The Vicomte de Bragelonne

  CHAPTER XXXVII.

  MADAME.

  From the manner in which the king had dismissed the ambassadors, eventhe least clear-sighted persons belonging to the court had imagined warwould ensue. The ambassadors themselves, but slightly acquainted withthe king's domestic disturbances, had interpreted as directed againstthemselves the celebrated sentence: "If I be not master of myself, I, atleast, will be so of those who insult me." Happily for the destinies ofFrance and Holland, Colbert had followed them out of the king'spresence, for the purpose of explaining matters to them; but the twoqueens and Madame, who were perfectly aware of every particularcircumstance that had taken place in their several households, havingheard the remark so full of dark meaning, retired to their ownapartments in no little fear and chagrin. Madame, especially, felt thatthe royal anger might fall upon her; and, as she was brave andexceedingly proud, instead of seeking support and encouragement from thequeen-mother, she had returned to her own apartments, if not withoutsome uneasiness, at least without any intention of avoiding theencounter. Anne of Austria, from time to time at frequent intervals,sent messages to learn if the king had returned. The silence which thewhole palace preserved upon the matter, and upon Louise's disappearance,was indicative of a long train of misfortunes to all those who knew thehaughty and irritable humor of the king. But Madame remained perfectlyunmoved, in spite of all the flying rumors, shut herself up in herapartments, sent for Montalais, and, with a voice as calm as she couldpossibly command, desired her to relate all she knew about the eventitself. At the moment that the eloquent Montalais was concluding, withall kinds of oratorical precautions, and was recommending, if not inactual language, at least in spirit, that she should show a forbearancetoward La Valliere, M. Malicorne made his appearance to beg an audienceof Madame, on behalf of his majesty. Montalais's worthy friend bore uponhis countenance all the signs of the very liveliest emotion. It wasimpossible to be mistaken; the interview which the king requested wouldbe one of the most interesting chapters in the history of the hearts ofkings and of men. Madame was disturbed by her brother-in-law's arrival;she did not expect it so soon, nor had she, indeed, expected any directstep on Louis's part. Besides, all women who wage war successfully byindirect means, are invariably neither very skillful nor very strongwhen it becomes a question of accepting a pitched battle. Madame,however, was not one who ever drew back; she had the very oppositedefect or qualification, in whichever light it may be considered; shetook an exaggerated view of what constituted real courage; and thereforethe king's message, of which Malicorne had been the bearer, was regardedby her as the trumpet proclaiming the commencement of hostilities. She,therefore, boldly accepted the gage of battle. Five minutes afterwardthe king ascended the staircase. His color was heightened from havingridden hard. His dusty and disordered clothes formed a singular contrastwith the fresh and perfectly arranged toilet of Madame, who,notwithstanding her rouge, turned pale as the king entered her room.Louis lost no time in approaching the object of his visit: he sat down,and Montalais disappeared.

  "My dear sister," said the king, "you are aware that Mademoiselle de laValliere fled from her own room this morning, and that she has retiredto a cloister, overwhelmed by grief and despair." As he pronounced thesewords, the king's voice was singularly moved.

  "Your majesty is the first to inform me of it," replied Madame.

  "I should have thought that you might have learned it this morning,during the reception of the ambassadors," said the king.

  "From your emotion, sire, I imagined that something extraordinary hadhappened, but without knowing what."

  The king, with his usual frankness, went straight to the point. "Whyhave you sent Mademoiselle de la Valliere away?"

  "Because I had reason to be dissatisfied with her conduct," she replieddryly.

  The king became crimson, and his eyes kindled with a fire which itrequired all Madame's courage to support. He mastered his anger,however, and continued, "A stronger reason than that is surelyrequisite, for one so good and kind as you are, to turn away anddishonor, not only the young girl herself, but every member of herfamily as well. You know that the whole city has its eyes fixed upon theconduct of the female portion of the court. To dismiss a maid of honoris to attribute a crime to her--at the very least a fault. What crime,what fault has Mademoiselle de la Valliere been guilty of?"

  "Since you constitute yourself the protector of Mademoiselle de laValliere," replied Madame, coldly, "I will give you those explanationswhich I should have a perfect right to withhold from every one."

  "Even from the king!" exclaimed Louis, as, with a sudden gesture, hecovered his head with his hat.

  "You have called me your sister," said Madame, "and I am in my ownapartments."

  "It matters not," said the youthful monarch, ashamed at having beenhurried away by his anger; "neither you, nor any one else in thiskingdom, can assert a right to withhold an explanation in my presence."

  "Since that is the way you regard it," said Madame, in a hoarse, angrytone of voice, "all that remains for me to do is to bow submissively toyour majesty, and to be silent."

  "No; let there be no equivocation between us."

  "The protection with which you surround Mademoiselle de la Valliere doesnot impose any respect."

  "No equivocation, I repeat. You are perfectly aware that, as head of thenobility of France, I am accountable to all for the honor of everyfamily: you dismiss Mademoiselle de la Valliere, or whoever else it maybe--" Madame shrugged her shoulders.

  "Or whoever else it may be, I repeat," continued the king; "and as, inacting in that manner, you cast a dishonorable reflection upon thatperson, I ask you for an explanation, in order that I may confirm orannul the sentence."

  "Annul my sentence!" exclaimed Madame, haughtily. "What! when I havedischarged one of my attendants, do you order me to take her backagain?" The king remained silent.

  "This would cease to be an excess of power merely, sire; it would beindecorous and unseemly."

  "Madame!"

  "As a woman, I should revolt against an abuse so insulting to me; Ishould no longer be able to regard myself as a princess of your blood, adaughter of a monarch; I should be the meanest of creatures, more humbleand disgraced than the servant I had sent away."

  The king rose from his seat with anger. "It cannot be a heart," hecried, "you have beating in your bosom; if you act in such a way withme, I may have reason to act with similar severity."

  It sometimes happens that in a battle a chance ball may reach its mark:the observation which the king had made, without any particularintention, struck Madame home, and staggered her for a moment; some dayor other she might indeed have reason to dread reprisals.

  "At all events, sire," she said, "explain what you require."

  "I ask, madame, what has Mademoiselle de la Valliere done to warrantyour conduct toward her?"

  "She is the most cunning fomenter of intrigues I know; she was theoccasion of two personal friends engaging in mortal combat, and has madepeople talk of her in such shameless terms that the whole court isindignant at the mere sound of her name."

  "She! she!" cried the king.

  "Under her soft and hypocritical manner," continued Madame, "she hides adisposition full of foul and dark deceit."

  "She!"

  "You may possibly be deceived, sire, but I know her right well: she iscapable of creating dispute and misunderstanding between the mostaffectionate relatives and the most intimate friends. You see that shehas already sown discord between us two."

  "I do assure you--" said the king.

  "Sire, look well into the case as it stood: we were living on the mostfriendly understanding, and, by the artfulness of her tales andcomplaints, she has set your majesty against me."

  "I swear to you," said the king, "that on no occasion has a bitter wordever passed her lips: I swear that, even in my wild bursts of passion,she would never allow me to menace any one; and I swear, too, that youdo not possess a more devoted and respectful friend than s
he is."

  "Friend!" said Madame, with an expression of supreme disdain.

  "Take care, madame!" said the king: "you forget that you now understandme, and that from this moment everything is equalized. Mademoiselle dela Valliere will be whatever I may choose her to become; and to-morrow,if I were to determine to do so, I could seat her on a throne."

  "She will not have been born to a throne, at least; and whatever you maydo can affect the future alone, but cannot affect the past."

  "Madame, toward you I have shown every kind consideration, and everyeager desire to please you; do not remind me that I am master here."

  "That is the second time, sire, that you have made that remark, and Ihave already informed you I am ready to submit."

  "In that case, then, will you confer upon me the favor of receivingMademoiselle de la Valliere back again?"

  "For what purpose, sire, since you have a throne to bestow upon her? Iam too insignificant to protect so exalted a personage."

  "Nay; a truce to this bitter and disdainful spirit. Grant me herforgiveness."

  "Never!"

  "You drive me, then, to open warfare in my own family."

  "I, too, have my own family, where I can find refuge."

  "Do you mean that as a threat, and could you forget yourself so far? Doyou believe that, if you push the affront to that extent, your familywould encourage you?"

  "I hope, sire, that you will not force me to take any step which wouldbe unworthy of my rank."

  "I hoped that you would remember our friendship, and that you wouldtreat me as a brother."

  Madame paused for a moment. "I do not disown you for a brother," shesaid, "in refusing your majesty an injustice."

  "An injustice!"

  "Oh, sire! if I informed others of La Valliere's conduct; if the queenknew--"

  "Come, come, Henriette, let your heart speak. Remember that you haveloved me; remember, too, that human hearts should be as merciful as theheart of our sovereign master. Do not be inflexible with others; forgiveLa Valliere."

  "I cannot; she has offended me."

  "But for my sake."

  "Sire, for your sake I would do anything in the world, except that."

  "You will drive me to despair--you compel me to turn to the lastresource of weak people, and seek counsel of my angry and wrathfuldisposition."

  "I advise you to be reasonable."

  "Reasonable! I can be so no longer."

  "Nay, sire, I pray you--"

  "For pity's sake, Henriette; it is the first time, I have entreated anyone, and I have, no hope in any one but in you."

  "Oh, sire, you are weeping!"

  "From rage, from humiliation!--that I, the king, should have beenobliged to descend to entreaty! I shall hate this moment during my wholelife. You have made me suffer in one moment more distress and moredegradation of feeling than I could have anticipated in the greatestextremity in life." And the king rose and gave free vent to his tears,which, in fact, were tears of anger and of shame.

  Madame was not touched exactly--for the best women, when their pride ishurt, are without pity; but she was afraid that the tears the king wasshedding might possibly carry away every soft and tender feeling in hisheart. "Give what commands you please, sire," she said; "and since youprefer my humiliation to your own--although mine is public, and yourshas been witnessed but by myself alone--speak, I will obey yourmajesty."

  "No no, Henriette!" exclaimed Louis, transported with gratitude, "youwill have yielded to a brother's wishes."

  "I no longer have any brother, since I obey."

  "Will you accept my kingdom in grateful acknowledgment?"

  "How passionately you love, sire, when you do love!"

  He did not answer. He had seized upon Madame's hand and covered it withkisses. "And so you will receive this poor girl back again, and willforgive her; you will find how gentle and pure-hearted she is."

  "I will maintain her in my household."

  "No, you will give her your friendship, my sister."

  "I have never liked her."

  "Well, for my sake you will treat her kindly, will you not, Henriette?"

  "I will treat her as your mistress."

  The king rose suddenly to his feet. By this word, which had sounfortunately escaped her lips, Madame had destroyed the whole merits ofher sacrifice. The king felt freed from all obligation. Exasperatedbeyond measure, and bitterly offended, he replied:

  "I thank you, madame; I shall never forget the service you have renderedme." And, saluting her with an affectation of ceremony, he took hisleave of her. As he passed before a glass, he saw that his eyes werered, and angrily stamped his foot on the ground. But it was too late,for Malicorne and D'Artagnan, who were standing at the door, had seenhis eyes.

  "The king has been crying," thought Malicorne. D'Artagnan approached theking with a respectful air, and said in a low tone of voice:

  "Sire, it would be better to return to your own apartments by the smallstaircase."

  "Why?"

  "Because the dust of the road has left its traces on your face," saidD'Artagnan. "By Heaven!" he thought, "when the king has been giving waylike a child, let those look to it who may make her weep for whom theking has shed tears."