HOW IT CAME TO PASS THAT M. BEAUSIRE WAS TRACKED BY THE AGENTS OF M. DE
CROSNE.
Madame de la Motte was imprisoned as the queen had threatened, and the
whole affair created no little talk and excitement through France. M.
de Rohan lived at the Bastile like a prince: he had everything but
liberty. He demanded to be confronted with Madame de la Motte as soon
as he heard of her arrest. This was done. She whispered to him, “Send
every one away, and I will explain.” He asked this, but was refused;
they said his counsel might communicate with her. She said to this
gentleman that she was ignorant of what had become of the necklace, but
that they might well have given it to her in recompense for the
services she had rendered the queen and the cardinal, which were well
worth a million and a half. The cardinal turned pale on hearing this
repeated, and felt how much they were in Jeanne’s power. He was
determined not to accuse the queen, although his friends endeavored to
convince him that it was his only way to prove his innocence of the
robbery. Jeanne said that she did not wish to accuse either the queen
or the cardinal, but that, if they persisted in making her responsible
for the necklace, she would do so to show that they were interested in
accusing her of falsehood. Then M. de Rohan expressed all his contempt
for her, and said that he began to understand much of Jeanne’s conduct,
but not the queen’s. All this was reported to Marie Antoinette. She
ordered another private examination of the parties, but gained nothing
from it. Jeanne denied everything to those sent by the queen; but when
they were gone she altered her tone, and said, “If they do not leave me
alone I will tell all.” The cardinal said nothing, and brought no
accusations; but rumors began to spread fast, and the question soon
became, not “Has the queen stolen the necklace?” but “Has she allowed
some one else to steal it because she knew all about her amours?”
Madame de la Motte had involved her in a maze, from which there seemed
no honorable exit; but she determined not to lose courage. She began to
come to the conclusion that the cardinal was an honest man, and did not
wish to ruin her, but was acting like herself, only to preserve his
honor. They strove earnestly but ineffectually to trace the necklace.
All opinions were against Jeanne, and she began to fear that, even if
she dragged down the queen and cardinal, she should be quite
overwhelmed under the ruins she had caused; and she had not even at
hand the fruits of her dishonesty to corrupt her judges with. Affairs
were in this state when a new episode changed the face of things. Oliva
and M. Beausire were living, happy and rich, in a country house, when
one day Beausire, going out hunting, fell into the company of two of
the agents of M. de Crosne, whom he had scattered all over the country.
They recognized Beausire immediately, but, as it was Oliva whom they
most wanted, they did not arrest him there, but only joined the chase.
Beausire, seeing two strangers, called the huntsman, and asked who they
were. He replied that he did not know, but, if he had permission, would
send them away. On his questioning them, they said they were friends of
that gentleman, pointing to M. Beausire. Then the man brought them to
him, saying, “M. de Linville, these gentlemen say they are friends of
yours.”
“Ah, you are called De Linville now, dear M. Beausire!”
Beausire trembled; he had concealed his name so carefully. He sent away
the huntsman, and asked them who they were.
“Take us home with you, and we will tell you.”
“Home?”
“Yes; do not be inhospitable.” Beausire was frightened, but still
feared to refuse these men who knew him.