CHAPTER XXI.
THE ORDER OF THE HONEY-BEE.
At the appointed day and hour, that is to say, six weeks after hisdeparture from the capital, and at four o'clock in the afternoon,D'Harmental, returning from Brittany, entered the courtyard of thePalace of Sceaux, with his post horses going at full gallop. Servants infull livery waited on the door-step, and everything announcedpreparations for a fete. D'Harmental entered, crossed the hall, andfound himself in a large room, where about twenty people were assembled,standing in groups talking, while waiting for the mistress of the house.
There were, among others, the Comte de Laval, the Marquis de Pompadour,the poet St. Genest, the old Abbe Chaulieu, St. Aulaire, Madame deRohan, Madame de Croissy, Madame de Charost, and Madame de Brissac.
D'Harmental went straight to the Marquis de Pompadour, the one out ofall this noble and intelligent society with whom he was best acquainted.They shook hands. Then D'Harmental, drawing him aside, said:
"My dear marquis, can you tell me how it is that where I expected tofind only a dull political assembly I find preparations for a fete?"
"Ma foi! I do not know, my dear chevalier," replied Pompadour, "and I amas astonished as you are. I have just returned from Normandy myself."
"Ah! you also have just arrived?"
"This instant I asked the same question of Laval, but he has justarrived from Switzerland, and knows no more than we do."
At this moment the Baron de Valef was announced.
"Ah, pardieu! now we shall know," continued Pompadour. "Valef is sointimate with the duchesse he will be able to tell us."
Valef, recognizing them, came toward them.
D'Harmental and Valef had not seen each other since the day of the duelwith which this story opened, so that they met with pleasure; then,after exchanging compliments--
"My dear Valef," said D'Harmental, "can you tell me what is the meaningof this great assembly, when I expected to find only a selectcommittee?"
"Ma foi! I do not know anything of it," said Valef, "I have just comefrom Madrid."
"Every one has just arrived from somewhere," said Pompadour, laughing."Ah! here is Malezieux, I hope he has been no further than Dombes orChatenay; and as at any rate he has certainly passed through Madame deMaine's room we shall have some news at last."
At these words Pompadour made a sign to Malezieux, but the worthychancellor was so gallant that he must first acquit himself of his dutytoward the ladies. After he had bowed to them, he came toward the group,among which were Pompadour, D'Harmental, and Valef.
"Come, my dear Malezieux," said Pompadour, "we are waiting for you mostimpatiently. We have just arrived from the four quarters of the globe,it appears. Valef from the south, D'Harmental from the west, Laval fromthe east, I from the north, you from I do not know where; so that weconfess that we are very curious to know what we are going to do here atSceaux."
"You have come to assist at a great solemnity, at the reception of a newknight of the order of the honey-bee."
"Peste!" said D'Harmental, a little piqued that they should not haveleft him time to go to the Rue du Temps-Perdu before coming to Sceaux;"I understand now why Madame de Maine told us to be so exact to therendezvous; as to myself, I am very grateful to her highness."
"First of all you must know, young man," interrupted Malezieux, "thatthere is no Madame de Maine nor highness in the question. There is onlythe beautiful fairy Ludovic, the queen of the bees, whom every one mustobey blindly. Our queen is all-wise and all-powerful, and when you knowwho is the knight we are to receive you will not regret your diligence."
"And who is it?" asked Valef, who, arriving from the greatest distance,was naturally the most anxious to know why he had been brought home.
"His excellency the Prince de Cellamare."
"Ah!" said Pompadour, "I begin to understand."----"And I," said Valef.
"And I," said D'Harmental.
"Very well," said Malezieux, smiling; "and before the end of the eveningyou will understand still better; meanwhile, do not try to see further.It is not the first time you have entered with your eyes bandaged,Monsieur d'Harmental?"
At these words, Malezieux advanced toward a little man, with a flatface, flowing hair, and a discontented expression. D'Harmental inquiredwho it was, and Pompadour replied that it was the poet Lagrange-Chancel.The young men looked at the new-comer with a curiosity mixed withdisgust; then, turning away, and leaving Pompadour to advance toward theCardinal de Polignac, who entered at this moment, they went into theembrasure of a window to talk over the occurrences of the evening.
The order of the honey-bee had been founded by Madame de Maine, aproposof the Italian motto which she had adopted at her marriage: "Littleinsects inflict large stings."
This order had, like others, its decorations, its officers, and itsgrand-master. The decoration was a medal, representing on one side ahive, and on the other the queen-bee: it was hung by a lemon-coloredribbon, and was worn by every knight whenever he came to Sceaux. Theofficers were Malezieux, St. Aulaire, the Abbe Chaulieu, and St. Genest.Madame de Maine was grand-master.
It was composed of thirty-nine members, and could not exceed thisnumber. The death of Monsieur de Nevers had left a vacancy which was tobe filled by the nomination of the Prince de Cellamare. The fact was,that Madame de Maine had thought it safer to cover this politicalmeeting with a frivolous pretext, feeling sure that a fete in thegardens at Sceaux would appear less suspicious in the eyes of Dubois andMessire Voyer d'Argenson than an assembly at the Arsenal. Thus, as willbe seen, nothing had been forgotten to give its old splendor to theorder of the honey-bee.
At four o'clock precisely, the time fixed for the ceremony, the doors ofthe room opened, and they perceived, in a salon hung with crimson satin,spangled with silver bees, the beautiful fairy Ludovic seated on athrone raised on three steps. She made a gesture with her golden wand,and all her court, passing into the salon, arranged themselves in a halfcircle round her throne, on the steps of which the dignitaries of theorder placed themselves.
After the initiation of the Prince de Cellamare as a knight of thehoney-bee, a second door was opened, displaying a room brilliantlylighted, where a splendid supper was laid. The new knight of the orderoffered his hand to the fairy, and conducted her to the supper-roomfollowed by the assistants.
The entertainment was worthy of the occasion, and the flow of wit whichso peculiarly characterized the epoch was well sustained. As the hourbegan to draw late, the Duchesse de Maine rose and announced thathaving received an excellent telescope from the author of "The Worlds,"she invited her company to study astronomy in the garden.