Joseph Balsamo (28 page)
” Sire, she thought it would be engaging herself to nothing ; so she promised.”
‘ ‘ And what became of the sorcerer ? “
” He disappeared.”
” And Sartines refuses to find him ? He is wrong.”
” Sire, I do not refuse ; but I cannot find him.”
” Oh, sir,” said the countess, ” those words, cannot, should never be in the dictionary of the police.”
” Madame, we are on his track.”
” Yes ; what you always say when you are baffled.”
” It is the truth ; but consider what trivial directions you have given.”
” How, trivial ? young, handsome, dark complexion, black hair, splendid eyes, a pleasing voice.”
” Oh, the devil ! how you speak of him, countess ! Sartines, I forbid you to find that young man,” said the king.
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” Yon are wrong, sire ; for I only wish to ask one simple question.”
“Is it about yourself ? “
“Yes.”
” Well, what is it ? His prediction is accomplished ‘
” Do you think so ? “
” Yes ; you are queen.”
” Very nearly.”
” What has the sorcerer, then, to tell you more ? “
” He has to tell me when the queen will be presented ?”
” That is no concern of his;” and the king made a grimace which showed that he thought they were getting on dangerous ground. ‘
” And whose concern is it ? “
“Your own.”
“Mine ?”
” Yes ; you must find a lady to present you.”
” Oh, very likely, among the prudes of the court ! Your majesty knows they are all sold to Choiseul and Praslin.”
” What ! was there not an agreement made between us that the ministers should never be named here ? “
” I did not promise, sire.”
“Well, I request you to leave them in their places, and keep your own place. Believe me, the best is yours.”
“Alas ! then, for foreign affairs and the navy.”
“Countess,” interrupted the king, “in Heaven’s name, no politics ! “
At this moment Doree entered, and whispered a word or two in her mistress’s ear.
“Oh, certainly, certainly !” cried she.
” What is it ? ” asked the king.
” Chon, sire, who has just returned from a journey, and wishes to pay her respects to your majesty.”
” Let her come in, let her come in ! Indeed, for some days past, I felt that I wanted something, without knowing exactly what it was.”
” Thanks, sire,” said Chon, as she entered ; then, going up to her sister, she whispered : ” It is all settled.”
The countess uttered an exclamation of joy.
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” Well, what now ? ” asked the king.
“Nothing, sire. I am only glad to see her again.”
” I am glad, too. How do you do, little Chou ? “
” May I say a word or two, sire, to my sister ? “
” Yes, yes, my child ; and while you are talking to gether, I shall ask Sartines where you have been. “
” Sire,” said the minister, wishing to avoid being questioned on that point, ” may I beg your majesty to allow me a few moments on business of the utmost importance ? “
” Oh, I have very little time now, Monsieur de Sartines,” said the king, beginning to yawn.
” Only two words, your majesty.”
” About what ? “
” About those people with the second sight these illu-miuati these workers of miracles “
” Pooh ! jugglers. Give them permission to exercise their trade, and there will be nothing to fear from them.”
” The matter is more serious than your majesty supposes. Every clay we have new masonic lodges formed ; they are now a powerful sect, attracting to them all the enemies of monarchy the philosophers, the encyclopedists. Voltaire is to be received by them in great state.”
“He ? He is dying.”
” He, sire ? Oh, no, sire, he is not such a fool ! “
” He has confessed.”
” Merely a trick.”
“In the habit of a Capuchin.”
” That was an impiety, sire. But with regard to these freemasons, they are always active they write, they talk, they form associations, correspond with foreign countries ; they intrigue, they threaten even now they are full of expectation of a great chief or head of the whole body, as I have learned from some words which escaped from one of their number.”
” Well, Sartines, when this chief comes, catch him and put him in the Bastile, and the whole affair is settled.”
” Sire, these persons have great resources.”
” Have they greater than you, sir, who have the whole police of a large kingdom ? “
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” Your majesty was induced to expel the Jesuits ; it was the philosophers whom you should have expelled.”
” Come, come ; no more about those poor quill-drivers ! “
” Sire, those quills are dangerous which are cut by the penknife of Damiens.”
Louis XV. turned pale.
” These philosphers, sire, whom you despise “
” Well, sir ? “
” Will destroy the monarchy, sire.”
” How long will they take to do that ? “
Sartines stared at his coolness.
” How can I tell, sire ? Perhaps fifteen, twenty, or thirty years.”
“Well, my dear friend, in fifteen or twenty years I shall be no more ; so talk of all these things to my successor.”
And the king turned to
Mme.
Dubarry, who, seeming to have waited for this movement, said, with a heavy sigh :
” Oh, heavens ! what is it you tell me, Chon ? ”’
“Yes; what is it?” asked the king, “for you both looked very wretched.
” Oh, sire, there is good cause for it ! “
” Speak ! let me hear what has happened.”
” My poor brother ! “
” Poor Jean ! “
” Do you think it must be cut off ? “
“They hope not.”
” Cut off what ? ” asked the king.
” His arm, sire.”
” Cut off the viscount’s arm ? Why, pray ? “
“Because he has been seriously wounded.” -
” Wounded in the arm ? “
” Oh, yes, sire.”
“Aye, in some drunken squabble, in a filthy tavern.”
“No, sire ; on the highway.”
“But how did that happen ? “
” It happened because an enemy wished to assassinate him, sire.”
” Ah, the poor viscount ! ” exclaimed the king, who had very little feeling for the sufferings of others, although he
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could look wonderfully compassionate. ” But to assassinate him ! This is a serious matter, is it not, Sartines ? “
The minister looked much less moved than the king, but was, in reality, a great deal more uneasy on the subject. He drew near the sisters.
‘ ‘ Can it be possible,” asked he, anxiously, ” that such a misfortune has occurred ? “
” Oh, yes, sir, it is but too possible,” said Chou, very mournfully.
” Assassinated ? But how ? “
‘ He was waylaid.”
” Waylaid ? Ha ! Sartines, this is an affair for you,” said the king.
” Relate all the circumstances, madame,” said the minister, “and do not, I entreat you, allow your just resentment to exaggerate them. We shall, by being strictly just, be most severe ; and, where things are looked at closely and coolly, they are often not so very serious as we at first apprehended.”
” Oh,” cried Chon, ” this is not an affair which has been related to me. I saw the whole.” -
” “Well, but what did you see, Chon ? ” inquired the king.
” I saw a man fall on my brother, and, having forced him to draw in self-defense, wound him shockingly.”
” Was the man alone ? ” asked Sartines.
” No, indeed ; he had six others with him.”
” The poor viscount ! ” said the king, looking at the countess, that he might know exactly what degree of grief to exhibit. ” Forced to fight ? Poor fellow ! ” But, see-ing that she did not relish this pleasantry : ” And he was wounded ? ” he added, in a compassionate voice.
” But how did the quarrel come about ? ” asked the ministers of police, trying, if it were possible, to betray her into telling the truth.
” Oh, in the most trifling way in the world. All about post-horses which I wanted in order to hasten back to my sister, as I had promised to be with her this morning.”
” Ha ! Sartines, this merits punishment, does it not ? ” said the king.
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“It does, sire, and I shall take all the necessary information on the subject. What was the name of the aggressor, madame, his condition, his rank ? “
“His rank? He is a military man an officer in the body-guard of the dauphin, I think. As to his name, he is called Baverney, Faverney, Taverney yes, Taverney, that is it.”
” Madame, to-morrow he shall sleep in the Bastile.”
“Oh, no ! ” said the countess, who until now had very diplomatically kept silence ” oh, no I”
” Why, oh, no ? ” asked the king ; ” why should not the fellow be imprisoned ? You know I detest the military.”
” And I repeat, sire,” said the countess, doggedly, ” that I am quite sure nothing will be done to the man who assassinated the viscount.”
” Ha ! countess, this is very curious ! Explain it, if you please.”
” That is easily done ; he will be protected.”
” And who will protect him ? “
” The person at whose instigation he acted.”
” And that person will protect him against us ? Oh, that is rather too much, countess ! “
Madame- ” stammered the Count de Sartines, for he
felt that a blow was coming, and he was not prepared to ward it off.
” Yes ! ” exclaimed the countess ; ” he will be protected against you, and there will be nothing said. Do you suppose you are the master, sire ? “
The king felt the blow which the minister had foreseen, and he determined to bear it.
” I see that you are going to plunge into politics,” said he, ” and find out some reasons of state for a paltry duel.”
” There, now ! you abandon me already ; the assassination has become nothing but a duel, now that you suspect the quarter whence it comes ! “
” So ! I am in for it !” said the king, going to the great Chinese fountain, turning the cock, and making the birds sing, the fishes swim, and the mandarins come out.
” And you don’t know who aimed this blow ? ” asked the
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countess, pulling the ears of Zamore, who was lying at her feet.
” No, on my word ! ” said the king.
” Or suspect ? “
” I swear I don’t ! Do you, countess ? “
” No, I don’t suspect, I know positively ; I am going to tell you, and it will be no news to you, I am certain ! “
” Countess, countess, do you know that in what you said you gave the lie to your king ? ” and Louis tried to look dignified.
” Sire, I know I am a little warm, but if you think I shall quietly allow my brother to be killed by the Duke de Choiseul “
” Yes ; there it is Choiseul again ! ” exclaimed the king, in a loud voice, as if he had not expected this name, which for the last ten minutes he had been dreading.
” Well, it is because your majesty is determined not to see that he is my worst enemy ; but I see it plainly, for he does not even take the trouble to hide his hatred from me.”
” He is far from hating any one to that degree that he would cause him to be assassinated.”
” There, you see, when Choiseul is mentioned, you are on his side immediately.”
” Now, my dear countess, politics again ! “
“Oh, Monsieur de Sartines !” cried she, “is it not dreadful to be treated thus ? “
” No, no ; if it be as you think
“I know what I think,” she interrupted, passionately, ” and what I am sure of the affair will be given up.”
” Now, do not get angry, countess ‘ said the king, ” it shall not be given up. You shall be defended, and so well “
” So well, what ? “
” So well that he who attacked poor Jean shall pay dearly for it.”
” Yes, the instrument will be broken, but the hand that directed it will be taken and kindly pressed.”
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” “Well, bnt is it not right to punish this Monsieur Taverney, who actually committed the assault ? “
” Oh, certainly ; but it is not right that what you do for me is no more than would be done to a soldier who should give a blow to a shop-keeper at the theater. I will not be treated like every common person. If you do not do more for those whom you love than for those who are indifferent to you, I had rather remain alone in obscurity like these latter their relations, at least, are not assassinated ! “
“Oh, countess!” said the king, imploringly, “I got up for once in such good spirits, disposed to be gay, happy, and pleased with every one, and now yon are spoiling my morning completely.”
” Very fine, indeed ! It is a delightful morning forme, of course, when my relations are being massacred ! “
The king, in spite of his internal fears of the terrible storm that was gathering, could not help smiling at the word “massacred.” The countess started up in a tower-ing passion.
” Ah, is that the way you pity me ?” said she.
“Now, now do not get angry.”
“Yes, I will get angry.”
” You are very wrong ; you look lovely when you smile but really ugly in a passion.”
“What matters it to me how I look, when my beauty does not prevent me from-being sacrificed to state intrigues.”
” Now, my dear countess “
“No, no. Choose between me and Choiseul.”
” Dear creature, it is impossible to choose you are both necessary to me.”
“Well, then, I shall retire and leave the field to my enemies ; I shall die of grief, but the Duke de Choiseul will be satisfied, and that will console you.”
” I swear to you, countess, that he has not any dislike to you ; on the contrary, he admires you. He is an excellent man, after all,” added the king, in a louder tone, that the minister of police might hear him.
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” An excellent man ! Sire, you wish to drive me to desperation. An excellent man who causes people to be assassinated ? “
” Mere suspicion ! ” said the king.
” And, besides,” Sartines ventured to say, ” a quarrel, a duel between military men is so common so natural ! “
