Joseph Balsamo (64 page)
” I have heard him addressed by different names ; at present, however, I remember only two of them. Oue is given him by the old man, who, as I told yon, traveled with us from Milan ; the other he gives himself.” What does the old man call him ?” Acharat. Is not that a heathenish name, madame ? ” And what is his other name ? ” ‘ Joseph Balsamo.” * And what can you tell me of him ? ” ‘ That he seems to know all persons, to penetrate into all things ; he is contemporary with all times, has lived in all ages. He speaks may Heaven pardon such blas-phemies -he speaks of Alexander, Caesar,and Charlemagne, as if he had known them, yet I am sure they have been dead a very long time. But what is worse, he will talk of Caiphas, Pilate, and our blessed Saviour, as if he had been present at the crucifixion.”
” He is some charlatan, I perceive,” said the princess.
” I do not know exactly what that means, madame ; but what I do know is, that he is a dangerous, terrible man. All yield to him, all bend before him, all fall prostrate at his word. You think him defenseless, he is armed ; you
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think him alone, and he causes men to rise out of the earth, and that without an effort ; by a gesture, a word, a smile.”
” It is well,” said the princess. ” Whoever he be, take courage, my child, you shall be protected from him.”
” By you, madame, by you ? “
” Yes, by me ; so long as you yourself do not abandon my protection. But cease from this time to believe, and above all cease to endeavor to make me believe, in the superstitious visions which are the offspring of your diseased imagination. The walls of St. Denis will guard you securely against infernal powers, and against powers even more to be feared, these of wicked men. And now, madame, what are your intentions ? “
” With these jewels, which belong to me, madame, I wish to pay my dowry to some convent to this convent, if possible.”
And Lorenza laid on a table precious bracelets, valuable rings, a magnificent diamond, and other jewels, the whole worth about twenty thousand crowns.
” Are those ornaments your own ?” asked the princess.
” Yes, madame. He gave them to me, and I devote them to the church. I have only one wish with regard to his property.”
” What is that ? “
” That his Arabian horse, Djerid, the instrument of my deliverance, be restored to him if he demand it.”
” But with regard to yourself, you will on no account return to him ? “
” No ! by no means.”
” Is it your intention to enter this convent and continue in the practise of those duties which were interrupted at Subiaco by the extraordinary circumstances you have related to me ? “
“It is my dearest wish, madame ; at your feet I supplicate its fulfilment.”
” Be tranquil, my child ; from this day you shall live with us ; and when, by the exemplary conduct which I ex-pect from you, you have shown that you deserve that favor,
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yon shall take the vows, and I answer for it, no one shall carry you away from St. Denis while your abbess watches over you.”
Lorenza threw herself at the feet of her benefactress, and poured forth expressions of gratitude the most tender and the most sincere ; but all at once, rising on one knee, she listened, turned pale, and trembled.
” Oh, heavens ! Oh, heavens ! ” she exclaimed.
” What is the matter ? ” asked
Mme.
Louise.
” My whole frame trembles. He is coming ! He is coming ! “
” Who is coming ? “
” He who has sworn to destroy my soul.”
” That man ? “
” Yes, that man do you not see how my hand trembles. Oh ! ” continued she, in a tone of anguish, ” he approaches he is near ! “
” You are mistaken.”
” No, madame, no ! Hold me ! He draws me to him against my will. Hold me ! Hold me ! “
Mme.
Louise seized her by the arm.
” Courage ! courage ! my poor child,” said she ; “were it even he you are in safety here.”
” He approaches ! He approaches ! ” cried Lorenza, with despair and horror in her voice, her eyes fixed, and her arms extended toward the door of the room.
” This is madness. Dare any one, think you, enter un-announced the apartment of Madame Louise of France ? To obtain admittance, he must be the bearer of an order from the king.”
” Oh, madame, I know not how he procured an entrance,” cried Lorenza, recoiling with terror, “but I do know that he is ascending the stairs that he is scarcely ten paces distant that he is here ! “
At that moment the door opened. Alarmed at such a strange coincidence, the princess could not prevent herself from starting back. A nun appeared.
“Who is there ?” asked the abbess, hurriedly, ” and what do you want ? “
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” Madame, a gentleman has just arrived, who wishes to speak to your royal highness. “
” His name ? “
“The Count de Fenix.”
” Is that he ? ” asked the princess, turning to Lorenza, ” and do you know that name ?”
” I do not know that name, but it is he, madame it is he!”
” What does this gentleman want ?” inquired the princess, addressing the nun.
” Having been sent on a mission to the King of France by his majesty the King of Prussia, he wishes, he says, to have the honor of a moment’s conversation with your royal highness.”
There princess reflected for a moment ; then, turning to Lorenza, “Ketire into that cabinet,” said she Lorenza obeyed ” and you, sister,” continued the princess, ” admit this gentleman.” The nun courtesied low and left the room.
Having ascertained that the door of the cabinet was securely fastened, the princess seated herself in her armchair, and awaited the termination of the strange scene in which she found herself involved. Yet she could not sub-due a certain degree of agitation.
Almost immediately the nun reappeared, followed by the person whom we have already seen, on the day of the presentation, announce himself as the Count de Fenix.
He was dressed in the same costume, a Prussian uniform, with the military wig and black stock. His large, expressive eyes were cast down at first in the presence of the royal abbess, but only in a manner to indicate the respect which any gentleman, how high soever his rank, was called on to exhibit before a princess of France, but immediately raising them again, with a look which almost implied that he had already shown too great humility.
” Madame,” said he, ” I thank your royal highness for the favor you have shown me ; but I did not doubt that I should obtain this favor, knowing that your royal highness is the generous patron of all the unhappy.”
” Sir, I endeavor to assist all such ! ” replied the princess
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with dignity ; for she felt certain that he should, before the lapse of many minutes, put to shame this man who so impudently dared to claim her protection, after having deceived and ill-treated one confided to his care.
The count bowed, without betraying any consciousness of understanding the double meaning of her words.
She then continued, with something of irony in her tone : “In what way can I render you any assistance, sir ?”
” You can aid me in a matter of the greatest moment, madame,”
” Speak, sir ! “
” None but weighty considerations could have induced me, madame, to intrude on your royal highness in this retreat which you have chosen ; but you have, I believe, given shelter here to a person in whom I am deeply interested.”
* The name of that person, sir ? ” Lorenza Feliciani.”
And how does her fate concern you ? Is she your re-lat on, your sister ? “
* She is my wife.”
Your wife ? ” said the princess, raising her voice so that she might be heard in the cabinet. ” Lorenza Feliciaui is the Countess de Fenix ?”
” Yes, madame, Lorenza Feliciani is the Countess de Fenix,” replied the count, with the utmost coolness.
” I have no Countess de Fenix in this convent, sir,” replied the princess.
But the count was not to be so repulsed. ” Perhaps, madame,” said he, “your royal highness is not convinced that Lorenza Feliciani and the Countess de Fenix are one and the same person ? “
” I confess, sir, that you have guessed my thoughts ; I am not well convinced on that point.”
” If your royal highness will but command Lorenza Feliciani to be brought hither, you will soon have all doubts on that head cleared away. I entreat your highness’s pardon for urging the matter thus, but I am tenderly attached to the young lady, and she herself, I think, regrets being separated from me.”
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“Do you think so, sir ?”
” Yes, madame, unworthy as I am, I think so.”
” Ah ! ” thought the princess, ” Lorenza was right ; this is indeed a most dangerous man.”
The count preserved the most perfect calmness of demeanor, and adhered to the most courtly politeness.
” I must temporize ‘ thought the princess to herself. ” Sir ‘ said she, ” I cannot give you up to a woman who is not here. If you love, as you say you do, the person whom you seek, I can easily understand why you thus persist in endeavoring to find her ; but, believe me, to be successful, you must seek elsewhere.”
The count, on entering the room, had cast a rapid glance on every article in it, and his eyes had rested for a single instant only, but that had been sufficient, on a table in a dark corner, on which Lorenza had placed those jewels which she had offered to pay as her dowry to the convent. He knew them again instantly.
“It your royal highness would have the goodness to recollect, and I venture to entreat you to do so, you will remember that Lorenza Feliciani was very lately in this room, that she placed on that table those jewels, and that, after having had the honor of conversing with your royal highness, she withdrew ‘
Just then he caught the eyes of the princess turning unconsciously toward the cabinet. “She withdrew,” he continued, ” into that cabinet, so that now I only wait for the permission of your royal highness to order her to re-turn hither, which she will do immediately, I feel certain.”
The princess colored with shame at the thought that she had lowered herself so far as to attempt to deceive this man, from whom, as it seemed, nothing could be hidden ; and she could not conceal her vexation at the uselessness of all her efforts. She recollected, however, that Lorenza had fastened the door from within, and that, consequently, nothing but the impulse of her own free will could induce her to leave the cabinet.
” But even -suppose she were here,” said she ; ” what would she do ? “
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” Nothing, madame ; she would merely tell your highness that she wishes to go with me, being my wife.”
This last word reassured the princess, for she recollected the protestations of Lorenza.
” Your wife ? ” exclaimed she, with indignation. ‘ ” Are you sure of that ? “
” Your highness does not seem to believe me. Nevertheless, it is not quite incredible that the Count de Fenix should have married Lorenza Feliciani, and that, having married her, he demands back his wife.”
” His wife ! ” she repeated, impatiently ; “you dare to say Lorenza Feliciani is your wife ?”
” Yes, madame, I dare to say so,” answered the count, with the most natural air in the world, “because it is true.”
“You are married to her ?”
” I am.”
” Legitimately ? “
” Certainly ; and if your royal highness thus persists in doubting my word, I shall place before your eyes the register of my marriage, signed by the priest who united us.”
The princess started ; so much coolness and self-pos- session shook all her convictions.
The count opened his pocket-book and unfolded a paper. ” This is the register of my marriage, madame, and the proof that I have a right to claim that woman as my wife. If your royal highness will read it and note the signature “
” The signature ! ” repeated the princess, in a tone of doubt more insulting to the stranger than her indignation had been ; ” but if this signature “
“This signature is that of the Vicar of St. Jean de Strasbourg, who is well known to Prince Louis, Cardinal de Rohan, and if his highness were here “
” His highness is here ! ” cried the princess, fixing her flashing eyes on the count. ” He has not yet left St. Denis, and is now with the canons of the cathedral ; so that nothing is easier for us than to ascertain the truth of what you assert.”
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” That is indeed a fortunate circumstance for me,” re plied the count, coolly putting up the paper again in his pocket-book. ” When your royal highness has heard the cardinal’s testimony, I trust that your highnesses unjust suspicions will be dispelled. “
” Sir, this impudent perseverance is most revolting to me,” said the princess, ringing the bell violently.
The nun who had introduced the count appeared.
” Let my groom mount his horse instantly and carry this note to His Highness the Cardinal de Kohan ; he will be found at the chapter of the cathedral. Let him come hither without a moment’s delay I wait his arrival anxiously.”
While giving these directions, the princess wrote hastily a few words on a slip of paper, and, handing it to the nun, she added in a whisper : ” Let a couple of archers of the guard be placed in the corridor, and take care that no one leave the convent without my permission.”
The count had followed all the movements of the princess, whom he now saw determined to contest the point with him to the very last ; but, evidently decided not to yield the victory to her, he drew nearer to the door of the cabinet while she was writing, fixed his eyes on it, pronounced some words in a low voice, and extending his hands toward it, moved them to and fro with a regular and steady motion.
The princess, turning, saw him in this attitude, and exclaimed : ” What are you doing there, sir ? “
“Madame,” said the count, “I am adjuring Lorenza Feliciani to appear, and declare to you of her own free will that I am not an impostor nor a forger. But this is not to prevent your royal highness from requiring the other proofs you have mentioned.”