memoirs of the comtesse du barry-第47节

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；　and　one　fete　succeeded　another。　　I　accompanied　his　majesty　without　ever　quitting　him；　and　if　hitherto　there　had　existed　any　doubts　as　to　the　sincerity　of　the　king's　attachment；　the　most　sceptical　person　would　now　have　been　convinced　of　the　fact。　　Louis　XV　was　never　from　my　side；　and　appeared　solely　occupied　in　gratifying　my　slightest　wish；　the　princes　of　the　court　carefully　followed　his　example；　and　such　a　life　as　I　then　led　was　abundant　compensation　for　all　the　pains　and　anxieties　I　had　endured　from　the　malice　and　jealousy　of　certain　females；　as　well　as　the　sarcastic　bitterness　of　men；　who　feared　lest　my　influence　should　destroy　theirs。

I　may；　with　truth；　affirm　that　I　received　the　honors　and　attention　of　a　queen；　verses；　plays；　all　written　to　convey　some　praise　or　compliment　to　me；　and　the　king　testified　the　lively　gratification　it　afforded　him　to　see　me　thus　an　object　of　general　solicitude；　as　well　as　of　the　most　flattering　distinction。　　His　conduct　towards　the　prince　de　Conde　became　more　gracious　than　it　had　ever　been　observed　to　be　to　the　princes　of　the　blood；　for　there　existed　a　singular　coolness　in　the　royal　family　towards　all　the　princes　of　this　branch。　　The　king　looked　upon　it　as　vastly　inferior　to　his　own；　because　it　had　been　separated　from　the　throne　before　the　accession　of　Henry　IV　to　the　crown；　he　even　asserted；　that　there　was　much　to　be　said　upon　this　subject；　and　prudence　compels　me　to　pass　over　the　many　histories　and　circumstances　related　by　him　to　me　of　this　brilliant　portion　of　his　noble　race。

Neither　the　prince　de　Conde；　whom　I　knew　well；　nor　the　prince　de　la　Marche；　entertained　much　regard　for　their　relations；　and　they　had　always　some　spiteful　story　in　store　respecting　the　posterity　of　Louis　XIII。　　There　is　one　historical　fact　which　has　never　been　cleared　up。

One　day　I　was　conversing　with　the　comte　de　la　Marche　upon　the　disputes　concerning　the　parliaments；　and　expressing　my　fear；　that；　if　driven　to　desperate　measures；　the　people　would　rise　in　open　rebellion　in　favor　of　the　magistracy。　　〃They　would　be　still　more　clamororous；〃　replied　he；　〃if　they　knew　all　I　could　tell　them。〃

〃And　what　do　you　know　more　than　myself？'〃　asked　I；　〃your　highness　alarms　me　by　speaking　thus。〃

〃Amongst　events　now　passed　and　gone　is　one　that　would　materially　affect　the　public　peace；　if　known。〃

〃You　must　explain　yourself；　my　lord；〃　said　I。　　He　refused；　but　I　persisted　in　pressing　the　matter　with　so　much　earnestness；　that　at　last　he　said；　in　a　low　voice；

〃Did　you　ever　hear　of　the　man　who　wore　the　iron　mask？〃

〃Yes；　certainly；〃　replied　I；　〃who　was　he？〃

〃A　great　prince；　and　a　most　unfortunate　man。〃



〃But　who　was　he　really？〃

〃In　the　eyes　of　the　law　the　crown　of　France　should　have　been　his；　but　in　the　conscientious　view　of　things　he　certainly　had　no　claim。〃

The　comte　de　la　Marche　stopped　here；　and；　as　I　was　not　very　deeply　read　in　history；　I　did　not　exactly　comprehend　the　distinction　he　had　just　made。　　I　had　frequently　heard　talk　of　the　〃Iron　Mask；〃　whom　people　reported　to　be　either　allied　to；　or　sprung　from；　the　royal　family；　but　all　these　particulars　were　confused　in　my　memory。　　However；　I　was　much　struck　with　the　conversation　I　had　had　with　the　comte　de　la　Marche；　and　when　next　the　conversation　fell　on　this　mysterious　personage；　I　asked　the　duc　de　Richelieu　what　he　thought　of　him。

〃Upon　my　honor；〃　replied　he；　〃I　never　could　find　out　who　he　really　was；　not　that　I　did　not　try；〃　added　he；　assuming　an　air　of　modest　vanity；　which　well　became　his　green　old　age。　　〃I　had　a　mistress　of　tolerably　high　birth；　mademoiselle　d'Orleans；　as　indeed　I　had　the　honor　of　having　the　princesses；　her　august　sisters。　　However；　the　former；　known　under　the　name　of　mademoiselle　de　Charollais；　was　dying　to　do　some　act　of　kindness　that　should　be　agreeable　to　me。　　Well；　I　requested　she　would　obtain　from　the　regent；　her　father；　the　solution　of　the　secret　relative　to　the　'Iron　Mask。'　She　used　every　possible　device；　but　nothing　could　she　obtain　from　her　father；　who　protested　that　the　mystery　should　never　escape　his　lips；　and　he　kept　his　word；　he　never　did　divulge　it。　I　even　imagine　that　the　king　himself　is　ignorant　of　it；　unless　indeed　the　cardinal　de　Fleury　informed　him　of　it。〃　　The　marechal　told　me　afterwards　that　he　thought　the　opinion　adopted　by　Voltaire　the　most　probable；　viz：　that　this　unknown　person　was　the　son　of　the　queen　Anne　of　Austria；　mother　of　Louis　XIV。　　These　last　words　helped；　in　a　measure；　to　resolve　the　enigma　which　comte　de　la　Marche　had　left　me　to　unravel；　and；　with　a　view　to　satisfy　myself　more　positively　on　the　subject；　I　availed　myself　of　the　first　time　I　was　alone　with　the　king；　to　lead　the　conversation　to　this　story。

At　the　mention　of　the　〃Iron　Mask；〃　Louis　XV　started。　　〃And　do　you　really　credit　such　a　fable？〃　　asked　he。

〃Is　it　then　entirely　untrue？〃　　inquired　I。

〃Certainly　not；〃　he　replied；　〃all　that　has　been　said　on　the　matter　is　destitute　of　even　common　sense。〃

〃Well；〃　cried　I；　〃what　your　majesty　says　only　confirms　what　I　heard　from　the　marechal　de　Richelieu。〃

〃And　what　has　he　been　telling　you？〃

〃Very　little；　sire；　　he　told　me　only；　that　the　secret　of　who　the　'Iron　Mask'　really　was　had　not　been　communicated　to　you。〃

'The　marechal　is　a　simpleton　if　he　tells　you　so。　　I　know　the　whole　affair；　and　was　well　acquainted　with　the　unhappy　business。〃

〃Ah！〃　　exclaimed　I；　clapping　my　hands　in　triumph；　〃just　now　you　affected　perfect　ignorance；　you　knew　nothing　at　all　about　it；　and　now〃

〃You　are　a　very　dangerous　woman；〃　cried　the　king；　interrupting　me　by　loud　fits　of　laughter；　〃and　you　are　cunning　enough　even　to　surprise　the　secrets　of　the　state。〃

〃'Tis　you；　rather；　who　could　not　resist　the　inclination　to　let　me　see　that　you　knew　what　the　marechal　had　declared　you　ignorant　of。　Which　of　us　two　is　the　more　to　blame；　I　wonder？〃

〃Myself；　I　think；〃　answered　the　king；　〃for　after　all；　you　did　but　act　with　the　candor　and　curiosity　of　your　sex：　it　was　for　me　to　have　employed　more　of　the　prudence　of　a　king　in　my　replies　to　your　interrogatories。〃

〃Well；　but；〃　said　I；　〃since　you　really　do　know　all　about　this　man　with　the　iron　mask；　you　will　tell　it　to　me；　will　you　not？〃

〃I　should　be　very　careful　how　I　gratified　your　curiosity；〃　said　he；　〃this　is　a　point　of　history　which　must　never　be　cleared　up；　state　reasons　require　that　it　should　for　ever　remain　a　matter　of　doubt。〃

〃And　　must　have　you　tell　me；〃　returned　I；　〃do　pray　tell；　and　I　will　love　you　with　all　my　heart。〃

〃It　cannot　be。〃

〃And　why　not？　　This　unfortunate　person　has　been　long　dead　without　leaving　any　posterity。〃

〃Are　you　quite　sure　of　that？〃　　inquired　the　king；　in　a　serious　tone。



〃But　what　signifies；〃　said　I；　〃whether　he　be　dead　or　alive？　　I　entreat　of　you　to　bestow　upon　me　this　proof　of　your　confidence。　Who　of　all　those　who　have　spoken　of　him　have　told　the　truth？〃

〃Nobody；　but　Voltaire　has　approached　it　more　nearly　than　any　one　else。〃


After　this　partial　confession　the　king　implored　of　me　to　change　the　conversation；　which　I　could　easily　perceive　was　extremely　disagreeable　to　him。　　Nevertheless；　it　seemed　to　me　quite　clear；　that　this　celebrated　person　belonged　to　the　royal　family；　but　by　what　title　I　could　not　devise。　　It　was　in　vain　that　I　afterwards　revived　the　subject；　not　even　during　the　most　tender　confidences　could　I　obtain　the　information　I　desired。　　Possibly　had　I　lived　with　him　some　years　more　I　might　have　succeeded　in　drawing　from　him　all　he　knew　respecting　the　object　of　my　curiosity。　　Old　men；　like　children；　can　conceal　nothing　from　those　they　love；　and　who　have　obtained　over　them　an　influence　they　willingly　submit　to。

Before　I　proceed　to　more　important　events；　I　would　fain　speak　of　persons　with　whom　I　lived　before　my　elevation。　　My　godfather；　M。　Billard　du　Monceau；　was　still　living；　as　well　as　madame　Lagarde；　with　whom　I　had　resided　as　companion。　　My　interview　with　the　former　is　well　known；　and　the　authors　of　〃Anecdotes　of　My　Life；〃　published　thirteen　years　since；　have　strictly　adhered　to　the　truth；　with　the　exception　of　some　vulgarisms　they　have　put　into　the　mouth　of　that　excellent　man　which　he　never　uttered。

As　to　madame　Lagarde；　she　was　strangely　surprised　to　see　me　arrive　at　her　house；　and　the　evident　embarrassment　my　presence　occasioned　her　was　a　sufficient　revenge　on　my　part　for　the　many　unkind　things　she　had　said　and　done　respecting　me。　　I　would　not　prolong　her　uncomfortable　situation；　but　studied　to　conduct　myself　with　the　same　unaffected　simplicity　of　former　days。　　I　talked　over　the　past；　inquired　after　her　family；　and　offered　my　best　services　and　protection　without　malice　for　what　was　gone　by；　and　with　perfect　sincerity　for　the　future。　　But　spite　of　all　my　endeavors　to　spare　her　feelings；　it　was　evident　that　rage　and　humiliation　at　the　advantage　my　altered　fortunes　gave　me　over　her；　struggled　within　her；　and　the　conflict　of　her　mind　was　but　too　plainly　depicted　in　her　countenance。　　However；　that　was　the　least　of　my　troubles；　I　soon　restored　her　to　comparative　calmness；　and　before　I　quitted　her；　made　her　promise　she　would　come　and　see　me。

She　would　gladly　have　evaded　this　request；　but　her　son；　the　master　of　requests；　who　sufficiently　misjudged　me　to　fear　my　resentment；　and　who　possessed