memoirs of the comtesse du barry-第81节

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her。　　On　the　day　following　she　came；　I　immediately　sent　to　apprize　M。　d'Aiguillon；　who；　with　M。　de　la　Vrilliere　and　the　chancellor；　entered　my　apartments　ere　the　lady　had　had　time　to　commence　the　subject　upon　which　she　was　there　to　speak。　　This　unexpected　appearance　did　not　seem　to　disconcert　her　in　the　least；　nor　did　her　　and　ordinary　assurance　in　any　degree　fail　her。　　She　reproached　me　for　having　intrusted　the　secret　to　so　many　persons；　but　her　reproof　was　uttered　without　bitterness；　and　merely　as　if　she　feared　lest　my　indiscretion　might　compromise　our　safety。　　She　was　overwhelmed　with　questions；　and　the　chancellor　interrogated　her　with　the　keenest　curiosity；　but　to　all　the　inquiries　put　to　her　she　replied　with　a　readiness　and　candour　which　surprised　the　whole　party。　　She　was　desired　to　give　the　names　of　those　engaged　in　the　conspiracy；　as　well　as　of　him　who　first　informed　her　of　it。　　She　answered　that　her　own　name　was　Lorimer；　that　she　was　a　widow　living　upon　her　own　property。　　As　for　the　man；　her　informant；　he　was　a　Swiss；　named　Cabert；　of　about　thirty　years　of　age；　and　had　long　been　her　intimate　friend：　however；　the　embarrassed　tone　with　which　she　pronounced　these　last　words　left　room　for　the　suspicion；　that　he　had　been　something　dearer　to　her　than　a　friend。　She　was　then　urged　to　give　up　the　names　of　the　four　parliamentarians；　but　she　protested　that　she　had　not　yet　been　able　to　prevail　on　Cabert　to　confide　them　to　her；　that　she　was　compelled　to　use　the　utmost　circumspection　in　her　attempts　at　discovering　the　facts　already　disclosed；　but　flattered　herself　she　should　yet　succeed　in　gaining　a　full　and　unreserved　disclosure。　　M。　de　Maupeou　encouraged　her；　by　every　possible　argument；　to　neglect　no　means　of　arriving　at　so　important　a　discovery。

The　examination　over；　and　the　100；000　francs　she　had　demanded　given　to　her；　she　retired；　but　followed　at　a　distance　by　a　number　of　spies；　who　were　commissioned　to　watch　her　slightest　movement。

Cabert；　the　Swiss；　was　arrested　in　a　furnished　lodging　he　occupied　in　rue　Saint　Roch；　and　sent　without　delay　to　Versailles；　where；　as　before；　M。　d'Aiguillon　with　his　two　colleagues　waited　in　my　study　to　receive　and　question　the　prisoner。　　Cabert　was　a　young　and　handsome　man；　whose　countenance　bore　evident　marks　of　a　dissolute　and　profligate　life。　　He　confessed；　without　any　difficulty；　that　his　only　means　of　gaining　a　livelihood　were　derived　from　the　generosity　of　a　female　friend；　but　when　he　was　pressed　upon　the　subject　of　the　conspiracy；　he　no　longer　replied　with　the　same　candour；　but　merely　answered　in　short　and　impatient　negatives　the　many　questions　put　to　him；　accompanied　with　fervent　protestations　of　innocence；　adding；　that　implacable　enemies　had　fabricated　the　whole　story；　only　that　they　might　have　an　opportunity　of　wreaking　their　vengeance；　by　implicating　him　in　it。

〃Accuse　not　your　enemies；〃　cried　I；　for　the　first　time　mingling　in　the　conversation；　〃but　rather　blame　your　benefactress；　it　is　madame　Lorimer　who　has　denounced　you；　and　far　from　intending　to　harm　you　by　so　doing；　she　purposes　dividing　with　you　the　100；000　livres　which　are　to　reward　her　disclosures。〃

I　easily　found；　by　the　frowning　looks　directed　towards　me　by　the　three　gentlemen　present；　that　I　had　been　guilty　of　great　imprudence　in　saying　so　much；　but　Cabert；　wringing　his　hands；　uttered；　with　the　most　despairing　accent；

〃I　am　lost！　　and　most　horribly　has　the　unfortunate　woman　avenged　herself。〃

〃What　would　you　insinuate？〃

〃That　I　am　the　victim　of　an　enraged　woman；〃　replied　he。

He　afterwards　explained；　that　he　had　been　the　lover　of　madame　Lorimer；　but　had　become　wearied　of　her；　and　left　her　in　consequence；　that　she　had　violently　resented　this　conduct；　and；　after　having　in　vain　sought　to　move　him　by　prayers　and　supplications；　had　tried　the　most　horrible　threats　and　menaces。　　〃I　ought　not　indeed；〃　continued　he；　〃to　have　despised　these　threats；　for　well　I　knew　the　fiendlike　malice　of　the　wretched　creature；　and　dearly　do　I　pay　for　my　imprudence；　by　falling　into　the　pit　she　has　dug　for　me。〃

In　vain　we　endeavoured　to　induce　him　to　hold　a　different　language。　He　persisted　with　determined　obstinacy　in　his　first　statement；　continually　protesting　his　own　innocence；　and　loading　the　author　of　his　woes　with　bitter　imprecations。　　It　was　deemed　impossible　to　allow　this　man　to　go　at　large；　accordingly　M。　de　la　Vrilliere　issued　a　；　which　sent　him　that　night　to　seek　a　lodging　in　the　Bastille。　　It　was　afterwards　deemed　advisable　to　put　him　to　the　torture；　but　the　agonies　of　the　rack　wrung　from　　him　no　deviation　from；　or　contradiction　of；　what　he　had　previously　alleged。

The　affair　had　now　become　mysterious　and　inexplicable。　　However；　a　speedy　termination　was　most　imperatively　called　for；　if　it　were　permitted　to　become　generally　known；　it　could　not　fail　of　reaching　the　ears　of　the　king；　whose　health　was　daily　declining；　and　M。　de　Quesnay　had　assured　us；　that　in　his　present　languid　state；　the　shock　produced　by　news　so　alarming；　might　cause　his　instantaneous　death。

Whilst　we　remained　in　uncertainty　as　to　our　mode　of　proceeding　in　the　business；　Cabert；　the　Swiss；　three　days　after　his　admission　into　the　Bastille；　expired　in　the　most　violent　convulsions。　　His　body　was　opened；　but　no　trace　of　poison　could　be　discovered：　our　suspicions　were　however　awakened；　and　what　followed　confirmed　them。

Madame　Lorimer　was　arrested。　　She　protested　that　she　had　been　actuated　by　no　feelings　of　enmity　against　her　unfortunate　lover；　whom　she　had　certainly　reproached　for　having　expended　the　money　she　furnished　him　with　in　the　society　of　other　females；　and　to　the　anger　which　arose　between　herself　and　Cabert　on　the　occasion　could　she　alone　ascribe　his　infamous　calumnies　respecting　her；　that；　for　her　own　part；　she　had　never　ceased　to　love　him；　and；　as　far　as　she　knew；　that　feeling　was　reciprocal；　and；　in　betraying　the　conspiracy；　her　principal　desire；　next　to　the　anxious　hope　of　preserving　the　king；　was　to　make　the　fortune　of　Cabert。　　She　was　confined　in　the　Bastille；　but　she　did　not　long　remain　within　its　walls；　for　at　the　end　of　a　fortnight　she　died　of　an　inflammatory　disease。　　Her　death　was　marked　by　no　convulsions；　but　the　traces　of　poison　were　evident。

These　two　violent　deaths　occurring　so　immediately　one　after　another　（as　not　the　slightest　doubt　existed　that　Cabert　had　likewise　died　of　poison）　threw　the　ministers　into　a　sad　state　of　perplexity。　　But　to　whom　could　they　impute　the　double　crime　unless　to　some　accomplice；　who　dreaded　what　the　unhappy　prisoners　might　be　tempted　to　reveal。　　Yet　the　conduct　of　the　Jesuitical　priests　stated　by　madame　Lorimer　to　be　the　principal　ring…leaders　in　the　plot；　although　exposed　to　the　most　rigorous　scrutiny；　offered　not　the　slightest　grounds　for　suspicion。　　Neither　did　their　letters　（which　were　all　intercepted　at　the　various　post…houses）　give　any　indication　of　a　treasonable　correspondence。

M。　de　Sartines　caused　the　private　papers　of　the　suspected　parties　to　be　opened　during　their　owners'　absence；　without　discovering　anything　which　could　compromise　their　character。　　I　am　speaking；　however；　of　the　fathers　Corbin；　Berthier；　and　Cerulti；　for　all　our　efforts　could　not　trace　father　Dumas　throughout　all　Paris。　　Nor　was　the　innocence　of　the　parliamentarians　less　evident；　they　vented　their　hatred　against　the　ministry；　and　particularly　against　M。　de　Maupeou；　in　pamphlets；　couplets；　and　epigrams；　both　in　French　and　Latin；　but　they　had　no　idea　of　conspiracies　or　plots。

And　thus　terminated　an　affair；　which　had　caused　so　much　alarm；　and　which　continued　for　a　considerable　period　to　engage　the　attention　of　ministers。　　How　was　the　mystery　to　be　cleared　up？　The　poisoned　orange…flower　water；　and　the　sudden　deaths　of　the　two　prisoners；　were　facts　difficult　to　reconcile　with　the　no　less　undeniable　innocence　of　the　three　accused　Jesuits。　　The　whole　business　was　to　me　an　incomprehensible　mass　of　confusion；　in　which　incidents　the　most　horrible　were　mingled。　　At　last　we　agreed　that　the　best　and　only　thing　to　be　done　was　to　consign　the　affair　to　oblivion；　but　there　were　circumstances　which　did　not　so　easily　depart　from　the　recollection　of　my　excellent　friend；　the　marechale　de　Mirepoix。　　〃My　dear　soul；〃　said　she　to　me　one　day；　〃have　you　ever　inquired　what　became　of　the　100；000　livres　given　to　madame　Lorimer？　　she　had　no　time　to　employ　them　in　any　way　before　her　imprisonment　in　the　Bastille。　　You　ought　to　inquire　into　what　hands　they　have　fallen。〃

I　fully　comprehended　the　drift　of　this　question；　which　I　put　to　M。　de　Sartines　the　first　time　I　saw　him。

〃Bless　me；〃　exclaimed　he；　〃you　remind　me　that　these　100；000

livres　have　been　lying　in　a　drawer　in　my　office。　　But　I　have　such　a　terrible　memory。〃

〃Happily；〃　replied　I；　〃I　have　a　friend　whose　memory　　is　as　good　as　yours　seems　defective　upon　such　occasions。　　It　will　not　be　wise　to　permit　such　a　sum　to　remain　uselessly　in　your　office：　at　the　same　time　I　need　not　point　out　that　you；　by　your　conduct　in　the　late　affair；　have　by　no　means　earned　a　right　to　them。〃

He　attempted　to　justify　himself；　but；　interrupting　him；　I　exclaimed；　〃My　good　friend；　you　have　set　up　a　reputation　of　your　own　creating　and　inventing；　and　well　it　is　you　took　the　office　upon