CHAPTER LXXVIII.
THE PROCES-VERBAL.
When the king reentered his room he signed the order to consign M. deRohan to the Bastile. The Count de Provence soon came in and beganmaking a series of signs to M. de Breteuil, who, however willing, couldnot understand their meaning. This, however, the count did not care for,as his sole object was to attract the king's attention. He at lastsucceeded, and the king, after dismissing M. de Breteuil, said to him,"What was the meaning of all those signs you were making just now? Isuppose they meant something."
"Undoubtedly, but----"
"Oh, you are quite free to say or not."
"Sire, I have just heard of the arrest of M. de Rohan."
"Well, and what then? Am I wrong to do justice even on him?"
"Oh no, brother; I did not mean that."
"I should have been surprised had you not taken part somehow against thequeen. I have just seen her, and am quite satisfied."
"Oh, sire, God forbid that I should accuse her! The queen has no friendmore devoted than myself."
"Then you approve of my proceedings? which will, I trust, terminate allthe scandals which have lately disgraced our court."
"Yes, sire, I entirely approve your majesty's conduct, and I think allis for the best as regards the necklace----"
"Pardieu, it is clear enough. M. de Rohan has been making himself greaton a pretended familiarity with the queen; and conducting in her name abargain for the diamonds, and leaving it to be supposed that she hadthem. It is monstrous. And then these tales never stop at the truth, butadd all sorts of dreadful details which would end in a frightful scandalon the queen."
"Yes, brother, I repeat as far as the necklace is concerned you wereperfectly right."
"What else is there, then?"
"Sire, you embarrass me. The queen has not, then, told you?"
"Oh, the other boastings of M. de Rohan? The pretended correspondenceand interviews he speaks of? All that I know is, that I have the mostabsolute confidence in the queen, which she merits by the nobleness ofher character. It was easy for her to have told me nothing of all this;but she always makes an immediate appeal to me in all difficulties, andconfides to me the care of her honor. I am her confessor and herjudge."
"Sire, you make me afraid to speak, lest I should be again accused ofwant of friendship for the queen. But it is right that all should bespoken, that she may justify herself from the other accusations."
"Well, what have you to say?"
"Let me first hear what she told you?"
"She said she had not the necklace; that she never signed the receiptfor the jewels; that she never authorized M. de Rohan to buy them; thatshe had never given him the right to think himself more to her than anyother of her subjects; and that she was perfectly indifferent to him."
"Ah! she said that----?"
"Most decidedly."
"Then these rumors about other people----"
"What others?"
"Why, if it were not M. de Rohan, who walked with the queen----"
"How! do they say he walked with her?"
"The queen denies it, you say? but how came she to be in the park atnight, and with whom did she walk?"
"The queen in the park at night!"
"Doubtless, there are always eyes ready to watch every movement of aqueen."
"Brother, these are infamous things that you repeat, take care."
"Sire, I openly repeat them, that your majesty may search out thetruth."
"And they say that the queen walked at night in the park?"
"Yes, sire, tete-a-tete."
"I do not believe any one says it."
"Unfortunately I can prove it but too well. There are four witnesses:one is the captain of the hunt, who says he saw the queen go out twofollowing nights by the door near the kennel of the wolf-hounds; here ishis declaration signed."
The king, trembling, took the paper.
"The next is the night watchman at Trianon, who says he saw the queenwalking arm in arm with a gentleman. The third is the porter of the westdoor, who also saw the queen going through the little gate; he stateshow she was dressed, but that he could not recognize the gentleman, butthought he looked like an officer; he says he could not be mistaken, forthat the queen was accompanied by her friend, Madame de la Motte."
"Her friend!" cried the king, furiously.
"The last is from the man whose duty it is to see that all the doors arelocked at night. He says that he saw the queen go into the baths ofApollo with a gentleman."
The king, pale with anger and emotion, snatched the paper from the handsof his brother.
"It is true," continued the count, "that Madame de la Motte was outside,and that the queen did not remain more than an hour."
"The name of the gentleman?" cried the king.
"This report does not name him; but here is one dated the next day, by aforester, who says it was M. de Charny."
"M. de Charny!" cried the king. "Wait here; I will soon learn the truthof all this."