The Vicomte de Bragelonne

by Alexandre Dumas

  CHAPTER XXXIV.

  SHOWING HOW LOUIS, ON HIS SIDE, HAD PASSED THE TIME FROM TEN TOHALF-PAST TWELVE AT NIGHT.

  When the king left the apartment of the maids of honor, he found Colbertawaiting him to receive his directions with regard to the next day'sceremony, as the king was then to receive the Dutch and Spanishambassadors. Louis XIV. had serious causes of dissatisfaction with theDutch; the States had already been guilty of many mean shifts, andevasions with France, and without perceiving or without caring about thechances of a rupture, they again abandoned the alliance with his MostChristian Majesty, for the purpose of entering into all kinds of plotswith Spain. Louis XIV. at his accession, that is to say, at the death ofCardinal Mazarin, had found this political question roughly sketchedout; the solution was difficult for a young man, but as, at that time,the king represented the whole nation, anything that the head resolvedupon, the body would be found ready to carry out. Any sudden impulse ofanger, the reaction of young and hot blood to the brain, would be quitesufficient to change an old form of policy and to create another and newsystem altogether. The part that diplomatists had to play in those dayswas that of arranging among themselves the different _coups-d'etat_which their sovereign masters might wish to effect.

  Louis was not in that calm state of mind which could make him capable ofdetermining upon a wise course of policy. Still much agitated from thequarrel he had just had with La Valliere, he walked hastily into hiscabinet, exceedingly desirous of finding an opportunity of producing anexplosion after he had controlled himself for so long a time. Colbert,as he saw the king enter, knew the position of affairs at a glance,understood the king's intentions, and resolved therefore to maneuver alittle. When Louis requested to be informed what it would be necessaryto say on the morrow, Colbert began by expressing his surprise that hismajesty had not been properly informed, by M. Fouquet. "M. Fouquet," hesaid, "is perfectly acquainted with the whole of this Dutch affair, hereceives the dispatches himself direct."

  The king, who was accustomed to hear M. Colbert speak in notoverscrupulous terms of M. Fouquet, allowed this remark to pass byunanswered, and merely listened. Colbert noticed the effect it hadproduced, and hastened to back out, saying that M. Fouquet was not onall occasions as blamable as at the first glance might seem to be thecase, inasmuch as at that moment he was greatly occupied. The kinglooked up. "What do you allude to?" he said.

  "Sire, men are but men, and M. Fouquet has his defects as well as hisgreat qualities."

  "Ah! defects, who is without them, M. Colbert?"

  "Your majesty is not," said Colbert, boldly; for he knew how to convey agood deal of flattery in a light amount of blame, like the arrow whichcleaves the air notwithstanding its weight, thanks to the light featherswhich bear it up.

  The king smiled. "What defect has M. Fouquet, then?" he said.

  "Still the same, sire; it is said he is in love."

  "In love! with whom?"

  "I am not quite sure, sire; I have very little to do with matters ofgallantry."

  "At all events you know, since you speak of it."

  "I have heard a name mentioned."

  "Whose?"

  "I cannot now remember whose, but I think it is one of Madame's maids ofhonor."

  The king started. "You know more than you like to say, M. Colbert?" hemurmured.

  "I assure you, no, sire."

  "At all events, Madame's maids of honor are all known, and in mentioningtheir names to you, you will perhaps recollect the one you allude to."

  "No, sire."

  "At least, try."

  "It would be useless, sire. Whenever the name of any lady who runs therisk of being compromised is concerned, my memory is like a coffer ofbrass, the key of which I have lost."

  A dark cloud seemed to pass over the mind as well as across the face ofthe king; then, wishing to appear as if he were perfect master ofhimself and of his feelings, he said: "And now for the affair concerningHolland."

  "In the first place, sire, at what hour will your majesty receive theambassadors?"

  "Early in the morning."

  "Eleven o'clock?"

  "That is too late--say nine o'clock."

  "That will be too early, sire."

  "For friends, that would be a matter of no importance, one does what onelikes with one's friends; but for one's enemies, in that case nothingcould be better than if they were to feel hurt. I should not be sorry, Iconfess, to have to finish altogether with these marsh-birds, who annoyme with their cries."

  "It shall be precisely as your majesty desires. At nine o'clock,therefore--I will give the necessary orders. Is it to be a formalaudience?"

  "No. I wish to have an explanation with them, and not to embittermatters, as is always the case when many persons are present; but, atthe same time, I wish to clear everything with them, in order not tohave to begin over again."

  "Your majesty will inform me of the persons whom you wish to be presentat the reception."

  "I will draw out a list of them. Let us speak of the ambassadors; whatdo they want?"

  "Allies with Spain, they gain nothing; allies with France, they losemuch."

  "How is that?"

  "Allied with Spain, they see themselves bounded and protected by thepossessions of their allies; they cannot touch them, however anxiousthey may be to do so. From Antwerp to Rotterdam is but a step, and thatby way of the Scheldt and the Meuse. If they wish to make a bite at theSpanish cake, you, sire, the son-in-law of the king of Spain, could withyour cavalry go from your dominions to Brussels in a couple of days.Their design is, therefore, only to quarrel so far with you, and only tomake you suspect Spain so far, as will be sufficient to induce you notto interfere with their own affairs."

  "It would be far more simple, I should think," replied the king, "toform a solid alliance with me, by means of which I should gainsomething, while they would gain everything."

  "Not so; for if, by chance, they were to have you, or France rather, asa boundary, your majesty is not an agreeable neighbor; young, ardent,warlike, the king of France might inflict some serious mischief onHolland, especially if he were to get near her."

  "I perfectly understand, M. Colbert, and you have explained it veryclearly; but be good enough to tell me the conclusion you have arrivedat."

  "Your majesty's own decisions are never deficient in wisdom."

  "What will these ambassadors say to me?"

  "They will tell your majesty that they are ardently desirous of formingan alliance with you, which will be a falsehood; they will tell Spainthat the three powers ought to unite so as to check the prosperity ofEngland, and that will equally be a falsehood; for, at present, thenatural ally of your majesty is England, who has ships when you havenone; England, who can counteract Dutch influence in India; England, infact, a monarchical country, to which your majesty is attached by tiesof relationship."

  "Good; but how would you answer?"

  "I should answer, sire, with the greatest possible moderation of tone,that the disposition of Holland does not seem friendly toward the kingof France; that the symptoms of public feeling among the Dutch arealarming as regards your majesty; that certain medals have been struckwith insulting devices."

  "Toward me!" exclaimed the young king, excitedly.

  "Oh! no, sire, no: insulting is not the word; I was mistaken, I ought tohave said immeasurably flattering for the Dutch."

  "Oh! if that be so, the pride of the Dutch is a matter of indifferenceto me," said the king, sighing.

  "Your majesty is right, a thousand times right. However, it is never amistake in politics, your majesty knows better than myself, to be unjustin order to obtain a concession in your own favor. If your majesty wereto complain as if your susceptibility were offended, you will stand in afar higher position with them."

  "What are those medals you speak of?" inquired Louis; "for if I alludeto them, I ought to know what to say."

  "Upon my word, sire I cannot very well tell you--some overweeninglyconceited device--t
hat is the sense of it, the words have nothing to dowith the thing itself."

  "Very good, I will mention the word 'medal,' and they can understand itif they like."

  "Oh! they will understand without a difficulty. Your majesty can alsoslip in a few words about certain pamphlets which are being circulated."

  "Never! Pamphlets befoul those who write them much more than thoseagainst whom they are written. M. Colbert, I thank you, you can leave menow. Do not forget the hour I have fixed, and be there yourself."

  "Sire, I await your majesty's list."

  "True," returned the king; and he began to meditate; he did not think ofthe list in the slightest degree. The clock struck half-past eleven. Theking's face revealed a violent conflict between pride and love. Thepolitical conversation had dispelled a good deal of the irritation whichLouis had felt, and La Valliere's pale, worn features, in hisimagination, spoke a very different language to that of the Dutchmedals, or the Batavian pamphlets. He sat for ten minutes debatingwithin himself whether he should or should not return to La Valliere;but Colbert having with some urgency respectfully requested that thelist might be furnished him, the king blushed at thinking of merematters of affection when matters of business required his attention. Hetherefore dictated: the queen-mother, the queen, Madame, Madame deMotteville, Madame de Chatillon, Madame de Noailles; and, for the men,M. le Prince, M. de Grammont, M. de Manicamp, M. de Saint-Aignan, andthe officers on duty.

  "The ministers," said Colbert.

  "As a matter of course, and the secretaries also."

  "Sire, I will leave at once in order to get everything prepared; theorders will be at the different residences to-morrow."

  "Say rather to-day," replied Louis mournfully, as the clock strucktwelve. It was the very hour when poor La Valliere was almost dying fromanguish and bitter suffering. The king's attendants entered, it beingthe hour of his retiring to rest; the queen, indeed, had been waitingfor more than an hour. Louis accordingly retired to his bedroom with asigh; but, as he sighed, he congratulated himself on his courage, andapplauded himself for having been as firm in love as in affairs ofstate.