“Iseeintoit,“mutteredthecardinal,paleunderthelookofthequeen,andsoweakthathehadtorestuponthetableforsupport,“Iseeintoit;Ihavebeendreadfullydeceived。“
Thekingtookapaperfromhistableandgaveittothecardinal。
“DoyouconfessthatyouwrotethislettertoBohmer,inwhichyousendhimthirtythousandfrancsinbehalfofthequeen,inpartpaymentforthenecklace?“
“Yes,sire,Iconfessit,“answeredthecardinal,withalowvoice,whichseemedtocontradictwhatheuttered。
“Heconfessesit,“criedthequeen,gnashingherteeth,andmakingupherlittlehandintoaclinchedfist。“Hehasheldmefitforsuchinfamy——me,hisqueen!“
“Youassertthatyouboughtthejewelsforthequeen。Didyoudelivertheminperson?“
“No,sire,theCountessLamottedidthat。“
“Inyourname,cardinal?“
“Yes,inmyname,sire,andshegaveatthesametimeareceipttothequeenforonehundredandfiftythousandfrancs,whichIlentthequeentowardthepurchase。“
“Andwhatrewarddidyouhavefromthequeen?“
Thecardinalhesitated;then,ashefelttheangry,cold,andcontemninglookofthequeenrestinguponhim,theredbloodmountedintohisface,andwithawitheringglanceatMarieAntoinette,hesaid:
“Youwish,madame,thatIshouldspeakthewholetruth!Sire,thequeenrewardedmeforthislittleworkofloveinamannerworthyofaqueen。ShegrantedmeanappointmentintheparkofVersailles。“
Atthisnewandfearfulcharge,thequeencriedaloud,and,springingforwardlikeatigress,sheseizedthearmofherhusbandandshookit。
“Sire,“saidshe,“listentothishightraitor,bringinginfamyuponaqueen!Willyoubearit?Canhispurpleprotectthevillain?“
“No,itcannot,anditshallnot!“criedtheking。“Breteuil,doyourduty。Andyou,cardinal,whoventuretoaccuseyourqueen,toscandalizethegoodnameofthewifeofyourking,go。“
“Sire,“stammeredthecardinal,“sire,I——“
“Notaword,“interruptedtheking,raisinghishandandpointingtowardthedoor,“out,Isay,outwithyou!“
Thecardinalstaggeredtothedoor,andenteredthehallfilledwithaglitteringthrong,whowerestillwhispering,laughing,andwalkingtoandfro。
Buthardlyhadheadvancedafewsteps,whenbehindhim,uponthethresholdoftheroyalcabinet,appearedtheministerBreteuil。
“Lieutenant,“criedBreteuil,withaloudvoice,turningtotheofficerincommandoftheguard,“lieutenant,inthenameoftheking,arresttheCardinaldeRohan,andtakehimunderescorttotheBastile。“
Ageneralcryofhorrorfollowedthesewords,whichrolledlikeacrashingthunder-clapthroughthecareless,coquetting,andunsuspectingcompany。Thenfollowedabreathlesssilence。
Alleyesweredirectedtothecardinal,who,paleasdeath,andyetmaintaininghisnoblecarriage,walkedalongatease。
Atthispointayoungofficer,palelikethecardinal,likeallinfact,approachedthegreatecclesiastic,andgentlytookhisarm。
“Cardinal,“saidhe,withsorrowfultone,“inthenameoftheking,Iarrestyoureminence。Iamordered,monseigneur,toconductyoutotheBastile。“
“Come,then,myson,“answeredthecardinal,quickly,makinghiswayslowlythroughthethrong,whichrespectfullyopenedtolethimpass——“come,sincethekingcommandsit,letusgototheBastile。“
Hepassedontothedoor。Butwhentheofficerhadopenedit,heturnedroundoncemoretothehall。Standingerect,withalltheexalteddignityofhisstationandhisperson,hegavetheamazedcompanyhisblessing。
Thenthedoorclosedbehindhim,andwithpalefacesthelordsandladiesofthecourtdispersedtoconveythehorribletidingstoVersaillesandParis,thatthekinghadcausedthecardinal,thegrandalmonerofFrance,tobearrestedinhisofficialrobes,andthatitwasthewillofthequeen。
Andthefartherthetidingsrolledthemorethereportenlarged,likeanavalancheofcalumnies。
Intheevening,Maratthunderedinhisclub:“Woe,woetotheAustrian!SheborrowedmoneyoftheCardinaldeRohantobuyjewelsforherself,jewelswhilethepeoplehungered。Now,whenthecardinalwantshismoney,thequeendenieshavingreceivedthemoney,andletstheheadoftheChurchbedraggedtotheBastile。
“Woe,woetotheAustrian!“
“Woe,woetotheAustrian!“mutteredbrotherSimon,whosatneartheplatformonwhichMaratwas。“Weshallnotforgetitthatshebuysherjewelsformillionsoffrancs,whilewehavenotasoutobuybreadwith。WoetotheAustrian!“
Andallthemenoftheclubraisedtheirfistsandmutteredwithhim,“WoetotheAustrian!“
AllPariswasinanuproarandinmotioninallthestreets;thepeopleassembledinimmensemassesatallthesquares,andlistenedwithabatedbreathtothespeakerswhohadtakentheirstandamidthegroups,andwhowereconfirmingtheastonishedhearersrespectingthegreatnewsoftheday。
“TheLordCardinaldeRohan,thegrandalmoneroftheking,“criedaFranciscanmonk,whohadtakenhisstationuponacurbstone,atthecorneroftheTuileriesandthegreatPlacedeCarrousel——“CardinaldeRohanhasinadespoticmannerbeendeprivedofhisrightsandhisfreedom。AsadignitaryoftheChurch,heisnotundertheordinaryjurisdiction,andonlythePopeistherightfullordofacardinal;onlybeforetheHolyFathercananaccusationbebroughtagainstaservantoftheChurch。ForithasbeenthelawoftheChurchforcenturiesthatitalonehasthepowertopunishandaccuseitsservants,andnoonehaseverattemptedtochallengethatpower。Butdoyouknowwhathastakenplace?CardinaldeRohanhasbeenwithdrawnfromthejurisdictionofhisrightfuljudges;hehasbeendeniedanecclesiasticaltribunal,andheistobetriedbeforeParliamentasifhewereanordinaryservantoftheking;secularjudgesaregoingtositinjudgmentuponthisgreatchurchdignitary,andtochargehimwithacrime,whennocrimehasbeencommitted!Forwhathashedone,thegrandalmonerofFrance,cardinal,andcousinoftheking?Alady,whomhebelievedtobeinthequeen’sconfidence,hadtoldhimthatthequeenwantedtoprocureasetofjewels,whichshewasunfortunatelynotabletobuy,becausehercoffers,asanaturalresultofherwell-knownextravagance,wereempty。Theladyindicatedtothelordcardinalthatthequeenwouldbedelightedifhewouldadvanceasumsufficienttobuythejewelswith,andinhisnameshewouldcausethecostlyfabrictobepurchased。Thecardinal,allthewhileadevotedandtrueservantoftheking,hastenedtogratifythedesireofthequeen。Hetookthiscoursewithwiseprecaution,inorderthatthequeen,whoseviolenceiswellknown,shouldnotapplytoanyothermemberofthecourt,andstillfurthercompromisetheroyalhonor。Andsayyourselves,mynoblefriends,wasitnotmuchbetterthatitshouldbethelordcardinalwhoshouldlendmoneytothequeen,thanLordLauzun,CountCoigny,orthemusicalCountVaudreuil,thespecialfavoriteofthequeen?Wasitnotbetterforhimtomakethissacrificeanddothequeenthisgreatfavor?“
“Certainlyitwasbetter,“criedthemob。“Thelordcardinalisanobleman。LongliveCardinaldeRohan!“
“PerishtheAustrian,perishthejewelledqueen!“criedthecobblerSimon,whowasstandingamidthecrowd,andahundredvoicesmutteredafterhim,“PerishtheAustrian!“
“Listen,mydearpeopleofParis,yougoodnaturedlambs,whosewoolispluckedoffthattheAustrianwomanmayhaveasofterbed,“criedashriekingvoice;“hearwhathasoccurredto-day。Icantellyouaccurately,forIhavejustcomefromParliament,andagoodfriendofminehascopiedformetheaddresswithwhichthekingisgoingtoopenthesessiontoday。“
“Readittous,“criedthecrowd。“Keepquietthere!keepstillthere!Wewanttoheartheaddress。Readittous。“
“Iwilldoitgladly,butyouwillnotbeabletounderstandme,“
shriekedthevoice。“Iamonlylittleincomparisonwithyou,aseveryoneislittlewhoopposeshimselftothehighestmajestyoftheearth,thepeople。“
“Hearthat,“criedoneofthosewhostoodnearesttothosealittlefartheraway“hearthat,hecallsusmajesties!Heseemstobeanexcellentgentleman,andhedoesnotlookdownuponus。“
“Didyoueverhearofawisemanlookingdownupontheprinceroyal,whoisyoung,fair,andstrong?“askedthebarkingvoice。
“Heisright,wecannotunderstandhim,“criedthosewhostoodfarthestaway,pressingforward。“Whatdidhesay?Hemustrepeathiswords。Lifthimupsothatweallmayhearhim。“
Abroadshouldered,giganticcitizen,ingoodclothing,andwithanopen,spiritedcountenance,andabold,defiantbearing,pressedthroughthecrowdtotheneighborhoodofthespeaker。
“Come,littleman,“criedhe,“Iwillraiseyouuponmyshoulder,and,butsee,itisourfriendMarat,thelittleman,butthegreatdoctor!“