CHAPTER XL.
WHICH TREATS OF CARPENTRY OPERATIONS, AND FURNISHES DETAILS UPON THEMODE OF CONSTRUCTING STAIRCASES.
The advice which had been given to Montalais was communicated by her toLa Valliere, who could not but acknowledge that it was by no meansdeficient in judgment, and who, after a certain amount of resistance,arising rather from her timidity than from her indifference to theproject, resolved to put it into execution. This story of the two girlsweeping, and filling Madame's bedroom with the noisiest lamentations,was Malicorne's _chef-d'oeuvre_. As nothing is so probable asimprobability, so natural as romance, this kind of Arabian Nights storysucceeded perfectly with Madame. The first thing she did, was to sendMontalais away, and then three days, or rather three nights, afterward,she had La Valliere removed. She gave to the latter one of the smallrooms on the top story, situated immediately over the apartmentsallotted to the gentlemen of Monsieur's suit. One story only, that is tosay, a mere flooring, separated the maids of honor from the officers andgentlemen of her husband's household. A private staircase which wasplaced under Madame de Navailles' surveillance, was the only means ofcommunication. For greater safety, Madame de Navailles, who had heard ofhis majesty's previous attempts, had the windows of the rooms and theopenings of the chimneys carefully barred. There was, therefore, everypossible security provided for Mademoiselle de la Valliere, whose roombore more resemblance to a cage than to anything else.
When Mademoiselle de la Valliere was in her own room, and she was therevery frequently, for Madame scarcely ever had any occasion for herservices, since she once knew she was safe under Madame de Navailles'inspection, Mademoiselle de la Valliere had no other means of amusingherself than that of looking through the bars of her windows. Ithappened, therefore, that one morning, as she was looking out as usual,she perceived Malicorne at one of the windows exactly opposite to herown. He held a carpenter's rule in his hand, was surveying thebuildings, and seemed to be adding up some figures on paper. La Valliererecognized Malicorne, and bowed to him; Malicorne, in his turn, repliedby a profound bow, and disappeared from the window. She was surprised atthis marked coolness, so unusual with his unfailing good humor, but sheremembered that he had lost his appointment on her account, and that hecould hardly be very amiably disposed toward her, since, in allprobability, she would never be in a position to make him any recompensefor what he had lost. She knew how to forgive offenses, and with stillgreater reason could she sympathize with misfortune. La Valliere wouldhave asked Montalais her opinion, if she had been there; but she wasabsent, it being the hour she usually devoted to her own correspondence.Suddenly, La Valliere observed something thrown from the window whereMalicorne had been standing, pass across the open space which separatedthe two windows from each other, enter her room through the iron bars,and roll upon the floor. She advanced with no little curiosity towardthis object, and picked it up; it was a winder for silk, only, in thisinstance, instead of silk, a small piece of paper was rolled round it.La Valliere unrolled it and read the following:
"MADEMOISELLE--I am exceedingly anxious to learn two things: the first is, to know if the flooring of your apartment is wood or brick; the second, to know at what distance your bed is placed from the window. Forgive my importunity, and will you be good enough to send me an answer by the same way you receive this letter--that is to say, by means of the silk winder; only, instead of throwing it into my room, as I have thrown it into yours, which will be too difficult for you to attempt, have the goodness merely to let it fall. Believe me, mademoiselle, your most humble and most respectful servant,
"MALICORNE.
"Write the reply, if you please, upon the letter itself."
"Ah! poor fellow," exclaimed La Valliere, "he must have gone out of hismind;" and she directed toward her correspondent--of whom she caughtbut a faint glimpse, in consequence of the darkness of his room--a lookfull of compassionate consideration. Malicorne understood her, and shookhis head, as if he meant to say, "No, no, I am not out of my mind; bequite satisfied."
She smiled as if still in doubt.
"No, no," he signified, by a gesture, "my head is perfectly right," andpointed to his head; then, after moving his hand like a man who writesvery rapidly, he put his hands together as if entreating her to write.
La Valliere, even if he were mad, saw no impropriety in doing whatMalicorne requested her; she took a pencil and wrote, "wood;" and thencounted ten paces from her window to her bed, and wrote, "ten feet;" andhaving done this, she looked out again at Malicorne, who bowed to her,signifying that he was about to descend. La Valliere understood that itwas to pick up the silk winder. She approached the window, and, inaccordance with Malicorne's instructions, let it fall. The winder wasstill rolling along the flag-stones as Malicorne started after it,overtook and picked it up, began to peel it as a monkey would do with anut, and ran straight toward M. de Saint-Aignan's apartments.Saint-Aignan had selected, or rather solicited, that his rooms might beas near the king as possible, as certain plants seek the sun's rays inorder to develop themselves more luxuriantly. His apartment consisted oftwo rooms, in that portion of the palace occupied by Louis XIV. himself.M. de Saint-Aignan was very proud of this proximity, which afforded easyaccess to his majesty, and, more than that, the favor of occasionalunexpected meetings. At the moment we are now referring to, he wasengaged in having both his rooms magnificently carpeted, with theexpectation of receiving the honor of frequent visits from the king; forhis majesty, since his passion for La Valliere, had chosen Saint-Aignanas his confidant, and could not, in fact, do without him, either nightor day. Malicorne introduced himself to the comte, and met with nodifficulties, because he had been favorably noticed by the king; and,also, because the credit which one man may happen to enjoy is always abait for others. Saint-Aignan asked his visitor if he brought any newswith him.
"Yes; great news," replied the latter.
"Ah! ah!" said Saint-Aignan, "what is it?"
"Mademoiselle de la Valliere has changed her quarters."
"What do you mean?" said Saint-Aignan, opening his eyes very wide. "Shewas living in the same apartments as Madame."
"Precisely so; but Madame got tired of her proximity, and has installedher in a room which is situated exactly above your future apartment."
"What! up there," exclaimed Saint-Aignan, with surprise, and pointing atthe floor above him with his finger.
"No," said Malicorne, "yonder," and indicated the building opposite.
"What do you mean, then, by saying, that her room is above myapartment?"
"Because I am sure that your apartment ought most naturally to be underMademoiselle de la Valliere's room."
Saint-Aignan, at this remark, gave poor Malicorne a look, similar to oneof those La Valliere had already given him a quarter of an hour before,that is to say, he thought he had lost his senses.
"Monsieur," said Malicorne to him, "I wish to answer what you arethinking about."
"What do you mean by 'what I am thinking about'?"
"My reason is, that you have not clearly understood what I want toconvey."
"I admit it."
"Well, then, you are aware that underneath the apartments set apart forMadame's maids of honor the gentlemen in attendance on the king and onMonsieur are lodged."
"Yes, I know that, since Manicamp, De Wardes, and others are livingthere."
"Precisely. Well, monsieur, admire the singularity of the circumstance;the two rooms destined for M. de Guiche are exactly the very two roomssituated underneath those which Mademoiselle de Montalais andMademoiselle de la Valliere occupy."
"Well; what then?"
"'What then,' do you say? Why, these two rooms are empty, since M. deGuiche is now lying wounded at Fontainebleau."
"I assure you, my dear monsieur, I cannot guess your meaning."
"Well! if I had the happiness to call myself Saint-Aignan, I shouldguess immediately."
"And what would you do, then?"
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bsp; "I should at once change the rooms I am occupying here, for those whichM. de Guiche is not using yonder."
"Can you suppose such a thing?" said Saint-Aignan disdainfully. "What!abandon the chief post of honor, the proximity to the king, a privilegeconceded only to princes of the blood, to dukes, and peers! Permit me totell you, my dear Monsieur de Malicorne, that you must be out of yoursenses."
"Monsieur," replied the young man, seriously, "you commit two mistakes.My name is Malicorne, simply; and I am in perfect possession of all mysenses." Then, drawing a paper from his pocket, he said, "Listen to whatI am going to say; and, afterward, I will show you this paper."
"I am listening," said Saint-Aignan.
"You know that Madame looks after La Valliere as carefully as Argus didafter the nymph Io."
"I do."
"You know that the king has sought for an opportunity, but uselessly, ofspeaking to the prisoner, and that neither you nor myself have yetsucceeded in procuring him this piece of good fortune."
"You certainly ought to know something on that subject, my poorMalicorne."
"Very good; what do you suppose would happen to the man whoseimagination devised some means of bringing the two lovers together?"
"Oh! the king would have no bounds to his gratitude."
"Let me ask you, then, M. de Saint-Aignan, whether you would not becurious to taste a little of this royal gratitude?"
"Certainly," replied Saint-Aignan, "any favor of my master, as arecognition of the proper discharge of my duty, would assuredly be mostprecious to me."
"In that case, look at this paper, Monsieur le Comte."
"What is it--a plan?"
"Yes; a plan of M. de Guiche's two rooms, which, in all probability,will soon be your two rooms."
"Oh! no, whatever may happen."
"Why so?"
"Because my own rooms are the envy of too many gentlemen, to whom Ishall not certainly give them up; M. de Roquelaure, for instance, M. dela Ferte, and M. de Dangeau, would all be anxious to get them."
"In that case I shall leave you, Monsieur le Comte, and I shall go andoffer to one of those gentlemen the plan I have just shown you, togetherwith the advantages annexed to it."
"But why do you not keep them for yourself?" inquired Saint-Aignan,suspiciously.
"Because the king would never do me the honor of paying me a visitopenly, while he would readily go and see any one of those gentlemen."
"What! the king would go and see any one of those gentlemen?"
"Go! most certainly would he, ten times instead of once. Is it possibleyou can ask me if the king would go to an apartment which would bringhim nearer to Mademoiselle de la Valliere?"
"Yes, indeed, admirably near her, with a whole floor between them."
Malicorne unfolded the piece of paper, which had been wrapped round thebobbin. "Monsieur le Comte," he said, "have the goodness to observe thatthe flooring of Mademoiselle de la Valliere's room is merely a woodenflooring."
"Well?"
"Well! all you would have to do would be to get hold of a journeymancarpenter, lock him up in your apartments, without letting him knowwhere you have taken him to; and let him make a hole in your ceiling,and consequently in the flooring of Mademoiselle de la Valliere's room."
"Good heavens!" exclaimed Saint-Aignan, as if dazzled.
"What is the matter?" said Malicorne.
"Nothing, except that you have hit upon a singularly bold idea,monsieur."
"It will seem a very trifling one to the king, I assure you."
"Lovers never think of the risk they run."
"What danger do you apprehend, Monsieur le Comte?"
"Why, effecting such an opening as that will make a terrible noise; itwill be heard over the whole palace."
"Oh! Monsieur le Comte, I am quite sure that the carpenter I shallselect will not make the slightest noise in the world. He will saw anopening six feet square, with a saw covered with tow, and no one, noteven those immediately adjoining, will know that he is at work."
"My dear Monsieur Malicorne, you astound, you positively bewilder me."
"To continue," replied Malicorne, quietly, "in the room, the ceiling ofwhich you have cut through, you will put up a staircase, which willeither allow Mademoiselle de la Valliere to descend into your room, orthe king to ascend into Mademoiselle de la Valliere's room."
"But the staircase will be seen."
"No; for in your room it will be hidden by a partition, over which youwill throw a tapestry similar to that which covers the rest of theapartment: and in Mademoiselle de la Valliere's room it will not beseen, for the trap-door, which will be a part of the flooring itself,will be made to open under the bed."
"Of course," said Saint-Aignan, whose eyes began to sparkle withdelight.
"And now, Monsieur le Comte, there is no occasion to make you admit thatthe king will frequently come to the room where such a staircase isconstructed. I think that M. Dangeau particularly will be struck by myidea, and I shall now go and explain it to him."
"But, my dear Monsieur Malicorne, you forget that you spoke to me aboutit the first, and that I have, consequently, the right of priority."
"Do you wish for the preference?"
"Do I wish it? Of course I do."
"The fact is, Monsieur de Saint-Aignan, I am presenting you with thatwhich is as good as the promise of an additional step in the peerage,and perhaps even a good estate to accompany your dukedom."
"At least," replied Saint-Aignan, "it will give me an opportunity ofshowing the king that he is not mistaken in occasionally calling me hisfriend--an opportunity, dear M. Malicorne, for which I am indebted toyou."
"And which you will not forget to remember?" inquired Malicorne,smiling.
"Nothing will delight me more, monsieur."
"But I am not the king's friend; I am simply his attendant."
"Yes; and if you imagine that that staircase is as good as a dukedom formyself, I think there will certainly be letters of nobility for you."
Malicorne bowed.
"All I have to do now," said Saint-Aignan, "is to move as soon aspossible."
"I do not think the king will object to it; ask his permission,however."
"I will go and see him this very moment."
"And I will run and get the carpenter I was speaking of."
"When will he be here?"
"This very evening."
"Do not forget your precautions."
"He shall be brought with his eyes bandaged."
"And I will send you one of my carriages."
"Without arms."
"With one of my servants without livery. But stay--what will La Vallieresay if she sees what is going on?"
"Oh! I can assure you she will be very much interested in the operation,and equally sure that, if the king has not courage enough to ascend toher room, she will have sufficient curiosity to come down to him."
"We will live in hope," said Saint-Aignan; "and now I am off to hismajesty. At what time will the carpenter be here?"
"At eight o'clock."
"How long do you suppose he will take to make this opening?"
"About a couple of hours; only afterward he must have sufficient time toeffect what may be called the junction between the two rooms. One nightand a portion of the following day will do; we must not reckon upon lessthan two days, including putting up the staircase."
"Two days! That is very long."
"Nay; when one undertakes to open a door into paradise itself, we mustat least take care it is properly done."
"Quite right; so farewell for a short time, dear M. Malicorne. I shallbegin to remove the day after to-morrow, in the evening."
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