The Three Musketeers (The Modern Library) - Alexandre Dumas [112]
Suddenly the King appeared at one of the doors of the hall with the Cardinal. His Majesty wore no masquerade and the ribbons of his doublet were scarcely tied; His Eminence was dressed as a Spanish Cavalier. The Cardinal was speaking in a low voice and the King, listening, was pale as wax. His Majesty made his way through the crowd, bowed to the Queen and, in a broken voice, said:
“Well, Madame, pray why are you not wearing your diamond studs? Did I not tell you how pleased I should be to see how they become you?”
The Queen, looking around her, descried the Cardinal in the background, smiling diabolically.
“Sire,” she replied, in faltering tones, “I feared something might happen to them in such a throng.”
“There you were wrong, Madame! If I presented them to you it was because I wished you to wear them. I repeat, you were quite wrong, Madame.”
The King’s voice trembled with anger, the bystanders wide-eyed and completely bewildered, stood aside, wondering what could be the matter.
“I can easily send for them, Sire,” the Queen offered. “They are at the Louvre; within a few minutes Your Majesty’s wishes will be fulfilled.”
“Pray do so, Madame, pray do so as quickly as possible. The ballet is to begin within an hour.”
Curtseying, the Queen followed the ladies who were to conduct her to her dressing-room. The King returned to his.
There was a buzz of chatter. Surprise and confusion filled the hall; everyone had noticed that something was awry between King and Queen, but both had spoken so low that the bystanders had discreetly stepped aside. Thus no one had overheard anything. The violins began to play at their loudest but nobody listened.
The King was the first to emerge from his dressing-room, clad in a hunting costume of great elegance; this type of dress became him best and now he really looked like the first gentleman of his kingdom. He was followed by Monsieur and the other nobles, similarly apparelled.
The Cardinal drew near the King and handed him a tiny casket; opening it, the King found two diamond studs.
“What does this mean?” he asked in astonishment.
“Nothing, Sire! But if the Queen wears her studs—which I very much doubt—I beg you to count them. Should you find that the Queen wears but ten, Sire, pray ask Her Majesty who could have stolen the two that are here?”
The King looked blankly at the Cardinal and was about to ask him something when suddenly a cry of admiration rose up on all sides. It was the Queen, making her entrance. If His Majesty appeared to be the first gentleman of the realm, the Queen was undoubtedly the most beautiful woman in all France. The habit of a huntress suited her marvelously well, setting off her figure to excellent advantage. She wore a beaver hat with blue feathers, a tight-waisted jacket of pearl-gray velvet fastened with diamond clasps, and a skirt of blue satin embroidered with silver. On her left shoulder sparkled the diamond studs, on a bow of the same color as her plumes and her skirt.
The King trembled with joy, the Cardinal with anger, but they were still too far from the Queen to count the studs. Her Majesty was wearing them, to be sure, but were there ten or twelve?
At that moment the violins gave the signal for the ball to open. The King advanced toward Madame la Première Présidente, who was to be his partner; His Royal Highness Monsieur advanced toward the Queen. They took their places and the ballet began. His Majesty figured opposite the Queen and every time he passed her he devoured those studs with his eyes but could never pause long enough to count them. A cold sweat glistened on the Cardinal’s brow as he watched. The ballet, which had sixteen figures, lasted a full hour.
When it was finished, amid enthusiastic applause, each gentleman led his lady back to her place; but the King, availing himself of his privilege to leave his lady where she stood, advanced eagerly toward the Queen.
“I thank you, Madame, for deferring to my wishes,” he said graciously, “but I believe two of your studs are missing, I am bringing them back to you.”
Whereupon