CHAPTER XL.
TWO AMBITIONS THAT WISH TO PASS FOR TWO LOVES.
When Jeanne returned to her pretty little house in the faubourg, it wasstill early; so she took a pen and wrote a few rapid lines, enclosedthem in a perfumed envelope, and rang the bell. "Take this letter toMonseigneur the Cardinal de Rohan," said she.
In five minutes the man returned.
"Well," said Madame de la Motte, impatiently, "why are you not gone?"
"Just as I left the house, madame, his eminence came to the door. I toldhim I was about to go to his hotel with a letter from you; he read it,and is now waiting to come in."
"Let him enter," said the countess.
Jeanne had been thinking all the way home of the beautiful necklace, andwishing it was hers. It would be a fortune in itself.
The cardinal entered. He also was full of desires and ambitions, whichhe wished to hide under the mask of love.
"Ah, dear Jeanne," said he, "you have really become so necessary to methat I have been gloomy all day knowing you to be so far off. But youhave returned from Versailles?"
"As you see, monseigneur."
"And content?"
"Enchanted."
"The queen received you, then?"
"I was introduced immediately on my arrival."
"You were fortunate. I suppose, from your triumphant air, that she spoketo you."
"I passed three hours in her majesty's cabinet."
"Three hours! You are really an enchantress whom no one can resist. Butperhaps you exaggerate. Three hours!" he repeated; "how many things aclever woman like you might say in three hours!"
"Oh, I assure you, monseigneur, that I did not waste my time."
"I dare say that in the whole three hours you did not once think of me."
"Ungrateful man!"
"Really!" cried the cardinal.
"I did more than think of you; I spoke of you."
"Spoke of me! to whom?" asked the prelate, in a voice from which all hispower over himself could not banish some emotion.
"To whom should it be but to the queen?"
"Ah, dear countess, tell me about it. I interest myself so much in allthat concerns you, that I should like to hear the most minute details."
Jeanne smiled. She knew what interested the cardinal as well as he didhimself. Then she related to him all the circumstances which had sofortunately made her, from a stranger, almost the friend and confidantof the queen.
Scarcely had she finished, when the servant entered to announce supper.
Jeanne invited the cardinal to accompany her.
He gave her his arm, and they went in together.
During supper, the cardinal continued to drink in long draughts of loveand hope from the recitals which Jeanne kept making to him from time totime. He remarked also, with surprise, that, instead of making herselfsought like a woman that knows that you have need of her, she had thrownoff all her former pride, and only seemed anxious to please him. She didthe honors of her table as if she had all her life mixed in the highestcircles; there was neither awkwardness nor embarrassment.
"Countess," said he at length, "there are two women in you."
"How so?"
"One of yesterday, and another of to-day."
"And which does your excellency prefer?"
"I do not know, but at least the one of this evening is a Circe--asomething irresistible."
"And which you will not attempt to resist, I hope, prince as you are."
The cardinal imprinted a long kiss on her hand.