The Cat and the King by Louis Auchincloss Page A

though he preferred billiards, and it was possible, if one was standing near him, to address him a question, even, on rare occasions, to tell him a joke or an amusing anecdote.
    Pleasantest of all was the absence—at least on the surface—of the jealousies and animosities that pervaded the court. There was a sense, among the favored few at Marly, of having reached the social peak, of there being no place higher to climb, so that one could relax and be natural, or at least pretend to be. In heaven, with the cherubim and seraphim, what could one do but join in the celestial chorus? Versailles, like the earth, was subject to the visitation of evil spirits, but at Marly we all were blessed.
    Except our new bridegroom. Chartres arrived late on Saturday and sulked in a corner at the evening reception. Even Madame de Maintenon’s glare could not induce him to conceal his ill temper. His young duchess, blond and beautiful, seated with her quondam governess, seemed to proclaim, with her silent hauteur, that, sulk as he might,
she
was content with her mate. And, as he had already crudely intimated to me on the first morning after the ceremony, that at least one aspect of his marriage was all right, I deduced now that some worry other than connubial was on his mind. I went over to caution him.
    â€œI just heard the Maintenon grumbling that you look bored. She said that, no doubt, your evenings at the Palais-royal were livelier.”
    â€œYou can tell her they are. Much!”
    â€œPlease, sir, lower your voice.”
    â€œWell, why the devil should I, Saint-Simon? Who here is ever going to do anything for me? My uncle will make a fourth cousin king of Poland, but can I even hope for a regiment?”
    â€œIs it definite about Conti, then?”
    Chartres looked surprised. “I thought you heard these things even before the old trot did. Yes, it’s going to be announced tonight. Conti says he has a majority of the electors. It’s only been a question of whether the king will let him accept. And now he’s decided that he will. Savonne’s going to meet me in Paris tomorrow for a real binge. Care to join us?”
    â€œOn the Sabbath? Thank you, no.”
    â€œWell, come Monday. Or even Tuesday. This one may last a week.”
    â€œI didn’t go in for that sort of thing as a bachelor, and I’m certainly not going to start now. But why is Savonne so disgusted? He wanted Conti to be king.”
    â€œHe does. But he wants to go with him, and the old trot won’t let him!”
    I turned away from him at this, noting that Conti had just risen from his seat at the card table. I came up to him as he leaned down to draw a final card. Glancing at it, he dropped it face upwards on the table. “I am desolated, sir,” he murmured, as his opponent, with a bow, pushed the chips towards him. Nobody could win with more grace. It was difficult to believe that a man of such exquisite courtesy was about to be elected to the crown of a near-barbaric country.
    â€œIs it true?” I asked as he and I turned from the table.
    â€œQuite true.”
    â€œSire!” I exclaimed, giving him the royal address.
    He touched his lips with the tip of his finger. “Give me two more minutes of private life. The king is about to announce it. Do you know who wants to come with me? Savonne!”
    I felt my pulse quicken. “Maybe he won’t be the only one!”
    â€œYou mean
you
want to come? To see that I don’t abrogate the rights of the dukes?”
    â€œDo they have dukes there?”
    â€œIf they don’t, we’ll have to make them. Every one a Saint-Simon!”
    â€œAh, sire, you’re laughing at me.”
    â€œOnly to keep my spirits up. Poland is a long way off. Seriously, Saint-Simon, isn’t it the right thing for me to do?”
    â€œI don’t know.”
    â€œWhat else is there for me? It’s my one chance to be somebody. And think what it