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Updated: June 12, 2025
"I found this gentleman sunning himself in the court of the Palais Royal," said Gaston pleasantly, "and not having met him since my return, I brought him home that we may talk at our leisure and recall the old days when he was a lad at Castle Haret and a playmate of mine and my brother's. We have already had a long conversation and some good wine in my study."
Not by the flicker of an eyelash did Jacques Haret show any shame at the mention of the unfortunate girl's name, or of poor old Peter's. Count Saxe, however, standing a little way off, and gesticulating in his coverlet, cried loudly: "Jacques Haret, you are the blackest villain, cheat, scoundrel, rogue and rapscallion yet unhung. The jail yawns for you, the gallows yearns for you.
"Well, I dare say the court and the army and the people and the church, among them, can do that without your help, Lafarge and Jacques Haret suppose, since you have spoiled my supper, you recompense me with a performance by this army of young criminals?" "With the greatest pleasure, Monsieur."
I went to the Théâtre Français, and being recognized for it is not easy to forget so ugly a man as I am I was permitted behind the scenes. The play was that very Herod and Mariamne of Monsieur Voltaire's that Mademoiselle Lecouvreur had played two years before, which Jacques Haret had so cleverly burlesqued, and in which Mademoiselle Capello had been so rashly brilliant.
"This," he said, "is the line of the brook; you see it skirts the estate of Castle Haret, once mine, then the property of Monsieur Gaston Cheverny's brother, Monsieur Regnard Cheverny, who sold it for a large sum of money. By the way, Gaston, has it ever occurred to you that your brother may be dead, and that his properties may be yours?"
Jacques Haret commend me to the Jacques Harets of this world for knowing all their rights! seeing what a muddlehead Mirepoix was, cried stoutly: "I demand to see the governor of the prison, the Grand Prieur de Vendôme." Now, this was his right but Mirepoix proceeded to argue the point with him. The Grand Prieur was having a supper party.
So, I took it, he had a strong motive for staying in Brabant. I often wondered what Jacques Haret's feelings must be, when Regnard, as he often did, talked openly about the new plans for Castle Haret. But Jacques showed his usual cool and unruffled front. It is astonishing how many good and even great qualities a man may possess and still be a scoundrel of the first water.
This put the suspicion in my mind that Gaston Cheverny was supplying Jacques Haret with money. Whether this were true or not, I soon had a confirmation of my surmise, that Jacques Haret possessed some species of power over Gaston Cheverny. Monsieur Voltaire was in Paris then for a few weeks and in a lodging of his own, instead of being at Madame du Châtelet's house in the Isle of St. Louis.
The rest of us often mistook one for the other of them, coming upon them in dark places, or at a little distance; and sometimes by changing clothes and horses, they diverted themselves at our expense; but Francezka always knew them apart, and never once mistook one for the other. Old Peter seemed to feel a secret grudge against Regnard Cheverny for acquiring Castle Haret.
Whether she comes to ruin, you care not; whether it lands you in prison, you are willing to take the chances; you are, in short, a scoundrel. Come, Mademoiselle Lecouvreur." "Sir," replied Jacques Haret, following them to the gate, "I am in this business for my living, not for my health, which is admirable, thank you.
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