marie antoinette and her son-第15部分

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now　she　will　tread　the　Church　under　foot　also。〃

〃Be　still！〃　was　the　cry　on　all　sides。　〃The　carbineers　and　gendarmes
are　coming。　Be　still；　Marat；　be　still！　You　must　not　be　arrested。　We
do　not　want　all　our　friends　to　be　taken　to　the　Bastile。〃

And　really　just　at　that　instant；　at　the　entrance　of　the　street　that
led　to　the　square　on　the　side　of　the　Tuileries；　appeared　a　division
of　carbineers；　advancing　at　great　speed。

Marat　jumped　with　the　speed　of　a　cat　down　from　the　huge　form　of　the
brewer。　The　crowd　opened　and　made　way　for　him；　and　before　the
carbineers　had　approached；　Marat　had　disappeared。

With　this　day　began　the　investigations　respecting　the　necklace　which
Messrs。　Bohmer　and　Bassenge　had　wanted　to　sell　the　queen　through　the
agency　of　Cardinal　Bohan。　The　latter　was　still　a　prisoner　in　the
Bastile。　He　was　treated　with　all　the　respect　due　to　his　rank。　He　had
a　whole　suite　of　apartments　assigned　to　him；　he　was　allowed　to
retain　the　service　of　both　his　chamberlains；　and　at　times　was
permitted　to　see　and　converse　with　his　relatives；　although；　it　is
true；　in　the　presence　of　the　governor　of　the　Bastile。　But　Foulon　was
a　very　pious　Catholic；　and　kept　a　respectful　distance　from　the　lord
cardinal；　who　never　failed　on　such　occasions　to　give　him　his
blessing。　In　the　many　hearings　which　the　cardinal　had　to　undergo；
the　president　of　the　committee　of　investigation　treated　him　with
extreme　consideration；　and　if　the　cardinal　felt　himself　wearied；　the
sitting　was　postponed　till　another　day。　Moreover；　at　these　hearings
the　defender　of　the　cardinal　could　take　part；　in　order　to　summon
those　witnesses　or　accused　persons　who　could　contribute　to　the
release　of　the　cardinal；　and　show　that　he　had　been　the　victim　of　a
deeply…laid　plot；　and　had　committed　no　other　wrong　than　that　of
being　too　zealous　in　the　service　of　the　queen。

News　spread　abroad　of　numerous　arrests　occurring　in　Paris。　It　had
been　known　from　the　royal　decree　that　the　Countess　Lamotte…Valois
had　likewise　been　arrested　and　imprisoned　in　the　Bastile；　but　people
were　anxious　to　learn　decisively　whether　Count　Cagliostro；　the
wonder…doctor；　had　been　seized。　The　story　ran　that　a　young　woman　in
Brussels；　who　had　been　involved　in　the　affair；　and　who　had　an
extraordinary　resemblance　to　the　Queen　Marie　Antoinette；　had　been
arrested；　and　brought　to　Paris　for　confinement　in　the　Bastile。

All　Paris；　all　France　watched　this　contest　with　eager　interest；
which；　after　many　months；　was　still　far　from　a　conclusion；　and
respecting　which　so　much　could　be　said。

The　friends　of　the　queen　asserted　that　her　majesty　was　completely
innocent；　that　she　had　never　spoken　to　the　Countess　Lamotte…Valois；
and　only　once　through　her　chamberlain。　Weber　had　never　sent　her　any
assistance。　But　these　friends　of　the　queen　were　not　numerous；　and
their　number　diminished　every　day。

The　king　had　seen　the　necessity　of　making　great　reductions　in　the
cost　of　maintaining　his　establishment；　and　in　the　government　of　the
realm。　France　had　had　during　the　last　years　poor　harvests。　The
people　were　suffering　from　a　want　of　the　bare　necessities　of　life。
The　taxes　could　not　be　collected。　A　reform　must　be　introduced；　and
those　who　before　had　rejoiced　in　a　superfluity　of　royal　gifts　had　to
be　contented　with　a　diminution　of　them。

It　had　been　the　queen　who　allowed　the　tokens　of　royal　favor　to　pour
upon　her　friends；　her　companions　in　Trianon；　like　a　golden　rain。　She
had　at　the　outset　done　this　out　of　a　hearty　love　for　them。　It　was　so
sweet　to　cause　those　to　rejoice　whom　she　loved；　so　pleasant　to　see
that　charming　smile　upon　the　countenance　of　the　Duchess　de　Polignac…
…that　smile　which　only　appeared　when　she　had　succeeded　in　making
others　happy。　For　herself　the　duchess　never　asked　a　favor；　her　royal
friend　could　only；　after　a　long　struggle　and　threatening　her　with
her　displeasure；　induce　her　to　take　the　gifts　which　were　offered　out
of　a　really　loving　heart。

But　behind　the　Duchess　Diana　stood　her　brother　and　sister…in…law；
the　Duke　and　Duchess　de　Polignac；　who　were　ambitious；　proud；　and
avaricious；　behind　the　Duchess　Diana　stood　the　three　favorites　of
the　royal　society　in　Trianon　Lords　Vaudreuil；　Besenval；　D'Adhemar…
…who　desired　embassies；　ministerial　posts；　orders；　and　other　tokens
of　honor。

Diana　de　Polignac　was　the　channel　through　whom　all　these　addressed
themselves　to　the　queen；　she　was　the　loved　friend　who　asked　whether
the　queen　could　not　grant　their　demands。　Louis　granted　all　the
requests　to　the　queen；　and　Marie　Antoinette　then　went　to　her　loved
friend　Diana；　in　order　to　gratify　her　wishes；　to　receive　a　kiss；　and
to　be　rewarded　with　a　smile。

The　great　noble　families　saw　with　envy　and　displeasure　this
supremacy　of　the　Polignacs　and　the　favorites　of　Trianon。　They
withdrew　from　the　court；　gave　the　〃Queen　of　Trianon〃　over　to　her
special　friends　and　their　citizen　pleasures　and　sports；　which；　as
they　asserted；　were　not　becoming　to　the　great　nobility。　They　gave
the　king　over　to　his　wife　who　ruled　through　him；　and　who；　in　turn；
was　governed　by　the　Polignacs　and　the　other　favorites。　To　them　and
to　their　friends　belonged　all　places；　all　honors；　to　them　all
applied　who　wanted　to　gain　any　thing　for　the　court；　and　even　they
who　wanted　to　get　justice　done　them。　Around　the　royal　pair　there　was
nothing　but　intrigues；　cabals；　envy；　and　hostility。　Every　one　wanted
to　be　first　in　the　favor　of　the　queen；　in　order　to　gain　influence
and　consideration；　every　one　wanted　to　cast　suspicion　on　the　one　who
was　next　to　him；　in　order　to　supplant　him　in　the　favor　of　Marie
Antoinette。

The　fair　days　of　fortune　and　peace；　of　which　the　queen　dreamed　in
her　charming　country　home；　thinking　that　her　realizations　were　met
when　the　sun　had　scarcely　risen　upon　them；　were　gone。　Trianon　was
still　there；　and　the　happy　peasant…girl　of　Trianon　had　been
unchanged　in　heart；　but　those　to　whom　she　had　given　her　heart；　those
who　had　joined　in　her　harmless　amusement　in　her　village　there；　were
changed！　They　had　cast　aside　the　idyllic　masks　with　which　the　good…
natured　and　confiding　queen　had　deceived　herself。　They　were　no
longer　friends；　no　longer　devoted　servants；　they　were　mere　place…
hunters；　intriguers；　flatterers；　not　acting　out　of　love；　but　out　of
selfishness。

Yet　the　queen　would　not　believe　this；　she　continued　to　be　the　tender
friend　of　her　friends；　trusted　them；　depended　upon　their　love；　was
happy　in　their　neighborhood；　and　let　herself　be　led　by　them　just　as
the　king　let　himself　be　led　by　her。

They　set　ministers　aside；　appointed　new　ones；　placed　their　favorites
in　places　of　power；　and　drove　their　opponents　into　obscurity。

But　there　came　a　day　when　the　queen　began　to　see　that　she　was　not
the　ruler　but　the　ruled；when　she　saw　that　she　was　not　acting　out
her　own　will；　but　was　tyrannized　over　by　those　who　had　been　made
powerful　through　her　favor。

〃I　have　been　compelled　to　take　part　in　political　affairs；〃　said　she；
〃because　the　king；　in　his　noble；　good…humored　way；　has　too　little
confidence　in　himself；　and；　out　of　his　self…distrust；　lets　himself
be　controlled　by　the　opinions　of　others。　And　so　it　is　best　that　I
should　be　his　first　confidante；　and　that　he　should　take　me　to　be　his
chief　adviser；　for　his　interests　are　mine；　and　these　children　are
mine；　and　surely　no　one　can　speak　more　truly　and　honestly　to　the
King　of　France　than　his　queen；　his　wife；　the　mother　of　his　children！
And　so　if　the　king　is　not　perfectly　independent；　and　feels　himself
too　weak　to　stand　alone；　and　independently　to　exert　power；　he　ought
to　rest　on　me；　I　will　bear　a　part　in　his　government；　his　business；
that　at　any　rate　they　who　control　be　not　my　opponents；　my　enemies！〃

For　a　while　she　yielded　to　her　friends　and　favorites　who　wanted　to
stand　in　the　same　relation　to　the　queen　that　she　did　to　the　king
she　yielded；　not　like　Louis；　from　weakness；　but　from　the　very　power
of　her　love　for　them。

She　yielded　at　the　time　when　Diana　de　Polignac；　urged　by　her
brother…in…law；　Polignac；　and　by　Lord　Besenval；　conjured　the　queen
to　nominate　Lord　Calonne　to　be　general　comptroller　of　the　finances。
She　yielded；　and　Calonne；　the　flatterer；　the　courtier　of　Polignac；
received　the　important　appointment；　although　Marie　Antoinette
experienced　twinges　of　conscience　for　it；　and　did　not　trust　the　man
whom　she　herself　advanced　to　this　high　place。　Public　opinion；
meanwhile；　gave　out　that　Lord　Calonne　was　a　favorite　of　the　queen；
and；　while　she　bore　him　no　special　favor；　and　considered　his
appointment　as　a　misfortune　to　France；　she　who　herself　promoted　him
became　the　object　of　public　indignation。

Meanwhile　the　nomination　of　Lord　Calonne　was　to　be　productive　of
real　good。　It　gave　rise　to　the　publication　of　a　host　of　libels　and
pamphlets　which　discussed　the　financial　condition　of　France；　and；　in
biting　and　scornful　words；　in　the　language　of　sadness　and　despair；
developed　the　need　and　the　misfortune　of　the　land。　The　king　gave　the
chief　minister　of　police　strict　injunctions　to　send　him　all　these
ephemeral　publications。　He　wanted　to　read　them　all；　wanted　to　find
the　kernel　of　wheat　which　each　contained；　and；　from　his　enemies；　who
assuredly　would　not　flatter；　he　wanted　to　learn　how　to　be　a　good
king。　And　the　first　of　his　cares　he　saw　to　be　a　frugal　king；　and　to
limit　his　household　expenses。

This　time　he　acted　independently；　he　asked　no　one's　counsel；　not
even　the　queen's。　As　his　own　unconstrained　act；　he　ordered　a
diminution　of　the　court　luxury；　and　a　limitation　of　the　great
pensions　which　were　paid　to　favorites。　The　great　stable　of　the　king
must　be　reduced；　the　chief　directorship　of　the　post　bureau　must　be
abolished；　the　high　salary　of　the　governess　of　the　royal　children　as
well　as　that　of　the　maid　of　honor　of　Madame　Elizabeth；　sister　of　the
king；　must　be　reduced。

And　who　were　the　ones　affected　by　this？　Chiefly　the　Polignac　family。
The　Duke　de　Polignac　was　director　of　the　royal　mews；　and　next　to　him
the　Duke　de　Coigny。　The　Duke　de　Polignac　was　also　chief　director　of
the　post　department。　His　wife；　Diana　de　Polignac；　was　also　maid　of
honor　to　Madame　Elizabeth；　and　Julia　de　Polignac　was　governess　of
the　children　of　Prance。

They　would　not　believe　it；　they　held　it　impossible　that