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

it were possible."

"I shall be ready whenever you require me."

Andree retired to make her preparations. Soon she received this note from Philippe:


"You can see our father at five o'clock this evening. You must be
prepared for reproaches, but an adieu is indispensable."


She answered:


"At five o'clock I will be with M. de Taverney all ready to start,
and by seven we can be at St. Denis, if you will give me up your
evening."



CHAPTER LV.

THE MINISTER OF FINANCE.

We have seen that the queen, before receiving Andree, was smiling over a note from Madame de la Motte. She was, however, rendered serious by the interview with Mademoiselle de Taverney. Scarcely had she gone, when Madame de Misery came to announce M. de Calonne. He was a man of much intellect, but, foreseeing that disaster was hanging over France, determined to think only of the present, and enjoy it to the utmost. He was a courtier, and a popular man. M. de Necker had shown the impossibility of finding finances, and called for reforms which would have struck at the estates of the nobility and the revenues of the clergy; he exposed his designs too openly, and was overwhelmed by a torrent of opposition; to show the enemy your plan of attack is half to give them the victory. Calonne, equally alive to the danger, but seeing no way of escape, gave way to it. He completely carried with him the king and queen, who implicitly believed in his system, and this is, perhaps, the only political fault which Louis XVI was guilty of towards posterity. M. de Calonne was handsome, and had an ingratiating manner; he knew how to please a queen, and always arrived with a smile on his face, when others might have worn a frown.

The queen received him graciously, and said, "Have we any money, M. de Calonne?"

"Certainly, madame; we have always money."

"You are perfectly marvelous," replied she, "an incomparable financier, for you seem always ready when we want money."

"How much does your majesty require?"

"Explain to me first how you manage to find money, when M. Necker declared that there was none."

"M. Necker was right, madame; for when I became minister on the 3d of November, 1783, there were but one thousand and two hundred francs in the public treasury. Had M. Necker, madame, instead of crying out, 'There is no money,' done as I have done, and borrowed 100,000,000 the first year, and 125,000,000 the second, and had he been as sure as I am of a new loan of 80,000,000 for the third, he would have been a true financier. Every one can say there is no money, but not that there is plenty."

"That is what I compliment you on, sir; but how to pay all this?"

"Oh, madame, be sure we shall pay it," replied he, with a strange smile.

"Well, I trust to you," said the queen.

"I have now a project, madame," replied he, bowing, "which will put 20,000,000 into the pockets of the nation, and 7,000,000 or 8,000,000 into your own."

"They will be welcome, but where are they to come from?"

"Your majesty is aware that money is not of the same value in all the countries of Europe."

"Certainly. In Spain gold is dearer than in France."

"Your majesty is perfectly right. Gold in Spain has been for the last five or six years worth considerably more than in France; it results that the exporters gain on eight ounces of gold, that they send from here, about the value of fourteen ounces of silver."

"That is a great deal."

"Well, madame, I mean to raise the price of gold one-fifth of this difference, and where we have now thirty louis we shall then have thirty-two."

"It is a brilliant idea!" cried the queen.

"I believe it, and am happy that it meets your majesty's approbation."

"Always have such, and I am sure you will soon pay our debts."

"But allow me, madame, to return to what you want of me," said the minister.

"Would it be possible to have at present--I am afraid it is too much----"

Calonne smiled in an encouraging manner.

"500,000 francs?" continued the queen.

"Oh, madame, really your majesty frightened me; I was afraid it was something great."

"Then you can?"

"Assuredly."

"Without the king's knowledge?"

"Oh, madame, that is impossible. Every month all my accounts are laid before the king; however, he does not always read them."

"When can I have it?"

"What day does your majesty wish for it?"

"On the fifth of next month."

"Your majesty shall have it on the third."

"Thanks, M. de Calonne."

"My greatest happiness is to please your majesty, and I beg you never will allow yourself to be embarrassed for want of money." He rose, the queen gave him her hand to kiss, and then said, "After all, this money causes me some remorse, for it is for a caprice."

"Never mind; some one will gain by it."

"That is true; you have a charming mode of consoling one."

"Oh, madame, if we had none of us more reasons for remorse than you, we should all go straight to heaven."

"But it will be cruel to make the poor people pay for my caprices."

"Have no scruples, madame; it is not the poor who will pay."

"How so?" asked the queen, in some surprise.

"Because, madame, they have nothing to pay with."

He bowed and retired.


CHAPTER LVI.

THE CARDINAL DE ROHAN.

Hardly had M. de Calonne traversed the gallery, when Madame de la Motte was shown in to the queen.

"Madame," said she, "the cardinal is here." She then introduced him, and took her leave.

The cardinal, finding himself alone with the queen, bowed respectfully, without raising his eyes.

"Monsieur," said the queen, "I have heard of you what has effaced many wrongs."

"Permit me, madame," said he, trembling with real emotion, "to assure your majesty that these wrongs of which you speak I could explain in a few words."

"I do not forbid you to justify yourself," replied she, with dignity; "but if what you are about to say throws the smallest shade upon my family or country, you will only wound me still more. Let us leave this subject; and I will only see you under the fresh light, which shows you to me obliging, respectful, and devoted."

"Devoted until death," replied he.

"But," said Marie Antoinette, with a smile, "at present it is a question not of death, but of ruin; and I do not wish you devoted even so far. You shall live, and not be ruined, at least, not by me; for they say you are ruining yourself."

"Madame!"

"Oh! that is your own business; only, as a friend, I would counsel you to be economical--the king would like you better."

"I would become a miser to please your majesty."

"Oh, the king," replied she, with an accent on the word, "does not love misers either."

"I will become whatever your majesty desires," replied he, with a hardly-disguised passion.

"I said, then," continued she, "that you shall not be ruined for me. You have advanced money on my account, and I have the means of meeting the calls; therefore, regard the affair for the future as in my hands."

"To finish it, then, it only remains for me to offer the necklace to your majesty;" and drawing out the case, he presented it to her.

She took it, but did not open it, and laid it down by her side. She received kindly all his polite speeches, but as she was longing to be left alone with her diamonds, she began to answer somewhat absently.

He thought she was embarrassed, and was delighted, thinking it showed, at least, an absence of indifference. He then kissed her hand, and took leave, going away full of enthusiasm and hope.

Jeanne was waiting for him in the carriage, and received his ardent protestations with pleasure. "Well," said she, "shall you be Richelieu or Mazarin? Have her lips given you encouragement in ambition or love? Are you launched in politics or intrigue?"

"Do not laugh, dear countess; I am full of happiness."

"Already!"

"Assist me, and in three weeks I may be a minister."

"Peste! that is a long time; the next payment is in a fortnight."

"Ah! the queen has money, and will pay, and I shall have only the merit of the intention. It is too little; I would willingly have paid for this reconciliation with the whole sum."

"Make yourself easy," replied the countess; "you shall have this merit if you desire it."

"I should have preferred it; the queen would then have been under an obligation to me."

"Monseigneur, something tells me you will have this satisfaction. Are you prepared for it?"

"I have mortgaged all my revenue for the ensuing year."

"Then you have the money?"

"Certainly, for this payment; after that, I do not know what I shall do."

"Oh, this payment will give you three quiet months; who knows what may happen in three months?"

"That is true; but she said that the king wished me to incur no more debt."

"Two months in the ministry would set all straight."

"Countess!"

"Oh, do not be fastidious; if you do not assist yourself, others will."

"You are right. Where are you going now?"

"Back to the queen, to hear what she says of your interview."

"Good! I go to Paris."

"Why? You should go this evening to the 'jeu du roi;' it is good policy to keep your ground."

"No, countess; I must attend a rendezvous, for which I received a note this morning."

"A rendezvous?"

"Yes, and a serious one, by the contents of the note. Look."

"A man's writing," said the countess; and, opening the note, she read:


"MONSEIGNEUR,--Some one wishes to see you about raising an
important sum of money. This person will wait on you this evening,
at Paris, to solicit the honor of an interview."


"Anonymous--some beggar?"

"No, countess; no beggar would expose himself to the risk of being beaten by my servants. Besides, I fancy I have seen the writing before. So au revoir, countess."

"Apropos, monseigneur, if you are going to get a windfall, some large sum, I understand we are to share."

"Countess, you have brought me luck; I shall not be ungrateful." And they separated.

The cardinal was full of happy dreams: the queen had received him kindly. He would place himself at the head of her party, and make it a popular one; he would protect her, and for her sake would abandon his slothful life, and live an active one.

As soon as he arrived at his hotel, he commenced burning a box full of love-letters; then he called his steward to order some economical reforms, and sat down to his history of English politics. Soon he heard a ring, and a servant entered to announce the person who had written to him that morning.

"Ask his name," said the cardinal.

The man, having inquired, returned and said:

"M. le Comte de Cagliostro."

"Let him come in."