Louise de la Valliere

by Alexandre Dumas

  Chapter XXVII. Showing How Louis, on His Part, Had Passed the Time fromTen to Half-Past Twelve at Night.

  When the king left the apartments of the maids of honor, he foundColbert awaiting him to take directions for the next day's ceremony, asthe king was then to receive the Dutch and Spanish ambassadors. LouisXIV. had serious causes of dissatisfaction with the Dutch; the Stateshad already been guilty of many mean shifts and evasions with France,and without perceiving or without caring about the chances of a rupture,they again abandoned the alliance with his Most Christian Majesty, forthe purpose of entering into all kinds of plots with Spain. Louis XIV.at his accession, that is to say, at the death of Cardinal Mazarin, hadfound this political question roughly sketched out; the solution wasdifficult for a young man, but as, at that time, the king representedthe whole nation, anything that the head resolved upon, the body wouldbe found ready to carry out. Any sudden impulse of anger, the reactionof young hot blood upon the brain, would be quite sufficient to changean old form of policy and create another system altogether. The partthat diplomatists had to play in those days was that of arranging amongthemselves the different _coups-d'etat_ which their sovereign mastersmight wish to effect. Louis was not in that calm frame of mind which wasnecessary to enable him to determine on a wise course of policy. Stillmuch agitated from the quarrel he had just had with La Valliere,he walked hastily into his cabinet, dimly desirous of finding anopportunity of producing an explosion after he had controlled himselffor so long a time. Colbert, as he saw the king enter, knew the positionof affairs at a glance, understood the king's intentions, and resolvedtherefore to maneuver a little. When Louis requested to be informed whatit would be necessary to say on the morrow, Colbert began by expressinghis surprise that his majesty had not been properly informed by M.Fouquet. "M. Fouquet," he said, "is perfectly acquainted with the wholeof this Dutch affair--he received the dispatches himself direct."

  The king, who was accustomed to hear M. Colbert speak in notover-scrupulous terms of M. Fouquet, allowed this remark to passunanswered, and merely listened. Colbert noticed the effect it hadproduced, and hastened to back out, saying that M. Fouquet was not onall occasions as blamable as at the first glance might seem to be thecase, inasmuch as at that moment he was greatly occupied. The kinglooked up. "What do you allude to?" he said.

  "Sire, men are but men, and M. Fouquet has his defects as well as hisgreat qualities."

  "Ah! defects, who is without them, M. Colbert?"

  "Your majesty, hardly," said Colbert, boldly; for he knew how to conveya good deal of flattery in a light amount of blame, like the arrow whichcleaves the air notwithstanding its weight, thanks to the light featherswhich bear it up.

  The king smiled. "What defect has M. Fouquet, then?" he said.

  "Still the same, sire; it is said he is in love."

  "In love! with whom?"

  "I am not quite sure, sire; I have very little to do with matters ofgallantry."

  "At all events you know, since you speak of it."

  "I have heard a name mentioned."

  "Whose?"

  "I cannot now remember whose, but I think it is one of Madame's maids ofhonor."

  The king started. "You know more than you like to say, M. Colbert," hemurmured.

  "I assure you, no, sire."

  "At all events, Madame's maids of honor are all known, and in mentioningtheir names to you, you will perhaps recollect the one you allude to."

  "No, sire."

  "At least, try."

  "It would be useless, sire. Whenever the name of any lady who runs therisk of being compromised is concerned, my memory is like a coffer ofbronze, the key of which I have lost."

  A dark cloud seemed to pass over the mind as well as across the faceof the king; then, wishing to appear as if he were perfect master ofhimself and his feelings, he said, "And now for the affair concerningHolland."

  "In the first place, sire, at what hour will your majesty receive theambassadors?"

  "Early in the morning."

  "Eleven o'clock?"

  "That is too late--say nine o'clock."

  "That will be too early, sire."

  "For friends, that would be a matter of no importance; one does what onelikes with one's friends; but for one's enemies, in that case nothingcould be better than if they _were_ to feel hurt. I should not be sorry,I confess, to have to finish altogether with these marsh-birds, whoannoy me with their cries."

  "It shall be precisely as your majesty desires. At nine o'clock,therefore--I will give the necessary orders. Is it to be a formalaudience?"

  "No. I wish to have an explanation with them, and not to embittermatters, as is always the case when many persons are present, but, atthe same time, I wish to clear up everything with them, in order not tohave to begin over again."

  "Your majesty will inform me of the persons whom you wish to be presentat the reception."

  "I will draw out a list. Let us speak of the ambassadors; what do theywant?"

  "Allies with Spain, they gain nothing; allies with France, they losemuch."

  "How is that?"

  "Allied with Spain, they see themselves bounded and protected by thepossessions of their allies; they cannot touch them, however anxiousthey may be to do so. From Antwerp to Rotterdam is but a step, and thatby the way of the Scheldt and the Meuse. If they wish to make a bite atthe Spanish cake, you, sire, the son-in-law of the king of Spain, couldwith your cavalry sweep the earth from your dominions to Brussels in acouple of days. Their design is, therefore, only to quarrel so far withyou, and only to make you suspect Spain so far, as will be sufficient toinduce you not to interfere with their own affairs."

  "It would be far more simple, I should imagine," replied the king,"to form a solid alliance with me, by means of which I should gainsomething, while they would gain everything."

  "Not so; for if, by chance, they were to have you, or France rather, asa boundary, your majesty is not an agreeable neighbor. Young, ardent,warlike, the king of France might inflict some serious mischief onHolland, especially if he were to get near her."

  "I perfectly understand, M. Colbert, and you have explained it veryclearly; but be good enough to tell me the conclusion you have arrivedat."

  "Your majesty's own decisions are never deficient in wisdom."

  "What will these ambassadors say to me?"

  "They will tell your majesty that they are ardently desirous of formingan alliance with you, which will be a falsehood: they will tell Spainthat the three powers ought to unite so as to check the prosperityof England, and that will equally be a falsehood; for at present, thenatural ally of your majesty is England, who has ships while we havenone; England, who can counteract Dutch influence in India; England, infact, a monarchical country, to which your majesty is attached by tiesof relationship."

  "Good; but how would you answer?"

  "I should answer, sire, with the greatest possible moderation of tone,that the disposition of Holland does not seem friendly towards theCourt of France; that the symptoms of public feeling among the Dutch arealarming as regards your majesty; that certain medals have been struckwith insulting devices."

  "Towards me?" exclaimed the young king, excitedly.

  "Oh, no! sire, no; insulting is not the word; I was mistaken, I ought tohave said immeasurably flattering to the Dutch."

  "Oh! if that be so, the pride of the Dutch is a matter of indifferenceto me," said the king, sighing.

  "Your majesty is right, a thousand times right. However, it is nevera mistake in politics, your majesty knows better than myself, toexaggerate a little in order to obtain a concession in your ownfavor. If your majesty were to complain as if your susceptibility wereoffended, you would stand in a far higher position with them."

  "What are these medals you speak of?" inquired Louis; "for if I alludeto them, I ought to know what to say."

  "Upon my word, sire, I cannot very well tell you--some overweeninglyconceited device--that is the sense of it; the words have little to
dowith the thing itself."

  "Very good! I will mention the word 'medal,' and they can understand itif they like."

  "Oh! they will understand without any difficulty. Your majesty can alsoslip in a few words about certain pamphlets which are being circulated."

  "Never! Pamphlets befoul those who write them much more than thoseagainst whom they are written. M. Colbert, I thank you. You can leavenow. Do not forget the hour I have fixed, and be there yourself."

  "Sire, I await your majesty's list."

  "True," returned the king; and he began to meditate; he had not thoughtof the list in the least. The clock struck half-past eleven. The king'sface revealed a violent conflict between pride and love. The politicalconversation had dispelled a good deal of the irritation which Louis hadfelt, and La Valliere's pale, worn features, in his imagination, spokea very different language from that of the Dutch medals, or the Batavianpamphlets. He sat for ten minutes debating within himself whether heshould or should not return to La Valliere; but Colbert having with someurgency respectfully requested that the list might be furnished him,the king was ashamed to be thinking of mere matters of affection whereimportant state affairs required his attention. He therefore dictated:the queen-mother, the queen, Madame, Madame de Motteville, Madame deChatillon, Madame de Navailles; and, for the men, M. le Prince, M. deGramont, M. de Manicamp, M. de Saint-Aignan, and the officers on duty.

  "The ministers?" asked Colbert.

  "As a matter of course, and the secretaries also."

  "Sire, I will leave at once in order to get everything prepared; theorders will be at the different residences to-morrow."

  "Say rather to-day," replied Louis mournfully, as the clock strucktwelve. It was the very hour when poor La Valliere was almost dying fromanguish and bitter suffering. The king's attendants entered, it beingthe hour of his retirement to his chamber; the queen, indeed, hadbeen waiting for more than an hour. Louis accordingly retreated to hisbedroom with a sigh; but, as he sighed, he congratulated himself on hiscourage, and applauded himself for having been as firm in love as inaffairs of state.