The blow had been the more painful on account of its being unexpected.It was some time before the marquise recovered herself; but oncerecovered, she began to reflect upon the events so heartlessly announcedto her. She therefore returned, at the risk even of losing her life inthe way, to that train of ideas which her relentless friend hadforced her to pursue. Treason, then--deep menaces, concealed underthe semblance of public interest--such were Colbert's maneuvers. Adetestable delight at an approaching downfall, untiring efforts toattain this object, means of seduction no less wicked than the crimeitself--such were the weapons Marguerite employed. The crooked atoms ofDescartes triumphed; to the man without compassion was united awoman without heart. The marquise perceived, with sorrow rather thanindignation, that the king was an accomplice in the plot which betrayedthe duplicity of Louis XIII. in his advanced age, and the avarice ofMazarin at a period of life when he had not had the opportunity ofgorging himself with French gold. The spirit of this courageouswoman soon resumed its energy, no longer overwhelmed by indulgence incompassionate lamentations. The marquise was not one to weep when actionwas necessary, nor to waste time in bewailing a misfortune as long asmeans still existed of relieving it. For some minutes she buried herface in her cold fingers, and then, raising her head, rang for herattendants with a steady hand, and with a gesture betraying a fixeddetermination of purpose. Her resolution was taken.
"Is everything prepared for my departure?" she inquired of one of herfemale attendants who entered.
"Yes, madame; but it was not expected that your ladyship would leave forBelliere for the next few days."
"All my jewels and articles of value, then, are packed up?"
"Yes, madame; but hitherto we have been in the habit of leaving them inParis. Your ladyship does not generally take your jewels with you intothe country."
"But they are all in order, you say?"
"Yes, in your ladyship's own room."
"The gold plate?"
"In the chest."
"And the silver plate?"
"In the great oak closet."
The marquise remained silent for a few moments, and then said calmly,"Let my goldsmith be sent for."
Her attendants quitted the room to execute the order. The marquise,however, had entered her own room, and was inspecting her casket ofjewels with the greatest attention. Never, until now, had she bestowedsuch close attention upon riches in which women take so much pride;never, until now, had she looked at her jewels except for the purpose ofmaking a selection, according to their settings or their colors. On thisoccasion, however, she admired the size of the rubies and the brilliancyof the diamonds; she grieved over every blemish and every defect; shethought the gold light, and the stones wretched. The goldsmith, as heentered, found her thus occupied. "M. Faucheux," she said, "I believeyou supplied me with my gold service?"
"I did, your ladyship."
"I do not now remember the amount of the account."
"Of the new service, madame, or of that which M. de Belliere presentedto you on your marriage? for I have furnished both."
"First of all, the new one."
"The covers, the goblets, and the dishes, with their covers, theeau-epergne, the ice-pails, the dishes for the preserves, and the teaand coffee urns, cost your ladyship sixty thousand francs."
"No more?"
"Your ladyship thought the account very high."
"Yes, yes; I remember, in fact, that it was dear; but it was theworkmanship, I suppose?"
"Yes, madame; the designs, the chasings--all new patterns."
"What proportion of the cost does the workmanship form? Do not hesitateto tell me."
"A third of its value, madame."
"There is the other service, the old one, that which belonged to myhusband?"
"Yes, madame; there is less workmanship in that than in the other. Itsintrinsic value does not exceed thirty thousand francs."
"Thirty thousand," murmured the marquise. "But, M. Faucheux, there isalso the service which belonged to my mother; all that massive platewhich I did not wish to part with, on account of the associationsconnected with it."
"Ah! madame, that would indeed be an excellent resource for those who,unlike your ladyship, might not be in a position to keep their plate. Inchasing that they worked in solid metal. But that service is no longerin fashion. Its weight is its only advantage."
"That is all I care about. How much does it weigh?"
"Fifty thousand livres at the very least. I do not allude to theenormous vases for the buffet, which alone weigh five thousand livres,or ten thousand the pair."
"One hundred and thirty," murmured the marquise. "You are quite sure ofyour figures, M. Faucheux?"
"Positive, madame. Besides, there is no difficulty in weighing them."
"The amount is entered in my books."
"Your ladyship is extremely methodical, I am aware."
"Let us now turn to another subject," said Madame de, Belliere; and sheopened one of her jewel-boxes.
"I recognize these emeralds," said M. Faucheux; "for it was I who hadthe setting of them. They are the most beautiful in the whole court. No,I am mistaken; Madame de Chatillon has the most beautiful set; she hadthem from Messieurs de Guise; but your set madame, comes next."
"What are they worth?"
"Mounted?"
"No; supposing I wished to sell them."
"I know very well who would buy them," exclaimed M. Faucheux.
"That is the very thing I ask. They could be sold, then?"
"All your jewels could be sold, madame. It is well known that youpossess the most beautiful jewels in Paris. You are not changeable inyour tastes; when you make a purchase it is of the very best; and whatyou purchase you do not part with."
"What could these emeralds be sold for, then?"
"A hundred and thirty thousand francs."
The marquise wrote down upon her tablets the amount which the jewelermentioned. "The ruby necklace?" she said.
"Are they balas-rubies, madame?"
"Here they are."
"They are beautiful--magnificent. I did not know that your ladyship hadthese stones."
"What is their value?"
"Two hundred thousand francs. The center one is alone worth a hundredthousand."
"I thought so," said the marquise. "As for diamonds, I have them innumbers; rings, necklaces, sprigs, earrings, clasps. Tell me theirvalue, M. Faucheux."
The jeweler took his magnifying-glass and scales, weighed and inspectedthem, and silently made his calculations. "These stones," he said, "musthave cost your ladyship an income of forty thousand francs."
"You value them at eight hundred thousand francs?"
"Nearly so."
"It is about what I imagined---but the settings are not included?"
"No, madame; but if I were called upon to sell or to buy, I should besatisfied with the gold of the settings alone as my profit upon thetransaction. I should make a good twenty-five thousand francs."
"An agreeable sum."
"Very much so, madame."
"Will you accept that profit, then, on condition of converting thejewels into money?"
"But you do not intend to sell your diamonds, I suppose, madame?"exclaimed the bewildered jeweler.
"Silence, M. Faucheux, do not disturb yourself about that; give me ananswer simply. You are an honorable man, with whom my family has dealtfor thirty years; you knew my father and mother, whom your own fatherand mother served. I address you as a friend; will you accept the goldof the settings in return for a sum of ready money to be placed in myhands?"
"Eight hundred thousand francs! it is enormous."
"I know it."
"Impossible to find."
"Not so."
"But reflect, madame, upon the effect which will be produced by the saleof your jewels."
"No one need know it. You can get sets of false jewels made for me,similar to the real. Do not answer a word; I insist upon it. Sell themseparately, sell the stones only."
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"In that way it is easy. Monsieur is looking out for some sets ofjewels as well as single stones for Madame's toilette. There will bea competition for them. I can easily dispose of six hundred thousandfrancs' worth to Monsieur. I am certain yours are the most beautiful."
"When can you do so?"
"In less than three days' time."
"Very well, the remainder you will dispose of among private individuals.For the present, make me out a contract of sale, payment to be made infour days."
"I entreat you to reflect, madame; for if you force the sale, you willlose a hundred thousand francs."
"If necessary, I will lose two hundred; I wish everything to be settledthis evening. Do you accept?"
"I do, your ladyship. I will not conceal from you that I shall makefifty thousand francs by the transaction."
"So much the better for you. In what way shall I have the money?"
"Either in gold, or in bills of the bank of Lyons, payable at M.Colbert's."
"I agree," said the marquise, eagerly; "return home and bring the sum inquestion in notes, as soon as possible."
"Yes, madame, but for Heaven's sake----"
"Not a word, M. Faucheux. By the by, I was forgetting the silver plate.What is the value of that which I have?"
"Fifty thousand francs, madame."
"That makes a million," said the marquise to herself. "M. Faucheux, youwill take away with you both the gold and silver plate. I can assign, asa pretext, that I wish it remodelled on patterns more in accordance withmy own taste. Melt it down, and return me its value in money, at once."
"It shall be done, your ladyship."
"You will be good enough to place the money in a chest, and direct oneof your clerks to accompany the chest, and without my servants seeinghim; and order him to wait for me in a carriage."
"In Madame de Faucheux's carriage?" said the jeweler.
"If you will allow it, and I will call for it at your house."
"Certainly, your ladyship."
"I will direct some of my servants to convey the plate to your house."The marquise rung. "Let the small van be placed at M. Faucheux'sdisposal," she said. The jeweler bowed and left the house, directingthat the van should follow him closely, saying aloud that the marquisewas about to have her plate melted down in order to have other platemanufactured of a more modern style. Three hours afterwards she went toM. Faucheux's house and received from him eight hundred thousand francsin gold inclosed in a chest, which one of the clerks could hardlycarry towards Madame Faucheux's carriage--for Madame Faucheux kept hercarriage. As the daughter of a president of accounts, she had broughta marriage portion of thirty thousand crowns to her husband, who wassyndic of the goldsmiths. These thirty thousand crowns had become veryfruitful during twenty years. The jeweler, though a millionaire, was amodest man. He had purchased a substantial carriage, built in 1648,ten years after the king's birth. This carriage, or rather houseupon wheels, excited the admiration of the whole quarter in which heresided--it was covered with allegorical paintings, and clouds scatteredover with stars. The marquise entered this somewhat extraordinaryvehicle, sitting opposite the clerk, who endeavored to put his kneesout of the way, afraid even of touching the marquise's dress. It wasthe clerk, too, who told the coachman, who was very proud of having amarquise to drive, to take the road to Saint-Mande.
CHAPTER 103. The Dowry