Le collier de la reine. English Page 8

  CHAPTER VI.

  LAURENT.

  At this moment our heroines heard the clock strike from the church ofSt. Louis.

  "Oh, mon Dieu! a quarter to twelve," they cried, in terror.

  "See, all the doors are shut," said Andree.

  "Oh, that is nothing; for, if they were open, we would not go in here.Let us go round by the reservoirs." And they turned to the right, wherethere was a private entrance.

  When they arrived there, "The door is shut, Andree," said the elderlady, rather uneasily.

  "Let us knock, madame."

  "No, we will call; Laurent must be waiting for me, for I told himperhaps I should return late."

  "I will call," said Andree, approaching the door.

  "Who is there?" said a voice from inside.

  "Oh, it is not Laurent!" said she, terrified.

  "Is it not?" and the other lady advanced, and called softly, "Laurent."

  No answer.

  "Laurent?" again she called, louder.

  "There is no Laurent here," replied the voice, rudely.

  "But," said Andree, "whether he be here or not, open the door."

  "I cannot open it."

  "But Laurent would have opened it immediately."

  "I have my orders," was all the reply.

  "Who are you, then?"

  "Rather, who are you?"

  Rude as the question was, it was no time to find fault, so theyanswered, "We are ladies of her majesty's suite, we lodge in the castle,and we wish to get home."

  "Well, I, mesdames, am a Suisse of the Salischamade company, and I shalldo just the contrary of Laurent, for I shall leave you at the door."

  "Oh!" murmured the ladies, in terror and anger.

  Then, making an effort over herself, the elder lady said, "My friend, Iunderstand that you are obeying orders, and I do not quarrel with youfor that--it is a soldier's duty; only do me the favor to callLaurent--he cannot be far distant."

  "I cannot quit my post."

  "Then send some one."

  "I have no one to send."

  "For pity's sake!"

  "Oh, mon Dieu, sleep in the town, that is no great thing; if I were shutout of the barracks, I would soon find a bed."

  "Listen," said the lady again; "you shall have twenty louis, if you openthis door."

  "And twelve years at the galleys: no, thank you. Forty-eight francs ayear is not sufficient pay for that."

  "I will get you made a sergeant."

  "Yes, and he who gave me the order will have me shot."

  "And who did give you the order?"

  "The king."

  "The king!" cried they; "oh, we are lost!"

  "Is there no other door?"

  "Oh! madame, if this one is closed, be sure all the others will be soalso," said Andree.

  "You are right, Andree. 'Tis a horrible trick of the king," she said,with a contempt almost menacing.

  There was a sort of bank outside the door, which they sank down upon indespair. They could see the light under the door, and could hear thesteps of the sentinel as he paced to and fro.

  Within this little door was salvation; without, shame and scandal.

  "Oh! to-morrow, to-morrow, when they will find out," murmured the elderlady.

  "You will tell the truth, madame."

  "But shall I be believed?"

  "Oh! we can prove it; besides, the soldier will not stay all night; hewill be relieved, and perhaps his successor will be more complacent."

  "Yes, but the patrol will pass directly, and will find me here, waitingoutside. It is infamous; I am suffocated with rage."

  "Oh, take courage, madame! you, who are always so brave."

  "It is a plot, Andree, in order to ruin me. This door is never closed.Oh, I shall die!"

  At this moment they heard a step approaching, and then the voice of ayoung man, singing gaily as he went along.

  "That voice," cried the lady, "I know it, I am sure."

  "Oh, yes, madame, he will save us."

  A young man, wrapped up in a fur riding-coat, came quickly up, andwithout noticing them, knocked at the door, and called, "Laurent."

  "Brother," said the elder lady, touching him on the shoulder.

  "The queen," cried he, taking off his hat.

  "Hush," said she.

  "You are not alone?"

  "No, I am with Mademoiselle Andree de Taverney."

  "Oh, good evening, mademoiselle."

  "Good evening, monseigneur."

  "Are you going out, madame?" asked he.

  "No."

  "Then you are going in."

  "We wished to do so."

  "Have you not called Laurent?"

  "Yes, we have, but----"

  "But what?"

  "You call Laurent, and you will see."

  The young man, whom the reader has, perhaps, already recognized as theComte d'Artois, approached and again called "Laurent."

  "I warn you," answered from within the voice of the Suisse, "that if youtorment me any more I will go and fetch my commanding officer."

  "Who is this?" asked the count, turning round in astonishment to thequeen.

  "A Swiss who has been substituted for Laurent."

  "By whom?"

  "By the king."

  "The king?"

  "Yes, he told us so himself."

  "And with orders?"

  "Most strict, apparently."

  "Diable! we must capitulate."

  "What do you mean?" she asked.

  "Offer him money."

  "I have already done so, and he has refused it."

  "Offer him promotion."

  "I have offered that also, but he would not listen."

  "Then there is but one way."

  "What?"

  "To make a noise."

  "My dear Charles, you will compromise us."

  "Not the least in the world; you keep in the background, I will knocklike thunder, and shout like a madman; they will open at last, and youcan slide in with me."

  "Try, then."

  The young prince began calling Laurent, knocking at the door andstriking with his sword, till at last the Swiss said, "Ah, well! I willcall my officer."

  "Go and call him, that is just what I want."

  They soon heard other steps approaching. The queen and Andree keptclose, ready to slip in if the door should open; then they heard theSwiss say, "It is a gentleman, lieutenant, who insists on coming in."

  "Well, I suppose that is not astonishing, as we belong to the castle,"said the count.

  "It is no doubt a natural wish, but a forbidden one," replied theofficer.

  "Forbidden--by whom? morbleu!"

  "By the king."

  "But the king would not wish an officer of the castle to sleep outside."

  "Sir, I am not the judge of that; I have only to obey orders."

  "Come, lieutenant, open the door; we cannot talk through this oak."

  "Sir, I repeat to you that my orders are to keep it shut; and if you arean officer, as you say, you know that I must obey."

  "Lieutenant, you speak to the colonel of a regiment."

  "Excuse me, then, colonel, but my orders are positive."

  "But they cannot concern a prince. Come, sir, a prince cannot be keptout."

  "My prince, I am in despair, but the king has ordered----"

  "The king has ordered you to turn away his brother like a beggar or arobber? I am the Comte d'Artois, sir. Mordieu! you keep me here freezingat the door."

  "Monseigneur, God is my witness that I would shed my blood for yourroyal highness. But the king gave me his orders in person, and confidingto me the charge of this door, ordered me not to open to any one,should it be even himself, after eleven o'clock. Therefore, monseigneur,I ask your pardon humbly for disobeying you, but I am a soldier, andwere it her majesty the queen who asked admittance, I should be forcedmost unwillingly to refuse."

  Having said this, the officer turned away and left the place.

  "We a
re lost," said the queen.

  "Do they know that you are out?" asked the count.

  "Alas, I know not!"

  "Perhaps, then, this order is leveled against me; the king knows I oftengo out at night, and stay late. Madame la Comtesse d'Artois must haveheard something, and complained to him, and hence this tyrannicalorder."

  "Ah, no, brother, I thank you for trying to reassure me, but I feel thatit is against me these precautions are taken."

  "Impossible, sister! the king has too much esteem----"

  "Meanwhile, I am left at the door, and to-morrow a frightful scandalwill be the result. I know well I have an enemy near the king."

  "It is possible; however, I have an idea."

  "What? only be quick. If you can but save us from the ridicule of thisposition, it is all I care for."

  "Oh, I will save you; I am not more foolish than he, for all hislearning."

  "Than whom?"

  "Ah, pardieu, the Comte de Provence."

  "Ah, then, you also know my enemy."

  "Is he not the enemy of all that are young and beautiful, of all who arebetter than himself?"

  "Count, I believe you know something about this order."

  "Perhaps, but do not let us stop here. Come with me, dear sister."

  "Where?"

  "You shall see, somewhere where at least you will be warm, and en routeI will tell you all I know about this. Take my arm, sister, and you theother, Madlle. de Taverney, and let us turn to the right."

  "Well, but now go on," said the queen.

  "This evening after the king's supper, he came to his cabinet. He hadbeen talking all day to Count Haga, you had not been seen----"

  "No, at two o'clock I left to go to Paris."

  "I know it. The king, allow me to tell you, dear sister, was thinking nomore about you than about Haroun-al-Raschid, or his Vizier Giaffar, andwas talking geography. I listened with some impatience, for I alsowanted to go out; probably not with the same object as you."

  "Where are we going?" interrupted the queen.

  "Oh, close by; take care, there is a snow-heap. Madlle. de Taverney, ifyou leave my arm you will certainly fall. But to return to the king: hewas thinking of nothing but latitude and longitude, when M. de Provencesaid to him, 'I should like to pay my respects to the queen.'

  "'The queen sups at home,' replied the king.

  "'Oh, I believed her at Paris.'

  "'No, she is at home,' said the king, quietly.

  "'I have just come from there, and been denied to her,' said M. deProvence.

  "Then I saw the king frown. He dismissed us, and doubtless went to makeinquiries. Louis is jealous by fits, you know; he must have asked to seeyou, and being refused, become suspicious."

  "Yes, Madame de Misery had orders to do so."

  "Then, to know whether you were out or not, he has given these strictorders."

  "Oh, it is shameful treatment. Confess, is it not?"

  "Indeed, I think so; but here we are."

  "This house?"

  "Does it displease you?"

  "No, I do not say that--it is charming. But your servants?"

  "Well!"

  "If they see me."

  "Come in, sister, and I will guarantee that no one sees you, not evenwhoever opens the door."

  "Impossible!"

  "We will try," said he, laughing; and laying his hand on one of thepanels, the door flew open.

  "Enter, I pray you," said he, "there is no one near."

  The queen looked at Andree, then, making up her mind, went in, and thedoor shut behind them.

  She found herself in a vestibule, small, but ornamented in perfecttaste. The floor was mosaic work, representing bouquets of flowers,while numerous rose-trees on marble brackets scented the air with aperfume equally delicious as rare at that time of the year.

  It looked all so charming, that the ladies began to forget their fearsand scruples.

  "So far well," said the queen; "we have a shelter, at all events, andseemingly a very charming one; but you had better see to one thing--thatis, to keep off your servants."

  "Oh, nothing more easy;" and the prince, seizing a little bell whichhung on one of the pillars, rang one clear stroke.

  "Oh!" cried the queen, frightened, "is that the way to keep them off? Ishould have thought it would bring them."

  "If I had rung again, it would have done so, but when I only ring once,they know they are not wanted."

  "Oh, you are a man of precaution!" said the queen laughing.

  "Now, dear sister, take the trouble to go up-stairs."

  "Let us obey," said the queen, "the genius of this place appears notdisagreeable;" and they went up, their steps making no sound on thethick Aubusson carpet.

  At the top, the prince rang another bell, which gave them a fresh startof surprise, and their astonishment increased when they saw the doorsopen of themselves.

  "Really, Andree," said the queen, "I begin to tremble, do not you?"

  "Oh, madame, I shall follow fearlessly wherever your majesty goes."

  "Enter," said the prince, "for here is your apartment;" and he usheredthem into a charming little room, furnished 'en buhl,' with a paintedceiling and walls, and a rosewood floor. It opened into a boudoir,fitted up with white cashmere, beautifully embroidered with groups offlowers, and hung with tapestry of exquisite workmanship. Beyond theboudoir was a bedroom, painted blue, hung with curtains of silk andlace, and with a sumptuous bed in an alcove. A fire burned on thehearth, and a dozen perfumed wax-lights in candelabra.

  Such were the marvels which presented themselves to the eyes of thewondering ladies. No living being was to be seen; fire and lights seemedto have come without hands.

  The queen stopped on the threshold of the bedroom, looking half afraidto enter.

  "Sister," said the count, "these are my bachelor apartments; here I comealone."

  "Always?" asked the queen.

  "Doubtless," answered he.

  "I understand now," said the queen, "why Madame la Comtesse is sometimesunquiet."

  "Confess, however, that if she is unquiet to-night, it Will be withoutreason."

  "To-night, I do not say, but other nights." Then, sitting down; "I amdreadfully tired," she said; "are not you, Andree?"

  "I can scarcely stand, and if your majesty permits----"

  "Indeed you look ill, mademoiselle," said the count.

  "You must go to bed," said the queen. "M. le Comte gives us up thisroom; do you not, Charles?"

  "Entirely, madame."

  "One moment, count. If you go away, how can we recall you?"

  "You will not need me; you are mistress of this house."

  "But there are other rooms."

  "Certainly, there is a dining-room, which I advise you to visit."

  "With a table ready spread, no doubt."

  "Oh, yes, and Mademoiselle de Taverney, who seems to me to need it much,will find there jellies or chicken, and wine, and you, sister, plenty ofthose fruits you are so fond of."

  "And no servants?"

  "None."

  "We will see; but how to return?"

  "You must not think of returning to-night. At six o'clock the gates willbe opened, go out a quarter before, you will find in these drawersmantles of all colors and all shapes, if you wish to disguiseyourselves. Go therefore to the chateau, regain your rooms, go to bed,and all will be right."

  "But you, what will you do?"

  "Oh, I am going away."

  "We turn you out, my poor brother!"

  "It is better for me not to remain in the same house with you."

  "But you must sleep somewhere."

  "Do not fear; I have three other houses like this."

  The queen laughed. "And he pretends Madame la Comtesse has no cause tobe anxious; oh, I will tell her!"

  "You dare not."

  "It is true, we are dependent upon you. Then, to go away to-morrowmorning without seeing any one?"

  "You must ring once, as I did below, and th
e door will open."

  "By itself?"

  "By itself."

  "Then good night, brother."

  "Good night, sister." He bowed and disappeared.