CHAPTER LIX.
MARIE ANTOINETTE AS QUEEN, AND MADAME DE LA MOTTE AS WOMAN.
The courier despatched for Madame de la Motte, not finding her at home,went to the hotel of the Cardinal de Rohan to inquire if she were there.
The well-tutored Swiss replied that she was not, but that he could getany message transmitted to her.
The courier, therefore, left word for her to come to the queen as soonas possible. The man had hardly left the door before the message wasdelivered to Jeanne as she sat at supper with the cardinal. She set offimmediately, and was at once introduced into the queen's chamber.
"Oh!" cried the queen on seeing her, "I have something to tell you. Theking has refused me 500,000 francs."
"Mon Dieu!" murmured the countess.
"Incredible, is it not? He struck through the item; but it is useless totalk of it; you must return to Paris, and tell the cardinal that sincehe is so kind I accept the 500,000 francs he offered me. It is selfish,I know, but what can I do?"
"Oh! madame!" cried Jeanne, "we are lost--the cardinal no longer has themoney."
The queen started.
"No money!" stammered she.
"No, madame; an unexpected creditor claimed this money from him. It wasa debt of honor, and he paid it."
"The whole 500,000 francs?
"Yes, madame."
"And he has no more?"
"No, madame, he told me this an hour and a half ago, and confessed to methat he had no other resources."
The queen leaned her head on her hands; then, after a few moments'reflection, she said:
"This, countess, is a terrible lesson for me, and a punishment forhaving done anything, great or small, without the king's knowledge. Itwas a folly; I had no need of this necklace."
"True, madame; but if the queen consulted only her absolute wants----"
"I must consult before everything the tranquillity and happiness of myhousehold. I renounce forever what has begun with so much annoyance. Iwill sacrifice my vanity on the altar of duty, as M. de Provence wouldsay; and beautiful as this necklace is, you shall carry it back to MM.Boehmer and Bossange."
"Carry it back?"
"Yes."
"But, madame, your majesty has already given 100,000 francs for it."
"Well, I shall gain all the rest that was to have been paid for it."
"But, madame, they will not like to return your money."
"I give it up on condition of their breaking the contract. Now,countess, that I have come to this determination, I feel at ease oncemore. This necklace brought with it cares and fears; diamonds cannotcompensate for these. Take it away, countess; the jewelers must besatisfied; they will have their necklace, and 100,000 francs into thebargain."
"But M. de Rohan?"
"He only acted to give me pleasure, and when he is told it is mypleasure, not to have the necklace, he will understand me, I am sure;and if he is a good friend, he will approve and strengthen me in mysacrifice." Saying these words, the queen held out the casket to Jeanne.
She did not take it. "Why not ask for time, madame?"
"No, countess, it is humiliation. One may humiliate one's self for aperson one loves, to save a living creature, were it only a dog; butonly to keep some sparkling stones--never, countess; take it away."
"But, madame, it will surely become known that your majesty has had thejewels, and was obliged to return them."
"No one will know anything about it. The jewelers will surely hold theirtongues for 100,000 francs. Take it away, countess, and thank M. deRohan for his good-will towards me. There is no time to lose; go as soonas possible, and bring me back a receipt for them."
"Madame, it shall be done as you wish."
She first drove home, and changed her dress, which was too elegant for avisit to the jewelers. Meanwhile she reflected much; she thought stillit was a fault for M. de Rohan to allow the queen to part with thesejewels; and should she obey her orders without consulting him, would henot have reason to complain? Would he not rather sell himself than letthe queen return them? "I must consult him," she thought; "but, afterall, he never can get the money." She then took the necklace from thecase, once more to look at and admire it. "1,600,000 francs in mypossession; true, it is but for an hour. To carry away such a sum ingold I should want two horses, yet how easily I hold it here! But I mustdecide. Shall I go to the cardinal, or take it direct to the jewelers,as the queen ordered? And the receipt--in what form shall I get it, soas not to compromise the queen, the cardinal, or myself? Shall Iconsult---- Ah! if he loved me more, and could give me the diamonds."
She sat down again and remained nearly an hour in deep thought. Thenshe rose, with a strange look in her eyes, and rang the bell with adetermined air.
She ordered a coach, and in a few minutes she reached the house of thejournalist, M. Reteau de Villette.