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marie antoinette and her son-第18部分

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commanded them to follow me hither?〃

〃Your majesty;〃 answered the Duke de Coigny; peevishly; 〃the ladies
and gentlemen have probably recalled the fact that your majesty once
made it a rule here in Trianon that every one should do as he
pleases; and your majesty sees that they hold more strictly to the
laws than others do。〃

〃My lord;〃 sighed the queen; 〃do you bring reproaches against me
too? Are you also discontented?〃

〃And why should I be contented; your majesty?〃 asked the duke; with
choler。 〃I am deprived of a post which hitherto has been held for
life; and does your majesty desire that I should be contented? No; I
am not contented。 No; I do as the others do。 I am full of anger and
pain to see that nothing is secure more; that nothing is stable
more; that one can rely upon nothing morenot even upon the word of
kings。〃

〃My lord duke;〃 cried Marie Antoinette; with flashing anger; 〃you go
too far; you forget that you are speaking to your queen。〃

〃Madame;〃 cried he; still louder; 〃here in Trianon there is no
queen; there are no subjects! You yourself have said it; and I at
least will hold to your words; even if you yourself do not。 Let us
play billiards; madame。 I am at your service。〃

And while the Duke de Coigny said this; he seized with an angry
movement the billiard…cue of the queen。 It was a present which Marie
Antoinette had received from her brother; the Emperor Joseph。 It was
made of a single rhinoceros skin; and was adorned with golden knobs。
The king had a great regard for it; and no one before had ever
ventured to use it excepting her alone。

〃Give it to me; Coigny;〃 said she; earnestly。 〃You deceive yourself;
that is not your billiard…cue; that is mine。〃

〃Madame;〃 cried he; angrily; 〃what is mine is taken from me; and why
should I not take what is not mine? It seems as if this were the
latest fashion; to do what one pleases with the property of others;
I shall hasten to have a share in this fashion; even were it only to
show that I have learned something from your majesty。 Let us begin。〃

Trembling with anger and excitement; he took two balls; laid them in
the middle of the table; and gave the stroke。 But it was so
passionately given; and in such rage; that the cue glided by the
balls and struck so strongly against the raised rim of the table
that it broke。

The queen uttered an exclamation of indignation; and; raising the
hand; pointed with a commanding gesture to the door。

〃My Lord Duke de Coigny;〃 said she; proudly; 〃I release you from the
duty of ever coming again to Trianon。 You are dismissed。〃

The duke; trembling with anger; muttering a few unintelligible
words; made a slight; careless obeisance to the queen; and left the
billiard…hall with a quick step。'Footnote: This scene is historical。
See 〃Memoires de Madame de Campan;〃 vol。 ii。'

Marie Antoinette looked after him with a long and pained look。 Then;
with a deep sigh; she took up the bits of the broken cue and went
into her little porcelain cabinet; in order to gain rest and self…
command in solitude and stillness。

Reaching that place; and now sure that no one could observe her;
Marie Antoinette sank with a deep sigh into an arm…chair; and the
long…restrained tears started from her eyes。

〃Oh;〃 sighed she; sadly; 〃they will destroy every thing I have;
every thingmy confidence; my spirit; my heart itself。 They will
leave me nothing but pain and misfortune; and not one of them whom I
till now have held to be my friends; will share it with me。〃




CHAPTER VI。

THE TRIAL。


For a whole year the preparation for the trial had lasted; and to…
day; the 31st of August; 1786; the matter would be decided。 The
friends and relatives of the cardinal had had time to manipulate not
only public opinion; but also to win over the judges; the members of
Parliament; to the cause of the cardinal; and to prejudice them
against the queen。 All the enemies of Marie Antoinette; the
legitimists even; who saw their old rights of nobility encroached
upon by the preference given to the Polignacs and other families
which had sprung from obscurity; the party of the royal princes and
princesses; whom Marie Antoinette had always offended; first because
she was an Austrian; and later because she had allowed herself to
win the love of the king; the men of the agitation and freedom
party; who thundered in their clubs against the realm; and held it
to be their sacred duty to destroy the nimbus which; had hitherto
enveloped the throne; and to show to the hungering people that the
queen who lived in luxury was nothing more than a light…minded;
voluptuous woman;all these enemies of the queen had had time to
gain over public opinion and the judges。 The trial had been a
welcome opportunity to all to give free play to their revenge; their
indignation; and their hate。 The family of the cardinal; sorely
touched by the degradation which had come upon them all in their
head; would; at the least; see the queen compromised with the
cardinal; and if the latter should really come out from the trial as
the deceived and duped one; Marie Antoinette should; nevertheless;
share in the stain。

The Rohan family and their friends set therefore all means in
motion; in order to win over public opinion and the judges。 To this
end they visited the members of Parliament; brought presents to
those of them who were willing to receive them; made use of
mercenary authors to hurl libellous pamphlets at the queen;
published brochures which; in dignified language; defended the
cardinal in advance; and exhibited him as the victim of his devotion
and love to the royal family。 Everybody read these pamphlets; and
when at last the day of decision came; public opinion had already
declared itself in favor of the cardinal and against the queen。

On the 31st of August; 1786; as already said; the trial so long in
preparation was to be decided。 The night before; the cardinal had
been transferred from the Bastile to the prison; as had also the
other prisoners who were involved in the case。

At early dawn the whole square before the prison was full of men;
and the dependants of Rohan and the Agitators of Freedom; as Marat
and his companions called themselves; were active here as ever to
turn the feeling of the people against the queen。

In the court…house; on the other side of the great square;
meanwhile; the great drama of the trial had begun。 The members of
Parliament; the judges in the case; sat in their flowing black
garments; in long rows before the green table; and their serious;
sad faces and sympathetic looks were all directed toward the
cardinal; Louis de Rohan。 But in spite of the danger of the
situation; the noble face of the cardinal was completely
undisturbed; and his bearing princely。 He appeared in his full
priestly array; substituting in place of the purple…red under…
garment one of violet; as cardinals do when they appear in mourning。
Over this he wore the short red cloak; and displayed all his orders;
the red stockings; the silk shoes with jewelled buckles; completed
his array。 While entering; he raised his hands and gave his priestly
blessing to those who should judge him; and perhaps condemn him。 He
then; in simple and dignified words; spoke as follows:

A relative of his; Madame de Boulainvillier; had; three years
before; brought a young woman to him; and requested him to maintain
her。 She was of the most exalted lineage; the last in descent from
the earlier kings of France; of the family of Valois。 She called
herself the Countess of Lamotte…Valois; her husband; the Count
Lamotte; was the royal sub…lieutenant in some little garrison city;
and his salary was not able to support them except meagrely。 The
young lady was beautiful; intellectual; of noble manners; and it was
natural that the cardinal should interest himself in behalf of the
unfortunate daughter of the kings of France。 He supported her for a
while; and after many exertions succeeded in obtaining a pension of
fifteen hundred francs from King Louis XVI。; in behalf of the last
descendant of the Valois family。 Upon this the countess went herself
to Versailles; in order to render thanks in person for this favor。
She returned the next day to Paris; beaming with joy; and told the
cardinal that she had not only been received by the queen; but that
Marie Antoinette had been exceedingly gracious to her; and had
requested her to visit her often。 From this day on; the countess had
naturally gained new favor in the eyes of the cardinal; for she
often went to Versailles; and from the accounts of her visits there;
when she returned; it was clear that she stood in high favor with
the queen。 But now; unfortunately; the cardinal found himself in
precisely the opposite situation。 He stood in extreme disfavor with
the queen。 She never condescended to bestow a glance upon him; nor a
word。 The cardinal was for a long time inconsolable on account of
this; and sought in vain to regain the favor of the queen。 This he
intrusted with the deepest confidence to the Countess Lamotte…
Valois; and she; full of friendly zeal; had undertaken to speak to
the queen in his behalf。 Some days later she told the cardinal that
she 
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