“You do not accompany me to the door, then?” The marquise
rose, pale and almost lifeless, without thinking of the
envelope, which had occupied her attention so greatly at the
commencement of the conversation, and which was revealed at
the first step she took. She then opened the door of her
oratory, and without even turning her head towards
Marguerite Vanel, entered it, closing the door after her.
Marguerite said, or rather muttered a few words, which
Madame de Belliere did not even hear. As soon, however, as
the marquise had disappeared, her envious enemy, not being
able to resist the desire to satisfy herself that her
suspicions were well founded, advanced stealthily towards it
like a panther and seized the envelope. “Ah!” she said,
gnashing her teeth, “it was indeed a letter from M. Fouquet
she was reading when I arrived,” and then darted out of the
room. During this interval, the marquise, having arrived
behind the rampart, as it were, of her door, felt that her
strength was failing her; for a moment she remained rigid,
pale and motionless as a statue, and then, like a statue
shaken on its base by an earthquake, tottered and fell
inanimate on the carpet. The noise of the fall resounded at
the same moment as the rolling of Marguerite’s carriage
leaving the hotel.
CHAPTER 102
Madame de Belliere’s Plate
The blow had been the more painful on account of its being
unexpected. It was some time before the marquise recovered
herself; but once recovered, she began to reflect upon the
events so heartlessly announced to her. She therefore
returned, at the risk even of losing her life in the way, to
that train of ideas which her relentless friend had forced
her to pursue. Treason, then — deep menaces, concealed
under the semblance of public interest — such were
Colbert’s maneuvers. A detestable delight at an approaching
downfall, untiring efforts to attain this object, means of
seduction no less wicked than the crime itself — such were
Page 620
Dumas, Alexandre – Ten Years Later
the weapons Marguerite employed. The crooked atoms of
Descartes triumphed; to the man without compassion was
united a woman without heart. The marquise perceived, with
sorrow rather than indignation, that the king was an
accomplice in the plot which betrayed the duplicity of Louis
XIII. in his advanced age, and the avarice of Mazarin at a
period of life when he had not had the opportunity of
gorging himself with French gold. The spirit of thus
courageous woman soon resumed its energy, no longer
overwhelmed by indulgence in compassionate lamentations. The
marquise was not one to weep when action was necessary, nor
to waste time in bewailing a misfortune as long as means
still existed of relieving it. For some minutes she buried
her face in her cold fingers, and then, raising her head,
rang for her attendants with a steady hand, and with a
gesture betraying a fixed determination of purpose. Her
resolution was taken.
“Is everything prepared for my departure?” she inquired of
one of her female attendants who entered.
“Yes, madame; but it was not expected that your ladyship
would leave for Belliere for the next few days.”
“All my jewels and articles of value, then, are packed up?”
“Yes, madame; but hitherto we have been in the habit of
leaving them in Paris. Your ladyship does not generally take
your jewels with you into the country.”
“But they are all in order, you say?”
“Yes, in your ladyship’s own room.”
“The gold plate?”
“In the chest.”
“And the silver plate?”
“In the great oak closet.”
The marquise remained silent for a few moments, and then
said calmly, “Let my goldsmith be sent for.”
Her attendants quitted the room to execute the order. The
marquise, however, had entered her own room, and was
inspecting her casket of jewels with the greatest attention.
Never, until now, had she bestowed such close attention upon
riches in which women take so much pride; never, until now,
had she looked at her jewels except for the purpose of
making a selection, according to their settings or their
colors. On this occasion, however, she admired the size of
the rubies and the brilliancy of the diamonds; she grieved