“Madame’s desire!” exclaimed Montalais and La Vallière together.
“Her ultimatum,” replied Mademoiselle de Tonnay-Charente, diplomatically.
“But,” murmured La Vallière, “does Madame know, then—”
“Madame knows more about the matter than we said, even,” said Athenaïs, in a formal, precise manner. “Therefore let us come to a proper understanding.”
“Yes, indeed,” said Montalais, “and I am listening in breathless attention.”
“Gracious heavens!” murmured Louise, trembling, “shall I ever survive this cruel evening?”
“Oh! do not frighten yourself in that manner,” said Athenaïs; “we have found a remedy.” So, seating herself between her two companions, and taking each of them by the hand, which she held in her own, she began. The first words were hardly spoken, when they heard a horse galloping away over the stones of the public high road, outside the gates of the château.
130
Happy as a Prince
At the very moment he was about entering the château, Bragelonne met de Guiche. But before having been met by Raoul, de Guiche had met Manicamp, who had met Malicorne. How was it that Malicorne had met Manicamp? Nothing more simple, for he had awaited his return from Mass, where he had accompanied M. de Saint-Aignan. When they met, they congratulated each other upon their good fortune, and Manicamp availed himself of the circumstance to ask his friend if he had not a few crowns still remaining at the bottom of his pocket. The latter, without expressing any surprise at the question, which he perhaps expected, answered that every pocket which is always being drawn upon without anything ever being put in it, resembles those wells which supply water during the winter, but which gardeners render useless by exhausting during the summer; that his, Malicorne’s, pocket certainly was deep, and that there would be a pleasure in drawing on it in times of plenty, but that, unhappily, abuse had produced barrenness. To this remark, Manicamp, deep in thought, had replied, “Quite true!”
“The question, then, is how to fill it?” Malicorne added.
“Of course; but in what way?”
“Nothing easier, my dear Monsieur Manicamp.”
“So much the better. How?”
“A post in Monsieur’s household, and the pocket is full again.”
“You have the post?”
“That is, I have the promise of being nominated.”
“Well!”
“Yes; but the promise of nomination, without the post itself, is like a purse with no money in it.”
“Quite true,” Manicamp replied a second time.
“Let us try for the post, then,” the candidate had persisted.
“My dear fellow,” sighed Manicamp, “an appointment in His Royal Highness’s household is one of the gravest difficulties of our position.”
“Oh! oh!”
“There is no question that, at the present moment, we cannot ask Monsieur for anything.”
“Why so?”
“Because we are not on good terms with him.”
“A great absurdity, too,” said Malicorne, promptly.
“Bah! and if we were to show Madame any attention,” said Manicamp, “frankly speaking, do you think we should please Monsieur?”
“Precisely; if we show Madame any attention, and do it adroitly, Monsieur ought to adore us.”
“Hum!”
“Either that or we are great fools. Make haste, therefore, M. Manicamp, you who are so able a politician, and make M. de Guiche and His Royal Highness friendly again.”
“Tell me, what did M. de Saint-Aignan tell you, Malicorne?”
“Tell me? nothing; he asked me several questions, and that was all.”
“Well, he was less discreet, then, with me.”
“What did he tell you?”
“That the king is passionately in love with Mademoiselle de La Vallière.”
“We knew that already,” replied Malicorne, ironically; “and everybody talks about it loud enough for all to know it; but in the meantime, do what I advise you; speak to M. de Guiche, and endeavor to get him to make advances to Monsieur. Deuce take it! he owes His Royal Highness that, at least.”
“But we must see de Guiche, then?”
“There does not seem to be any great difficulty in that; try to see him in the same way I tried to see you; wait for him; you know that he is naturally very fond of walking.”
“Yes; but whereabouts does he walk?”
“What a question to ask! Do you not know that he is in love with Madame?”
“So it is said.”
“Very well; you will find him walking about on the side of the château where her apartments are.”
“Stay, my dear Malicorne, you were not mistaken, for here he is coming.”
“Why should I be mistaken? Have you ever noticed that I am in the habit of making a mistake? Come, we only need to understand each other. Are you in want of money?”
“Ah!” exclaimed Manicamp, mournfully.
“Well, I want my appointment. Let Malicorne have the appointment, and Manicamp shall have the money. There is no greater difficulty in the way than that.”
“Very well; in that case make yourself easy. I will do my best.”
“Do.”
De Guiche approached, Malicorne stepped aside, and Manicamp caught hold of de Guiche, who was thoughtful and melancholy. “Tell me, my dear comte, what rhyme you were trying to find,” said Manicamp. “I have an excellent one to match yours, particularly if yours ends in ame.”
De Guiche shook his head, and recognizing a friend, he took him by the arm. “My dear Manicamp,” he said, “I am in search of something very different from a rhyme.”
“What is it you are looking for?”
“You will help me to find what I am in search of,” continued the comte: “you who are such an idle fellow, in other words, a man with a mind full of ingenious devices.”
“I am getting my ingenuity ready, then, my dear comte.”
“This is the state of the case, then: I wish to approach a particular house, where I have some business.”
“You must get near the house, then,” said Manicamp.
“Very good; but in this house dwells a husband who happens to be jealous.”
“Is he more jealous than the dog Cerberus?”
“Not more, but quite as much so.”
“Has he three mouths, as that obdurate guardian of the infernal regions had? Do
