The Queen's Necklace. Александр Дюма

      BORGO PRESS PLAYS BY ALEXANDRE DUMAS

      Anthony

      The Count of Monte Cristo, Part One: The Betrayal of Edmond Dantès

      The Count of Monte Cristo, Part Two: The Resurrection of Edmond Dantès

      The Count of Monte Cristo, Part Three: The Rise of Monte Cristo

      The Count of Monte Cristo, Part Four: The Revenge of Monte Cristo

      A Fairy Tale (with Adolphe de Leuven and Léon Lhérie)

      The Last of the Three Musketeers; or, The Prisoner of the Bastille (Musketeers #3)

      The Three Musketeers—Twenty Years Later (Musketeers #2)

      Napoléon Bonaparte

      Richard Darlington

      The San Felice

      Sylvandire

      The Three Musketeers (Musketeers #1)

      The Two Dianas

      Urbain Grandier and the Devils of Loudon

      The Venetian

      The Whites and the Blues

      Young Louix XIV

      Related Dramas:

      The Queen’s Necklace, by Pierre Decourcelle

      The Son of Porthos the Musketeer, by Émile Blavet (Musketeers #4)

      A Summer Night’s Dream, by Adolphe de Leuven and Joseph-Bernard Rosier

      The Widow’s Husband; and, Porthos in Search of an Outfit: Two Dumasian Comedies (Frank J. Morlock, editor)

      COPYRIGHT INFORMATION

      Copyright © 2005, 2012 by Frank J. Morlock

      Published by Wildside Press LLC

      www.wildsidebooks.com

      DEDICATION

      For Carmen Martínez

      CAST OF CHARACTERS

      King Louis XVI

      Cardinal de Rohan

      Cagliostro

      Beausire

      The Portuguese

      Bossange

      De Charny

      Saint Landry

      Reteau de Villette

      Ducorneau

      Count d’Artois

      Count de Provence

      Bailli de Suffren

      De Breteuil

      Bohemer

      Gamain

      De Crussol

      De Coigny

      De Calonne

      De Besenal

      De Vangriul

      L’Artaigne

      Marat

      The Philosopher

      De Polastron

      A Porter

      Le Positif

      Le Griqneux

      De Souz

      The Commander

      Queen Marie Antoinette

      Oliva

      Countess de la Motte-Valois

      Duchess de Polignac

      Andrea de Taverney

      Princess de Lamballe

      Madame Campan

      Countess de Challons

      Countess de Polastron

      Countess de Coigny

      Nicolette

      Araminth

      Dame Clothilde

      Nina

      Sylvia

      Philomena

      Amaranth

      Zephyr

      Clelie

      Rosalie

      Ypsibee

      Hyacinth

      Corinne

      Countess de Grammont

      Madame de Sabran

      Coresondra

      Cydalise

      Clorinda

      Madame de Beauvilliers

      Madame de Deux-Ponts

      ACT I

      SCENE 1: DAUGHTER OF KINGS

      A dilapidated room in a furnished hotel of the lowest sort, in the Hotel de Reims, Rue de la Verrerie. On the wall, a portrait—of a long, pale bearded face—pointed beard, cap on head, ruffle at his throat—with this inscription: Henry of Valois. Chimney in which smokes the wretched remains of a log.

      COUNTESS de la MOTTE

      (alone, seated at a table, writing) “In the hope that you will indeed continue your kindness to me, deign to accept, Madame la Duchess, the very respectful homage of your very humble and devoted servant, Jeanne de Saint Rémy, Countess de la Motte-Valois.”

      What can be hoped from such humiliation?

      (she reads the addresses of her letters) Madame la Duchess de Polignac, favorite of the Queen—ten crowns—Madame Compan, first lady attending Her Majesty—three crowns—Mr. de Breteuil, minister of state—an audience. Mr. de Calonée—advise—Mr. de Cagliostro—five crowns, for he’s often given me. They still say that he makes gold. It’s true he promised me a visit, on which, if I am clever and determined, my destiny will depend. Clever, I am. As for determination, misery will give us some.

      (knocking) Come in!

      (Beausire enters.)

      COUNTESS de la MOTTE

      Heavens, Mr. Beausire, my neighbor on the same floor. What can I do for you, Mr. de Beausire?

      BEAUSIRE

      Imagine that yesterday at my academy, after a series of unexpected blows in the depths of a gaming house, my belt broke,—so much so that for supper, I had to pawn my cloak—there, Countess, see my dress.

      (he turns and points to an immense hole) And I was counting on your assistance.

      COUNTESS de la MOTTE

      Alas, my poor Beausire, I am as short of money as you.

      BEAUSIRE

      Is that possible? You, a descendant of the Valois, a daughter of kings. Come! I shall hold my hat like this—

      (he makes a comic effort) —to hide my hole. Ah! We wouldn’t be reduced to this begging if Oliva had not left me.

      COUNTESS de la MOTTE

      Your unfaithful one! Who abandoned you at break of day when I moved in beside you. So you still regret her?

      BEAUSIRE

      Yes, I regret her! The perfidious one! But, Oliva, Madame, she was the song of my life, the bird in my cage, the sun in my sky. We argued, we insulted each other, we fought—but the candle went out, hell became a paradise! And to say that she left, on her birthday—left over a wretched flower pot.

      COUNTESS de la MOTTE

      That