CHAPTER XXXII.
A SNARE.
The next day, about seven o'clock in the morning, at the time when theking rose, an usher entered his majesty's room and announced that hisroyal highness, Monseigneur le Duc d'Orleans, solicited the honor ofassisting at his toilet. Louis XV., who was not yet accustomed to decideanything for himself, turned toward Monsieur de Frejus, who was seatedin the least conspicuous corner of the room, as if to ask what he shouldsay; and to this mute question Monsieur de Frejus not only made a signwith his head signifying that it was necessary to receive his royalhighness, but rose and went himself to open the door. The regent stoppeda minute on the doorstep to thank Fleury, then having assured himself bya rapid glance round the room that the Marshal de Villeroy had not yetarrived, he advanced toward the king.
Louis XV. was at this time a pretty child of nine or ten years of age,with long chestnut hair, jet-black eyes, and a mouth like a cherry, anda rosy complexion like that of his mother, Mary of Savoy, duchesse deBurgundy, but which was liable to sudden paleness. Although hischaracter was already very irresolute, thanks to the contradictoryinfluences of the double government of the Marshal de Villeroy andMonsieur de Frejus, he had something ardent in his face which stampedhim as the great-grandson of Louis XIV.; and he had a trick of puttingon his hat like him. At first, warned against the Duc d'Orleans as theman in all France from whom he had most to fear, he had felt thatprejudice yield little by little during the interviews which they hadhad together, in which, with that juvenile instinct which so rarelydeceives children, he had recognized a friend.
On his part, it must be said that the Duc d'Orleans had for the king,beside the respect which was his due, a love the most attentive and themost tender. The little business which could be submitted to his youngmind he always presented to him with so much clearness and talent, thatpolitics, which would have been wearisome with any one else, became arecreation when pursued with him, so that the royal child always saw hisarrival with pleasure. It must be confessed that this work was almostalways rewarded by the most beautiful toys which could be found, andwhich Dubois, in order to pay his court to the king, imported fromGermany and England. His majesty therefore received the regent with hissweetest smile, and gave him his little hand to kiss with a peculiargrace, while the archbishop of Frejus, faithful to his system ofhumility, had sat down in the same corner where he had been surprised bythe arrival of the regent.
"I am very glad to see you, monsieur," said Louis XV. in a sweet littlevoice, from which even the etiquette which they imposed upon him couldnot entirely take away all grace; "and all the more glad to see you fromits not being your usual hour. I presume that you have some good news totell me."
"Two pieces, sire," answered the regent; "the first is, that I have justreceived from Nuremberg a chest which seems to me to contain--"
"Oh, toys! lots of toys! does it not, Monsieur le Regent?" cried theking, dancing joyously, and clapping his hands, regardless of hisvalet-de-chambre who was waiting for him, and holding the little swordwith a cut-steel handle which he was going to hang in the king's belt."Oh, the dear toys! the beautiful toys! how kind you are! Oh! how I loveyou, Monsieur le Regent!"
"Sire, I only do my duty," answered the Duc d'Orleans, bowingrespectfully, "and you owe me no thanks for that."
"And where is it, monsieur? Where is this pretty chest?"
"In my apartments, sire; and if your majesty wishes it brought here, Iwill send it during the course of the day, or to-morrow morning."
"Oh! no; now, monsieur; now, I beg."
"But it is at my apartments."
"Well, let us go to your apartments," cried the child, running to thedoor, and forgetting that he wanted, in order to complete his toilet,his little sword, his little satin jacket, and his cordon-bleu.
"Sire," said Frejus, advancing, "I would remark that your majestyabandons yourself too entirely to the pleasure caused by the possessionof things that you should already regard as trifles."
"Yes, monsieur; yes, you are right," said Louis XV., making an effort tocontrol himself; "but you must pardon me; I am only ten years old, and Iworked hard yesterday."
"That is true," said Monsieur de Frejus; "and so your majesty willemploy yourself with the toys when you have asked Monsieur le Regentwhat the other piece of news which he came to bring you is."
"Ah! yes. By-the-by, what is the second affair?"
"A work which will be profitable to France, and which is of so muchimportance that I think it most necessary to submit it to your majesty."
"Have you it here?" asked the king.
"No, sire; I did not expect to find your majesty so well inclined towork, and I left it in my study."
"Well," said Louis XV., turning half toward Monsieur de Frejus, halftoward the regent, and looking at both of them with an imploring eye,"cannot we reconcile all that? Instead of taking my morning walk, I willgo and see these beautiful Nuremberg toys, and when we have seen them wewill pass into your study and work."
"It is against etiquette, sire," answered the regent, "but if yourmajesty wishes it--"
"Oh, I do wish it! That is," added he, turning and looking at Frejus sosweetly that there was no resisting it, "if my good preceptor permitsit."
"Does Monsieur de Frejus see anything wrong in it?" said the regent,turning toward Fleury, and pronouncing these words with an accent whichshowed that the preceptor would wound him deeply by refusing therequest which his royal pupil made him.
"No, monseigneur," said Frejus; "quite the contrary. It is well that hismajesty should accustom himself to work; and if the laws of etiquetteare a little violated, that violation will bring about a happy resultfor the people. I only ask of monseigneur the permission to accompanyhis majesty."
"Certainly, monsieur," said the regent, "with the greatest pleasure."
"Oh, how good! how kind!" cried Louis XV. "Quick! my sword, my jacket,my cordon-bleu. Here I am, Monsieur le Regent;" and he advanced to takethe regent's hand. But instead of allowing that familiarity, the regentbowed, and, opening the door, signed to the king to precede him,following three or four paces behind, hat in hand, together with Frejus.
The king's apartments, situated on the ground floor, were level withthose of the Duc d'Orleans, and were only separated by an antechamber,opening into the king's rooms, and a gallery leading from thence to theantechamber of the regent. The distance was short, therefore, and--asthe king was in haste to arrive--they found themselves in an instant ina large study, lighted by four windows, all forming doors, which openedinto the garden. This large study led to a smaller one, where the regentgenerally worked, and where he brought his most intimate friends and hisfavorites. All his highness's court was in attendance--a very naturalcircumstance, since it was the hour for rising. The king, however, didnot notice either Monsieur d'Artagnan, captain of the Gray Musketeers,or the Marquis de Lafare, captain of the Guards, or a very considerablenumber of the Light Horse, who were drawn up outside the windows. It istrue that on a table in the middle of the room, he had seen the welcomechest, whose monstrous size had, in spite of the chilling exhortation ofMonsieur de Frejus, caused him to give a cry of joy.
However, he was obliged to contain himself, and receive the homage ofMonsieur d'Artagnan and Monsieur de Lafare; meanwhile the regent hadcalled two valets-de-chambre, who quickly opened the lid, and displayedthe most splendid collection of toys which had ever dazzled the eyes ofa king of nine years old. At this tempting sight, the king forgot alikeperceptor, guards, and Gray Musketeers. He hastened toward this paradisewhich was opened to him, and, as from an inexhaustible mine, he drew outsuccessively locks, three-deckers, squadrons of cavalry, battalions ofinfantry, pedlars with their packs, jugglers with their cups; in fact,all those wonders, which, on Christmas eve, turn the heads of allchildren beyond the Rhine; and that, with such undisguised transports ofjoy, that Monsieur de Frejus himself respected his royal pupil'shappiness. The assistants watched him with that religious silence whichsurrounds great griefs or gr
eat joys. While this silence was the mostprofound, a violent noise was heard in the antechamber, the door wasopened, an usher announced the Duke de Villeroy, and the marshalappeared, loudly demanding to see the king. As they were, however,accustomed to such proceedings, the regent merely pointed to hismajesty, who was still continuing to empty the chest, covering thefurniture and floor with the splendid toys.
The marshal had nothing to say; he was nearly an hour late; the king waswith Monsieur Frejus, but he approached him, grumbling, and throwinground him glances, which appeared to say that he was there ready toprotect his majesty from all danger.
The regent exchanged glances with D'Artagnan and Lafare; every thingwent well.
The chest was emptied--and, after having allowed the king to enjoy foran instant the sight of all his treasures--the regent approached him,and, still hat in hand, recalled to his mind the promise he had made todevote an hour to the consideration of State affairs.
Louis XV., with that scrupulousness which afterward led him to declarethat punctuality was the politeness of kings, threw a last glance overhis toys; and then merely asking permission to have them removed to hisapartments, advanced toward the little study, and the regent opened thedoor. Then, according to their different characters, Monsieur de Fleury,under pretext of his dislike of politics, drew back, and sat down in acorner, while the marshal darted forward, and, seeing the king enter thestudy tried to follow him. This was the moment that the regent hadimpatiently expected.
"Pardon, marshal," said he, barring the passage; "but I wish to speak tohis majesty on affairs which demand the most absolute secrecy, andtherefore I beg for a short tete-a-tete."
"Tete-a-tete!" cried Villeroy; "you know, monseigneur, that it isimpossible."
"And why impossible?" asked the regent, calmly.
"Because, as governor to his majesty, I have the right of accompanyinghim everywhere."
"In the first place, monsieur," replied the regent, "this right does notappear to me to rest on any very positive proof, and if I have till nowtolerated--not this right, but this pretension--it is because the age ofthe king has hitherto rendered it unimportant; but now that his majestyhas nearly completed his tenth year, and that I am permitted to commenceinstructing him on the science of government, in which I am hisappointed preceptor, you will see that it is quite right that I, as wellas Monsieur de Frejus and yourself, should be allowed some hours oftete-a-tete with his majesty. This will be less painful to you to grant,marshal," added the regent, with a smile, the expression of which it wasimpossible to mistake, "because, having studied these matters so muchyourself, it is impossible that you can have anything left to learn."
"But, monsieur," said the marshal, as usual forgetting his politeness ashe became warm, "I beg to remind you that the king is my pupil."
"I know it, monsieur," said the regent, in the same tone; "make of hismajesty a great captain, I do not wish to prevent you. Your campaigns inItaly and Flanders prove that he could not have a better master; but,at this moment it is not a question of military science, but of a Statesecret, which can only be confided to his majesty; therefore, again Ibeg to speak to the king in private."
"Impossible, monseigneur!" cried the marshal.
"Impossible!" replied the regent; "and why?"
"Why?" continued the marshal; "because my duty is not to lose sight ofthe king for a moment, and because I will not permit it."
"Take care, marshal," interrupted the Duc d'Orleans, haughtily: "you areforgetting your proper respect toward me."
"Monseigneur," continued the marshal, becoming more and more angry, "Iknow the respect which I owe to your royal highness, and I also knowwhat I owe to my charge, and to the king, and for that reason I will notlose sight of his majesty for an instant, inasmuch as--"
The duke hesitated.
"Well, finish," said the regent.
"Inasmuch as I answer for his person," said the marshal.
At this want of all restraint, there was a moment's silence, duringwhich nothing was heard but the grumblings of the marshal, and thestifled sighs of Monsieur de Fleury.
As to the Duc d'Orleans, he raised his head with a sovereign air ofcontempt, and, taking that air of dignity which made him, when he chose,one of the most imposing princes in the world:
"Monsieur de Villeroy," said he, "you mistake me strangely, it appears,and imagine that you are speaking to some one else; but since you forgetwho I am, I must endeavor to remind you. Marquis de Lafare," continuedhe, addressing his captain of the guards, "do your duty."
Then the Marshal de Villeroy, seeing on what a precipice he stood,opened his mouth to attempt an excuse, but the regent left him no timeto finish his sentence, and shut the door in his face.
The Marquis de Lafare instantly approached the marshal, and demandedhis sword. The marshal remained for an instant as if thunderstruck. Hehad for so long a time been left undisturbed in his impertinence that hehad begun to think himself invincible. He tried to speak, but his voicefailed him, and, on the second, and still more imperative demand, hegave up his sword. At the same moment a door opens, and a chair appears;two musketeers push the marshal into it--it is closed. D'Artagnan andLafare place themselves at each side, and the prisoner is carried offthrough the gardens. The Light Horse follow, and, at a considerable andincreasing speed they descend the staircase, turn to the left, and enterthe orangery. There the suite remain, and the chair, its porters, andtenant, enter a second room, accompanied only by Lafare and D'Artagnan.The marshal, who had never been remarkable for sang-froid, thoughthimself lost.
"Gentlemen," cried he, turning pale, while perspiration and powder randown his face, "I hope I am not going to be assassinated!"
"No, no, make yourself easy," said Lafare, while D'Artagnan could nothelp laughing at his ridiculous figure--"something much more simple, andinfinitely less tragic."
"What is it, then?" asked the marshal, whom this assurance rendered alittle more easy.
"There are two letters, monsieur, which you were to have given to theking this morning, and which you must have in one of your pockets."
The marshal, who, till that moment, in his anxiety about himself, hadforgotten Madame de Maine's affairs, started, and raised his hands tothe pocket where the letters were.
"Your pardon," said D'Artagnan, stopping his hand, "but we areauthorized to inform you--in case you should feel inclined to removethese letters--that the regent has copies of them."
"I may add," said Lafare, "that we are authorized to take them by force,and are absolved in advance from all accidents that may happen in such astruggle."
"And you assure me," said the marshal, "that the regent has copies ofthese letters?"
"On my word of honor," said D'Artagnan.
"In this case," replied Villeroy, "I do not see why I should prevent youfrom taking these letters, which do not regard me in the least, andwhich I undertook to deliver to oblige others."
"We know it," said Lafare.
"But," added the marshal, "I hope you will inform his royal highness ofthe ease with which I submitted to his orders, and of my regret forhaving offended him."
"Do not doubt it; all will be reported as it has passed. But theseletters?"
"Here they are, monsieur," said the marshal, giving two letters toLafare.
Lafare assured himself by the seals that they were really the letters hewas in search of. "My dear D'Artagnan," said he, "now conduct themarshal to his destination, and give orders, in the name of the regent,that he is to be treated with every respect."
The chair was closed, and the porters carried it off. At the gate of thegardens a carriage with six horses was waiting, in which they placed themarshal, who now began to suspect the trap which had been laid for him.D'Artagnan seated himself by him, an officer of musketeers and DuLibois, one of the king's gentlemen, opposite; and with twentymusketeers at each side, and twelve following, the carriage set off at agallop. Meanwhile, the Marquis of Lafare returned to the chateau withthe two letters in his hand.