Beaumarchais and the War of American Independence Volume I Part 6

Beaumarchais and the War of American Independence Volume I Part 6

?In February, 1764, my father received a letter from the elder daughter of which the following is the substance: ?My sister has been outrageously treated by a man as high in public favor as he is dangerous. Twice at the moment of marrying her, he suddenly has broken his word without deigning to give any excuse for his conduct. The offended sensibilities of my sister have thrown her into such a state that from all appearances it is doubtful if we can save her.?

??The dishonor with which this event overwhelms us has forced us into seclusion, where I pa.s.s the day and night in weeping while endeavoring to offer my sister those consolations which I do not know how to take myself.

??All Madrid knows that my sister has nothing with which to reproach herself. If her brother has enough credit to recommend us to the French Amba.s.sador, His Excellency may be induced to protect us from the disgrace which this perfidious man has brought upon us.?

?My father hastened to Versailles to meet me, and weeping gave me the letter of my sister.

??See, my son, what you can do for these two unfortunates, they are no less your sisters than the others.?

?I was indeed touched by the account of the distressing situation of my sister, but I said to my father, ?Alas, what can I do? Who knows whether there is not some fault which they hide from us??

??I forgot,? said my father, ?to show you several letters which prove my daughter to be innocent of any fault.?

?I read these letters, they rea.s.sured me--then the words, ?She is no less your sister than the others,? went to the depths of my heart.

??Do not weep,? I said to my father, ?I have decided on a step which will astonish you, but it seems to me the most certain, the most wise. I will ask to be released from my duties at court, and taking only prudence for a guide I will either revenge my sister or bring them both back to Paris to partake with us of our modest fortune.?

?Further information which I derived from reliable sources which were indicated by my sister, made my blood boil with indignation at the outrage which she had suffered, so without any further delay, I went back to Versailles to notify my august Protectresses, that a sorrowful affair of the highest importance demanded my presence in Madrid, and forced me to suspend my services at court. Astounded at so abrupt a departure, they were kind enough to desire to be informed as to the nature of my trouble.

I showed them the letter of my sister.

??Go, but act prudently,? was the honorable encouragement which I received from the Princesses; ?that which you undertake is well and you shall have support, if your conduct is reasonable.?

?The warmest recommendations to our amba.s.sador were given me by these august ladies, and became the inestimable price of four years devoted to their amus.e.m.e.nt.

?At the moment of my departure I received the commission to negotiate a very important affair in Spain for the commerce of France. M. du Verney, touched by the motive of my voyage, embraced me and said, ?Go my son, save your sister. As to the business with which you are charged know that in all you undertake, you have my support. I have promised this publicly to the Royal Family, and I will never go back on my word. Here are my notes for 200,000 francs, which will enable you to draw upon me for that sum.?

?I started and traveled night and day, accompanied by a friend. I arrived at Madrid the 18th of May at eleven o?clock in the morning; I found my sisters expecting me. Scarcely were the first embraces over, than I said to them, ?Don?t be surprised if I employ the first moments in learning exactly the nature of your unhappy adventure. To serve you with success I must be informed fully in regard to what happened.? The account they gave me was exact and long. Several of their intimate friends were present who testified to its accuracy. When the story was finished, I kissed my sister and said to her, ?My child, now that I know all, console yourself. I see with pleasure that you no longer love the man; this makes the matter much easier for me. Tell me simply where I can find him.? Everyone present advised me to begin by seeing the amba.s.sador, as our enemy was a man powerfully supported at court.

??Very good, my friends,? I said, ?to-morrow I will go and pay my respects to Monsieur the amba.s.sador, but do not be angry if I take certain steps before I see him. The only thing I ask of you is to keep my arrival here absolutely secret.?

?Promptly I had a costume taken from my trunk, and hastily adjusting it, went directly to the house of Joseph Clavico, guard of the archives of the king. He was not at home. I was told where he might be found; I hastened thither and without making myself known I requested an interview at his earliest possible convenience, as I was charged with certain commissions for him from France. He invited me to take my chocolate with him at nine o?clock the next morning; I accepted for myself and my traveling companion.

?The next morning, the 19th of May, I arrived at half-past eight. I found him superbly lodged in the house of a man prominent at court, who is so much his friend, that absent from Madrid he allowed him the use of his home as though it were his own.

??I am charged,? I said to him, ?by a society of men of letters, to establish in the cities where I pa.s.s a literary correspondence with the most learned men of the country. As no other Spaniard writes better than the author of _el Pensador_, to whom I have the honor of speaking, it seems to me that I cannot better serve my friends, than in connecting myself with a man of your merits.?

?I saw that he was enchanted with my proposition, so better to judge the man with whom I had to deal, I allowed him to discourse lengthily upon the advantages which different nations might obtain from similar correspondence. He talked like an angel and simply glowed with pleasure.

?In the midst of his joy, he asked me what was the business which drew me to Spain, saying he would be happy if he might be of any service to me.

??I accept with grat.i.tude your flattering offer,? I replied, ?and I a.s.sure you that for you I have no secrets.? Then desiring to mystify him completely so that the end of my discourse alone would explain its import, I presented my friend a second time, saying, ?Monsieur here is not an entire stranger to what I have to say to you, and will not be the least in our way.? This exordium caused him to regard my friend with much curiosity. Then I began:

??A French merchant of limited means had a good many correspondents in Spain. One of the richest of these, nine or ten years ago, in pa.s.sing through Paris, made him the following proposition: ?Give me two of your daughters, I will take them with me to Madrid, they will live with me, who am an old bachelor without family, they will be the happiness of my old days and they shall inherit one of the richest establishments in Spain.?

??The eldest daughter, already married, and a younger sister were confided to him. In exchange for this favor, the father agreed to supply the Spanish house with whatever merchandise was needed from France.

??Two years later the correspondent died, leaving the sisters without having received any benefit and embarra.s.sed with a commercial house which they were obliged to keep up. (Here I saw Clavico redouble his attention.)

??About this time a young man, a native of the Canary Islands, presented himself at the house. (All his gaiety vanished at the words which designated him.) Notwithstanding his small fortune, the ladies, seeing his great ardor to learn the French language and the sciences, aided him by every means in their power.

??Full of desire to become celebrated, he formed the project, quite new for the nation, of providing the city of Madrid with a periodical journal in the nature of the English _Spectator_. He received from his friends encouragement and help of every kind. His enterprise met with great success; then, animated with the hope of making himself a name, he ventured to propose marriage with the younger of the French women. ?Begin by succeeding,? said the elder one, ?if you are able to secure a position which will permit you to live honorably and if she prefers you to other suitors, I shall not refuse my consent.? (Here Clavico began to move about nervously in his chair, but without apparent notice I continued thus:)

??The younger, touched by the merits of the man who sought her hand, refused several advantageous alliances, preferring to wait until he had succeeded in obtaining what he desired and encouraged him to issue his first philosophic paper under the imposing t.i.tle of _el Pensador_. (Here I saw he looked ready to faint.) The work,? I continued with icy coldness, ?had a prodigious success; the King himself, amused by that charming production, gave the author marks of his satisfaction. He offered him the first honorable position which should become vacant. At this the young man dispersed all other pretendants to the young woman?s hand by publicly announcing his intentions.

??The marriage was postponed only by the non-arrival of the desired position. At last, after six years of waiting on one hand, and of a.s.siduous efforts on the other, the position arrived, and at the same moment the young man disappeared. (Here Clavico gave an involuntary sigh and then turned crimson with confusion. I noticed all this without ceasing to speak.)

??The affair had made too much noise to permit the ladies to regard this _d?no?ment_ with indifference. They had taken a house large enough for two families, the bans had been published; the outrage made all their friends indignant. Monsieur the French amba.s.sador interested himself. When the young man in question found that the women were thus protected, fearing to lose his credit, he went and prostrated himself at the feet of his fianc?e. He employed every means in his power to win her back. As the anger of a woman is almost always love disguised, everything was soon adjusted. The preparations for the marriage were recommenced. The bans were published again, and the event was to come off in three days.

??The reconciliation had made as much noise as the rupture. He went to obtain leave of the minister to marry, and before going said, ?My friends, conserve the wavering heart of my mistress until my return and dispose everything so that I may then conduct her to the altar.? (In spite of the horrible state in which my recital put him, Clavico, still uncertain of my motive, looked from time to time from me to my friend, whose sang-froid instructed him as little as my own.) I continued:

??He returned sure enough two days later, but instead of leading his fianc?e to the altar he sent her word that he had again changed his mind, and that he would not marry her.

??Their friends, infuriated, rushed upon him. The insolent fellow defies them to do their worst, and threatens that if the French women undertake to interfere he has it in his power to ruin them. At this the young woman falls into such a state that her life is in danger. In her utter despair, the elder sister writes to France, recounting the public outrage they had received. This account touches the heart of a brother who demanded at once permission to come to Spain in order to clear up this affair. He has made but one bound from Paris to Madrid, and this brother _am I_, who have left everything: country, position, business, family, pleasures, to come here to revenge an innocent and unhappy sister; it is I who come armed with right and firmness to unmask a traitor, and to write his soul in traces of blood upon his face,--and that traitor--_is you_!?

The effect of these words upon the unhappy Clavico, can be imagined better than described. As Beaumarchais finished his long recital he turned and fixed his gaze steadily upon his adversary, who writhed under its spell.

As Beaumarchais paused, Clavico began to mutter forth excuses.

To return to the account of Beaumarchais. ??Do not interrupt me, you have nothing whatever to say, but a great deal to hear. To commence, will you have the goodness to declare before Monsieur here who has come with me from France for this express purpose, whether by breach of faith, frivolity, weakness, or other vice, my sister has merited the double outrage which you have had the cruelty to impose upon her publicly.?

??No, Monsieur, I admit that Donna Maria, your sister, is full of spirit, grace and virtue.?

??Has she ever given you any subject for complaint??

??Never, never.?

?Then turning to the friend who accompanied me: ?You have heard the justification of my sister, go and publish it, the rest that I have to say to Monsieur does not need witnesses.?

?My friend went out, Clavico rose but I made him sit down.

??Now, Monsieur, that we are alone, here is my project which I hope you will approve.?? Beaumarchais then proposed either a duel, or a written justification of his sister.

While Clavico rose and paced restlessly up and down the room, Beaumarchais coolly rang for the chocolate to which he helped himself while the unhappy man was going over in his mind what there remained for him to do.

Clavico, though unprincipled in character, was clever enough to recognize the qualities of the man with whom he had to deal. Being possessed of neither physical courage nor training, the first alternative offered by Beaumarchais had no place in his consideration. Obliged to accept the other, he decided to do so with the grace of one having been convinced of his wrong. Beaumarchais, informed of this purpose, summoned several servants of the house whom he stationed in an adjoining gallery as witnesses in case Clavico ever should try to prove that force had been employed. Paper, pen, and ink were brought, Clavico seated himself and meekly wrote, while Beaumarchais walked indifferently to and fro dictating. Again to return to the narrative of Beaumarchais:

?Declaration, of which I have the original:

??I the undersigned, Joseph Clavico, guard of the archives of the crown, testify that I have been received with kindness in the house of Madame Guilbert, that I have deceived Mademoiselle Caron her sister by a promise, a thousand times repeated, to marry her, that I have failed in the fulfillment of this promise, without her having committed any fault which could serve as a pretext or excuse for my breach of faith; that, on the contrary, the conduct of that lady, for whom I have the most profound respect, always has been pure and without spot. I testify that by my conduct, by the frivolity of my discourse, and by the interpretation which could be given it, that I have openly outraged this virtuous young lady, of whom I beg pardon by this writing made freely, although I recognize fully that I am unworthy to obtain it, promising her every possible reparation which she could desire, if this does not satisfy her.

??Made at Madrid and entirely written by my hand, in presence of her brother, the 19th of May, 1764.

Signed--Joseph Clavico.??

As we have said, Clavico had accepted the r?le forced upon him with admirable grace. As soon as he had signed the paper and handed it to Beaumarchais, whose anger now was wholly appeased, he began in the most insinuating tones, ?Monsieur, I believe that I am speaking to the most offended but most generous of men.? He then proceeded to explain how ambition had ruined him; how he had always loved Donna Maria; how his only hope now lay in her forgiveness and in being able to win back her affection; how deeply he realized his unworthiness of this favor and that to obtain it there was only one person to whom he could have recourse and that was the offended brother before him; he therefore implored Beaumarchais to take the paper he had just signed and use it as he wished, but to plead his cause with Donna Maria.

This was a turn in the situation for which the brilliant Frenchman was hardly prepared. The wily Clavico pursued his advantage and before the interview had ended he was already convinced that the man with whom he had to deal was too generous to be really dangerous.

Strong in his position through the written declaration of Clavico, Beaumarchais now hurried back to the home of Madame Guilbert. He found his sisters in the midst of their friends, waiting with indescribable impatience for his return; when he arrived with the paper, when they heard its contents, a scene of the greatest excitement occurred in which amid mutual embraces, with everyone weeping and laughing together, and all talking at once, the whole story little by little at length was brought out.