THE THREE VISITS.
On arriving at the Arsenal Bathilde asked for Mademoiselle de Launay,
who--at her request--led her at once to Madame de Maine.
"Ah, it is you, my child!" said the duchess, with a distracted air and
voice; "it is well to remember one's friends when they are in
misfortune."
"Alas, madame!" replied Bathilde, "I come to your royal highness to
speak of one still more unfortunate. Doubtless you may have lost some of
your titles, some of your dignities, but their vengeance will stop, for
no one would dare to attack the life, or even the liberty, of the son of
Louis XIV., or the granddaughter of the great Conde."
"The life, no; but the liberty, I will not answer for it. Do you know
that that idiot of an Abbe Brigaud has got arrested three days ago at
Orleans, dressed as a peddler, and--on false revelations, which they
represented to him as coming from me--has confessed all, and compromised
us terribly, so that I should not be astonished at being arrested this
very day?"
"He for whom I come to implore your pity, madame, has revealed nothing,
but, on the contrary, is condemned to death for having kept silence."
"Ah! my dear child," cried the duchess, "you speak of poor D'Harmental;
he is a gentleman; you know him, then?"
"Alas!" said Mademoiselle de Launay, "not only Bathilde knows him, but
she loves him."
"Poor child! but what can I do? I can do nothing: I have no influence.
For me to attempt anything in his favor would be to take away from him
the last hope remaining."
"I know it, madame," said Bathilde, "and I only ask of your highness one
thing; it is, that, through some of your friends or acquaintances, I may
gain admission to Monseigneur the Regent. The rest lies with me."
"My child, do you know what you are asking?" inquired the duchess. "Do
you know that the regent respects no one? Do you know--that you are
beautiful as an angel, and still more so from your present paleness? Do
you know--"
"Madame," said Bathilde, with dignity, "I know that my father saved his
life, and died in his service."
"Ah, that is another thing," said the duchess; "stay, De Launay, call
Malezieux."
Mademoiselle de Launay obeyed, and a moment afterward the faithful
chancellor entered.
"Malezieux," said the duchess, "you must take this child to the Duchesse
de Berry, with a recommendation from me. She must see the regent, and at
once; the life of a man depends upon it--it is that of D'Harmental, whom
I would myself give so much to save."
"I go, madame," said Malezieux.
"You see, my child," said the duchess, "I do all I can for you; if I can
be useful to you in any other way--if, to prepare his flight, or to
seduce a jailer, money is needed, I have still some diamonds, which
cannot be better employed than in saving the life of so brave a
gentleman. Come, lose no time, go at once to my niece; you know that she
is her father's favorite."
"I know, madame," said Bathilde, "that you are an angel, and, if I
succeed, I shall owe you more than my life."
"Come, De Launay," continued Madame de Maine, when Bathilde was gone,
"let us return to our trunks."
Bathilde, accompanied by Malezieux, arrived at the Luxembourg in twenty
minutes. Thanks to Malezieux, Bathilde entered without difficulty; she
was conducted into a little boudoir, where she was told to wait while
the chancellor should see her royal highness, and inform her of the
favor they came to ask.
Malezieux acquitted himself of the commission with zeal, and Bathilde
had not waited ten minutes when she saw him return with the Duchesse de
Berry. The duchess had an excellent heart, and she had been greatly
moved by Malezieux' recital, so that, when she appeared, there was no
mistaking the interest she already felt in the young girl who came to
solicit her protection. Bathilde came to her, and would have fallen at
her feet, but the duchess took her by the hand, and kissing her on the
forehead--
"My poor child," said she, "why did you not come to me a week ago?"
"And why a week ago rather than to-day, madame?" asked Bathilde, with
anxiety.
"Because a week ago I should have yielded to none the pleasure of taking
you to my father, and that now is impossible."
"Impossible! and why?" cried Bathilde.
"Do you not know that I am in complete disgrace since the day before
yesterday? Alas! princess as I am, I am a woman like you, and like you I
have had the misfortune to love. We daughters of the royal race, you
know, may not dispose of our hearts without the authority of the king
and his ministers. I have disposed of my heart, and I have nothing to
say, for I was pardoned; but I disposed of my hand, and I am punished.
See, what a strange thing! They make a crime of what in any one else
would have been praised. For three days my lover has been my husband,
and for three days, that is to say, from the moment when I could present
myself before my father without blushing, I am forbidden his presence.
Yesterday my guard was taken from me; this morning I presented myself at
the Palais Royal and was refused admittance."
"Alas!" said Bathilde, "I am unhappy, for I had no hope but in you,
madame, and I know no one who can introduce me to the regent. And it is
to-morrow, madame, at eight o'clock, that they will kill him whom I love
as you love M. de Riom. Oh, madame, take pity on me, for if you do not,
I am lost!"
"Mon Dieu! Riom, come to our aid," said the duchess, turning to her
husband, who entered at this moment; "here is a poor child who wants to
see my father directly, without delay; her life depends on the
interview. Her life! What am I saying? More than her life--the life of a
man she loves. Lauzun's nephew should never be at a loss; find us a
means, and, if it be possible, I will love you more than ever."
"I have one," said Riom, smiling.
"Oh, monsieur," cried Bathilde, "tell it me, and I will be eternally
grateful."
"Oh, speak!" said the Duchesse de Berry, in a voice almost as pressing
as Bathilde's.
"But it compromises your sister singularly."
"Which one?"
"Mademoiselle de Valois."
"Aglae! how so?"
"Do you not know that there exists a kind of sorcerer, who has the power
of appearing before her day or night, no one knows how?"
"Richelieu? it is true!" cried the Duchesse de Berry; "but--"
"But what, madame?"
"He will not, perhaps--"
"I will beg him so that he will take pity on me," said Bathilde;
"besides, you will speak a word for me, will you not? He will not dare
to refuse what your highness asks."
"We will do better than that," said the duchess. "Riom, call Madame de
Mouchy, beg her to take mademoiselle herself to the duke. Madame de
Mouchy is my first lady-in-waiting," said the duchess, turning to
Bathilde, "and it is supposed that the Duc de Richelieu owes her some
gratitude. You see, I could not choose you a better introductress."
"Oh, thanks, madame," cried Bathilde, kissing the duchess's hands, "you
are right, and all hope is not yet lost. And you say that the Duc de
Richelieu has a means of entering the Palais Royal?"
"Stay, let us understand each other. I do not say so, report says so."
"Oh!" cried Bathilde, "if we only find him at home!"
"That is a chance; but yet, let me see, what time is it? scarcely eight
o'clock. He will probably sup in town, and return to dress. I will tell
Madame de Mouchy to wait for him with you. Will you not," said she,
turning to the lady-in-waiting, who now entered, "wait for the duke till
he returns?"
"I will do whatever your highness orders," said Madame de Mouchy.
"Well, I order you to obtain from the Duc de Richelieu a promise that
mademoiselle shall see the regent, and I authorize you to use, for this
purpose, whatever influence you may possess over him."
"Madame goes a long way," said Madame de Mouchy, smiling.
"Never mind, go and do what I tell you; and you, my child, take courage,
follow madame, and if, on your road in life, you hear much harm of the
Duchesse de Berry, whom they anathematize, tell them that I have a good
heart, and that, in spite of all these excommunications, I hope that
much will be forgiven me, because I have loved much. Is it not so,
Riom?"
"I do not know, madame," said Bathilde, "whether you are well or ill
spoken of, but I know that to me you seem so good and great that I could
kiss the trace of your footsteps."
"Now go, my child; if you miss M. de Richelieu you may not know where to
find him, and may wait for him uselessly."
"Since her highness permits it, come, then, madame," said Bathilde, "for
every minute seems to me an age."
A quarter of an hour afterward, Bathilde and Madame de Mouchy were at
Richelieu's hotel. Contrary to all expectation, he was at home. Madame
de Mouchy entered at once, followed by Bathilde. They found Richelieu
occupied with Raffe, his secretary, in burning a number of useless
letters, and putting some others aside.
"Well, madame," said Richelieu, coming forward with a smile on his lips,
"what good wind blows you here? And to what event do I owe the happiness
of receiving you at my house at half-past eight in the evening?"
"To my wish to enable you to do a good action, duke."
"In that case, make haste, madame."
"Do you leave Paris this evening?"
"No, but I am going to-morrow morning--to the Bastille."
"What joke is this?"
"I assure you it is no joke at all to leave my hotel, where I am very
comfortable, for that of the king, where I shall be just the reverse. I
know it, for this will be my third visit."
"What makes you think you will be arrested to-morrow?"
"I have been warned."
"By a sure person?"
"Judge for yourself."
And he handed a letter to Madame de Mouchy, who took it and read--
"Innocent or guilty you have only time to fly. The regent has just said
aloud before me that at last he has got the Duc de Richelieu. To-morrow
you will be arrested."
"Do you think the person in a position to be well informed?"
"Yes, for I think I recognize the writing."
"You see, then, that I was right in telling you to make haste. Now, if
it is a thing which may be done in the space of a night, speak, I am at
your orders."
"An hour will suffice."
"Speak, then; you know I can refuse you nothing."
"Well," said Madame de Mouchy, "the thing is told in a few words. Do you
intend this evening to go and thank the person who gave you this
advice?"
"Probably," said the duke, laughing.
"Well, you must present mademoiselle to her."
"Mademoiselle!" cried the duke, astonished, and turning toward Bathilde,
who till then had remained hidden in the darkness, "and who is
mademoiselle?"
"A young girl who loves the Chevalier d'Harmental--who is to be executed
to-morrow, as you know, and whose pardon she wishes to ask from the
regent."
"You love the Chevalier d'Harmental, mademoiselle?" said the duke,
addressing Bathilde.
"Oh, monsieur!" stammered Bathilde, blushing.
"Do not conceal it, mademoiselle. He is a noble young man, and I would
give ten years of my own life to save him. And do you think you have any
means of interesting the regent in his favor?"
"I believe so."
"It is well. I only hope it may be so. Madame," continued the duke,
turning to Madame de Mouchy, "return to her royal highness and tell her
that mademoiselle shall see the regent in an hour."
"Oh, M. le Duc!" cried Bathilde.
"Decidedly, my dear Richelieu, I begin to think, as people say, that you
have made a compact with the devil; that you may pass through key-holes,
and I confess I shall be less uneasy now, in seeing you go to the
Bastille."
"At any rate, you know, madame, that charity teaches us to visit
prisoners, and if you retain any recollection of poor Armand--"
"Silence, duke, be discreet, and we will see what can be done for you.
Meanwhile, you promise that mademoiselle shall see the regent?"
"It is a settled thing."
"Adieu, duke, and may the Bastille be easy to you."
"Is it adieu you say?"
"Au revoir!"
"That is right."
And having kissed Madame de Mouchy's hand he led her to the door; then,
returning to Bathilde:
"Mademoiselle," said he, "what I am about to do for you compromises the
reputation and honor of a princess of the blood, but the gravity of the
occasion demands some sacrifice. Swear to me, then, that you will never
tell, but to one person (for I know there are persons for whom you have
no secrets), swear that you will never tell any but him, and that no
other shall ever know in what manner you came to the regent."
"Monsieur, I swear it by all I hold most sacred in the world--by my
mother's memory."
"That will suffice," said the duke, ringing a bell. A valet-de-chambre
entered.
"Lafosse," said the duke, "the bay horses and the carriage without
arms."
"Monsieur," said Bathilde, "if you would save time, I have a hired
carriage below."
"That is still better. I am at your orders, mademoiselle."
"Am I to go with monsieur?" asked the servant.
"No, stay and help Raffe to put these papers in order. There are several
which it is quite unnecessary for Dubois to see."
And the duke offered his arm to Bathilde, went down, handed her into the
carriage, and after telling the coachman to stop at the corner of the
Rue Saint Honore and the Rue de Richelieu, placed himself by her side,
as thoughtless as though the fate from which he was about to save the
chevalier might not also await himself.