“Andyoubothunderstoodthatmattercapitally,“saidSimon,withalaugh,“Ialwaysseethatitparticularlyprovokesthequeentohaveyouonservice,andIlikethat,andIamespeciallygladtohaveyouhere。“
“I’vethoughtoutajokeforto-day,“saidToulan。“Iwillteachthewidowtosmoke。Youknow,brotherSimon,thatshealwayspretendsnottobeabletobearthesmelloftobacco,sheshalllearntobearit。Iwillhandherapapercigaretteto-day,andtellherthatifshedoesnotwantustosmoke,shemustsmokewithus。“
“Splendidjoke!“saidSimon,withaloudlaugh。“Butthere’sonethingtobethoughtofaboutthat,“saidLepitre,reflectively。“thewidowCapetmightperhapspromisetosmoke,ifwewouldtellherthatwewouldneversmokeafterward。Butthenweshouldnotkeepourword,ofcourse。“
“What!yousayweshouldnotkeepourword!“saidToulan,inamazement。“Wearerepublicans;morethanthat,wearesans-
culottes!andshallwenotkeepourword?oughtwenottobebetterthanthecursedaristocrats,thatneverkepttheirwordtothepeople?Howcanyoudisgraceusandyourselfsomuch?AskournoblefriendandbrotherSimon,whetherheisoftheopinionthatafreemanoughtnottokeephisword,evenifhehasonlygivenittoawomaninprison。“
“Iamofthatopinion,“saidSimon,withdignity。“Isworetomyselfthatthekingshouldlosehishead,andIkeptmyword。Ipromisedtheshe-wolfthatsheshouldbehanged,andIhopetokeepthispromisetoo。IfIkeepmywordtoherinwhatisbad,Imustdosoalsoinwhatisgood。Ifarepublicanpromisesanything,hemustholdtoit。“
“Right,Simon,youareanobleandwiseman。Itremainsfixed,then,thatthequeenshallsmoke,butifwehaveourjokeout,weshallnotsmokeanymore。“
“Iwillputupaplacardonthedoor:’Smokingforbiddenintheanteroomoftheshe-wolf。’“
“Good,“criedToulan,“thatisworthyofyou。“
“Letusgoupnow,“saidSimon,“thetwoothersentriesareup-
stairsalready,theywillwonderthatyoucomesolate,butIdoliketochatwithyou。Comeon,let’sgoup。I’llstaytheretoseethejoke。Butwaitamoment,thereissomethingnew。IthasbeenproposedthatnotsomanyguardsareneededtowatchtheCapets,andthatithastheappearanceasifthegovernmentwasafraidofthesehowlingwomenandthislittlemonkey,whomthecrazyroyalistscallKingLouisXVII。Itisverylikelythattheywillreducetheguardtotwo。“
“Verygood,“saidToulan,approvingly——“What’stheuseofwearyingoutsomanyothermenandcondemningthemtosuchidleness?Wecannotbemakingjokesallthetime;andthenagainitisnotpleasantalwayslookingonthesepeople’slongfaces。“
“Soonlytwoguards,“saidLepitre;“butthatseemstomerathertoofew,forwhatifthewidowshouldsucceedinwinningthemoverandgettingthemtohelpherescape?“
“Impossible!“criedSimon,“she’llnevercomearoundme,andaslongasIhavemyeyesopen,sheandherbroodwillnevergetaway。Noonecancomedownthestaircasewithoutmyhearingandseeingit,foryouknowmyroomsarenearthestairs,andthedoorisalwaysopenandIamalwaysthere,andthenthereistheturnkeyRicard,whowatchesthedoorthatleadstothecourtlikeacerberus。Thentherearethreesentriesatthedoorsleadingfromtheinnercourttotheouterone,andthefoursentriesatthedoorsleadingfromtheoutercourttothestreet。No,no,myfriends,iftheshe-wolfwantstoescapeshemustusemagic,andmakewingsgrowonhershouldersandflyaway。“
“Thatisgood,Ilikethat,“saidToulan,springingupthestaircase。
“Andthatsettlesmydoubtstoo,“saidLepitre。“Ishouldthinktwoofficialguardswouldsuffice,foritisplainthatshecannotescape。Simonisonthelook-out,anditisplainthattheshe-wolfcannottransformherselfintoaneagle。“
“Wellsaid,“laughedSimon;“herewearebeforethedoor,let’sgoinandhaveourfun。“
Hedashedthedooropennoisily,andwentintotheroomwiththetwomen。Twoofficialsweresittinginthemiddleoftheroomatthetable,andwereactivelyengagedplayingcards。Throughtheopendooryoucouldlookintothesitting-roomoftheCapetfamily。Thequeenwassittingonthedivanbehindtheroundtable,clothedinhersadsuitofmourning,withablackcapuponhergraylocks。
Shewasbusyindictatinganexercisetothedauphinfromabookwhichsheheldinherhand。Theprince,alsocladinblackandwithabroadcrapeabouthisarm,satuponachairbyherside。Hiswholeattentionwasdirectedtohiswork,andhewasvisiblymakinganefforttowriteaswellaspossible,foraglowingredsuffusedhiacheeks。
OntheothersideofthequeensatMadameElizabeth;nearherthePrincessMariaTheresa,bothbusyinpreparingsomeclothingforthequeen。
Nooneofthegroupappearedtonoticetheloudopeningofthedoor,nooneobservedtheenteringforms,orcastevenamomentaryglanceatthem。
ButToulanwasnotcontentedwiththis;hedemandednothinglessthanthattheshe-wolfshouldlookathim。Hehurriedthroughtheanteroomwithathreateningtread,advancedtothedoorofthesitting-room,andstoppeduponthethreshold,makingsuchadeepandceremoniousbow,andswinginghisarmsocomically,thatSimonwascompelledtolaughaloud。
“Madame,“criedToulan,“Ihavetheinexpressiblehonorofgreetingyourgrace。“
“Heisabrick,aperfectbrick,“roaredSimon。
Lepitrehadgonetothewindow,andturnedhisbackupontheroom;
hewasperhapstoodeficientinspirittojoininthejoke。Nobodypaidanyattentiontohim;nobodysawhimtakealittlepacketfromhiscoat-pocket,andslideitslowlyandcarefullybehindthewoodenboxthatstoodbeneaththewindow。
“Madame,“criedToulan,inastillloudervoice,“Ifearyourgracehasnotheardmysalutation。“
Thequeenslowlyraisedhereyes,andturnedthemtothemanwhowasstillstandinguponthethreshold。“Iheardit,“shesaid,coldly,“goonwriting,myson。“Andshewentoninthesentencethatshehadjustthenbeguntodictate。
“IamsohappyatbeingheardbyMadameVetothatIshallhavetocelebrateitbyalittlebonfire!“——saidToulan,takingacigarfromhisbreast-pocket。“Yousee,myfriends,thatIamaverygoodcourtier,thoughIhavethehonortobeasans-culottes。InthepresenceofhandsomeladiesIonlysmokecigars!Hallo!bringmealittlefire。“
Oneoftheofficialssilentlypassedhimhislongpipe。Toulanlightedhiscigar,placedhimselfatthethreshold,andblewgreatcloudsofsmokeintothechamber。
TheladiesstillcontinuedtositquietlywithoutpayinganyattentiontoToulan。Thequeendictated,andthedauphinwrote。Thequeenonlyinterruptedherselfinthisoccupation,whenshehadtocoughandwipehereyes,whichthesmokefilledwithtears。
Toulanhadfollowedeveryoneofhermovementswithanamusedlook。
“Madamedoesnotappeartotakeanypleasureinmybonfire!“hesaid。“Willmadamenotsmoke?“
Thequeenmadenoreply,butquietlywentonwithherdictation。
“Madame,“criedToulan,laughingloudly,“Ishouldliketosmokeapipeofpeacewithyou,asourbrownbrethreninhappy,freeAmericado——madame,Ibegyoutodomethehonortosmokeapipeofpeacewithme。“
AflashlightenedintheeyeswhichthequeennowdirectedtoToulan。“Youareashamelessfellow!“shesaid。
“Hearthat,“saidSimon,“thatiswhatIcallabusingyou。“
“Onthecontrary,itdelightsme,“criedToulan,“foryouwillconfessthatitwouldbejollyifsheshouldsmokenow,andItellyou,shewillsmoke。“
Headvancedsomepacesintotheroom,andmadehisdeepbowagain。
“Heunderstandsmannersaswellasifhehadbeenarascallycourtierhimself,“saidSimon,laughing。“Itisasplendidjoke。“
ThetwoprincesseshadarisenattheentranceofToulan,andlaidtheirsewing-workaside。Aballofwhitecottonhadfallentothegroundfromthelapofoneofthem,androlledthroughtheroomtowardToulan。
Hepickeditup,andbowedtotheprincesses。“MayIviewthislittleglobe,“hesaid,“asareminderofthefavoroftheloveliestladiesofFrance?Oh,yes,IseeinyourroguishsmilethatImay,andIthankyou,“saidToulan,pressingtheroundballtohislips,andthenputtingitintohisbreast-pocket。
“Heplaysaswellasthefellowsdointhetheatre,“saidSimon,laughing。
“Gointooursleeping-room,“saidMarieAntoinette,turningtotheprincesses。“Itisenoughformetohavetobeartheseindignities——
go,myson,accompanyyouraunt。“
Thedauphinstoodup,pressedakissuponthehandofhismother,andfollowedthetwoprincesses,whohadgoneintotheadjoiningapartment。
“Dearaunt,“whisperedthedauphin,“isthisbadmanthegoodfriendwho——“
“Hush!“whisperedMadameElizabeth,“hush!MadameTisonislistening。“
And,infact,attheglass-door,whichledfromthesleeping-roomtothelittlecorridor,stoodMadameTison,lookingwithsharp,searchingglancesintothechamber。
Aftertheprincesseshadlefttheroom,Toulanapproachedstillclosertothequeen,andtakingacigarfromhisbreast-pocket,hehandedittothequeen。“Takeit,madame,“hesaid,“anddomethehonorofsmokingaduetwithme!“
“Idonotsmoke,sir,“repliedthequeen,coollyandcalmly。“Ibegyoutogointotheanteroom。TheConventionhasnot,sofarasI