CHAPTER XLI.
THE THREE VISITS.
On arriving at the Arsenal Bathilde asked for Mademoiselle de Launay,who--at her request--led her at once to Madame de Maine.
"Ah, it is you, my child!" said the duchess, with a distracted air andvoice; "it is well to remember one's friends when they are inmisfortune."
"Alas, madame!" replied Bathilde, "I come to your royal highness tospeak of one still more unfortunate. Doubtless you may have lost some ofyour titles, some of your dignities, but their vengeance will stop, forno one would dare to attack the life, or even the liberty, of the son ofLouis XIV., or the granddaughter of the great Conde."
"The life, no; but the liberty, I will not answer for it. Do you knowthat that idiot of an Abbe Brigaud has got arrested three days ago atOrleans, dressed as a peddler, and--on false revelations, which theyrepresented to him as coming from me--has confessed all, and compromisedus terribly, so that I should not be astonished at being arrested thisvery day?"
"He for whom I come to implore your pity, madame, has revealed nothing,but, on the contrary, is condemned to death for having kept silence."
"Ah! my dear child," cried the duchess, "you speak of poor D'Harmental;he is a gentleman; you know him, then?"
"Alas!" said Mademoiselle de Launay, "not only Bathilde knows him, butshe loves him."
"Poor child! but what can I do? I can do nothing: I have no influence.For me to attempt anything in his favor would be to take away from himthe last hope remaining."
"I know it, madame," said Bathilde, "and I only ask of your highness onething; it is, that, through some of your friends or acquaintances, I maygain admission to Monseigneur the Regent. The rest lies with me."
"My child, do you know what you are asking?" inquired the duchess. "Doyou know that the regent respects no one? Do you know--that you arebeautiful as an angel, and still more so from your present paleness? Doyou know--"
"Madame," said Bathilde, with dignity, "I know that my father saved hislife, and died in his service."
"Ah, that is another thing," said the duchess; "stay, De Launay, callMalezieux."
Mademoiselle de Launay obeyed, and a moment afterward the faithfulchancellor entered.
"Malezieux," said the duchess, "you must take this child to the Duchessede Berry, with a recommendation from me. She must see the regent, and atonce; the life of a man depends upon it--it is that of D'Harmental, whomI would myself give so much to save."
"I go, madame," said Malezieux.
"You see, my child," said the duchess, "I do all I can for you; if I canbe useful to you in any other way--if, to prepare his flight, or toseduce a jailer, money is needed, I have still some diamonds, whichcannot be better employed than in saving the life of so brave agentleman. Come, lose no time, go at once to my niece; you know that sheis her father's favorite."
"I know, madame," said Bathilde, "that you are an angel, and, if Isucceed, I shall owe you more than my life."
"Come, De Launay," continued Madame de Maine, when Bathilde was gone,"let us return to our trunks."
Bathilde, accompanied by Malezieux, arrived at the Luxembourg in twentyminutes. Thanks to Malezieux, Bathilde entered without difficulty; shewas conducted into a little boudoir, where she was told to wait whilethe chancellor should see her royal highness, and inform her of thefavor they came to ask.
Malezieux acquitted himself of the commission with zeal, and Bathildehad not waited ten minutes when she saw him return with the Duchesse deBerry. The duchess had an excellent heart, and she had been greatlymoved by Malezieux' recital, so that, when she appeared, there was nomistaking the interest she already felt in the young girl who came tosolicit her protection. Bathilde came to her, and would have fallen ather feet, but the duchess took her by the hand, and kissing her on theforehead--
"My poor child," said she, "why did you not come to me a week ago?"
"And why a week ago rather than to-day, madame?" asked Bathilde, withanxiety.
"Because a week ago I should have yielded to none the pleasure of takingyou to my father, and that now is impossible."
"Impossible! and why?" cried Bathilde.
"Do you not know that I am in complete disgrace since the day beforeyesterday? Alas! princess as I am, I am a woman like you, and like you Ihave had the misfortune to love. We daughters of the royal race, youknow, may not dispose of our hearts without the authority of the kingand his ministers. I have disposed of my heart, and I have nothing tosay, for I was pardoned; but I disposed of my hand, and I am punished.See, what a strange thing! They make a crime of what in any one elsewould have been praised. For three days my lover has been my husband,and for three days, that is to say, from the moment when I could presentmyself before my father without blushing, I am forbidden his presence.Yesterday my guard was taken from me; this morning I presented myself atthe Palais Royal and was refused admittance."
"Alas!" said Bathilde, "I am unhappy, for I had no hope but in you,madame, and I know no one who can introduce me to the regent. And it isto-morrow, madame, at eight o'clock, that they will kill him whom I loveas you love M. de Riom. Oh, madame, take pity on me, for if you do not,I am lost!"
"Mon Dieu! Riom, come to our aid," said the duchess, turning to herhusband, who entered at this moment; "here is a poor child who wants tosee my father directly, without delay; her life depends on theinterview. Her life! What am I saying? More than her life--the life of aman she loves. Lauzun's nephew should never be at a loss; find us ameans, and, if it be possible, I will love you more than ever."
"I have one," said Riom, smiling.
"Oh, monsieur," cried Bathilde, "tell it me, and I will be eternallygrateful."
"Oh, speak!" said the Duchesse de Berry, in a voice almost as pressingas Bathilde's.
"But it compromises your sister singularly."
"Which one?"
"Mademoiselle de Valois."
"Aglae! how so?"
"Do you not know that there exists a kind of sorcerer, who has the powerof appearing before her day or night, no one knows how?"
"Richelieu? it is true!" cried the Duchesse de Berry; "but--"
"But what, madame?"
"He will not, perhaps--"
"I will beg him so that he will take pity on me," said Bathilde;"besides, you will speak a word for me, will you not? He will not dareto refuse what your highness asks."
"We will do better than that," said the duchess. "Riom, call Madame deMouchy, beg her to take mademoiselle herself to the duke. Madame deMouchy is my first lady-in-waiting," said the duchess, turning toBathilde, "and it is supposed that the Duc de Richelieu owes her somegratitude. You see, I could not choose you a better introductress."
"Oh, thanks, madame," cried Bathilde, kissing the duchess's hands, "youare right, and all hope is not yet lost. And you say that the Duc deRichelieu has a means of entering the Palais Royal?"
"Stay, let us understand each other. I do not say so, report says so."
"Oh!" cried Bathilde, "if we only find him at home!"
"That is a chance; but yet, let me see, what time is it? scarcely eighto'clock. He will probably sup in town, and return to dress. I will tellMadame de Mouchy to wait for him with you. Will you not," said she,turning to the lady-in-waiting, who now entered, "wait for the duke tillhe returns?"
"I will do whatever your highness orders," said Madame de Mouchy.
"Well, I order you to obtain from the Duc de Richelieu a promise thatmademoiselle shall see the regent, and I authorize you to use, for thispurpose, whatever influence you may possess over him."
"Madame goes a long way," said Madame de Mouchy, smiling.
"Never mind, go and do what I tell you; and you, my child, take courage,follow madame, and if, on your road in life, you hear much harm of theDuchesse de Berry, whom they anathematize, tell them that I have a goodheart, and that, in spite of all these excommunications, I hope thatmuch will be forgiven me, because I have loved much. Is it not so,Riom?"
"I do not know, madame," sai
d Bathilde, "whether you are well or illspoken of, but I know that to me you seem so good and great that I couldkiss the trace of your footsteps."
"Now go, my child; if you miss M. de Richelieu you may not know where tofind him, and may wait for him uselessly."
"Since her highness permits it, come, then, madame," said Bathilde, "forevery minute seems to me an age."
A quarter of an hour afterward, Bathilde and Madame de Mouchy were atRichelieu's hotel. Contrary to all expectation, he was at home. Madamede Mouchy entered at once, followed by Bathilde. They found Richelieuoccupied with Raffe, his secretary, in burning a number of uselessletters, and putting some others aside.
"Well, madame," said Richelieu, coming forward with a smile on his lips,"what good wind blows you here? And to what event do I owe the happinessof receiving you at my house at half-past eight in the evening?"
"To my wish to enable you to do a good action, duke."
"In that case, make haste, madame."
"Do you leave Paris this evening?"
"No, but I am going to-morrow morning--to the Bastille."
"What joke is this?"
"I assure you it is no joke at all to leave my hotel, where I am verycomfortable, for that of the king, where I shall be just the reverse. Iknow it, for this will be my third visit."
"What makes you think you will be arrested to-morrow?"
"I have been warned."
"By a sure person?"
"Judge for yourself."
And he handed a letter to Madame de Mouchy, who took it and read--
"Innocent or guilty you have only time to fly. The regent has just saidaloud before me that at last he has got the Duc de Richelieu. To-morrowyou will be arrested."
"Do you think the person in a position to be well informed?"
"Yes, for I think I recognize the writing."
"You see, then, that I was right in telling you to make haste. Now, ifit is a thing which may be done in the space of a night, speak, I am atyour orders."
"An hour will suffice."
"Speak, then; you know I can refuse you nothing."
"Well," said Madame de Mouchy, "the thing is told in a few words. Do youintend this evening to go and thank the person who gave you thisadvice?"
"Probably," said the duke, laughing.
"Well, you must present mademoiselle to her."
"Mademoiselle!" cried the duke, astonished, and turning toward Bathilde,who till then had remained hidden in the darkness, "and who ismademoiselle?"
"A young girl who loves the Chevalier d'Harmental--who is to be executedto-morrow, as you know, and whose pardon she wishes to ask from theregent."
"You love the Chevalier d'Harmental, mademoiselle?" said the duke,addressing Bathilde.
"Oh, monsieur!" stammered Bathilde, blushing.
"Do not conceal it, mademoiselle. He is a noble young man, and I wouldgive ten years of my own life to save him. And do you think you have anymeans of interesting the regent in his favor?"
"I believe so."
"It is well. I only hope it may be so. Madame," continued the duke,turning to Madame de Mouchy, "return to her royal highness and tell herthat mademoiselle shall see the regent in an hour."
"Oh, M. le Duc!" cried Bathilde.
"Decidedly, my dear Richelieu, I begin to think, as people say, that youhave made a compact with the devil; that you may pass through key-holes,and I confess I shall be less uneasy now, in seeing you go to theBastille."
"At any rate, you know, madame, that charity teaches us to visitprisoners, and if you retain any recollection of poor Armand--"
"Silence, duke, be discreet, and we will see what can be done for you.Meanwhile, you promise that mademoiselle shall see the regent?"
"It is a settled thing."
"Adieu, duke, and may the Bastille be easy to you."
"Is it adieu you say?"
"Au revoir!"
"That is right."
And having kissed Madame de Mouchy's hand he led her to the door; then,returning to Bathilde:
"Mademoiselle," said he, "what I am about to do for you compromises thereputation and honor of a princess of the blood, but the gravity of theoccasion demands some sacrifice. Swear to me, then, that you will nevertell, but to one person (for I know there are persons for whom you haveno secrets), swear that you will never tell any but him, and that noother shall ever know in what manner you came to the regent."
"Monsieur, I swear it by all I hold most sacred in the world--by mymother's memory."
"That will suffice," said the duke, ringing a bell. A valet-de-chambreentered.
"Lafosse," said the duke, "the bay horses and the carriage withoutarms."
"Monsieur," said Bathilde, "if you would save time, I have a hiredcarriage below."
"That is still better. I am at your orders, mademoiselle."
"Am I to go with monsieur?" asked the servant.
"No, stay and help Raffe to put these papers in order. There are severalwhich it is quite unnecessary for Dubois to see."
And the duke offered his arm to Bathilde, went down, handed her into thecarriage, and after telling the coachman to stop at the corner of theRue Saint Honore and the Rue de Richelieu, placed himself by her side,as thoughtless as though the fate from which he was about to save thechevalier might not also await himself.