The Daughter of an Empress

by L. Mühlbach

  THE FISH FEUD

  Cardinal Bernis was in his boudoir. Before him lay the list of thosepersons whom he had invited to his entertainment of the next day, and hesaw with proud satisfaction that all had accepted his invitation.

  "I shall, then, have a brilliant and stately society to meet thisAustrian archduke," said the well-contented cardinal to himself. "The_elite_ of the nobility, all the cardinals and ambassadors, will maketheir appearance, and Austria will be compelled to acknowledge thatFrance maintains the best understanding with all the European powers,and that she is not the less respected because the Marquise de Pompadouris in fact King of France."

  "Ah, this good marquise," continued the cardinal, stretching himselfcomfortably upon his lounge and taking an open letter from the table,"this good marquise gives me in fact some cause for anxiety. She writesme here that France is in favor of the project of Portugal for thesuppression of the order of the Jesuits, and I am so to inform the pope!This is a dangerous thing, marquise, and may possibly burn your tenderfingers. The suppression of the Jesuits! Is not that to explode apowder-barrel in the midst of Europe, that may shatter all the states?No, no, it is foolhardiness, and I have not the courage to apply thematch to this powder-barrel! I fear it may blow us all into the air."

  And the cardinal began to read anew the letter of Madame de Pompadourwhich a French courier had brought him a few hours before.

  "Ahem, that will be dangerous for the good father!" said he, shaking hishead. "Austria also agrees to this magnificent plan of the PortugueseMinister Pombal, and I am inclined to think that this Austrian archdukehas come to Rome only for the purpose of bringing to the pope theconsent of the Empress Maria Theresa! Ha, ha! how singular! their chasteand virtuous Maria Theresa and our good Pompadour are both agreed inthe matter, and in taking this course are both acting against their ownwill. The women love the Jesuits, these good fathers who furnish themwith an excuse for every weakness, and hold a little back door open forevery sin. That is very convenient for these good women! Yes, yes, thewomen--I think I know them."

  And, smiling, the cardinal sank deeper into himself, dreaming of past,of charming times, when he had not yet counted sixty-five years. Hedreamed of Venice, and of a beautiful nun he had loved there, and whofor him had often left her cloister in the night-time, and, warm andglowing with passion, had come to him. He dreamed of these heavenlyhours, where all pleasure and all happiness had been compressed into oneblessed intoxication of bliss, where the chaste priestess of the Churchhad for him changed to a sparkling priestess of joy!

  "Yes, that was long ago!" murmured the cardinal, as at length he awokefrom his blissful dreams of the past.

  "Those were beautiful times--I was then young and happy; I was then aman, and now--now am old; love has withered, and with it poesy! I am nownothing but a diplomatist."

  There was a low knock at the door. The cardinal hastily but carefullyreturned the portrait of his beautiful nun to the secret drawer in hiswriting-table whence it had been taken, and bade the knocker to enter.

  It was Brunelli, the major-domo of the cardinal, who came with a proudstep, and face beaming with joy, to make a report of his plans andpreparations for the morrow's entertainment.

  "In the evening the park will be illuminated with many thousand lamps,which will outshine the sun, so that the guests will there wander in asea of light," said he, in closing his report.

  The cardinal smiled, and with a stolen glance at the small box thatcontained the portrait of this beautiful nun, he said: "Spare someof the walks in the alleys from your sea of light, and leave them inpartial obscurity. A little duskiness is sometimes necessary for joyand happiness! But how is it with your _carte du diner_? What has SignorGianettino to offer us? I hope he has something very choice, for youknow the cardinals like a good table, and my friend Duke Grimaldi has ahigh opinion of our cuisine."

  "Ah, the Spanish ambassador, your excellency?" exclaimed Brunelli,contemptuously. "The Spanish ambassador knows nothing of the art ofcookery, or he would not possibly be satisfied with his cook! He isa niggard, a poor fellow, of whom all Rome is speaking to-day, andlaughing at him and his master, while they are praising you to theskies!"

  And Signor Brunelli related to his listening master the whole story ofthe gigantic fish, and of the humiliation of the Spanish cook.

  The cardinal listened with attention, and a dark cloud graduallygathered upon his thoughtful brow.

  "That is a very unfortunate occurrence," said he, shaking his head, asBrunelli ended.

  "But at least it was an occurrence in which France triumphed, yourexcellency," responded Brunelli.

  "I much fear the Duke of Grimaldi will do as you have done," said thecardinal; "he will confound my cook with France, and in his cook see allSpain insulted."

  "Then your excellency is not satisfied?" asked Brunelli, withconsternation. "The whole palace is full of jubilation; all the servantsand lackeys and even the secretary of the legation are delighted withthis divine affair!"

  The cardinal paid no attention to these panegyrics of his major-domo,but thoughtfully paced the room with long strides.

  "And you think Gianettino had the right of it?" at length he asked.

  "He was entirely in the right, your excellency. Nothing had been paidfor the fish, and Gianettino's right to purchase was perfect, and nobodycould dispute it!"

  "Well, when we are in the right, we must maintain our right," said thecardinal, after a pause, "and as the affair is known to all Rome, itmust be fought through with _eclat_! The fish, in all its pride ofgreatness shall grace our table to-morrow!"

  "We have no dish of sufficient size in which to serve it."

  "Then let a new one be made," laughed the cardinal. "Take the measure ofthis Goliath, and hasten to the silversmith, that he may make a silverdish of the proper size. But see that it is completed by to-morrowmorning, and that it is richly ornamented. If Rome has heard of thefish, so also must it hear of the dish. Hasten, therefore, SignorBrunelli, and see that all is done as I have ordered!"

  "This is, in fact, a very diverting story," said the cardinal, laughing,when he was again alone. "We have here a monster fish which willprobably swallow my friendship with the Duke of Grimaldi! Well, we shallsee!"

  The cardinal then rang for his body-servant, whom he ordered to dresshim.

  "Court toilet?" asked the servant, astonished at being called to thisservice at so unusual an hour.

  "No, house toilet!" said the cardinal. "I shall soon receive visitors."

  The shrewd cardinal had not deceived himself! In a few minutes anequipage rolled into the court and the footman announced his highnessthe Spanish ambassador, the Duke of Grimaldi.

  "He is a thousand times welcome!" cried the cardinal, and as the doornow opened and the Spanish duke entered, the cardinal advanced toreceive him with open arms and a friendly smile.

  "My dear, much-beloved friend, what a delightful surprise is this!" saidthe cardinal.

  But the duke observed neither the open arms nor the pleasant smile,nor yet the friendly welcome of the cardinal. He strode forward with aserious, majestic _grandezza_, and placing himself directly before thecardinal, he solemnly asked: "Know you of the outrage which a servant ofyour house has inflicted on mine!"

  "Of an outrage?" asked the cardinal, without embarrassment. "I have beentold that your cook had a dispute with mine, because mine had bought afish that was too dear for yours. That is all I know."

  "Then they have not told you," thundered the duke, "that your servant,like an impudent street robber, has wrongfully seized my property. Forthat fish was mine, it belonged to the Spanish embassy, and thereforeto Spain; and your servant has with outrageous insolence committed atrespass upon the property of a foreign power!"

  "Did this fish, then, actually belong to the Spanish crown?" askedBernis. "Was it already paid for, and legally yours?"

  "It was not paid for, but was ordered, and my servant had gone home forthe money."

  "As long as it wa
s not paid for, no one could have any claim upon it."

  "You are, then, disposed to dispute the fish with me?" cried the duke.

  "Should I dispute it," smilingly responded the cardinal, "that wouldbe the equivalent to a recognition of your right to it, which I have noidea of making. Besides, my friend, what does this quarrel of our cooksconcern us, and what has Spain and France to do with these disputes ofour servants? They may fight out their own quarrels with each other; letus give them leave to do so, and if they give each other bloody heads,very well, we will bind them up, that is all!"

  "You take the affair with your usual practical indifference," said theduke with bitterness, "and I can only regret being compelled to lookat it in a different light. The question here is not of a difficultybetween our servants, but of an insult which Spain has received fromFrance in the face of all Rome. Yes, all Rome has witnessed this insult,and these miserable Romans have even dared to dishonor us with irony andsatire, and to mock and deride Spain, while they overload you with theirpraises!"

  "The good Romans, as you know, are like children. This contest of ourcooks has delighted them, and they shouted a _viva_ to the conqueror.But I beg you not to forget that I have nothing to do with the victoriesof my cook."

  "But I have something to do with the defeats of mine! Whoever insultsmy servants insults me; and whoever insults me, insults the kingdom Irepresent--insults Spain! It is therefore in the name of Spain that Idemand satisfaction. Spain has a right to this fish! I demand my right,I demand the surrender of the fish!"

  "If you take this matter in earnest," said the cardinal, "then am Isorry to be compelled also to be serious! If Spain can find offence inthe fact that France has bought a fish which is too dear for the Spanishcook, I cannot see how I can here make satisfaction, as we cannot betaxed with any fault."

  "You refuse me the fish, then?" exclaimed the duke, bursting with rage.

  "As you say that all Rome knows of this affair, and takes an interest init, I cannot act otherwise. It must not have the appearance thatFrance feels herself less great and powerful than Spain; that Francepusillanimously yields when Spain makes an unjust demand!"

  "That is to say, you wish to break off all friendly relations with us?"

  "And can those relations be seriously endangered by this affair?"asked the cardinal with vivacity. "Is it possible that this triflingmisunderstanding between two servants can exercise an influence upona long-cherished friendship and harmony of two powers whose relations,whether friendly or otherwise, may uphold or destroy the peace ofEurope?"

  "Honor is the first law of the Spaniard," proudly responded the duke"and whoever wounds that can no longer be my friend! France has attachedthe honor of Spain, and all Rome has chimed in with the insultingacclamations of France--all Rome knows the story of this fish!"

  "Then let us show these silly Romans that we both look upon the wholeaffair merely as a jest. When you to-morrow laughingly eat of thisfish, the good Romans will feel ashamed of themselves and their childishconduct."

  "You propose then, to-morrow, when the nobility of Rome, when all thediplomatists are assembled, to parade before them this fish, whichto-day sets all tongues in motion?" asked the duke, turning pale.

  "The fish was bought for this dinner, and must be eaten!" said thecardinal, laughing.

  "Then I regret that I cannot be present at this festival!" cried theduke, rising. "You cannot desire that I should be a witness to my ownshame and your triumph. You are no Roman emperor, and I am no conqueredhero compelled to appear in your triumphal train! I recall my consent,and shall not appear at your to-morrow's festival!"

  "Reflect and consider this well!" said the cardinal, almost sadly. "Ifyou fail to appear to-morrow, when the whole diplomacy are assembledat my house for an official dinner, that will signify not only that theduke breaks with his old friend the cardinal, but also that Spain wishesto dissolve her friendly relations with France."

  "Let it be so considered!" said the duke. "Better an open war than aclandestine defeat! Adieu, Sir Cardinal!"

  And the duke made for the door. But the cardinal held him back.

  "Have you reflected upon the consequences?" he asked. "You know whatimportant negotiations at this moment occupy the Catholic courts. Ofthe abolition of the greatest and most powerful of orders, of theextirpation of the Jesuits, is the question. The pope is favorableto this idea of the Portuguese minister, Pombal, but he desires theco-operation of the other Catholic courts. Austria gives her consent,as do Sardinia and all the other Italian states; only the court of Spainhas declared itself the friend and defender of the Jesuits, and foryour sake has France hitherto remained passive on this most importantquestion, and has affected not to hear the demands of her subjects;for your sake has France stifled her own convictions and joined in yoursupport. Therefore, think well of what you are about to do! To break offyour friendly relations with France, is to compel France to take sidesagainst Spain; and if the powerful voice of France is heard against theJesuits, the single voice of Spain will be powerless to uphold them."

  "Well, then, let them go!" cried the duke. "What care I for the Jesuitswhen the defence of our honor is concerned? Sir Cardinal, farewell;however France may decide, Spain will never submit to her arrogance!"

  The duke abruptly left the room, slamming the door after him.

  Cardinal Bernis saw his departure with an expression of sadness.

  "And such are the friendships of man," he murmured to himself; "theslightest offence is sufficient to destroy a friendship of many years.Well, we must reconcile ourselves to it," he continued after a pause,"and, at all events, it has its very diverting side. For many months Ihave taken pains to support Grimaldi with the pope in his defence ofthe Jesuits, and now that celebrated order will be abolished because aFrench cook has bought a fish that was too dear for the Spanish cook! Bywhat small influences are the destinies of mankind decided!

  "But now I have not a moment to lose," continued the cardinal, rousinghimself from his troubled thoughts. "Grimaldi has rendered it impossiblefor me longer to oppose the views of the Marquise de Pompadour; I mustnow give effect to the commands of my feminine sovereign, and announceto the pope the assent of France to his policy. To the pope, then, theletter of the marquise may make known the will of Louis."

  The cardinal hastily donned his official costume, and ordered hiscarriage for a visit to the Vatican.