首页 >出版文学> Men, Women and Ghosts>第2章
  MarriageofmadameBoncault——ThecomtedeBourbonBusset——
  Marriageofcomted’Hargicourt——Disgraceofthecomtede
  Broglie——HeisreplacedbyM。Lemoine——Thekingcomplainsof
  ennui——Conversationsonthesubject——EntryintoParis
  Visitfromastranger——MadamedePompadourandaJacobinical
  monk——Continuationofthishistory——Deliveranceofastate
  prisoner——Ameetingwiththestranger
  Aconspiracy——AschemeforpoisoningmadameduBarry——Thefour
  bottles——Lettertotheducd’Aiguillon——Adviceoftheministers——
  Opinionofthephysicians——Thechancellorandlieutenantof
  police——Resolutionofthecouncil
  Conclusionofthisaffair——Aletterfromthe——Her
  Examination——ArrestofCaberttheSwiss——HediesintheBastille
  ofpoison——MadameLorimerisarrestedandpoisoned——The
  innocenceoftheJesuitsacknowledged——MadamedeMirepoixand
  the100,000francs——Forgetfulnessonthepartofthelieutenantof
  police——AvisitfromcomteJean——MadamedeMirepoix
  alarms——Anofthe——ComteJean
  endeavourstodirecttheking’sideas——AsupperatTrianon——
  Tabletalk——Thekingisseizedwithillness——Hisconversation
  withme——Thejoiner’sdaughterandthesmall-pox——Mydespair——
  ConductofLaMartinierethesurgeon
  LaMartinierecausesthekingtoberemovedtoVersailles——The
  youngprophetappearsagaintomadameduBarry——Prediction
  respectingcardinaldeRichelieu——Thejoiner’sdaughterrequests
  toseemadameduBarry——MadamedeMirepoixandthe50,000
  francs——AinthesalonofmadameduBarry
  Interviewwiththejoiner’sdaughter——Consultationofthephysicians
  respectingtheking——Thesmall-poxdeclaresitself——thecomtede
  Muy——Theprincesses——ExtremesensibilityofmadamedeMirepoix——The
  kingiskeptinignoranceofhisrealcondition——Thearchbishopof
  ParisvisitsVersailles
  Firstproceedingsofthecouncil——Thedauphinreceivestheprelates
  withgreatcoolness——SituationofthearchbishopofParis——
  Richelieuevadestheprojectforconfessingtheking——Thefriends
  ofmadameduBarrycomeforward——TheEnglishphysician——The
  abbeTerray——InterviewwiththeprincedeSoubise——Theprince
  andthecourtiers——LaMartiniereinformsthekingofFrancethe
  truenatureofhiscomplaint——Consequencesofthisdisclosure
  Terroroftheking——Acomplication——Filialpietyoftheprincesses——
  LastinterviewbetweenmadameduBarryandLouisXV——Conversation
  withthemarechaledeMirepoix——ThechancellorMaupeou——The
  fragment——ComteJean
  Theducd’Aiguillonbringsanorderfortheimmediatedeparture
  ofmadameduBarry——Theking’sremarksrecapitulated——Thecountess
  holdsaprivycouncil——LettertomadamedeMirepoixandtheducs
  deCosseandd’Aiguillon——Nightofdeparture——Ruel——Visitfrom
  madamedeForcalquier
  Theducd’Aiguillon’sfirstletter——ThemarechaledeMirepoix——
  Asecondletterfromtheducd’Aiguillon——Numerousvisitors
  Athirdletterfromtheduke——Thekingreceivesextremeunction——
  LetterfrommadameVictoiretothedauphin——M。deMachault——A
  promenadewiththeducdeCosse——Kindattentionfromtheprince
  desDeuxPouts——Afourthletterfromtheducd’Aiguillon——Comte
  Jeanbidsmefarewell——M。d’Aiguillon’sfifthletter,containingan
  accountofthedeathofLouisXV——TheducdelaVrilliere——The——Lettertothequeen——Departurefortheabbeyof
  SpecialIntroductionbyRobertArnot
  UptothetimeoftheDuBarrythecourtofFrancehadbeenthe
  stagewherethewholepoliticalandhumandramaofthatcountry
  wasenacted。
  UnderLouisXVthedramahadbeentransformedinto
  parades——paradeswhichwereofasmuchimportancetothepeople
  astothosewhotookpartinthem。
  Thespectators,hithertosilent,
  nowbegantohissandbemoved。
  Thesceneofthecomedywas
  changed,andtheplaywascontinuedamongthespectators。
  Theold
  theatrebecameanante-chamberoradressing-room,andwasno
  longerimportantexceptinconnectionwiththeCardinaldeBernis
  andtheDucdeRichelieu,orMadamedePompadourandMadame
  duBarry。
  Themonarchyhadstillasteptotaketowardsitsdownfall。
  It
  hadalreadycreatedtheLouisXV’sseraglio,
  buthadnotyetdescendedtotheParisianhouseofprostitution。
  ItmadethisdescentleaningonthearmofMadameduBarry。
  MadameduBarrywasamoralsistertoManonLescaut,butinstead
  oftakingherselfofftoLouisianatorepent,sheplungedintothe
  goldenwhirlpoolatVersaillesasafinishtohercareer。
  Could
  thecoachesofaKingmeanmorethantheordinarycarriageofan
  abandonedgirl?
  JeanneVaubernier——knowninthebagniosbythenameofMademoiselle
  Lange——wasbornatVaucouleurs,aswasJeanned’Arc。
  Betterstill,
  thislaterJeannesaidopenlyatVersailles——daredshesayotherwise?——
  thatshewasdescendedinastraightlinefromtheillustrious,
  thevenerated,theaugust,sacred,nationalmaid,Jeanne。*
  “Whydid
  DuBarrycometoParis?’“saysLeonGozlaninthataccountofthe
  ChateaudeLuciennewhichmakesabrilliantandlearnedchapterin
  thehistoryofFrance。
  “Doesoneeverknowpreciselywhythingsare
  done?
  SheobeyedthemagnetwhichattractstoParisallwhoin
  themselveshaveatitletoglory,tocelebrity,ortomisfortune。
  DuBarryhadapretty,provincialface,brightandcharming,aface
  astonishedateverything,hairsoftandash-colored,blueeyes,
  veiledandhalfopen,andaskinfairwithrosetints。
  Shewasa
  childofdestiny。
  Whocouldhavesaid,whenshecrossedthegreat
  towninherbasketcart,whichrolledlazilyalongonitsmassive,
  creakingwheels,thatsomedayshewouldhaveequipagesmore
  beautifulthananyofthosewhichcoveredherwithmudinpassing,
  andonherarmsmorelacesanddiamondsthananyoftheseladies
  attendedbyfootmeninliveries?“
  *AclaimwhichblithelyignoredthefactthatJeanne
  d’Archadnochildren——Gutenbergeditor
  WhenJeannelefttheprovincestocometoParis,shefoundher
  nativecountry。
  Shewasgrantedthefreedomofthecity,and
  expandedinherjoylikeadelicateplanttransplantedintoa
  hothouse。
  Shefoundherselfathomeforthefirsttime;andfelt
  thatshecouldruleasadespotoverallfrequentersofthe
  streets。
  Shelearnedfashionandloveatoneandthesametime。
  Gourdanhadahatmadeforher,and,asareward,initiatedher
  intothecustoms。
  Butshewascalledtootherdestinies。
  Oneday,whenshewaswalkingintheTuileries,alunatic——and
  lunaticshavesecondsight——askedherfavorwhensheshould
  becomequeen。
  DuBarrysaidtoherself:“Thismanismad。“
  But
  thenshethoughtofthePompadour,blushed——itwastheonlytime——
  andturnedhereyestowardsVersailles。
  ButVersailleswasanunhoped-forshoretosuchagirlasthis,
  agirlknowntoallParis。
  WouldtheKingcaretobetheloverof
  onewhohadruledallhiscourtesans?
  Whocouldsay?
  TheKing
  oftenweariedofwhathehad。
  Hadnotapoetalreadybeenfound
  whocomparedhertoVenus:
  OJeanne,thybeautyseduces
  Andcharmsthewholeworld;
  Invaindoestheduchessredden
  Andtheprincessgrowl;
  TheyknowthatVenusridesproudly
  Thefoamofthewave。
  Thepoet,whilenotVoltaire,wasnolessamanthanBouffiers。
  WhiletheKingwasseekingamistress——anocturnalreverseof
  Diogenes,fleeingfromthelanternsof
  thewise——hefoundJeanne
  Vaubernier。
  Hethoughthecouldloveherforoneevening。
  “Not
  enough,“saidshe,“youmustlovemeuntilbroaddaylight。“
  So
  helovedherforawholeday。
  Whatshouldoneeatinordertobe
  lovedbyroyalty?
  Wasitnecessarytohaveacoatofarms?
  She
  hadtheminnumber,becauseshehadbeenlovedbyallthegreat
  namesinthebookofheraldry。
  AndsoshebeggedtheViscount
  JeanduBarrytogiveherthetitleofviscountess。
  “Betterstill,“
  exclaimedJean,“Iwillgiveyouthetitleofcountess。
  Mybrother
  willmarryyou;heisamalescamp,andyouarethefemale。
  What
  abeautifulmarriage!“
  Sotheywereunited。
  Thenewlymadecountesswassolemnly
  presentedatcourtbyacountessofanancientdate,namely,the
  CountessdeBearn。
  KingVoltaireprotested,inasatireentitled
  ““topsy-turvy,afterwardsdenying
  it。
  TheducdeChoiseulprotested,Franceprotested,butall
  Versaillesthrewitselfpassionatelyatthefeetofthenewcountess。
  EventhedaughtersoftheKingpaidhercourt,andallowedherto
  callthembytheirpetnames:Loque,Chiffe,andGraille。
  TheKing,