MARIE ANTOINETTE AS QUEEN, AND MADAME DE LA MOTTE AS WOMAN.
The courier despatched for Madame de la Motte, not finding her at home,
went to the hotel of the Cardinal de Rohan to inquire if she were
there.
The well-tutored Swiss replied that she was not, but that he could get
any message transmitted to her.
The courier, therefore, left word for her to come to the queen as soon
as possible. The man had hardly left the door before the message was
delivered to Jeanne as she sat at supper with the cardinal. She set off
immediately, and was at once introduced into the queen’s chamber.
“Oh!” cried the queen on seeing her, “I have something to tell you. The
king has refused me 500,000 francs.”
“Mon Dieu!” murmured the countess.
“Incredible, is it not? He struck through the item; but it is useless
to talk of it; you must return to Paris, and tell the cardinal that
since he is so kind I accept the 500,000 francs he offered me. It is
selfish, I know, but what can I do?”
“Oh! madame!” cried Jeanne, “we are lost—the cardinal no longer has the
money.”
The queen started.
“No money!” stammered she.
“No, madame; an unexpected creditor claimed this money from him. It was
a debt of honor, and he paid it.”
“The whole 500,000 francs?
“Yes, madame.”
“And he has no more?”
“No, madame, he told me this an hour and a half ago, and confessed to
me that he had no other resources.”
The queen leaned her head on her hands; then, after a few moments’
reflection, she said:
“This, countess, is a terrible lesson for me, and a punishment for
having done anything, great or small, without the king’s knowledge. It
was a folly; I had no need of this necklace.”
“True, madame; but if the queen consulted only her absolute wants——”
“I must consult before everything the tranquillity and happiness of my
household. I renounce forever what has begun with so much annoyance. I
will sacrifice my vanity on the altar of duty, as M. de Provence would
say; and beautiful as this necklace is, you shall carry it back to MM.
Bœhmer and Bossange.”
“Carry it back?”
“Yes.”
“But, madame, your majesty has already given 100,000 francs for it.”
“Well, I shall gain all the rest that was to have been paid for it.”
“But, madame, they will not like to return your money.”
“I give it up on condition of their breaking the contract. Now,
countess, that I have come to this determination, I feel at ease once
more. This necklace brought with it cares and fears; diamonds cannot
compensate for these. Take it away, countess; the jewelers must be
satisfied; they will have their necklace, and 100,000 francs into the
bargain.”
“But M. de Rohan?”
“He only acted to give me pleasure, and when he is told it is my
pleasure, not to have the necklace, he will understand me, I am sure;
and if he is a good friend, he will approve and strengthen me in my
sacrifice.” Saying these words, the queen held out the casket to
Jeanne.
She did not take it. “Why not ask for time, madame?”
“No, countess, it is humiliation. One may humiliate one’s self for a
person one loves, to save a living creature, were it only a dog; but
only to keep some sparkling stones—never, countess; take it away.”
“But, madame, it will surely become known that your majesty has had the
jewels, and was obliged to return them.”
“No one will know anything about it. The jewelers will surely hold
their tongues for 100,000 francs. Take it away, countess, and thank M.
de Rohan for his good-will towards me. There is no time to lose; go as
soon as possible, and bring me back a receipt for them.”
“Madame, it shall be done as you wish.”
She first drove home, and changed her dress, which was too elegant for
a visit to the jewelers. Meanwhile she reflected much; she thought
still it was a fault for M. de Rohan to allow the queen to part with
these jewels; and should she obey her orders without consulting him,
would he not have reason to complain? Would he not rather sell himself
than let the queen return them? “I must consult him,” she thought;
“but, after all, he never can get the money.” She then took the
necklace from the case, once more to look at and admire it. “1,600,000
francs in my possession; true, it is but for an hour. To carry away
such a sum in gold I should want two horses, yet how easily I hold it
here! But I must decide. Shall I go to the cardinal, or take it direct
to the jewelers, as the queen ordered? And the receipt—in what form
shall I get it, so as not to compromise the queen, the cardinal, or
myself? Shall I consult—— Ah! if he loved me more, and could give me
the diamonds.”
She sat down again and remained nearly an hour in deep thought. Then
she rose, with a strange look in her eyes, and rang the bell with a
determined air.
She ordered a coach, and in a few minutes she reached the house of the
journalist, M. Reteau de Villette.