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

to meet, as I have done, the double attacks of friends and enemies. And then, sir, if you knew how hard it is to be hated!"

Andree listened anxiously for his reply, but he only leaned against the wall, and grew pale.

The queen looked at him, and said, "It is too hot here; Madame de la Motte, open the window; monsieur is accustomed to the fresh sea-breezes; he would stifle in our boudoirs."

"It is not that, madame; but I am on duty at two o'clock, and unless your majesty wishes me to remain----"

"Oh! no, monsieur; we know what duty is. You are free," said the queen, in a tone of slight pique.

Charny bowed, and disappeared like a man in haste; but in a minute they beard from the ante-chamber the sound of a groan, and people hurrying forward. The queen, who was near the door, opened it, and uttered an exclamation; and was going out, when Andree rose quickly, saying, "Oh no! madame."

Then they saw through the open door the guards assisting M. de Charny, who had fainted. The queen closed the door, and sat down again, pensive and thoughtful. At last, she said, "It is an odd thing, but I do not believe M. de Charny was convinced!"

"Oh, madame! in spite of the king's word--impossible!"

"He may have thought the king said it for his own sake."

"My brother was not so incredulous," said Andree.

"It would be very wrong," continued the queen, not heeding her; "he could not have as noble a heart as I thought. But, after all, why should he believe? He thought he saw me. They all thought so. There is something in all this; something which I must clear up. Andree, I must find out what it all means."

"Your majesty is right; you must investigate it."

"For," continued the queen, "people said they saw me at M. Mesmer's."

"But your majesty was there," said Madame de la Motte.

"Yes; but I did not do what they insist they saw me do. And they saw me at the Opera, and I was not there. Oh!" cried she, "at last I guess the truth."

"The truth!" stammered the countess.

"Oh! I hope so," said Andree.

"Send for M. de Crosne," said the queen, joyously.


CHAPTER XXXVIII.

M. DE CROSNE.

M. de Crosne had felt himself in no slight degree embarrassed since his interview with the king and queen. It was no light matter to have the care of the interests of a crown and of the fame of a queen; and he feared that he was about to encounter all the weight of a woman's anger and a queen's indignation. He knew, however, that he had but done his duty, and he entered, therefore, tranquilly, with a smile on his face.

"Now, M. de Crosne," said the queen, "it is our turn for an explanation."

"I am at your majesty's orders."

"You ought to know the cause of all that has happened to me, sir."

M. de Crosne looked round him rather frightened.

"Never mind these ladies," said the queen; "you know them both; you know every one."

"Nearly," said the magistrate; "and I know the effects, but not the cause, of what has happened to your majesty."

"Then I must enlighten you, although it is a disagreeable task. I might tell you in private, but my thoughts and words are always open as the day; all the world may know them. I attribute the attacks that have been made upon me to the misconduct of some one who resembles me, and who goes everywhere; and thus your agents have made these mistakes."

"A resemblance!" cried M. de Crosne, too much occupied with the idea to observe the unquiet look which Jeanne could not for a moment prevent appearing.

"Well, sir, do you think this impossible; or do you prefer to think that I am deceiving you?"

"Oh no, madame! but surely, however strong a resemblance may be, there must be some points of difference to prevent people being so deceived."

"It seems not, sir; some are deceived."

"Oh! and I remember," said Andree, "when we lived at Taverney Maison Rouge, we had a servant who very strongly----"

"Resembled me?"

"Most wonderfully, your majesty."

"And what became of her?"

"We did not then know the great generosity of your majesty's mind, and my father feared that this resemblance might be disagreeable to you; and when we were at Trianon we kept her out of sight."

"You see, M. de Crosne. Ah! this interests you."

"Much, madame."

"Afterwards, dear Andree?"

"Madame, this girl, who was of an ambitious disposition and troublesome temper, grew tired of this quiet life, and had doubtless made bad acquaintances, for one night when I went to bed I was surprised not to see her; we sought her in vain, she had disappeared."

"Did she steal anything?"

"Nothing, madame."

"You did not know all this, M. de Crosne?"

"No, madame."

"Thus, then, there is a woman whose resemblance to me is striking, and you do not know her. I fear your police is badly organized."

"No, madame; a police magistrate is but a man, and though the vulgar may rate his power as something almost superhuman, your majesty is more reasonable."

"Still, sir, when a man has secured all possible powers for penetrating secrets, when he pays agents and spies, and to such an extent as to know every movement I make, he might prevent this sort of thing."

"Madame, when your majesty passed the night out, I knew it, the day you went to see madame at the Rue St. Claude; therefore my police is not bad. When you went to M. Mesmer's, my agents saw you. When you went to the Opera----"

The queen started.

"Pardon me, madame, if I saw you; but if your own brother-in-law mistook you, surely an agent at a crown a day may be pardoned for having done so. They thought they saw you, and reported accordingly; therefore my police is not bad. They also knew this affair of the journalist, so well punished by M. de Charny."

"M. de Charny!" cried the queen and Andree in a breath.

"Yes, madame: his blows are yet fresh on the shoulders of the journalist."

"M. de Charny committed himself with this fellow!"

"I know it by my calumniated police, madame; and also, which was more difficult, the duel which followed."

"A duel! M. de Charny fought?"

"With the journalist?" asked Andree.

"No, madame; the journalist was too well beaten to give M. de Charny the sword-thrust which made him faint here just now."

"Wounded!" cried the queen; "how and when? He was here just now."

"Oh!" said Andree, "I saw that he suffered."

"What do you say?" cried the queen, almost angrily; "you saw that he suffered, and did not mention it!"

Andree did not reply.

Jeanne, who wished to make a friend of her, came to her aid, saying, "I also, madame, saw that M. de Charny had difficulty in standing up while your majesty spoke to him."

"Monsieur," said the queen again to M. de Crosne, "with whom and why did M. de Charny fight?"

"With a gentleman who---- But really, madame, it is useless now. The two adversaries are friends again, for they spoke just now in your majesty's presence."

"In my presence!"

"Yes, madame; the conqueror left about twenty minutes ago."

"M. de Taverney!" cried the queen.

"My brother!" murmured Andree.

"I believe," said M. de Crosne, "that it was he with whom M. de Charny fought."

The queen made an angry gesture. "It is not right," she said; "these are American manners brought to Versailles. It is not because one has fought under M. Lafayette and Washington that my court should be disgraced by such proceedings. Andree, did you know your brother had fought?"

"Not till this moment, madame."

"Why did he fight?"

"If my brother fought," said Andree, "it was in your majesty's service."

"That is to say, that M. de Charny fought against me."

"Your majesty, I spoke only of my brother, and of no one else."

The queen tried hard to remain calm. She walked once or twice up and down the room, and then said, "M. de Crosne, you have convinced me: I was much disturbed by these rumors and accusations; your police is efficient, but I beg you not to forget to investigate this resemblance of which I have spoken. Adieu!" and she held out her hand to him with her own peculiar grace.

Andree made a movement to depart. The queen gave her a careless adieu.

Jeanne also prepared to leave, when Madame de Misery entered.

"Madame," said she to the queen, "did your majesty appoint this hour to receive MM. Boehmer and Bossange?"

"Oh, yes, it is true; let them come in. Remain a little longer, Madame de la Motte; I want the king to make a full peace with you." Perhaps she wished to pique Andree by this favor to a newcomer, but Andree did not seem to heed.

"All these Taverneys are made of iron," thought the queen. "Ah, gentlemen, what do you bring me now? you know I have no money."


CHAPTER XXXIX.

THE TEMPTRESS.

Madame de la Motte remained, therefore, as before.

"Madame," replied M. Boehmer, "we do not come to offer anything to your majesty, we should fear to be indiscreet; but we come to fulfil a duty, and that has emboldened us----"

"A duty?"

"Concerning the necklace which your majesty did not deign to take."

"Oh! then, the necklace has come again," said Marie Antoinette, laughing. "It was really beautiful, M. Boehmer."

"So beautiful," said Bossange, "that your majesty alone was worthy to wear it."

"My consolation is," said the queen, with a sigh which did not escape Jeanne, "that it cost a million and a half. Was not that the price, M. Boehmer?"

"Yes, your majesty."

"And in these times," continued the queen, "there is no sovereign that can give such a sum for a necklace; so that although I cannot wear it, no one else can: and once broken up, I should care nothing about it."

"That is an error of your majesty's; the necklace is sold."

"Sold!" cried the queen. "To whom?"

"Ah! madame, that is a state secret."

"Oh!" said the queen, "I think I am safe. A state secret means that there is nothing to tell."

"With your majesty," continued Boehmer, as gravely as ever, "we do not act as with others. The necklace is sold, but in the most secret manner, and an ambassador----"

"I really think he believes it himself!" interrupted the queen, laughing again. "Come, M. Boehmer, tell me at least the country he comes from, or, at all events, the first letter of his name."

"Madame, it is the ambassador from Portugal," said Boehmer, in a low voice, that Madame de la Motte might not hear.

"The ambassador from Portugal!" said the queen. "There is none here, M. Boehmer."

"He came expressly for this, madame."

"Do you imagine so?"

"Yes, madame."

"What is his name?"

"M. de Souza."

The queen did not reply for a few minutes, and then said, "Well, so much the better for the Queen of Portugal. Let us speak of it no