Joseph Balsamo (51 page)
At these words, which he pronounced most phlegmatically and philosophically, Chon was seized with such a fit of laughter that she threw herself back in her chair.
384 JOSEPH BALSAMO.
” Do you doubt my words?” asked Gilbert, frowning.
” Heaven preserve me from such a rash act, my dear friend ! Really, you are so fierce, that one can scarcely venture to speak to you. I merely asked what sort of people the Taverneys were. Believe me, it was with no other intention than that of serving you, by assisting you to be revenged on them.”
” If I am revenged, madame, it must be by myself.”
” All very well ; but we have a cause of complaint against the Taverneys ourselves; and, as you have one, or, perhaps, indeed, several, we are naturally allies in our wish for revenge.”
” You are quite mistaken, madame. Should I think of vengeance, mine could have no connection with yours. You speak of all the Taverneys, while I have different shades of feeling toward different members of the family.”
” The Chevalier Philip de Taverney, for instance, is he of the number of your friends or enemies ? “
” I have nothing to say against the chevalier. He never did me either good or ill. I neither love him nor hate him ; I am quite indifferent to him.”
“Then you would not give evidence before the king, or before the Duke de Choiseul, against Monsieur Philip de Taverney?”
” Give evidence about what ? “
“About the duel with my brother.”
‘ J should say all that I know about it, if I were called upon to give evidence.”
” And what do you know about it ? “
“The truth.”
” But what do you call truth? That is a word whose meaning is very vague.”
” No ; not by the man who can distinguish between good and evil between justice and injustice.”
” I understand you ; justice is on the side of the Chevalier de Taverney, injustice on that of Viscount Dubarry ? “
” Yes, madame ; so I think, if I must speak conscien-tiously.”
” So this is the creature I picked up ou the highway ! “
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said Chon, sharply. ” I am rewarded in this way by one who owes it to me that he is living.”
” That is to say, madame, who does not owe you his death.”
” It is all the same.”
“On the contrary, madame, it is very different.”
” How, different ? “
” I do not owe my life to you ; you merely prevented your horses from depriving me of it ; besides it was not yon, but the postilion ‘
Chon fixed a penetrating look on the young logician, who showed so little scruple in the choice of his terms.
” I should have expected,” said she, in a milder tone, and allowing a smile to steal over her features, ” a little more gallantry from you. Come, come, you will give evidence against the chevalier, will you not ? “
” No, madame never ! “
” Aud why not, you foolish fellow ?”
” Because the viscount was in the wrong.”
” And, pray, how was he in the wrong ?” ‘ ” By insulting the dauphiness ; while, on the contrary, the chevalier “
“Well, what?”
” Was right in defending her.”
” Oh, ho ! then it appears you belong to the dauphiness’s party?”
” No ; I am only for justice.”
” Hold your tongue, Gilbert ; you are a fool ! Do not let any one hear yon talk in that way here.”
“Then, permit me to remain silent when I am questioned.”
*’ In that case, let us change the subject.”
Gilbert bowed in token of assent.
” And now, my little friend,” said the young lady, in rather a harsh tone of voice, “what do you intend to do here, if you refuse to make yourself agreeable ? “
” Must I perjure myself in order to make myself agreeable ? “
” Perjure ? Where did you learn all those grand words ? “
DUMAS VOL. VI. Q
386 JOSEPH BALSAMO.
” In the knowledge that I have a conscience to which I must be faithful.”
” Pshaw ! ” said Chon. ” When we serve a master, the master takes all the responsibility from our conscience.”
” But I have no master,” growled Gilbert.
“Indeed? Well, answer my question. What do you intend to do here ? “
“I did not think that I required to study to be agreeable when I could be useful.”
” You are mistaken ; we can get useful people anywhere ; we are tired of them.”
” Then I shall go away.”
” You will go away ? “
” Yes, of course. I did not ask to come here ; 1 am, therefore, free.”
” Free ? ” exclaimed Chon, who began to get angry at this resistance to her will, a thing to which she was by no means accustomed.
” Free ? Indeed, you are not ! “
Gilbert’s brow contracted.
” Come, come ! ” said she, seeing by his frown that he 1 would not easily renounce his freedom, ” let us be friends. You are a handsome lad, and very virtuous, which makes you very amusing, were it only for the contrast which you will present to everybody else about us. Only keep a guard upon that love of truth of youi’s.”
” I shall take care to keep it,” said Gilbert.
“Yes; but we understand the word in two different senses. I mean to keep it to yourself. You need not exhibit it in the lobbies and anterooms of Luciennes or Versailles.”
” Hum ! ” said Gilbert.
” There is no occasion for ‘ hum ‘ ! You are not so learned, Mr. Philosopher, but that you may learn something from a woman ; and let this be your first maxim, ‘ to hold your tongue is not to lie ‘ remember that ! “
“But if any one questions me ?”
” Who would question yon ? Are you mad, my friend ? Who in the world would ever think about you but myself ?
JOSEPH BALSAMO. 337
You-have not yet founded a school, Mr. Philosopher, I presume. It will require some little searching and trouble before you happen upon a body of followers. You shall live with me ; and before four times four-and-twenty hours, I shall transform you into a perfect courtier ‘
“I doubt that ‘ replied Gilbert, majestically.
CJhou shrugged her shoulders.
Gilbert smiled.
” Now,” said Chon, ” to settle the matter at once, you have only to endeavor to please three persons.”
” What three ? “
“The king, my sister, and myself.”
” What must I do to please ? “
” Have you not seen Zamore ? ” asked the young lady, avoiding a direct reply.
” The negro ?” said Gilbert, with the utmost contempt.
” Yes, the negro.”
“What similarity is there between him and me ?”
” Try to make a similarity of fortune, my good friend. That negro has already two thousand livres per annum from the king’s privy purse. He is to be appointed governor of Lucienues ; and even those that laugh at his thick lips and black face call him sir, and even my lord.”
” I shall not be one of those,” said Gilbert.
” Oh ! I thought that the first principle of you philosophers was that all men are equal.”
” That is the very reason that I shall not call Zamore my lord.”
Chon was beaten with her own weapons. It was her turn to bite her lips.
” So you are not ambitious ?” said she.
” Oh, yes, I am ! ” replied Gilbert, with sparkling eyes.
“And if I remember rightly, your ambition was to be a physician.”
” I look upon the mission of soothing the pain and suffering of our fellow-creatures as the noblest in the world.”
” Well, your dream shall be realized.”
“How so?”
388 JOSEPH BALSAMO.
” You shall be a physician and the king’s physician, to boot.”
“I ? ” cried Gilbert, ” I, who know not even the first principles of medical science ? You jest, madame ! “
” Well, and what does Zamore know about portcullises, and drawbridges, and counterscarps ? He does not trouble his head about such things, yet that does not prevent him from being governor of Luciennes, with all a governor’s privileges.”
“Ah, yes, yes; I understand !” said Gilbert, bitterly. ” You have only one buffoon, and that is not sufficient. The king is getting tired, and wishes for another.”
” There,” said Chon, ” you are putting on your long face again. You make yourself so ugly, my little man, it is really quite delightful to see you. Keep all those ridiculous faces till the wig is on your head, and the sugar-loaf hat over the wig, then, instead of being ugly, they will be comical.”
Gilbert frowned more darkly still.
” I should think you might be glad of the post of the king’s physician, when the Duke de Tresmes solicits that of my sister’s monkey.”
Gilbert made no answer. Chon thought of the proverb, ” silence gives consent.”
” As a proof that you are in favor,” said she, “you shall not eat with servants.”
Ah ! thank you, madame,” replied Gilbert. I have already given orders to that effect.” And where shall I eat ?” Along with Zamore.” I?” ‘ Yes ; the king’s governor and his physician may surely
ea
together. Go now to your dinner.”
I am not hungry,” answered Gilbert, rudely Very well,” said Chon, quietly ; ” you are not hungry now, but you will be in the evening.” Gilbert shook his head.
” To-morrow, then, or the day after to-morrow you may be. Oh, we know how to tame rebels here ; and if you con-
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tinue obstinate, we have, besides, the corrector of onr pages to do oar will.”
Gilbert shuddered and turned pale.
” Go to my Lord Zamore now,” she added, sharply ; ” you will be very well treated with him ; his table is excellent. But no ingratitude, remember, or we shall teach you to be grateful.”
Gilbert let his head fall on his breast, an invariable symptom that, instead of going to reply, he was going to act.
The footman who had showed him to Chon’s apartment waited at the door, and on his dismissal conducted him to a little dining-room adjoining the anteroom.
Zamore was at table. Gilbert took his place at the table, but he could not be made to eat.
Three o’clock struck ;
Mme.
Dubarry set off for Paris. Chon, who was to join her there a short time after, left instructions for the taming of her bear. Plenty of sweet-meats were to be his reward if he became docile ; plenty of threats, and at last the dungeon if he continued rebellious.
At four o’clock a complete suit, such as that worn by the medecin malgre lui, was brought into Gilbert’s apartment. There was the pointed cap, the wig, the black jacket, and the long black robe ; in addition to these, they sent him a collar, a wand, and a large book. The. footman who carried them in exhibited the various articles one by one.
Gilbert no longer manifested any disposition to rebel. Grange entered after the footman, and instructed him how all the different parts of the dress should be worn. Gilbert listened most patiently.
” I thought,” said he, at length, ” that doctors formerly carried a little writing case and a roll of paper ? “
” Yes, faith, he is right,” replied the steward ; <*go and bring him a long writing-case, which he can hang at his girdle.”
” With pen and paper,” added Gilbert ; ” I must have every part of my costume complete.”
The footman hastened to execute the order, and at the same time to tell Chon how obliging Gilbert had become.
390 JOSEPH BALSAMO.
Chon was so much delighted, that she gave the messenger a little purse with eight crowns in it, to hang with the writing-case at the girdle of this model of a physician.
” Thank you,” said Gilbert to the person who brought it. ” Now may I be left alone to dress ? “
“Well, make haste ‘ replied Grange, ” so that mademoiselle may see you before she goes to Paris.”
” Half an hour,” said Gilbert, ” I only ask half an hour.”
” You may take three quarters, if you like, my dear doctor,” said the steward, shutting the door carefully, as if it had been that of his money-box.
Gilbert stole on tiptoe to the door, to be certain that the footsteps were dying away in the distance ; then he glided to the window and looked down. There was a terrace about eighteen feet below him, covered with fine gravel, and bordered by lofty trees, which shaded the balconies of the windows.
Gilbert tore his long robe into three pieces, which he tied lengthwise together, placed the hat on the table, and near it the purse and the following note :
“MADAME, Liberty is the first of blessings. Man’s most sacred duty is to preserve it. You endeavored to en-slave me. I set myself free. GILBERT ‘
This letter he folded, and addressed to Mile. Chon, then he tied his twelve feet of serge to the bars of the window, slipped between them with the suppleness of an eel, and when at the end of his cord, dropped down to the terrace, at the risk of breaking his neck. Though a little stunned by the leap, he lost not a moment in gaining the trees, among which he glided stealthily, and running as fast as his limbs would carry him, he disappeared in the direction of Ville d’Avray.
When, at the end of half an hour, they came to seek for him, he was already far beyond their reach.
JOSEPH BALSAMO. 391
CHAPTER XLII.
THE OLD MAX.
GILBERT had avoided the highway through fear of pursuit ; he glided from one plantation to another, until he reached a sort of forest, and there he stopped. He had traveled a league and a half in about three quarters of an hour.
The fugitive looked around him, and finding himself quite alone, he felt so much courage that he thought he might venture nearer the highroad. He therefore turned in the direction which, according to his calculation of his position, he supposed would lead to Paris.
But some horses which he saw near the village of Ro-quencourt, led by grooms in orange liveries, frightened him so much, that he was cured of all desire to be on the public road, and he returned to the woods.
” Let me keep in the shade of the trees,” said he to himself ; ” if I am pursued, it will certainly be on the highroad. In the evening, from tree to tree, from one opening to another, I shall steal on to Paris. They say Paris is very large, and, as I am little, I can easily hide there.”