she stands accused(她是被告)-第29节
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concentrated on getting the ban removed。 She explored all possible
avenues of influence to this end； and； incidentally drove her old lover
nearly frantic with her complaints giving him no peace。 Even a rebuff
from the Duchesse de Berry； widow of the son of that prince who was
afterwards Charles X； did not put her off。 She turned up one day at the
Tuileries； to be informed by an usher that she could not be admitted。
This desire to be reinstated in royal favour is at the back of all Sophie's
subsequent actionsthis and her intention of feathering her own nest out
of the estate of her protector。 It explains why she worked so hard to have
the Prince de Conde assume friendly relations with a family whose very
name he hated： that of the Duc d'Orleans。 It is a clue to the mysterious
death； eight years later； of the Prince de Conde； last of the Condes； in
circumstances which were made to pass as suicide； but which in
unhampered inquiry would almost certainly have been found to indicate
murder。
％ III
Louis…Henri…Joseph； Duc de Bourbon and Prince de Conde； seems to
have been rather a simple old man： a useless old sinner； true enough； but
relatively harmless in his sinning； relatively venial in his uselessness。 It
were futile to seek for the morality of a later age in a man of his day and
rank and country； just as it were obtuse to look for greatness in one so
much at the mercy of circumstance。 As far as bravery went he had
shown himself a worthy descendant of ‘‘the Great Conde。'' But；
surrounded by the vapid jealousies of the most useless people who had
ever tried to rule a country； he； no more than his father； had the faintest
chance to show the Conde quality in war。 Adrift as a comparatively
young man； his world about his ears； with no occupation； small wonder
that in idleness he fell into the pursuit of satisfactions for his baser
appetites。 He would have been； there is good reason to believe； a happy
man and a busy one in a camp。 There is this to be said for him： that
alone among the spineless crowd of royalists feebly waiting for the
miracle which would restore their privilege he attempted a blow for the
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lost cause。 But where in all that bed of disintegrating chalk was the flint
from which he might have evoked a spark？
The great grief of the Prince's life was the loss of his son； the young
Duc d'Enghien； shamefully destroyed by Bonaparte。 It is possible that
much of the Prince's inertia was due to this blow。 He had married； at the
early age of fourteen； Louise…Marie…Therese…Mathilde d'Orleans； daughter
of Louis…Philippe； Duc d'Orleans and the Duchesse de Chartres； the bride
being six years older than her husband。 Such a marriage could not last。
It merely sustained the honeymoon and the birth of that only son。 The
couple were apart in eighteen months； and after ten years they never even
saw each other again。 About the time when Sophie's husband found her
out and departed the Princesse died。 The Prince was advised to marry
again； on the chance that an heir might be born to the large fortune he
possessed。 But Sophie by then had become a habit with the Princea bad
oneand the old man was content to be left to his continual hunting； and
not to bother over the fact that he was the last of his ancient line。
It may be easily believed that the Prince's disinclination to marry again
contented Sophie very well。 And the fact that he had no direct heir was
one in which she saw possibilities advantageous to herself。
The Prince was then sixty…six years old。 In the course of nature he
was almost bound to predecease her。 His wealth was enormous； and out
of it Sophie wanted as much by bequest as she could get。 She was much
too shrewd； however； to imagine that； even if she did contrive to be made
his sole heir； the influential families who had an eye upon the great
possessions of the Prince； and who through relationship had some right to
expect inheritance； would allow such a will to go uncontested。 She
therefore looked about among the Prince's connexions for some one who
would accept coheirship with herself； and whose family would be strong
enough in position to carry through probate on such terms； but at the same
time would be grateful enough to her and venal enough to further her aim
of being reinstated at Court。 Her choice in this matter shows at once her
political cunning； which would include knowledge of affairs； and her
ability as a judge of character。
It should be remembered that； in spite of his title of Duc de Bourbon；
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Sophie's elderly protector was only distantly of that family。 He was
descended in direct line from the Princes de Conde； whose connexion with
the royal house of France dated back to the sixteenth century。 The other
line of ‘royal' ducs in the country was that of Orleans； offshoot of the royal
house through Philippe； son of Louis XIII； and born in 1640。 Sophie's
protector； Louis…Henri…Joseph； Prince de Conde； having married Louise…
Marie； daughter of the great…grandson of this Philippe； was thus the
brother…in…law of that Louis…Philippe； Duc d'Orleans； who in the
Revolution was known as ‘‘Egalite。'' This was a man whom； for his
political opinion and for his failure to stand by the King； Louis XVI； the
Prince de Conde utterly detested in memory。 As much； moreover； as he
had hated the father did the Prince de Conde detest Egalite's son。 But it
was out of this man's family that Sophie selected； though ultimately； her
coheir。
Before she arrived at this point； however； Sophie had been at pains to
do some not very savoury manoeuvring。
By a dancer at the Opera； called Mimi； the Prince de Conde had an
illegitimate daughter； whom he had caused to be educated and whom he
had married to the Comte de Rully。 The Comtesse de Rully and her
husband had a suite at Chantilly。 This was an arrangement which Sophie；
as reigning Queen of Chantilly； did not like at all。 While the Rully
woman remained at Chantilly Sophie could not think that her sway over
the Prince was quite as absolute as she wished。 It took her six years of
badgering her protector； from 1819 to 1825； to bring about the eviction。
But meantime （for Sophie's machinations must be taken as concurrent
with events as they transpire） the Baronne de Feucheres had approached
the son of Philippe…Egalite； suggesting that the last…born of his six children；
the Duc d'Aumale； should have the Prince de Conde for godfather。 If she
could persuade her protector to this the Duc d'Orleans； in return； was to
use his influence for her reinstatement at Court。 And persuade the old
man to this Sophie did； albeit after a great deal of badgering on her part
and a great deal of grumbling on the part of the Prince。
The influence exerted at Court by the Duc d'Orleans does not seem to
have been very effective。 The King who had dismissed her the Court；
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Louis XVIII； died in 1824。 His brother； the Comte d'Artois； ascended the
throne as Charles X； and continued by politically foolish recourses；
comparable in history to those of the English Stuarts； to alienate the
people by attempting to regain that anachronistic absolute power which
the Revolution had destroyed。 He lasted a mere six years as king。 The
revolution of 1830 sent him into exile。 But up to the last mont
