Memoirs of a Physician (17 page)
” Do you see ? ” he asked.
“Yes, I see,” replied Lorenza.
” What is the object which I hold in my hand ?”
“A letter.”
” Can you read it ? “
” I can.”
” Do so, then.”
With closed eyes, and palpitating bosom, Lorenza repeated, word for word, the following lines which Balsamo wrote down as she spoke :
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“DEAR BROTHER, As I had foreseen, my exile will be at least of some service to us. I have this morning seen the president of Kouen ; he is for us, but timid. I urged him in your name ; he has at last decided, and the remonstrance of his division will be in Versailles within a week. I am just about setting off for Kennes to rouse Karaduc and La Chalotais, who are sleeping on their post. Our agent from Caudebec was in Kouen. I have seen him. England will not stop midway ; she is preparing a sharp
notification for the cabinet of Versailles. X asked me
if he should produce it, and I authorized him to do so. You will receive the last pamphlets of Morando and Delille against the Dubarry. They are petards which might blow up a town. A sad report reached me, that there was disgrace in the air ; but as you have not written to me, I laugh at it. Do not leave me in doubt, however, and reply, courier for courier. Your message will find me at Caen, where I hav.e some of our gentlemen riding quarantine. Adieu I salute you.
” DUCHESS DE GRAMMONT.”
After reading thus far, Lorenza stopped.
” You see nothing more ?” asked Balsamo.
” I see nothing.”
” No postscript ? “
“No.”
Balsamo, whose brow had gradually smoothed as Lorenza read the letter, now took it from her.
”’* A curious document,” said he, ’” and one for which I would be well paid. Oh ! how can any one write such things ? ” he continued. ” Yes, it is always women who are the ruin of great men. This Choiseul could not have been overthrown by an army of enemies, by a world of intrigues, and now the breath of a woman crushes while it caresses him. Yes, we all perish by the treachery or the weakness of women. If we have a heart, and in that heart a sensitive chord, we are lost.”
And as he spoke, Balsamo gazed with inexpressible tenderness at Loreuza, who palpitated under his glance.
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” Is it true, what I think ? ” said he.
“No, no, it is not true I” she replied, eagerly ; “yon see plainly that I love you too dearly to do you any hurt, like those women you spoke of without sense and without heart.”
Balsamo allowed himself to be caressed by the arms of his enchantress. All at once a double ring of Fritz’s bell was repeated twice.
” Two visits,” said Balsamo.
A single violent ring completed the telegraphic message.
” Important ones,” continued the master ; and disengaging himself from Lorenza’s arms, he hastened from the apartment, leaving the young girl asleep. On his way he met the courier, who was waiting for orders.
” Here is your letter,” said he.
” What must I do with it ? “
” Deliver it as addressed.”
” Is that all ? “
” Yes.”
The adept looked at the envelope and at the seal, and seeing them as intact as when he had brought them, expressed his satisfaction, and disappeared in the darkness.
” What a pity not to keep such an autograph,” said Balsamo, ” and, above all, what a pity not to be able to forward it by a safe hand to the king.”
Fritz now appeared.
” Who is there ? ” he asked.
” A man and a woman.”
” Have they been here before ? “
“No.”
” Do you know them ? ” ‘ No.”
‘ Is the woman young ?” ‘Young and handsome.” ‘ The man ? “
‘ From sixty to sixty-five years of age.” 4 Where are they ?” ‘ In the saloon.”
Balsamo entered.
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CHAPTER XVII.
THE EVOCATION.
THE countess had completely concealed her face in a hood. As sh had found time’ in passing to call at the family residence, she had assumed the dress of a citizen’s wife. She had come in a hackney-coach with the marshal, who, even more timid than she, had donned a gray dress, like that of a superior servant in a respectable household.
” Do you recognize me, count ? ” said
Mme.
Dubarry.
” Perfectly, Madame la Comtesse.”
. Richelieu had remained in the background.
” Deign to be seated, madame, and you also, monsieur.”
” This is my steward,” said the countess.
” You err, madame,” said Balsamo, bowing ; ” the gentleman is the Marshal Duke de Richelieu, whom I recognize easily, and who would be very ungrateful if he did not recognize me.”
” How so ? ” asked the-duke, quite confounded, as Tal-lemaut des Reaux would say.
” My lord duke, a man owes a little gratitude, I think, to those who have saved his life.”
” Ah ! ha ! duke,” said the countess, laughing ; ” do you hear, duke ?”
” What ! you have saved my life, count ? ” asked Richelieu, quite astounded.
” Yes, my lord ; at Vienna, in the year 1725, when you were ambassador there.”
” In 1725 ! But yon were not born then, my dear sir.”
Balsamo smiled.
” It seems to me that I was, my lord duke,” said he, “since I met you, dying, or rather dead, upon a litter ; you had just received a sword thrust right through your body, and I poured three drops of my elixir upon the wound. There, hold the place where you are ruffling your Alen9on lace rather fine, I must say, for a steward.”
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” But ‘ interrupted the marshal, ” you are scarcely thirty-five years of age, count ‘
“There, duke,” cried the countess, laughing heartily, ” there, you are before the sorcerer ; do you believe now ? “
” I am stupefied, countess. But at that period,” continued the duke, addressing Balsamo, ” you called yourself “
” Oh ! duke, we sorcerers change our name in each generation. Now, in 1725, names ending in us, OS,‘OYCIS, were the fashion ; and I should not be surprised if at that time I had been seized with the whim of bartering my name for some Latin or Greek one. This being premised, I wait your commands, countess, and yours also, my lord.”
” Count, the marshal and I have come to consult you.”
” You do me too much honor, madame, especially if this idea arose naturally in your minds.”
” Oh ! in the most natural manner in the world, count ; your prediction still haunts my thoughts, only I fear it will not be realized. “
” Never doubt the dictates of science, madame.”
” Oh ! oh ! ” said Kichelieu ; ” but our crown is a hazardous game, count. It is not here an affair of the wound which three drops of elixir can cure.”
” No, but of a minister whom three words can ruin,” replied Balsamo. ” Well, have I guessed rightly ? Tell me.”
“Perfectly,” said the trembling countess. ” Tell me in truth what think you of all this, duke ? “
” Oh ! do not let such a trifle astonish you, madame,” said Balsamo ; ” whoever sees Madame Dubarry and Kichelieu uneasy, may guess the cause without magic.”
” But,” added the marshal, ” if you can give us the remedy, I will perfectly adore you.”
” The remedy for your complaint ? “
” Yes ; we are ill of the Choiseul.”
” And you wish to be cured ? “
” Yes ; great magician.”
” Count, you will not leave ns in our embarrassment ? ” said the countess ; ” your honor is engaged.”
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” My best services are at your command, madame ; but I first wish to know if the duke had not some definite plan formed when he came here ? “
” I confess it, count. Really, it is delightful to have a count for a sorcerer ; we do not need to change our modes of speech.”
Balsamo smiled.
” Come, ” said he, ” let us be frank.”
” Ton honor, I wish for nothing else,” replied the duke.
‘ * You had some consultation to hold with me ? “
” That is true.”
” Ah, deceiver ! ” said the countess, ” you never spoke of that to me.”
” I could only speak of it to the count, and that in the most secret corner of his ear,” replied the marshal.
” Why, duke ? “
” Because you would have blushed, countess, to the whites of your eyes.”
” Oh ! tell it now, marshal, jnst to satisfy my curiosity. I am rouged, so yon shall see nothing.”
” “Well,” said Richelieu, ” this is what I thought. Take care, countess, I am going to take a most extravagant flight.”
” Fly as high as you will, duke, I am prepared.”
” Oh, but I fear you will beat me the moment you hear what I am about to say.”
” You are not accustomed to be beaten, my lord duke ? ” said Balsamo to the old marshal, enchanted with the compliment.
” Well,” continued he, ” here it is. Saving the displeasure of madame, his maj How am I to express it ? “
” How tiresome he is,” cried the countess.
” You will have it, then ?”
” Yes, yes ; a hundred times, yes.”
” Then I will venture. It is a sad thing to say, count ; but his majesty is no longer amusable. The word is not of my origirating, countess, it is Madame de Maintenon’s.”
” There is nothing in that which hurts me, duke,” said
Mme.
Dubarry.
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” So much the better ; then I shall feel at my ease. Well, the count, who discovers such precious elixirs, must “
” Find one which shall restore to the king the faculty of being amused.”
“Exactly.”
” Oh ! duke, that is mere child’s play the a b c of oar craft. Any charlatan can furnish you with a philter “
” Whose virtue,” continued the duke, ” would be put to the account of madame’s merit.”
“Duke!” exclaimed the countess.
” Oh ! 1 knew you would be angry ; but you would have it.”
” My lord duke,” replied Balsamo, ” you were right ; look ! the countess blushes. But just now we are agreed hat neither wounds nor love were to be treated of at present. A philter will not rid France of Monsieur de Choiseul. In fact, if the king loved madame ten times more than he does, and that is impossible, Monsieur de Choiseul would still retain the same influence over his mind which madame exerts over his heart.”
” Very true,” said the marshal ; ” but it was our only resource.”
“You think so ?”
” Dame ! find another.”
” Oh ! that would be easy.”
” Fjasy ! do you hear, countess ? These sorcerers stop at nothing.”
” Why should I stop, where the only thing necessary is simply to prove to the king that Monsieur de Choiseul alone betrays him that is to say, what the king would think betraying ; for, of course, Monsieur de Chciseul does not think he betrays him in acting as he does.”
” And what does he do ? “
” You know as well as I do, countess ; he supports the parliament in their revolt against the royal authority.”
” Certainly ; but we must know by what means.”
” By the means of agents who encourage them by promising them immunity.”
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“Who are the agents ? We must know that.”
” Do you believe, for example, that Madame de Grammont is gone for any other purpose than to sustain the ardent and warm the timid ? “
” Certainly ; she left for no other reason,” exclaimed the countess.
” Yes ; hut the king thinks it a simple exile.”
“It is true.”
“How can you prove to him that in this departure there is anything more than he supposes ? “
” By accusing Madame de Grammont.”
” Ah ! if there were nothing necessary but to accuse her, count ! ” said the marshal.
“But, unfortunately, the accusation must-be proved,” added the countess.
” And if this accusation were proved, incontrovertibly proved, do you think Monsieur de Choiseul would still be minister ? “
” Certainly not,” said the countess.
“Nothing isnecessary, then, but to discover the treachery of Monsieur de Choiseul,” pursued Balsamo, with assurance ; “and to display it clearly, precisely and palpably before the eyes of his majesty.”
The marshal threw himself back upon an armchair, and laughed loud and long.
” Charming ! ” he exclaimed ; ” he stops at nothing ! Discover Monsieur de Choiseul in the act of committing treason that is all, nothing more ! “
Balsamo remained calm and unmoved, waiting until the marshal’s mirth had subsided.
” Come,” said Balsamo, ” let us speak seriously, and recapitulate.”
“So be it.”
” Is not Monsieur de Choiseul suspected of encouraging the revolt of the parliament ?”
” Granted ; but the proof ? “
“Is not Monsieur de Choiseul supposed,” continued Balsamo, ” to be attempting to bring about a war with England, in order that he may become indispensable ? “
132 MEMOIRS OF A PHYSICIAN.
” It is so believed ; but the proof ? “
” Is not Monsieur de Choiseul the declared enemy of the countess, and does he not seek, by all possible means, to drag her from the throne I promised her ? “
“Ah ! all this is very true,” said the countess ; “but once more I repeat, it must be proved. Oh ! that I could prove it.”
” What is necessary for that ? A mere trifle.”
The marshal gave a low whistle.
” Yes, a mere trifle,” said he, sarcastically.
” A confidential letter, for example,” said Balsamo.
“Yes ; that is all a mere nothing.”
” A letter from Madame de Grammont would do, would it not marshal ? ” continued the count.
“Sorcerer, my good sorcerer, find me such a one!” cried
Mme.
Dnbarry.
” I have been trying for five years ; I have spent a hundred thousand livres per annum, and have never succeeded.”
” Because you never applied to me, madame,” said Balsamo.
” How so ? ” said the countess.
‘ ( Without doubt, if you had applied to me, I could have assisted you.”
” Could you ? Count, is it yet too late ? “
The count smiled.
