WHICH TREATS OF CARPENTRY OPERATIONS, AND FURNISHES DETAILS UPON THE
MODE OF CONSTRUCTING STAIRCASES.
The advice which had been given to Montalais was communicated by her to
La Valliere, who could not but acknowledge that it was by no means
deficient in judgment, and who, after a certain amount of resistance,
arising rather from her timidity than from her indifference to the
project, resolved to put it into execution. This story of the two girls
weeping, and filling Madame's bedroom with the noisiest lamentations,
was Malicorne's _chef-d'oeuvre_. As nothing is so probable as
improbability, so natural as romance, this kind of Arabian Nights story
succeeded perfectly with Madame. The first thing she did, was to send
Montalais away, and then three days, or rather three nights, afterward,
she had La Valliere removed. She gave to the latter one of the small
rooms on the top story, situated immediately over the apartments
allotted to the gentlemen of Monsieur's suit. One story only, that is to
say, a mere flooring, separated the maids of honor from the officers and
gentlemen of her husband's household. A private staircase which was
placed under Madame de Navailles' surveillance, was the only means of
communication. For greater safety, Madame de Navailles, who had heard of
his majesty's previous attempts, had the windows of the rooms and the
openings of the chimneys carefully barred. There was, therefore, every
possible security provided for Mademoiselle de la Valliere, whose room
bore more resemblance to a cage than to anything else.
When Mademoiselle de la Valliere was in her own room, and she was there
very frequently, for Madame scarcely ever had any occasion for her
services, since she once knew she was safe under Madame de Navailles'
inspection, Mademoiselle de la Valliere had no other means of amusing
herself than that of looking through the bars of her windows. It
happened, therefore, that one morning, as she was looking out as usual,
she perceived Malicorne at one of the windows exactly opposite to her
own. He held a carpenter's rule in his hand, was surveying the
buildings, and seemed to be adding up some figures on paper. La Valliere
recognized Malicorne, and bowed to him; Malicorne, in his turn, replied
by a profound bow, and disappeared from the window. She was surprised at
this marked coolness, so unusual with his unfailing good humor, but she
remembered that he had lost his appointment on her account, and that he
could hardly be very amiably disposed toward her, since, in all
probability, she would never be in a position to make him any recompense
for what he had lost. She knew how to forgive offenses, and with still
greater reason could she sympathize with misfortune. La Valliere would
have asked Montalais her opinion, if she had been there; but she was
absent, it being the hour she usually devoted to her own correspondence.
Suddenly, La Valliere observed something thrown from the window where
Malicorne had been standing, pass across the open space which separated
the two windows from each other, enter her room through the iron bars,
and roll upon the floor. She advanced with no little curiosity toward
this object, and picked it up; it was a winder for silk, only, in this
instance, 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 his
mind;" and she directed toward her correspondent--of whom she caught
but a faint glimpse, in consequence of the darkness of his room--a look
full of compassionate consideration. Malicorne understood her, and shook
his head, as if he meant to say, "No, no, I am not out of my mind; be
quite satisfied."
She smiled as if still in doubt.
"No, no," he signified, by a gesture, "my head is perfectly right," and
pointed to his head; then, after moving his hand like a man who writes
very rapidly, he put his hands together as if entreating her to write.
La Valliere, even if he were mad, saw no impropriety in doing what
Malicorne requested her; she took a pencil and wrote, "wood;" and then
counted ten paces from her window to her bed, and wrote, "ten feet;" and
having done this, she looked out again at Malicorne, who bowed to her,
signifying that he was about to descend. La Valliere understood that it
was to pick up the silk winder. She approached the window, and, in
accordance with Malicorne's instructions, let it fall. The winder was
still 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 a
nut, and ran straight toward M. de Saint-Aignan's apartments.
Saint-Aignan had selected, or rather solicited, that his rooms might be
as near the king as possible, as certain plants seek the sun's rays in
order to develop themselves more luxuriantly. His apartment consisted of
two rooms, in that portion of the palace occupied by Louis XIV. himself.
M. de Saint-Aignan was very proud of this proximity, which afforded easy
access to his majesty, and, more than that, the favor of occasional
unexpected meetings. At the moment we are now referring to, he was
engaged in having both his rooms magnificently carpeted, with the
expectation of receiving the honor of frequent visits from the king; for
his majesty, since his passion for La Valliere, had chosen Saint-Aignan
as his confidant, and could not, in fact, do without him, either night
or day. Malicorne introduced himself to the comte, and met with no
difficulties, because he had been favorably noticed by the king; and,
also, because the credit which one man may happen to enjoy is always a
bait for others. Saint-Aignan asked his visitor if he brought any news
with 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. "She
was living in the same apartments as Madame."
"Precisely so; but Madame got tired of her proximity, and has installed
her in a room which is situated exactly above your future apartment."
"What! up there," exclaimed Saint-Aignan, with surprise, and pointing at
the 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 my
apartment?"
"Because I am sure that your apartment ought most naturally to be under
Mademoiselle de la Valliere's room."
Saint-Aignan, at this remark, gave poor Malicorne a look, similar to one
of 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 are
thinking about."
"What do you mean by 'what I am thinking about'?"
"My reason is, that you have not clearly understood what I want to
convey."
"I admit it."
"Well, then, you are aware that underneath the apartments set apart for
Madame's maids of honor the gentlemen in attendance on the king and on
Monsieur are lodged."
"Yes, I know that, since Manicamp, De Wardes, and others are living
there."
"Precisely. Well, monsieur, admire the singularity of the circumstance;
the two rooms destined for M. de Guiche are exactly the very two rooms
situated underneath those which Mademoiselle de Montalais and
Mademoiselle de la Valliere occupy."
"Well; what then?"
"'What then,' do you say? Why, these two rooms are empty, since M. de
Guiche 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 should
guess immediately."
"And what would you do, then?"
"I should at once change the rooms I am occupying here, for those which
M. 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 privilege
conceded only to princes of the blood, to dukes, and peers! Permit me to
tell you, my dear Monsieur de Malicorne, that you must be out of your
senses."
"Monsieur," replied the young man, seriously, "you commit two mistakes.
My name is Malicorne, simply; and I am in perfect possession of all my
senses." Then, drawing a paper from his pocket, he said, "Listen to what
I 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 did
after the nymph Io."
"I do."
"You know that the king has sought for an opportunity, but uselessly, of
speaking to the prisoner, and that neither you nor myself have yet
succeeded in procuring him this piece of good fortune."
"You certainly ought to know something on that subject, my poor
Malicorne."
"Very good; what do you suppose would happen to the man whose
imagination 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 be
curious to taste a little of this royal gratitude?"
"Certainly," replied Saint-Aignan, "any favor of my master, as a
recognition of the proper discharge of my duty, would assuredly be most
precious 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 I
shall not certainly give them up; M. de Roquelaure, for instance, M. de
la 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 and
offer to one of those gentlemen the plan I have just shown you, together
with 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 visit
openly, 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 possible
you can ask me if the king would go to an apartment which would bring
him 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 the
bobbin. "Monsieur le Comte," he said, "have the goodness to observe that
the flooring of Mademoiselle de la Valliere's room is merely a wooden
flooring."
"Well?"
"Well! all you would have to do would be to get hold of a journeyman
carpenter, lock him up in your apartments, without letting him know
where 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; it
will be heard over the whole palace."
"Oh! Monsieur le Comte, I am quite sure that the carpenter I shall
select will not make the slightest noise in the world. He will saw an
opening six feet square, with a saw covered with tow, and no one, not
even 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 of
which you have cut through, you will put up a staircase, which will
either allow Mademoiselle de la Valliere to descend into your room, or
the 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 you
will throw a tapestry similar to that which covers the rest of the
apartment: and in Mademoiselle de la Valliere's room it will not be
seen, 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 with
delight.
"And now, Monsieur le Comte, there is no occasion to make you admit that
the king will frequently come to the room where such a staircase is
constructed. I think that M. Dangeau particularly will be struck by my
idea, and I shall now go and explain it to him."
"But, my dear Monsieur Malicorne, you forget that you spoke to me about
it 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 that
which 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 of
showing the king that he is not mistaken in occasionally calling me his
friend--an opportunity, dear M. Malicorne, for which I am indebted to
you."
"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 for
myself, 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 as
possible."
"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 Valliere
say 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 to
her 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 his
majesty. 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 to
effect what may be called the junction between the two rooms. One night
and a portion of the following day will do; we must not reckon upon less
than 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 must
at least take care it is properly done."
"Quite right; so farewell for a short time, dear M. Malicorne. I shall
begin to remove the day after to-morrow, in the evening."