They believe they may rank with
kings, and even address them."
These proud and cutting words had naturally deeply wounded the
cardinal, and, for the first time, the doubt was suggested to him
whether, in the end, all the communications of the Countess Valois,
even the letter of the queen, might not prove to be false, for it
appeared to him impossible that the queen could be secretly,
favorably inclined to a man whom she openly scorned. In his anger he
said so to the Countess Lamotte, and told her that he should hold
all that she had brought him from the queen to be false, unless,
within a very short time, she could procure what he had so long and
so urgently besought, namely, an audience with the queen. He desired
this audience as a proof that Marie Antoinette was really changed,
and, at the same time, as a proof that the Countess Lamotte-Valois
had told him the truth. The countess laughed at his distrust, and
promised to try all the arts of address with the queen, in order to
gain for the cardinal the desired audience. The latter, who thought
he recognized in the beautiful and expressive countenance of the
lady innocence and honorableness, now regretted his hasty words, and
said to Madame Lamotte, that in case the queen would really grant
him a private audience, he would give her (the countess) fifty
thousand francs as a sign of his gratitude.
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