Ten Years Later Page 12

  Whilst the king was directing his course rapidly towards the wing of thecastle occupied by the cardinal, taking nobody with him but his valetde chambre, the officer of musketeers came out, breathing like a manwho has for a long time been forced to hold his breath, from the littlecabinet of which we have already spoken, and which the king believedto be quite solitary. This little cabinet had formerly been part ofthe chamber, from which it was only separated by a thin partition. Itresulted that this partition, which was only for the eye, permitted theear the least indiscreet to hear every word spoken in the chamber.

  There was no doubt, then, that this lieutenant of musketeers had heardall that passed in his majesty's apartment.

  Warned by the last words of the young king, he came out just in time tosalute him on his passage, and to follow him with his eyes till he haddisappeared in the corridor.

  Then as soon as he had disappeared, he shook his head after a fashionpeculiarly his own, and in a voice which forty years' absence fromGascony had not deprived of its Gascon accent, "A melancholy service,"said he, "and a melancholy master!"

  These words pronounced, the lieutenant resumed his place in hisfauteuil, stretched his legs and closed his eyes, like a man who eithersleeps or meditates.

  During this short monologue and the mise en scene that had accompaniedit, whilst the king, through the long corridors of the old castle,proceeded to the apartment of M. de Mazarin, a scene of another sort wasbeing enacted in those apartments.

  Mazarin was in bed, suffering a little from the gout. But as he was aman of order, who utilized even pain, he forced his wakefulness to bethe humble servant of his labor. He had consequently ordered Bernouin,his valet de chambre, to bring him a little traveling-desk, so that hemight write in bed. But the gout is not an adversary that allows itselfto be conquered so easily; therefore, at each movement he made, the painfrom dull became sharp.

  "Is Brienne there?" asked he of Bernouin.

  "No, monseigneur," replied the valet de chambre; "M. de Brienne,with your permission, is gone to bed. But, if it is the wish of youreminence, he can speedily be called."

  "No, it is not worth while. Let us see, however. Cursed ciphers!"

  And the cardinal began to think, counting on his fingers the while.

  "Oh, ciphers is it?" said Bernouin. "Very well! if your eminenceattempts calculations, I will promise you a pretty headache to-morrow!And with that please to remember M. Guenaud is not here."

  "You are right, Bernouin. You must take Brienne's place, my friend.Indeed, I ought to have brought M. Colbert with me. That young man goeson very well, Bernouin, very well; a very orderly youth."

  "I do not know," said the valet de chambre, "but I don't like thecountenance of your young man who goes on so well."

  "Well, well, Bernouin! We don't stand in need of your advice. Placeyourself there: take the pen and write."

  "I am ready, monseigneur; what am I to write?"

  "There, that's the place: after the two lines already traced."

  "I am there."

  "Write seven hundred and sixty thousand livres."

  "That is written."

  "Upon Lyons----" The cardinal appeared to hesitate.

  "Upon Lyons," repeated Bernouin.

  "Three millions nine hundred thousand livres."

  "Well, monseigneur?"

  "Upon Bordeaux seven millions."

  "Seven?" repeated Bernouin.

  "Yes," said the cardinal, pettishly, "seven." Then, recollectinghimself, "You understand, Bernouin," added he, "that all this money isto be spent?"

  "Eh! monseigneur; whether it be to be spent or put away is of verylittle consequence to me, since none of these millions are mine."

  "These millions are the king's; it is the king's money I am reckoning.Well, what were we saying? You always interrupt me!"

  "Seven millions upon Bordeaux."

  "Ah! yes; that's right. Upon Madrid four millions. I give you tounderstand plainly to whom this money belongs, Bernouin, seeing thateverybody has the stupidity to believe me rich in millions. I repel thesilly idea. A minister, besides, has nothing of his own. Come, go on.Rentrees generales, seven millions; properties, nine millions. Have youwritten that, Bernouin?"

  "Yes, monseigneur."

  "Bourse, six hundred thousand livres; various property, two millions.Ah! I forgot--the furniture of the different chateaux----"

  "Must I put of the crown?" asked Bernouin.

  "No, no, it is of no use doing that--that is understood. Have youwritten that, Bernouin?"

  "Yes, monseigneur."

  "And the ciphers?"

  "Stand straight under one another."

  "Cast them up, Bernouin."

  "Thirty-nine millions two hundred and sixty thousand livres,monseigneur."

  "Ah!" cried the cardinal, in a tone of vexation; "there are not yetforty millions!"

  Bernouin recommenced the addition.

  "No, monseigneur; there want seven hundred and forty thousand livres."

  Mazarin asked for the account, and revised it carefully.

  "Yes, but," said Bernouin, "thirty-nine millions two hundred and sixtythousand livres make a good round sum."

  "Ah, Bernouin, I wish the king had it."

  "Your eminence told me that this money was his majesty's."

  "Doubtless, as clear, as transparent as possible. These thirty-ninemillions are bespoken, and much more."

  Bernouin smiled after his own fashion--that is, like a man who believesno more than he is willing to believe--whilst preparing the cardinal'snight draught, and putting his pillow to rights.

  "Oh!" said Mazarin, when the valet had gone out; "not yet fortymillions! I must, however, attain that sum, which I had set down formyself. But who knows whether I shall have time? I sink, I am going,I shall never reach it! And yet, who knows that I may not find two orthree millions in the pockets of my good friends the Spaniards? Theydiscovered Peru, those people did, and--what the devil! they must havesomething left."

  As he was speaking thus, entirely occupied with his ciphers, andthinking no more of his gout, repelled by a preoccupation which, withthe cardinal, was the most powerful of all preoccupations, Bernouinrushed into the chamber, quite in a fright.

  "Well!" asked the cardinal, "what is the matter now?"

  "The king, monseigneur,--the king!"

  "How?--the king!" said Mazarin, quickly concealing his paper. "The kinghere! the king at this hour! I thought he was in bed long ago. What isthe matter, then?"

  The king could hear these last words, and see the terrified gesture ofthe cardinal rising up in his bed, for he entered the chamber at thatmoment.

  "It is nothing, monsieur le cardinal, or at least nothing which canalarm you. It is an important communication which I wish to make to youreminence to-night--that is all."

  Mazarin immediately thought of that marked attention which the kinghad given to his words concerning Mademoiselle de Mancini, and thecommunication appeared to him probably to refer to this source. Herecovered his serenity then instantly, and assumed his most agreeableair, a change of countenance which inspired the king with the greatestjoy; and when Louis was seated,--

  "Sire," said the cardinal, "I ought certainly to listen to your majestystanding, but the violence of my complaint----"

  "No ceremony between us, my dear monsieur le cardinal," said Louiskindly: "I am your pupil, and not the king, you know very well, and thisevening in particular, as I come to you as a petitioner, as a solicitor,and one very humble, and desirous to be kindly received, too."

  Mazarin, seeing the heightened color of the king, was confirmed in hisfirst idea; that is to say, that love thoughts were hidden under allthese fine words. This time, political cunning, keen as it was, madea mistake; this color was not caused by the bashfulness of a juvenilepassion, but only by the painful contraction of the royal pride.

  Like a good uncle, Mazarin felt disposed to facilitate the confidence.

  "Speak, sire," said he, "and since your majes
ty is willing for aninstant to forget that I am your subject, and call me your masterand instructor, I promise your majesty my most devoted and tenderconsideration."

  "Thanks, monsieur le cardinal," answered the king; "that which I have toask of your eminence has but little to do with myself."

  "So much the worse!" replied the cardinal, "so much the worse! Sire, Ishould wish your majesty to ask of me something of importance, even asacrifice; but whatever it may be that you ask me, I am ready to setyour heart at rest by granting it, my dear sire."

  "Well, this is what brings me here," said the king, with a beatingof the heart that had no equal except the beating of the heart of theminister; "I have just received a visit from my brother, the king ofEngland."

  Mazarin bounded in his bed as if he had been put in relation with aLeyden jar or a voltaic pile, at the same time that a surprise, orrather a manifest disappointment, inflamed his features with such ablaze of anger, that Louis XIV., little diplomatist as he was, saw thatthe minister had hoped to hear something else.

  "Charles II.?" exclaimed Mazarin, with a hoarse voice and a disdainfulmovement of his lips. "You have received a visit from Charles II.?"

  "From King Charles II.," replied Louis, according in a marked manner tothe grandson of Henry IV. the title which Mazarin had forgotten to givehim. "Yes, monsieur le cardinal, that unhappy prince has touched myheart with the relation of his misfortunes. His distress is great,monsieur le cardinal, and it has appeared painful to me, who have seenmy own throne disputed, who have been forced in times of commotionto quit my capital,--to me, in short, who am acquainted withmisfortune,--to leave a deposed and fugitive brother withoutassistance."

  "Eh!" said the cardinal, sharply; "why had he not, as you have, a JulesMazarin by his side? His crown would then have remained intact."

  "I know all that my house owes to your eminence," replied the king,haughtily, "and you may believe well that I, on my part, shall neverforget it. It is precisely because my brother the king of England hasnot about him the powerful genius who has saved me, it is for that, Isay, that I wish to conciliate the aid of that same genius, and beg youto extend your arm over his head, well assured, monsieur le cardinal,that your hand, by touching him only, would know how to replace upon hisbrow the crown which fell at the foot of his father's scaffold."

  "Sire," replied Mazarin, "I thank you for your good opinion with regardto myself, but we have nothing to do yonder: they are a set of madmenwho deny God, and cut off the heads of their kings. They are dangerous,observe, sire, and filthy to the touch after having wallowed in royalblood and covenantal murder. That policy has never suited me,--I scornit and reject it."

  "Therefore you ought to assist in establishing a better."

  "What is that?"

  "The restoration of Charles II., for example."

  "Good heavens!" cried Mazarin, "does the poor prince flatter himselfwith that chimera?"

  "Yes, he does," replied the young king, terrified at the difficultiesopposed to this project, which he fancied he could perceive in theinfallible eye of his minister; "he only asks for a million to carry outhis purpose."

  "Is that all--a little million, if you please!" said the cardinal,ironically, with an effort to conquer his Italian accent. "A littlemillion, if you please, brother! Bah! a family of mendicants!"

  "Cardinal," said Louis, raising his head, "that family of mendicants isa branch of my family."

  "Are you rich enough to give millions to other people, sire? Have youmillions to throw away?"

  "Oh!" replied Louis XIV., with great pain, which he, however, by astrong effort, prevented from appearing on his countenance;--"oh! yes,monsieur le cardinal, I am well aware I am poor, and yet the crown ofFrance is worth a million, and to perform a good action I would pledgemy crown if it were necessary. I could find Jews who would be willing tolend me a million."

  "So, sire, you say you want a million?" said Mazarin.

  "Yes, monsieur, I say so."

  "You are mistaken, greatly mistaken, sire; you want much more thanthat,--Bernouin!--you shall see, sire, how much you really want."

  "What, cardinal!" said the king, "are you going to consult a lackeyabout my affairs?"

  "Bernouin!" cried the cardinal again, without appearing to remark thehumiliation of the young prince. "Come here, Bernouin, and tell me thefigures I gave you just now."

  "Cardinal, cardinal! did you not hear me?" said Louis, turning pale withanger.

  "Do not be angry, sire; I deal openly with the affairs of your majesty.Every one in France knows that; my books are as open as day. What did Itell you to do just now, Bernouin?"

  "Your eminence commanded me to cast up an account."

  "You did it, did you not?"

  "Yes, my lord."

  "To verify the amount of which his majesty, at this moment, stands inneed. Did I not tell you so? Be frank, my friend."

  "Your eminence said so."

  "Well, what sum did I say I wanted?"

  "Forty-five millions, I think."

  "And what sum could we find, after collecting all our resources?"

  "Thirty-nine millions two hundred and sixty thousand."

  "That is correct, Bernouin; that is all I wanted to know. Leave us now,"said the cardinal, fixing his brilliant eye upon the young king, who satmute with stupefaction.

  "However----" stammered the king.

  "What, do you still doubt, sire?" said the cardinal. "Well, here is aproof of what I said."

  And Mazarin drew from under his bolster the paper covered with figures,which he presented to the king, who turned away his eyes, his vexationwas so deep.

  "Therefore, as it is a million you want, sire, and that million is notset down here, it is forty-six millions your majesty stands in need of.Well I don't think that any Jews in the world would lend such a sum,even upon the crown of France."

  The king, clenching his hands beneath his ruffles, pushed away hischair.

  "So it must be then!" said he, "my brother the king of England will dieof hunger."

  "Sire," replied Mazarin, in the same tone, "remember this proverb, whichI give you as the expression of the soundest policy: 'Rejoice at beingpoor when your neighbor is poor likewise.'"

  Louis meditated for a few moments, with an inquisitive glance directedto the paper, one end of which remained under the bolster.

  "Then," said he, "it is impossible to comply with my demand for money,my lord cardinal, is it?"

  "Absolutely, sire."

  "Remember, this will secure me a future enemy, if he succeed inrecovering his crown without my assistance."

  "If your majesty only fears that, you may be quite at ease," repliedMazarin, eagerly.

  "Very well, I say no more about it," exclaimed Louis XIV.

  "Have I at least convinced you, sire?" placing his hand upon that of theyoung king.

  "Perfectly."

  "If there be anything else, ask it, sire, I shall be most happy to grantit to you, having refused this."

  "Anything else, my lord?"

  "Why yes, am I not devoted body and soul to your majesty? Hola!Bernouin!--lights and guards for his majesty! His majesty is returningto his own chamber."

  "Not yet, monsieur: since you place your good-will at my disposal, Iwill take advantage of it."

  "For yourself, sire?" asked the cardinal, hoping that his niece was atlength about to be named.

  "No, monsieur, not for myself," replied Louis, "but still for my brotherCharles."

  The brow of Mazarin again became clouded, and he grumbled a few wordsthat the king could not catch.

  CHAPTER 11. Mazarin's Policy