The Queen's Necklace Part 76

"Me?"

"Yes, you."

"Oh, it is too much! Why did you not speak to me?"

"Ma foi! I was just going to do so, when the crowd separated us."

"You are mad!"

"I should not have spoken of it. I have been very foolish."

The queen rose, and walked up and down the room in great agitation.

Andree trembled with fear and disquietude, and Jeanne could hardly keep from laughing.

Then the queen stopped, and said:

"My friend, do not jest any more; you see, I am so pa.s.sionate that I have lost my temper already. Tell me at once that you were joking with me."

"I will, if you please, sister."

"Be serious, Charles. You have invented all this, have you not?"

He winked at the ladies, and said, "Oh, yes, of course."

"You do not understand me, brother!" cried the queen vehemently. "Say yes or no. Do not tell falsehoods; I only want the truth!"

"Well, then, sister," said he, in a low voice, "I have told the truth, but I am sorry I spoke."

"You saw me there?"

"As plain as I see you now; and you saw me."

The queen uttered a cry, and, running up to Andree and Jeanne, cried, "Ladies, M. le Comte d'Artois affirms that he saw me at the ball at the Opera; let him prove it."

"Well," said he, "I was with M. de Richelieu and others, when your mask fell off."

"My mask!"

"I was about to say, 'This is too rash, sister,' but the gentleman with you drew you away so quickly."

"Oh, mon Dieu! you will drive me mad! What gentleman?"

"The blue domino."

The queen pa.s.sed her hand over her eyes.

"What day was this?" she asked.

"Sat.u.r.day. The next day I set off to hunt, before you were up."

"What time do you say you saw me?"

"Between two and three."

"Decidedly one of us is mad!"

"Oh, it is I. It is all a mistake. Do not be so afraid; there is no harm done. At first I thought you were with the king; but the blue domino spoke German, and he does not."

"Well, brother, on Sat.u.r.day I went to bed at eleven."

The count bowed, with an incredulous smile.

The queen rang. "Madame de Misery shall tell you."

"Why do you not call Laurent also?" said he, laughing.

"Oh!" cried the queen in a rage, "not to be believed!"

"My dear sister, if I believed you, others would not."

"What others?"

"Those who saw you as well as myself."

"Who were they?"

"M. Philippe de Taverney, for instance."

"My brother?" cried Andree.

"Yes; shall we ask him?"

"Immediately."

"Mon Dieu!" murmured Andree, "my brother a witness!"

"Yes; I wish it;" and she went to seek him at his father's.

He was just leaving, after the scene we have described with his father, when the messenger met him. He came quickly, and Marie Antoinette turned to him at once.

"Sir," said she, "are you capable of speaking the truth?"

"Incapable of anything else, madame."

"Well, then, say frankly, have you seen me at any public place within the last week?"

"Yes, madame."