magic and real detectives-第13节

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1745；　under　a　name　not　his　own；　but　that　which　he　later　bore　at　the

Court　of　France。　　From　the　allusion　to　his　jewels　（those　of　a

deserted　Mexican　bride）；　it　appears　that　he　was　already　as　rich　in

these　treasures　as　he　was　afterwards；　when　his　French　acquaintances

marveled　at　them。　　（As　to　his　being　〃mad；〃　Walpole　may　refer　to

Saint…Germain's　way　of　talking　as　if　he　had　lived　in　remote　ages；

and　known　famous　people　of　the　past）。



Having　caught　this　daylight　glimpse　of　Saint…Germain　in　Walpole；

having　learned　that　in　December；　1745；　he　was　arrested　and　examined

as　a　possible　Jacobite　agent；　we　naturally　expect　to　find　our

contemporary　official　documents　about　his　examination　by　the

Government。　　Scores　of　such　records　exist；　containing　the　questions

put　to；　and　the　answers　given　by；　suspected　persons。　　But　we　vainly

hunt　through　the　Newcastle　MSS。；　and　the　State　Papers；　Domestic；　in

the　Record　Office；　for　a　trace　of　the　examination　of　Saint…Germain。

I　am　not　aware　that　he　was　anywhere　left　his　trail　in　official

documents；　he　lives　in　more　or　less　legendary　memoirs；　alone。



At　what　precise　date　Saint…Germain　became　an　intimate　of　Louis　XV。；

the　Duc　de　Choiseul；　Madame　de　Pompadour；　and　the　Marechal　de

Belle…Isle；　one　cannot　ascertain。　　The　writers　of　memoirs　are　the

vaguest　of　mortals　about　dates；　only　one　discerns　that　Saint…

Germain　was　much　about　the　French　Court；　and　high　in　the　favor　of

the　King；　having　rooms　at　Chambord；　during　the　Seven　Years'　War；

and　just　before　the　time　of　the　peace　negotiations　of　1762…1763。

The　art　of　compiling　false　or　forged　memoirs　of　that　period　was

widely　practiced；　but　the　memoirs　of　Madame　du　Hausset；　who　speaks

of　Saint…Germain；　are　authentic。　　She　was　the　widow　of　a　poor　man

of　noble　family；　and　was　one　of　two　femmes　de　chambre　of　Madame　de

Pompadour。　　Her　manuscript　was　written；　she　explains；　by　aid　of　a

brief　diary　which　she　kept　during　her　term　of　service。　　One　day　M。

Senac　de　Meilhan　found　Madame　de　Pompadour's　brother；　M。　de

Marigny；　about　to　burn　a　packet　of　papers。　　〃It　is　the　journal；〃　he

said；　〃of　a　femme　de　chambre　of　my　sister；　a　good；　kind　woman。〃　　De

Meilhan　asked　for　the　manuscript；　which　he　later　gave　to　Mr。

Crawford；　one　of　the　Kilwinning　family；　in　Ayrshire；　who　later

helped　in　the　escape　of　Louis　XVI。　and　Marie　Antoinette　to

Varennes；　where　they　were　captured。　　With　the　journal　of　Madame　du

Hausset　were　several　letters　to　Marigny　on　points　of　historical

anecdote。＇1＇





＇1＇　One　of　these　gives　Madame　de　Vieux…Maison　as　the　author　of　a

roman　a　clef；　Secret　Memoirs　of　the　Court　of　Persia；　which　contains

an　early　reference　to　the　Man　in　the　Iron　Mask　（died　1703）。　　The

letter…writer　avers　that　D'Argenson；　the　famous　minister　of　Louis

XV。；　said　that　the　Man　in　the　Iron　Mask　was　really　a　person　fort

peu　de　chose；　'of　very　little　account；'　and　that　the　Regent

d'Orleans　was　of　the　same　opinion。　　This　corroborates　my　theory；

that　the　Mask　was　merely　the　valet　of　a　Huguenot　conspirator；　Roux

de　Marsilly；　captured　in　England；　and　imprisoned　because　he　was

supposed　to　know　some　terrible　secretwhich　he　knew　nothing　about。

See　The　Valet's　Tragedy；　Longmans；　1903。





Crawford　published　the　manuscript　of　Madame　du　Hausset；　which　he

was　given　by　de　Meilhan；　and　the　memoirs　are　thus　from　an　authentic

source。　　The　author　says　that　Louis　XV。　was　always　kind　to　her；　but

spoke　little　to　her；　whereas　Madame　de　Pompadour　remarked；　〃The

King　and　I　trust　you　so　much　that　we　treat　you　like　a　cat　or　a　dog；

and　talk　freely　before　you。〃



As　to　Saint…Germain；　Madame　du　Hausset　writes：　〃A　man　who　was　as

amazing　as　a　witch　came　often　to　see　Madame　de　Pompadour。　　This　was

the　Comte　de　Saint…Germain；　who　wished　to　make　people　believe　that

he　had　lived　for　several　centuries。　　One　day　Madame　said　to　him；

while　at　her　toilet；　〃What　sort　of　man　was　Francis　I。；　a　king　whom

I　could　have　loved？〃　　〃A　good　sort　of　fellow；〃　said　Saint…Germain；

〃too　fieryI　could　have　given　him　a　useful　piece　of　advice；　but　he

would　not　have　listened。〃　　He　then　described；　in　very　general

terms；　the　beauty　of　Mary　Stuart　and　La　Reine　Margot。　　〃You　seem　to

have　seen　them　all；〃　said　Madame　de　Pompadour；　laughing。

〃Sometimes；〃　said　Saint…Germain；　〃I　amuse　myself；　not　by　making

people　believe；　but　by　letting　them　believe；　that　I　have　lived　from

time　immemorial。〃　　〃But　you　do　not　tell　us　your　age；　and　you　give

yourself　out　as　very　old。　　Madame　de　Gergy；　who　was　wife　of　the

French　ambassador　at　Venice　fifty　years　ago；　I　think；　says　that　she

knew　you　there；　and　that　you　are　not　changed　in　the　least。〃　　〃It　is

true；　Madame；　that　I　knew　Madame　de　Gergy　long　ago。〃　　〃But

according　to　her　story　you　must　now　be　over　a　century　old。〃　　〃It

may　be　so；　but　I　admit　that　even　more　possibly　the　respected　lady

is　in　her　dotage。〃



At　this　time　Saint…Germain；　says　Madame　du　Hausset；　looked　about

fifty；　was　neither　thin　nor　stout；　seemed　clever；　and　dressed

simply；　as　a　rule；　but　in　good　taste。　　Say　that　the　date　was　1760；

Saint…Germain　looked　fifty；　but　he　had　looked　the　same　age；

according　to　Madame　de　Gergy；　at　Venice；　fifty　years　earlier；　in

1710。　　We　see　how　pleasantly　he　left　Madame　de　Pompadour　in　doubt

on　that　point。



He　pretended　to　have　the　secret　of　removing　flaws　from　diamonds。

The　King　showed　him　a　stone　valued　at　6；000　francswithout　a　flaw

it　would　have　been　worth　10；000。　　Saint…Germain　said　that　he　could

remove　the　flaw　in　a　month；　and　in　a　month　he　brought　back　the

diamondflawless。　　The　King　sent　it；　without　any　comment；　to　his

jeweler；　who　gave　9；600　francs　for　the　stone；　but　the　King　returned

the　money；　and　kept　the　gem　as　a　curiosity。　　Probably　it　was　not

the　original　stone；　but　another　cut　in　the　same　fashion；　Saint…

Germain　sacrificing　3；000　or　4；000　francs　to　his　practical　joke。

He　also　said　that　he　could　increase　the　size　of　pearls；　which　he

could　have　proved　very　easilyin　the　same　manner。　　He　would　not

oblige　Madame　de　Pompadour　by　giving　the　King　an　elixir　of　life：　〃I

should　be　mad　if　I　gave　the　King　a　drug。〃　　There　seems　to　be　a

reference　to　this　desire　of　Madame　de　Pompadour　in　an　unlikely

place；　a　letter　of　Pickle　the　Spy　to　Mr。　Vaughan　（1754）！　　This

conversation　Madame　du　Hausset　wrote　down　on　the　day　of　its

occurrence。



Both　Louis　XV。　and　Madame　de　Pompadour　treated　Saint…Germain　as　a

person　of　consequence。　　〃He　is　a　quack；　for　he　says　he　has　an

elixir；〃　said　Dr。　Quesnay；　with　medical　skepticism。　　〃Moreover；　our

master；　the　King；　is　obstinate；　he　sometimes　speaks　of　Saint…

Germain　as　a　person　of　illustrious　birth。〃



The　age　was　skeptical；　unscientific；　and；　by　reaction；　credulous。

The　philosophes；　Hume；　Voltaire；　and　others；　were　exposing；　like　an

ingenious　American　gentleman；　〃the　mistakes　of　Moses。〃　　The　Earl　of

Marischal　told　Hume　that　life　had　been　chemically　produced　in　a

laboratory；　so　what　becomes　of　Creation？　　Prince　Charles；　hidden　in

a　convent；　was　being　tutored　by　Mlle。　Luci　in　the　sensational

philosophy　of　Locke；　〃nothing　in　the　intellect　which　does　not　come

through　the　senses〃a　queer　theme　for　a　man　of　the　sword　to　study。

But；　thirty　years　earlier；　the　Regent　d'Orleans　had　made　crystal…

gazing　fashionable；　and　stories　of　ghosts　and　second…sight　in　the

highest　circles　were　popular。　　Mesmer　had　not　yet　appeared；　to　give

a　fresh　start　to　the　old　savage　practice　of　hypnotism；　Cagliostro

was　not　yet　on　the　scene　with　his　free…masonry　of　the　ancient

Egyptian　school。　　But　people　were　already　in　extremes　of　doubt　and

of　belief；　there　might　be　something　in　the　elixir　of　life　and　in

the　philosopher's　stone；　it　might　be　possible　to　make　precious

stones　chemically；　and　Saint…Germain；　who　seemed　to　be　over　a

century　old　at　least；　might　have　all　these　secrets。



Whence　came　his　wealth　in　precious　stones；　people　asked；　unless

from　some　mysterious　knowledge；　or　some　equally　mysterious　and

illustrious　birth？



He　showed　Madame　de　Pompadour　a　little　box　full　of　rubies；　topazes；

and　diamonds。　　Madame　de　Pompadour　called　Madame　du　Hausset　to　look

at　them；　she　was　dazzled；　but　skeptical；　and　made　a　sign　to　show

that　she　thought　them　paste。　　The　Count　then　exhibited　a　superb

ruby；　tossing　aside　contemptuously　a　cross　covered　with　gems。

〃That　is　not　so　contemptible；〃　said　Madame　du　Hausset；　hanging　it

round　her　neck。　　The　Count　begged　her　to　keep　the　jewel；　she

refused；　and　Madame　de　Pompadour　backed　her　refusal。　　But　Saint…

Germain　insisted；　and　Madame　de　Pompadour；　thinking　that　the　cross

might　be　worth　forty　louis；　made　a　sign　to　Madame　du　Hausset　that

she　accept。　　She　did；　and　the　jewel　was　valued　at　1；500　francs

which　hardly　proves　that　the　other　large　jewels　were　genuine；

though　Von　Gleichen　believed　they　were；　and　thought　the　Count's

cabinet　of　old　masters　very　valuable。



The　fingers；　the　watch；　the　snuffbox；　the　shoe…buckles；　the　garter

studs；　the　solitaires　of　the　Count；　on　high　days；　all　burned