Memoirs of a Physician (23 page)
“Well?”
” Well, he told me that his master was appointed to the war department.’”
” Oh, ho ! ” said Richelieu, with his eternal smile.
” What does monseigneur conclude from this ? “
” That if Monsieur Terray is appointed to the war department, I am not ; that if he is not, I may perhaps be.”
Rafte had satisfied his conscience; he was a bold, in-defatigable, ambitious man, as clever as his master, and much better armed than he, for he knew himself to be of low origin and dependent, two defects in his coat of mail which for forty j^ears had exercised all his cunning, strength, and acuteness to obviate. When Eafte saw his master so confident, he believed he had nothing more to fear.
” Come, my lord,” said he, ” make haste ; do not oblige them to wait too long; that would be a bad commencement.”
” I am ready ; but tell me once more who is there ? “
” Here is the list.”
He presented a long list to his master, who saw with increasing satisfaction the names of the first among the nobility, the law, and the finance.
” Suppose I should be popular, hey, Eafte ? “
” We are in the age of miracles,” replied the latter.
” Ha ! Taverney ! ” said the marshal, continuing to peruse the list. ” What does he come here for ? “
” I have not the least idea, my lord marshal ; but come, make your entree ;” and the secretary, with an authoritative air, almost pushed his master into the grand saloon.
Eichelieu ought to have been satisfied; his reception might have contented the ambition of a prince of the blood royal. But the refined cunning and craft which character-ized the period and particularly the class of society we are speaking of, only too well assisted Eichelieu’s unlucky
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star, which had such a disagreeable contretemps in store for him.
From propriety and respect for etiquette all this crowded levee abstained from pronouncing the word minister before Richelieu; some were bold enough to venture as far as the word congratulation, but they knew that they must pass quickly over the word, and that Eichelieu would scarcely reply to it.
For one and all this morning visit was a simple demonstration of respect, a mere expression of good will ; for at this period such almost imperceptible shades of policy were frequently understood and acted upon by the general mass of the community. There were certain of the courtiers who even ventured, in the course of conversation, to express some wish, desire or hope.
The one would have wished, he said, to have his government rather nearer Versailles ; and it gratified him to have an opportunity of speaking on the subject to a man of such great influence as M. de Richelieu.
Another said he had been three times forgotten by M. de Choiseul in the promotions of the knights of the order, and he reckoned upon M. de Richelieu’s obliging memory to refresh the king’s, now that there existed no obstacle in the way of his majesty’s good will. In short, a hundred requests, more or less grasping, but all veiled by the highest art, were preferred to the delighted ears of the marshal.
Gradually the crowd retired; they wished, as they said, to leave the marshal to his important occupations.
One man alone remained in the saloon; he had not approached as the others had; he had asked for nothing, he had not even presented himself.
When the courtiers had gone, this man advanced toward the duke with a smile upon his lips.
” Ah ! Monsieur de Taverney ! ” said the marshal ; ” I am enchanted to see you, truly enchanted.”
” I was waiting, duke, to pay you my compliments, and to offer you my sincere congratulations.”
” Ah ! indeed, and for what ? ” replied Richelieu, for the cautious reserve of his visitors had imposed upon him the necessity of being discreet and even mysterious.
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” On your new dignity, duke.”
” Hush, hush ! ” said the marshal, ” let us not speak of that ; nothing is settled ; it is a mere rumor.”
*’ Nevertheless, my dear marshal, there are many people of my opinion, for your saloons were full.”
” In truth, I do not know why.”
” Oh ! I know very well.”
“Why then? Why?”
” One word from me.”
“What word?”
” Yesterday I had the honor of paying my respects to the king at Trianon. His majesty spoke to me of my children, and ended by saying : ‘ You know Monsieur de Richelieu, I think ; pay your compliments to him “
” Ah ! his majesty said that ? ” replied Richelieu, with a glow of pride as if these words had been the official brevet the destination of which Rafte doubted, or at least deplored its delay.
” So that,” continued Taverney, ” I soon suspected the truth in fact, it was not difficult to do so, when I saw the eagerness of all Versailles and I hastened to obey the king by paying my compliments to you, and to gratify my own feelings by reminding you of our old friendship.”
The duke had now reached a pitch of intoxication. It is a defect in our nature from which the highest minds cannot always preserve themselves. He saw in Taverney only one of those expectants of the lowest order poor devils who have fallen behind on the road of favor, who are useless even as proteges, useless as acquaintances, and who are reproached with coming forth from their obscurity after a lapse of twenty years, to warm themselves at the sun of another’s prosperity.
” I see what you are aiming at,” said the marshal, harshly ; ” you have some favor to ask of me.”
” You have said it, duke.”
” Ah ! ” grumbled Richelieu, seating himself on, or, rather, plumping into a sofa.
” I told you I had two children,” continued Taverney, pliant and cunning, for he perceived the coolness of his great friend, and therefore only advanced the more
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eagerly ; ” I have a daughter whom I love very dearly, and who is a model of virtue and beauty. She is placed with her highness the dauphiness, who has been conde-scending enough to grant her her particular esteem. Of my beautiful Andre, therefore, I need not speak to you. Her path is smoothed, her fortune is made. Have you seen my daughter? Did I not once present her to you somewhere ? Have you not heard of her ? “
” Pshaw ! I don’t know,” said Richelieu, carelessly, “perhaps so.”
” No matter ‘ pursued Taverney, ” there is my daughter settled. For my own part, I want nothing; the king grants me a pension upon which I can live. I confess I would like to have some emolument to enable me to rebuild Maison Rouge, where I wish to end my days, and with your interest and my daughter’s “
” Ha ! ” thought Richelieu, who until now had not listened, so lost was he in contemplation of his grandeur, but whom the words, ” my daughter’s interest,” had roused from his reverie. ” Oh ! ho ! your daughter ! Why, she is ft young beauty who annoys our countess; she is a little scorpion who is sheltering herself under the wings of the dauphiness, in order to bite some one at Luciennes. Come, I will not be a bad friend, and as for gratitude, this dear countess, who has made me a minister, shall see if I am wanting in time of need.” Then aloud :
“Proceed,” said he to the Baron de Taverney, in a haughty tone.
” Faith, I am near the end,” replied the latter, promis-ing himself to laugh in his sleeve at the vain marshal if he could only get what he wanted from him. ” I am anxious, therefore, about my son Philip, who bears a lofty name, but who will never be able to support it worthily unless some one assists him. Philip is a bold and thoughtful youth; rather too thoughtful, perhaps, but that is the result of his embarrassed position. You know the horse which is reined in too tightly droops its head.”
“What is all this to me?” thought Richelieu, giving most unequivocal signs of weariness and impatience.
te I want some one,” continued Taverney, remorselessly,
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” some one in authority like yourself, to procure a company for Philip. Her highness the dauphiness on entering Strasbourg raised him to the rank of captain, but he still wants a hundred thousand livres to enable him to purchase a company in some privileged regiment of cavalry. Procure that for me, my powerful friend.”
” Your son,” said Richelieu, ” is the young man who rendered the dauphiness a service^ is he not ? “
” A most essential service,” replied Taverney ; ” it was he who forced the last relay for her royal highness from that Dubarry who wanted to seize it by force.”
“Oh, ho!” thought Richelieu, “that is just it; the most violent enemies of the countess. He comes at the right time, this Taverney ! He advances claims that are sufficient to damn him forever.”
” You do not answer, duke ? ” said Taverney, rather soured by the marshal’s obstinate silence.
.” It is perfectly impossible, my dear Monsieur de Taverney,” replied the marshal, rising to show that the audience was over.
” Impossible ? Such a trifle impossible ? An old friend tell me that?”
” Why not ? Is it any reason, because you are a friend, as you say, that you should seek to make me commit treason both against friendship and justice? You never came to see me for twenty years, for during that time I was nothing; now that I am a minister, you come.”
” Monsieur de Richelieu, it is you who are unjust at this moment.”
” No, my dear friend, no ; I do not wish to see you dangling in antechambers; I am a true friend; and therefore “
” You have some reasons for refusing me, then ? “
” I ! ” exclaimed Richelieu, much alarmed at the suspicion Taverney might perhaps form ” I ! a reason ? “
” Yes, I have enemies.”
The duke might have replied what he, thought, but that would have been to discover to the baron that he tried to please
Mme.
Dubarry from gratitude; it would have been to confess that he was the minister of the favorite, and
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that the marshal would not have confessed for an empire. He therefore hastily replied :
” You have no enemy, my dear friend ; but I have many. To grant requests at once, without examining claims, would expose me to the accusations of continuing the Choiseul system. My dear sir, I wish to leave behind some trace of my administration of affairs. For twenty years I have projected reforms, improvements, and now they shall blossom. Favoritism is the ruin of France; I will protect merit. The writings of our philosophers are bright torches whose light has not shone for me in vain; they have dissipated all the mists of ignorance and superstition which brooded over the past, and it was full time it should be so, for the well-being of the state. I shall therefore examine your son’s claims, neither more nor less than I should do those of any other citizen. I must make this sacrifice to my conscience a grievous sacrifice, no doubt, but which, after all, is only that of one man for the benefit of three hundred thousand. If your son, Monsieur Philip do Taverney, proves that he merits my favor, he shall have it, not because his father is my friend, not because he bears the name he does, but because he is a man of merit. That is my plan of conduct.”
” You mean your system of philosophy,” replied the old baron, biting his nails with rage, and adding to his anger by reflecting how much humiliation and how many petty cowardices this interview had cost him.
” Philosophy, if you will, sir ; it is a noble word.” ” Which dispenses good things, marshal, does it not ? ” ” You are a bad courtier,” said Eichelieu, with a cold smile.
” Men of my rank are courtiers only of the king.” ” Oh ! Monsieur Kafte, my secretary, has a thousand of your rank in my antechambers every day,” replied Eichelieu ; ” they generally come from some obscure den or other in the provinces, where they have learned to be rude to their pretended friends while they preach concord.”
‘ ‘ Oh ! I am well aware that a Maison Rouge, a title which dates from the Crusades, does not understand concord so well as a Vignerol fiddler.”
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The marshal had more tact than Taverney. He could have had him thrown out of the windows, but he only shrugged his shoulders, and replied :
” You are rather behind the time, most noble scion of the Crusades; you only remember the calumnious memoir presented by parliament in 1720, and have not read that of the peers and dukes in reply. Be kind enough to walk into my library, my dear sir; Rafte will give it to you to read.”
As he was bowing his antagonist out with his apt repartee, the door opened, and a man entered noisily, crying :
*’ Where is my dear duke ? “
This man, with ruddy visage, eyes dilated with satisfaction, and joyous air, was neither more nor less than Jean Dubarry.
On seeing this newcomer, Taverney started back with surprise and vexation.
Jean saw the movement, recognized the face, and turned his back.
” I understand ‘ said the baron, quietly, ” and I shall retire. I leave the minister in most distinguished company.”
And he left the room with dignity.
CHAPTER XXIII.
RICHELIEU IS DISABUSED.
FURIOUS at this extremely provoking exit, Jean made two steps after the baron; then returning to the marshal, he said, shrugging his shoulders :
” You receive such people here ? “
” Oh ! my dear sir, you mistake ; on the contrary, I send such people away.”
” Do you know who this gentleman is ? “
“Alas! Yes.”
” No, but do you know really ? “
” He is a Taverney.”
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” He is a man who wishes to make his daughter the king’s favorite.”
” Oh, come ! “
” A man who wishes to supplant us, and who takes all possible means to do so. But Jean is there, and Jean has his eyes about him.”
” You think he wishes “
” It is a very difficult matter to see what he wishes, is it not? One of the dauphin’s party, my dear sir; and they have their little stabber, too.”
“Bah!”
” A young man who looks quite ready to fly at people’s throats a bully, who pinks Jean’s shoulder poor Jean ! “
