settled! we will arrange the minor
details to-morrow, for it is very late,&rdquo; said Beausire, who
was thinking of Oliva, left at the ball with the blue
domino, towards whom, in spite of his readiness in giving
away louis d&rsquo;or, he did not feel very friendly.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, no; we will finish at once,&rdquo; said the others.
&ldquo;What is to be prepared?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A traveling carriage, with the arms of M. de Souza,&rdquo;
said Beausire.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That would take too long to paint and to dry,&rdquo; said
Mano&euml;l.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then we must say that the ambassador&rsquo;s carriage
broke down on the way, and he was forced to use that of
the secretary: I must have a carriage, and my arms will
do for that. Besides, we will have plenty of bruises and
injuries on the carriage, and especially round the arms,
and no one will think of them.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But the rest of the embassy?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We will arrive in the evening; it is the best time to
make a début, and you shall all follow next day, when we
have prepared the way.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very well.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But every ambassador, besides a secretary, must have
a valet de chambre. You, captain,&rdquo; said Don Mano&euml;l,
addressing one of the gang, &ldquo;shall take this part.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The captain bowed.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And the money for the purchases?&rdquo; said Mano&euml;l.
&ldquo;I have nothing.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have a little,&rdquo; said Beausire, &ldquo;but it belongs to my
mistress. What have we in our fund?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your keys, gentlemen,&rdquo; said the banker.
</p>

<p>
Each drew out a key, which opened one of twelve locks
in the table; so that none of these honest associates
could open it without all the others. They went to
look.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;One hundred and ninety-eight louis, besides the reserve
fund,&rdquo; said the banker.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Give them to M. Beausire and me. It is not too
much,&rdquo; said Mano&euml;l.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Give us two-thirds, and leave the rest,&rdquo; said Beausire,
with a generosity which won all their hearts.
</p>

<p>
Don Mano&euml;l and Beausire received, therefore, one hundred
and thirty-two louis and sixty-six remained for the
others.
</p>

<p>
They then separated, having fixed a rendezvous for the
next day.
</p>

<p>
Beausire rolled up his domino under his arm, and
hastened to the Rue Dauphine, where he hoped to find
Oliva in possession of some new louis d&rsquo;or.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XXVI.<br/>
THE AMBASSADOR.</h2>

<p>
On the evening of the next day a traveling-carriage
passed through the Barrière d&rsquo;Enfer, so covered with
dust and scratches that no one could discern the arms.
The four horses that drew it went at a rapid pace, until
it arrived before an hotel of handsome appearance, in the
Rue de la Jussienne, at the door of which two men, one of
whom was in full dress, were waiting. The carriage entered
the courtyard of the hotel, and one of the persons
waiting approached the door, and commenced speaking
in bad Portuguese.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who are you?&rdquo; said a voice from the inside, speaking
the language perfectly.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The unworthy chancellor of the embassy, your excellency.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very well. Mon Dieu! how badly you speak our language,
my dear chancellor! But where are we to go?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This way, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This is a poor reception,&rdquo; said Don Mano&euml;l, as he got
out of the carriage, leaning on the arms of his secretary
and valet.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your excellency must pardon me,&rdquo; said the chancellor,
&ldquo;but the courier announcing your arrival only
reached the hotel at two o&rsquo;clock to-day. I was absent on
some business, and when I returned, found your excellency&rsquo;s
letter; I have only had time to have the rooms
opened and lighted.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very good.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It gives me great pleasure to see the illustrious person
of our ambassador.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We desire to keep as quiet as possible,&rdquo; said Don
Mano&euml;l, &ldquo;until we receive further orders, from Lisbon.
But pray show me to my room, for I am dying with
fatigue; my secretary will give you all necessary directions.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The chancellor bowed respectfully to Beausire, who returned
it, and then said, &ldquo;We will speak French, sir; I
think it will be better for both of us.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; murmured the chancellor, &ldquo;I shall be more at
my ease; for I confess that my pronunciation&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So I hear,&rdquo; interrupted Beausire.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will take the liberty to say to you, sir, as you seem
so amiable, that I trust M. de Souza will not be annoyed
at my speaking such bad Portuguese.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, not at all, as you speak French.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;French!&rdquo; cried the chancellor; &ldquo;I was born in the
Rue St. Honoré.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, that will do,&rdquo; said Beausire. &ldquo;Your name is
Ducorneau, is it not?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, monsieur; rather a lucky one, as it has a Spanish
termination. It is very flattering to me that monsieur
knew my name.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, you are well known; so well that we did not
bring a chancellor from Lisbon with us.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am very grateful, monsieur; but I think M. de
Souza is ringing.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Let us go and see.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
They found Mano&euml;l attired in a magnificent dressing-gown.
Several boxes and dressing-cases, of rich appearance,
were already unpacked and lying about.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Enter,&rdquo; said he to the chancellor.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Will his excellency be angry if I answer in French?&rdquo;
said Ducorneau, in a low voice, to Beausire.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, no; I am sure of it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
M. Ducorneau, therefore, paid the compliments in
French.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, it is very convenient that you speak French so
well, M. Ducorno,&rdquo; said the ambassador.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He takes me for a Portuguese,&rdquo; thought the chancellor,
with joy.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now,&rdquo; said Mano&euml;l, &ldquo;can I have supper?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly, your excellency. The Palais Royal is only
two steps from here, and I know an excellent restaurant,
from which your excellency can have a good supper in a
very short time.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Order it in your own name, if you please, M. Ducorno.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And if your excellency will permit me, I will add to
it some bottles of capital wine.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, our chancellor keeps a good cellar, then?&rdquo; said
Beausire, jokingly.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is my only luxury,&rdquo; replied he. And now, by the
wax-lights, they could remark his rather red nose and
puffed cheeks.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very well, M. Ducorno; bring your wine, and sup
with us.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Such an honor&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, no etiquette to-night; I am only a traveler. I
shall not begin to be ambassador till to-morrow; then we
will talk of business.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monseigneur will permit me to arrange my toilet.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, you are superb already,&rdquo; said Beausire.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, but this is a reception dress, and not a gala
one.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Remain as you are, monsieur, and give the time to
expediting our supper.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Ducorneau, delighted, left the room to fulfil his orders.
Then the three rogues, left together, began to discuss
their affairs.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Does this chancellor sleep here?&rdquo; said Mano&euml;l.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No; the fellow has a good cellar, and, I doubt not, a
snug lodging somewhere or other. He is an old bachelor.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There is a Suisse.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We must get rid of him; and there are a few valets,
whom we must replace to-morrow with our own friends.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who is in the kitchen department?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No one. The old ambassador did not live here; he
had a house in the town.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What about the strong-box?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, on that point we must consult the chancellor;
it is a delicate matter.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I charge myself with it,&rdquo; said Beausire; &ldquo;we are
already capital friends.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Hush! here he comes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Ducorneau entered, quite out of breath. He had
ordered the supper, and fetched six bottles of wine from
his cellar, and was looking quite radiant at the thoughts
of the coming repast.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Will your excellency descend to the dining-room?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, we will sup up here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Here is the wine, then,&rdquo; said Ducorneau.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It sparkles like rubies,&rdquo; said Beausire, holding it to
the light.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sit down, M. Ducorneau; my valet will wait upon
us. What day did the last despatches arrive?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Immediately after the departure of your excellency&rsquo;s
predecessor.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Are the affairs of the embassy in good order?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh yes, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No money difficulties? no debts?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not that I know of.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because, if there are, we must begin by paying them.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, your excellency will have nothing of that sort to
do. All the accounts were paid up three weeks ago; and
the day after the departure of the late ambassador one
hundred thousand francs arrived here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;One hundred thousand francs?&rdquo; said Beausire.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, in gold.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So,&rdquo; said Beausire, &ldquo;the box contains&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;100,380 francs, monsieur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is not much,&rdquo; said Mano&euml;l, coldly; &ldquo;but, happily,
her majesty has placed funds at my disposal. I told you,&rdquo;
continued he, turning to Beausire, &ldquo;that I thought we
should need it at Paris.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your excellency took wise precautions,&rdquo; said Beausire,
respectfully.
</p>

<p>
From the time of this important communication the
hilarity of the party went on increasing. A good supper,
consisting of salmon, crabs, and sweets, contributed to
their satisfaction. Ducorneau, quite at his ease, ate
enough for ten, and did not fail, either, in demonstrating
that a Parisian could do honor to port and sherry.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XXVII.<br/>
MESSRS. B&#338;HMER AND BOSSANGE.</h2>

<p>
M. Ducorneau blessed heaven repeatedly for sending
an ambassador who preferred his speaking French to Portuguese,
and liked Portuguese wines better than French
ones. At last, Mano&euml;l expressed a wish to go to bed;
Ducorneau rose and left the room, although, it must be
confessed, he found some difficulty in the operation.
</p>

<p>
It was now the turn of the valet to have supper, which
he did with great good-will.
</p>

<p>
The next day the hotel assumed an air of business;
all the bureaux were opened, and everything indicated
life in the recently deserted place.
</p>

<p>
The report soon spread in the neighborhood that some
great personages had arrived from Portugal during the
night. This, although what was wanted to give them
credit, could not but inspire the conspirators with some
alarm; for the police had quick ears and Argus eyes.
Still, they thought that by audacity, combined with prudence,
they might easily keep them from becoming suspicious,
until they had had time to complete their business.
</p>

<p>
Two carriages containing the other nine associates
arrived, as agreed upon, and they were soon installed in
their different departments.
</p>

<p>
Beausire induced Ducorneau himself to dismiss the
porter, on the ground that he did not speak Portuguese.
They were, therefore, in a good situation to keep off all
unwelcome visitors.
</p>

<p>
About noon, Don Mano&euml;l, gaily dressed, got into a carriage,
which they had hired for five hundred francs a
month, and set out, with his secretary, for the residence
of MM. Bœhmer and Bossange.
</p>

<p>
Their servant knocked at the door, which was secured
with immense locks, and studded with great nails, like
that of a prison. A servant opened it. &ldquo;His Excellency
the Ambassador of Portugal desires to speak to MM.
Bœhmer and Bossange.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
They got out, and M. Bœhmer came to them in a few
moments, and received them with a profusion of polite
speeches, but, seeing that the ambassador did not deign
even a smile in reply, looked somewhat disconcerted.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;His excellency does not speak or understand French,
sir, and you must communicate to him through me, if
you do not speak Portuguese,&rdquo; said Beausire.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, monsieur, I do not.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Mano&euml;l then spoke in Portuguese to Beausire, who,
turning to M. Bœhmer, said:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;His excellency M. le Comte de Souza, ambassador
from the Queen of Portugal, desires me to ask you if you
have not in your possession a beautiful diamond necklace?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Bœhmer looked at him scrutinizingly.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A beautiful diamond necklace!&rdquo; repeated he.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The one which you offered to the Queen of France,
and which our gracious queen has heard of.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur,&rdquo; said Bœhmer, &ldquo;is an officer of the ambassador&rsquo;s?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;His secretary, monsieur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Don Mano&euml;l was seated with the air of a great man,
looking carelessly at the pictures which hung round the
room.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. Bœhmer,&rdquo; said Beausire abruptly, &ldquo;do you not
understand what I am saying to you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sir,&rdquo; answered Bœhmer, rather startled by the
manner of the secretary.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because I see his excellency is becoming impatient.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Excuse me, sir,&rdquo; said Bœhmer, coloring, &ldquo;but I
dare not show the necklace, except in my partner&rsquo;s presence.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, sir, call your partner.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Don Mano&euml;l approached Beausire, and began again
talking to him in Portuguese.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;His excellency says,&rdquo; interpreted he, &ldquo;that he has
already waited ten minutes, and that he is not accustomed
to be kept waiting.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Bœhmer bowed, and rang the bell. A minute afterwards
M. Bossange entered.
</p>

<p>
Bœhmer explained the matter to him, who, after looking
scrutinizingly at the Portuguese, left the room with
a key given him by his partner, and soon returned with
a case in one hand; the other was hidden under his
coat, but they distinctly saw the shining barrel of a
pistol.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;However well we may look,&rdquo; said Mano&euml;l gravely, in
Portuguese, to his companion, &ldquo;these gentlemen seem
to take us for pickpockets rather than ambassadors.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
M. Bossange advanced, and put the case into the hands
of Mano&euml;l. He opened it, and then cried angrily to his
secretary:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur, tell these gentlemen that they tire my patience!
I ask for a diamond necklace, and they bring me
paste. Tell them I will complain to the ministers, and
will have them thrown into the Bastile, impertinent people,
who play tricks upon an ambassador.&rdquo; And he threw
down the case in such a passion that they did not need an
interpretation of his speech, but began explaining most
humbly that in France it was usual to show only the
models of diamonds, so as not to tempt people to robbery,
were they so inclined.
</p>

<p>
Mano&euml;l, with an indignant gesture, walked towards the
door.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;His excellency desires me to tell you,&rdquo; said Beausire,
&ldquo;that he is sorry that people like MM. Bœhmer and Bossange,
jewelers to the queen, should not know better how
to distinguish an ambassador from a rogue, and that he
will return to his hotel.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The jewelers began to utter most respectful protestations,
but Mano&euml;l walked on, and Beausire followed him.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To the ambassador&rsquo;s hotel, Rue de la Jussienne,&rdquo;
said Beausire to the footman.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A lost business,&rdquo; groaned the valet, as they set off.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;On the contrary, a safe one; in an hour these men
will follow us.&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XXVIII.<br/>
THE AMBASSADOR&rsquo;S HOTEL.</h2>

<p>
On returning to their hotel, these gentlemen found
Ducorneau dining quietly in his bureau. Beausire
desired him, when he had finished, to go up and see the
ambassador, and added:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You will see, my dear chancellor, that M. de Souza
is not an ordinary man.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I see that already.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;His excellency,&rdquo; continued Beausire, &ldquo;wishes to take
a distinguished position in Paris, and this residence will
be insupportable to him. He will require a private
house.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That will complicate the diplomatic business,&rdquo; said
Ducorneau; &ldquo;we shall have to go so often to obtain his
signature.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;His excellency will give you a carriage, M. Ducorneau.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A carriage for me!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly; every chancellor of a great ambassador
should have a carriage. But we will talk of that afterwards.
His excellency wishes to know where the strong-box
is.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Up-stairs, close to his own room.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So far from you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;For greater safety, sir. Robbers would find greater
difficulty in penetrating there, than here on the ground-floor.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Robbers!&rdquo; said Beausire, disdainfully, &ldquo;for such a
little sum?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;One hundred thousand francs!&rdquo; said Ducorneau.
&ldquo;It is easy to see M. de Souza is rich, but there is not
more kept in any ambassador&rsquo;s house in Europe.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Shall we examine it now?&rdquo; said Beausire. &ldquo;I am
rather in a hurry to attend to my own business.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Immediately, monsieur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
They went up and the money was found all right.
</p>

<p>
Ducorneau gave his key to Beausire, who kept it for
some time, pretending to admire its ingenious construction,
while he cleverly took the impression of it in wax.
Then he gave it back, saying, &ldquo;Keep it, M. Ducorneau;
it is better in your hands than in mine. Let us now go
to the ambassador.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
They found Don Mano&euml;l drinking chocolate, and apparently
much occupied with a paper covered with ciphers.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you understand the ciphers used in the late correspondence?&rdquo;
said he to the chancellor.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, your excellency.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I should wish you to learn it; it will save me a great
deal of trouble. What about the box?&rdquo; said he to
Beausire.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Perfectly correct, like everything else with which M.
Ducorneau has any connection.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, sit down, M. Ducorneau; I want you to give
me some information. Do you know any honest jewelers
in Paris?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There are MM. Bœhmer and Bossange, jewelers to
the queen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But they are precisely the people I do not wish to
employ. I have just quitted them, never to return.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Have they had the misfortune to displease your
excellency?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Seriously, M. Ducorneau.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, if I dared speak.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You may.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I would ask how these people, who bear so high a
name&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They are perfect Jews, M. Ducorneau, and their
bad behavior will make them lose a million or two. I
was sent by her gracious majesty to make an offer to
them for a diamond necklace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! the famous necklace which had been ordered
by the late king for Madame Dubarry?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are a valuable man, sir&mdash;you know everything.
Well, now, I shall not buy it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Shall I interfere?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. Ducorneau!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, only as a diplomatic affair.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If you knew them at all.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Bossange is a distant relation of mine.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
At this moment a valet opened the door, and announced
MM. Bœhmer and Bossange. Don Mano&euml;l rose
quickly, and said in any angry tone, &ldquo;Send those people
away!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The valet made a step forward. &ldquo;No; you do it,&rdquo;
said he to his secretary.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I beg you to allow me,&rdquo; said Ducorneau; and he
advanced to meet them.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There! this affair is destined to fail,&rdquo; said Mano&euml;l.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No; Ducorneau will arrange it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am convinced he will embroil it. You said at the
jewelers that I did not understand French, and Ducorneau
will let out that I do.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will go,&rdquo; said Beausire.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Perhaps that is equally dangerous.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, no; only leave me to act.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Beausire went down. Ducorneau had found the jewelers
much more disposed to politeness and confidence
since entering the hotel; also, on seeing an old friend,
Bossange was delighted.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You here!&rdquo; said he; and he approached to embrace
him.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! you are very amiable to-day, my rich cousin,&rdquo;
said Ducorneau.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said Bossange, &ldquo;if we have been a little separated,
forgive, and render me a service.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I came to do it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Thanks. You are, then, attached to the embassy?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I want advice.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;On what?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;On this embassy.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am the chancellor.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is well; but about the ambassador?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I come to you, on his behalf, to tell you that he begs
you to leave his hotel as quickly as possible.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The two jewelers looked at each other, disconcerted.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because,&rdquo; continued Ducorneau, &ldquo;it seems you have
been uncivil to him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But listen&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is useless,&rdquo; said Beausire, who suddenly appeared;
&ldquo;his excellency told you to dismiss them&mdash;do it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, monsieur&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I cannot listen,&rdquo; said Beausire.
</p>

<p>
The chancellor took his relation by the shoulder, and
pushed him out, saying, &ldquo;You have spoiled your fortune.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Mon Dieu! how susceptible these foreigners are!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;When one is called Souza, and has nine hundred thousand
francs a year, one has a right to be anything,&rdquo; said
Ducorneau.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; sighed Bossange, &ldquo;I told you, Bœhmer, you
were too stiff about it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; replied the obstinate German, &ldquo;at least, if we
do not get his money, he will not get our necklace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Ducorneau laughed. &ldquo;You do not understand either a
Portuguese or an ambassador, bourgeois that you are. I
will tell you what they are: one ambassador, M. de Potemkin,
bought every year for his queen, on the first of
January, a basket of cherries which cost one hundred
thousand crowns&mdash;one thousand francs a cherry. Well,
M. de Souza will buy up the mines of Brazil till he finds
a diamond as big as all yours put together. If it cost
him twenty years of his income, what does he care?&mdash;he
has no children.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
And he was going to shut the door, when Bossange
said:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Arrange this affair, and you shall have&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am incorruptible,&rdquo; said he, and closed the door.
</p>

<p>
That evening the ambassador received this letter:
</p>

<div class="blockquot"><p>
&ldquo;<span class="smcap">Monseigneur</span>,&mdash;A man who waits for your orders,
and desires to present you our respectful excuses, is at
the door of your hotel, and at a word from your excellency
he will place in the hands of one of your people the
necklace of which you did us the honor to speak. Deign
to receive, monseigneur, the assurances of our most profound
respect.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;<span class="smcap">Bœhmer and Bossange</span>.&rdquo;
</p></div>

<p>
&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said Mano&euml;l, on reading this note, &ldquo;the necklace
is ours.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not so,&rdquo; said Beausire; &ldquo;it will only be ours when
we have bought it. We must buy it; but remember,
your excellency does not know French.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, I know; but this chancellor?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I will send him away on some diplomatic mission.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are wrong; he will be our security with these
men.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But he will say that you know French.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, he will not; I will tell him not to do so.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very well, then; we will have up the man.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The man was introduced: it was Bœhmer himself, who
made many bows and excuses, and offered the necklace
for examination.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sit down,&rdquo; said Beausire; &ldquo;his excellency pardons
you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, how much trouble to sell!&rdquo; sighed Bœhmer.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How much trouble to steal!&rdquo; thought Beausire.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XXIX.<br/>
THE BARGAIN.</h2>

<p>
Then the ambassador consented to examine the necklace
in detail. M. Bœhmer showed each individual
beauty.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;On the whole,&rdquo; said Beausire, interpreting for
Mano&euml;l, &ldquo;his excellency sees nothing to complain of in
the necklace, but there are ten of the diamonds rather
spotted.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; said Bœhmer.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;His excellency,&rdquo; interrupted Beausire, &ldquo;understands
diamonds perfectly. The Portuguese nobility play with
the diamonds of Brazil, as children do here with glass
beads.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Whatever it may be, however,&rdquo; said Bœhmer, &ldquo;this
necklace is the finest collection of diamonds in all
Europe.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is true,&rdquo; said Mano&euml;l.
</p>

<p>
Then Beausire went on: &ldquo;Well, M. Bœhmer, her
majesty the Queen of Portugal has heard of this necklace,
and has given M. de Souza a commission to buy it, if he
approved of the diamonds, which he does. Now, what
is the price?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;1,600,000 francs.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Beausire repeated this to the ambassador.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is 100,000 francs too much,&rdquo; replied Mano&euml;l.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monseigneur,&rdquo; replied the jeweler, &ldquo;one cannot fix
the exact price of the diamonds on a thing like this. It
has been necessary, in making this collection, to undertake
voyages, and make searches and inquiries which no
one would believe but myself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;100,000 francs too dear,&rdquo; repeated Mano&euml;l.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And if his excellency says this,&rdquo; said Beausire, &ldquo;it
must be his firm conviction, for he never bargains.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Bœhmer was shaken. Nothing reassures a suspicious
merchant so much as a customer who beats down the
price. However, he said, after a minute&rsquo;s thought, &ldquo;I
cannot consent to a deduction which will make all the
difference of loss or profit to myself and my partner.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Don Mano&euml;l, after hearing this translated, rose, and
Beausire returned the case to the jeweler.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will, however, speak to M. Bossange about it,&rdquo; contained
Bœhmer. &ldquo;I am to understand that his excellency
offers 1,500,000 francs for the necklace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, he never draws back from what he has said.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, monsieur, you understand that I must consult
with my partner.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly, M. Bœhmer.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly,&rdquo; repeated Don Mano&euml;l, after hearing this
translated; &ldquo;but I must have a speedy answer.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, monseigneur, if my partner will accept the
price, I will.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Good.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It then only remains, excepting the consent of M.
Bossange, to settle the mode of payment.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There will be no difficulty about that,&rdquo; said Beausire.
&ldquo;How do you wish to be paid?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said Bœhmer, laughing, &ldquo;if ready money be
possible&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you call ready money?&rdquo; said Beausire coldly.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I know no one has a million and a half of francs
ready to pay down,&rdquo; said Bœhmer, sighing.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly not.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Still, I cannot consent to dispense with some ready
money.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is but reasonable.&rdquo; Then, turning to Mano&euml;l:
&ldquo;How much will your excellency pay down to M. Bœhmer?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;100,000 francs.&rdquo; Beausire repeated this.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And when the remainder?&rdquo; asked Bœhmer.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;When we shall have had time to send to Lisbon.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; said Bœhmer, &ldquo;we have a correspondent there,
and by writing to him&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said Beausire, laughing ironically, &ldquo;write to
him, and ask if M. de Souza is solvent, and if her majesty
be good for 1,400,000 francs.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We cannot, sir, let this necklace leave France forever
without informing the queen; and our respect and
loyalty demand that we should once more give her the
refusal of it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is just,&rdquo; said Mano&euml;l, with dignity. &ldquo;I should
wish a Portuguese merchant to act in the same way.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am very happy that monseigneur approves of my
conduct. Then all is settled, subject only to the consent
of M. Bossange, and the reiterated refusal of her majesty.
I ask three days to settle these two points.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;On one side,&rdquo; said Beausire, &ldquo;100,000 francs down,
the necklace to be placed in my hands, who will accompany
you to Lisbon, to the honor of your correspondents,
who are also our bankers. The whole of the money to be
paid in three months.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, monseigneur,&rdquo; said Bœhmer, bowing.
</p>

<p>
Mano&euml;l returned it, and the jeweler took leave.
</p>

<p>
When they were alone, Mano&euml;l said angrily to Beausire,
&ldquo;Please to explain what the devil you mean by this journey
to Portugal? Are you mad? Why not have the
jewels here in exchange for our money?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You think yourself too really ambassador,&rdquo; replied
Beausire; &ldquo;you are not yet quite M. de Souza to this
jeweler.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If he had not thought so he would not have treated.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Agreed; but every man in possession of 1,500,000
francs holds himself above all the ambassadors in the
world; and every one who gives that value in exchange
for pieces of paper wishes first to know what the papers
are worth.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then you mean to go to Portugal&mdash;you, who cannot
speak Portuguese properly? I tell you, you are
mad.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not at all; you shall go yourself, if you like.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Thank you,&rdquo; said Don Mano&euml;l. &ldquo;There are reasons
why I would rather not return to Portugal.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, I tell you, M. Bœhmer would never give up the
diamonds for mere papers.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Papers signed Souza?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I said you thought yourself a real Souza.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Better say at once that we have failed,&rdquo; said Mano&euml;l.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not at all. Come here, captain,&rdquo; said Beausire to
the valet; &ldquo;you know what we are talking of?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have listened to everything?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very well; do you think I have committed a folly?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I think you perfectly right.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Explain why.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. Bœhmer would, on the other plan, have been incessantly
watching us, and all connected with us. Now,
with the money and the diamonds both in his hands, he can
have no suspicion, but will set out quietly for Portugal,
which, however, he will never reach. Is it not so, M.
Beausire?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, you are a lad of discernment!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Explain your plan,&rdquo; said Mano&euml;l.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;About fifty leagues from here,&rdquo; said Beausire, &ldquo;this
clever fellow here will come and present two pistols at the
heads of our postilions, will steal from us all we have,
including the diamonds, and will leave M. Bœhmer half
dead with blows.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I did not understand exactly that,&rdquo; said the
valet. &ldquo;I thought you would embark for Portugal.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And then&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. Bœhmer, like all Germans, will like the sea, and
walk on the deck. One day he may slip and fall over,
and the necklace will be supposed to have perished with
him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I understand,&rdquo; said Mano&euml;l.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is lucky at last.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Only,&rdquo; replied Mano&euml;l, &ldquo;for stealing diamonds one
is simply sent to the Bastile, but for murder one is
hanged.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But for stealing diamonds one may be taken; for a
little push to M. Bœhmer we should never even be
suspected.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, we will settle all this afterwards,&rdquo; said Beausire.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;At present let us conduct our business in style, so that
they may say, &lsquo;If he was not really ambassador, at least
he seemed like one.&rsquo;&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XXX.<br/>
THE JOURNALIST&rsquo;S HOUSE.</h2>

<p>
It was the day after the agreement with M. Bœhmer,
and three days after the ball at the Opera. In the Rue
Montorgueil, at the end of a courtyard, was a high and
narrow house. The ground floor was a kind of shop,
and here lived a tolerably well-known journalist. The
other stories were occupied by quiet people, who lived
there for cheapness. M. Reteau, the journalist, published
his paper weekly. It was issued on the day of
which we speak; and when M. Reteau rose at eight
o&rsquo;clock, his servant brought him a copy, still wet from
the press. He hastened to peruse it, with the care which
a tender father bestows on the virtues or failings of his
offspring. When he had finished it:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Aldegonde,&rdquo; said he to the old woman, &ldquo;this is a
capital number; have you read it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not yet; my soup is not finished.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is excellent,&rdquo; repeated the journalist.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said she; &ldquo;but do you know what they say of
it in the printing-office?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That you will certainly be sent to the Bastile.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Aldegonde,&rdquo; replied Reteau, calmly, &ldquo;make me a
good soup, and do not meddle with literature.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Always the same,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;rash and imprudent.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will buy you some buckles with what I make to-day.
Have many copies been sold yet?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, and I fear my buckles will be but poor. Do you
remember the number against M. de Broglie? We sold
one hundred before ten o&rsquo;clock; therefore this cannot be
as good.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you know the difference, Aldegonde? Now, instead
of attacking an individual, I attack a body; and
instead of a soldier, I attack a queen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The queen! Oh, then there is no fear; the numbers
will sell, and I shall have my buckles.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Some one rings,&rdquo; said Reteau.
</p>

<p>
The old woman ran to the shop, and returned a minute
after, triumphant.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;One thousand copies!&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;there is an order!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;In whose name?&rdquo; asked Reteau, quickly.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not know.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But I want to know; run and ask.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, there is plenty of time; they cannot count a thousand
copies in a minute.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, but be quick; ask the servant&mdash;is it a servant?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is a porter.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, ask him where he is to take them to.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Aldegonde went, and the man replied that he was to
take them to the Rue Neuve St. Gilles, to the house of
the Count de Cagliostro.
</p>

<p>
The journalist jumped with delight, and ran to assist in
counting off the numbers.
</p>

<p>
They were not long gone when there was another ring.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Perhaps that is for another thousand copies,&rdquo; cried
Aldegonde. &ldquo;As it is against the Austrian, every one
will join in the chorus.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Hush, hush, Aldegonde! do not speak so loud, but go
and see who it is.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Aldegonde opened the door to a man, who asked if he
could speak to the editor of the paper.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you want to say to him?&rdquo; asked Aldegonde,
rather suspiciously.
</p>

<p>
The man rattled some money in his pocket, and said:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I come to pay for the thousand copies sent for by M.
le Comte de Cagliostro.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, come in!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
A young and handsome man, who had advanced just
behind him, stopped him as he was about to shut the door,
and followed him in.
</p>

<p>
Aldegonde ran to her master. &ldquo;Come,&rdquo; said she,
&ldquo;here is the money for the thousand copies.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
He went directly, and the man, taking out a small bag,
paid down one hundred six-franc pieces.
</p>

<p>
Reteau counted them and gave a receipt, smiling graciously
on the man, and said, &ldquo;Tell the Count de Cagliostro
that I shall always be at his orders, and that I can keep
a secret.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There is no need,&rdquo; replied the man; &ldquo;M. de Cagliostro
is independent. He does not believe in magnetism, and
wishes to make people laugh at M. Mesmer&mdash;that is all.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Good!&rdquo; replied another voice; &ldquo;we will see if we
cannot turn the laugh against M. de Cagliostro;&rdquo; and M.
Reteau, turning, saw before him the young man we mentioned.
</p>

<p>
His glance was menacing; he had his left hand on the
hilt of his sword, and a stick in his right.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What can I do for you, sir?&rdquo; said Reteau, trembling.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are M. Reteau?&rdquo; asked the young man.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Journalist, and author of this article?&rdquo; said the
visitor, drawing the new number from his pocket.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not exactly the author, but the publisher,&rdquo; said
Reteau.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very well, that comes to the same thing; for if you
had not the audacity to write it, you have had the
baseness to give it publicity. I say baseness, for, as I am
a gentleman, I wish to keep within bounds even with
you. If I expressed all I think, I should say that he who
wrote this article is infamous, and that he who published
it is a villain!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur!&rdquo; said Reteau, growing pale.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now listen,&rdquo; continued the young man; &ldquo;you have
received one payment in money, now you shall have
another in caning.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; cried Reteau, &ldquo;we will see about that.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, we will see,&rdquo; said the young man, advancing
towards him; but Reteau was used to these sort of affairs,
and knew the conveniences of his own house. Turning
quickly round, he gained a door which shut after him,
and which opened into a passage leading to a gate,
through which there was an exit into the Rue Vieux
Augustins. Once there, he was safe; for in this gate
the key was always left, and he could lock it behind
him.
</p>

<p>
But this day was an unlucky one for the poor journalist,
for, just as he was about to turn the key, he saw coming
towards him another young man, who, in his agitation,
appeared to him like a perfect Hercules. He would
have retreated, but he was now between two fires, as his
first opponent had by this time discovered him, and was
advancing upon him.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur, let me pass, if you please,&rdquo; said Reteau
to the young man who guarded the gate.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur,&rdquo; cried the one who followed him, &ldquo;stop
the fellow, I beg!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do not be afraid, M. de Charny; he shall not pass.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Taverney!&rdquo; cried Charny; for it was really he
who was the first comer.
</p>

<p>
Both these young men, on reading the article that
morning, had conceived the same idea, because they
were animated with the same sentiments, and, unknown
to each other, had hastened to put it in practise. Each,
however, felt a kind of displeasure at seeing the other,
divining a rival in the man who had the same idea as
himself. Thus it was that with a rather disturbed manner
Charny had called out, &ldquo;You, M. de Taverney!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Even so,&rdquo; replied the other, in the same way; &ldquo;but
it seems I am come too late, and can only look on, unless
you will be kind enough to open the gate.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; cried Reteau, &ldquo;do you want to murder me,
gentlemen?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No,&rdquo; said Charny, &ldquo;we do not want to murder you;
but first we will ask a few questions, then we will see the
end. You permit me to speak, M. de Taverney?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly, sir; you have the precedence, having
arrived first.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Charny bowed; then, turning to Reteau, said:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You confess, then, that you have published against
the queen the playful little tale, as you call it, which
appeared this morning in your paper?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur, it is not against the queen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Good! it only wanted that.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are very patient, sir!&rdquo; cried Philippe, who was
boiling with rage outside the gate.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, be easy, sir,&rdquo; replied Charny; &ldquo;he shall lose
nothing by waiting.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; murmured Philippe; &ldquo;but I also am waiting.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Charny turned again to Reteau. &ldquo;Etteniotna is
Antoinette transposed&mdash;oh, do not lie, sir, or instead of
beating, or simply killing you, I shall burn you alive!
But tell me if you are the sole author of this?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am not an informer,&rdquo; said Reteau.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very well; that means that you have an accomplice;
and, first, the man who bought a thousand copies of this
infamy, the Count de Cagliostro; but he shall pay for
his share, when you have paid for yours.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur, I do not accuse him,&rdquo; said Reteau, who
feared that he should encounter the anger of Cagliostro
after he had done with these two.
</p>

<p>
Charny raised his cane.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, if I had a sword!&rdquo; cried Reteau.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. Philippe, will you lend your sword to this man?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, M. de Charny, I cannot lend my sword to a man
like that; but I will lend you my cane, if yours does not
suffice.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Corbleu! a cane!&rdquo; cried Reteau. &ldquo;Do you know
that I am a gentleman?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then lend me your sword, M. de Taverney; he shall
have mine, and I will never touch it again!&rdquo; cried
Charny.
</p>

<p>
Philippe unsheathed his sword, and passed it through
the railings.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now,&rdquo; said Charny, throwing down his sword at the
feet of Reteau, &ldquo;you call yourself a gentleman, and you
write such infamies against the Queen of France; pick
up that sword, and let us see what kind of a gentleman
you are.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
But Reteau did not stir; he seemed as afraid of the
sword at his feet as he had been of the uplifted cane.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Morbleu!&rdquo; cried Philippe, &ldquo;open the gate to me!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pardon, monsieur,&rdquo; said Charny, &ldquo;but you acknowledged
my right to be first.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then be quick, for I am in a hurry to begin.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I wished to try other methods before resorting to
this, for I am not much more fond of inflicting a caning
than M. Reteau is of receiving one; but as he prefers it
to fighting, he shall be satisfied;&rdquo; and a cry from Reteau
soon announced that Charny had begun.
</p>

<p>
The noise soon attracted old Aldegonde, who joined her
voice to her master&rsquo;s.
</p>

<p>
Charny minded one no more than the other; at last,
however, he stopped, tired with his work.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now have you finished, sir?&rdquo; said Philippe.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then pray return me my sword, and let me in.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, no, monsieur!&rdquo; implored Reteau, who hoped for
a protector in the man who had finished with him.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I cannot leave monsieur outside the door,&rdquo; said
Charny.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, it is a murder!&rdquo; cried Reteau. &ldquo;Kill me right
off, and have done with it!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Be easy,&rdquo; said Charny; &ldquo;I do not think monsieur
will touch you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are right,&rdquo; said Philippe; &ldquo;you have been
beaten&mdash;let it suffice; but there are the remaining numbers,
which must be destroyed.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh yes!&rdquo; cried Charny. &ldquo;You see, two heads are
better than one; I should have forgotten that. But how
did you happen to come to this gate, M. de Taverney?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I made some inquiries in the neighborhood about
this fellow, and hearing that he had this mode of escape,
I thought by coming in here, and locking the gate after
me, I should cut off his retreat, and make sure of him.
The same idea of vengeance struck you, only more in a
hurry, you came straight to his house without any inquiries,
and he would have escaped you if I had not luckily
been here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am rejoiced that you were, M. de Taverney. Now,
fellow, lead us to your press.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is not here,&rdquo; said Reteau.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A lie!&rdquo; said Charny.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, no,&rdquo; cried Philippe, &ldquo;we do not want the press;
the numbers are all printed and here, except those sold to
M. de Cagliostro.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then he shall burn them before our eyes!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
And they pushed Reteau into his shop.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XXXI.<br/>
HOW TWO FRIENDS BECAME ENEMIES.</h2>

<p>
Aldegonde, however, had gone to fetch the guard;
but before she returned they had had time to light a fire
with the first numbers, and were throwing them in, one
after another, as quickly as possible, when the guard appeared,
followed by a crowd of ragged men, women, and
boys.
</p>

<p>
Happily, Philippe and Charny knew Reteau&rsquo;s secret
exit, so when they caught sight of the guard they made
their escape through it, carrying the key with them.
</p>

<p>
Then Reteau began crying &ldquo;Murder!&rdquo; while Aldegonde,
seeing the flames through the window, cried
&ldquo;Fire!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The soldiers arrived, but finding the young men gone,
and the house not on fire, went away again, leaving Reteau
to bathe his bruises. But the crowd lingered about all
day, hoping to see a renewal of the fun.
</p>

<p>
When Taverney and Charny found themselves in the
Rue Vieux Augustins, &ldquo;Monsieur,&rdquo; said Charny, &ldquo;now
we have finished that business, can I be of any use to
you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Thanks, sir, I was about to ask you the same question.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Thank you, but I have private business which will
probably keep me in Paris all day.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Permit me, then, to take leave of you; I am happy
to have met you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And I you, sir;&rdquo; and the two young men bowed, but
it was easy to see that all this courtesy went no further
than the lips.
</p>

<p>
Philippe went towards the boulevards, while Charny
turned to the river; each turned two or three times till he
thought himself quite out of sight, but after walking for
some time Charny entered the Rue Neuve St. Gilles, and
there once more found himself face to face with Philippe.
</p>

<p>
Each had again the same idea of demanding satisfaction
from the Count de Cagliostro. They could not now doubt
each other&rsquo;s intentions, so Philippe said:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I left you the seller, leave me the buyer; I left you
the cane, leave me the sword.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sir,&rdquo; replied Charny, &ldquo;you left it to me simply
because I came first, and for no other reason.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; replied Taverney, &ldquo;here we arrive both together,
and I will make no concession.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I did not ask you for any, sir; only I will defend my
right.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And that, according to you, M. de Charny, is to make
M. de Cagliostro burn his thousand copies.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Remember, sir, that it was my idea to burn the others.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then I will have these torn.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur, I am sorry to tell you that I wish to have
the first turn with M. de Cagliostro.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;All that I can agree to, sir, is to take our chance. I
will throw up a louis, and whoever guesses right shall be
first.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Thanks, sir, but I am not generally lucky, and should
probably lose,&rdquo; and he stepped towards the door.
</p>

<p>
Charny stopped him.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Stay, sir, we will soon understand each other.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, sir?&rdquo; answered Philippe, turning back.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then, before asking satisfaction of M. de Cagliostro,
suppose we take a turn in the Bois de Boulogne: it
will be out of our way, but perhaps we can settle our dispute
there. One of us will probably be left behind, and
the other be uninterrupted.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really, monsieur,&rdquo; said Philippe, &ldquo;you echo my own
thoughts&mdash;where shall we meet?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, if my society be not insupportable to you, we
need not part. I ordered my carriage to wait for me in
the Place Royale, close by here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then you will give me a seat?&rdquo; said Philippe.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;With the greatest pleasure;&rdquo; and they walked together
to the carriage, and getting in, set off for the
Champs Elysées.
</p>

<p>
First, however, Charny wrote a few words on his tablets,
and gave them to the footman to take to his hotel.
</p>

<p>
In less than half an hour they reached the Bois de
Boulogne. The weather was lovely, and the air delightful,
although the power of the sun was already felt: the fresh
leaves were appearing on the trees, and the violets filled
the place with their perfume.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is a fine day for our promenade, is it not, M. de
Taverney?&rdquo; said Charny.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Beautiful, sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You may go,&rdquo; said Charny to his coachman.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Are you not wrong, sir, to send away your carriage?&mdash;one
of us may need it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, sir,&rdquo; replied Charny; &ldquo;in this affair secrecy before
everything, and once in the knowledge of a servant,
we risk it being talked of all over Paris to-morrow.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;As you please, but do you think the fellow does not
know what he came here for? These people know well
what brings two gentlemen to the Bois de Boulogne, and
even if he did not feel sure now, he will perhaps afterwards
see one of us wounded, and will have no doubts left
then. Is it not then better to keep him here to take back
either who shall need him, than to be left, or leave me
here, wounded and alone?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are right, monsieur,&rdquo; replied Charny; and,
turning to the coachman, he said, &ldquo;No, stop, Dauphin;
you shall wait here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Dauphin remained accordingly, and as he perfectly
guessed what was coming, he arranged his position, so
as to see through the still leafless trees all that passed.
</p>

<p>
They walked on a little way, then Philippe said, &ldquo;I
think, M. de Charny, this is a good place.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Excellent, monsieur,&rdquo; said Charny, and added:
&ldquo;Chevalier, if it were any one but you, I would say one
word of courtesy, and we were friends again; but to you,
coming from America, where they fight so well, I cannot.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And I, sir, to you, who the other evening gained
the admiration of an entire court by a glorious feat of
arms, can only say, M. le Comte, do me the honor to
draw your sword.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur,&rdquo; said Charny, &ldquo;I believe we have neither
of us touched on the real cause of quarrel.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not understand you, comte.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! you understand me perfectly, sir; and you
blush while you deny it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Defend yourself,&rdquo; cried Philippe; their swords
crossed. Philippe soon perceived that he was superior
to his adversary, and therefore became as calm as though
he had been only fencing, and was satisfied with defending
himself without attacking.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You spare me, sir,&rdquo; said Charny; &ldquo;may I ask
why?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Philippe went on as before; Charny grew warm, and
wished to provoke him from this sang froid, therefore he
said:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I told you, sir, that we had not touched on the real
cause of the quarrel.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Philippe did not reply.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The true cause,&rdquo; continued Charny, &ldquo;why you sought
a quarrel, for it was you who sought it, was, that you
were jealous of me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Still Philippe remained silent.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What is your intention?&rdquo; again said Charny. &ldquo;Do
you wish to tire my arm? that is a calculation unworthy
of you. Kill me if you can, but do not dally thus.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sir,&rdquo; replied Philippe at last, &ldquo;your reproach
is just; the quarrel did begin with me, and I was
wrong.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is not the question now. You have your
sword in your hand; use it for something more than
mere defense.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur,&rdquo; said Philippe, &ldquo;I have the honor to tell
you once more I was wrong, and that I apologize.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
But Charny was by this time too excited to appreciate
the generosity of his adversary. &ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;I
understand; you wish to play the magnanimous with
me; that is it, is it not, chevalier? You wish to relate
to the ladies this evening how you brought me here, and
then spared my life.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Count,&rdquo; said Philippe, &ldquo;I fear you are losing your
senses.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You wish to kill M. de Cagliostro to please the
queen; and, for the same reason, you wish to turn me
into ridicule.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! this is too much,&rdquo; cried Philippe, &ldquo;and proves
to me that you have not as generous a heart as I
thought.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pierce it then,&rdquo; cried Charny, exposing himself as
Philippe made another pass.
</p>

<p>
The sword glanced along his ribs, and the blood flowed
rapidly.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;At last,&rdquo; cried Charny, &ldquo;I am wounded. Now I
may kill you if I can.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Decidedly,&rdquo; said Philippe, &ldquo;you are mad. You
will not kill me&mdash;you will only be disabled without cause,
and without profit; for no one will ever know for what you
have fought;&rdquo; and as Charny made another pass, he dexterously
sent his sword flying from his hand; then, seizing
it, he broke it across his foot. &ldquo;M. de Charny,&rdquo;
said he, &ldquo;you did not require to prove to me that you
were brave; you must therefore detest me very much
when you fight with such fury.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Charny did not reply, but grew visibly pale, and then
tottered.
</p>

<p>
Philippe advanced to support him, but he repulsed
him, saying, &ldquo;I can reach my carriage.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;At least take this handkerchief to stop the blood.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Willingly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And my arm, sir; at the least obstacle you met you
would fall, and give yourself unnecessary pain.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The sword has only penetrated the skin. I hope soon
to be well.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So much the better, sir; but I warn you, that you
will find it difficult to make me your adversary again.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Charny tried to reply, but the words died on his lips.
He staggered, and Philippe had but just time to catch
him in his arms, and bear him half fainting to his carriage.
</p>

<p>
Dauphin, who had seen what had passed, advanced to
meet him, and they put Charny in.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Drive slowly,&rdquo; said Philippe, who then took his way
back to Paris, murmuring to himself, with a sigh, &ldquo;She
will pity him.&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XXXII.<br/>
THE HOUSE IN THE RUE ST. GILLES.</h2>

<p>
Philippe jumped into the first coach he saw, and told
the man to drive to the Rue St. Gilles, where he stopped
at the house of M. de Cagliostro.
</p>

<p>
A large carriage, with two good horses, was standing in
the courtyard; the coachman was asleep, wrapped in a
greatcoat of fox-skins, and two footmen walked up and
down before the door.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Does the Count Cagliostro live here?&rdquo; asked Philippe.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He is just going out.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The more reason to be quick, for I wish to speak to him
first. Announce the Chevalier Philippe de Taverney;&rdquo;
and he followed the men up-stairs.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ask him to walk in,&rdquo; said, from within, a voice at
once manly and gentle.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Excuse me, sir,&rdquo; said the chevalier to a man whom we
have already seen, first at the table of M. de Richelieu,
then at the exhibition of M. Mesmer, in Oliva&rsquo;s room, and
with her at the Opera ball.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;For what, sir?&rdquo; replied he.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because I prevent you from going out.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You would have needed an excuse had you been much
later, for I was waiting for you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;For me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, I was forewarned of your visit.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Of my visit?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes; two hours ago. It is about that time, is it not,
since you were coming here before, when an interruption
caused you to postpone the execution of your project?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Philippe began to experience the same strange sensation
with which this man inspired every one.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sit down, M. de Taverney,&rdquo; continued he; &ldquo;this armchair
was placed for you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A truce to pleasantry, sir,&rdquo; said Philippe, in a voice
which he vainly tried to render calm.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not jest, sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then a truce to charlatanism. If you are a sorcerer,
I did not come to make trial of your skill; but if you are,
so much the better, for you must know what I am come
to say to you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, yes, you are come to seek a quarrel.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You know that? perhaps you also know why?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;On account of the queen. Now, sir, I am ready to
listen;&rdquo; and these last words were no longer pronounced
in the courteous tones of a host, but in the hard and dry
ones of an adversary.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sir, there exists a certain publication.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There are many publications,&rdquo; said Cagliostro.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, this publication to-day was written against the
queen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Cagliostro did not reply.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You know what I refer to, count?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have bought one thousand copies of it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not deny it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Luckily, they have not reached your hands.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What makes you think so, sir?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because I met the porter, paid him, and sent him
with them to my house; and my servant, instructed by
me, will destroy them.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You should always finish yourself the work you commence,
sir. Are you sure these thousand copies are at
your house?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You deceive yourself, sir; they are here. Ah, you
thought that I, sorcerer that I am, would let myself be
foiled in that way. You thought it a brilliant idea to buy
off my messenger. Well, I have a steward, and you see
it is natural for the steward of a sorcerer to be one also.
He divined that you would go to the journalist, and that
you would meet my messenger, whom he afterwards followed,
and threatened to make him give back the gold
you had given him, if he did not follow his original instructions,
instead of taking them to you. But I see you
doubt.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Look, then, and you will believe;&rdquo; and, opening an
oak cabinet, he showed the astonished chevalier the thousand
copies lying there.
</p>

<p>
Philippe approached the count in a menacing attitude,
but he did not stir. &ldquo;Sir,&rdquo; said Philippe, &ldquo;you appear
a man of courage; I call upon you to give me immediate
satisfaction.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Satisfaction for what?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;For the insult to the queen, of which you render yourself
an accomplice while you keep one number of this vile
paper.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur,&rdquo; said Cagliostro, &ldquo;you are in error; I like
novelties, scandalous reports, and other amusing things,
and collect them, that I may remember at a later day
what I should otherwise forget.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A man of honor, sir, does not collect infamies.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, if I do not think this an infamy?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You will allow at least that it is a lie.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You deceive yourself, sir. The queen was at M.
Mesmer&rsquo;s.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is false, sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You mean to tell me I lie?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, I will reply in a few words&mdash;I saw her there.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You saw her!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;As plainly as I now see you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Philippe looked full at Cagliostro. &ldquo;I still say, sir,
that you lie.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Cagliostro shrugged his shoulders, as though he were
talking to a madman.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you not hear me, sir?&rdquo; said Philippe.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Every word.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And do you not know what giving the lie deserves?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sir; there is a French proverb which says it
merits a box on the ears.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, sir, I am astonished that your hand has not been
already raised to give it, as you are a French gentleman,
and know the proverb.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Although a French gentleman, I am a man, and love
my brother.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then you refuse me satisfaction?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I only pay what I owe.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then you will compel me to take satisfaction in
another manner.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I exact that you burn the numbers before my eyes, or
I will proceed with you as with the journalist.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! a beating,&rdquo; said Cagliostro, laughing.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Neither more nor less, sir. Doubtless you can call
your servants.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I shall not call my servants; it is my own business.
I am stronger than you, and if you approach me
with your cane, I shall take you in my arms and throw
you across the room, and shall repeat this as often as you
repeat your attempt.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, M. Hercules, I accept the challenge,&rdquo; said
Philippe, throwing himself furiously upon Cagliostro,
who, seizing him round the neck and waist with a grasp
of iron, threw him on a pile of cushions, which lay some
way off, and then remained standing as coolly as ever.
</p>

<p>
Philippe rose as pale as death. &ldquo;Sir,&rdquo; said he, in a
hoarse voice, &ldquo;you are in fact stronger than I am, but
your logic is not as strong as your arm; and you forgot,
when you treated me thus, that you gave me the right to
say, &lsquo;Defend yourself, count, or I will kill you.&rsquo;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Cagliostro did not move.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Draw your sword, I tell you, sir, or you are a dead
man.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are not yet sufficiently near for me to treat you
as before, and I will not expose myself to be killed by you,
like poor Gilbert.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Gilbert!&rdquo; cried Philippe, reeling back. &ldquo;Did you
say Gilbert?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Happily you have no gun this time, only a sword.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur,&rdquo; cried Philippe, &ldquo;you have pronounced a
name&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Which has awakened a terrible echo in your remembrance,
has it not? A name that you never thought to
hear again, for you were alone with the poor boy, in the
grotto of A&ccedil;ores, when you assassinated him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; said Philippe, &ldquo;will you not draw?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If you knew,&rdquo; said Cagliostro, &ldquo;how easily I could
make your sword fly from your hand!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;With your sword?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, with my sword, if I wished.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then try.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, I have a still surer method.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;For the last time, defend yourself,&rdquo; said Philippe,
advancing towards him.
</p>

<p>
Then the count took from his pocket a little bottle,
which he uncorked, and threw the contents in Philippe&rsquo;s
face. Scarcely had it touched him, when he reeled, let
his sword drop, and fell senseless.
</p>

<p>
Cagliostro picked him up, put him on a sofa, waited
for his senses to return, and then said, &ldquo;At your age,
chevalier, we should have done with follies; cease, therefore,
to act like a foolish boy, and listen to me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Philippe made an effort to shake off the torpor which
still held possession of him, and murmured, &ldquo;Oh, sir, do
you call these the weapons of a gentleman?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Cagliostro shrugged his shoulders. &ldquo;You repeat forever
the same word,&rdquo; he said; &ldquo;when we of the nobility
have opened our mouths wide enough to utter the word
gentleman, we think we have said everything. What do
you call the weapons of a gentleman? Is it your sword,
which served you so badly against me, or is it your gun,
which served you so well against Gilbert? What makes
some men superior to others? Do you think that it is
that high-sounding word gentleman? No; it is first
reason, then strength, most of all, science. Well, I have
used all these against you. With my reason I braved
your insults, with my strength I conquered yours, and
with my science I extinguished at once your moral and
physical powers. Now I wish to show you that you have
committed two faults in coming here with menaces in your
mouth. Will you listen to me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have overpowered me,&rdquo; replied Philippe; &ldquo;I
can scarcely move. You have made yourself master of
my muscles and of my mind, and then you ask me if I
will listen!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Then Cagliostro took down from the chimney-piece
another little gold phial. &ldquo;Smell this, chevalier,&rdquo; said he.
</p>

<p>
Philippe obeyed, and it seemed to him that the cloud
which hung over him dispersed. &ldquo;Oh, I revive!&rdquo; he
cried.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And you feel free and strong?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;With your full powers and memory of the past?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then this memory gives me an advantage over you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No,&rdquo; said Philippe, &ldquo;for I acted in defense of a vital
and sacred principle.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you mean?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I defended the monarchy.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You defended the monarchy!&mdash;you, who went to
America to defend a republic. Ah, mon Dieu! be frank;
it is not the monarchy you defend.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Philippe colored.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To love those who disdain you,&rdquo; continued Cagliostro,
&ldquo;who deceive and forget you, is the attribute of great
souls. It is the law of the Scriptures to return good for
evil. You are a Christian, M. de Taverney.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur,&rdquo; cried Philippe, &ldquo;not a word more; if I
did not defend the monarchy, I defended the queen, that
is to say, an innocent woman, and to be respected even
if she were not so, for it is a divine law not to attack the
weak.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The weak! the queen&mdash;you call a feeble being her
to whom twenty-eight million human beings bow the
knee!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur, they calumniate her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How do you know?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I believe it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, I believe the contrary; we have each the right
to think as we please.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But you act like an evil genius.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who tells you so?&rdquo; cried Cagliostro, with sparkling
eyes. &ldquo;How, have you the temerity to assume that you
are right, and that I am wrong? You defend royalty;
well, I defend the people. You say, render to C&aelig;sar the
things which are C&aelig;sar&rsquo;s; and I say, render to God the
things that are God&rsquo;s. Republican of America, I recall
you to the love of the people, to the love of equality.
You trample on the people to kiss the hands of a queen;
I would throw down a queen to elevate a people. I do
not disturb you in your adoration; leave me in peace at
my work. You say to me, die, for you have offended the
object of my worship; and I say to you, who combat
mine, live, for I feel myself so strong in my principles,
that neither you nor any one else can retard my progress
for an instant.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sir, you frighten me,&rdquo; said Philippe; &ldquo;you show me
the danger in which our monarchy is.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then be prudent, and shun the opening gulf.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You know,&rdquo; replied Philippe, &ldquo;that I would sooner
entomb myself in it, than see those whom I defend in
danger.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, I have warned you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And I,&rdquo; said Philippe, &ldquo;I, who am but a feeble individual,
will use against you the arms of the weak. I
implore you, with tearful eyes and joined hands, to be
merciful towards those whom you pursue. I ask you to
spare me the remorse of knowing you were acting against
this poor queen, and not preventing you. I beg you to
destroy this publication, which would make a woman shed
tears. I ask you, by the love which you have guessed, or
I swear that with this sword, which has proved so powerless
against you, I will pierce myself before your eyes!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; murmured Cagliostro, &ldquo;why are they not all
like you? Then I would join them, and they should not
perish.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur, monsieur, I pray you to reply to me!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;See, then,&rdquo; said Cagliostro, &ldquo;if all the thousand
numbers be there, and burn them yourself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Philippe ran to the cabinet, took them out, and threw
them on the fire. &ldquo;Adieu, monsieur!&rdquo; then he said;
&ldquo;a hundred thanks for the favor you have granted me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I owed the brother,&rdquo; said Cagliostro, when he had
gone, &ldquo;some compensation for all I made the sister endure.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Then he called for his carriage.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XXXIII.<br/>
THE HEAD OF THE TAVERNEY FAMILY.</h2>

<p>
While this was passing in the Rue St. Gilles, the elder
M. Taverney was walking in his garden, followed by two
footmen, who carried a chair, with which they approached
him every five minutes, that he might rest. While doing
so, a servant came to announce the chevalier.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My son,&rdquo; said the old man, &ldquo;come, Philippe, you
arrive àpropos&mdash;my heart is full of happy thoughts; but
how solemn you look!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do I, sir?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You know already the results of that affair?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What affair?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The old man looked to see that no one was listening,
then said, &ldquo;I speak of the ball.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not understand.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, the ball at the Opera.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Philippe colored.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sit down,&rdquo; continued his father; &ldquo;I want to talk to
you. It seems that you, so timid and delicate at first,
now compromise her too much.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Whom do you mean, sir?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pardieu! do you think I am ignorant of your escapade,
both together at the Opera ball? It was pretty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sir, I protest&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, do not be angry; I only mean to warn you for
your good. You are not careful enough; you were seen
there with her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I was seen?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pardieu! had you, or not, a blue domino?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Philippe was about to explain that he had not, and
did not know what his father meant, but he thought to
himself, &ldquo;It is of no use to explain to him; he never
believes me. Besides, I wish to learn more.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You see,&rdquo; continued the old man, triumphantly,
&ldquo;you were recognized. Indeed, M. de Richelieu, who
was at the ball in spite of his eighty-four years, wondered
who the blue domino could be with whom the queen was
walking, and he could only suspect you, for he knew all
the others.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And pray how does he say he recognized the queen?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not very difficult, when she took her mask off.
Such audacity as that surpasses all imagination; she
must really be mad about you. But take care, chevalier;
you have jealous rivals to fear; it is an envied post to be
favorite of the queen, when the queen is the real king.
Pardon my moralizing, but I do not wish that the breath
of chance should blow down what you have reared so
skilfully.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Philippe rose; the conversation was hateful to him,
but a kind of savage curiosity impelled him to hear
everything.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We are already envied,&rdquo; continued the old man;
&ldquo;that is natural, but we have not yet attained the height
to which we shall rise. To you will belong the glory of
raising our name; and now you are progressing so well,
only be prudent, or you will fail after all. Soon, however,
you must ask for some high post, and obtain for me
a lord-lieutenancy not too far from Paris. Then you can
have a peerage, and become a duke and lieutenant-general.
In two years, if I am still alive&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Enough, enough!&rdquo; groaned Philippe.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, if you are satisfied with that, I am not. You
have a whole life before you; I, perhaps, only a few
months. However, I do not complain; God gave me two
children, and if my daughter has been useless in repairing
our fortunes, you will make up for it. I see in you the
great Taverney, and you inspire me with respect, for
your conduct has been admirable; you show no jealousy,
but leave the field apparently open to every one, while
you really hold it alone.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not understand you,&rdquo; replied Philippe.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, no modesty; it was exactly the conduct of
M. Potemkin, who astonished the world with his fortunes.
He saw that Catherine loved variety in her amours;
that, if left free, she would fly from flower to flower, returning
always to the sweetest and most beautiful; but
that, if pursued, she would fly right away. He took his
part, therefore; he even introduced new favorites to his
sovereign, to weary her out with their number; but
through and after the quickly succeeding reigns of the
twelve C&aelig;sars, as they were ironically called, Potemkin in
reality was supreme.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What incomprehensible infamies!&rdquo; murmured poor
Philippe. But the old man went on:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;According to his system, however, you have been
still a little wrong. He never abandoned his surveillance,
and you are too lax in this.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Philippe replied only by shrugging his shoulders. He
really began to think his father was crazy.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! you thought I did not see your game. You are
already providing a successor, for you have divined that
there is no stability in the queen&rsquo;s amours, and in the
event of her changing, you wish not to be quite thrown
aside; therefore you make friends with M. de Charny,
who might otherwise, when his turn comes, exile you, as
you now might MM. de Coigny, Vaudreuil, and others.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Philippe, with an angry flush, said:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Once more, enough; I am ashamed to have listened
so long. Those who say that the Queen of France is a
Messalina are criminal calumniators.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I tell you,&rdquo; said the old man, &ldquo;no one can hear, and
I approve your plan. M. de Charny will repay your
kindness some day.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your logic is admirable, sir; and M. de Charny is so
much my favorite that I have just passed my sword
through his ribs.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What!&rdquo; cried the old man, somewhat frightened at
his son&rsquo;s flashing eyes, &ldquo;you have not been fighting?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sir; that is my method of conciliating my successors.
And he turned to go away.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Philippe, you jest.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not, sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The old man rose, and tottered off to the house.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Quick,&rdquo; said he to the servant; &ldquo;let a man on
horseback go at once and ask after M. de Charny, who
has been wounded, and let him be sure to say he comes
from me.&rdquo; Then he murmured to himself, &ldquo;Mine is
still the only head in the family.&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XXXIV.<br/>
THE STANZAS OF M. DE PROVENCE.</h2>

<p>
While these events were passing in Paris and in Versailles,
the king, tranquil as usual, sat in his study, surrounded
by maps and plans, and traced new paths for the
vessels of La Pérouse.
</p>

<p>
A slight knock at his door roused him from his study,
and a voice said, &ldquo;May I come in, brother?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The Comte de Provence,&rdquo; growled the king, discontentedly.
&ldquo;Enter.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
A short person came in.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You did not expect me, brother?&rdquo; he said.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, indeed.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do I disturb you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Have you anything particular to say?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Such a strange report&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, some scandal?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, brother.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Which has amused you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because it is so strange.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Something against me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Should I laugh if it were?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then against the queen?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire, imagine that I was told quite seriously that the
queen slept out the other night.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That would be very sad if it were true,&rdquo; replied the
king.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But it is not true, is it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nor that the queen was seen waiting outside the gate
at the reservoirs?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The day, you know, that you ordered the gates to be
shut at eleven o&rsquo;clock?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not remember.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, brother, they pretend that the queen was seen
arm-in-arm with M. d&rsquo;Artois at half-past twelve that
night.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Going to a house which he possesses behind the stables.
Has not your majesty heard this report?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, you took care of that.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How, sire?&mdash;what have I done?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Some verses which were printed in the <i>Mercury</i>.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Some verses!&rdquo; said the count, growing red.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, yes; you are a favorite of the Muses.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not I, sire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, do not deny it; I have the manuscript in your
writing! Now, if you had informed yourself of what the
queen really did that day, instead of writing these lines
against her, and consequently against me, you would have
written an ode in her favor. Perhaps the subject does
not inspire you; but I should have liked a bad ode better
than a good satire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire, you overwhelm me; but I trust you will believe
I was deceived, and did not mean harm.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Perhaps.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Besides, I did not say I believed it; and then, a few
verses are nothing. Now, a pamphlet like one I have just
seen&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A pamphlet?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sire; and I want an order for the Bastile for the
author of it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The king rose. &ldquo;Let me see it,&rdquo; he said.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not know if I ought.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly you ought. Have you got it with you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sire;&rdquo; and he drew from his pocket &ldquo;The History
of the Queen Etteniotna,&rdquo; one of the fatal numbers
which had escaped from Philippe and Charny.
</p>

<p>
The king glanced over it rapidly. &ldquo;Infamous!&rdquo; he
cried.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You see, sire, they pretend the queen went to M. Mesmer&rsquo;s.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, she did go.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She went?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Authorized by me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, sire!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is nothing against her; I gave my consent.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Did your majesty intend that she should experimentalize
on herself?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The king stamped with rage as the count said this; he
was reading one of the most insulting passages&mdash;the
history of her contortions, voluptuous disorder, and the
attention she had excited.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Impossible!&rdquo; he cried, growing pale; and he rang
the bell. &ldquo;Oh, the police shall deal with this! Fetch
M. de Crosne.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire, it is his day for coming here, and he is now
waiting.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Let him come in.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Shall I go, brother?&rdquo; said the count.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No; remain. If the queen be guilty, you are one of
the family, and must know it; if innocent, you, who
have suspected her, must hear it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
M. de Crosne entered, and bowed, saying, &ldquo;The report
is ready, sire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;First, sir,&rdquo; said the king, &ldquo;explain how you allow
such infamous publications against the queen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Etteniotna?&rdquo; asked M. de Crosne.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, sire, it is a man called Reteau.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You know his name, and have not arrested him!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire, nothing is more easy. I have an order already
prepared in my portfolio.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then why is it not done?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
M. de Crosne looked at the count.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I see, M. de Crosne wishes me to leave,&rdquo; said he.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No,&rdquo; replied the king, &ldquo;remain. And you, M. de
Crosne, speak freely.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, sire, I wished first to consult your majesty
whether you would not rather give him some money, and
send him away to be hanged elsewhere.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because, sire, if these men tell lies, the people are
glad enough to see them whipped, or even hanged; but
if they chance upon a truth&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A truth! It is true that the queen went to M.
Mesmer&rsquo;s, but I gave her permission.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, sire!&rdquo; cried M. de Crosne.
</p>

<p>
His tone of sincerity struck the king more than anything
M. de Provence had said; and he answered, &ldquo;I
suppose, sir, that was no harm.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, sire; but her majesty has compromised herself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Crosne, what have your police told you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire, many things, which, with all possible respect
for her majesty, agree in many points with this pamphlet.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Let me hear.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That the queen went in a common dress, in the middle
of this crowd, and alone.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Alone!&rdquo; cried the king.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are deceived, M. de Crosne.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not think so, sire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have bad reporters, sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So exact, that I can give your majesty a description
of her dress, of all her movements, of her cries&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Her cries!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Even her sighs were observed, sire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is impossible she could have so far forgotten what
is due to me and to herself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, yes,&rdquo; said the Comte de Provence; &ldquo;her
majesty is surely incapable&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Louis XVI. interrupted him. &ldquo;Sir,&rdquo; said he, to M.
de Crosne, &ldquo;you maintain what you have said?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Unhappily, yes, sire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will examine into it further,&rdquo; said the king, passing
his handkerchief over his forehead, on which the drops
hung from anxiety and vexation. &ldquo;I did permit the
queen to go, but I ordered her to take with her a person
safe, irreproachable, and even holy.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah,&rdquo; said M. de Crosne, &ldquo;if she had but done so&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said the count; &ldquo;if a lady like Madame de
Lamballe for instance&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It was precisely she whom the queen promised to
take.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Unhappily, sire, she did not do so.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said the king, with agitation; &ldquo;if she has
disobeyed me so openly I ought to punish, and I will
punish; only some doubts still remain on my mind;
these doubts you do not share; that is natural; you are
not the king, husband, and friend of her whom they
accuse. However, I will proceed to clear the affair up.&rdquo;
He rang. &ldquo;Let some one see,&rdquo; said he to the person
who came, &ldquo;where Madame de Lamballe is.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire, she is walking in the garden with her majesty
and another lady.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Beg her to come to me. Now, gentlemen, in ten
minutes we shall know the truth.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
All were silent.
</p>

<p>
M. de Crosne was really sad, and the count put on an
affectation of it which might have solemnized Momus
himself.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XXXV.<br/>
THE PRINCESS DE LAMBALLE.</h2>

<p>
The Princesse de Lamballe entered beautiful and calm.
Her hair drawn back from her noble forehead, her dark
penciled eyebrows, her clear blue eyes and beautiful lips,
and her unrivaled figure, formed a lovely tout ensemble.
She seemed always surrounded by an atmosphere of virtue
and grace.
</p>

<p>
The king looked at her with a troubled expression,
dreading what he was about to hear; then bowing, said,
&ldquo;Sit down, princess.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What does your majesty desire?&rdquo; asked she, in a sweet
voice.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Some information, princess: what day did you last go
with the queen to Paris?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Wednesday, sire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pardon me, cousin,&rdquo; said Louis XVI.; &ldquo;but I wish
to know the exact truth.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You will never hear anything else from me, sire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What did you go there for?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I went to M. Mesmer&rsquo;s, Place Vendôme.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The two witnesses trembled. The king colored with
delight.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Alone?&rdquo; asked the king.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, sire; with the queen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;With the queen?&rdquo; cried Louis, seizing her hand.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
M. de Provence and M. de Crosne looked stupefied.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your majesty had authorized the queen to go; at
least, so she told me,&rdquo; continued the princess.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It was true, cousin: gentlemen, I breathe again;
Madame de Lamballe never tells a falsehood.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Never, sire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, never, sire,&rdquo; said M. de Crosne, with perfect
sincerity. &ldquo;But will you permit me, sire?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly, monsieur; question, search as much as you
please; I place the princess at your disposal.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Madame de Lamballe smiled. &ldquo;I am ready,&rdquo; she said.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; said the lieutenant of police, &ldquo;have the
goodness to tell his majesty what you did there, and how
the queen was dressed.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She had on a dress of gray taffeta, a mantle of embroidered
muslin, an ermine muff, and a rose-colored
velvet bonnet, trimmed with black.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
M. de Crosne looked astonished. It was a totally different
dress from that which he had had described to him.
The Comte de Provence bit his lips with vexation, and
the king rubbed his hands.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What did you do on entering?&rdquo; asked he.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire, you are right to say on entering, for we had
hardly entered the room&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Together?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sire; and we could scarcely have been seen, for
every one was occupied with the experiments going on,
when a lady approached the queen, and, offering her a
mask, implored her to turn back.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And you stopped?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You never went through the rooms?&rdquo; asked M. de
Crosne.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, monsieur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And you never quitted the queen?&rdquo; asked the
king.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not for a moment, sire. Her majesty never left my
arm.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now!&rdquo; cried the king, &ldquo;what do you say, M. de
Crosne? and you, brother?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is extraordinary, quite supernatural,&rdquo; said the
count, who affected a gaiety which could not conceal his
disappointment.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There is nothing supernatural,&rdquo; said M. de Crosne,
who felt real remorse: &ldquo;what Madame de Lamballe says
is undoubtedly true; therefore my informants must have
been mistaken.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you speak seriously, sir?&rdquo; asked the count.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Perfectly, monseigneur. Her majesty did what Madame
de Lamballe states, and nothing more, I feel convinced;
my agents were, somehow or other, deceived.
As for this journalist, I will immediately send the order
for his imprisonment.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Madame de Lamballe looked from one to the other with
an expression of innocent curiosity.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;One moment,&rdquo; said the king; &ldquo;you spoke of a lady
who came to stop you; tell us who she was?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Her majesty seemed to know her, sire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because, cousin, I must speak to this person; then
we shall learn the key to this mystery.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is my opinion also, sire,&rdquo; said M. de Crosne.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Did the queen tell you that she knew this person?&rdquo;
said the count.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She told me so, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My brother means to say that you probably know her
name.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame de la Motte Valois.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That intriguer!&rdquo; cried the king.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Diable!&rdquo; said the count; &ldquo;she will be difficult to
interrogate: she is cunning.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We will be as cunning as she,&rdquo; said M. de Crosne.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not like such people about the queen,&rdquo; said
Louis; &ldquo;she is so good that all the beggars crowd round
her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame de la Motte is a true Valois,&rdquo; said the princess.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;However that may be, I will not see her here. I
prefer depriving myself of the pleasure of hearing the
queen&rsquo;s innocence confirmed, to doing that.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But you must see her, sire,&rdquo; said the queen, entering
at that moment, pale with anger, beautiful with a noble
indignation. &ldquo;It is not now for you to say, &lsquo;I do, or I
do not wish to see her.&rsquo; She is a witness from whom the
intelligence of my accusers,&rdquo; said she, looking at her
brother-in-law, &ldquo;and the justice of my judges,&rdquo; turning
to the king and M. de Crosne, &ldquo;must draw the truth. I,
the accused, demand that she be heard.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; said the king, &ldquo;we will not do Madame
de la Motte the honor of sending for her to give evidence
either for or against you. I cannot stake your honor
against the veracity of this woman.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You need not send for her, she is here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Here!&rdquo; cried the king.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire, you know I went to see her one day; that day
of which so many things were said,&rdquo; and she looked again
at the Comte de Provence, who felt ready to sink through
the ground; &ldquo;and I then dropped at her house a box,
containing a portrait, which she was to return to me
to-day, and she is here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, no,&rdquo; said the king; &ldquo;I am satisfied, and do not
wish to see her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But I am not satisfied, and shall bring her in. Besides,
why this repugnance? What has she done? If
there be anything, tell me; you, M. de Crosne? you
know everything.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I know nothing against this lady,&rdquo; replied he.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly not; she is poor, and perhaps ambitious,
but that is all.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If there be no more than that against her, the king
can surely admit her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not know why,&rdquo; said Louis; &ldquo;but I have a presentiment
that this woman will be the cause of misfortune
to me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! sire, that is superstition; pray fetch her, Madame
de Lamballe.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Five minutes after, Jeanne, with a timid air, although
with a distinguished appearance, entered the room.
</p>

<p>
Louis XVI., strong in his antipathies, had turned his
back towards her, and was leaning his head on his hands,
seeming to take no longer a part in the conversation.
The Comte de Provence cast on her a look which, had
her modesty been real, would have increased her confusion;
but it required much more than that to trouble
Jeanne.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; said the queen, &ldquo;have the goodness to
tell the king exactly what passed the other day at M.
Mesmer&rsquo;s.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne did not speak.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It requires no consideration,&rdquo; continued the queen;
&ldquo;we want nothing but the simple truth.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne understood immediately that the queen had
need of her, and knew that she could clear her in a moment
by speaking the simple truth; but she felt inclined
to keep her secret.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;I went to see M. Mesmer from curiosity,
like the rest of the world. The spectacle appeared
to me rather a coarse one; I turned and suddenly
saw her majesty entering, whom I had already had
the honor of seeing, but without knowing her till her
generosity revealed her rank. It seemed to me that her
majesty was out of place in this room, where much
suffering and many ridiculous exhibitions were going on.
I beg pardon for having taken it on myself to judge; it
was a woman&rsquo;s instinct, but I humbly beg pardon if I
passed the bounds of proper respect.&rdquo; She seemed overcome
with emotion as she concluded.
</p>

<p>
Every one but the king was pleased.
</p>

<p>
Madame de Lamballe thought her conduct delicate,
and herself timid, intelligent, and good.
</p>

<p>
The queen thanked her by a look.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;you have heard, sire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
He did not move, but said, &ldquo;I did not need her testimony.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I was told to speak,&rdquo; said Jeanne timidly, &ldquo;and I
obeyed.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is enough,&rdquo; answered he; &ldquo;when the queen says
a thing she needs no witnesses to confirm her; and when
she has my approbation, and she has it, she need care for
that of no one else.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
He cast an overwhelming look on his brother, and kissing
the hands of the queen and the princess, and begging
pardon of the latter for having disturbed her for nothing,
made a very slight bow to Jeanne.
</p>

<p>
The ladies then left the room.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Brother,&rdquo; said Louis to the count, &ldquo;now I will detain
you no longer; I have work to do with M. de
Crosne. You have heard your sister&rsquo;s complete justification,
and it is easy to see you are as pleased as myself.
Pray sit down, M. de Crosne.&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XXXVI.<br/>
THE QUEEN.</h2>

<p>
The queen, after leaving the king, felt deeply the
danger she had been so nearly incurring. She was therefore
pleased with Jeanne, who had been the means of
preventing it, and said to her, with a gracious smile:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is really fortunate, madame, that you prevented
my prolonging my stay at M. Mesmer&rsquo;s, for only think,
they have taken advantage of my being there to say that
I was under the influence of the magnetism.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But,&rdquo; said Madame de Lamballe, &ldquo;it is very strange
that the police should have been so deceived, and have
affirmed that they saw the queen in the inner room.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is strange,&rdquo; said the queen; &ldquo;and M. de Crosne
is an honest man, and would not willingly injure me;
but his agents may have been bought. I have enemies,
dear Lamballe. Still there must have been some foundation
for this tale. This infamous libel represents me as
intoxicated, and overcome to such a degree by the magnetic
fluid, that I lost all control over myself, and all
womanly reserve. Did any such scene take place,
Madame la Comtesse? Was there any one who behaved
like this?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne colored; the secret once told, she lost all the
fatal influence which she could now exercise over the
queen&rsquo;s destiny; therefore she again resolved to keep
silent on this point.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;there was a woman much agitated
who attracted great attention by her contortions
and cries.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Probably some actress or loose character.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Possibly, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Countess, you replied very well to the king, and I
will not forget you. How have you advanced in your
own affairs?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
At this moment Madame de Misery came in, to say that
Mademoiselle de Taverney wished to know if her majesty
would receive her.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Assuredly,&rdquo; said the queen. &ldquo;How ceremonious you
always are, Andrée; why do you stand so much upon
etiquette?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your majesty is too good to me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Madame de Lamballe now availed herself of Andrée&rsquo;s
entrance to take leave.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, Andrée,&rdquo; the queen then said, &ldquo;here is this lady
whom we went to see the other day.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I recognize madame,&rdquo; said Andrée, bowing.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you know what they have been saying of me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame; M. de Provence has been repeating
the story.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! no doubt; therefore we will leave that subject.
Countess, we were speaking of you&mdash;who protects you
now?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You, madame,&rdquo; replied Jeanne, boldly, &ldquo;since you
permit me to come and kiss your hand. Few people,&rdquo;
she continued, &ldquo;dared to protect me when I was in obscurity;
now that I have been seen with your majesty,
every one will be anxious to do so.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then,&rdquo; said the queen, &ldquo;no one has been either brave
enough or corrupt enough to protect you for yourself?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I had first Madame de Boulainvilliers, a brave protector;
then her husband, a corrupt one; but since my
marriage no one. Oh yes, I forget one brave man&mdash;a
generous prince.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Prince, countess! who is it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur the Cardinal de Rohan.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My enemy,&rdquo; said the queen, smiling.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your enemy! Oh, madame!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It seems you are astonished that a queen should have
an enemy. It is evident you have not lived at court.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, madame, he adores you. The devotion of the
cardinal equals his respect for you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, doubtless,&rdquo; said the queen, with a hearty laugh;
&ldquo;that is why he is my enemy.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne looked surprised.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And you are his protégée,&rdquo; continued the queen;
&ldquo;tell me all about it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is very simple; his eminence has assisted me in the
most generous, yet the most considerate, manner.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Good; Prince Louis is generous; no one can deny
that. But do you not think, Andrée, that M. le Cardinal
also adores this pretty countess a little? Come, countess,
tell us.&rdquo; And Marie Antoinette laughed again in her
frank, joyous manner.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;All this gaiety must be put on,&rdquo; thought Jeanne. So
she answered, in a grave tone, &ldquo;Madame, I have the
honor to affirm to your majesty that M. de Rohan&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, since you are his friend, ask him what he did
with some hair of mine which he bribed a certain hair-dresser
to steal; and which trick cost the poor man dear,
for he lost my custom.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your majesty surprises me; M. de Rohan did that?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, yes; all his adoration, you know. After having
hated me at Vienna, and having employed every means
to try and prevent my marriage, he at last began to perceive
that I was a woman, and his queen, and that he had
offended me forever. Then this dear prince began to
fear for his future, and, like all of his profession, who
seem most fond of those whom they most fear, and as he
knew me young and believed me foolish and vain, he
turned&mdash;he became a professed admirer, and began with
sighs and glances. He adores me, does he not, Andrée?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! Andrée will not compromise herself, but I say
what I please; at least I may have that advantage from
being a queen. So it is a settled thing that the cardinal
adores me, and you may tell him, countess, that he has
my permission.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne, instead of seeing in all this only the angry disdain
of a noble character, which she was incapable of appreciating,
thought it all pique against M. de Rohan,
hiding another feeling for him, and therefore began to
defend him with all her eloquence.
</p>

<p>
The queen listened.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Good! she listens,&rdquo; thought Jeanne, and did not
again understand that she listened through generosity,
and through pleasure at anything so novel as to hear any
person defend one of whom the sovereign chose to speak ill,
and felt pleased with her, thinking she saw a heart where
none was placed.
</p>

<p>
All at once a joyous voice was heard near, and the
queen said, &ldquo;Here is the Comte d&rsquo;Artois.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
When he entered, the queen introduced the countess
to him.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pray do not let me send you away, Madame la Comtesse,&rdquo;
said he, as Jeanne made a move to depart.
</p>

<p>
The queen also requested her to stay. &ldquo;You have returned
from the wolf-hunt, then?&rdquo; she said.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sister, and have had good sport; I have killed
seven. I am not sure,&rdquo; continued he, laughing, &ldquo;but
they say so. However, do you know I have gained seven
hundred francs?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why, they pay a hundred francs a head for these
beasts. It is dear, but I would give two hundred of them
just now for the head of a certain journalist.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! you know the story?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Provence told me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He is indefatigable. But tell me how he related
it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So as to make you whiter than snow, or Venus Aphroditus.
It seems you came out of it gloriously; you are
fortunate.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, you call that fortunate. Do you hear him,
Andrée?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, for you might have gone alone, without Madame
de Lamballe; and you might not have had Madame de la
Motte there to stop your entrance.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! you know that too?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh yes; the count told everything. Then you might
not have had Madame de la Motte at hand to give her
testimony. You will tell me, doubtless, that virtue and
innocence are like the violet which does not require to
be seen in order to be recognized; but still I say you are
fortunate.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Badly proved.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will prove it still better. Saved so well from the
unlucky scrape of the cabriolet, saved from this affair,
and then the ball,&rdquo; whispered he in her ear.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What ball?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The ball at the Opera.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you mean?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I mean the ball at the Opera; but I beg pardon, I
should not have mentioned it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really, brother, you puzzle me; I know nothing
about the ball at the Opera.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The words &ldquo;ball&rdquo; and &ldquo;Opera&rdquo; caught Jeanne&rsquo;s ear,
and she listened intently.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am dumb,&rdquo; said the prince.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, count, I insist on knowing what it means.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, pray allow me to let it drop.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you want to disoblige me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, sister; but I have said quite enough for you to
understand.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have told me nothing.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, sister, it is needless with me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But really I am in earnest.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You wish me to speak?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Immediately.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not here,&rdquo; said he, looking at the others.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, here; there cannot be too many at such an explanation.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then you mean to say you were not at the last ball?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I!&rdquo; cried the queen, &ldquo;at the ball at the Opera?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Hush, I beg.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, I will not hush; I will speak it aloud. You say
I was at the ball?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly I do.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Perhaps you saw me?&rdquo; she said ironically.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, I did.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, it is too much! Why did you not speak to me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ma foi! I was just going to do so, when the crowd
separated us.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are mad!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I should not have spoken of it. I have been very
foolish.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen rose, and walked up and down the room in
great agitation.
</p>

<p>
Andrée trembled with fear and disquietude, and Jeanne
could hardly keep from laughing.
</p>

<p>
Then the queen stopped, and said:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My friend, do not jest any more; you see, I am so
passionate that I have lost my temper already. Tell me
at once that you were joking with me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will, if you please, sister.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Be serious, Charles. You have invented all this,
have you not?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
He winked at the ladies, and said, &ldquo;Oh, yes, of
course.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You do not understand me, brother!&rdquo; cried the
queen vehemently. &ldquo;Say yes or no. Do not tell falsehoods;
I only want the truth!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, then, sister,&rdquo; said he, in a low voice, &ldquo;I have
told the truth, but I am sorry I spoke.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You saw me there?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;As plain as I see you now; and you saw me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen uttered a cry, and, running up to Andrée
and Jeanne, cried, &ldquo;Ladies, M. le Comte d&rsquo;Artois affirms
that he saw me at the ball at the Opera; let him prove it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;I was with M. de Richelieu and
others, when your mask fell off.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My mask!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I was about to say, &lsquo;This is too rash, sister,&rsquo; but
the gentleman with you drew you away so quickly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, mon Dieu! you will drive me mad! What
gentleman?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The blue domino.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen passed her hand over her eyes.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What day was this?&rdquo; she asked.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Saturday. The next day I set off to hunt, before
you were up.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What time do you say you saw me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Between two and three.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Decidedly one of us is mad!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, it is I. It is all a mistake. Do not be so afraid;
there is no harm done. At first I thought you were with
the king; but the blue domino spoke German, and he
does not.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, brother, on Saturday I went to bed at eleven.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The count bowed, with an incredulous smile.
</p>

<p>
The queen rang. &ldquo;Madame de Misery shall tell you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why do you not call Laurent also?&rdquo; said he, laughing.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; cried the queen in a rage, &ldquo;not to be believed!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My dear sister, if I believed you, others would not.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What others?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Those who saw you as well as myself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who were they?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. Philippe de Taverney, for instance.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My brother?&rdquo; cried Andrée.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes; shall we ask him?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Immediately.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Mon Dieu!&rdquo; murmured Andrée, &ldquo;my brother a
witness!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes; I wish it;&rdquo; and she went to seek him at his
father&rsquo;s.
</p>

<p>
He was just leaving, after the scene we have described
with his father, when the messenger met him. He came
quickly, and Marie Antoinette turned to him at once.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sir,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;are you capable of speaking the
truth?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Incapable of anything else, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, then, say frankly, have you seen me at any
public place within the last week?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
All hearts beat so that you might have heard them.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where?&rdquo; said the queen, in a terrible voice.
</p>

<p>
Philippe was silent.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, no concealment, sir! My brother says you saw
me at the ball of the Opera.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I did, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen sank on a sofa; then, rising furiously, she
said:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is impossible, for I was not there! Take care, M.
de Taverney!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your majesty,&rdquo; said Andrée, pale with anger, &ldquo;if
my brother says he saw you, he did see you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You also!&rdquo; cried Marie Antoinette; &ldquo;it only remains
now for you to have seen me. Pardieu! my enemies
overwhelm me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;When I saw that the blue domino was not the king,&rdquo;
said the Comte d&rsquo;Artois, &ldquo;I believed him to be that
nephew of M. de Suffren whom you received so well here
the other night.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen colored.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Did it not look something like his tournure, M. de
Taverney?&rdquo; continued the count.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I did not remark, monseigneur,&rdquo; said he, in a choking
voice.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But I soon found out that it was not he; for suddenly
I saw him before me, and he was close by you when your
mask fell off.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So he saw me too?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If he were not blind, he did.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen rang.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What are you about to do?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Send for him also, and ask. I will drain this cup to
the dregs!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not think he can come,&rdquo; said Philippe.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because I believe he is not well.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, he must come, monsieur! I am not well either,
but I would go to the end of the world barefoot to
prove&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
All at once Andrée, who was near the window, uttered
an exclamation.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What is it?&rdquo; cried the queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, nothing; only here comes M. de Charny.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen, in her excitement, ran to the window,
opened it, and cried, &ldquo;M. de Charny!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
He, full of astonishment, hastened to enter.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XXXVII.<br/>
AN ALIBI.</h2>

<p>
M. de Charny entered, a little pale, but upright, and
not apparently suffering.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Take care, sister,&rdquo; said the Comte d&rsquo;Artois; &ldquo;what
is the use of asking so many people?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Brother, I will ask the whole world, till I meet some
one who will tell you you are deceived.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Charny and Philippe bowed courteously to each other,
and Philippe said in a low voice, &ldquo;You are surely mad to
come out wounded; one would say you wished to die.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;One does not die from the scratch of a thorn in the
Bois de Boulogne,&rdquo; replied Charny.
</p>

<p>
The queen approached, and put an end to this conversation.
&ldquo;M. de Charny,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;these gentlemen say
that you were at the ball at the Opera?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, your majesty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Tell us what you saw there.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Does your majesty mean whom I saw there?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Precisely; and no complaisant reserve, M. de Charny.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Must I say, madame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cheeks of the queen assumed once more that deadly
paleness, which had many times that morning alternated
with a burning red.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Did you see me?&rdquo; she asked.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, your majesty, at the moment when your mask
unhappily fell off.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Marie Antoinette clasped her hands.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur,&rdquo; said she, almost sobbing, &ldquo;look at me
well; are you sure of what you say?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, your features are engraved in the hearts of
your subjects; to see your majesty once is to see you forever.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, monsieur,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;I assure you I was not at
the ball at the Opera.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame,&rdquo; said the young man, bowing low, &ldquo;has
not your majesty the right to go where you please?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not ask you to find excuses for me; I only ask
you to believe.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will believe all your majesty wishes me to believe,&rdquo;
cried he.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sister, sister, it is too much,&rdquo; murmured the count.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No one believes me!&rdquo; cried she, throwing herself on
the sofa, with tears in her eyes.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sister, pardon me,&rdquo; said the count tenderly, &ldquo;you are
surrounded by devoted friends; this secret, which terrifies
you so, we alone know. It is confined to our hearts, and
no one shall drag it from us while we have life.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This secret! oh, I want nothing but to prove the
truth.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; said Andrée, &ldquo;some one approaches.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The king was announced.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The king! oh, so much the better. He is my only
friend; he would not believe me guilty even if he thought
he saw me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The king entered with an air of calmness, in strange
contrast to the disturbed countenances of those present.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire,&rdquo; said the queen, &ldquo;you come àpropos; there is
yet another calumny, another insult to combat.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What is it?&rdquo; said Louis, advancing.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;An infamous report. Aid me, sire, for now it is no
longer my enemies that accuse me, but my friends.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your friends!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sire; M. le Comte d&rsquo;Artois, M. de Taverney,
and M. de Charny affirm that they saw me at the ball at
the Opera.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;At the ball at the Opera!&rdquo; cried the king.
</p>

<p>
A terrible silence ensued.
</p>

<p>
Madame de la Motte saw the mortal paleness of the
queen, the terrible disquietude of the king and of all the
others, and with one word she could have put an end to
all this, and saved the queen, not only now, but in the
future, from much distress. But she said to herself that
it was too late; that they would see, if she spoke now,
that she had deceived them before when the simple truth
would have been of such advantage to the queen, and
she should forfeit her newly-acquired favor. So she remained
silent.
</p>

<p>
The king repeated, with an air of anguish, &ldquo;At the
ball at the Opera! Does M. de Provence know this?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, sire, it is not true. M. le Comte d&rsquo;Artois is deceived;
M. de Taverney is deceived; M. de Charny, you
are deceived, one may be mistaken.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
All bowed.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come,&rdquo; continued she, &ldquo;call all my people, ask
every one. You say it was Saturday?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sister.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, what did I do on Saturday? Let some one
tell me, for I think I am going mad, and shall begin at
last to believe that I did go to this infamous ball. But,
gentlemen, if I had been there I would have confessed it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
At this moment the king approached her, every cloud
gone from his brow. &ldquo;Well, Marie,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;if it was
Saturday, there is no need to call your women, or only to
ask them at what hour I came to your room. I believe
it was past eleven.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; cried the queen, joyfully, &ldquo;you are right,
sire.&rdquo; And she threw herself into his arms; then, blushing
and confused, she hid her face on his shoulder, while
he kissed her tenderly.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said the Comte d&rsquo;Artois, full of both surprise
and joy, &ldquo;I will certainly buy spectacles. But on
my word, I would not have lost this scene for a million
of money. Would you, gentlemen?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Philippe was leaning against the wainscot as pale as
death. Charny wiped the burning drops from his forehead.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Therefore, gentlemen,&rdquo; said the king, turning towards
them, &ldquo;I know it to be impossible that the queen was
that night at the ball at the Opera. Believe it or not, as
you please. The queen I am sure is content that I know
her to be innocent.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said M. d&rsquo;Artois, &ldquo;Provence may say what he
pleases, but I defy his wife to prove an alibi in the
same way, if she should be accused of passing the night
out.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Charles!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pardon, sire, now I will take my leave.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, I will go with you.&rdquo; And once more kissing
the queen&rsquo;s hand, they left the room.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Taverney,&rdquo; said the queen severely, when they
were gone, &ldquo;do you not accompany M. d&rsquo;Artois?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Philippe started, all the blood rushed to his head, and
he had hardly strength to bow and leave the room.
</p>

<p>
Andrée was to be pitied also. She knew that Philippe
would have given the world to have taken M. de Charny
away with him, but she felt as though she could not follow
to comfort him, leaving Charny alone with the queen, or
only with Madame de la Motte, who, she instinctively
felt, was worse than no one. But why this feeling? She
could not love Charny; that, she told herself, was impossible.
So slight and recent an acquaintance, and she
who had vowed to love no one. Why then did she suffer
so much when Charny addressed words of such respectful
devotion to the queen? Was not this jealousy? &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo;
she thought, but only jealousy that this woman should
draw all hearts towards her, while the whole world of
gallantry and love passed her coldly by. It was no
attraction to be a living problem, ever cold and reserved
like Andrée; they felt it, turned from her beauty and
her intellect, and contented themselves with mere politeness.
Andrée felt this deeply; but on the night when
they first met Charny, he showed towards her nothing of
this coldness or reserve; she was to him as interesting as
any other beautiful woman, and she felt cheered and
warmed by it. But now the queen absorbed his every
look and thought, and left her lonely again; therefore
she did not follow her brother, although she suffered in
his sufferings, and almost idolized him. She did not,
however, attempt to mingle in the conversation, but sat
down by the fire almost with her back to the queen and
Charny, while Madame de la Motte stood in one of the
deep windows, nearly out of sight, although she could
observe all that passed.
</p>

<p>
The Queen remained silent for some minutes, then she
said, almost to herself, &ldquo;Would any one believe that
such things pass here?&rdquo; Then, turning to Charny, said,
&ldquo;We hear, sir, of the dangers of the sea and of the fury
of tempests, but you have doubtless encountered all their
assaults, and you are still safe and honored.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then the English, our enemies, have attacked you
with their guns and their power, but still you are safe;
and on account of the enemies you have conquered, the
king felicitates and admires you, and the people bless and
love you; therefore, blessed are such enemies who menace
us only with death. Our enemies do not endanger
existence, it is true, but they add years to our lives; they
make us bow the head, fearing, though innocent, to meet,
as I have done, the double attacks of friends and enemies.
And then, sir, if you knew how hard it is to be hated!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Andrée listened anxiously for his reply, but he only
leaned against the wall, and grew pale.
</p>

<p>
The queen looked at him, and said, &ldquo;It is too hot
here; Madame de la Motte, open the window; monsieur
is accustomed to the fresh sea-breezes; he would stifle in
our boudoirs.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is not that, madame; but I am on duty at two
o&rsquo;clock, and unless your majesty wishes me to remain&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! no, monsieur; we know what duty is. You are
free,&rdquo; said the queen, in a tone of slight pique.
</p>

<p>
Charny bowed, and disappeared like a man in haste;
but in a minute they heard from the ante-chamber the
sound of a groan, and people hurrying forward. The
queen, who was near the door, opened it, and uttered an
exclamation; and was going out, when Andrée rose
quickly, saying, &ldquo;Oh no! madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Then they saw through the open door the guards
assisting M. de Charny, who had fainted. The queen
closed the door, and sat down again, pensive and thoughtful.
At last, she said, &ldquo;It is an odd thing, but I do not
believe M. de Charny was convinced!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame! in spite of the king&rsquo;s word&mdash;impossible!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He may have thought the king said it for his own
sake.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My brother was not so incredulous,&rdquo; said Andrée.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It would be very wrong,&rdquo; continued the queen, not
heeding her; &ldquo;he could not have as noble a heart as I
thought. But, after all, why should he believe? He
thought he saw me. They all thought so. There is
something in all this; something which I must clear up.
Andrée, I must find out what it all means.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your majesty is right; you must investigate it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;For,&rdquo; continued the queen, &ldquo;people said they saw
me at M. Mesmer&rsquo;s.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But your majesty was there,&rdquo; said Madame de la
Motte.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes; but I did not do what they insist they saw me
do. And they saw me at the Opera, and I was not there.
Oh!&rdquo; cried she, &ldquo;at last I guess the truth.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The truth!&rdquo; stammered the countess.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! I hope so,&rdquo; said Andrée.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Send for M. de Crosne,&rdquo; said the queen, joyously.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XXXVIII.<br/>
M. DE CROSNE.</h2>

<p>
M. de Crosne had felt himself in no slight degree embarrassed
since his interview with the king and queen.
It was no light matter to have the care of the interests of
a crown and of the fame of a queen; and he feared that
he was about to encounter all the weight of a woman&rsquo;s
anger and a queen&rsquo;s indignation. He knew, however,
that he had but done his duty, and he entered, therefore,
tranquilly, with a smile on his face.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now, M. de Crosne,&rdquo; said the queen, &ldquo;it is our turn
for an explanation.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am at your majesty&rsquo;s orders.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You ought to know the cause of all that has happened
to me, sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
M. de Crosne looked round him rather frightened.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Never mind these ladies,&rdquo; said the queen; &ldquo;you
know them both; you know every one.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nearly,&rdquo; said the magistrate; &ldquo;and I know the
effects, but not the cause, of what has happened to your
majesty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then I must enlighten you, although it is a disagreeable
task. I might tell you in private, but my thoughts
and words are always open as the day; all the world may
know them. I attribute the attacks that have been made
upon me to the misconduct of some one who resembles
me, and who goes everywhere; and thus your agents have
made these mistakes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A resemblance!&rdquo; cried M. de Crosne, too much occupied
with the idea to observe the unquiet look which
Jeanne could not for a moment prevent appearing.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, sir, do you think this impossible; or do you
prefer to think that I am deceiving you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh no, madame! but surely, however strong a resemblance
may be, there must be some points of difference
to prevent people being so deceived.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It seems not, sir; some are deceived.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! and I remember,&rdquo; said Andrée, &ldquo;when we lived
at Taverney Maison Rouge, we had a servant who very
strongly&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Resembled me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Most wonderfully, your majesty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And what became of her?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We did not then know the great generosity of your
majesty&rsquo;s mind, and my father feared that this resemblance
might be disagreeable to you; and when we were
at Trianon we kept her out of sight.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You see, M. de Crosne. Ah! this interests you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Much, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Afterwards, dear Andrée?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, this girl, who was of an ambitious disposition
and troublesome temper, grew tired of this quiet life, and
had doubtless made bad acquaintances, for one night when
I went to bed I was surprised not to see her; we sought
her in vain, she had disappeared.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Did she steal anything?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nothing, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You did not know all this, M. de Crosne?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Thus, then, there is a woman whose resemblance to
me is striking, and you do not know her. I fear your
police is badly organized.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, madame; a police magistrate is but a man, and
though the vulgar may rate his power as something almost
superhuman, your majesty is more reasonable.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Still, sir, when a man has secured all possible powers
for penetrating secrets, when he pays agents and spies,
and to such an extent as to know every movement I make,
he might prevent this sort of thing.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, when your majesty passed the night out, I
knew it, the day you went to see madame at the Rue
St. Claude; therefore my police is not bad. When you
went to M. Mesmer&rsquo;s, my agents saw you. When you
went to the Opera&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen started.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pardon me, madame, if I saw you; but if your own
brother-in-law mistook you, surely an agent at a crown a
day may be pardoned for having done so. They thought
they saw you, and reported accordingly; therefore my
police is not bad. They also knew this affair of the
journalist, so well punished by M. de Charny.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Charny!&rdquo; cried the queen and Andrée in a
breath.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame: his blows are yet fresh on the shoulders
of the journalist.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Charny committed himself with this fellow!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I know it by my calumniated police, madame; and
also, which was more difficult, the duel which followed.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A duel! M. de Charny fought?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;With the journalist?&rdquo; asked Andrée.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, madame; the journalist was too well beaten to
give M. de Charny the sword-thrust which made him
faint here just now.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Wounded!&rdquo; cried the queen; &ldquo;how and when? He
was here just now.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; said Andrée, &ldquo;I saw that he suffered.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you say?&rdquo; cried the queen, almost angrily;
&ldquo;you saw that he suffered, and did not mention it!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Andrée did not reply.
</p>

<p>
Jeanne, who wished to make a friend of her, came to her
aid, saying, &ldquo;I also, madame, saw that M. de Charny had
difficulty in standing up while your majesty spoke to
him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur,&rdquo; said the queen again to M. de Crosne,
&ldquo;with whom and why did M. de Charny fight?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;With a gentleman who&mdash;&mdash; But really, madame, it is
useless now. The two adversaries are friends again, for
they spoke just now in your majesty&rsquo;s presence.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;In my presence!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame; the conqueror left about twenty minutes
ago.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Taverney!&rdquo; cried the queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My brother!&rdquo; murmured Andrée.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I believe,&rdquo; said M. de Crosne, &ldquo;that it was he with
whom M. de Charny fought.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen made an angry gesture. &ldquo;It is not right,&rdquo;
she said; &ldquo;these are American manners brought to Versailles.
It is not because one has fought under M. Lafayette
and Washington that my court should be disgraced
by such proceedings. Andrée, did you know your brother
had fought?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not till this moment, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why did he fight?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If my brother fought,&rdquo; said Andrée, &ldquo;it was in your
majesty&rsquo;s service.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is to say, that M. de Charny fought against me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your majesty, I spoke only of my brother, and of
no one else.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen tried hard to remain calm. She walked
once or twice up and down the room, and then said, &ldquo;M.
de Crosne, you have convinced me: I was much disturbed
by these rumors and accusations; your police is
efficient, but I beg you not to forget to investigate this
resemblance of which I have spoken. Adieu!&rdquo; and she
held out her hand to him with her own peculiar grace.
</p>

<p>
Andrée made a movement to depart. The queen gave
her a careless adieu.
</p>

<p>
Jeanne also prepared to leave, when Madame de Misery
entered.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; said she to the queen, &ldquo;did your majesty
appoint this hour to receive MM. Bœhmer and Bossange?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, yes, it is true; let them come in. Remain a
little longer, Madame de la Motte; I want the king to
make a full peace with you.&rdquo; Perhaps she wished to
pique Andrée by this favor to a newcomer, but Andrée
did not seem to heed.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;All these Taverneys are made of iron,&rdquo; thought the
queen. &ldquo;Ah, gentlemen, what do you bring me now?
you know I have no money.&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XXXIX.<br/>
THE TEMPTRESS.</h2>

<p>
Madame de la Motte remained, therefore, as before.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; replied M. Bœhmer, &ldquo;we do not come to
offer anything to your majesty, we should fear to be indiscreet;
but we come to fulfil a duty, and that has emboldened
us&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A duty?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Concerning the necklace which your majesty did not
deign to take.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! then, the necklace has come again,&rdquo; said Marie
Antoinette, laughing. &ldquo;It was really beautiful, M. Bœhmer.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So beautiful,&rdquo; said Bossange, &ldquo;that your majesty
alone was worthy to wear it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My consolation is,&rdquo; said the queen, with a sigh which
did not escape Jeanne, &ldquo;that it cost a million and a
half. Was not that the price, M. Bœhmer?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, your majesty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And in these times,&rdquo; continued the queen, &ldquo;there is
no sovereign that can give such a sum for a necklace;
so that although I cannot wear it, no one else can: and
once broken up, I should care nothing about it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is an error of your majesty&rsquo;s; the necklace is
sold.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sold!&rdquo; cried the queen. &ldquo;To whom?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! madame, that is a state secret.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; said the queen, &ldquo;I think I am safe. A state
secret means that there is nothing to tell.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;With your majesty,&rdquo; continued Bœhmer, as gravely
as ever, &ldquo;we do not act as with others. The necklace
is sold, but in the most secret manner, and an ambassador&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I really think he believes it himself!&rdquo; interrupted
the queen, laughing again. &ldquo;Come, M. Bœhmer, tell
me at least the country he comes from, or, at all events,
the first letter of his name.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, it is the ambassador from Portugal,&rdquo; said
Bœhmer, in a low voice, that Madame de la Motte might
not hear.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The ambassador from Portugal!&rdquo; said the queen.
&ldquo;There is none here, M. Bœhmer.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He came expressly for this, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you imagine so?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What is his name?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Souza.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen did not reply for a few minutes, and then
said, &ldquo;Well, so much the better for the Queen of Portugal.
Let us speak of it no more.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But allow us one moment, madame,&rdquo; said Bœhmer.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Have you ever seen those diamonds?&rdquo; said the queen
to Jeanne.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They are beautiful. It is a pity these gentlemen
have not brought them.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Here they are,&rdquo; said Bœhmer, opening the case.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come, countess, you are a woman, and these will
please you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne uttered a cry of admiration when she saw them,
and said, &ldquo;They are indeed beautiful.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;1,500,000 francs, which you hold in the palm of your
hand,&rdquo; said the queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur was right,&rdquo; said Jeanne, &ldquo;when he said
that no one was worthy to wear these diamonds but your
majesty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;However, my majesty will not wear them.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We could not let them leave France without expressing
our regret to your majesty. It is a necklace which is
now known all over Europe, and we wished to know
definitively that your majesty really refused it before we
parted with it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My refusal has been made public,&rdquo; said the queen,
&ldquo;and has been too much applauded for me to repent of
it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame!&rdquo; said Bœhmer, &ldquo;if the people found
it admirable that your majesty preferred a ship of war to
a necklace, the nobility at least would not think it surprising
if you bought the necklace after all.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do not speak of it any more,&rdquo; said Marie Antoinette,
casting at the same time a longing look at the casket.
</p>

<p>
Jeanne sighed, &ldquo;Ah, you sigh, countess; in my place
you would act differently.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not know, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Have you looked enough?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh no! I could look forever.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Let her look, gentlemen; that takes nothing from
the value. Unfortunately, they are still worth 1,500,000
francs.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; thought Jeanne, &ldquo;she is regretting it.&rdquo; And
she said, &ldquo;On your neck, madame, they would make all
women die with jealousy, were they as beautiful as Cleopatra
or Venus.&rdquo; And, approaching, she clasped it
round her neck. &ldquo;Ah, your majesty is beautiful so!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen turned to the mirror. It was really splendid;
every one must have admired. Marie Antoinette
forgot herself for a time in admiration; then, seized
with fear, she tried to take it off.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It has touched your majesty&rsquo;s neck; it ought not to
belong to any one else,&rdquo; said Bœhmer.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Impossible!&rdquo; said the queen, firmly. &ldquo;Gentlemen,
I have amused myself with these jewels; to do more
would be a fault.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We will return to-morrow,&rdquo; said Bœhmer.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No; I must pay sooner or later; and, besides,
doubtless you want your money. You will get it soon.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, your majesty,&rdquo; said the merchant, a man of
business again.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Take the necklace back,&rdquo; said the queen; &ldquo;put it
away immediately.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your majesty forgets that such a thing is equal to
money itself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And that in a hundred years it will be worth as much
as it is now,&rdquo; said Jeanne.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Give me 1,500,000 francs,&rdquo; said the queen, &ldquo;and we
shall see.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, if I had them!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
MM. Bœhmer and Bossange took as long as possible to
put back the necklace, but the queen did not speak.
</p>

<p>
At last they said, &ldquo;Your majesty refuses them?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, oh yes!&rdquo; And they quitted the room.
</p>

<p>
Marie Antoinette remained sitting, looking rather
gloomy, and beating with her foot in an impatient manner;
at last she said, &ldquo;Countess, it seems the king will
not return; we must defer our supplication till another
time.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne bowed respectfully.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But I will not forget you,&rdquo; added the queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She is regretting and desiring,&rdquo; thought Jeanne, as
she left; &ldquo;and yet she is a queen.&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XL.<br/>
TWO AMBITIONS THAT WISH TO PASS FOR TWO LOVES.</h2>

<p>
When Jeanne returned to her pretty little house in
the faubourg, it was still early; so she took a pen and
wrote a few rapid lines, enclosed them in a perfumed
envelope, and rang the bell. &ldquo;Take this letter to Monseigneur
the Cardinal de Rohan,&rdquo; said she.
</p>

<p>
In five minutes the man returned.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said Madame de la Motte, impatiently, &ldquo;why
are you not gone?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Just as I left the house, madame, his eminence came
to the door. I told him I was about to go to his hotel
with a letter from you; he read it, and is now waiting to
come in.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Let him enter,&rdquo; said the countess.
</p>

<p>
Jeanne had been thinking all the way home of the
beautiful necklace, and wishing it was hers. It would
be a fortune in itself.
</p>

<p>
The cardinal entered. He also was full of desires
and ambitions, which he wished to hide under the mask
of love.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, dear Jeanne,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;you have really become
so necessary to me that I have been gloomy all day knowing
you to be so far off. But you have returned from
Versailles?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;As you see, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And content?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Enchanted.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The queen received you, then?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I was introduced immediately on my arrival.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You were fortunate. I suppose, from your triumphant air,
that she spoke to you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I passed three hours in her majesty&rsquo;s cabinet.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Three hours! You are really an enchantress whom
no one can resist. But perhaps you exaggerate. Three
hours!&rdquo; he repeated; &ldquo;how many things a clever
woman like you might say in three hours!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I assure you, monseigneur, that I did not waste
my time.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I dare say that in the whole three hours you did not
once think of me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ungrateful man!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really!&rdquo; cried the cardinal.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I did more than think of you; I spoke of you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Spoke of me! to whom?&rdquo; asked the prelate, in a
voice from which all his power over himself could not
banish some emotion.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To whom should it be but to the queen?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, dear countess, tell me about it. I interest myself
so much in all that concerns you, that I should like
to hear the most minute details.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne smiled. She knew what interested the cardinal
as well as he did himself. Then she related to him all
the circumstances which had so fortunately made her,
from a stranger, almost the friend and confidant of the
queen.
</p>

<p>
Scarcely had she finished, when the servant entered to
announce supper.
</p>

<p>
Jeanne invited the cardinal to accompany her.
</p>

<p>
He gave her his arm, and they went in together.
</p>

<p>
During supper, the cardinal continued to drink in long
draughts of love and hope from the recitals which Jeanne
kept making to him from time to time. He remarked
also, with surprise, that, instead of making herself
sought like a woman that knows that you have need of her,
she had thrown off all her former pride, and only seemed
anxious to please him. She did the honors of her table as
if she had all her life mixed in the highest circles; there
was neither awkwardness nor embarrassment.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Countess,&rdquo; said he at length, &ldquo;there are two women
in you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How so?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;One of yesterday, and another of to-day.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And which does your excellency prefer?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not know, but at least the one of this evening is
a Circe&mdash;a something irresistible.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And which you will not attempt to resist, I hope,
prince as you are.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal imprinted a long kiss on her hand.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XLI.<br/>
FACES UNDER THEIR MASKS.</h2>

<p>
Two hours had elapsed, and the conversation still continued.
The cardinal was now the slave, and Jeanne was
triumphant. Two men often deceive each other as they
shake hands, a man and a woman as they kiss; but here,
each only deceived the other because they wished to be
deceived: each had an end to gain, and for that end intimacy
was necessary.
</p>

<p>
The cardinal now did not demonstrate his impatience,
but always managed to bring back the conversation to
Versailles, and to the honors which awaited the queen&rsquo;s
new favorite.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She is generous,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;and spares nothing towards
those she loves. She has the rare talent of giving
a little to every one, and a great deal to a few.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You think, then, she is rich?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She makes resources with a word or a smile; no minister,
except perhaps Turgot, ever refused her anything.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said Madame de la Motte, &ldquo;I have seen her
poorer than you think.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you mean?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Are those rich who are obliged to impose privations
on themselves?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Privations! What do you mean, dear countess?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will tell you what I saw&mdash;I saw the queen suffer.
Do you know what a woman&rsquo;s desire is, my dear prince?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, countess; but I should like you to tell me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, the queen has a desire, which she cannot satisfy.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;For what?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;For a diamond necklace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I know what you mean&mdash;the diamonds of MM.
Bœhmer and Bossange.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Precisely.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is an old story, countess.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Old or new, it is a real vexation for a queen not to be
able to buy what was intended for a simple favorite.
Fifteen more days added to the life of Louis XV., and
Jeanne Vaubernier would have had what Marie Antoinette
cannot buy.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My dear countess, you mistake; the queen could
have had it, and she refused it; the king offered them to
her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
And he recounted the history of the ship of war.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;after all, what does that prove?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That she did not want them, it seems to me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne shrugged her shoulders.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You know women and courts, and believe that? The
queen wanted to do a popular act, and she has done it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Good!&rdquo; said the cardinal; &ldquo;that is how you believe
in the royal virtues. Ah, skeptic, St. Thomas was credulous,
compared to you!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Skeptic or not, I can assure you of one thing&mdash;that
the queen had no sooner refused it than she earnestly
desired to have it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You imagine all this, my dear countess; for if the
queen has one quality more than another, it is disinterestedness.
She does not care for gold or jewels, and likes
a simple flower as well as a diamond.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not know that; I only know she wishes for this
necklace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Prove it, countess.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is easy. I saw the necklace, and touched it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;At Versailles, when the jewelers brought it for the
last time to try and tempt the queen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And it is beautiful?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Marvelous! I, who am a woman, think that one
might lose sleep and appetite in wishing for it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Alas! why have I not a vessel to give the king?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A vessel!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, for in return he would give me the necklace, and
then you could eat and sleep in peace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You laugh.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, really.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, I will tell you something that will astonish you.
I would not have the necklace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So much the better, countess, for I could not give it
to you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Neither you nor any one&mdash;that is what the queen
feels.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But I tell you that the king offered it to her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And I tell you that women like best those presents
that come from people from whom they are not forced to
accept them.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not understand you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, never mind; and, after all, what does it matter
to you, since you cannot have it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, if I were king and you were queen, I would force
you to have it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, without being king, oblige the queen to have
it, and see if she is angry, as you suppose she would be.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal looked at her with wonder.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are sure,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;that you are not deceived,
and that the queen wishes for it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Intensely. Listen, dear prince. Did you tell me, or
where did I hear it, that you would like to be minister?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You may have heard me say so, countess.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, I will bet that the queen would make that man
a minister who would place the necklace on her toilet
within a week.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, countess!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I say what I think. Would you rather I kept silent?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly not.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;However, it does not concern you, after all. It is
absurd to suppose that you would throw away a million
and a half on a royal caprice; that would be paying too
dearly for the portfolio, which you ought to have for
nothing, so think no more of what I have said.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal continued silent and thoughtful.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, you despise me now!&rdquo; continued she; &ldquo;you
think I judge the queen by myself. So I do; I thought
she wanted these diamonds because she sighed as she
looked at them, and because in her place I should have
coveted them.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are an adorable woman, countess! You have,
by a wonderful combination, softness of mind and
strength of heart; sometimes you are so little of a woman
that I am frightened; at others, so charmingly so, that I
bless Heaven and you for it. And now we will talk of
business no more.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So be it,&rdquo; thought Jeanne; &ldquo;but I believe the bait
has taken, nevertheless.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Indeed, although the cardinal said, &ldquo;Speak of it no
more,&rdquo; in a few minutes he asked, &ldquo;Does not Bœhmer
live somewhere on the Quai de la Ferraille, near the Pont
Neuf?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, you are right; I saw the name on the door as I
drove along.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne was not mistaken&mdash;the fish had taken the hook;
and the next morning the cardinal drove to M. Bœhmer.
He intended to preserve his incognito, but they knew him,
and called him &ldquo;Monseigneur&rdquo; directly.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, gentlemen,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;if you know me, keep
my secret from others.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monseigneur may rely upon us. What can we do for
your eminence?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I come to buy the necklace which you showed her
majesty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really we are in despair, but it is too late.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How so?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is sold.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Impossible, as you offered it only yesterday to the
queen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who again refused it, so our other bargain held good.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And with whom was this bargain?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is secret, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Too many secrets, M. Bœhmer,&rdquo; said he, rising;
&ldquo;but I should have thought that a French jeweler would
prefer selling these beautiful stones in France. You prefer
Portugal&mdash;very well.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monseigneur knows that!&rdquo; cried the jeweler.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, is that astonishing?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No one knew it but the queen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And if that were so?&rdquo; said M. de Rohan without contradicting
a supposition that flattered him.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! that would change matters.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why so, sir?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;May I speak freely?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The queen wishes for the necklace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You think so?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am sure of it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then why did she not buy it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because she had already refused the king, and she
thought it would look capricious to buy it now.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But the king wished her to have it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, but he thanked her for refusing; therefore I
think she wishes to have it without seeming to buy it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, you are wrong, sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am sorry for it, monseigneur. It would have been
our only excuse for breaking our word to the Portuguese
ambassador.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal reflected for a moment. &ldquo;Then, sir, let
us suppose that the queen wishes for your necklace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! in that case, monseigneur, we would break
through anything, that she should have it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What is the price?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;1,500,000 francs.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How do you want payment?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The Portuguese was to give 100,000 francs down, and
I was to take the necklace myself to Lisbon, where the
balance was to be paid.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, the 100,000 francs down you shall have; that is
reasonable. As for the rest&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your eminence wishes for time? With such a guarantee,
we should not object; only credit implies a loss. The
interest of our money must be considered.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, call it 1,600,000 francs, and divide the time of
payment into three periods, making a year.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That would be a loss to us, sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! nonsense; if I paid you the whole amount to-morrow,
you would hardly know what to do with it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There are two of us, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, you will receive 500,000 francs every four
months. That ought to satisfy you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monseigneur forgets that these diamonds do not
belong to us; if they did, we should be rich enough to
wait; they belong to a dozen different creditors. We got
some from Hamburg, some from Naples, one at Buenos
Ayres, and one at Moscow. All these people wait for the
sale of the necklace to be paid. The profit that we make
is all that will be ours; and we have already had it two
years on hand.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
M. de Rohan interrupted him. &ldquo;After all,&rdquo; said he,
&ldquo;I have not seen the necklace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;True, monseigneur; here it is.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is really superb,&rdquo; cried the cardinal; &ldquo;it is a bargain?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, monseigneur. I must go to the ambassador and
excuse myself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I did not think there was a Portuguese ambassador
just now.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Souza arrived incognito.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To buy this necklace?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! poor Souza, I know him well,&rdquo; said he, laughing.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;With whom am I to conclude the transaction?&rdquo; asked
M. Bœhmer.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;With myself; you will see no one else. To-morrow I
will bring the 100,000 francs, and will sign the agreement.
And as you are a man of secrets, M. Bœhmer, remember
that you now possess an important one.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monseigneur, I feel it, and will merit your confidence
and the queen&rsquo;s.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
M. de Rohan went away happy, like all men who ruin
themselves in a transport of passion.
</p>

<p>
The next day M. Bœhmer went to the hotel of the Portuguese
ambassador. At the moment he knocked at the
door, M. Beausire was going through some accounts with
M. Ducorneau, while Don Mano&euml;l was taking over some
new plan with the valet, his associate.
</p>

<p>
M. Ducorneau was charmed to find an ambassador so
free from national prejudice as to have formed his whole
establishment of Frenchmen. Thus his conversation was
full of praises of him.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The Souzas, you see,&rdquo; replied Beausire, &ldquo;are not of
the old school of Portuguese. They are great travelers,
very rich, who might be kings if they liked.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And do they not?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why should they? With a certain number of millions,
and the name of a prince, one is better than a king.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, Portugal will soon become great with such men at
its head. But when is the presentation to take place?
It is most anxiously looked for. The people around begin
to talk of it, and to collect about the doors of the hotel,
as though they were of glass, and they could see through.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you mean the people of the neighborhood?&rdquo;
asked Beausire.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And others; for, the mission of M. de Souza being
a secret one, you may be sure the police would soon interest
themselves about it; and look,&rdquo; continued Ducorneau,
leading Beausire to the window, &ldquo;do you see
that man in the brown surtout, how he looks at the
house?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, he does indeed. Who do you take him to be?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Probably a spy of M. de Crosne. However, between
ourselves, M. de Crosne is not equal to M. Sartines. Did
you know him?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! he would have found out all about you long ago,
in spite of all your precautions.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
A bell rang. &ldquo;His excellency rings!&rdquo; said Beausire,
who was beginning to feel embarrassed by the conversation,
and opening the door quickly, he nearly knocked
down two of the clerks who were listening.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XLII.<br/>
IN WHICH M. DUCORNEAU UNDERSTANDS NOTHING OF
WHAT IS PASSING.</h2>

<p>
Don Mano&euml;l was less yellow than usual, that is to say,
he was more red. He had just been having a fierce altercation
with his valet, and they were still disputing when
Beausire entered.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come, M. Beausire, and set us right,&rdquo; said the valet.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;About what?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This 100,000 francs. It is the property of the association,
is it not?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, M. Beausire agrees with me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Wait,&rdquo; said Don Mano&euml;l.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, then,&rdquo; continued the valet, &ldquo;the chest ought
not to be kept close to the ambassador&rsquo;s room.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why not?&rdquo; asked Beausire.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. Mano&euml;l ought to give us each a key to it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not so,&rdquo; said Mano&euml;l; &ldquo;do you suspect me of wishing
to rob the association? I may equally suspect you,
when you ask for a key.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But,&rdquo; said the valet, &ldquo;we have all equal rights.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really, monsieur, if you wish to make us all equal,
we ought to have played the ambassador in turn. It
would have been less plausible in the eyes of the public,
but it would have satisfied you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And besides,&rdquo; said Beausire, &ldquo;M. Mano&euml;l has the incontestable
privilege of the inventor.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; replied the valet, &ldquo;the thing once started, there
are no more privileges. I do not speak for myself only;
all our comrades think the same.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They are wrong,&rdquo; said both Mano&euml;l and Beausire.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I was wrong myself to take the opinion of M. Beausire;
of course the secretary supports the ambassador.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur,&rdquo; replied Beausire, &ldquo;you are a knave, whose
ears I would slit, if it had not already been done too
often. You insult me by saying that I have an understanding
with Mano&euml;l.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And me also,&rdquo; said Mano&euml;l.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And I demand satisfaction,&rdquo; added Beausire.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I am no fighter.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So I see,&rdquo; said Beausire, seizing hold of him.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Help! help!&rdquo; cried the valet, attacked at once by
both of them. But just then they heard a bell ring.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Leave him, and let him open the door,&rdquo; said Mano&euml;l.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Our comrades shall hear all this,&rdquo; replied the valet.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Tell them what you please; we will answer for our
conduct.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. Bœhmer!&rdquo; cried the porter from below.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, we shall have no more contests about the
100,000 francs,&rdquo; said Mano&euml;l; &ldquo;for they will disappear
with M. Bœhmer.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
M. Bœhmer entered, followed by Bossange. Both
looked humble and embarrassed. Bœhmer began, and
explained that political reasons would prevent their fulfilling
their contract.
</p>

<p>
Mano&euml;l cried out angrily; Beausire looked fierce.
</p>

<p>
Mano&euml;l said &ldquo;that the bargain was completed, and the
money ready.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Bœhmer persisted.
</p>

<p>
Mano&euml;l, always through Beausire, replied, &ldquo;that his
Government had been apprised of the conclusion of the
bargain, and that it was an insult to his queen to break
it off.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
M. Bœhmer was very sorry, but it was impossible to
act otherwise.
</p>

<p>
Beausire, in Mano&euml;l&rsquo;s name, refused to accept the retractation,
and abused M. Bœhmer as a man without
faith, and ended by saying, &ldquo;You have found some one
to pay more for it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The jewelers colored.
</p>

<p>
Beausire saw that he was right, and feigned to consult
his ambassador. &ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said he at length, &ldquo;if another
will give you more for your diamonds, we would do the
same, rather than have this affront offered to our queen.
Will you take 50,000 francs more?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Bœhmer shook his head.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;100,000, or even 150,000,&rdquo; continued Beausire, willing
to offer anything rather than lose the booty.
</p>

<p>
The jewelers looked dazzled for a moment, consulted
together, and then said, &ldquo;No, monsieur, it is useless to
tempt us. A will more powerful than our own compels
us to decline. You understand, no doubt, that it is not
we who refuse. We only obey the orders of one greater
than any of us.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Beausire and Mano&euml;l saw that it was useless to say
more, and tried to look and speak indifferently on the
matter.
</p>

<p>
Meanwhile the valet had been listening attentively, and
just then making an unlucky movement, stumbled against
the door. Beausire ran to the ante-chamber. &ldquo;What on
earth are you about?&rdquo; cried he.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur, I bring the morning despatches.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Good,&rdquo; said Beausire, taking them from him, &ldquo;now
go.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
They were letters from Portugal, generally very insignificant,
but which, passing through their hands before
going to Ducorneau, often gave them useful information
about the affairs of the embassy.
</p>

<p>
The jewelers, hearing the word despatches, rose to leave
like men who had received their congé.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said Mano&euml;l, when they were gone, &ldquo;we are
completely beaten. Only 100,000 francs, a poor spoil;
we shall have but 8,000 each.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is not worth the trouble. But it might be 50,000
each.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Good,&rdquo; replied Mano&euml;l, &ldquo;but the valet will never
leave us now he knows the affair has failed.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I know how we will manage him. He will return
immediately, and claim his share and that of his comrades,
and we shall have the whole house on our hands.
Well, I will call him first to a secret conference; then
leave me to act.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I think I understand,&rdquo; said Mano&euml;l.
</p>

<p>
Neither, however, would leave his friend alone with
the chest while he went to call him.
</p>

<p>
Mano&euml;l said &ldquo;that his dignity as ambassador prevented
him from taking such a step.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are not ambassador to him,&rdquo; said Beausire;
&ldquo;however, I will call through the window.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The valet, who was just beginning a conversation with
the porter, hearing himself called, came up.
</p>

<p>
Beausire said to him, with a smiling air, &ldquo;I suppose
you were telling this business to the porter?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, no.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Are you sure?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I swear!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;For if you were, you were committing a great folly,
and have lost a great deal of money.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How so?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why, at present only we three know the secret, and
could divide the 100,000 francs between us, as they all
now think we have given it to M. Bœhmer.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Morbleu!&rdquo; cried the valet, &ldquo;it is true: 33,300 francs
each.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then you accept?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I should think so.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I said you were a rogue,&rdquo; said Beausire, in a thundering
voice; &ldquo;come, Don Mano&euml;l, help me to seize this
man, and give him up to our associates.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pardon! pardon!&rdquo; cried the unfortunate, &ldquo;I did but
jest.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Shut him up until we can devise his punishment.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The man began to cry out.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Take care,&rdquo; said Beausire, &ldquo;that Ducorneau does not
hear us.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If you do not leave me alone,&rdquo; said the valet, &ldquo;I will
denounce you all.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And I will strangle you,&rdquo; said Don Mano&euml;l, trying to
push him into a neighboring closet.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Send away Ducorneau somewhere, Beausire, while I
finish this fellow.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
When he had locked him up, he returned to the room.
Beausire was not there; Don Mano&euml;l felt tempted. He
was alone, and Beausire might be some little time; he
could open the chest, take out all the bank-notes, and be
off in two minutes. He ran to the room where it was:
the door was locked. &ldquo;Ah,&rdquo; thought he, &ldquo;Beausire
distrusted me, and locked the door before he went.&rdquo; He
forced back the lock with his sword, and then uttered a
terrible cry. The chest was opened and empty. Beausire
had got, as we know, a second key; he had forestalled
Mano&euml;l.
</p>

<p>
Mano&euml;l ran down like a madman; the porter was singing
at the door&mdash;he asked if Beausire had passed.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, some ten minutes ago.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Mano&euml;l became furious, summoned them all, and ran to
release the unfortunate valet. But when he told his story,
Mano&euml;l was accused of being an accomplice of Beausire,
and they all turned against him.
</p>

<p>
M. Ducorneau felt ready to faint, when he entered and
saw the men preparing to hang M. de Souza. &ldquo;Hang
M. de Souza!&rdquo; cried he. &ldquo;It is high treason.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
At last they threw him into a cellar, fearing his cries
would arouse the neighborhood.
</p>

<p>
At that moment loud knocks at the door disturbed
them,&mdash;they looked at each other in dismay. The knocks
were repeated, and some one cried, &ldquo;Open in the name
of the Portuguese ambassador.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
On hearing this, each made his escape in terror, as
he best could, scrambling over walls and roofs. The
true ambassador could only enter by the help of the
police.
</p>

<p>
They found and arrested M. Ducorneau, who slept that
night in the Ch&acirc;telet.
</p>

<p>
Thus ended the adventure of the sham embassy from
the Portugal.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XLIII.<br/>
ILLUSIONS AND REALITIES.</h2>

<p>
Beausire, on leaving the house, ran as fast as possible
down the Rue Coquillière, then into the Rue St. Honoré,
and took everywhere the most intricate and improbable
turnings he could think of, and continued this until he
became quite exhausted. Then, thinking himself tolerably
safe, he sat down in the corn market, on a sack, to recover
his breath. &ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; thought he, &ldquo;now I have made
my fortune; I will be an honest man for the future, and
I will make Oliva an honest woman. She is beautiful,
and she will not mind leading a retired life with me in
some province, where we shall live like lords. She is very
good; she has but two faults, idleness and pride, and as I
shall satisfy her on both these points, she will be perfect.&rdquo;
He then began to reflect on what he should do next.
They would seek him, of course, and most likely divide
into different parties, and some would probably go first to
his own house. Here lay his great difficulty, for there
they would find Oliva, and they might ill-treat her. They
might even take her as a hostage, speculating on his love
for her. What should he do? Love carried the day; he
ran off again like lightning, took a coach, and drove to
the Pont Neuf. He then looked cautiously down the Rue
Dauphine to reconnoiter, and he saw two men, who
seemed also looking anxiously down the street. He
thought they were police spies, but that was nothing uncommon
in that part of the town; so, bending his back,
and walking lamely, for disguise, he went on till he nearly
reached his house. Suddenly he thought he saw the coat
of a gendarme in the courtyard; then he saw one at the
window of Oliva&rsquo;s room. He felt ready to drop, but he
thought his best plan was to walk quietly on; he had that
courage, and passed the house. Heavens! what a sight!
the yard was full of soldiers, and among them a police
commissioner. Beausire&rsquo;s rapid glance showed him what
he thought disappointed faces. He thought that M. de
Crosne had somehow begun to suspect him, and, sending
to take him, had found only Oliva.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I cannot help her now,&rdquo; thought he; &ldquo;I should only
lose my money and destroy us both. No, let me place
that in safety, and then I will see what can be done.&rdquo;
He therefore ran off again, taking his way almost mechanically
towards the Luxembourg; but as he turned
the corner of the Rue St. Germain, he was almost
knocked down by a handsome carriage which was driving
towards the Rue Dauphine, and, raising his head to
swear at the coachman, he thought he saw Oliva inside,
talking with much animation to a handsome man who
sat by her. He gave a cry of surprise, and would have
run after it, but he could not again encounter the Rue
Dauphine. He felt bewildered, for he had before settled
that Oliva had been arrested in her own house, and
he fancied his brain must be turning when he believed
he saw her in the carriage. But he started off again and
took refuge in a small cabaret at the Luxembourg, where
the hostess was an old friend. There he gradually began
to recover again his courage and hope. He thought
the police would not find him, and that his money was
safe. He remembered also that Oliva had committed no
crime, and that the time was passed when people were
kept prisoners for nothing. He also thought that his
money would soon obtain her release, even if she were
sent to prison, and he would then set off with her for
Switzerland. Such were his dreams and projects as he
sat sipping his wine.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XLIV.<br/>
OLIVA BEGINS TO ASK WHAT THEY WANT OF HER.</h2>

<p>
If M. Beausire had trusted to his eyesight, which was
excellent, instead of trusting his imagination, he would
have spared himself much regret and many mistakes. It
was, in fact, Oliva who sat in the carriage by the side of
a man, whom he would also have recognized if he had
looked a little longer. She had gone that morning, as
usual, to take a walk in the gardens of the Luxembourg,
where she had met the strange friend whose acquaintance
she had made the day of the ball at the Opera.
</p>

<p>
It was just as she was about to return that he appeared
before her, and said, &ldquo;Where are you going?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Home, monsieur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Just what the people want who are there waiting
for you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Waiting for me? No one is there for me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, yes, a dozen visitors at least.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A whole regiment, perhaps?&rdquo; said Oliva, laughing.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Perhaps, had it been possible to send a whole regiment,
they would have done so.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You astonish me!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You would be far more astonished if I let you go.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because you would be arrested.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I! arrested?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Assuredly. The twelve gentlemen who wait for you
are sent by M. de Crosne.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Oliva trembled. Some people are always fearful on
certain points. But she said:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have done nothing; why should they arrest me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;For some intrigue, perhaps.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have none.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But you have had.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, perhaps.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, perhaps they are wrong to wish to arrest you,
but the fact is that they do desire to do so. Will you
still go home?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You deceive me,&rdquo; said Oliva; &ldquo;if you know anything,
tell me at once. Is it not Beausire they want?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Perhaps; he may have a conscience less clear than
yours.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Poor fellow!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pity him, if you like; but if he is taken, there is no
need for you to be taken too.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What interest have you in protecting me?&rdquo; asked
she. &ldquo;It is not natural for a man like you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I would not lose time if I were you; they are very
likely to seek you here, finding you do not return.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How should they know I am here?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Are you not always here? My carriage is close by,
if you will come with me. But I see you doubt still.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, we will commit an imprudence to convince
you. We will drive past your house, and when you have
seen these gentlemen there, I think you will better
appreciate my good offices.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
He led her to the carriage, and drove to the Rue
Dauphine, at the corner of which they passed Beausire.
Had Oliva seen him, doubtless she would have abandoned
everything to fly with him and share his fate, whatever
it might be; but Cagliostro, who did see him, took care
to engage her attention by showing her the crowd, which
was already in sight, and which was waiting to see what
the police would do.
</p>

<p>
When Oliva could distinguish the soldiers who filled her
house, she threw herself into the arms of her protector in
despair. &ldquo;Save me! save me!&rdquo; she cried.
</p>

<p>
He pressed her hand. &ldquo;I promise you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But they will find me out anywhere.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not where I shall take you; they will not seek you at
my house.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; cried she, frightened, &ldquo;am I to go home with
you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are foolish,&rdquo; said he; &ldquo;I am not your lover,
and do not wish to become so. If you prefer a prison,
you are free to choose.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No,&rdquo; replied she, &ldquo;I trust myself to you, take me
where you please.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
He conducted her to the Rue Neuve St. Gilles, into a
small room on the second floor.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How triste!&rdquo; said she; &ldquo;here, without liberty, and
without even a garden to walk in.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are right,&rdquo; said he; &ldquo;besides, my people would
see you here at last.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And would betray me, perhaps.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No fear of that. But I will look out for another
abode for you; I do not mean you to remain here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Oliva was consoled; besides, she found amusing books
and easy-chairs.
</p>

<p>
He left her, saying, &ldquo;If you want me, ring; I will
come directly if I am at home.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; cried she, &ldquo;get me some news of Beausire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Before everything.&rdquo; Then, as he went down, he said
to himself, &ldquo;It will be a profanation to lodge her in that
house in the Rue St. Claude; but it is important that no
one should see her, and there no one will. So I will
extinguish the last spark of my old light.&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XLV.<br/>
THE DESERTED HOUSE.</h2>

<p>
When Cagliostro arrived at the deserted house in the
Rue St. Claude, with which our readers are already
acquainted, it was getting dark, and but few people were
to be seen in the streets.
</p>

<p>
Cagliostro drew a key from his pocket, and applied it
to the lock; but the door was swollen with the damp, and
stiff with age, and it required all his strength to open it.
The courtyard was overgrown with moss, the steps crumbling
away; all looked desolate and deserted. He entered
the hall, and lighted a lamp which he had brought with
him. He felt a strange agitation as he approached the
door which he had so often entered to visit Lorenza. A
slight noise made his heart beat quickly; he turned, and
saw an adder gliding down the staircase; it disappeared
in a hole near the bottom.
</p>

<p>
He entered the room; it was empty, but in the grate
still lay some ashes, the remains of the furniture which
had adorned it, and which he had burned there. Among
it several pieces of gold and silver still sparkled. As he
turned, he saw something glittering on the floor; he
picked it up. It was one of those silver arrows with which
the Italian women were in the habit of confining their hair.
He pressed it to his lips, and a tear stood in his eyes as
he murmured, &ldquo;Lorenza!&rdquo; It was but for a moment;
then he opened the window and threw it out, saying to
himself, &ldquo;Adieu! this last souvenir, which would soften
me. This house is about to be profaned&mdash;another woman
will ascend the staircase, and perhaps even into this room,
where Lorenza&rsquo;s last sigh still vibrates; but to serve my
end the sacrifice shall be made. I must, however, have
some alterations made.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
He then wrote on his tablets the following words: &ldquo;To
M. Lenoir, my architect,&mdash;Clean out the court and vestibule,
restore the coach-house and stable, and demolish
the interior of the pavilion. To be done in eight days.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now, let us see,&rdquo; said he to himself, &ldquo;if we can perfectly
distinguish the window of the countess. It is infallible,&rdquo;
said he, after looking out; &ldquo;the women must
see each other.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The next day fifty workmen had invaded the house and
commenced the projected alterations, which were completed
within the given time. Some of the passers-by
saw a large rat hung up by the tail.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XLVI.<br/>
JEANNE THE PROTECTRESS.</h2>

<p>
M. le Cardinal de Rohan received, two days after his
visit to M. Bœhmer, the following note:
</p>

<div class="blockquot"><p>
&ldquo;His Eminence the Cardinal de Rohan knows, doubtless,
where he will sup this evening.&rdquo;
</p></div>

<p>
&ldquo;From the little countess,&rdquo; said he; &ldquo;I will go.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Among the footmen given to her by the cardinal, Jeanne
had distinguished one, black-haired and dark-eyed, and,
as she thought, active and intelligent. She set this man
to watch the cardinal, and learned from him that he had
been twice to M. Bœhmer&rsquo;s. Therefore she concluded
the necklace was bought, and yet he had not communicated
it to her. She frowned at the thought, and wrote
the note which we have seen.
</p>

<p>
M. de Rohan sent before him a basket of Tokay and
other rarities, just as if he was going to sup with La
Guimard or Mademoiselle Dangeville. Jeanne determined
not to use any of it at supper.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;When they were alone, she said to him:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really, monseigneur, one thing afflicts me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What, countess?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To see, not only that you no longer love me, but that
you never have loved me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, countess! how can you say so?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do not make excuses, monseigneur; it would be lost
time.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, countess!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do not be uneasy; I am quite indifferent about it
now.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Whether I love you or not?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, because I do not love you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is not flattering.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Indeed, we are not exchanging compliments, but
facts. We have never loved each other.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, as for myself, I cannot allow that; I have a great
affection for you, countess.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come, monseigneur, let us esteem each other enough
to speak the truth, and that is, that there is between us a
much stronger bond than love&mdash;that is, interest.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, countess, what a shame!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monseigneur, if you are ashamed, I am not.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, countess, supposing ourselves interested, how
can we serve each other?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;First, monseigneur, I wish to ask you a question.
Why have you failed in confidence towards me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I! How so, pray?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Will you deny that, after skilfully drawing from me
the details&mdash;which, I confess, I was not unwilling to give
you&mdash;concerning the desire of a certain great lady for a
certain thing, you have taken means to gratify that desire
without telling me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Countess, you are a real enigma, a sphinx.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, no enigma, cardinal; I speak of the queen, and
of the diamonds which you bought yesterday of MM.
Bœhmer and Bossange.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Countess!&rdquo; cried he, growing pale.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, do not look so frightened,&rdquo; continued she. &ldquo;Did
you not conclude your bargain yesterday?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
He did not speak, but looked uncomfortable, and half
angry. She took his hand.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pardon, prince,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;but I wished to show you
your mistake about me; you believe me foolish and
spiteful.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, countess, now I understand you perfectly. I expected
to find you a pretty woman and a clever one, but
you are better than this. Listen to me: you have, you
say, been willing to become my friend without loving
me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I repeat it,&rdquo; replied she.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then you had some object?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Assuredly. Do you wish me to tell it to you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No; I understand it. You wished to make my fortune;
that once done, you are sure that my first care
would be for yours. Am I right?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, monseigneur; but I have not pursued my plans
with any repugnance&mdash;the road has been a pleasant
one.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are an amiable woman, countess, and it is a
pleasure to discuss business with you. You have guessed
rightly that I have a respectful attachment towards a certain
person.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I saw it at the Opera ball,&rdquo; she said.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I know well that this affection will never be returned.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, a queen is only a woman, and you are surely equal
to Cardinal Mazarin.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He was a very handsome man,&rdquo; said M. de Rohan,
laughing.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And an excellent minister,&rdquo; said Jeanne.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Countess, it is superfluous trouble to talk to you; you
guess and know everything. Yes, I do wish to become
prime minister. Everything entitles me to it&mdash;my birth,
my knowledge of business, my standing with foreign
courts, and the affection which is felt for me by the
French people.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There is but one obstacle,&rdquo; said Jeanne.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;An antipathy.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, of the queen&rsquo;s; and the king always ends by
liking what she likes, and hating what she hates.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And she hates me? Be frank, countess.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, monseigneur, she does not love you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then I am lost! Of what use is the necklace?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You deceive yourself, prince.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is bought.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;At least, it will show the queen that you love her.
You know, monseigneur, we have agreed to call things
by their right names.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then you say you do not despair of seeing me one
day prime minister?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am sure of it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And what are your own ambitions?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will tell you, prince, when you are in a position to
satisfy them.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We will hope for that day.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now let us sup.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am not hungry.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then let us talk.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have nothing more to say.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then go.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How! is that what you call our alliance? Do you
send me away?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, countess, I will not deceive myself again about
you.&rdquo; Before leaving, however, he turned, and said,
&ldquo;What must I do now, countess?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nothing; wait for me to act. I will go to Versailles.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;When?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To-morrow.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And when shall I hear from you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Immediately.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then I abandon myself to your protection; au revoir,
countess.&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XLVII.<br/>
JEANNE PROTECTED.</h2>

<p>
Mistress of such a secret, rich in such a future, and
supported by such a friend, Jeanne felt herself strong
against the world. To appear at court, no longer as a
suppliant, as the poor mendicant, drawn from poverty by
Madame de Boulainvilliers, but as a Valois, with an income
of 100,000 francs; to be called the favorite of the
queen, and consequently governing the king and state
through her.&mdash;Such was the panorama that floated before
the eyes of Jeanne.
</p>

<p>
She went to Versailles. She had no audience promised,
but she trusted to her good fortune, and as the
queen had received her so well before, all the officials
were anxious to serve her. Therefore, one of the doorkeepers
said aloud, as the queen came from chapel, to
one of her gentlemen, &ldquo;Monsieur, what am I to do?
Here is Madame la Comtesse de la Motte Valois asking
admission, and she has no letter of audience.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen heard and turned round. &ldquo;Did you say
Madame de la Motte Valois was here?&rdquo; she asked.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your majesty, the doorkeeper says so.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will receive her; bring her to the bath-room.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The man told Jeanne what he had done. She drew
out her purse; but he said, &ldquo;Will Madame la Comtesse
allow this debt to accumulate? Some day she can pay
me with interest.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are right, my friend; I thank you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Marie Antoinette looked serious when Jeanne entered.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She supposes I am come again to beg,&rdquo; thought
Jeanne.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; said the queen, &ldquo;I have not yet had an
opportunity to speak to the king.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, your majesty has already done too much for me;
I ask nothing more. I came&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo; she hesitated.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Is it something urgent, that you did not wait to
ask for an audience?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Urgent! Yes, madame; but not for myself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;For me, then?&rdquo; and the queen conducted her into
the bath-room, where her women were waiting for her.
Once in the bath, she sent them away.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now, countess.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; said Jeanne, &ldquo;I am much embarrassed.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why so?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your majesty knows the kindness I have received
from M. de Rohan.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen frowned. &ldquo;Well, madame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yesterday his eminence came to see me, and spoke
to me as usual of your majesty&rsquo;s goodness and kindness.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What does he want?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I expressed to him all my sense of your generosity,
which constantly empties your purse, and told him that
I felt almost guilty in thinking of your majesty&rsquo;s gift to
myself, and remembering that were it not for such liberality
your majesty need not have been forced to deny
yourself the beautiful necklace which became you so
well. When I related this circumstance to M. de Rohan,
I saw him grow pale and the tears came into his eyes.
Indeed, madame, his fine face, full of admiration for,
and emotion caused by, your noble conduct, is ever before
my eyes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, countess, if he has impressed you so deeply, I
advise you not to let him see it. M. de Rohan is a worldly
prelate, and gathers the sheep as much for himself as for
his Lord.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is not I who say it: that is his reputation; he
almost glories in it; his trophies are numerous, and some
of them have made no little scandal.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, madame, I am sure he thought then of no one
but your majesty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen laughed.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your majesty&rsquo;s modesty will not allow you to listen to
praises.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not from the cardinal&mdash;I suspect them all.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is not my part,&rdquo; replied Jeanne, respectfully, &ldquo;to
defend any one who has incurred your majesty&rsquo;s displeasure.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Rohan has offended me, but I am a queen and
a Christian, and do not wish to dwell on offenses.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne was silent.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You think differently to me on this subject?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Completely, your majesty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You would not speak so if you knew what he has
done against me; but as you have so great a friendship
for him, I will not attack him again before you. You
have not, then, forgotten the diamonds?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame, I have thought of them night and day.
They will look so well on your majesty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you mean? They are sold to the Portuguese
ambassador.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne shook her head.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not sold!&rdquo; cried the queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame, but to M. de Rohan.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said the queen, becoming suddenly cold again.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! your majesty,&rdquo; cried Jeanne; &ldquo;do not be ungenerous
towards him. It was the impulse of a generous
heart that your majesty should understand and sympathize
with. When he heard my account he cried,&mdash;&lsquo;What!
the queen refuse herself such a thing, and perhaps see it
one day worn by one of her subjects!&rsquo; And when I told
him that it was bought for the Queen of Portugal, he
was more indignant than ever. He cried, &lsquo;It is no longer
a simple question of pleasure for the queen, but of the
dignity of the French crown. I know the spirit of foreign
courts; they will laugh at our queen because they happen
to have more money to spare: and I will never suffer
this.&rsquo; And he left me abruptly. An hour after I heard
that he had bought the necklace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;For 1,500,000 francs?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;1,600,000, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;With what intention?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That at least if your majesty would not have them no
one else should.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Are you sure it is not for some mistress?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am sure he would rather break it to pieces than see
it on any other neck than your own.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Marie Antoinette reflected, and her expressive countenance
showed clearly every thought that passed through
her mind. At last she said:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What M. de Rohan has done is a noble trait of a
delicate devotion, and you will thank him for me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh yes, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You will add, that he has proved to me his friendship,
and that I accept it, but not his gift.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, madame&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, but as a loan. He has advanced his money and
his credit to please me, and I will repay him. Bœhmer
has asked for money down?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How much?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;100,000 francs.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is my quarter&rsquo;s allowance from the king. I
received it this morning; it is in advance, but still I have
it.&rdquo; She rang the bell. Her woman came and wrapped
her in warm sheets, and then she dressed herself. Once
more alone in her bedroom with Jeanne, she said:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Open that drawer, and you will see a portfolio.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Here it is, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It holds the 100,000 francs&mdash;count them.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne obeyed.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Take them to the cardinal with my thanks; each
quarter I will pay the same. In this manner I shall
have the necklace which pleased me so much, and if it
embarrasses me to pay it, at least it will not hurt the
king; and I shall have gained the knowledge that I have
a friend who has guessed my wishes.&rdquo; Then, after a
pause, &ldquo;You will add, countess, that M. de Rohan will be
welcome at Versailles to receive my thanks.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne went away full of joy and delight.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XLVIII.<br/>
THE QUEEN&rsquo;S PORTFOLIO.</h2>

<p>
The cardinal was at home when Madame de la Motte
came to his hotel. She had herself announced, and was
immediately admitted.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You come from Versailles?&rdquo; said he.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, monseigneur, what do you expect?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, countess, you say that with an air that frightens
me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You wished me to see the queen, and I have seen
her; and that I should speak to her of you whom she has
always so much disliked.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And you did?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, and her majesty listened.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Say no more, countess, I see she will not overcome
her repugnance.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! as to that, I spoke of the necklace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And did you dare to say that I wished&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To buy it for her? Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, countess, you are sublime; and she listened?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, but she refused.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I am lost.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Refused to accept it as a gift, but not as a loan.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I lend to the queen! countess, it is impossible.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is more than giving, is it not?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A thousand times.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So I thought.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal rose and came towards her. &ldquo;Do not
deceive me,&rdquo; he said.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;One does not play with the affections of a man like
you, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then it is true?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The exact truth.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have a secret with the queen!&rdquo; and he pressed
Jeanne&rsquo;s hand.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I like that clasp of the hand,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;it is like
one man to another.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is that of a happy man to a protecting angel.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monseigneur, do not exaggerate.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, my joy! my gratitude! impossible.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But lending a million and a half to the queen is not
all you wish for? Buckingham would have asked for
more.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Buckingham believed what I dare not even dream
of.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The queen sends you word that she will see you with
pleasure at Versailles.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal looked as pale as a youth who gives his
first kiss of love.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah,&rdquo; thought she, &ldquo;it is still more serious than I
imagined. I can get what I please from him, for he acts
really not from ambition but from love.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
He quickly recovered himself, however: &ldquo;My friend,&rdquo;
said he, &ldquo;how does the queen mean to act about this loan
she talks of?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, you think she has no money. But she will pay
you as she would have paid Bœhmer. Only if she had
paid him all Paris must have known it, which she would
not have liked, after the credit she has had for her refusal
of it. You are a cashier for her, and a solvent one if she
becomes embarrassed. She is happy and she pays. Ask
no more.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She pays?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, she knows you have debts; and when I told her
you had advanced 100,000 francs&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You told her?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes; why not?&rdquo; Jeanne put her hand in her pocket,
and drew out the portfolio. &ldquo;The queen sends you this
with thanks; it is all right, for I have counted it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who cares for that? But the portfolio?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, it is not handsome.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It pleases me, nevertheless.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have good taste.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, you quiz me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have the same taste as the queen, at all events.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then it was hers?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you wish for it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I cannot deprive you of it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Take it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, countess, you are a precious friend; but while
you have worked for me, I have not forgotten you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne looked surprised.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;my banker came to propose to me
some plan of a marsh to drain, which must be profitable.
I took two hundred shares, and fifty of them are for
you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, monseigneur!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He soon returned, he had realized already on them
cent. per cent. He gave me 100,000 francs, and here is
your share, dear countess;&rdquo; and from the pocket-book she
had just given him he slid 25,000 francs into her hand.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Thanks, monseigneur. What gratifies me most is,
that you thought of me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I shall ever do so,&rdquo; said he, kissing her hand.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And I of you, at Versailles.&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XLIX.<br/>
IN WHICH WE FIND DR. LOUIS.</h2>

<p>
Perhaps our readers, remembering in what a position
we left M. de Charny, will not dislike to return with us
to that little ante-chamber at Versailles into which this
brave seaman, who feared neither men nor elements, had
fled, lest he should show his weakness to the queen.
Once arrived there, he felt it impossible to go further;
he stretched out his arms, and was only saved from falling
to the ground by the aid of those around. He then
fainted, and was totally ignorant that the queen had seen
him, and would have run to his assistance had Andrée
not prevented her, more even from a feeling of jealousy
than from regard for appearances. Immediately after
the king entered, and seeing a man lying supported by
two guards, who, unaccustomed to see men faint, scarcely
knew what to do, advanced, saying, &ldquo;Some one is ill
here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
At his voice the men started and let their burden fall.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; cried the king, &ldquo;it is M. de Charny. Place
him on this couch, gentlemen.&rdquo; Then they brought him
restoratives, and sent for a doctor.
</p>

<p>
The king waited to hear the result. The doctor&rsquo;s first
care was to open the waistcoat and shirt of the young
man to give him air, and then he saw the wound.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A wound!&rdquo; cried the king.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said M. de Charny, faintly, &ldquo;an old wound,
which has reopened;&rdquo; and he pressed the hand of the
doctor to make him understand.
</p>

<p>
But this was not a court doctor, who understands everything;
so, willing to show his knowledge, &ldquo;Old, sir!
this wound is not twenty-four hours old.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Charny raised himself at this, and said, &ldquo;Do you teach
me, sir, when I received my wound?&rdquo; Then, turning
round, he cried, &ldquo;The king!&rdquo; and hastened to button
his waistcoat.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, M. de Charny, who fortunately arrived in time
to procure you assistance.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A mere scratch, sire,&rdquo; stammered Charny, &ldquo;an old
wound.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Old or new,&rdquo; replied Louis, &ldquo;it has shown me the
blood of a brave man.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Whom a couple of hours in bed will quite restore,&rdquo;
continued Charny, trying to rise; but his strength failed
him, his head swam, and he sank back again.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He is very ill,&rdquo; said the king.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sire,&rdquo; said the doctor, with importance, &ldquo;but I
can cure him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The king understood well that M. de Charny wished
to hide some secret from him, and determined to respect
it. &ldquo;I do not wish,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;that M. de Charny should
run the risk of being moved; we will take care of him
here. Let M. de Suffren be called, this gentleman recompensed,
and my own physician, Dr. Louis, be sent
for.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
While one officer went to execute these orders, two
others carried Charny into a room at the end of the
gallery. Dr. Louis and M. de Suffren soon arrived. The
latter understood nothing of his nephew&rsquo;s illness. &ldquo;It
is strange,&rdquo; said he; &ldquo;do you know, doctor, I never knew
my nephew ill before.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That proves nothing,&rdquo; replied the doctor.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The air of Versailles must be bad for him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is his wound,&rdquo; said one of the officers.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;His wound!&rdquo; cried M. de Suffren; &ldquo;he never was
wounded in his life.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, excuse me,&rdquo; said the officer, opening the shirt,
covered with blood, &ldquo;but I thought&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said the doctor, who began to see the state
of the case, &ldquo;do not let us lose time disputing over the
cause, but see what can be done to cure him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Is it dangerous, doctor?&rdquo; asked M. de Suffren,
with anxiety.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not at all,&rdquo; replied he.
</p>

<p>
M. de Suffren took his leave, and left Charny with
the doctor. Fever commenced, and before long he was
delirious. Three hours after the doctor called a servant,
and told him to take Charny in his arms, who
uttered doleful cries. &ldquo;Roll the sheet over his head,&rdquo;
said the doctor.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But,&rdquo; said the man, &ldquo;he struggles so much that I
must ask assistance from one of the guards.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Are you afraid of a sick man, sir? If he is too
heavy for you, you are not strong enough for me. I
must send you back to Auvergne.&rdquo; This threat had its
effect. Charny, crying, fighting, and gesticulating, was
carried by the man through the guards.
</p>

<p>
Some of the officers questioned the doctor.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! gentlemen,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;this gallery is too far off
for me; I must have him in my own rooms.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But I assure you, doctor, we would all have looked
after him here. We all love M. de Suffren.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh yes, I know your sort of care! The sick man is
thirsty, and you give him something to drink, and kill
him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now there remains but one danger,&rdquo; said the doctor
to himself, as he followed Charny, &ldquo;that the king should
want to visit him, and if he hear him&mdash;&mdash; Diable! I
must speak to the queen.&rdquo; The good doctor, therefore,
having bathed the head and face of his patient with cold
water, and seen him safe in bed, went out and locked the
door on him, leaving his servant to look after him. He
went towards the queen&rsquo;s apartments, and met Madame
de Misery, who had just been despatched to ask after
the patient.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come with me,&rdquo; he said.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, doctor, the queen waits for intelligence.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am going to her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The queen wishes&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The queen shall know all she wishes. I will take
care of that.&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER L.<br/>
&AElig;GRI SOMNIA.</h2>

<p>
The queen was expecting the return of Madame de
Misery. The doctor entered with his accustomed familiarity.
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;the patient in whom
your majesty and the king are interested is as well as any
one can be who has a fever.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Is it a slight wound?&rdquo; asked the queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Slight or not, he is in a fever.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Poor fellow!&mdash;a bad fever?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Terrible!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You frighten me; dear doctor; you, who are generally
so cheering. Besides, you look about you, as though
you had a secret to tell.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So I have.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;About the fever?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To tell me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Speak, then, for I am curious.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I wait for you to question me, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, how does the fever go on?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No; ask me why I have taken him away from the
guard&rsquo;s gallery, where the king left him, to my own
room.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, I ask. Indeed it is strange.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then, madame, I did so, because it is not an ordinary
fever.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen looked surprised. &ldquo;What do you mean?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Charny is delirious already, and in his delirium
he says a number of things rather delicate for the gentlemen
of the guard to hear.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Doctor!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame! you should not question me, if you do
not wish to hear my answers.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, then, dear doctor, is he an atheist? Does he
blaspheme?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, no! he is on the contrary a devotee.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen assumed a look of sang-froid. &ldquo;M. de
Charny,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;interests me. He is the nephew of
M. de Suffren, and has besides rendered me personal
services. I wish to be a friend to him. Tell me, therefore,
the exact truth.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But I cannot tell you, madame. If your majesty
wishes to know, the only way is to hear him yourself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But if he says such strange things?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Things which your majesty ought to hear.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But,&rdquo; said the queen, &ldquo;I cannot move a step here,
without some charitable spy watching me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will answer for your security. Come through my
private way, and I will lock the door after us.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I trust to you, then, dear doctor.&rdquo; And she followed
him, burning with curiosity.
</p>

<p>
When they reached the second door the doctor put his
ear to the keyhole.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Is your patient in there, doctor?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, madame, or you would have heard him at the
end of the corridor. Even here you can hear his voice.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He groans.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, he speaks loud and distinct.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But I cannot go in to him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not mean you to do so. I only wish you to
listen in the adjoining room, where you will hear without
being seen.&rdquo; They went on, and the doctor entered the
sick-room alone.
</p>

<p>
Charny, still dressed in his uniform, was making fruitless
efforts to rise, and was repeating to himself his interview
with the German lady in the coach. &ldquo;German!&rdquo;
he cried&mdash;&ldquo;German! Queen of France!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you hear, madame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is frightful,&rdquo; continued Charny, &ldquo;to love an
angel, a woman&mdash;to love her madly&mdash;to be willing to
give your life for her; and when you come near her, to
find her only a queen&mdash;of velvet and of gold, of metal
and of silk, and no heart.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! oh!&rdquo; cried the doctor again.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I love a married woman!&rdquo; Charny went on, &ldquo;and
with that wild love which, makes me forget everything
else. Well, I will say to her, there remain for us still
some happy days on this earth. Come, my beloved, and
we will live the life of the blessed, if we love each other.
Afterwards there will be death&mdash;better than a life like
this. Let us love at least.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not badly reasoned for a man in a fever,&rdquo; said the
doctor.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But her children!&rdquo; cried Charny suddenly, with
fury; &ldquo;she will not leave her children. Oh! we will
carry them away also. Surely I can carry her, she is so
light, and her children too.&rdquo; Then he gave a terrible
cry: &ldquo;But they are the children of a king!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The doctor left his patient and approached the queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are right, doctor,&rdquo; said she; &ldquo;this young man
would incur a terrible danger if he were overheard.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Listen again,&rdquo; said the doctor.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, no more.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
But just then Charny said, in a gentler voice:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Marie, I feel that you love me, but I will say nothing
about it. Marie, I felt the touch of your foot in the
coach; your hand touched mine, but I will never tell; I
will keep this secret with my life. My blood may all flow
away, Marie, but my secret shall not escape with it. My
enemy steeped his sword in my blood, but if he has
guessed my secret, yours is safe. Fear nothing, Marie, I
do not even ask you if you love me; you blushed, that is
enough.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; thought the doctor; &ldquo;this sounds less like
delirium than like memory.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have heard enough,&rdquo; cried the queen, rising and
trembling violently; and she tried to go.
</p>

<p>
The doctor stopped her. &ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;what
do you wish?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nothing, doctor, nothing.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But if the king ask to see my patient?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! that would be dreadful!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What shall I say?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Doctor, I cannot think; this dreadful spectacle has
confused me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I think you have caught his fever,&rdquo; said the doctor,
feeling her pulse.
</p>

<p>
She drew away her hand, and escaped.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LI.<br/>
ANDR&Eacute;E.</h2>

<p>
The doctor remained thoughtful, then said to himself,&mdash;&ldquo;There
are other difficulties here besides those I can
contend with by science.&rdquo; He bathed again the temples
of his patient, who for the time began to grow calmer.
</p>

<p>
All at once the doctor heard the rustling of a dress outside.
&ldquo;Can it be the queen returned?&rdquo; thought he;
and opening the door softly, he saw before him the motionless
figure of a woman, looking like a statue of despair.
It was almost dark; he advanced suddenly along the corridor
to the place where the figure was standing. On seeing
him, she uttered a cry.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who is there?&rdquo; asked Doctor Louis.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I, doctor!&rdquo; replied a sweet and sorrowful voice&mdash;a
voice that he knew but could not immediately recognize.
&ldquo;I, Andrée de Taverney,&rdquo; continued she.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, mon Dieu! what is the matter?&rdquo; cried the
doctor; &ldquo;is she ill?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She! who?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The doctor felt that he had committed an imprudence.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Excuse me, but I saw a lady going away just now,
perhaps it was you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, yes, there has been a lady here before me, has
there not?&rdquo; asked Andrée, in a tone of emotion.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My dear child,&rdquo; replied the doctor, &ldquo;of whom do you
speak? what do you want to know?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Doctor,&rdquo; answered Andrée, in a sorrowful voice, &ldquo;you
always speak the truth, do not deceive me now; I am
sure there was a woman here before me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Doubtless. Why should I deceive you? Madame
de Misery was here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It was Madame de Misery who came?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly; what makes you doubt? What inexplicable
beings women are.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Dear doctor.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, but to the point. Is she worse?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pardieu, the queen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The queen!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, the queen, for whom Madame de Misery came to
fetch me, and who was troubled with her palpitations. If
you come from her, tell me, and we will go back together.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, doctor, I do not come from the queen, and was
even ignorant that she was suffering. But pardon me,
doctor, I scarcely know what I an saying.&rdquo; In fact, she
seemed on the point of fainting.
</p>

<p>
The doctor supported her. She rallied by a strong
effort. &ldquo;Doctor,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;you know I am nervous in
the dark; I lost my way in these intricate passages, and
have grown frightened and foolish.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And why the devil should you be wandering about
these dark passages, since you came for nothing?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I did not say I came for nothing, only that no one
sent me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, if you have anything to say to me, come away
from here, for I am tired of standing.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I shall not be ten minutes; can any one hear us?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No one.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not even your patient in there?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, no fear of his hearing anything.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Andrée clasped her hands. &ldquo;Oh, mon Dieu!&rdquo; she
cried, &ldquo;he is, then, very ill?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Indeed he is not well. But tell me quickly what
brings you here, for I cannot wait.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, doctor, we have spoken of it; I came to ask
after him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Doctor Louis received this confession with a solemn
silence, which Andrée took for a reproach.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You may excuse this step, doctor,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;as he
was wounded in a duel with my brother.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your brother! I was ignorant of that.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But now that you know it, you understand why I inquire
after him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, certainly, my child,&rdquo; said the good doctor, enchanted
to find an excuse for being indulgent; &ldquo;I could
not know this.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A duel between two gentlemen is a thing of everyday
occurrence, doctor.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly; the only thing that could make it of importance
would be that they have fought about a lady!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;About a lady!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;About yourself, for example.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Andrée sighed.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, doctor! they did not fight about me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then,&rdquo; said the doctor, &ldquo;is it your brother that has
sent you for news of M. de Charny?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, yes, my brother, doctor.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Dr. Louis looked at her scrutinizingly.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will find out the truth,&rdquo; thought he. Then he said,
&ldquo;Well, I will tell you the truth, that your brother may
make his arrangements accordingly; you understand.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, doctor.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why, a duel is never a very agreeable thing to the
king, and if it makes a scandal, he often banishes or imprisons
the actors; but when death ensues, he is always
inflexible. Therefore counsel your brother to hide for a
time.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then,&rdquo; cried Andrée, &ldquo;M. de Charny is&mdash;dangerously
ill?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My dear young lady, if he is not out of danger by this
time to-morrow, if before that time I cannot quell the
fever that devours him, M. de Charny is a dead man.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Andrée bit her lips till the blood came, and clenched
her hands till the nails stuck into the flesh, to stifle the
cry that was ready to burst from her. Having conquered
herself, she said, &ldquo;My brother will not fly; he wounded
M. de Charny in fair fight, and if he has killed him, he
will take his chance.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The doctor was deceived. She did not come on her
own account, he thought.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How does the queen take it?&rdquo; he asked.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The queen? I know not. What is it to her?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But she likes your brother.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, he is safe; and perhaps she will defend him if
he is accused.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then, mademoiselle, you have learned what you
wished. Let your brother fly, or not, as he pleases; that
is your affair. Mine is to do the best to-night for the
wounded man; without which, death will infallibly carry
him off. Adieu.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Andrée fled back to her room, locked herself in, and
falling on her knees by the side of her bed, &ldquo;My God!&rdquo;
cried she, with a torrent of burning tears, &ldquo;you will not
leave this young man to die who has done no wrong, and
who is so loved in this world. Oh! save him, that I may
see a God of mercy, and not of vengeance.&rdquo; Her strength
gave way, and she fell senseless on the floor. When her
senses returned to her, her first muttered words were, &ldquo;I
love him! oh, I love him!&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LII.<br/>
DELIRIUM.</h2>

<p>
M. De Charny conquered the fever. The next day the
report was favorable. Once out of danger, Doctor Louis
ceased to take so much interest in him; and after the
lapse of a week, as he had not forgotten all that had
passed in his delirium, he wished to have him removed
from Versailles: but Charny, at the first hint of this, rebelled,
and said angrily, &ldquo;that his majesty had given
him shelter there, and that no one had a right to disturb
him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The doctor, who was not patient with intractable convalescents,
ordered four men to come in and move him;
but Charny caught hold of his bed with one hand, and
struck furiously with the other at every one who approached;
and with the effort, the wound reopened, the
fever returned, and he began to cry out that the doctor
wished to deprive him of the visions that he had in his
sleep, but that it was all in vain; for that she who sent
them to him was of too high rank to mind the doctor.
</p>

<p>
Then the doctor, frightened, sent the men away, and
dressed the wound again; but as the delirium returned
stronger than ever, he determined to go once more to the
queen.
</p>

<p>
Marie Antoinette received him with a smile; she expected
to hear that the patient was cured, but on hearing
that he was very ill, she cried:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why, yesterday you said he was going on so well!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It was not true, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And why did you deceive me? Is there, then,
danger?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame, to himself and others; but the evil is
moral, not physical. The wound in itself is nothing; but,
madame, M. de Charny is fast becoming a monomaniac,
and this I cannot cure. Madame, you will have ruined
this young man.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I, doctor! Am I the cause, if he is mad?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If you are not now, you soon will be.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What must I do, then? Command me, doctor.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This young man must be cured either with kindness
or coercion. The woman whose name he evokes every
instant must kill or cure him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Doctor, you exaggerate. Can you kill a man with a
hard word, or cure a madman with a smile?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If your majesty be incredulous, I have only to pay my
respects, and take leave.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, doctor; tell me what you wish.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, if you desire to free this palace from his
cries, and from scandal, you must act.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You wish me to come and see him?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then I will call some one&mdash;Mademoiselle de Taverney,
for example&mdash;and you have all ready to receive us. But
it is a dreadful responsibility to run the risk of kill or
cure, as you say.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is what I have to do every day. Come, madame,
all is ready.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen sighed, and followed the doctor, without
waiting for Andrée, who was not to be found.
</p>

<p>
It was eleven o&rsquo;clock in the morning, and Charny was
asleep, after the troubled night he had gone through.
The queen, attired in an elegant morning dress, entered
the corridor. The doctor advised her to present herself
suddenly, determined to produce a crisis, either for good
or ill; but at the door they found a woman standing, who
had not time to assume her usual unmoved tranquillity,
but showed an agitated countenance, and trembled before
them.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Andrée!&rdquo; cried the queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, your majesty; you are here too!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I sent for you, but they could not find you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Andrée, anxious to hide her feelings, even at the price
of a falsehood, said, &ldquo;I heard your majesty had asked for
me, and came after you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How did you know I was here?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They said you were gone with Doctor Louis, so I
guessed it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well guessed,&rdquo; replied the queen, who was little suspicious,
and forgot immediately her first surprise.
</p>

<p>
She went on, leaving Andrée with the doctor.
</p>

<p>
Andrée, seeing her disappear, gave a look full of anger
and grief. The doctor said to her:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you think she will succeed?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Succeed in what?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;In getting this poor fellow removed, who will die
here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Will he live elsewhere?&rdquo; asked Andrée, surprised.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I believe so.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, then, may she succeed!&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LIII.<br/>
CONVALESCENCE.</h2>

<p>
The queen walked straight up to where Charny lay,
dressed, on a couch. He raised his head, wakened by her
entrance.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The queen!&rdquo; cried he, trying to rise.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sir, the queen,&rdquo; she replied, &ldquo;who knows how
you strive to lose both reason and life; the queen, whom
you offend both dreaming and waking; the queen, who
cares for your honor and your safety, and therefore comes
to you. Is it possible,&rdquo; continued she, &ldquo;that a gentleman,
formerly renowned like you for his loyalty and honor,
should become such an enemy as you have been to the reputation
of a woman? What will my enemies do, if you
set them the example of treason?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Treason!&rdquo; stammered Charny.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sir. Either you are a madman, and must be
forcibly prevented from doing harm; or you are a traitor,
and must be punished.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame, do not call me a traitor! From the
mouth of a king, such an accusation would precede
death; from the mouth of a woman, it is dishonor.
Queen, kill me, or spare me!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Are you in your right mind, M. de Charny?&rdquo; said
the queen, in a moved voice.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you remember your wrongs towards me, and
towards the king?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Mon Dieu!&rdquo; he murmured.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;For you too easily forget, you gentlemen, that the
king is the husband of the woman whom you insult, by
raising your eyes to her&mdash;that he is the father of your
future master, the dauphin; you forget, also, that he is
a greater and better man than any of you&mdash;a man whom
I esteem and love.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; murmured Charny, with a groan, and seemed
ready to faint.
</p>

<p>
This cry pierced the queen&rsquo;s heart; she thought he was
about to die, and was going to call for assistance; but,
after an instant&rsquo;s reflection, she went on: &ldquo;Let us converse
quietly, and be a man. Doctor Louis has vainly
tried to cure you; your wound, which was nothing, has
been rendered dangerous through your own extravagances.
When will you cease to present to the good
doctor the spectacle of a scandalous folly which disquiets
him? When will you leave the castle?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; replied Charny, &ldquo;your majesty sends me
away; I go, I go!&rdquo; And he rose with a violent effort,
as though he would have fled that instant, but, unable to
stand, fell almost into the arms of the queen, who had
risen to stop him.
</p>

<p>
She replaced him on the sofa; a bloody foam rose to
his lips. &ldquo;Ah, so much the better!&rdquo; cried he; &ldquo;I die,
killed by you!&rdquo; The queen forgot everything but his
danger; she supported his drooping head on her shoulders,
and pressed her cold hands to his forehead and
heart. Her touch seemed to revive him as if by magic&mdash;he
lived again; then she wished to fly, but he caught
hold of her dress, saying:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, in the name of the respect which I feel for
you&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Adieu, adieu!&rdquo; cried the queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame, pardon me!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do pardon you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, one last look.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Charny,&rdquo; said the queen, trembling, &ldquo;if you
are not the basest of men, to-morrow you will be dead, or
have left this castle.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
He threw himself at her feet; she opened the door,
and rushed away.
</p>

<p>
Andrée saw for an instant the young man on his knees
before her, and felt struck with both hate and despair.
She thought, as she saw the queen return, that God had
given too much to this woman in adding to her throne
and her beauty this half-hour with M. de Charny.
</p>

<p>
The doctor, occupied only with the success of the negotiation,
said, &ldquo;Well, madame, what will he do?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He will leave,&rdquo; replied the queen; and, passing them
quickly, she returned to her apartment.
</p>

<p>
The doctor went to his patient, and Andrée to her
room.
</p>

<p>
Doctor Louis found Charny a changed man, declaring
himself perfectly strong, asking the doctor how he should
be moved, and when he should be quite well, with so
much energy that the doctor feared it was too much, and
that he must relapse after it. He was, however, so reasonable
as to feel the necessity of explaining this sudden
change. &ldquo;The queen has done me more good by making
me ashamed of myself,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;than you, dear
doctor, with all your science. She has vanquished me by
an appeal to my amour propre.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So much the better,&rdquo; said the doctor.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes. I remember that a Spaniard&mdash;they are all
boasters&mdash;told me one day, to prove the force of his will,
that it sufficed for him in a duel which he had fought,
and in which he had been wounded, to will that the blood
should not flow in the presence of his adversary in order
to retain it. I laughed at him. However, I now feel
something like it myself; I think that if my fever and
delirium wished to return, I could chase them away, saying,
Fever and delirium, I forbid you to appear!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We know such things are possible,&rdquo; replied the doctor.
&ldquo;Allow me to congratulate you, for you are cured
morally.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, the physical cure will soon follow. Once sound
in mind, you will be sound in body within a week.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Thanks, doctor.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And, to begin, you must leave this place.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am ready immediately.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, we will not be rash; we will wait till this evening.
Where will you go?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Anywhere&mdash;to the end of the world if you like.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is too far for a first journey; we will content
ourselves with Versailles. I have a house there where
you shall go to-night.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Accordingly, that evening the four valets, who had
been so rudely repulsed before, carried him to his carriage.
The king had been hunting all day; Charny felt somewhat
uneasy at leaving without apprizing him; but the
doctor promised to make his excuses.
</p>

<p>
Andrée, concealed behind her curtains, saw the carriage
drive off.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If he resumes his desire to die,&rdquo; thought the doctor,
&ldquo;at least it will not be in my rooms, and under my
care.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Charny arrived safely, however, and the next day the
doctor found him so well, that he told him he thought he
would require him no longer.
</p>

<p>
He received a visit from his uncle, and from an officer
sent by the king to inquire after him. At the end of a
week he could ride slowly on horseback: then the doctor
advised him to go for a time to his estates in Picardy to
regain strength. He accordingly took leave of the
king, charged M. de Suffren with his adieus to the queen,
who was ill that evening, and set off for his ch&acirc;teau at
Boursonnes.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LIV.<br/>
TWO BLEEDING HEARTS.</h2>

<p>
On the day following the queen&rsquo;s visit to M. de Charny,
Madlle. de Taverney entered the royal bedroom as usual
at the hour of the petite toilette. The queen was just
laughing over a note from Madame de la Motte. Andrée,
paler than usual, looked cold and grave: the queen, however,
being occupied, did not notice it, but merely turning
her head, said in her usual friendly tone, &ldquo;Bon jour,
petite.&rdquo; At last, however, Andrée&rsquo;s silence struck her,
and looking up she saw her sad expression and said,
&ldquo;Mon Dieu! Andrée, what is the matter? Has any misfortune
happened to you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame, a great one.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What is it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am going to leave your majesty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Leave me!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where are you going? and what is the cause of this
sudden departure?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, I am not happy in my affections; in my
family affections, I mean,&rdquo; added Andrée, blushing.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not understand you&mdash;you seemed happy yesterday.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, madame,&rdquo; replied Andrée, firmly. &ldquo;Yesterday
was one of the unhappy days of my life.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Explain yourself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It would but fatigue your majesty, and the details
are not worthy of your hearing. Suffice it to say, that I
have no satisfaction in my family&mdash;that I have no good to
expect in this world. I come, therefore, to beg your
majesty&rsquo;s permission to retire into a convent.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen rose, and although with some effort to her
pride, took Andrée&rsquo;s hand, and said: &ldquo;What is the
meaning of this foolish resolution? Have you not to-day,
like yesterday, a father and a brother? and were they
different yesterday from to-day? Tell me your difficulties.
Am I no longer your protectress and mother?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Andrée, trembling, and bowing low, said, &ldquo;Madame,
your kindness penetrates my heart, but does not shake
my resolution. I have resolved to quit the court. I have
need of solitude. Do not force me to give up the vocation
to which I feel called.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Since yesterday?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I beg your majesty not to make me speak on this
point.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Be free, then,&rdquo; said the queen, rather bitterly; &ldquo;only I
have always shown you sufficient confidence for you to have
placed some in me. But it is useless to question one who
will not speak. Keep your secrets, and I trust you will
be happier away than you have been here. Remember one
thing, however, that my friendship does not expire with
people&rsquo;s caprices, and that I shall ever look on you as a
friend. Now, go, Andrée; you are at liberty. But
where are you going to?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To the convent of St. Denis, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, mademoiselle, I consider you guilty towards
me of ingratitude and forgetfulness.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Andrée, however, left the room and the castle without
giving any of those explanations which the good heart of
the queen expected, and without in any way softening or
humbling herself. When she arrived at home, she found
Philippe in the garden&mdash;the brother dreamed, while the
sister acted. At the sight of Andrée, whose duties always
kept her with the queen at that hour, he advanced, surprised,
and almost frightened, which was increased when
he perceived her gloomy look.
</p>

<p>
He questioned her, and she told him that she was
about to leave the service of the queen, and go into a
convent.
</p>

<p>
He clasped his hands, and cried, &ldquo;What! you also,
sister?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I also! what do you mean?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;&rsquo;Tis a cursed contact for us, that of the Bourbons.
You wish to take religious vows; you, at once the least
worldly of women, and the least fitted for a life of asceticism.
What have you to reproach the queen with?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have nothing to reproach her with; but you,
Philippe, who expected, and had the right to expect, so
much&mdash;why did not you remain at court? You did not
remain there three days; I have been there as many
years.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She is capricious, Andrée.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You, as a man, might put up with it. I, a woman,
could not, and do not wish to do so.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;All this, my sister, does not inform me what quarrel
you have had with her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;None, Philippe, I assure you. Had you any when
you left her? Oh, she is ungrateful!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We must pardon her, Andrée; she is a little spoiled
by flattery, but she has a good heart.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Witness what she has done for you, Philippe.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What has she done?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have already forgotten. I have a better memory,
and with one stroke pay off your debts and my own.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very dear, it seems to me, Andrée&mdash;to renounce the
world at your age, and with your beauty. Take care,
dear sister, if you renounce it young, you will regret it
old, and will return to it when the time will be passed,
and you have outlived all your friends.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You do not reason thus for yourself, brother. You
are so little careful of your fortunes, that when a hundred
others would have acquired titles and gold, you have only
said&mdash;she is capricious, she is perfidious, and a coquette,
and I prefer not to serve her. Therefore, you have renounced
the world, though you have not entered into a
monastery.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are right, sister; and were it not for our
father&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Our father! Ah, Philippe! do not speak of him,&rdquo;
replied Andrée, bitterly. &ldquo;A father should be a support
to his children, or accept their support. But what
does ours do? Could you confide a secret to M. de
Taverney, or do you believe him capable of confiding in
you? M. de Taverney is made to live alone in this
world.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;True, Andrée, but not to die alone.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, Philippe! you take me for a daughter without
feeling, but you know I am a fond sister; and to have
been a good daughter, required only to have had a father;
but everything seems to conspire to destroy in me every
tender feeling. It never happens in this world that hearts
respond; those whom we choose prefer others.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Philippe looked at her with astonishment. &ldquo;What do
you mean?&rdquo; said he.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nothing,&rdquo; replied Andrée, shrinking from a confidence.
&ldquo;I think my brain is wandering; do not attend
to my words.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Andrée took his hand. &ldquo;Enough on this subject, my
dearest brother. I am come to beg you to conduct me
to the convent of St. Denis; but be easy, I will take no
vows. I can do that at a later period, if I wish. Instead
of going, like most women, to seek forgetfulness, I will
go to seek memory. It seems to me that I have too often
forgotten my Creator. He is the only consolation, as
He is really the only afflictor. In approaching Him more
nearly, I shall do more for my happiness than if all the
rich and great in this world had combined to make life
pleasant to me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Still, Andrée, I oppose this desperate resolution, for
you have not confided to me the cause of your despair!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Despair!&rdquo; said she, with a disdainful air. &ldquo;No,
thank God, I am not despairing; no, a thousand times,
no.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This excess of disdain shows a state of mind which
cannot last. If you reject the word &lsquo;despair,&rsquo; I must use
that of &lsquo;pique.&rsquo;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pique! do you believe that I am so weak as to yield
up my place in the world through pique? Judge me by
yourself, Philippe; if you were to retire to La Trappe,
what would you call the cause of your determination?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I should call it an incurable grief.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, Philippe, I adopt your words, for they suit
me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then,&rdquo; he replied, &ldquo;brother and sister are alike in
their lives: happy together, they have become unhappy
at the same time.&rdquo; Then, thinking further remonstrance
useless, he asked, &ldquo;When do you want to go?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To-morrow, even to-day, if it were possible.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I shall be ready whenever you require me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Andrée retired to make her preparations. Soon she
received this note from Philippe:
</p>

<div class="blockquot"><p>
&ldquo;You can see our father at five o&rsquo;clock this evening.
You must be prepared for reproaches, but an adieu is
indispensable.&rdquo;
</p></div>

<p>
She answered:
</p>

<div class="blockquot"><p>
&ldquo;At five o&rsquo;clock I will be with M. de Taverney all
ready to start, and by seven we can be at St. Denis, if
you will give me up your evening.&rdquo;
</p></div>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LV.<br/>
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE.</h2>

<p>
We have seen that the queen, before receiving Andrée,
was smiling over a note from Madame de la Motte. She
was, however, rendered serious by the interview with
Mademoiselle de Taverney. Scarcely had she gone, when
Madame de Misery came to announce M. de Calonne.
He was a man of much intellect, but, foreseeing that
disaster was hanging over France, determined to think
only of the present, and enjoy it to the utmost. He was
a courtier, and a popular man. M. de Necker had shown
the impossibility of finding finances, and called for reforms
which would have struck at the estates of the nobility
and the revenues of the clergy; he exposed his
designs too openly, and was overwhelmed by a torrent of
opposition; to show the enemy your plan of attack is
half to give them the victory. Calonne, equally alive to
the danger, but seeing no way of escape, gave way to it.
He completely carried with him the king and queen, who
implicitly believed in his system, and this is, perhaps, the
only political fault which Louis XVI was guilty of towards
posterity. M. de Calonne was handsome, and had
an ingratiating manner; he knew how to please a queen,
and always arrived with a smile on his face, when others
might have worn a frown.
</p>

<p>
The queen received him graciously, and said, &ldquo;Have
we any money, M. de Calonne?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly, madame; we have always money.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are perfectly marvelous,&rdquo; replied she, &ldquo;an incomparable
financier, for you seem always ready when we
want money.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How much does your majesty require?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Explain to me first how you manage to find money,
when M. Necker declared that there was none.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. Necker was right, madame; for when I became
minister on the 3d of November, 1783, there were but
one thousand and two hundred francs in the public
treasury. Had M. Necker, madame, instead of crying
out, &lsquo;There is no money,&rsquo; done as I have done, and
borrowed 100,000,000 the first year, and 125,000,000 the
second, and had he been as sure as I am of a new loan of
80,000,000 for the third, he would have been a true financier.
Every one can say there is no money, but not
that there is plenty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is what I compliment you on, sir; but how to
pay all this?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame, be sure we shall pay it,&rdquo; replied he,
with a strange smile.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, I trust to you,&rdquo; said the queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have now a project, madame,&rdquo; replied he, bowing,
&ldquo;which will put 20,000,000 into the pockets of the nation,
and 7,000,000 or 8,000,000 into your own.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They will be welcome, but where are they to come
from?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your majesty is aware that money is not of the same
value in all the countries of Europe.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly. In Spain gold is dearer than in France.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your majesty is perfectly right. Gold in Spain has
been for the last five or six years worth considerably more
than in France; it results that the exporters gain on
eight ounces of gold, that they send from here, about
the value of fourteen ounces of silver.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is a great deal.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, madame, I mean to raise the price of gold one-fifth
of this difference, and where we have now thirty
louis we shall then have thirty-two.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is a brilliant idea!&rdquo; cried the queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I believe it, and am happy that it meets your majesty&rsquo;s
approbation.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Always have such, and I am sure you will soon pay
our debts.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But allow me, madame, to return to what you want
of me,&rdquo; said the minister.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Would it be possible to have at present&mdash;I am afraid
it is too much&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Calonne smiled in an encouraging manner.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;500,000 francs?&rdquo; continued the queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame, really your majesty frightened me; I
was afraid it was something great.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then you can?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Assuredly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Without the king&rsquo;s knowledge?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame, that is impossible. Every month all
my accounts are laid before the king; however, he does
not always read them.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;When can I have it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What day does your majesty wish for it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;On the fifth of next month.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your majesty shall have it on the third.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Thanks, M. de Calonne.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My greatest happiness is to please your majesty, and
I beg you never will allow yourself to be embarrassed for
want of money.&rdquo; He rose, the queen gave him her hand
to kiss, and then said, &ldquo;After all, this money causes me
some remorse, for it is for a caprice.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Never mind; some one will gain by it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is true; you have a charming mode of consoling
one.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame, if we had none of us more reasons for
remorse than you, we should all go straight to heaven.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But it will be cruel to make the poor people pay for
my caprices.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Have no scruples, madame; it is not the poor who
will pay.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How so?&rdquo; asked the queen, in some surprise.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because, madame, they have nothing to pay with.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
He bowed and retired.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LVI.<br/>
THE CARDINAL DE ROHAN.</h2>

<p>
Hardly had M. de Calonne traversed the gallery,
when Madame de la Motte was shown in to the queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;the cardinal is here.&rdquo; She then
introduced him, and took her leave.
</p>

<p>
The cardinal, finding himself alone with the queen,
bowed respectfully, without raising his eyes.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur,&rdquo; said the queen, &ldquo;I have heard of you what
has effaced many wrongs.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Permit me, madame,&rdquo; said he, trembling with real
emotion, &ldquo;to assure your majesty that these wrongs of
which you speak I could explain in a few words.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not forbid you to justify yourself,&rdquo; replied she,
with dignity; &ldquo;but if what you are about to say throws
the smallest shade upon my family or country, you will
only wound me still more. Let us leave this subject;
and I will only see you under the fresh light, which shows
you to me obliging, respectful, and devoted.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Devoted until death,&rdquo; replied he.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But,&rdquo; said Marie Antoinette, with a smile, &ldquo;at present
it is a question not of death, but of ruin; and I do
not wish you devoted even so far. You shall live, and
not be ruined, at least, not by me; for they say you are
ruining yourself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! that is your own business; only, as a friend, I
would counsel you to be economical&mdash;the king would like
you better.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I would become a miser to please your majesty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, the king,&rdquo; replied she, with an accent on the
word, &ldquo;does not love misers either.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will become whatever your majesty desires,&rdquo; replied
he, with a hardly-disguised passion.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I said, then,&rdquo; continued she, &ldquo;that you shall not be
ruined for me. You have advanced money on my account,
and I have the means of meeting the calls; therefore,
regard the affair for the future as in my hands.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To finish it, then, it only remains for me to offer the
necklace to your majesty;&rdquo; and drawing out the case, he
presented it to her.
</p>

<p>
She took it, but did not open it, and laid it down by
her side. She received kindly all his polite speeches, but
as she was longing to be left alone with her diamonds, she
began to answer somewhat absently.
</p>

<p>
He thought she was embarrassed, and was delighted,
thinking it showed, at least, an absence of indifference.
He then kissed her hand, and took leave, going away
full of enthusiasm and hope.
</p>

<p>
Jeanne was waiting for him in the carriage, and received
his ardent protestations with pleasure. &ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said she,
&ldquo;shall you be Richelieu or Mazarin? Have her lips given
you encouragement in ambition or love? Are you
launched in politics or intrigue?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do not laugh, dear countess; I am full of happiness.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Already!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Assist me, and in three weeks I may be a minister.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Peste! that is a long time; the next payment is in a
fortnight.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! the queen has money, and will pay, and I shall
have only the merit of the intention. It is too little; I
would willingly have paid for this reconciliation with the
whole sum.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Make yourself easy,&rdquo; replied the countess; &ldquo;you shall
have this merit if you desire it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I should have preferred it; the queen would then
have been under an obligation to me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monseigneur, something tells me you will have this
satisfaction. Are you prepared for it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have mortgaged all my revenue for the ensuing
year.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then you have the money?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly, for this payment; after that, I do not know
what I shall do.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, this payment will give you three quiet months;
who knows what may happen in three months?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is true; but she said that the king wished me
to incur no more debt.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Two months in the ministry would set all straight.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Countess!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, do not be fastidious; if you do not assist yourself,
others will.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are right. Where are you going now?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Back to the queen, to hear what she says of your interview.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Good! I go to Paris.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why? You should go this evening to the &lsquo;jeu du
roi;&rsquo; it is good policy to keep your ground.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, countess; I must attend a rendezvous, for which
I received a note this morning.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A rendezvous?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, and a serious one, by the contents of the note.
Look.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A man&rsquo;s writing,&rdquo; said the countess; and, opening
the note, she read:
</p>

<div class="blockquot"><p>
&ldquo;<span class="smcap">Monseigneur</span>,&mdash;Some one wishes to see you about
raising an important sum of money. This person will
wait on you this evening, at Paris, to solicit the honor of
an interview.&rdquo;
</p></div>

<p>
&ldquo;Anonymous&mdash;some beggar?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, countess; no beggar would expose himself to
the risk of being beaten by my servants. Besides, I
fancy I have seen the writing before. So au revoir,
countess.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Apropos, monseigneur, if you are going to get a
windfall, some large sum, I understand we are to
share.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Countess, you have brought me luck; I shall not
be ungrateful.&rdquo; And they separated.
</p>

<p>
The cardinal was full of happy dreams: the queen had
received him kindly. He would place himself at the
head of her party, and make it a popular one; he would
protect her, and for her sake would abandon his slothful
life, and live an active one.
</p>

<p>
As soon as he arrived at his hotel, he commenced
burning a box full of love-letters; then he called his
steward to order some economical reforms, and sat down
to his history of English politics. Soon he heard a ring,
and a servant entered to announce the person who had
written to him that morning.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ask his name,&rdquo; said the cardinal.
</p>

<p>
The man, having inquired, returned and said:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. le Comte de Cagliostro.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Let him come in.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The count entered.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Mon Dieu!&rdquo; cried the cardinal, &ldquo;is it possible?
Joseph Balsamo, who was supposed to have perished in
the flames?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, monseigneur, more alive than ever.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, sir, you have taken a new name.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, monseigneur; the other recalled too many
painful recollections. Possibly, you yourself would not
have opened your door to Joseph Balsamo.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I! oh yes, sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then monseigneur has a better memory and more
honesty than most men.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur, you once rendered me a service.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Am I not, monseigneur, a good specimen of the results
of my elixir?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I confess it, sir; but you seem above humanity&mdash;you,
who distribute health and gold to all.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Health perhaps, monseigneur, but not gold.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You make no more gold.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because I lost the parcel of an indispensable ingredient
which Althotas discovered, but of which I never
had the receipt. He has carried that secret with him to
the grave.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He is dead, then? How, could you not preserve the
life of this man, so useful to you, as you have kept yourself
through so many centuries?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because I can guard against illness, but not against
such accidents as kill before I can act.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He died from an accident, then?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The fire in which you thought I died killed him; or
rather he, weary of life, chose to die.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is strange.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, it is natural; I have a hundred times thought
of ending my life.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But you have not done so.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because I enjoy a state of youth, in which health
and pleasure kept me from ennui; but he had chosen
one of old age. He was a savant, and cared only for
science; and thus youth, with its thousand pleasures,
would have constantly drawn him from its study. An
old man meditates better than a young one. Althotas
died a victim to his love of science: I lead a worldly life,
and do nothing&mdash;I live like a planet.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, sir, your words and appearance bring to me
dreams of my youth. It is ten years since I saw you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes; but if you are no longer a fine young man, you
are a prince. Do you remember the day when, in my
cabinet, I promised you the love of the woman whose
fair locks I consulted?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal turned from pale to red. Terror and joy
almost stopped the beating of his heart.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I remember,&rdquo; said he.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, let me try if I can still play the magician. This
fair child of your dreams&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What is she doing now?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, I suspect you yourself have seen her to-day;
indeed, you have not long left her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal could hardly stand.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I beg, sir&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo; he cried.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Let us speak of something else,&rdquo; said Cagliostro,
sitting down.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LVII.<br/>
DEBTOR AND CREDITOR.</h2>

<p>
&ldquo;Now that we have renewed our acquaintance, let us
converse,&rdquo; said Cagliostro.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; replied the cardinal, &ldquo;about the money you
wrote of; it was a pretext, was it not?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, monsieur, a serious matter, as it concerns a sum
of 500,000 francs.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The sum which you lent me?&rdquo; cried the cardinal,
growing pale.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, monseigneur; I love to see so good a memory in
a great prince like you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal felt overwhelmed by the blow. At last,
trying to smile, he said:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I thought that Joseph Balsamo had carried his debt
with him to the tomb, as he threw the receipt into the
fire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monseigneur,&rdquo; replied the count, &ldquo;the life of Joseph
Balsamo is as indestructible as the sheet on which you
wrote. Death cannot conquer the elixir of life; fire is
powerless against asbestos.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not understand,&rdquo; said the cardinal.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You soon will,&rdquo; replied Cagliostro, producing a folded
paper, which he offered to the prince.
</p>

<p>
He, before opening it, cried, &ldquo;My receipt!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, monseigneur, your receipt.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But I saw you burn it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;True, I threw it on the fire, but by accident you had
written on a piece of asbestos, so that the receipt remained
uninjured among the cinders.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur,&rdquo; said the cardinal, haughtily, for he
thought this a proof that he had been suspected, &ldquo;believe
me, I should not have denied my debt, even without
this paper; therefore you were wrong to deceive me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I deceived you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes; you made me think the paper was destroyed.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To leave you the calm enjoyment of 500,000 francs.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, sir, why have you left such a sum for ten years
unclaimed?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I knew, monseigneur, that it was safe. Various
events have deprived me of my wealth; but, knowing
that I had this sum in reserve, I have waited patiently
until the last moment.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And has that arrived?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Alas! yes, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So that you can really wait no longer?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You want it at once?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If it please you to pay it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal was at first silent, through despair. Then
he said, in a hoarse voice:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. le Comte, we unhappy princes of the earth do not
improvise fortunes as quickly as you enchanters.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, monseigneur,&rdquo; said Cagliostro, &ldquo;I would not have
asked you for this sum, had I not known beforehand that
you had it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have 500,000 francs?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;30,000 in gold, 11,000 in silver, and the rest in notes,
which are in this buhl cabinet.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal turned white. &ldquo;You knew this?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, monseigneur, and I know you have made great
sacrifices to obtain it. I have heard that you will pay
heavily for it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, it is too true!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, monseigneur, during these ten years I have often
been in want and embarrassment, yet I have kept this
paper back, so as not to trouble you; therefore I do not
think you can complain.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Complain! oh, no, sir; when you graciously lent me
such a sum, I must ever remain your debtor. But during
those ten years there were twenty occasions when I could
have repaid you with ease, while to-day the restitution
you demand embarrasses me dreadfully. You, who know
everything, who read even hearts, and penetrate the doors
of cabinets, doubtless, know also the purpose for which
this money was destined.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are wrong, monseigneur,&rdquo; said Cagliostro, coldly.
&ldquo;My knowledge has brought me so much misery and
disappointment, that I no longer seek to penetrate the
secrets of others. It concerned me to know whether you
had this money, as I wished to claim it; but once having
ascertained that, I did not trouble myself to think for
what purpose it was destined. Besides, did I know it,
it might seem so grave a matter as almost to force me to
waive my claim, which really at present I cannot afford
to do. Therefore, I prefer to be ignorant.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, monsieur,&rdquo; cried the cardinal, &ldquo;do not think I
wish to parade my embarrassments in order to elude my
debt! You have your own interests to look to; they are
guaranteed by this paper, which bears my signature&mdash;that
is enough. You shall have your money, although I
do not think there was any promise to pay.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your eminence is mistaken;&rdquo; and opening the paper
he read these words:
</p>

<div class="blockquot"><p>
&ldquo;I acknowledge the receipt of 500,000 francs from
M. Joseph Balsamo, which I will repay on demand.
</p>

<span style="margin-left: 24em;">&ldquo;<span class="smcap">Louis de Rohan</span>.&rdquo;</span>

</div>

<p>
&ldquo;You see, monseigneur, that I only ask my right; besides,
as this was a spontaneous loan by me to a man I
hardly knew, the payment might have been equally spontaneous,
without waiting for me to claim it. But you
did not think so. Well, monseigneur, I withdraw this
paper, and bid you adieu.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, count,&rdquo; replied the cardinal; &ldquo;a Rohan must
not receive lessons in generosity; besides, this is a mere
question of honesty. Give me the paper, sir, and I will
discharge my debt.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
For a moment Cagliostro hesitated, for the pale face
and distressed air of the cardinal inclined him to pity;
but quickly hardening himself he handed him the paper.
M. de Rohan went to the cabinet, and took out the
money. &ldquo;There,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;are your 500,000 francs;
and I owe you 250,000 more for interest, which you shall
have if you will give me time.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monseigneur,&rdquo; said Cagliostro, &ldquo;I lent 500,000 francs
to M. de Rohan, which he has paid me; he therefore
owes me nothing more. I will take the notes with me,
and send for the money. I thank you for your compliance
with my request.&rdquo; Then, bowing, he left the room.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; sighed M. de Rohan, &ldquo;it is likely, at least,
that the queen has the money, and no Joseph Balsamo
will come and take it from her.&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LVIII.<br/>
FAMILY ACCOUNTS.</h2>

<p>
It was the day before the first payment was due, and
M. de Calonne had so much to do, that he had forgotten
his promise. The queen had up to this time waited
patiently, relying on his word; she now, however, was
beginning to grow uneasy, when she received the following
note:
</p>

<div class="blockquot"><p>
&ldquo;This evening the business with which your majesty
has charged me will be settled by the Council; the
money will be with the queen to-morrow evening.&rdquo;
</p></div>

<p>
Marie Antoinette recovered all her gaiety directly.
</p>

<p>
After dinner the king went to the Council, but in
a rather bad humor. The news from Russia was bad; a
vessel had been lost; some of the provinces refused to
pay the taxes; also a beautiful map of the world, made
by himself, had that day split into two pieces. Vainly,
therefore, M. de Calonne produced his accounts, with his
usual smiling air; the king continued out of temper. For
a long time he sat, as usual, drawing hieroglyphics on a
piece of paper, whilst the foreign correspondence was
being read, and paying little attention to what passed
around him.
</p>

<p>
At last, however, M. de Calonne began to speak of the
loan to be raised for the ensuing year. The king became
attentive, and said, &ldquo;Always borrowing; but how is it
to be repaid? That is a problem, M. de Calonne, for you
to solve.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire, a loan is only turning a stream from one direction,
to cause it to flow more abundantly in another. In
deepening the channel, you only increase the supply;
therefore, let us not think of paying, but only of obtaining
present supplies.&rdquo; M. de Calonne then explained his
plans, which were approved by his colleagues.
</p>

<p>
The king agreed, with a sigh.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now we have money,&rdquo; said M. de Calonne, &ldquo;let us
dispose of it;&rdquo; and he handed a paper to the king, with
a list of pensions, gifts, and payments to be made.
</p>

<p>
The king glanced at the total,&mdash;&ldquo;1,900,000 francs for
this&mdash;enormous!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, sire, one item is 500,000 francs.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Which?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The advance to the queen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To the queen! 500,000 francs to the queen!&mdash;impossible!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pardon, sire, it is correct.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But there must be a mistake; a fortnight ago her
majesty received her money.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire, but if her majesty has need of money; and we
all know how well she employs it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No,&rdquo; cried the king; &ldquo;the queen does not want this
money; she said to me that she preferred a vessel to
jewels. The queen thinks but of France, and when
France is poor, we that are rich ought to lend to France;
and if she does require this money, it will be a greater
merit to wait for it; and I guarantee that she will wait.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The ministers applauded this patriotic speech of the
king,&mdash;only M. de Calonne insisted.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really, monsieur,&rdquo; said the king, &ldquo;you are more interested
for us than we are for ourselves.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The queen, sire, will accuse us of having been backward
when her interests were concerned.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will plead your cause.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, sire, the queen never asks without necessity.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If the queen has wants, they are, I trust, less imperious
than those of the poor, and she will be the first to
acknowledge it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am resolved,&rdquo; said the king; &ldquo;and I fancy I hear
the queen in her generosity thanking me for having so
well understood her heart.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
M. de Calonne bit his lips, and Louis, content with this
personal sacrifice, signed all the rest without looking at
them.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Calonne, you shall tell the queen yourself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! sire, I beg to resign to you the honor.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So be it then. Ah! here she comes, let us meet her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I beg your majesty to excuse me,&rdquo; he replied, and retired
quickly.
</p>

<p>
The king approached the queen&mdash;she was leaning on
the arm of the Comte d&rsquo;Artois, and seemed very gay.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; said the king, &ldquo;have you had a pleasant
walk?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sire. And you an agreeable council?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame, I have gained you 500,000 francs.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Calonne has kept his word,&rdquo; thought the queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Only imagine, madame,&rdquo; continued the king; &ldquo;M.
de Calonne had put down 500,000 francs for you, and I
have struck it out,&mdash;a clear gain, therefore, of that sum.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Struck it through!&rdquo; cried the queen, turning pale;
&ldquo;but, sire&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! I am so hungry, I am going to supper;&rdquo; and he
went away delighted with his work.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Brother,&rdquo; said the queen, &ldquo;seek M. de Calonne for
me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
At that moment a note from him was handed to her:
&ldquo;Your majesty will have learned that the king refused
your grant. It was incomprehensible, and I retired from
the council penetrated with grief.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Read,&rdquo; said she, passing the note to the count.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And there are people,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;who say that we
squander the revenue! This is an extraordinary proceeding&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Quite husbandlike,&rdquo; said the queen. &ldquo;Adieu,
brother.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I condole with you,&rdquo; he replied; &ldquo;and it is a lesson
for me. I was going to make a request to-morrow for
myself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Send for Madame de la Motte,&rdquo; said the queen, when
she returned to her room.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LIX.<br/>
MARIE ANTOINETTE AS QUEEN, AND MADAME DE LA
MOTTE AS WOMAN.</h2>

<p>
The courier despatched for Madame de la Motte, not
finding her at home, went to the hotel of the Cardinal de
Rohan to inquire if she were there.
</p>

<p>
The well-tutored Swiss replied that she was not, but
that he could get any message transmitted to her.
</p>

<p>
The courier, therefore, left word for her to come to the
queen as soon as possible. The man had hardly left the
door before the message was delivered to Jeanne as she
sat at supper with the cardinal. She set off immediately,
and was at once introduced into the queen&rsquo;s chamber.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; cried the queen on seeing her, &ldquo;I have something
to tell you. The king has refused me 500,000
francs.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Mon Dieu!&rdquo; murmured the countess.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Incredible, is it not? He struck through the item;
but it is useless to talk of it; you must return to Paris,
and tell the cardinal that since he is so kind I accept the
500,000 francs he offered me. It is selfish, I know, but
what can I do?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! madame!&rdquo; cried Jeanne, &ldquo;we are lost&mdash;the
cardinal no longer has the money.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen started.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No money!&rdquo; stammered she.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, madame; an unexpected creditor claimed this
money from him. It was a debt of honor, and he paid
it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The whole 500,000 francs?
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And he has no more?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, madame, he told me this an hour and a half ago,
and confessed to me that he had no other resources.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen leaned her head on her hands; then, after
a few moments&rsquo; reflection, she said:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This, countess, is a terrible lesson for me, and a
punishment for having done anything, great or small,
without the king&rsquo;s knowledge. It was a folly; I had no
need of this necklace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;True, madame; but if the queen consulted only her
absolute wants&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I must consult before everything the tranquillity and
happiness of my household. I renounce forever what
has begun with so much annoyance. I will sacrifice my
vanity on the altar of duty, as M. de Provence would say;
and beautiful as this necklace is, you shall carry it back
to MM. Bœhmer and Bossange.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Carry it back?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, madame, your majesty has already given 100,000
francs for it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, I shall gain all the rest that was to have been
paid for it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, madame, they will not like to return your
money.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I give it up on condition of their breaking the contract.
Now, countess, that I have come to this determination,
I feel at ease once more. This necklace
brought with it cares and fears; diamonds cannot compensate
for these. Take it away, countess; the jewelers
must be satisfied; they will have their necklace, and
100,000 francs into the bargain.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But M. de Rohan?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He only acted to give me pleasure, and when he is
told it is my pleasure, not to have the necklace, he will
understand me, I am sure; and if he is a good friend, he
will approve and strengthen me in my sacrifice.&rdquo; Saying
these words, the queen held out the casket to Jeanne.
</p>

<p>
She did not take it. &ldquo;Why not ask for time, madame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, countess, it is humiliation. One may humiliate
one&rsquo;s self for a person one loves, to save a living creature,
were it only a dog; but only to keep some sparkling
stones&mdash;never, countess; take it away.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, madame, it will surely become known that your
majesty has had the jewels, and was obliged to return
them.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No one will know anything about it. The jewelers
will surely hold their tongues for 100,000 francs. Take
it away, countess, and thank M. de Rohan for his good-will
towards me. There is no time to lose; go as soon as
possible, and bring me back a receipt for them.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, it shall be done as you wish.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She first drove home, and changed her dress, which
was too elegant for a visit to the jewelers. Meanwhile
she reflected much; she thought still it was a fault for M.
de Rohan to allow the queen to part with these jewels;
and should she obey her orders without consulting him,
would he not have reason to complain? Would he not
rather sell himself than let the queen return them? &ldquo;I
must consult him,&rdquo; she thought; &ldquo;but, after all, he
never can get the money.&rdquo; She then took the necklace
from the case, once more to look at and admire it.
&ldquo;1,600,000 francs in my possession; true, it is but for an
hour. To carry away such a sum in gold I should want
two horses, yet how easily I hold it here! But I must
decide. Shall I go to the cardinal, or take it direct to
the jewelers, as the queen ordered? And the receipt&mdash;in
what form shall I get it, so as not to compromise the
queen, the cardinal, or myself? Shall I consult&mdash;&mdash; Ah!
if he loved me more, and could give me the diamonds.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She sat down again and remained nearly an hour in
deep thought. Then she rose, with a strange look in her
eyes, and rang the bell with a determined air.
</p>

<p>
She ordered a coach, and in a few minutes she reached
the house of the journalist, M. Reteau de Villette.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LX.<br/>
THE RECEIPT OF MM. B&#338;HMER AND BOSSANGE, AND THE
GRATITUDE OF THE QUEEN.</h2>

<p>
The result of Madame de la Motte&rsquo;s visit to M. Reteau
de Villette appeared the next day. At seven o&rsquo;clock in
the morning she sent to the queen the following paper:
</p>

<div class="blockquot"><p>
&ldquo;We, the undersigned, acknowledge having received
back again the diamond necklace sold to the queen for
1,600,000 francs, the diamonds not suiting her majesty,
who has paid us for our loss and trouble 100,000 francs.
</p>

<span style="margin-left: 24em;">&ldquo;<span class="smcap">Bœhmer and Bossange</span>.&rdquo;</span><br />

</div>

<p>
The queen, now tranquil about the whole affair, locked
up the receipt, and thought no more of it.
</p>

<p>
But, in strange contradiction to this receipt, the jewelers
received a visit two days after from M. de Rohan,
who felt uneasy about the payment.
</p>

<p>
If the instalment had not been paid, he expected to find
them naturally annoyed; but to his great satisfaction
they received him with smiles.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The queen has paid, then?&rdquo; he asked.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, monseigneur, the queen could not procure the
money, as the king had refused it to her; but she has
guaranteed the debt, and that fully satisfies us.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! so much the better; but how? Through the
countess?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, monseigneur. On hearing of the king&rsquo;s refusal,
which soon became public, we wrote to Madame de la
Motte&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;When?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yesterday.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And she replied?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;By one word, &lsquo;Wait.&rsquo; That evening we received
from the queen, by a courier, a letter.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A letter to you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Or rather a guarantee, in due form.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Let me see it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! we would with pleasure, but her majesty enjoins
that it is not to be shown to any one.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then you are safe?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Perfectly, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The queen acknowledges the debt?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Fully.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And engages to pay?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;500,000 francs in three months, the rest in six;&rdquo; and
she adds, &ldquo;let the affair rest between ourselves. You
will have no cause to repent it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am charmed that it is settled,&rdquo; said the cardinal.
</p>

<p>
We must now raise the veil, though, doubtless, our
readers comprehend how Jeanne de la Motte had acted
towards her benefactress, and how she had managed to
satisfy both the queen and the jewelers by borrowing the
pen of M. Reteau.
</p>

<p>
Three months were thus obtained for the completion of
her design of crime and deception, and within three
months everything would be arranged.
</p>

<p>
She went to M. de Rohan, and repeated to him what
the jewelers had already told him.
</p>

<p>
He asked if the queen remembered his good intentions.
She drew a picture of her gratitude, which enchanted
him.
</p>

<p>
Her intention had been to sell some of the diamonds to
the value of 100,000 crowns, and then pass over to England,
where, when necessary, she could dispose of the
remainder. But her first essay frightened her; some
offered despicably small sums for the stones, others went
into raptures, declaring they had never seen such diamonds
but in the necklace of MM. Bœhmer and Bossange.
</p>

<p>
She abandoned this course, therefore, which she saw
might soon bring about her ruin. She shut up the diamonds
carefully, and resolved to wait. But her position
was critical. A few words of explanation between
the queen and the cardinal, and all would be discovered.
She consoled herself by thinking that the cardinal was
too much in love not to fall into all the snares she might
lay for him.
</p>

<p>
One thought alone occupied her&mdash;how to prevent their
meeting. That he would not be long satisfied without an
interview she knew&mdash;what should she do? Persuade him
to ask for one, and offend the queen by his presumption?&mdash;but
then the queen would speak her anger out, and all
would come to light. She must compromise her, and endeavor
so to close her lips. But if they met by chance,
what remained for her but flight? That was easy; a
few hours would suffice. Then, again, she thought of the
name she would leave behind her, and bear with her; no
longer a woman of rank, but a thief, whom justice only
does not reach, because she is too far off. No, she would
not fly, if she could help it. She would try what audacity
and skill could do, remain here and act between them.
&ldquo;To prevent them from meeting&mdash;that is the difficulty, as
he is in love, and a prince, who has a right to see the
queen; and she is now grateful and will no longer fly
from him; but if I excite him to too open an admiration
and disgust her, I alienate them more than ever. She
will take fire easily, but what I want is something to
make the queen tremble as well as him; something which
would give me power to say, &lsquo;If you accuse me, I will
accuse you and ruin you&mdash;leave me my wealth, and I will
you your honor.&rsquo; This is what I must seek for, and what
I must find.&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LXI.<br/>
THE PRISONER.</h2>

<p>
Meanwhile a different scene was passing in the Rue
St. Claude, where M. de Cagliostro had lodged Oliva in
the old house, to keep her from the pursuit of the police.
There she lived, retired, and almost happy: Cagliostro
lavished care and attentions on her, and she liked being
protected by this great lord, who asked nothing from her
in return. Only what did he want? she often asked herself,
uselessly, for he must have some object. Her amour
propre made her decide that after all he was in love with
her; and she began to build castles in the air in which
we must confess poor Beausire now very rarely had a
place. Therefore the two visits a week paid to her by
Cagliostro were always eagerly looked forward to, and between
them she amused herself with her dreams, and
playing the great lady. However, her books were soon
read through, at least such as suited her taste, and
pictures and music soon wearied her. She soon began to
regret her mornings passed at the windows of the Rue
Dauphine, where she used to sit to attract the attention
of the passers-by; and her delightful promenades in the
Quartier St. Germain, where so many people used to turn
to look after her. True, the police-agents were formidable
people, but what availed safety if she was not amused;
so she first regretted her liberty, and then regretted
Beausire.
</p>

<p>
Then she began to lose her appetite for want of fresh
air, for she had been used to walk every day.
</p>

<p>
One day, when she was bemoaning her fate, she received
an unexpected visit from Cagliostro. He gave his accustomed
signal, and she opened the door, which was always
kept bolted, with an eagerness which showed her delight;
and, seizing his hands, she cried, in an impatient voice,
&ldquo;Monsieur, I am ennuyée here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This is unlucky, my dear child.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I shall die here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said he, soothingly, &ldquo;do not blame me, blame
the lieutenant of police, who persecutes you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You exasperate me with your sang froid, monsieur;
I would rather you flew in a passion.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Confess, mademoiselle, that you are unreasonable,&rdquo;
said he, seating himself.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is all very well for you to talk,&rdquo; replied she; &ldquo;you
come and go as you like, you breathe the fresh air, your
life is full of pleasure. I vegetate in the space to which
you have limited me, and your assistance, is useless to me
if I am to die here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Die!&rdquo; said the count, smiling.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You behave very badly to me; you forget that I love
passionately.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. Beausire?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, Beausire, I love him. I always told you so. Did
you think I had forgotten him?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So little did I think so, mademoiselle, that I bring
you news of him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He is a charming person, young and handsome, is he
not?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Full of imagination and fire, rather rough toward
me, but that is his way of showing his love.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Therefore I wished to take you back to him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You did not wish that a month ago.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, but when I see how you love him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! you are laughing at me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, no, you have resisted all my advances so well.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, have I not?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It was your love for him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But yours, then, was not very tenacious.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, I am neither old enough nor ugly enough, neither
poor enough nor foolish enough, to run the risk of a refusal;
and I saw that you would always have preferred
Beausire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, but,&rdquo; cried the coquette, using her eyes, which
had remained idle so long, &ldquo;this famous compact which
you proposed to me, the right of always giving me your
arm, of visiting me when you liked; did that give you no
hope?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Cagliostro did not reply, but turned his eyes as if
dazzled by her glances.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Let us return to Beausire,&rdquo; she said, piqued at his
indifference; &ldquo;why have you not brought him here? it
would have been a charity. He is free&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because,&rdquo; replied Cagliostro, &ldquo;Beausire has too much
imagination, and has also embroiled himself with the
police.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What has he done?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, a delightful trick, a most ingenious idea; I call
it a joke, but matter-of-fact people&mdash;and you know how
matter-of-fact M. de Crosne can be&mdash;call it a theft.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A theft!&rdquo; cried Oliva, frightened. &ldquo;Is he arrested?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, but he is pursued.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And is he in danger?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That I cannot tell you; he is well hunted for, and if
you were together, the chances of his being taken would
be doubled.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, yes, he must hide, poor fellow; I will hide too;
let me leave France, monsieur. Pray render me this
service; for if I remain shut up here, I shall end by committing some
imprudence.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you call imprudence?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, just getting some fresh air.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not want to prevent your getting fresh air; you
would lose your beauty, and M. Beausire would love you
no longer. Open the windows as much as you like.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I see I have offended you; you care no more
about me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Offended me&mdash;how?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because you had taken a fancy to me, and I repulsed
you. A man of your consequence, a handsome man like
you, has a right to be angry at being rejected by a poor
girl like me. But do not abandon me, sir, I entreat;&rdquo;
and she put her arms round his neck.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Poor little thing,&rdquo; said he, kissing her forehead; &ldquo;do
not be afraid; I am not angry or offended. Indeed, were
you to offer me your love, I should refuse you, so much
do I desire to inspire pure sentiments. Besides, I should
think you influenced more by gratitude than love; so we
will remain as we are, and I will continue to protect
you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Oliva let his hand fall, humiliated, and duped by the
pretended generosity of Cagliostro. &ldquo;Oh, I shall say
henceforth,&rdquo; she cried, &ldquo;that there are men superior to
what I ever thought.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;All women are good,&rdquo; thought Cagliostro, &ldquo;if you
only touch the right chord.&mdash;From this evening,&rdquo; he
said aloud, &ldquo;you shall move to other rooms, where the
windows look on Menilmontant and the Bellevue. You
need not fear to show yourself to the neighbors; they are
all honest, simple people, who will never suspect you.
Only keep a little back from the window, lest any one
passing through the street should see you. At least you
will have air and sunshine.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Oliva looked pleased.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Shall I conduct you there now?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
He took a light, and she followed him up a staircase to
the third story, and entered a room, completely furnished,
and ready for occupation.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;One would think it was prepared for me,&rdquo; she said.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not for you, but for myself; I like this place, and
often come here to sleep. Nothing shall be wanting to
make you comfortable, and your femme-de-chambre shall
attend you in a quarter of an hour.&rdquo; And he left the
room.
</p>

<p>
The poor prisoner sat down by her elegant bed, murmuring,
&ldquo;I understand nothing of all this.&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LXII.<br/>
THE LOOK OUT.</h2>

<p>
Oliva went to bed, and slept better. She admired the
count, whom she did not in the least understand. She
could no longer think him timid; she did not suspect
that he was only cold and insensible. She felt pleased
at the perfect safety in which he assured her she was;
and in the morning she examined her new rooms, and
found them nobly and luxuriously furnished, and enjoyed
immensely her privilege of going out into the balcony,
filled with flowers, and where she got sunshine and
fresh air, although she drew back whenever she saw any
one approaching, or heard a carriage coming. There
were not many, however, in the Rue St. Claude. She
could see the ch&acirc;teau of Menilmontant, the great trees in
the cemetery, myriads of houses of all colors; and she
could see the fields beyond, full of children at play, and
the peasants trotting along the roads on their donkeys.
All this charmed Oliva, who had always a heart of love
for the country, since she had left Taverney Maison-Rouge.
At last, getting tired of this distant view, she
began to examine the houses opposite to her. In some, she
saw birds in cages; and in one, hung with yellow silk
curtains, and ornamented with flowers, she thought she
could distinguish a figure moving about. She called her
femme-de-chambre to make inquiries about them; but
the woman could only show her mistress all the churches,
and tell her the names of the streets; she knew nothing
of the neighbors. Oliva therefore sent her away again,
and determined to watch for herself.
</p>

<p>
She saw some open their doors, and come out for a
walk, and others variously occupied. At last she saw the
figure of a woman seat herself in an armchair, in the room
with the yellow curtains, and abandon her head for an hour
and a half to a hair-dresser, while he built up one of those
immense edifices worn at that time, in which minerals,
vegetables, and even animals, were introduced. At last,
it was complete: Oliva thought she looked pretty, and
admired her little foot, encased in a rose-colored slipper,
which rested on another chair. She began to construct
all sorts of romances about this lady, and made various
movements to attract her attention, but she never turned
her eyes that way, as that room had never before been
occupied, and she began to despair. The lady was, of
course, Jeanne de Valois, who was deeply absorbed in devising
some scheme for preventing the queen and the
cardinal from meeting. At last, Oliva, turning suddenly
round, knocked over a flower-pot which fell from the
balcony with a crash: at the sound the lady turned and
saw her, and clasping her hands she called out, &ldquo;The
Queen;&rdquo; but looking again, she murmured, &ldquo;Oh! I
sought for a means to gain my end, and I have found
one.&rdquo; Then, hearing a sound behind her, Oliva turned
and saw Cagliostro, and came in directly.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LXIII.<br/>
THE TWO NEIGHBORS.</h2>

<p>
Cagliostro recommended her using the greatest circumspection,
and, above all, not to make friends with
her neighbors; but she did not feel disposed to relinquish
the intercourse which she hoped for with her fair neighbor
opposite. She, however, promised to obey him;
but he was no sooner gone than she returned to her balcony,
hoping to attract her attention again. Nor was
she disappointed, for Jeanne, who was watching for her,
acknowledged her with a bow and by kissing her hand.
This went on for two days. Jeanne was ever ready to
wave her a good morning, or an adieu when she went
out.
</p>

<p>
Cagliostro, at his next visit, informed Oliva that an
unknown person had paid a visit to her hotel.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you mean?&rdquo; cried Oliva.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A very pretty and elegant lady presented herself
here, and asked the servant who inhabited this story,
and wished to see you. I fear you are discovered; you
must take care, the police have female spies as well as
male, and I warn you, that if M. de Crosne claims you, I
cannot refuse to give you up.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Oliva was not at all frightened, she recognized the
portrait of her opposite neighbor, and felt delighted at
this advance, but she dissembled with the count, and
said, &ldquo;Oh! I am not at all frightened; no one has seen
me; she could not have meant me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But she said a lady in these rooms.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, I will be more careful than ever, and, besides,
this house is so impenetrable.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, without climbing the wall, which is not easy,
or opening the little door with a key like mine, which I
never lend, no one can come in, so I think you are safe.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Oliva overwhelmed the count with thanks and protestations,
but at six o&rsquo;clock the next morning she was out
in the balcony. She had not long to wait before Jeanne
appeared, who, after looking cautiously up and down the
street, and observing that all the doors and windows
were still closed, and that everything was quiet, called
across, &ldquo;I wish to pay you a visit, madame; is it impossible
to see you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Alas, yes!&rdquo; said Oliva.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Can I send a letter?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, no!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne, after a moment&rsquo;s thought, left her balcony,
but soon returned with a cross-bow, with which she shot
a little wooden ball right through the open window of
Oliva&rsquo;s room.
</p>

<p>
She picked it up and found wrapped round it the following
note:
</p>

<div class="blockquot"><p>
&ldquo;You interest me, beautiful lady. I find you charming,
and love you only by having seen you. Are you a
prisoner? I vainly tried to obtain admission to you.
Does the enchanter who guards you never let any one
approach you? Will you be my friend? If you cannot
go out, you can at least write, and as I go out when I
please, wait till you see me pass, and then throw out
your answer. Tie a thread to your balcony, and attach
your note to it; I will take it off and fasten mine on,
and in the dark no one will observe us. If your eyes
have not deceived me, I count on a return of my affection
and esteem, and between us we will outwit any one.
</p>

<span style="margin-left: 24em;">&ldquo;<span class="smcap">Your Friend</span>.&rdquo;</span>

</div>

<p>
Oliva trembled with joy when she read this note. She
replied as follows:
</p>

<div class="blockquot"><p>
&ldquo;I love you as you love me. I am a victim of the
wickedness and cruelty of men; but he who keeps me
here is a protector and not a tyrant; he comes to see
me nearly every day. I will explain all this some day;
but, alas! I cannot go out; I am locked up. Oh! if I
could but see you; there is so much we cannot write.
</p>

<span style="margin-left: 24em;">&ldquo;Your friend,</span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin-left: 26em;">&ldquo;<span class="smcap">Oliva Legay</span>.&rdquo;</span><br />

</div>

<p>
Then, when evening came, she let the thread fall over
the balcony. Jeanne, who was below, caught it, and
half an hour afterwards attached to it the following
answer:
</p>

<div class="blockquot"><p>
&ldquo;You seem generally alone. How is your house secured&mdash;with
a key? Who has this key? Could you not
borrow or steal it? It would be no harm, but would procure
you a few hours of liberty, or a few walks with a
friend, who would console you for all your misfortune.&rdquo;
</p></div>

<p>
Oliva devoured this eagerly. She had remarked that
when the count came in he put down his lantern and the
key on a chiffonier. So she prepared some wax to take
the impression of the key at his first visit. This she accomplished
without his once turning to look at her, and
as soon as he was gone, she put it into a little box, and
lowered it to Jeanne, with a note.
</p>

<p>
The next day she received the following answer:
</p>

<div class="blockquot"><p>
&ldquo;<span class="smcap">My Dearest</span>,
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To-night, at eleven o&rsquo;clock, you will descend and unlock
the door, when you will find yourself in the arms of
your faithful friend.&rdquo;
</p></div>

<p>
Oliva felt more charmed than with the most tender
love-letter that she had ever received. At the appointed
time she went down and met Jeanne, who embraced her
tenderly, and made her get into a carriage that waited a
little way off; they remained out two hours, and parted
with kisses and protestations of affection. Jeanne learned
the name of Oliva&rsquo;s protector; she feared this man, and
determined to preserve the most perfect mystery as to her
plans. Oliva had confided everything to her about Beausire,
the police, and all. Jeanne gave herself out for a
young lady of rank, living here secretly, without the
knowledge of her friends. One knew all, the other nothing.
From this day, then, it was no longer necessary to
throw out notes; Jeanne had her key, and carried off
Oliva whenever she pleased. &ldquo;M. de Cagliostro suspects
nothing?&rdquo; she often asked Oliva.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! no,&rdquo; she would reply; &ldquo;I do not think he would
believe it if I told him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
A week passed thus.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LXIV.<br/>
THE RENDEZVOUS.</h2>

<p>
When Charny arrived at his estates, the doctor ordered
him to keep within doors, and not receive visitors; orders
which he rigorously obeyed, to the great disappointment
of all the young ladies in the neighborhood, who were
most anxious to see this young man, reputed to be at
once so brave and so handsome. His malady, however,
was more mental than bodily; he was devoured by regrets,
by longings, and by ennui; so, after a week, he set off
one night on horseback, and, before the morning, was at
Versailles. He found a little house there, outside the
park, which had been empty for some time; it had been
inhabited by one of the king&rsquo;s huntsmen, who had cut
his throat, and since then the place had been deserted.
There Charny lived in profound solitude; but he could
see the queen from afar when she walked in the park with
her ladies, and when she went in again he could see her
windows from his own, and watch her lights every evening
until they disappeared; and he even fancied he could
see her shadow pass before the window. One evening he
had watched all this as usual, and after sitting two hours
longer at his window, was preparing to go to bed, for
midnight was striking from a neighboring clock, when
the sound of a key turning in a lock arrested his attention.
It was that of a little door leading into the park,
only twenty paces from his cottage, and which was never
used, except sometimes on hunting-days. Whoever it
was that entered did not speak, but closed it again quietly,
and entered an avenue under his windows. At first
Charny could not distinguish them through the thick
wood, though he could hear the rustling of dresses; but
as they emerged into an open space, and bright moonlight,
he almost uttered a cry of joy in recognizing the
tournure of Marie Antoinette, and a glimpse of her face;
she held in her hand a beautiful rose. Stifling his emotion,
he stepped down as quietly as possible into the park,
and hid behind a clump of trees, where he could see her
better. &ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; thought he, &ldquo;were she but alone, I
would brave tortures, or death itself, that I might once
fall on my knees before her, and tell her, &lsquo;I love you!&rsquo;&rdquo;
Oh, were she but menaced by some danger, how gladly
would he have risked his life to save hers. Suddenly the
two ladies stopped, and the shortest, after saying a few
words to her companion in a low voice, left her. The
queen, therefore, remained alone, and Charny felt inclined
to run towards her; but he reflected that the moment
she saw him she would take fright, and call out,
and that her cries would first bring back her companion,
and then the guards; that his retreat would be discovered,
and he should be forced to leave it. In a few minutes
the other lady reappeared, but not alone. Behind her
came a man muffled up in a large cloak, and whose face
was concealed by a slouch hat.
</p>

<p>
This man advanced with an uncertain and hesitating
step to where the queen stood, when he took off his hat
and made a low bow. The surprise which Charny felt
at first soon changed into a more painful feeling. Why
was the queen in the park at this time of night? Who
was this man who was waiting for her, and whom she had
sent her companion to fetch? Then he remembered that
the queen often occupied herself with foreign politics,
much to the annoyance of the king. Was this a secret
messenger from Schoenbrunn, or from Berlin? This idea
restored him to some degree of composure. The queen&rsquo;s
companion stood a few steps off, anxiously watching lest
they should be seen; but it was as necessary to guard
against spies in a secret political rendezvous as in one of
love. After a short time Charny saw the gentleman bow
to the ground, and turn to leave, when the companion of
the queen said to him, &ldquo;Stop.&rdquo; He stopped, and the
two ladies passed close to Charny, who could even recognize
the queen&rsquo;s favorite scent, vervain, mixed with mignonette.
They passed on, and disappeared. A few moments
after the gentleman passed; he held in his hand a
rose, which he pressed passionately to his lips. Did this
look political? Charny&rsquo;s head turned; he felt a strong
impulse to rush on this man and tear the flower from
him, when the queen&rsquo;s companion reappeared, and said,
&ldquo;Come, monseigneur.&rdquo; He joined her quickly, and they
went away. Charny remained in a distracted state, leaning
against the tree.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LXV.<br/>
THE QUEEN&rsquo;S HAND.</h2>

<p>
When Charny reentered the house, he felt overwhelmed
by what he had seen&mdash;that he should have discovered
this retreat, which he had thought so precious,
only to be the witness of a crime, committed by the queen
against her conjugal duty and royal dignity. This man
must be a lover; in vain did he try to persuade himself
that the rose was the pledge of some political compact,
given instead of a letter, which might have been
too compromising. The passionate kiss which he had
seen imprinted on it forbade this supposition. These
thoughts haunted him all night and all the next day,
through which he waited with a feverish impatience,
fearing the new revelations which the night might bring
forth. He saw her taking her ordinary walk with her
ladies, then watched the lights extinguished one by one,
and he waited nervously for the stroke of midnight, the
hour of the rendezvous of the preceding night. It
struck, and no one had appeared. He then wondered
how he could have expected it; she surely would not repeat
the same imprudence two nights following. But as
these thoughts passed through his mind, he heard the
key turn again and saw the door open. Charny grew
deadly pale when he recognized the same two figures
enter the park. &ldquo;Oh, it is too much,&rdquo; he said to himself,
and then repeated his movements of the night
before, swearing that, whatever happened, he would restrain
himself, and remember that she was his queen.
All passed exactly as the night before: the confidante
left and returned with the same man; only this time,
instead of advancing with his former timid respect, he
almost ran up to the queen, and kneeled down before her.
Charny could not hear what he said, but he seemed to
speak with passionate energy. She did not reply, but
stood in a pensive attitude; then he spoke again, and at
last she said a few words, in a low voice, when the unknown
cried out, in a loud voice, so that Charny could
hear, &ldquo;Oh! thanks, your majesty, till to-morrow, then.&rdquo;
The queen drew her hood still more over her face, and
held out both her hands to the unknown, who imprinted
on them a kiss so long and tender that Charny gnashed
his teeth with rage. The queen then took the arm of
her companion and walked quickly away; the unknown
passed also. Charny remained in a state of fury not to
be described; he ran about the park like a madman: at
last he began to wonder where this man came from; he
traced his steps to the door behind the baths of Apollo.
He comes not from Versailles, but from Paris, thought
Charny, and to-morrow he will return, for he said,
&ldquo;to-morrow.&rdquo; Till then let me devour my tears in
silence, but to-morrow shall be the last day of my life,
for we will be four at the rendezvous.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LXVI.<br/>
WOMAN AND QUEEN.</h2>

<p>
The next night the door opened at the same time, and
the two ladies appeared. Charny had taken his resolution&mdash;he
would find out who this lover was; but when he entered
the avenue he could see no one&mdash;they had entered
the baths of Apollo. He walked towards the door, and
saw the confidante, who waited outside. The queen, then,
was in there alone with her lover; it was too much.
Charny was about to seize this woman, and force her to
tell him everything; but the rage and emotion he had
endured were too much for him&mdash;a mist passed over his
eyes, internal bleeding commenced, and he fainted.
When he came to himself again, the clock was striking
two, the place was deserted, and there was no trace of
what had passed there. He went home, and passed a
night almost of delirium. The next morning he arose,
pale as death, and went towards the Castle of Trianon
just as the queen was leaving the chapel. All heads were
respectfully lowered as she passed. She was looking
beautiful, and when she saw Charny she colored, and
uttered an exclamation of surprise.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I thought you were in the country, M. de Charny,&rdquo;
she said.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have returned, madame,&rdquo; said he, in a brusque and
almost rude tone.
</p>

<p>
She looked at him in surprise; then, turning to the
ladies, &ldquo;Good morning, countess,&rdquo; she said to Madame
de la Motte, who stood near.
</p>

<p>
Charny started as he caught sight of her, and looked
at her almost wildly. &ldquo;He has not quite recovered his
reason,&rdquo; thought the queen, observing his strange manner.
Then, turning to him again, &ldquo;How are you now, M. de
Charny?&rdquo; said she, in a kind voice.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very well, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She looked surprised again; then said:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where are you living?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;At Versailles, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Since when?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;For three nights,&rdquo; replied he, in a marked manner.
</p>

<p>
The queen manifested no emotion, but Jeanne trembled.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Have you not something to say to me?&rdquo; asked the
queen again, with kindness.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame, I should have too much to say to your
majesty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come,&rdquo; said she, and she walked towards her apartments;
but to avoid the appearance of a tête-à-tête, she
invited several ladies to follow her. Jeanne, unquiet,
placed herself among them; but when they arrived, she
dismissed Madame de Misery, and the other ladies, understanding
that she wished to be alone, left her. Charny
stood before her.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Speak,&rdquo; said the queen; &ldquo;you appear troubled, sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How can I begin?&rdquo; said Charny, thinking aloud;
&ldquo;how can I dare to accuse honor and majesty?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sir!&rdquo; cried Marie Antoinette, with a flaming look.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And yet I should only say what I have seen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen rose. &ldquo;Sir,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;it is very early
in the morning for me to think you intoxicated, but I
can find no other solution for this conduct.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Charny, unmoved, continued, &ldquo;After all, what is a
queen?&mdash;a woman. And am I not a man as well as a
subject?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, anger is out of place now. I believe I have
formerly proved that I had respect for your royal dignity.
I fear I proved that I had an insane love for yourself.
Choose, therefore, to whom I shall speak. Is it to the
queen, or the woman, that I shall address my accusation
of dishonor and shame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur de Charny,&rdquo; cried the queen, growing pale,
&ldquo;if you do not leave this room, I must have you turned
out by my guards!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But I will tell you first,&rdquo; cried he, passionately, &ldquo;why
I call you an unworthy queen and woman! I have been
in the park these three nights!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Instead of seeing her tremble, as he believed she would
on hearing these words, the queen rose, and, approaching
him, said, &ldquo;M. de Charny, your state excites my pity.
Your hands tremble, you grow pale; you are suffering.
Shall I call for help?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I saw you!&rdquo; cried he again; &ldquo;saw you with that
man to whom you gave the rose! saw you when he kissed
your hands! saw you when you entered the baths of
Apollo with him!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen passed her hands over her eyes, as if to make
sure that she was not dreaming.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sit down,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;or you will fall.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Charny, indeed, unable to keep up, fell upon the sofa.
</p>

<p>
She sat down by him. &ldquo;Be calm,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;and
repeat what you have just said.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you want to kill me?&rdquo; he murmured.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then let me question,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;How long have
you returned from the country?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A fortnight.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where do you live?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;In the huntsman&rsquo;s house, which I have hired.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;At the end of the park?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You speak of some one whom you saw with me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;In the park.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;When?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;At midnight. Tuesday, for the first time, I saw you
and your companion.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I had a companion! Do you know her also?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I thought just now I recognized her, but I could not
be positive, because it was only the figure&mdash;she always
hid her face, like all who commit crimes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And this person to whom you say I gave a rose?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have never been able to meet him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You do not know him, then?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Only that he is called monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen stamped her foot.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Go on!&rdquo; said she. &ldquo;Tuesday I gave him a rose&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Wednesday you gave him your hands to kiss, and
yesterday you went alone with him into the baths of
Apollo, while your companion waited outside.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And you saw me?&rdquo; said she, rising.
</p>

<p>
He lifted his hands to heaven, and cried, &ldquo;I swear
it!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, he swears!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes. On Tuesday you wore your green dress, moirée,
with gold; Wednesday, the dress with great blue and
brown leaves; and yesterday, the same dress that you
wore when I last kissed your hand. Oh, madame, I am
ready to die with grief and shame while I repeat that, on
my life, my honor, it was really you!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What can I say?&rdquo; cried the queen dreadfully agitated.
&ldquo;If I swore, he would not believe me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Charny shook his head.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madman!&rdquo; cried she, &ldquo;thus to accuse your queen&mdash;to
dishonor thus an innocent woman! Do you believe me
when I swear, by all I hold sacred, that I was not in the
park on either of those days after four o&rsquo;clock? Do you
wish it to be proved by my women&mdash;by the king? No;
he does not believe me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I saw you,&rdquo; replied he.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I know!&rdquo; she cried. &ldquo;Did they not see me at
the ball at the Opera, at Mesmer&rsquo;s, scandalizing the
crowd? You know it&mdash;you, who fought for me!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, then I fought because I did not believe it;
now I might fight, but I believe.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen raised her arms to heaven, while burning tears
rolled down her cheeks.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My God,&rdquo; she cried, &ldquo;send me some thought which
will save me! I do not wish this man to despise me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Charny, moved to the heart, hid his face in his hands.
</p>

<p>
Then, after a moment&rsquo;s silence, the queen continued:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sir, you owe me reparation. I exact this from you.
You say you have seen me three nights with a man; I
have been already injured through the resemblance to me
of some woman, I know not whom, but who is like her
unhappy queen; but you are pleased to think it was me.
Well, I will go with you into the park; and if she appears
again, you will be satisfied? Perhaps we shall see her
together; then, sir, you will regret the suffering you
have caused me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Charny pressed his hands to his heart.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame, you overwhelm me with your kindness!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I wish to overwhelm you with proofs. Not a word,
to any one, but this evening, at ten o&rsquo;clock, wait alone at
the door of the park. Now go, sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Charny kneeled, and went away without a word.
</p>

<p>
Jeanne, who was waiting in the ante-chamber, examined
him attentively as he came out. She was soon after
summoned to the queen.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LXVII.<br/>
WOMAN AND DEMON.</h2>

<p>
Jeanne had remarked the trouble of Charny, the
solicitude of the queen, and the eagerness of both for a
conversation.
</p>

<p>
After what we have already told of the meetings between
Jeanne and Oliva, our readers will have been at no
loss to understand the scenes in the park. Jeanne, when
she came in to the queen, watched her closely, hoping to
gather something from her; but Marie Antoinette was
beginning to learn caution, and she guarded herself carefully.
Jeanne was, therefore, reduced to conjectures.
She had already ordered one of her footmen to follow
M. de Charny; the man reported that he had gone into
a house at the end of the park.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There is, then, no more doubt,&rdquo; thought Jeanne;
&ldquo;it is a lover who has seen everything, it is clear. I
should be a fool not to understand. I must undo what
I have done.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
On leaving Versailles, she drove to the Rue St.
Claude; there she found a superb present of plate, sent
to her by the cardinal. She then drove to his house,
and found him radiant with joy and pride. On her entrance
he ran to meet her, calling her &ldquo;Dear countess,&rdquo;
and full of protestations and gratitude.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Thank you also, for your charming present. You
are more than a happy man; you are a triumphant
victor.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Countess, it frightens me; it is too much.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne smiled.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You come from Versailles?&rdquo; continued he.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have seen her?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have just left her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And she said nothing?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you expect that she said?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I am insatiable.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, you had better not ask.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You frighten me. Is anything wrong? Have I
come to the height of my happiness, and is the descent
to begin?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are very fortunate not to have been discovered.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! with precautions, and the intelligence of two
hearts and one mind&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That will not prevent eyes seeing through the trees.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We have been seen?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I fear so.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And recognized?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, monseigneur, if you had been&mdash;if this secret had
been known to any one, Jeanne de Valois would be out
of the kingdom, and you would be dead.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;True; but tell me quickly. They have seen people
walking in the park; is there any harm in that?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ask the king.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The king knows?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I repeat to you, if the king knew, you would be in
the Bastile. But I advise you not to tempt Providence
again.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you mean, dear countess?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you not understand?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I fear to understand,&rdquo; he replied.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I shall fear, if you do not promise to go no more to
Versailles.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;By day?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Or by night.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Impossible!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why so, monseigneur?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because I have in my heart a love which will end
only with my life.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So I perceive,&rdquo; replied she, ironically; &ldquo;and it is to
arrive more quickly at this result that you persist in returning
to the park; for most assuredly, if you do, your
love and your life will end together.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, countess, how fearful you are&mdash;you who were so
brave yesterday!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am always brave when there is no danger.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But I have the bravery of my race, and am happier
in the presence of danger.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But permit me to tell you&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, countess, the die is cast. Death, if it comes;
but first, love. I shall return to Versailles.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Alone, then.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You abandon me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And not I alone.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She will come?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You deceive yourself; she will not come.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Is that what you were sent to tell me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is what I have been preparing you for.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She will see me no more?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Never; and it is I who have counseled it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, do not plunge the knife into my heart!&rdquo;
cried he, in a doleful voice.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It would be much more cruel, monseigneur, to let
two foolish people destroy themselves for want of a little
good advice.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Countess, I would rather die.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;As regards yourself, that is easy; but, subject, you
dare not dethrone your queen; man, you will not destroy
a woman.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But confess that you do not come in her name, that
she does not throw me off.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I speak in her name.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is only a delay she asks?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Take it as you wish; but obey her orders.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The park is not the only place of meeting. There
are a hundred safer spots&mdash;the queen can come to you,
for instance.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monseigneur, not a word more. The weight of your
secret is too much for me, and I believe her capable, in
a fit of remorse, of confessing all to the king.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Good God! impossible.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If you saw her, you would pity her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What can I do then?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Insure your safety by your silence.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But she will think I have forgotten her, and accuse
me of being a coward.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To save her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Can a woman forgive him who abandons her?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do not judge her like others.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I believe her great and strong. I love her for her
courage and her noble heart. She may count on me, as I
do on her. Once more I will see her, lay bare my heart
to her; and whatever she then commands, I will sacredly
obey.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne rose. &ldquo;Go, then,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;but go alone. I
have thrown the key of the park into the river. You can
go to Versailles&mdash;I shall go to Switzerland or Holland.
The further off I am when the shell bursts the better.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Countess, you abandon me. With whom shall I talk
of her?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! you have the park and the echoes. You can
teach them her name!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Countess, pity me; I am in despair.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, but do not act in so childish and dangerous a
manner. If you love her so much, guard her name, and
if you are not totally without gratitude, do not involve
in your own ruin those who have served you through
friendship. Swear to me not to attempt to see or speak
to her for a fortnight, and I will remain, and may yet be
of service to you. But if you decide to brave all, I shall
leave at once, and you must extricate yourself as you
can.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is dreadful,&rdquo; murmured the cardinal; &ldquo;the fall
from so much happiness is overwhelming. I shall die of
it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Suffering is always the consequence of love. Come,
monseigneur, decide. Am I to remain here, or start for
Lausanne?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Remain, countess.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You swear to obey me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;On the faith of a Rohan.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Good. Well, then, I forbid interviews, but not letters.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really! I may write?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And she will answer.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Try.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal kissed Jeanne&rsquo;s hand again, and called her
his guardian angel. The demon within her must have
laughed.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LXVIII.<br/>
THE NIGHT.</h2>

<p>
That day, at four o&rsquo;clock, a man on horseback stopped
in the outskirts of the park, just behind the baths of
Apollo, where M. de Rohan used to wait. He got off,
and looked at the places where the grass had been trodden
down. &ldquo;Here are the traces,&rdquo; thought he; &ldquo;it is
as I supposed. M. de Charny has returned for a fortnight,
and this is where he enters the park.&rdquo; And he
sighed. &ldquo;Leave him to his happiness. God gives to
one, and denies to another. But I will have proof to-night.
I will hide in the bushes, and see what happens.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
As for Charny, obedient to the queen&rsquo;s commands, he
waited for orders; but it was half-past ten, and no one
appeared. He waited with impatient anxiety. Then he
began to think she had deceived him, and had promised
what she did not mean to perform. &ldquo;How could I be so
foolish&mdash;I, who saw her&mdash;to be taken in by her words and
promises!&rdquo; At last he saw a figure approaching, wrapped
in a large black mantle, and he uttered a cry of joy, for
he recognized the queen. He ran to her, and fell at her
feet.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, here you are, sir! it is well.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, madame! I scarcely hoped you were coming.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Have you your sword?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where do you say those people came in?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;By this door.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;At what time?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;At midnight each time.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There is no reason why they should not come again
to-night. You have not spoken to any one.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To no one.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come into the thick wood, and let us watch, I have
not spoken of this to M. de Crosne. I have already mentioned
this creature to him, and if she be not arrested, he
is either incapable, or in league with my enemies. It
seems incredible that any one should dare to play such
tricks under my eyes, unless they were sure of impunity.
Therefore, I think it is time to take the care of my reputation
on myself. What do you think?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame! allow me to be silent! I am ashamed
of all I have said.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;At least you are an honest man,&rdquo; replied the queen,
&ldquo;and speak to the accused face to face. You do not
stab in the dark.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame, it is eleven o&rsquo;clock! I tremble.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Look about, that no one is here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Charny obeyed.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No one,&rdquo; said he.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where did the scenes pass that you have described?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame! I had a shock when I returned to you;
for she stood just where you are at this moment.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Here!&rdquo; cried the queen, leaving the place with disgust.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame; under the chestnut tree.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then, sir, let us move, for they will most likely come
here again.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
He followed the queen to a different place. She, silent
and proud, waited for the proof of her innocence to appear.
Midnight struck. The door did not open. Half
an hour passed, during which the queen asked ten times
if they had always been punctual.
</p>

<p>
Three-quarters struck&mdash;the queen stamped with impatience.
&ldquo;They will not come,&rdquo; she cried; &ldquo;these misfortunes
only happen to me;&rdquo; and she looked at Charny,
ready to quarrel with him, if she saw any expression of
triumph or irony: but he, as his suspicions began to
return, grew so pale and looked so melancholy, that he
was like the figure of a martyr.
</p>

<p>
At last she took his arm, and led him under the chestnut
tree. &ldquo;You say,&rdquo; she murmured, &ldquo;that it was here
you saw her?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Here that she gave the rose?&rdquo; And the queen,
fatigued and wearied with waiting and disappointment
leaned against the tree, and covered her face with her
hands, but Charny could see the tears stealing through.
At last she raised her head:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sir,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;I am condemned. I promised to
prove to you to-day that I was calumniated; God
does not permit it, and I submit. I have done what
no other woman, not to say queen, would have done.
What a queen! who cannot reign over one heart, who
cannot obtain the esteem of one honest man. Come,
sir, give me your arm, if you do not despise me too
much.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame!&rdquo; cried he, falling at her feet, &ldquo;if I
were only an unhappy man who loves you, could you not
pardon me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You!&rdquo; cried she, with a bitter laugh, &ldquo;you love me!
and believe me infamous!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You accuse me of giving roses, kisses, and love. No,
sir, no falsehoods! you do not love me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, I saw these phantoms. Pity me, for I am
on the rack.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She took his hands. &ldquo;Yes, you saw, and you think it
was I. Well, if here under this same tree, you at my
feet, I press your hands, and say to you, &lsquo;M, de Charny, I
love you, I have loved, and shall love no one else in this
world, may God pardon me&rsquo;&mdash;will that convince you?
Will you believe me then?&rdquo; As she spoke, she came so
close to him that he felt her breath on his lips. &ldquo;Oh!&rdquo;
cried Charny, &ldquo;now I am ready to die.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Give me your arm,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;and teach me where
they went, and where she gave the rose,&rdquo;&mdash;and she took
from her bosom a rose and held it to him. He took it
and pressed it to his heart.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then,&rdquo; continued she, &ldquo;the other gave him her hand
to kiss.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Both her hands,&rdquo; cried Charny, pressing his burning
lips passionately on hers.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now they visited, the baths&mdash;so will we; follow me
to the place.&rdquo; He followed her, like a man in a strange,
happy dream. They looked all round, then opened the
door, and walked through. Then they came out again:
two o&rsquo;clock struck. &ldquo;Adieu,&rdquo; said she; &ldquo;go home until
to-morrow.&rdquo; And she walked away quickly towards the
ch&acirc;teau.
</p>

<p>
When they were gone, a man rose from among the
bushes. He had heard and seen all.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LXIX.<br/>
THE CONGÉ.</h2>

<p>
The queen went to mass the next day, which was Sunday,
smiling and beautiful. When she woke in the morning
she said, &ldquo;It is a lovely day, it makes me happy only
to live.&rdquo; She seemed full of joy, and was generous and
gracious to every one. The road was lined as usual on
her return with ladies and gentlemen. Among them
were Madame de la Motte and M. de Charny, who was
complimented by many friends on his return, and on his
radiant looks. Glancing round, he saw Philippe standing
near him, whom he had not seen since the day of the duel.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Gentlemen,&rdquo; said Charny, passing through the crowd,
&ldquo;allow me to fulfil an act of politeness;&rdquo; and, advancing
towards Philippe, he said, &ldquo;Allow me, M. de Taverney,
to thank you now for the interest you have taken in my
health. I shall have the honor to pay you a visit to-morrow.
I trust you preserve no enmity towards me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;None, sir,&rdquo; replied Philippe.
</p>

<p>
Charny held out his hand, but Philippe, without seeming
to notice it, said, &ldquo;Here comes the queen, sir.&rdquo; As
she approached, she fixed her looks on Charny with that
rash openness which she always showed in her affections,
while she said to several gentlemen who were pressing
round her, &ldquo;Ask me what you please, gentlemen, for to-day
I can refuse nothing.&rdquo; A voice said, &ldquo;Madame.&rdquo;
She turned, and saw Philippe, and thus found herself between
two men, of whom she almost reproached herself
with loving one too much and the other too little.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Taverney, you have something to ask me; pray
speak&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Only ten minutes&rsquo; audience at your majesty&rsquo;s leisure,&rdquo;
replied he, with grave solemnity.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Immediately, sir&mdash;follow me.&rdquo; A quarter of an hour
after, Philippe was introduced into the library, where the
queen waited for him.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! M. de Taverney, enter,&rdquo; said she in a gay tone,
&ldquo;and do not look so sorrowful. Do you know I feel rather
frightened whenever a Taverney asks for an audience.
Reassure me quickly, and tell me that you are not come
to announce a misfortune.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, this time I only bring you good news.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! some news.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Alas, yes, your majesty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There! an &lsquo;alas&rsquo; again.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, I am about to assure your majesty that you
need never again fear to be saddened by the sight of a
Taverney; for, madame, the last of this family, to whom
you once deigned to show some kindness, is about to
leave the court of France forever.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen, dropping her gay tone, said, &ldquo;You leave
us?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, your majesty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You also!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Philippe bowed. &ldquo;My sister, madame, has already had
that grief; I am much more useless to your majesty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen started as she remembered that Andrée had
asked for her congé on the day following her first visit to
Charny in the doctor&rsquo;s apartments. &ldquo;It is strange,&rdquo; she
murmured, as Philippe remained motionless as a statue,
waiting his dismissal. At last she said abruptly, &ldquo;Where
are you going?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To join M. de la Pérouse, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He is at Newfoundland.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have prepared to join him there.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you know that a frightful death has been predicted
for him?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A speedy one,&rdquo; replied Philippe; &ldquo;that is not necessarily
a frightful one.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And you are really going?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame, to share his fate.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen was silent for a time, and then said, &ldquo;Why
do you go?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because I am anxious to travel.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But you have already made the tour of the world.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Of the New World, madame, but not of the Old.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A race of iron, with hearts of steel, are you Taverneys.
You and your sister are terrible people&mdash;you go not for
the sake of traveling, but to leave me. Your sister said
she was called by religions duty; it was a pretext. However,
she wished to go, and she went. May she be happy!
You might be happy here, but you also wish to go away.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Spare us, I pray you, madame; if you could read our
hearts, you would find them full of unlimited devotion towards
you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; cried the queen, &ldquo;you are too exacting; she
takes the world for a heaven, where one should only live
as a saint; you look upon it as a hell&mdash;and both fly from
it; she because she finds what she does not seek, and you
because you do not find what you do seek. Am I not
right? Ah! M. de Taverney, allow human beings to be
imperfect, and do not expect royalty to be superhuman.
Be more tolerant, or, rather, less egotistical.&rdquo; She spoke
earnestly, and continued: &ldquo;All I know is, that I loved
Andrée, and that she left me; that I valued you, and
you are about to do the same. It is humiliating to see
two such people abandon my court.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nothing can humiliate persons like your majesty.
Shame does not reach those placed so high.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What has wounded you?&rdquo; asked the queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nothing, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your rank has been raised, your fortune was progressing.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I can but repeat to your majesty that the court does
not please me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And if I ordered you to stay here?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I should have the grief of disobeying your majesty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! I know,&rdquo; cried she impatiently, &ldquo;you bear malice;
you quarreled with a gentleman here, M. de Charny, and
wounded him; and because you see him returned to-day,
you are jealous, and wish to leave.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Philippe turned pale, but replied, &ldquo;Madame, I saw
him sooner than you imagine, for I met him at two o&rsquo;clock
this morning by the baths of Apollo.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
It was now the queen&rsquo;s time to grow pale, but she felt
a kind of admiration for one who had retained so much
courtesy and self-command in the midst of his anger and
grief. &ldquo;Go,&rdquo; murmured she at length, in a faint voice,
&ldquo;I will keep you no longer.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Philippe bowed, and left the room, while the queen
sank, terrified and overwhelmed, on the sofa.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LXX.<br/>
THE JEALOUSY OF THE CARDINAL.</h2>

<p>
The cardinal passed three nights very different to those
when he went to the park, and which he constantly lived
over again in his memory. No news of any one, no hope
of a visit; nothing but a dead silence, and perfect darkness,
after such brightness and happiness. He began to
fear that, after all, his sacrifice had been displeasing to
the queen. His uneasiness became insupportable. He
sent ten times in one day to Madame de la Motte: the
tenth messenger brought Jeanne to him. On seeing her
he cried out, &ldquo;How! you live so tranquilly; you know
my anxiety, and you, my friend, never come near me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, monseigneur, patience, I beg. I have been far
more useful to you at Versailles than I could have been
here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Tell me,&rdquo; replied he, &ldquo;what does she say? Is she
less cruel?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Absence is equal pain, whether borne at Versailles or
at Paris.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I thank you, but the proofs&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Proofs! Are you in your senses, monseigneur, to
ask a woman for proofs of her own infidelity?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am not speaking of proofs for a lawsuit, countess,
only a token of love.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It seems to me that you are either very exacting or
very forgetful.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! I know you will tell me that I might be more
than satisfied. But judge by yourself, countess; would
you like to be thrown on one side, after having received
assurances of favor?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Assurances!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, certainly, I have nothing to complain of, but
still&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I cannot be answerable for unreasonable discontents.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Countess, you treat me ill. Instead of reproaching
me for my folly, you should try to aid me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I cannot aid you. I see nothing to do.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nothing to do?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, madame, I do not say the same.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, monseigneur, anger will not help you; and besides,
you are unjust.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, countess; if you do not assist me any longer, I
know it is because you cannot. Only tell me the truth
at once.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What truth?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That the queen is a perfidious coquette, who makes
people adore her, and then drives them to despair.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne looked at him with an air of surprise, although
she had expected him to arrive at this state, and she felt
really pleased, for she thought that it would help her out
of her difficult position. &ldquo;Explain yourself,&rdquo; she said.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Confess that the queen refuses to see me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not say so, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She wishes to keep me away lest I should rouse the
suspicions of some other lover.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, monseigneur!&rdquo; cried Jeanne in a tone which
gave him liberty to suspect anything.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Listen,&rdquo; continued he; &ldquo;the last time I saw her, I
thought I heard steps in the wood&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Folly!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And I suspect&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Say no more, monseigneur. It is an insult to the
queen; besides, even if it were true that she fears the
surveillance of another lover, why should you reproach
her with a past which she has sacrificed to you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But if this past be again a present, and about to be a
future?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Fie, monseigneur, your suspicions are offensive both
to the queen and to me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then, countess, bring me a proof&mdash;does she love me
at all?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is very simple,&rdquo; replied Jeanne, pointing to his
writing table, &ldquo;to ask her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You will give her a note?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who else would, if not I?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And you will bring me an answer?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If possible.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! now you are a good creature, countess.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
He sat down, but though he was an eloquent writer, he
commenced and destroyed a dozen sheets of paper before
he satisfied himself.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If you go on so, you will never have done,&rdquo; said
Jeanne.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You see, countess, I fear my own tenderness, lest I
displease the queen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; replied Jeanne, &ldquo;if you write a business letter,
you will get one in reply. That is your own affair.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are right, countess; you always see what is
best.&rdquo; He then wrote a letter, so full of loving reproaches
and ardent protestations, that Jeanne, when he gave it to
her to read, thought, &ldquo;He has written of his own accord
what I never should have dared to dictate.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Will it do?&rdquo; asked he.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If she loves you. You will see to-morrow: till then
be quiet.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Till to-morrow, then.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
On her return home Jeanne gave way to her reflections.
This letter was just what she wanted. How
could the cardinal ever accuse her, when he was called on
to pay for the necklace? Even admitting that the queen
and cardinal met, and that everything was explained,
how could they turn against her while she held in her
hands such proofs of a scandalous secret? No, they must
let her go quietly off with her fortune of a million and a
half of francs. They would know she had stolen the
diamonds, but they never would publish all this affair;
and if one letter was not enough, she would have seven
or eight. The first explosion would come from the
jewelers, who would claim their money. Then she must
confess to M. de Rohan, and make him pay by threatening
to publish his letters. Surely they would purchase
the honor of a queen and a prince at the price of a
million and a half! The jewelers once paid, that question
was at an end; Jeanne felt sure of her fortune. She
knew that the cardinal had a conviction so firm that
nothing could shake it, that he had met the queen. There
was but one living witness against her, and that one she
would soon cause to disappear. Arrived at this point, she
went to the window and saw Oliva, who was watching in her
balcony. She made the accustomed sign for her to come
down, and Oliva replied joyfully. The great thing now
was to get rid of her. To destroy the instrument that
has served them is the constant endeavor of those who
intrigue; but here it is that they generally fail; they do
not succeed in doing so before there has been time to
disclose the secret. Jeanne knew that Oliva would not
be easy to get rid of, unless she could think of something
that would induce her to fly willingly. Oliva, on her part,
much as she enjoyed her nocturnal promenades at first,
after so much confinement, was already beginning to
weary of them, and to sigh once more for liberty and
Beausire.
</p>

<p>
The night came, and they went out together; Oliva
disguised under a large cloak and hood, and Jeanne
dressed as a grisette; besides which the carriage bore the
respectable arms of Valois, which prevented the police,
who alone might have recognized Oliva, from searching
it.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! I have been so ennuyée,&rdquo; cried Oliva, &ldquo;I have
been expecting you so long.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It was impossible to come and see you, I should have
run, and made you run, a great danger.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How so?&rdquo; said Oliva, astonished.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A terrible danger at which I still tremble. You
know how ennuyée you were, and how much you wished
to go out.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes; and you assisted me like a friend.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly; I proposed that we should have some
amusement with that officer who is rather mad, and in
love with the queen, whom you resemble a little; and
endeavor to persuade him that it was the queen he was
walking with.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said Oliva.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The first two nights you walked in the park, and you
played your part to perfection; he was quite taken in.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said Oliva, &ldquo;but it was almost a pity to deceive
him, poor fellow, he was so delightful.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, but the evil is not there. To give a man a
rose, to let him kiss your hands, and call you &lsquo;your
majesty,&rsquo; was all good fun; but, my little Oliva, it seems
you did not stop here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Oliva colored.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How?&rdquo; stammered she.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There was a third interview.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; replied Oliva, hastily, &ldquo;you know, for you
were there.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Excuse me, dear friend; I was there, but at a distance.
I neither saw nor heard what passed within, I
only know what you told me, that he talked and kissed
your hands.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, mon Dieu!&rdquo; murmured Oliva.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You surely could not have exposed us both to such a
terrible danger without telling me of it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Oliva trembled from head to foot.
</p>

<p>
Jeanne continued. &ldquo;How could I imagine that you,
who said you loved M. Beausire, and were courted by
a man like Count Cagliostro, whom you refused; oh! it
cannot be true.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But where is the danger?&rdquo; asked Oliva.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The danger! Have we not to manage a madman,
one who fears nothing, and will not be controlled. It
was no great thing for the queen to give him her hand to
kiss or to give him a rose; oh, my dear child, I have not
smiled since I heard this.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you fear?&rdquo; asked Oliva, her teeth chattering
with terror.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why, as you are not the queen, and have taken her
name, and in her name have committed a folly of this
kind, that is unfortunately treason. He has no proof of
this&mdash;they may be satisfied with a prison or banishment.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A prison! banishment!&rdquo; shrieked Oliva.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I, at least, intend to take precautions and hide
myself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You fear also?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! will not this madman divulge my share also?
My poor Oliva, this trick of yours will cost us dear.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Oliva burst into tears.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; she cried, &ldquo;I think I am possessed of a
demon, that I can never rest: just saved from one danger,
I must rush into another. Suppose I confess all to
my protector?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A fine story to confess to him, whose advances you
refused, that you have committed this imprudence with
a stranger.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Mon Dieu! you are right.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Soon this report will spread, and will reach his ears;
then do you not think he will give you up to the police?
Even if he only send you away, what will become of
you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! I am lost.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And M. Beausire, when he shall hear this&mdash;&mdash;?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Oliva started, and wringing her hands violently, cried
out, &ldquo;Oh, he would kill me; but no, I will kill myself.
You cannot save me, since you are compromised also.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have,&rdquo; replied Jeanne, &ldquo;in the furthest part of
Picardy, a little farm. If you can gain this refuge, you
might be safe.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, once you were gone, I should not fear him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will go whenever you like.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I think you are wise.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Must I go at once?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Wait till I have prepared everything to insure safety;
meanwhile, hide yourself, and do not come near the
window.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh yes, dear friend.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And to begin, let us go home, as there is no more to
say.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How long will your preparations take?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not know, but remember henceforth, until the
day of your departure I shall not come to the window.
When you see me there, you will know that the day has
arrived, and be prepared.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
They returned in silence. On arriving, Oliva begged
pardon humbly of her friend for bringing her into so
much danger through her folly.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am a woman,&rdquo; replied Jeanne, &ldquo;and can pardon a
woman&rsquo;s weakness.&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LXXI.<br/>
THE FLIGHT.</h2>

<p>
Oliva kept her promise, and Jeanne also. Oliva hid
herself from every one, and Jeanne made her preparations,
and in a few days made her appearance at the window as
a sign to Oliva to be ready that evening for flight.
</p>

<p>
Oliva, divided between joy and terror, began immediately
to prepare. Jeanne went to arrange about the carriage
that was to convey her away. Eleven o&rsquo;clock at
night had just struck when Jeanne arrived with a post-chaise
to which three strong horses were harnessed. A
man wrapped in a cloak sat on the box, directing the
postilions. Jeanne made them stop at the corner of the
street, saying, &ldquo;Remain here&mdash;half an hour will suffice&mdash;and
then I will bring the person whom you are to conduct
with all possible speed to Amiens. There you will
give her into the care of the farmer who is my tenant;
he has his instructions.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I forgot&mdash;are you armed? This lady is menaced by
a madman; he might, perhaps, try to stop her on the
road.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What should I do?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Fire on any one who tries to impede your journey.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You asked me seventy louis; I will give you a hundred,
and will pay the expenses of the voyage which you
had better make to London. Do not return here; it is
more prudent for you to go to St. Valery, and embark at
once for England.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Rely on me, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, I will go and bring the lady.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
All seemed asleep in that quiet house. Jeanne lighted
the lamp which was to be the signal to Oliva, but received
no answering sign. &ldquo;She will come down in the dark,&rdquo;
thought Jeanne; and she went to the door, but it did not
open. Oliva was perhaps bringing down her packages.
&ldquo;The fool!&rdquo; murmured the countess, &ldquo;how much time
she is wasting over her rubbish!&rdquo; She waited a quarter
of an hour&mdash;no one came; then half-past eleven struck.
&ldquo;Perhaps she did not see my signal,&rdquo; thought Jeanne;
and she went up and lighted it again, but it was not acknowledged.
&ldquo;She must be ill,&rdquo; cried Jeanne, in a rage,
&ldquo;and cannot move.&rdquo; Then she took the key which Oliva
had given her; but just as she was about to open the
door, she thought, &ldquo;Suppose some one should be there?
But I should hear voices on the staircase, and could return.
I must risk something.&rdquo; She went up, and on
arriving outside Oliva&rsquo;s door she saw a light inside and
heard footsteps, but no voices. &ldquo;It is all right,&rdquo; she
thought; &ldquo;she was only a long time getting ready.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Oliva,&rdquo; said she softly, &ldquo;open the door.&rdquo; The door
opened, and Jeanne found herself face to face with a man
holding a torch in his hand.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oliva,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;is this you?&rdquo; Then, with a tone
of admirably-feigned surprise, cried, &ldquo;Madame de la
Motte!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Cagliostro!&rdquo; said she in terror, feeling half
inclined to run away; but he took her hand politely, and
begged her to sit down.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To what do I owe the honor of this visit, madame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur,&rdquo; said she, stammering, &ldquo;I came&mdash;I
sought&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Allow me, madame, to inquire which of my servants
was guilty of the rudeness of letting you come up unattended?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne trembled.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You must have fallen to the lot of my stupid German
porter, who is always tipsy.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do not scold him, I beg you, sir,&rdquo; replied Jeanne,
who could hardly speak.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But was it he?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I believe so. But you promise me not to scold him?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will not; only, madame, will you now explain to
me&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne began to gather courage.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I came to consult you, sir, about certain reports.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What reports?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do not hurry me, sir; it is a delicate subject.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! you want time to invent,&rdquo; thought he.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are a friend of M. le Cardinal de Rohan?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am acquainted with him, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, I came to ask you&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, sir, you must know that he has shown me much
kindness, and I wish to know if I may rely upon it. You
understand me, sir? You read all hearts.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You must be a little more explicit before I can assist
you, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur, they say that his eminence loves elsewhere
in a high quarter.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, allow me first to ask you one question.
How did you come to seek me here, since I do not live
here?&rdquo; Jeanne trembled. &ldquo;How did you get in?&mdash;for
there are neither porter nor servants in this part of my
hotel. It could not be me you sought here&mdash;who was it?
You do not reply; I must aid you a little. You came
in by the help of a key which you have now in your pocket.
You came to seek a young woman whom from pure kindness
I had concealed here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne trembled visibly, but replied, &ldquo;If it were so, it
is no crime; one woman is permitted to visit another.
Call her; she will tell you if my friendship is a hurtful
one.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, you say that because you know she is not
here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not here! Oliva not here?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh you do not know that&mdash;you, who helped her to
escape!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I!&rdquo; cried Jeanne; &ldquo;you accuse me of that?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I convict you,&rdquo; replied Cagliostro; and he took a
paper from the table, and showed her the following words,
addressed to himself:
</p>

<div class="blockquot"><p>
&ldquo;<span class="smcap">Monsieur</span>, and my generous protector, forgive me
for leaving you; but above all things I love M. Beausire.
He came and I follow him. Adieu! Believe in my
gratitude!&rdquo;
</p></div>

<p>
&ldquo;Beausire!&rdquo; cried Jeanne, petrified; &ldquo;he, who did not
even know her address?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame, here is another paper, which was doubtless
dropped by M. Beausire.&rdquo; The countess read, shuddering:
</p>

<div class="blockquot"><p>
&ldquo;M. Beausire will find Mademoiselle Oliva, Rue St.
Claude, at the corner of the boulevard. He had better
come for her at once; it is time. This is the advice of a
sincere friend.&rdquo;
</p></div>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; groaned the countess.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And he has taken her away,&rdquo; said Cagliostro.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But who wrote this note?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Doubtless yourself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But how did he get in?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Probably with your key.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But as I have it here, he could not have it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Whoever has one can easily have two.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are convinced,&rdquo; replied she, &ldquo;while I can only
suspect.&rdquo; She turned and went away, but found the
staircase lighted and filled with men-servants. Cagliostro
called out loudly before them, &ldquo;Madame la Comtesse de
la Motte!&rdquo; She went out full of rage and disappointment.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LXXII.<br/>
THE LETTER AND THE RECEIPT.</h2>

<p>
The day arrived for the payment of the first 500,000
francs. The jewelers had prepared a receipt, but no one
came with the money in exchange for it. They passed
the day and night in a state of cruel anxiety. The following
day M. Bœhmer went to Versailles, and asked to
see the queen; he was told that he could not be admitted
without a letter of audience. However, he begged
so hard, and urged his solicitations so well among the
servants, that they consented to place him in the queen&rsquo;s
way when she went out. Marie Antoinette, still full of
joy from her interview with Charny, came along, looking
bright and happy, when she caught sight of the somewhat
solemn face of M. Bœhmer. She smiled on him,
which he took for a favorable sign, and asked for an audience,
which was promised him for two o&rsquo;clock. On his
return to Bossange, they agreed that no doubt the money
was all right, only the queen had been unable to send it
the day before. At two o&rsquo;clock Bœhmer returned to
Versailles.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What is it now, M. Bœhmer?&rdquo; asked the queen, as
he entered. Bœhmer thought some one must be listening,
and looked cautiously around him.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Have you any secret to tell?&rdquo; asked the queen, in
surprise. &ldquo;The same as before, I suppose&mdash;some jewels
to sell. But make yourself easy; no one can hear you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ahem!&rdquo; murmured Bœhmer, startled at his reception.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, what?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then I may speak out to your majesty?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Anything; only be quick.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I only wished to say that your majesty probably forgot
us yesterday.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Forgot you! what do you mean?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yesterday the sum was due&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What sum?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pardon me, your majesty, if I am indiscreet. Perhaps
your majesty is not prepared. It would be a misfortune;
but still&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But,&rdquo; interrupted the queen, &ldquo;I do not understand
a word of what you are saying. Pray explain yourself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yesterday the first payment for the necklace was
due.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Have you sold it, then?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly, your majesty,&rdquo; replied Bœhmer, looking
stupefied.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And those to whom you have sold it have not paid,
my poor Bœhmer? So much the worse; but they must
do as I did, and, if they cannot pay, send it you back
again.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The jeweler staggered like a man who had just had a
sunstroke. &ldquo;I do not understand your majesty,&rdquo; he
said.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why, Bœhmer, if ten purchasers were each to send
it back, and give you 100,000 francs, as I did, you would
make a million, and keep your necklace also.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your majesty says,&rdquo; cried Bœhmer, ready to drop,
&ldquo;that you sent me back the necklace!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly. What is the matter?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What! your majesty denies having bought the necklace?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! what comedy is this, sir?&rdquo; said the queen,
severely. &ldquo;Is this unlucky necklace destined to turn
some one&rsquo;s brain?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But did your majesty really say that you had returned
the necklace?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Happily,&rdquo; replied the queen, &ldquo;I can refresh your
memory, as you are so forgetful, to say nothing more.&rdquo;
She went to her secretaire, and, taking out the receipt,
showed it to him, saying, &ldquo;I suppose this is clear
enough?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Bœhmer&rsquo;s expression changed from incredulity to terror.
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; cried he, &ldquo;I never signed this receipt!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You deny it!&rdquo; said the queen, with flashing eyes.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Positively, if I lose my life for it. I never received
the necklace; I never signed the receipt. Were the
headsman here, or the gallows, I would repeat the same
thing!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then, sir,&rdquo; said the queen, &ldquo;do you think I have
robbed you? do you think I have your necklace?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Bœhmer drew out a pocket-book, and in his turn produced
a letter. &ldquo;I do not believe,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;that if
your majesty had wished to return the necklace, you
would have written this.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I write! I never wrote to you; that is not my writing.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is signed,&rdquo; said Bœhmer.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, &lsquo;Marie Antoinette of France.&rsquo; You are mad!
Do you think that is the way I sign? I am of Austria.
Go, M. Bœhmer; you have played this game unskilfully;
your forgers have not understood their work.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My forgers!&rdquo; cried the poor Bœhmer, ready to faint
at this new blow. &ldquo;You suspect me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You accuse me, Marie Antoinette?&rdquo; replied she.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But this letter?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This receipt? Give it me back, and take your letter;
the first lawyer you ask will tell you how much that is
worth.&rdquo; And taking the receipt from his trembling
hands, and throwing the letter indignantly down, she
left the room.
</p>

<p>
The unfortunate man ran to communicate this dreadful
blow to his partner, who was waiting in the carriage
for him; and on their way home their gestures and cries
of grief were so frantic as to attract the attention of every
passer-by. At last they decided to return to Versailles.
</p>

<p>
Immediately they presented themselves they were admitted
by the order of the queen.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LXXIII.<br/>
&ldquo;Roi ne puis, prince ne daigne,<br />
Rohan je suis.&rdquo;<a name="FNanchor_B_" id="FNanchor_B_"></a><a href="#Footnote_B_" class="fnanchor">[B]</a><br />
</h2>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; cried the queen, immediately they entered,
&ldquo;you have brought a reinforcement, M. Bœhmer; so
much the better.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Bœhmer kneeled at her feet, and Bossange followed his
example.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Gentlemen,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;I have now grown calm, and
an idea has come into my head which has modified my
opinion with regard to you. It seems to me that we have
both been duped.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, madame, you suspect me no longer. Forger was
a dreadful word.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, I do not suspect you now.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Does your majesty suspect any one else?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Reply to my questions. You say you have not these
diamonds?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, madame, we have not.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It then matters little to you that I sent them&mdash;that
is my affair. Did you not see Madame de la Motte?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And she gave you nothing from me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, madame; she only said to us, &lsquo;Wait.&rsquo;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But this letter&mdash;who brought it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;An unknown messenger, during the night.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She rang, and a servant entered.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Send for Madame de la Motte. And,&rdquo; continued the
queen to M. Bœhmer, &ldquo;did you see M. de Rohan?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame; he paid us a visit in order to ask.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Good!&rdquo; said the queen. &ldquo;I wish to hear no more
now; but if he be mixed up with this affair, I think you
need not despair. I think I can guess what Madame de
la Motte meant by saying &lsquo;Wait.&rsquo; Meanwhile, go to M.
de Rohan, and tell him all you have told us, and that I
know it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The jewelers had a renewed spark of hope; only Bossange
said that the receipt was a false one, and that that
was a crime.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;True,&rdquo; replied Marie Antoinette, &ldquo;if you did not
write it, it is a crime; but to prove this I must confront
you with the person whom I charged to return you the
jewels.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Whenever your majesty pleases; we do not fear the
test.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Go first to M. de Rohan; he alone can enlighten
you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And will your majesty permit us to bring you his
answer?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes; but I dare say I shall know all before you do.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
When they were gone she was restless and unquiet, and
despatched courier after courier for Madame de la Motte.
</p>

<p>
We will, however, leave her for the present, and follow
the jewelers in their search after the truth.
</p>

<p>
The cardinal was at home, reading, with a rage impossible
to describe, a little note which Madame de la Motte
had just sent him, as she said, from Versailles. It was
harsh, forbidding any hope, ordering him to think no
more of the past, not to appear again at Versailles, and
ending with an appeal to his loyalty not to attempt to
renew relations which were become impossible.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Coquette, capricious, perfidious!&rdquo; cried he. &ldquo;Here
are four letters which she has written to me, each more
unjust and tyrannical than the other. She encouraged
me only for a caprice, and now sacrifices me to a new
one.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
It was at this moment that the jewelers presented themselves.
Three times he refused them admittance, and
each time the servant came back, saying that they would
not go without an audience. &ldquo;Let them come in, then,&rdquo;
said he.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What means this rudeness, gentlemen? No one owes
you anything here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The jewelers, driven to despair, made a half-menacing
gesture.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Are you mad?&rdquo; asked the cardinal.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monseigneur,&rdquo; replied Bœhmer, with a sigh, &ldquo;do us
justice, and do not compel us to be rude to an illustrious
prince.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Either you are not mad, in which case my servants
shall throw you out of the window; or you are mad, and
they shall simply push you out of the door.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monseigneur, we are not mad, but we have been
robbed.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What is that to me? I am not lieutenant of police.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But you have had the necklace in your hands, and in
justice&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The necklace! is it the necklace that is stolen?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, what does the queen say about it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She sent me to you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She is very amiable; but what can I do, my poor
fellows?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You can tell us, monseigneur, what has been done
with it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Doubtless.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you think I stole the necklace from the queen?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is not the queen from whom it was stolen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Mon Dieu! from whom, then?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The queen denies having had it in her possession.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How! she denies it? But I thought you had an
acknowledgment from her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She says it is a forged one.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Decidedly, you are mad!&rdquo; cried the cardinal.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We simply speak the truth.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then she denied it because some one was there.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, monseigneur. And this is not all: not only does
the queen deny her own acknowledgment, but she produced
a receipt from us, purporting that we had received
back the necklace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A receipt from you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Which also is a forgery, M. le Cardinal&mdash;you know it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A forgery, and I know it!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Assuredly, for you came to confirm what Madame de
la Motte had said; and you knew that we had sold the
necklace to the queen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come,&rdquo; said the cardinal, &ldquo;this seems a serious affair.
This is what I did: first, I bought the necklace of you for
her majesty, and paid you 100,000 francs.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;True, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Afterwards you told me that the queen had acknowledged
the debt in writing, and fixed the periods of payment.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We said so. Will your eminence look at this signature?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
He looked at it, and said directly, &ldquo;&lsquo;Marie Antoinette
of France:&rsquo; you have been deceived, gentlemen; this is
not her signature; she is of the House of Austria.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then,&rdquo; cried the jewelers, &ldquo;Madame de la Motte
must know the forger and the robber.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal appeared struck with this. He acted like
the queen; he rang, and said, &ldquo;Send for Madame de la
Motte.&rdquo; His servants went after Jeanne&rsquo;s carriage, which
had not long left the hotel.
</p>

<p>
M. Bœhmer continued, &ldquo;But where is the necklace?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How can I tell?&rdquo; cried the cardinal; &ldquo;I gave it to
the queen. I know no more.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We must have our necklace, or our money,&rdquo; cried the
jewelers.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Gentlemen, this is not my business.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is Madame de la Motte,&rdquo; cried they in despair,
&ldquo;who has ruined us.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I forbid you to accuse her here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Some one must be guilty; some one wrote the forged
papers.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Was it I?&rdquo; asked M. de Rohan, haughtily.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monseigneur, we do not wish to say so.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, who then?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monseigneur, we desire an explanation.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Wait till I have one myself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, monseigneur, what are we to say to the queen?
For she accused us at first.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What does she say now?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She says that either you or Madame de la Motte has
the necklace, for she has not.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; replied the cardinal, pale with rage and shame,
&ldquo;go and tell her&mdash;no, tell her nothing; there is scandal
enough. But to-morrow I officiate at the chapel at Versailles:
when I approach the queen, come to us; I will
ask her again if she has the necklace, and you shall hear
what she replies; if she denies it before me, then, gentlemen,
I am a Rohan, and will pay.&rdquo; And with these words,
pronounced with an indescribable dignity, he dismissed
them.
</p>

<div class="footnote"><p>
<a name="Footnote_B_" id="Footnote_B_"></a><a href="#FNanchor_B_"><span class="label">[B]</span></a> The motto of the Rohans.
</p></div>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LXXIV.<br/>
LOVE AND DIPLOMACY.</h2>

<p>
The next morning, about ten o&rsquo;clock, a carriage bearing
the arms of M. de Breteuil entered Versailles. Our
readers will not have forgotten that this gentleman was
a personal enemy of M. de Rohan, and had long been on
the watch for an opportunity of injuring him. He now
requested an audience from the king, and was admitted.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is a beautiful day,&rdquo; said Louis to his minister;
&ldquo;there is not a cloud in the sky.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire, I am sorry to bring with me a cloud on your
tranquillity.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So am I,&rdquo; replied the king, &ldquo;but what is it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I feel very much embarrassed, sire, more especially
as, perhaps, this affair naturally concerns the lieutenant
of police rather than myself, for it is a sort of theft.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A theft! well, speak out.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire, your majesty knows the diamond necklace?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. Bœhmer&rsquo;s, which the queen refused?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Precisely, sire,&rdquo; said M. de Breteuil; and ignorant
of all the mischief he was about to do, he continued,
&ldquo;and this necklace has been stolen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! so much the worse. But diamonds are very
easy to trace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, sire, this is not an ordinary theft; it is pretended
that the queen has kept the necklace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why, she refused it in my presence.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire, I did not use the right word; the calumnies are
too gross.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; said the king with a smile, &ldquo;I suppose they
say now that the queen has stolen the necklace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire,&rdquo; replied M. Breteuil, &ldquo;they say that the queen
recommenced the negotiation for the purchase privately,
and that the jewelers hold a paper signed by her, acknowledging
that she kept it. I need not tell your majesty
how much I despise all such scandalous falsehoods.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They say this!&rdquo; said the king, turning pale.
&ldquo;What do they not say? Had the queen really bought
it afterwards, I should not have blamed her. She is a
woman, and the necklace is marvelously beautiful; and,
thank God, she could still afford it, if she wished for it.
I shall only blame her for one thing, for hiding her
wishes from me. But that has nothing to do with the
king, only with the husband. A husband may scold his
wife if he pleases, and no one has a right to interfere. But
then,&rdquo; continued he, &ldquo;what do you mean by a robbery?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! I fear I have made your majesty angry.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The king laughed. &ldquo;Come, tell me all; tell me even
that the queen sold the necklace to the Jews. Poor woman,
she is often in want of money, oftener than I can
give it to her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Exactly so; about two months ago the queen asked
for 500,000 francs, and your majesty refused it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;True.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, sire, they say that this money was to have been
the first payment for the necklace. The queen, being
denied the money, could not pay&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, sire, they say the queen applied to some one to
help her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To a Jew?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, sire; not to a Jew.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! I guess, some foreign intrigue. The queen
asked her mother, or some of her family, for money.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It would have been better if she had, sire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, to whom, then, did she apply?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire, I dare not&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur, I am tired of this. I order you to speak
out at once. Who lent this money to the queen?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Rohan.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Rohan! Are you not ashamed to name to me
the most embarrassed man in my kingdom?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire,&rdquo; said M. de Breteuil, lowering his eyes.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Breteuil, your manner annoys me. If you have
anything to say, speak at once.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire, I cannot bring myself to utter things so compromising
to the honor of my king and queen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Speak, sir; if there are calumnies, they must be refuted.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then, sire, M. de Rohan went to the jewelers, and
arranged for the purchase of the necklace, and the mode
of payment.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really!&rdquo; cried the king, annoyed and angry.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is a fact, sire, capable of being proved with the
greatest certainty. I pledge my word for this.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This is most annoying,&rdquo; said the king; &ldquo;but still,
sir, we have not heard of a theft.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire, the jewelers say that they have a receipt signed
by the queen, and she denies having the necklace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; cried the king, with renewed hope; &ldquo;she
denies it, you see, M. de Breteuil.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, sire! I never doubted her majesty&rsquo;s innocence.
I am indeed unfortunate, if your majesty does not see all
my respect for the purest of women.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then you only accuse M. de Rohan?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sire. And appearances demand some inquiry
into his conduct. The queen says she has not the necklace&mdash;the
jewelers say they sold it to her. It is not to be
found, and the word &lsquo;theft&rsquo; is used as connected both
with the queen and M. de Rohan.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are right, M. de Breteuil; this affair must be
cleared up. But who is that passing below? Is it not M.
de Rohan going to the chapel?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not yet, sire; he does not come till eleven o&rsquo;clock,
and he will be dressed in his robes, for he officiates to-day.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then I will send for him and speak to him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Permit me to advise your majesty to speak first to the
queen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, she will tell me the truth.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Doubtless, sire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But first tell me all you know about it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
M. de Breteuil, with ingenious hate, mentioned every
particular which he thought could injure M. de Rohan.
They were interrupted by an officer, who approached the
king, and said, &ldquo;Sire, the queen begs you will come to
her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What is it?&rdquo; asked the king, turning pale. &ldquo;Wait
here, M. de Breteuil.&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LXXV.<br/>
CHARNY, CARDINAL, AND QUEEN.</h2>

<p>
At the same moment as M. de Breteuil asked for an
audience of the king, M. de Charny, pale and agitated,
begged one of the queen. He was admitted, and touching
tremblingly the hand she held out to him, said in an agitated
voice, &ldquo;Oh! madame, what a misfortune!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What is the matter?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you know what I have just heard? What the
king has perhaps already heard, or will hear to-morrow.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She trembled, for she thought of her night with Charny,
and fancied they had been seen. &ldquo;Speak,&rdquo; said she;
&ldquo;I am strong.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They say, madame, that you bought a necklace from
M. Bœhmer.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I returned it,&rdquo; said she quickly.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But they say that you only pretended to do so, when
the king prevented you from paying for it by refusing you
the money, and that you went to borrow the amount from
some one else, who is your lover.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And,&rdquo; cried the queen, with her usual impetuous confidence,
&ldquo;you, monsieur&mdash;you let them say that?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, yesterday I went to M. Bœhmer&rsquo;s with my
uncle, who had brought some diamonds from the Indies,
and wished to have them valued. There we heard this
frightful story now being spread abroad by your majesty&rsquo;s
enemies. Madame, I am in despair; if you bought the
necklace, tell me; if you have not paid, tell me; but do
not let me hear that M. de Rohan paid for you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Rohan!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, M. de Rohan, whom they call your lover&mdash;whom
they say lent the money&mdash;and whom an unhappy man,
called Charny, saw in the park in Versailles, kneeling before
the queen, and kissing her hand.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur,&rdquo; cried Marie Antoinette, &ldquo;if you believe
these things when you leave me, you do not love me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; cried the young man, &ldquo;the danger presses. I
come to beg you to do me a favor.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What danger?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame! the cardinal paying for the queen dishonors
her. I do not speak now of the grief such a confidence
in him causes to me. No; of these things one
dies, but does not complain.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are mad!&rdquo; cried Marie Antoinette, in anger.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am not mad, madame, but you are unhappy and
lost. I saw you in the park&mdash;I told you so&mdash;I was not
deceived. To-day all the horrible truth has burst out.
M. de Rohan boasts, perhaps&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen seized his arm. &ldquo;You are mad,&rdquo; repeated
she, with inexpressible anguish. &ldquo;Believe anything&mdash;believe
the impossible&mdash;but, in the name of heaven, after
all I have said to you, do not believe me guilty. I, who
never even thought of you without praying to God to pardon
me for my fault. Oh, M. de Charny! if you do not
wish to kill me, do not tell me that you think me guilty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Charny wrung his hands with anguish. &ldquo;Listen,&rdquo; said
he, &ldquo;if you wish me to serve you efficaciously.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A service from you?&mdash;from you, more cruel than my
enemies? A service from a man who despises me?
Never, sir&mdash;never.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Charny approached, and took her hands in his.
&ldquo;This evening it will be too late. Save me from despair,
by saving yourself from shame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I cannot pick my words with death, before me!
If you do not listen to me, we shall both die; you from
shame, and I from grief. You want money to pay for
this necklace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do not deny it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I tell you&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do not tell me that you have not the necklace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I swear!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do not swear, if you wish me to love you. There
remains one way to save at once your honor and my love.
The necklace is worth 1,600,000 francs&mdash;you have paid
100,000. Here is the remainder; take it, and pay.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have sold your possessions&mdash;you have ruined
yourself for me! Good and noble heart, I love you!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then you accept?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No; but I love you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And let M. de Rohan pay. Remember, madame,
this would be no generosity towards me, but the refinement
of cruelty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Charny, I am a queen. I give to my subjects,
but do not accept from them.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you mean to do, then?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are frank. What do the jewelers say?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That as you cannot pay, M. de Rohan will pay for
you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What does the public say?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That you have the necklace hidden, and will produce
it when it shall have been paid for; either by the cardinal,
in his love for you, or by the king, to prevent
scandal.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And you, Charny; in your turn, I ask, what do you
say?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I think, madame, that you have need to prove your
innocence to me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The Prince Louis, Cardinal de Rohan, was at that
moment announced by an usher.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You shall have your wish,&rdquo; said the queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are going to receive him?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And I?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Go into my boudoir, and leave the door ajar, that
you may hear. Be quick&mdash;here he is.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
M. de Rohan appeared in his robes of office. The
queen advanced towards him, attempting a smile, which
died away on her lips.
</p>

<p>
He was serious, and said, &ldquo;Madame, I have several
important things to communicate to you, although you
shun my presence.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I shun you so little, monsieur, that I was about to
send for you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Am I alone with your majesty?&rdquo; said he, in a low
voice. &ldquo;May I speak freely?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Perfectly, monseigneur. Do not constrain yourself,&rdquo;
said she aloud, for M. de. Charny to hear.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The king will not come?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Have no fear of the king, or any one else.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, it is yourself I fear,&rdquo; said he, in a moved voice.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, I am not formidable. Say quickly and openly
what you have to say. I like frankness, and want no reserve.
They say you complain of me; what have you to
reproach me with?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal sighed.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LXXVI.<br/>
EXPLANATIONS.</h2>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; said the cardinal, bowing, &ldquo;you know
what is passing concerning the necklace?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, monsieur; I wish to learn it from you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why has your majesty for so long only deigned to
communicate with me through another? If you have
any reason to hate me, why not explain it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not know what you mean. I do not hate you;
but that is not, I think, the subject of our interview. I
wish to hear all about this unlucky necklace; but first,
where is Madame de la Motte?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I was about to ask your majesty the same question.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really, monsieur, if any one knows, I think it ought
to be you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I, madame! why?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! I do not wish to receive your confessions about
her, but I wish to speak to her, and have sent for her ten
times without receiving any answer.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And I, madame, am astonished at her disappearance,
for I also sent to ask her to come, and, like your majesty,
received no answer.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then let us leave her, monsieur, and speak of ourselves.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh no, madame; let us speak of her first, for a few
words of your majesty&rsquo;s gave me a painful suspicion; it
seemed to me that your majesty reproached me with my
assiduities to her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have not reproached you at all, sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! madame, such a suspicion would explain all to
me; then I should understand all your rigor towards me,
which I have hitherto found so inexplicable.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Here we cease to understand each other, and I beg of
you not to still further involve in obscurity what I wished
you to explain to me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; cried the cardinal, clasping his hands, &ldquo;I entreat
you not to change the subject; allow me only two
words more, and I am sure we shall understand each
other.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really, sir, you speak in language that I do not understand.
Pray return to plain French; where is the necklace
that I returned to the jewelers?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The necklace that you sent back?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes; what have you done with it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I! I do not know, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Listen, and one thing is simple; Madame de la Motte
took away the necklace, and returned it to the jewelers in
my name. The jewelers say they never had it, and I hold
in my hands a receipt which proves the contrary; but
they say the receipt is forged; Madame de la Motte, if
sincere, could explain all, but as she is not to be found, I
can but conjecture. She wished to return it, but you, who
had always the generous wish to present me the necklace,
you, who brought it to me, with the offer to pay for it&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Which your majesty refused.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes. Well, you have persevered in your idea, and you
kept back the necklace, hoping to return it to me at some
other time. Madame de la Motte was weak; she knew my
inability to pay for it, and my determination not to keep
it when I could not pay; she therefore entered into a conspiracy
with you. Have I guessed right? Say yes. Let
me believe in this slight disobedience to my orders, and
I promise you both pardon; so let Madame de la Motte
come out from her hiding-place. But, for pity&rsquo;s sake, let
there be perfect clearness and openness, monsieur. A
cloud rests over me; I will have it dispersed.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; replied the cardinal, with a sigh, &ldquo;unfortunately
it is not true. I did not persevere in my idea,
for I believed the necklace was in your own hands; I never
conspired with Madame de la Motte about it, and I have
it no more than you say you or the jewelers have it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Impossible! you have not got it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Is it not you who hide it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You do not know what has become of it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, then, how do you explain its disappearance?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not pretend to explain it, madame; and, moreover,
it is not the first time that I have had to complain
that your majesty did not understand me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How, sir?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pray, madame, have the goodness to retrace my letters
in your memory.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your letters!&mdash;you have written to me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Too seldom, madame, to express all that was in my
heart.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen rose.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Terminate this jesting, sir. What do you mean by
letters? How can you dare to say such things?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! madame, perhaps I have allowed myself to speak
too freely the secret of my soul.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What secret? Are you in your senses, monsieur?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! speak out. You speak now like a man who
wishes to embarrass one before witnesses.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, is there really any one listening to us?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, monsieur. Explain yourself, and prove to me,
if you can, that you are in your right senses.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! why is not Madame de la Motte here? she could
aid me to reawaken, if not your majesty&rsquo;s attachment,
at least your memory.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My attachment! my memory!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, madame,&rdquo; cried he, growing excited, &ldquo;spare me,
I beg. It is free to you to love no longer, but do not
insult me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, mon Dieu!&rdquo; cried the queen, turning pale:
&ldquo;hear what this man says.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, madame,&rdquo; said he, getting still more excited,
&ldquo;I think I have been sufficiently discreet and reserved
not to be ill-treated. But I should have known that
when a queen says, &lsquo;I will not any longer,&rsquo; it is as imperious
as when a woman says, &lsquo;I will.&rsquo;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, sir, to whom, or when, have I said either the
one or the other?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Both, to me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To you! You are a liar, M. de Rohan. A coward,
for you calumniate a woman; and a traitor, for you insult
the queen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And you are a heartless woman and a faithless queen.
You led me to feel for you the most ardent love. You
let me drink my fill of hopes&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Of hopes! My God! am I mad, or what is he?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Should I have dared to ask you for the midnight interviews
which you granted me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen uttered a cry of rage, as she fancied she
heard a sigh from the boudoir.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Should I,&rdquo; continued M. de Rohan, &ldquo;have dared to
come into the park if you had not sent Madame de la
Motte for me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Mon Dieu!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Should I have dared to steal the key? Should I have
ventured to ask for this rose, which since then I have
worn here on my heart, and burned up with my kisses?
Should I have dared to kiss your hands? And, above all,
should I have dared even to dream of sweet but perfidious
love.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur!&rdquo; cried she, &ldquo;you blaspheme.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Mon Dieu!&rdquo; exclaimed the cardinal, &ldquo;heaven knows
that to be loved by this deceitful woman I would have
given my all, my liberty, my life.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Rohan, if you wish to preserve either, you will
confess immediately that you invented all these horrors;
that you did not come to the park at night.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I did come,&rdquo; he replied.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are a dead man if you maintain this.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A Rohan cannot lie, madame; I did come.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Rohan, in heaven&rsquo;s name say that you did not
see me there.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will die if you wish it, and as you threaten me; but
I did come to the park at Versailles, where Madame de la
Motte brought me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Once more, confess it is a horrible plot against me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then believe that you were mistaken&mdash;deceived&mdash;that
it was all a fancy.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then we will have recourse,&rdquo; said she, solemnly, &ldquo;to
the justice of the king.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal bowed.
</p>

<p>
The queen rang violently. &ldquo;Tell his majesty that I
desire his presence.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal remained firm. Marie Antoinette went
ten times to the door of the boudoir, and each time returned
without going in.
</p>

<p>
At last the king appeared.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LXXVII.<br/>
THE ARREST.</h2>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire,&rdquo; cried the queen, &ldquo;here is M. de Rohan, who
says incredible things, which I wish him to repeat to
you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
At these unexpected words the cardinal turned pale.
Indeed, it was a strange position to hear himself called
upon to repeat to the king and the husband all the claims
which he believed he had over the queen and the wife.
</p>

<p>
But the king, turning towards him, said, &ldquo;About a
certain necklace, is it not, sir?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
M. de Rohan took advantage of the king&rsquo;s question, and
chose the least of two evils. &ldquo;Yes, sire,&rdquo; he murmured,
&ldquo;about the necklace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then, sir, you have brought the necklace?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, or no, sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal looked at the queen, and did not reply.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The truth, sir,&rdquo; said the queen, answering his look.
&ldquo;We want nothing but the truth.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
M. de Rohan turned away his head, and did not speak.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If M. de Rohan will not reply, will you, madame, explain?&rdquo;
said the king. &ldquo;You must know something
about it; did you buy it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
M. de Rohan smiled rather contemptuously.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You say nothing, sir,&rdquo; said the king.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Of what am I accused, sire?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The jewelers say they sold the necklace either to you
or the queen. They show a receipt from her majesty&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A forged one,&rdquo; interrupted the queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The jewelers,&rdquo; continued the king, &ldquo;say that in
case the queen does not pay, you are bound to do so by
your engagements.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not refuse to pay, sire. It must be the truth, as
the queen permits it to be said.&rdquo; And a second look,
still more contemptuous than the first, accompanied this
speech.
</p>

<p>
The queen trembled, for she began to think his behavior
like the indignation of an honest man.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, M. le Cardinal, some one has imitated the
signature of the Queen of France,&rdquo; said the king.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The queen, sire, is free to attribute to me whatever
crimes she pleases.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sir,&rdquo; said the king, &ldquo;instead of justifying yourself,
you assume the air of an accuser.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal paused a moment, and then cried,
&ldquo;Justify myself?&mdash;impossible!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur, these people say that this necklace has
been stolen under a promise to pay for it; do you confess
the crime?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who would believe it, if I did?&rdquo; asked the cardinal,
with a haughty disdain.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then, sir, you think they will believe&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire, I know nothing of what is said,&rdquo; interrupted
the cardinal; &ldquo;all that I can affirm is, that I have not the
necklace; some one has it who will not produce it; and
I can but say, let the shame of the crime fall on the
person who knows himself guilty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The question, madame, is between you two,&rdquo; said
the king. &ldquo;Once more, have you the necklace?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, by the honor of my mother, by the life of my
son.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The king joyfully turned towards the cardinal. &ldquo;Then,
sir, the affair lies between you and justice, unless you
prefer trusting to my clemency.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The clemency of kings is for the guilty, sire; I prefer
the justice of men!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You will confess nothing?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have nothing to say.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, sir, your silence compromises my honor,&rdquo; cried
the queen.
</p>

<p>
The cardinal did not speak.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, then, I will speak,&rdquo; cried she. &ldquo;Learn, sire,
that M. de Rohan&rsquo;s chief crime is not the theft of this
necklace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
M. de Rohan turned pale.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you mean?&rdquo; cried the king.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame!&rdquo; murmured the cardinal.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! no reasons, no fear, no weakness shall close my
mouth. I would proclaim my innocence in public if
necessary.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your innocence,&rdquo; said the king. &ldquo;Oh, madame,
who would be rash enough, or base enough, to compel
you to defend that?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I beg you, madame,&rdquo; said the cardinal.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! you begin to tremble. I was right: such plots
bear not the light. Sire, will you order M. de Rohan to
repeat to you what he has just said to me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; cried the cardinal, &ldquo;take care; you pass
all bounds.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sir,&rdquo; said the king, &ldquo;do you dare to speak thus to
the queen?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sire,&rdquo; said Marie Antoinette; &ldquo;this is the way
he speaks to me, and pretends he has the right to do
so.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You, sir!&rdquo; cried the king, livid with rage.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! he says he has letters&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Let us see them, sir,&rdquo; said the king.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, produce them,&rdquo; cried the queen.
</p>

<p>
The cardinal passed his hands over his burning eyes,
and asked himself how heaven could ever have created a
being so perfidious and so audacious; but he remained
silent.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But that is not all,&rdquo; continued the queen, getting
more and more excited: &ldquo;M. le Cardinal says he has obtained
interviews&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, for pity&rsquo;s sake,&rdquo; cried the king.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;For modesty&rsquo;s sake,&rdquo; murmured the cardinal.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;One word, sir. If you are not the basest of men; if
you hold anything sacred in this world; if you have proofs,
produce them.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, madame,&rdquo; replied he, at length, &ldquo;I have not.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You said you had a witness.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who?&rdquo; asked the king.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame de la Motte.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; cried the king, whose suspicions against her
were easily excited; &ldquo;let us see this woman.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said the queen, &ldquo;but she has disappeared.
Ask monsieur what he has done with her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Others have made her disappear who had more interest
in doing so than I had.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, sir, if you are innocent, help us to find the
guilty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal crossed his hands and turned his back.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur,&rdquo; cried the king, &ldquo;you shall go to the Bastile.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;As I am, sire, in my robes? Consider, sire, the scandal
will commence, and will fall heavily on whomsoever it
rests.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I wish it to do so, sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is an injustice, sire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It shall be so.&rdquo; And the king looked round for some
one to execute his orders. M. de Breteuil was near, anticipating
the fall of his rival; the king spoke to him, and
he cried immediately, &ldquo;Guards! arrest M. le Cardinal de
Rohan.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal passed by the queen without saluting her;
then, bowing to the king, went towards the lieutenant of
the guards, who approached timidly, seeming to wait for
a confirmation of the order he had received.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sir,&rdquo; said M. de Rohan, &ldquo;it is I whom you are to
arrest.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Conduct monsieur to his apartment until I have
written the order;&rdquo; said the king.
</p>

<p>
When they were alone, the king said, &ldquo;Madame, you
know this must lead to a public trial, and that scandal
will fall heavily on the heads of the guilty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I thank you, sire; you have taken the only method of
justifying me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You thank me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;With all my heart; believe me, you have acted like a
king, and I as a queen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Good,&rdquo; replied the king, joyfully; &ldquo;we shall find
out the truth at last, and when once we have crushed the
serpent, I hope we may live in more tranquillity.&rdquo; He
kissed the queen, and left her.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur,&rdquo; said the cardinal to the officer who conducted
him, &ldquo;can I send word home that I have been arrested?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If no one sees, monseigneur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The cardinal wrote some words on a page of his missal,
then tore it out, and let it fall at the feet of the officer.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She ruins me,&rdquo; murmured the cardinal; &ldquo;but I will
save her, for your sake, oh! my king, and because it is
my duty to forgive.&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LXXVIII.<br/>
THE PROC&Egrave;S-VERBAL.</h2>

<p>
When the king reentered his room he signed the order
to consign M. de Rohan to the Bastile. The Count de
Provence soon came in and began making a series of signs
to M. de Breteuil, who, however willing, could not understand
their meaning. This, however, the count did not
care for, as his sole object was to attract the king&rsquo;s attention.
He at last succeeded, and the king, after dismissing
M. de Breteuil, said to him, &ldquo;What was the meaning of
all those signs you were making just now? I suppose
they meant something.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Undoubtedly, but&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, you are quite free to say or not.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire, I have just heard of the arrest of M. de Rohan.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, and what then? Am I wrong to do justice
even on him?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh no, brother; I did not mean that.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I should have been surprised had you not taken part
somehow against the queen. I have just seen her, and
am quite satisfied.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, sire, God forbid that I should accuse her! The
queen has no friend more devoted than myself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then you approve of my proceedings? which will, I
trust, terminate all the scandals which have lately disgraced
our court.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sire, I entirely approve your majesty&rsquo;s conduct,
and I think all is for the best as regards the necklace&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pardieu, it is clear enough. M. de Rohan has been
making himself great on a pretended familiarity with
the queen; and conducting in her name a bargain for
the diamonds, and leaving it to be supposed that she had
them. It is monstrous. And then these tales never stop
at the truth, but add all sorts of dreadful details which
would end in a frightful scandal on the queen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, brother, I repeat as far as the necklace is concerned
you were perfectly right.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What else is there, then?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire, you embarrass me. The queen has not, then,
told you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, the other boastings of M. de Rohan? The pretended
correspondence and interviews he speaks of? All
that I know is, that I have the most absolute confidence
in the queen, which she merits by the nobleness of her
character. It was easy for her to have told me nothing
of all this; but she always makes an immediate appeal to
me in all difficulties, and confides to me the care of her
honor. I am her confessor and her judge.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire, you make me afraid to speak, lest I should be
again accused of want of friendship for the queen. But
it is right that all should be spoken, that she may justify
herself from the other accusations.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, what have you to say?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Let me first hear what she told you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She said she had not the necklace; that she never
signed the receipt for the jewels; that she never authorized
M. de Rohan to buy them; that she had never given him
the right to think himself more to her than any other of
her subjects; and that she was perfectly indifferent to
him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! she said that&mdash;&mdash;?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Most decidedly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then these rumors about other people&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What others?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why, if it were not M. de Rohan, who walked with
the queen&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How! do they say he walked with her?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The queen denies it, you say? but how came she to
be in the park at night, and with whom did she walk?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The queen in the park at night!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Doubtless, there are always eyes ready to watch every
movement of a queen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Brother, these are infamous things that you repeat,
take care.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire, I openly repeat them, that your majesty may
search out the truth.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And they say that the queen walked at night in the
park?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sire, tête-à-tête.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not believe any one says it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Unfortunately I can prove it but too well. There are
four witnesses: one is the captain of the hunt, who says
he saw the queen go out two following nights by the door
near the kennel of the wolf-hounds; here is his declaration
signed.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The king, trembling, took the paper.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The next is the night watchman at Trianon, who says
he saw the queen walking arm in arm with a gentleman.
The third is the porter of the west door, who also saw
the queen going through the little gate; he states how
she was dressed, but that he could not recognize the
gentleman, but thought he looked like an officer; he
says he could not be mistaken, for that the queen was
accompanied by her friend, Madame de la Motte.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Her friend!&rdquo; cried the king, furiously.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The last is from the man whose duty it is to see that
all the doors are locked at night. He says that he saw
the queen go into the baths of Apollo with a gentleman.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The king, pale with anger and emotion, snatched the
paper from the hands of his brother.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is true,&rdquo; continued the count, &ldquo;that Madame de la
Motte was outside, and that the queen did not remain
more than an hour.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The name of the gentleman?&rdquo; cried the king.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This report does not name him; but here is one dated
the next day, by a forester, who says it was M. de Charny.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Charny!&rdquo; cried the king. &ldquo;Wait here; I will
soon learn the truth of all this.&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LXXIX.<br/>
THE LAST ACCUSATION.</h2>

<p>
As soon as the king left the room, the queen ran towards
the boudoir, and opened the door; then, as if her
strength failed her, sank down on a chair, waiting for the
decision of M. de Charny, her last and most formidable
judge.
</p>

<p>
He came out more sad and pale than ever.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well?&rdquo; said she.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; replied he, &ldquo;you see, everything opposes
our friendship. There can be no peace for me while such
scandalous reports circulate in public, putting my private
convictions aside.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then,&rdquo; said the queen, &ldquo;all I have done, this perilous
aggression, this public defiance of one of the greatest
nobles in the kingdom, and my conduct being exposed to
the test of public opinion, does not satisfy you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; cried Charny, &ldquo;you are noble and generous, I
know&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But you believe me guilty&mdash;you believe the cardinal.
I command you to tell me what you think.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I must say, then, madame, that he is neither mad nor
wicked, as you called him, but a man thoroughly convinced
of the truth of what he said&mdash;a man who loves you,
and the victim of an error which will bring him to ruin,
and you&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To dishonor.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Mon Dieu!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This odious woman, this Madame de la Motte, disappearing
just when her testimony might have restored
you to repose and honor&mdash;she is the evil genius, the curse,
of your reign; she whom you have, unfortunately, admitted
to partake of your intimacy and your secrets.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, sir!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame, it is clear that you combined with her and
the cardinal to buy this necklace. Pardon if I offend you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Stay, sir,&rdquo; replied the queen, with a pride not unmixed
with anger; &ldquo;what the king believes, others might
believe, and my friends not be harder than my husband.
It seems to me that it can give no pleasure to any man to
see a woman whom he does not esteem. I do not speak
of you, sir; to you I am not a woman, but a queen; as
you are to me, not a man, but a subject. I had advised
you to remain in the country, and it was wise; far from
the court, you might have judged me more truly. Too
ready to condescend, I have neglected to keep up, with
those whom I thought loved me, the prestige of royalty.
I should have been a queen, and content to govern, and
not have wished to be loved.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I cannot express,&rdquo; replied Charny, &ldquo;how much your
severity wounds me. I may have forgotten that you were
a queen, but never that you were the woman most in the
world worthy of my respect and love.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sir, I think your absence is necessary; something
tells me that it will end by your name being mixed up in
all this.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Impossible, madame!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You say &lsquo;impossible&rsquo;; reflect on the power of those
who have for so long played with my reputation. You
say that M. de Rohan is convinced of what he asserts;
those who cause such convictions would not be long in
proving you a disloyal subject to the king, and a disgraceful
friend for me. Those who invent so easily what is
false will not be long in discovering the truth. Lose no
time, therefore; the peril is great. Retire, and fly from
the scandal which will ensue from the approaching trial;
I do not wish that my destiny should involve yours, or
your future be ruined. I, who am, thank God, innocent,
and without a stain on my life&mdash;I, who would lay bare
my heart to my enemies, could they thus read its purity,
will resist to the last. For you might come ruin, defamation,
and perhaps imprisonment. Take away the money
you so nobly offered me, and the assurance that not one
movement of your generous heart has escaped me, and
that your doubts, though they have wounded, have not
estranged me. Go, I say, and seek elsewhere what the
Queen of France can no longer give you&mdash;hope and happiness.
From this time to the convocation of Parliament,
and the production of witnesses must be a fortnight;
your uncle has vessels ready to sail&mdash;go and leave me; I
bring misfortunes on my friends.&rdquo; Saying this, the queen
rose, and seemed to give Charny his congé.
</p>

<p>
He approached quickly, but respectfully. &ldquo;Your
majesty,&rdquo; cried he, in a moved voice, &ldquo;shows me my
duty. It is here that danger awaits you, here that you
are to be judged, and, that you may have one loyal witness
on your side, I remain here. Perhaps we may still
make your enemies tremble before the majesty of an
innocent queen, and the courage of a devoted man. And
if you wish it, madame, I will be equally hidden and unseen
as though I went. During a fortnight that I lived
within a hundred yards of you, watching your every
movement, counting your steps, living in your life, no
one saw me; I can do so again, if it please you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;As you please,&rdquo; replied she; &ldquo;I am no coquette, M.
de Charny, and to say what I please is the true privilege
of a queen. One day, sir, I chose you from every one.
I do not know what drew my heart towards you, but I
had need of a strong and pure friendship, and I allowed
you to perceive that need; but now I see that your soul
does not respond to mine, and I tell you so frankly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame,&rdquo; cried Charny, &ldquo;I cannot let you take
away your heart from me! If you have once given it to
me, I will keep it with my life; I cannot lose you. You
reproached me with my doubts&mdash;oh, do not doubt me!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;but you are weak, and I, alas, am
so also.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are all I love you to be.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What!&rdquo; cried she, passionately, &ldquo;this abused queen,
this woman about to be publicly judged, that the world condemns,
and that her king and husband may, perhaps, also
in turn condemn, has she found one heart to love her?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A slave, who venerates her, and offers her his heart&rsquo;s
blood in exchange for every pang he has caused her!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then,&rdquo; cried she, &ldquo;this woman is blessed and happy,
and complains of nothing!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Charny fell at her feet, and kissed her hands in transport.
At that moment the door opened, and the king
surprised, at the feet of his wife, the man whom he had
just heard accused by the Comte de Provence.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LXXX.<br/>
THE PROPOSAL OF MARRIAGE.</h2>

<p>
The queen and Charny exchanged a look so full of terror,
that their most cruel enemy must have pitied them.
</p>

<p>
Charny rose slowly, and bowed to the king, whose heart
might almost have been seen to beat.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; cried he, in a hoarse voice, &ldquo;M. de Charny!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen could not speak&mdash;she thought she was lost.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Charny,&rdquo; repeated the king, &ldquo;it is little honorable
for a gentleman to be taken in the act of theft.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Of theft?&rdquo; murmured Charny.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sir, to kneel before the wife of another is a
theft; and when this woman is a queen, his crime is
called high treason!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The count was about to speak, but the queen, ever impatient
in her generosity, forestalled him.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;you seem in the mood for evil suspicions
and unfavorable suppositions, which fall falsely, I
warn you; and if respect chains the count&rsquo;s tongue, I
will not hear him wrongfully accused without defending
him.&rdquo; Here she stopped, overcome by emotion, frightened
at the falsehood she was about to tell, and bewildered
because she could not find one to utter.
</p>

<p>
But these few words had somewhat softened the king,
who replied more gently, &ldquo;You will not tell me, madame,
that I did not see M. de Charny kneeling before you, and
without your attempting to raise him?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Therefore you might think,&rdquo; replied she, &ldquo;that he
had some favor to ask me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A favor?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sire, and one which I could not easily grant, or
he would not have insisted with so much less warmth.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Charny breathed again, and the king&rsquo;s look became
calmer. Marie Antoinette was searching for something
to say, with mingled rage at being obliged to lie, and
grief at not being able to think of anything probable to
say. She half hoped the king would be satisfied, and ask
no more, but he said:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Let us hear, madame, what is the favor so warmly
solicited, which made M. de Charny kneel before you; I
may, perhaps, more happy than you, be able to grant it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She hesitated; to lie before the man she loved was
agony to her, and she would have given the world for
Charny to find the answer. But of this he was incapable.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire, I told you that M. de Charny asked an impossible
thing.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What is it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What can one ask on one&rsquo;s knees?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I want to hear.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire, it is a family secret.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There are no secrets from the king&mdash;a father interested
in all his subjects, who are his children, although,
like unnatural children, they may sometimes attack the
honor and safety of their father.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
This speech made the queen tremble anew.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Charny asked,&rdquo; replied she, &ldquo;permission to
marry.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Really,&rdquo; cried the king, reassured for a moment.
Then, after a pause, he said, &ldquo;But why should it be impossible
for M. de Charny to marry? Is he not noble?
Has he not a good fortune? Is he not brave and handsome?
Really, to refuse him, the lady ought to be a
princess, or already married. I can see no other reason for
an impossibility. Therefore, madame, tell me the name
of the lady who is loved by M. de Charny, and let me see
if I cannot remove the difficulty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen, forced to continue her falsehood, replied:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, sire; there are difficulties which even you cannot
remove, and the present one is of this nature.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Still, I wish to hear,&rdquo; replied the king, his anger
returning.
</p>

<p>
Charny looked at the queen&mdash;she seemed ready to
faint. He made a step towards her and then drew back.
How dared he approach her in the king&rsquo;s presence?
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; thought she, &ldquo;for an idea&mdash;something that the
king can neither doubt nor disbelieve.&rdquo; Then suddenly a
thought struck her. She who has dedicated herself to
heaven the king cannot influence. &ldquo;Sire!&rdquo; she cried,
&ldquo;she whom M. de Charny wishes to marry is in a
convent.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! that is a difficulty; no doubt. But this seems
a very sudden love of M. de Charny&rsquo;s. I have never
heard of it from any one. Who is the lady you love,
M. de Charny?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen felt in despair, not knowing what he would
say, and dreading to hear him name any one. But
Charny could not reply: so, after a pause, she cried,
&ldquo;Sire, you know her; it is Andrée de Taverney.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Charny buried his face in his hands; the queen pressed
her hand to her heart, and could hardly support herself.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Mademoiselle de Taverney? but she has gone to St.
Denis.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sire,&rdquo; replied the queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But she has taken no vows.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, but she is about to do so.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We will see if we can persuade her. Why should
she take the vows?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She is poor,&rdquo; said the queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That I can soon alter, madame, if M. de Charny
loves her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen shuddered, and cast a glance at the young
man, as if begging him to deny it. He did not speak.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And I dare say,&rdquo; continued the king, taking his
silence for consent, &ldquo;that Mademoiselle de Taverney
loves M. de Charny. I will give her as dowry the 500,000
francs which I refused the other day to you. Thank the
queen, M. de Charny, for telling me of this, and ensuring
your happiness.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Charny bowed like a pale statue which had received an
instant&rsquo;s life.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, it is worth kneeling again for!&rdquo; said the king.
</p>

<p>
The queen trembled, and stretched out her hand to the
young man, who left on it a burning kiss.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now,&rdquo; said the king, &ldquo;come with me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
M. de Charny turned once, to read the anguish in the
eyes of the queen.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LXXXI.<br/>
ST. DENIS.</h2>

<p>
The queen remained alone and despairing. So many
blows had struck her that she hardly knew from which
she suffered most. How she longed to retract the words
she had spoken, to take from Andrée even the chance of
the happiness which she still hoped she would refuse;
but if she refused, would not the king&rsquo;s suspicions reawaken,
and everything seem only the worse for this
falsehood? She dared not risk this&mdash;she must go to
Andrée and confess, and implore her to make this sacrifice;
or if she would only temporize, the king&rsquo;s suspicions
might pass away, and he might cease to interest
himself about it. Thus the liberty of Mlle. de Taverney
would not be sacrificed, neither would that of M. de
Charny; and she would be spared the remorse of having
sacrificed the happiness of two people to her honor. She
longed to speak again to Charny, but feared discovery;
and she knew she might rely upon him to ratify anything
she chose to say. Three o&rsquo;clock arrived&mdash;the state dinner
and the presentations; and the queen went through
all with a serene and smiling air. When all was over she
changed her dress, got into her carriage, and, without
any guards, and only one companion, drove to St. Denis,
and asked to see Andrée. Andrée was at that moment
kneeling, dressed in her white peignoir; and praying
with fervor. She had quitted the court voluntarily, and
separated herself from all that could feed her love; but
she could not stifle her regrets and bitter feelings. Had
she not seen Charny apparently indifferent towards her,
while the queen occupied all his thoughts? Yet, when
she heard that the queen was asking for her, she felt a
thrill of pleasure and delight. She threw a mantle over
her shoulders, and hastened to see her; but on the way
she reproached herself with the pleasure that she felt,
endeavoring to think that the queen and the court had
alike ceased to interest her.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come here, Andrée,&rdquo; said the queen, with a smile,
as she entered.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LXXXII.<br/>
A DEAD HEART.</h2>

<p>
&ldquo;Andrée,&rdquo; continued the queen, &ldquo;it looks strange
to see you in this dress; to see an old friend and companion
already lost to life, is like a warning to ourselves
from the tomb.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, no one has a right to warn or counsel your
majesty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That was never my wish,&rdquo; said the queen; &ldquo;tell me
truly, Andrée, had you to complain of me when you were
at court?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your majesty was good enough to ask me that question
when I took leave, and I replied then as now, no, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But often,&rdquo; said the queen, &ldquo;a grief hurts us which
is not personal; have I injured any one belonging to you?
Andrée, the retreat which you have chosen is an asylum
against evil passions; here God teaches gentleness, moderation
and forgiveness of injuries. I come as a friend,
and ask you to receive me as such.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Andrée felt touched. &ldquo;Your majesty knows,&rdquo; said
she, &ldquo;that the Taverneys cannot be your enemies.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I understand,&rdquo; replied the queen; &ldquo;you cannot pardon
me for having been cold to your brother, and, perhaps,
he himself accuses me of caprice.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My brother is too respectful a subject to accuse the
queen,&rdquo; said Andrée, coldly.
</p>

<p>
The queen saw that it was useless to try and propitiate
Andrée on this subject; so she said only, &ldquo;Well, at least,
I am ever your friend.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your majesty overwhelms me with your goodness.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do not speak thus; cannot the queen have a friend?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I assure you, madame, that I have loved you as much
as I shall ever love any one in this world.&rdquo; She colored
as she spoke.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have loved me; then you love me no more?
Can a cloister so quickly extinguish all affection and all
remembrance? if so, it is a cursed place.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do not accuse my heart, madame, it is dead.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your heart dead, Andrée? you, so young and beautiful.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I repeat to you, madame, nothing in the court, nothing
in the world, is any more to me. Here I live like the
herb or the flower, alone for myself. I entreat you to
pardon me; this forgetfulness of the glorious vanities of
the world is no crime. My confessor congratulates me on
it every day.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then you like the convent?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I embrace with pleasure a solitary life.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nothing remains which attracts you back to the
world?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nothing!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Mon dieu!&rdquo; thought the queen; &ldquo;shall I fail? If
nothing else will succeed, I must have recourse to entreaties;
to beg her to accept M. de Charny&mdash;heavens,
how unhappy I am!&mdash;Andrée,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;what you
say takes from me the hope I had conceived.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What hope, madame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! if you are as decided as you appear to be, it is
useless to speak.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If your majesty would explain&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You never regret what you have done?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Never, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then it is superfluous to speak; and I yet hoped to
make you happy.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, you, ingrate; but you know best your inclinations.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Still, if your majesty would tell me&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, it is simple; I wished you to return to court.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Never!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You refuse me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame, why should you wish me?&mdash;sorrowful,
poor, despised, avoided by every one, incapable of inspiring
sympathy in either sex! Ah, madame, and dear mistress,
leave me here to become worthy to be accepted by
God, for even He would reject me at present.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But,&rdquo; said the queen, &ldquo;what I was about to propose
to you would have removed all these humiliations of which
you complain. A marriage, which would have made you
one of our great ladies.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A marriage?&rdquo; stammered Andrée.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I refuse, I refuse!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Andrée!&rdquo; cried the queen, in a supplicating voice.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, no, I refuse!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Marie Antoinette prepared herself, with a fearfully-palpitating
heart, for her last resource; but as she hesitated,
Andrée said, &ldquo;But, madame, tell me the name of the man
who is willing to think of me as his companion for life.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Charny,&rdquo; said the queen, with an effort.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Charny?&rdquo;&mdash;&mdash;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, the nephew of M. de Suffren.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is he!&rdquo; cried Andrée, with burning cheeks, and
sparkling eyes; &ldquo;he consents&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He asks you in marriage.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I accept, I accept, for I love him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen became livid, and sank back trembling,
whilst Andrée kissed her hands, bathing them with her
tears. &ldquo;Oh, I am ready,&rdquo; murmured she.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come, then!&rdquo; cried the queen, who felt as though
her strength was failing her, with a last effort to preserve
appearances.
</p>

<p>
Andrée left the room to prepare. Then Marie Antoinette
cried, with bitter sobs, &ldquo;Oh, mon Dieu! how can
one heart bear so much suffering? and yet I should be
thankful, for does it not save my children and myself from
shame?&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LXXXIII.<br/>
IN WHICH IT IS EXPLAINED WHY THE BARON DE
TAVERNEY GREW FAT.</h2>

<p>
Meanwhile Philippe was hastening the preparations for
his departure. He did not wish to witness the dishonor
of the queen, his first and only passion. When all was
ready, he requested an interview with his father. For the
last three months the baron had been growing fat; he
seemed to feed on the scandals circulating at the court&mdash;they
were meat and drink to him. When he received his
son&rsquo;s message, instead of sending for him, he went to seek
him in his room, already full of the disorder consequent
on packing. Philippe did not expect much sensibility
from his father, still he did not think he would be pleased.
Andrée had already left him, and it was one less to torment,
and he must feel a blank when his son went also.
Therefore Philippe was astonished to hear his father call
out, with a burst of laughter, &ldquo;Oh, mon Dieu! he is going
away, I was sure of it, I would have bet upon it.
Well played, Philippe, well played.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What is well played, sir?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Admirable!&rdquo; repeated the old man.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You give me praises, sir, which I neither understand
nor merit, unless you are pleased at my departure, and glad
to get rid of me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! oh!&rdquo; laughed the old man again, &ldquo;I am not
your dupe. Do you think I believe in your departure?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You do not believe? really, sir, you surprise me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, it is surprising that I should have guessed. You
are quite right to pretend to leave; without this ruse all,
probably, would have been discovered.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur, I protest I do not understand one word of
what you say to me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where do you say you go to?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I go first to Taverney Maison Rouge.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very well, but be prudent. There are sharp eyes on
you both, and she is so fiery and incautious, that you must
be prudent for both. What is your address, in case I want
to send you any pressing news?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Taverney, monsieur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Taverney, nonsense! I do not ask you for the address
of your house in the park; but choose some third
address near here. You, who have managed so well for
your love, can easily manage this.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sir, you play at enigmas, and I cannot find the solution.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, you are discreet beyond all bounds. However,
keep your secrets, tell me nothing of the huntsman&rsquo;s
house, nor the nightly walks with two dear friends, nor
the rose, nor the kisses.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur!&rdquo; cried Philippe, mad with jealousy and
rage, &ldquo;will you hold your tongue?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, I know it all&mdash;your intimacy with the queen,
and your meetings in the baths of Apollo. Mon Dieu!
our fortunes are assured forever.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur, you cause me horror!&rdquo; cried poor Philippe,
hiding his face in his hands. And, indeed, he felt it, at
hearing attributed to himself all the happiness of another.
All the rumors that the father had heard, he had assigned
to his son, and believed that it was he that the
queen loved, and no one else; hence his perfect contentment
and happiness.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; he went on, &ldquo;some said it was Rohan; others,
that it was Charny; not one that it was Taverney. Oh,
you have acted well.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
At this moment a carriage was heard to drive up, and
a servant entering, said, &ldquo;Here is mademoiselle.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My sister!&rdquo; cried Philippe.
</p>

<p>
Then another servant appeared, and said that Mademoiselle
de Taverney wished to speak to her brother in
the boudoir. Another carriage now came to the door.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who the devil comes now?&rdquo; muttered the baron; &ldquo;it
is an evening of adventures.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. le Comte de Charny,&rdquo; cried the powerful voice of
the porter at the gate.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Conduct M. le Comte to the drawing-room; my father
will see him; and I will go to my sister&mdash;What can he
want here?&rdquo; thought Philippe, as he went down.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LXXXIV.<br/>
THE FATHER AND THE FIANC&Eacute;E.</h2>

<p>
Philippe hastened to the boudoir, where his sister
awaited him. She ran to embrace him with a joyous air.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What is it, Andrée?&rdquo; cried he.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Something which makes me happy. Oh! very happy,
brother.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And you come back to announce it to me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I come back for ever,&rdquo; said Andrée.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Speak low, sister; there is, or is going to be, some
one in the next room who might hear you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Listen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. le Comte de Charny,&rdquo; announced the servant.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He! oh, I know well what he comes for.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You know!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, and soon I shall be summoned to hear what
he has to say.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you speak seriously, my dear Andrée?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Listen, Philippe. The queen has brought me suddenly
back, and I must go and change my dress for one
fit for a fiancée.&rdquo; And saying this, with a kiss to Philippe,
she ran off.
</p>

<p>
Philippe remained alone. He could hear what passed
in the adjoining room. M. de Taverney entered, and
saluted the count with a recherché though stiff politeness.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I come, monsieur,&rdquo; said Charny, &ldquo;to make a request,
and beg you to excuse my not having brought my uncle
with me, which I know would have been more proper.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A request?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have the honor,&rdquo; continued Charny, in a voice full
of emotion, &ldquo;to ask the hand of Mademoiselle Andrée,
your daughter.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The baron opened his eyes in astonishment&mdash;&ldquo;My
daughter?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, M. le Baron, if Mademoiselle de Taverney feels
no repugnance.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; thought the old man, &ldquo;Philippe&rsquo;s favor is already
so well-known, that one of his rivals wishes to marry
his sister.&rdquo; Then aloud, he said, &ldquo;This request is such
an honor to us, M. le Comte, that I accede with much
pleasure; and as I should wish you to carry away a perfectly
favorable answer, I will send for my daughter.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur,&rdquo; interrupted the count, rather coldly, &ldquo;the
queen has been good enough to consult Mademoiselle de
Taverney already, and her reply was favorable.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; said the baron, more and more astonished, &ldquo;it
is the queen then&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, monsieur, who took the trouble to go to St.
Denis.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then, sir, it only remains to acquaint you with my
daughter&rsquo;s fortune. She is not rich, and before concluding&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is needless, M. le Baron; I am rich enough for
both.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
At this moment the door opened, and Philippe entered,
pale and wild looking.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sir,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;my father was right to wish to discuss
these things with you. While he goes up-stairs to
bring the papers I have something to say to you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
When they were left alone, &ldquo;M. de Charny,&rdquo; said he,
&ldquo;how dare you come here to ask for the hand of my sister?&rdquo;
Charny colored. &ldquo;Is it,&rdquo; continued Philippe,
&ldquo;in order to hide better your amours with another
woman whom you love, and who loves you? Is it, that
by becoming the husband of a woman who is always near
your mistress, you will have more facilities for seeing
her?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sir, you pass all bounds.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is, perhaps; and this is what I believe, that were I
your brother-in-law, you think my tongue would be tied
about what I know of your past amours.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What you know?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; cried Philippe, &ldquo;the huntsman&rsquo;s house hired
by you, your mysterious promenades in the park at night,
and the tender parting at the little gate.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur, in heaven&rsquo;s name&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, sir, I was concealed behind the baths of Apollo
when you came out, arm in arm with the queen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Charny was completely overwhelmed for a time; then,
after a few moments, he said, &ldquo;Well, sir, even after all
this, I reiterate my demand for the hand of your sister.
I am not the base calculator you suppose me; but the
queen must be saved.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The queen is not lost, because I saw her on your arm,
raising to heaven her eyes full of happiness; because I
know that she loves you. That is no reason why my sister
should be sacrificed, M. de Charny.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur,&rdquo; replied Charny, &ldquo;this morning the king
surprised me at her feet&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Mon Dieu!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And she, pressed by his jealous questions, replied
that I was kneeling to ask the hand of your sister. Therefore
if I do not marry her, the queen is lost. Do you
now understand?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
A cry from the boudoir now interrupted them, followed
by another from the ante-chamber. Charny ran to the
boudoir; he saw there Andrée, dressed in white like a
bride: she had heard all, and had fainted. Philippe ran
to where the other cry came from; it was his father,
whose hopes this revelation of the queen&rsquo;s love for Charny
had just destroyed; struck by apoplexy, he had given his
last sigh. Philippe, who understood it, looked at the
corpse for a few minutes in silence, and then returned to
the drawing-room, and there saw Charny watching the
senseless form of his sister. He then said, &ldquo;My father
has just expired, sir; I am now the head of the family;
if my sister survive, I will give her to you in marriage.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Charny regarded the corpse of the baron with horror,
and the form of Andrée with despair. Philippe uttered
a groan of agony, then continued, &ldquo;M. de Charny, I
make this engagement in the name of my sister, now
lying senseless before us; she will give her happiness to
the queen, and I, perhaps, some day shall be happy enough
to give my life for her. Adieu, M. de Charny&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo; and
taking his sister in his arms, he carried her into the next
room.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LXXXV.<br/>
AFTER THE DRAGON, THE VIPER.</h2>

<p>
Oliva was preparing to fly, as Jeanne had arranged,
when Beausire, warned by an anonymous letter, discovered
her and carried her away. In order to trace them, Jeanne
put all her powers in requisition&mdash;she preferred being
able to watch over her own secret&mdash;and her disappointment
was great when all her agents returned announcing
a failure. At this time she received in her hiding-place
numerous messages from the queen.
</p>

<p>
She went by night to Bar-sur-Aube, and there remained
for two days. At last she was traced, and an express sent
to take her. Then she learnt the arrest of the cardinal.
&ldquo;The queen has been rash,&rdquo; thought she, &ldquo;in refusing
to compromise with the cardinal, or to pay the jewelers;
but she did not know my power.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur,&rdquo; said she to the officer who arrested her,
&ldquo;do you love the queen?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, in the name of that love I beg you to conduct
me straight to her. Believe me, you will be doing her a
service.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The man was persuaded, and did so. The queen received
her haughtily, for she began to suspect that her conduct
had not been straightforward. She called in two ladies
as witnesses of what was about to pass.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are found at last, madame,&rdquo; said the queen;
&ldquo;why did you hide?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I did not hide, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Run away, then, if that pleases you better.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is to say, that I quitted Paris. I had some
little business at Bar-sur-Aube, and, to tell the truth, I
did not know I was so necessary to your majesty as to be
obliged to ask leave for an absence of eight days.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Have you seen the king?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You shall see him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It will be a great honor for me; but your majesty
seems very severe towards me&mdash;I am all trembling.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, madame, this is but the beginning. Do you know
that M. de Rohan has been arrested?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They told me so, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You guess why?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You proposed to me that he should pay for a certain
necklace; did I accept or refuse?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Refuse.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; said the queen, well pleased.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your majesty even paid 100,000 francs on account.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, and afterwards?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Afterwards, as your majesty could not pay, you sent
it back to M. Bœhmer.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;By whom?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;By me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And what did you do with it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I took it to the cardinal.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And why to the cardinal instead of to the jewelers,
as I told you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because I thought he would be hurt if I returned it
without letting him know.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But how did you get a receipt from the jewelers?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Rohan gave it to me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But why did you take a letter to them as coming from
me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because he gave it to me, and asked me to do so.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is, then, all his doing?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What is, madame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The receipt and the letter are both forged.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Forged, madame!&rdquo; cried Jeanne, with much apparent
astonishment.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, you must be confronted with him to prove the
truth.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why, madame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He himself demands it. He says he has sought you
everywhere, and that he wishes to prove that you have
deceived him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! then, madame, let us meet.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You shall. You deny all knowledge of where the
necklace is?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How should I know, madame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You deny having aided the cardinal in his intrigues?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am a Valois, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But M. de Rohan maintained before the king many
calumnies, which he said you would confirm.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not understand.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He declares he wrote to me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne did not reply.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you hear?&rdquo; said the queen.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you reply?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will reply when I have seen him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But speak the truth now.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your majesty overwhelms me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is no answer.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will give no other here;&rdquo; and she looked at the
two ladies. The queen understood, but would not yield;
she scorned to purchase anything by concession.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Rohan,&rdquo; said the queen, &ldquo;was sent to the
Bastile for saying too much; take care, madame, that
you are not sent for saying too little.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne smiled. &ldquo;A pure conscience can brave persecution,&rdquo;
she replied; &ldquo;the Bastile will not convict me of
a crime I did not commit.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Will you reply?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Only to your majesty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Are you not speaking to me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not alone.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! you fear scandal, after being the cause of so
much to me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What I did,&rdquo; said Jeanne, &ldquo;was done for you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What insolence!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I submit to the insults of my queen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You will sleep in the Bastile to-night, madame!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So be it; I will first pray to God to preserve your
majesty&rsquo;s honor.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The queen rose furiously, and went into the next room.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;After having conquered the dragon,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;I
can crush the viper!&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LXXXVI.<br/>
HOW IT CAME TO PASS THAT M. BEAUSIRE WAS TRACKED
BY THE AGENTS OF M. DE CROSNE.</h2>

<p>
Madame de la Motte was imprisoned as the queen had
threatened, and the whole affair created no little talk and
excitement through France. M. de Rohan lived at the
Bastile like a prince: he had everything but liberty. He
demanded to be confronted with Madame de la Motte as
soon as he heard of her arrest. This was done. She
whispered to him, &ldquo;Send every one away, and I will explain.&rdquo;
He asked this, but was refused; they said his
counsel might communicate with her. She said to this
gentleman that she was ignorant of what had become of
the necklace, but that they might well have given it to
her in recompense for the services she had rendered the
queen and the cardinal, which were well worth a million
and a half. The cardinal turned pale on hearing this
repeated, and felt how much they were in Jeanne&rsquo;s power.
He was determined not to accuse the queen, although his
friends endeavored to convince him that it was his only
way to prove his innocence of the robbery. Jeanne said
that she did not wish to accuse either the queen or the
cardinal, but that, if they persisted in making her responsible
for the necklace, she would do so to show that they
were interested in accusing her of falsehood. Then M. de
Rohan expressed all his contempt for her, and said that he
began to understand much of Jeanne&rsquo;s conduct, but not
the queen&rsquo;s. All this was reported to Marie Antoinette.
She ordered another private examination of the parties,
but gained nothing from it. Jeanne denied everything
to those sent by the queen; but when they were gone she
altered her tone, and said, &ldquo;If they do not leave me alone
I will tell all.&rdquo; The cardinal said nothing, and brought
no accusations; but rumors began to spread fast, and
the question soon became, not &ldquo;Has the queen stolen the
necklace?&rdquo; but &ldquo;Has she allowed some one else to steal it
because she knew all about her amours?&rdquo; Madame de la
Motte had involved her in a maze, from which there
seemed no honorable exit; but she determined not to
lose courage. She began to come to the conclusion that
the cardinal was an honest man, and did not wish to ruin
her, but was acting like herself, only to preserve his
honor. They strove earnestly but ineffectually to trace
the necklace. All opinions were against Jeanne, and she
began to fear that, even if she dragged down the queen
and cardinal, she should be quite overwhelmed under the
ruins she had caused; and she had not even at hand the
fruits of her dishonesty to corrupt her judges with. Affairs
were in this state when a new episode changed the face of
things. Oliva and M. Beausire were living, happy and
rich, in a country house, when one day Beausire, going
out hunting, fell into the company of two of the agents
of M. de Crosne, whom he had scattered all over the
country. They recognized Beausire immediately, but, as
it was Oliva whom they most wanted, they did not arrest
him there, but only joined the chase. Beausire, seeing
two strangers, called the huntsman, and asked who they
were. He replied that he did not know, but, if he had
permission, would send them away. On his questioning
them, they said they were friends of that gentleman, pointing
to M. Beausire. Then the man brought them to him,
saying, &ldquo;M. de Linville, these gentlemen say they are
friends of yours.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, you are called De Linville now, dear M. Beausire!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Beausire trembled; he had concealed his name so carefully.
He sent away the huntsman, and asked them who
they were.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Take us home with you, and we will tell you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Home?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes; do not be inhospitable.&rdquo; Beausire was frightened,
but still feared to refuse these men who knew him.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LXXXVII.<br/>
THE TURTLES ARE CAGED.</h2>

<p>
Beausire, on entering the house, made a noise to attract
Oliva&rsquo;s attention, for, though he knew nothing about
her later escapades, he knew enough about the ball at
the Opera, and the morning at M. Mesmer&rsquo;s, to make
him fear letting her be seen by strangers. Accordingly,
Oliva, hearing the dogs bark, looked out, and, seeing
Beausire returning with two strangers, did not come to
meet him as usual. Unfortunately the servant asked if
he should call madame. The men rallied him about the
lady whom he had concealed; he let them laugh, but
did not offer to call her. They dined; then Beausire
asked where they had met him before. &ldquo;We are,&rdquo; replied
they, &ldquo;friends of one of your associates in a little
affair about the Portuguese embassy.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Beausire turned pale.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; said he: &ldquo;and you came on your friend&rsquo;s
part?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, dear M. Beausire, to ask for 10,000 francs.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Gentlemen,&rdquo; replied Beausire, &ldquo;you cannot think I
have such a sum in the house.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very likely not, monsieur; we do not ask for impossibilities.
How much have you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not more than fifty or sixty louis.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We will take them to begin with.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will go and fetch them,&rdquo; said Beausire. But they
did not choose to let him leave the room without them,
so they caught hold of him by the coat, saying:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh no, dear M. Beausire, do not leave us.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But how am I to get the money if I do not leave
you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We will go with you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But it is in my wife&rsquo;s bedroom.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah,&rdquo; cried one of them, &ldquo;you hide your wife from
us!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Are we not presentable?&rdquo; asked the other. &ldquo;We
wish to see her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are tipsy, and I will turn you out!&rdquo; said Beausire.
</p>

<p>
They laughed.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now you shall not even have the money I promised,&rdquo;
said he, emboldened by what he thought their intoxication;
and he ran out of the room.
</p>

<p>
They followed and caught him; he cried out, and at
the sound a door opened, and a woman looked out with
a frightened air. On seeing her, the men released
Beausire, and gave a cry of exultation, for they recognized
her immediately who resembled the Queen of France so
strongly.
</p>

<p>
Beausire, who believed them for a moment disarmed by
the sight of a woman, was soon cruelly undeceived.
</p>

<p>
One of the men approached Oliva, and said:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I arrest you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Arrest her! Why?&rdquo; cried Beausire.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Because it is M. de Crosne&rsquo;s orders.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
A thunderbolt falling between the lovers would have
frightened them less than this declaration.
</p>

<p>
At last Beausire said, &ldquo;You came to arrest me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No; it was a chance.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Never mind, you might have arrested me, and for
sixty louis you were about to leave me at liberty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh no, we should have asked another sixty; however,
for one hundred we will do so.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And madame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, that is quite a different affair.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She is worth two hundred louis,&rdquo; said Beausire.
</p>

<p>
They laughed again, and this time Beausire began to
understand this terrible laugh.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Three hundred, four hundred, a thousand&mdash;see, I
will give you one thousand louis to leave her at liberty!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
They did not answer.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Is not that enough? Ah, you know I have money,
and you want to make me pay. Well, I will give
you two thousand louis; it will make both your fortunes!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;For 100,000 crowns we would not give up this
woman. M. de Rohan will give us 500,000 francs for
her, and the queen 1,000,000. Now we must go. You
doubtless have a carriage of some kind here; have it
prepared for madame. We will take you also, for form&rsquo;s
sake; but on the way you can escape, and we will shut
our eyes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Beausire replied, &ldquo;Where she goes, I will go; I will
never leave her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, so much the better; the more prisoners we
bring M. de Crosne, the better he will be pleased.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
A quarter of an hour after, Beausire&rsquo;s carriage started,
with the two lovers in it. One may imagine the effect of
this capture on M. de Crosne. The agents probably did
not receive the 1,000,000 francs they hoped for, but there
is reason to believe they were satisfied. M. de Crosne
went to Versailles, followed by another carriage well
guarded. He asked to see the queen, and was instantly
admitted. She judged from his face that he had good
news for her, and felt the first sensation of joy she had
experienced for a month.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; said M. de Crosne, &ldquo;have you a room here
where you can see without being seen?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh yes&mdash;my library.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, madame, I have a carriage below, in which is
some one whom I wish to introduce into the castle unseen
by any one.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nothing more easy,&rdquo; replied the queen, ringing to
give her orders.
</p>

<p>
All was executed as he wished. Then she conducted
M. de Crosne to the library, where, concealed from view
behind a large screen, she soon saw enter a form which
made her utter a cry of surprise. It was Oliva, dressed
in one of her own favorite costumes&mdash;a green dress with
broad stripes of black moirée, green satin slippers with
high heels, and her hair dressed like her own. It might
have been herself reflected in the glass.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What says your majesty to this resemblance?&rdquo; asked
M. de Crosne, triumphantly.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Incredible,&rdquo; said the queen. She then thought to
herself, &ldquo;Ah! Charny; why are you not here?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What does your majesty wish?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nothing, sir, but that the king should know.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And M. de Provence see her? shall he not, madame?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Thanks, M. de Crosne, you hold now, I think, the
clue to the whole plot.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nearly so, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And M. de Rohan?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Knows nothing yet.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; cried the queen; &ldquo;in this woman, doubtless,
lies all his error.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Possibly, madame; but if it be his error it is the
crime of some one else.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Seek well, sir; the honor of France is in your
hands.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Believe me worthy of the trust. At present, the accused
parties deny everything. I shall wait for the proper
time to overwhelm them with this living witness that
I now hold.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame de la Motte?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Knows nothing of this capture. She accuses M. de
Cagliostro of having excited the cardinal to say what he
did.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And what does M. de Cagliostro say?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He has promised to come to me this morning. He
is a dangerous man, but a useful one, and attacked by
Madame de la Motte, I am in hopes he will sting back
again.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You hope for revelations?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How so, sir? Tell me everything which can reassure
me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;These are my reasons, madame. Madame de la
Motte lived in the Rue St. Claude, and M. de Cagliostro
just opposite her. So I think her movements cannot
have been unnoticed by him; but if your majesty will excuse
me, it is close to the time he appointed to meet me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Go, monsieur, go; and assure yourself of my gratitude.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
When he was gone the queen burst into tears. &ldquo;My
justification begins,&rdquo; said she; &ldquo;I shall soon read my
triumph in all faces; but the one I most cared to know
me innocent, him I shall not see.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
M. de Crosne drove back to Paris, where M. de
Cagliostro waited for him. He knew all; for he had
discovered Beausire&rsquo;s retreat, and was on the road to see
him, and induce him to leave France, when he met the
carriage containing Beausire and Oliva. Beausire saw
the count, and the idea crossed his mind that he might
help them. He therefore accepted the offer of the police-agents,
gave them the hundred louis, and made his escape,
in spite of the tears shed by Oliva; saying, &ldquo;I go
to try and save you.&rdquo; He ran after M. de Cagliostro&rsquo;s
carriage, which he soon overtook, as the count had
stopped, it being useless to proceed. Beausire soon told
his story; Cagliostro listened in silence, then said,
&ldquo;She is lost.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why so?&rdquo; Then Cagliostro told him all he did not
already know&mdash;all the intrigues in the park.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! save her,&rdquo; cried Beausire; &ldquo;and I will give her
to you, if you love her still.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My friend,&rdquo; replied Cagliostro, &ldquo;you deceive yourself;
I never loved Mademoiselle Oliva; I had but one
aim&mdash;that of weaning her from the life of debauchery she
was leading with you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo; said Beausire.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That astonishes you&mdash;know that I belong to a society
whose object is moral reform. Ask her if ever she heard
from my mouth one word of gallantry, or if my services
were not disinterested.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, monsieur! but will you save her?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will try, but it will depend on yourself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will do anything.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then return with me to Paris, and if you follow my
instructions implicitly, we may succeed in saving her. I
only impose one condition, which I will tell you when I
reach home.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I promise beforehand. But can I see her again?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I think so, and you can tell her what I say to you.&rdquo;
In two hours they overtook the carriage containing Oliva,
and Beausire bought for fifty louis permission to embrace
her, and tell her all the count had said. The agents
admired this violent love, and hoped for more louis, but
Beausire was gone. Cagliostro drove him to Paris.
</p>

<p>
We will now return to M. de Crosne.
</p>

<p>
This gentleman knew a good deal about Cagliostro, his
former names, his pretensions to ubiquity and perpetual
regeneration, his secrets in alchemy and magnetism, and
looked upon him as a great charlatan.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur,&rdquo; said he to Cagliostro, &ldquo;you asked me for
an audience; I have returned from Versailles to meet
you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sir, I thought you would wish to question me about
what is passing, so I came to you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Question you?&rdquo; said the magistrate, affecting surprise.
&ldquo;On what?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur,&rdquo; replied Cagliostro, &ldquo;you are much occupied
about Madame de la Motte, and the missing necklace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Have you found it?&rdquo; asked M. de Crosne, laughing.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, sir, but Madame de la Motte lived in the Rue St.
Claude&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I know, opposite you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, if you know all about Oliva, I have nothing more
to tell you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who is Oliva?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You do not know? Then, sir, imagine a young girl
very pretty, with blue eyes, and an oval face, a style of
beauty something like her majesty, for instance.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, sir?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This young girl led a bad life; it gave me pain to see
it; for she was once in the service of an old friend of
mine, M. de Taverney&mdash;but I weary you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh no, pray go on.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, Oliva led not only a bad life, but an unhappy
one, with a fellow she called her lover, who beat and
robbed her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Beausire,&rdquo; said the magistrate.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! you know him. You are still more a magician
than I am. Well, one day when Beausire had beaten
the poor girl more than usual, she fled to me for
refuge; I pitied her, and gave her shelter in one of my
houses.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;In your house!&rdquo; cried M. de Crosne in surprise.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! why not? I am a bachelor,&rdquo; said Cagliostro,
with an air which quite deceived M. de Crosne.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is then the reason why my agents could not find
her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What! you were seeking this little girl? Had she
then been guilty of any crime?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, sir, no; pray go on.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! I have done. I lodged her at my house, and
that is all.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, sir, for you just now associated her name with
that of Madame de la Motte.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Only as neighbors.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, sir, this Oliva, whom you say you had in your
house, I found in the country with Beausire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;With Beausire? Ah! then I have wronged Madame
de la Motte.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How so, sir?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why just as I thought I had hopes of reforming
Oliva, and bringing her back to an honest life, some one
carried her away from me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is strange.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Is it not? And I firmly believed it to be Madame de
la Motte. But as you found her with Beausire, it was
not she, and all her signals and correspondence with Oliva
meant nothing.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;With Oliva?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They met?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, Madame de la Motte found a way to take Oliva
out every night.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Are you sure of this?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I saw and heard her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, sir, you tell me what I would have paid for with
one thousand francs a word. But you are a friend of
M. de Rohan?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You ought to know how far he was connected with
this affair.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not wish to know.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But you know the object of these nightly excursions
of Madame de la Motte and Oliva?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Of that also I wish to be ignorant.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sir, I only wish to ask you one more question. Have
you proofs of the correspondence of Madame de la Motte
and Oliva?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Plenty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What are they?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Notes which Madame de la Motte used to throw
over to Oliva with a cross-bow. Several of them did not
reach their destination, and were picked up either by
myself, or my servants, in the street.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sir, you will be ready to produce them, if called
upon?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly; they are perfectly innocent, and cannot
injure any one.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And have you any other proofs of intimacy?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I know that she had a method of entering my house
to see Oliva. I saw her myself, just after Oliva had disappeared,
and my servants saw her also.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But what did she come for, if Oliva was gone?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I did not know. I saw her come out of a carriage at
the corner of the street. My idea was that she wished to
attach Oliva to her, and keep her near her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And you let her do it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why not? She is a great lady, and received at
court. Why should I have prevented her taking charge
of Oliva, and taking her off my hands?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What did she say when she found that Oliva was
gone?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She appeared distressed.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You suppose that Beausire carried her off?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I suppose so, for you tell me you found them together.
I did not suspect him before, for he did not
know where she was.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She must have let him know herself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I think not, as she had fled from him. I think
Madame de la Motte must have sent him a key.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah! what day was it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The evening of St. Louis.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur, you have rendered a great service to me
and to the state.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am happy to hear it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You shall be thanked as you deserve. I may count
on the production of the proofs you mention?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am ready, sir, to assist justice at all times.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
As Cagliostro left, he muttered, &ldquo;Ah, countess! you
tried to accuse me&mdash;take care of yourself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Meanwhile, M. de Breteuil was sent by the king to examine
Madame de la Motte. She declared that she had
proofs of her innocence, which she would produce at the
proper time; she also declared, that she would only
speak the truth in the presence of the cardinal. She was
told that the cardinal laid all the blame upon her. &ldquo;Tell
him then,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;that I advise him not to persist in
such a foolish system of defense.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Whom then do you accuse?&rdquo; asked M. Breteuil.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I accuse no one,&rdquo; was her reply.
</p>

<p>
A report was spread at last that the diamonds were
being sold in England by M. Reteau de Villette. This
man was soon found and arrested, and brought over and
confronted with Jeanne. To her utter confusion, he
acknowledged that he had forged a receipt from the
jewelers, and a letter from the queen at the request of
Madame de la Motte. She denied furiously, and declared
that she had never seen M. Reteau. M. de Crosne produced
as witness a coachman, who swore to having driven
her, on the day named, to the house of M. Reteau. Also,
one of the servants of M. de Cagliostro deposed to having
seen this man on the box of Jeanne&rsquo;s carriage on the night
that she came to his master&rsquo;s house. Now, Jeanne began to
abuse the count, and accused him of having inspired M. de
Rohan with the ideas inimical to the royal dignity.
M. de Rohan defended him, and Jeanne at once plainly
accused the cardinal of a violent love for the queen.
M. de Cagliostro requested to be incarcerated, and allowed
to prove his innocence publicly. Then the queen caused
to be published all the reports made to the king about
the nocturnal promenades, and requested M. de Crosne
to state all that he knew about it. This public avowal
overturned all Jeanne&rsquo;s plans, and she denied having assisted
at any meetings between the queen and the cardinal.
This declaration would have cleared the queen,
had it been possible to attach any credence to what this
woman said. While Jeanne continued to deny that she
had ever been in the park, they brought forward Oliva at
last, a living witness of all the falsehoods of the countess.
When Oliva was shown to the cardinal the blow was
dreadful. He saw at last how infamously he had been
played upon. This man, so full of delicacy and noble
passions, discovered that an adventuress had led him to
insult and despise the Queen of France; a woman whom
he loved, and who was innocent. He would have shed all
his blood at the feet of Marie Antoinette to make atonement.
But he could not even acknowledge his mistake
without owning that he loved her&mdash;even his excuse would
involve an offense; so he was obliged to keep silent, and
allow Jeanne to deny everything. Oliva confessed all
without reserve. At last Jeanne, driven from every hold,
confessed that she had deceived the cardinal, but declared
that it was done with the consent of the queen,
who watched and enjoyed the scene, hidden behind the
trees. To this story she kept; the queen could never
disprove it, and there were plenty of people willing to
believe it true.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LXXXVIII.<br/>
THE LAST HOPE LOST.</h2>

<p>
Here the affair therefore rested, for Jeanne was determined
to share the blame with some one, as she could
not turn it from herself. All her calculations had been
defeated by the frankness with which the queen had met,
and made public, every accusation against her.
</p>

<p>
At last Jeanne wrote the following letter to the queen:
</p>

<div class="blockquot"><p>
&ldquo;<span class="smcap">Madame</span>,
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;In spite of my painful position and rigorous treatment, I
have not uttered a complaint; all that has been tried to extort
avowals from me has failed to make me compromise my sovereign.
However, although persuaded that my constancy and discretion
will facilitate my release from my present position, the
friends of the cardinal make me fear I shall become his victim.
A long imprisonment, endless questions, and the shame and
despair of being accused of such crimes, begin to exhaust my
courage, and I tremble lest my constancy should at last give
way. Your majesty might end all this by a few words to M. de
Breteuil, who could give the affair in the king&rsquo;s eyes any color
your majesty likes without compromising you. It is the fear of
being compelled to reveal all which makes me beg your majesty
to take steps to relieve me from my painful position. I am,
with profound respect,
</p>

<p>
<span style="margin-left: 20em;">&ldquo;Your humble servant,</span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin-left: 22em;"><span class="smcap">&ldquo;Jeanne de la Motte.&rdquo;</span></span><br />
</p>
</div>

<p>
Jeanne calculated either that this letter would frighten
the queen, or, what was more probable, would never reach
her hands, but be carried by the messenger to the governor
of the Bastile, where it could hardly fail to tell
against the queen. She then wrote to the cardinal:
</p>

<div class="blockquot"><p>
&ldquo;I cannot conceive, monseigneur, why you persist in not
speaking plainly. It seems to me that your best plan would be
to confide fully in our judges. As for me, I am resolved to be
silent if you will not second me; but why do you not speak?
Explain all the circumstances of this mysterious affair, for if I
were to speak first, and you not support me, I should be sacrificed
to the vengeance of her who wishes to ruin us. But I have
written her a letter which will perhaps induce her to spare us,
who have nothing to reproach ourselves with.&rdquo;
</p></div>

<p>
This letter she gave to the cardinal at their last confrontation.
He grew pale with anger at her audacity,
and left the room. Then Jeanne produced her letter to
the queen, and begged the Abbé Lekel, chaplain of the
Bastile, who had accompanied the cardinal, and was devoted
to him, to take charge of it and convey it to the
queen. He refused to take it. She declared that if he
did not she would produce M. de Rohan&rsquo;s letters to the
queen. &ldquo;And take care, sir,&rdquo; added she, &ldquo;for they will
cause his head to fall on the scaffold.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
At this moment the cardinal reappeared.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;let my head fall, so that I have
the satisfaction of seeing also the scaffold which you shall
mount as a thief and a forger. Come, Abbé.&rdquo; He went
away, leaving Jeanne devoured with rage and disappointment
at her failures at every turn.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER LXXXIX.<br/>
THE BAPTISM OF THE LITTLE BEAUSIRE.</h2>

<p>
Madame de la Motte had deceived herself on all
points, Cagliostro upon none. Once in the Bastile, he
saw a good opportunity for working at the ruin of the
monarchy, which he had been trying to undermine for so
many years. He prepared the famous letter, dated from
London, which appeared a month after. In this letter,
after attacking king, queen, cardinal, and even M. de
Breteuil, he said, &ldquo;Yes, I repeat, now free after my imprisonment,
there is no crime that would not be expiated by
six months in the Bastile. They ask me if I shall ever
return to France? Yes, I reply, when the Bastile becomes
a public promenade. You have all that is necessary
to happiness, you Frenchmen; a fertile soil and
genial climate, good hearts, gay tempers, genius, and
grace. You only want, my friends, one little thing&mdash;to
feel sure of sleeping quietly in your beds when you are
innocent.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Oliva kept her word faithfully to Cagliostro, and
uttered no word that could compromise him. She threw
all the blame on Madame de la Motte, and asserted vehemently
her own innocent participation in what she believed
to be a joke, played on a gentleman unknown to
her. All this time she did not see Beausire, but she had
a souvenir of him; for in the month of May she gave
birth to a son. Beausire was allowed to attend the baptism,
which took place in the prison, which he did with
much pleasure, swearing that if Oliva ever recovered her
liberty he would make her his wife.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XC.<br/>
THE TRIAL.</h2>

<p>
The day at last arrived, after long investigations, when
the judgment of the court was to be pronounced. All
the accused had been removed to the Conciergerie, to be
in readiness to appear when called on. Oliva continued
to be frank and timid; Cagliostro, tranquil and indifferent;
Reteau, despairing, cowardly, and weeping; and
Jeanne, violent, menacing, and venomous. She had managed
to interest the keeper and his wife, and thus
obtain more freedom and indulgences.
</p>

<p>
The first who took his place on the wooden stool, which
was appropriated for the accused, was Reteau, who
asked pardon with tears and prayers, declared all he
knew, and avowed his crimes. He interested no one; he
was simply a knave and a coward. After him came
Madame de la Motte. Her appearance produced a great
sensation; at the sight of the disgraceful seat prepared
for her, she, who called herself a Valois, threw around
her furious looks, but, meeting curiosity instead of
sympathy, repressed her rage. When interrogated, she
continued, as before, to throw out insinuations, stating
nothing clearly but her own innocence. When questioned
as to the letters which she was reported to have
said passed between the queen and the cardinal, she answered
that she did not wish to compromise the queen,
and that the cardinal was best able to answer this question
himself. &ldquo;Ask him to produce them,&rdquo; said she; &ldquo;I
wish to say nothing about them.&rdquo; She inspired in nearly
all a feeling of distrust and anger. When she retired,
her only consolation was the hope of seeing the cardinal
in the seat after her; and her rage was extreme when she
saw it taken away, and an armchair brought for his use.
The cardinal advanced, accompanied by four attendants,
and the governor of the Bastile walked by his side. At
his entrance he was greeted by a long murmur of sympathy
and respect; it was echoed by loud shouts from
without&mdash;it was the people who cheered him. He was
pale, and much moved. The president spoke politely to
him, and begged him to sit down. When he spoke, it
was with a trembling voice, and a troubled and even
humble manner. He gave excuses rather than proofs,
and supplications more than reasons, but said little, and
seemed to be deserted by his former eloquence. Oliva
came next. The wooden stool was brought back for her.
Many people trembled at seeing this living image of the
queen sitting there as a criminal. Then Cagliostro
was called, but almost as a matter of form, and dismissed
immediately. The court then announced that the proceedings
were concluded, and the deliberations about to
begin. All the prisoners were locked for the night in
the Conciergerie. The sentence was not pronounced till
the following day. Jeanne seated herself early at the
window, and before long heard a tremendous shouting
from the crowd collected to hear the sentence. This
continued for some time, when she distinctly heard a
passer-by say, &ldquo;A grand day for the cardinal!&rdquo; &ldquo;For
the cardinal,&rdquo; thought Jeanne; &ldquo;then he is acquitted;&rdquo;
and she ran to M. Hubert, the keeper, to ask, but he did
not know. &ldquo;He must be acquitted!&rdquo; she said; &ldquo;they
said it was a grand day for him. But I&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, madame,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;if he is acquitted, why
should you not be acquitted also?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne returned to the window. &ldquo;You are wrong,
madame,&rdquo; said Madame Hubert to her; &ldquo;you only become
agitated, without perfectly understanding what is
passing. Pray remain quiet until your counsel comes to
communicate your fate.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I cannot,&rdquo; said Jeanne, continuing to listen to what
passed in the street.
</p>

<p>
A woman passed, gaily dressed, and with a bouquet in
her hand. &ldquo;He shall have my bouquet, the dear man!&rdquo;
said she. &ldquo;Oh, I would embrace him if I could!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And I also,&rdquo; said another.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He is so handsome!&rdquo; said a third.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It must be the cardinal,&rdquo; said Jeanne; &ldquo;he is acquitted.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
And she said this with so much bitterness that the
keeper said, &ldquo;But, madame, do you not wish the poor
prisoner to be released?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne, unwilling to lose their sympathy, replied,
&ldquo;Oh, you misunderstand me. Do you believe me so envious
and wicked as to wish ill to my companions in misfortune?
Oh no; I trust he is free. It is only impatience
to learn my own fate, and you tell me nothing.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We do not know,&rdquo; replied they.
</p>

<p>
Then other loud cries were heard. Jeanne could see
the crowd pressing round an open carriage, which was
going slowly along. Flowers were thrown, hats waved;
some even mounted on the steps to kiss the hand of a man
who sat grave and half frightened at his own popularity.
This was the cardinal. Another man sat by him, and
cries of &ldquo;Vive Cagliostro!&rdquo; were mingled with the shouts
for M. de Rohan. Jeanne began to gather courage from
all this sympathy for those whom she chose to call the
queen&rsquo;s victims; but suddenly the thought flashed on
her, &ldquo;They are already set free, and no one has even been
to announce my sentence!&rdquo; and she trembled. New
shouts now drew her attention to a coach, which was also
advancing, followed by a crowd; and in this Jeanne recognized
Oliva, who sat smiling with delight at the people
who cheered her, holding her child in her arms. Then
Jeanne, seeing all these people free, happy, and fêted,
began to utter loud complaints that she was not also
liberated, or at least told her fate.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Calm yourself, madame,&rdquo; said Madame Hubert.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But tell me, for you must know.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I implore you! You see how I suffer.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We are forbidden, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Is it so frightful that you dare not?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh no; calm yourself.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then speak.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Will you be patient, and not betray us?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I swear.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, the cardinal is acquitted.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I know it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;M. de Cagliostro and Mademoiselle Oliva are also acquitted,
M. Reteau condemned to the galleys&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And I?&rdquo; cried Jeanne, furiously.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, you promised to be patient.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;See&mdash;speak&mdash;I am calm.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Banished,&rdquo; said the woman, feebly.
</p>

<p>
A flash of delight shone for a moment in the eyes of
the countess; then she pretended to faint, and threw
herself into the arms of Madame Hubert. &ldquo;What would
it have been,&rdquo; thought she, &ldquo;if I had told her the
truth!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Banishment!&rdquo; thought Jeanne; &ldquo;that is liberty,
riches, vengeance; it is what I hoped for. I have
won!&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XCI.<br/>
THE EXECUTION.</h2>

<p>
Jeanne waited for her counsel to come and announce
her fate; but, being now at ease, said to herself, &ldquo;What
do I care that I am thought more guilty than M. de Rohan?
I am banished&mdash;that is to say, I can carry away
my million and a half with me, and live under the orange
trees of Seville during the winter, and in Germany or
England in the summer. Then I can tell my own story,
and, young, rich, and celebrated, live as I please among
my friends.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Pleasing herself with these notions, she commenced
settling all her future plans, the disposal of her diamonds,
and her establishment in London. This brought to her
mind M. Reteau. &ldquo;Poor fellow!&rdquo; thought she, &ldquo;it is
he who pays for all; some one must suffer, and it always
falls on the humblest instrument. Poor Reteau pays
now for his pamphlets against the queen; he has led a
hard life of blows and escapes, and now it terminates
with the galleys.&rdquo; She dined with M. and Madame
Hubert, and was quite gay; but they did not respond,
and were silent and uneasy. Jeanne, however, felt so
happy that she cared little for their manner towards her.
After dinner, she asked when they were coming to read
her sentence.
</p>

<p>
M. Hubert said they were probably waiting till she
returned to her room. She therefore rose to go, when
Madame Hubert ran to her and took her hands, looking
at her with an expression of so much pity and sympathy,
that it struck her for a moment with terror. She was
about to question her, but Hubert took her hand, and led
her from the room. When she reached her own apartment,
she found eight soldiers waiting outside; she felt
surprised, but went in, and allowed the man to lock her
up as usual. Soon, however, the door opened again, and
one of the turnkeys appeared.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Will madame please to follow me?&rdquo; he said.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Below.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What for? What do they want with me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, M. Viollet, your counsel, wishes to speak to
you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why does he not come here?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, he has received letters from Versailles, and
wishes to show them to you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Letters from Versailles,&rdquo; thought Jeanne; &ldquo;perhaps
the queen has interested herself for me, since the sentence
was passed. Wait a little,&rdquo; she said; &ldquo;Till I
arrange my dress.&rdquo; In five minutes she was ready.
&ldquo;Perhaps,&rdquo; she thought, &ldquo;M. Viollet has come to get me
to leave France at once, and the queen is anxious to facilitate
the departure of so dangerous an enemy.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She followed the turnkey down-stairs, and they entered
a room, which looked like a vault; it was damp, and
almost dark.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sir,&rdquo; said she, trying to overcome her terror, &ldquo;where
is M. Viollet?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The man did not reply.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you want?&rdquo; continued she; &ldquo;have you
anything to say to me? you have chosen a very singular
place for a rendezvous.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We are waiting for M. Viollet,&rdquo; he replied.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is not possible that M. Viollet should wish for me
to wait for him here.&rdquo; All at once, another door, which
Jeanne had not before observed, opened, and three men
entered. Jeanne looked at them in surprise, and with
growing terror. One of them, who was dressed in black,
with a roll of papers in his hand, advanced, and said:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are Jeanne de St. Rémy de Valois, wife of Marie
Antoine, Count de la Motte?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Born at Fontette, on the 22d of July, 1756?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You live at Paris, Rue St. Claude?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sir; but why these questions?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, I am the registrar of the court, and I am
come to read to you the sentence of the court of the 31st
of May, 1786.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jeanne trembled again, and now looked at the other
two men; one had a gray dress with steel buttons, the
other a fur cap on and an apron, which seemed to her
spotted with blood. She drew back, but the registrar said,
&ldquo;On your knees, madame, if you please.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;On my knees?&rdquo; cried Jeanne; &ldquo;I, a Valois!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is the order, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, sir, it is an unheard-of thing, except where some
degrading sentence has been pronounced; and banishment
is not such.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I did not tell you you were sentenced to banishment,&rdquo;
said he gravely.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But to what, then?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will tell you, madame, when you are on your knees.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Never!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, I only follow my instructions.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Never! I tell you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, it is the order that when the condemned
refuse to kneel, they should be forced to do it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Force&mdash;to a woman!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There is no distinction in the eyes of justice.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; cried Jeanne, &ldquo;this is the queen&rsquo;s doings; I
recognize the hands of an enemy.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are wrong to accuse the queen; she has nothing
to do with the orders of the court. Come, madame, I
beg you to spare me the necessity of violence, and kneel
down.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Never!&rdquo; and she planted herself firmly in a corner
of the room.
</p>

<p>
The registrar then signed to the two other men, who,
approaching, seized her, and in spite of her cries dragged
her into the middle of the room. But she bounded up
again.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Let me stand,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;and I will listen patiently.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Madame, whenever criminals are punished by whipping,
they kneel to receive the sentence.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Whipping!&rdquo; screamed Jeanne; &ldquo;miserable wretch,
how dare you&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The men forced her on her knees once more, and held
her down, but she struggled so furiously that they called
out, &ldquo;Read quickly, monsieur, for we cannot hold her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will never hear such an infamous sentence,&rdquo; she
cried; and indeed she drowned his voice so effectually
with her screams, that although he read, not a word could
be heard.
</p>

<p>
He replaced his papers in his pocket, and she, thinking
he had finished, stopped her cries. Then he said, &ldquo;And
the sentence shall be executed at the place of executions,
Cour de Justice.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Publicly!&rdquo; screamed she.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur de Paris, I deliver you this woman,&rdquo; said
the registrar, addressing the man with the leathern
apron.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who is this man?&rdquo; cried Jeanne, in a fright.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The executioner,&rdquo; replied the registrar.
</p>

<p>
The two men then took hold of her to lead her out, but her resistance was so
violent that they were obliged to drag her along by force, and she never ceased
uttering the most frantic cries. They took her thus into the court called Cour
de Justice, where there was a scaffold and which was crowded with spectators.
On a platform, raised about eight feet, was a post garnished with iron rings,
and with a ladder to mount to it. This place was surrounded with soldiers. When
she appeared, cries of &ldquo;Here she is!&rdquo; mingled with much abuse, were
heard from the crowd. Numbers of the partisans of M. de Rohan had assembled to
hoot her, and cries of &ldquo;A bas la Motte, the forger!&rdquo; were heard on
every side, and those who tried to express pity for her were soon silenced.
</p>

<p>
Then she cried in a loud voice, &ldquo;Do you know who I am? I am of the blood
of your kings. They strike in me, not a criminal, but a rival; not only a
rival, but an accomplice. Yes,&rdquo; repeated she, as the people kept silence
to listen, &ldquo;an accomplice. They punish one who knows the secrets
of&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Take care,&rdquo; interrupted the registrar.
</p>

<p>
She turned and saw the executioner with the whip in
his hand. At this sight she forgot her desire to captivate
the multitude, and even her hatred, and sinking on her
knees she said, &ldquo;Have pity!&rdquo; and seized his hand; but
he raised the other, and let the whip fall lightly on her
shoulders. She jumped up, and was about to try and throw
herself off the scaffold, when she saw the other man, who
was drawing from a fire a hot iron. At this sight she
uttered a perfect howl, which was echoed by the people.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Help! help!&rdquo; she cried, trying to shake off the cord
with which they were tying her hands. The executioner
at last forced her on her knees, and tore open her dress;
but she cried, with a voice which was heard through all
the tumult, &ldquo;Cowardly Frenchmen! you do not defend
me, but let me be tortured; oh! it is my own fault. If
I had said all I knew of the queen I should have been&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She could say no more, for she was gagged by the attendants:
then two men held her, while the executioner
performed his office. At the touch of the iron she
fainted, and was carried back insensible to the Conciergerie
when the crowd gradually dispersed.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2>CHAPTER XCII.<br/>
THE MARRIAGE.</h2>

<p>
On the same day at noon the king entered a drawing-room,
where the queen was sitting in full dress, but pale
through her rouge, and surrounded by a party of ladies
and gentlemen. He glanced frequently towards the door.
&ldquo;Are not the young couple ready? I believe it is noon,&rdquo;
he said.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sire, M. de Charny is waiting in the gallery for your
majesty&rsquo;s orders,&rdquo; said the queen, with a violent effort.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh! let him come in.&rdquo; The queen turned from the
door. &ldquo;The bride ought to be here also,&rdquo; continued the
king, &ldquo;it is time.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your majesty must excuse Mademoiselle de Taverney,
if she is late,&rdquo; replied M. de Charny, advancing; &ldquo;for
since the death of her father she has not left her bed
until to-day, and she fainted when she did so.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This dear child loved her father so much,&rdquo; replied
the king, &ldquo;but we hope a good husband will console her.
M. de Breteuil,&rdquo; said he, turning to that gentleman,
&ldquo;have you made out the order of banishment for M. de
Cagliostro?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, sire.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And that De la Motte. Is it not to-day she is to be
branded?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
At this moment, Andrée appeared, dressed in white like
a bride, and with cheeks nearly as white as her dress.
She advanced leaning on her brother&rsquo;s arm. M. de Suffren,
leading his nephew, came to meet her, and then drew back
to allow her to approach the king.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Mademoiselle,&rdquo; said Louis, taking her hand, &ldquo;I
begged of you to hasten this marriage, instead of waiting
until the time of your mourning had expired, that I might
have the pleasure of assisting at the ceremony; for to-morrow
I and the queen commence a tour through France.&rdquo;
And he led Andrée up to the queen, who could hardly
stand, and did not raise her eyes. The king then, putting
Andrée&rsquo;s hand into Philippe&rsquo;s, said, &ldquo;Gentlemen, to
the chapel,&rdquo;&mdash;and they began to move. The queen
kneeled on her prie Dieu, her face buried in her hands,
praying for strength. Charny, though pale as death, feeling
that all eyes were upon him, appeared calm and
strong. Andrée remained immovable as a statue; she did
not pray&mdash;she had nothing to ask, to hope for, or to fear.
The ceremony over, the king kissed Andrée on the forehead,
saying, &ldquo;Madame la Comtesse, go to the queen, she
wishes to give you a wedding present.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; murmured Andrée to Philippe, &ldquo;it is too
much; I can bear no more; I cannot do that.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Courage, sister, one effort more.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I cannot, Philippe; if she speaks to me, I shall die.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then, you will be happier than I, for I cannot die.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Andrée said no more, but went to the queen. She found
her in her chair with closed eyes and clasped hands, seeming
more dead than alive, except for the shudders which,
shook her from time to time. Andrée waited tremblingly
to hear her speak; but, after a minute, she rose slowly,
and took from the table a paper, which she put into
Andrée&rsquo;s hands. Andrée opened it, and read:
</p>

<div class="blockquot"><p>
&ldquo;Andrée, you have saved me. My honor comes from
you; my life belongs to you. In the name of this honor,
which has cost you so dear, I swear to you that you may
call me sister without blushing. This paper is the pledge
of my gratitude, the dowry which I give you. Your heart
is noble and will thank me for this gift.
</p>

&ldquo;<span class="smcap">MARIE ANTOINETTE DE LORRAINE D&rsquo;AUTRICHE</span>.&rdquo;<br />

</div>

<p>
Andrée looked at the queen, and saw tears falling from
her eyes; she seemed expecting an answer, but Andrée,
putting the letter in the fire, turned and left the room.
Then Charny, who was waiting for her, took her hand, and
they, each pale and silent, left the room. Two traveling-carriages
were in the courtyard; Andrée got into one, and
then said:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sir, I believe you go to Picardy.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And I to where my mother lies dead. Adieu, monsieur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Charny bowed, but did not reply, and Andrée drove off.
</p>

<p>
Charny himself, after giving his hand to Philippe, got
into the other, and also drove off.
</p>

<p>
Then Philippe cried, in a tone of anguish, &ldquo;My task is
done!&rdquo; and he too vanished.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

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