"Dumas, Alexandre - The Man In The Iron Mask" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dumas Alexandre)

"It is easily explained," returned the duchess, making up her
mind. "You know that I am living at Brussels with M. de Laicques?"
"I have heard so, Madame."
"You know that my children have ruined and stripped me of
everything?"
"How terrible, dear Duchess!"
"Terrible, indeed! This obliged me to resort to some means of
obtaining a livelihood, and particularly to avoid vegetating. I had
old hatreds to turn to account, old friendships to serve; I no
longer had either credit or protectors."
"You, too, who had extended protection towards so many persons,"
said Aramis, blandly.
"It is always the case, Chevalier. Well, at that time I saw the King
of Spain."
"Ah!" "Who had just nominated a general of the Jesuits, according to
the usual custom."
"Is it usual, indeed?"
"Were you not aware of it?"
"I beg your pardon; I was inattentive."
"You must be aware of that,- you who were on such good terms with
the Franciscan."
"With the general of the Jesuits, you mean?"
"Exactly. Well, then, I saw the King of Spain, who wished to do me a
service, but was unable. He gave me recommendations, however, to
Flanders, both for myself and for Laicques, and conferred a pension on
me out of the funds of the order."
"Of Jesuits?"
"Yes. The general- I mean the Franciscan- was sent to me; and in
order to give regularity to the transaction, in accordance with the
statutes of the order, I was reputed to be in a position to render
certain services. You are aware that that is the rule?"
"I was not aware of it."
Madame de Chevreuse paused to look at Aramis, but it was quite dark.
"Well, such is the rule," she resumed. "I ought, therefore, to seem to
possess a power of usefulness of some kind or other. I proposed to
travel for the order, and I was placed on the list of affiliated
travellers. You understand that it was a formality, by means of
which I received my pension, which was very convenient for me."
"Good Heavens! Duchess, what you tell me is like a dagger-thrust
to me. You obliged to receive a pension from the Jesuits?"
"No, Chevalier; from Spain."
"Ah! except as a conscientious scruple, Duchess, you will admit that
it is pretty nearly the same thing."
"No, not at all."
"But, surely, of your magnificent fortune there must remain-"
"Dampierre is all that remains."
"And that is handsome enough."
"Yes; but Dampierre is burdened, mortgaged, and somewhat in ruins,
like its owner."
"And can the Queen-Mother see all that without shedding a tear?"