the memoirs of louis xiv-12-第8部分

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well。　　Then　the　Count　approached　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans；　who　was　talking
again　to　M。　le　Duc；　and　they　spoke　at　some　length　to　each　other。　　As
their　faces　were　towards　the　wall；　nothing　but　their　backs　could　be　seen；
no　emotion　and　scarcely　a　gesture　was　visible。

The　Duc　du　Maine　had　remained　where　he　had　spoken　to　his　brother。　　He
seemed　half　dead；　looked　askance　upon　the　company　with　wandering　eyes；
and　the　troubled　agitated　manner　of　a　criminal；　or　a　man　condemned　to
death。　　Shortly　afterwards　he　became　pale　as　a　corpse；　and　appeared　to　me
to　have　been　taken　ill。

He　crawled　to　the　end　of　the　table；　during　which　the　Comte　de　Toulouse
came　and　said　a　word　to　the　Regent；　and　began　to　walk　out　of　the　room。

All　these　movements　took　place　in　a　trice。　　The　Regent；　who　was　near　the
King's　armchair；　said　aloud；　〃Now；　gentlemen；　let　us　take　our　places。〃
Each　approached　to　do　so；　and　as　I　looked　behind　mine　I　saw　the；　two
brothers　at　the；　door　as　though　about　to　leave　the　room。　　I　leaped；　so　to
speak；　between　the　King's　armchair　and　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans；　and　whispered
in　the　Regent's　ear　so　as　not　to　be　heard　by　the　Prince　de　Conti：

〃Monsieur；　look　at　them。　　They　are　going。〃

〃I　know　it；〃　he　replied　tranquilly。

〃Yes；〃　I　exclaimed　with　animation；　〃but　do　you　know　what　they　will　do
when　they　are　outside。〃

〃Nothing　at　all；〃　said　he：　〃the　Comte　de　Toulouse　has　asked　me　for
permission　to　go　out　with　his　brother；　he　has　assured　me　that　they　will
be　discreet。〃

〃And　if　they　are　not？〃　I　asked。

〃They　will　be。　　But　if　they　are　not；　they　will　be　well　looked　after。〃

〃But　if　they　commit　some　absurdity；　or　leave　Paris？〃

〃They　will　be　arrested。　　Orders　have　been　given；　and　I　will　answer　for
their　execution。〃

Therefore；　more　tranquil；　I　sat　down　in　my　place。　　Scarcely　had　I　got
there　than　the　Regent　called　me　back；　and　said　that　since　they　had　left
the　room；　he　should　like　to　tell　the　Council　what　was　going　to　be　done
with　respect　to　them。　　I　replied　that　the　only　objection　to　this；　their
presence；　being　now　removedI　thought　it　would　be　wrong　not　to　do　so。
He　asked　M。　le　Duc　in　a　whisper；　across　the　table；　afterwards　called　to
the　Keeper　of　the　Seals；　both　agreed；　and　then　we　really　seated
ourselves。

These　movements　had　augmented　the　trouble　and　curiosity　of　every　one。
The　eyes　of　all；　occupied　with　the　Regent；　had　been　removed　from　the
door；　so　that　the　absence　of　the　bastards　was　by　no　means　generally
remarked。　　As　soon　as　it　was　perceived；　everybody　looked　inquiringly
around；　and　remained　standing　in　expectation。　　I　sat　down　in　the　seat　of
the　Comte　de　Toulouse。　　The　Duc　de　Guiche；　who　sat　on　the　other　side　of
me；　left　a　seat　between　us；　and　still　waited　for　the　bastards。　　He　told
me　to　approach　nearer　to　him；　saying　I　had　mistaken　my　place。　　I　replied
not　a　word；　looking　on　at　the　company；　which　was　a　sight　to　see。　　At　the
second　or　third　summons；　I　replied　that　he；　on　the　contrary；　must
approach　me。

〃And　M。　le　Comte　de　Toulouse？〃　replied　he。

〃Approach；〃　said　I；　and　seeing　him　motionless　with　astonishment；　looking
towards　the　Duc　du　Maine's　seat；　which　had　been　taken　by　the　Keeper　of
the　Seals；　I　pulled　him　by　his　coat　（I　was　seated）；　saying　to　him；　〃Come
here　and　sit　down。〃

I　pulled　him　so　hard　that　he　seated　himself　near　me　without　understanding
aught。

〃But　what　is　the　meaning　of　all　this？〃　　he　demanded；　〃where　are　these
gentlemen？〃

〃I　don't　know；〃　replied　I；　impatiently；　〃but　they　are　not　here。〃

At　the　same　time；　the　Duc　de　Noailles；　who　sat　next　to　the　Duc　de　Guiche；
and　who；　enraged　at　counting　for　nothing　in　preparations　for　such　a　great
day；　had　apparently　divined　that　I　was　in　the　plot；　vanquished　by　his
curiosity；　stretched　over　the　table　in　front　of　the　Duc　de　Guiche；　and
said　to　me：

〃In　the　name　of　Heaven；　M。　le　Duc；　do　me　the　favour　to　say　what　all　this
means？〃

I　was　at　daggers…drawn　with　him；　as　I　have　explained；　and　had　no　mercy
for　him。　　I　turned；　therefore；　towards　him　with　a　cold　and　disdainful
air；　and；　after　having　heard　him　out；　and　looked　at　him；　I　turned　away
again。　　That　was　all　my　reply。　　The　Duc　de　Guiche　pressed　me　to　say
something；　even　if　it　was　only　that　I　knew　all。　　I　denied　it；　and　yet
each　seated　himself　slowly；　because　intent　only　upon　looking　around；　and
divining　what　all　this　could　mean；　and　because　it　was　a　long　time　before
any　one　could　comprehend　that　we　must　proceed　to　business　without　the
bastards；　although　nobody　opened　his　mouth。

When　everybody　was　in　his　place　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans　after　having　far　a
moment　looked　all　around；　every　eye　fixed　upon　him；　said　that　he　had
assembled　this　Regency　Council　to　hear　read　the　resolutions　adopted　at
the　last；　that　he　had　come　to　the　conclusion　that　there　was　no　other
means　of　obtaining　the　registration　of　the　finance　edict　recently　passed
than　that　of　holding　a　Bed　of　justice；　that　the　heat　rendering　it
unadvisable　to　jeopardise　the　King's　health　in　the　midst　of　the　crowd　of
the　Palais　de　justice；　he　had　thought　it　best　to　follow　the　example　of
the　late　King；　who　had　sometimes　sent　for　the　Parliament　to　the
Tuileries；　that；　as　it　had　become　necessary　to　hold　this　Bed　of　justice；
he　had　thought　it　right　to　profit　by　the　occasion；　and　register　the
'lettres　de　provision'　of　the　Keeper　of　the　Seals　at　the　commencement　of
the　sitting；　and　he　ordered　the　Keeper　of　the　Seals　to　read　them。

During　this　reading；　which　had　no　other　importance　than　to　seize　an
occasion　of　forcing　the　Parliament　to　recognize　the　Keeper　of　the　Seals；
whose　person　and　whose　commission　they　hated；　I　occupied　myself　in
examining　the　faces。

I　saw　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans　with　an　air　of　authority　and　of　attention；　so
new　that　I　was　struck　with　it。　　M。　le　Duc；　gay　and　brilliant；　appeared
quite　at　his　ease；　and　confident。　　The　Prince　de　Conti；　astonished；
absent；　meditative；　seemed　to　see　nothing　and　to　take　part　in　nothing。
The　Keeper　of　the　Seals；　grave　and　pensive；　appeared　to　have　too　many
things　in　his　head；　nevertheless；　with　bag；　wax；　and　seals　near　him；　he
looked　very　decided　and　very　firm。　　The　Duc　de　la　Force　hung　his　head；
but　examined　on　the　sly　the　faces　of　us　all。　　Marechal　Villeroy　and
Marechal　de　Villars　spoke　to　each　other　now　and　then；　both　had　irritated
eyes　and　long　faces。　　Nobody　was　more　composed　than　the　Marechal　de
Tallard；　but　he　could　not　hide　an　internal　agitation　which　often　peeped
out。　　The　Marechal　d'Estrees　had　a　stupefied　air；　as　though　he　saw
nothing　but　a　mist　before　him。　　The　Marechal　de　Besons；　enveloped　more
than　ordinarily　in　his　big　wig；　appeared　deeply　meditative；　his　look　cast
down　and　angry。　　Pelletier；　very　buoyant；　simple；　curious；　looking　at
everything。　　Torcy；　three　times　more　starched　than　usual；　seemed　to　look
at　everything　by　stealth。　　Effiat；　meddlesome；　piqued；　outraged；　ready　to
boil　over；　fuming　at　everybody；　his　look　haggard；　as　it　passed
precipitously；　and　by　fits　and　starts；　from　side　to　side。　　Those　on　my
side　I　could　not　well　examine；　I　saw　them　only　by　moments　as　they　changed
their　postures　or　I　mine；　and　then　not　well　or　for　long。　　I　have　already
spoken　of　the　astonishment　of　the　Duc　de　Guiche；　and　of　the　vexation　and
curiosity　of　the　Duc　de　Noailles。　　D'Antin；　usually　of　such　easy
carriage；　appeared　to　me　as　though　in　fetters；　and　quite　scared。　　The
Marechal　d'Huxelles　tried　to　put　a　good　face　on　the　matter；　but　could　not
hide　the　despair　which　pierced　him。　　Old　Troyes；　all　abroad；　showed
nothing　but　surprise　and　embarrassment；　and　did　not　appear　to　know　where
he　was。

From　the　first　moment　of　this　reading　and　the　departure　of　the　bastards；
everybody　saw　that　something　was　in　preparation　against　them。　　What　that
something　was　to　be；　kept　every　mind　in　suspense。　　A　Bed　of　justice；　too；
prepared　in　secret；　ready　as　soon　as　announced；　indicated　a　strong
resolution　taken　against　the　Parliament；　and　indicated　also　so　much
firmness　and　measure　in　a　Prince；　usually　supposed　to　be　entirely
incapable　of　any；　that　every　one　was　at　sea。　　All；　according　as　they　were
allied　to　the　Parliament　or　to　the　bastards；　seemed　to　wait　in　fear　what
was　to　be　proposed。　　Many　others　appeared　deeply　wounded　because　the
Regent　had　not　admitted　them　behind　the　scenes；　and　because　they　were
compelled　to　share　the　common　surprise。　　Never　were　faces　so　universally
elongated；　never　was　embarrassment　more　general　or　more　marked。　　In　these
first　moments　of　trouble　I　fancy　few　people　lent　an　ear　to　the　letters
the　Keeper　of　the　Seals　was　reading。　　When　they　were　finished；　M。　le　Duc
d'Orleans　said　he　did　not　think　it　was　worth　while　to　take　the　votes　one
by　one；　either　upon　the　contents　of　these　letters　or　their　registration；
but　that　all　would　be　in　favour　of　commencing　the　Bed　of　justice　at　once。

After　a　short　but　marked　pause；　the　Regent　developed；　in　few　words；　the
reasons　which　had　induced　the　Council　at　its　last　sitting；　to　abrogate
the　decree　of　the　Parliament。　　He　added；　that　judging　by　the　conduct　of
that　assembly；　it　would　have　been　to　jeopardise　anew　the　King's
authority；　to　send　for　registration　this　act　of　abrogation　to　the
Parliament；　which　would　assuredly　have　given　in　public　a　proof　of　formal
disobedience；　in　refusing　to　register；　that　there　being　no　other　remedy
than　a　Bed　of　justice；　he　had　thought　it　best　to　assemble　one；　but　in
secret；　so　as　not　to　give　time　or　opportunity　to　the　ill…disposed　to
prepare　for　disobedience；　that　he　believed；　with　the　Keeper　of　the　Seals；
the　frequency　and　the　manner　of　the　parliamentary　remonstrances　were　such
that　the　Parliament　must　be　made　to　keep　within　the　limits　of　its　duty；
which；　long　since；　it　seemed　to　have　lost　sight　of；　that　the　Keeper　of
the　Seals　would　now　read　to　the　Council　the　act　of　abrogation；　and　the
rules　that　were　to　be　observed　in　future。　　Then；　looking　at　the　Keeper　of
the　Seals；　〃Monsieur；〃　said　he；　〃you　will　explain　this　better　than　I。
Have　the　goodness　to　do　so　before　reading　the　decree。〃

The　Keeper　of　the　Seals　then　spoke；　and　paraphrased　what　his　Royal
Highness　had　said　more　briefly；　he　explained　in　what　manner　the
Parliament　had　the　right　to　remonstrate；　showed　the　distinction　between
its　power　and　that　of　the　Crown；　the　in