“Perhaps so, Madame,” coldly replied Gilbert.
The queen appeared to tremble with anger: her words seemed to be hanging on her lips, ready to burst forth in burning torrents.
She, however, restrained herself.
“I must believe you,” said she,—”you who are a learned man.”
And she emphasized these last words with so much contempt, that the eye of Gilbert appeared to kindle, in its turn, with the fire of anger.
But a struggle of a few seconds’ duration sufficed to this man to give him a complete victory.
Accordingly, with a calm brow and an unembarrassed expression he almost immediately rejoined:—
“It is too kind of your Majesty to give me the title of a learned man without having received any proofs of my knowledge.”
The queen bit her lip.
“You must understand that I do not know if you are a scientific man,” she replied; “but I have heard it said, and I repeat what everybody says.”
“Well, then,” said Gilbert, respectfully, and bowing still lower than he had done hitherto, “a superior mind, like that of your Majesty, must not blindly repeat what is said by the vulgar.”
“Do you mean the people?” said the queen, insolently.
“The vulgar, Madame,” repeated Gilbert, with a firmness which made the blood thrill in the queen’s veins, and gave rise to emotions which were as painful to her as they had hitherto been unknown.
“In fine,” answered she, “let us not discuss that point. You are said to be learned; that is all that is essential. Where have you studied?”
“Everywhere, Madame.”
“That is not an answer.”
“Nowhere, then.”
“I prefer that answer. Have you studied nowhere?”
As it may please you, Madame,” replied the doctor, bowing, “and yet it is less exact than to say everywhere.”
“Come, answer me, then!” exclaimed the queen, becoming exasperated; “and above all, for Heaven’s sake, Monsieur Gilbert, spare me such phrases.”
Then, as if speaking to herself:—
“Everywhere! everywhere! what does that mean It is the language of a charlatan, a quack, of a physician who practises in the public squares! Do you mean to overawe me by your sonorous syllables?”
She stepped forward with ardent eyes and quivering lips.
“Everywhere! Mention some place; come, explain your meaning, Monsieur Gilbert.”
“I said everywhere,” answered Gilbert, coldly, “because in fact I have studied everywhere, Madame,—in the hut and in the palace, in cities and in the desert, upon our own species and upon animals, upon myself and upon others, in a manner suitable to one who loves knowledge, and studies it where it is to be found, that is to say, everywhere.”
The queen, overcome, cast a terrible glance at Gilbert, while he, on his part, was eying her with terrible perseverance. She became convulsively agitated, and turning round, upset a small stand, upon which her chocolate had been served in a cup of Sèvres porcelain. Gilbert saw the table fall, saw the broken cup, but did not move a finger.
The color mounted to the cheeks of Marie Antoinette; she raised her cold, moist hand to her burning temples, but did not dare to raise her eyes again to look at Gilbert.
But her features assumed a more contemptuous, more insolent expression than before.
“Then, under what great master did you study?” continued the queen, again taking up the conversation at the point where she had left it off.
“I hardly know how to answer your Majesty, without running the risk of again wounding you.”
The queen perceived the advantage that Gilbert had given her, and threw herself upon it like a lioness upon her prey.
“Wound me—you wound me—you!” exclaimed she. “Oh, sir, what are you saying there? You wound a queen! You are mistaken, sir, I can affirm to you. Ah, Doctor Gilbert, you have not studied the French language in as good schools as you have studied medicine. People of my station are not to be wounded, Doctor Gilbert. You may weary them, that is all.”
Gilbert bowed, and made a step towards the door; but it was not possible for the queen to discover in his countenance the least show of anger, the least sign of impatience.
The queen, on the contrary, was stamping her feet with rage; she sprang towards Gilbert, as if to prevent him from leaving the room.