The Queen's Necklace. Dumas Alexandre
Priam laughed when Cassandra prophesied; and see, you begin to laugh yourself, Count Haga, and laughing is contagious: your companions are catching it. Do not restrain yourselves, gentlemen – I am accustomed to an incredulous audience."
"Oh, we believe," said Madame Dubarry and the Duke de Richelieu; "and I believe," murmured Taverney; "and I also," said Count Haga politely.
"Yes," replied Cagliostro, "you believe, because it concerns La Pérouse; but, if I spoke of yourself, you would not believe."
"I confess that what would have made me believe, would have been, if you had said to him, 'Beware of unknown isles;' then he would, at least, have had the chance of avoiding them."
"I assure you no, count; and, if he had believed me, it would only have been more horrible, for the unfortunate man would have seen himself approaching those isles destined to be fatal to him, without the power to flee from them. Therefore he would have died, not one, but a hundred deaths, for he would have gone through it all by anticipation. Hope, of which I should have deprived him, is what best sustains a man under all trials."
"Yes," said De Condorcet; "the veil which hides from us our future is the only real good which God has vouchsafed to man."
"Nevertheless," said Count Haga, "did a man like you say to me, shun a certain man or a certain thing, I would beware, and I would thank you for the counsel."
Cagliostro shook his head, with a faint smile.
"I mean it, M. de Cagliostro," continued Count Haga; "warn me, and I will thank you."
"You wish me to tell you what I would not tell La Pérouse?"
"Yes, I wish it."
Cagliostro opened his mouth as if to begin, and then stopped, and said, "No, count, no!"
"I beg you."
Cagliostro still remained silent.
"Take care," said the count, "you are making me incredulous."
"Incredulity is better than misery."
"M. de Cagliostro," said the count, gravely, "you forget one thing, which is, that though there are men who had better remain ignorant of their destiny, there are others who should know it, as it concerns not themselves alone, but millions of others."
"Then," said Cagliostro, "command me; if your majesty commands, I will obey."
"I command you to reveal to me my destiny, M. de Cagliostro," said the king, with an air at once courteous and dignified.
At this moment, as Count Haga had dropped his incognito in speaking to Cagliostro, M. de Richelieu advanced towards him, and said, "Thanks, sire, for the honor you have done my house; will your majesty assume the place of honor?"
"Let us remain as we are, marshal; I wish to hear what M. de Cagliostro is about to say."
"One does not speak the truth to kings, sire."
"Bah! I am not in my kingdom; take your place again, duke. Proceed, M. de Cagliostro, I beg."
Cagliostro looked again through his glass, and one might have imagined the particles agitated by this look, as they danced in, the light. "Sire," said he, "tell me what you wish to know?"
"Tell me by what death I shall die."
"By a gun-shot, sire."
The eyes of Gustavus grew bright. "Ah, in a battle!" said he; "the death of a soldier! Thanks, M. de Cagliostro, a thousand times thanks; oh, I foresee battles, and Gustavus Adolphus and Charles XII. have shown me how a King of Sweden should die."
Cagliostro drooped his head, without replying.
"Oh!" cried Count Haga, "will not my wound then be given in battle?"
"No, sire."
"In a sedition? – yes, that is possible."
"No, not in a sedition, sire."
"But, where then?"
"At a ball, sire."
The king remained silent, and Cagliostro buried his head in his hands.
Every one looked pale and frightened; then M. de Condorcet took the glass of water and examined it, as if there he could solve the problem of all that had been going on; but finding nothing to satisfy him, "Well, I also," said he, "will beg our illustrious prophet to consult for me his magic mirror: unfortunately, I am not a powerful lord; I cannot command, and my obscure life concerns no millions of people."
"Sir," said Count Haga, "you command in the name of science, and your life belongs not only to a nation, but to all mankind."
"Thanks," said De Condorcet; "but, perhaps, your opinion on this subject is not shared by M. de Cagliostro."
Cagliostro raised his head. "Yes, marquis," said he, in a manner which began to be excited, "you are indeed a powerful lord in the kingdom of intelligence; look me, then, in the face, and tell me, seriously, if you also wish that I should prophesy to you."
"Seriously, count, upon my honor."
"Well, marquis," said Cagliostro, in a hoarse voice, "you will die of that poison which you carry in your ring; you will die – "
"Oh, but if I throw it away?"
"Throw it away!"
"You allow that that would be easy."
"Throw it away!"
"Oh, yes, marquis," cried Madame Dubarry; "throw away that horrid poison! Throw it away, if it be only to falsify this prophet of evil, who threatens us all with so many misfortunes. For if you throw it away you cannot die by it, as M. de Cagliostro predicts; so there at least he will have been wrong."
"Madame la Comtesse is right," said Count Haga.
"Bravo, countess!" said Richelieu. "Come, marquis, throw away that poison, for now I know you carry it, I shall tremble every time we drink together; the ring might open of itself, and – "
"It is useless," said Cagliostro quietly; "M. de Condorcet will not throw it away."
"No," returned De Condorcet, "I shall not throw it away; not that I wish to aid my destiny, but because this is a unique poison, prepared by Cabanis, and which chance has completely hardened, and that chance might never occur again; therefore I will not throw it away. Triumph if you will, M. de Cagliostro."
"Destiny," replied he, "ever finds some way to work out its own ends."
"Then I shall die by poison," said the marquis; "well, so be it. It is an admirable death, I think; a little poison on the tip of the tongue, and I am gone. It is scarcely dying: it is merely ceasing to live."
"It is not necessary for you to suffer, sir," said Cagliostro.
"Then, sir," said M. de Favras, "we have a shipwreck, a gun-shot, and a poisoning which makes my mouth water. Will you not do me the favor also to predict some little pleasure of the same kind for me?"
"Oh, marquis!" replied Cagliostro, beginning to grow warm under this irony, "do not envy these gentlemen, you will have still better."
"Better!" said M. de Favras, laughing; "that is pledging yourself to a great deal. It is difficult to beat the sea, fire, and poison!"
"There remains the cord, marquis," said Cagliostro, bowing.
"The cord! what do you mean?"
"I mean that you will be hanged," replied Cagliostro, seeming no more the master of his prophetic rage.
"Hanged! the devil!" cried Richelieu.
"Monsieur forgets that I am a nobleman," said M. de Favras, coldly; "or if he means to speak of a suicide, I warn him that I shall respect myself sufficiently, even in my last moments, not to use a cord while I have a sword."
"I do not speak of a suicide, sir."
"Then you speak of a punishment?"
"Yes."
"You are a foreigner, sir, and therefore I pardon you."
"What?"
"Your ignorance, sir. In France we decapitate noblemen."
"You