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The Queen's Necklace, a novel by Alexandre Dumas |
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Chapter 42. In Which M. Ducorneau Understands Nothing Of What Is Passing |
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_ CHAPTER XLII. IN WHICH M. DUCORNEAU UNDERSTANDS NOTHING OF WHAT IS PASSING Don Manoel was less yellow than usual, that is to say, he was more red. He had just been having a fierce altercation with his valet, and they were still disputing when Beausire entered. "Come, M. Beausire, and set us right," said the valet. "About what?" "This 100,000 francs. It is the property of the association, is it not?" "Certainly." "Ah, M. Beausire agrees with me." "Wait," said Don Manoel. "Well, then," continued the valet, "the chest ought not to be kept close to the ambassador's room." "Why not?" asked Beausire. "M. Manoel ought to give us each a key to it." "Not so," said Manoel; "do you suspect me of wishing to rob the association? I may equally suspect you, when you ask for a key." "But," said the valet, "we have all equal rights." "Really, monsieur, if you wish to make us all equal, we ought to have played the ambassador in turn. It would have been less plausible in the eyes of the public, but it would have satisfied you." "And besides," said Beausire, "M. Manoel has the incontestable privilege of the inventor." "Oh," replied the valet, "the thing once started, there are no more privileges. I do not speak for myself only; all our comrades think the same." "They are wrong," said both Manoel and Beausire. "I was wrong myself to take the opinion of M. Beausire; of course the secretary supports the ambassador." "Monsieur," replied Beausire, "you are a knave, whose ears I would slit, if it had not already been done too often. You insult me by saying that I have an understanding with Manoel." "And me also," said Manoel. "And I demand satisfaction," added Beausire. "Oh, I am no fighter." "So I see," said Beausire, seizing hold of him. "Help! help!" cried the valet, attacked at once by both of them. But just then they heard a bell ring. "Leave him, and let him open the door," said Manoel. "Our comrades shall hear all this," replied the valet. "Tell them what you please; we will answer for our conduct." "M. Boehmer!" cried the porter from below. "Well, we shall have no more contests about the 100,000 francs," said Manoel; "for they will disappear with M. Boehmer." M. Boehmer entered, followed by Bossange. Both looked humble and embarrassed. Boehmer began, and explained that political reasons would prevent their fulfilling their contract. Manoel cried out angrily; Beausire looked fierce. Manoel said "that the bargain was completed, and the money ready." Boehmer persisted. Manoel, always through Beausire, replied, "that his Government had been apprised of the conclusion of the bargain, and that it was an insult to his queen to break it off." M. Boehmer was very sorry, but it was impossible to act otherwise. Beausire, in Manoel's name, refused to accept the retractation, and abused M. Boehmer as a man without faith, and ended by saying, "You have found some one to pay more for it." The jewelers colored. Beausire saw that he was right, and feigned to consult his ambassador. "Well," said he at length, "if another will give you more for your diamonds, we would do the same, rather than have this affront offered to our queen. Will you take 50,000 francs more?" Boehmer shook his head. "100,000, or even 150,000," continued Beausire, willing to offer anything rather than lose the booty. The jewelers looked dazzled for a moment, consulted together, and then said, "No, monsieur, it is useless to tempt us. A will more powerful than our own compels us to decline. You understand, no doubt, that it is not we who refuse. We only obey the orders of one greater than any of us." Beausire and Manoel saw that it was useless to say more, and tried to look and speak indifferently on the matter. Meanwhile the valet had been listening attentively, and just then making an unlucky movement, stumbled against the door. Beausire ran to the ante-chamber. "What on earth are you about?" cried he. "Monsieur, I bring the morning despatches." "Good," said Beausire, taking them from him, "now go." They were letters from Portugal, generally very insignificant, but which, passing through their hands before going to Ducorneau, often gave them useful information about the affairs of the embassy. The jewelers, hearing the word despatches, rose to leave like men who had received their conge. "Well," said Manoel, when they were gone, "we are completely beaten. Only 100,000 francs, a poor spoil; we shall have but 8,000 each." "It is not worth the trouble. But it might be 50,000 each." "Good," replied Manoel, "but the valet will never leave us now he knows the affair has failed." "Oh, I know how we will manage him. He will return immediately, and claim his share and that of his comrades, and we shall have the whole house on our hands. Well, I will call him first to a secret conference; then leave me to act." "I think I understand," said Manoel. Neither, however, would leave his friend alone with the chest while he went to call him. Manoel said "that his dignity as ambassador prevented him from taking such a step." "You are not ambassador to him," said Beausire; "however, I will call through the window." The valet, who was just beginning a conversation with the porter, hearing himself called, came up. Beausire said to him, with a smiling air, "I suppose you were telling this business to the porter?" "Oh, no." "Are you sure?" "I swear!" "For if you were, you were committing a great folly, and have lost a great deal of money." "How so?" "Why, at present only we three know the secret, and could divide the 100,000 francs between us, as they all now think we have given it to M. Boehmer." "Morbleu!" cried the valet, "it is true: 33,300 francs each." "Then you accept?" "I should think so." "I said you were a rogue," said Beausire, in a thundering voice; "come, Don Manoel, help me to seize this man, and give him up to our associates." "Pardon! pardon!" cried the unfortunate, "I did but jest." "Shut him up until we can devise his punishment." The man began to cry out. "Take care," said Beausire, "that Ducorneau does not hear us." "If you do not leave me alone," said the valet, "I will denounce you all." "And I will strangle you," said Don Manoel, trying to push him into a neighboring closet. "Send away Ducorneau somewhere, Beausire, while I finish this fellow." When he had locked him up, he returned to the room. Beausire was not there; Don Manoel felt tempted. He was alone, and Beausire might be some little time; he could open the chest, take out all the bank-notes, and be off in two minutes. He ran to the room where it was: the door was locked. "Ah," thought he, "Beausire distrusted me, and locked the door before he went." He forced back the lock with his sword, and then uttered a terrible cry. The chest was opened and empty. Beausire had got, as we know, a second key; he had forestalled Manoel. Manoel ran down like a madman; the porter was singing at the door--he asked if Beausire had passed. "Yes, some ten minutes ago." Manoel became furious, summoned them all, and ran to release the unfortunate valet. But when he told his story, Manoel was accused of being an accomplice of Beausire, and they all turned against him. M. Ducorneau felt ready to faint, when he entered and saw the men preparing to hang M. de Souza. "Hang M. de Souza!" cried he. "It is high treason." At last they threw him into a cellar, fearing his cries would arouse the neighborhood. At that moment loud knocks at the door disturbed them,--they looked at each other in dismay. The knocks were repeated, and some one cried, "Open in the name of the Portuguese ambassador." On hearing this, each made his escape in terror, as he best could, scrambling over walls and roofs. The true ambassador could only enter by the help of the police. They found and arrested M. Ducorneau, who slept that night in the Chatelet. Thus ended the adventure of the sham embassy from the Portugal. _ |
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