Part 62 (1/2)
”I have already provided for this, madame; and I shall bring you some to-morrow.”
”You would not find me in before nine o'clock to-morrow evening; I shall be occupied with my devotions during the day.”
”I will be at the Louvre at nine o'clock, then, madame.”
”Madame de Sauve has beautiful hands and beautiful lips,” said Catharine in a careless tone. ”What pomade does she use?”
”For her hands?”
”Yes, for her hands first.”
”Heliotrope.”
”What for her lips?”
”She is going to try a new opiate of my invention. I was going to bring your majesty a box of it at the same time.”
Catharine mused an instant.
”She is certainly a very beautiful creature,” said she, pursuing her secret thoughts; ”and the pa.s.sion of the Bearnais for her is not strange at all.”
”And she is so devoted to your majesty,” said Rene. ”At least I should think so.”
Catharine smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
”When a woman loves, is she faithful to any one but her lover? You must have given her some philter, Rene.”
”I swear I have not, madame.”
”Well, well; we'll say no more about it. Show me this new opiate you spoke of, that is to make her lips fresher and rosier than ever.”
Rene approached a shelf and showed Catharine six small boxes of the same shape, _i.e._, round silver boxes ranged side by side.
”This is the only philter she ever asked me for,” observed Rene; ”it is true, as your majesty says, I composed it expressly for her, for her lips are so tender that the sun and wind affect them equally.”
Catharine opened one of the boxes; it contained a most fascinating carmine paste.
”Give me some paste for my hands, Rene,” said she; ”I will take it away with me.”
Rene took the taper, and went to seek, in a private compartment, what the queen asked for. As he turned, he fancied that he saw the queen quickly conceal a box under her mantle; he was, however, too familiar with these little thefts of the queen mother to have the rudeness to seem to perceive the movement; so wrapping the cosmetic she demanded in a paper bag, ornamented with fleurs-de-lis:
”Here it is, madame,” he said.
”Thanks, Rene,” returned the queen; then, after a moment's silence: ”Do not give Madame de Sauve that paste for a week or ten days; I wish to make the first trial of it myself.”
And she prepared to go.
”Your majesty, do you desire me to accompany you?” asked Rene.