Joseph Balsamo (47 page)

” I told you, madame, that you would make my reputation.”

” But you must dress no one’s hair bnt mine.”

” Keep your hundred louis-d’ors, then, madame I prefer my liberty to it I owe the honor of having this evening dressed your hair. Liberty is the first of human blessings.”

” A philosophical hair-dresser ! ” exclaimed Dubarry, raising his hands to heaven ; ” to what shall we come at

354 JOSEPH BALSAMO.

last ? Well, my dear Monsieur Leonard, I shall not quarrel with you take your hundred louis-d ors and keep your secret and your liberty. Now, countess, to your carriage ! “

These last words were addressed to the Countess de Beam, who entered, stiff and stately, and dressed like an image in a shrine. She was brought out of her room just when she was to be made use of.

“Now,” cried Jean to the servants, “let four of you take her and carry her down-stairs, and if you hurt her, so as to make her heave one sigh, I’ll flay you alive ! “

While he was superintending this delicate and important operation, assisted by Chon, the countess turned to seek for M. Leonard he had disappeared.

” But how did he go ?” murmured
Mme.
Dubarry, who had not yet quite recovered from the influence of the many surprises of the evening.

” How did he go ? Why, through the floor, or up through the ceiling, of course, as all genii do. Take care, countess, that your head-dress does not turn into a heap of mud, your dress into a spider’s web, and your coach into a pumpkin drawn by two rats.”

Having given utterance to this last fear, Jean took his place beside the Countess de Beam and her fortunate goddaughter.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

THE PEESENTATION”.

VERSAILLES, like everything really great, is and will long be a fair and lovely scene. Though moss should cover its moldering walls though its gods of marble, bronze, and lead should lie shattered around their broken fountains though its broad alleys of clipped trees should remain in all the wild luxuriance of nature though it should become but a heap of ruins it will always present to the thinker and the poet a great and touching spectacle.

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Let such look from its circle of ephemeral splendor to the eternal horizon beyond, and it will be long ere thought and fancy sink to rest again.

But it was, above all, in its days of pomp and splendor that Versailles was fairest to look upon ; when its gay and thoughtless population, restrained by a crowd of soldiers still more gay than themselves, thronged its gilded gates ; when carriages lined with velvet and satin, blazoned with armorial bearings, thundered over its pavements at the full speed of their prancing steecte, when every window, blazing with light, like those of an enchanted palace, exposed to view the moving throng, radiant with diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and bending to the gesture of one man, as bends before the wind a field of golden corn, with its bright flowers of crimson, white, and blue yes, Versailles was brilliant indeed when its gates sent forth couriers to all the powers of the earth when kings, princes, nobles, generals, learned men from all parts of the civilized world trod its rich carpets and its inlaid floors.

But when, for some great ceremony, all its furniture was displayed and its sumptuousness doubled by the magic of a thousand lights, even the coldest imagination must have glowed on beholding what human invention and human power could do. Such was the ceremony observed on the reception of an ambassador, or the presentation of the nobles attending the court.

Louis XIV., the creator of etiquette, a system which shut up each individual within bounds beyond which he could not pass, desired that the favored few, initiated into the magnificence of his regal life, should be struck with such veneration that ever afterward they could only regard the palace as a temple, and the king as its presiding deity, to whose presence some had the right of approaching nearer than others.

Versailles, then, still magnificent, although already showing symptoms of degeneration, had opened all its doors, lighted all its chandeliers, and exhibited all its splendor for the presentation of
Mme.
Dubarry. The people, inquisitive, though hungry and Avretched, for-

356 JOSEPH BALSAMO.

getting, strange anomaly, both their hunger and wretchedness, that they might gaze on so much grandeur, filled the Place d’Armes and the avenues leading to the palace. Every window of the chateau poured out floods of light, and the lusters from a distance looked like stars gleaming in an atmosphere of golden dust.

The king left his private apartments exactly at ten. He was dressed rather more richly than usual ; that is, his lace was finer, and the buckles alone of his garters and his shoes were worth a million.

The Count de Sartines had informed him of the conspiracy entered into by the ladies the evening before, so that there was a shade of anxiety on his brow, and he trembled lest he should see only gentlemen in the grand saloon. But he was soon reassured, when, on entering the saloon set apart for presentations, he saw, amid a cloud of lace and powder, mingled with the blaze of diamonds, first, his three daughters, then the Marchioness de Mirepoix, who had talked so loudly among the plotters in short, all the turbulent spirits who had sworn not to come were there.

Marshal Richelieu, like a general on the eve of an engagement, hurried from one to another, saying to this one, ” Ah, I have caught you, perfidious one ! ” whispering to another, ” I was certain you would not keep your oath ! ” and to a third, ” Remember what I told you about conspiracies ! “

” But, marshal ‘ replied the ladies, ” you are here yourself !”

” Oh, I represent my daughter ! I represent the Countess d’Egmont. Look around, you will not find Septimanie ! She alone has kept faith with the Duchess de Grammont and the Princess de Guemenee, so I am pretty certain what my fate will be. To-morrow I shall enter on my fifth banishment or my fourth trip to the Bastile. Most certainly I shall never again conspire.”

The king entered. There was a profound silence, dur-ing which ten o’clock struck the hour fixed for the ceremony. His majesty was surrounded by a numerous court,

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and was attended by about fiftj gentlemen, who not hav-ing sworn to come to the presentation, were, probably, for that reason present.

The king observed, at the first glance, that the Duchess de Grammont, the Princess de Guemenee, and the Countess d’Egmont were wanting in this splendid assembly.

He approached the Duke de Choiseul, who affected great calmness, but iu spite of all his efforts was somewhat disturbed.

” I do not see the Duchess de Grammont here,” said the king.

” Sire, my sister is ill,” replied the Duke de Choiseul, ” and desired me to present her very humble respects to your majesty.”

” So much the worse ! ” said the king, and he turned his back on the duke. In doing so, he found himself face to face with the Prince de Guemenee.

“And the Princess de Guemenee,” said he, “where is she ? have you not brought her, prince ? “

” It was impossible, sire ; when I called at her hotel, in order to accompany her here, I found her in bed.”

” Oh ! so much the worse, so much the worse ! ” said the king. ” Ah, here is the marshal ! Good evening, marshal.”

The old courtier bowed with all the suppleness of a youth.

” You are not ill, at least ” ! said the king, loud enough for De Choiseul and De Guemenee to hear him.

” Whenever, sire, I have in prospect the happiness of see-ing your majesty, I am perfectly well,” replied Richelieu.

” But,” said the king, looking round, ” I do not see your daughter, the Countess d’Egmont ; how comes it that she is not here ? “

The duke’s features assumed an expression of deep regret.

” Alas ! sire, my poor daughter is really not able to lay her humble homage at your majesty’s feet this evening, above all others ill, sire, ill ! “

“So much the worse!” said the king. “111! The Countess d’Egmont, who enjoys the finest health in France ?

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So much the worse, so much the worse ! ” And the king left the marshal as he had left M. de Choiseul and M. de Guemenee.

Then he completed the circuit of the saloon, and particularly complimented the Marchioness de Hirepoix, who did not feel altogether at her ease.

” You see what the price of treachery is,” whispered the marshal in her ear ; to-morrow you will be loaded with honors, while we I shudder to think of it ! ” and he sighed.

” But I think you have rather betrayed the Choiseuls yourself, since you are here, and yet you swore “

” For my daughter, for my poor Septimanie, marchioness ; she will be disgraced for being too faithful ! “

” To her father,” replied the marchioness.

The marshal pretended not to hear this remark, which might have passed for an epigram.

“Do you not think,” said he, “that the king is un-easy ? “

“I think he has reason to be so ; it is a quarter past ten.”

” True and the countess is not here ! Shall I tell you what I think?”

” Yes.”

” I have some fears. “

” Fears about what ? “

” Fears that something disagreeable may have happened to that poor countess. You know whether I am right or not, marchioness.”

” I ! how should I know ? “

” Yes ; you were up to the neck in the conspiracy. “

” Well, I may tell you in confidence, marshal, that I cannot help sharing your fears.”

” Oh, our friend the duchess is a fierce antagonist ; she has fled, and like the Parthians, she wounds in fleeing. See how restless the Duke de Choiseul is, although he wishes to appear calm ; he cannot stay a moment in one position, and he keeps his eye always on the king. Come confess that there is some plot in the wind.”

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“I know nothing of it, duke ; but like you, I have suspicions ‘

” But what can they gain by their plot ?” ” Time, my dear marshal ; and you know the proverb, < He who gains time, gains all.’ To-morrow something may occur to put off the presentation sine die. The dauphiness may reach Compiegne to-morrow instead of four days hence ; perhaps they only wished to gain to-morrow.”

” Do you know, marchioness, this little tale of yours has all the appearance of truth. There is no sign of her com-ing.”

‘And see, the king is becoming impatient ! ” ‘ That is the third time he has approached the window ; he is really annoyed.”

‘ Things will be much worse presently. ” ‘How so?”

‘ It is twenty minutes past ten, is it not ? ” ‘ Yes.”

1 Then I may now tell you ”

‘What?”

‘ The marchioness looked around, then whispered, ” She will not come.”

” Oh, heavens ! But, marchioness, it will be a scandalous affair.”

” It will perhaps cause a lawsuit a criminal suit. I know from good authority that there will be in the case robbery, abduction, treason. The Choiseuls have played a bold game.”

“Very imprudent in them.” ” Passion rendered them blind.”

” You see what an advantage we have over them in not being governed by our passions ; we are cool, and can look at things calmly.”

” Observe, the king is going again to the window.” Gloomy, anxious, and irritated, Louis had drawn near a window, leaned his head on a carved frame, and pressed his forehead to the cool glass.

During this time the conversation of the courtiers sounded like the rustling of the leaves of a forest before a tempest.

360 JOSEPH BALSAMO.

All eyes wandered from the king to the time-piece, and from the time-piece to the king. The half-hour struck the clear, vibrating sound died away in the vast saloon.

M. de Maupeou approached the king.

” Delightful weather, sire,” said he, timidly.

” Very fine, very fine ! Do you understand anything of this matter, Monsieur de Maupeou ? “

” Of what, sire ?

” About this delay the poor countess.”

” She must be ill, sire ‘ replied the chancellor.

“I can comprehend that the Duchess de Grammont may be ill, that the Princess de Guemenee may be ill, that the Countess d’Egmont may be ill, but not that she should be ill.”

” Sire, very great emotion often causes illness, and the countess’s joy was so great.”

” Ah ! there is no longer any hope,” said Louis, shaking his head ; “she will not come now.”

Although the king had uttered these words in a low voice, there was so profound a silence in the saloon that every one heard them. No one, however, had time to reply, even in thought, for just then the noise of a carriage was heard in the court of the palace. All heads moved ; eyes interrogated eyes.

The king came forward to the middle of the saloon, that, through the open doors, he might see the whole length of the gallery.

” I am afraid,” whispered the marchioness to the marshal, with a meaning smile, ” that some bad news is com-ing.”

But suddenly the king’s face brightened, and his eyes flashed with pleasure.

“The Countess Dubarry ! the Countess de Beam!” cried the usher to the grand master of ceremonies.

These two names made all hearts beat, many with very opposite emotions. A crowd of courtiers, impelled by ungovernable curiosity, drew near the king.

The Marchioness de Mirepoix was nearest him ; clasping her hands, she exclaimed, as if ready to fall down and

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worship : ” Oh, how beautiful she is ! how beautiful she is!”

The king turned a gracious smile on her.

” She is not a woman,” said Richelieu ; ” she is a fairy.”

The king sent the remainder of the smile in the direction of the old courtier.

In fact, the countess never had appeared more lovely ; never had such a perfect representation of gentle agitation and modesty, never had a more charming figure or more noble carriage, graced the queen’s saloon at Versailles, which, nevertheless, as we have said, was the saloon of presentations.

Lovely in the extreme, dressed with the most perfect taste, and above all, her hair dressed exquisitely, the countess advanced, conducted by
Mme.
de Beam, who, notwithstanding her suffering, did not betray it by the slightest gesture ; yet every movement caused each fiber of her frame to quiver, while from her dry and fevered cheeks the rouge dropped atom by atom.