THE MINISTER OF FINANCE.
We have seen that the queen, before receiving Andrée, was smiling over
a note from Madame de la Motte. She was, however, rendered serious by
the interview with Mademoiselle de Taverney. Scarcely had she gone,
when Madame de Misery came to announce M. de Calonne. He was a man of
much intellect, but, foreseeing that disaster was hanging over France,
determined to think only of the present, and enjoy it to the utmost. He
was a courtier, and a popular man. M. de Necker had shown the
impossibility of finding finances, and called for reforms which would
have struck at the estates of the nobility and the revenues of the
clergy; he exposed his designs too openly, and was overwhelmed by a
torrent of opposition; to show the enemy your plan of attack is half to
give them the victory. Calonne, equally alive to the danger, but seeing
no way of escape, gave way to it. He completely carried with him the
king and queen, who implicitly believed in his system, and this is,
perhaps, the only political fault which Louis XVI was guilty of towards
posterity. M. de Calonne was handsome, and had an ingratiating manner;
he knew how to please a queen, and always arrived with a smile on his
face, when others might have worn a frown.
The queen received him graciously, and said, “Have we any money, M. de
Calonne?”
“Certainly, madame; we have always money.”
“You are perfectly marvelous,” replied she, “an incomparable financier,
for you seem always ready when we want money.”
“How much does your majesty require?”
“Explain to me first how you manage to find money, when M. Necker
declared that there was none.”
“M. Necker was right, madame; for when I became minister on the 3d of
November, 1783, there were but one thousand and two hundred francs in
the public treasury. Had M. Necker, madame, instead of crying out,
‘There is no money,’ done as I have done, and borrowed 100,000,000 the
first year, and 125,000,000 the second, and had he been as sure as I am
of a new loan of 80,000,000 for the third, he would have been a true
financier. Every one can say there is no money, but not that there is
plenty.”
“That is what I compliment you on, sir; but how to pay all this?”
“Oh, madame, be sure we shall pay it,” replied he, with a strange
smile.
“Well, I trust to you,” said the queen.
“I have now a project, madame,” replied he, bowing, “which will put
20,000,000 into the pockets of the nation, and 7,000,000 or 8,000,000
into your own.”
“They will be welcome, but where are they to come from?”
“Your majesty is aware that money is not of the same value in all the
countries of Europe.”
“Certainly. In Spain gold is dearer than in France.”
“Your majesty is perfectly right. Gold in Spain has been for the last
five or six years worth considerably more than in France; it results
that the exporters gain on eight ounces of gold, that they send from
here, about the value of fourteen ounces of silver.”
“That is a great deal.”
“Well, madame, I mean to raise the price of gold one-fifth of this
difference, and where we have now thirty louis we shall then have
thirty-two.”
“It is a brilliant idea!” cried the queen.
“I believe it, and am happy that it meets your majesty’s approbation.”
“Always have such, and I am sure you will soon pay our debts.”
“But allow me, madame, to return to what you want of me,” said the
minister.
“Would it be possible to have at present—I am afraid it is too much——”
Calonne smiled in an encouraging manner.
“500,000 francs?” continued the queen.
“Oh, madame, really your majesty frightened me; I was afraid it was
something great.”
“Then you can?”
“Assuredly.”
“Without the king’s knowledge?”
“Oh, madame, that is impossible. Every month all my accounts are laid
before the king; however, he does not always read them.”
“When can I have it?”
“What day does your majesty wish for it?”
“On the fifth of next month.”
“Your majesty shall have it on the third.”
“Thanks, M. de Calonne.”
“My greatest happiness is to please your majesty, and I beg you never
will allow yourself to be embarrassed for want of money.” He rose, the
queen gave him her hand to kiss, and then said, “After all, this money
causes me some remorse, for it is for a caprice.”
“Never mind; some one will gain by it.”
“That is true; you have a charming mode of consoling one.”
“Oh, madame, if we had none of us more reasons for remorse than you, we
should all go straight to heaven.”
“But it will be cruel to make the poor people pay for my caprices.”
“Have no scruples, madame; it is not the poor who will pay.”
“How so?” asked the queen, in some surprise.
“Because, madame, they have nothing to pay with.”
He bowed and retired.