The Queen's Necklace - Alexandre Dumas père (electric book reader TXT) 📗

Portuguese; "it was lucky, however, I arrived when I did, for M. Beausire was seized this evening with a most imprudent flow of eloquence."

Beausire tried to speak.

"Silence," said the Portuguese; "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 'amour propre' should never overcome self-interest."

"I do not understand."

"M. Beausire hoped to be the first to make this proposition."

"What proposition?" cried the rest.

"Concerning the two million francs," said Beausire.

"Two million francs!" cried they.

"First," said the Portuguese, "you exaggerate; it is not as much as that."

"We do not know what you are talking of," said the banker.

"But are not the less all ears," said another.

The Portuguese drank off a large glass of Orgeat, and then began: "The necklace is not worth more than 1,500,000 francs."

"Oh, then it concerns a necklace?" said Beausire.

"Yes, did you not mean the same thing?"

"Perhaps."

"Now he is going to be discreet after his former folly," said the Portuguese; "but time presses, for the ambassador will arrive in eight days."

"This matter becomes complicated," said the banker; "a necklace! 1,500,000 francs! and an ambassador! Pray explain."

"In a few words," said the Portuguese; "MM. Boehmer 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. Boehmer and Bossange; and that is my gracious sovereign the Queen of Portugal."

"We understand it less than ever," said the associates.

"And I not at all," thought Beausire; then he said aloud, "Explain yourself clearly, dear M. Manoel; 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."

"Willingly," said Manoel, drinking a second glass of Orgeat; "the embassy is vacant just now; the new ambassador, M. de Souza, will not arrive for a week. Well, he may arrive sooner."

They all looked stupefied but Beausire, who said, "Do you not see some ambassador, whether true or false?"

"Exactly," said Manoel; "and the ambassador who arrives may desire to buy this necklace for the Queen of Portugal, and treat accordingly with MM. Boehmer and Bossange; that is all."

"But," said the banker, "they would not allow such a necklace to pass into the hands of M. de Souza himself without good security."

"Oh, I have thought of all that; the ambassador'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."

"Appearances are something," said Beausire: "but the credentials are much more."

"We will have them," replied Manoel.

"No one can deny that Don Manoel is an invaluable man," said Beausire.

"Well, our appearances, and the credentials having convinced the chancellor of our identity, we will establish ourselves at the house."

"That is pretty bold," said Beausire.

"It is necessary, and quite easy," said Manoel; "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."

"Certainly."

"Then, when we are masters of the hotel, our first operation will be to wait on MM. Boehmer and Bossange."

"But you forget one thing," said Beausire; "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."

"We will escape this danger by remaining quietly at home."

"Then M. Boehmer will not believe in our ambassadorship."

"M. Boehmer 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."

"Oh yes," cried they all, "let us avoid the ministers."

"But if MM. Boehmer and Bossange require money on account?" asked Beausire.

"That would complicate the affair, certainly."

"For," continued Beausire, "it is usual for an ambassador to have letters of credit, at least, if not ready money; and here we should fail."

"You find plenty of reasons why it should fail," said Manoel, "but nothing to make it succeed."

"It is because I wish it to succeed that I speak of the difficulties. But stop--a thought strikes me: in every ambassador's house there is a strong box."

"Yes; but it may be empty."

"Well! if it be, we must ask MM. Boehmer and Bossange who are their correspondents at Lisbon, and we will sign and stamp for them letters of credit for the sum demanded."

"That will do," said Manoel, "I was engrossed with the grand idea, but had not sufficiently considered the details."

"Now, let us think of arranging the parts," said Beausire. "Don Manoel will be ambassador."

"Certainly," they all said.

"And M. Beausire my secretary and interpreter," said Manoel.

"Why so?" said Beausire, rather uneasily.

"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----"

"Very badly," said Beausire.

"Quite enough to deceive a Parisian; and then, you know, the most useful agents will have the largest shares."

"Assuredly," said the others.

"Well! it is agreed; I am secretary and interpreter. Then as to the money?"

"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."

"So far, then, it is settled! we will arrange the minor details to-morrow, for it is very late," 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'or, he did not feel very friendly.

"No, no; we will finish at once," said the others. "What is to be prepared?"

"A traveling carriage, with the arms of M. de Souza," said Beausire.

"That would take too long to paint and to dry," said Manoel.

"Then we must say that the ambassador'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."

"But the rest of the embassy?"

"We will arrive in the evening; it is the best time to make a debut, and you shall all follow next day, when we have prepared the way."

"Very well."

"But every ambassador, besides a secretary, must have a valet de chambre. You, captain," said Don Manoel, addressing one of the gang, "shall take this part."

The captain bowed.

"And the money for the purchases?" said Manoel. "I have nothing."

"I have a little," said Beausire, "but it belongs to my mistress. What have we in our fund?"

"Your keys, gentlemen," said the banker.

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.

"One hundred and ninety-eight louis, besides the reserve fund," said the banker.

"Give them to M. Beausire and me. It is not too much," said Manoel.

"Give us two-thirds, and leave the rest," said Beausire, with a generosity which won all their hearts.

Don Manoel and Beausire received, therefore, one hundred and thirty-two louis and sixty-six remained for the others.

They then separated, having fixed a rendezvous for the next day.

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'or.


CHAPTER XXVI.

THE AMBASSADOR.

On the evening of the next day a traveling-carriage passed through the Barriere d'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.

"Who are you?" said a voice from the inside, speaking the language perfectly.

"The unworthy chancellor of the embassy, your excellency."

"Very well. Mon Dieu! how badly you speak our language, my dear chancellor! But where are we to go?"

"This way, monseigneur."

"This is a poor reception," said Don Manoel, as he got out of the carriage, leaning on the arms of his secretary and valet.

"Your excellency must pardon me," said the chancellor, "but the courier announcing your arrival only reached the hotel at two o'clock to-day. I was absent on some business, and when I returned, found your excellency's letter; I have only had time to have the rooms opened and lighted."

"Very good."

"It gives me great pleasure to see the illustrious person of our ambassador."

"We desire to keep as quiet as possible," said Don Manoel, "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."

The chancellor bowed respectfully to Beausire, who returned it, and then said, "We will speak French, sir; I think it will be better for both of us."

"Yes," murmured the chancellor, "I shall be more at my ease; for I confess that my pronunciation----"

"So I hear," interrupted Beausire.

"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."

"Oh, not at all, as you speak French."

"French!" cried the chancellor; "I was born in the Rue St. Honore."

"Oh, that will do," said Beausire. "Your name is Ducorneau, is it not?"

"Yes, monsieur; rather a lucky one, as it has a Spanish termination. It is very flattering to me that monsieur knew my name."

"Oh, you are well known; so well that we