It was the day before the first payment was due, and M. de Calonne had so much to do, that he had forgotten his promise. The queen had up to this time waited patiently, relying on his word; she now, however, was beginning to grow uneasy, when she received the following note:
"This evening the business with which your majesty has charged me will be settled by the Council; the money will be with the queen to-morrow evening."
Marie Antoinette recovered all her gaiety directly.
After dinner the king went to the Council, but in a rather bad humor.
The news from Russia was bad; a vessel had been lost; some of the provinces refused to pay the taxes; also a beautiful map of the world, made by himself, had that day split into two pieces. Vainly, therefore, M. de Calonne produced his accounts, with his usual smiling air; the king continued out of temper. For a long time he sat, as usual, drawing hieroglyphics on a piece of paper, whilst the foreign correspondence was being read, and paying little attention to what pa.s.sed around him.
At last, however, M. de Calonne began to speak of the loan to be raised for the ensuing year. The king became attentive, and said, "Always borrowing; but how is it to be repaid? That is a problem, M. de Calonne, for you to solve."
"Sire, a loan is only turning a stream from one direction, to cause it to flow more abundantly in another. In deepening the channel, you only increase the supply; therefore, let us not think of paying, but only of obtaining present supplies." M. de Calonne then explained his plans, which were approved by his colleagues.
The king agreed, with a sigh.
"Now we have money," said M. de Calonne, "let us dispose of it;" and he handed a paper to the king, with a list of pensions, gifts, and payments to be made.
The king glanced at the total,--"1,900,000 francs for this--enormous!"
"But, sire, one item is 500,000 francs."
"Which?"
"The advance to the queen."
"To the queen! 500,000 francs to the queen!--impossible!"
"Pardon, sire, it is correct."
"But there must be a mistake; a fortnight ago her majesty received her money."
"Sire, but if her majesty has need of money; and we all know how well she employs it."
"No," cried the king; "the queen does not want this money; she said to me that she preferred a vessel to jewels. The queen thinks but of France, and when France is poor, we that are rich ought to lend to France; and if she does require this money, it will be a greater merit to wait for it; and I guarantee that she will wait."
The ministers applauded this patriotic speech of the king,--only M. de Calonne insisted.
"Really, monsieur," said the king, "you are more interested for us than we are for ourselves."
"The queen, sire, will accuse us of having been backward when her interests were concerned."
"I will plead your cause."
"But, sire, the queen never asks without necessity."
"If the queen has wants, they are, I trust, less imperious than those of the poor, and she will be the first to acknowledge it."
"Sire!"
"I am resolved," said the king; "and I fancy I hear the queen in her generosity thanking me for having so well understood her heart."
M. de Calonne bit his lips, and Louis, content with this personal sacrifice, signed all the rest without looking at them.
"Calonne, you shall tell the queen yourself."
"Oh! sire, I beg to resign to you the honor."
"So be it then. Ah! here she comes, let us meet her."
"I beg your majesty to excuse me," he replied, and retired quickly.
The king approached the queen--she was leaning on the arm of the Comte d"Artois, and seemed very gay.
"Madame," said the king, "have you had a pleasant walk?"
"Yes, sire. And you an agreeable council?"
"Yes, madame, I have gained you 500,000 francs."
"M. de Calonne has kept his word," thought the queen.
"Only imagine, madame," continued the king; "M. de Calonne had put down 500,000 francs for you, and I have struck it out,--a clear gain, therefore, of that sum."
"Struck it through!" cried the queen, turning pale; "but, sire----"
"Oh! I am so hungry, I am going to supper;" and he went away delighted with his work.
"Brother," said the queen, "seek M. de Calonne for me."
At that moment a note from him was handed to her: "Your majesty will have learned that the king refused your grant. It was incomprehensible, and I retired from the council penetrated with grief."
"Read," said she, pa.s.sing the note to the count.
"And there are people," said he, "who say that we squander the revenue!
This is an extraordinary proceeding----"
"Quite husbandlike," said the queen. "Adieu, brother."
"I condole with you," he replied; "and it is a lesson for me. I was going to make a request to-morrow for myself."
"Send for Madame de la Motte," said the queen, when she returned to her room.
CHAPTER LIX.
MARIE ANTOINETTE AS QUEEN, AND MADAME DE LA MOTTE AS WOMAN.