CHAPTER XXXIII
A SPONSOR FOR THE FAT PADRE
"Every man is as heaven made him, and sometimes a great deal worse." --_Cervantes._
When Driscoll had gone, Jacqueline would not linger. Maximilian soughtto detain her, but something had happened that he could not fathom. Shewas no more the same person.
"Not even a token to bid me be brave so far away in Austria?" hepleaded.
"There have been tokens enough," she returned shortly. "I ask YourMajesty's leave. Good-night."
She gained her room, and worked till late on a cipher dispatch toNapoleon. Its purport was, that now, if ever, Maximilian must bediscouraged absolutely. Following on what she herself had done, suchwould bring his abdication. She implored, above all things, that Bazainebe kept from meddling, from extending false hopes. Poor girl, after whatit had cost, she was passionately bent on success. A courier took herpacket to the City the next day, whence the message was to be sped toParis.
"That foolish Prince Max," she thought, "if he does give it up and go, Iam really saving him from terrible sorrow. But, who will save me frommine, I wonder? Mine, that is come already! God in Heaven cannot."
Maximilian had watched her as she left him, till her stately girlishfigure was lost in the dusk under the trees. Then with a sigh he turnedaway. At the villa he found his wife. She was seated apart from hermaids, and Eloin was talking to her, in tones low and swift. Charlotteonly half listened. Her agitation was nearly hysterical. Her eyesgleamed wildly, and sometimes they would close, as though they ached forthe soothing that tears might bring.
"Who," demanded Maximilian, "has had the presumption to introduce a spyon these grounds?"
Eloin glanced quickly at the Empress. "A spy, sire?" he said uneasily.
"I mean that American, sir. But shall I ask the sentinels at the gate?"
"That, Ferdinand," Charlotte interposed icily, "is not necessary.Monsieur Eloin, at my command, brought the American here. You shouldknow why."
"To save my play-empire, I suppose?"
"An empire," she cried, catching up the word the more hotly because sheknew it to be Jacqueline's own gage of battle, "an empire, August Sire,to be gained by fighting, as your forefathers, as mine, won theirs. Andthat is nobler, _I_ suppose, than puny inheritance. I do not knowwhat the Hapsburg may be fallen to, but a daughter of Orleans still hasthe right to expect a crown from her husband. If not, she is unworthilymated."
Maximilian thought of that other empire, which that other temptressexacted of him. It seemed that he had many realms to conquer. But thegrimmest humor of all was that he blithely imagined himself capable ofsatisfying the whims, not of one woman, but of two. Deluded Prince Max!
But the Emperor was not there to discuss empire building, much less toface the tigerish light in his lady's eyes.
"Monsieur Eloin," he said, "this is my first personal complaint againstyou, but there have been others, long, insistent ones, from French andMexicans alike. You lose me my friends, sir, however I assure them thatyou have not the slightest influence over my policy. So, after theawkward intrusion of to-day, I am resolved that you had best leave us."
"Your Majesty desires----"
"That you leave the country at once, Monsieur Eloin."
"But," protested Charlotte, "that is open disgrace. At least cover itwith the pretext of some mission."
The downcast courtier took heart. Watching his master with narrowedsycophant eyes, he said, "But it need not be a pretext, sire. Since Imust leave Your Highness, permit me, then, to find my mission, and onein which I can still serve my sovereign, though in spite of himself."
Imperceptibly Maximilian fell under the spell of the old fawning.
"And what mission could that be, my good friend?"
"To feel the Austrian pulse, sire. To know when the time is ripe, tohasten the time----"
"The time for what?"
"For Your Majesty's return. Even now the unpopularity of His ImperialHighness, Franz----"
"Eloin!" Maximilian stopped him sharply. But he could not hide the flashof his own blue eyes.
"What would Your Majesty? In Vienna, in Budapest, in your own Venetia,sire, they long for you; at least as regent till the crown prince shallcome of age. Would you rebuke them also, as you do me?"
Charlotte stared at the Belgian in amazement and distrust. He had onlyjust warned her how Jacqueline had kindled Maximilian's Austrian hopesin order to get him out of Mexico, and here he was borrowing thatwoman's guile. And here was Maximilian, too, softening under theenervating blandishment, softening behind his frowns for the officiousmeddler.
"There, there, Eloin," he said, "you know that I must be inexorable. Butin the Journal Officiel it will appear that you are gone on a secretmission, though you have no mission at all. None at all, do youunderstand, sir?"
Eloin protested that he understood.
"None," repeated the Emperor, "except to win back my confidence. Whenyou have taken leave of Her Majesty, you may come to my cabinet to bidme farewell."
As Maximilian left them, Charlotte turned on the favorite. "Indeed,Monsieur Eloin?" she said in utter scorn.
"But, Your Majesty----"
"Is Napoleon, then, so liberal a paymaster?"
"Your Majesty!" and in genuine distress the courtier hurried on. "If youwould listen, Madame! 'Tis true that Jeanne d'Aumerle has found thesurest lever to pry His Highness out of Mexico----"
"So good a lever, that you would use it too, to topple over my throne."
"Not so, Madame. It's a cunning lever, yes; but _I_ shall useanother fulcrum."
"Really, monsieur, if I were in the mood for riddles and such prettytrifles, I'd ask you to favor Us with a chansonnette."
"But this is as plain as day. First, our little intrigante knows that ifHis Majesty tries for the Austrian throne, he must leave Mexico._That_ is her lever to move him. But suppose we shift it to myfulcrum. Then, whatever encourages his hopes for Austria, will make himbut the more determined to cling to Mexico. For to succeed in Austria,he must triumph first in Mexico. He must prove to Europe that he canreign brilliantly. But if he abandons Mexico, as Jacqueline wouldpersuade him, what of his prestige then? What of his glory to dazzle theAustrians? If Your Majesty would suggest to him this phase----"
"And you, meanwhile in Europe?"
"Oh, I shall find his chances good over there, but conditional on hissuccess here."
"Monsieur Eloin, I find that I must congratulate you. More, I evenregret that you are going, for I dread that some other will replace youin favor with the Emperor who----"
"Who may not be in accord with our views, Your Majesty would say? But ifyou will permit, Madame, I believe I know quite a different man.Moreover, he has already made an impression on His Highness, during ourbrief stay at an hacienda in the Huasteca. Now he is here. I brought himto commend as a future loyal follower."
"Pray, who is the paragon?"
"A priest, Madame, a German priest, who perhaps would not refuse theBishopric of Durango. The hope of that rich see would insure hisdevotion. His name is Fischer. He is a clerical, he is an imperialist,he is resourceful. Our Jacqueline will have much to do to outwit him.This corpulent padre, Madame, would wheedle the sulky pope himself intoa good humor with us. If I might venture so far as to present himbefore----"
"Oh, I suppose so," said Charlotte wearily.
PART SECOND
THE ROSE THAT WAS A THORN IN THE LAND OF ROSES
"The rugged battle of fate, where strength is born." --Emerson.
The Missourian Page 36
