by Mary Dillon
CHAPTER XXIV
A NEW CHEVALIER OF FRANCE
"Our hopes, like towering falcons, aim At objects in an airy height."
"Officer," said Bonaparte, in his iciest tones, "conduct CitizenessCapet and Citizen Le Moyne back to the salon. I have something to sayto the others that it will not be necessary for them to hear. You neednot return yourself until I ring for you."
Madame la Duchesse glared at the little figure lazily and haughtilyreclining at ease in the deep-armed chair while we all stood meeklybefore him. I think for a moment she was tempted to spring upon himand tear his eyes out. That the parvenu ruler of the republic shouldso address a member not only of the old nobility but the old royalty,was more than she could bear. A cool stare from the fathomless eyes ofthe Consul made her think better of it; she turned and accompanied thechevalier (who was nigh to foaming at the mouth with ill-suppressedrage) back to the salon.
As they left the cabinet, conducted in state by the officer, Bonaparteturned to Pelagie.
"Mademoiselle la Comtesse," he said in tones whose suavity were inmarked contrast to the coldness of his last speech, "will you not beseated? I am sorry to have kept you standing so long. I have asked youto wait while I spoke to this young man, because I have something moreto say to you on the subject we were discussing. I beg, therefore, youwill make yourself perfectly comfortable while you wait."
I think Pelagie was of half a mind to decline the Consul's courtesy,for she hesitated a moment, and I saw a dangerous spark leap into hiseyes. I do not know whether she saw it also, or whether she simplydecided it was better to be as complaisant as possible in smallmatters, since she might have to be recalcitrant in great ones. Shesat down, apparently cool and collected, but in the chair most distantfrom the First Consul. I had noted the change in the form of hisaddress, and wondered at it; but I believe he liked titles, and wasglad to use them when there were no jealous ears about to find faultwith his lapse from republican simplicity. He did not ask me to sitdown, but turned to me as soon as Pelagie had taken her seat, andbegan abruptly:
"I made a proposition a few moments ago in jest; I now make it inearnest: I offer you a position on my staff as military aide. Theyoung man who has the skill to extricate himself from such an escapadeas yours is of the stuff I would like to use in my service, and whenhe adds to his other qualities the ability to tell his story sodiscreetly that it is impossible to guess whether or not he has heardanything of state councils and family quarrels, he is of still greatervalue in such a capacity."
I was overwhelmed. Lifted from the depths of disgrace and fear ofdeath to the pinnacle of my day-dreams realized (for it had ever beenmy fondest dream to be a soldier of fortune, and to serve under thegreat Bonaparte--one that I had hardly dared to confess to myself) wasalmost more than brain could stand. More than that, to hear such wordsof commendation from the great soldier, when I had expected severestcensure, set heart throbbing and head whirling. I could only stammerout:
"It would be the greatest joy and glory of my life to serve under theFirst Consul! I shall have to get my uncle's permission; may I defermy answer until I have an opportunity to consult him?"
The Consul frowned quickly; I have no doubt he was used to receivingonly instant acceptances of his offers. But in a moment hiscountenance cleared, and he answered, pleasantly enough:
"Very well; I shall expect to hear from you the day after to-morrow";and with a slight nod from him I understood myself dismissed.
Somehow I liked not leaving Pelagie there alone with him, but therewas no alternative. I thought, too, as I made my low bow to her inleaving the room, that her eyes met mine with a look of appeal intheir dark depths it was hard to withstand. I determined to take mystation in the salon near the cabinet door, so that if she should needme I would be near at hand.
And thus it happened that a few minutes later I heard the Consul'sbell ring violently, saw the officer on duty enter the cabinethastily, and immediately return, conducting Pelagie. Her eyes wereshining with a fierce light, a bright spot was burning in eithercheek, and her head was held so high and she was looking so straightforward with an unseeing gaze that she did not see me as she passed. Isaw her take her place among the court ladies and Madame Bonapartelook at her with cold displeasure. Being no longer on sentry duty, Ijoined my aunt, and she whispered to me:
"The pretty Comtesse is in trouble. Madame will not easily forgive herhusband spending ten minutes alone with her in his cabinet."
My soul raged within me, for I could see that others also werewhispering about her, and for a moment I was ready to challenge allthe world, including the great Bonaparte himself, who (though, Ibelieved, innocently) had given occasion for the whisperings. Ofcourse I knew that his interview with Pelagie had been entirely inbehalf of the chevalier, but others did not seem to be so certain ofit, and especially did Madame Bonaparte's attitude toward her giverise to unpleasant comment. I longed eagerly for a word with Pelagieherself, but I saw no chance of obtaining it. Yet fortune favored me,for later in the evening, when they were preparing the piquet-tables,I found myself placed next to her; and once, when excitement over somedisputed point in the game was running high, and the din of contendingvoices made a friendly cover for a low-toned speech, I managed to sayto her:
"You look troubled, Mademoiselle; is there any way in which I can beof service to you?"
She smiled up at me with a look of trust that touched me greatly, andsaid hurriedly, mentioning no names (which might have been dangerous):
"I wanted this chance to tell you. He insisted on that marriage, andwhen I told him I would never marry a man who had denounced andbetrayed in such cowardly fashion the man to whom he owed his life, hewas very rude to me."
"Rude to you!" I whispered fiercely. "Then I cannot take service underhim."
But she looked greatly alarmed when I said that, and whisperedeagerly:
"No, no, Monsieur; do not say that! Take the place, if you can, foryour own sake,"--and then she hesitated a moment,--"and for mine."
There was no chance for another word; the game was breaking up, andthe old duchess came and carried her off with a glare of distrust andsuspicion at me, and I had no doubt she had been watching ourwhispered consultation.
There was no chance, either, to tell my uncle of my interview with theConsul; for I could say nothing before my aunt without entering intoexplanations that I did not want to make to her, and I knew the factof my returning to the salon instead of being hurried off to prisonhad quieted his alarms. The hour was late, and we said good night toeach other in the corridors when we returned home, going at once toour rooms.
I hurried down-stairs the next morning, hoping to find my uncle takinghis morning coffee in the garden, as he often did in this lovelyspring weather; but I had overslept, and he was already gone. Late inthe afternoon I sought him in his library, for I knew my answer to theFirst Consul must be decided upon at once, and I was anxious to tellhim all about my interview. He answered my knock by a quick "Enter,enter!" and I found him brimming over with gay good humor andexcitement.
"You are just in time, my boy," he cried. "I am expecting the Americanambassadors every moment, and, if they offer no objection, you maystay and see how history is made. We are to sign the treaty that is togive the First Consul the munitions of war, and that will placeAmerica in the very front rank of nations."
My own affairs seemed of small moment beside such stupendous ones, andI saw that my uncle had entirely forgotten his alarm of the eveningbefore. I was myself very greatly excited, for this was the moment towhich I had been looking for nearly a year, though the realizationabout to be consummated was far exceeding my wildest fancies.
The two gentlemen were announced a moment later, and they both greetedme cordially, for they knew my family at home and I had called on themseveral times in Paris. Nor did my uncle have to prefer a request thatI should be permitted to be a witness of the signing of the treaty.Mr. Livingston himself suggested that I be invited to remain,
and, theothers assenting most cordially, I thanked them heartily for theircourtesy, and retired to a seat in the background, where I might notintrude upon their deliberations.
The document seemed long, and in fact, as I understood it, there werethree documents--one which they called the treaty, and two others theycalled "conventions." They read them all over carefully several timesbefore signing, and I heard the article read that I had seen the FirstConsul write, and discovered that one convention was to determine inwhat manner the sixty million francs were to be paid to France, andthe other convention was concerned with the twenty million francs tobe paid by the United States to such of its citizens as held claimsagainst France.
There seemed to be some little discussions on a few minor points whichwere easily settled, and then very solemnly they each signed the threedocuments, Mr. Livingston writing his name first, then Mr. Monroe, andthen my uncle. When this was done, the three gentlemen, as by a commonimpulse, rose to their feet and shook hands, their faces shining witha solemn light which I believe had nothing to do with self-glory, butwith an unselfish joy at having accomplished an act that would bringhonor and benefit to two great nations and to future generations. I,in my corner, was almost as proud as they, and quite as happy (when Ithought of the honor that was to come to my country, and especiallythe blessings to that great West I was so interested in), and for thefirst time in my life I felt it might be almost finer to accomplishsuch great things by statesmanship and a stroke of the pen than towin fame and glory by the sword. Then I saw that Mr. Livingston wasbeginning to speak. He stood up straight and tall and fine-looking,and his manner was very impressive and full of dignity and a kind ofsolemn joy. I was very proud of him as a representative of my country,and each word that he spoke made me prouder and happier.
"We have lived long," he began, "but this is the noblest work of ourwhole lives. The treaty which we have just signed has not beenobtained by art or dictated by force; equally advantageous to the twocontracting parties, it will change vast solitudes into flourishingdistricts. From this day the United States take their place among thepowers of the first rank. The English lose all exclusive influence inthe affairs of America. Thus one of the principal causes of Europeanrivalries and animosities is about to cease. The instruments we havejust signed will cause no tears to be shed; they prepare ages ofhappiness for innumerable generations of human creatures. TheMississippi and Missouri will see them succeed one another, andmultiply, truly worthy of the regard and care of Providence, in thebosom of equality, under just laws, freed from the errors ofsuperstition and the scourge of bad government."
My uncle and Mr. Monroe seemed greatly impressed by his words (as,indeed, no one who heard them could help being); and then there washalf an hour of pleasant talk, in which the three gentlemen kindlyincluded me. As the American ambassadors took their leave, my uncleturned to me.
The Signing of the Louisiana Purchase Treaty byMarbois, Livingston, and Monroe]
"Well, my boy," he said, his kind face beaming, "we have settled theaffairs of two great nations most satisfactorily; now we will settleyours. What did the First Consul want of you last evening?"
I had made up my mind to tell my uncle all about my acquaintance withthe Comtesse de Baloit and the Chevalier Le Moyne, if he had time tolisten,--for otherwise it would be difficult to explain my interviewwith the Consul, or how I happened to be summoned to hispresence,--and I asked him if he had time to hear a long story. Hereplied that he considered he had accomplished enough for one day, andhe should do nothing more, until dinner at least; he might possibly besummoned to an interview with the First Consul at the Tuileries laterin the evening.
He scarcely interrupted me through my long recital, unless anoccasional heavy scowl at some special perfidy of the chevalier'scould be called an interruption. He chuckled with delight when I toldhow I tripped up the chevalier on the grand staircase of St. Cloud,and uttered a vigorous "Diable!" when he heard how I came to besummoned before the First Consul. He listened almost breathlessly tomy account of my interview with the Consul, and drew a great sigh ofrelief as I finished.
"Why, my lad," he said, "you have been having great experiences! Iwonder you could forget them sufficiently to be so deeply interested,as you seemed to be, in the doings of three old diplomats."
I assured him that what the three diplomats had just accomplished wasof greater interest to me than any of my own affairs could possiblybe. In all my story I had touched as lightly as I could on theComtesse de Baloit, hoping that my uncle would not discover that I hadany special interest in that direction; but he was too astute a readerof human nature to be easily misled.
"That is all very well," he said, in reply to my assurance of a deeperinterest in affairs of state than in my own; "I do not doubt for amoment that you believe what you say, and I could easily believe it,too, if it were not for the Comtesse de Baloit. Such affairs are moreengrossing than all others in the world, if I remember my own youthfuldays aright. But I had no idea the wind sat in that quarter, as yourMr. Shakspere would say. Have you any idea how high you are aspiring?I know you Americans stop at nothing; but, my dear boy, you might aswell aspire to the hand of the Princess Charlotte of England!"
"I am aspiring to the hand of no one, sir," I answered rather hotly,for I knew so well how hopeless any dreams of mine might be that Iliked not to have any one think I was cherishing false hopes."Whatever my feeling toward the Comtesse may be, I have never had theslightest hope. If Citizeness Capet, as the First Consul calls her,does not succeed in marrying the comtesse to the Chevalier Le Moyne,then her cousins the Comte d'Arbois and the Duc d'Enghien willprobably marry her into one of the reigning houses of Europe.Mademoiselle la Comtesse has shown me some kindness, but only such asany right-feeling young maiden would show to one who has been able todo her some little service, and I am not one to presume upon hergrateful feeling."
My uncle looked at me for a moment with a little frown between hisbrows, as if he were trying to solve some perplexing question, andthen the frown cleared away and he spoke smilingly:
"Well, well, we will dismiss the Comtesse; that is too difficult aproblem. And now for what is, after all, a question of more practicalimportance. Do you want to accept this offer of the First Consul's?"
"Very much, sir," I answered eagerly.
"I doubt whether I have any right to give you permission to do so,"responded my uncle; "but this much authority I will assume. If theFirst Consul is willing to take you subject to the commands of yourfather when we can hear from him, I will give my permission, and Iwill write to your father by the first packet. It will be ten ortwelve weeks before we can possibly hear from him, and it may be muchlonger. But I am rather relieved that you desire to accept the FirstConsul's offer. He does not like his favors rejected, and he is quitecapable of holding me responsible for having influenced you, shouldyou decline."
The First Consul was willing to take me on those conditions (I thinkhe felt no doubt of my father's answer; such confidence had he in themagnetism of his own name that he believed any man would feel proud tohave his son serve under him), and a very few days saw me arrayed inmy glittering uniform and spending every spare moment, when I was offduty, riding up and down the Champs-Elysees in the hope not so much ofseeing the Comtesse de Baloit as of being seen by her. For I felt thathalf the joy I had in my gorgeous trappings would be gone if she couldnot see them and admire them too.
And as my sword clanked and my spurs jingled while Fatima pranced andcurveted under me in the bright spring weather, my heart sang anaccompaniment to them.
Could it be possible that the great Bonaparte might turn the rest ofhis speech from jest to earnest? Would he, perhaps, now that he hadmade me his aide, trust her to me as willingly as to the chevalier?
And higher still sang my heart as Fatima, in answer to my excitedtouch, leaped and bounded along the avenue, and I remembered thatnight upon _La Belle Riviere_ when mademoiselle had wished that I wasa chevalier of France. Was I not one now in fact,
if not in name?