Le collier de la reine. English

by Alexandre Dumas

  CHAPTER XLII.

  IN WHICH M. DUCORNEAU UNDERSTANDS NOTHING OF WHAT IS PASSING.

  Don Manoel was less yellow than usual, that is to say, he was more red.He had just been having a fierce altercation with his valet, and theywere still disputing when Beausire entered.

  "Come, M. Beausire, and set us right," said the valet.

  "About what?"

  "This 100,000 francs. It is the property of the association, is it not?"

  "Certainly."

  "Ah, M. Beausire agrees with me."

  "Wait," said Don Manoel.

  "Well, then," continued the valet, "the chest ought not to be kept closeto the ambassador's room."

  "Why not?" asked Beausire.

  "M. Manoel ought to give us each a key to it."

  "Not so," said Manoel; "do you suspect me of wishing to rob theassociation? I may equally suspect you, when you ask for a key."

  "But," said the valet, "we have all equal rights."

  "Really, monsieur, if you wish to make us all equal, we ought to haveplayed the ambassador in turn. It would have been less plausible in theeyes of the public, but it would have satisfied you."

  "And besides," said Beausire, "M. Manoel has the incontestable privilegeof the inventor."

  "Oh," replied the valet, "the thing once started, there are no moreprivileges. I do not speak for myself only; all our comrades think thesame."

  "They are wrong," said both Manoel and Beausire.

  "I was wrong myself to take the opinion of M. Beausire; of course thesecretary supports the ambassador."

  "Monsieur," replied Beausire, "you are a knave, whose ears I would slit,if it had not already been done too often. You insult me by saying thatI have an understanding with Manoel."

  "And me also," said Manoel.

  "And I demand satisfaction," added Beausire.

  "Oh, I am no fighter."

  "So I see," said Beausire, seizing hold of him.

  "Help! help!" cried the valet, attacked at once by both of them. Butjust then they heard a bell ring.

  "Leave him, and let him open the door," said Manoel.

  "Our comrades shall hear all this," replied the valet.

  "Tell them what you please; we will answer for our conduct."

  "M. Boehmer!" cried the porter from below.

  "Well, we shall have no more contests about the 100,000 francs," saidManoel; "for they will disappear with M. Boehmer."

  M. Boehmer entered, followed by Bossange. Both looked humble andembarrassed. Boehmer began, and explained that political reasons wouldprevent their fulfilling their contract.

  Manoel cried out angrily; Beausire looked fierce.

  Manoel said "that the bargain was completed, and the money ready."

  Boehmer persisted.

  Manoel, always through Beausire, replied, "that his Government had beenapprised of the conclusion of the bargain, and that it was an insult tohis queen to break it off."

  M. Boehmer was very sorry, but it was impossible to act otherwise.

  Beausire, in Manoel's name, refused to accept the retractation, andabused M. Boehmer as a man without faith, and ended by saying, "Youhave found some one to pay more for it."

  The jewelers colored.

  Beausire saw that he was right, and feigned to consult his ambassador."Well," said he at length, "if another will give you more for yourdiamonds, we would do the same, rather than have this affront offered toour queen. Will you take 50,000 francs more?"

  Boehmer shook his head.

  "100,000, or even 150,000," continued Beausire, willing to offeranything rather than lose the booty.

  The jewelers looked dazzled for a moment, consulted together, and thensaid, "No, monsieur, it is useless to tempt us. A will more powerfulthan our own compels us to decline. You understand, no doubt, that it isnot we who refuse. We only obey the orders of one greater than any ofus."

  Beausire and Manoel saw that it was useless to say more, and tried tolook and speak indifferently on the matter.

  Meanwhile the valet had been listening attentively, and just then makingan unlucky movement, stumbled against the door. Beausire ran to theante-chamber. "What on earth are you about?" cried he.

  "Monsieur, I bring the morning despatches."

  "Good," said Beausire, taking them from him, "now go."

  They were letters from Portugal, generally very insignificant, butwhich, passing through their hands before going to Ducorneau, often gavethem useful information about the affairs of the embassy.

  The jewelers, hearing the word despatches, rose to leave like men whohad received their conge.

  "Well," said Manoel, when they were gone, "we are completely beaten.Only 100,000 francs, a poor spoil; we shall have but 8,000 each."

  "It is not worth the trouble. But it might be 50,000 each."

  "Good," replied Manoel, "but the valet will never leave us now he knowsthe affair has failed."

  "Oh, I know how we will manage him. He will return immediately, andclaim his share and that of his comrades, and we shall have the wholehouse on our hands. Well, I will call him first to a secret conference;then leave me to act."

  "I think I understand," said Manoel.

  Neither, however, would leave his friend alone with the chest while hewent to call him.

  Manoel said "that his dignity as ambassador prevented him from takingsuch a step."

  "You are not ambassador to him," said Beausire; "however, I will callthrough the window."

  The valet, who was just beginning a conversation with the porter,hearing himself called, came up.

  Beausire said to him, with a smiling air, "I suppose you were tellingthis business to the porter?"

  "Oh, no."

  "Are you sure?"

  "I swear!"

  "For if you were, you were committing a great folly, and have lost agreat deal of money."

  "How so?"

  "Why, at present only we three know the secret, and could divide the100,000 francs between us, as they all now think we have given it to M.Boehmer."

  "Morbleu!" cried the valet, "it is true: 33,300 francs each."

  "Then you accept?"

  "I should think so."

  "I said you were a rogue," said Beausire, in a thundering voice; "come,Don Manoel, help me to seize this man, and give him up to ourassociates."

  "Pardon! pardon!" cried the unfortunate, "I did but jest."

  "Shut him up until we can devise his punishment."

  The man began to cry out.

  "Take care," said Beausire, "that Ducorneau does not hear us."

  "If you do not leave me alone," said the valet, "I will denounce youall."

  "And I will strangle you," said Don Manoel, trying to push him into aneighboring closet.

  "Send away Ducorneau somewhere, Beausire, while I finish this fellow."

  When he had locked him up, he returned to the room. Beausire was notthere; Don Manoel felt tempted. He was alone, and Beausire might be somelittle time; he could open the chest, take out all the bank-notes, andbe off in two minutes. He ran to the room where it was: the door waslocked. "Ah," thought he, "Beausire distrusted me, and locked the doorbefore he went." He forced back the lock with his sword, and thenuttered a terrible cry. The chest was opened and empty. Beausire hadgot, as we know, a second key; he had forestalled Manoel.

  Manoel ran down like a madman; the porter was singing at the door--heasked if Beausire had passed.

  "Yes, some ten minutes ago."

  Manoel became furious, summoned them all, and ran to release theunfortunate valet. But when he told his story, Manoel was accused ofbeing an accomplice of Beausire, and they all turned against him.

  M. Ducorneau felt ready to faint, when he entered and saw the menpreparing to hang M. de Souza. "Hang M. de Souza!" cried he. "It is hightreason."

  At last they threw him into a cellar, fearing his cries would arouse theneighborhood.

  At that moment loud knocks at the door disturbed them,--they looked ateach other in dismay.
The knocks were repeated, and some one cried,"Open in the name of the Portuguese ambassador."

  On hearing this, each made his escape in terror, as he best could,scrambling over walls and roofs. The true ambassador could only enter bythe help of the police.

  They found and arrested M. Ducorneau, who slept that night in theChatelet.

  Thus ended the adventure of the sham embassy from the Portugal.