The Queen's Necklace by Alexandre Dumas père (best e books to read .TXT) 📕

you to learn it; it will save me a great deal of trouble. What about the box?" said he to Beausire.

"Perfectly correct, like everything else with which M. Ducorneau has any connection."

"Well, sit down, M. Ducorneau; I want you to give me some information. Do you know any honest jewelers in Paris?"

"There are MM. Boehmer and Bossange, jewelers to the queen."

"But they are precisely the people I do not wish to employ. I have just quitted them, never to return."

"Have they had the misfortune to displease your excellency?"

"Seriously, M. Ducorneau."

"Oh, if I dared speak."

"You may."

"I would ask how these people, who bear so high a name----"

"They are perfect Jews, M. Ducorneau, and their bad behavior will make them lose a million or two. I was sent by her gracious majesty to make an offer to them for a diamond necklace."

"Oh! the famous necklace which had been ordered by the late king for Madame Dubarry?"

"You are a valuable man, sir--you know everything. Well, now, I shall not buy it."

"Shall I interfere?"

"M. Ducorneau!"

"Oh, only as a diplomatic affair."

"If you knew them at all."

"Bossange is a distant relation of mine."

At this moment a valet opened the door, and announced MM. Boehmer and Bossange. Don Manoel rose quickly, and said in any angry tone, "Send those people away!"

The valet made a step forward. "No; you do it," said he to his secretary.

"I beg you to allow me," said Ducorneau; and he advanced to meet them.

"There! this affair is destined to fail," said Manoel.

"No; Ducorneau will arrange it."

"I am convinced he will embroil it. You said at the jewelers that I did not understand French, and Ducorneau will let out that I do."

"I will go," said Beausire.

"Perhaps that is equally dangerous."

"Oh, no; only leave me to act."

Beausire went down. Ducorneau had found the jewelers much more disposed to politeness and confidence since entering the hotel; also, on seeing an old friend, Bossange was delighted.

"You here!" said he; and he approached to embrace him.

"Ah! you are very amiable to-day, my rich cousin," said Ducorneau.

"Oh," said Bossange, "if we have been a little separated, forgive, and render me a service."

"I came to do it."

"Thanks. You are, then, attached to the embassy?"

"Yes."

"I want advice."

"On what?"

"On this embassy."

"I am the chancellor."

"That is well; but about the ambassador?"

"I come to you, on his behalf, to tell you that he begs you to leave his hotel as quickly as possible."

The two jewelers looked at each other, disconcerted.

"Because," continued Ducorneau, "it seems you have been uncivil to him."

"But listen----"

"It is useless," said Beausire, who suddenly appeared; "his excellency told you to dismiss them--do it."

"But, monsieur----"

"I cannot listen," said Beausire.

The chancellor took his relation by the shoulder, and pushed him out, saying, "You have spoiled your fortune."

"Mon Dieu! how susceptible these foreigners are!"

"When one is called Souza, and has nine hundred thousand francs a year, one has a right to be anything," said Ducorneau.

"Ah!" sighed Bossange, "I told you, Boehmer, you were too stiff about it."

"Well," replied the obstinate German, "at least, if we do not get his money, he will not get our necklace."

Ducorneau laughed. "You do not understand either a Portuguese or an ambassador, bourgeois that you are. I will tell you what they are: one ambassador, M. de Potemkin, bought every year for his queen, on the first of January, a basket of cherries which cost one hundred thousand crowns--one thousand francs a cherry. Well, M. de Souza will buy up the mines of Brazil till he finds a diamond as big as all yours put together. If it cost him twenty years of his income, what does he care?--he has no children."

And he was going to shut the door, when Bossange said:

"Arrange this affair, and you shall have----"

"I am incorruptible," said he, and closed the door.

That evening the ambassador received this letter:


"MONSEIGNEUR,--A man who waits for your orders, and desires to
present you our respectful excuses, is at the door of your hotel,
and at a word from your excellency he will place in the hands of
one of your people the necklace of which you did us the honor to
speak. Deign to receive, monseigneur, the assurances of our most
profound respect.

"BOEHMER AND BOSSANGE."


"Well," said Manoel, on reading this note, "the necklace is ours."

"Not so," said Beausire; "it will only be ours when we have bought it. We must buy it; but remember, your excellency does not know French."

"Yes, I know; but this chancellor?"

"Oh, I will send him away on some diplomatic mission."

"You are wrong; he will be our security with these men."

"But he will say that you know French."

"No, he will not; I will tell him not to do so."

"Very well, then; we will have up the man."

The man was introduced: it was Boehmer himself, who made many bows and excuses, and offered the necklace for examination.

"Sit down," said Beausire; "his excellency pardons you."

"Oh, how much trouble to sell!" sighed Boehmer.

"How much trouble to steal!" thought Beausire.


CHAPTER XXIX.

THE BARGAIN.

Then the ambassador consented to examine the necklace in detail. M. Boehmer showed each individual beauty.

"On the whole," said Beausire, interpreting for Manoel, "his excellency sees nothing to complain of in the necklace, but there are ten of the diamonds rather spotted."

"Oh!" said Boehmer.

"His excellency," interrupted Beausire, "understands diamonds perfectly. The Portuguese nobility play with the diamonds of Brazil, as children do here with glass beads."

"Whatever it may be, however," said Boehmer, "this necklace is the finest collection of diamonds in all Europe."

"That is true," said Manoel.

Then Beausire went on: "Well, M. Boehmer, her majesty the Queen of Portugal has heard of this necklace, and has given M. de Souza a commission to buy it, if he approved of the diamonds, which he does. Now, what is the price?"

"1,600,000 francs."

Beausire repeated this to the ambassador.

"It is 100,000 francs too much," replied Manoel.

"Monseigneur," replied the jeweler, "one cannot fix the exact price of the diamonds on a thing like this. It has been necessary, in making this collection, to undertake voyages, and make searches and inquiries which no one would believe but myself."

"100,000 francs too dear," repeated Manoel.

"And if his excellency says this," said Beausire, "it must be his firm conviction, for he never bargains."

Boehmer was shaken. Nothing reassures a suspicious merchant so much as a customer who beats down the price. However, he said, after a minute's thought, "I cannot consent to a deduction which will make all the difference of loss or profit to myself and my partner."

Don Manoel, after hearing this translated, rose, and Beausire returned the case to the jeweler.

"I will, however, speak to M. Bossange about it," contained Boehmer. "I am to understand that his excellency offers 1,500,000 francs for the necklace."

"Yes, he never draws back from what he has said."

"But, monsieur, you understand that I must consult with my partner."

"Certainly, M. Boehmer."

"Certainly," repeated Don Manoel, after hearing this translated; "but I must have a speedy answer."

"Well, monseigneur, if my partner will accept the price, I will."

"Good."

"It then only remains, excepting the consent of M. Bossange, to settle the mode of payment."

"There will be no difficulty about that," said Beausire. "How do you wish to be paid?"

"Oh," said Boehmer, laughing, "if ready money be possible----"

"What do you call ready money?" said Beausire coldly.

"Oh, I know no one has a million and a half of francs ready to pay down," said Boehmer, sighing.

"Certainly not."

"Still, I cannot consent to dispense with some ready money."

"That is but reasonable." Then, turning to Manoel: "How much will your excellency pay down to M. Boehmer?"

"100,000 francs." Beausire repeated this.

"And when the remainder?" asked Boehmer.

"When we shall have had time to send to Lisbon."

"Oh!" said Boehmer, "we have a correspondent there, and by writing to him----"

"Yes," said Beausire, laughing ironically, "write to him, and ask if M. de Souza is solvent, and if her majesty be good for 1,400,000 francs."

"We cannot, sir, let this necklace leave France forever without informing the queen; and our respect and loyalty demand that we should once more give her the refusal of it."

"It is just," said Manoel, with dignity. "I should wish a Portuguese merchant to act in the same way."

"I am very happy that monseigneur approves of my conduct. Then all is settled, subject only to the consent of M. Bossange, and the reiterated refusal of her majesty. I ask three days to settle these two points."

"On one side," said Beausire, "100,000 francs down, the necklace to be placed in my hands, who will accompany you to Lisbon, to the honor of your correspondents, who are also our bankers. The whole of the money to be paid in three months."

"Yes, monseigneur," said Boehmer, bowing.

Manoel returned it, and the jeweler took leave.

When they were alone, Manoel said angrily to Beausire, "Please to explain what the devil you mean by this journey to Portugal? Are you mad? Why not have the jewels here in exchange for our money?"

"You think yourself too really ambassador," replied Beausire; "you are not yet quite M. de Souza to this jeweler."

"If he had not thought so he would not have treated."

"Agreed; but every man in possession of 1,500,000 francs holds himself above all the ambassadors in the world; and every one who gives that value in exchange for pieces of paper wishes first to know what the papers are worth."

"Then you mean to go to Portugal--you, who cannot speak Portuguese properly? I tell you, you are mad."

"Not at all; you shall go yourself, if you like."

"Thank you," said Don Manoel. "There are reasons why I would rather not return to Portugal."

"Well, I tell you, M. Boehmer would never give up the diamonds for mere papers."

"Papers signed Souza?"

"I said you thought yourself a real Souza."

"Better say at once that we have failed," said Manoel.

"Not at all. Come here, captain," said Beausire to the valet; "you know what we are talking of?"

"Yes."

"You have listened to everything?"

"Certainly."

"Very well; do you think I have committed a folly?"

"I think you perfectly right."

"Explain why."

"M. Boehmer would, on the other plan, have been incessantly watching us, and all connected with us. Now, with the money and the diamonds both in his hands, he can have no suspicion, but will set out quietly for Portugal, which, however, he will never reach. Is it not so, M. Beausire?"

"Ah, you are a lad of discernment!"

"Explain your plan," said Manoel.

"About fifty leagues from here," said Beausire, "this clever fellow