from the memoirs of a minister of france-第48章

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　sense　and　judgment；　prepared　myself　for　a　serious　struggle；　judging　that　we　were　in　the　meshes　of　an　intrigue；　wherein　it　was　impossible　to　say　whether　the　Queen　figured　as　actor　or　dupe。　　The　passion　she　evinced　as　she　walked　to　and　fro　with　clenched　hands；　or　turned　now　and　again　to　dart　a　fiery　glance　at　the　Cordovan　curtain　that　hid　the　door；　was　so　natural　to　her　character　that　I　found　myself　leaning　to　the　latter　supposition。　　Still；　in　grave　doubt　what　part　Bassompierre　was　to　play；　I　looked　for　his　coming　as　anxiously　as　anyone。　　And　probably　the　King　shared　this　feeling；　but　he　affected　indifference；　and　continued　to　sit　over　the　fire　with　an　air　of　mingled　scorn　and　peevishness。

At　length　Bassompierre　entered；　and；　seeing　the　King；　advanced　with　an　open　brow　that　persuaded　me；　at　least；　of　his　innocence。　Attacked　on　the　instant；　however；　by　the　Queen；　and　taken　by　surprise；　as　it　were；　between　two　firesthough　the　King　kept　silence；　and　merely　shrugged　his　shouldershis　countenance　fell。　He　was　at　that　time　one　of　the　handsomest　gallants　about　the　Court；　thirty　years　old；　and　the　darling　of　women；　but　at　this　his　APLOMB　failed　him；　and　with　it　my　heart　sank　also。

〃Answer；　sir！　　answer！〃　　the　Queen　cried。　　〃And　without　subterfuge！　　Who　was　it；　sir；　whom　you　saw　come　from　the　forest　this　morning？〃

〃Madame？〃

〃In　one　word！〃

〃If　your　Majesty　will〃

〃I　will　permit　you　to　answer；〃　the　Queen　exclaimed。

〃I　saw　his　Majesty　return；〃　he　faltered〃and　M。　de　Sully。〃

〃Before　them！　　before　them！〃

〃I　may　have　been　mistaken。〃

〃Pooh；　man！〃　　the　Queen　cried　with　biting　contempt。　　〃You　have　told　it　to　half…a…dozen。　　Discretion　comes　a　little　late。〃

〃Well；　if　you　will；　madame；〃　he　said；　striving　to　assert　himself；　but　cutting　a　poor　figure；　〃I　fancied　that　I　saw　Madame　de　Conde　〃

〃Come　out　of　the　wood　ten　minutes　before　the　King？〃

〃It　may　have　been　twenty；〃　he　muttered。

But　the　Queen　cared　no　more　for　him。　　She　turned；　looking　superb　in　her　wrath；　to　the　King。　　〃Now；　sir！〃　　she　said。　　〃Am　I　to　bear　this？〃

〃Sweet！〃　　the　King　said；　governing　his　temper　in　a　way　that　surprised　me；　〃hear　reason；　and　you　shall　have　it　in　a　word。　　How　near　was　Bassompierre　to　the　lady　he　saw？〃

〃I　was　not　within　fifty　paces　of　her！〃　　the　favourite　cried　eagerly。

〃But　others　saw　her！〃　　the　Queen　rejoined　sharply。　　〃Madame　Paleotti；　who　was　with　the　gentleman；　saw　her　also；　and　knew　her。〃

〃At　a　distance　of　fifty　paces？〃　　the　King　said　drily。　　〃I　don't　attach　much　weight　to　that。〃　　And　then；　rising；　with　a　slight　yawn。　　〃Madame；〃　he　continued；　with　the　air　of　command　which　he　knew　so　well　how　to　assume；　〃for　the　present；　I　am　tired！　　If　Madame　de　Conde　is　here；　it　will　not　be　difficult　to　get　further　evidence　of　her　presence。　　If　she　is　at　Brussels；　that　fact；　too；　you　can　ascertain。　　Do　the　one　or　the　other；　as　you　please；　but；　for　to…day；　I　beg　that　you　will　excuse　me。〃

〃And　that；〃　the　Queen　cried　shrilly〃that　is　to　be〃

〃All；　madame！〃　　the　King　said　sternly。　　〃Moreover；　let　me　have　no　prating　outside　this　room。　　Grand…Master；　I　will　trouble　you。〃

And　with　these　words；　uttered　in　a　voice　and　with　an　air　that　silenced　even　the　angry　woman　before　us；　he　signed　to　me　to　follow　him；　and　went　from　the　room；　the　first　glance　of　his　eye　stilling　the　crowded　ante…chamber；　as　if　the　shadow　of　death　passed　with　him。　　I　followed　him　to　his　closet；　but；　until　he　reached　it；　had　no　inkling　of　what　was　in　his　thoughts。　　Then　he　turned　to　me。

〃Where　is　she？〃　　he　said　sharply。

I　stared　at　him　a　moment。　　〃Pardon；　said。　　〃Do　you　think　that　it　was　Madame　de　Conde？〃

〃Why　not？〃

〃She　is　in　Brussels。〃

〃I　tell　you　I　saw　her　this　morning！〃　　he　answered。　　〃Go；　learn　all　you　can！　　Find　her！　　Find　her！　　If　she　has　returned；　I　will　God　knows　what　I　will　do！〃　　he　cried；　in　a　voice　shamefully　broken。　〃Go；　and　send　Varennes　to　me。　　I　shall　sup　alone：　　let　no　one　wait。〃

I　would　have　remonstrated　with　him；　but　he　was　in　no　mood　to　bear　it；　and；　sad　at　heart；　I　withdrew；　feeling　the　perplexity；　which　the　situation　caused　me；　a　less　heavy　burden　than　the　pain　with　which　I　viewed　the　change　that　had　of　late　come　over　my　master；　converting　him　from　the　gayest　and　most　DEBONAIRE　of　men　into　this　morose　and　solitary　dreamer。　　Here；　had　I　felt　any　temptation　to　moralise　on　the　tyranny　of　passion；　was　the　occasion；　but；　as　the　farther　I　left　the　closet　behind　me　the　more　instant　became　the　crisis；　the　present　soon　reasserted　its　power。　　Reflecting　that　Henry；　in　this　state　of　uncertainty；　was　capable　of　the　wildest　acts；　and　that　not　less　was　to　be　feared　from　his　imprudence　than　from　the　Queen's　resentment；　I　cudgelled　my　brains　to　explain　the　RENCONTRE　of　the　morning；　but　as　the　courier；　whom　I　questioned；　confirmed　the　report　of　my　agents；　and　asseverated　most　confidently　that　he　had　left　Madame　in　Brussels；　I　was　flung　back　on　the　alternative　of　an　accidental　resemblance。　　This；　however；　which　stood　for　a　time　as　the　most　probable　solution；　scarcely　accounted　for　the　woman's　peculiar　conduct；　and　quite　fell　to　the　ground　when　La　Trape；　making　cautious　inquiries；　ascertained　that　no　lady　hunting　that　day　had　worn　a　yellow　feather。　　Again；　therefore；　I　found　myself　at　a　loss；　and　the　dejection　of　the　King　and　the　Queen's　ill…temper　giving　rise　to　the　wildest　surmises；　and　threatening　each　hour　to　supply　the　gossips　of　the　Court　with　a　startling　scandal；　the　issue　of　which　no　one　could　foresee；　I　went　so　far　as　to　take　into　my　confidence　MM。　Epernon　and　Montbazon；　but　with　no　result。

Such　being　my　state　of　mind；　and　such　the　suspense　I　suffered　during　two　days；　it　may　be　imagined　that　M。　Bassompierre　was　not　more　happy。　　Despairing　of　the　King's　favour　unless　he　could　clear　up　the　matter；　and　by　the　event　justify　his　indiscretion；　he　became　for　those　two　days　the　wonder；　and　almost　the　terror；　of　the　Court。　　Ignorant　of　what　he　wanted；　the　courtiers　found　only　insolence　in　his　mysterious　questions；　and　something　prodigious　in　an　activity　which　carried　him　in　one　day　to　Paris　and　back；　and　on　the　following　to　every　place　in　the　vicinity　where　news　of　the　fleeting　beauty　might　by　any　possibility　be　gained；　so　that　he　far　outstripped　my　agents；　who　were　on　the　same　quest。　　But　though　I　had　no　mean　opinion　of　his　abilities；　I　hoped　little　from　these　exertions；　and　was　proportionately　pleased　when；　on　the　third　day；　he　came　to　me　with　a　radiant　face　and　invited　me　to　attend　the　Queen　that　evening。

〃The　King　will　be　there；〃　he　said；　〃and　I　shall　surprise　you。　But　I　will　not　tell　you　more。　　Come！　　and　I　promise　to　satisfy　you。〃

And　that　was　all　he　would　say；　so　that；　finding　my　questions　useless；　and　the　man　almost　frantic　with　joy；　I　had　to　be　content　with　it；　and　at　the　Queen's　hour　that　evening　presented　myself　in　her　gallery；　which　proved　to　be　unusually　full。

Making　my　way　towards　her　in　some　doubt　of　my　reception；　I　found　my　worst　fears　confirmed。　　She　greeted　me　with　a　sneering　face；　and　was　preparing；　I　was　sure；　to　put　some　slight　upon　mea　matter　wherein　she　could　always　count　on　the　applause　of　her　Italian　servantswhen　the　entrance　of　the　King　took　her　by　surprise。　　He　advanced　up　the　gallery　with　a　listless　air；　and；　after　saluting　her；　stood　by　one　of　the　fireplaces　talking　to　Epernon　and　La　Force。　　The　crowd　was　pretty　dense　by　this　time；　and　the　hum　of　talk　filled　the　room　when；　on　a　sudden；　a　voice；　which　I　recognised　as　Bassompierre's；　was　lifted　above　it。

〃Very　well！〃　　be　cried　gaily；　〃then　I　appeal　to　her　Majesty。　　She　shall　decide；　mademoiselle！　　No；　no；　I　am　not　satisfied　with　your　claim！〃

The　King　looked　that　way　with　a　frown；　but　the　Queen　took　the　outburst　in　good　part。　　〃What　is　it；　M。　de　Bassompierre？〃　　she　said。　　〃What　am　I　to　decide？〃

〃To…day；　in　the　forest；　I　found　a　ring；　madame；〃　he　answered；　coming　forward。〃　　I　told　Mademoiselle　de　la　Force　of　my　discovery；　and　she　now　claims　the　ring。〃

〃I　once　had　a　ring　like　it；〃　cried　mademoiselle；　blushing　and　laughing。

〃A　sapphire　ring？〃　　Bassompierre　answered；　holding　his　hand　aloft。

〃Yes。〃

〃With　three　stones？〃

〃Yes；〃

〃Precisely；　mademoiselle！〃　　he　answered；　bowing。　　〃But　the　stones　in　this　ring　are　not　sapphires；　nor　are　there　three