HOW LIFE PASSED IN THE BASTILLE WHILE WAITING FOR DEATH.
Gaston was inclined to thank the lieutenant of police, but he refrained.
It might appear as though he had been afraid. He took his hat and coat,
and returned to the Bastille as he had come.
"They did not like to put a man of high birth to the torture," thought
he; "they will try me and condemn me to death."
But death seemed easy when divested of the preliminary agonies which the
lieutenant of police had so minutely described.
On re-entering his room, Gaston saw, almost with joy, all that had
seemed so horrible to him an hour before. The prison seemed gay, the
view charming, the saddest inscriptions on the walls were madrigals
compared to the menacing appearance of the room he had just quitted.
The major of the Bastille came to fetch him about an hour afterward,
accompanied by a turnkey.
"I understand," thought Gaston; "the governor's invitation is a pretext,
in such a case, to take from the prisoner the anguish of expectation. I
shall, doubtless, cross some dungeon, into which I shall fall and die.
God's will be done." And, with a firm step, he followed the major,
expecting every moment to be precipitated into some secret dungeon, and
murmuring Helene's name, that he might die with it on his lips.
But, no accident following this poetical and loving invocation, the
prisoner quietly arrived at the governor's door.
M. de Launay came to meet him.
"Will you give me your word of honor, chevalier," said he, "not to
attempt to escape while you are in my house? It is understood, of
course," he added, smiling, "that this parole is withdrawn as soon as
you are taken back to your own room, and it is only a precaution to
insure me a continuance of your society."
"I give you my word so far," said Gaston.
"'Tis well, monsieur, enter; you are expected."
And he led Gaston to a well-furnished room, where a numerous company was
already assembled.
"I have the honor to present to you M. le Chevalier Gaston de Chanlay,"
said the governor. Then naming, in turn, each of the persons assembled--
"M. le Duc de Richelieu."
"M. le Comte de Laval."
"M. le Chevalier Dumesnil."
"M. de Malezieux."
"Ah," said Gaston, smiling, "all the Cellamare conspiracy."
"Except M. and Madame de Maine, and the Prince of Cellamare," said the
Abbe Brigaud, bowing.
"Ah, monsieur," said Gaston, in a reproachful tone, "you forget the
brave D'Harmental and the learned Mademoiselle de Launay."
"D'Harmental is kept in bed by his wounds," said Brigaud.
"As to Mademoiselle de Launay," said the Chevalier Dumesnil, reddening
with pleasure, "here she comes; she does us the honor of dining with
us."
"Present me, monsieur," said Gaston; "among prisoners we must not make
ceremonies; I reckon, therefore, on you."'
And Dumesnil, taking Gaston by the hand, presented him to Mademoiselle
de Launay.
Gaston could not repress a certain expression of astonishment at all he
saw.
"Ah, chevalier," said the governor, "I see that, like three-quarters of
the inhabitants of Paris, you thought I devoured my prisoners."
"No, monsieur," said Gaston, "but I certainly thought for a moment that
I should not have had the honor of dining with you to-day."----"How so?"
"Is it the habit to give your prisoners an appetite for their dinners by
the walk I have had to-day?"
"Ah, yes," cried Mademoiselle de Launay, "was it not you who were being
led to the torture just now?"
"Myself, mademoiselle; and be assured that only such a hindrance would
have kept me from so charming a society."
"Ah, these things are not in my jurisdiction," said the governor; "thank
Heaven, I am a soldier, and not a judge. Do not confound arms and the
toga, as Cicero says. My business is to keep you here, and to make your
stay as agreeable as possible, so that I may have the pleasure of seeing
you again. M. d'Argenson's business is to have you tortured, hanged,
beheaded, put on the wheel, quartered, if possible; each to his task.
Mademoiselle de Launay," added he, "dinner is ready, will you take my
arm? Your pardon, Chevalier Dumesnil; you think me a tyrant, I am sure,
but as host I am privileged. Gentlemen, seat yourselves."
"What a horrible thing a prison is," said Richelieu, delicately turning
up his cuffs, "slavery, irons, bolts, chains."
"Shall I pass you this potage a l'ecrevisses?" said the governor.
"Yes, monsieur," said the duke, "your cook does it beautifully, and I am
really annoyed that mine did not conspire with me; he might have
profited by his stay in the Bastille."
"There is champagne," said De Launay, "I have it direct from Ai."
"You must give me the address," said Richelieu, "for if the regent
leaves me my head, I shall drink no other wine than this. I have got
accustomed to it during my sojourns here, and I am a creature of habit."
"Indeed," said the governor, "you may all take example by Richelieu; he
is most faithful to me; and, in fact, unless we are overcrowded, I
always keep his room ready for him."
"That tyrant of a regent may force us all to keep a room here," said
Brigaud.
"Monsieur de Launay," said Laval, in an angry tone, "permit me to ask if
it was by your orders that I was awoke at two o'clock this morning, and
the meaning of this persecution?"
"It is not my fault, monsieur; you must blame these gentlemen and
ladies, who will not keep quiet, in spite of all I tell them."
"We!" cried all the guests.
"Certainly," replied the governor, "you all break through rules; I am
always having reports of communications, correspondences, notes, etc."
Richelieu laughed, Dumesnil and Mademoiselle de Launay blushed.
"But we will speak of that at dessert. You do not drink, M. de Chanlay?"
"No, I am listening."
"Say that you are dreaming; you cannot deceive me thus."
"And of what?" asked Malezieux.
"Ah, it is easy to see that you are getting old, my poetical friend; of
what should M. de Chanlay dream but of his love."
"Is it not better, M. de Chanlay," cried Richelieu, "to have your head
separated from your body, than your body from your soul?"
"Apropos," interrupted Laval, "is there any news from the court; how is
the king?"
"No politics, gentlemen, if you please," said the governor. "Let us
discuss poetry, arts, war, and even the Bastille, if you like, but let
us avoid politics."
"Ah, yes," said Richelieu, "let us talk of the Bastille. What have you
done with Pompadour?"
"I am sorry to say he forced me to place him in the dungeon."
"What had he done?" asked Gaston.
"He had beaten his jailer."
"How long has it been forbidden for a gentleman to beat his servant?"
asked Richelieu.
"The jailers are servants of the king, M. le Duc," said De Launay,
smiling.
"Say rather of the regent."
"A subtle distinction."
"A just one."
"Shall I pass you the Chambertin, M. de Laval?"
"If you will drink with me to the health of the king."
"Certainly--if afterward you will drink with me to the health of the
regent."
"Monsieur," said Laval, "I am no longer thirsty."
"I believe it--you have just drunk some wine from his highness's
cellar."
"From the regent's?"
"He sent it me yesterday, knowing that I was to have the pleasure of
your company."
"In that case," said Brigaud, throwing the contents of his glass upon
the floor, "no more poison."
"Oh!" said Malezieux, "I did not know you were such a fanatic for the
good cause."
"You were wrong to spill it, abbe," said Richelieu, "I know that wine,
and you will hardly find such out of the Palais Royal--if it were
against your principles to drink it, you should have passed it to your
neighbor, or put it back in the bottle. 'Vinum in amphoram,' said my
schoolmaster."
"M. le Duc," said Brigaud, "you do not know Latin as well as Spanish."
"I know French still less, and I want to learn it."
"Oh! that would be long and tedious; better get admitted into the
Academy, it would be far easier."
"And do you speak Spanish?" asked Richelieu of De Chanlay.
"Report says, monsieur, that I am here for the abuse of that tongue."
"Monsieur," said the governor, "if you return to politics I must leave
the table."
"Then," said Richelieu, "tell Mademoiselle de Launay to talk
mathematics; that will not frighten any one."
Mademoiselle de Launay started; she had been carrying on a conversation
with Dumesnil, which had been greatly exciting the jealousy of
Maison-Rouge, who was in love with her.
When dinner was over, the governor conducted each guest back to his own
room, and when it came to Gaston's turn he asked M. de Launay if he
could have some razors, instruments which appeared necessary in a place
where such elegant company was assembled.
"Monsieur le Chevalier," said the governor, "I am distressed to refuse
you a thing of which I see the necessity; but it is against the rules
for any one to shave themselves unless they have special permission from
the lieutenant of police--no doubt you will obtain the permission if you
apply for it."
"But are those gentlemen whom I met here privileged, for they were well
dressed and shaved?"
"No, they all had to ask permission; the Duc de Richelieu remained for a
month with a beard like a patriarch."
"I find it difficult to reconcile such severity in detail with the
liberty I have just seen."
"Monsieur, I also have my privileges, which do not extend to giving you
books, razors, or pens, but which allow me to invite to my table such
prisoners as I choose to favor--always supposing that it is a favor.
True, it is stipulated that I shall give an account of anything which is
spoken against the government, but by preventing my guests from touching
on politics, I avoid the necessity of betraying them."
"Is it not feared, monsieur," said Gaston, "that this intimacy between
you and your prisoners should lead to indulgences on your part, which
might be contrary to the intentions of the government?"
"I know my duty, monsieur, and keep within its strict limits; I receive
my orders from the court, and my guests--who know that I have nothing to
do with them--bear me no ill will for them. I hope you will do the
same."
"The precaution was not unnecessary," said Gaston, "for doubtless I
shall not long be left in the enjoyment of the pleasure I have had
to-day."
"You have doubtless some protector at court?"
"None," said Gaston.
"Then you must trust to chance, monsieur."
"I have never found it propitious."
"The more reason that it should weary of persecuting you."
"I am a Breton, and Bretons trust only in God."
"Take that as my meaning when I said chance."
Gaston retired, charmed with the manners and attentions of M. de Launay.