Memoirs of a Physician (10 page)
” I have always been told so,” replied M. de Richelieu, with an air of profound modesty.
” Oh, I can see that without being told, duke. Have you not guessed the cause of my annoyance immediately, without looking to the right or left ? It is superb.”
” Superb, indeed ; but etill that is not all.”
“Indeed ?”
“No, 1 can guess something else.”
” And what can you guess ?”
” That you expected his majesty yesterday evening.”
“Where?”
” Here.”
” Well ; what then ? “
” And that his majesty did not come.”
” Well ; what then ? “
The countess reddened, and raised herself slightly upon her elbow.
” Oh ! ” said she.
“And yet,” said the duke, ” I have just arrived from Paris.”
” Well, what does that prove ? “
” Pardieu ! that I could not of course know what passed at Versailles ; and yet “
” My dear duke, you are full of mystery to-day. When a person begins he should finish, or else not have commenced.’*
” You speak quite at your ease, countess. Allow me, at least, to take breath. Where was I ? “
” You were at : < and yet.’”
” Oh, yes ! true : and yet I not only know that his majesty did not come, but also why he die) not come.”
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” Duke, I have always thought you a sorcerer, and only wanted proof to be certain of the fact.” ” Well ! that proof I will now give you.” The countess, who attached much more interest to this conversation than she wished to let appear, relinquished her hold on Zamore’s head, in whose hair her long taper fingers had been carelessly playing. ” Give it, duke, give it,” said she. ” Before my lord governor ? ” asked the duke. ” Vanish, Zamore,” said the countess to the negro boy, who, mad with delight, made only one bound from the boudoir to the antechamber
” An excellent step,” murmured Richelieu ; ” then I must tell you all, countess ? “
” What ! did that monkey Zamore embarrass you, duke ? “
” To tell the truth, countess, any one can embarrass me.”
” Yes, I can understand that. But is Zamore any one ? “
” Zamore is neither blind, deaf, nor dumb ; therefore, he
is some one. I distinguish by the title of some one, every
person who is my equal in the hearing, seeing, and speaking
faculties ; every person who can see what I do, hear and
repeat what I say ; every person, in short, who might betray
me. This theory explained, I proceed.”
” Yes, yes, duke, proceed ; you will gratify me ex-
” Gratify ! I think not, countess ; but no matter, j must go on. Well, the king was at Trianon yesterday.” The little or the great Trianon ? ” The little. The dauphiness was leaning on his arm.” Ah!”
* And the dauphiness, who is charming, as you know “
‘ Alas ! “
Coaxed him so much, with dear papa here, and dear papa there, that his majesty, who has a heart of gold, could not resist her. So after the walk came supper, and after
supper, amusing games ; so that, in short “
” In short,” said
Mme.
Dubarry, pale with impatience, ” in short, the king did not come to Luciennes that is what you would say ? “
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” Exactly.”
” Oh, it is perfectly easily explained ; his majesty found there all that he loves.”
” Ah ! by no means, and you are far from believing one word of what you say ; all that pleases him, he found, no doubt.”
” Take care, duke, that is much worse ; to sup, chat, and play is all that he wants. And with whom did he play ? ” “
” With Monsieur de Choiseul.”
The countess made an angry gesture.
” Shall I not pursue the subject further, countess ? ” asked Richelieu:
” On the contrary, sir, vjpeak on.”
” Yon are as courageous, madam e, as you are witty ; let me therefore take the ball by the horns, as the Spaniards say.”
” Madame de Choiseul would not forgive you for that proverb, duke.”
” Yet it is not applicable. I told you then, madame, that Monsieur de Choiseul, since I must name him, held the cards ; and with so much good fortune “
” That he won.”
” By no means ; that he lost, and that his majesty won a thousand louis-d’ors at piquet, a game on which his majesty piques himself very much, seeing that he plays it very badly.”
” Oh ! that Choiseul ! that Choiseul ! ” murmured
Mme.
Dubarry. ” But Madame de Grammont was of the party also, was she not ? “
” That is to say, countess, she was paying her respects before her departure.”
” The duchess ! “
” Yes, she is very foolish, I think.”
“Why so?”
” Finding that no one persecutes her, she pouts ; finding that no one exiles her, she exiles herself.”
” Where to ? “
” To the provinces.”
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” She is going to plot.”
” Parbleu, what else wonld you expect her to do ? Well, as she is about to set out, she very naturally wished to take leave of the dauphiness, who, naturally, is very fond of her. That is why she was at Trianon.”
” The great ?”
” Of course. The little Trianon is not yet furnished.”
” Ah ! her highness the dauphiness, by surrounding herself with all these Choisenls, shows plainly which party she intends to embrace.”
” No, countess, do not let us exaggerate ; to-morrow the duchess will be gone.”
” And the king was amused where I was absent ! ” cried the countess, with indignation not unmixed with terror.
” Yes, it is perfectly incredible, countess, but still it is so. Well, what do you conclude from it ? “
” That you are well informed, duke.”
“Is that all?”
” No.”
” Finish, then.”
” I gather from it that we shall all be lost if we do not rescue the king from the clutches of these Choiseuls, either with his consent or without it.”
” Alas ! “
” I say we,” resumed the countess, ” but, do not fear, duke ; I speak only of our own family.”
“And your friends, countess ; permit me to claim that title. So then “
” Then you are one of my friends ? “
“I think I have said so, madame.”
” That is not enough.”
” I think I have proved it.”
“That is better. And you will assist me ?”
” With all my power, countess ; but
“But what ?”
“I cannot conceal from you that the task is difficult.”
” Are these Choiseuls positively not to be rooted out, then?”
‘ They are firmly planted at least.”
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” Then, whatever our friend La Fontaine may say, neither wind nor storm can prevail against this oak ? “
” The minister is a lofty genius.”
” Bah ! you speak like an encyclopedist ! “
” Am I not a member of the academy ? “
” Oh, you are so slightly so.”
” True, you are right ; my secretary is the member, not I. But, nevertheless, I maintain my opinion.”
” But may I ask in what does this mighty genius shine ? “
“In this, madame, that he has made such a piece of work with the parliament and the English, that the king cannot do without him.”
” The parliament ! Why, he excites it against his majesty.”
” Of course ; therein lies his cleverness.”
” He provokes the English^ to war.”
” Of course. Peace would ruin him.”
” That is not genius, duke.”
” What is it then, countess ?”
” It is high treason.”
” When high treason is successful, countess, it is genius, and a lofty description of genius, too.”
” Then, by that mode of reasoning, I know some one who is as great a genius as Monsieur de Choiseul.”
“Bah!”
” Why, he has at least caused the parliament to revolt.”
” You puzzle me exceedingly, countess.”
” Do you not know him, duke ? He belongs to your own family.”
” Can I have a man of genius in my family ? Do yon speak of my uncle, the cardinal duke, madame ? “
“No, I mean the Duke d’Aiguillon, your nephew.’”
” Ah, Monsieur d’Aignillon. Yes, true, it was he who set that affair of La Chalotais moving. Ton honor, he is a brave youth. Yes, true ; that was a tough piece of work. Countess, there is a man whom a t woman of spirit should gain over to her cause.”
” Are you aware, duke,” said the countess,” that I do not know your nephew ? “
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” Indeed, madame ? You don’t know him ?”
” No, I have never seen him.”
” Poor fellow ! In fact ; I now remember that since you came to court he has always been at Brittany. Let him look to himself when he first sees you ; he has not latterly been accustomed to the sun.”
” What does he do-among all those black gowns a nobleman of spirit like him ? “
” He revolutionizes them, not being able to do better. Yon understand, countess, every one takes pleasure where they can find it, and there is not much to be had in Brittany. Ah ! he is an active man. Peste ! what a servant the king might have in him, if he wished. Parliament would not be insolent to him. Oh ! he is a true Richelieu. Permit me, therefore, countess “
“What?”
” To present him to you on his first appearance.”
” Does he intend to visit Paris soon? “
” Oh ! madame, who knows ? Perhaps he will have to remain another luster in Brittany, as that scoundrel, Voltaire, says ; perhaps he is on his way hither ; perhaps two hundred leagues off ; or perhaps at the barrier.”
And while he spoke, the marshal studied the lady’s features to see what effect his words produced. But after having reflected for a moment, she said :
” Let us return to the point where we left off.”
” Wherever you please, countess.”
” Where were we ? “
” At the moment when his majesty was enjoying himself so much at Trianon in the company of Monsieur de Choiseul.”
” And when we were speaking of getting rid of this Choiseul, duke.”
” That is to say, when you were speaking of getting rid of him, countess.”
” Oh ! I am so anxious that he should go,” said the favorite, ” that I think I shall die if he remains. Will you not assist me a little, my dear duke ? “
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“Oh! “said Bichelieu, bridling, “in politics, that is called an overture.”
” Take it as you will, call it what you please, but answer categorically.”
” Oh ! what a long, ugly adverb, in such a pretty little mouth.”
” Do you call that answering, duke ?”
“No, not exactly ; I call that preparing my answer.”
“Is it prepared ?”
“Wait a little.”
“You hesitate, duke ?”
” Oh, no ! “
” Well, I am listening.”
” What do you think of apologues, countess ? ” * Why, that they are very antiquated.”
” Bah ! the sun is antiquated also, and yet we have not invented any better means of seeing.”
” Well, let me hear your apologue, then ; but let it be clear. “
” As crystal, fair lady. Let us suppose, then, countess you know one always supposes something in an apologue.”
” How tiresome you are, duke.”
” You do not believe one word of what you say, countess, for you never listened to me more attentively.”
” I was wrong, then ; go on.”
” Suppose, then, that you were walking in your beautiful garden at Luciennes, and that you saw a magnificent plum, one of those Queen Claudes which you are so fond of because their vermilion and purple tints resemble your own.”
” Go on, flatterer.”
” Well, I was saying, suppose yon saw one of these plums at the extremity of one of the loftiest branches of the tree, what would you do, countess ? “
” I would shake the tree, to be sure.”
” Yes, but in vain, for the tree is large and massive, and not to be rooted out, as you said just now ; and you would soon perceive that without even succeeding in shaking it, you would tear your charming little hands against its rough
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bark. And then you would say, reclining your head to one side, in that adorable manner which belongs only to you and the flowers : * Oh ! how I wish I had this plum upon the ground ! ‘ and then you would get angry.”
” That is all very natural, duke.”
” I shall certainly not be the person to contradict you.”
” Go on, my dear duke, your apologue is exceedingly interesting.”
” All at once, when turning your little head from side to side, you perceive your friend, the Duke de Eichelieu, who is walking behind you, thinking.”
“Of what ?”
” What a question ! Pardieu ! of you ; and you say, to him, with your heavenly voice : Oh ! duke ! duke ! ‘ “
” Well ? “
” ‘You are a man; you are strong, you look Mahon ; shake this devil of a plum-tree for me, that I may pluck this provoking plum ? ‘ Is not that it, countess ? “
” Exactly, duke ; I repeated that to myself while you were saying it aloud. But what did you reply ? “
” Reply ? Oh ! I replied : ‘ How you run on, countess ! Certainly nothing could give me greater pleasure ; but only look how firm the tree is, how knotty the branches. I have a sort of affection for my hands as well as you, though they are fifty years older than yours “
“Ah !” said the countess, suddenly, “yes, yes, I comprehend.”
” Then finish the apologue. What did you say to me ? “
” I said, ‘ My little marshal, do not look with indifferent eyes upon this plum, which you look at indifferently only because it is not for you. Wish for it along with me, ,my dear marshal ; covet it along with me, and if you shake the tree properly, if the plum falls, then we will eat it together “
” Bravo ! ” exclaimed the duke, clapping his hands.
“Is that it?”
“Faith, countess, there is none like you for finishing an apologue. By mine honor, as my deceased father used to say, it is right well tricked out.”
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