Le collier de la reine. English

by Alexandre Dumas

  CHAPTER XXV.

  THE ACADEMY OF M. BEAUSIRE.

  Beausire had followed the advice of the blue domino, and repaired to theplace of meeting in the Rue du Pot au Fer. He was frightened by theapparent exclusion which his companions had seemed to meditate, in notcommunicating their plans to him; and he knew none of them to beparticularly scrupulous. He had acquired the reputation among them of aman to be feared; it was not wonderful, as he had been a soldier, andworn a uniform. He knew how to draw his sword, and he had a habit oflooking very fierce at the slightest word that displeased him--allthings which appear rather terrifying to those of doubtful courage,especially when they have reason to shun the eclat of a duel and thecuriosity of the police.

  Beausire counted, therefore, on revenging himself by frightening them alittle. It was a long way, but Beausire had money in his pocket; so hetook a coach, promised the driver an extra franc to go fast, and, tomake up for the absence of his sword, he assumed as fierce a look as hecould on entering the room.

  It was a large hall, full of tables, at which were seated about twentyplayers, drinking beer or syrups, and smiling now and then on somehighly rouged women who sat near them. They were playing faro at theprincipal table, but the stakes were low, and the excitement small inproportion.

  On the entrance of the domino, all the women smiled on him, half inraillery, and half in coquetry, for M. Beausire was a favorite amongthem. However, he advanced in silence to the table without noticing anyone.

  One of the players, who was a good-humored looking fellow, said to him,"Corbleu, chevalier, you come from the ball looking out of sorts."

  "Is your domino uncomfortable?" said another.

  "No, it is not my domino," replied Beausire, gruffly.

  "Oh!" said the banker, "he has been unfaithful to us; he has beenplaying somewhere else and lost."

  "It is not I who am unfaithful to my friends; I am incapable of it. Ileave that to others."

  "What do you mean, dear chevalier?"

  "I know what I mean," replied he; "I thought I had friends here."

  "Certainly," replied several voices.

  "Well, I was deceived."

  "How?"

  "You plan things without me."

  Several of the members began to protest it was not true.

  "I know better," said Beausire; "and these false friends shall bepunished." He put his hand to his side to feel for his sword, but, as itwas not there, he only shook his pocket, and the gold rattled.

  "Oh, oh!" said the banker, "M. Beausire has not lost. Come, will you notplay?"

  "Thanks," said Beausire; "I will keep what I have got."

  "Only one louis," said one of the women, caressingly.

  "I do not play for miserable louis," said he. "We play for millions hereto-night--yes, gentlemen, millions."

  He had worked himself up into a great state of excitement, and waslosing sight of all prudence, when a blow from behind made him turn, andhe saw by him a great dark figure, stiff and upright, and with twoshining black eyes. He met Beausire's furious glance with a ceremoniousbow.

  "The Portuguese!" said Beausire.

  "The Portuguese!" echoed the ladies, who abandoned Beausire to crowdround the newcomer, he being their especial pet, as he was in the habitof bringing them sweetmeats, sometimes wrapped up in notes of forty orfifty francs. This man was one of the twelve associates.

  He was used as a bait at their society. It was agreed that he shouldlose a hundred louis a week as an inducement to allure strangers toplay. He was, therefore, considered a useful man. He was also anagreeable one, and was held in much consideration.

  Beausire became silent on seeing him.

  The Portuguese took his place at the table, and put down twenty louis,which he soon lost, thereby making some of those who had been strippedbefore forget their losses.

  All the money received by the banker was dropped into a well under thetable, and he was forbidden to wear long sleeves, lest he should concealany within them, although the other members generally took the libertyof searching both sleeves and pockets before they left.

  Several now put on their great-coats and took leave--some happy enoughto escort the ladies.

  A few, however, after making a feint to go, returned into another room;and here the twelve associates soon found themselves united.

  "Now we will have an explanation," said Beausire.

  "Do not speak so loud," said the Portuguese in good French. Then theyexamined the doors and windows to make certain that all was secure, drewthe curtain close, and seated themselves.

  "I have a communication to make," said the Portuguese; "it was lucky,however, I arrived when I did, for M. Beausire was seized this eveningwith a most imprudent flow of eloquence."

  Beausire tried to speak.

  "Silence," said the Portuguese; "let us not waste words: you know myideas beforehand very well; you are a man of talent, and may haveguessed it, but I think 'amour propre' should never overcomeself-interest."

  "I do not understand."

  "M. Beausire hoped to be the first to make this proposition."

  "What proposition?" cried the rest.

  "Concerning the two million francs," said Beausire.

  "Two million francs!" cried they.

  "First," said the Portuguese, "you exaggerate; it is not as much asthat."

  "We do not know what you are talking of," said the banker.

  "But are not the less all ears," said another.

  The Portuguese drank off a large glass of Orgeat, and then began: "Thenecklace is not worth more than 1,500,000 francs."

  "Oh, then it concerns a necklace?" said Beausire.

  "Yes, did you not mean the same thing?"

  "Perhaps."

  "Now he is going to be discreet after his former folly," said thePortuguese; "but time presses, for the ambassador will arrive in eightdays."

  "This matter becomes complicated," said the banker; "a necklace!1,500,000 francs! and an ambassador! Pray explain."

  "In a few words," said the Portuguese; "MM. Boehmer and Bossangeoffered to the queen a necklace worth that sum. She refused it, and nowthey do not know what to do with it, for none but a royal fortune couldbuy it. Well, I have found the royal personage who will buy thisnecklace, and obtain the custody of it from MM. Boehmer and Bossange;and that is my gracious sovereign the Queen of Portugal."

  "We understand it less than ever," said the associates.

  "And I not at all," thought Beausire; then he said aloud, "Explainyourself clearly, dear M. Manoel; our private differences should giveplace to the public interests. I acknowledge you the author of the idea,and renounce all right to its paternity. Therefore speak on."

  "Willingly," said Manoel, drinking a second glass of Orgeat; "theembassy is vacant just now; the new ambassador, M. de Souza, will notarrive for a week. Well, he may arrive sooner."

  They all looked stupefied but Beausire, who said, "Do you not see someambassador, whether true or false?"

  "Exactly," said Manoel; "and the ambassador who arrives may desire tobuy this necklace for the Queen of Portugal, and treat accordingly withMM. Boehmer and Bossange; that is all."

  "But," said the banker, "they would not allow such a necklace to passinto the hands of M. de Souza himself without good security."

  "Oh, I have thought of all that; the ambassador's house is vacant, withthe exception of the chancellor, who is a Frenchman, and speaks badPortuguese, and who is therefore delighted when the Portuguese speakFrench to him, as he does not then betray himself; but who likes tospeak Portuguese to the French, as it sounds grand. Well, we willpresent ourselves to this chancellor with all the appearances of a newlegation."

  "Appearances are something," said Beausire: "but the credentials aremuch more."

  "We will have them," replied Manoel.

  "No one can deny that Don Manoel is an invaluable man," said Beausire.

  "Well, our appearances, and the credentials having convinced thechancellor of our identity, we w
ill establish ourselves at the house."

  "That is pretty bold," said Beausire.

  "It is necessary, and quite easy," said Manoel; "the chancellor will beconvinced, and if he should afterwards become less credulous, we willdismiss him. I believe an ambassador has the right to change hischancellor."

  "Certainly."

  "Then, when we are masters of the hotel, our first operation will be towait on MM. Boehmer and Bossange."

  "But you forget one thing," said Beausire; "our first act should be toask an audience of the king, and then we should break down. The famousRiza Bey, who was presented to Louis XIV. as ambassador from the Shah ofPersia, spoke Persian at least, and there were no savants here capableof knowing how well; but we should be found out at once. We should betold directly that our Portuguese was remarkably French, and we shouldbe sent to the Bastile."

  "We will escape this danger by remaining quietly at home."

  "Then M. Boehmer will not believe in our ambassadorship."

  "M. Boehmer will be told that we are sent merely to buy the necklace.We will show him our order to do this, as we shall before have shown itto the chancellor, only we must try to avoid showing it to theministers, for they are suspicious, and might find a host of littleflaws."

  "Oh yes," cried they all, "let us avoid the ministers."

  "But if MM. Boehmer and Bossange require money on account?" askedBeausire.

  "That would complicate the affair, certainly."

  "For," continued Beausire, "it is usual for an ambassador to haveletters of credit, at least, if not ready money; and here we shouldfail."

  "You find plenty of reasons why it should fail," said Manoel, "butnothing to make it succeed."

  "It is because I wish it to succeed that I speak of the difficulties.But stop--a thought strikes me: in every ambassador's house there is astrong box."

  "Yes; but it may be empty."

  "Well! if it be, we must ask MM. Boehmer and Bossange who are theircorrespondents at Lisbon, and we will sign and stamp for them letters ofcredit for the sum demanded."

  "That will do," said Manoel, "I was engrossed with the grand idea, buthad not sufficiently considered the details."

  "Now, let us think of arranging the parts," said Beausire. "Don Manoelwill be ambassador."

  "Certainly," they all said.

  "And M. Beausire my secretary and interpreter," said Manoel.

  "Why so?" said Beausire, rather uneasily.

  "I am M. de Souza, and must not speak a word of French; for I know thatthat gentleman speaks nothing but Portuguese, and very little of that.You, on the contrary, M. Beausire, who have traveled, and have acquiredFrench habits, who speak Portuguese also----"

  "Very badly," said Beausire.

  "Quite enough to deceive a Parisian; and then, you know, the most usefulagents will have the largest shares."

  "Assuredly," said the others.

  "Well! it is agreed; I am secretary and interpreter. Then as to themoney?"

  "It shall be divided into twelve parts; but I as ambassador and authorof the scheme shall have a share and a half; M. Beausire the same, asinterpreter, and because he partly shared my idea; and also a share anda half to him who sells the jewels."

  "So far, then, it is settled! we will arrange the minor detailsto-morrow, for it is very late," said Beausire, who was thinking ofOliva, left at the ball with the blue domino, towards whom, in spite ofhis readiness in giving away louis d'or, he did not feel very friendly.

  "No, no; we will finish at once," said the others. "What is to beprepared?"

  "A traveling carriage, with the arms of M. de Souza," said Beausire.

  "That would take too long to paint and to dry," said Manoel.

  "Then we must say that the ambassador's carriage broke down on the way,and he was forced to use that of the secretary: I must have a carriage,and my arms will do for that. Besides, we will have plenty of bruisesand injuries on the carriage, and especially round the arms, and no onewill think of them."

  "But the rest of the embassy?"

  "We will arrive in the evening; it is the best time to make a debut, andyou shall all follow next day, when we have prepared the way."

  "Very well."

  "But every ambassador, besides a secretary, must have a valet dechambre. You, captain," said Don Manoel, addressing one of the gang,"shall take this part."

  The captain bowed.

  "And the money for the purchases?" said Manoel. "I have nothing."

  "I have a little," said Beausire, "but it belongs to my mistress. Whathave we in our fund?"

  "Your keys, gentlemen," said the banker.

  Each drew out a key, which opened one of twelve locks in the table; sothat none of these honest associates could open it without all theothers. They went to look.

  "One hundred and ninety-eight louis, besides the reserve fund," said thebanker.

  "Give them to M. Beausire and me. It is not too much," said Manoel.

  "Give us two-thirds, and leave the rest," said Beausire, with agenerosity which won all their hearts.

  Don Manoel and Beausire received, therefore, one hundred and thirty-twolouis and sixty-six remained for the others.

  They then separated, having fixed a rendezvous for the next day.

  Beausire rolled up his domino under his arm, and hastened to the RueDauphine, where he hoped to find Oliva in possession of some new louisd'or.