The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-03-12 00:00:00

CARDINAL DE RETZ,

OR
THE COURTIER'S PLOT.

BY PETER POPJOY, Esq.

(For the Liverpool Standard.)

CHAPTER XV.—(Continued.)

DURING this terrific scene, Fabien had suffered the
most inteßse torture. Many times the Scholar endea-
voured to drag him away, but he seemed rivetted to the
spot by some invisible power.
" Here, then," said he at length, " is the result of
all his intrigue and ambition ! A prey to the hate of
both parties ! Nothing is left for him but to die de-
spised. My poor father ! what would you have said to
have seen your much-loved son thus covered with igno-
miny and opprobrium ! "
" Come, come," said the Scholar impatiently; " think
of yourself ; think of Madame de Croissi. Her fate
and yours depend upon our success this day, and we are
losing precious moments. Come, sir."
Fabien sighed • casting about him his mantle, he al-
lowed himself to be led away. The young men tra-
versed the ante-room leading to the Grand Chamber,
and then turned into a narrow passage, at the extremity
of which they found a man armed to the teeth, standing
as a sentinel at a low doorway. The Scholar pronounced
a few words in a whisper, when the man, opening the
door, motioned them to enter a sort of glazed gallery,
where they could see all that passed in the great hall of
parliament.
At each extremity of the Grand Chamber were two
cabinets of light woodwork, which were called " the
lanterns," from the glass windows which closed them in
on the side of the hall. It was in one of these lanterns
that the Scholar and Fabien now took their places. In-
side the windows were curtains, which might be drawn
or withdrawn at pleasure, so that those within could or
could not he seen, yet still be able to observe all that
was going forward below. Th, se places were generally
occupied by the noble ladies of the court, when they
wished to be present on occasions of interest.

When the two young men entered the cabinet, they
found themselves in perfect obscurity, and they were
several minutes before they could distinguish surrounding
objects. The " lantern " was divided into two parts by
a low balustrade, like those in the boxes of our theatres.
They found themselves alone in one of these divisions,
but in the other was seated a lady, clad in black, wear-
ing a mask, who gazed intently down into the hall
through an aperture in the curtain.
As it was generally understood and believed that this
sitting would be the forerunner of some great event be-
tween the contending factions, it required no little cou-
rage in a woman to risk her person so near the scene of
the anticipated conflict. The lady did not seem to
entertain any fear of personal danger, but continued
to observe with intense interest all that passed before
her eyes. She was agitated at intervals, and her breast
heaved with emotion, as some well-known voice caught
her ear •, and such sodas her intentness, that she took no
notice of the entrance of the Scholar and his companion.
The former examined the lady with some attention,
when he made a sign to Fabien to advance to the bal-
cony, to observe the proceedings. This assembly usually
possessed an air of simplicity, grandeur, and majesty, of
which our modern legislative gatherings can afford us
but little idea. Oh ! there were illustrious men in that
assembly—bright names that will glow for ever upon the
page of history. But, unfortunately, at this period the,
at other times, grave assembly was agitated by passions
the most violent and debasing. At the moment that
Fabien stepped down to the balcony of the lantern, a
violent altercation was taking place between the Prince
de Cond6 and the Coadjutor. The Prince was passion-
ate, haughty, and hasty in his language, like all men
quick in action ; and he made the halt-.resound with his
voice. De Gondi was cool, polite, skilful, insinuating,
and satirical; but firm and opinionative, replying with
all the forms of respect, but without ceding to his oppo-
nent a single point. The younger councillors of the
Chamber of Inquiry appeared to take a warm part either
on one side or the other, following the opinions of either
leader ; but the older members and the presidents
only regarded these contentions with profound grief,
and deeply to regret that so disorderly a scene should
take place in the sacred temple of the law.
" Sir," cried the Prince in a loud voice, "it is posi-
tively disgraceful that an ambitious ecclesiastic should
thus dare to profane the sanctuary of justice. The pa-
lace is surrounded by your troops ; your people have
passwords, and rallying signs, and arms. Truly, Mons.
le Coadjutor this is intolerable."
Paul de Gondi smiled, and bowed profoundly. "I do
not deny," said he, with ironical politeness, " I do not
deny having brought with me many friends to maintain 1
the liberty of thought, and perhaps to defend my life.
But will your highness inform me why, if I am consi-
dered thus guilty, you have yourself come here with so
numerous and gallant a company ?
The Prince drew up with a haughty air.

" Gentle-

men," said he, addressing those around him, " did you
ever hear such a question? A Coadjutor of an Arch-
bishop of Paris dares to put himself in comparison with
myself, Louis de Bourbon ! Whence is this insolence?
Dces Paul de Gondi dispute the right of precedence with
the first prince of the blood "
A profound silence, the silence of dismay, reigned
throughout the hall ; but Gondi did not appear moved
by this vehement apostrophe.
" I have never thought to dispute the right of prece-
dence with your highness," replied Gondi in a silky
voice ; " and I do not believe that there is throughout
the kingdom a man so bold or insolent as to say so; but
there are persons, in this hall even, who, by their sta-
tion, cannot nor will not cede precedence but to the
King; and your highness ought not to be ignorant of
that, nor forget it."
The model ation, but artfulness, of this reply drew forth
a murmur of applause, and the noise interrupted the
proceedings several minutes ; but such was the attention
which Fahien and the Scholar paid to what was passing
before them, that they did not remark at the moment the
singular emotion of their unknown neighbour. Her head
was stretched forward, she held her breath, and lifted
up a corner of the curtain before her, as if to examine
more clearly the countenance of the chief of his party.
When Paul de Gondi stopped, she let the curtain hastily
fall, and said with agitation, throwing herself back on
her seat, as if she could no longer contain her satisfac-
tion, " Well said, Paul de Gondi ; thou least not given
way an inch." These words, pronounced in a muttering
tone, did not distinctly reach the ears of Fabien ; but
the Scholar, who knew well who the lady was, touched
Fabien in a significant manner. The lady, the moment
her agitation was over, leant once more on the balcony,
and was again in deep attention to the scene.
In the meanwhile silence was re-established, and the
Prince de Conde replied ,A ith disdain—
" You have heard that, gentlemen. M. de Gondi
thinks that he is of that dignity that he can only give
way to the King. He perhaps will be good enough to
explain to us how the Coadjutor to the Archbishop of
Paris can assume this position ? "
" I did not dare to say so," replied the prelate ; "hut
if it were the case, I believe lew persons would not but
cede it to me at this present moment."
" It is a defiance hurled at me by this proud-souled
priest," cried the Prince, making a movement as if to
throw himself upon his antagonist. A hundred cries
arose from all_ parts of the hall ; every one arose ; the
presidents—Mathew Mole at the head—cast themselves
between the two rivals, and, with tears in their eyes,
supplicated them to put an end at once to this terrific
scene, which could not but prove disastrous to all. It
was a most imposing spectacle to see these illustrious
old men, in their majestic costume, prostrating them-
selves at the feet of the prelate and the prince, exhorting
them to take pity on the state.
" Reflect, sir," said Omer Talon to the Coadjutor, in
a pathetic tone, " that you are the minister of our altars ;
that you cannot wish to see contention and blood. Oh,
my lord ! the first arquebus discharged will be echoed to
the very limits of France ; the first drop of blood spilled
will be the springs of an ocean that will inundate the
country."
" My lord ! " said the first president in another group
to the Prince de Conde, " your highness is the nearest
heir to the throne : pray give way to him. You have
saved France in twenty battles : would you plunge us
in a civil war? Prince of the royal blood, ought you
to profane the temple of the laws ? "
But these words were lost. The peers and heads of
the two parties surrounded their chiefs to support them.
The younger councillors did not fail to suspect that the
daggers hidden in their robes would be required. At
length the voice of the Prince was heard above all.

"-Gentlemen," said he proudly, " I am called Louis
de Bourbon ; and say what they will, it is not I that will
be the ruin of the state. I beg M. La Rochefaucault
will give orders to my friends without to retire peacably
home."

" In that case," said the Coadjutor, " I will go myself
and dismiss my adherents. lam a man of peace ; and
say what they will, I have a horror of shedding blood."
A murmur of satisfaction rewarded this wise determi-
nation ; a smile soon lit up the most austere faces; and
while the Coadjutor and the Duke de Rochefaucault
went out to dismiss their partisans, the presidents retook
their places. Conversation commenced : it was like a
moment of calm between two tempests. In the mean.
time the unknown lady leant her face upon her hand,
continuing to indulge in the most profound meditations.
The Scholar drew towards Fabien, and said in a low
voice, while he noiselessly drew aside the curtain of the
lantern, " M. de Croissi, it is not necessary now to hide
yourself, and you can throw off that cloak, which must
almost suffocate you. But tell me, do you not recognise
the lady who sits near us, and who seems to take so
much interest in the proceedings ? "
" How should I know her ?" said Fabien, smiling.
" You know well, Eustache, that I cannot be acquainted
with any ladies in Paris."

" You must nevertheless speak to her," replied the
Scholar, with a mysterious air; " for, to hide nothing
from you, it is entirely on her account that you have
been brought here-"

The Scholar was interrupted by a new event, the in-
terest of which absorbed the faculties of both.
We have said that a sort of comparative calm was esta-
blished in the Great Chamber, as soon as the Coadjutor
and M. de La Itochefaucault had left it to dismiss their
friends. Suddenly the most piercing cries were
heard without, and all listened attentively. The next
moment a councillor on the side of De Gondi ran in,
crying in a voice of lamentation, " To the rescue—to
the rescue ! They have assassinated the Coadjutor ! "
This news emptied the great hall at once. Cries of
despair and shouts of joy were at length heard on all
sides. Mole cast his eyes to heaven ; he pushed for-
ward, and implored the crowd to let him pass. The
next moment bright swords and sharp poignards were
flashing on all sides.
_ _ _

Expecting to hear of the death of the Coadjutor, the
masked lady seemed struck with a sort of delirium. She
cried in a choking voice, wringing her hands, " They
have killed him ! It is for my sake and in my service
he has died. Fly, sirs, fly ! " continued she, addressing
two gentlemen who stood silent and motionless at the end
of the lantern ; " hasten to his aid ! Revenge him ! I
swear that he shall be avenged ! "
A person whom Fabien had not till now perceived in
the recess of the lantern, stepped forward, and
spoke to her in a low voice, but with some warmth.
Fabien on his part was completely paralysed for a
moment by the announcement of this event, but uttering
a piercing cry, be cast his mantle from him, and rushed
towards the door, exclaiming, " The Coadjutor is my
friend, my benefactor; the man who has braved all to
save me. Open—open the door ! " he shouted, striking
the panels with the pummel of his sword.
The Scholar rushed towards him, and held him by the
arm. " Whither would you go P " said he. " Mad-
man ! think of your safety."
"My safety ! What care I for life if I can but re-
venge my protector? Did he think of his own, when
he saved me from the anger of the Queen P "
" Silence, in the name of all the saints ! "
" Open, open ! " repeated Fabien, still battering at
the door, the guardian of which had fled, alarmed at the
disturbance.

" You have no one to deliver, nor vengeance to take
upon any person," said Eustace, looking suddenly into
thehall; "he is here unharmed."

" WhO ?"
" The Coadjutor ; it was a false report."
Fabien retook his seat quickly near the balcony,
whence he beheld the Coadjutor entering the Great
Hall, leaning on M. Champlatreux, the son of the Pre-
sident Mole. He was pale, and had really run conside-
rable danger. The Duc de la Rochefaucault, who had
left with him, and who was a mad partizan of the Prince,
. . .

seized him by the throat as they-went out, and would
have strangled him had it not been for Champlatreux,
who ran to his assistance.

At the sight of the Coadjutor safe and without wound,
the masked lady uttered a cry of joy; and Fabien, in
the transports of his delight, congratulated the Scholar
on his escape in a manner almost amounting to frenzy.
But from this moment the lady did not seem to concen-
trate all her attention upon the hall : she now and
then turned to look at De Croissi, and several times
she fixed upon him her piercing eyes, which sparkled
through the apertures in her mask.
Paul de Gondi, having reassumed his seat, made a
sign to obtain silence.

Sir," said he, addressing the first president with a
firm tone of voice, " I have believed till now that you
were my enemy ; hut the immense service your son has
just rendered me proves to me how much I have been

deceived. I declare publicly that I owe my lifetolCl:
de Champlatreux, and I tender to you, as well as to him,
my sincere thanks."
Mole was greatly touched. He beheld his son near the
Coadjutor, and he made a sign that he could not speak.
Thus began the friendship between Paul de Gondi and
the first president that never afterwards was broken.
The Prince de Conde, in the meantime, conversed with
considerable warmth, amongst the counsellors and peers
of his party. It was necessary for him to make some ap-
propriate reply to the speech of the Coadjutor, and he
did not appear willing altogether to blame the action of
Larochefoucault, who was one of his most devoted adhe-

rents.
" Gentlemen," said he, at length, " I deeply regret
that the zeal of one of my friends should have thus been
the cause of annoyance to M. le Coadjutor ; but M. le
Coadjutor should recollect that he has not always felt so
much horror at my death as I have this day when his
seemed near." _ _

" I know to what your highness alludes," replied the
prelate, calmly ; " but your highness is deceived, if you
believe me capable for a minute of entertaining a thought
of harm towards you. You perhaps," continued he,
casting his rapid glance on the lantern, " are not aware
that I could, if I chose, produce here to-day a witness—
an undoubted witness—whose avowal of the truth would
force you to do justice to the loyalty of my sentiments to-
wards your highness ?"
"Lean forward !" whispered the Scholar quickly to
Fabien ; " do not hide yourself."
The lady in the mask appeared agitated and ill at