marie antoinette and her son-第25章

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Madame　de　Boulainvillier；　that　the　peasant　of　Valois　was　in
possession　of　family　papers；　according　to　which　it　was
unquestionable　that　he　was　an　illegitimate　descendant　of　the　old
royal　family。

The　good　priest　at　the　same　time　recommended　the　poor；　hungry
children　of　the　day…laborer　Valois　to　the　kindness　of　Madame　de
Boulainvillier；　and　the　old　lady　hastened　to　comply　with　this
recommendation。　She　had　the　daughter　of　Valois　called　to　her　to　ask
her　how　she　could　assist　her　in　her　misery。〃

〃Say　rather　to　gain　for　herself　the　credit　that　she　had　shown
kindnesses　to　the　descendants　of　the　Kings　of　France；〃　interrupted
the　countess；　quickly。

〃This　would　have　been　a　sorry　credit；〃　replied　President　L'Aigre。
〃The　Valois　family　had　for　a　long　time　been　extinct；　and　the　last
man　of　that　name　who　is　known；　was　detected　in　counterfeiting；
sentenced；　and　executed。　Your　grandfather　was　an　illegitimate　son　of
the　counterfeiter　Valois。　That　is　the　sum　total　of　your　relation　to
the　royal　family　of　France。　It　is　possible　that　upon　this　very　chair
on　which　you　now　sit；　accused　of　this　act　of　deception；　your　natural
great…grandfather　once　sat；　accused　like　you　of　an　act　of　deception；
in　order；　after　conviction　of　his　crime；　to　be　punished　according　to
the　laws　of　France。〃

The　countess　made　a　motion　as　if　she　wanted　to　rise　from　the
unfortunate　seat；　but　instantly　the　heavy　hand　of　the　officer　was
laid　upon　her　shoulder；　and　his　threatening　voice　said；　〃Sit　still；
or　I　put　on　the　chains！〃

The　Countess　Lamotte…Valois　of　France　sank　back　with　a　loud　sob　upon
the　chair；　and　for　the　first　time　a　death…like　paleness　diffused
itself　over　her　hitherto　rosy　cheeks。

〃So　Madame　de　Boulainvillier　had　the　children　of　the　day…laborer
Valois　called；〃　continued　the　president；　with　his　imperturbable
self…possession。　〃The　oldest　daughter；　a　girl　of　twelve　years；
pleased　her　in　consequence　of　her　lively　nature　and　her　attractive
exterior。　She　took　her　to　herself；　she　gave　her　an　excellent
education；　she　was　resolved　to　provide　for　her　whole　future；　when
one　day　the　young　Valois　disappeared　from　the　chateau　of　Madame　de
Boulainvillier。　She　had　eloped　with　the　sub…lieutenant；　Count
Lamotte；　and　announced　to　her　benefactress；　in　a　letter　which　she
left　behind；　that　she　was　escaping　from　the　slavery　in　which　she　had
hitherto　lived；　and　that　she　left　her　curse　to　those　who　wanted　to
hinder　her　marrying　the　man　of　her　choice。　But　in　order　to
accomplish　her　marriage；　she　confessed　that　she　had　found　it
necessary　to　rob　the　casket　of　Madame　de　Boulainvillier；　and　that
out　of　this　money　she　should　defray　her　expenses。　It　was　a　sum　of
twenty　thousand　francs　which　the　fugitive　had　robbed　from　her
benefactress。〃

〃I　take　the　liberty　of　remarking　to　you；　Mr。　President；　that　you　are
there　making　use　of　a　totally　false　expression；〃　interrupted　the
countess。　〃It　cannot　be　said　that　I　robbed　this　sum。　It　was　the
dowry　which　Madame　de　Boulainvillier　had　promised　to　give　me　in　case
of　my　marriage；　and　I　only　took　what　was　my　own；　as　I　was　upon　the
point　of　marrying。　Madame　de　Boulainvillier　herself　justified　me　in
taking　this　sum；　for　she　never　asked　me　to　return　it　or　filed　an
accusation　against　me。〃

〃Because　she　wanted　to　prevent　the　matter　becoming　town…talk；〃
remarked　the　president；　quietly。　〃Madame　de　Boulainvillier　held　her
peace；　and　relinquished　punishment　to　the　righteous　Judge　who　lives
above　the　stars。〃

〃And　who　surely　has　not　descended　from　the　stars　to　assume　the
president's　chair　of　this　court；〃　cried　Lamotte；　with　a　mocking
laugh。

President　L'Aigre；　without　heeding　the　interruption；　continued：

〃The　daughter　of　the　laborer　Valois　married　the　sub…lieutenant
Lamotte；　who　lived　in　a　little　garrison　city　of　the　province；　and
sought　to　increase　his　meagre　salary　by　many　ingenious　devices。　He
not　merely　gave　instruction　in　fencing　and　riding；　but　he　was　also　a
very　skilful　card…playerso　skilful；　that　fortune　almost　always
accompanied　him。〃

〃My　lord；〃　cried　the　countess；　springing　up；〃　you　seem　to　want　to
hint　that　Count　Lamotte　played　a　false　game。　You　surely　would　not
venture　to　say　this　if　the　count　were　free；　for　he　would　challenge
you　for　this　insult；　and　it　is　well　known　that　his　stroke　is　fatal
to　those　who　stand　in　the　way　of　his　dagger。〃

〃I　hint　at　nothing；　and　I　merely　call　things　by　their　right　names；〃
replied　the　president；　smiling。　〃In　consequence　of　strong　suspicions
of　false　play；　Count　Lamotte　was　driven　out　of　his　regiment；　and　as
the　young　pair　had　in　the　meantime　consumed　the　stolen　wedding…
money；　they　must　discover　some　new　way　of　making　a　living。　The　young
husband　repaired　to　the　south　of　France　to　continue　his　card…
playing；　the　young　wife；　having　for　her　fortune　her　youth　and　the
splendor　of　her　name；　repaired　to　Paris；　both　resolved　de　corriger
la　fortune　wherever　and　however　they　could。　〃This；　madame；〃
continued　the　president；　after　a　pause；　〃this　is　the　true　answer　to
my　question；　how　you　are　called；　and　who　you　are。〃

〃The　answer　is；　however；　not　yet　quite　satisfactory；〃　replied
Lamotte；　in　an　impudent　tone。　〃You　have　forgotten　to　add　that　I　am
the　friend　of　the　cardinal；　Prince　Louis　de　Rohan；　the　confidante
and　friend　of　Queen　Marie　Antoinette；　and　that　both　now　want　to　do
me　the　honor　to　make　me　their　bete　de　souffrance；　and　to　let　me
suffer　for　what　they　have　done　and　are　guilty　of。　My　whole　crime
lies　in　this；　that　I　helped　the　Queen　of　France　gain　the　jewels　for
which　her　idle　and　trivial　soul　longed；　that　I　helped　the　amorous
and　light…minded　cardinal　approach　the　object　of　his　love；　and
procured　for　him　an　interview　with　the　queen。　That　is　all　that　can
be　charged　upon　me；　I　procured　for　the　queen　the　fine　necklace　of
Messrs。　Bohmer　and　Bassenge；　I　gave　the　cardinal；　as　the　price　of　a
part　of　the　necklace；　a　tender　tete…a…tete　with　the　queen。　The
cardinal　will　not　deny　that　in　the　garden　of　Versailles　he　had　a
rendezvous　with　the　queen；　that　he　kissed　her　hand　and　received　a
rose　from　her；　and　the　queen　will　be　compelled　to　confess　in　the　end
that　the　necklace　is　in　her　possession。　What　blame　can　be　laid　on　me
for　this？〃

〃The　blame　of　deception；　of　defalcation；　of　forgery；　of　calumny；　of
theft；〃　replied　the　president；　with　solemn　earnestness。　〃You
deceived　Cardinal　de　Rohan　in　saying　that　you　knew　the　queen；　that
you　were　intimate　with　her；　that　she　honored　you　with　her
confidence。　You　forged；　or　got　some　one　to　forge；　the　handwriting　of
the　queen；　and　prepared　letters　which　you　gave　to　the　cardinal；
pretending　that　they　came　from　the　queen。　You　misused　the　devotion
of　the　cardinal　to　the　royal　family；　and　caused　his　eminence　to
believe　that　the　queen　desired　his　services　in　the　purchase　of　the
necklace；　and　after　the　cardinal；　full　of　pleasure；　had　been　able　to
do　a　service　to　the　queen；　had　treated　with　Bohmer　and　Bassenge；　had
paid　a　part　of　the　purchase　money；　and　gave　you　the　necklace　in
charge　to　be　put　into　the　queen's　hands；　you　were　guilty　of　theft；
for　the　queen　knows　nothing　of　the　necklace；　the　queen　never　gave
you　the　honor　of　an　audience；　the　queen　never　spoke　with　you；　and　no
one　of　the　queen's　companions　ever　saw　the　Countess　Lamotte。〃

〃That　means　they　disown　me；　they　all　disown　me！〃　cried　the　countess；
with　flaming　rage；　stamping　upon　the　floor　with　her　little　satin…
covered　foot。　〃But　the　truth　will　one　day　come　to　the　light。　The
cardinal　will　not　deny　that　the　queen　gave　him　a　rendezvous　at
Versailles；　that　she　thanked　him　personally　for　the　necklace　which
she　had　procured　through　his　instrumentality。〃

〃Yes；　the　truth　will　come　to　the　light；〃　answered　the　president。　〃I
summon　the　crown　attorney；　M。　de　Borillon；　to　present　the　charge
against　the　Countess　Lamotte…Valois。〃

On　this　the　attorney…general；　Borillon；　rose；　and　amid　the
breathless　silence　of　the　assembly　began　to　speak。　He　painted　the
countess　as　a　crafty；　skilful　adventuress；　who　had　come　to　Paris
with　the　determined　purpose　of　making　her　fortune　in　whatever　way　it
could　be　done。　He　then　spoke　of　the　destitution　in　which　she　had
lived　at　first；　of　the　begging　letters　which　she　addressed　to　all
people　of　di