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diff --git a/old/2710.txt b/old/2710.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 08fc7d2..0000000 --- a/old/2710.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,23018 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's Louise de la Valliere, by Alexandre Dumas, Pere - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Louise de la Valliere - -Author: Alexandre Dumas, Pere - -Posting Date: August 12, 2008 [EBook #2710] -Release Date: July, 2001 -[Last updated: November 17, 2011] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LOUISE DE LA VALLIERE *** - - - - -Produced by John Bursey - - - - - -LOUISE DE LA VALLIERE - -by Alexandre Dumas, Pere - - -Transcriber's Notes: - -As you may be aware, Project Gutenberg has been involved with the -writings of both the Alexandre Dumases for some time now, and since we -get a few questions about the order in which the books should be read, -and in which they were published, these following comments should -hopefully help most of our readers. - -*** - -The Vicomte de Bragelonne is the final volume of D'Artagnan Romances: -it is usually split into three or four parts, and the final portion -is entitled The Man in the Iron Mask. The Man in the Iron Mask we're -familiar with today is the last volume of the four-volume edition. -[Not all the editions split them in the same manner, hence some of the -confusion...but wait...there's yet more reason for confusion.] - -We intend to do ALL of The Vicomte de Bragelonne, split into four -etexts entitled The Vicomte de Bragelonne, Ten Years Later, Louise de la -Valliere, and The Man in the Iron Mask; you WILL be getting The Man in -the Iron Mask. - -One thing that may be causing confusion is that the etext we have now, -entitled Ten Years Later, says it's the sequel to The Three Musketeers. -While this is technically true, there's another book, Twenty Years -After, that comes between. The confusion is generated by the two facts -that we published Ten Years Later BEFORE we published Twenty Years -After, and that many people see those titles as meaning Ten and Twenty -Years "After" the original story...however, this is why the different -words "After" and "Later"...the Ten Years "After" is ten years after -the Twenty Years later.. .as per history. Also, the third book of the -D'Artagnan Romances, while entitled The Vicomte de Bragelonne, has the -subtitle Ten Years Later. These two titles are also given to different -volumes: The Vicomte de Bragelonne can refer to the whole book, or the -first volume of the three or four-volume editions. Ten Years Later -can, similarly, refer to the whole book, or the second volume of the -four-volume edition. To add to the confusion, in the case of our etexts, -it refers to the first 104 chapters of the whole book, covering material -in the first and second etexts in the new series. Here is a guide to the -series which may prove helpful: - -The Three Musketeers: Etext 1257--First book of the D'Artagnan Romances. -Covers the years 1625-1628. - -Twenty Years After: Etext 1259--Second book of the D'Artagnan Romances. -Covers the years 1648-1649. [Third in the order that we published, but -second in time sequence!!!] - -Ten Years Later: Etext 1258--First 104 chapters of the third book of the -D'Artagnan Romances. Covers the years 1660-1661. - -The Vicomte de Bragelonne: Etext 2609 (first in the new series)--First -75 chapters of the third book of the D'Artagnan Romances. Covers the -year 1660. - -Ten Years Later: Etext 2681 (second in the new series)--Chapters -76-140 of that third book of the D'Artagnan Romances. Covers the years -1660-1661. [In this particular editing of it] - -Louise de la Valliere: Etext 2710 (our new text)--Chapters 141-208 of -the third book of the D'Artagnan Romances. Covers the year 1661. - -The Man in the Iron Mask: forthcoming (our next text)--Chapters -209-269 of the third book of the D'Artagnan Romances. Covers the years -1661-1673. - -If we've calculated correctly, that fourth text SHOULD correspond to -the modern editions of The Man in the Iron Mask, which is still -widely circulated, and comprises about the last 1/4 of The Vicomte de -Bragelonne. - -Here is a list of the other Dumas Etexts we have published so far: - -Sep 1999 La Tulipe Noire, by Alexandre -Dumas[Pere#6/French][tlpnrxxx.xxx]1910 This is an abridged edition in -French, also see our full length English Etext Jul 1997 The Black Tulip, -by Alexandre Dumas[Pere][Dumas#1][tbtlpxxx.xxx] 965 Jan 1998 The Count -of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas[Pere][crstoxxx.xxx]1184 - - -Many thanks to Dr. David Coward, whose editions of the D'Artagnan -Romances have proved an invaluable source of information. - -Introduction: In the months of March-July in 1844, in the magazine Le -Siecle, the first portion of a story appeared, penned by the celebrated -playwright Alexandre Dumas. It was based, he claimed, on some -manuscripts he had found a year earlier in the Bibliotheque Nationale -while researching a history he planned to write on Louis XIV. They -chronicled the adventures of a young man named D'Artagnan who, upon -entering Paris, became almost immediately embroiled in court intrigues, -international politics, and ill-fated affairs between royal lovers. Over -the next six years, readers would enjoy the adventures of this youth and -his three famous friends, Porthos, Athos, and Aramis, as their exploits -unraveled behind the scenes of some of the most momentous events in -French and even English history. - -Eventually these serialized adventures were published in novel form, -and became the three D'Artagnan Romances known today. Here is a brief -summary of the first two novels: - -The Three Musketeers (serialized March--July, 1844): The year is 1625. -The young D'Artagnan arrives in Paris at the tender age of 18, and -almost immediately offends three musketeers, Porthos, Aramis, and Athos. -Instead of dueling, the four are attacked by five of the Cardinal's -guards, and the courage of the youth is made apparent during the battle. -The four become fast friends, and, when asked by D'Artagnan's landlord -to find his missing wife, embark upon an adventure that takes them -across both France and England in order to thwart the plans of the -Cardinal Richelieu. Along the way, they encounter a beautiful young spy, -named simply Milady, who will stop at nothing to disgrace Queen Anne of -Austria before her husband, Louis XIII, and take her revenge upon the -four friends. - -Twenty Years After (serialized January--August, 1845): The year is now -1648, twenty years since the close of the last story. Louis XIII has -died, as has Cardinal Richelieu, and while the crown of France may sit -upon the head of Anne of Austria as Regent for the young Louis XIV, -the real power resides with the Cardinal Mazarin, her secret husband. -D'Artagnan is now a lieutenant of musketeers, and his three friends have -retired to private life. Athos turned out to be a nobleman, the Comte de -la Fere, and has retired to his home with his son, Raoul de Bragelonne. -Aramis, whose real name is D'Herblay, has followed his intention of -shedding the musketeer's cassock for the priest's robes, and Porthos has -married a wealthy woman, who left him her fortune upon her death. But -trouble is stirring in both France and England. Cromwell menaces the -institution of royalty itself while marching against Charles I, and at -home the Fronde is threatening to tear France apart. D'Artagnan brings -his friends out of retirement to save the threatened English monarch, -but Mordaunt, the son of Milady, who seeks to avenge his mother's death -at the musketeers' hands, thwarts their valiant efforts. Undaunted, our -heroes return to France just in time to help save the young Louis XIV, -quiet the Fronde, and tweak the nose of Cardinal Mazarin. - -The third novel, The Vicomte de Bragelonne (serialized October, -1847--January, 1850), has enjoyed a strange history in its English -translation. It has been split into three, four, or five volumes at -various points in its history. The five-volume edition generally does -not give titles to the smaller portions, but the others do. In the -three-volume edition, the novels are entitled The Vicomte de Bragelonne, -Louise de la Valliere, and The Man in the Iron Mask. For the purposes of -this etext, I have chosen to split the novel as the four-volume edition -does, with these titles: The Vicomte de Bragelonne, Ten Years Later, -Louise de la Valliere, and The Man in the Iron Mask. In the first two -etexts: - -The Vicomte de Bragelonne (Etext 2609): It is the year 1660, and -D'Artagnan, after thirty-five years of loyal service, has become -disgusted with serving King Louis XIV while the real power resides with -the Cardinal Mazarin, and has tendered his resignation. He embarks on -his own project, that of restoring Charles II to the throne of England, -and, with the help of Athos, succeeds, earning himself quite a fortune -in the process. D'Artagnan returns to Paris to live the life of a rich -citizen, and Athos, after negotiating the marriage of Philip, the king's -brother, to Princess Henrietta of England, likewise retires to his own -estate, La Fere. Meanwhile, Mazarin has finally died, and left Louis to -assume the reigns of power, with the assistance of M. Colbert, formerly -Mazarin's trusted clerk. Colbert has an intense hatred for M. Fouquet, -the king's superintendent of finances, and has resolved to use any -means necessary to bring about his fall. With the new rank of intendant -bestowed on him by Louis, Colbert succeeds in having two of Fouquet's -loyal friends tried and executed. He then brings to the king's attention -that Fouquet is fortifying the island of Belle-Ile-en-Mer, and could -possibly be planning to use it as a base for some military operation -against the king. Louis calls D'Artagnan out of retirement and sends -him to investigate the island, promising him a tremendous salary and his -long-promised promotion to captain of the musketeers upon his return. At -Belle-Isle, D'Artagnan discovers that the engineer of the fortifications -is, in fact, Porthos, now the Baron du Vallon, and that's not all. -The blueprints for the island, although in Porthos's handwriting, -show evidence of another script that has been erased, that of Aramis. -D'Artagnan later discovers that Aramis has become the bishop of Vannes, -which is, coincidentally, a parish belonging to M. Fouquet. Suspecting -that D'Artagnan has arrived on the king's behalf to investigate, Aramis -tricks D'Artagnan into wandering around Vannes in search of Porthos, -and sends Porthos on an heroic ride back to Paris to warn Fouquet of -the danger. Fouquet rushes to the king, and gives him Belle-Isle as a -present, thus allaying any suspicion, and at the same time humiliating -Colbert, just minutes before the usher announces someone else seeking an -audience with the king. - -Ten Years Later (Etext 2681): As 1661 approaches, Princess Henrietta of -England arrives for her marriage, and throws the court of France into -complete disorder. The jealousy of the Duke of Buckingham, who is -in love with her, nearly occasions a war on the streets of Le Havre, -thankfully prevented by Raoul's timely and tactful intervention. After -the marriage, though, Monsieur Philip becomes horribly jealous of -Buckingham, and has him exiled. Before leaving, however, the duke -fights a duel with M. de Wardes at Calais. De Wardes is a malicious and -spiteful man, the sworn enemy of D'Artagnan, and, by the same token, -that of Athos, Aramis, Porthos, and Raoul as well. Both men are -seriously wounded, and the duke is taken back to England to recover. -Raoul's friend, the Comte de Guiche, is the next to succumb to -Henrietta's charms, and Monsieur obtains his exile as well, though De -Guiche soon effects a reconciliation. But then the king's eye falls on -Madame Henrietta during the comte's absence, and this time Monsieur's -jealousy has no recourse. Anne of Austria intervenes, and the king and -his sister-in-law decide to pick a young lady with whom the king -can pretend to be in love, the better to mask their own affair. They -unfortunately select Louise de la Valliere, Raoul's fiancee. While the -court is in residence at Fontainebleau, the king unwitting overhears -Louise confessing her love for him while chatting with her friends -beneath the royal oak, and the king promptly forgets his affection for -Madame. That same night, Henrietta overhears, at the same oak, De -Guiche confessing his love for her to Raoul. The two embark on their -own affair. A few days later, during a rainstorm, Louis and Louise -are trapped alone together, and the whole court begins to talk of the -scandal while their love affair blossoms. Aware of Louise's attachment, -the king arranges for Raoul to be sent to England for an indefinite -period. - -Meanwhile, the struggle for power continues between Fouquet and Colbert. -Although the Belle-Isle plot backfired, Colbert prompts the king to ask -Fouquet for more and more money, and without his two friends to raise it -for him, Fouquet is sorely pressed. The situation gets so bad that his -new mistress, Madame de Belliere, must resort to selling all her jewels -and her gold and silver plate. Aramis, while this is going on, has grown -friendly with the governor of the Bastile, M. de Baisemeaux, a fact that -Baisemeaux unwittingly reveals to D'Artagnan while inquiring of him -as to Aramis's whereabouts. This further arouses the suspicions of the -musketeer, who was made to look ridiculous by Aramis. He had ridden -overnight at an insane pace, but arrived a few minutes after Fouquet -had already presented Belle-Isle to the king. Aramis learns from the -governor the location of a mysterious prisoner, who bears a remarkable -resemblance to Louis XIV--in fact, the two are identical. He uses -the existence of this secret to persuade a dying Franciscan monk, the -general of the society of the Jesuits, to name him, Aramis, the new -general of the order. On Aramis's advice, hoping to use Louise's -influence with the king to counteract Colbert's influence, Fouquet also -writes a love letter to La Valliere, unfortunately undated. It never -reaches its destination, however, as the servant ordered to deliver it -turns out to be an agent of Colbert's. - -Porthos, in the meantime, has been recovering from his midnight ride -from Belle-Isle at Fouquet's residence at Saint-Mande. Athos has -retired, once again to La Fere. D'Artagnan, little amused by the court's -activities at Fontainebleau, and finding himself with nothing to do, has -returned to Paris, and we find him again in Planchet's grocery shop. - -And so, the story continues in this, the third etext of The Vicomte de -Bragelonne. Enjoy! - -John Bursey - - - - -Chapter I. Malaga. - -During all these long and noisy debates between the opposite ambitions -of politics and love, one of our characters, perhaps the one least -deserving of neglect, was, however, very much neglected, very much -forgotten, and exceedingly unhappy. In fact, D'Artagnan--D'Artagnan, -we say, for we must call him by his name, to remind our readers of his -existence--D'Artagnan, we repeat, had absolutely nothing whatever to do, -amidst these brilliant butterflies of fashion. After following the king -during two whole days at Fontainebleau, and critically observing -the various pastoral fancies and heroi-comic transformations of his -sovereign, the musketeer felt that he needed something more than this to -satisfy the cravings of his nature. At every moment assailed by -people asking him, "How do you think this costume suits me, Monsieur -d'Artagnan?" he would reply to them in quiet, sarcastic tones, "Why, -I think you are quite as well-dressed as the best-dressed monkey to -be found in the fair at Saint-Laurent." It was just such a compliment -D'Artagnan would choose where he did not feel disposed to pay any other: -and, whether agreeable or not, the inquirer was obliged to be satisfied -with it. Whenever any one asked him, "How do you intend to dress -yourself this evening?" he replied, "I shall undress myself;" at which -the ladies all laughed, and a few of them blushed. But after a couple -of days passed in this manner, the musketeer, perceiving that nothing -serious was likely to arise which would concern him, and that the king -had completely, or, at least, appeared to have completely forgotten -Paris, Saint-Mande, and Belle-Isle--that M. Colbert's mind was occupied -with illuminations and fireworks--that for the next month, at least, -the ladies had plenty of glances to bestow, and also to receive in -exchange--D'Artagnan asked the king for leave of absence for a matter of -private business. At the moment D'Artagnan made his request, his majesty -was on the point of going to bed, quite exhausted from dancing. - -"You wish to leave me, Monsieur d'Artagnan?" inquired the king, with an -air of astonishment; for Louis XIV. could never understand why any one -who had the distinguished honor of being near him could wish to leave -him. - -"Sire," said D'Artagnan, "I leave you simply because I am not of the -slightest service to you in anything. Ah! if I could only hold the -balancing-pole while you were dancing, it would be a very different -affair." - -"But, my dear Monsieur d'Artagnan," said the king, gravely, "people -dance without balancing-poles." - -"Ah! indeed," said the musketeer, continuing his imperceptible tone of -irony, "I had no idea such a thing was possible." - -"You have not seen me dance, then?" inquired the king. - -"Yes; but I always thought dancers went from easy to difficult acrobatic -feats. I was mistaken; all the more greater reason, therefore, that I -should leave for a time. Sire, I repeat, you have no present occasion -for my services; besides, if your majesty should have any need of me, -you would know where to find me." - -"Very well," said the king, and he granted him leave of absence. - -We shall not look for D'Artagnan, therefore, at Fontainebleau, for to do -so would be useless; but, with the permission of our readers, follow him -to the Rue des Lombards, where he was located at the sign of the Pilon -d'Or, in the house of our old friend Planchet. It was about eight -o'clock in the evening, and the weather was exceedingly warm; there -was only one window open, and that one belonging to a room on the -_entresol_. A perfume of spices, mingled with another perfume less -exotic, but more penetrating, namely, that which arose from the street, -ascended to salute the nostrils of the musketeer. D'Artagnan, reclining -in an immense straight-backed chair, with his legs not stretched out, -but simply placed upon a stool, formed an angle of the most obtuse form -that could possibly be seen. Both his arms were crossed over his head, -his head reclining upon his left shoulder, like Alexander the Great. -His eyes, usually so quick and intelligent in their expression, were -now half-closed, and seemed fastened, as it were, upon a small corner of -blue sky that was visible behind the opening of the chimneys; there was -just enough blue, and no more, to fill one of the sacks of lentils, or -haricots, which formed the principal furniture of the shop on the -ground floor. Thus extended at his ease, and sheltered in his place of -observation behind the window, D'Artagnan seemed as if he had ceased -to be a soldier, as if he were no longer an officer belonging to the -palace, but was, on the contrary, a quiet, easy-going citizen in a state -of stagnation between his dinner and supper, or between his supper and -his bed; one of those strong, ossified brains, which have no more room -for a single idea, so fiercely does animal matter keep watch at the -doors of intelligence, narrowly inspecting the contraband trade which -might result from the introduction into the brain of a symptom of -thought. We have already said night was closing in, the shops were being -lighted, while the windows of the upper apartments were being closed, -and the rhythmic steps of a patrol of soldiers forming the night watch -could be heard retreating. D'Artagnan continued, however, to think -of nothing, except the blue corner of the sky. A few paces from him, -completely in the shade, lying on his stomach, upon a sack of Indian -corn, was Planchet, with both his arms under his chin, and his eyes -fixed on D'Artagnan, who was either thinking, dreaming, or sleeping, -with his eyes open. Planchet had been watching him for a tolerably long -time, and, by way of interruption, he began by exclaiming, "Hum! hum!" -But D'Artagnan did not stir. Planchet then saw that it was necessary -to have recourse to more effectual means still: after a prolonged -reflection on the subject, the most ingenious means that suggested -itself to him under the present circumstances, was to let himself roll -off the sack on to the floor, murmuring, at the same time, against -himself, the word "stupid." But, notwithstanding the noise produced -by Planchet's fall, D'Artagnan, who had in the course of his existence -heard many other, and very different falls, did not appear to pay the -least attention to the present one. Besides, an enormous cart, laden -with stones, passing from the Rue Saint-Mederic, absorbed, in the noise -of its wheels, the noise of Planchet's tumble. And yet Planchet fancied -that, in token of tacit approval, he saw him imperceptibly smile at the -word "stupid." This emboldened him to say, "Are you asleep, Monsieur -d'Artagnan?" - -"No, Planchet, I am not _even_ asleep," replied the musketeer. - -"I am in despair," said Planchet, "to hear such a word as _even_." - -"Well, and why not; is it not a grammatical word, Monsieur Planchet?" - -"Of course, Monsieur d'Artagnan." - -"Well!" - -"Well, then, the word distresses me beyond measure." - -"Tell me why you are distressed, Planchet," said D'Artagnan. - -"If you say that you are not _even_ asleep, it is as much as to say that -you have not even the consolation of being able to sleep; or, better -still, it is precisely the same as telling me that you are getting bored -to death." - -"Planchet, you know that I am never bored." - -"Except to-day, and the day before yesterday." - -"Bah!" - -"Monsieur d'Artagnan, it is a week since you returned here from -Fontainebleau; in other words, you have no longer your orders to issue, -or your men to review and maneuver. You need the sound of guns, drums, -and all that din and confusion; I, who have myself carried a musket, can -easily believe that." - -"Planchet," replied D'Artagnan, "I assure you I am not bored in the -least in the world." - -"In that case, what are you doing, lying there, as if you were dead?" - -"My dear Planchet, there was, once upon a time, at the siege of La -Rochelle, when I was there, when you were there, when we both were -there, a certain Arab, who was celebrated for the manner in which he -adjusted culverins. He was a clever fellow, although of a very odd -complexion, which was the same color as your olives. Well, this Arab, -whenever he had done eating or working, used to sit down to rest -himself, as I am resting myself now, and smoked I cannot tell you -what sort of magical leaves, in a large amber-mouthed tube; and if any -officers, happening to pass, reproached him for being always asleep, he -used quietly to reply: 'Better to sit down than to stand up, to lie -down than to sit down, to be dead than to lie down.' He was an acutely -melancholy Arab, and I remember him perfectly well, form the color of -his skin, and the style of his conversation. He used to cut off the -heads of Protestants with the most singular gusto!" - -"Precisely; and then used to embalm them, when they were worth the -trouble; and when he was thus engaged with his herbs and plants about -him, he looked like a basket-maker making baskets." - -"You are quite right, Planchet, he did." - -"Oh! I can remember things very well, at times!" - -"I have no doubt of it; but what do you think of his mode of reasoning?" - -"I think it good in one sense, but very stupid in another." - -"Expound your meaning, M. Planchet." - -"Well, monsieur, in point of fact, then, 'better to sit down than to -stand up,' is plain enough, especially when one may be fatigued," and -Planchet smiled in a roguish way; "as for 'better to be lying down,' -let that pass, but as for the last proposition, that it is 'better to -be dead than alive,' it is, in my opinion, very absurd, my own undoubted -preference being for my bed; and if you are not of my opinion, it is -simply, as I have already had the honor of telling you, because you are -boring yourself to death." - -"Planchet, do you know M. La Fontaine?" - -"The chemist at the corner of the Rue Saint-Mederic?" - -"No, the writer of fables." - -"Oh! _Maitre Corbeau!_" - -"Exactly; well, then, I am like his hare." - -"He has got a hare also, then?" - -"He has all sorts of animals." - -"Well, what does his hare do, then?" - -"M. La Fontaine's hare thinks." - -"Ah, ah!" - -"Planchet, I am like that hare--I am thinking." - -"You are thinking, you say?" said Planchet, uneasily. - -"Yes; your house is dull enough to drive people to think; you will admit -that, I hope." - -"And yet, monsieur, you have a look-out upon the street." - -"Yes; and wonderfully interesting that is, of course." - -"But it is no less true, monsieur, that, if you were living at the back -of the house, you would bore yourself--I mean, you would think--more -than ever." - -"Upon my word, Planchet, I hardly know that." - -"Still," said the grocer, "if your reflections are at all like those -which led you to restore King Charles II.--" and Planchet finished by a -little laugh which was not without its meaning. - -"Ah! Planchet, my friend," returned D'Artagnan, "you are getting -ambitious." - -"Is there no other king to be restored, M. d'Artagnan--no second Monk to -be packed up, like a salted hog, in a deal box?" - -"No, my dear Planchet; all the kings are seated on their respective -thrones; less comfortably so, perhaps, than I am upon this chair; but, -at all events, there they are." And D'Artagnan sighed deeply. - -"Monsieur d'Artagnan," said Planchet, "you are making me very uneasy." - -"You are very good, Planchet." - -"I begin to suspect something." - -"What is it?" - -"Monsieur d'Artagnan, you are getting thin." - -"Oh!" said D'Artagnan, striking his chest which sounded like an empty -cuirass, "it is impossible, Planchet." - -"Ah!" said Planchet, slightly overcome; "if you were to get thin in my -house--" - -"Well?" - -"I should do something rash." - -"What would you do? Tell me." - -"I should look out for the man who was the cause of all your anxieties." - -"Ah! according to your account, I am anxious now." - -"Yes, you are anxious; and you are getting thin, visibly getting thin. -_Malaga!_ if you go on getting thin, in this way, I will take my sword -in my hand, and go straight to M. d'Herblay, and have it out with him." - -"What!" said M. d'Artagnan, starting in his chair; "what's that you say? -And what has M. d'Herblay's name to do with your groceries?" - -"Just as you please. Get angry if you like, or call me names, if you -prefer it; but, the deuce is in it. _I know what I know_." - -D'Artagnan had, during this second outburst of Planchet's, so placed -himself as not to lose a single look of his face; that is, he sat with -both his hands resting on both his knees, and his head stretched out -towards the grocer. "Come, explain yourself," he said, "and tell me -how you could possibly utter such a blasphemy. M. d'Herblay, your old -master, my friend, an ecclesiastic, a musketeer turned bishop--do you -mean to say you would raise your sword against him, Planchet?" - -"I could raise my sword against my own father, when I see you in such a -state as you are now." - -"M. d'Herblay, a gentleman!" - -"It's all the same to me whether he's a gentleman or not. He gives you -the blue devils, that is all I know. And the blue devils make people -get thin. _Malaga!_ I have no notion of M. d'Artagnan leaving my house -thinner than when he entered it." - -"How does he give me the blue devils, as you call it? Come, explain, -explain." - -"You have had the nightmare during the last three nights." - -"I?" - -"Yes, you; and in your nightmare you called out, several times, 'Aramis, -deceitful Aramis!'" - -"Ah! I said that, did I?" murmured D'Artagnan, uneasily. - -"Yes, those very words, upon my honor." - -"Well, what else? You know the saying, Planchet, 'dreams go by -contraries.'" - -"Not so; for every time, during the last three days, when you went out, -you have not once failed to ask me, on your return, 'Have you seen -M. d'Herblay?' or else 'Have you received any letters for me from M. -d'Herblay?'" - -"Well, it is very natural I should take an interest in my old friend," -said D'Artagnan. - -"Of course; but not to such an extent as to get thin on that account." - -"Planchet, I'll get fatter; I give you my word of honor I will." - -"Very well, monsieur, I accept it; for I know that when you give your -word of honor, it is sacred." - -"I will not dream of Aramis any more; and I will never ask you again -if there are any letters from M. d'Herblay; but on condition that you -explain one thing to me." - -"Tell me what it is, monsieur?" - -"I am a great observer; and just now you made use of a very singular -oath, which is unusual for you." - -"You mean _Malaga!_ I suppose?" - -"Precisely." - -"It is the oath I have used ever since I have been a grocer." - -"Very proper, too; it is the name of a dried grape, or raisin, I -believe?" - -"It is my most ferocious oath; when I have once said _Malaga!_ I am a -man no longer." - -"Still, I never knew you use that oath before." - -"Very likely not, monsieur. I had a present made me of it," said -Planchet; and, as he pronounced these words, he winked his eye with a -cunning expression, which thoroughly awakened D'Artagnan's attention. - -"Come, come, M. Planchet." - -"Why, I am not like you, monsieur," said Planchet. "I don't pass my life -in thinking." - -"You do wrong, then." - -"I mean in boring myself to death. We have but a very short time to -live--why not make the best of it?" - -"You are an Epicurean philosopher, I begin to think, Planchet." - -"Why not? My hand is still as steady as ever; I can write, and can weigh -out my sugar and spices; my foot is firm; I can dance and walk about; my -stomach has its teeth still, for I eat and digest very well; my heart is -not quite hardened. Well, monsieur?" - -"Well, what, Planchet?" - -"Why, you see--" said the grocer, rubbing his hands together. - -D'Artagnan crossed one leg over the other, and said, "Planchet, my -friend, I am unnerved with extreme surprise; for you are revealing -yourself to me under a perfectly new light." - -Planchet, flattered in the highest degree by this remark, continued to -rub his hands very hard together. "Ah, ah," he said, "because I happen -to be only slow, you think me, perhaps, a positive fool." - -"Very good, Planchet; very well reasoned." - -"Follow my idea, monsieur, if you please. I said to myself," continued -Planchet, "that, without enjoyment, there is no happiness on this -earth." - -"Quite true, what you say, Planchet," interrupted D'Artagnan. - -"At all events, if we cannot obtain pleasure--for pleasure is not so -common a thing, after all--let us, at least, get consolations of some -kind or another." - -"And so you console yourself?" - -"Exactly so." - -"Tell me how you console yourself." - -"I put on a buckler for the purpose of confronting _ennui_. I place my -time at the direction of patience; and on the very eve of feeling I am -going to get bored, I amuse myself." - -"And you don't find any difficulty in that?" - -"None." - -"And you found it out quite by yourself?" - -"Quite so." - -"It is miraculous." - -"What do you say?" - -"I say, that your philosophy is not to be matched in the Christian or -pagan world, in modern days or in antiquity!" - -"You think so?--follow my example, then." - -"It is a very tempting one." - -"Do as I do." - -"I could not wish for anything better; but all minds are not of the same -stamp; and it might possibly happen that if I were required to amuse -myself in the manner you do, I should bore myself horribly." - -"Bah! at least try first." - -"Well, tell me what you do." - -"Have you observed that I leave home occasionally?" - -"Yes." - -"In any particular way?" - -"Periodically." - -"That's the very thing. You have noticed it, then?" - -"My dear Planchet, you must understand that when people see each other -every day, and one of the two absents himself, the other misses him. Do -you not feel the want of my society when I am in the country?" - -"Prodigiously; that is to say, I feel like a body without a soul." - -"That being understood then, proceed." - -"What are the periods when I absent myself?" - -"On the fifteenth and thirtieth of every month." - -"And I remain away?" - -"Sometimes two, sometimes three, and sometimes four days at a time." - -"Have you ever given it a thought, why I was absent?" - -"To look after your debts, I suppose." - -"And when I returned, how did you think I looked, as far as my face was -concerned?" - -"Exceedingly self-satisfied." - -"You admit, you say, that I always look satisfied. And what have you -attributed my satisfaction to?" - -"That your business was going on very well; that your purchases of rice, -prunes, raw sugar, dried apples, pears, and treacle were advantageous. -You were always very picturesque in your notions and ideas, Planchet; -and I was not in the slightest degree surprised to find you had selected -grocery as an occupation, which is of all trades the most varied, and -the very pleasantest, as far as the character is concerned; inasmuch as -one handles so many natural and perfumed productions." - -"Perfectly true, monsieur; but you are very greatly mistaken." - -"In what way?" - -"In thinking that I leave here every fortnight, to collect my money or -to make purchases. Ho, ho! how could you possibly have thought such -a thing? Ho, ho, ho!" And Planchet began to laugh in a manner that -inspired D'Artagnan with very serious misgivings as to his sanity. - -"I confess," said the musketeer, "that I do not precisely catch your -meaning." - -"Very true, monsieur." - -"What do you mean by 'very true'?" - -"It must be true, since you say it; but pray, be assured that it in no -way lessens my opinion of you." - -"Ah, that is lucky." - -"No; you are a man of genius; and whenever the question happens to be -of war, tactics, surprises, or good honest blows to be dealt with, why, -kings are marionettes, compared to you. But for the consolations of the -mind, the proper care of the body, the agreeable things of like, if one -may say so--ah! monsieur, don't talk to me about men of genius; they are -nothing short of executioners." - -"Good," said D'Artagnan, really fidgety with curiosity, "upon my word -you interest me in the highest degree." - -"You feel already less bored than you did just now, do you not?" - -"I was not bored; yet since you have been talking to me, I feel more -animated." - -"Very good, then; that is not a bad beginning. I will cure you, rely -upon that." - -"There is nothing I should like better." - -"Will you let me try, then?" - -"Immediately, if you like." - -"Very well. Have you any horses here?" - -"Yes; ten, twenty, thirty." - -"Oh, there is no occasion for so many as that, two will be quite -sufficient." - -"They are quite at your disposal, Planchet." - -"Very good; then I shall carry you off with me." - -"When?" - -"To-morrow." - -"Where?" - -"Ah, you are asking too much." - -"You will admit, however, that it is important I should know where I am -going." - -"Do you like the country?" - -"Only moderately, Planchet." - -"In that case you like town better?" - -"That is as may be." - -"Very well; I am going to take you to a place, half town and half -country." - -"Good." - -"To a place where I am sure you will amuse yourself." - -"Is it possible?" - -"Yes; and more wonderful still, to a place from which you have just -returned for the purpose only, it would seem, of getting bored here." - -"It is to Fontainebleau you are going, then?" - -"Exactly; to Fontainebleau." - -"And, in Heaven's name, what are you going to do at Fontainebleau?" - -Planchet answered D'Artagnan by a wink full of sly humor. - -"You have some property there, you rascal." - -"Oh, a very paltry affair; a little bit of a house--nothing more." - -"I understand you." - -"But it is tolerable enough, after all." - -"I am going to Planchet's country-seat!" exclaimed D'Artagnan. - -"Whenever you like." - -"Did we not fix to-morrow?" - -"Let us say to-morrow, if you like; and then, besides, to-morrow is the -14th, that is to say, the day before the one when I am afraid of getting -bored; so we will look upon it as an understood thing." - -"Agreed, by all means." - -"You will lend me one of your horses?" - -"The best I have." - -"No; I prefer the gentlest of all; I never was a very good rider, as -you know, and in my grocery business I have got more awkward than ever; -besides--" - -"Besides what?" - -"Why," added Planchet, "I do not wish to fatigue myself." - -"Why so?" D'Artagnan ventured to ask. - -"Because I should lose half the pleasure I expect to enjoy," replied -Planchet. And thereupon he rose from his sack of Indian corn, stretching -himself, and making all his bones crack, one after the other, with a -sort of harmony. - -"Planchet! Planchet!" exclaimed D'Artagnan, "I do declare that there is -no sybarite upon the face of the globe who can for a moment be compared -to you. Oh, Planchet, it is very clear that we have never yet eaten a -ton of salt together." - -"Why so, monsieur?" - -"Because, even now I can scarcely say I know you," said D'Artagnan, "and -because, in point of fact, I return to the opinion which, for a moment, -I had formed of you that day at Boulogne, when you strangled, or did so -as nearly as possible, M. de Wardes's valet, Lubin; in plain language, -Planchet, that you are a man of great resources." - -Planchet began to laugh with a laugh full of self-conceit; bade the -musketeer good-night, and went down to his back shop, which he used as -a bedroom. D'Artagnan resumed his original position upon his chair, and -his brow, which had been unruffled for a moment, became more pensive -than ever. He had already forgotten the whims and dreams of Planchet. -"Yes," said he, taking up again the thread of his thoughts, which -had been broken by the whimsical conversation in which we have just -permitted our readers to participate. "Yes, yes, those three points -include everything: First, to ascertain what Baisemeaux wanted with -Aramis; secondly, to learn why Aramis does not let me hear from him; and -thirdly, to ascertain where Porthos is. The whole mystery lies in these -three points. Since, therefore," continued D'Artagnan, "our friends tell -us nothing, we must have recourse to our own poor intelligence. I must -do what I can, _mordioux_, or rather _Malaga_, as Planchet would say." - - - -Chapter II. A Letter from M. Baisemeaux. - -D'Artagnan, faithful to his plan, went the very next morning to pay -a visit to M. de Baisemeaux. It was cleaning up or tidying day at the -Bastile; the cannons were furbished up, the staircases scraped and -cleaned; and the jailers seemed to be carefully engaged in polishing -the very keys. As for the soldiers belonging to the garrison, they were -walking about in different courtyards, under the pretense that they were -clean enough. The governor, Baisemeaux, received D'Artagnan with more -than ordinary politeness, but he behaved towards him with so marked a -reserve of manner, that all D'Artagnan's tact and cleverness could not -get a syllable out of him. The more he kept himself within bounds, -the more D'Artagnan's suspicion increased. The latter even fancied he -remarked that the governor was acting under the influence of a recent -recommendation. Baisemeaux had not been at the Palais Royal with -D'Artagnan the same cold and impenetrable man which the latter now found -in the Baisemeaux of the Bastile. When D'Artagnan wished to make him -talk about the urgent money matters which had brought Baisemeaux in -search of D'Artagnan, and had rendered him expansive, notwithstanding -what had passed on that evening, Baisemeaux pretended that he had some -orders to give in the prison, and left D'Artagnan so long alone waiting -for him, that our musketeer, feeling sure that he should not get another -syllable out of him, left the Bastile without waiting until Baisemeaux -returned from his inspection. But D'Artagnan's suspicions were aroused, -and when once that was the case, D'Artagnan could not sleep or remain -quiet for a moment. He was among men what the cat is among quadrupeds, -the emblem of anxiety and impatience, at the same moment. A restless cat -can no more remain the same place than a silk thread wafted idly to and -fro with every breath of air. A cat on the watch is as motionless as -death stationed at its place of observation, and neither hunger nor -thirst can draw it from its meditations. D'Artagnan, who was burning -with impatience, suddenly threw aside the feeling, like a cloak which -he felt too heavy on his shoulders, and said to himself that that which -they were concealing from him was the very thing it was important he -should know; and, consequently, he reasoned that Baisemeaux would not -fail to put Aramis on his guard, if Aramis had given him any particular -recommendation, and this was, in fact, the very thing that happened. - -Baisemeaux had hardly had time to return from the donjon, than -D'Artagnan placed himself in ambuscade close to the Rue de Petit-Musc, -so as to see every one who might leave the gates of the Bastile. After -he had spent an hour on the look-out from the "Golden Portcullis," under -the pent-house of which he could keep himself a little in the shade, -D'Artagnan observed a soldier leave the Bastile. This was, indeed, the -surest indication he could possibly have wished for, as every jailer -or warder has certain days, and even certain hours, for leaving the -Bastile, since all are alike prohibited from having either wives or -lodgings in the castle, and can accordingly leave without exciting any -curiosity; but a soldier once in barracks is kept there for four and -twenty hours when on duty,--and no one knew this better than D'Artagnan. -The guardsman in question, therefore, was not likely to leave his -regimentals, except on an express and urgent order. The soldier, we -were saying, left the Bastile at a slow and lounging pace, like a happy -mortal, in fact, who, instead of mounting sentry before a wearisome -guard-house, or upon a bastion no less wearisome, has the good luck -to get a little liberty, in addition to a walk--both pleasures being -luckily reckoned as part of his time on duty. He bent his steps towards -the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, enjoying the fresh air and the warmth of the -sun, and looking at all the pretty faces he passed. D'Artagnan followed -him at a distance; he had not yet arranged his ideas as what was to be -done. "I must, first of all," he thought, "see the fellow's face. A man -seen is a man judged." D'Artagnan increased his pace, and, which was not -very difficult, by the by, soon got in advance of the soldier. Not only -did he observe that his face showed a tolerable amount of intelligence -and resolution, but he noticed also that his nose was a little red. "He -has a weakness for brandy, I see," said D'Artagnan to himself. At the -same moment that he remarked his red nose, he saw that the soldier had a -white paper in his belt. - -"Good, he has a letter," added D'Artagnan. The only difficulty was to -get hold of the letter. But a common soldier would, of course, be only -too delighted at having been selected by M. de Baisemeaux as a special -messenger, and would not be likely to sell his message. As D'Artagnan -was biting his nails, the soldier continued to advance more and more -into the Faubourg Saint-Antoine. "He is certainly going to Saint-Mande," -he said to himself, "and I shall not be able to learn what the letter -contains." It was enough to drive him wild. "If I were in uniform," said -D'Artagnan to himself, "I would have this fellow seized, and his letter -with him. I could easily get assistance at the very first guard-house; -but the devil take me if I mention my name in an affair of this kind. -If I were to treat him to something to drink, his suspicions would be -roused; and besides, he might drink me drunk. _Mordioux!_ my wits -seem to have left me," said D'Artagnan; "it is all over with me. Yet, -supposing I were to attack this poor devil, make him draw his sword -and kill him for the sake of his letter? No harm in that, if it were -a question of a letter from a queen to a nobleman, or a letter from a -cardinal to a queen; but what miserable intrigues are those of Messieurs -Aramis and Fouquet with M. Colbert. A man's life for that? No, no, -indeed; not even ten crowns." As he philosophized in this manner, biting -first his nails, and then his mustaches, he perceived a group of archers -and a commissary of the police engaged in carrying away a man of very -gentlemanly exterior, who was struggling with all his might against -them. The archers had torn his clothes, and were dragging him roughly -away. He begged they would lead him along more respectfully, asserting -that he was a gentleman and a soldier. And observing our soldier walking -in the street, he called out, "Help, comrade." - -The soldier walked on with the same step towards the man who had -called out to him, followed by the crowd. An idea suddenly occurred to -D'Artagnan; it was his first one, and we shall find it was not a bad one -either. During the time the gentleman was relating to the soldier that -he had just been seized in a house as a thief, when the truth was he -was only there as a lover; and while the soldier was pitying him, and -offering him consolation and advice with that gravity which a French -soldier has always ready whenever his vanity or his _esprit de corps_ is -concerned, D'Artagnan glided behind the soldier, who was closely hemmed -in by the crowd, and with a rapid sweep, like a sabre slash, snatched -the letter from his belt. As at this moment the gentleman with the torn -clothes was pulling about the soldier, to show how the commissary of -police had pulled him about, D'Artagnan effected his pillage of the -letter without the slightest interference. He stationed himself about -ten paces distant, behind the pillar of an adjoining house, and read -on the address, "To Monsieur du Vallon, at Monsieur Fouquet's, -Saint-Mande." - -"Good!" he said, and then he unsealed, without tearing the letter, -drew out the paper, which was folded in four, from the inside; which -contained only these words: - -"DEAR MONSIEUR DU VALLON,--Will you be good enough to tell Monsieur -d'Herblay that _he_ has been to the Bastile, and has been making -inquiries. - -"Your devoted - -"DE BAISEMEAUX." - - -"Very good! all right!" exclaimed D'Artagnan; "it is clear enough now. -Porthos is engaged in it." Being now satisfied of what he wished to -know: "_Mordioux!_" thought the musketeer, "what is to be done with that -poor devil of a soldier? That hot-headed, cunning fellow, De Baisemeaux, -will make him pay dearly for my trick,--if he returns without the -letter, what will they do to him? Besides, I don't want the letter; -when the egg has been sucked, what is the good of the shell?" D'Artagnan -perceived that the commissary and the archers had succeeded in -convincing the soldier, and went on their way with the prisoner, -the latter being still surrounded by the crowd, and continuing his -complaints. D'Artagnan advanced into the very middle of the crowd, let -the letter fall, without any one having observed him, and then retreated -rapidly. The soldier resumed his route towards Saint-Mande, his mind -occupied with the gentleman who had implored his protection. Suddenly -he thought of his letter, and, looking at his belt, saw that it was no -longer there. D'Artagnan derived no little satisfaction from his sudden, -terrified cry. The poor soldier in the greatest anguish of mind looked -round him on every side, and at last, about twenty paces behind him, -he perceived the lucky envelope. He pounced on it like a falcon on its -prey. The envelope was certainly a little dirty, and rather crumpled, -but at all events the letter itself was found. D'Artagnan observed that -the broken seal attracted the soldier's attention a good deal, but he -finished apparently by consoling himself, and returned the letter to his -belt. "Go on," said D'Artagnan, "I have plenty of time before me, so you -may precede me. It appears that Aramis is not in Paris, since Baisemeaux -writes to Porthos. Dear Porthos, how delighted I shall be to see him -again, and to have some conversation with him!" said the Gascon. And, -regulating his pace according to that of the soldier, he promised -himself to arrive a quarter of an hour after him at M. Fouquet's. - - - -Chapter III. In Which the Reader will be Delighted to Find that Porthos -Has Lost Nothing of His Muscularity. - -D'Artagnan had, according to his usual style, calculated that every hour -is worth sixty minutes, and every minute worth sixty seconds. Thanks to -this perfectly exact calculation of minutes and seconds, he reached the -superintendent's door at the very moment the soldier was leaving it with -his belt empty. D'Artagnan presented himself at the door, which a porter -with a profusely embroidered livery held half opened for him. D'Artagnan -would very much have liked to enter without giving his name, but this -was impossible, and so he gave it. Notwithstanding this concession, -which ought to have removed every difficulty in the way, at least -D'Artagnan thought so, the _concierge_ hesitated; however, at the second -repetition of the title, captain of the king's guards, the _concierge_, -without quite leaving the passage clear for him, ceased to bar it -completely. D'Artagnan understood that orders of the most positive -character had been given. He decided, therefore, to tell a falsehood,--a -circumstance, moreover, which did not seriously affect his peace of -mind, when he saw that beyond the falsehood the safety of the state -itself, or even purely and simply his own individual personal interest, -might be at stake. He moreover added to the declarations he had already -made, that the soldier sent to M. du Vallon was his own messenger, -and that the only object that letter had in view was to announce his -intended arrival. From that moment, no one opposed D'Artagnan's entrance -any further, and he entered accordingly. A valet wished to accompany -him, but he answered that it was useless to take that trouble on his -account, inasmuch as he knew perfectly well where M. du Vallon was. -There was nothing, of course, to say to a man so thoroughly and -completely informed on all points, and D'Artagnan was permitted, -therefore, to do as he liked. The terraces, the magnificent apartments, -the gardens, were all reviewed and narrowly inspected by the musketeer. -He walked for a quarter of an hour in this more than royal residence, -which included as many wonders as articles of furniture, and as many -servants as there were columns and doors. "Decidedly," he said to -himself, "this mansion has no other limits than the pillars of the -habitable world. Is it probable Porthos has taken it into his head to go -back to Pierrefonds without even leaving M. Fouquet's house?" He finally -reached a remote part of the chateau inclosed by a stone wall, which was -covered with a profusion of thick plants, luxuriant in blossoms as large -and solid as fruit. At equal distances on the top of this wall were -placed various statues in timid or mysterious attitudes. These were -vestals hidden beneath the long Greek peplum, with its thick, sinuous -folds; agile nymphs, covered with their marble veils, and guarding the -palace with their fugitive glances. A statue of Hermes, with his -finger on his lips; one of Iris, with extended wings; another of Night, -sprinkled all over with poppies, dominated the gardens and outbuildings, -which could be seen through the trees. All these statues threw in white -relief their profiles upon the dark ground of the tall cypresses, which -darted their somber summits towards the sky. Around these cypresses were -entwined climbing roses, whose flowering rings were fastened to every -fork of the branches, and spread over the lower boughs and the various -statues, showers of flowers of the rarest fragrance. These enchantments -seemed to the musketeer the result of the greatest efforts of the human -mind. He felt in a dreamy, almost poetical, frame of mind. The idea -that Porthos was living in so perfect an Eden gave him a higher idea of -Porthos, showing how tremendously true it is, that even the very highest -orders of minds are not quite exempt from the influence of surroundings. -D'Artagnan found the door, and on, or rather in the door, a kind -of spring which he detected; having touched it, the door flew open. -D'Artagnan entered, closed the door behind him, and advanced into a -pavilion built in a circular form, in which no other sound could be -heard but cascades and the songs of birds. At the door of the pavilion -he met a lackey. - -"It is here, I believe," said D'Artagnan, without hesitation, "that M. -le Baron du Vallon is staying?" - -"Yes, monsieur," answered the lackey. - -"Have the goodness to tell him that M. le Chevalier d'Artagnan, captain -of the king's musketeers, is waiting to see him." - -D'Artagnan was introduced into the _salon_, and had not long to remain -in expectation: a well-remembered step shook the floor of the adjoining -room, a door opened, or rather flew open, and Porthos appeared and threw -himself into his friend's arms with a sort of embarrassment which did -not ill become him. "You here?" he exclaimed. - -"And you?" replied D'Artagnan. "Ah, you sly fellow!" - -"Yes," said Porthos, with a somewhat embarrassed smile; "yes, you see -I am staying in M. Fouquet's house, at which you are not a little -surprised, I suppose?" - -"Not at all; why should you not be one of M. Fouquet's friends? M. -Fouquet has a very large number, particularly among clever men." - -Porthos had the modesty not to take the compliment to himself. -"Besides," he added, "you saw me at Belle-Isle." - -"A greater reason for my believing you to be one of M. Fouquet's -friends." - -"The fact is, I am acquainted with him," said Porthos, with a certain -embarrassment of manner. - -"Ah, friend Porthos," said D'Artagnan, "how treacherously you have -behaved towards me." - -"In what way?" exclaimed Porthos. - -"What! you complete so admirable a work as the fortifications of -Belle-Isle, and you did not tell me of it!" Porthos colored. "Nay, more -than that," continued D'Artagnan, "you saw me out yonder, you know I -am in the king's service, and yet you could not guess that the king, -jealously desirous of learning the name of the man whose abilities had -wrought a work of which he heard the most wonderful accounts,--you could -not guess, I say, that the king sent me to learn who this man was?" - -"What! the king sent you to learn--" - -"Of course; but don't let us speak of that any more." - -"Not speak of it!" said Porthos; "on the contrary, we will speak of it; -and so the king knew that we were fortifying Belle-Isle?" - -"Of course; does not the king know everything?" - -"But he did not know who was fortifying it?" - -"No, he only suspected, from what he had been told of the nature of the -works, that it was some celebrated soldier or another." - -"The devil!" said Porthos, "if I had only known that!" - -"You would not have run away from Vannes as you did, perhaps?" - -"No; what did you say when you couldn't find me?" - -"My dear fellow, I reflected." - -"Ah, indeed; you reflect, do you? Well, and what did that reflection -lead to?" - -"It led me to guess the whole truth." - -"Come, then, tell me what did you guess after all?" said Porthos, -settling himself into an armchair, and assuming the airs of a sphinx. - -"I guessed, in the first place, that you were fortifying Belle-Isle." - -"There was no great difficulty in that, for you saw me at work." - -"Wait a minute; I also guessed something else,--that you were fortifying -Belle-Isle by M. Fouquet's orders." - -"That's true." - -"But even that is not all. Whenever I feel myself in trim for guessing, -I do not stop on my road; and so I guessed that M. Fouquet wished to -preserve the most absolute secrecy respecting these fortifications." - -"I believe that was his intention, in fact," said Porthos. - -"Yes, but do you know why he wished to keep it secret?" - -"In order it should not become known, perhaps," said Porthos. - -"That was his principal reason. But his wish was subservient to a bit of -generosity--" - -"In fact," said Porthos, "I have heard it said that M. Fouquet was a very -generous man." - -"To a bit of generosity he wished to exhibit towards the king." - -"Oh, oh!" - -"You seem surprised at that?" - -"Yes." - -"And you didn't guess?" - -"No." - -"Well, I know it, then." - -"You are a wizard." - -"Not at all, I assure you." - -"How do you know it, then?" - -"By a very simple means. I heard M. Fouquet himself say so to the king." - -"Say what to the king?" - -"That he fortified Belle-Isle on his majesty's account, and that he had -made him a present of Belle Isle." - -"And you heard M. Fouquet say that to the king?" - -"In those very words. He even added: 'Belle-Isle has been fortified by -an engineer, one of my friends, a man of a great deal of merit, whom I -shall ask your majesty's permission to present to you.' - -"'What is his name?' said the king. - -"'The Baron du Vallon,' M. Fouquet replied. - -"'Very well,' returned his majesty, 'you will present him to me.'" - -"The king said that?" - -"Upon the word of a D'Artagnan!" - -"Oh, oh!" said Porthos. "Why have I not been presented, then?" - -"Have they not spoken to you about this presentation?" - -"Yes, certainly; but I am always kept waiting for it." - -"Be easy, it will be sure to come." - -"Humph! humph!" grumbled Porthos, which D'Artagnan pretended not to -hear; and, changing the conversation, he said, "You seem to be living in -a very solitary place here, my dear fellow?" - -"I always preferred retirement. I am of a melancholy disposition," -replied Porthos, with a sigh. - -"Really, that is odd," said D'Artagnan, "I never remarked that before." - -"It is only since I have taken to reading," said Porthos, with a -thoughtful air. - -"But the labors of the mind have not affected the health of the body, I -trust?" - -"Not in the slightest degree." - -"Your strength is as great as ever?" - -"Too great, my friend, too great." - -"Ah! I had heard that, for a short time after your arrival--" - -"That I could hardly move a limb, I suppose?" - -"How was it?" said D'Artagnan, smiling, "and why was it you could not -move?" - -Porthos, perceiving that he had made a mistake, wished to correct it. -"Yes, I came from Belle-Isle upon very hard horses," he said, "and that -fatigued me." - -"I am no longer astonished, then, since I, who followed you, found seven -or eight lying dead on the road." - -"I am very heavy, you know," said Porthos. - -"So that you were bruised all over." - -"My marrow melted, and that made me very ill." - -"Poor Porthos! But how did Aramis act towards you under those -circumstances?" - -"Very well, indeed. He had me attended to by M. Fouquet's own doctor. -But just imagine, at the end of a week I could not breathe any longer." - -"What do you mean?" - -"The room was too small; I had absorbed every atom of air." - -"Indeed?" - -"I was told so, at least; and so I was removed into another apartment." - -"Where you were able to breathe, I hope and trust?" - -"Yes, more freely; but no exercise--nothing to do. The doctor pretended -that I was not to stir; I, on the contrary, felt that I was stronger -than ever; that was the cause of a very serious accident." - -"What accident?" - -"Fancy, my dear fellow, that I revolted against the directions of that -ass of a doctor, and I resolved to go out, whether it suited him or -not: and, consequently, I told the valet who waited on me to bring me my -clothes." - -"You were quite naked, then?" - -"Oh, no! on the contrary, I had a magnificent dressing-gown to wear. The -lackey obeyed; I dressed myself in my own clothes, which had become -too large for me; but a strange circumstance had happened,--my feet had -become too large." - -"Yes, I quite understand." - -"And my boots too small." - -"You mean your feet were still swollen?" - -"Exactly; you have hit it." - -"_Pardieu!_ And is that the accident you were going to tell me about?" - -"Oh, yes; I did not make the same reflection you have done. I said to -myself: 'Since my feet have entered my boots ten times, there is no -reason why they should not go in the eleventh.'" - -"Allow me to tell you, my dear Porthos, that on this occasion you failed -in your logic." - -"In short, then, they placed me opposite to a part of the room which -was partitioned; I tried to get my boot on; I pulled it with my hands, -I pushed with all the strength of the muscles of my leg, making the most -unheard-of efforts, when suddenly the two tags of my boot remained in my -hands, and my foot struck out like a ballista." - -"How learned you are in fortification, dear Porthos." - -"My foot darted out like a ballista, and came against the partition, -which it broke in; I really thought that, like Samson, I had demolished -the temple. And the number of pictures, the quantity of china, vases -of flowers, carpets, and window-panes that fell down were really -wonderful." - -"Indeed!" - -"Without reckoning that on the other side of the partition was a small -table laden with porcelain--" - -"Which you knocked over?" - -"Which I dashed to the other side of the room," said Porthos, laughing. - -"Upon my word, it is, as you say, astonishing," replied D'Artagnan, -beginning to laugh also; whereupon Porthos laughed louder than ever. - -"I broke," said Porthos, in a voice half-choked from his increasing -mirth, "more than three thousand francs worth of china--ha, ha, ha!" - -"Good!" said D'Artagnan. - -"I smashed more than four thousand francs worth of glass!--ho, ho, ho!" - -"Excellent." - -"Without counting a luster, which fell on my head and was broken into a -thousand pieces--ha, ha, ha!" - -"Upon your head?" said D'Artagnan, holding his sides. - -"On top." - -"But your head was broken, I suppose?" - -"No, since I tell you, on the contrary, my dear fellow, that it was the -luster which was broken, like glass, which, in point of fact, it was." - -"Ah! the luster was glass, you say." - -"Venetian glass! a perfect curiosity, quite matchless, indeed, and -weighed two hundred pounds." - -"And it fell upon your head!" - -"Upon my head. Just imagine, a globe of crystal, gilded all over, the -lower part beautifully encrusted, perfumes burning at the top, with jets -from which flame issued when they were lighted." - -"I quite understand, but they were not lighted at the time, I suppose?" - -"Happily not, or I should have been grilled prematurely." - -"And you were only knocked down flat, instead?" - -"Not at all." - -"How, 'not at all?'" - -"Why, the luster fell on my skull. It appears that we have upon the top -of our heads an exceedingly thick crust." - -"Who told you that, Porthos?" - -"The doctor. A sort of dome which would bear Notre-Dame." - -"Bah!" - -"Yes, it seems that our skulls are made in that manner." - -"Speak for yourself, my dear fellow, it is your own skull that is made -in that manner, and not the skulls of other people." - -"Well, that may be so," said Porthos, conceitedly, "so much, however, -was that the case, in my instance, that no sooner did the luster fall -upon the dome which we have at the top of our head, than there was a -report like a cannon, the crystal was broken to pieces, and I fell, -covered from head to foot." - -"With blood, poor Porthos!" - -"Not at all; with perfumes, which smelt like rich creams; it was -delicious, but the odor was too strong, and I felt quite giddy from it; -perhaps you have experienced it sometimes yourself, D'Artagnan?" - -"Yes, in inhaling the scent of the lily of the valley; so that, my -poor friend, you were knocked over by the shock and overpowered by the -perfumes?" - -"Yes; but what is very remarkable, for the doctor told me he had never -seen anything like it--" - -"You had a bump on your head I suppose?" interrupted D'Artagnan. - -"I had five." - -"Why five?" - -"I will tell you; the luster had, at its lower extremity, five gilt -ornaments; excessively sharp." - -"Oh!" - -"Well, these five ornaments penetrated my hair, which, as you see, I -wear very thick." - -"Fortunately so." - -"And they made a mark on my skin. But just notice the singularity of -it, these things seem really only to happen to me! Instead of making -indentations, they made bumps. The doctor could never succeed in -explaining that to me satisfactorily." - -"Well, then, I will explain it to you." - -"You will do me a great service if you will," said Porthos, winking his -eyes, which, with him, was sign of the profoundest attention. - -"Since you have been employing your brain in studies of an exalted -character, in important calculations, and so on, the head has gained a -certain advantage, so that your head is now too full of science." - -"Do you think so?" - -"I am sure of it. The result is, that, instead of allowing any foreign -matter to penetrate the interior of the head, your bony box or skull, -which is already too full, avails itself of the openings which are made -in allowing this excess to escape." - -"Ah!" said Porthos, to whom this explanation appeared clearer than that -of the doctor. - -"The five protuberances, caused by the five ornaments of the luster, -must certainly have been scientific globules, brought to the surface by -the force of circumstances." - -"In fact," said Porthos, "the real truth is, that I felt far worse -outside my head than inside. I will even confess, that when I put my hat -upon my head, clapping it on my head with that graceful energy which we -gentlemen of the sword possess, if my fist was not very gently applied, -I experienced the most painful sensations." - -"I quite believe you, Porthos." - -"Therefore, my friend," said the giant, "M. Fouquet decided, seeing how -slightly built the house was, to give me another lodging, and so they -brought me here." - -"It is the private park, I think, is it not?" - -"Yes." - -"Where the rendezvous are made; that park, indeed, which is -so celebrated in some of those mysterious stories about the -superintendent?" - -"I don't know; I have had no rendezvous or heard mysterious stories -myself, but they have authorized me to exercise my muscles, and I take -advantage of the permission by rooting up some of the trees." - -"What for?" - -"To keep my hand in, and also to take some birds' nests; I find it more -convenient than climbing." - -"You are as pastoral as Tyrcis, my dear Porthos." - -"Yes, I like the small eggs; I like them very much better than larger -ones. You have no idea how delicate an _omelette_ is, if made of four -or five hundred eggs of linnets, chaffinches, starlings, blackbirds, and -thrushes." - -"But five hundred eggs is perfectly monstrous!" - -"A salad-bowl will hold them easily enough," said Porthos. - -D'Artagnan looked at Porthos admiringly for full five minutes, as if -he had seen him for the first time, while Porthos spread his chest -out joyously and proudly. They remained in this state several minutes, -Porthos smiling, and D'Artagnan looking at him. D'Artagnan was evidently -trying to give the conversation a new turn. "Do you amuse yourself much -here, Porthos?" he asked at last, very likely after he had found out -what he was searching for. - -"Not always." - -"I can imagine that; but when you get thoroughly bored, by and by, what -do you intend to do?" - -"Oh! I shall not be here for any length of time. Aramis is waiting until -the last bump on my head disappears, in order to present me to the king, -who I am told cannot endure the sight of a bump." - -"Aramis is still in Paris, then?" - -"No." - -"Whereabouts is he, then?" - -"At Fontainebleau." - -"Alone?" - -"With M. Fouquet." - -"Very good. But do you happen to know one thing?" - -"No, tell it me, and then I shall know." - -"Well, then, I think Aramis is forgetting you." - -"Do you really think so?" - -"Yes; for at Fontainebleau yonder, you must know, they are laughing, -dancing, banqueting, and drawing the corks of M. de Mazarin's wine in -fine style. Are you aware that they have a ballet every evening there?" - -"The deuce they have!" - -"I assure you that your dear Aramis is forgetting you." - -"Well, that is not at all unlikely, and I have myself thought so -sometimes." - -"Unless he is playing you a trick, the sly fellow!" - -"Oh!" - -"You know that Aramis is as sly as a fox." - -"Yes, but to play _me_ a trick--" - -"Listen: in the first place, he puts you under a sort of sequestration." - -"He sequestrates me! Do you mean to say I am sequestrated?" - -"I think so." - -"I wish you would have the goodness to prove that to me." - -"Nothing easier. Do you ever go out?" - -"Never." - -"Do you ever ride on horseback?" - -"Never." - -"Are your friends allowed to come and see you?" - -"Never." - -"Very well, then; never to go out, never to ride on horseback, never to -be allowed to see your friends, that is called being sequestrated." - -"But why should Aramis sequestrate me?" inquired Porthos. - -"Come," said D'Artagnan, "be frank, Porthos." - -"As gold." - -"It was Aramis who drew the plan of the fortifications at Belle-Isle, -was it not?" - -Porthos colored as he said, "Yes; but that was all he did." - -"Exactly, and my own opinion is that it was no very great affair after -all." - -"That is mine, too." - -"Very good; I am delighted we are of the same opinion." - -"He never even came to Belle-Isle," said Porthos. - -"There now, you see." - -"It was I who went to Vannes, as you may have seen." - -"Say rather, as I did see. Well, that is precisely the state of the -case, my dear Porthos. Aramis, who only drew the plans, wishes to pass -himself off as the engineer, whilst you, who, stone by stone, built the -wall, the citadel, and the bastions, he wishes to reduce to the rank of -a mere builder." - -"By builder, you mean mason, perhaps?" - -"Mason; the very word." - -"Plasterer, in fact?" - -"Hodman?" - -"Exactly." - -"Oh, oh! my dear Aramis, you seem to think you are only five and twenty -years of age still." - -"Yes, and that is not all, for he believes you are fifty." - -"I should have amazingly liked to have seen him at work." - -"Yes, indeed." - -"A fellow who has got the gout?" - -"Yes." - -"Who has lost three of his teeth?" - -"Four." - -"While I, look at mine." And Porthos, opening his large mouth very wide, -displayed two rows of teeth not quite as white as snow, but even, hard, -and sound as ivory. - -"You can hardly believe, Porthos," said D'Artagnan, "what a fancy the -king has for good teeth. Yours decide me; I will present you to the king -myself." - -"You?" - -"Why not? Do you think I have less credit at court than Aramis?" - -"Oh, no!" - -"Do you think I have the slightest pretensions upon the fortifications -at Belle-Isle?" - -"Certainly not." - -"It is your own interest alone which would induce me to do it." - -"I don't doubt it in the least." - -"Well, I am the intimate friend of the king; and a proof of that is, -that whenever there is anything disagreeable to tell him, it is I who -have to do it." - -"But, dear D'Artagnan, if you present me--" - -"Well!" - -"Aramis will be angry." - -"With me?" - -"No, with _me_." - -"Bah! whether he or I present you, since you are to be presented, what -does it matter?" - -"They were going to get me some clothes made." - -"Your own are splendid." - -"Oh! those I had ordered were far more beautiful." - -"Take care: the king likes simplicity." - -"In that case, I will be simple. But what will M. Fouquet say, when he -learns that I have left?" - -"Are you a prisoner, then, on parole?" - -"No, not quite that. But I promised him I would not leave without -letting him know." - -"Wait a minute, we shall return to that presently. Have you anything to -do here?" - -"I, nothing: nothing of any importance, at least." - -"Unless, indeed, you are Aramis's representative for something of -importance." - -"By no means." - -"What I tell you--pray, understand that--is out of interest for you. I -suppose, for instance, that you are commissioned to send messages and -letters to him?" - -"Ah! letters--yes. I send certain letters to him." - -"Where?" - -"To Fontainebleau." - -"Have you any letters, then?" - -"But--" - -"Nay, let me speak. Have you any letters, I say?" - -"I have just received one for him." - -"Interesting?" - -"I suppose so." - -"You do not read them, then?" - -"I am not at all curious," said Porthos, as he drew out of his pocket -the soldier's letter which Porthos had not read, but D'Artagnan had. - -"Do you know what to do with it?" said D'Artagnan. - -"Of course; do as I always do, send it to him." - -"Not so." - -"Why not? Keep it, then?" - -"Did they not tell you that this letter was important?" - -"Very important." - -"Well, you must take it yourself to Fontainebleau." - -"To Aramis?" - -"Yes." - -"Very good." - -"And since the king is there--" - -"You will profit by that." - -"I shall profit by the opportunity to present you to the king." - -"Ah! D'Artagnan, there is no one like you for expedients." - -"Therefore, instead of forwarding to our friend any messages, which may -or may not be faithfully delivered, we will ourselves be the bearers of -the letter." - -"I had never even thought of that, and yet it is simple enough." - -"And therefore, because it is urgent, Porthos, we ought to set off at -once." - -"In fact," said Porthos, "the sooner we set off the less chance there is -of Aramis's letter being delayed." - -"Porthos, your reasoning is always accurate, and, in your case, logic -seems to serve as an auxiliary to the imagination." - -"Do you think so?" said Porthos. - -"It is the result of your hard reading," replied D'Artagnan. "So come -along, let us be off." - -"But," said Porthos, "my promise to M. Fouquet?" - -"Which?" - -"Not to leave Saint-Mande without telling him of it." - -"Ah! Porthos," said D'Artagnan, "how very young you still are." - -"In what way?" - -"You are going to Fontainebleau, are you not, where you will find M. -Fouquet?" - -"Yes." - -"Probably in the king's palace?" - -"Yes," repeated Porthos, with an air full of majesty. - -"Well, you will accost him with these words: 'M. Fouquet, I have the -honor to inform you that I have just left Saint-Mande.'" - -"And," said Porthos, with the same majestic mien, "seeing me at -Fontainebleau at the king's, M. Fouquet will not be able to tell me I am -not speaking the truth." - -"My dear Porthos, I was just on the point of opening my lips to make -the same remark, but you anticipate me in everything. Oh! Porthos, how -fortunately you are gifted! Years have made not the slightest impression -on you." - -"Not over-much, certainly." - -"Then there is nothing more to say?" - -"I think not." - -"All your scruples are removed?" - -"Quite so." - -"In that case I shall carry you off with me." - -"Exactly; and I will go and get my horse saddled." - -"You have horses here, then?" - -"I have five." - -"You had them sent from Pierrefonds, I suppose?" - -"No, M. Fouquet gave them to me." - -"My dear Porthos, we shall not want five horses for two persons; -besides, I have already three in Paris, which would make eight, and that -will be too many." - -"It would not be too many if I had some of my servants here; but, alas! -I have not got them." - -"Do you regret them, then?" - -"I regret Mousqueton; I miss Mousqueton." - -"What a good-hearted fellow you are, Porthos," said D'Artagnan; "but -the best thing you can do is to leave your horses here, as you have left -Mousqueton out yonder." - -"Why so?" - -"Because, by and by, it might turn out a very good thing if M. Fouquet -had never given you anything at all." - -"I don't understand you," said Porthos. - -"It is not necessary you should understand." - -"But yet--" - -"I will explain to you later, Porthos." - -"I'll wager it is some piece of policy or other." - -"And of the most subtle character," returned D'Artagnan. - -Porthos nodded his head at this word policy; then, after a moment's -reflection, he added, "I confess, D'Artagnan, that I am no politician." - -"I know that well." - -"Oh! no one knows what you told me yourself, you, the bravest of the -brave." - -"What did I tell you, Porthos?" - -"That every man has his day. You told me so, and I have experienced it -myself. There are certain days when one feels less pleasure than others -in exposing one's self to a bullet or a sword-thrust." - -"Exactly my own idea." - -"And mine, too, although I can hardly believe in blows or thrusts that -kill outright." - -"The deuce! and yet you have killed a few in your time." - -"Yes; but I have never been killed." - -"Your reason is a very good one." - -"Therefore, I do not believe I shall ever die from a thrust of a sword -or a gun-shot." - -"In that case, then, you are afraid of nothing. Ah! water, perhaps?" - -"Oh! I swim like an otter." - -"Of a quartan fever, then?" - -"I have never had one yet, and I don't believe I ever shall; but there -is one thing I will admit," and Porthos dropped his voice. - -"What is that?" asked D'Artagnan, adopting the same tone of voice as -Porthos. - -"I must confess," repeated Porthos, "that I am horribly afraid of -politics." - -"Ah, bah!" exclaimed D'Artagnan. - -"Upon my word, it's true," said Porthos, in a stentorian voice. "I have -seen his eminence Monsieur le Cardinal de Richelieu, and his eminence -Monsieur le Cardinal de Mazarin; the one was a red politician, the other -a black politician; I never felt very much more satisfied with the one -than with the other; the first struck off the heads of M. de Marillac, -M. de Thou, M. de Cinq-Mars, M. Chalais, M. de Bouteville, and M. de -Montmorency; the second got a whole crowd of Frondeurs cut in pieces, -and we belonged to them." - -"On the contrary, we did not belong to them," said D'Artagnan. - -"Oh! indeed, yes; for if I unsheathed my sword for the cardinal, I -struck it for the king." - -"My good Porthos!" - -"Well, I have done. My dread of politics is such, that if there is any -question of politics in the matter, I should greatly prefer to return to -Pierrefonds." - -"You would be quite right, if that were the case. But with me, my dear -Porthos, no politics at all, that is quite clear. You have labored hard -in fortifying Belle-Isle; the king wished to know the name of the clever -engineer under whose directions the works were carried out; you are -modest, as all men of true genius are; perhaps Aramis wishes to put you -under a bushel. But I happen to seize hold of you; I make it known -who you are; I produce you; the king rewards you; and that is the only -policy I have to do with." - -"And the only one I will have to do with either," said Porthos, holding -out his hand to D'Artagnan. - -But D'Artagnan knew Porthos's grasp; he knew that, once imprisoned -within the baron's five fingers, no hand ever left it without being -half-crushed. He therefore held out, not his hand, but his fist, and -Porthos did not even perceive the difference. The servants talked a -little with each other in an undertone, and whispered a few words, -which D'Artagnan understood, but which he took very good care not to let -Porthos understand. "Our friend," he said to himself, "was really and -truly Aramis's prisoner. Let us now see what the result will be of the -liberation of the captive." - - - -Chapter IV. The Rat and the Cheese. - -D'Artagnan and Porthos returned on foot, as D'Artagnan had set out. -When D'Artagnan, as he entered the shop of the Pilon d'Or, announced to -Planchet that M. du Vallon would be one of the privileged travelers, and -as the plume in Porthos's hat made the wooden candles suspended over the -front jingle together, a melancholy presentiment seemed to eclipse the -delight Planchet had promised himself for the morrow. But the grocer -had a heart of gold, ever mindful of the good old times--a trait that -carries youth into old age. So Planchet, notwithstanding a sort of -internal shiver, checked as soon as experienced, received Porthos with -respect, mingled with the tenderest cordiality. Porthos, who was a -little cold and stiff in his manners at first, on account of the social -difference existing at that period between a baron and a grocer, soon -began to soften when he perceived so much good-feeling and so many kind -attentions in Planchet. He was particularly touched by the liberty which -was permitted him to plunge his great palms into the boxes of dried -fruits and preserves, into the sacks of nuts and almonds, and into the -drawers full of sweetmeats. So that, notwithstanding Planchet's pressing -invitations to go upstairs to the _entresol_, he chose as his favorite -seat, during the evening which he had to spend at Planchet's house, the -shop itself, where his fingers could always fish up whatever his nose -detected. The delicious figs from Provence, filberts from the forest, -Tours plums, were subjects of his uninterrupted attention for five -consecutive hours. His teeth, like millstones, cracked heaps of nuts, -the shells of which were scattered all over the floor, where they were -trampled by every one who went in and out of the shop; Porthos pulled -from the stalk with his lips, at one mouthful, bunches of the rich -Muscatel raisins with their beautiful bloom, half a pound of which -passed at one gulp from his mouth to his stomach. In one of the corners -of the shop, Planchet's assistants, huddled together, looked at each -other without venturing to open their lips. They did not know who -Porthos was, for they had never seen him before. The race of those -Titans who had worn the cuirasses of Hugh Capet, Philip Augustus, -and Francis I. had already begun to disappear. They could hardly help -thinking he might be the ogre of the fairy tale, who was going to turn -the whole contents of Planchet's shop into his insatiable stomach, and -that, too, without in the slightest degree displacing the barrels and -chests that were in it. Cracking, munching, chewing, nibbling, sucking, -and swallowing, Porthos occasionally said to the grocer: - -"You do a very good business here, friend Planchet." - -"He will very soon have none at all to do, if this sort of thing -continues," grumbled the foreman, who had Planchet's word that he should -be his successor. In the midst of his despair, he approached Porthos, -who blocked up the whole of the passage leading from the back shop to -the shop itself. He hoped that Porthos would rise and that this movement -would distract his devouring ideas. - -"What do you want, my man?" asked Porthos, affably. - -"I should like to pass you, monsieur, if it is not troubling you too -much." - -"Very well," said Porthos, "it does not trouble me in the least." - -At the same moment he took hold of the young fellow by the waistband, -lifted him off the ground, and placed him very gently on the other -side, smiling all the while with the same affable expression. As soon as -Porthos had placed him on the ground, the lad's legs so shook under him -that he fell back upon some sacks of corks. But noticing the giant's -gentleness of manner, he ventured again, and said: - -"Ah, monsieur! pray be careful." - -"What about?" inquired Porthos. - -"You are positively putting a fiery furnace into your body." - -"How is that, my good fellow?" - -"All those things are very heating to the system!" - -"Which?" - -"Raisins, nuts, and almonds." - -"Yes; but if raisins, nuts, and almonds are heating--" - -"There is no doubt at all of it, monsieur." - -"Honey is very cooling," said Porthos, stretching out his hand toward -a small barrel of honey which was open, and he plunged the scoop with -which the wants of the customers were supplied into it, and swallowed a -good half-pound at one gulp. - -"I must trouble you for some water now, my man," said Porthos. - -"In a pail, monsieur?" asked the lad, simply. - -"No, in a water-bottle; that will be quite enough;" and raising the -bottle to his mouth, as a trumpeter does his trumpet, he emptied the -bottle at a single draught. - -Planchet was agitated in every fibre of propriety and self-esteem. -However, a worthy representative of the hospitality which prevailed in -early days, he feigned to be talking very earnestly with D'Artagnan, and -incessantly repeated:--"Ah! monsieur, what a happiness! what an honor!" - -"What time shall we have supper, Planchet?" inquired Porthos, "I feel -hungry." - -The foreman clasped his hands together. The two others got under the -counters, fearing Porthos might have a taste for human flesh. - -"We shall only take a sort of snack here," said D'Artagnan; "and when we -get to Planchet's country-seat, we will have supper." - -"Ah, ah! so we are going to your country-house, Planchet," said Porthos; -"so much the better." - -"You overwhelm me, monsieur le baron." - -The "monsieur le baron" had a great effect upon the men, who detected -a personage of the highest quality in an appetite of that kind. This -title, too, reassured them. They had never heard that an ogre was ever -called "monsieur le baron". - -"I will take a few biscuits to eat on the road," said Porthos, -carelessly; and he emptied a whole jar of aniseed biscuits into the huge -pocket of his doublet. - -"My shop is saved!" exclaimed Planchet. - -"Yes, as the cheese was," whispered the foreman. - -"What cheese?" - -"The Dutch cheese, inside which a rat had made his way, and we found -only the rind left." - -Planchet looked all round his shop, and observing the different articles -which had escaped Porthos's teeth, he found the comparison somewhat -exaggerated. The foreman, who remarked what was passing in his master's -mind, said, "Take care; he is not gone yet." - -"Have you any fruit here?" said Porthos, as he went upstairs to the -_entresol_, where it had just been announced that some refreshment was -prepared. - -"Alas!" thought the grocer, addressing a look at D'Artagnan full of -entreaty, which the latter half understood. - -As soon as they had finished eating they set off. It was late when the -three riders, who had left Paris about six in the evening, arrived at -Fontainebleau. The journey passed very agreeably. Porthos took a fancy -to Planchet's society, because the latter was very respectful in his -manners, and seemed delighted to talk to him about his meadows, his -woods, and his rabbit-warrens. Porthos had all the taste and pride of -a landed proprietor. When D'Artagnan saw his two companions in earnest -conversation, he took the opposite side of the road, and letting his -bridle drop upon his horse's neck, separated himself from the whole -world, as he had done from Porthos and from Planchet. The moon shone -softly through the foliage of the forest. The breezes of the open -country rose deliciously perfumed to the horse's nostrils, and they -snorted and pranced along delightedly. Porthos and Planchet began to -talk about hay-crops. Planchet admitted to Porthos that in the advanced -years of his life, he had certainly neglected agricultural pursuits -for commerce, but that his childhood had been passed in Picardy in the -beautiful meadows where the grass grew as high as the knees, and where -he had played under the green apple-trees covered with red-cheeked -fruit; he went on to say, that he had solemnly promised himself that as -soon as he should have made his fortune, he would return to nature, and -end his days, as he had begun them, as near as he possibly could to the -earth itself, where all men must sleep at last. - -"Eh, eh!" said Porthos; "in that case, my dear Monsieur Planchet, your -retirement is not far distant." - -"How so?" - -"Why, you seem to be in the way of making your fortune very soon." - -"Well, we are getting on pretty well, I must admit," replied Planchet. - -"Come, tell me what is the extent of your ambition, and what is the -amount you intend to retire upon?" - -"There is one circumstance, monsieur," said Planchet, without answering -the question, "which occasions me a good deal of anxiety." - -"What is it?" inquired Porthos, looking all round him as if in search of -the circumstance that annoyed Planchet, and desirous of freeing him from -it. - -"Why, formerly," said the grocer, "you used to call me Planchet quite -short, and you would have spoken to me then in a much more familiar -manner than you do now." - -"Certainly, certainly, I should have said so formerly," replied the -good-natured Porthos, with an embarrassment full of delicacy; "but -formerly--" - -"Formerly I was M. d'Artagnan's lackey; is not that what you mean?" - -"Yes." - -"Well if I am not quite his lackey, I am as much as ever I was his -devoted servant; and more than that, since that time--" - -"Well, Planchet?" - -"Since that time, I have had the honor of being in partnership with -him." - -"Oh, oh!" said Porthos. "What, has D'Artagnan gone into the grocery -business?" - -"No, no," said D'Artagnan, whom these words had drawn out of his -reverie, and who entered into the conversation with that readiness and -rapidity which distinguished every operation of his mind and body. "It -was not D'Artagnan who entered into the grocery business, but Planchet -who entered into a political affair with me." - -"Yes," said Planchet, with mingled pride and satisfaction, "we -transacted a little business which brought me in a hundred thousand -francs and M. d'Artagnan two hundred thousand." - -"Oh, oh!" said Porthos, with admiration. - -"So that, monsieur le baron," continued the grocer, "I again beg you to -be kind enough to call me Planchet, as you used to do; and to speak -to me as familiarly as in old times. You cannot possibly imagine the -pleasure it would give me." - -"If that be the case, my dear Planchet, I will do so, certainly," -replied Porthos. And as he was quite close to Planchet, he raised -his hand, as if to strike him on the shoulder, in token of friendly -cordiality; but a fortunate movement of the horse made him miss his aim, -so that his hand fell on the crupper of Planchet's horse, instead; which -made the animal's legs almost give way. - -D'Artagnan burst out laughing, as he said, "Take care, Planchet; for -if Porthos begins to like you so much, he will caress you, and if he -caresses you he will knock you as flat as a pancake. Porthos is still as -strong as ever, you know." - -"Oh," said Planchet, "Mousqueton is not dead, and yet monsieur le baron -is very fond of him." - -"Certainly," said Porthos, with a sigh which made all the three horses -rear; "and I was only saying, this very morning, to D'Artagnan, how much -I regretted him. But tell me, Planchet?" - -"Thank you, monsieur le baron, thank you." - -"Good lad, good lad! How many acres of park have you got?" - -"Of park?" - -"Yes; we will reckon up the meadows presently, and the woods -afterwards." - -"Whereabouts, monsieur?" "At your chateau." - -"Oh, monsieur le baron, I have neither chateau, nor park, nor meadows, -nor woods." - -"What have you got, then?" inquired Porthos, "and why do you call it a -country-seat?" - -"I did not call it a country-seat, monsieur le baron," replied Planchet, -somewhat humiliated, "but a country-box." - -"Ah, ah! I understand. You are modest." - -"No, monsieur le baron, I speak the plain truth. I have rooms for a -couple of friends, that's all." - -"But in that case, whereabouts do your friends walk?" - -"In the first place, they can walk about the king's forest, which is -very beautiful." - -"Yes, I know the forest is very fine," said Porthos; "nearly as -beautiful as my forest at Berry." - -Planchet opened his eyes very wide. "Have you a forest of the same kind -as the forest at Fontainebleau, monsieur le baron?" he stammered out. - -"Yes; I have two, indeed, but the one at Berry is my favorite." - -"Why so?" asked Planchet. - -"Because I don't know where it ends; and, also, because it is full of -poachers." - -"How can the poachers make the forest so agreeable to you?" - -"Because they hunt my game, and I hunt them--which, in these peaceful -times, is for me a sufficiently pleasing picture of war on a small -scale." - -They had reached this turn of conversation, when Planchet, looking up, -perceived the houses at the commencement of Fontainebleau, the lofty -outlines of which stood out strongly against the misty visage of the -heavens; whilst, rising above the compact and irregularly formed mass -of buildings, the pointed roofs of the chateau were clearly visible, the -slates of which glistened beneath the light of the moon, like the scales -of an immense fish. "Gentlemen," said Planchet, "I have the honor to -inform you that we have arrived at Fontainebleau." - - - -Chapter V. Planchet's Country-House. - -The cavaliers looked up, and saw that what Planchet had announced to -them was true. Ten minutes afterwards they were in the street called the -Rue de Lyon, on the opposite side of the hostelry of the Beau Paon. -A high hedge of bushy elders, hawthorn, and wild hops formed an -impenetrable fence, behind which rose a white house, with a high tiled -roof. Two of the windows, which were quite dark, looked upon the street. -Between the two, a small door, with a porch supported by a couple of -pillars, formed the entrance to the house. The door was gained by a step -raised a little from the ground. Planchet got off his horse, as if he -intended to knock at the door; but, on second thoughts, he took hold of -his horse by the bridle, and led it about thirty paces further on, his -two companions following him. He then advanced about another thirty -paces, until he arrived at the door of a cart-house, lighted by an -iron grating; and, lifting up a wooden latch, pushed open one of the -folding-doors. He entered first, leading his horse after him by the -bridle, into a small courtyard, where an odor met them which revealed -their close vicinity to a stable. "That smells all right," said Porthos, -loudly, getting off his horse, "and I almost begin to think I am near my -own cows at Pierrefonds." - -"I have only one cow," Planchet hastened to say modestly. - -"And I have thirty," said Porthos; "or rather, I don't exactly know how -many I have." - -When the two cavaliers had entered, Planchet fastened the door behind -them. In the meantime, D'Artagnan, who had dismounted with his usual -agility, inhaled the fresh perfumed air with the delight a Parisian -feels at the sight of green fields and fresh foliage, plucked a piece -of honeysuckle with one hand, and of sweet-briar with the other. Porthos -clawed hold of some peas which were twined round poles stuck into -the ground, and ate, or rather browsed upon them, shells and all: and -Planchet was busily engaged trying to wake up an old and infirm peasant, -who was fast asleep in a shed, lying on a bed of moss, and dressed in -an old stable suit of clothes. The peasant, recognizing Planchet, called -him "the master," to the grocer's great satisfaction. "Stable the horses -well, old fellow, and you shall have something good for yourself," said -Planchet. - -"Yes, yes; fine animals they are too," said the peasant. "Oh! they shall -have as much as they like." - -"Gently, gently, my man," said D'Artagnan, "we are getting on a little -too fast. A few oats and a good bed--nothing more." - -"Some bran and water for my horse," said Porthos, "for it is very warm, -I think." - -"Don't be afraid, gentlemen," replied Planchet; "Daddy Celestin is an -old gendarme, who fought at Ivry. He knows all about horses; so come -into the house." And he led the way along a well-sheltered walk, which -crossed a kitchen-garden, then a small paddock, and came out into a -little garden behind the house, the principal front of which, as we have -already noticed, faced the street. As they approached, they could -see, through two open windows on the ground floor, which led into a -sitting-room, the interior of Planchet's residence. This room, softly -lighted by a lamp placed on the table, seemed, from the end of the -garden, like a smiling image of repose, comfort, and happiness. In every -direction where the rays of light fell, whether upon a piece of old -china, or upon an article of furniture shining from excessive neatness, -or upon the weapons hanging against the wall, the soft light was softly -reflected; and its rays seemed to linger everywhere upon something or -another, agreeable to the eye. The lamp which lighted the room, whilst -the foliage of jasmine and climbing roses hung in masses from the -window-frames, splendidly illuminated a damask table-cloth as white as -snow. The table was laid for two persons. Amber-colored wine sparkled -in a long cut-glass bottle; and a large jug of blue china, with a silver -lid, was filled with foaming cider. Near the table, in a high-backed -armchair, reclined, fast asleep, a woman of about thirty years of age, -her face the very picture of health and freshness. Upon her knees lay -a large cat, with her paws folded under her, and her eyes half-closed, -purring in that significant manner which, according to feline habits, -indicates perfect contentment. The two friends paused before the window -in complete amazement, while Planchet, perceiving their astonishment, -was in no little degree secretly delighted at it. - -"Ah! Planchet, you rascal," said D'Artagnan, "I now understand your -absences." - -"Oh, oh! there is some white linen!" said Porthos, in his turn, in a -voice of thunder. At the sound of this gigantic voice, the cat took -flight, the housekeeper woke up with a start, and Planchet, assuming -a gracious air, introduced his two companions into the room, where the -table was already laid. - -"Permit me, my dear," he said, "to present to you Monsieur le Chevalier -d'Artagnan, my patron." D'Artagnan took the lady's hand in his in the -most courteous manner, and with precisely the same chivalrous air as he -would have taken Madame's. - -"Monsieur le Baron du Vallon de Bracieux de Pierrefonds," added -Planchet. Porthos bowed with a reverence which Anne of Austria would -have approved of. - -It was then Planchet's turn, and he unhesitatingly embraced the lady -in question, not, however, until he had made a sign as if requesting -D'Artagnan's and Porthos's permission, a permission as a matter of -course frankly conceded. D'Artagnan complimented Planchet, and said, -"You are indeed a man who knows how to make life agreeable." - -"Life, monsieur," said Planchet, laughing, "is capital which a man ought -to invest as sensibly as he possibly can." - -"And you get very good interest for yours," said Porthos, with a burst -of laughter like a peal of thunder. - -Planchet turned to his housekeeper. "You have before you," he said to -her, "the two gentlemen who influenced the greatest, gayest, grandest -portion of my life. I have spoken to you about them both very -frequently." - -"And about two others as well," said the lady, with a very decided -Flemish accent. - -"Madame is Dutch?" inquired D'Artagnan. Porthos curled his mustache, a -circumstance which was not lost upon D'Artagnan, who noticed everything. - -"I am from Antwerp," said the lady. - -"And her name is Madame Getcher," said Planchet. - -"You should not call her madame," said D'Artagnan. - -"Why not?" asked Planchet. - -"Because it would make her seem older every time you call her so." - -"Well, I call her Truchen." - -"And a very pretty name too," said Porthos. - -"Truchen," said Planchet, "came to me from Flanders with her virtue and -two thousand florins. She ran away from a brute of a husband who was in -the habit of beating her. Being myself a Picard born, I was always -very fond of the Artesian women, and it is only a step from Artois to -Flanders; she came crying bitterly to her godfather, my predecessor -in the Rue des Lombards; she placed her two thousand florins in my -establishment, which I have turned to very good account, and which have -brought her in ten thousand." - -"Bravo, Planchet." - -"She is free and well off; she has a cow, a maid servant and old -Celestin at her orders; she mends my linen, knits my winter stockings; -she only sees me every fortnight, and seems to make herself in all -things tolerably happy. - -"And indeed, gentlemen, I _am_ very happy and comfortable," said -Truchen, with perfect ingenuousness. - -Porthos began to curl the other side of his mustache. "The deuce," -thought D'Artagnan, "can Porthos have any intentions in that quarter?" - -In the meantime Truchen had set her cook to work, had laid the table for -two more, and covered it with every possible delicacy that could convert -a light supper into a substantial meal, a meal into a regular feast. -Fresh butter, salt beef, anchovies, tunny, a shopful of Planchet's -commodities, fowls, vegetables, salad, fish from the pond and the -river, game from the forest--all the produce, in fact, of the province. -Moreover, Planchet returned from the cellar, laden with ten bottles of -wine, the glass of which could hardly be seen for the thick coating of -dust which covered them. Porthos's heart began to expand as he said, "I -am hungry," and he sat himself beside Madame Truchen, whom he looked at -in the most killing manner. D'Artagnan seated himself on the other side -of her, while Planchet, discreetly and full of delight, took his seat -opposite. - -"Do not trouble yourselves," he said, "if Truchen should leave the -table now and then during supper; for she will have to look after your -bedrooms." - -In fact, the housekeeper made her escape quite frequently, and they -could hear, on the first floor above them, the creaking of the wooden -bedsteads and the rolling of the castors on the floor. While this -was going on, the three men, Porthos especially, ate and drank -gloriously,--it was wonderful to see them. The ten full bottles were ten -empty ones by the time Truchen returned with the cheese. D'Artagnan -still preserved his dignity and self-possession, but Porthos had lost -a portion of his; and the mirth soon began to grow somewhat uproarious. -D'Artagnan recommended a new descent into the cellar, and, as Planchet -no longer walked with the steadiness of a well-trained foot-soldier, -the captain of the musketeers proposed to accompany him. They set off, -humming songs wild enough to frighten anybody who might be listening. -Truchen remained behind at table with Porthos. While the two -wine-bibbers were looking behind the firewood for what they wanted, a -sharp report was heard like the impact of a pair of lips on a lady's -cheek. - -"Porthos fancies himself at La Rochelle," thought D'Artagnan, as they -returned freighted with bottles. Planchet was singing so loudly that -he was incapable of noticing anything. D'Artagnan, whom nothing ever -escaped, remarked how much redder Truchen's left cheek was than her -right. Porthos was sitting on Truchen's left, and was curling with both -his hands both sides of his mustache at once, and Truchen was looking at -him with a most bewitching smile. The sparkling wine of Anjou very soon -produced a remarkable effect upon the three companions. D'Artagnan had -hardly strength enough left to take a candlestick to light Planchet up -his own staircase. Planchet was pulling Porthos along, who was following -Truchen, who was herself jovial enough. It was D'Artagnan who found out -the rooms and the beds. Porthos threw himself into the one destined for -him, after his friend had undressed him. D'Artagnan got into his own -bed, saying to himself, "_Mordioux!_ I had made up my mind never to -touch that light-colored wine, which brings my early camp days back -again. Fie! fie! if my musketeers were only to see their captain in such -a state." And drawing the curtains of his bed, he added, "Fortunately -enough, though, they will not see me." - -"The country is very amusing," said Porthos, stretching out his legs, -which passed through the wooden footboard, and made a tremendous -crash, of which, however, no one in the house was capable of taking -the slightest notice. By two o'clock in the morning every one was fast -asleep. - - - -Chapter VI. Showing What Could Be Seen from Planchet's House. - -The next morning found the three heroes sleeping soundly. Truchen had -closed the outside blinds to keep the first rays of the sun from the -leaden-lidded eyes of her guests, like a kind, good housekeeper. It -was still perfectly dark, then, beneath Porthos's curtains and under -Planchet's canopy, when D'Artagnan, awakened by an indiscreet ray of -light which made its way through a peek-hole in the shutters, jumped -hastily out of bed, as if he wished to be the first at a forlorn hope. -He took by assault Porthos's room, which was next to his own. The worthy -Porthos was sleeping with a noise like distant thunder; in the dim -obscurity of the room his gigantic frame was prominently displayed, and -his swollen fist hung down outside the bed upon the carpet. D'Artagnan -awoke Porthos, who rubbed his eyes in a tolerably good humor. In the -meantime Planchet was dressing himself, and met at their bedroom doors -his two guests, who were still somewhat unsteady from their previous -evening's entertainment. Although it was yet very early, the whole -household was already up. The cook was mercilessly slaughtering in -the poultry-yard; Celestin was gathering white cherries in the garden. -Porthos, brisk and lively as ever, held out his hand to Planchet's, and -D'Artagnan requested permission to embrace Madame Truchen. The latter, -to show that she bore no ill-will, approached Porthos, upon whom she -conferred the same favor. Porthos embraced Madame Truchen, heaving an -enormous sigh. Planchet took both his friends by the hand. - -"I am going to show you over the house," he said; "when we arrived last -night it was as dark as an oven, and we were unable to see anything; -but in broad daylight, everything looks different, and you will be -satisfied, I hope." - -"If we begin by the view you have here," said D'Artagnan, "that charms -me beyond everything; I have always lived in royal mansions, you know, -and royal personages have tolerably sound ideas upon the selection of -points of view." - -"I am a great stickler for a good view myself," said Porthos. "At my -Chateau de Pierrefonds, I have had four avenues laid out, and at the -end of each is a landscape of an altogether different character from the -others." - -"You shall see _my_ prospect," said Planchet; and he led his two guests -to a window. - -"Ah!" said D'Artagnan, "this is the Rue de Lyon." - -"Yes, I have two windows on this side, a paltry, insignificant view, -for there is always that bustling and noisy inn, which is a very -disagreeable neighbor. I had four windows here, but I bricked up two." - -"Let us go on," said D'Artagnan. - -They entered a corridor leading to the bedrooms, and Planchet pushed -open the outside blinds. - -"Hollo! what is that out yonder?" said Porthos. - -"The forest," said Planchet. "It is the horizon,--a thick line of green, -which is yellow in the spring, green in the summer, red in the autumn, -and white in the winter." - -"All very well, but it is like a curtain, which prevents one seeing a -greater distance." - -"Yes," said Planchet; "still, one can see, at all events, everything -that intervenes." - -"Ah, the open country," said Porthos. "But what is that I see out -there,--crosses and stones?" - -"Ah, that is the cemetery," exclaimed D'Artagnan. - -"Precisely," said Planchet; "I assure you it is very curious. Hardly a -day passes that some one is not buried there; for Fontainebleau is by no -means an inconsiderable place. Sometimes we see young girls clothed in -white carrying banners; at others, some of the town-council, or rich -citizens, with choristers and all the parish authorities; and then, too, -we see some of the officers of the king's household." - -"I should not like that," said Porthos. - -"There is not much amusement in it, at all events," said D'Artagnan. - -"I assure you it encourages religious thoughts," replied Planchet. - -"Oh, I don't deny that." - -"But," continued Planchet, "we must all die one day or another, and -I once met with a maxim somewhere which I have remembered, that the -thought of death is a thought that will do us all good." - -"I am far from saying the contrary," said Porthos. - -"But," objected D'Artagnan, "the thought of green fields, flowers, -rivers, blue horizons, extensive and boundless plains, is not likely to -do us good." - -"If I had any, I should be far from rejecting them," said Planchet; "but -possessing only this little cemetery, full of flowers, so moss-grown, -shady, and quiet, I am contented with it, and I think of those who live -in town, in the Rue des Lombards, for instance, and who have to listen -to the rumbling of a couple of thousand vehicles every day, and to -the soulless tramp, tramp, tramp of a hundred and fifty thousand -foot-passengers." - -"But living," said Porthos; "living, remember that." - -"That is exactly the reason," said Planchet, timidly, "why I feel it -does me good to contemplate a few dead." - -"Upon my word," said D'Artagnan, "that fellow Planchet is born a -philosopher as well as a grocer." - -"Monsieur," said Planchet, "I am one of those good-humored sort of men -whom Heaven created for the purpose of living a certain span of days, -and of considering all good they meet with during their transitory stay -on earth." - -D'Artagnan sat down close to the window, and as there seemed to be -something substantial in Planchet's philosophy, he mused over it. - -"Ah, ah!" exclaimed Planchet, "if I am not mistaken, we are going to -have a representation now, for I think I heard something like chanting." - -"Yes," said D'Artagnan, "I hear singing too." - -"Oh, it is only a burial of a very poor description," said Planchet, -disdainfully; "the officiating priest, the beadle, and only one -chorister boy, nothing more. You observe, messieurs, that the defunct -lady or gentleman could not have been of very high rank." - -"No; no one seems to be following the coffin." - -"Yes," said Porthos; "I see a man." - -"You are right; a man wrapped in a cloak," said D'Artagnan. - -"It's not worth looking at," said Planchet. - -"I find it interesting," said D'Artagnan, leaning on the window-sill. - -"Come, come, you are beginning to take a fancy to the place already," -said Planchet, delightedly; "it is exactly my own case. I was so -melancholy at first that I could do nothing but make the sign of the -cross all day, and the chants were like so many nails being driven into -my head; but now, they lull me to sleep, and no bird I have ever seen -or heard can sing better than those which are to be met with in this -cemetery." - -"Well," said Porthos, "this is beginning to get a little dull for me, -and I prefer going downstairs." - -Planchet with one bound was beside his guest, whom he offered to lead -into the garden. - -"What!" said Porthos to D'Artagnan, as he turned round, "are you going -to remain here?" - -"Yes, I will join you presently." - -"Well, M. D'Artagnan is right, after all," said Planchet: "are they -beginning to bury yet?" - -"Not yet." - -"Ah! yes, the grave-digger is waiting until the cords are fastened round -the bier. But, see, a woman has just entered the cemetery at the other -end." - -"Yes, yes, my dear Planchet," said D'Artagnan, quickly, "leave me, -leave me; I feel I am beginning already to be much comforted by my -meditations, so do not interrupt me." - -Planchet left, and D'Artagnan remained, devouring with his eager gaze -from behind the half-closed blinds what was taking place just before -him. The two bearers of the corpse had unfastened the straps by which -they carried the litter, and were letting their burden glide gently into -the open grave. At a few paces distant, the man with the cloak wrapped -round him, the only spectator of this melancholy scene, was leaning -with his back against a large cypress-tree, and kept his face and person -entirely concealed from the grave-diggers and the priests; the corpse -was buried in five minutes. The grave having been filled up, the priests -turned away, and the grave-digger having addressed a few words to them, -followed them as they moved away. The man in the mantle bowed as they -passed him, and put a piece of gold into the grave-digger's hand. - -"_Mordioux!_" murmured D'Artagnan; "it is Aramis himself." - -Aramis, in fact, remained alone, on that side at least; for hardly had -he turned his head when a woman's footsteps, and the rustling of her -dress, were heard in the path close to him. He immediately turned round, -and took off his hat with the most ceremonious respect; he led the lady -under the shelter of some walnut and lime trees, which overshadowed a -magnificent tomb. - -"Ah! who would have thought it," said D'Artagnan; "the bishop of -Vannes at a rendezvous! He is still the same Abbe Aramis as he was -at Noisy-le-Sec. Yes," he added, after a pause; "but as it is in a -cemetery, the rendezvous is sacred." But he almost laughed. - -The conversation lasted for fully half an hour. D'Artagnan could not see -the lady's face, for she kept her back turned towards him; but he saw -perfectly well, by the erect attitude of both the speakers, by their -gestures, by the measured and careful manner with which they glanced -at each other, either by way of attack or defense, that they must be -conversing about any other subject than of love. At the end of the -conversation the lady rose, and bowed profoundly to Aramis. - -"Oh, oh," said D'Artagnan; "this rendezvous finishes like one of a very -tender nature though. The cavalier kneels at the beginning, the -young lady by and by gets tamed down, and then it is she who has to -supplicate. Who is this lady? I would give anything to ascertain." - -This seemed impossible, however, for Aramis was the first to leave; -the lady carefully concealed her head and face, and then immediately -departed. D'Artagnan could hold out no longer; he ran to the window -which looked out on the Rue de Lyon, and saw Aramis entering the inn. -The lady was proceeding in quite an opposite direction, and seemed, in -fact, to be about to rejoin an equipage, consisting of two led horses -and a carriage, which he could see standing close to the borders of -the forest. She was walking slowly, her head bent down, absorbed in the -deepest meditation. - -"_Mordioux! Mordioux!_ I must and will learn who that woman is," said -the musketeer again; and then, without further deliberation, he set off -in pursuit of her. As he was going along, he tried to think how he could -possibly contrive to make her raise her veil. "She is not young," he -said, "and is a woman of high rank in society. I ought to know that -figure and peculiar style of walk." As he ran, the sound of his spurs -and of his boots upon the hard ground of the street made a strange -jingling noise; a fortunate circumstance in itself, which he was far -from reckoning upon. The noise disturbed the lady; she seemed to fancy -she was being either followed or pursued, which was indeed the case, and -turned round. D'Artagnan started as if he had received a charge of small -shot in his legs, and then turning suddenly round as if he were going -back the same way he had come, he murmured, "Madame de Chevreuse!" -D'Artagnan would not go home until he had learnt everything. He asked -Celestin to inquire of the grave-digger whose body it was they had -buried that morning. - -"A poor Franciscan mendicant friar," replied the latter, "who had not -even a dog to love him in this world, and to accompany him to his last -resting-place." - -"If that were really the case," thought D'Artagnan, "we should not -have found Aramis present at his funeral. The bishop of Vannes is not -precisely a dog as far as devotion goes: his scent, however, is quite as -keen, I admit." - - - -Chapter VII. How Porthos, Truchen, and Planchet Parted with Each Other -on Friendly Terms, Thanks to D'Artagnan. - -There was good living in Planchet's house. Porthos broke a ladder and -two cherry-trees, stripped the raspberry-bushes, and was only unable to -succeed in reaching the strawberry-beds on account, as he said, of his -belt. Truchen, who had become quite sociable with the giant, said that -it was not the belt so much as his corporation; and Porthos, in a state -of the highest delight, embraced Truchen, who gathered him a pailful of -the strawberries, and made him eat them out of her hands. D'Artagnan, -who arrived in the midst of these little innocent flirtations, scolded -Porthos for his indolence, and silently pitied Planchet. Porthos -breakfasted with a very good appetite, and when he had finished, he -said, looking at Truchen, "I could make myself very happy here." -Truchen smiled at his remark, and so did Planchet, but not without -embarrassment. - -D'Artagnan then addressed Porthos: "You must not let the delights of -Capua make you forget the real object of our journey to Fontainebleau." - -"My presentation to the king?" - -"Certainly. I am going to take a turn in the town to get everything -ready for that. Do not think of leaving the house, I beg." - -"Oh, no!" exclaimed Porthos. - -Planchet looked at D'Artagnan nervously. - -"Will you be away long?" he inquired. - -"No, my friend; and this very evening I will release you from two -troublesome guests." - -"Oh! Monsieur d'Artagnan! can you say--" - -"No, no; you are a noble-hearted fellow, but your house is very small. -Such a house, with half a dozen acres of land, would be fit for a king, -and make him very happy, too. But you were not born a great lord." - -"No more was M. Porthos," murmured Planchet. - -"But he has become so, my good fellow; his income has been a hundred -thousand francs a year for the last twenty years, and for the last fifty -years Porthos has been the owner of a couple of fists and a backbone, -which are not to be matched throughout the whole realm of France. -Porthos is a man of the very greatest consequence compared to you, -and... well, I need say no more, for I know you are an intelligent -fellow." - -"No, no, monsieur, explain what you mean." - -"Look at your orchard, how stripped it is, how empty your larder, your -bedstead broken, your cellar almost exhausted, look too... at Madame -Truchen--" - -"Oh! my goodness gracious!" said Planchet. - -"Madame Truchen is an excellent person," continued D'Artagnan, "but -keep her for yourself, do you understand?" and he slapped him on the -shoulder. - -Planchet at this moment perceived Porthos and Truchen sitting close -together in an arbor; Truchen, with a grace of manner peculiarly -Flemish, was making a pair of earrings for Porthos out of a double -cherry, while Porthos was laughing as amorously as Samson in the company -of Delilah. Planchet pressed D'Artagnan's hand, and ran towards the -arbor. We must do Porthos the justice to say that he did not move as -they approached, and, very likely, he did not think he was doing any -harm. Nor indeed did Truchen move either, which rather put Planchet out; -but he, too, had been so accustomed to see fashionable folk in his shop, -that he found no difficulty in putting a good countenance on what seemed -disagreeable or rude. Planchet seized Porthos by the arm, and proposed -to go and look at the horses, but Porthos pretended he was tired. -Planchet then suggested that the Baron du Vallon should taste some -noyeau of his own manufacture, which was not to be equaled anywhere; an -offer the baron immediately accepted; and, in this way, Planchet managed -to engage his enemy's attention during the whole of the day, by dint of -sacrificing his cellar, in preference to his _amour propre_. Two hours -afterwards D'Artagnan returned. - -"Everything is arranged," he said; "I saw his majesty at the very moment -he was setting off for the chase; the king expects us this evening." - -"The king expects _me!_" cried Porthos, drawing himself up. It is a sad -thing to have to confess, but a man's heart is like an ocean billow; -for, from that very moment Porthos ceased to look at Madame Truchen -in that touching manner which had so softened her heart. Planchet -encouraged these ambitious leanings as best as he could. He talked over, -or rather gave exaggerated accounts of all the splendors of the last -reign, its battles, sieges, and grand court ceremonies. He spoke of the -luxurious display which the English made; the prizes the three brave -companions carried off; and how D'Artagnan, who at the beginning had -been the humblest of the four, finished by becoming the leader. He fired -Porthos with a generous feeling of enthusiasm by reminding him of his -early youth now passed away; he boasted as much as he could of the moral -life this great lord had led, and how religiously he respected the ties -of friendship; he was eloquent, and skillful in his choice of subjects. -He tickled Porthos, frightened Truchen, and made D'Artagnan think. At -six o'clock, the musketeer ordered the horses to be brought round, and -told Porthos to get ready. He thanked Planchet for his kind hospitality, -whispered a few words about a post he might succeed in obtaining for -him at court, which immediately raised Planchet in Truchen's estimation, -where the poor grocer--so good, so generous, so devoted--had become much -lowered ever since the appearance and comparison with him of the two -great gentlemen. Such, however, is a woman's nature; they are anxious -to possess what they have not got, and disdain it as soon as it is -acquired. After having rendered this service to his friend Planchet, -D'Artagnan said in a low tone of voice to Porthos: "That is a very -beautiful ring you have on your finger." - -"It is worth three hundred pistoles," said Porthos. - -"Madame Truchen will remember you better if you leave her that ring," -replied D'Artagnan, a suggestion which Porthos seemed to hesitate to -adopt. - -"You think it is not beautiful enough, perhaps," said the musketeer. "I -understand your feelings; a great lord such as you would not think of -accepting the hospitality of an old servant without paying him most -handsomely for it: but I am sure that Planchet is too good-hearted a -fellow to remember that you have an income of a hundred thousand francs -a year." - -"I have more than half a mind," said Porthos, flattered by the remark, -"to make Madame Truchen a present of my little farm at Bracieux; it has -twelve acres." - -"It is too much, my good Porthos, too much just at present... Keep it -for a future occasion." He then took the ring off Porthos's finger, and -approaching Truchen, said to her:--"Madame, monsieur le baron hardly -knows how to entreat you, out of your regard for him, to accept this -little ring. M. du Vallon is one of the most generous and discreet -men of my acquaintance. He wished to offer you a farm that he has at -Bracieux, but I dissuaded him from it." - -"Oh!" said Truchen, looking eagerly at the diamond. - -"Monsieur le baron!" exclaimed Planchet, quite overcome. - -"My good friend," stammered out Porthos, delighted at having been so -well represented by D'Artagnan. These several exclamations, uttered at -the same moment, made quite a pathetic winding-up of a day which might -have finished in a very ridiculous manner. But D'Artagnan was there, -and, on every occasion, wheresoever D'Artagnan exercised any control, -matters ended only just in the very way he wished and willed. There were -general embracings; Truchen, whom the baron's munificence had restored -to her proper position, very timidly, and blushing all the while, -presented her forehead to the great lord with whom she had been on such -very pretty terms the evening before. Planchet himself was overcome by -a feeling of genuine humility. Still, in the same generosity of -disposition, Porthos would have emptied his pockets into the hands of -the cook and of Celestin; but D'Artagnan stopped him. - -"No," he said, "it is now my turn." And he gave one pistole to the woman -and two to the man; and the benedictions which were showered down -upon them would have rejoiced the heart of Harpagon himself, and have -rendered even him a prodigal. - -D'Artagnan made Planchet lead them to the chateau, and introduced -Porthos into his own apartment, where he arrived safely without having -been perceived by those he was afraid of meeting. - - - -Chapter VIII. The Presentation of Porthos at Court. - -At seven o'clock the same evening, the king gave an audience to an -ambassador from the United Provinces, in the grand reception-room. The -audience lasted a quarter of an hour. His majesty afterwards received -those who had been recently presented, together with a few ladies, who -paid their respects first. In one corner of the salon, concealed behind -a column, Porthos and D'Artagnan were conversing together, waiting until -their turn arrived. - -"Have you heard the news?" inquired the musketeer of his friend. - -"No!" - -"Well, look, then." Porthos raised himself on tiptoe, and saw M. Fouquet -in full court dress, leading Aramis towards the king. - -"Aramis!" said Porthos. - -"Presented to the king by M. Fouquet." - -"Ah!" ejaculated Porthos. - -"For having fortified Belle-Isle," continued D'Artagnan. - -"And I?" - -"You--oh, you! as I have already had the honor of telling you, are the -good-natured, kind-hearted Porthos; and so they begged you to take care -of Saint-Mande a little." - -"Ah!" repeated Porthos. - -"But, happily, I was there," said D'Artagnan, "and presently it will be -_my_ turn." - -At this moment Fouquet addressed the king. - -"Sire," he said, "I have a favor to solicit of your majesty. M. -d'Herblay is not ambitious, but he knows when he can be of service. Your -majesty needs a representative at Rome, who would be able to exercise -a powerful influence there; may I request a cardinal's hat for M. -d'Herblay?" The king started. "I do not often solicit anything of your -majesty," said Fouquet. - -"That is a reason, certainly," replied the king, who always expressed -any hesitation he might have in that manner, and to which remark there -was nothing to say in reply. - -Fouquet and Aramis looked at each other. The king resumed: "M. d'Herblay -can serve us equally well in France; an archbishopric, for instance." - -"Sire," objected Fouquet, with a grace of manner peculiarly his own, -"your majesty overwhelms M. d'Herblay; the archbishopric may, in your -majesty's extreme kindness, be conferred in addition to the hat; the one -does not exclude the other." - -The king admired the readiness which he displayed, and smiled, saying: -"D'Artagnan himself could not have answered better." He had no sooner -pronounced the name than D'Artagnan appeared. - -"Did your majesty call me?" he said. - -Aramis and Fouquet drew back a step, as if they were about to retire. - -"Will your majesty allow me," said D'Artagnan quickly, as he led forward -Porthos, "to present to your majesty M. le Baron du Vallon, one of the -bravest gentlemen of France?" - -As soon as Aramis saw Porthos, he turned as pale as death, while Fouquet -clenched his hands under his ruffles. D'Artagnan smiled blandly at -both of them, while Porthos bowed, visibly overcome before the royal -presence. - -"Porthos here?" murmured Fouquet in Aramis's ear. - -"Hush! deep treachery at work," hissed the latter. - -"Sire," said D'Artagnan, "it is more than six years ago I ought to have -presented M. du Vallon to your majesty; but certain men resemble stars, -they move not one inch unless their satellites accompany them. The -Pleiades are never disunited, and that is the reason I have selected, -for the purpose of presenting him to you, the very moment when you would -see M. d'Herblay by his side." - -Aramis almost lost countenance. He looked at D'Artagnan with a proud, -haughty air, as though willing to accept the defiance the latter seemed -to throw down. - -"Ah! these gentlemen are good friends, then?" said the king. - -"Excellent friends, sire; the one can answer for the other. Ask M. de -Vannes now in what manner Belle-Isle was fortified?" Fouquet moved back -a step. - -"Belle-Isle," said Aramis, coldly, "was fortified by that gentleman," -and he indicated Porthos with his hand, who bowed a second time. -Louis could not withhold his admiration, though at the same time his -suspicions were aroused. - -"Yes," said D'Artagnan, "but ask monsieur le baron whose assistance he -had in carrying the works out?" - -"Aramis's," said Porthos, frankly; and he pointed to the bishop. - -"What the deuce does all this mean?" thought the bishop, "and what sort -of a termination are we to expect to this comedy?" - -"What!" exclaimed the king, "is the cardinal's, I mean this bishop's, -name _Aramis?_" - -"His _nom de guerre_," said D'Artagnan. - -"My nickname," said Aramis. - -"A truce to modesty!" exclaimed D'Artagnan; "beneath the priest's robe, -sire, is concealed the most brilliant officer, a gentleman of the most -unparalleled intrepidity, and the wisest theologian in your kingdom." - -Louis raised his head. "And an engineer, also, it appears," he said, -admiring Aramis's calm, imperturbable self-possession. - -"An engineer for a particular purpose, sire," said the latter. - -"My companion in the musketeers, sire," said D'Artagnan, with great -warmth of manner, "the man who has more than a hundred times aided your -father's ministers by his advice--M. d'Herblay, in a word, who, with -M. du Vallon, myself, and M. le Comte de la Fere, who is known to your -majesty, formed that quartette which was a good deal talked about during -the late king's reign, and during your majesty's minority." - -"And who fortified Belle-Isle?" the king repeated, in a significant -tone. - -Aramis advanced and bowed: "In order to serve the son as I served the -father." - -D'Artagnan looked very narrowly at Aramis while he uttered these words, -which displayed so much true respect, so much warm devotion, such entire -frankness and sincerity, that even he, D'Artagnan, the eternal doubter, -he, the almost infallible in judgment, was deceived by it. "A man who -lies cannot speak in such a tone as that," he said. - -Louis was overcome by it. "In that case," he said to Fouquet, who -anxiously awaited the result of this proof, "the cardinal's hat is -promised. Monsieur d'Herblay, I pledge you my honor that the first -promotion shall be yours. Thank M. Fouquet for it." Colbert overheard -these words; they stung him to the quick, and he left the salon -abruptly. "And you, Monsieur du Vallon," said the king, "what have you -to ask? I am truly pleased to have it in my power to acknowledge the -services of those who were faithful to my father." - -"Sire--" began Porthos, but he was unable to proceed with what he was -going to say. - -"Sire," exclaimed D'Artagnan, "this worthy gentleman is utterly -overpowered by your majesty's presence, he who so valiantly sustained -the looks and the fire of a thousand foes. But, knowing what his -thoughts are, I--who am more accustomed to gaze upon the sun--can -translate them: he needs nothing, absolutely nothing; his sole desire -is to have the happiness of gazing upon your majesty for a quarter of an -hour." - -"You shall sup with me this evening," said the king, saluting Porthos -with a gracious smile. - -Porthos became crimson from delight and pride. The king dismissed him, -and D'Artagnan pushed him into the adjoining apartment, after he had -embraced him warmly. - -"Sit next to me at table," said Porthos in his ear. - -"Yes, my friend." - -"Aramis is annoyed with me, I think." - -"Aramis has never liked you so much as he does now. Fancy, it was I who -was the means of his getting the cardinal's hat." - -"Of course," said Porthos. "By the by, does the king like his guests to -eat much at his table?" - -"It is a compliment to himself if you do," said D'Artagnan, "for he -himself possesses a royal appetite." - - - -Chapter IX. Explanations. - -Aramis cleverly managed to effect a diversion for the purpose of finding -D'Artagnan and Porthos. He came up to the latter, behind one of the -columns, and, as he pressed his hand, said, "So you have escaped from my -prison?" - -"Do not scold him," said D'Artagnan; "it was I, dear Aramis, who set him -free." - -"Ah! my friend," replied Aramis, looking at Porthos, "could you not have -waited with a little more patience?" - -D'Artagnan came to the assistance of Porthos, who already began to -breathe hard, in sore perplexity. - -"You see, you members of the Church are great politicians; we mere -soldiers come at once to the point. The facts are these: I went to pay -Baisemeaux a visit--" - -Aramis pricked up his ears at this announcement. - -"Stay!" said Porthos; "you make me remember that I have a letter from -Baisemeaux for you, Aramis." And Porthos held out the bishop the letter -we have already seen. Aramis begged to be allowed to read it, and read -it without D'Artagnan feeling in the slightest degree embarrassed by -the circumstance that he was so well acquainted with the contents of it. -Besides, Aramis's face was so impenetrable, that D'Artagnan could not -but admire him more than ever; after he had read it, he put the letter -into his pocket with the calmest possible air. - -"You were saying, captain?" he observed. - -"I was saying," continued the musketeer, "that I had gone to pay -Baisemeaux a visit on his majesty's service." - -"On his majesty's service?" said Aramis. - -"Yes," said D'Artagnan, "and, naturally enough, we talked about you and -our friends. I must say that Baisemeaux received me coldly; so I soon -took my leave of him. As I was returning, a soldier accosted me, and -said (no doubt as he recognized me, notwithstanding I was in private -clothes), 'Captain, will you be good enough to read me the name written -on this envelope?' and I read, 'To Monsieur du Vallon, at M. Fouquet's -house, Saint-Mande.' The deuce, I said to myself, Porthos has not -returned, then, as I fancied, to Bell-Isle, or to Pierrefonds, but is -at M. Fouquet's house, at Saint-Mande; and as M. Fouquet is not at -Saint-Mande, Porthos must be quite alone, or, at all events, with -Aramis; I will go and see Porthos, and I accordingly went to see -Porthos." - -"Very good," said Aramis, thoughtfully. - -"You never told me that," said Porthos. - -"I had no time, my friend." - -"And you brought back Porthos with you to Fontainebleau?" - -"Yes, to Planchet's house." - -"Does Planchet live at Fontainebleau?" inquired Aramis. - -"Yes, near the cemetery," said Porthos, thoughtlessly. - -"What do you mean by 'near the cemetery?'" said Aramis, suspiciously. - -"Come," thought the musketeer, "since there is to be a squabble, let us -take advantage of it." - -"Yes, the cemetery," said Porthos. "Planchet is a very excellent fellow, -who makes very excellent preserves; but his house has windows which look -out upon the cemetery. And a confoundedly melancholy prospect it is! So -this morning--" - -"This morning?" said Aramis, more and more excited. - -D'Artagnan turned his back to them, and walked to the window, where he -began to play a march upon one of the panes of glass. - -"Yes, this morning we saw a man buried there." - -"Ah!" - -"Very depressing, was it not? I should never be able to live in a house -where burials can always be seen from the window. D'Artagnan, on the -contrary, seems to like it very much." - -"So D'Artagnan saw it as well?" - -"Not simply _saw_ it; he literally never took his eyes off the whole -time." - -Aramis started, and turned to look at the musketeer, but the latter was -engaged in earnest conversation with Saint-Aignan. Aramis continued to -question Porthos, and when he had squeezed all the juice out of this -enormous lemon, he threw the peel aside. He turned towards his friend -D'Artagnan, and clapping him on the shoulder, when Saint-Aignan had left -him, the king's supper having been announced, said, "D'Artagnan." - -"Yes, my dear fellow," he replied. - -"We do not sup with his majesty, I believe?" - -"Well?--_we_ do." - -"Can you give me ten minutes' conversation?" - -"Twenty, if you like. His majesty will take quite that time to get -properly seated at table." - -"Where shall we talk, then?" - -"Here, upon these seats if you like; the king has left, we can sit down, -and the apartment is empty." - -"Let us sit down, then." - -They sat down, and Aramis took one of D'Artagnan's hands in his. - -"Tell me, candidly, my dear friend, whether you have not counseled -Porthos to distrust me a little?" - -"I admit, I have, but not as you understand it. I saw that Porthos was -bored to death, and I wished, by presenting him to the king, to do for -him, and for you, what you would never do for yourselves." - -"What is that?" - -"Speak in your own praise." - -"And you have done it most nobly; I thank you." - -"And I brought the cardinal's hat a little nearer, just as it seemed to -be retreating from you." - -"Ah! I admit that," said Aramis, with a singular smile, "you are, -indeed, not to be matched for making your friends' fortunes for them." - -"You see, then, that I only acted with the view of making Porthos's -fortune for him." - -"I meant to have done that myself; but your arm reaches farther than -ours." - -It was now D'Artagnan's turn to smile. - -"Come," said Aramis, "we ought to deal truthfully with each other. Do -you still love me, D'Artagnan?" - -"The same as I used to do," replied D'Artagnan, without compromising -himself too much by this reply. - -"In that case, thanks; and now, for the most perfect frankness," said -Aramis; "you visited Belle-Isle on behalf of the king?" - -"_Pardieu!_" - -"You wished to deprive us of the pleasure of offering Bell-Isle -completely fortified to the king." - -"But before I could deprive you of that pleasure, I ought to have been -made acquainted with your intention of doing so." - -"You came to Belle-Isle without knowing anything?" - -"Of you! yes. How the devil could I imagine that Aramis had become -so clever an engineer as to be able to fortify like Polybius, or -Archimedes?" - -"True. And yet you smelt me out over yonder?" - -"Oh! yes." - -"And Porthos, too?" - -"I did not divine that Aramis was an engineer. I was only able to guess -that Porthos might have become one. There is a saying, one becomes an -orator, one is born a poet; but it has never been said, one is born -Porthos, and one becomes an engineer." - -"Your wit is always amusing," said Aramis, coldly. - -"Well, I will go on." - -"Do. When you found out our secret, you made all the haste you could to -communicate it to the king." - -"I certainly made as much haste as I could, since I saw that you were -making still more. When a man weighing two hundred and fifty pounds, as -Porthos does, rides post; when a gouty prelate--I beg your pardon, but -you yourself told me you were so--when a prelate scours the highway--I -naturally suppose that my two friends, who did not wish to be -communicative with me, had certain matters of the highest importance -to conceal from me, and so I made as much haste as my leanness and the -absence of gout would allow." - -"Did it not occur to you, my dear friend, that you might be rendering -Porthos and myself a very sad service?" - -"Yes, I thought it not unlikely; but you and Porthos made me play a very -ridiculous part at Belle-Isle." - -"I beg your pardon," said Aramis. - -"Excuse me," said D'Artagnan. - -"So that," pursued Aramis, "you now know everything?" - -"No, indeed." - -"You know I was obliged to inform M. Fouquet of what had happened, in -order that he would be able to anticipate what you might have to tell -the king?" - -"That is rather obscure." - -"Not at all: M. Fouquet has his enemies--you will admit that, I -suppose." - -"Certainly." - -"And one in particular." - -"A dangerous one?" - -"A mortal enemy. Well, in order to counteract that man's influence, it -was necessary that M. Fouquet should give the king a proof of his great -devotion to him, and of his readiness to make the greatest sacrifices. -He surprised his majesty by offering him Belle-Isle. If you had been the -first to reach Paris, the surprise would have been destroyed, it would -have looked as if we had yielded to fear." - -"I understand." - -"That is the whole mystery," said Aramis, satisfied that he had at last -quite convinced the musketeer. - -"Only," said the latter, "it would have been more simple to have -taken me aside, and said to me, 'My dear D'Artagnan, we are fortifying -Belle-Isle, and intend to offer it to the king. Tell us frankly, for -whom you are acting. Are you a friend of M. Colbert, or of M. Fouquet?' -Perhaps I should not have answered you, but you would have added,--'Are -you my friend?' I should have said 'Yes.'" Aramis hung down his head. -"In this way," continued D'Artagnan, "you would have paralyzed my -movements, and I should have gone to the king, and said, 'Sire, M. -Fouquet is fortifying Belle-Isle, and exceedingly well, too; but here is -a note, which the governor of Belle-Isle gave me for your majesty;' or, -'M. Fouquet is about to wait upon your majesty to explain his intentions -with regard to it.' I should not have been placed in an absurd position; -you would have enjoyed the surprise so long planned, and we should not -have had any occasion to look askant at each other when we met." - -"While, on the contrary," replied Aramis, "you have acted altogether -as one friendly to M. Colbert. And you really are a friend of his, I -suppose?" - -"Certainly not, indeed!" exclaimed the captain. "M. Colbert is a mean -fellow, and I hate him as I used to hate Mazarin, but without fearing -him." - -"Well, then," said Aramis, "I love M. Fouquet, and his interests are -mine. You know my position. I have no property or means whatever. M. -Fouquet gave me several livings, a bishopric as well; M. Fouquet has -served and obliged me like the generous-hearted man he is, and I know -the world sufficiently well to appreciate a kindness when I meet with -one. M. Fouquet has won my regard, and I have devoted myself to his -service." - -"You could not possibly do better. You will find him a very liberal -master." - -Aramis bit his lips; and then said, "The best a man could possibly -have." He then paused for a minute, D'Artagnan taking good care not to -interrupt him. - -"I suppose you know how Porthos got mixed up in all this?" - -"No," said D'Artagnan; "I am curious, of course, but I never question a -friend when he wishes to keep a secret from me." - -"Well, then, I will tell you." - -"It is hardly worth the trouble, if the confidence is to bind me in any -way." - -"Oh! do not be afraid.; there is no man whom I love better than -Porthos, because he is so simple-minded and good-natured. Porthos is -so straightforward in everything. Since I have become a bishop, I have -looked for these primeval natures, which make me love truth and hate -intrigue." - -D'Artagnan stroked his mustache, but said nothing. - -"I saw Porthos and again cultivated his acquaintance; his own time -hanging idly on his hands, his presence recalled my earlier and better -days without engaging me in any present evil. I sent for Porthos to come -to Vannes. M. Fouquet, whose regard for me is very great, having -learnt that Porthos and I were attached to each other by old ties of -friendship, promised him increase of rank at the earliest promotion, and -that is the whole secret." - -"I shall not abuse your confidence," said D'Artagnan. - -"I am sure of that, my dear friend; no one has a finer sense of honor -than yourself." - -"I flatter myself that you are right, Aramis." - -"And now"--and here the prelate looked searchingly and scrutinizingly -at his friend--"now let us talk of ourselves and for ourselves; will you -become one of M. Fouquet's friends? Do not interrupt me until you know -what that means." - -"Well, I am listening." - -"Will you become a marechal of France, peer, duke, and the possessor of -a duchy, with a million of francs?" - -"But, my friend," replied D'Artagnan, "what must one do to get all -that?" - -"Belong to M. Fouquet." - -"But I already belong to the king." - -"Not exclusively, I suppose." - -"Oh! a D'Artagnan cannot be divided." - -"You have, I presume, ambitions, as noble hearts like yours have." - -"Yes, certainly I have." - -"Well?" - -"Well! I wish to be a marechal; the king will make me marechal, duke, -peer; the king will make me all that." - -Aramis fixed a searching look upon D'Artagnan. - -"Is not the king master?" said D'Artagnan. - -"No one disputes it; but Louis XIII. was master also." - -"Oh! my dear friend, between Richelieu and Louis XIII. stood no -D'Artagnan," said the musketeer, very quietly. - -"There are many stumbling-blocks round the king," said Aramis. - -"Not for the king's feet." - -"Very likely not; still--" - -"One moment, Aramis; I observe that every one thinks of himself, and -never of his poor prince; I will maintain myself maintaining him." - -"And if you meet with ingratitude?" - -"The weak alone are afraid of that." - -"You are quite certain of yourself?" - -"I think so." - -"Still, the king may some day have no further need for you!" - -"On the contrary, I think his need of me will soon be greater than ever; -and hearken, my dear fellow, if it became necessary to arrest a new -Conde, who would do it? This--this alone in France!" and D'Artagnan -struck his sword, which clanked sullenly on the tesselated floor. - -"You are right," said Aramis, turning very pale; and then he rose and -pressed D'Artagnan's hand. - -"That is the last summons for supper," said the captain of the -musketeers; "will you excuse me?" - -Aramis threw his arm round the musketeer's neck, and said, "A -friend like you is the brightest jewel in the royal crown." And they -immediately separated. - -"I was right," mused D'Artagnan; "there is, indeed, something strangely -serious stirring." - -"We must hasten the explosion," breathed the coming cardinal, "for -D'Artagnan has discovered the existence of a plot." - - - -Chapter X. Madame and De Guiche. - -It will not be forgotten how Comte de Guiche left the queen-mother's -apartments on the day when Louis XIV. presented La Valliere with the -beautiful bracelets he had won in the lottery. The comte walked to and -fro for some time outside the palace, in the greatest distress, from -a thousand suspicions and anxieties with which his mind was beset. -Presently he stopped and waited on the terrace opposite the grove of -trees, watching for Madame's departure. More than half an hour passed -away; and as he was at that moment quite alone, the comte could hardly -have had any very diverting ideas at his command. He drew his tables -from his pocket, and, after hesitating over and over again, determined -to write these words:--"Madame, I implore you to grant me one moment's -conversation. Do not be alarmed at this request, which contains nothing -in any way opposed to the profound respect with which I subscribe -myself, etc., etc." He had signed and folded this singular love-letter, -when he suddenly observed several ladies leaving the chateau, and -afterwards several courtiers too; in fact, almost every one that formed -the queen's circle. He saw La Valliere herself, then Montalais talking -with Malicorne; he watched the departure of the very last of the -numerous guests that had a short time before thronged the queen-mother's -cabinet. - -Madame herself had not yet passed; she would be obliged, however, to -cross the courtyard in order to enter her own apartments; and, from the -terrace where he was standing, De Guiche could see all that was going on -in the courtyard. At last he saw Madame leave, attended by a couple -of pages, who were carrying torches before her. She was walking very -quickly; as soon as she reached the door, she said: - -"Let some one go and look for De Guiche: he has to render an account -of a mission he had to discharge for me; if he should be disengaged, -request him to be good enough to come to my apartment." - -De Guiche remained silent, hidden in the shade; but as soon as Madame -had withdrawn, he darted from the terrace down the steps and assumed a -most indifferent air, so that the pages who were hurrying towards his -rooms might meet him. - -"Ah! it is Madame, then, who is seeking me!" he said to himself, quite -overcome; and he crushed in his hand the now worse than useless letter. - -"M. le comte," said one of the pages, approaching him, "we are indeed -most fortunate in meeting you." - -"Why so, messieurs?" - -"A command from Madame." - -"From Madame!" said De Guiche, looking surprised. - -"Yes, M. le comte, her royal highness has been asking for you; she -expects to hear, she told us, the result of a commission you had to -execute for her. Are you at liberty?" - -"I am quite at her royal highness's orders." - -"Will you have the goodness to follow us, then?" - -When De Guiche entered the princess's apartments, he found her pale and -agitated. Montalais was standing at the door, evidently uneasy about -what was passing in her mistress's mind. De Guiche appeared. - -"Ah! is that you, Monsieur de Guiche?" said Madame; "come in, I beg. -Mademoiselle de Montalais, I do not require your attendance any longer." - -Montalais, more puzzled than ever, courtesied and withdrew. De Guiche -and the princess were left alone. The comte had every advantage in his -favor; it was Madame who had summoned him to a rendezvous. But how was -it possible for the comte to make use of this advantage? Madame was so -whimsical, and her disposition so changeable. She soon allowed this to -be perceived, for, suddenly, opening the conversation, she said: "Well! -have you nothing to say to me?" - -He imagined she must have guessed his thoughts; he fancied (for those -who are in love are thus constituted, being as credulous and blind as -poets or prophets), he fancied she knew how ardent was his desire to see -her, and also the subject uppermost in his mind. - -"Yes, Madame," he said, "and I think it very singular." - -"The affair of the bracelets," she exclaimed, eagerly, "you mean that, I -suppose?" - -"Yes, Madame." - -"And you think the king is in love; do you not?" - -Guiche looked at her for some time; her eyes sank under his gaze, which -seemed to read her very heart. - -"I think," he said, "that the king may possibly have had an idea of -annoying some one; were it not for that, the king would hardly show -himself so earnest in his attentions as he is; he would not run the risk -of compromising, from mere thoughtlessness of disposition, a young girl -against whom no one has been hitherto able to say a word." - -"Indeed! the bold, shameless girl," said the princess, haughtily. - -"I can positively assure your royal highness," said De Guiche, with a -firmness marked by great respect, "that Mademoiselle de la Valliere -is beloved by a man who merits every respect, for he is a brave and -honorable gentleman." - -"Bragelonne?" - -"My friend; yes, Madame." - -"Well, and though he is your friend, what does that matter to the king?" - -"The king knows that Bragelonne is affianced to Mademoiselle de la -Valliere; and as Raoul has served the king most valiantly, the king will -not inflict an irreparable injury upon him." - -Madame began to laugh in a manner that produced a sinister impression -upon De Guiche. - -"I repeat, Madame, I do not believe the king is in love with -Mademoiselle de la Valliere; and the proof that I do not believe it is, -that I was about to ask you whose _amour propre_ it is likely the king -is desirous of wounding? You, who are well acquainted with the whole -court, can perhaps assist me in ascertaining that; and assuredly, with -greater certainty, since it is everywhere said that your royal highness -is on very friendly terms with the king." - -Madame bit her lips, and, unable to assign any good and sufficient -reasons, changed the conversation. "Prove to me," she said, fixing on -him one of those looks in which the whole soul seems to pass into the -eyes, "prove to me, I say, that you intended to interrogate me at the -very moment I sent for you." - -De Guiche gravely drew from his pocket the now crumpled note that he had -written, and showed it to her. - -"Sympathy," she said. - -"Yes," said the comte, with an indescribable tenderness of tone, -"sympathy. I have explained to you how and why I sought you; you, -however, have yet to tell me, Madame, why you sent for me." - -"True," replied the princess. She hesitated, and then suddenly -exclaimed, "Those bracelets will drive me mad." - -"You expected the king would offer them to you," replied De Guiche. - -"Why not?" - -"But before you, Madame, before you, his sister-in-law, was there not -the queen herself to whom the king should have offered them?" - -"Before La Valliere," cried the princess, wounded to the quick, "could -he not have presented them to me? Was there not the whole court, indeed, -to choose from?" - -"I assure you, Madame," said the comte, respectfully, "that if any one -heard you speak in this manner, if any one were to see how red your eyes -are, and, Heaven forgive me, to see, too, that tear trembling on your -eyelids, it would be said that your royal highness was jealous." - -"Jealous!" said the princess, haughtily, "jealous of La Valliere!" - -She expected to see De Guiche yield beneath her scornful gesture and her -proud tone; but he simply and boldly replied, "Jealous of La Valliere; -yes, Madame." - -"Am I to suppose, monsieur," she stammered out, "that your object is to -insult me?" - -"It is not possible, Madame," replied the comte, slightly agitated, but -resolved to master that fiery nature. - -"Leave the room!" said the princess, thoroughly exasperated, De Guiche's -coolness and silent respect having made her completely lose her temper. - -De Guiche fell back a step, bowed slowly, but with great respect, drew -himself up, looking as white as his lace cuffs, and, in a voice slightly -trembling, said, "It was hardly worth while to have hurried here to be -subjected to this unmerited disgrace." And he turned away with hasty -steps. - -He had scarcely gone half a dozen paces when Madame darted like a -tigress after him, seized him by the cuff, and making him turn round -again, said, trembling with passion as she did so, "The respect you -pretend to have is more insulting than the insult itself. Insult me, if -you please, but at least speak." - -"Madame," said the comte, gently, as he drew his sword, "thrust this -blade into my heart, rather than kill me by degrees." - -At the look he fixed upon her,--a look full of love, resolution, and -despair, even,--she knew how readily the comte, so outwardly calm in -appearance, would pass his sword through his own breast if she added -another word. She tore the blade from his hands, and, pressing his arm -with a feverish impatience, which might pass for tenderness, said, "Do -not be too hard upon me, comte. You see how I am suffering, and yet you -have no pity for me." - -Tears, the cries of this strange attack, stifled her voice. As soon as -De Guiche saw her weep, he took her in his arms and carried her to an -armchair; in another moment she would have been suffocated. - -"Oh, why," he murmured, as he knelt by her side, "why do you conceal -your troubles from me? Do you love any one--tell me? It would kill me, -I know, but not until I should have comforted, consoled, and served you -even." - -"And do you love me to that extent?" she replied, completely conquered. - -"I do indeed love you to that extent, Madame." - -She placed both her hands in his. "My heart is indeed another's," she -murmured in so low a tone that her voice could hardly be heard; but he -heard it, and said, "Is it the king you love?" - -She gently shook her head, and her smile was like a clear bright streak -in the clouds, through which after the tempest has passed one almost -fancies Paradise is opening. "But," she added, "there are other passions -in a high-born heart. Love is poetry; but the real life of the heart is -pride. Comte, I was born on a throne, I am proud and jealous of my rank. -Why does the king gather such unworthy objects round him?" - -"Once more, I repeat," said the comte, "you are acting unjustly towards -that poor girl, who will one day be my friend's wife." - -"Are you simple enough to believe that, comte?" - -"If I did not believe it," he said, turning very pale, "Bragelonne -should be informed of it to-morrow; indeed he should, if I thought that -poor La Valliere had forgotten the vows she had exchanged with Raoul. -But no, it would be cowardly to betray a woman's secret; it would be -criminal to disturb a friend's peace of mind." - -"You think, then," said the princess, with a wild burst of laughter, -"that ignorance is happiness?" - -"I believe it," he replied. - -"Prove it to me, then," she said, hurriedly. - -"It is easily done, Madame. It is reported through the whole court that -the king loves you, and that you return his affection." - -"Well?" she said, breathing with difficulty. - -"Well; admit for a moment that Raoul, my friend, had come and said to -me, 'Yes, the king loves Madame, and has made an impression upon her -heart,' I possibly should have slain Raoul." - -"It would have been necessary," said the princess, with the obstinacy of -a woman who feels herself not easily overcome, "for M. de Bragelonne to -have had proofs before he ventured to speak to you in that manner." - -"Such, however, is the case," replied De Guiche, with a deep sigh, -"that, not having been warned, I have never examined into the matter -seriously; and I now find that my ignorance has saved my life." - -"So, then, you drive selfishness and coldness to that extent," said -Madame, "that you would let this unhappy young man continue to love La -Valliere?" - -"I would, until La Valliere's guilt were revealed." - -"But the bracelets?" - -"Well, Madame, since you yourself expected to receive them from the -king, what can I possibly say?" - -The argument was a telling one, and the princess was overwhelmed by it, -and from that moment her defeat was assured. But as her heart and -mind were instinct with noble and generous feelings, she understood De -Guiche's extreme delicacy. She saw that in his heart he really suspected -that the king was in love with La Valliere, and that he did not wish -to resort to the common expedient of ruining a rival in the mind of -a woman, by giving the latter the assurance and certainty that this -rival's affections were transferred to another woman. She guessed that -his suspicions of La Valliere were aroused, and that, in order to leave -himself time for his convictions to undergo a change, so as not to ruin -Louise utterly, he was determined to pursue a certain straightforward -line of conduct. She could read so much real greatness of character, and -such true generosity of disposition in her lover, that her heart really -warmed with affection towards him, whose passion for her was so pure and -delicate. Despite his fear of incurring her displeasure, De Guiche, by -retaining his position as a man of proud independence of feeling and -deep devotion, became almost a hero in her estimation, and reduced her -to the state of a jealous and little-minded woman. She loved him for -this so tenderly, that she could not refuse to give him a proof of her -affection. - -"See how many words we have wasted," she said, taking his hand, -"suspicions, anxieties, mistrust, sufferings--I think we have enumerated -all those words." - -"Alas! Madame, yes." - -"Efface them from your heart as I drive them from mine. Whether La -Valliere does or does not love the king, and whether the king does -or does not love La Valliere--from this moment you and I will draw a -distinction in the two characters I have to perform. You open your eyes -so wide that I am sure you hardly understand me." - -"You are so impetuous, Madame, that I always tremble at the fear of -displeasing you." - -"And see how he trembles now, poor fellow," she said, with the most -charming playfulness of manner. "Yes, monsieur, I have two characters -to perform. I am the sister of the king, the sister-in-law of the -king's wife. In this character ought I not to take an interest in these -domestic intrigues? Come, tell me what you think?" - -"As little as possible, Madame." - -"Agreed, monsieur; but it is a question of dignity; and then, you -know, I am the wife of the king's brother." De Guiche sighed. "A -circumstance," she added, with an expression of great tenderness, "which -will remind you that I am always to be treated with the profoundest -respect." De Guiche fell at her feet, which he kissed, with the -religious fervor of a worshipper. "And I begin to think that, really and -truly, I have another character to perform. I was almost forgetting it." - -"Name it, oh! name it," said De Guiche. - -"I am a woman," she said, in a voice lower than ever, "and I love." -He rose, she opened her arms, and their lips met. A footstep was heard -behind the tapestry, and Mademoiselle de Montalais appeared. - -"What do you want?" said Madame. - -"M. de Guiche is wanted," replied Montalais, who was just in time to see -the agitation of the actors of these four characters; for De Guiche had -consistently carried out his part with heroism. - - - -Chapter XI. Montalais and Malicorne. - -Montalais was right. M. de Guiche, thus summoned in every direction, was -very much exposed, from such a multiplication of business, to the -risk of not attending to any. It so happened that, considering the -awkwardness of the interruption, Madame, notwithstanding her wounded -pride, and secret anger, could not, for the moment at least, reproach -Montalais for having violated, in so bold a manner, the semi-royal order -with which she had been dismissed on De Guiche's entrance. De Guiche, -also, lost his presence of mind, or, it would be more correct to say, -had already lost it, before Montalais's arrival, for, scarcely had he -heard the young girl's voice, than, without taking leave of Madame, as -the most ordinary politeness required, even between persons equal in -rank and station, he fled from her presence, his heart tumultuously -throbbing, and his brain on fire, leaving the princess with one hand -raised, as though to bid him adieu. Montalais was at no loss, therefore, -to perceive the agitation of the two lovers--the one who fled was -agitated, and the one who remained was equally so. - -"Well," murmured the young girl, as she glanced inquisitively round her, -"this time, at least, I think I know as much as the most curious -woman could possibly wish to know." Madame felt so embarrassed by this -inquisitorial look, that, as if she heard Montalais's muttered side -remark, she did not speak a word to her maid of honor, but, casting down -her eyes, retired at once to her bedroom. Montalais, observing this, -stood listening for a moment, and then heard Madame lock and bolt her -door. By this she knew that the rest of the evening was at her own -disposal; and making, behind the door which had just been closed, a -gesture which indicated but little real respect for the princess, she -went down the staircase in search of Malicorne, who was very busily -engaged at that moment in watching a courier, who, covered with dust, -had just left the Comte de Guiche's apartments. Montalais knew that -Malicorne was engaged in a matter of some importance; she therefore -allowed him to look and stretch out his neck as much as he pleased; and -it was only when Malicorne had resumed his natural position, that she -touched him on the shoulder. "Well," said Montalais, "what is the latest -intelligence you have?" - -"M. de Guiche is in love with Madame." - -"Fine news, truly! I know something more recent than that." - -"Well, what do you know?" - -"That Madame is in love with M. de Guiche." - -"The one is the consequence of the other." - -"Not always, my good monsieur." - -"Is that remark intended for me?" - -"Present company always excepted." - -"Thank you," said Malicorne. "Well, and in the other direction, what is -stirring?" - -"The king wished, this evening, after the lottery, to see Mademoiselle -de la Valliere." - -"Well, and he has seen her?" - -"No, indeed!" - -"What do you mean by that?" - -"The door was shut and locked." - -"So that--" - -"So that the king was obliged to go back again, looking very sheepish, -like a thief who has forgotten his crowbar." - -"Good." - -"And in the third place?" inquired Montalais. - -"The courier who has just arrived for De Guiche came from M. de -Bragelonne." - -"Excellent," said Montalais, clapping her hands together. - -"Why so?" - -"Because we have work to do. If we get weary now, something unlucky will -be sure to happen." - -"We must divide the work, then," said Malicorne, "in order to avoid -confusion." - -"Nothing easier," replied Montalais. "Three intrigues, carefully nursed, -and carefully encouraged, will produce, one with another, and taking a -low average, three love letters a day." - -"Oh!" exclaimed Malicorne, shrugging his shoulders, "you cannot mean -what you say, darling; three letters a day, that may do for sentimental -common people. A musketeer on duty, a young girl in a convent, may -exchange letters with their lovers once a day, perhaps, from the top -of a ladder, or through a hole in the wall. A letter contains all the -poetry their poor little hearts have to boast of. But the cases we have -in hand require to be dealt with very differently." - -"Well, finish," said Montalais, out of patience with him. "Some one may -come." - -"Finish! Why, I am only at the beginning. I have still three points as -yet untouched." - -"Upon my word, he will be the death of me, with his Flemish -indifference," exclaimed Montalais. - -"And you will drive me mad with your Italian vivacity. I was going to -say that our lovers here will be writing volumes to each other. But what -are you driving at?" - -"At this. Not one of our lady correspondents will be able to keep the -letters they may receive." - -"Very likely." - -"M. de Guiche will not be able to keep his either." - -"That is probable." - -"Very well, then; I will take care of all that." - -"That is the very thing that is impossible," said Malicorne. - -"Why so?" - -"Because you are not your own mistress; your room is as much La -Valliere's as yours; and there are certain persons who will think -nothing of visiting and searching a maid of honor's room; so that I am -terribly afraid of the queen, who is as jealous as a Spaniard; of the -queen-mother, who is as jealous as a couple of Spaniards; and, last of -all, of Madame herself, who has jealousy enough for ten Spaniards." - -"You forgot some one else." - -"Who?" - -"Monsieur." - -"I was only speaking of the women. Let us add them up, then: we will -call Monsieur, No. 1." - -"De Guiche?" - -"No. 2." - -"The Vicomte de Bragelonne?" - -"No. 3." - -"And the king, the king?" - -"No. 4. Of course the king, who not only will be more jealous, but more -powerful than all the rest put together. Ah, my dear!" - -"Well?" - -"Into what a wasp's nest you have thrust yourself!" - -"And as yet not quite far enough, if you will follow me into it." - -"Most certainly I will follow you where you like. Yet--" - -"Well, yet--" - -"While we have time, I think it will be prudent to turn back." - -"But I, on the contrary, think the wisest course to take is to put -ourselves at once at the head of all these intrigues." - -"You will never be able to do it." - -"With you, I could superintend ten of them. I am in my element, you must -know. I was born to live at the court, as the salamander is made to live -in the fire." - -"Your comparison does not reassure me in the slightest degree in the -world, my dear Montalais. I have heard it said, and by learned men too, -that, in the first place, there are no salamanders at all, and that, if -there had been any, they would have been infallibly baked or roasted on -leaving the fire." - -"Your learned men may be very wise as far as salamanders are concerned, -but they would never tell you what I can tell you; namely, that Aure -de Montalais is destined, before a month is over, to become the first -diplomatist in the court of France." - -"Be it so, but on condition that I shall be the second." - -"Agreed; an offensive and defensive alliance, of course." - -"Only be very careful of any letters." - -"I will hand them to you as I receive them." - -"What shall we tell the king about Madame?" - -"That Madame is still in love with his majesty." - -"What shall we tell Madame about the king?" - -"That she would be exceedingly wrong not to humor him." - -"What shall we tell La Valliere about Madame?" - -"Whatever we choose, for La Valliere is in our power." - -"How so?" - -"Every way." - -"What do you mean?" - -"In the first place, through the Vicomte de Bragelonne." - -"Explain yourself." - -"You do not forget, I hope, that Monsieur de Bragelonne has written many -letters to Mademoiselle de la Valliere." - -"I forget nothing." - -"Well, then, it was I who received, and I who intercepted those -letters." - -"And, consequently, it is you who have them still?" - -"Yes." - -"Where,--here?" - -"Oh, no; I have them safe at Blois, in the little room you know well -enough." - -"That dear little room,--that darling little room, the ante-chamber of -the palace I intend you to live in one of these days. But, I beg your -pardon, you said that all those letters are in that little room?" - -"Yes." - -"Did you not put them in a box?" - -"Of course; in the same box where I put all the letters I received from -you, and where I put mine also when your business or your amusements -prevented you from coming to our rendezvous." - -"Ah, very good," said Malicorne. - -"Why are you satisfied?" - -"Because I see there is a possibility of not having to run to Blois -after the letters, for I have them here." - -"You have brought the box away?" - -"It was very dear to me, because it belonged to you." - -"Be sure and take care of it, for it contains original documents that -will be of priceless value by and by." - -"I am perfectly well aware of that indeed, and that is the very reason -why I laugh as I do, and with all my heart, too." - -"And now, one last word." - -"Why _last?_" - -"Do we need any one to assist us?" - -"No one." - -"Valets or maid-servants?" - -"Bad policy. You will give the letters,--you will receive them. Oh! -we must have no pride in this affair, otherwise M. Malicorne and -Mademoiselle Aure, not transacting their own affairs themselves, will -have to make up their minds to see them done by others." - -"You are quite right; but what is going on yonder in M. de Guiche's -room?" - -"Nothing; he is only opening his window." - -"Let us be gone." And they both immediately disappeared, all the terms -of the contract being agreed on. - -The window just opened was, in fact, that of the Comte de Guiche. It -was not alone with the hope of catching a glimpse of Madame through her -curtains that he seated himself by the open window for his preoccupation -of mind had at that time a different origin. He had just received, as -we have already stated, the courier who had been dispatched to him by -Bragelonne, the latter having written to De Guiche a letter which had -made the deepest impression upon him, and which he had read over and -over again. "Strange, strange!" he murmured. "How irresponsible are the -means by which destiny hurries men onward to their fate!" Leaving the -window in order to approach nearer to the light, he once more read the -letter he had just received:-- - - -"CALAIS. - -"MY DEAR COUNT,--I found M. de Wardes at Calais; he has been -seriously wounded in an affair with the Duke of Buckingham. De Wardes -is, as you know, unquestionably brave, but full of malevolent and wicked -feelings. He conversed with me about yourself, for whom, he says, he -has a warm regard, also about Madame, whom he considers a beautiful and -amiable woman. He has guessed your affection for a certain person. He -also talked to me about the lady for whom I have so ardent a regard, and -showed the greatest interest on my behalf in expressing a deep pity for -me, accompanied, however, by dark hints which alarmed me at first, but -which I at last looked upon as the result of his usual love of mystery. -These are the facts: he had received news of the court; you will -understand, however, that it was only through M. de Lorraine. The report -goes, so says the news, that a change has taken place in the king's -affections. You know whom that concerns. Afterwards, the news continues, -people are talking about one of the maids of honor, respecting whom -various slanderous reports are being circulated. These vague phrases -have not allowed me to sleep. I have been deploring, ever -since yesterday, that my diffidence and vacillation of purpose, -notwithstanding a certain obstinacy of character I may possess, have -left me unable to reply to these insinuations. In a word, M. de Wardes -was setting off for Paris, and I did not delay his departure with -explanations; for it seemed rather hard, I confess, to cross-examine a -man whose wounds are hardly yet closed. In short, he travelled by short -stages, as he was anxious to leave, he said, in order to be present at a -curious spectacle the court cannot fail to offer within a short time. -He added a few congratulatory words accompanied by vague sympathizing -expressions. I could not understand the one any more than the other. I -was bewildered by my own thoughts, and tormented by a mistrust of this -man,--a mistrust which, you know better than any one else, I have never -been able to overcome. As soon as he left, my perceptions seemed -to become clearer. It is hardly possible that a man of De Wardes's -character should not have communicated something of his own malicious -nature to the statements he made to me. It is not unlikely, therefore, -that in the strange hints De Wardes threw out in my presence, there may -be a mysterious signification, which I might have some difficulty in -applying either to myself or to some one with whom you are acquainted. -Being compelled to leave as soon as possible, in obedience to the king's -commands, the idea did not occur to me of running after De Wardes in -order to ask him to explain his reserve; but I have dispatched a courier -to you with this letter, which will explain in detail my various doubts. -I regard you as myself; you have reflected and observed; it will be for -you to act. M. de Wardes will arrive very shortly; endeavor to learn -what he meant, if you do not already know. M. de Wardes, moreover, -pretended that the Duke of Buckingham left Paris on the very best of -terms with Madame. This was an affair which would have unhesitatingly -made me draw my sword, had I not felt that I was under the necessity -of dispatching the king's mission before undertaking any quarrel -whatsoever. Burn this letter, which Olivain will hand you. Whatever -Olivain says, you may confidently rely on. Will you have the goodness, -my dear comte, to recall me to the remembrance of Mademoiselle de la -Valliere, whose hands I kiss with the greatest respect. - -"Your devoted - -"DE BRAGELONNE. - -"P. S.--If anything serious should happen--we should be prepared for -everything, dispatch a courier to me with this one single word, 'come,' -and I will be in Paris within six and thirty hours after the receipt of -your letter." - - -De Guiche sighed, folded up the letter a third time, and, instead of -burning it, as Raoul had recommended him to do, placed it in his pocket. -He felt it needed reading over and over again. - -"How much distress of mind, yet what sublime confidence, he shows!" -murmured the comte; "he has poured out his whole soul in this letter. -He says nothing of the Comte de la Fere, and speaks of his respect for -Louise. He cautions me on my own account, and entreats me on his. Ah!" -continued De Guiche, with a threatening gesture, "you interfere in my -affairs, Monsieur de Wardes, do you? Very well, then; I will shortly -occupy myself with yours. As for you, poor Raoul,--you who intrust your -heart to my keeping, be assured I will watch over it." - -With this promise, De Guiche begged Malicorne to come immediately to his -apartments, if possible. Malicorne acknowledged the invitation with an -activity which was the first result of his conversation with Montalais. -And while De Guiche, who thought that his motive was undiscovered, -cross-examined Malicorne, the latter, who appeared to be working in the -dark, soon guessed his questioner's motives. The consequence was, -that, after a quarter of an hour's conversation, during which De Guiche -thought he had ascertained the whole truth with regard to La Valliere -and the king, he had learned absolutely nothing more than his own eyes -had already acquainted him with, while Malicorne learned, or guessed, -that Raoul, who was absent, was fast becoming suspicious, and that De -Guiche intended to watch over the treasure of the Hesperides. Malicorne -accepted the office of dragon. De Guiche fancied he had done everything -for his friend, and soon began to think of nothing but his personal -affairs. The next evening, De Wardes's return and first appearance at -the king's reception were announced. When that visit had been paid, the -convalescent waited on Monsieur; De Guiche taking care, however, to be -at Monsieur's apartments before the visit took place. - - - -Chapter XII. How De Wardes Was Received at Court. - -Monsieur had received De Wardes with that marked favor light and -frivolous minds bestow on every novelty that comes in their way. De -Wardes, who had been absent for a month, was like fresh fruit to him. -To treat him with marked kindness was an infidelity to old friends, and -there is always something fascinating in that; moreover, it was a sort -of reparation to De Wardes himself. Nothing, consequently, could exceed -the favorable notice Monsieur took of him. The Chevalier de Lorraine, -who feared this rival but a little, but who respected a character and -disposition only too parallel to his own in every particular, with the -addition of a bull-dog courage he did not himself possess, received De -Wardes with a greater display of regard and affection than even Monsieur -had done. De Guiche, as we have said, was there also, but kept in the -background, waiting very patiently until all these interchanges were -over. De Wardes, while talking to the others, and even to Monsieur -himself, had not for a moment lost sight of De Guiche, who, he -instinctively felt, was there on his account. As soon as he had finished -with the others, he went up to De Guiche. They exchanged the most -courteous compliments, after which De Wardes returned to Monsieur and -the other gentlemen. - -In the midst of these congratulations Madame was announced. She had -been informed of De Wardes's arrival, and knowing all the details of his -voyage and duel, she was not sorry to be present at the remarks she -knew would be made, without delay, by one who, she felt assured, was her -personal enemy. Two or three of her ladies accompanied her. De Wardes -saluted Madame in the most graceful and respectful manner, and, as a -commencement of hostilities, announced, in the first place, that he -could furnish the Duke of Buckingham's friends with the latest news -about him. This was a direct answer to the coldness with which Madame -had received him. The attack was a vigorous one, and Madame felt the -blow, but without appearing to have even noticed it. He rapidly cast a -glance at Monsieur and at De Guiche,--the former colored, and the latter -turned very pale. Madame alone preserved an unmoved countenance; but, -as she knew how many unpleasant thoughts and feelings her enemy could -awaken in the two persons who were listening to him, she smilingly -bent forward towards the traveler, as if to listen to the news he had -brought--but he was speaking of other matters. Madame was brave, even to -imprudence; if she were to retreat, it would be inviting an attack; so, -after the first disagreeable impression had passed away, she returned to -the charge. - -"Have you suffered much from your wounds, Monsieur de Wardes?" she -inquired, "for we have been told that you had the misfortune to get -wounded." - -It was now De Wardes's turn to wince; he bit his lips, and replied, "No, -Madame, hardly at all." - -"Indeed! and yet in this terribly hot weather--" - -"The sea-breezes were very fresh and cool, Madame, and then I had one -consolation." - -"Indeed! What was it?" - -"The knowledge that my adversary's sufferings were still greater than my -own." - -"Ah! you mean he was more seriously wounded than you were; I was not -aware of that," said the princess, with utter indifference. - -"Oh, Madame, you are mistaken, or rather you pretend to misunderstand -my remark. I did not say that he was a greater sufferer in body than -myself; but his heart was very seriously affected." - -De Guiche comprehended instinctively from what direction the struggle -was approaching; he ventured to make a sign to Madame, as if entreating -her to retire from the contest. But she, without acknowledging De -Guiche's gesture, without pretending to have noticed it even, and still -smiling, continued: - -"Is it possible," she said, "that the Duke of Buckingham's heart was -touched? I had no idea, until now, that a heart-wound could be cured." - -"Alas! Madame," replied De Wardes, politely, "every woman believes that; -and it is this belief that gives them that superiority to man which -confidence begets." - -"You misunderstand altogether, dearest," said the prince, impatiently; -"M. de Wardes means that the Duke of Buckingham's heart had been -touched, not by the sword, but by something sharper." - -"Ah! very good, very good!" exclaimed Madame. "It is a jest of M. de -Wardes's. Very good; but I should like to know if the Duke of Buckingham -would appreciate the jest. It is, indeed, a very great pity he is not -here, M. de Wardes." - -The young man's eyes seemed to flash fire. "Oh!" he said, as he clenched -his teeth, "there is nothing I should like better." - -De Guiche did not move. Madame seemed to expect that he would come to -her assistance. Monsieur hesitated. The Chevalier de Lorraine advanced -and continued the conversation. - -"Madame," he said, "De Wardes knows perfectly well that for a -Buckingham's heart to be touched is nothing new, and what he has said -has already taken place." - -"Instead of an ally, I have two enemies," murmured Madame; "two -determined enemies, and in league with each other." And she changed the -conversation. To change the conversation is, as every one knows, a -right possessed by princes which etiquette requires all to respect. The -remainder of the conversation was moderate enough in tone; the principal -actors had rehearsed their parts. Madame withdrew easily, and Monsieur, -who wished to question her on several matters, offered her his hand on -leaving. The chevalier was seriously afraid that an understanding might -be established between the husband and wife if he were to leave them -quietly together. He therefore made his way to Monsieur's apartments, in -order to surprise him on his return, and to destroy with a few words all -the good impressions Madame might have been able to sow in his heart. De -Guiche advanced towards De Wardes, who was surrounded by a large number -of persons, and thereby indicated his wish to converse with him; De -Wardes, at the same time, showing by his looks and by a movement of his -head that he perfectly understood him. There was nothing in these signs -to enable strangers to suppose they were otherwise than upon the most -friendly footing. De Guiche could therefore turn away from him, and wait -until he was at liberty. He had not long to wait; for De Wardes, -freed from his questioners, approached De Guiche, and after a fresh -salutation, they walked side by side together. - -"You have made a good impression since your return, my dear De Wardes," -said the comte. - -"Excellent, as you see." - -"And your spirits are just as lively as ever?" - -"Better." - -"And a very great happiness, too." - -"Why not? Everything is so ridiculous in this world, everything so -absurd around us." - -"You are right." - -"You are of my opinion, then?" - -"I should think so! And what news do you bring us from yonder?" - -"I? None at all. I have come to look for news here." - -"But, tell me, you surely must have seen some people at Boulogne, one of -our friends, for instance; it is no great time ago." - -"Some people--one of our friends--" - -"Your memory is short." - -"Ah! true; Bragelonne, you mean." - -"Exactly so." - -"Who was on his way to fulfil a mission, with which he was intrusted to -King Charles II." - -"Precisely. Well, then, did he not tell you, or did not you tell him--" - -"I do not precisely know what I told him, I must confess: but I do know -what I did _not_ tell him." De Wardes was _finesse_ itself. He -perfectly well knew from De Guiche's tone and manner, which was cold -and dignified, that the conversation was about to assume a disagreeable -turn. He resolved to let it take what course it pleased, and to keep -strictly on his guard. - -"May I ask you what you did not tell him?" inquired De Guiche. - -"All about La Valliere." - -"La Valliere... What is it? and what was that strange circumstance you -seem to have known over yonder, which Bragelonne, who was here on the -spot, was not acquainted with?" - -"Do you really ask me that in a serious manner?" - -"Nothing more so." - -"What! you, a member of the court, living in Madame's household, a -friend of Monsieur's, a guest at their table, the favorite of our lovely -princess?" - -Guiche colored violently from anger. "What princess are you alluding -to?" he said. - -"I am only acquainted with one, my dear fellow. I am speaking of Madame -herself. Are you devoted to another princess, then? Come, tell me." - -De Guiche was on the point of launching out, but he saw the drift of -the remark. A quarrel was imminent between the two young men. De Wardes -wished the quarrel to be only in Madame's name, while De Guiche would -not accept it except on La Valliere's account. From this moment, it -became a series of feigned attacks, which would have continued until one -of the two had been touched home. De Guiche therefore resumed all the -self-possession he could command. - -"There is not the slightest question in the world of Madame in this -matter, my dear De Wardes." said Guiche, "but simply of what you were -talking about just now." - -"What was I saying?" - -"That you had concealed certain things from Bragelonne." - -"Certain things which you know as well as I do," replied De Wardes. - -"No, upon my honor." - -"Nonsense." - -"If you tell me what they are, I shall know, but not otherwise, I -swear." - -"What! I who have just arrived from a distance of sixty leagues, and you -who have not stirred from this place, who have witnessed with your -own eyes that which rumor informed me of at Calais! Do you now tell -me seriously that you do not know what it is about? Oh! comte, this is -hardly charitable of you." - -"As you like, De Wardes; but I again repeat, I know nothing." - -"You are truly discreet--well!--perhaps it is very prudent of you." - -"And so you will not tell me anything, will not tell me any more than -you told Bragelonne?" - -"You are pretending to be deaf, I see. I am convinced that Madame could -not possibly have more command over herself than _you_ have." - -"Double hypocrite," murmured Guiche to himself, "you are again returning -to the old subject." - -"Very well, then," continued De Wardes, "since we find it so difficult -to understand each other about La Valliere and Bragelonne let us speak -about your own affairs." - -"Nay," said De Guiche, "I have no affairs of my own to talk about. You -have not said anything about me, I suppose, to Bragelonne, which you -cannot repeat to my face?" - -"No; but understand me, Guiche, that however much I may be ignorant of -certain matters, I am quite as conversant with others. If, for instance, -we were conversing about the intimacies of the Duke of Buckingham at -Paris, as I did during my journey with the duke, I could tell you a -great many interesting circumstances. Would you like me to mention -them?" - -De Guiche passed his hand across his forehead, which was covered -in perspiration. "No, no," he said, "a hundred times no! I have no -curiosity for matters which do not concern me. The Duke of Buckingham -is for me nothing more than a simple acquaintance, whilst Raoul is -an intimate friend. I have not the slightest curiosity to learn what -happened to the duke, while I have, on the contrary, the greatest -interest in all that happened to Raoul." - -"In Paris?" - -"Yes, in Paris, or Boulogne. You understand I am on the spot; if -anything should happen, I am here to meet it; whilst Raoul is absent, -and has only myself to represent him; so, Raoul's affairs before my -own." - -"But he will return?" - -"Not, however, until his mission is completed. In the meantime, you -understand, evil reports cannot be permitted to circulate about him -without my looking into them." - -"And for a better reason still, that he will remain some time in -London," said De Wardes, chuckling. - -"You think so," said De Guiche, simply. - -"Think so, indeed! do you suppose he was sent to London for no other -purpose than to go there and return again immediately? No, no; he was -sent to London to remain there." - -"Ah! De Wardes," said De Guiche, grasping De Wardes's hand, "that is a -very serious suspicion concerning Bragelonne, which completely confirms -what he wrote to me from Boulogne." - -De Wardes resumed his former coldness of manner: his love of raillery -had led him too far, and by his own imprudence, he had laid himself open -to attack. - -"Well, tell me, what did he write to you about?" he inquired. - -"He told me that you had artfully insinuated some injurious remarks -against La Valliere, and that you had seemed to laugh at his great -confidence in that young girl." - -"Well, it is perfectly true I did so," said De Wardes, "and I was quite -ready, at the time, to hear from the Vicomte de Bragelonne that which -every man expects from another whenever anything may have been said -to displease him. In the same way, for instance, if I were seeking a -quarrel with you, I should tell you that Madame after having shown -the greatest preference for the Duke of Buckingham, is at this moment -supposed to have sent the handsome duke away for your benefit." - -"Oh! that would not wound me in the slightest degree, my dear De -Wardes," said De Guiche, smiling, notwithstanding the shiver that -ran through his whole frame. "Why, such a favor would be too great a -happiness." - -"I admit that, but if I absolutely wished to quarrel with you, I should -try and invent a falsehood, perhaps, and speak to you about a certain -arbor, where you and that illustrious princess were together--I should -speak also of certain gratifications, of certain kissings of the hand; -and you who are so secret on all occasions, so hasty, so punctilious--" - -"Well," said De Guiche, interrupting him, with a smile upon his lips, -although he almost felt as if he were going to die; "I swear I should -not care for that, nor should I in any way contradict you; for you must -know, my dear marquis, that for all matters which concern myself I am a -block of ice; but it is a very different thing when an absent friend -is concerned, a friend, who, on leaving, confided his interests to my -safe-keeping; for such a friend, De Wardes, believe me, I am like fire -itself." - -"I understand you, Monsieur de Guiche. In spite of what you say, there -cannot be any question between us, just now, either of Bragelonne or of -this insignificant girl, whose name is La Valliere." - -At this moment some of the younger courtiers were crossing the -apartment, and having already heard the few words which had just been -pronounced, were able also to hear those which were about to follow. De -Wardes observed this, and continued aloud:--"Oh! if La Valliere were a -coquette like Madame, whose innocent flirtations, I am sure, were, first -of all, the cause of the Duke of Buckingham being sent back to England, -and afterwards were the reason of your being sent into exile; for you -will not deny, I suppose, that Madame's pretty ways really had a certain -influence over you?" - -The courtiers drew nearer to the speakers, Saint-Aignan at their head, -and then Manicamp. - -"But, my dear fellow, whose fault was that?" said De Guiche, laughing. -"I am a vain, conceited fellow, I know, and everybody else knows it too. -I took seriously that which was only intended as a jest, and got myself -exiled for my pains. But I saw my error. I overcame my vanity, and I -obtained my recall, by making the _amende honorable_, and by promising -myself to overcome this defect; and the consequence is, that I am so -thoroughly cured, that I now laugh at the very thing which, three or -four days ago, would have almost broken my heart. But Raoul is in love, -and is loved in return; he cannot laugh at the reports which disturb his -happiness--reports which you seem to have undertaken to interpret, when -you know, marquis, as I do, as these gentlemen do, as every one does in -fact, that all such reports are pure calumny." - -"Calumny!" exclaimed De Wardes, furious at seeing himself caught in the -snare by De Guiche's coolness of temper. - -"Certainly--calumny. Look at this letter from him, in which he tells me -you have spoken ill of Mademoiselle de la Valliere; and where he asks -me, if what you reported about this young girl is true or not. Do you -wish me to appeal to these gentlemen, De Wardes, to decide?" And with -admirable coolness, De Guiche read aloud the paragraph of the letter -which referred to La Valliere. "And now," continued De Guiche, "there -is no doubt in the world, as far as I am concerned, that you wished -to disturb Bragelonne's peace of mind, and that your remarks were -maliciously intended." - -De Wardes looked round him, to see if he could find support from any -one; but, at the idea that De Wardes had insulted, either directly or -indirectly, the idol of the day, every one shook his head; and De Wardes -saw that he was in the wrong. - -"Messieurs," said De Guiche, intuitively divining the general feeling, -"my discussion with Monsieur de Wardes refers to a subject so delicate -in its nature, that it is most important no one should hear more than -you have already heard. Close the doors, then, I beg you, and let us -finish our conversation in the manner which becomes two gentlemen, one -of whom has given the other the lie." - -"Messieurs, messieurs!" exclaimed those who were present. - -"Is it your opinion, then, that I was wrong in defending Mademoiselle -de la Valliere?" said De Guiche. "In that case, I pass judgment upon -myself, and am ready to withdraw the offensive words I may have used to -Monsieur de Wardes." - -"The deuce! certainly not!" said Saint-Aignan. "Mademoiselle de la -Valliere is an angel." - -"Virtue and purity itself," said Manicamp. - -"You see, Monsieur de Wardes," said De Guiche, "I am not the only one -who undertakes the defense of that poor girl. I entreat you, therefore, -messieurs, a second time, to leave us. You see, it is impossible we -could be more calm and composed than we are." - -It was the very thing the courtiers wished; some went out at one door, -and the rest at the other, and the two young men were left alone. - -"Well played," said De Wardes, to the comte. - -"Was it not?" replied the latter. - -"How can it be wondered at, my dear fellow; I have got quite rusty in -the country, while the command you have acquired over yourself, comte, -confounds me; a man always gains something in women's society; so, pray -accept my congratulations." - -"I do accept them." - -"And I will make Madame a present of them." - -"And now, my dear Monsieur de Wardes, let us speak as loud as you -please." - -"Do not defy me." - -"I do defy you, for you are known to be an evil-minded man; if you do -that, you will be looked upon as a coward, too; and Monsieur would have -you hanged, this evening, at his window-casement. Speak, my dear De -Wardes, speak." - -"I have fought already." - -"But not quite enough, yet." - -"I see, you would not be sorry to fight with me while my wounds are -still open." - -"No; better still." - -"The deuce! you are unfortunate in the moment you have chosen; a duel, -after the one I have just fought, would hardly suit me; I have lost too -much blood at Boulogne; at the slightest effort my wounds would open -again, and you would really have too good a bargain." - -"True," said De Guiche; "and yet, on your arrival here, your looks and -your arms showed there was nothing the matter with you." - -"Yes, my arms are all right, but my legs are weak; and then, I have not -had a foil in my hand since that devil of a duel; and you, I am sure, -have been fencing every day, in order to carry your little conspiracy -against me to a successful issue." - -"Upon my honor, monsieur," replied De Guiche, "it is six months since I -last practiced." - -"No, comte, after due reflection, I will not fight, at least, with you. -I will await Bragelonne's return, since you say it is Bragelonne who -finds fault with me." - -"Oh no, indeed! You shall not wait until Bragelonne's return," exclaimed -the comte, losing all command over himself, "for you have said that -Bragelonne might, possibly, be some time before he returns; and, in the -meanwhile, your wicked insinuations would have had their effect." - -"Yet, I shall have my excuse. So take care." - -"I will give you a week to finish your recovery." - -"That is better. We will wait a week." - -"Yes, yes, I understand; a week will give time to my adversary to make -his escape. No, no; I will not give you one day, even." - -"You are mad, monsieur," said De Wardes, retreating a step. - -"And you are a coward, if you do not fight willingly. Nay, what is -more, I will denounce you to the king, as having refused to fight, after -having insulted La Valliere." - -"Ah!" said De Wardes, "you are dangerously treacherous, though you pass -for a man of honor." - -"There is nothing more dangerous than the treachery, as you term it, of -the man whose conduct is always loyal and upright." - -"Restore me the use of my legs, then, or get yourself bled, till you are -as white as I am, so as to equalize our chances." - -"No, no; I have something better than that to propose." - -"What is it?" - -"We will fight on horseback, and will exchange three pistol-shots each. -You are a first rate marksman. I have seen you bring down swallows with -single balls, and at full gallop. Do not deny it, for I have seen you -myself." - -"I believe you are right," said De Wardes; "and as that is the case, it -is not unlikely I might kill you." - -"You would be rendering me a very great service, if you did." - -"I will do my best." - -"Is it agreed? Give me your hand upon it." - -"There it is: but on one condition, however." - -"Name it." - -"That not a word shall be said about it to the king." - -"Not a word, I swear." - -"I will go and get my horse, then." - -"And I, mine." - -"Where shall we meet?" - -"In the plain; I know an admirable place." - -"Shall we go together?" - -"Why not?" - -And both of them, on their way to the stables, passed beneath Madame's -windows, which were faintly lighted; a shadow could be seen behind the -lace curtains. "There is a woman," said De Wardes, smiling, "who -does not suspect that we are going to fight--to die, perhaps, on her -account." - - - -Chapter XIII. The Combat. - -De Wardes and De Guiche selected their horses, and saddled them with -their own hands, with holster saddles. De Guiche, having two pairs of -pistols, went to his apartments to get them; and after having loaded -them, gave the choice to De Wardes, who selected the pair he had made -use of twenty times before--the same, indeed, with which De Guiche had -seen him kill swallows flying. "You will not be surprised," he said, "if -I take every precaution. You know the weapons well, and, consequently, I -am only making the chances equal." - -"Your remark was quite useless," replied De Guiche, "and you have done -no more than you are entitled to do." - -"Now," said De Wardes, "I beg you to have the goodness to help me to -mount; for I still experience a little difficulty in doing so." - -"In that case, we had better settle the matter on foot." - -"No; once in the saddle, I shall be all right." - -"Very good, then; we will not speak of it again," said De Guiche, as he -assisted De Wardes to mount his horse. - -"And now," continued the young man, "in our eagerness to murder one -another, we have neglected one circumstance." - -"What is that?" - -"That it is quite dark, and we shall almost be obliged to grope about, -in order to kill." - -"Oh!" said De Guiche, "you are as anxious as I am that everything should -be done in proper order." - -"Yes; but I do not wish people to say that you have assassinated me, -any more than, supposing I were to kill you, I should myself like to be -accused of such a crime." - -"Did any one make a similar remark about your duel with the Duke of -Buckingham?" said De Guiche; "it took place precisely under the same -conditions as ours." - -"Very true; but there was still light enough to see by; and we were up -to our middles almost, in the water; besides, there were a good number -of spectators on shore, looking at us." - -De Guiche reflected for a moment; and the thought which had already -presented itself to him became more confirmed--that De Wardes wished to -have witnesses present, in order to bring back the conversation about -Madame, and to give a new turn to the combat. He avoided saying a -word in reply, therefore; and, as De Wardes once more looked at him -interrogatively, he replied, by a movement of the head, that it would be -best to let things remain as they were. The two adversaries consequently -set off, and left the chateau by the same gate, close to which we may -remember to have seen Montalais and Malicorne together. The night, as -if to counteract the extreme heat of the day, had gathered the clouds -together in masses which were moving slowly along from the west to the -east. The vault above, without a clear spot anywhere visible, or without -the faintest indication of thunder, seemed to hang heavily over -the earth, and soon began, by the force of the wind, to split into -streamers, like a huge sheet torn to shreds. Large and warm drops of -rain began to fall heavily, and gathered the dust into globules, which -rolled along the ground. At the same time, the hedges, which seemed -conscious of the approaching storm, the thirsty plants, the drooping -branches of the trees, exhaled a thousand aromatic odors, which revived -in the mind tender recollections, thoughts of youth, endless life, -happiness, and love. "How fresh the earth smells," said De Wardes; "it -is a piece of coquetry to draw us to her." - -"By the by," replied De Guiche, "several ideas have just occurred to me; -and I wish to have your opinion upon them." - -"Relative to--" - -"Relative to our engagement." - -"It is quite some time, in fact, that we should begin to arrange -matters." - -"Is it to be an ordinary combat, and conducted according to established -custom?" - -"Let me first know what your established custom is." - -"That we dismount in any particular open space that may suit us, fasten -our horses to the nearest object, meet, each without our pistols in our -hands, and afterwards retire for a hundred and fifty paces, in order to -advance on each other." - -"Very good; that is precisely the way in which I killed poor Follivent, -three weeks ago, at Saint-Denis." - -"I beg your pardon, but you forgot one circumstance." - -"What is that?" - -"That in your duel with Follivent you advanced towards each other on -foot, your swords between your teeth, and your pistols in your hands." - -"True." - -"While now, on the contrary, as you cannot walk, you yourself admit that -we shall have to mount our horses again, and charge; and the first who -wishes to fire will do so." - -"That is the best course, no doubt; but it is quite dark; we must make -allowances for more missed shots than would be the case in the daytime." - -"Very well; each will fire three times; the pair of pistols already -loaded, and one reload." - -"Excellent! Where shall our engagement take place?" - -"Have you any preference?" - -"No." - -"You see that small wood which lies before us?" - -"The wood which is called Rochin?" - -"Exactly." - -"You know it?" - -"Perfectly." - -"You know that there is an open glade in the center?" - -"Yes." - -"Well, this glade is admirably adapted for such a purpose, with a -variety of roads, by-places, paths, ditches, windings, and avenues. We -could not find a better spot." - -"I am perfectly satisfied, if you are so. We are at our destination, if -I am not mistaken." - -"Yes. Look at the beautiful open space in the center. The faint light -which the stars afford seems concentrated in this spot; the woods which -surround it seem, with their barriers, to form its natural limits." - -"Very good. Do as you say." - -"Let us first settle the conditions." - -"These are mine; if you have any objection to make you will state it." - -"I am listening." - -"If the horse be killed, its rider will be obliged to fight on foot." - -"That is a matter of course, since we have no change of horses here." - -"But that does not oblige his adversary to dismount." - -"His adversary will, in fact, be free to act as he likes." - -"The adversaries, having once met in close contact, cannot quit each -other under any circumstances, and may, consequently, fire muzzle to -muzzle." - -"Agreed." - -"Three shots and no more will do, I suppose?" - -"Quite sufficient, I think. Here are powder and balls for your pistols; -measure out three charges, take three balls, I will do the same; then we -will throw the rest of the powder and balls away." - -"And we will solemnly swear," said De Wardes, "that we have neither -balls nor powder about us?" - -"Agreed; and I swear it," said De Guiche, holding his hand towards -heaven, a gesture which De Wardes imitated. - -"And now, my dear comte," said De Wardes, "allow me to tell you that I -am in no way your dupe. You already are, or soon will be, the accepted -lover of Madame. I have detected your secret, and you are afraid I shall -tell others of it. You wish to kill me, to insure my silence; that is -very clear; and in your place, I should do the same." De Guiche hung -down his head. "Only," continued De Wardes, triumphantly, "was it -really worth while, tell me, to throw this affair of Bragelonne's on my -shoulders? But, take care, my dear fellow; in bringing the wild boar to -bay, you enrage him to madness; in running down the fox, you endow him -with the ferocity of the jaguar. The consequence is, that brought to bay -by you, I shall defend myself to the very last." - -"You will be quite right to do so." - -"Yes; but take care; I shall work more harm than you think. In the first -place, as a beginning, you will readily suppose that I have not been -absurd enough to lock up my secret, or your secret rather, in my own -breast. There is a friend of mine, who resembles me in every way, a -man whom you know very well, who shares my secret with me; so, pray -understand, that if you kill me, my death will not have been of much -service to you; whilst, on the contrary, if I kill you--and everything -is possible, you know--you understand?" De Guiche shuddered. "If I kill -you," continued De Wardes, "you will have secured two mortal enemies to -Madame, who will do their very utmost to ruin her." - -"Oh! monsieur," exclaimed De Guiche, furiously, "do not reckon upon my -death so easily. Of the two enemies you speak of, I trust most -heartily to dispose of one immediately, and the other at the earliest -opportunity." - -The only reply De Wardes made was a burst of laughter, so diabolical in -its sound, that a superstitious man would have been terrified. But De -Guiche was not so impressionable as that. "I think," he said, "that -everything is now settled, Monsieur de Wardes; so have the goodness to -take your place first, unless you would prefer me to do so." - -"By no means," said De Wardes. "I shall be delighted to save you the -slightest trouble." And spurring his horse to a gallop, he crossed the -wide open space, and took his stand at that point of the circumference -of the cross-road immediately opposite to where De Guiche was stationed. -De Guiche remained motionless. At this distance of a hundred paces, -the two adversaries were absolutely invisible to each other, being -completely concealed by the thick shade of elms and chestnuts. A minute -elapsed amidst the profoundest silence. At the end of the minute, each -of them, in the deep shade in which he was concealed, heard the double -click of the trigger, as they put the pistols on full cock. De Guiche, -adopting the usual tactics, put his horse to a gallop, persuaded that he -should render his safety doubly sure by the movement, as well as by the -speed of the animal. He directed his course in a straight line towards -the point where, in his opinion, De Wardes would be stationed; and he -expected to meet De Wardes about half-way; but in this he was mistaken. -He continued his course, presuming that his adversary was impatiently -awaiting his approach. When, however, he had gone about two-thirds of -the distance, he beheld the trees suddenly illuminated and a ball flew -by, cutting the plume of his hat in two. Nearly at the same moment, and -as if the flash of the first shot had served to indicate the direction -of the other, a second report was heard, and a second ball passed -through the head of De Guiche's horse, a little below the ear. The -animal fell. These two reports, proceeding from the very opposite -direction in which he expected to find De Wardes, surprised him a -great deal; but as he was a man of amazing self-possession, he prepared -himself for his horse falling, but not so completely, however, that the -toe of his boot escaped being caught under the animal as it fell. Very -fortunately the horse in its dying agonies moved so as to enable him to -release the leg which was less entangled than the other. De Guiche rose, -felt himself all over, and found that he was not wounded. At the very -moment he had felt the horse tottering under him, he placed his pistols -in the holsters, afraid that the force of the fall might explode one at -least, if not both of them, by which he would have been disarmed, and -left utterly without defense. Once on his feet, he took the pistols out -of the holsters, and advanced towards the spot where, by the light of -the flash, he had seen De Wardes appear. De Wardes had, at the first -shot, accounted for the maneuver, than which nothing could have been -simpler. Instead of advancing to meet De Guiche, or remaining in his -place to await his approach, De Wardes had, for about fifteen paces, -followed the circle of the shadow which hid him from his adversary's -observation, and at the very moment when the latter presented his flank -in his career, he had fired from the place where he stood, carefully -taking aim, and assisted instead of being inconvenienced by the horse's -gallop. It has been seen that, notwithstanding the darkness, the first -ball passed hardly more than an inch above De Guiche's head. De Wardes -had so confidently relied upon his aim, that he thought he had seen De -Guiche fall; his astonishment was extreme when he saw he still remained -erect in his saddle. He hastened to fire his second shot, but his hand -trembled, and he killed the horse instead. It would be a most fortunate -chance for him if De Guiche were to remain held fast under the animal. -Before he could have freed himself, De Wardes would have loaded his -pistol and had De Guiche at his mercy. But De Guiche, on the contrary, -was up, and had three shots to fire. De Guiche immediately understood -the position of affairs. It would be necessary to exceed De Wardes in -rapidity of execution. He advanced, therefore, so as to reach him -before he should have had time to reload his pistol. De Wardes saw him -approaching like a tempest. The ball was rather tight, and offered some -resistance to the ramrod. To load carelessly would be simply to lose -his last chance; to take the proper care in loading meant fatal loss of -time, or rather, throwing away his life. He made his horse bound on -one side. De Guiche turned round also, and, at the moment the horse was -quiet again, fired, and the ball carried off De Wardes's hat from -his head. De Wardes now knew that he had a moment's time at his own -disposal; he availed himself of it in order to finish loading his -pistol. De Guiche, noticing that his adversary did not fall, threw the -pistol he had just discharged aside, and walked straight towards -De Wardes, elevating the second pistol as he did so. He had hardly -proceeded more than two or three paces, when De Wardes took aim at him -as he was walking, and fired. An exclamation of anger was De Guiche's -answer; the comte's arm contracted and dropped motionless by his side, -and the pistol fell from his grasp. His anxiety was excessive. "I am -lost," murmured De Wardes, "he is not mortally wounded." At the very -moment, however, De Guiche was about to raise his pistol against De -Wardes, the head, shoulders, and limbs of the comte seemed to collapse. -He heaved a deep-drawn sigh, tottered, and fell at the feet of De -Wardes's horse. - -"That is all right," said De Wardes, and gathering up the reins, he -struck his spurs into the horse's sides. The horse cleared the comte's -motionless body, and bore De Wardes rapidly back to the chateau. When -he arrived there, he remained a quarter of an hour deliberating within -himself as to the proper course to be adopted. In his impatience to -leave the field of battle, he had omitted to ascertain whether De Guiche -were dead or not. A double hypothesis presented itself to De Wardes's -agitated mind; either De Guiche was killed, or De Guiche was wounded -only. If he were killed, why should he leave his body in that manner to -the tender mercies of the wolves; it was a perfectly useless piece of -cruelty, for if De Guiche were dead, he certainly could not breathe a -syllable of what had passed; if he were not killed, why should he, De -Wardes, in leaving him there uncared for, allow himself to be regarded -as a savage, incapable of one generous feeling? This last consideration -determined his line of conduct. - -De Wardes immediately instituted inquires after Manicamp. He was told -that Manicamp had been looking after De Guiche, and, not knowing where -to find him, had retired to bed. De Wardes went and awoke the sleeper, -without any delay, and related the whole affair to him, which Manicamp -listened to in perfect silence, but with an expression of momentarily -increasing energy, of which his face could hardly have been supposed -capable. It was only when De Wardes had finished, that Manicamp uttered -the words, "Let us go." - -As they proceeded, Manicamp became more and more excited, and in -proportion as De Wardes related the details of the affair to him, his -countenance assumed every moment a darker expression. "And so," he said, -when De Wardes had finished, "you think he is dead?" - -"Alas, I do." - -"And you fought in that manner, without witnesses?" - -"He insisted upon it." - -"It is very singular." - -"What do you mean by saying it is singular?" - -"That it is very unlike Monsieur de Guiche's disposition." - -"You do not doubt my word, I suppose?" - -"Hum! hum!" - -"You do doubt it, then?" - -"A little. But I shall doubt it more than ever, I warn you, if I find -the poor fellow is really dead." - -"Monsieur Manicamp!" - -"Monsieur de Wardes!" - -"It seems you intend to insult me." - -"Just as you please. The fact is, I never did like people who come and -say, 'I have killed such and such a gentleman in a corner; it is a great -pity, but I killed him in a perfectly honorable manner.' It has an ugly -appearance, M. de Wardes." - -"Silence! we have arrived." - -In fact, the glade could now be seen, and in the open space lay the -motionless body of the dead horse. To the right of the horse, upon the -dark grass, with his face against the ground, the poor comte lay, bathed -in his blood. He had remained in the same spot, and did not even seem to -have made the slightest movement. Manicamp threw himself on his knees, -lifted the comte in his arms, and found him quite cold, and steeped in -blood. He let him gently fall again. Then, stretching out his hand and -feeling all over the ground close to where the comte lay, he sought -until he found De Guiche's pistol. - -"By Heaven!" he said, rising to his feet, pale as death and with the -pistol in his hand, "you are not mistaken, he is quite dead." - -"Dead!" repeated De Wardes. - -"Yes; and his pistol is still loaded," added Manicamp, looking into the -pan. - -"But I told you that I took aim as he was walking towards me, and fired -at him at the very moment he was going to fire at me." - -"Are you quite sure that you fought with him, Monsieur de Wardes? I -confess that I am very much afraid it has been a foul assassination. -Nay, nay, no exclamations! You have had your three shots, and his pistol -is still loaded. You have killed his horse, and he, De Guiche, one of -the best marksmen in France, has not touched even either your horse -or yourself. Well, Monsieur de Wardes, you have been very unlucky in -bringing me here; all the blood in my body seems to have mounted to my -head; and I verily believe that since so good an opportunity presents -itself, I shall blow your brains out on the spot. So, Monsieur de -Wardes, recommend yourself to Heaven." - -"Monsieur Manicamp, you cannot think of such a thing!" - -"On the contrary, I am thinking of it very strongly." - -"Would you assassinate me?" - -"Without the slightest remorse, at least for the present." - -"Are you a gentleman?" - -"I have given a great many proofs of that." - -"Let me defend my life, then, at least." - -"Very likely; in order, I suppose, that you may do to me what you have -done to poor De Guiche." - -And Manicamp slowly raised his pistol to the height of De Wardes's -breast, and with arm stretched out, and a fixed, determined look on his -face, took a careful aim. - -De Wardes did not attempt a flight; he was completely terrified. In the -midst, however, of this horrible silence, which lasted about a second, -but which seemed an age to De Wardes, a faint sigh was heard. - -"Oh," exclaimed De Wardes, "he still lives! Help, De Guiche, I am about -to be assassinated!" - -Manicamp fell back a step or two, and the two young men saw the comte -raise himself slowly and painfully upon one hand. Manicamp threw the -pistol away a dozen paces, and ran to his friend, uttering a cry of -delight. De Wardes wiped his forehead, which was covered with a cold -perspiration. - -"It was just in time," he murmured. - -"Where are you hurt?" inquired Manicamp of De Guiche, "and whereabouts -are you wounded?" - -De Guiche showed him his mutilated hand and his chest covered with -blood. - -"Comte," exclaimed De Wardes, "I am accused of having assassinated you; -speak, I implore you, and say that I fought loyally." - -"Perfectly so," said the wounded man; "Monsieur de Wardes fought quite -loyally, and whoever says the contrary will make an enemy of me." - -"Then, sir," said Manicamp, "assist me, in the first place, to carry -this gentleman home, and I will afterwards give you every satisfaction -you please; or, if you are in a hurry, we can do better still; let -us stanch the blood from the comte's wounds here, with your -pocket-handkerchief and mine, and then, as there are two shots left, we -can have them between us." - -"Thank you," said De Wardes. "Twice already, in one hour, I have seen -death too close at hand to be agreeable; I don't like his look at all, -and I prefer your apologies." - -Manicamp burst out laughing, and Guiche, too, in spite of his -sufferings. The two young men wished to carry him, but he declared -he felt quite strong enough to walk alone. The ball had broken his -ring-finger and his little finger, and then had glanced along his side, -but without penetrating deeply into his chest. It was the pain rather -than the seriousness of the wound, therefore, which had overcome De -Guiche. Manicamp passed his arm under one of the count's shoulders, and -De Wardes did the same with the other, and in this way they brought -him back to Fontainebleau, to the house of the same doctor who had been -present at the death of the Franciscan, Aramis's predecessor. - - - -Chapter XIV. The King's Supper. - -The king, while these matters were being arranged, was sitting at the -supper-table, and the not very large number of guests for that day had -taken their seats too, after the usual gesture intimating the royal -permission. At this period of Louis XIV.'s reign, although etiquette was -not governed by the strict regulations subsequently adopted, the French -court had entirely thrown aside the traditions of good-fellowship and -patriarchal affability existing in the time of Henry IV., which the -suspicious mind of Louis XIII. had gradually replaced with pompous state -and ceremony, which he despaired of being able fully to realize. - -The king, therefore, was seated alone at a small separate table, which, -like the desk of a president, overlooked the adjoining tables. Although -we say a small table, we must not omit to add that this small table was -the largest one there. Moreover, it was the one on which were placed the -greatest number and quantity of dishes, consisting of fish, game, meat, -fruit, vegetables, and preserves. The king was young and full of vigor -and energy, very fond of hunting, addicted to all violent exercises -of the body, possessing, besides, like all the members of the Bourbon -family, a rapid digestion and an appetite speedily renewed. Louis XIV. -was a formidable table-companion; he delighted in criticising his cooks; -but when he honored them by praise and commendation, the honor was -overwhelming. The king began by eating several kinds of soup, either -mixed together or taken separately. He intermixed, or rather separated, -each of the soups by a glass of old wine. He ate quickly and somewhat -greedily. Porthos, who from the beginning had, out of respect, been -waiting for a jog of D'Artagnan's arm, seeing the king make such rapid -progress, turned to the musketeer and said in a low voice: - -"It seems as if one might go on now; his majesty is very encouraging, -from the example he sets. Look." - -"The king eats," said D'Artagnan, "but he talks at the same time; try -and manage matters in such a manner that, if he should happen to address -a remark to you, he will not find you with your mouth full--which would -be very disrespectful." - -"The best way, in that case," said Porthos, "is to eat no supper at all; -and yet I am very hungry, I admit, and everything looks and smells most -invitingly, as if appealing to all my senses at once." - -"Don't think of not eating for a moment," said D'Artagnan; "that would -put his majesty out terribly. The king has a saying, 'that he who works -well, eats well,' and he does not like people to eat indifferently at -his table." - -"How can I avoid having my mouth full if I eat?" said Porthos. - -"All you have to do," replied the captain of the musketeers, "is simply -to swallow what you have in it, whenever the king does you the honor to -address a remark to you." - -"Very good," said Porthos; and from that moment he began to eat with a -certain well-bred enthusiasm. - -The king occasionally looked at the different persons who were at -table with him, and, _en connoisseur_, could appreciate the different -dispositions of his guests. - -"Monsieur du Vallon!" he said. - -Porthos was enjoying a _salmi de lievre_, and swallowed half of the -back. His name, pronounced in such a manner, made him start, and by a -vigorous effort of his gullet he absorbed the whole mouthful. - -"Sire," replied Porthos, in a stifled voice, but sufficiently -intelligible, nevertheless. - -"Let those _filets d'agneau_ be handed to Monsieur du Vallon," said the -king; "do you like brown meats, M. du Vallon?" - -"Sire, I like everything," replied Porthos. - -D'Artagnan whispered: "Everything your majesty sends me." - -Porthos repeated: "Everything your majesty sends me," an observation -which the king apparently received with great satisfaction. - -"People eat well who work well," replied the king, delighted to have _en -tete-a-tete_ a guest who could eat as Porthos did. Porthos received the -dish of lamb, and put a portion of it on his plate. - -"Well?" said the king. - -"Exquisite," said Porthos, calmly. - -"Have you as good mutton in your part of the country, Monsieur du -Vallon?" continued the king. - -"Sire, I believe that from my own province, as everywhere else, the best -of everything is sent to Paris for your majesty's use; but, on the other -hand, I do not eat lamb in the same way your majesty does." - -"Ah, ah! and how do you eat it?" - -"Generally, I have a lamb dressed whole." - -"_Whole?_" - -"Yes, sire." - -"In what manner, Monsieur du Vallon?" - -"In this, sire: my cook, who is a German, first stuffs the lamb in -question with small sausages he procures from Strasburg, force-meat -balls from Troyes, and larks from Pithiviers; by some means or other, -which I am not acquainted with, he bones the lamb as he would do a fowl, -leaving the skin on, however, which forms a brown crust all over the -animal; when it is cut in beautiful slices, in the same way as an -enormous sausage, a rose-colored gravy pours forth, which is as -agreeable to the eye as it is exquisite to the palate." And Porthos -finished by smacking his lips. - -The king opened his eyes with delight, and, while cutting some of the -_faisan en daube_, which was being handed to him, he said: - -"That is a dish I should very much like to taste, Monsieur du Vallon. Is -it possible! a whole lamb!" - -"Absolutely an entire lamb, sire." - -"Pass those pheasants to M. du Vallon; I perceive he is an amateur." - -The order was immediately obeyed. Then, continuing the conversation, he -said: "And you do not find the lamb too fat?" - -"No, sire, the fat falls down at the same time as the gravy does, and -swims on the surface; then the servant who carves removes the fat with a -spoon, which I have had expressly made for that purpose." - -"Where do you reside?" inquired the king. - -"At Pierrefonds, sire." - -"At Pierrefonds; where is that, M. du Vallon--near Belle-Isle?" - -"Oh, no, sire! Pierrefonds is in the Soissonnais." - -"I thought you alluded to the lamb on account of the salt marshes." - -"No, sire, I have marshes which are not salt, it is true, but which are -not the less valuable on that account." - -The king had now arrived at the _entrements_, but without losing sight -of Porthos, who continued to play his part in the best manner. - -"You have an excellent appetite, M. du Vallon," said the king, "and you -make an admirable guest at table." - -"Ah! sire, if your majesty were ever to pay a visit to Pierrefonds, -we would both of us eat our lamb together; for your appetite is not an -indifferent one by any means." - -D'Artagnan gave Porthos a kick under the table, which made Porthos color -up. - -"At your majesty's present happy age," said Porthos, in order to repair -the mistake he had made, "I was in the musketeers, and nothing could -ever satisfy me then. Your majesty has an excellent appetite, as I have -already had the honor of mentioning, but you select what you eat with -quite too much refinement to be called for one moment a great eater." - -The king seemed charmed at his guest's politeness. - -"Will you try some of these creams?" he said to Porthos. - -"Sire, you majesty treats me with far too much kindness to prevent me -speaking the whole truth." - -"Pray do so, M. du Vallon." - -"Will, sire, with regard to sweet dishes I only recognize pastry, and -even that should be rather solid; all these frothy substances swell the -stomach, and occupy a space which seems to me to be too precious to be -so badly tenanted." - -"Ah! gentlemen," said the king, indicating Porthos by a gesture, "here -is indeed a model of gastronomy. It was in such a manner that our -fathers, who so well knew what good living was, used to _eat_, while -we," added his majesty, "do nothing but tantalize with our stomachs." -And as he spoke, he took the breast of a chicken with ham, while Porthos -attacked a dish of partridges and quails. The cup-bearer filled his -majesty's glass. "Give M. du Vallon some of my wine," said the king. -This was one of the greatest honors of the royal table. D'Artagnan -pressed his friend's knee. "If you could only manage to swallow the half -of that boar's head I see yonder," said he to Porthos, "I shall believe -you will be a duke and peer within the next twelvemonth." - -"Presently," said Porthos, phlegmatically; "I shall come to that by and -by." - -In fact it was not long before it came to the boar's turn, for the king -seemed to take pleasure in urging on his guest; he did not pass any -of the dishes to Porthos until he had tasted them himself, and he -accordingly took some of the boar's head. Porthos showed that he could -keep pace with his sovereign; and, instead of eating the half, as -D'Artagnan had told him, he ate three-fourths of it. "It is impossible," -said the king in an undertone, "that a gentleman who eats so good a -supper every day, and who has such beautiful teeth, can be otherwise -than the most straightforward, upright man in my kingdom." - -"Do you hear?" said D'Artagnan in his friend's ear. - -"Yes; I think I am rather in favor," said Porthos, balancing himself on -his chair. - -"Oh! you are in luck's way." - -The king and Porthos continued to eat in the same manner, to the great -satisfaction of the other guests, some of whom, from emulation, had -attempted to follow them, but were obliged to give up half-way. The -king soon began to get flushed and the reaction of the blood to his face -announced that the moment of repletion had arrived. It was then that -Louis XIV., instead of becoming gay and cheerful, as most good livers -generally do, became dull, melancholy, and taciturn. Porthos, on the -contrary, was lively and communicative. D'Artagnan's foot had more than -once to remind him of this peculiarity of the king. The dessert now -made its appearance. The king had ceased to think anything further of -Porthos; he turned his eyes anxiously towards the entrance-door, and -he was heard occasionally to inquire how it happened that Monsieur de -Saint-Aignan was so long in arriving. At last, at the moment when -his majesty was finishing a pot of preserved plums with a deep sigh, -Saint-Aignan appeared. The king's eyes, which had become somewhat dull, -immediately began to sparkle. The comte advanced towards the king's -table, and Louis rose at his approach. Everybody got up at the same -time, including Porthos, who was just finishing an almond-cake capable -of making the jaws of a crocodile stick together. The supper was over. - - - -Chapter XV. After Supper. - -The king took Saint-Aignan by the arm, and passed into the adjoining -apartment. "What has detained you, comte?" said the king. - -"I was bringing the answer, sire," replied the comte. - -"She has taken a long time to reply to what I wrote her." - -"Sire, your majesty deigned to write in verse, and Mademoiselle de la -Valliere wished to repay your majesty in the same coin; that is to say, -in gold." - -"Verses! Saint-Aignan," exclaimed the king in ecstasy. "Give them to -me at once." And Louis broke the seal of a little letter, inclosing the -verses which history has preserved entire for us, and which are more -meritorious in invention than in execution. Such as they were, however, -the king was enchanted with them, and exhibited his satisfaction by -unequivocal transports of delight; but the universal silence which -reigned in the rooms warned Louis, so sensitively particular with -regard to good breeding, that his delight must give rise to various -interpretations. He turned aside and put the note in his pocket, and -then advancing a few steps, which brought him again to the threshold of -the door close to his guests, he said, "M. du Vallon, I have seen you -to-day with the greatest pleasure, and my pleasure will be equally great -to see you again." Porthos bowed as the Colossus of Rhodes would have -done, and retired from the room with his face towards the king. "M. -d'Artagnan," continued the king, "you will await my orders in the -gallery; I am obliged to you for having made me acquainted with M. du -Vallon. Gentlemen," addressing himself to the other guests, "I return -to Paris to-morrow on account of the departure of the Spanish and Dutch -ambassadors. Until to-morrow then." - -The apartment was immediately cleared of the guests. The king took -Saint-Aignan by the arm, made him read La Valliere's verses over again, -and said, "What do you think of them?" - -"Charming, sire." - -"They charm me, in fact, and if they were known--" - -"Oh! the professional poets would be jealous of them; but it is not -likely they will know anything about them." - -"Did you give her mine?" - -"Oh! sire, she positively devoured them." - -"They were very weak, I am afraid." - -"That is not what Mademoiselle de la Valliere said of them." - -"Do you think she was pleased with them?" - -"I am sure of it, sire." - -"I must answer, then." - -"Oh! sire, immediately after supper? Your majesty will fatigue -yourself." - -"You are quite right; study after eating is notoriously injurious." - -"The labor of a poet especially so; and besides, there is great -excitement prevailing at Mademoiselle de la Valliere's." - -"What do you mean?" - -"With her as with all the ladies of the court." - -"Why?" - -"On account of poor De Guiche's accident." - -"Has anything serious happened to De Guiche, then?" - -"Yes, sire, he has one hand nearly destroyed, a hole in his breast; in -fact, he is dying." - -"Good heavens! who told you that?" - -"Manicamp brought him back just now to the house of a doctor here in -Fontainebleau, and the rumor soon reached us all." - -"Brought back! Poor De Guiche; and how did it happen?" - -"Ah! that is the very question,--how did it happen?" - -"You say that in a very singular manner, Saint-Aignan. Give me the -details. What does he say himself?" - -"He says nothing, sire; but others do." - -"What others?" - -"Those who brought him back, sire." - -"Who are they?" - -"I do not know, sire; but M. de Manicamp knows. M. de Manicamp is one of -his friends." - -"As everybody is, indeed," said the king. - -"Oh! no!" returned Saint-Aignan, "you are mistaken sire; every one is -not precisely a friend of M. de Guiche." - -"How do you know that?" - -"Does your majesty require me to explain myself?" - -"Certainly I do." - -"Well, sire, I believe I have heard something said about a quarrel -between two gentlemen." - -"When?" - -"This very evening, before your majesty's supper was served." - -"That can hardly be. I have issued such stringent and severe ordinances -with respect to duelling, that no one, I presume, would dare to disobey -them." - -"In that case, Heaven preserve me from excusing any one!" exclaimed -Saint-Aignan. "Your majesty commanded me to speak, and I spoke -accordingly." - -"Tell me, then, in what way the Comte de Guiche has been wounded?" - -"Sire, it is said to have been at a boar-hunt." - -"This evening?" - -"Yes, sire." - -"One of his hands shattered, and a hole in his breast. Who was at the -hunt with M. de Guiche?" - -"I do not know, sire; but M. de Manicamp knows, or ought to know." - -"You are concealing something from me, Saint-Aignan." - -"Nothing, sire, I assure you." - -"Then, explain to me how the accident happened; was it a musket that -burst?" - -"Very likely, sire. But yet, on reflection, it could hardly have been -that, for De Guiche's pistol was found close by him still loaded." - -"His pistol? But a man does not go to a boar-hunt with a pistol, I -should think." - -"Sire, it is also said that De Guiche's horse was killed and that the -horse is still to be found in the wide open glade in the forest." - -"His horse?--Guiche go on horseback to a boar-hunt?--Saint-Aignan, I do -not understand a syllable of what you have been telling me. Where did -this affair happen?" - -"At the Rond-point, in that part of the forest called the Bois-Rochin." - -"That will do. Call M. d'Artagnan." Saint-Aignan obeyed, and the -musketeer entered. - -"Monsieur d'Artagnan," said the king, "you will leave this place by the -little door of the private staircase." - -"Yes, sire." - -"You will mount your horse." - -"Yes, sire." - -"And you will proceed to the Rond-point du Bois-Rochin. Do you know the -spot?" - -"Yes, sire. I have fought there twice." - -"What!" exclaimed the king, amazed at the reply. - -"Under the edicts, sire, of Cardinal Richelieu," returned D'Artagnan, -with his usual impassability. - -"That is very different, monsieur. You will, therefore, go there, and -will examine the locality very carefully. A man has been wounded there, -and you will find a horse lying dead. You will tell me what your opinion -is upon the whole affair." - -"Very good, sire." - -"As a matter of course, it is your own opinion I require, and not that -of any one else." - -"You shall have it in an hour's time, sire." - -"I prohibit your speaking with any one, whoever it may be." - -"Except with the person who must give me a lantern," said D'Artagnan. - -"Oh! that is a matter of course," said the king, laughing at the -liberty, which he tolerated in no one but his captain of the musketeers. -D'Artagnan left by the little staircase. - -"Now, let my physician be sent for," said Louis. Ten minutes afterwards -the king's physician arrived, quite out of breath. - -"You will go, monsieur," said the king to him, "and accompany M. de -Saint-Aignan wherever he may take you; you will render me an account of -the state of the person you may see in the house you will be taken to." -The physician obeyed without a remark, as at that time people began to -obey Louis XIV., and left the room preceding Saint-Aignan. - -"Do you, Saint-Aignan, send Manicamp to me, before the physician can -possibly have spoken to him." And Saint-Aignan left in his turn. - - - -Chapter XVI. Showing in What Way D'Artagnan Discharged the Mission with -Which the King Had Intrusted Him. - -While the king was engaged in making these last-mentioned arrangements -in order to ascertain the truth, D'Artagnan, without losing a second, -ran to the stable, took down the lantern, saddled his horse himself, and -proceeded towards the place his majesty had indicated. According to -the promise he had made, he had not accosted any one; and, as we have -observed, he had carried his scruples so far as to do without the -assistance of the stable-helpers altogether. D'Artagnan was one of those -who in moments of difficulty pride themselves on increasing their own -value. By dint of hard galloping, he in less than five minutes -reached the wood, fastened his horse to the first tree he came to, and -penetrated to the broad open space on foot. He then began to inspect -most carefully, on foot and with his lantern in his hand, the whole -surface of the Rond-point, went forward, turned back again, measured, -examined, and after half an hour's minute inspection, he returned -silently to where he had left his horse, and pursued his way in deep -reflection and at a foot-pace to Fontainebleau. Louis was waiting in his -cabinet; he was alone, and with a pencil was scribbling on paper certain -lines which D'Artagnan at the first glance recognized as unequal and -very much touched up. The conclusion he arrived at was, that they must -be verses. The king raised his head and perceived D'Artagnan. "Well, -monsieur," he said, "do you bring me any news?" - -"Yes, sire." - -"What have you seen?" - -"As far as probability goes, sire--" D'Artagnan began to reply. - -"It was certainty I requested of you." - -"I will approach it as near as I possibly can. The weather was very well -adapted for investigations of the character I have just made; it has -been raining this evening, and the roads were wet and muddy--" - -"Well, the result, M. d'Artagnan?" - -"Sire, your majesty told me that there was a horse lying dead in the -cross-road of the Bois-Rochin, and I began, therefore, by studying the -roads. I say the roads, because the center of the cross-road is reached -by four separate roads. The one that I myself took was the only one that -presented any fresh traces. Two horses had followed it side by side; -their eight feet were marked very distinctly in the clay. One of the -riders was more impatient than the other, for the footprints of the one -were invariably in advance of the other about half a horse's length." - -"Are you quite sure they were traveling together?" said the king. - -"Yes sire. The horses are two rather large animals of equal -pace,--horses well used to maneuvers of all kinds, for they wheeled -round the barrier of the Rond-point together." - -"Well--and after?" - -"The two cavaliers paused there for a minute, no doubt to arrange the -conditions of the engagement; the horses grew restless and impatient. -One of the riders spoke, while the other listened and seemed to have -contented himself by simply answering. His horse pawed the ground, which -proves that his attention was so taken up by listening that he let the -bridle fall from his hand." - -"A hostile meeting did take place then?" - -"Undoubtedly." - -"Continue; you are a very accurate observer." - -"One of the two cavaliers remained where he was standing, the one, in -fact, who had been listening; the other crossed the open space, and at -first placed himself directly opposite to his adversary. The one who -had remained stationary traversed the Rond-point at a gallop, about -two-thirds of its length, thinking that by this means he would gain -upon his opponent; but the latter had followed the circumference of the -wood." - -"You are ignorant of their names, I suppose?" - -"Completely so, sire. Only he who followed the circumference of the wood -was mounted on a black horse." - -"How do you know that?" - -"I found a few hairs of his tail among the brambles which bordered the -sides of the ditch." - -"Go on." - -"As for the other horse, there can be no trouble in describing him, -since he was left dead on the field of battle." - -"What was the cause of his death?" - -"A ball which had passed through his brain." - -"Was the ball that of a pistol or a gun?" - -"It was a pistol-bullet, sire. Besides, the manner in which the horse -was wounded explained to me the tactics of the man who had killed it. -He had followed the circumference of the wood in order to take his -adversary in flank. Moreover, I followed his foot-tracks on the grass." - -"The tracks of the black horse, do you mean?" - -"Yes, sire." - -"Go on, Monsieur d'Artagnan." - -"As your majesty now perceives the position of the two adversaries, I -will, for a moment, leave the cavalier who had remained stationary for -the one who started off at a gallop." - -"Do so." - -"The horse of the cavalier who rode at full speed was killed on the -spot." - -"How do you know that?" - -"The cavalier had not time even to throw himself off his horse, and so -fell with it. I observed the impression of his leg, which, with a great -effort, he was enabled to extricate from under the horse. The spur, -pressed down by the weight of the animal, had plowed up the ground." - -"Very good; and what did he do as soon as he rose up again?" - -"He walked straight up to his adversary." - -"Who still remained upon the verge of the forest?" - -"Yes, sire. Then, having reached a favorable distance, he stopped -firmly, for the impression of both his heels are left in the ground -quite close to each other, fired, and missed his adversary." - -"How do you know he did not hit him?" - -"I found a hat with a ball through it." - -"Ah, a proof, then!" exclaimed the king. - -"Insufficient, sire," replied D'Artagnan, coldly; "it is a hat without -any letters indicating its ownership, without arms; a red feather, as -all hats have; the lace, even, had nothing particular in it." - -"Did the man with the hat through which the bullet had passed fire a -second time?" - -"Oh, sire, he had already fired twice." - -"How did you ascertain that?" - -"I found the waddings of the pistol." - -"And what became of the bullet which did not kill the horse?" - -"It cut in two the feather of the hat belonging to him against whom -it was directed, and broke a small birch at the other end of the open -glade." - -"In that case, then, the man on the black horse was disarmed, whilst his -adversary had still one more shot to fire?" - -"Sire, while the dismounted rider was extricating himself from his -horse, the other was reloading his pistol. Only, he was much agitated -while he was loading it, and his hand trembled greatly." - -"How do you know that?" - -"Half the charge fell to the ground, and he threw the ramrod aside, not -having time to replace it in the pistol." - -"Monsieur d'Artagnan, this is marvellous you tell me." - -"It is only close observation, sire, and the commonest highwayman could -tell as much." - -"The whole scene is before me from the manner in which you relate it." - -"I have, in fact, reconstructed it in my own mind, with merely a few -alterations." - -"And now," said the king, "let us return to the dismounted cavalier. You -were saying that he walked towards his adversary while the latter was -loading his pistol." - -"Yes; but at the very moment he himself was taking aim, the other -fired." - -"Oh!" said the king; "and the shot?" - -"The shot told terribly, sire; the dismounted cavalier fell upon his -face, after having staggered forward three or four paces." - -"Where was he hit?" - -"In two places; in the first place, in his right hand, and then, by the -same bullet, in his chest." - -"But how could you ascertain that?" inquired the king, full of -admiration. - -"By a very simple means; the butt end of the pistol was covered with -blood, and the trace of the bullet could be observed, with fragments of -a broken ring. The wounded man, in all probability, had the ring-finger -and the little finger carried off." - -"As far as the hand goes, I have nothing to say; but the chest?" - -"Sire, there were two small pools of blood, at a distance of about two -feet and a half from each other. At one of these pools of blood the -grass was torn up by the clenched hand; at the other, the grass was -simply pressed down by the weight of the body." - -"Poor De Guiche!" exclaimed the king. - -"Ah! it was M. de Guiche, then?" said the musketeer, quietly. "I -suspected it, but did not venture to mention it to your majesty." - -"And what made you suspect it?" - -"I recognized the De Gramont arms upon the holsters of the dead horse." - -"And you think he is seriously wounded?" - -"Very seriously, since he fell immediately, and remained a long time -in the same place; however, he was able to walk, as he left the spot, -supported by two friends." - -"You met him returning, then?" - -"No; but I observed the footprints of three men; the one on the right -and the one on the left walked freely and easily, but the one in the -middle dragged his feet as he walked; besides, he left traces of blood -at every step he took." - -"Now, monsieur, since you saw the combat so distinctly that not a single -detail seems to have escaped you, tell me something about De Guiche's -adversary." - -"Oh, sire, I do not know him." - -"And yet you see everything very clearly." - -"Yes, sire, I see everything; but I do not tell all I see; and, since -the poor devil has escaped, your majesty will permit me to say that I do -not intend to denounce him." - -"And yet he is guilty, since he has fought a duel, monsieur." - -"Not guilty in my eyes, sire," said D'Artagnan, coldly. - -"Monsieur!" exclaimed the king, "are you aware of what you are saying?" - -"Perfectly, sire; but, according to my notions, a man who fights a duel -is a brave man; such, at least, is my own opinion; but your majesty may -have another, it is but natural, for you are master here." - -"Monsieur d'Artagnan, I ordered you, however--" - -D'Artagnan interrupted the king by a respectful gesture. "You ordered -me, sire, to gather what particulars I could, respecting a hostile -meeting that had taken place; those particulars you have. If you order -me to arrest M. de Guiche's adversary, I will do so; but do not order me -to denounce him to you, for in that case I will not obey." - -"Very well! Arrest him, then." - -"Give me his name, sire." - -The king stamped his foot angrily; but after a moment's reflection, he -said, "You are right--ten times, twenty times, a hundred times right." - -"That is my opinion, sire: I am happy that, this time, it accords with -your majesty's." - -"One word more. Who assisted Guiche?" - -"I do not know, sire." - -"But you speak of two men. There was a person present, then, as second." - -"There was no second, sire. Nay, more than that, when M. de Guiche fell, -his adversary fled without giving him any assistance." - -"The miserable coward!" exclaimed the king. - -"The consequence of your ordinances, sire. If a man has fought well, and -fairly, and has already escaped one chance of death, he naturally wishes -to escape a second. M. de Bouteville cannot be forgotten very easily." - -"And so, men turn cowards." - -"No, they become prudent." - -"And he has fled, then, you say?" - -"Yes; and as fast as his horse could possibly carry him." - -"In what direction?" - -"In the direction of the chateau." - -"Well, and after that?" - -"Afterwards, as I have had the honor of telling your majesty, two men on -foot arrived, who carried M. de Guiche back with them." - -"What proof have you that these men arrived after the combat?" - -"A very evident proof, sire; at the moment the encounter took place, -the rain had just ceased, the ground had not had time to imbibe the -moisture, and was, consequently, soaked; the footsteps sank in the -ground; but while M. de Guiche was lying there in a fainting condition, -the ground became firm again, and the footsteps made a less sensible -impression." - -Louis clapped his hands together in sign of admiration. "Monsieur -d'Artagnan," he said, "you are positively the cleverest man in my -kingdom." - -"The identical thing M. de Richelieu thought, and M. de Mazarin said, -sire." - -"And now, it remains for us to see if your sagacity is at fault." - -"Oh! sire, a man may be mistaken; _humanum est errare_," said the -musketeer, philosophically. [1] - -"In that case, you are not human, Monsieur d'Artagnan, for I believe you -are never mistaken." - -"Your majesty said that we were going to see whether such was the case, -or not." - -"Yes." - -"In what way, may I venture to ask?" - -"I have sent for M. de Manicamp, and M. de Manicamp is coming." - -"And M. de Manicamp knows the secret?" - -"De Guiche has no secrets from M. de Manicamp." - -D'Artagnan shook his head. "No one was present at the combat, I repeat; -and unless M. de Manicamp was one of the two men who brought him back--" - -"Hush!" said the king, "he is coming; remain, and listen attentively." - -"Very good, sire." - -And, at the very same moment, Manicamp and Saint-Aignan appeared at the -threshold of the door. - - - -Chapter XVII. The Encounter. - -The king signified with an imperious gesture, first to the musketeer, -then to Saint-Aignan, "On your lives, not a word." D'Artagnan withdrew, -like a sentinel, to a corner of the room; Saint-Aignan, in his character -of a favorite, leaned over the back of the king's chair. Manicamp, with -his right foot properly advanced, a smile upon his lips, and his -white and well-formed hands gracefully disposed, advanced to make his -reverence to the king, who returned the salutation by a bow. "Good -evening, M. de Manicamp," he said. - -"Your majesty did me the honor to send for me," said Manicamp. - -"Yes, in order to learn from you all the details of the unfortunate -accident which has befallen the Comte de Guiche." - -"Oh! sire, it is grievous indeed." - -"You were there?" - -"Not precisely, sire." - -"But you arrived on the scene of the accident, a few minutes after it -took place?" - -"Sire, about half an hour afterwards." - -"And where did the accident happen?" - -"I believe, sire, the place is called the Rond-point du Bois-Rochin." - -"Oh! the rendezvous of the hunt." - -"The very spot, sire." - -"Good; give me all the details you are acquainted with, respecting this -unhappy affair, Monsieur de Manicamp." - -"Perhaps your majesty has already been informed of them, and I fear to -fatigue you with useless repetition." - -"No, do not be afraid of that." - -Manicamp looked round him; he saw only D'Artagnan leaning with his -back against the wainscot--D'Artagnan, calm, kind, and good-natured as -usual--and Saint-Aignan whom he had accompanied, and who still leaned -over the king's armchair with an expression of countenance equally full -of good feeling. He determined, therefore, to speak out. "Your majesty -is perfectly aware," he said, "that accidents are very frequent in -hunting." - -"In hunting, do you say?" - -"I mean, sire, when an animal is brought to bay." - -"Ah, ah!" said the king, "it was when the animal was brought to bay, -then, that the accident happened?" - -"Alas! sire, unhappily it was." - -The king paused for a moment before he said: "What animal was being -hunted?" - -"A wild boar, sire." - -"And what could possibly have possessed De Guiche to go to a wild -boar-hunt by himself; that is but a clownish idea of sport, only fit for -that class of people who, unlike the Marechal de Gramont, have no dogs -and huntsmen, to hunt as gentlemen should do." - -Manicamp shrugged his shoulders. "Youth is very rash," he said, -sententiously. - -"Well, go on," said the king. - -"At all events," continued Manicamp, not venturing to be too precipitate -and hasty, and letting his words fall very slowly one by one, "at all -events, sire, poor De Guiche went hunting--all alone." - -"Quite alone? indeed?--What a sportsman! And is not M. de Guiche aware -that the wild boar always stands at bay?" - -"That is the very thing that really happened, sire." - -"He had some idea, then, of the beast being there?" - -"Yes, sire, some peasants had seen it among their potatoes." [2] - -"And what kind of animal was it?" - -"A short, thick beast." - -"You may as well tell me, monsieur, that De Guiche had some idea of -committing suicide; for I have seen him hunt, and he is an active and -vigorous hunter. Whenever he fires at an animal brought to bay and held -in check by the dogs, he takes every possible precaution, and yet he -fires with a carbine, and on this occasion he seems to have faced the -boar with pistols only." - -Manicamp started. - -"A costly pair of pistols, excellent weapons to fight a duel with a man -and not a wild boar. What an absurdity!" - -"There are some things, sire, which are difficult of explanation." - -"You are quite right, and the event which we are now discussing is -certainly one of them. Go on." - -During the recital, Saint-Aignan, who probably would have made a sign to -Manicamp to be careful what he was about, found that the king's glance -was constantly fixed upon himself, so that it was utterly impossible to -communicate with Manicamp in any way. As for D'Artagnan, the statue of -Silence at Athens was far more noisy and far more expressive than he. -Manicamp, therefore, was obliged to continue in the same way he -had begun, and so contrived to get more and more entangled in his -explanation. "Sire," he said, "this is probably how the affair happened. -Guiche was waiting to receive the boar as it rushed towards him." - -"On foot or on horseback?" inquired the king. - -"On horseback. He fired upon the brute and missed his aim, and then it -dashed upon him." - -"And the horse was killed." - -"Ah! your majesty knows that, then." - -"I have been told that a horse has been found lying dead in the -cross-roads of the Bois-Rochin, and I presume it was De Guiche's horse." - -"Perfectly true, sire, it was his." - -"Well, so much for the horse, and now for De Guiche?" - -"De Guiche, once down, was attacked and worried by the wild boar, and -wounded in the hand and in the chest." - -"It is a horrible accident, but it must be admitted it was De Guiche's -own fault. How could he possibly have gone to hunt such an animal merely -armed with pistols; he must have forgotten the fable of Adonis?" - -Manicamp rubbed his ear in seeming perplexity. "Very true," he said, "it -was very imprudent." - -"Can you explain it, Monsieur Manicamp?" - -"Sire, what is written is written!" - -"Ah! you are a fatalist." - -Manicamp looked very uncomfortable and ill at ease. - -"I am angry with you, Monsieur Manicamp," continued the king. - -"With me, sire?" - -"Yes. How was it that you, who are De Guiche's intimate friend, and -who know that he is subject to such acts of folly, did not stop him in -time?" - -Manicamp no longer knew what to do; the tone in which the king spoke -was anything but that of a credulous man. On the other hand, it did -not indicate any particular severity, nor did he seem to care very -much about the cross-examination. There was more of raillery in it than -menace. "And you say, then," continued the king, "that it was positively -De Guiche's horse that was found dead?" - -"Quite positive, sire." - -"Did that astonish you?" - -"No, sire; for your majesty will remember that, at the last hunt, M. de -Saint-Maure had a horse killed under him, and in the same way." - -"Yes, but that one was ripped open." - -"Of course, sire." - -"Had Guiche's horse been ripped open like M. de Saint-Maure's horse, I -should not have been astonished." - -Manicamp opened his eyes very wide. - -"Am I mistaken," resumed the king, "was it not in the frontal bone that -De Guiche's horse was struck? You must admit, Monsieur de Manicamp, that -that is a very singular place for a wild boar to attack." - -"You are aware, sire, that the horse is a very intelligent animal, and -he doubtless endeavoured to defend himself." - -"But a horse defends himself with his heels and not with his head." - -"In that case, the terrified horse may have slipped or fallen down," -said Manicamp, "and the boar, you understand sire, the boar--" - -"Oh! I understand that perfectly, as far as the horse is concerned; but -how about his rider?" - -"Well! that, too, is simple enough; the boar left the horse and attacked -the rider; and, as I have already had the honor of informing your -majesty, shattered De Guiche's hand at the very moment he was about to -discharge his second pistol at him, and then, with a gouge of his tusk, -made that terrible hole in his chest." - -"Nothing is more likely; really, Monsieur de Manicamp, you are wrong in -placing so little confidence in your own eloquence, and you can tell a -story most admirably." - -"Your majesty is exceedingly kind," said Manicamp, saluting him in the -most embarrassed manner. - -"From this day henceforth, I will prohibit any gentleman attached to my -court going out to a similar encounter. Really, one might just as well -permit duelling." - -Manicamp started, and moved as if he were about to withdraw. "Is your -majesty satisfied?" - -"Delighted; but do not withdraw yet, Monsieur de Manicamp," said Louis, -"I have something to say to you." - -"Well, well!" thought D'Artagnan, "there is another who is not up to the -mark;" and he uttered a sigh which might signify, "Oh! the men of _our_ -stamp, where are they _now?_" - -At this moment an usher lifted up the curtain before the door, and -announced the king's physician. - -"Ah!" exclaimed Louis, "here comes Monsieur Valot, who has just been to -see M. de Guiche. We shall now hear news of the man maltreated by the -boar." - -Manicamp felt more uncomfortable than ever. - -"In this way, at least," added the king, "our conscience will be quite -clear." And he looked at D'Artagnan, who did not seem in the slightest -degree discomposed. - - - -Chapter XVIII. The Physician. - -M. Valot entered. The position of the different persons present was -precisely the same: the king was seated, Saint-Aignan leaning over the -back of his armchair, D'Artagnan with his back against the wall, and -Manicamp still standing. - -"Well, M. Valot," said the king, "did you obey my directions?" - -"With the greatest alacrity, sire." - -"You went to the doctor's house in Fontainebleau?" - -"Yes, sire." - -"And you found M. de Guiche there?" - -"I did, sire." - -"What state was he in?--speak unreservedly." - -"In a very sad state indeed, sire." - -"The wild boar did not quite devour him, however?" - -"Devour whom?" - -"De Guiche." - -"What wild boar?" - -"The boar that wounded him." - -"M. de Guiche wounded by a boar?" - -"So it is said, at least." - -"By a poacher, rather, or by a jealous husband, or an ill-used lover, -who, in order to be revenged, fired upon him." - -"What is it that you say, Monsieur Valot? Were not M. de Guiche's wounds -produced by defending himself against a wild boar?" - -"M. de Guiche's wounds are the result of a pistol-bullet that broke -his ring-finger and the little finger of the right hand, and afterwards -buried itself in the intercostal muscles of the chest." - -"A bullet! Are you sure Monsieur de Guiche was wounded by a _bullet?_" -exclaimed the king, pretending to look much surprised. - -"Indeed, I am, sire; so sure, in fact, that here it is." And he -presented to the king a half-flattened bullet, which the king looked at, -but did not touch. - -"Did he have that in his chest, poor fellow?" he asked. - -"Not precisely. The ball did not penetrate, but was flattened, as you -see, either upon the trigger of the pistol or upon the right side of the -breast-bone." - -"Good heavens!" said the king, seriously, "you said nothing to me about -this, Monsieur de Manicamp." - -"Sire--" - -"What does all this mean, then, this invention about hunting a wild boar -at nightfall? Come, speak, monsieur." - -"Sire--" - -"It seems, then, that you are right," said the king, turning round -towards his captain of musketeers, "and that a duel actually took -place." - -The king possessed, to a greater extent than any one else, the faculty -enjoyed by the great in power or position, of compromising and dividing -those beneath him. Manicamp darted a look full of reproaches at the -musketeer. D'Artagnan understood the look at once, and not wishing -to remain beneath the weight of such an accusation, advanced a step -forward, and said: "Sire, your majesty commanded me to go and explore -the place where the cross-roads meet in the Bois-Rochin, and to report -to you, according to my own ideas, what had taken place there. I -submitted my observations to you, but without denouncing any one. It was -your majesty yourself who was the first to name the Comte de Guiche." - -"Well, monsieur, well," said the king, haughtily; "you have done your -duty, and I am satisfied with you. But you, Monsieur de Manicamp, have -failed in yours, for you have told me a falsehood." - -"A falsehood, sire. The expression is a hard one." - -"Find a more accurate, then." - -"Sire, I will not attempt to do so. I have already been unfortunate -enough to displease your majesty, and it will, in every respect, be far -better for me to accept most humbly any reproaches you may think proper -to address to me." - -"You are right, monsieur, whoever conceals the truth from me, risks my -displeasure." - -"Sometimes, sire, one is ignorant of the truth." - -"No further falsehood, monsieur, or I double the punishment." - -Manicamp bowed and turned pale. D'Artagnan again made another step -forward, determined to interfere, if the still increasing anger of the -king attained certain limits. - -"You see, monsieur," continued the king, "that it is useless to deny the -thing any longer. M. de Guiche has fought a duel." - -"I do not deny it, sire, and it would have been truly generous on your -majesty's part not to have forced me to tell a falsehood." - -"Forced? Who forced you?" - -"Sire, M. de Guiche is my friend. Your majesty has forbidden duels under -pain of death. A falsehood might save my friend's life, and I told it." - -"Good!" murmured D'Artagnan, "an excellent fellow, upon my word." - -"Instead of telling a falsehood, monsieur, you should have prevented him -from fighting," said the king. - -"Oh! sire, your majesty, who is the most accomplished gentleman in -France, knows quite as well as any of us other gentlemen that we have -never considered M. de Bouteville dishonored for having suffered death -on the Place de Greve. That which does in truth dishonor a man is to -avoid meeting his enemy--not to avoid meeting his executioner!" - -"Well, monsieur, that may be so," said Louis XIV.; "I am desirous of -suggesting a means of your repairing all." - -"If it be a means of which a gentleman may avail himself, I shall most -eagerly seize the opportunity." - -"The name of M. de Guiche's adversary?" - -"Oh, oh!" murmured D'Artagnan, "are we going to take Louis XIII. as a -model?" - -"Sire!" said Manicamp, with an accent of reproach. - -"You will not name him, then?" said the king. - -"Sire, I do not know him." - -"Bravo!" murmured D'Artagnan. - -"Monsieur de Manicamp, hand your sword to the captain." - -Manicamp bowed very gracefully, unbuckled his sword, smiling as he did -so, and handed it for the musketeer to take. But Saint-Aignan advanced -hurriedly between him and D'Artagnan. "Sire," he said, "will your -majesty permit me to say a word?" - -"Do so," said the king, delighted, perhaps, at the bottom of his heart, -for some one to step between him and the wrath he felt he had carried -him too far. - -"Manicamp, you are a brave man, and the king will appreciate your -conduct; but to wish to serve your friends too well, is to destroy them. -Manicamp, you know the name the king asks you for?" - -"It is perfectly true--I do know it." - -"You will give it up then?" - -"If I felt I ought to have mentioned it, I should have already done so." - -"Then I will tell it, for I am not so extremely sensitive on such points -of honor as you are." - -"You are at liberty to do so, but it seems to me, however--" - -"Oh! a truce to magnanimity; I will not permit you to go to the Bastile -in that way. Do you speak; or I will." - -Manicamp was keen-witted enough, and perfectly understood that he had -done quite sufficient to produce a good opinion of his conduct; it was -now only a question of persevering in such a manner as to regain the -good graces of the king. "Speak, monsieur," he said to Saint-Aignan; "I -have on my own behalf done all that my conscience told me to do; and it -must have been very importunate," he added, turning towards the king, -"since its mandates led me to disobey your majesty's commands; but your -majesty will forgive me, I hope, when you learn that I was anxious to -preserve the honor of a lady." - -"Of a lady?" said the king, with some uneasiness. - -"Yes, sire." - -"A lady was the cause of this duel?" - -Manicamp bowed. - -"If the position of the lady in question warrants it," he said, "I shall -not complain of your having acted with so much circumspection; on the -contrary, indeed." - -"Sire, everything which concerns your majesty's household, or the -household of your majesty's brother, is of importance in my eyes." - -"In my brother's household," repeated Louis XIV., with a slight -hesitation. "The cause of the duel was a lady belonging to my brother's -household, do you say?" - -"Or to Madame's." - -"Ah! to Madame's?" - -"Yes, sire." - -"Well--and this lady?" - -"Is one of the maids of honor of her royal highness Madame la Duchesse -d'Orleans." - -"For whom M. de Guiche fought--do you say?" - -"Yes, sire, and, this time, I tell no falsehood." - -Louis seemed restless and anxious. "Gentlemen," he said, turning towards -the spectators of this scene, "will you have the goodness to retire for -a moment. I wish to be alone with M. de Manicamp; I know he has some -important communication to make for his own justification, and which -he will not venture before witnesses.... Put up your sword, M. de -Manicamp." - -Manicamp returned his sword to his belt. - -"The fellow decidedly has his wits about him," murmured the musketeer, -taking Saint-Aignan by the arm, and withdrawing with him. - -"He will get out of it," said the latter in D'Artagnan's ear. - -"And with honor, too, comte." - -Manicamp cast a glance of recognition at Saint-Aignan and the captain, -which luckily passed unnoticed by the king. - -"Come, come," said D'Artagnan, as he left the room, "I had an -indifferent opinion of the new generation. Well, I was mistaken after -all. There is some good in them, I perceive." - -Valot preceded the favorite and the captain, leaving the king and -Manicamp alone in the cabinet. - - - -Chapter XIX. Wherein D'Artagnan Perceives that It Was He Who Was -Mistaken, and Manicamp Who Was Right. - -The king, determined to be satisfied that no one was listening, went -himself to the door, and then returned precipitately and placed himself -opposite Manicamp. - -"And now we are alone, Monsieur de Manicamp, explain yourself." - -"With the greatest frankness, sire," replied the young man. - -"And in the first place, pray understand," added the king, "that there -is nothing to which I personally attach a greater importance than the -honor of _any_ lady." - -"That is the very reason, sire, why I endeavored to study your delicacy -of sentiment and feeling." - -"Yes, I understand it all now. You say that it was one of the maids of -honor of my sister-in-law who was the subject of dispute, and that the -person in question, De Guiche's adversary, the man, in point of fact, -whom you will not name--" - -"But whom M. de Saint-Aignan will name, monsieur." - -"Yes, you say, however, that this man insulted some one belonging to the -household of Madame." - -"Yes, sire. Mademoiselle de la Valliere." - -"Ah!" said the king, as if he had expected the name, and yet as if its -announcement had caused him a sudden pang; "ah! it was Mademoiselle de -la Valliere who was insulted." - -"I do not say precisely that she was insulted, sire." - -"But at all events--" - -"I merely say that she was spoken of in terms far enough from -respectful." - -"A man dares to speak in disrespectful terms of Mademoiselle de la -Valliere, and yet you refuse to tell me the name of the insulter?" - -"Sire, I thought it was quite understood that your majesty had abandoned -the idea of making me denounce him." - -"Perfectly true, monsieur," returned the king, controlling his anger; -"besides, I shall know in good time the name of this man whom I shall -feel it my duty to punish." - -Manicamp perceived that they had returned to the question again. As for -the king, he saw he had allowed himself to be hurried away a little too -far, and therefore continued:--"And I will punish him--not because there -is any question of Mademoiselle de la Valliere, although I esteem her -very highly--but because a lady was the object of the quarrel. And I -intend that ladies shall be respected at my court, and that quarrels -shall be put a stop to altogether." - -Manicamp bowed. - -"And now, Monsieur de Manicamp," continued the king, "what was said -about Mademoiselle de la Valliere?" - -"Cannot your majesty guess?" - -"I?" - -"Your majesty can imagine the character of the jest in which young men -permit themselves to indulge." - -"They very probably said that she was in love with some one?" the king -ventured to remark. - -"Probably so." - -"But Mademoiselle de la Valliere has a perfect right to love any one she -pleases," said the king. - -"That is the very point De Guiche maintained." - -"And on account of which he fought, do you mean?" - -"Yes, sire, the sole and only cause." - -The king colored. "And you do not know anything more, then?" - -"In what respect, sire?" - -"In the very interesting respect which you are now referring to." - -"What does your majesty wish to know?" - -"Why, the name of the man with whom La Valliere is in love, and whom De -Guiche's adversary disputed her right to love." - -"Sire, I know nothing--I have heard nothing--and have learnt nothing, -even accidentally; but De Guiche is a noble-hearted fellow, and -if, momentarily, he substituted himself in the place or stead of La -Valliere's protector, it was because that protector was himself of too -exalted a position to undertake her defense." - -These words were more than transparent; they made the king blush, but -this time with pleasure. He struck Manicamp gently on the shoulder. -"Well, well, Monsieur de Manicamp, you are not only a ready, witty -fellow, but a brave gentleman besides, and your friend De Guiche is a -paladin quite after my own heart; you will express that to him from me." - -"Your majesty forgives me, then?" - -"Completely." - -"And I am free?" - -The king smiled and held out his hand to Manicamp, which he took and -kissed respectfully. "And then," added the king, "you relate stories so -charmingly." - -"I, sire!" - -"You told me in the most admirable manner the particulars of the -accident which happened to Guiche. I can see the wild boar rushing out -of the wood--I can see the horse fall down fighting with his head, and -the boar rush from the horse to the rider. You do not simply relate a -story well: you positively paint its incidents." - -"Sire, I think your majesty condescends to laugh at my expense," said -Manicamp. - -"On the contrary," said Louis, seriously, "I have so little intention of -laughing, Monsieur de Manicamp, that I wish you to relate this adventure -to every one." - -"The adventure of the hunt?" - -"Yes; in the same manner you told it to me, without changing a single -word--_you understand?_" - -"Perfectly, sire." - -"And you will relate it, then?" - -"Without losing a minute." - -"Very well! and now summon M. d'Artagnan; I hope you are no longer -afraid of him." - -"Oh, sire, from the very moment I am sure of your majesty's kind -disposition, I no longer fear anything!" - -"Call him, then," said the king. - -Manicamp opened the door, and said, "Gentlemen, the king wishes you to -return." - -D'Artagnan, Saint-Aignan, and Valot entered. - -"Gentlemen," said the king, "I summoned you for the purposes of saying -that Monsieur de Manicamp's explanation has entirely satisfied me." - -D'Artagnan glanced at Valot and Saint-Aignan, as much as to say, "Well! -did I not tell you so?" - -The king led Manicamp to the door, and then in a low tone of voice said: -"See that M. de Guiche takes good care of himself, and particularly that -he recovers as soon as possible; I am very desirous of thanking him in -the name of every lady, but let him take special care that he does not -begin again." - -"Were he to die a hundred times, sire, he would begin again if your -majesty's honor were in any way called in question." - -This remark was direct enough. But we have already said that the incense -of flattery was very pleasing to the king, and, provided he received it, -he was not very particular as to its quality. - -"Very well, very well," he said, as he dismissed Manicamp, "I will see -De Guiche myself, and make him listen to reason." And as Manicamp left -the apartment, the king turned round towards the three spectators of -this scene, and said, "Tell me, Monsieur d'Artagnan, how does it happen -that your sight is so imperfect?--you, whose eyes are generally so very -good." - -"My sight bad, sire?" - -"Certainly." - -"It must be the case since your majesty says so; but in what respect, -may I ask?" - -"Why, with regard to what occurred in the Bois-Rochin." - -"Ah! ah!" - -"Certainly. You pretended to have seen the tracks of two horses, to have -detected the footprints of two men; and have described the particulars -of an engagement, which you assert took place. Nothing of the sort -occurred; pure illusion on your part." - -"Ah! ah!" said D'Artagnan. - -"Exactly the same thing with the galloping to and fro of the horses, and -the other indications of a struggle. It was the struggle of De Guiche -against the wild boar, and absolutely nothing else; only the struggle -was a long and a terrible one, it seems." - -"Ah! ah!" continued D'Artagnan. - -"And when I think that I almost believed it for a moment--but, then, you -told it with such confidence." - -"I admit, sire, that I must have been very short-sighted," said -D'Artagnan, with a readiness of humor which delighted the king. - -"You do admit it, then?" - -"Admit it, sire, most assuredly I do." - -"So now that you see the thing--" - -"In quite a different light from that in which I saw it half an hour -ago." - -"And to what, then, do you attribute this difference in your opinion?" - -"Oh! a very simple thing, sire; half an hour ago I returned from -Bois-Rochin, where I had nothing to light me but a stupid stable -lantern--" - -"While now?" - -"While now I have all the wax-lights of your cabinet, and more than -that, your majesty's own eyes, which illuminate everything, like the -blazing sun at noonday." - -The king began to laugh; and Saint-Aignan broke out into convulsions of -merriment. - -"It is precisely like M. Valot," said D'Artagnan, resuming the -conversation where the king had left off; "he has been imagining all -along, that not only was M. de Guiche wounded by a bullet, but still -more, that he extracted it, even, from his chest." - -"Upon my word," said Valot, "I assure you--" - -"Now, did you not believe that?" continued D'Artagnan. - -"Yes," said Valot; "not only did I believe it, but, at this very moment, -I would swear it." - -"Well, my dear doctor, you have dreamt it." - -"I have dreamt it!" - -"M. de Guiche's wound--a mere dream; the bullet, a dream. So, take my -advice, and prate no more about it." - -"Well said," returned the king, "M. d'Artagnan's advice is sound. Do not -speak of your dream to any one, Monsieur Valot, and, upon the word of -a gentleman, you will have no occasion to repent it. Good evening, -gentlemen; a very sad affair, indeed, is a wild boar-hunt!" - -"A very serious thing, indeed," repeated D'Artagnan, in a loud voice, -"is a wild boar-hunt!" and he repeated it in every room through which he -passed; and left the chateau, taking Valot with him. - -"And now we are alone," said the king to Saint-Aignan, "what is the name -of De Guiche's adversary?" - -Saint-Aignan looked at the king. - -"Oh! do not hesitate," said the king; "you know that I am bound -beforehand to forgive." - -"De Wardes," said Saint-Aignan. - -"Very good," said Louis XIV.; and then, retiring to his own room, added -to himself, "To forgive is not to forget." - - - -Chapter XX. Showing the Advantage of Having Two Strings to One's Bow. - -Manicamp quitted the king's apartment, delighted at having succeeded -so well, when, just as he reached the bottom of the staircase and was -passing a doorway, he felt that some one suddenly pulled him by the -sleeve. He turned round and recognized Montalais, who was waiting for -him in the passage, and who, in a very mysterious manner, with her -body bent forward, and in a low tone of voice, said to him, "Follow me, -monsieur, and without any delay, if you please." - -"Where to, mademoiselle?" inquired Manicamp. - -"In the first place, a true knight would not have asked such a question, -but would have followed me without requiring any explanation." - -"Well, mademoiselle, I am quite ready to conduct myself as a true -knight." - -"No; it is too late, and you cannot take the credit of it. We are going -to Madame's apartment, so come at once." - -"Ah, ah!" said Manicamp. "Lead on, then." - -And he followed Montalais, who ran before him as light as Galatea. - -"This time," said Manicamp, as he followed his guide, "I do not think -that stories about hunting expeditions would be acceptable. We will try, -however, and if need be--well, if there should be any occasion for it, -we must try something else." - -Montalais still ran on. - -"How fatiguing it is," thought Manicamp, "to have need of one's head and -legs at the same time." - -At last, however, they arrived. Madame had just finished undressing, and -was in a most elegant _deshabille_, but it must be understood that she -had changed her dress before she had any idea of being subjected to -the emotions now agitating her. She was waiting with the most restless -impatience; and Montalais and Manicamp found her standing near the door. -At the sound of their approaching footsteps, Madame came forward to meet -them. - -"Ah!" she said, "at last!" - -"Here is M. Manicamp," replied Montalais. - -Manicamp bowed with the greatest respect; Madame signed to Montalais to -withdraw, and she immediately obeyed. Madame followed her with her eyes, -in silence, until the door closed behind her, and then, turning towards -Manicamp, said, "What is the matter?--and is it true, as I am told, -Monsieur de Manicamp, that some one is lying wounded in the chateau?" - -"Yes, Madame, unfortunately so--Monsieur de Guiche." - -"Yes, Monsieur de Guiche," repeated the princess. "I had, in fact, -heard it rumored, but not confirmed. And so, in truth, it is Monsieur de -Guiche who has been thus unfortunate?" - -"M. de Guiche himself, Madame." - -"Are you aware, M. de Manicamp," said the princess, hastily, "that the -king has the strongest antipathy to duels?" - -"Perfectly so, Madame; but a duel with a wild beast is not answerable." - -"Oh, you will not insult me by supposing that I credit the absurd fable, -with what object I cannot tell, respecting M. de Guiche having been -wounded by a wild boar. No, no, monsieur; the real truth is known, and, -in addition to the inconvenience of his wound, M. de Guiche runs the -risk of losing his liberty if not his life." - -"Alas! Madame, I am well aware of that, but what is to be done?" - -"You have seen the king?" - -"Yes, Madame." - -"What did you say to him?" - -"I told him how M. de Guiche went to the chase, and how a wild boar -rushed forth out of the Bois-Rochin; how M. de Guiche fired at it, and -how, in fact, the furious brute dashed at De Guiche, killed his horse, -and grievously wounded himself." - -"And the king believed that?" - -"Implicitly." - -"Oh, you surprise me, Monsieur de Manicamp; you surprise me very much." - -And Madame walked up and down the room, casting a searching look from -time to time at Manicamp, who remained motionless and impassible in the -same place. At last she stopped. - -"And yet," she said, "every one here seems unanimous in giving another -cause for this wound." - -"What cause, Madame?" said Manicamp; "may I be permitted, without -indiscretion, to ask your highness?" - -"You ask such a question! You, M. de Guiche's intimate friend, his -confidant, indeed!" - -"Oh, Madame! his intimate friend--yes; confidant--no. De Guiche is a man -who can keep his own secrets, who has some of his own certainly, but who -never breathes a syllable about them. De Guiche is discretion itself, -Madame." - -"Very well, then; those secrets which M. de Guiche keeps so -scrupulously, I shall have the pleasure of informing you of," said the -princess, almost spitefully; "for the king may possibly question you a -second time, and if, on the second occasion, you were to repeat the same -story to him, he possibly might not be very well satisfied with it." - -"But, Madame, I think your highness is mistaken with regard to the king. -His majesty was perfectly satisfied with me, I assure you." - -"In that case, permit me to assure you, Monsieur de Manicamp, it only -proves one thing, which is, that his majesty is very easily satisfied." - -"I think your highness is mistaken in arriving at such an opinion; his -majesty is well known not to be contented except with very good reason." - -"And do you suppose that he will thank you for your officious falsehood, -when he will learn to-morrow that M. de Guiche had, on behalf of his -friend M. de Bragelonne, a quarrel which ended in a hostile meeting?" - -"A quarrel on M. de Bragelonne's account," said Manicamp, with the most -innocent expression in the world; "what does your royal highness do me -the honor to tell me?" - -"What is there astonishing in that? M. de Guiche is susceptible, -irritable, and easily loses his temper." - -"On the contrary, Madame, I know M. de Guiche to be very patient, and -never susceptible or irritable except upon very good grounds." - -"But is not friendship a just ground?" said the princess. - -"Oh, certainly, Madame; and particularly for a heart like his." - -"Very good; you will not deny, I suppose, that M. de Bragelonne is M. de -Guiche's good friend?" - -"A great friend." - -"Well, then, M. de Guiche has taken M. de Bragelonne's part; and as M. -de Bragelonne was absent and could not fight, he fought for him." - -Manicamp began to smile, and moved his head and shoulders very slightly, -as much as to say, "Oh, if you will positively have it so--" - -"But speak, at all events," said the princess, out of patience; "speak!" - -"I?" - -"Of course; it is quite clear you are not of my opinion, and that you -have something to say." - -"I have only one thing to say, Madame." - -"Name it!" - -"That I do not understand a single word of what you have just been -telling me." - -"What!--you do not understand a single word about M. de Guiche's quarrel -with M. de Wardes," exclaimed the princess, almost out of temper. - -Manicamp remained silent. - -"A quarrel," she continued, "which arose out of a conversation -scandalous in its tone and purport, and more or less well founded, -respecting the virtue of a certain lady." - -"Ah! of a certain lady,--this is quite another thing," said Manicamp. - -"You begin to understand, do you not?" - -"Your highness will excuse me, but I dare not--" - -"You dare not," said Madame, exasperated; "very well, then, wait one -moment, I will dare." - -"Madame, Madame!" exclaimed Manicamp, as if in great dismay, "be careful -of what you are going to say." - -"It would seem, monsieur, that, if I happened to be a man, you would -challenge me, notwithstanding his majesty's edicts, as Monsieur de -Guiche challenged M. de Wardes; and that, too, on account of the virtue -of Mademoiselle de la Valliere." - -"Of Mademoiselle de la Valliere!" exclaimed Manicamp, starting -backwards, as if that was the very last name he expected to hear -pronounced. - -"What makes you start in that manner, Monsieur de Manicamp?" said -Madame, ironically; "do you mean to say you would be impertinent enough -to suspect that young lady's honor?" - -"Madame, in the whole course of this affair there has not been the -slightest question of Mademoiselle de la Valliere's honor." - -"What! when two men have almost blown each other's brains out on a -woman's behalf, do you mean to say she has had nothing to do with the -affair, and that her name has not been called in question at all? I did -not think you so good a courtier, Monsieur de Manicamp." - -"Pray forgive me, Madame," said the young man, "but we are very far from -understanding one another. You do me the honor to speak one language -while I am speaking altogether another." - -"I beg your pardon, but I do not understand your meaning." - -"Forgive me, then; but I fancied I understood your highness to remark -that De Guiche and De Wardes had fought on Mademoiselle de la Valliere's -account?" - -"Certainly." - -"On account of Mademoiselle de la Valliere, I think you said?" repeated -Manicamp. - -"I do not say that M. de Guiche personally took an interest in -Mademoiselle de la Valliere, but I say that he did so as representing or -acting on behalf of another." - -"On behalf of another?" - -"Come, do not always assume such a bewildered look. Does not every -one here know that M. de Bragelonne is affianced to Mademoiselle de la -Valliere, and that before he went on the mission with which the king -intrusted him, he charged his friend M. de Guiche to watch over that -interesting young lady?" - -"There is nothing more for me to say, then. Your highness is -well-informed." - -"Of everything. I beg you to understand that clearly." - -Manicamp began to laugh, which almost exasperated the princess, who was -not, as we know, of a very patient disposition. - -"Madame," resumed the discreet Manicamp, saluting the princess, "let us -bury this affair altogether in forgetfulness, for it will probably never -be quite cleared up." - -"Oh, as far as that goes there is nothing more to do, and the -information is complete. The king will learn that M. de Guiche has taken -up the cause of this little adventuress, who gives herself all the -airs of a grand lady; he will learn that Monsieur de Bragelonne, having -nominated his friend M. de Guiche his guardian-in-ordinary, the latter -immediately fastened, as he was required to do, upon the Marquis de -Wardes, who ventured to trench upon his privileges. Moreover, you -cannot pretend to deny, Monsieur Manicamp--you who know everything so -well--that the king on his side casts a longing eye upon this famous -treasure, and that he will bear no slight grudge against M. de Guiche -for constituting himself its defender. Are you sufficiently well -informed now, or do you require anything further? If so, speak, -monsieur." - -"No, Madame, there is nothing more I wish to know." - -"Learn, however--for you ought to know it, Monsieur de Manicamp--learn -that his majesty's indignation will be followed by terrible -consequences. In princes of a similar temperament to that of his -majesty, the passion which jealousy causes sweeps down like a -whirlwind." - -"Which you will temper, Madame." - -"I!" exclaimed the princess, with a gesture of indescribable irony; "I! -and by what title, may I ask?" - -"Because you detest injustice, Madame." - -"And according to your account, then, it would be an injustice to -prevent the king arranging his love affairs as he pleases." - -"You will intercede, however, in M. de Guiche's favor?" - -"You are mad, monsieur," said the princess, in a haughty tone of voice. - -"On the contrary, I am in the most perfect possession of my senses; and -I repeat, you will defend M. de Guiche before the king." - -"Why should I?" - -"Because the cause of M. de Guiche is your own, Madame," said Manicamp, -with ardor kindling in his eyes. - -"What do you mean by that?" - -"I mean, Madame, that, with respect to the defense which Monsieur de -Guiche undertook in M. de Bragelonne's absence, I am surprised that your -highness has not detected a pretext in La Valliere's name having been -brought forward." - -"A pretext? But a pretext for what?" repeated the princess, -hesitatingly, for Manicamp's steady look had just revealed something of -the truth to her. - -"I trust, Madame," said the young man, "I have said sufficient to induce -your highness not to overwhelm before his majesty my poor friend, De -Guiche, against whom all the malevolence of a party bitterly opposed to -your own will now be directed." - -"You mean, on the contrary, I suppose, that all those who have no great -affection for Mademoiselle de la Valliere, and even, perhaps, a few of -those who have some regard for her, will be angry with the comte?" - -"Oh, Madame! why will you push your obstinacy to such an extent, and -refuse to open your ears and listen to the counsel of one whose -devotion to you is unbounded? Must I expose myself to the risk of your -displeasure,--am I really to be called upon to name, contrary to my own -wish, the person who was the real cause of this quarrel?" - -"The person?" said Madame, blushing. - -"Must I," continued Manicamp, "tell you how poor De Guiche became -irritated, furious, exasperated beyond all control, at the different -rumors now being circulated about this person? Must I, if you persist -in this willful blindness, and if respect should continue to prevent me -naming her,--must I, I repeat, recall to your recollection the -various scenes which Monsieur had with the Duke of Buckingham, and the -insinuations which were reported respecting the duke's exile? Must I -remind you of the anxious care the comte always took in his efforts to -please, to watch, to protect that person for whom alone he lives,--for -whom alone he breathes? Well! I will do so; and when I shall have made -you recall all the particulars I refer to, you will perhaps understand -how it happened that the comte, having lost all control over himself, -and having been for some time past almost harassed to death by De -Wardes, became, at the first disrespectful expression which the latter -pronounced respecting the person in question, inflamed with passion, and -panted only for an opportunity of avenging the affront." - -The princess concealed her face with her hands. "Monsieur, monsieur!" -she exclaimed; "do you know what you are saying, and to whom you are -speaking?" - -"And so, Madame," pursued Manicamp, as if he had not heard the -exclamations of the princess, "nothing will astonish you any -longer,--neither the comte's ardor in seeking the quarrel, nor his -wonderful address in transferring it to a quarter foreign to your own -personal interests. That latter circumstance was, indeed, a marvelous -instance of tact and perfect coolness, and if the person in whose -behalf the comte so fought and shed his blood does, in reality, owe -some gratitude to the poor wounded sufferer, it is not on account of the -blood he has shed, or the agony he has suffered, but for the steps he -has taken to preserve from comment or reflection an honor which is more -precious to him than his own." - -"Oh!" cried Madame, as if she had been alone, "is it possible the -quarrel was on my account!" - -Manicamp felt he could now breathe for a moment--and gallantly had he -won the right to do so. Madame, on her side, remained for some time -plunged in a painful reverie. Her agitation could be seen by her quick -respiration, by her drooping eyelids, by the frequency with which she -pressed her hand upon her heart. But, in her, coquetry was not so much -a passive quality, as, on the contrary, a fire which sought for fuel to -maintain itself, finding anywhere and everywhere what it required. - -"If it be as you assert," she said, "the comte will have obliged two -persons at the same time; for Monsieur de Bragelonne also owes a deep -debt of gratitude to M. de Guiche--and with far greater reason, indeed, -because everywhere, and on every occasion, Mademoiselle de la Valliere -will be regarded as having been defended by this generous champion." - -Manicamp perceived that there still remained some lingering doubt in the -princess's heart. "A truly admirable service, indeed," he said, "is the -one he has rendered to Mademoiselle de la Valliere! A truly admirable -service to M. de Bragelonne! The duel has created a sensation which, in -some respects, casts a dishonorable suspicion upon that young girl; -a sensation, indeed, which will embroil her with the vicomte. The -consequence is that De Wardes's pistol-bullet has had three results -instead of one; it destroys at the same time the honor of a woman, the -happiness of a man, and, perhaps, it has wounded to death one of -the best gentlemen in France. Oh, Madame! your logic is cold--even -calculating; it always condemns--it never absolves." - -Manicamp's concluding words scattered to the winds the last doubt which -lingered, not in Madame's heart, but in her mind. She was no longer -a princess full of scruples, nor a woman with her ever-returning -suspicions, but one whose heart has just felt the mortal chill of a -wound. "Wounded to death!" she murmured, in a faltering voice, "oh, -Monsieur de Manicamp! did you not say, wounded to death?" - -Manicamp returned no other answer than a deep sigh. - -"And so you said that the comte is dangerously wounded?" continued the -princess. - -"Yes, Madame; one of his hands is shattered, and he has a bullet lodged -in his breast." - -"Gracious heavens!" resumed the princess, with a feverish excitement, -"this is horrible! Monsieur de Manicamp! a hand shattered, do you say, -and a bullet in his breast? And that coward! that wretch! that assassin, -De Wardes, did it!" - -Manicamp seemed overcome by a violent emotion. He had, in fact, -displayed no little energy in the latter part of his speech. As for -Madame, she entirely threw aside all regard for the formal observances -of propriety society imposes; for when, with her, passion spoke -in accents either of anger or sympathy, nothing could restrain her -impulses. Madame approached Manicamp, who had subsided in a chair, as if -his grief were a sufficiently powerful excuse for his infraction of the -laws of etiquette. "Monsieur," she said, seizing him by the hand, "be -frank with me." - -Manicamp looked up. - -"Is M. de Guiche in danger of death?" - -"Doubly so, Madame," he replied; "in the first place on account of the -hemorrhage which has taken place, an artery having been injured in the -hand; and next, in consequence of the wound in his breast, which may, -the doctor is afraid, at least, have injured some vital part." - -"He may die, then?" - -"Die, yes, Madame; and without even having had the consolation of -knowing that you have been told of his devotion." - -"You will tell him." - -"I?" - -"Yes; are you not his friend?" - -"I? oh, no, Madame; I will only tell M. de Guiche--if, indeed, he is -still in a condition to hear me--I will only tell him what I have seen; -that is, your cruelty to him." - -"Oh, monsieur, you will not be guilty of such barbarity!" - -"Indeed, Madame, I shall speak the truth, for nature is very energetic -in a man of his age. The physicians are clever men, and if, by chance, -the poor comte should survive his wound, I should not wish him to die of -a wound of the heart, after surviving one of the body." Manicamp rose, -and with an expression of profoundest respect, seemed to be desirous of -taking leave. - -"At least, monsieur," said Madame, stopping him with almost a suppliant -air, "you will be kind enough to tell me in what state your wounded -friend is, and who is the physician who attends him?" - -"As regards the state he is in, Madame, he is seriously ill; his -physician is M. Valot, his majesty's private medical attendant. M. Valot -is moreover assisted by a professional friend, to whose house M. de -Guiche has been carried." - -"What! he is not in the chateau?" said Madame. - -"Alas, Madame! the poor fellow was so ill, that he could not even be -conveyed thither." - -"Give me the address, monsieur," said the princess, hurriedly; "I will -send to inquire after him." - -"Rue du Feurre; a brick-built house, with white outside blinds. The -doctor's name is on the door." - -"You are returning to your wounded friend, Monsieur de Manicamp?" - -"Yes, Madame." - -"You will be able, then, to do me a service." - -"I am at your highness's orders." - -"Do what you intended to do; return to M. de Guiche, send away all those -whom you may find there, and have the kindness yourself to go away too." - -"Madame--" - -"Let us waste no time in useless explanations. Accept the fact as I -present it to you; see nothing in it beyond what is really there, and -ask nothing further than what I tell you. I am going to send one of my -ladies, perhaps two, because it is now getting late; I do not wish them -to see you, or rather I do not wish you to see them. These are scruples -you can understand--you particularly, Monsieur de Manicamp, who seem -capable of divining so much." - -"Oh, Madame, perfectly; I can even do better still,--I will precede, or -rather walk, in advance of your attendants; it will, at the same time, -be the means of showing them the way more accurately, and of protecting -them, if occasion arises, though there is no probability of their -needing protection." - -"And, by this means, then, they would be sure of entering without -difficulty, would they not?" - -"Certainly, Madame; for as I should be the first to pass, I thus remove -any difficulties that might chance to be in the way." - -"Very well. Go, go, Monsieur de Manicamp, and wait at the bottom of the -staircase." - -"I go at once, Madame." - -"Stay." - -Manicamp paused. - -"When you hear the footsteps of two women descending the stairs, go out, -and, without once turning round, take the road which leads to where the -poor count is lying." - -"But if, by any mischance, two other persons were to descend, and I were -to be mistaken?" - -"You will hear one of the two clap her hands together softly. Go." - -Manicamp turned round, bowed once more, and left the room, his heart -overflowing with joy. In fact, he knew very well that the presence of -Madame herself would be the best balm to apply to his friend's wounds. A -quarter of an hour had hardly elapsed when he heard the sound of a door -opened softly, and closed with like precaution. He listened to the light -footfalls gliding down the staircase, and then heard the signal agreed -upon. He immediately went out, and, faithful to his promise, bent -his way, without once turning his head, through the streets of -Fontainebleau, towards the doctor's dwelling. - - - -Chapter XXI. M. Malicorne the Keeper of the Records of France. - -Two women, their figures completely concealed by their mantles, and -whose masks effectually hid the upper portion of their faces, timidly -followed Manicamp's steps. On the first floor, behind curtains of -red damask, the soft light of a lamp placed upon a low table faintly -illumined the room, at the other extremity of which, on a large bedstead -supported by spiral columns, around which curtains of the same color as -those which deadened the rays of the lamp had been closely drawn, lay De -Guiche, his head supported by pillows, his eyes looking as if the mists -of death were gathering; his long black hair, scattered over the pillow, -set off the young man's hollow temples. It was easy to see that fever -was the chief tenant of the chamber. De Guiche was dreaming. His -wandering mind was pursuing, through gloom and mystery, one of those -wild creations delirium engenders. Two or three drops of blood, still -liquid, stained the floor. Manicamp hurriedly ran up the stairs, but -paused at the threshold of the door, looked into the room, and seeing -that everything was perfectly quiet, he advanced towards the foot of the -large leathern armchair, a specimen of furniture of the reign of Henry -IV., and seeing that the nurse, as a matter of course, had dropped off -to sleep, he awoke her, and begged her to pass into the adjoining room. - -Then, standing by the side of the bed, he remained for a moment -deliberating whether it would be better to awaken Guiche, in order to -acquaint him with the good news. But, as he began to hear behind the -door the rustling of silk dresses and the hurried breathing of his two -companions, and as he already saw that the curtain screening the doorway -seemed on the point of being impatiently drawn aside, he passed round -the bed and followed the nurse into the next room. As soon as he had -disappeared the curtain was raised, and his two female companions -entered the room he had just left. The one who entered first made a -gesture to her companion, which riveted her to the spot where she stood, -close to the door, and then resolutely advanced towards the bed, drew -back the curtains along the iron rod, and threw them in thick folds -behind the head of the bed. She gazed upon the comte's pallid face; -remarked his right hand enveloped in linen whose dazzling whiteness was -emphasized by the counterpane patterned with dark leaves thrown across -the couch. She shuddered as she saw a stain of blood growing larger -and larger upon the bandages. The young man's breast was uncovered, -as though for the cool night air to assist his respiration. A narrow -bandage fastened the dressings of the wound, around which a purplish -circle of extravasated blood was gradually increasing in size. A deep -sigh broke from her lips. She leaned against one of the columns of the -bed, and gazed, through the apertures in her mask, upon the harrowing -spectacle before her. A hoarse harsh groan passed like a death-rattle -through the comte's clenched teeth. The masked lady seized his left -hand, which scorched like burning coals. But at the very moment she -placed her icy hand upon it, the action of the cold was such that De -Guiche opened his eyes, and by a look in which revived intelligence -was dawning, seemed as though struggling back again into existence. The -first thing upon which he fixed his gaze was this phantom standing erect -by his bedside. At that sight, his eyes became dilated, but without any -appearance of consciousness in them. The lady thereupon made a sign to -her companion, who had remained at the door; and in all probability the -latter had already received her lesson, for in a clear tone of -voice, and without any hesitation whatever, she pronounced these -words:--"Monsieur le comte, her royal highness Madame is desirous of -knowing how you are able to bear your wound, and to express to you, by -my lips, her great regret at seeing you suffer." - -As she pronounced the word Madame, Guiche started; he had not as yet -remarked the person to whom the voice belonged, and he naturally turned -towards the direction whence it preceded. But, as he felt the cold hand -still resting on his own, he again turned towards the motionless figure -beside him. "Was it you who spoke, madame?" he asked, in a weak voice, -"or is there another person in beside you in the room?" - -"Yes," replied the figure, in an almost unintelligible voice, as she -bent down her head. - -"Well," said the wounded man, with a great effort, "I thank you. Tell -Madame that I no longer regret to die, since she has remembered me." - -At the words "to die," pronounced by one whose life seemed to hang on a -thread, the masked lady could not restrain her tears, which flowed under -the mask, and appeared upon her cheeks just where the mask left her face -bare. If De Guiche had been in fuller possession of his senses, he would -have seen her tears roll like glistening pearls, and fall upon his bed. -The lady, forgetting that she wore her mask, raised her hand as though -to wipe her eyes, and meeting the rough velvet, she tore away her mask -in anger, and threw it on the floor. At the unexpected apparition before -him, which seemed to issue from a cloud, De Guiche uttered a cry and -stretched his arms towards her; but every word perished on his lips, and -his strength seemed utterly abandoning him. His right hand, which had -followed his first impulse, without calculating the amount of strength -he had left, fell back again upon the bed, and immediately afterwards -the white linen was stained with a larger spot than before. In the -meantime, the young man's eyes became dim, and closed, as if he were -already struggling with the messenger of death; and then, after a few -involuntary movements, his head fell back motionless on his pillow; his -face grew livid. The lady was frightened; but on this occasion, contrary -to what is usually the case, fear attracted. She leaned over the young -man, gazed earnestly, fixedly at his pale, cold face, which she almost -touched, then imprinted a rapid kiss upon De Guiche's left hand, who, -trembling as if an electric shock had passed through him, awoke a second -time, opened his large eyes, incapable of recognition, and again -fell into a state of complete insensibility. "Come," she said to her -companion, "we must not remain here any longer; I shall be committing -some folly or other." - -"Madame, Madame, your highness is forgetting your mask!" said her -vigilant companion. - -"Pick it up," replied her mistress, as she tottered almost senseless -towards the staircase, and as the outer door had been left only -half-closed, the two women, light as birds, passed through it, and -with hurried steps returned to the palace. One of them ascended towards -Madame's apartments, where she disappeared; the other entered the rooms -belonging to the maids of honor, namely, on the _entresol_, and having -reached her own room, she sat down before a table, and without giving -herself time even to breathe, wrote the following letter: - -"This evening Madame has been to see M. de Guiche. Everything is going -well on this side. See that your news is equally exemplary, and do not -forget to burn this paper." - -She folded the letter, and leaving her room with every possible -precaution, crossed a corridor which led to the apartments appropriated -to the gentlemen attached to Monsieur's service. She stopped before a -door, under which, having previously knocked twice in a short, quick -manner, she thrust the paper, and fled. Then, returning to her own -room, she removed every trace of her having gone out, and also of -having written the letter. Amid the investigations she was so diligently -pursuing she perceived on the table the mask which belonged to Madame, -and which, according to her mistress's directions, she had brought back -but had forgotten to restore to her. "Oh, oh!" she said, "I must not -forget to do to-morrow what I have forgotten to-day." - -And she took hold of the velvet mask by that part which covered the -cheeks, and feeling that her thumb was wet, looked at it. It was not -only wet, but reddened. The mask had fallen upon one of the spots of -blood which, we have already said, stained the floor, and from that -black velvet outside which had accidentally come into contact with -it, the blood had passed through to the inside, and stained the white -cambric lining. "Oh, oh!" said Montalais, for doubtless our readers have -already recognized her by these various maneuvers, "I shall not give -back this mask; it is far too precious now." - -And rising from her seat, she ran towards a box made of maple wood, -which inclosed different articles of toilette and perfumery. "No, not -here," she said, "such a treasure must not be abandoned to the slightest -chance of detection." - -Then, after a moment's silence, and with a smile that was peculiarly her -own, she added:--"Beautiful mask, stained with the blood of that brave -knight, you shall go and join that collection of wonders, La Valliere's -and Raoul's letters, that loving collection, indeed, which will some day -or other form part of the history of France, of European royalty. You -shall be placed under M. Malicorne's care," said the laughing girl, as -she began to undress herself, "under the protection of that worthy M. -Malicorne," she said, blowing out the taper, "who thinks he was born -only to become the chief usher of Monsieur's apartments, and whom I will -make keeper of the records and historiographer of the house of Bourbon, -and of the first houses in the kingdom. Let him grumble now, that -discontented Malicorne," she added, as she drew the curtains and fell -asleep. - - - -Chapter XXII. The Journey. - -The next day being agreed upon for the departure, the king, at eleven -o'clock precisely, descended the grand staircase with the two queens and -Madame, in order to enter his carriage drawn by six horses, that were -pawing the ground in impatience at the foot of the staircase. The whole -court awaited the royal appearance in the _Fer-a-cheval_ crescent, -in their travelling costumes; the large number of saddled horses and -carriages of ladies and gentlemen of the court, surrounded by their -attendants, servants, and pages, formed a spectacle whose brilliancy -could scarcely be equalled. The king entered his carriage with the two -queens; Madame was in the same one with Monsieur. The maids of honor -followed their example, and took their seats, two by two, in the -carriages destined for them. The weather was exceedingly warm; a light -breeze, which, early in the morning, all had thought would have proved -sufficient to cool the air, soon became fiercely heated by the rays of -the sun, although it was hidden behind the clouds, and filtered through -the heated vapor which rose from the ground like a scorching wind, -bearing particles of fine dust against the faces of the travelers. -Madame was the first to complain of the heat. Monsieur's only reply was -to throw himself back in the carriage as though about to faint, and to -inundate himself with scents and perfumes, uttering the deepest sighs -all the while; whereupon Madame said to him, with her most amiable -expression:--"Really, Monsieur, I fancied that you would have been -polite enough, on account of the terrible heat, to have left me my -carriage to myself, and to have performed the journey yourself on -horseback." - -"Ride on horseback!" cried the prince, with an accent of dismay which -showed how little idea he had of adopting this unnatural advice; "you -cannot suppose such a thing, Madame! My skin would peel off if I were to -expose myself to such a burning breeze as this." - -Madame began to laugh. - -"You can take my parasol," she said. - -"But the trouble of holding it!" replied Monsieur, with the greatest -coolness; "besides, I have no horse." - -"What, no horse?" replied the princess, who, if she did not secure the -solitude she required, at least obtained the amusement of teasing. -"No horse! You are mistaken, Monsieur; for I see your favorite bay out -yonder." - -"My bay horse!" exclaimed the prince, attempting to lean forward to look -out of the door; but the movement he was obliged to make cost him so -much trouble that he soon hastened to resume his immobility. - -"Yes," said Madame; "your horse, led by M. de Malicorne." - -"Poor beast," replied the prince; "how warm it must be!" - -And with these words he closed his eyes, like a man on the point of -death. Madame, on her side, reclined indolently in the other corner of -the carriage, and closed her eyes also, not, however, to sleep, but to -think more at her ease. In the meantime the king, seated in the front -seat of his carriage, the back of which he had yielded up to the two -queens, was a prey to that feverish contrariety experienced by anxious -lovers, who, without being able to quench their ardent thirst, are -ceaselessly desirous of seeing the loved object, and then go away -partially satisfied, without perceiving they have acquired a more -insatiable thirst than ever. The king, whose carriage headed the -procession, could not from the place he occupied perceive the carriages -of the ladies and maids of honor, which followed in a line behind it. -Besides, he was obliged to answer the eternal questions of the young -queen, who, happy to have with her "_her dear husband_," as she called -him in utter forgetfulness of royal etiquette, invested him with all her -affection, stifled him with her attentions, afraid that some one might -come to take him from her, or that he himself might suddenly take a -fancy to quit her society. Anne of Austria, whom nothing at that moment -occupied except the occasional cruel throbbings in her bosom, looked -pleased and delighted, and although she perfectly realized the king's -impatience, tantalizingly prolonged his sufferings by unexpectedly -resuming the conversation at the very moment the king, absorbed in his -own reflections, began to muse over his secret attachment. Everything -seemed to combine--not alone the little teasing attentions of the queen, -but also the queen-mother's interruptions--to make the king's position -almost insupportable; for he knew not how to control the restless -longings of his heart. At first, he complained of the heat--a complaint -merely preliminary to others, but with sufficient tact to prevent -Maria Theresa guessing his real object. Understanding the king's remark -literally, she began to fan him with her ostrich plumes. But the heat -passed away, and the king then complained of cramps and stiffness in his -legs, and as the carriages at that moment stopped to change horses, the -queen said:--"Shall I get out with you? I too feel tired of sitting. We -can walk on a little distance; the carriage will overtake us, and we can -resume our places presently." - -The king frowned; it is a hard trial a jealous woman makes her husband -submit to whose fidelity she suspects, when, although herself a prey -to jealousy, she watches herself so narrowly that she avoids giving any -pretext for an angry feeling. The king, therefore, in the present case, -could not refuse; he accepted the offer, alighted from the carriage, -gave his arm to the queen, and walked up and down with her while the -horses were being changed. As he walked along, he cast an envious glance -upon the courtiers, who were fortunate enough to be on horseback. The -queen soon found out that the promenade she had suggested afforded -the king as little pleasure as he had experienced from driving. She -accordingly expressed a wish to return to her carriage, and the king -conducted her to the door, but did not get in with her. He stepped back -a few paces, and looked along the file of carriages for the purpose of -recognizing the one in which he took so strong an interest. At the door -of the sixth carriage he saw La Valliere's fair countenance. As the -king thus stood motionless, wrapt in thought, without perceiving that -everything was ready, and that he alone was causing the delay, he heard -a voice close beside him, addressing him in the most respectful manner. -It was M. Malicorne, in a complete costume of an equerry, holding over -his left arm the bridles of a couple of horses. - -"Your majesty asked for a horse, I believe," he said. - -"A horse? Have you one of my horses here?" inquired the king, trying -to remember the person who addressed him, and whose face was not as yet -familiar to him. - -"Sire," replied Malicorne, "at all events I have a horse here which is -at your majesty's service." - -And Malicorne pointed at Monsieur's bay horse, which Madame had -observed. It was a beautiful creature royally caparisoned. - -"This is not one of my horses, monsieur," said the king. - -"Sire, it is a horse out of his royal highness's stables; but he does -not ride when the weather is as hot as it is now." - -Louis did not reply, but approached the horse, which stood pawing the -ground with its foot. Malicorne hastened to hold the stirrup for him, -but the king was already in the saddle. Restored to good-humor by this -lucky accident, the king hastened towards the queen's carriage, where he -was anxiously expected; and notwithstanding Maria Theresa's thoughtful -and preoccupied air, he said: "I have been fortunate enough to find -this horse, and I intend to avail myself of it. I felt stifled in the -carriage. Adieu, ladies." - -Then bending gracefully over the arched neck of his beautiful steed, -he disappeared in a second. Anne of Austria leaned forward, in order -to look after him as he rode away; he did not get very far, for when he -reached the sixth carriage, he reined in his horse suddenly and took off -his hat. He saluted La Valliere, who uttered a cry of surprise as -she saw him, blushing at the same time with pleasure. Montalais, who -occupied the other seat in the carriage, made the king a most respectful -bow. And then, with all the tact of a woman, she pretended to be -exceedingly interested in the landscape, and withdrew herself into the -left-hand corner. The conversation between the king and La Valliere -began, as all lovers' conversations generally do, namely, by eloquent -looks and by a few words utterly devoid of common sense. The king -explained how warm he had felt in his carriage, so much so indeed that -he could almost regard the horse he then rode as a blessing thrown in -his way. "And," he added, "my benefactor is an exceedingly intelligent -man, for he seemed to guess my thoughts intuitively. I have now only -one wish, that of learning the name of the gentleman who so cleverly -assisted his king out of his dilemma, and extricated him from his cruel -position." - -Montalais, during this colloquy, the first words of which had awakened -her attention, had slightly altered her position, and contrived so as -to meet the king's look as he finished his remark. It followed very -naturally that the king looked inquiringly as much at her as at La -Valliere; she had every reason to suppose that it was herself who -was appealed to, and consequently might be permitted to answer. She -therefore said: "Sire, the horse which your majesty is riding belongs to -Monsieur, and was being led by one of his royal highness's gentlemen." - -"And what is that gentleman's name, may I ask, mademoiselle?" - -"M. de Malicorne, sire." - -The name produced its usual effect, for the king repeated it smilingly. - -"Yes, sire," replied Aure. "Stay, it is the gentleman who is galloping -on my left hand;" and she pointed out Malicorne, who, with a very -sanctified expression, was galloping by the side of the carriage, -knowing perfectly well that they were talking of him at that very -moment, but sitting in his saddle as if he were deaf and dumb. - -"Yes," said the king, "that is the gentleman; I remember his face, and -will not forget his name;" and the king looked tenderly at La Valliere. - -Aure had now nothing further to do; she had let Malicorne's name fall; -the soil was good; all that was now left to be done was to let the -name take root, and the event would bear fruit in due season. She -consequently threw herself back in her corner, feeling perfectly -justified in making as many agreeable signs of recognition as she liked -to Malicorne, since the latter had had the happiness of pleasing the -king. As will readily be believed, Montalais was not mistaken; and -Malicorne, with his quick ear and his sly look, seemed to interpret -her remark as "All goes on well," the whole being accompanied by a -pantomimic action, which he fancied conveyed something resembling a -kiss. - -"Alas! mademoiselle," said the king, after a moment's pause, "the -liberty and freedom of the country is soon about to cease; your -attendance on Madame will be more strictly enforced, and we shall see -each other no more." - -"Your majesty is too much attached to Madame," replied Louise, "not to -come and see her very frequently; and whenever your majesty may chance -to pass across the apartments--" - -"Ah!" said the king, in a tender voice, which was gradually lowered in -its tone, "to perceive is not to see, and yet it seems that it would be -quite sufficient for you." - -Louise did not answer a syllable; a sigh filled her heart almost to -bursting, but she stifled it. - -"You exercise a great control over yourself," said the king to Louise, -who smiled upon him with a melancholy expression. "Exert the strength -you have in loving fondly," he continued, "and I will bless Heaven for -having bestowed it on you." - -La Valliere still remained silent, but raised her eyes, brimful of -affection, toward the king. Louis, as if overcome by this burning -glance, passed his hand across his forehead, and pressing the sides -of his horse with his knees, made him bound several paces forward. La -Valliere, leaning back in her carriage, with her eyes half closed, gazed -fixedly upon the king, whose plumes were floating in the air; she could -not but admire his graceful carriage, his delicate and nervous limbs -which pressed his horse's sides, and the regular outline of his -features, which his beautiful curling hair set off to great advantage, -revealing occasionally his small and well-formed ear. In fact the poor -girl was in love, and she reveled in her innocent affection. In a few -moments the king was again by her side. - -"Do you not perceive," he said, "how terribly your silence affects me? -Oh! mademoiselle, how pitilessly inexorable you would become if you were -ever to resolve to break off all acquaintance with any one; and then, -too, I think you changeable; in fact--in fact, I dread this deep -affection which fills my whole being." - -"Oh! sire, you are mistaken," said La Valliere; "if ever I love, it will -be for all my life." - -"If you love, you say," exclaimed the king; "you do _not_ love now, -then?" - -She hid her face in her hands. - -"You see," said the king, "that I am right in accusing you; you must -admit you are changeable, capricious, a coquette, perhaps." - -"Oh, no! sire, be perfectly satisfied as to that. No, I say again; no, -no!" - -"Promise me, then, that to me you will always be the same." - -"Oh! always, sire." - -"That you will never show any of that severity which would break my -heart, none of that fickleness of manner which would be worse than death -to me." - -"Oh! no, no." - -"Very well, then! but listen. I like promises, I like to place under -the guarantee of an oath, under the protection of Heaven, in fact, -everything which interests my heart and my affections. Promise me, or -rather swear to me, that if in the life we are about to commence, a life -which will be full of sacrifice, mystery, anxiety, disappointment, and -misunderstanding; swear to me that if we should in any way deceive, or -misunderstand each other, or should judge each other unjustly, for that -indeed would be criminal in love such as ours; swear to me, Louise--" - -She trembled with agitation to the very depths of her heart; it was the -first time she had heard her name pronounced in that manner by her -royal lover. As for the king, taking off his glove, and placing his -hand within the carriage, he continued:--"Swear, that never in all -our quarrels will we allow one night even to pass by, if any -misunderstanding should arise between us, without a visit, or at least -a message, from either, in order to convey consolation and repose to the -other." - -La Valliere took her lover's burning hand between her own cool palms, -and pressed it softly, until a movement of the horse, frightened by the -proximity of the wheels, obliged her to abandon her happiness. She had -vowed as he desired. - -"Return, sire," she said, "return to the queen. I foresee a storm -yonder, which threatens my peace of mind and yours." - -Louis obeyed, saluted Mademoiselle de Montalais, and set off at a gallop -to rejoin the queen. As he passed Monsieur's carriage, he observed that -he was fast asleep, although Madame, on her part, was wide awake. As -the king passed her she said, "What a beautiful horse, sire! Is it not -Monsieur's bay horse?" - -The young queen kindly asked, "Are you better now, sire?" [3] - - - -Chapter XXIII. Triumfeminate. - -On the king's arrival in Paris, he sat at the council which had been -summoned, and worked for a certain portion of the day. The queen -remained with the queen-mother, and burst into tears as soon as she had -taken leave of the king. "Ah, madame!" she said, "the king no longer -loves me! What will become of me?" - -"A husband always loves his wife when she is like you," replied Anne of -Austria. - -"A time may come when he will love another woman instead of me." - -"What do you call loving?" - -"Always thinking of a person--always seeking her society." - -"Do you happen to have remarked," said Anne of Austria, "that the king -has ever done anything of the sort?" - -"No, madame," said the young queen, hesitatingly. - -"What is there to complain of, then, Marie?" - -"You will admit that the king leaves me?" - -"The king, my daughter, belongs to his people." - -"And that is the very reason why he no longer belongs to me; and that is -the reason, too, why I shall find myself, as so many queens before me, -forsaken and forgotten, whilst glory and honors will be reserved for -others. Oh, my mother! the king is so handsome! how often will others -tell him that they love him, and how much, indeed, they must do so!" - -"It is very seldom, indeed, that women love the man in loving the king. -But if such a thing happened, which I doubt, you would do better to -wish, Marie, that such women should really love your husband. In the -first place, the devoted love of a mistress is a rapid element of the -dissolution of a lover's affection; and then, by dint of loving, the -mistress loses all influence over her lover, whose power of wealth she -does not covet, caring only for his affection. Wish, therefore, that the -king should love but lightly, and that his mistress should love with all -her heart." - -"Oh, my mother, what power may not a deep affection exercise over him!" - -"And yet you say you are resigned?" - -"Quite true, quite true; I speak absurdly. There is a feeling of -anguish, however, which I can never control." - -"And that is?" - -"The king may make a happy choice--may find a home, with all the tender -influences of home, not far from that we can offer him,--a home with -children round him, the children of another woman. Oh, madame! I should -die if I were but to see the king's children." - -"Marie, Marie," replied the queen-mother with a smile, and she took the -young queen's hand in her own, "remember what I am going to say, and -let it always be a consolation to you: the king cannot have a Dauphin -without _you_." - -With this remark the queen-mother quitted her daughter-in-law, in -order to meet Madame, whose arrival in the grand cabinet had just been -announced by one of the pages. Madame had scarcely taken time to change -her dress. Her face revealed her agitation, which betrayed a plan, the -execution of which occupied, while the result disturbed, her mind. - -"I came to ascertain," she said, "if your majesties are suffering any -fatigue from our journey." - -"None at all," said the queen-mother. - -"A little," replied Maria Theresa. - -"I have suffered from annoyance more than anything else," said Madame. - -"How was that?" inquired Anne of Austria. - -"The fatigue the king undergoes in riding about on horseback." - -"That does the king good." - -"And it was I who advised him," said Maria Theresa, turning pale. - -Madame said not a word in reply; but one of those smiles which were -peculiarly her own flitted for a moment across her lips, without passing -over the rest of her face; then, immediately changing the conversation, -she continued, "We shall find Paris precisely the Paris we quitted; the -same intrigues, plots, and flirtations going on." - -"Intrigues! What intrigues do you allude to?" inquired the queen-mother. - -"People are talking a good deal about M. Fouquet and Madame -Plessis-Belliere." - -"Who makes up the number to about ten thousand," replied the -queen-mother. "But what are the plots you speak of?" - -"We have, it seems, certain misunderstandings with Holland to settle." - -"What about?" - -"Monsieur has been telling me the story of the medals." - -"Oh!" exclaimed the young queen, "you mean those medals struck in -Holland, on which a cloud is seen passing across the sun, which is the -king's device. You are wrong in calling that a plot--it is an insult." - -"But so contemptible that the king can well despise it," replied the -queen-mother. "Well, what are the flirtations which are alluded to? Do -you mean that of Madame d'Olonne?" - -"No, no; nearer ourselves than that." - -"_Casa de usted_," murmured the queen-mother, and without moving her -lips, in her daughter-in-law's ear, without being overheard by Madame, -who thus continued:--"You know the terrible news?" [4] - -"Oh, yes; M. de Guiche's wound." - -"And you attribute it, I suppose, as every one else does, to an accident -which happened to him while hunting?" - -"Yes, of course," said both the queens together, their interest -awakened. - -Madame drew closer to them, as she said, in a low tone of voice, "It was -a duel." - -"Ah!" said Anne of Austria, in a severe tone; for, in her ears, the word -"duel," which had been forbidden in France all the time she reigned over -it, had a strange sound. - -"A most deplorable duel, which has nearly cost Monsieur two of his best -friends, and the king two of his best servants." - -"What was the cause of the duel?" inquired the young queen, animated by -a secret instinct. - -"Flirtation," repeated Madame, triumphantly. "The gentlemen in question -were conversing about the virtue of a particular lady belonging to the -court. One of them thought that Pallas was a very second-rate person -compared to her; the other pretended that the lady in question was an -imitation of Venus alluring Mars; and thereupon the two gentlemen fought -as fiercely as Hector and Achilles." - -"Venus alluring Mars?" said the young queen in a low tone of voice -without venturing to examine into the allegory very deeply. - -"Who is the lady?" inquired Anne of Austria abruptly. "You said, I -believe, she was one of the ladies of honor?" - -"Did I say so?" replied Madame. - -"Yes; at least I thought I heard you mention it." - -"Are you not aware that such a woman is of ill-omen to a royal house?" - -"Is it not Mademoiselle de la Valliere?" said the queen-mother. - -"Yes, indeed, that plain-looking creature." - -"I thought she was affianced to a gentleman who certainly is not, at -least so I have heard, either M. de Guiche or M. de Wardes?" - -"Very possibly, madame." - -The young queen took up a piece of tapestry, and began to broider with -an affectation of tranquillity her trembling fingers contradicted. - -"What were you saying about Venus and Mars?" pursued the queen-mother. -"Is there a Mars also?" - -"She boasts of that being the case." - -"Did you say she boasts of it?" - -"That was the cause of the duel." - -"And M. de Guiche upheld the cause of Mars?" - -"Yes, certainly; like the devoted servant he is." - -"The devoted servant of whom?" exclaimed the young queen, forgetting her -reserve in allowing her jealous feeling to escape. - -"Mars, not to be defended except at the expense of Venus," replied -Madame. "M. de Guiche maintained the perfect innocence of Mars, and no -doubt affirmed that it was all a mere boast." - -"And M. de Wardes," said Anne of Austria, quietly, "spread the report -that Venus was within her rights, I suppose?" - -"Oh, De Wardes," thought Madame, "you shall pay dearly for the wound you -have given that noblest--best of men!" And she began to attack De Wardes -with the greatest bitterness; thus discharging her own and De Guiche's -debt, with the assurance that she was working the future ruin of her -enemy. She said so much, in fact, that had Manicamp been there, he would -have regretted he had shown such firm regard for his friend, inasmuch as -it resulted in the ruin of his unfortunate foe. - -"I see nothing in the whole affair but _one_ cause of mischief, and that -is La Valliere herself," said the queen-mother. - -The young queen resumed her work with perfect indifference of manner, -while Madame listened eagerly. - -"I do not yet quite understand what you said just now about the danger -of coquetry," resumed Anne of Austria. - -"It is quite true," Madame hastened to say, "that if the girl had not -been a coquette, Mars would not have thought at all about her." - -The repetition of this word Mars brought a passing color to the queen's -face; but she still continued her work. - -"I will not permit that, in my court, gentlemen should be set against -each other in this manner," said Anne of Austria, calmly. "Such manners -were useful enough, perhaps, in days when the divided nobility had no -other rallying-point than mere gallantry. At that time women, whose sway -was absolute and undivided, were privileged to encourage men's valor by -frequent trials of their courage. But now, thank Heaven, there is but -one master in France, and to him every instinct of the mind, every -pulse of the body are due. I will not allow my son to be deprived of -any single one of his servants." And she turned towards the young queen, -saying, "What is to be done with this La Valliere?" - -"La Valliere?" said the queen, apparently surprised, "I do not even know -the name;" and she accompanied this remark by one of those cold, fixed -smiles only to be observed on royal lips. - -Madame was herself a princess great in every respect, great in -intelligence, great by birth, by pride; the queen's reply, however, -completely astonished her, and she was obliged to pause for a moment -in order to recover herself. "She is one of my maids of honor," she -replied, with a bow. - -"In that case," retorted Maria Theresa, in the same tone, "it is your -affair, my sister, and not ours." - -"I beg your pardon," resumed Anne of Austria, "it is my affair. And -I perfectly well understand," she pursued, addressing a look full of -intelligence at Madame, "Madame's motive for saying what she has just -said." - -"Everything which emanates from you, madame," said the English princess, -"proceeds from the lips of Wisdom." - -"If we send this girl back to her own family," said Maria Theresa, -gently, "we must bestow a pension upon her." - -"Which I will provide for out of my income," exclaimed Madame. - -"No, no," interrupted Anne of Austria, "no disturbance, I beg. The king -dislikes that the slightest disrespectful remark should be made of -any lady. Let everything be done quietly. Will you have the kindness, -Madame, to send for this girl here; and you, my daughter, will have the -goodness to retire to your own room." - -The dowager queen's entreaties were commands, and as Maria Theresa rose -to return to her apartments, Madame rose in order to send a page to -summon La Valliere. - - - -Chapter XXIV. The First Quarrel. - -La Valliere entered the queen-mother's apartments without in the least -suspecting that a serious plot was being concerted against her. She -thought it was for something connected with her duties, and never had -the queen-mother been unkind to her when such was the case. Besides, not -being immediately under the control or direction of Anne of Austria, -she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own -gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made -her yield on every occasion with the best possible grace. She therefore -advanced towards the queen-mother with that soft and gentle smile -which constituted her principal charm, and as she did not approach -sufficiently close, Anne of Austria signed to her to come nearer. Madame -then entered the room, and with a perfectly calm air took her seat -beside her mother-in-law, and continued the work which Maria Theresa had -begun. When La Valliere, instead of the direction which she expected to -receive immediately on entering the room, perceived these preparations, -she looked with curiosity, if not with uneasiness, at the two -princesses. Anne seemed full of thought, while Madame maintained an -affectation of indifference that would have alarmed a less timid person -even than Louise. - -"Mademoiselle," said the queen-mother suddenly, without attempting to -moderate or disguise her Spanish accent, which she never failed to do -except when she was angry, "come closer; we were talking of you, as -every one else seems to be doing." - -"Of me!" exclaimed La Valliere, turning pale. - -"Do you pretend to be ignorant of it; are you not aware of the duel -between M. de Guiche and M. de Wardes?" - -"Oh, madame! I heard of it yesterday," said La Valliere, clasping her -hands together. - -"And did you not foresee this quarrel?" - -"Why should I, madame?" - -"Because two men never fight without a motive, and because you must -be aware of the motive which awakened the animosity of the two in -question." - -"I am perfectly ignorant of it, madame." - -"A persevering denial is a very commonplace mode of defense, and you, -who have great pretensions to be witty and clever, ought to avoid -commonplaces. What else have you to say?" - -"Oh! madame, your majesty terrifies me with your cold severity -of manner; but I do not understand how I can have incurred your -displeasure, or in what respect people concern themselves about me." - -"Then I will tell you. M. de Guiche has been obliged to undertake your -defense." - -"My defense?" - -"Yes. He is a gallant knight, and beautiful adventuresses like to see -brave knights couch lances in their honor. But, for my part, I hate -fields of battle, and above all I hate adventures, and--take my remark -as you please." - -La Valliere sank at the queen's feet, who turned her back upon her. -She stretched out her hands towards Madame, who laughed in her face. A -feeling of pride made her rise to her feet. - -"I have begged your majesty to tell me what is the crime I am accused -of--I can claim this at your hands; and I see I am condemned before I am -even permitted to justify myself." - -"Eh! indeed," cried Anne of Austria, "listen to her beautiful phrases, -Madame, and to her fine sentiments; she is an inexhaustible well of -tenderness and heroic expressions. One can easily see, young lady, that -you have cultivated your mind in the society of crowned heads." - -La Valliere felt struck to the heart; she became, not whiter, but as -white as a lily, and all her strength forsook her. - -"I wished to inform you," interrupted the queen, disdainfully, "that if -you continue to nourish such feelings, you will humiliate us to such a -degree that we shall be ashamed of appearing before you. Be simple in -your manners. By the by, I am informed that you are affianced; is it the -case?" - -La Valliere pressed her hand over her heart, which was wrung with a -fresh pang. - -"Answer when you are spoken to!" - -"Yes, madame." - -"To a gentleman?" - -"Yes, madame." - -"His name?" - -"The Vicomte de Bragelonne." - -"Are you aware that it is an exceedingly fortunate circumstance for you, -mademoiselle, that such is the case, and without fortune or position, -as you are, or without any very great personal advantages, you ought -to bless Heaven for having procured you such a future as seems to be in -store for you?" - -La Valliere did not reply. "Where is the Vicomte de Bragelonne?" pursued -the queen. - -"In England," said Madame, "where the report of this young lady's -success will not fail to reach him." - -"Oh, Heaven!" murmured La Valliere in despair. - -"Very well, mademoiselle!" said Anne of Austria, "we will get this young -gentleman to return, and send you away somewhere with him. If you are -of a different opinion--for girls have strange views and fancies at -times--trust to me, I will put you in a proper path again. I have done -as much for girls who are not as good as you are, probably." - -La Valliere ceased to hear the queen, who pitilessly added: "I will -send you somewhere, by yourself, where you will be able to indulge in a -little serious reflection. Reflection calms the ardor of the blood, and -swallows up the illusions of youth. I suppose you understand what I have -been saying?" - -"Madame!" - -"Not a word?" - -"I am innocent of everything your majesty supposes. Oh, madame! you are -a witness of my despair. I love, I respect your majesty so much." - -"It would be far better not to respect me at all," said the queen, with -a chilling irony of manner. "It would be far better if you were not -innocent. Do you presume to suppose that I should be satisfied simply to -leave you unpunished if you had committed the fault?" - -"Oh, madame! you are killing me." - -"No acting, if you please, or I will precipitate the _denouement_ of -this _play_; leave the room; return to your own apartment, and I trust -my lesson may be of service to you." - -"Madame!" said La Valliere to the Duchess d'Orleans, whose hands she -seized in her own, "do you, who are so good, intercede for me?" - -"I!" replied the latter, with an insulting joy, "I--good!--Ah, -mademoiselle, you think nothing of the kind;" and with a rude, hasty -gesture she repulsed the young girl's grasp. - -La Valliere, instead of giving way, as from her extreme pallor and her -tears the two princesses possibly expected, suddenly resumed her calm -and dignified air; she bowed profoundly, and left the room. - -"Well!" said Anne of Austria to Madame, "do you think she will begin -again?" - -"I always suspect those gentle, patient characters," replied Madame. -"Nothing is more full of courage than a patient heart, nothing more -self-reliant than a gentle spirit." - -"I feel I may almost venture to assure you she will think twice before -she looks at the god Mars again." - -"So long as she does not obtain the protection of his buckler I do not -care," retorted Madame. - -A proud, defiant look of the queen-mother was the reply to this -objection, which was by no means deficient in finesse; and both of them, -almost sure of their victory, went to look for Maria Theresa, who had -been waiting for them with impatience. - -It was about half-past six in the evening, and the king had just -partaken of refreshment. He lost no time; but the repast finished, and -business matters settled, he took Saint-Aignan by the arm, and desired -him to lead the way to La Valliere's apartments. The courtier uttered an -exclamation. - -"Well, what is that for? It is a habit you will have to adopt, and in -order to adopt a habit, one must make a beginning." - -"Oh, sire!" said Saint-Aignan, "it is hardly possible: for every one can -be seen entering or leaving those apartments. If, however, some pretext -or other were made use of--if your majesty, for instance, would wait -until Madame were in her own apartments--" - -"No pretext; no delays. I have had enough of these impediments and -mysteries; I cannot perceive in what respect the king of France -dishonors himself by conversing with an amiable and clever girl. Evil be -to him who evil thinks." - -"Will your majesty forgive an excess of zeal on my part?" - -"Speak freely." - -"How about the queen?" - -"True, true; I always wish the most entire respect to be shown to her -majesty. Well, then, this evening only will I pay Mademoiselle de la -Valliere a visit, and after to-day I will make use of any pretext you -like. To-morrow we will devise all sorts of means; to-night I have no -time." - -Saint-Aignan made no reply; he descended the steps, preceding the king, -and crossed the different courtyards with a feeling of shame, which the -distinguished honor of accompanying the king did not remove. The reason -was that Saint-Aignan wished to stand well with Madame, as well as -with the queens, and also, that he did not, on the other hand, want to -displease Mademoiselle de la Valliere: and in order to carry out so -many promising affairs, it was difficult to avoid jostling against some -obstacle or other. Besides, the windows of the young queen's rooms, -those of the queen-mother's, and of Madame herself, looked out upon the -courtyard of the maids of honor. To be seen, therefore, accompanying the -king, would be effectually to quarrel with three great and influential -princesses--whose authority was unbounded--for the purpose of supporting -the ephemeral credit of a mistress. The unhappy Saint-Aignan, who had -not displayed a very great amount of courage in taking La Valliere's -part in the park of Fontainebleau, did not feel any braver in the broad -day-light, and found a thousand defects in the poor girl which he was -most eager to communicate to the king. But his trial soon finished,--the -courtyards were crossed; not a curtain was drawn aside, nor a window -opened. The king walked hastily, because of his impatience, and the -long legs of Saint-Aignan, who preceded him. At the door, however, -Saint-Aignan wished to retire, but the king desired him to remain; a -delicate consideration, on the king's part, which the courtier could -very well have dispensed with. He had to follow Louis into La Valliere's -apartment. As soon as the king arrived the young girl dried her tears, -but so precipitately that the king perceived it. He questioned her most -anxiously and tenderly, and pressed her to tell him the cause of her -emotion. - -"Nothing is the matter, sire," she said. - -"And yet you were weeping?" - -"Oh, no, indeed, sire." - -"Look, Saint-Aignan, and tell me if I am mistaken." - -Saint-Aignan ought to have answered, but he was too much embarrassed. - -"At all events your eyes are red, mademoiselle," said the king. - -"The dust of the road merely, sire." - -"No, no; you no longer possess the air of supreme contentment which -renders you so beautiful and so attractive. You do not look at me. Why -avoid my gaze?" he said, as she turned aside her head. "In Heaven's -name, what is the matter?" he inquired, beginning to lose command over -himself. - -"Nothing at all, sire; and I am perfectly ready to assure your majesty -that my mind is as free from anxiety as you could possibly wish." - -"Your mind at ease, when I see you are embarrassed at the slightest -thing. Has any one annoyed you?" - -"No, no, sire." - -"I insist upon knowing if such really be the case," said the prince, his -eyes sparkling. - -"No one, sire, no one has in any way offended me." - -"In that case, pray resume your gentle air of gayety, or that sweet -melancholy look which I so loved in you this morning; for pity's sake, -do so." - -"Yes, sire, yes." - -The king tapped the floor impatiently with his foot, saying, "Such a -change is positively inexplicable." And he looked at Saint-Aignan, who -had also remarked La Valliere's peculiar lethargy, as well as the king's -impatience. - -It was futile for the king to entreat, and as useless for him to try to -overcome her depression: the poor girl was completely overwhelmed,--the -appearance of an angel would hardly have awakened her from her torpor. - -The king saw in her repeated negative replies a mystery full of -unkindness; he began to look round the apartment with a suspicious air. -There happened to be in La Valliere's room a miniature of Athos. -The king remarked that this portrait bore a strong resemblance to -Bragelonne, for it had been taken when the count was quite a young man. -He looked at it with a threatening air. La Valliere, in her misery far -indeed from thinking of this portrait, could not conjecture the cause -of the king's preoccupation. And yet the king's mind was occupied with -a terrible remembrance, which had more than once taken possession of -his mind, but which he had always driven away. He recalled the -intimacy existing between the two young people from their birth, their -engagement, and that Athos himself had come to solicit La Valliere's -hand for Raoul. He therefore could not but suppose that on her return -to Paris, La Valliere had found news from London awaiting her, and that -this news had counterbalanced the influence he had been enabled to exert -over her. He immediately felt himself stung, as it were, by feelings -of the wildest jealousy; and again questioned her, with increased -bitterness. La Valliere could not reply, unless she were to acknowledge -everything, which would be to accuse the queen, and Madame also; and the -consequence would be, that she would have to enter into an open warfare -with these two great and powerful princesses. She thought within herself -that as she made no attempt to conceal from the king what was passing in -her own mind, the king ought to be able to read in her heart, in -spite of her silence; and that, had he really loved her, he would have -understood and guessed everything. What was sympathy, then, if not that -divine flame which possesses the property of enlightening the heart, and -of saving lovers the necessity of an expression of their thoughts and -feelings? She maintained her silence, therefore, sighing, and concealing -her face in her hands. These sighs and tears, which had at first -distressed, then terrified Louis XIV., now irritated him. He could not -bear opposition,--the opposition which tears and sighs exhibited, any -more than opposition of any other kind. His remarks, therefore, became -bitter, urgent, and openly aggressive in their nature. This was a -fresh cause of distress for the poor girl. From that very circumstance, -therefore, which she regarded as an injustice on her lover's part, she -drew sufficient courage to bear, not only her other troubles, but this -one also. - -The king next began to accuse her in direct terms. La Valliere did not -even attempt to defend herself; she endured all his accusations without -according any other reply than that of shaking her head; without any -other remark than that which escapes the heart in deep distress--a -prayerful appeal to Heaven for help. But this ejaculation, instead of -calming the king's displeasure, rather increased it. He, moreover, saw -himself seconded by Saint-Aignan, for Saint-Aignan, as we have observed, -having seen the storm increasing, and not knowing the extent of the -regard of which Louis XIV. was capable, felt, by anticipation, all the -collected wrath of the three princesses, and the near approach of poor -La Valliere's downfall, and he was not true knight enough to resist -the fear that he himself might be dragged down in the impending ruin. -Saint-Aignan did not reply to the king's questions except by short, dry -remarks, pronounced half-aloud; and by abrupt gestures, whose object was -to make things worse, and bring about a misunderstanding, the result -of which would be to free him from the annoyance of having to cross the -courtyards in open day, in order to follow his illustrious companion to -La Valliere's apartments. In the meantime the king's anger momentarily -increased; he made two or three steps towards the door as if to leave -the room, but returned. The young girl did not, however, raise her head, -although the sound of his footsteps might have warned her that her lover -was leaving her. He drew himself up, for a moment, before her, with his -arms crossed. - -"For the last time, mademoiselle," he said, "will you speak? Will you -assign a reason for this change, this fickleness, for this caprice?" - -"What can I say?" murmured La Valliere. "Do you not see, sire, that I am -completely overwhelmed at this moment; that I have no power of will, or -thought, or speech?" - -"Is it so difficult, then, to speak the truth? You could have told me -the whole truth in fewer words than those in which you have expressed -yourself." - -"But the truth about what, sire?" - -"About everything." - -La Valliere was just on the point of revealing the truth to the king, -her arms made a sudden movement as if they were about to open, but her -lips remained silent, and her hands again fell listlessly by her side. -The poor girl had not yet endured sufficient unhappiness to risk the -necessary revelation. "I know nothing," she stammered out. - -"Oh!" exclaimed the king, "this is no longer mere coquetry, or caprice, -it is treason." - -And this time nothing could restrain him. The impulse of his heart was -not sufficient to induce him to turn back, and he darted out of the room -with a gesture full of despair. Saint-Aignan followed him, wishing for -nothing better than to quit the place. - -Louis XIV. did not pause until he reached the staircase, and grasping -the balustrade, said: "You see how shamefully I have been duped." - -"How, sire?" inquired the favorite. - -"De Guiche fought on the Vicomte de Bragelonne's account, and this -Bragelonne... oh! Saint-Aignan, she still loves him. I vow to you, -Saint-Aignan, that if, in three days from now, there were to remain but -an atom of affection for her in my heart, I should die from very shame." -And the king resumed his way to his own apartments. - -"I told your majesty how it would be," murmured Saint-Aignan, continuing -to follow the king, and timidly glancing up at the different windows. - -Unfortunately their return was not, like their arrival, unobserved. A -curtain was suddenly drawn aside; Madame was behind it. She had seen -the king leave the apartments of the maids of honor, and as soon as she -observed that his majesty had passed, she left her own apartments with -hurried steps, and ran up the staircase that led to the room the king -had just left. - - - -Chapter XXV. Despair. - -As soon as the king was gone La Valliere raised herself from the ground, -and stretched out her arms, as if to follow and detain him, but when, -having violently closed the door, the sound of his retreating footsteps -could be heard in the distance, she had hardly sufficient strength -left to totter towards and fall at the foot of her crucifix. There -she remained, broken-hearted, absorbed, and overwhelmed by her grief, -forgetful and indifferent to everything but her profound sorrow;--a -grief she only vaguely realized--as though by instinct. In the midst of -this wild tumult of thoughts, La Valliere heard her door open again; she -started, and turned round, thinking it was the king who had returned. -She was deceived, however, for it was Madame who appeared at the -door. What did she now care for Madame! Again she sank down, her head -supported by her _prie-Dieu_ chair. It was Madame, agitated, angry, -and threatening. But what was that to her? "Mademoiselle," said the -princess, standing before La Valliere, "this is very fine, I admit, -to kneel and pray, and make a pretense of being religious; but however -submissive you may be in your address to Heaven, it is desirable that -you should pay some little attention to the wishes of those who reign -and rule here below." - -La Valliere raised her head painfully in token of respect. - -"Not long since," continued Madame, "a certain recommendation was -addressed to you, I believe." - -La Valliere's fixed and wild gaze showed how complete her forgetfulness -or ignorance was. - -"The queen recommended you," continued Madame, "to conduct yourself in -such a manner that no one could be justified in spreading any reports -about you." - -La Valliere darted an inquiring look towards her. - -"I will not," continued Madame, "allow my household, which is that of -the first princess of the blood, to set an evil example to the court; -you would be the cause of such an example. I beg you to understand, -therefore, in the absence of any witness of your shame--for I do not -wish to humiliate you--that you are from this moment at perfect liberty -to leave, and that you can return to your mother at Blois." - -La Valliere could not sink lower, nor could she suffer more than she had -already suffered. Her countenance did not even change, but she remained -kneeling with her hands clasped, like the figure of the Magdalen. - -"Did you hear me?" said Madame. - -A shiver, which passed through her whole frame, was La Valliere's only -reply. And as the victim gave no other signs of life, Madame left the -room. And then, her very respiration suspended, and her blood almost -congealed, as it were, in her veins, La Valliere by degrees felt that -the pulsation of her wrists, her neck, and temples, began to throb more -and more painfully. These pulsations, as they gradually increased, soon -changed into a species of brain fever, and in her temporary delirium -she saw the figures of her friends contending with her enemies, floating -before her vision. She heard, too, mingled together in her deafened -ears, words of menace and words of fond affection; she seemed raised out -of her existence as though it were upon the wings of a mighty tempest, -and in the dim horizon of the path along which her delirium hurried -her, she saw the stone which covered her tomb upraised, and the grim, -appalling texture of eternal night revealed to her distracted gaze. But -the horror of the dream which possessed her senses faded away, and she -was again restored to the habitual resignation of her character. A ray -of hope penetrated her heart, as a ray of sunlight streams into the -dungeon of some unhappy captive. Her mind reverted to the journey from -Fontainebleau, she saw the king riding beside her carriage, telling -her that he loved her, asking for her love in return, requiring her to -swear, and himself to swear too, that never should an evening pass by, -if ever a misunderstanding were to arise between them, without a visit, -a letter, a sign of some kind, being sent, to replace the troubled -anxiety of the evening with the calm repose of the night. It was the -king who had suggested that, who had imposed a promise on her, and who -had sworn to it himself. It was impossible, therefore, she reasoned, -that the king should fail in keeping the promise which he had himself -exacted from her, unless, indeed, Louis was a despot who enforced love -as he enforced obedience; unless, too, the king were so indifferent -that the first obstacle in his way was sufficient to arrest his further -progress. The king, that kind protector, who by a word, a single -word, could relieve her distress of mind, the king even joined her -persecutors. Oh! his anger could not possibly last. Now that he was -alone, he would be suffering all that she herself was a prey to. But he -was not tied hand and foot as she was; he could act, could move about, -could come to her, while she could do nothing but wait. And the poor -girl waited and waited, with breathless anxiety--for she could not -believe it possible that the king would not come. - -It was now about half-past ten. He would either come to her, or write to -her, or send some kind word by M. de Saint-Aignan. If he were to come, -oh! how she would fly to meet him; how she would thrust aside that -excess of delicacy which she now discovered was misunderstood; how -eagerly she would explain: "It is not I who do not love you--it is the -fault of others who will not allow me to love you." And then it must be -confessed that she reflected upon it, and also the more she reflected, -Louis appeared to her to be less guilty. In fact, he was ignorant of -everything. What must he have thought of the obstinacy with which she -remained silent? Impatient and irritable as the king was known to be, it -was extraordinary that he had been able to preserve his temper so long. -And yet, had it been her own case, she undoubtedly would not have acted -in such a manner; she would have understood--have guessed everything. -Yes, but she was nothing but a poor simple-minded girl, and not a -great and powerful monarch. Oh! if he would but come, if he would but -come!--how eagerly she would forgive him for all he had just made her -suffer! how much more tenderly she would love him because she had so -cruelly suffered! And so she sat, with her head bent forward in eager -expectation towards the door, her lips slightly parted, as if--and -Heaven forgive her for the mental exclamation!--they were awaiting the -kiss which the king's lips had in the morning so sweetly indicated, when -he pronounced the word _love!_ If the king did not come, at least he -would write; it was a second chance; a chance less delightful certainly -than the other, but which would show an affection just as strong, only -more timid in its nature. Oh! how she would devour his letter, how eager -she would be to answer it! and when the messenger who had brought it had -left her, how she would kiss it, read it over and over again, press to -her heart the lucky paper which would have brought her ease of mind, -tranquillity, and perfect happiness. At all events, if the king did not -come, if the king did not write, he could not do otherwise than send -Saint-Aignan, or Saint-Aignan could not do otherwise than come of his -own accord. Even if it were a third person, how openly she would speak -to him; the royal presence would not be there to freeze her words upon -her tongue, and then no suspicious feeling would remain a moment longer -in the king's heart. - -Everything with La Valliere, heart and look, body and mind, was -concentrated in eager expectation. She said to herself that there was an -hour left in which to indulge hope; that until midnight struck, the -king might come, or write or send; that at midnight only would every -expectation vanish, every hope be lost. Whenever she heard any stir in -the palace, the poor girl fancied she was the cause of it; whenever -she heard any one pass in the courtyard below she imagined they were -messengers of the king coming to her. Eleven o'clock struck, then a -quarter-past eleven; then half-past. The minutes dragged slowly on -in this anxiety, and yet they seemed to pass too quickly. And now, it -struck a quarter to twelve. Midnight--midnight was near, the last, the -final hope that remained. With the last stroke of the clock, the last -ray of light seemed to fade away; and with the last ray faded her final -hope. And so, the king himself had deceived her; it was he who had been -the first to fail in keeping the oath which he had sworn that very day; -twelve hours only between his oath and his perjured vow; it was not long, -alas! to have preserved the illusion. And so, not only did the king not -love her, but he despised her whom every one ill-treated, he despised -her to the extent even of abandoning her to the shame of an expulsion -which was equivalent to having an ignominious sentence passed on her; -and yet, it was he, the king himself, who was the first cause of this -ignominy. A bitter smile, the only symptom of anger which during this -long conflict had passed across the angelic face, appeared upon her -lips. What, in fact, now remained on earth for her, after the king was -lost to her? Nothing. But Heaven still remained, and her thoughts flew -thither. She prayed that the proper course for her to follow might be -suggested. "It is from Heaven," she thought, "that I expect everything; -it is from Heaven I ought to expect everything." And she looked at her -crucifix with a devotion full of tender love. "There," she said, "hangs -before me a Master who never forgets and never abandons those who -neither forget nor abandon Him; it is to Him alone that we must -sacrifice ourselves." And, thereupon, could any one have gazed into the -recesses of that chamber, they would have seen the poor despairing girl -adopt a final resolution, and determine upon one last plan in her mind. -Then, as her knees were no longer able to support her, she gradually -sank down upon the _prie-Dieu_, and with her head pressed against the -wooden cross, her eyes fixed, and her respiration short and quick, she -watched for the earliest rays of approaching daylight. At two o'clock -in the morning she was still in the same bewilderment of mind, or rather -the same ecstasy of feeling. Her thoughts had almost ceased to hold -communion with things of the world. And when she saw the pale violet -tints of early dawn visible over the roofs of the palace, and vaguely -revealing the outlines of the ivory crucifix which she held embraced, -she rose from the ground with a new-born strength, kissed the feet of -the divine martyr, descended the staircase leading from the room, and -wrapped herself from head to foot in a mantle as she went along. She -reached the wicket at the very moment the guard of the musketeers opened -the gate to admit the first relief-guard belonging to one of the Swiss -regiments. And then, gliding behind the soldiers, she reached the street -before the officer in command of the patrol had even thought of asking -who the young girl was who was making her escape from the palace at so -early an hour. - - - -Chapter XXVI. The Flight. - -La Valliere followed the patrol as it left the courtyard. The -patrol bent its steps towards the right, by the Rue St. Honore, -and mechanically La Valliere turned to the left. Her resolution was -taken--her determination fixed; she wished to betake herself to the -convent of the Carmelites at Chaillot, the superior of which enjoyed -a reputation for severity which made the worldly-minded people of the -court tremble. La Valliere had never seen Paris, she had never gone out -on foot, and so would have been unable to find her way even had she been -in a calmer frame of mind than was then the case; and this may explain -why she ascended, instead of descending, the Rue St. Honore. Her only -thought was to get away from the Palais Royal, and this she was doing; -she had heard it said that Chaillot looked out upon the Seine, and she -accordingly directed her steps towards the Seine. She took the Rue de -Coq, and not being able to cross the Louvre, bore towards the church of -Saint Germain l'Auxerrois, proceeding along the site of the colonnade -which was subsequently built there by Perrault. In a very short time she -reached the quays. Her steps were rapid and agitated; she scarcely felt -the weakness which reminded her of having sprained her foot when very -young, and which obliged her to limp slightly. At any other hour in -the day her countenance would have awakened the suspicions of the least -clear-sighted, attracted the attention of the most indifferent. But at -half-past two in the morning, the streets of Paris are almost, if not -quite, deserted, and scarcely is any one to be seen but the hard-working -artisan on his way to earn his daily bread or the roistering idlers of -the streets, who are returning to their homes after a night of riot and -debauchery; for the former the day was beginning, and for the latter -it was just closing. La Valliere was afraid of both faces, in which her -ignorance of Parisian types did not permit her to distinguish the type -of probity from that of dishonesty. The appearance of misery alarmed -her, and all she met seemed either vile or miserable. Her dress, which -was the same she had worn during the previous evening, was elegant even -in its careless disorder; for it was the one in which she had presented -herself to the queen-mother; and, moreover, when she drew aside the -mantle which covered her face, in order to enable her to see the way she -was going, her pallor and her beautiful eyes spoke an unknown language -to the men she met, and, unconsciously, the poor fugitive seemed -to invite the brutal remarks of the one class, or to appeal to the -compassion of the other. La Valliere still walked on in the same way, -breathless and hurried, until she reached the top of the Place de Greve. -She stopped from time to time, placed her hand upon her heart, leaned -against a wall until she could breathe freely again, and then continued -on her course more rapidly than before. On reaching the Place de Greve -La Valliere suddenly came upon a group of three drunken men, reeling and -staggering along, who were just leaving a boat which they had made fast -to the quay; the boat was freighted with wines, and it was apparent that -they had done ample justice to the merchandise. They were celebrating -their convivial exploits in three different keys, when suddenly, as they -reached the end of the railing leading down to the quay, they found an -obstacle in their path, in the shape of this young girl. La Valliere -stopped; while they, on their part, at the appearance of the young girl -dressed in court costume, also halted, and seizing each other by the -hand, they surrounded La Valliere, singing,-- - -"Oh! all ye weary wights, who mope alone, Come drink, and sing and -laugh, round Venus' throne." - -La Valliere at once understood that the men were insulting her, and -wished to prevent her passing; she tried to do so several times, but -her efforts were useless. Her limbs failed her; she felt she was on the -point of falling, and uttered a cry of terror. At the same moment -the circle which surrounded her was suddenly broken through in a most -violent manner. One of her insulters was knocked to the left, another -fell rolling over and over to the right, close to the water's edge, -while the third could hardly keep his feet. An officer of the musketeers -stood face to face with the young girl, with threatening brow and hand -raised to carry out his threat. The drunken fellows, at sight of the -uniform, made their escape with what speed their staggering limbs could -lend them, all the more eagerly for the proof of strength which the -wearer of the uniform had just afforded them. - -"Is it possible," exclaimed the musketeer, "that it can be Mademoiselle -de la Valliere?" - -La Valliere, bewildered by what had just happened, and confounded by -hearing her name pronounced, looked up and recognized D'Artagnan. "Oh, -M. d'Artagnan! it is indeed I;" and at the same moment she seized -his arm. "You will protect me, will you not?" she added, in a tone of -entreaty. - -"Most certainly I will protect you; but, in Heaven's name, where are you -going at this hour?" - -"I am going to Chaillot." - -"You are going to Chaillot by way of La Rapee! why, mademoiselle, you -are turning your back upon it." - -"In that case, monsieur, be kind enough to put me in the right way, and -to go with me a short distance." - -"Most willingly." - -"But how does it happen that I have found you here? By what merciful -intervention were you sent to my assistance? I almost seem to be -dreaming, or to be losing my senses." - -"I happened to be here, mademoiselle, because I have a house in the -Place de Greve, at the sign of the Notre-Dame, the rent of which I went -to receive yesterday, and where I, in fact, passed the night. And I -also wished to be at the palace early, for the purposes of inspecting my -posts." - -"Thank you," said La Valliere. - -"That is what _I_ was doing," said D'Artagnan to himself; "but what is -_she_ doing, and why is she going to Chaillot at such an hour?" And he -offered her his arm, which she took, and began to walk with increased -precipitation, which ill-concealed, however, her weakness. D'Artagnan -perceived it, and proposed to La Valliere that she should take a little -rest, which she refused. - -"You are ignorant, perhaps, where Chaillot is?" inquired D'Artagnan. - -"Quite so." - -"It is a great distance." - -"That matters very little." - -"It is at least a league." - -"I can walk it." - -D'Artagnan did not reply; he could tell, merely by the tone of a voice, -when a resolution was real or not. He rather bore along rather than -accompanied La Valliere, until they perceived the elevated ground of -Chaillot. - -"What house are you going to, mademoiselle?" inquired D'Artagnan. - -"To the Carmelites, monsieur." - -"To the Carmelites?" repeated D'Artagnan, in amazement. - -"Yes; and since Heaven has directed you towards me to give me your -support on my road, accept both my thanks and my adieux." - -"To the Carmelites! Your adieux! Are you going to become a nun?" -exclaimed D'Artagnan. - -"Yes, monsieur." - -"What, you!!!" There was in this "you," which we have marked by -three notes of exclamation in order to render it as expressive as -possible,--there was, we repeat, in this "you" a complete poem; it -recalled to La Valliere her old recollections of Blois, and her new -recollections of Fontainebleau; it said to her, "_You_, who might be -happy with Raoul; _you_, who might be powerful with Louis; _you_ about -to become a nun!" - -"Yes, monsieur," she said, "I am going to devote myself to the service -of Heaven; and to renounce the world entirely." - -"But are you not mistaken with regard to your vocation,--are you not -mistaken in supposing it to be the will of Heaven?" - -"No, since Heaven has been pleased to throw you in my way. Had it not -been for you, I should certainly have sunk from fatigue on the road, and -since Heaven, I repeat, has thrown you in my way, it is because it has -willed that I should carry out my intention." - -"Oh!" said D'Artagnan, doubtingly, "that is a rather subtle distinction, -I think." - -"Whatever it may be," returned the young girl, "I have acquainted you -with the steps I have taken, and with my fixed resolution. And, now, I -have one last favor to ask of you, even while I return you my thanks. -The king is entirely ignorant of my flight from the Palais Royal, and is -ignorant also of what I am about to do." - -"The king ignorant, you say!" exclaimed D'Artagnan. "Take care, -mademoiselle; you are not aware of what you are doing. No one ought to -do anything with which the king is unacquainted, especially those who -belong to the court." - -"I no longer belong to the court, monsieur." - -D'Artagnan looked at the young girl with increasing astonishment. - -"Do not be uneasy, monsieur," she continued: "I have well calculated -everything; and were it not so, it would now be too late to reconsider -my resolution,--all is decided." - -"Well, mademoiselle, what do you wish me to do?" - -"In the name of that sympathy which misfortune inspires, by your -generous feeling, and by your honor as a gentleman, I entreat you to -promise me one thing." - -"Name it." - -"Swear to me, Monsieur d'Artagnan, that you will not tell the king that -you have seen me, and that I am at the Carmelites." - -"I will not swear that," said D'Artagnan, shaking his head. - -"Why?" - -"Because I know the king, I know you, I know myself even, nay, the whole -human race, too well; no, no, I will not swear that!" - -"In that case," cried La Valliere, with an energy of which one would -hardly have thought her capable, "instead of the blessing which I should -have implored for you until my dying day, I will invoke a curse, for you -are rendering me the most miserable creature that ever lived." - -We have already observed that D'Artagnan could easily recognize the -accents of truth and sincerity, and he could not resist this last -appeal. He saw by her face how bitterly she suffered from a feeling of -degradation, he remarked her trembling limbs, how her whole slight and -delicate frame was violently agitated by some internal struggle, and -clearly perceived that resistance might be fatal. "I will do as you -wish, then," he said. "Be satisfied, mademoiselle, I will say nothing to -the king." - -"Oh! thanks, thanks," exclaimed La Valliere, "you are the most generous -man breathing." - -And in her extreme delight she seized hold of D'Artagnan's hands -and pressed them between her own. D'Artagnan, who felt himself quite -overcome, said: "This is touching, upon my word; she begins where others -leave off." - -And La Valliere, who, in the bitterness of her distress, had sunk upon -the ground, rose and walked towards the convent of the Carmelites, -which could now, in the dawning light, be perceived just before them. -D'Artagnan followed her at a distance. The entrance-door was half-open; -she glided in like a shadow, and thanking D'Artagnan by a parting -gesture, disappeared from his sight. When D'Artagnan found himself quite -alone, he reflected very profoundly upon what had just taken place. -"Upon my word," he said, "this looks very much like what is called a -false position. To keep such a secret as that, is to keep a burning coal -in one's breeches-pocket, and trust that it may not burn the stuff. -And yet, not to keep it when I have sworn to do so is dishonorable. It -generally happens that some bright idea or other occurs to me as I am -going along; but I am very much mistaken if I shall not, now, have to go -a long way in order to find the solution of this affair. Yes, but which -way to go? Oh! towards Paris, of course; that is the best way, after -all. Only one must make haste, and in order to make haste four legs are -better than two, and I, unhappily, only have two. 'A horse, a horse,' as -I heard them say at the theatre in London, 'my kingdom for a horse!' -And now I think of it, it need not cost me so much as that, for at the -Barriere de la Conference there is a guard of musketeers, and instead of -the one horse I need, I shall find ten there." - -So, in pursuance of this resolution, which he adopted with his usual -rapidity, D'Artagnan immediately turned his back upon the heights of -Chaillot, reached the guard-house, took the fastest horse he could find -there, and was at the palace in less than ten minutes. It was striking -five as he reached the Palais Royal. The king, he was told, had gone to -bed at his usual hour, having been long engaged with M. Colbert, and, in -all probability, was still sound asleep. "Come," said D'Artagnan, "she -spoke the truth; the king is ignorant of everything; if he only knew -one-half of what has happened, the Palais Royal by this time would be -turned upside down." [5] - - - -Chapter XXVII. Showing How Louis, on His Part, Had Passed the Time from -Ten to Half-Past Twelve at Night. - -When the king left the apartments of the maids of honor, he found -Colbert awaiting him to take directions for the next day's ceremony, as -the king was then to receive the Dutch and Spanish ambassadors. Louis -XIV. had serious causes of dissatisfaction with the Dutch; the States -had already been guilty of many mean shifts and evasions with France, -and without perceiving or without caring about the chances of a rupture, -they again abandoned the alliance with his Most Christian Majesty, for -the purpose of entering into all kinds of plots with Spain. Louis XIV. -at his accession, that is to say, at the death of Cardinal Mazarin, had -found this political question roughly sketched out; the solution was -difficult for a young man, but as, at that time, the king represented -the whole nation, anything that the head resolved upon, the body would -be found ready to carry out. Any sudden impulse of anger, the reaction -of young hot blood upon the brain, would be quite sufficient to change -an old form of policy and create another system altogether. The part -that diplomatists had to play in those days was that of arranging among -themselves the different _coups-d'etat_ which their sovereign masters -might wish to effect. Louis was not in that calm frame of mind which was -necessary to enable him to determine on a wise course of policy. Still -much agitated from the quarrel he had just had with La Valliere, -he walked hastily into his cabinet, dimly desirous of finding an -opportunity of producing an explosion after he had controlled himself -for so long a time. Colbert, as he saw the king enter, knew the position -of affairs at a glance, understood the king's intentions, and resolved -therefore to maneuver a little. When Louis requested to be informed what -it would be necessary to say on the morrow, Colbert began by expressing -his surprise that his majesty had not been properly informed by M. -Fouquet. "M. Fouquet," he said, "is perfectly acquainted with the whole -of this Dutch affair--he received the dispatches himself direct." - -The king, who was accustomed to hear M. Colbert speak in not -over-scrupulous terms of M. Fouquet, allowed this remark to pass -unanswered, and merely listened. Colbert noticed the effect it had -produced, and hastened to back out, saying that M. Fouquet was not on -all occasions as blamable as at the first glance might seem to be the -case, inasmuch as at that moment he was greatly occupied. The king -looked up. "What do you allude to?" he said. - -"Sire, men are but men, and M. Fouquet has his defects as well as his -great qualities." - -"Ah! defects, who is without them, M. Colbert?" - -"Your majesty, hardly," said Colbert, boldly; for he knew how to convey -a good deal of flattery in a light amount of blame, like the arrow which -cleaves the air notwithstanding its weight, thanks to the light feathers -which bear it up. - -The king smiled. "What defect has M. Fouquet, then?" he said. - -"Still the same, sire; it is said he is in love." - -"In love! with whom?" - -"I am not quite sure, sire; I have very little to do with matters of -gallantry." - -"At all events you know, since you speak of it." - -"I have heard a name mentioned." - -"Whose?" - -"I cannot now remember whose, but I think it is one of Madame's maids of -honor." - -The king started. "You know more than you like to say, M. Colbert," he -murmured. - -"I assure you, no, sire." - -"At all events, Madame's maids of honor are all known, and in mentioning -their names to you, you will perhaps recollect the one you allude to." - -"No, sire." - -"At least, try." - -"It would be useless, sire. Whenever the name of any lady who runs the -risk of being compromised is concerned, my memory is like a coffer of -bronze, the key of which I have lost." - -A dark cloud seemed to pass over the mind as well as across the face -of the king; then, wishing to appear as if he were perfect master of -himself and his feelings, he said, "And now for the affair concerning -Holland." - -"In the first place, sire, at what hour will your majesty receive the -ambassadors?" - -"Early in the morning." - -"Eleven o'clock?" - -"That is too late--say nine o'clock." - -"That will be too early, sire." - -"For friends, that would be a matter of no importance; one does what one -likes with one's friends; but for one's enemies, in that case nothing -could be better than if they _were_ to feel hurt. I should not be sorry, -I confess, to have to finish altogether with these marsh-birds, who -annoy me with their cries." - -"It shall be precisely as your majesty desires. At nine o'clock, -therefore--I will give the necessary orders. Is it to be a formal -audience?" - -"No. I wish to have an explanation with them, and not to embitter -matters, as is always the case when many persons are present, but, at -the same time, I wish to clear up everything with them, in order not to -have to begin over again." - -"Your majesty will inform me of the persons whom you wish to be present -at the reception." - -"I will draw out a list. Let us speak of the ambassadors; what do they -want?" - -"Allies with Spain, they gain nothing; allies with France, they lose -much." - -"How is that?" - -"Allied with Spain, they see themselves bounded and protected by the -possessions of their allies; they cannot touch them, however anxious -they may be to do so. From Antwerp to Rotterdam is but a step, and that -by the way of the Scheldt and the Meuse. If they wish to make a bite at -the Spanish cake, you, sire, the son-in-law of the king of Spain, could -with your cavalry sweep the earth from your dominions to Brussels in a -couple of days. Their design is, therefore, only to quarrel so far with -you, and only to make you suspect Spain so far, as will be sufficient to -induce you not to interfere with their own affairs." - -"It would be far more simple, I should imagine," replied the king, -"to form a solid alliance with me, by means of which I should gain -something, while they would gain everything." - -"Not so; for if, by chance, they were to have you, or France rather, as -a boundary, your majesty is not an agreeable neighbor. Young, ardent, -warlike, the king of France might inflict some serious mischief on -Holland, especially if he were to get near her." - -"I perfectly understand, M. Colbert, and you have explained it very -clearly; but be good enough to tell me the conclusion you have arrived -at." - -"Your majesty's own decisions are never deficient in wisdom." - -"What will these ambassadors say to me?" - -"They will tell your majesty that they are ardently desirous of forming -an alliance with you, which will be a falsehood: they will tell Spain -that the three powers ought to unite so as to check the prosperity -of England, and that will equally be a falsehood; for at present, the -natural ally of your majesty is England, who has ships while we have -none; England, who can counteract Dutch influence in India; England, in -fact, a monarchical country, to which your majesty is attached by ties -of relationship." - -"Good; but how would you answer?" - -"I should answer, sire, with the greatest possible moderation of tone, -that the disposition of Holland does not seem friendly towards the -Court of France; that the symptoms of public feeling among the Dutch are -alarming as regards your majesty; that certain medals have been struck -with insulting devices." - -"Towards me?" exclaimed the young king, excitedly. - -"Oh, no! sire, no; insulting is not the word; I was mistaken, I ought to -have said immeasurably flattering to the Dutch." - -"Oh! if that be so, the pride of the Dutch is a matter of indifference -to me," said the king, sighing. - -"Your majesty is right, a thousand times right. However, it is never -a mistake in politics, your majesty knows better than myself, to -exaggerate a little in order to obtain a concession in your own -favor. If your majesty were to complain as if your susceptibility were -offended, you would stand in a far higher position with them." - -"What are these medals you speak of?" inquired Louis; "for if I allude -to them, I ought to know what to say." - -"Upon my word, sire, I cannot very well tell you--some overweeningly -conceited device--that is the sense of it; the words have little to do -with the thing itself." - -"Very good! I will mention the word 'medal,' and they can understand it -if they like." - -"Oh! they will understand without any difficulty. Your majesty can also -slip in a few words about certain pamphlets which are being circulated." - -"Never! Pamphlets befoul those who write them much more than those -against whom they are written. M. Colbert, I thank you. You can leave -now. Do not forget the hour I have fixed, and be there yourself." - -"Sire, I await your majesty's list." - -"True," returned the king; and he began to meditate; he had not thought -of the list in the least. The clock struck half-past eleven. The king's -face revealed a violent conflict between pride and love. The political -conversation had dispelled a good deal of the irritation which Louis had -felt, and La Valliere's pale, worn features, in his imagination, spoke -a very different language from that of the Dutch medals, or the Batavian -pamphlets. He sat for ten minutes debating within himself whether he -should or should not return to La Valliere; but Colbert having with some -urgency respectfully requested that the list might be furnished him, -the king was ashamed to be thinking of mere matters of affection where -important state affairs required his attention. He therefore dictated: -the queen-mother, the queen, Madame, Madame de Motteville, Madame de -Chatillon, Madame de Navailles; and, for the men, M. le Prince, M. de -Gramont, M. de Manicamp, M. de Saint-Aignan, and the officers on duty. - -"The ministers?" asked Colbert. - -"As a matter of course, and the secretaries also." - -"Sire, I will leave at once in order to get everything prepared; the -orders will be at the different residences to-morrow." - -"Say rather to-day," replied Louis mournfully, as the clock struck -twelve. It was the very hour when poor La Valliere was almost dying from -anguish and bitter suffering. The king's attendants entered, it being -the hour of his retirement to his chamber; the queen, indeed, had -been waiting for more than an hour. Louis accordingly retreated to his -bedroom with a sigh; but, as he sighed, he congratulated himself on his -courage, and applauded himself for having been as firm in love as in -affairs of state. - - - -Chapter XXVIII. The Ambassadors. - -D'Artagnan had, with very few exceptions, learned almost all of the -particulars of what we have just been relating; for among his friends -he reckoned all the useful, serviceable people in the royal -household,--officious attendants who were proud of being recognized -by the captain of the musketeers, for the captain's influence was -very great; and then, in addition to any ambitious views they may have -imagined he could promote, they were proud of being regarded as -worth being spoken to by a man as brave as D'Artagnan. In this manner -D'Artagnan learned every morning what he had not been able either to see -or to ascertain the night before, from the simple fact of his not being -ubiquitous; so that, with the information he had been able by his own -means to pick up during the day, and with what he had gathered from -others, he succeeded in making up a bundle of weapons, which he was in -the prudent habit of using only when occasion required. In this way, -D'Artagnan's two eyes rendered him the same service as the hundred eyes -of Argus. Political secrets, bedside revelations, hints or scraps of -conversation dropped by the courtiers on the threshold of the royal -ante-chamber, in this way D'Artagnan managed to ascertain, and to store -away everything in the vast and impenetrable mausoleum of his memory, -by the side of those royal secrets so dearly bought and faithfully -preserved. He therefore knew of the king's interview with Colbert, -and of the appointment made for the ambassadors in the morning, and, -consequently, that the question of the medals would be brought up for -debate; and, while he was arranging and constructing the conversation -upon a few chance words which had reached his ears, he returned to his -post in the royal apartments, so as to be there at the very moment the -king awoke. It happened that the king rose very early,--proving thereby -that he, too, on his side, had slept but indifferently. Towards seven -o'clock, he half-opened his door very gently. D'Artagnan was at his -post. His majesty was pale, and seemed wearied; he had not, moreover, -quite finished dressing. - -"Send for M. de Saint-Aignan," he said. - -Saint-Aignan was probably awaiting a summons, for the messenger, when he -reached his apartment, found him already dressed. Saint-Aignan hastened -to the king in obedience to the summons. A moment afterwards the king -and Saint-Aignan passed by together--the king walking first. D'Artagnan -went to the window which looked out upon the courtyard; he had no need -to put himself to the trouble of watching in what direction the king -went, for he had no difficulty in guessing beforehand where his majesty -was going. The king, in fact, bent his steps towards the apartments -of the maids of honor,--a circumstance which in no way astonished -D'Artagnan, for he more than suspected, although La Valliere had not -breathed a syllable on the subject, that the king had some kind of -reparation to make. Saint-Aignan followed him as he had done the -previous evening, rather less uneasy in his mind, though still slightly -agitated, for he fervently trusted that at seven o'clock in the morning -there might be only himself and the king awake amongst the august guests -at the palace. D'Artagnan stood at the window, careless and perfectly -calm in his manner. One could almost have sworn that he noticed nothing, -and was utterly ignorant who were these two hunters after adventures, -passing like shadows across the courtyard, wrapped up in their cloaks. -And yet, all the while that D'Artagnan appeared not to be looking at -them at all, he did not for one moment lose sight of them, and while -he whistled that old march of the musketeers, which he rarely recalled -except under great emergencies, he conjectured and prophesied how -terrible would be the storm which would be raised on the king's return. -In fact, when the king entered La Valliere's apartment and found the -room empty and the bed untouched, he began to be alarmed, and called out -to Montalais, who immediately answered the summons; but her astonishment -was equal to the king's. All that she could tell his majesty was, that -she had fancied she had heard La Valliere's weeping during a portion of -the night, but, knowing that his majesty had paid her a visit, she had -not dared to inquire what was the matter. - -"But," inquired the king, "where do you suppose she is gone?" - -"Sire," replied Montalais, "Louise is of a very sentimental disposition, -and as I have often seen her rise at daybreak in order to go out into -the garden, she may, perhaps, be there now." - -This appeared probable, and the king immediately ran down the staircase -in search of the fugitive. D'Artagnan saw him grow very pale, and -talking in an excited manner with his companion, as he went towards the -gardens; Saint-Aignan following him, out of breath. D'Artagnan did -not stir from the window, but went on whistling, looking as if he saw -nothing, yet seeing everything. "Come, come," he murmured, when the king -disappeared, "his majesty's passion is stronger than I thought; he is -now doing, I think, what he never did for Mademoiselle de Mancini." [6] - -In a quarter of an hour the king again appeared: he had looked -everywhere, was completely out of breath, and, as a matter of course, -had not discovered anything. Saint-Aignan, who still followed him, -was fanning himself with his hat, and in a gasping voice, asking for -information about La Valliere from such of the servants as were about, -in fact from every one he met. Among others he came across Manicamp, -who had arrived from Fontainebleau by easy stages; for whilst others had -performed the journey in six hours, he had taken four and twenty. - -"Have you seen Mademoiselle de la Valliere?" Saint-Aignan asked him. - -Whereupon Manicamp, dreamy and absent as usual, answered, thinking that -some one was asking him about De Guiche, "Thank you, the comte is a -little better." - -And he continued on his way until he reached the ante-chamber where -D'Artagnan was, whom he asked to explain how it was that the king -looked, as he thought, so bewildered; to which D'Artagnan replied that -he was quite mistaken, that the king, on the contrary, was as lively and -merry as he could possibly be. - -In the midst of all this, eight o'clock struck. It was usual for the -king to take his breakfast at this hour, for the code of etiquette -prescribed that the king should always be hungry at eight o'clock. His -breakfast was laid upon a small table in his bedroom, and he ate very -fast. Saint-Aignan, of whom he would not lose sight, waited on the -king. He then disposed of several military audiences, during which -he dispatched Saint-Aignan to see what he could find out. Then, still -occupied, full of anxiety, still watching Saint-Aignan's return, who had -sent out the servants in every direction, to make inquires, and who -had also gone himself, the hour of nine struck, and the king forthwith -passed into his large cabinet. - -As the clock was striking nine the ambassadors entered, and as it -finished, the two queens and Madame made their appearance. There were -three ambassadors from Holland, and two from Spain. The king glanced at -them, and then bowed; and, at the same moment, Saint-Aignan entered,--an -entrance which the king regarded as far more important, in a different -sense, however, than that of ambassadors, however numerous they might -be, and from whatever country they came; and so, setting everything -aside, the king made a sign of interrogation to Saint-Aignan, which the -latter answered by a most decisive negative. The king almost entirely -lost his courage; but as the queens, the members of the nobility who -were present, and the ambassadors, had their eyes fixed upon him, he -overcame his emotion by a violent effort, and invited the latter to -speak. Whereupon one of the Spanish deputies made a long oration, in -which he boasted the advantages which the Spanish alliance would offer. - -The king interrupted him, saying, "Monsieur, I trust that whatever is -best for France must be exceedingly advantageous for Spain." - -This remark, and particularly the peremptory tone in which it was -pronounced, made the ambassadors pale, and brought the color into the -cheeks of the two queens, who, being Spanish, felt wounded in their -pride of relationship and nationality by this reply. - -The Dutch ambassador then began to address himself to the king, and -complained of the injurious suspicions which the king exhibited against -the government of his country. - -The king interrupted him, saying, "It is very singular, monsieur, that -you should come with any complaint, when it is I rather who have reason -to be dissatisfied; and yet, you see, I do not complain." - -"Complain, sire, and in what respect?" - -The king smiled bitterly. "Will you blame me, monsieur," he said, "if -I should happen to entertain suspicions against a government which -authorizes and protects international impertinence?" - -"Sire!" - -"I tell you," resumed the king, exciting himself by a recollection of -his own personal annoyance, rather than from political grounds, "that -Holland is a land of refuge for all who hate me, and especially for all -who malign me." - -"Oh, sire!" - -"You wish for proofs, perhaps? Very good; they can be had easily enough. -Whence proceed all those vile and insolent pamphlets which represent me -as a monarch without glory and without authority? your printing-presses -groan under their number. If my secretaries were here, I would mention -the titles of the works as well as the names of the printers." - -"Sire," replied the ambassador, "a pamphlet can hardly be regarded as -the work of a whole nation. Is it just, is it reasonable, that a great -and powerful monarch like your majesty should render a whole nation -responsible for the crime of a few madmen, who are, perhaps, only -scribbling in a garret for a few sous to buy bread for their family?" - -"That may be the case, I admit. But when the mint itself, at Amsterdam, -strikes off medals which reflect disgrace upon me, is that also the -crime of a few madmen?" - -"Medals!" stammered out the ambassador. - -"Medals," repeated the king, looking at Colbert. - -"Your majesty," the ambassador ventured, "should be quite sure--" - -The king still looked at Colbert; but Colbert appeared not to understand -him, and maintained an unbroken silence, notwithstanding the king's -repeated hints. D'Artagnan then approached the king, and taking a piece -of money out of his pocket, he placed it in the king's hands, saying, -"_This_ is the medal your majesty alludes to." - -The king looked at it, and with a look which, ever since he had become -his own master, was ever piercing as the eagle's, observed an insulting -device representing Holland arresting the progress of the sun, with this -inscription: "_In conspectu meo stetit sol_." - -"In my presence the sun stands still," exclaimed the king, furiously. -"Ah! you will hardly deny it now, I suppose." - -"And the sun," said D'Artagnan, "is this," as he pointed to the panels -of the cabinet, where the sun was brilliantly represented in every -direction, with this motto, "_Nec pluribus impar_." [7] - -Louis's anger, increased by the bitterness of his own personal -sufferings, hardly required this additional circumstance to foment it. -Every one saw, from the kindling passion in the king's eyes, that an -explosion was imminent. A look from Colbert kept postponed the bursting -of the storm. The ambassador ventured to frame excuses by saying that -the vanity of nations was a matter of little consequence; that Holland -was proud that, with such limited resources, she had maintained her rank -as a great nation, even against powerful monarchs, and that if a little -smoke had intoxicated his countrymen, the king would be kindly disposed, -and would even excuse this intoxication. The king seemed as if he -would be glad of some suggestion; he looked at Colbert, who remained -impassible; then at D'Artagnan, who simply shrugged his shoulders, a -movement which was like the opening of the flood-gates, whereby the -king's anger, which he had restrained for so long a period, now burst -forth. As no one knew what direction his anger might take, all preserved -a dead silence. The second ambassador took advantage of it to begin his -excuses also. While he was speaking, and while the king, who had again -gradually returned to his own personal reflections, was automatically -listening to the voice, full of nervous anxiety, with the air of an -absent man listening to the murmuring of a cascade, D'Artagnan, on whose -left hand Saint-Aignan was standing, approached the latter, and, in a -voice which was loud enough to reach the king's ears, said: "Have you -heard the news?" - -"What news?" said Saint-Aignan. - -"About La Valliere." - -The king started, and advanced his head. - -"What has happened to La Valliere?" inquired Saint-Aignan, in a tone -which can easily be imagined. - -"Ah! poor girl! she is going to take the veil." - -"The veil!" exclaimed Saint-Aignan. - -"The veil!" cried the king, in the midst of the ambassador's discourse; -but then, mindful of the rules of etiquette, he mastered himself, still -listening, however, with rapt attention. - -"What order?" inquired Saint-Aignan. - -"The Carmelites of Chaillot." - -"Who the deuce told you that?" - -"She did herself." - -"You have seen her, then?" - -"Nay, I even went with her to the Carmelites." - -The king did not lose a syllable of this conversation; and again he -could hardly control his feelings. - -"But what was the cause of her flight?" inquired Saint-Aignan. - -"Because the poor girl was driven away from the court yesterday," -replied D'Artagnan. - -He had no sooner said this, than the king, with an authoritative -gesture, said to the ambassador, "Enough, monsieur, enough." Then, -advancing towards the captain, he exclaimed: - -"Who says Mademoiselle de la Valliere is going to take the religious -vows?" - -"M. d'Artagnan," answered the favorite. - -"Is it true what you say?" said the king, turning towards the musketeer. - -"As true as truth itself." - -The king clenched his hands, and turned pale. - -"You have something further to add, M. d'Artagnan?" he said. - -"I know nothing more, sire." - -"You added that Mademoiselle de la Valliere had been driven away from -the court." - -"Yes, sire." - -"Is that true, also?" - -"Ascertain for yourself, sire." - -"And from whom?" - -"Ah!" sighed D'Artagnan, like a man who is declining to say anything -further. - -The king almost bounded from his seat, regardless of ambassadors, -ministers, courtiers, queens, and politics. The queen-mother rose; -she had heard everything, or, if she had not heard everything, she had -guessed it. Madame, almost fainting from anger and fear, endeavored -to rise as the queen-mother had done; but she sank down again upon her -chair, which by an instinctive movement she made roll back a few paces. - -"Gentlemen," said the king, "the audience is over; I will communicate my -answer, or rather my will, to Spain and to Holland;" and with a proud, -imperious gesture, he dismissed the ambassadors. - -"Take care, my son," said the queen-mother, indignantly, "you are hardly -master of yourself, I think." - -"Ah! madame," returned the young lion, with a terrible gesture, "if I -am not master of myself, I will be, I promise you, of those who do me a -deadly injury; come with me, M. d'Artagnan, come." And he quitted the -room in the midst of general stupefaction and dismay. The king hastily -descended the staircase, and was about to cross the courtyard. - -"Sire," said D'Artagnan, "your majesty mistakes the way." - -"No; I am going to the stables." - -"That is useless, sire, for I have horses ready for your majesty." - -The king's only answer was a look, but this look promised more than the -ambition of three D'Artagnans could have dared to hope. - - - -Chapter XXIX. Chaillot. - -Although they had not been summoned, Manicamp and Malicorne had followed -the king and D'Artagnan. They were both exceedingly intelligent men; -except that Malicorne was too precipitate, owing to ambition, while -Manicamp was frequently too tardy, owing to indolence. On this occasion, -however, they arrived at precisely the proper moment. Five horses were -in readiness. Two were seized upon by the king and D'Artagnan, two -others by Manicamp and Malicorne, while a groom belonging to the stables -mounted the fifth. The cavalcade set off at a gallop. D'Artagnan had -been very careful in his selection of the horses; they were the very -animals for distressed lovers--horses which did not simply run, but -flew. Within ten minutes after their departure, the cavalcade, amidst a -cloud of dust, arrived at Chaillot. The king literally threw himself off -his horse; but notwithstanding the rapidity with which he accomplished -this maneuver, he found D'Artagnan already holding his stirrup. With -a sign of acknowledgement to the musketeer, he threw the bridle to the -groom, and darted into the vestibule, violently pushed open the door, -and entered the reception-room. Manicamp, Malicorne, and the groom -remained outside, D'Artagnan alone following him. When he entered the -reception-room, the first object which met his gaze was Louise herself, -not simply on her knees, but lying at the foot of a large stone -crucifix. The young girl was stretched upon the damp flag-stones, -scarcely visible in the gloom of the apartment, which was lighted only -by means of a narrow window, protected by bars and completely shaded by -creeping plants. When the king saw her in this state, he thought she was -dead, and uttered a loud cry, which made D'Artagnan hurry into the -room. The king had already passed one of his arms round her body, and -D'Artagnan assisted him in raising the poor girl, whom the torpor of -death seemed already to have taken possession of. D'Artagnan seized hold -of the alarm-bell and rang with all his might. The Carmelite sisters -immediately hastened at the summons, and uttered loud exclamations of -alarm and indignation at the sight of the two men holding a woman in -their arms. The superior also hurried to the scene of action, but far -more a creature of the world than any of the female members of the -court, notwithstanding her austerity of manners, she recognized the king -at the first glance, by the respect which those present exhibited for -him, as well as by the imperious and authoritative way in which he had -thrown the whole establishment into confusion. As soon as she saw the -king, she retired to her own apartments, in order to avoid compromising -her dignity. But by one of the nuns she sent various cordials, Hungary -water, etc., etc., and ordered that all the doors should immediately be -closed, a command which was just in time, for the king's distress was -fast becoming of a most clamorous and despairing character. He had -almost decided to send for his own physician, when La Valliere exhibited -signs of returning animation. The first object which met her gaze, as -she opened her eyes, was the king at her feet; in all probability she -did not recognize him, for she uttered a deep sigh full of anguish and -distress. Louis fixed his eyes devouringly upon her face; and when, in -the course of a few moments, she recognized Louis, she endeavored to -tear herself from his embrace. - -"Oh, heavens!" she murmured, "is not the sacrifice yet made?" - -"No, no!" exclaimed the king, "and it shall _not_ be made, I swear." - -Notwithstanding her weakness and utter despair, she rose from the -ground, saying, "It must be made, however; it must be; so do not stay me -in my purpose." - -"I leave you to sacrifice yourself! I! never, never!" exclaimed the -king. - -"Well," murmured D'Artagnan, "I may as well go now. As soon as they -begin to speak, we may as well prevent there being any listeners." And -he quitted the room, leaving the lovers alone. - -"Sire," continued La Valliere, "not another word, I implore you. Do not -destroy the only future I can hope for--my salvation; do not destroy the -glory and brightness of your own future for a mere caprice." - -"A caprice?" cried the king. - -"Oh, sire! it is now, only, that I can see clearly into your heart." - -"You, Louise, what mean you?" - -"An inexplicable impulse, foolish and unreasonable in its nature, may -ephemerally appear to offer a sufficient excuse for your conduct; but -there are duties imposed upon you which are incompatible with your -regard for a poor girl such as I am. So, forget me." - -"I forget you!" - -"You have already done so, once." - -"Rather would I die." - -"You cannot love one whose peace of mind you hold so lightly, and whom -you so cruelly abandoned, last night, to the bitterness of death." - -"What can you mean? Explain yourself, Louise." - -"What did you ask me yesterday morning? To love you. What did you -promise me in return? Never to let midnight pass without offering me an -opportunity of reconciliation, if, by any chance, your anger should be -roused against me." - -"Oh! forgive me, Louise, forgive me! I was mad from jealousy." - -"Jealousy is a sentiment unworthy of a king--a man. You may become -jealous again, and will end by killing me. Be merciful, then, and leave -me now to die." - -"Another word, mademoiselle, in that strain, and you will see me expire -at your feet." - -"No, no, sire, I am better acquainted with my own demerits; and believe -me, that to sacrifice yourself for one whom all despise, would be -needless." - -"Give me the names of those you have cause to complain of." - -"I have no complaints, sire, to prefer against any one; no one but -myself to accuse. Farewell, sire; you are compromising yourself in -speaking to me in such a manner." - -"Oh! be careful, Louise, in what you say; for you are reducing me to the -darkness of despair." - -"Oh! sire, sire, leave me at least the protection of Heaven, I implore -you." - -"No, no; Heaven itself shall not tear you from me." - -"Save me, then," cried the poor girl, "from those determined and -pitiless enemies who are thirsting to annihilate my life and honor too. -If you have courage enough to love me, show at least that you have power -enough to defend me. But no; she whom you say you love, others insult -and mock, and drive shamelessly away." And the gentle-hearted girl, -forced, by her own bitter distress to accuse others, wrung her hands in -an uncontrollable agony of tears. - -"You have been driven away!" exclaimed the king. "This is the second -time I have heard that said." - -"I have been driven away with shame and ignominy, sire. You see, then, -that I have no other protector but Heaven, no consolation but prayer, -and this cloister is my only refuge." - -"My palace, my whole court, shall be your park of peace. Oh! fear -nothing further now, Louise; those--be they men or women--who yesterday -drove you away, shall to-morrow tremble before you--to-morrow, do I say? -nay, this very day I have already shown my displeasure--have already -threatened. It is in my power, even now, to hurl the thunderbolt I have -hitherto withheld. Louise, Louise, you shall be bitterly revenged; tears -of blood shall repay you for the tears you have shed. Give me only the -names of your enemies." - -"Never, never." - -"How can I show any anger, then?" - -"Sire, those upon whom your anger would be prepared to fall, would force -you to draw back your hand upraised to punish." - -"Oh! you do not know me," cried the king, exasperated. "Rather than draw -back, I would sacrifice my kingdom, and would abjure my family. Yes, -I would strike until this arm had utterly destroyed all those who had -ventured to make themselves the enemies of the gentlest and best of -creatures." And, as he said these words, Louis struck his fist violently -against the oaken wainscoting with a force which alarmed La Valliere; -for his anger, owing to his unbounded power, had something imposing -and threatening in it, like the lightning, which may at any time prove -deadly. She, who thought that her own sufferings could not be surpassed, -was overwhelmed by a suffering which revealed itself by menace and by -violence. - -"Sire," she said, "for the last time I implore you to leave me; already -do I feel strengthened by the calm seclusion of this asylum; and the -protection of Heaven has reassured me; for all the pretty human meanness -of this world are forgotten beneath the Divine protection. Once more, -then, sire, and for the last time, I again implore you to leave me." - -"Confess, rather," cried Louis, "that you have never loved me; admit -that my humility and my repentance are flattering to your pride, but -that my distress affects you not; that the king of this wide realm is -no longer regarded as a lover whose tenderness of devotion is capable -of working out your happiness, but as a despot whose caprice has crushed -your very heart beneath his iron heel. Do not say you are seeking -Heaven, say rather you are fleeing from the king." - -Louise's heart was wrung within her, as she listened to his passionate -utterance, which made the fever of hope course once more through her -every vein. - -"But did you not hear me say that I have been driven away, scorned, -despised?" - -"I will make you the most respected, and most adored, and the most -envied of my whole court." - -"Prove to me that you have not ceased to love me." - -"In what way?" - -"By leaving me." - -"I will prove it to you by never leaving you again." - -"But do you imagine, sire, that I shall allow that; do you imagine that -I will let you come to an open rupture with every member of your family; -do you imagine that, for my sake, you could abandon mother, wife and -sister?" - -"Ah! you have named them, then, at last; it is they, then, who have -wrought this grievous injury? By the heaven above us, then, upon them -shall my anger fall." - -"That is the reason why the future terrifies me, why I refuse -everything, why I do not wish you to revenge me. Tears enough have -already been shed, sufficient sorrow and affliction have already -been occasioned. I, at least, will never be the cause of sorrow, or -affliction, or distress to whomsoever it may be, for I have mourned and -suffered, and wept too much myself." - -"And do you count _my_ sufferings, _my_ tears, as nothing?" - -"In Heaven's name, sire, do not speak to me in that manner. I need all -my courage to enable me to accomplish the sacrifice." - -"Louise, Louise, I implore you! whatever you desire, whatever you -command, whether vengeance or forgiveness, your slightest wish shall be -obeyed, but do not abandon me." - -"Alas! sire, we must part." - -"You do not love me, then!" - -"Heaven knows I do!" - -"It is false, Louise; it is false." - -"Oh! sire, if I did not love you, I should let you do what you please; -I should let you revenge me, in return for the insult which has been -inflicted on me; I should accept the brilliant triumph to my pride -which you propose; and yet, you cannot deny that I reject even the sweet -compensation which your affection affords, that affection which for me -is life itself, for I wished to die when I thought that you loved me no -longer." - -"Yes, yes; I now know, I now perceive it; you are the sweetest, best, -and purest of women. There is no one so worthy as yourself, not alone of -my respect and devotion, but also of the respect and devotion of all who -surround me; and therefore no one shall be loved like yourself; no one -shall ever possess the influence over me that you wield. You wish me to -be calm, to forgive?--be it so, you shall find me perfectly unmoved. You -wish to reign by gentleness and clemency?--I will be clement and -gentle. Dictate for me the conduct you wish me to adopt, and I will obey -blindly." - -"In Heaven's name, no, sire; what am I, a poor girl, to dictate to so -great a monarch as yourself?" - -"You are my life, the very spirit and principle of my being. Is it not -the spirit that rules the body?" - -"You love me, then, sire?" - -"On my knees, yes; with my hands upraised to you, yes; with all the -strength and power of my being, yes; I love you so deeply, that I would -lay down my life for you, gladly, at your merest wish." - -"Oh! sire, now I know you love me, I have nothing to wish for in the -world. Give me your hand, sire; and then, farewell! I have enjoyed in -this life all the happiness I was ever meant for." - -"Oh! no, no! your happiness is not a happiness of yesterday, it is of -to-day, of to-morrow, ever enduring. The future is yours, everything -which is mine is yours, too. Away with these ideas of separation, away -with these gloomy, despairing thoughts. You will live for me, as I will -live for you, Louise." And he threw himself at her feet, embracing her -knees with the wildest transports of joy and gratitude. - -"Oh! sire, sire! all that is but a wild dream." - -"Why, a wild dream?" - -"Because I cannot return to the court. Exiled, how can I see you again? -Would it not be far better to bury myself in a cloister for the rest of -my life, with the rich consolation that your affection gives me, with -the pulses of your heart beating for me, and your latest confession of -attachment still ringing in my ears?" - -"Exiled, you!" exclaimed Louis XIV., "and who dares to exile, let me -ask, when I recall?" - -"Oh! sire, something which is greater than and superior to the kings -even--the world and public opinion. Reflect for a moment; you cannot -love a woman who has been ignominiously driven away--love one whom your -mother has stained with suspicions; one whom your sister has threatened -with disgrace; such a woman, indeed, would be unworthy of you." - -"Unworthy! one who belongs to me?" - -"Yes, sire, precisely on that account; from the very moment she belongs -to you, the character of your mistress renders her unworthy." - -"You are right, Louise; every shade of delicacy of feeling is yours. -Very well, you shall not be exiled." - -"Ah! from the tone in which you speak, you have not heard Madame, that -is very clear." - -"I will appeal from her to my mother." - -"Again, sire, you have not seen your mother." - -"She, too!--my poor Louise! every one's hand, then, is against you." - -"Yes, yes, poor Louise, who was already bending beneath the fury of -the storm, when you arrived and crushed her beneath the weight of your -displeasure." - -"Oh! forgive me." - -"You will not, I know, be able to make either of them yield; believe me, -the evil cannot be repaired, for I will not allow you to use violence, -or to exercise your authority." - -"Very well, Louise, to prove to you how fondly I love you, I will do one -thing, I will see Madame; I will make her revoke her sentence, I will -compel her to do so." - -"Compel? Oh! no, no!" - -"True; you are right. I will bend her." - -Louise shook her head. - -"I will entreat her, if it be necessary," said Louis. "Will you believe -in my affection after that?" - -Louise drew herself up. "Oh, never, never shall you humiliate yourself -on my account; sooner, a thousand times, would I die." - -Louis reflected; his features assumed a dark expression. "I will love -you as much as you have loved; I will suffer as keenly as you have -suffered; this shall be my expiation in your eyes. Come, mademoiselle, -put aside these paltry considerations; let us show ourselves as great as -our sufferings, as strong as our affection for each other." And, as he -said this, he took her in his arms, and encircled her waist with both -his hands, saying, "My own love! my own dearest and best beloved, follow -me." - -She made a final effort, in which she concentrated, no longer all of -her firmness of will, for that had long since been overcome, but all her -physical strength. "No!" she replied, weakly, "no! no! I should die from -shame." - -"No! you shall return like a queen. No one knows of your having -left--except, indeed, D'Artagnan." - -"He has betrayed me, then?" - -"In what way?" - -"He promised faithfully--" - -"I promised not to say anything to the king," said D'Artagnan, putting -his head through the half-opened door, "and I kept my word; I was -speaking to M. de Saint-Aignan, and it was not my fault if the king -overheard me; was it, sire?" - -"It is quite true," said the king; "forgive him." - -La Valliere smiled, and held out her small white hand to the musketeer. - -"Monsieur d'Artagnan," said the king, "be good enough to see if you can -find a carriage for Mademoiselle de la Valliere." - -"Sire," said the captain, "the carriage is waiting at the gate." - -"You are a magic mould of forethought," exclaimed the king. - -"You have taken a long time to find it out," muttered D'Artagnan, -notwithstanding he was flattered by the praise bestowed upon him. - -La Valliere was overcome: after a little further hesitation, she allowed -herself to be led away, half fainting, by her royal lover. But, as she -was on the point of leaving the room, she tore herself from the king's -grasp, and returned to the stone crucifix, which she kissed, saying, -"Oh, Heaven! it was thou who drewest me hither! thou, who has rejected -me; but thy grace is infinite. Whenever I shall again return, forget -that I have ever separated myself from thee, for, when I return it will -be--never to leave thee again." - -The king could not restrain his emotion, and D'Artagnan, even, was -overcome. Louis led the young girl away, lifted her into the carriage, -and directed D'Artagnan to seat himself beside her, while he, -mounting his horse, spurred violently towards the Palais Royal, where, -immediately on his arrival, he sent to request an audience of Madame. - - - -Chapter XXX. Madame. - -From the manner in which the king had dismissed the ambassadors, even -the least clear-sighted persons belonging to the court imagined war -would ensue. The ambassadors themselves, but slightly acquainted with -the king's domestic disturbances, had interpreted as directed against -themselves the celebrated sentence: "If I be not master of myself, I, at -least, will be so of those who insult me." Happily for the destinies of -France and Holland, Colbert had followed them out of the king's presence -for the purpose of explaining matters to them; but the two queens and -Madame, who were perfectly aware of every particular that had taken -place in their several households, having heard the king's remark, so -full of dark meaning, retired to their own apartments in no little fear -and chagrin. Madame, especially, felt that the royal anger might fall -upon her, and, as she was brave and exceedingly proud, instead of -seeking support and encouragement from the queen-mother, she had -returned to her own apartments, if not without some uneasiness, at least -without any intention of avoiding an encounter. Anne of Austria, from -time to time at frequent intervals, sent messages to learn if the king -had returned. The silence which the whole palace preserved upon the -matter, and upon Louise's disappearance, was indicative of a long train -of misfortunes to all those who knew the haughty and irritable humor of -the king. But Madame, unmoved in spite of all the flying rumors, shut -herself up in her apartments, sent for Montalais, and, with a voice as -calm as she could possibly command, desired her to relate all she knew -about the event itself. At the moment that the eloquent Montalais -was concluding, with all kinds of oratorical precautions, and was -recommending, if not in actual language, at least in spirit, that she -should show forbearance towards La Valliere, M. Malicorne made his -appearance to beg an audience of Madame, on behalf of the king. -Montalais's worthy friend bore upon his countenance all the signs of the -very liveliest emotion. It was impossible to be mistaken; the interview -which the king requested would be one of the most interesting chapters -in the history of the hearts of kings and of men. Madame was disturbed -by her brother-in-law's arrival; she did not expect it so soon, nor -had she, indeed, expected any direct step on Louis's part. Besides, -all women who wage war successfully by indirect means, are invariably -neither very skillful nor very strong when it becomes a question of -accepting a pitched battle. Madame, however, was not one who ever drew -back; she had the very opposite defect or qualification, in whichever -light it may be considered; she took an exaggerated view of what -constituted real courage; and therefore the king's message, of which -Malicorne had been the bearer, was regarded by her as the bugle-note -proclaiming the commencement of hostilities. She, therefore, boldly -accepted the gage of battle. Five minutes afterwards the king ascended -the staircase. His color was heightened from having ridden hard. His -dusty and disordered clothes formed a singular contrast with the fresh -and perfectly arranged toilette of Madame, who, notwithstanding the -rouge on her cheeks, turned pale as Louis entered the room. Louis -lost no time in approaching the object of his visit; he sat down, and -Montalais disappeared. - -"My dear sister," said the king, "you are aware that Mademoiselle de la -Valliere fled from her own room this morning, and that she has retired -to a cloister, overwhelmed by grief and despair." As he pronounced these -words, the king's voice was singularly moved. - -"Your majesty is the first to inform me of it," replied Madame. - -"I should have thought that you might have learned it this morning, -during the reception of the ambassadors," said the king. - -"From your emotion, sire, I imagined that something extraordinary had -happened, but without knowing what." - -The king, with his usual frankness, went straight to the point. "Why did -you send Mademoiselle de la Valliere away?" - -"Because I had reason to be dissatisfied with her conduct," she replied, -dryly. - -The king became crimson, and his eyes kindled with a fire which it -required all Madame's courage to support. He mastered his anger, -however, and continued: "A stronger reason than that is surely -requisite, for one so good and kind as you are, to turn away and -dishonor, not only the young girl herself, but every member of her -family as well. You know that the whole city has its eyes fixed upon the -conduct of the female portion of the court. To dismiss a maid of honor -is to attribute a crime to her--at the very least a fault. What crime, -what fault has Mademoiselle de la Valliere been guilty of?" - -"Since you constitute yourself the protector of Mademoiselle de la -Valliere," replied Madame, coldly, "I will give you those explanations -which I should have a perfect right to withhold from every one." - -"Even from the king!" exclaimed Louis, as, with a sudden gesture, he -covered his head with his hat. - -"You have called me your sister," said Madame, "and I am in my own -apartments." - -"It matters not," said the youthful monarch, ashamed at having been -hurried away by his anger; "neither you, nor any one else in this -kingdom, can assert a right to withhold an explanation in my presence." - -"Since that is the way you regard it," said Madame, in a hoarse, angry -tone of voice, "all that remains for me to do is bow submission to your -majesty, and to be silent." - -"Not so. Let there be no equivocation between us." - -"The protection with which you surround Mademoiselle de la Valliere does -not impose any respect." - -"No equivocation, I repeat; you are perfectly aware that, as the head of -the nobility in France, I am accountable to all for the honor of every -family. You dismiss Mademoiselle de la Valliere, or whoever else it -may be--" Madame shrugged her shoulders. "Or whoever else it may be, I -repeat," continued the king; "and as, acting in that manner, you cast a -dishonorable reflection upon that person, I ask you for an explanation, -in order that I may confirm or annul the sentence." - -"Annul my sentence!" exclaimed Madame, haughtily. "What! when I have -discharged one of my attendants, do you order me to take her back -again?" The king remained silent. - -"This would be a sheer abuse of power, sire; it would be indecorous and -unseemly." - -"Madame!" - -"As a woman, I should revolt against an abuse so insulting to me; I -should no longer be able to regard myself as a princess of your blood, -a daughter of a monarch; I should be the meanest of creatures, more -humbled and disgraced than the servant I had sent away." - -The king rose from his seat with anger. "It cannot be a heart," he -cried, "you have beating in your bosom; if you act in such a way with -me, I may have reason to act with corresponding severity." - -It sometimes happens that in a battle a chance ball may reach its -mark. The observation which the king had made without any particular -intention, struck Madame home, and staggered her for a moment; some -day or other she might indeed have reason to dread reprisals. "At all -events, sire," she said, "explain what you require." - -"I ask, madame, what has Mademoiselle de la Valliere done to warrant -your conduct toward her?" - -"She is the most cunning fomenter of intrigues I know; she was the -occasion of two personal friends engaging in mortal combat; and has -made people talk of her in such shameless terms that the whole court is -indignant at the mere sound of her name." - -"She! she!" cried the king. - -"Under her soft and hypocritical manner," continued Madame, "she hides a -disposition full of foul and dark conceit." - -"She!" - -"You may possibly be deceived, sire, but I know her right well; she -is capable of creating dispute and misunderstanding between the most -affectionate relatives and the most intimate friends. You see that she -has already sown discord betwixt us two." - -"I do assure you--" said the king. - -"Sire, look well into the case as it stands; we were living on the -most friendly understanding, and by the artfulness of her tales and -complaints, she has set your majesty against me." - -"I swear to you," said the king, "that on no occasion has a bitter -word ever passed her lips; I swear that, even in my wildest bursts of -passion, she would not allow me to menace any one; and I swear, too, -that you do not possess a more devoted and respectful friend than she -is." - -"Friend!" said Madame, with an expression of supreme disdain. - -"Take care, Madame!" said the king; "you forget that you now understand -me, and that from this moment everything is equalized. Mademoiselle de -la Valliere will be whatever I may choose her to become; and to-morrow, -if I were determined to do so, I could seat her on a throne." - -"She was not born to a throne, at least, and whatever you may do can -affect the future alone, but cannot affect the past." - -"Madame, towards you I have shown every kind consideration, and every -eager desire to please you; do not remind me that I am master." - -"It is the second time, sire, that you have made that remark, and I have -already informed you I am ready to submit." - -"In that case, then, you will confer upon me the favor of receiving -Mademoiselle de la Valliere back again." - -"For what purpose, sire, since you have a throne to bestow upon her? I -am too insignificant to protect so exalted a personage." - -"Nay, a truce to this bitter and disdainful spirit. Grant me her -forgiveness." - -"_Never!_" - -"You drive me, then, to open warfare in my own family." - -"I, too, have a family with whom I can find refuge." - -"Do you mean that as a threat, and could you forget yourself so far? Do -you believe that, if you push the affront to that extent, your family -would encourage you?" - -"I hope, sire, that you will not force me to take any step which would -be unworthy of my rank." - -"I hoped that you would remember our recent friendship, and that you -would treat me as a brother." - -Madame paused for a moment. "I do not disown you for a brother," she -said, "in refusing your majesty an injustice." - -"An injustice!" - -"Oh, sire! if I informed others of La Valliere's conduct; if the queen -knew--" - -"Come, come, Henrietta, let your heart speak; remember that, for however -brief a time, you once loved me; remember, too, that human hearts should -be as merciful as the heart of a sovereign Master. Do not be inflexible -with others; forgive La Valliere." - -"I cannot; she has offended me." - -"But for my sake." - -"Sire, it is for your sake I would do anything in the world, except -that." - -"You will drive me to despair--you compel me to turn to the last -resource of weak people, and seek counsel of my angry and wrathful -disposition." - -"I advise you to be reasonable." - -"Reasonable!--I can be so no longer." - -"Nay, sire! I pray you--" - -"For pity's sake, Henrietta; it is the first time I entreated any one, -and I have no hope in any one but in you." - -"Oh, sire! you are weeping." - -"From rage, from humiliation. That I, the king, should have been obliged -to descend to entreaty. I shall hate this moment during my whole life. -You have made me suffer in one moment more distress and more degradation -than I could have anticipated in the greatest extremity in life." And -the king rose and gave free vent to his tears, which, in fact, were -tears of anger and shame. - -Madame was not touched exactly--for the best women, when their pride is -hurt, are without pity; but she was afraid that the tears the king was -shedding might possibly carry away every soft and tender feeling in his -heart. - -"Give what commands you please, sire," she said; "and since you prefer -my humiliation to your own--although mine is public and yours has been -witnessed but by myself alone--speak, I will obey your majesty." - -"No, no, Henrietta!" exclaimed Louis, transported with gratitude, "you -will have yielded to a brother's wishes." - -"I no longer have any brother, since I obey." - -"All that I have would be too little in return." - -"How passionately you love, sire, when you do love!" - -Louis did not answer. He had seized upon Madame's hand and covered it -with kisses. "And so you will receive this poor girl back again, and -will forgive her; you will find how gentle and pure-hearted she is." - -"I will maintain her in my household." - -"No, you will give her your friendship, my sister." - -"I never liked her." - -"Well, for my sake, you will treat her kindly, will you not, Henrietta?" - -"I will treat her as your--_mistress_." - -The king rose suddenly to his feet. By this word, which had so -infelicitously escaped her, Madame had destroyed the whole merit of her -sacrifice. The king felt freed from all obligations. Exasperated beyond -measure, and bitterly offended, he replied: - -"I thank you, Madame; I shall never forget the service you have rendered -me." And, saluting her with an affectation of ceremony, he took his -leave of her. As he passed before a glass, he saw that his eyes were -red, and angrily stamped his foot on the ground. But it was too late, -for Malicorne and D'Artagnan, who were standing at the door, had seen -his eyes. - -"The king has been crying," thought Malicorne. D'Artagnan approached the -king with a respectful air, and said in a low tone of voice: - -"Sire, it would be better to return to your own apartments by the small -staircase." - -"Why?" - -"Because the dust of the road has left its traces on your face," said -D'Artagnan. "By heavens!" he thought, "when the king has given way like -a child, let those look to it who may make the lady weep for whom the -king sheds tears." - - - -Chapter XXXI. Mademoiselle de la Valliere's Pocket-Handkerchief. - -Madame was not bad-hearted--she was only hasty and impetuous. The king -was not imprudent--he was simply in love. Hardly had they entered into -this compact, which terminated in La Valliere's recall, when they both -sought to make as much as they could by their bargain. The king wished -to see La Valliere every moment of the day, while Madame, who was -sensible of the king's annoyance ever since he had so entreated her, -would not relinquish her revenge on La Valliere without a contest. She -planted every conceivable difficulty in the king's path; he was, -in fact, obliged, in order to get a glimpse of La Valliere, to be -exceedingly devoted in his attentions to his sister-in-law, and this, -indeed, was Madame's plan of policy. As she had chosen some one to -second her efforts, and as this person was our old friend Montalais, -the king found himself completely hemmed in every time he paid Madame -a visit; he was surrounded, and was never left a moment alone. Madame -displayed in her conversation a charm of manner and brilliancy of wit -which dazzled everybody. Montalais followed her, and soon rendered -herself perfectly insupportable to the king, which was, in fact, the -very thing she expected would happen. She then set Malicorne at the -king, who found means of informing his majesty that there was a young -person belonging to the court who was exceedingly miserable; and on -the king inquiring who this person was, Malicorne replied that it -was Mademoiselle de Montalais. To this the king answered that it was -perfectly just that a person should be unhappy when she rendered others -so. Whereupon Malicorne explained how matters stood; for he had received -his directions from Montalais. The king began to open his eyes; he -remarked that, as soon as he made his appearance, Madame made hers too; -that she remained in the corridors until after he had left; that she -accompanied him back to his own apartments, fearing that he might speak -in the ante-chambers to one of her maids of honor. One evening she went -further still. The king was seated, surrounded by the ladies who were -present, and holding in his hand, concealed by his lace ruffle, a small -note which he wished to slip into La Valliere's hand. Madame guessed -both his intention and the letter too. It was difficult to prevent the -king going wherever he pleased, and yet it was necessary to prevent his -going near La Valliere, or speaking to her, as by so doing he could -let the note fall into her lap behind her fan, or into her -pocket-handkerchief. The king, who was also on the watch, suspected that -a snare was being laid for him. He rose and pushed his chair, without -affectation, near Mademoiselle de Chatillon, with whom he began to -talk in a light tone. They were amusing themselves making rhymes; from -Mademoiselle de Chatillon he went to Montalais, and then to Mademoiselle -de Tonnay-Charente. And thus, by this skillful maneuver, he found -himself seated opposite to La Valliere, whom he completely concealed. -Madame pretended to be greatly occupied, altering a group of flowers -that she was working in tapestry. The king showed the corner of his -letter to La Valliere, and the latter held out her handkerchief with -a look that signified, "Put the letter inside." Then, as the king had -placed his own handkerchief upon his chair, he was adroit enough to let -it fall on the ground, so that La Valliere slipped her handkerchief on -the chair. The king took it up quietly, without any one observing what -he did, placed the letter within it, and returned the handkerchief to -the place he had taken it from. There was only just time for La Valliere -to stretch out her hand to take hold of the handkerchief with its -valuable contents. - -But Madame, who had observed everything that had passed, said to -Mademoiselle de Chatillon, "Chatillon, be good enough to pick up the -king's handkerchief, if you please; it has fallen on the carpet." - -The young girl obeyed with the utmost precipitation, the king having -moved from his seat, and La Valliere being in no little degree nervous -and confused. - -"Ah! I beg your majesty's pardon," said Mademoiselle de Chatillon; "you -have two handkerchiefs, I perceive." - -And the king was accordingly obliged to put into his pocket La -Valliere's handkerchief as well as his own. He certainly gained that -souvenir of Louise, who lost, however, a copy of verses which had cost -the king ten hours' hard labor, and which, as far as he was concerned, -was perhaps as good as a long poem. It would be impossible to describe -the king's anger and La Valliere's despair; but shortly afterwards a -circumstance occurred which was more than remarkable. When the king -left, in order to retire to his own apartments, Malicorne, informed -of what had passed, one can hardly tell how, was waiting in the -ante-chamber. The ante-chambers of the Palais Royal are naturally very -dark, and, in the evening, they were but indifferently lighted. Nothing -pleased the king more than this dim light. As a general rule, love, -whose mind and heart are constantly in a blaze, contemns all light, -except the sunshine of the soul. And so the ante-chamber was dark; a -page carried a torch before the king, who walked on slowly, greatly -annoyed at what had recently occurred. Malicorne passed close to the -king, almost stumbled against him in fact, and begged his forgiveness -with the profoundest humility; but the king, who was in an exceedingly -ill-temper, was very sharp in his reproof to Malicorne, who disappeared -as soon and as quietly as he possibly could. Louis retired to rest, -having had a misunderstanding with the queen; and the next day, as soon -as he entered the cabinet, he wished to have La Valliere's handkerchief -in order to press his lips to it. He called his valet. - -"Fetch me," he said, "the coat I wore yesterday evening, but be very -sure you do not touch anything it may contain." - -The order being obeyed, the king himself searched the pocket of the -coat; he found only one handkerchief, and that his own; La Valliere's -had disappeared. Whilst busied with all kinds of conjectures and -suspicions, a letter was brought to him from La Valliere; it ran thus: - -"How good and kind of you to have sent me those beautiful verses; how -full of ingenuity and perseverance your affection is; how is it possible -to help loving you so dearly!" - -"What does this mean?" thought the king; "there must be some mistake. -Look well about," said he to the valet, "for a pocket-handkerchief -must be in one of my pockets; and if you do not find it, or if you have -touched it--" He reflected for a moment. To make a state matter of the -loss of the handkerchief would be to act absurdly, and he therefore -added, "There was a letter of some importance inside the handkerchief, -which had somehow got among the folds of it." - -"Sire," said the valet, "your majesty had only one handkerchief, and -that is it." - -"True, true," replied the king, setting his teeth hard together. "Oh, -poverty, how I envy you! Happy is the man who can empty his own pockets -of letters and handkerchiefs!" - -He read La Valliere's letter over again, endeavoring to imagine in what -conceivable way his verses could have reached their destination. There -was a postscript to the letter: - -"I send you back by your messenger this reply, so unworthy of what you -sent me." - -"So far so good; I shall find out something now," he said delightedly. -"Who is waiting, and who brought me this letter?" - -"M. Malicorne," replied the _valet de chambre_, timidly. - -"Desire him to come in." - -Malicorne entered. - -"You come from Mademoiselle de la Valliere?" said the king, with a sigh. - -"Yes, sire." - -"And you took Mademoiselle de la Valliere something from me?" - -"I, sire?" - -"Yes, you." - -"Oh, no, sire." - -"Mademoiselle de la Valliere says so, distinctly." - -"Oh, sire, Mademoiselle de la Valliere is mistaken." - -The king frowned. "What jest is this?" he said; "explain yourself. Why -does Mademoiselle de la Valliere call you my messenger? What did you -take to that lady? Speak, monsieur, and quickly." - -"Sire, I merely took Mademoiselle de la Valliere a pocket-handkerchief, -that was all." - -"A handkerchief,--what handkerchief?" - -"Sire, at the very moment when I had the misfortune to stumble against -your majesty yesterday--a misfortune which I shall deplore to the -last day of my life, especially after the dissatisfaction which you -exhibited--I remained, sire, motionless with despair, your majesty being -at too great a distance to hear my excuses, when I saw something white -lying on the ground." - -"Ah!" said the king. - -"I stooped down,--it was a pocket-handkerchief. For a moment I had an -idea that when I stumbled against your majesty I must have been the -cause of the handkerchief falling from your pocket; but as I felt it all -over very respectfully, I perceived a cipher at one of the corners, -and, on looking at it closely, I found that it was Mademoiselle de la -Valliere's cipher. I presumed that on her way to Madame's apartment in -the earlier part of the evening she had let her handkerchief fall, and -I accordingly hastened to restore it to her as she was leaving; and that -is all I gave to Mademoiselle de la Valliere, I entreat your majesty to -believe." Malicorne's manner was so simple, so full of contrition, and -marked with such extreme humility, that the king was greatly amused in -listening to him. He was as pleased with him for what he had done as if -he had rendered him the greatest service. - -"This is the second fortunate meeting I have had with you, monsieur," he -said; "you may count upon my good intentions." - -The plain and sober truth was, that Malicorne had picked the king's -pocket of the handkerchief as dexterously as any of the pickpockets of -the good city of Paris could have done. Madame never knew of this little -incident, but Montalais gave La Valliere some idea of the manner in -which it had really happened, and La Valliere afterwards told the king, -who laughed exceedingly at it and pronounced Malicorne to be a first -rate politician. Louis XIV. was right, and it is well known that he was -tolerably well acquainted with human nature. - - - -Chapter XXXII. Which Treats of Gardeners, of Ladders, and Maids of -Honor. - -Miracles, unfortunately, could not be always happening, whilst Madame's -ill-humor still continued. In a week's time, matters had reached such a -point, that the king could no longer look at La Valliere without a look -full of suspicion crossing his own. Whenever a promenade was proposed, -Madame, in order to avoid the recurrence of similar scenes to that of -the thunder-storm, or the royal oak, had a variety of indispositions -ready prepared; and, thanks to them, she was unable to go out, and her -maids of honor were obliged to remain indoors also. There was not the -slightest chance of means of paying a nocturnal visit; for in this -respect the king had, on the very first occasion, experienced a severe -check, which happened in the following manner. As at Fontainebleau, he -had taken Saint-Aignan with him one evening when he wished to pay -La Valliere a visit; but he had found no one but Mademoiselle de -Tonnay-Charente, who had begun to call out "Fire!" and "Thieves!" in -such a manner that a perfect legion of chamber-maids, attendants, and -pages, ran to her assistance; so that Saint-Aignan, who had remained -behind in order to save the honor of his royal master, who had fled -precipitately, was obliged to submit to a severe scolding from the -queen-mother, as well as from Madame herself. In addition, he had, the -next morning, received two challenges from the De Mortemart family, and -the king had been obliged to interfere. This mistake had been owing -to the circumstance of Madame having suddenly ordered a change in the -apartments of her maids of honor, and directed La Valliere and Montalais -to sleep in her own cabinet. No gateway, therefore, was any longer -open--not even communication by letter; to write under the eyes of -so ferocious an Argus as Madame, whose temper and disposition were so -uncertain, was to run the risk of exposure to the greatest danger; and -it can well be conceived into what a state of continuous irritation, and -ever increasing anger, all these petty annoyances threw the young lion. -The king almost tormented himself to death endeavoring to discover a -means of communication; and, as he did not think proper to call in the -aid of Malicorne or D'Artagnan, the means were not discovered at all. -Malicorne had, indeed, occasional brilliant flashes of imagination, with -which he tried to inspire the king with confidence; but, whether from -shame or suspicion, the king, who had at first begun to nibble at the -bait, soon abandoned the hook. In this way, for instance, one evening, -while the king was crossing the garden, and looking up at Madame's -windows, Malicorne stumbled over a ladder lying beside a border of box, -and said to Manicamp, then walking with him behind the king, "Did you -not see that I just now stumbled against a ladder, and was nearly thrown -down?" - -"No," said Manicamp, as usual very absent-minded, "but it appears you -did not fall." - -"That doesn't matter; but it is not on that account the less dangerous -to leave ladders lying about in that manner." - -"True, one might hurt one's self, especially when troubled with fits of -absence of mind." - -"I don't mean that; what I did mean, was that it is dangerous to allow -ladders to lie about so near the windows of the maids of honor." Louis -started imperceptibly. - -"Why so?" inquired Manicamp. - -"Speak louder," whispered Malicorne, as he touched him with his arm. - -"Why so?" said Manicamp, louder. The king listened. - -"Because, for instance," said Malicorne, "a ladder nineteen feet high is -just the height of the cornice of those windows." Manicamp, instead of -answering, was dreaming of something else. - -"Ask me, can't you, what windows I mean," whispered Malicorne. - -"But what windows are you referring to?" said Manicamp, aloud. - -"The windows of Madame's apartments." - -"Eh!" - -"Oh! I don't say that any one would ever venture to go up a ladder into -Madame's room; but in Madame's cabinet, merely separated by a partition, -sleep two exceedingly pretty girls, Mesdemoiselles de la Valliere and de -Montalais." - -"By a partition?" said Manicamp. - -"Look; you see how brilliantly lighted Madame's apartments are--well, do -you see those two windows?" - -"Yes." - -"And that window close to the others, but more dimly lighted?" - -"Yes." - -"Well, that is the room of the maids of honor. Look, there is -Mademoiselle de la Valliere opening the window. Ah! how many soft things -could an enterprising lover say to her, if he only suspected that there -was lying here a ladder nineteen feet long, which would just reach the -cornice." - -"But she is not alone; you said Mademoiselle de Montalais is with her." - -"Mademoiselle de Montalais counts for nothing; she is her oldest friend, -and exceedingly devoted to her--a positive well, into which can be -thrown all sorts of secrets one might wish to get rid of." - -The king did not lose a single syllable of this conversation. Malicorne -even remarked that his majesty slackened his pace, in order to give him -time to finish. So, when they arrived at the door, Louis dismissed every -one, with the exception of Malicorne--a circumstance which excited no -surprise, for it was known that the king was in love; and they suspected -he was going to compose some verses by moonlight; and, although there -was no moon that evening, the king might, nevertheless, have some verses -to compose. Every one, therefore, took his leave; and, immediately -afterwards, the king turned towards Malicorne, who respectfully waited -until his majesty should address him. "What were you saying, just now, -about a ladder, Monsieur Malicorne?" he asked. - -"Did I say anything about ladders, sire?" said Malicorne, looking up, as -if in search of words which had flown away. - -"Yes, of a ladder nineteen feet long." - -"Oh, yes, sire, I remember; but I spoke to M. Manicamp, and I should not -have said a word had I known your majesty was near enough to hear us." - -"And why would you not have said a word?" - -"Because I should not have liked to get the gardener into a scrape who -left it there--poor fellow!" - -"Don't make yourself uneasy on that account. What is this ladder like?" - -"If your majesty wishes to see it, nothing is easier, for there it is." - -"In that box hedge?" - -"Exactly." - -"Show it to me." - -Malicorne turned back, and led the king up to the ladder, saying, "This -is it, sire." - -"Pull it this way a little." - -When Malicorne had brought the ladder on to the gravel walk, the king -began to step its whole length. "Hum!" he said; "you say it is nineteen -feet long?" - -"Yes, sire." - -"Nineteen feet--that is rather long; I hardly believe it can be so long -as that." - -"You cannot judge very correctly with the ladder in that position, sire. -If it were upright, against a tree or a wall, for instance, you would -be better able to judge, because the comparison would assist you a good -deal." - -"Oh! it does not matter, M. Malicorne; but I can hardly believe that the -ladder is nineteen feet high." - -"I know how accurate your majesty's glance is, and yet I would wager." - -The king shook his head. "There is one unanswerable means of verifying -it," said Malicorne. - -"What is that?" - -"Every one knows, sire, that the ground-floor of the palace is eighteen -feet high." - -"True, that is very well known." - -"Well, sire, if I place the ladder against the wall, we shall be able to -ascertain." - -"True." - -Malicorne took up the ladder, like a feather, and placed it upright -against the wall. And, in order to try the experiment, he chose, or -chance, perhaps, directed him to choose, the very window of the cabinet -where La Valliere was. The ladder just reached the edge of the cornice, -that is to say, the sill of the window; so that, by standing upon the -last round but one of the ladder, a man of about the middle height, as -the king was, for instance, could easily talk with those who might be -in the room. Hardly had the ladder been properly placed, when the king, -dropping the assumed part he had been playing in the comedy, began to -ascend the rounds of the ladder, which Malicorne held at the bottom. But -hardly had he completed half the distance when a patrol of Swiss guards -appeared in the garden, and advanced straight towards them. The king -descended with the utmost precipitation, and concealed himself among -the trees. Malicorne at once perceived that he must offer himself as -a sacrifice; for if he, too, were to conceal himself, the guard would -search everywhere until they had found either himself or the king, -perhaps both. It would be far better, therefore, that he alone should be -discovered. And, consequently, Malicorne hid himself so clumsily that -he was the only one arrested. As soon as he was arrested, Malicorne -was taken to the guard-house, and there he declared who he was, and was -immediately recognized. In the meantime, by concealing himself first -behind one clump of trees and then behind another, the king reached -the side door of his apartment, very much humiliated, and still more -disappointed. More than that, the noise made in arresting Malicorne had -drawn La Valliere and Montalais to their window; and even Madame herself -had appeared at her own, with a pair of wax candles, one in each hand, -clamorously asking what was the matter. - -In the meantime, Malicorne sent for D'Artagnan, who did not lose a -moment in hurrying to him. But it was in vain he attempted to make him -understand his reasons, and in vain also that D'Artagnan did understand -them; and, further, it was equally in vain that both their sharp and -intuitive minds endeavored to give another turn to the adventure; there -was no other resource left for Malicorne but to let it be supposed -that he had wished to enter Mademoiselle de Montalais's apartment, -as Saint-Aignan had passed for having wished to force Mademoiselle -de Tonnay-Charente's door. Madame was inflexible; in the first place, -because, if Malicorne had, in fact, wished to enter her apartment at -night through the window, and by means of the ladder, in order to see -Montalais, it was a punishable offense on Malicorne's part, and he must -be punished accordingly; and, in the second place, if Malicorne, instead -of acting in his own name, had acted as an intermediary between La -Valliere and a person whose name it was superfluous to mention, his -crime was in that case even greater, since love, which is an excuse for -everything, did not exist in the case as an excuse. Madame therefore -made the greatest possible disturbance about the matter, and obtained -his dismissal from Monsieur's household, without reflecting, poor blind -creature, that both Malicorne and Montalais held her fast in their -clutches in consequence of her visit to De Guiche, and in a variety -of other ways equally delicate. Montalais, who was perfectly furious, -wished to revenge herself immediately, but Malicorne pointed out to her -that the king's countenance would repay them for all the disgraces -in the world, and that it was a great thing to have to suffer on his -majesty's account. - -Malicorne was perfectly right, and, therefore, although Montalais had -the spirit of ten women in her, he succeeded in bringing her round to -his own opinion. And we must not omit to state that the king helped them -to console themselves, for, in the first place, he presented Malicorne -with fifty thousand francs as a compensation for the post he had lost, -and, in the next place, he gave him an appointment in his own household, -delighted to have an opportunity of revenging himself in such a manner -upon Madame for all she had made him and La Valliere suffer. But as -Malicorne could no longer carry significant handkerchiefs for him or -plant convenient ladders, the royal lover was in a terrible state. There -seemed to be no hope, therefore, of ever getting near La Valliere again, -so long as she should remain at the Palais Royal. All the dignities and -all the money in the world could not remedy that. Fortunately, however, -Malicorne was on the lookout, and this so successfully that he met -Montalais, who, to do her justice, it must be admitted, was doing her -best to meet Malicorne. "What do you do during the night in Madame's -apartment?" he asked the young girl. - -"Why, I go to sleep, of course," she replied. - -"But it is very wrong to sleep; it can hardly be possible that, with the -pain you are suffering, you can manage to do so." - -"And what am I suffering from, may I ask?" - -"Are you not in despair at my absence?" - -"Of course not, since you have received fifty thousand francs and an -appointment in the king's household." - -"That is a matter of no moment; you are exceedingly afflicted at not -seeing me as you used to see me formerly, and more than all, you are -in despair at my having lost Madame's confidence; come now, is not that -true?" - -"Perfectly true." - -"Very good; your distress of mind prevents you sleeping at night, and so -you sob, and sigh, and blow your nose ten times every minute as loud as -possible." - -"But, my dear Malicorne, Madame cannot endure the slightest noise near -her." - -"I know that perfectly well; of course she can't endure anything; and -so, I tell you, when she hears your deep distress, she will turn you out -of her rooms without a moment's delay." - -"I understand." - -"Very fortunate you _do_." - -"Well, and what will happen next?" - -"The next thing that will happen will be, that La Valliere, finding -herself alone without you, will groan and utter such loud lamentations, -that she will exhibit despair enough for two." - -"In that case she will be put into _another_ room, don't you see?" - -"Precisely so." - -"Yes, but which?" - -"Which?" - -"Yes, that will puzzle you to say, Mr. Inventor-General." - -"Not at all; whenever and whatever the room may be, it will always be -preferable to Madame's own room." - -"That is true." - -"Very good, so begin your lamentations to-night." - -"I certainly will not fail to do so." - -"And give La Valliere a hint also." - -"Oh! don't fear her, she cries quite enough already to herself." - -"Very well! all she has to do is cry out loudly." - -And they separated. - - - -Chapter XXXIII. Which Treats of Carpentry Operations, and Furnishes -Details upon the Mode of Constructing Staircases. - -The advice which had been given to Montalais was communicated by her -to La Valliere, who could not but acknowledge that it was by no means -deficient in judgment, and who, after a certain amount of resistance, -rising rather from timidity than indifference to the project, resolved -to put it into execution. This story of the two girls weeping, and -filling Madame's bedroom with the noisiest lamentations, was Malicorne's -_chef-d'oeuvre_. As nothing is so probable as improbability, so natural -as romance, this kind of Arabian Nights story succeeded perfectly with -Madame. The first thing she did was to send Montalais away, and then, -three days, or rather three nights afterwards, she had La Valliere -removed. She gave the latter one of the small rooms on the top story, -situated immediately over the apartments allotted to the gentlemen -of Monsieur's suite. One story only, that is to say, a mere flooring -separated the maids of honor from the officers and gentlemen of her -husband's household. A private staircase, which was placed under Madame -de Navailles's surveillance, was the only means of communication. For -greater safety, Madame de Navailles, who had heard of his majesty's -previous attempts, had the windows of the rooms and the openings of the -chimneys carefully barred. There was, therefore, every possible security -provided for Mademoiselle de la Valliere, whose room now bore more -resemblance to a cage than to anything else. When Mademoiselle de la -Valliere was in her own room, and she was there very frequently, for -Madame scarcely ever had any occasion for her services, since she once -knew she was safe under Madame de Navailles's inspection, Mademoiselle -de la Valliere had no better means of amusing herself than looking -through the bars of her windows. It happened, therefore, that one -morning, as she was looking out as usual, she perceived Malicorne at one -of the windows exactly opposite to her own. He held a carpenter's rule -in his hand, was surveying the buildings, and seemed to be adding up -some figures on paper. La Valliere recognized Malicorne and nodded to -him; Malicorne, in his turn, replied by a formal bow, and disappeared -from the window. She was surprised at this marked coolness, so different -from his usual unfailing good-humor, but she remembered that he had lost -his appointment on her account, and that he could hardly be very amiably -disposed towards her, since, in all probability, she would never be in -a position to make him any recompense for what he had lost. She knew how -to forgive offenses, and with still more readiness could she sympathize -with misfortune. La Valliere would have asked Montalais her opinion, if -she had been within hearing, but she was absent, it being the hour -she commonly devoted to her own correspondence. Suddenly La Valliere -observed something thrown from the window where Malicorne had been -standing, pass across the open space which separated the iron bars, and -roll upon the floor. She advanced with no little curiosity towards this -object, and picked it up; it was a wooden reel for silk, only, in this -instance, instead of silk, a piece of paper was rolled round it. La -Valliere unrolled it and read as follows: - -"MADEMOISELLE,--I am exceedingly anxious to learn two things: the first -is, to know if the flooring of your apartment is wood or brick; the -second, to ascertain at what distance your bed is placed from the -window. Forgive my importunity, and will you be good enough to send me -an answer by the same way you receive this letter--that is to say, by -means of the silk winder; only, instead of throwing into my room, as -I have thrown it into yours, which will be too difficult for you -to attempt, have the goodness merely to let it fall. Believe me, -mademoiselle, your most humble, most respectful servant, - -"MALICORNE. - -"Write the reply, if you please, upon the letter itself." - - -"Ah! poor fellow," exclaimed La Valliere, "he must have gone out of his -mind;" and she directed towards her correspondent--of whom she caught -but a faint glimpse, in consequence of the darkness of the room--a look -full of compassionate consideration. Malicorne understood her, and shook -his head, as if he meant to say, "No, no, I am not out of my mind; be -quite satisfied." - -She smiled, as if still in doubt. - -"No, no," he signified by a gesture, "my head is right," and pointed -to his head, then, after moving his hand like a man who writes very -rapidly, he put his hands together as if entreating her to write. - -La Valliere, even if he were mad, saw no impropriety in doing what -Malicorne requested her; she took a pencil and wrote "Wood," and then -walked slowly from her window to her bed, and wrote, "Six paces," and -having done this, she looked out again at Malicorne, who bowed to her, -signifying that he was about to descend. La Valliere understood that -it was to pick up the silk winder. She approached the window, and, in -accordance with Malicorne's instructions, let it fall. The winder was -still rolling along the flag-stones as Malicorne started after it, -overtook and picked it up, and beginning to peel it as a monkey would -do with a nut, he ran straight towards M. de Saint-Aignan's apartment. -Saint-Aignan had chosen, or rather solicited, that his rooms might be -as near the king as possible, as certain plants seek the sun's rays in -order to develop themselves more luxuriantly. His apartment consisted of -two rooms, in that portion of the palace occupied by Louis XIV. himself. -M. de Saint-Aignan was very proud of this proximity, which afforded -easy access to his majesty, and, more than that, the favor of occasional -unexpected meetings. At the moment we are now referring to, he -was engaged in having both his rooms magnificently carpeted, with -expectation of receiving the honor of frequent visits from the king; for -his majesty, since his passion for La Valliere, had chosen Saint-Aignan -as his confidant, and could not, in fact, do without him, either night -or day. Malicorne introduced himself to the comte, and met with no -difficulties, because he had been favorably noticed by the king; and -also, because the credit which one man may happen to enjoy is always a -bait for others. Saint-Aignan asked his visitor if he brought any news -with him. - -"Yes; great news," replied the latter. - -"Ah! ah!" said Saint-Aignan, "what is it?" - -"Mademoiselle de la Valliere has changed her quarters." - -"What do you mean?" said Saint-Aignan, opening his eyes very wide. "She -was living in the same apartments as Madame." - -"Precisely so; but Madame got tired of her proximity, and has installed -her in a room which is situated exactly above your future apartment." - -"What! up there," exclaimed Saint-Aignan, with surprise, and pointing at -the floor above him with his finger. - -"No," said Malicorne, "yonder," indicating the building opposite. - -"What do you mean, then, by saying that her room is above my apartment?" - -"Because I am sure that your apartment _ought_, providentially, to be -under Mademoiselle de la Valliere's room." - -Saint-Aignan, at this remark, gave poor Malicorne a look, similar to one -of those La Valliere had already given a quarter of an hour before, that -is to say, he thought he had lost his senses. - -"Monsieur," said Malicorne to him, "I wish to answer what you are -thinking about." - -"What do you mean by 'what I am thinking about'?" - -"My reason is, that you have not clearly understood what I want to -convey." - -"I admit it." - -"Well, then, you are aware that underneath the apartments set for -Madame's maids of honor, the gentlemen in attendance on the king and on -Monsieur are lodged." - -"Yes, I know that, since Manicamp, De Wardes, and others are living -there." - -"Precisely. Well, monsieur, admire the singularity of the circumstance; -the two rooms destined for M. de Guiche are exactly the very two -rooms situated underneath those which Mademoiselle de Montalais and -Mademoiselle de la Valliere occupy." - -"Well; what then?" - -"'What then,' do you say? Why, these two rooms are empty, since M. de -Guiche is now lying wounded at Fontainebleau." - -"I assure you, my dear fellow, I cannot grasp your meaning." - -"Well! if I had the happiness to call myself Saint-Aignan, I should -guess immediately." - -"And what would you do then?" - -"I should at once change the rooms I am occupying here, for those which -M. de Guiche is not using yonder." - -"Can you suppose such a thing?" said Saint-Aignan, disdainfully. "What! -abandon the chief post of honor, the proximity to the king, a privilege -conceded only to princes of the blood, to dukes, and peers! Permit me -to tell you, my dear Monsieur de Malicorne, that you must be out of your -senses." - -"Monsieur," replied the young man, seriously, "you commit two mistakes. -My name is Malicorne, simply; and I am in perfect possession of all my -senses." Then, drawing a paper from his pocket, he said, "Listen to what -I am going to say; and afterwards, I will show you this paper." - -"I am listening," said Saint-Aignan. - -"You know that Madame looks after La Valliere as carefully as Argus did -after the nymph Io." - -"I do." - -"You know that the king has sought for an opportunity, but uselessly, -of speaking to the prisoner, and that neither you nor myself have yet -succeeded in procuring him this piece of good fortune." - -"You certainly ought to know something about the subject, my poor -Malicorne," said Saint-Aignan, smiling. - -"Very good; what do you suppose would happen to the man whose -imagination devised some means of bringing the lovers together?" - -"Oh! the king would set no bounds to his gratitude." - -"Let me ask you, then, M. de Saint-Aignan, whether you would not be -curious to taste a little of this royal gratitude?" - -"Certainly," replied Saint-Aignan, "any favor of my master, as a -recognition of the proper discharge of my duty, would assuredly be most -precious." - -"In that case, look at this paper, monsieur le comte." - -"What is it--a plan?" - -"Yes; a plan of M. de Guiche's two rooms, which, in all probability, -will soon be your two rooms." - -"Oh! no, whatever may happen." - -"Why so?" - -"Because my rooms are the envy of too many gentlemen, to whom I -certainly shall not give them up; M. de Roquelaure, for instance, M. de -la Ferte, and M. de Dangeau, would all be anxious to get them." - -"In that case I shall leave you, monsieur le comte, and I shall go and -offer to one of those gentlemen the plan I have just shown you, together -with the advantages annexed to it." - -"But why do you not keep them for yourself?" inquired Saint-Aignan, -suspiciously. - -"Because the king would never do me the honor of paying me a visit -openly, whilst he would readily go and see any one of those gentlemen." - -"What! the king would go and see any one of those gentlemen?" - -"Go! most certainly he would ten times instead of once. Is it possible -you can ask me if the king would go to an apartment which would bring -him nearer to Mademoiselle de la Valliere?" - -"Yes, indeed, delightfully near her, with a floor between them." - -Malicorne unfolded the piece of paper which had been wrapped round the -bobbin. "Monsieur le comte," he said, "have the goodness to observe that -the flooring of Mademoiselle de la Valliere's room is merely a wooden -flooring." - -"Well?" - -"Well! all you would have to do would be to get hold of a journeyman -carpenter, lock him up in your apartments, without letting him know -where you have taken him to, and let him make a hole in your ceiling, -and consequently in the flooring of Mademoiselle de la Valliere's room." - -"Good heavens!" exclaimed Saint-Aignan, as if dazzled. - -"What is the matter?" said Malicorne. - -"Nothing, except that you have hit upon a singular, bold idea, -monsieur." - -"It will seem a very trifling one to the king, I assure you." - -"Lovers never think of the risk they run." - -"What danger do you apprehend, monsieur le comte?" - -"Why, effecting such an opening as that will make a terrible noise: it -could be heard all over the palace." - -"Oh! monsieur le comte, I am quite sure that the carpenter I shall -select will not make the slightest noise in the world. He will saw an -opening three feet square, with a saw covered with tow, and no one, not -even those adjoining, will know that he is at work." - -"My dear Monsieur Malicorne, you astound, you positively bewilder me." - -"To continue," replied Malicorne, quietly, "in the room, the ceiling of -which you will have cut through, you will put up a staircase, which will -either allow Mademoiselle de la Valliere to descend into your room, or -the king to ascend into Mademoiselle de la Valliere's room." - -"But the staircase will be seen." - -"No; for in your room it will be hidden by a partition, over which -you will throw a tapestry similar to that which covers the rest of the -apartment; and in Mademoiselle de la Valliere's room it will not be -seen, for the trapdoor, which will be a part of the flooring itself, -will be made to open under the bed." - -"Of course," said Saint-Aignan, whose eyes began to sparkle with -delight. - -"And now, monsieur le comte, there is no occasion to make you admit -that the king will frequently come to the room where such a staircase is -constructed. I think that M. Dangeau, particularly, will be struck by my -idea, and I shall now go and explain to him." - -"But, my dear Monsieur Malicorne, you forget that you spoke to me about -it the first, and that I have consequently the right of priority." - -"Do you wish for the preference?" - -"Do I wish it? Of course I do." - -"The fact is, Monsieur de Saint-Aignan, I am presenting you with a -Jacob's ladder, which is better than the promise of an additional step -in the peerage--perhaps, even with a good estate to accompany your -dukedom." - -"At least," replied Saint-Aignan, "it will give me an opportunity of -showing the king that he is not mistaken in occasionally calling me his -friend; an opportunity, dear M. Malicorne, for which I am indebted to -you." - -"And which you will not forget to remember?" inquired Malicorne, -smiling. - -"Nothing will delight me more, monsieur." - -"But I am not the king's friend; I am simply his attendant." - -"Yes; and if you imagine that that staircase is as good as a dukedom for -myself, I think there will certainly be letters of nobility at the top -of it for you." - -Malicorne bowed. - -"All I have to do now," said Saint-Aignan, "is to move as soon as -possible." - -"I do not think the king will object to it. Ask his permission, -however." - -"I will go and see him this very moment." - -"And I will run and get the carpenter I was speaking of." - -"When will he be here?" - -"This very evening." - -"Do not forget your precautions." - -"He shall be brought with his eyes bandaged." - -"And I will send you one of my carriages." - -"Without arms." - -"And one of my servants without livery. But stay, what will La Valliere -say if she sees what is going on?" - -"Oh! I can assure you she will be very much interested in the operation, -and I am equally sure that if the king has not courage enough to ascend -to her room, she will have sufficient curiosity to come down to him." - -"We will live in hope," said Saint-Aignan; "and now I am off to his -majesty. At what time will the carpenter be here?" - -"At eight o'clock." - -"How long do you suppose he will take to make this opening?" - -"About a couple of hours; only afterwards he must have sufficient time -to construct what may be called the hyphen between the two rooms. One -night and a portion of the following day will do; we must not reckon -upon less than two days, including putting up the staircase." - -"Two days, that is a very long time." - -"Nay; when one undertakes to open up communications with paradise -itself, we must at least take care that the approaches are respectable." - -"Quite right; so farewell for a short time, dear M. Malicorne. I shall -begin to remove the day after to-morrow, in the evening." - - - -Chapter XXXIV. The Promenade by Torchlight. - -Saint-Aignan, delighted with what he had just heard, and rejoiced at -what the future foreshadowed for him, bent his steps towards De Guiche's -two rooms. He who, a quarter of an hour previously, would hardly -yield up his own rooms for a million francs, was now ready to expend -a million, if it were necessary, upon the acquisition of the two happy -rooms he coveted so eagerly. But he did not meet with so many obstacles. -M. de Guiche did not yet know where he was to lodge, and, besides, -was still too far ill to trouble himself about his lodgings; and so -Saint-Aignan obtained De Guiche's two rooms without difficulty. As for -M. Dangeau, he was so immeasurably delighted, that he did not even give -himself the trouble to think whether Saint-Aignan had any particular -reason for removing. Within an hour after Saint-Aignan's new resolution, -he was in possession of the two rooms; and ten minutes later Malicorne -entered, followed by the upholsterers. During this time, the king asked -for Saint-Aignan; the valet ran to his late apartments and found M. -Dangeau there; Dangeau sent him on to De Guiche's, and Saint-Aignan was -found there; but a little delay had of course taken place, and the king -had already exhibited once or twice evident signs of impatience, when -Saint-Aignan entered his royal master's presence, quite out of breath. - -"You, too, abandon me, then," said Louis XIV., in a similar tone -of lamentation to that with which Caesar, eighteen hundred years -previously, had pronounced the _Et tu quoque_. - -"Sire, I am far from abandoning you, for, on the contrary, I am busily -occupied in changing my lodgings." - -"What do you mean? I thought you had finished moving three days ago." - -"Yes, sire. But I don't find myself comfortable where I am, so I am -going to change to the opposite side of the building." - -"Was I not right when I said you were abandoning me?" exclaimed the -king. "Oh! this exceeds all endurance. But so it is: there was only -one woman for whom my heart cared at all, and all my family is leagued -together to tear her from me; and my friend, to whom I confided my -distress, and who helped me to bear up under it, has become wearied -of my complaints and is going to leave me without even asking my -permission." - -Saint-Aignan began to laugh. The king at once guessed there must be some -mystery in this want of respect. "What is it?" cried the king, full of -hope. - -"This, sire, that the friend whom the king calumniates is going to try -if he cannot restore to his sovereign the happiness he has lost." - -"Are you going to let me see La Valliere?" said Louis XIV. - -"I cannot say so, positively, but I hope so." - -"How--how?--tell me that, Saint-Aignan. I wish to know what your project -is, and to help you with all my power." - -"Sire," replied Saint-Aignan, "I cannot, even myself, tell very well how -I must set about attaining success; but I have every reason to believe -that from to-morrow--" - -"To-morrow, do you say! What happiness! But why are you changing your -rooms?" - -"In order to serve your majesty to better advantage." - -"How can your moving serve me?" - -"Do you happen to know where the two rooms destined for De Guiche are -situated?" - -"Yes." - -"Well, your majesty now knows where I am going." - -"Very likely; but that does not help me." - -"What! is it possible that you do not understand, sire, that above -De Guiche's lodgings are two rooms, one of which is Mademoiselle -Montalais's, and the other--" - -"La Valliere's, is it not so, Saint-Aignan? Oh! yes, yes. It is a -brilliant idea, Saint-Aignan, a true friend's idea, a poet's idea. By -bringing me nearer her from whom the world seems to unite to separate -me--you are far more than Pylades was for Orestes, or Patroclus for -Achilles." - -"Sire," said Aignan, with a smile, "I question whether, if your majesty -were to know my projects in their full extent, you would continue to -pronounce such a pompous eulogium upon me. Ah! sire, I know how very -different are the epithets which certain Puritans of the court will -not fail to apply to me when they learn of what I intend to do for your -majesty." - -"Saint-Aignan, I am dying with impatience; I am in a perfect fever; I -shall never be able to wait until to-morrow--to-morrow! why, to-morrow -is an eternity!" - -"And yet, sire, I shall require you, if you please, to go out presently -and divert your impatience by a good walk." - -"With you--agreed; we will talk about your projects, we will talk of -her." - -"Nay, sire; I remain here." - -"Whom shall I go out with, then?" - -"With the queen and all the ladies of the court." - -"Nothing shall induce me to do that, Saint-Aignan." - -"And yet, sire, you must." - -"_Must?_--no, no--a thousand times no! I will never again expose -myself to the horrible torture of being close to her, of seeing her, of -touching her dress as I pass by her, and yet not be able to say a -word to her. No, I renounce a torture which you suppose will bring me -happiness, but which consumes and eats away my very life; to see her in -the presence of strangers, and not to tell her that I love her, when my -whole being reveals my affection and betrays me to every one; no! I have -sworn never to do it again, and I will keep my oath." - -"Yet, sire, pray listen to me for a moment." - -"I will listen to nothing, Saint-Aignan." - -"In that case, I will continue; it is most urgent, sire--pray understand -me, it is of the greatest importance--that Madame and her maids of honor -should be absent for two hours from the palace." - -"I cannot understand your meaning at all, Saint-Aignan." - -"It is hard for me to give my sovereign directions what to do; but under -the circumstances I do give you directions, sire; and either a hunting -or a promenade party must be got up." - -"But if I were to do what you wish, it would be a caprice, a mere whim. -In displaying such an impatient humor I show my whole court that I have -no control over my own feelings. Do not people already say that I am -dreaming of the conquest of the world, but that I ought previously to -begin by achieving a conquest over myself?" - -"Those who say so, sire, are as insolent as they would like to be -thought facetious; but whomever they may be, if your majesty prefers -to listen to them, I have nothing further to say. In such a case, -that which we have fixed to take place to-morrow must be postponed -indefinitely." - -"Nay, Saint-Aignan, I will go out this evening--I will go by torchlight -to Saint-Germain: I will breakfast there to-morrow, and will return to -Paris by three o'clock. Will that do?" - -"Admirably." - -"In that case I will set out this evening at eight o'clock." - -"Your majesty has fixed upon the exact minute." - -"And you positively will tell me nothing more?" - -"It is because I have nothing more to tell you. Industry counts for -something in this world, sire; but still, chance plays so important -a part in it that I have been accustomed to leave her the sidewalk, -confident that she will manage so as to always take the street." - -"Well, I abandon myself entirely to you." - -"And you are quite right." - -Comforted in this manner, the king went immediately to Madame, to whom -he announced the intended expedition. Madame fancied at the first moment -that she saw in this unexpectedly arranged party a plot of the king's -to converse with La Valliere, either on the road under cover of the -darkness, or in some other way, but she took especial care not to show -any of her fancies to her brother-in-law, and accepted the invitation -with a smile upon her lips. She gave directions aloud that her maids of -honor should accompany her, secretly intending in the evening to take -the most effectual steps to interfere with his majesty's attachment. -Then, when she was alone, and at the very moment the poor lover, who -had issued orders for the departure, was reveling in the idea that -Mademoiselle de la Valliere would form one of the party,--luxuriating in -the sad happiness persecuted lovers enjoy of realizing through the -sense of sight alone all the transports of possession,--Madame, who -was surrounded by her maids of honor, was saying:--"Two ladies will -be enough for me this evening, Mademoiselle de Tonnay-Charente and -Mademoiselle de Montalais." - -La Valliere had anticipated her own omission, and was prepared for it: -but persecution had rendered her courageous, and she did not give Madame -the pleasure of seeing on her face the impression of the shock her heart -received. On the contrary, smiling with that ineffable gentleness which -gave an angelic expression to her features--"In that case, Madame, I -shall be at liberty this evening, I suppose?" she said. - -"Of course." - -"I shall be able to employ it, then, in progressing with that piece of -tapestry which your highness has been good enough to notice, and which I -have already had the honor of offering to you." - -And having made a respectful obeisance she withdrew to her own -apartment; Mesdemoiselles de Tonnay-Charente and de Montalais did the -same. The rumor of the intended promenade soon spread all over the -palace; ten minutes afterwards Malicorne learned Madame's resolution, -and slipped under Montalais's door a note, in the following terms: - -"L. V. must positively pass the night the night with Madame." - -Montalais, in pursuance of the compact she had entered into, began by -burning the letter, and then sat down to reflect. Montalais was a girl -full of expedients, and so she very soon arranged her plan. Towards five -o'clock, which was the hour for her to repair to Madame's apartment, she -was running across the courtyard, and had reached within a dozen paces -of a group of officers, when she uttered a cry, fell gracefully on -one knee, rose again, with difficulty, and walked on limpingly. The -gentlemen ran forward to her assistance; Montalais had sprained her -foot. Faithful to the discharge of her duty, she insisted, however, -notwithstanding her accident, upon going to Madame's apartments. - -"What is the matter, and why do you limp so?" she inquired; "I mistook -you for La Valliere." - -Montalais related how it had happened, that in hurrying on, in order to -arrive as quickly as possible, she had sprained her foot. Madame seemed -to pity her, and wished to have a surgeon sent for immediately, but -she, assuring her that there was nothing really serious in the accident, -said: "My only regret, Madame, is, that it will preclude my attendance -on you, and I should have begged Mademoiselle de la Valliere to take my -place with your royal highness, but--" seeing that Madame frowned, she -added--"I have not done so." - -"Why did you not do so?" inquired Madame. - -"Because poor La Valliere seemed so happy to have her liberty for a -whole evening and night too, that I did not feel courageous enough to -ask her to take my place." - -"What, is she so delighted as that?" inquired madame, struck by these -words. - -"She is wild with delight; she, who is always so melancholy, was singing -like a bird. Besides, your highness knows how much she detests going out, -and also that her character has a spice of wildness in it." - -"So!" thought Madame, "this extreme delight hardly seems natural to me." - -"She has already made all her preparations for dining in her own room -_tete-a-tete_ with one of her favorite books. And then, as your highness -has six other young ladies who would be delighted to accompany you, I -did not make my proposal to La Valliere." Madame did not say a word in -reply. - -"Have I acted properly?" continued Montalais, with a slight fluttering -of the heart, seeing the little success that seemed to attend the _ruse -de guerre_ which she had relied upon with so much confidence that she -had not thought it even necessary to try and find another. "Does Madame -approve of what I have done?" she continued. - -Madame was reflecting that the king could very easily leave -Saint-Germain during the night, and that, as it was only four leagues -and a half from Paris to Saint-Germain, he might readily be in Paris -in an hour's time. "Tell me," she said, "whether La Valliere, when she -heard of your accident, offered at least to bear you company?" - -"Oh! she does not yet know of my accident; but even did she know of it, -I most certainly should not ask her to do anything that might interfere -with her own plans. I think she wishes this evening to realize quietly -by herself that amusement of the late king, when he said to M. de -Cinq-Mars, 'Let us amuse ourselves by doing nothing, and making -ourselves miserable.'" - -Madame felt convinced that some mysterious love adventure lurked behind -this strong desire for solitude. The secret _might_ be Louis's return -during the night; it could not be doubted any longer La Valliere had -been informed of his intended return, and that was the reason for her -delight at having to remain behind at the Palais Royal. It was a plan -settled and arranged beforehand. - -"I will not be their dupe though," said Madame, and she took a decisive -step. "Mademoiselle de Montalais," she said, "will you have the -goodness to inform your friend, Mademoiselle de la Valliere, that I -am exceedingly sorry to disarrange her projects of solitude, but that -instead of becoming _ennuyee_ by remaining behind alone as she wished, -she will be good enough to accompany us to Saint-Germain and get -_ennuyee_ there." - -"Ah! poor La Valliere," said Montalais, compassionately, but with her -heart throbbing with delight; "oh, Madame, could there not be some -means--" - -"Enough," said Madame; "I desire it. I prefer Mademoiselle la Baume le -Blanc's society to that of any one else. Go, and send her to me, and -take care of your foot." - -Montalais did not wait for the order to be repeated; she returned to her -room, almost forgetting to feign lameness, wrote an answer to Malicorne, -and slipped it under the carpet. The answer simply said: "She shall." A -Spartan could not have written more laconically. - -"By this means," thought Madame, "I will look narrowly after all on the -road; she shall sleep near me during the night, and his majesty must -be very clever if he can exchange a single word with Mademoiselle de la -Valliere." - -La Valliere received the order to set off with the same indifferent -gentleness with which she had received the order to play Cinderella. -But, inwardly, her delight was extreme, and she looked upon this change -in the princess's resolution as a consolation which Providence had sent -her. With less penetration than Madame possessed, she attributed all -to chance. While every one, with the exception of those in disgrace, -of those who were ill, and those who were suffering from sprains, were -being driven towards Saint-Germain, Malicorne smuggled his workman into -the palace in one of M. de Saint-Aignan's carriages, and led him into -the room corresponding to La Valliere's. The man set to work with a -will, tempted by the splendid reward which had been promised him. As the -very best tools and implements had been selected from the reserve stock -belonging to the engineers attached to the king's household--and among -others, a saw with teeth so sharp and well tempered that it was able, -under water even, to cut through oaken joists as hard as iron--the work -in question advanced very rapidly, and a square portion of the ceiling, -taken from between two of the joists, fell into the arms of the -delighted Saint-Aignan, Malicorne, the workman, and a confidential -valet, the latter being one brought into the world to see and hear -everything, but to repeat nothing. In accordance with a new plan -indicated by Malicorne, the opening was effected in an angle of the -room--and for this reason. As there was no dressing-closet adjoining La -Valliere's room, she had solicited, and had that very morning obtained, -a large screen intended to serve as a partition. The screen that had -been allotted her was perfectly sufficient to conceal the opening, which -would, besides, be hidden by all the artifices skilled cabinet-makers -would have at their command. The opening having been made, the workman -glided between the joists, and found himself in La Valliere's room. When -there, he cut a square opening in the flooring, and out of the boards he -manufactured a trap so accurately fitting into the opening that the most -practised eye could hardly detect the necessary interstices made by its -lines of juncture with the floor. Malicorne had provided for everything: -a ring and a couple of hinges which had been bought for the purpose, -were affixed to the trap-door; and a small circular stair-case, packed -in sections, had been bought ready made by the industrious Malicorne, -who had paid two thousand francs for it. It was higher than what was -required, but the carpenter reduced the number of steps, and it -was found to suit exactly. This staircase, destined to receive so -illustrious a burden, was merely fastened to the wall by a couple of -iron clamps, and its base was fixed into the floor of the comte's room -by two iron pegs screwed down tightly, so that the king, and all his -cabinet councilors too, might pass up and down the staircase without any -fear. Every blow of the hammer fell upon a thick pad or cushion, and -the saw was not used until the handle had been wrapped in wool, and the -blade steeped in oil. The noisiest part of the work, moreover, had taken -place during the night and early in the morning, that is to say, when -La Valliere and Madame were both absent. When, about two o'clock in the -afternoon, the court returned to the Palais Royal, La Valliere went up -into her own room. Everything was in its proper place--not the smallest -particle of sawdust, not the smallest chip, was left to bear witness to -the violation of her domicile. Saint-Aignan, however, wishing to do his -utmost in forwarding the work, had torn his fingers and his shirt -too, and had expended no ordinary amount of perspiration in the king's -service. The palms of his hands were covered with blisters, occasioned -by his having held the ladder for Malicorne. He had, moreover, brought -up, one by one, the seven pieces of the staircase, each consisting of -two steps. In fact, we can safely assert that, if the king had seen him -so ardently at work, his majesty would have sworn an eternal gratitude -towards his faithful attendant. As Malicorne anticipated, the workman -had completely finished the job in twenty-four hours; he received -twenty-four louis, and left, overwhelmed with delight, for he had gained -in one day as much as six months' hard work would have procured him. -No one had the slightest suspicion of what had taken place in the room -under Mademoiselle de la Valliere's apartment. But in the evening of the -second day, at the very moment La Valliere had just left Madame's circle -and returned to her own room, she heard a slight creaking sound in one -corner. Astonished, she looked to see whence it proceeded, and the noise -began again. "Who is there?" she said, in a tone of alarm. - -"It is I, Louise," replied the well-known voice of the king. - -"You! you!" cried the young girl, who for a moment fancied herself under -the influence of a dream. "But where? You, sire?" - -"Here," replied the king, opening one of the folds of the screen, and -appearing like a ghost at the end of the room. - -La Valliere uttered a loud cry, and fell trembling into an armchair, as -the king advanced respectfully towards her. - - - -Chapter XXXV. The Apparition. - -La Valliere very soon recovered from her surprise, for, owing to his -respectful bearing, the king inspired her with more confidence by his -presence than his sudden appearance had deprived her of. But, as he -noticed that which made La Valliere most uneasy was the means by which -he had effected an entrance into her room, he explained to her the -system of the staircase concealed by the screen, and strongly disavowed -the notion of his being a supernatural appearance. - -"Oh, sire!" said La Valliere, shaking her fair head with a most engaging -smile, "present or absent, you do not appear to my mind more at one time -than at another." - -"Which means, Louise--" - -"Oh, what you know so well, sire; that there is not one moment in which -the poor girl whose secret you surprised at Fontainebleau, and whom -you came to snatch from the foot of the cross itself, does not think of -you." - -"Louise, you overwhelm me with joy and happiness." - -La Valliere smiled mournfully, and continued: "But, sire, have you -reflected that your ingenious invention could not be of the slightest -service to us?" - -"Why so? Tell me,--I am waiting most anxiously." - -"Because this room may be subject to being searched at any moment of -the day. Madame herself may, at any time, come here accidentally; my -companions run in at any moment they please. To fasten the door on the -inside, is to denounce myself as plainly as if I had written above, 'No -admittance,--the king is within!' Even now, sire, at this very moment, -there is nothing to prevent the door opening, and your majesty being -seen here." - -"In that case," said the king, laughingly, "I should indeed be taken for -a phantom, for no one can tell in what way I came here. Besides, it is -only spirits that can pass through brick walls, or floors and ceilings." - -"Oh, sire, reflect for a moment how terrible the scandal would be! -Nothing equal to it could ever have been previously said about the -maids of honor, poor creatures! whom evil report, however, hardly ever -spares." - -"And your conclusion from all this, my dear Louise,--come, explain -yourself." - -"Alas! it is a hard thing to say--but your majesty must suppress -staircase plots, surprises and all; for the evil consequences which -would result from your being found here would be far greater than our -happiness in seeing each other." - -"Well, Louise," replied the king, tenderly, "instead of removing this -staircase by which I have ascended, there is a far more simple means, of -which you have not thought." - -"A means--another means!" - -"Yes, another. Oh, you do not love me as I love you, Louise, since my -invention is quicker than yours." - -She looked at the king, who held out his hand to her, which she took and -gently pressed between her own. - -"You were saying," continued the king, "that I shall be detected coming -here, where any one who pleases can enter." - -"Stay, sire; at this very moment, even while you are speaking about it, -I tremble with dread of your being discovered." - -"But you would not be found out, Louise, if you were to descend the -staircase which leads to the room underneath." - -"Oh, sire! what do you say?" cried Louise, in alarm. - -"You do not quite understand me, Louise, since you get offended at -my very first word; first of all, do you know to whom the apartments -underneath belong?" - -"To M. de Guiche, sire, I believe." - -"Not at all; they are M. de Saint-Aignan's." - -"Are you sure?" cried La Valliere; and this exclamation which escaped -from the young girl's joyous heart made the king's heart throb with -delight. - -"Yes, to Saint-Aignan, _our friend_," he said. - -"But, sire," returned La Valliere, "I cannot visit M. de -Saint-Aignan's rooms any more than I could M. de Guiche's. It is -impossible--impossible." - -"And yet, Louise, I should have thought that, under the safe-conduct of -the king, you would venture anything." - -"Under the safe-conduct of the king," she said, with a look full of -tenderness. - -"You have faith in my word, I hope, Louise?" - -"Yes, sire, when you are not present; but when you are present,--when -you speak to me,--when I look upon you, I have faith in nothing." - -"What can possibly be done to reassure you?" - -"It is scarcely respectful, I know, to doubt the king, but--for me--you -are _not_ the king." - -"Thank Heaven!--I, at least, hope so most devoutly; you see how -anxiously I am trying to find or invent a means of removing all -difficulty. Stay; would the presence of a third person reassure you?" - -"The presence of M. de Saint-Aignan would, certainly." - -"Really, Louise, you wound me by your suspicions." - -Louise did not answer, she merely looked steadfastly at him with that -clear, piercing gaze which penetrates the very heart, and said softly to -herself, "Alas! alas! it is not you of whom I am afraid,--it is not you -upon whom my doubts would fall." - -"Well," said the king, sighing, "I agree; and M. de Saint-Aignan, who -enjoys the inestimable privilege of reassuring you, shall always be -present at our interviews, I promise you." - -"You promise that, sire?" - -"Upon my honor as a gentleman; and you, on your side--" - -"Oh, wait, sire, that is not all yet; for such conversations ought, at -least, to have a reasonable motive of some kind for M. de Saint-Aignan." - -"Dear Louise, every shade of delicacy of feeling is yours, and my only -study is to equal you on that point. It shall be just as you wish: -therefore our conversations shall have a reasonable motive, and I have -already hit upon one; so that from to-morrow, if you like--" - -"To-morrow?" - -"Do you meant that that is not soon enough?" exclaimed the king, -caressing La Valliere's hand between his own. - -At this moment the sound of steps was heard in the corridor. - -"Sire! sire!" cried La Valliere, "some one is coming; do you hear? Oh, -fly! fly! I implore you." - -The king made but one bound from the chair where he was sitting to his -hiding-place behind the screen. He had barely time; for as he drew -one of the folds before him, the handle of the door was turned, and -Montalais appeared at the threshold. As a matter of course she entered -quite naturally, and without any ceremony, for she knew perfectly -well that to knock at the door beforehand would be showing a suspicion -towards La Valliere which would be displeasing to her. She accordingly -entered, and after a rapid glance round the room, in the brief course of -which she observed two chairs very close to each other, she was so long -in shutting the door, which seemed to be difficult to close, one can -hardly tell how or why, that the king had ample time to raise the -trap-door, and to descend again to Saint-Aignan's room. - -"Louise," she said to her, "I want to talk to you, and seriously, too." - -"Good heavens! my dear Aure, what is the matter now?" - -"The matter is, that Madame suspects _everything_." - -"Explain yourself." - -"Is there any occasion for us to enter into explanations, and do you not -understand what I mean? Come, you must have noticed the fluctuations in -Madame's humor during several days past; you must have noticed how she -first kept you close beside her, then dismissed you, and then sent for -you again." - -"Yes, I have noticed it, of course." - -"Well, it seems Madame has now succeeded in obtaining sufficient -information, for she has now gone straight to the point, as there is -nothing further left in France to withstand the torrent which sweeps -away all obstacles before it; you know what I mean by the torrent?" - -La Valliere hid her face in her hands. - -"I mean," continued Montalais, pitilessly, "that torrent which burst -through the gates of the Carmelites of Chaillot, and overthrew all the -prejudices of the court, as well at Fontainebleau as at Paris." - -"Alas! alas!" murmured La Valliere, her face still covered by her hands, -and her tears streaming through her fingers. - -"Oh, don't distress yourself in that manner, or you have only heard half -of your troubles." - -"In Heaven's name," exclaimed the young girl, in great anxiety, "what is -the matter?" - -"Well, then, this is how the matter stands: Madame, who can no longer -rely upon any further assistance in France; for she has, one after the -other, made use of the two queens, of Monsieur, and the whole court, -too, now bethinks herself of a certain person who has certain pretended -rights over you." - -La Valliere became as white as a marble statue. - -"This person," continued Madame, "is not in Paris at this moment; but, -if I am not mistaken, is, just now, in England." - -"Yes, yes," breathed La Valliere, almost overwhelmed with terror. - -"And is to be found, I think, at the court of Charles II.; am I right?" - -"Yes." - -"Well, this evening a letter has been dispatched by Madame to Saint -James's, with directions for the courier to go straight to Hampton -Court, which I believe is one of the royal residences, situated about a -dozen miles from London." - -"Yes, well?" - -"Well; as Madame writes regularly to London once a fortnight, and as the -ordinary courier left for London not more than three days ago, I have -been thinking that some serious circumstance alone could have induced -her to write again so soon, for you know she is a very indolent -correspondent." - -"Yes." - -"This letter has been written, therefore, something tells me so, at -least, on your account." - -"On my account?" repeated the unhappy girl, mechanically. - -"And I, who saw the letter lying on Madame's desk before she sealed it, -fancied I could read--" - -"What did you fancy you could read?" - -"I might possibly have been mistaken, though--" - -"Tell me,--what was it?" - -"The name of Bragelonne." - -La Valliere rose hurriedly from her chair, a prey to the most painful -agitation. "Montalais," she said, her voice broken by sobs, "all my -smiling dreams of youth and innocence have fled already. I have nothing -now to conceal, either from you or any one else. My life is exposed to -every one's inspection, and can be opened like a book, in which all -the world can read, from the king himself to the first passer-by. Aure, -dearest Aure, what can I do--what will become of me?" - -Montalais approached close to her, and said, "Consult your own heart, of -course." - -"Well; I do not love M. de Bragelonne; when I say I do not love him, -understand that I love him as the most affectionate sister could love -the best of brothers, but that is not what he requires, nor what I -promised him." - -"In fact, you love the king," said Montalais, "and that is a -sufficiently good excuse." - -"Yes, I do love the king," hoarsely murmured the young girl, "and I have -paid dearly enough for pronouncing those words. And now, Montalais, tell -me--what can you do either for me, or against me, in my position?" - -"You must speak more clearly still." - -"What am I to say, then?" - -"And so you have nothing very particular to tell me?" - -"No!" said Louise, in astonishment. - -"Very good; and so all you have to ask me is my advice respecting M. -Raoul?" - -"Nothing else." - -"It is a very delicate subject," replied Montalais. - -"No, it is nothing of the kind. Ought I to marry him in order to keep -the promise I made, or ought I continue to listen to the king?" - -"You have really placed me in a very difficult position," said -Montalais, smiling; "you ask me if you ought to marry Raoul, whose -friend I am, and whom I shall mortally offend in giving my opinion -against him; and then, you ask me if you should cease to listen to the -king, whose subject I am, and whom I should offend if I were to advise -you in a particular way. Ah, Louise, you seem to hold a difficult -position at a very cheap rate." - -"You have not understood me, Aure," said La Valliere, wounded by the -slightly mocking tone of her companion; "if I were to marry M. de -Bragelonne, I should be far from bestowing on him the happiness he -deserves; but, for the same reason, if I listen to the king he would -become the possessor of one indifferent in very many aspects, I admit, -but one whom his affection confers an appearance of value. What I ask -you, then, is to tell me some means of disengaging myself honorably -either from the one or from the other; or rather, I ask you, from which -side you think I can free myself most honorably." - -"My dear Louise," replied Montalais, after a pause, "I am not one of the -seven wise men of Greece, and I have no perfectly invariable rules -of conduct to govern me; but, on the other hand, I have a little -experience, and I can assure you that no woman ever asks for advice of -the nature which you have just asked me, without being in a terrible -state of embarrassment. Besides, you have made a solemn promise, which -every principle of honor requires you to fulfil; if, therefore, you are -embarrassed, in consequence of having undertaken such an engagement, it -is not a stranger's advice (every one is a stranger to a heart full of -love), it is not my advice, I repeat, that can extricate you from your -embarrassment. I shall not give it you, therefore; and for a greater -reason still--because, were I in your place, I should feel much more -embarrassed after the advice than before it. All I can do is, to repeat -what I have already told you; shall I assist you?" - -"Yes, yes." - -"Very well; that is all. Tell me in what way you wish me to help -you; tell me for and against whom,--in this way we shall not make any -blunders." - -"But first of all," said La Valliere, pressing her companion's hand, -"for whom or against whom do you decide?" - -"For you, if you are really and truly my friend." - -"Are you not Madame's confidant?" - -"A greater reason for being of service to you; if I were not to know -what is going on in that direction I should not be of any service -at all, and consequently you would not obtain any advantage from my -acquaintance. Friendships live and thrive upon a system of reciprocal -benefits." - -"The result is, then, that you will remain at the same time Madame's -friend also?" - -"Evidently. Do you complain of that?" - -"I hardly know," sighed La Valliere, thoughtfully, for this cynical -frankness appeared to her an offense both to the woman and the friend. - -"All well and good, then," said Montalais, "for if you did, you would be -very foolish." - -"You wish to serve me, then?" - -"Devotedly--if you will serve me in return." - -"One would almost say that you do not know my heart," said La Valliere, -looking at Montalais with her eyes wide open. - -"Why, the fact is, that since we have belonged to the court, my dear -Louise, we are very much changed." - -"In what way?" - -"It is very simple. Were you the second queen of France yonder, at -Blois?" - -La Valliere hung down her head, and began to weep. Montalais looked -at her in an indefinable manner, and murmured "Poor girl!" and then, -adding, "Poor king!" she kissed Louise on the forehead, and returned to -her apartment, where Malicorne was waiting for her. - - - -Chapter XXXVI. The Portrait. - -In that malady which is termed love the paroxysms succeed each other -at intervals, ever accelerating from the moment the disease declares -itself. By and by, the paroxysms are less frequent, in proportion as -the cure approaches. This being laid down as a general axiom, and as the -leading article of a particular chapter, we will now proceed with -our recital. The next day, the day fixed by the king for the first -conversation in Saint-Aignan's room, La Valliere, on opening one of -the folds of the screen, found upon the floor a letter in the king's -handwriting. The letter had been passed, through a slit in the floor, -from the lower apartment to her own. No indiscreet hand or curious gaze -could have brought or did bring this single paper. This, too, was one of -Malicorne's ideas. Having seen how very serviceable Saint-Aignan would -become to the king on account of his apartment, he did not wish that the -courtier should become still more indispensable as a messenger, and so -he had, on his own private account, reserved this last post for himself. -La Valliere most eagerly read the letter, which fixed two o'clock -that same afternoon for the rendezvous, and which indicated the way of -raising the trap-door which was constructed out of the flooring. "Make -yourself look as beautiful as you can," added the postscript of the -letter, words which astonished the young girl, but at the same time -reassured her. - -The hours passed away very slowly, but the time fixed, however, arrived -at last. As punctual as the priestess Hero, Louise lifted up the -trap-door at the last stroke of the hour of two, and found the king on -the steps, waiting for her with the greatest respect, in order to -give her his hand to descend. The delicacy and deference shown in this -attention affected her very powerfully. At the foot of the staircase -the two lovers found the comte, who, with a smile and a low reverence -distinguished by the best taste, expressed his thanks to La Valliere -for the honor she conferred upon him. Then turning towards the king, he -said: - -"Sire, our man is here." La Valliere looked at the king with some -uneasiness. - -"Mademoiselle," said the king, "if I have begged you to do me the honor -of coming down here, it was from an interested motive. I have procured -a most admirable portrait painter, who is celebrated for the fidelity -of his likenesses, and I wish you to be kind enough to authorize him -to paint yours. Besides, if you positively wish it, the portrait shall -remain in your own possession." La Valliere blushed. "You see," said -the king to her, "we shall not be three as you wished, but four instead. -And, so long as we are not alone, there can be as many present as you -please." La Valliere gently pressed her royal lover's hand. - -"Shall we pass into the next room, sire?" said Saint-Aignan, opening the -door to let his guests precede him. The king walked behind La Valliere, -and fixed his eyes lingeringly and passionately upon that neck as white -as snow, upon which her long fair ringlets fell in heavy masses. La -Valliere was dressed in a thick silk robe of pearl gray color, with a -tinge of rose, with jet ornaments, which displayed to greater effect -the dazzling purity of her skin, holding in her slender and transparent -hands a bouquet of heartsease, Bengal roses, and clematis, surrounded -with leaves of the tenderest green, above which uprose, like a tiny -goblet spilling magic influence a Haarlem tulip of gray and violet tints -of a pure and beautiful species, which had cost the gardener five years' -toil of combinations, and the king five thousand francs. Louis had -placed this bouquet in La Valliere's hand as he saluted her. In the -room, the door of which Saint-Aignan had just opened, a young man was -standing, dressed in a purple velvet jacket, with beautiful black eyes -and long brown hair. It was the painter; his canvas was quite ready, and -his palette prepared for use. - -He bowed to La Valliere with the grave curiosity of an artist who -is studying his model, saluted the king discreetly, as if he did not -recognize him, and as he would, consequently, have saluted any other -gentleman. Then, leading Mademoiselle de la Valliere to the seat he had -arranged for her, he begged her to sit down. - -The young girl assumed an attitude graceful and unrestrained, her hands -occupied and her limbs reclining on cushions; and in order that her gaze -might not assume a vague or affected expression, the painter begged -her to choose some kind of occupation, so as to engage her attention; -whereupon Louis XIV., smiling, sat down on the cushions at La Valliere's -feet; so that she, in the reclining posture she had assumed, leaning -back in the armchair, holding her flowers in her hand, and he, with his -eyes raised towards her and fixed devouringly on her face--they, both -together, formed so charming a group, that the artist contemplated -painting it with professional delight, while on his side, Saint-Aignan -regarded them with feelings of envy. The painter sketched rapidly; and -very soon, beneath the earliest touches of the brush, there started into -life, out of the gray background, the gentle, poetry-breathing face, -with its soft calm eyes and delicately tinted cheeks, enframed in the -masses of hair which fell about her neck. The lovers, however, spoke -but little, and looked at each other a great deal; sometimes their eyes -became so languishing in their gaze, that the painter was obliged to -interrupt his work in order to avoid representing an Erycina instead -of La Valliere. It was on such occasions that Saint-Aignan came to the -rescue, and recited verses, or repeated one of those little tales such -as Patru related, and Tallemant des Reaux wrote so cleverly. Or, it -might be that La Valliere was fatigued, and the sitting was, therefore, -suspended for awhile; and, immediately, a tray of precious porcelain -laden with the most beautiful fruits which could be obtained, and rich -wines distilling their bright colors in silver goblets, beautifully -chased, served as accessories to the picture of which the painter could -but retrace the most ephemeral resemblance. - -Louis was intoxicated with love, La Valliere with happiness, -Saint-Aignan with ambition, and the painter was storing up recollections -for his old age. Two hours passed away in this manner, and four o'clock -having struck, La Valliere rose, and made a sign to the king. Louis also -rose, approached the picture, and addressed a few flattering remarks -to the painter. Saint-Aignan also praised the picture, which, as he -pretended, was already beginning to assume an accurate resemblance. La -Valliere in her turn, blushingly thanked the painter and passed into the -next room, where the king followed her, after having previously summoned -Saint-Aignan. - -"Will you not come to-morrow?" he said to La Valliere. - -"Oh! sire, pray think that some one will be sure to come to my room, and -will not find me there." - -"Well?" - -"What will become of me in that case?" - -"You are very apprehensive, Louise." - -"But at all events, suppose Madame were to send for me?" - -"Oh!" replied the king, "will the day never come when you yourself will -tell me to brave everything so that I may not have to leave you again?" - -"On that day, sire, I shall be quite out of my mind, and you must not -believe me." - -"To-morrow, Louise." - -La Valliere sighed, but, without the courage to oppose her royal lover's -wish, she repeated, "To-morrow, then, since you desire it, sire," and -with these words she ran lightly up the stairs, and disappeared from her -lover's gaze. - -"Well, sire?" inquired Saint-Aignan, when she had left. - -"Well, Saint-Aignan, yesterday I thought myself the happiest of men." - -"And does your majesty, then, regard yourself to-day," said the comte, -smiling, "as the unhappiest of men?" - -"No; but my love for her is an unquenchable thirst; in vain do I drink, -in vain do I swallow the drops of water which your industry procures for -me; the more I drink, the more unquenchable it becomes." - -"Sire, that is in some degree your own fault, and your majesty alone has -made the position such as it is." - -"You are right." - -"In that case, therefore, the means to be happy, is to fancy yourself -satisfied, and to wait." - -"Wait! you know that word, then?" - -"There, there, sire--do not despair: I have already been at work on your -behalf--I have still other resources in store." The king shook his head -in a despairing manner. - -"What, sire! have you not been satisfied hitherto?" - -"Oh! yes, indeed, yes, my dear Saint-Aignan; but invent, for Heaven's -sake, invent some further project yet." - -"Sire, I undertake to do my best, and that is all that any one can do." - -The king wished to see the portrait again, as he was unable to see the -original. He pointed out several alterations to the painter and left the -room, and then Saint-Aignan dismissed the artist. The easel, paints, and -painter himself, had scarcely gone, when Malicorne showed his head in -the doorway. He was received by Saint-Aignan with open arms, but still -with a little sadness, for the cloud which had passed across the royal -sun, veiled, in its turn, the faithful satellite, and Malicorne at a -glance perceived the melancholy that brooded on Saint-Aignan's face. - -"Oh, monsieur le comte," he said, "how sad you seem!" - -"And good reason too, my dear Monsieur Malicorne. Will you believe that -the king is still dissatisfied?" - -"With his staircase, do you mean?" - -"Oh, no; on the contrary, he is delighted with the staircase." - -"The decorations of the apartments, I suppose, don't please him." - -"Oh! he has not even thought of that. No, indeed, it seems that what has -dissatisfied the king--" - -"I will tell you, monsieur le comte,--he is dissatisfied at finding -himself the fourth person at a rendezvous of this kind. How is it -possible you could not have guessed that?" - -"Why, how is it likely I could have done so, dear M. Malicorne, when I -followed the king's instructions to the very letter?" - -"Did his majesty really insist on your being present?" - -"Positively." - -"And also required that the painter, whom I met downstairs just now, -should be here, too?" - -"He insisted upon it." - -"In that case, I can easily understand why his majesty is dissatisfied." - -"What! dissatisfied that I have so punctually and so literally obeyed -his orders? I don't understand you." - -Malicorne began to scratch his ear, as he asked, "What time did the king -fix for the rendezvous in your apartments?" - -"Two o'clock." - -"And you were waiting for the king?" - -"Ever since half-past one; it would have been a fine thing, indeed, to -have been unpunctual with his majesty." - -Malicorne, notwithstanding his respect for Saint-Aignan, could not help -smiling. "And the painter," he said, "did the king wish him to be here -at two o'clock, also?" - -"No; but I had him waiting here from midday. Far better, you know, for -a painter to be kept waiting a couple of hours than the king a single -minute." - -Malicorne began to laugh aloud. "Come, dear Monsieur Malicorne," said -Saint-Aignan, "laugh less at me, and speak a little more freely, I beg." - -"Well, then, monsieur le comte, if you wish the king to be a little more -satisfied the next time he comes--" - -"'_Ventre saint-gris!_' as his grandfather used to say; of course I wish -it." - -"Well, all you have to do is, when the king comes to-morrow, to be -obliged to go away on a most pressing matter of business, which cannot -possibly be postponed, and stay away for twenty minutes." - -"What! leave the king alone for twenty minutes?" cried Saint-Aignan, in -alarm. - -"Very well, do as you like; don't pay any attention to what I say," said -Malicorne, moving towards the door. - -"Nay, nay, dear Monsieur Malicorne; on the contrary, go on--I begin to -understand you. But the painter--" - -"Oh! the painter must be half an hour late." - -"Half an hour--do you really think so?" - -"Yes, I do, decidedly." - -"Very well, then, I will do as you tell me." - -"And my opinion is, that you will be doing perfectly right. Will you -allow me to call upon you for the latest news to-morrow?" - -"Of course." - -"I have the honor to be your most respectful servant, M. de -Saint-Aignan," said Malicorne, bowing profoundly and retiring from the -room backwards. - -"There is no doubt that fellow has more invention than I have," said -Saint-Aignan, as if compelled by his conviction to admit it. - - - -Chapter XXXVII. Hampton Court. - -The revelation we have witnessed, that Montalais made to La Valliere, -in a preceding chapter, very naturally makes us return to the principal -hero of this tale, a poor wandering knight, roving about at the king's -caprice. If our readers will be good enough to follow us, we will, in -his company, cross that strait, more stormy than the Euripus, which -separates Calais from Dover; we will speed across that green and fertile -country, with its numerous little streams; through Maidstone, and many -other villages and towns, each prettier than the other; and, finally, -arrive at London. From thence, like bloodhounds following a track, after -having ascertained that Raoul had made his first stay at Whitehall, -his second at St. James's, and having learned that he had been warmly -received by Monk, and introduced to the best society of Charles II.'s -court, we will follow him to one of Charles II.'s summer residences near -the lively little village of Kingston, at Hampton Court, situated on the -Thames. The river is not, at that spot, the boastful highway which bears -upon its broad bosom its thousands of travelers; nor are its waters -black and troubled as those of Cocytus, as it boastfully asserts, "I, -too, am cousin of the old ocean." No, at Hampton Court it is a soft -and murmuring stream, with moss-fringed banks, reflecting, in its broad -mirror, the willows and beeches which ornament its sides, and on which -may occasionally be seen a light bark indolently reclining among the -tall reeds, in a little creek formed of alders and forget-me-nots. The -surrounding country on all sides smiled in happiness and wealth; the -brick cottages from whose chimneys the blue smoke was slowly ascending -in wreaths, peeped forth from the belts of green holly which environed -them; children dressed in red frocks appeared and disappeared amidst -the high grass, like poppies bowed by the gentler breath of the passing -breeze. The sheep, ruminating with half-closed eyes, lay lazily about -under the shadow of the stunted aspens, while, far and near, the -kingfishers, plumed with emerald and gold, skimmed swiftly along the -surface of the water, like a magic ball heedlessly touching, as he -passed, the line of his brother angler, who sat watching in his boat -the fish as they rose to the surface of the sparkling stream. High above -this paradise of dark shadows and soft light, rose the palace of Hampton -Court, built by Wolsey--a residence the haughty cardinal had been -obliged, timid courtier that he was, to offer to his master, Henry -VIII., who had glowered with envy and cupidity at the magnificent -new home. Hampton Court, with its brick walls, its large windows, its -handsome iron gates, as well as its curious bell turrets, its retired -covered walks, and interior fountains, like those of the Alhambra, was -a perfect bower of roses, jasmine, and clematis. Every sense, sight and -smell particularly, was gratified, and the reception-rooms formed a very -charming framework for the pictures of love which Charles II. unrolled -among the voluptuous paintings of Titian, of Pordenone and of Van Dyck; -the same Charles whose father's portrait--the martyr king--was hanging -in his gallery, and who could show upon the wainscots of the various -apartments the holes made by the balls of the puritanical followers of -Cromwell, when on the 24th of August, 1648, at the time they had brought -Charles I. prisoner to Hampton Court. There it was that the king, -intoxicated with pleasure and adventure, held his court--he, who, a poet -in feeling, thought himself justified in redeeming, by a whole day of -voluptuousness, every minute which had been formerly passed in anguish -and misery. It was not the soft green sward of Hampton Court--so soft -that it almost resembled the richest velvet in the thickness of its -texture--nor was it the beds of flowers, with their variegated hues -which encircled the foot of every tree with rose-trees many feet in -height, embracing most lovingly their trunks--nor even the enormous -lime-trees, whose branches swept the earth like willows, offering a -ready concealment for love or reflection beneath the shade of their -foliage--it was none of these things for which Charles II. loved his -palace of Hampton Court. Perhaps it might have been that beautiful sheet -of water, which the cool breeze rippled like the wavy undulations of -Cleopatra's hair, waters bedecked with cresses and white water-lilies, -whose chaste bulbs coyly unfolding themselves beneath the sun's warm -rays, reveal the golden gems which lie concealed within their milky -petals--murmuring waters, on the bosom of which black swans majestically -floated, and the graceful water-fowl, with their tender broods covered -with silken down, darted restlessly in every direction, in pursuit -of the insects among the reeds, or the fogs in their mossy retreats. -Perhaps it might have been the enormous hollies, with their dark and -tender green foliage; or the bridges uniting the banks of the canals in -their embrace; or the fawns browsing in the endless avenues of the park; -or the innumerable birds that hopped about the gardens, or flew from -branch to branch, amidst the emerald foliage. - -It might well have been any of these charms--for Hampton Court had them -all; and possessed, too, almost forests of white roses, which climbed -and trailed along the lofty trellises, showering down upon the ground -their snowy leaves rich with soft perfumery. But no, what Charles II. -most loved in Hampton Court were the charming figures who, when midday -was past, flitted to and fro along the broad terraces of the gardens; -like Louis XIV., he had their wealth of beauties painted for his gallery -by one of the great artists of the period--an artist who well knew the -secret of transferring to canvas the rays of light which escaped from -beaming eyes heavy laden with love and love's delights. - -The day of our arrival at Hampton Court is almost as clear and bright -as a summer's day in France; the atmosphere is heavy with the delicious -perfume of geraniums, sweet-peas, seringas, and heliotrope scattered in -profusion around. It is past midday, and the king, having dined after -his return from hunting, paid a visit to Lady Castlemaine, the lady who -was reputed at the time to hold his heart in bondage; and this proof -of his devotion discharged, he was readily permitted to pursue his -infidelities until evening arrived. Love and amusement ruled the entire -court; it was the period when ladies would seriously interrogate -their ruder companions as to their opinions upon a foot more or -less captivating, according to whether it wore a pink or lilac silk -stocking--for it was the period when Charles II. had declared that there -was no hope of safety for a woman who wore green silk stockings, because -Miss Lucy Stewart wore them of that color. While the king is endeavoring -in all directions to inculcate others with his preferences on this -point, we will ourselves bend our steps towards an avenue of beech-trees -opposite the terrace, and listen to the conversation of a young girl in -a dark-colored dress, who is walking with another of about her own age -dressed in blue. They crossed a beautiful lawn, from the center of which -sprang a fountain, with the figure of a siren executed in bronze, and -strolled on, talking as they went, towards the terrace, along which, -looking out upon the park and interspersed at frequent intervals, were -erected summer-houses, diverse in form and ornament; these summer-houses -were nearly all occupied; the two young women passed on, the one -blushing deeply, while the other seemed dreamily silent. At last, having -reached the end of the terrace which looks on the river, and finding -there a cool retreat, they sat down close to each other. - -"Where are we going?" said the younger to her companion. - -"My dear, we are going where you yourself led the way." - -"I?" - -"Yes, you; to the extremity of the palace, towards that seat yonder, -where the young Frenchman is seated, wasting his time in sighs and -lamentations." - -Miss Mary Grafton hurriedly said, "No, no; I am not going there." - -"Why not?" - -"Let us go back, Lucy." - -"Nay, on the contrary, let us go on, and have an explanation." - -"What about?" - -"About how it happens that the Vicomte de Bragelonne always accompanies -you in all your walks, as you invariably accompany him in his." - -"And you conclude either that he loves me, or that I love him?" - -"Why not?--he is a most agreeable and charming companion.--No one hears -me, I hope," said Lucy Stewart, as she turned round with a smile, which -indicated, moreover, that her uneasiness on the subject was not extreme. - -"No, no," said Mary, "the king is engaged in his summer-house with the -Duke of Buckingham." - -"Oh! _a propos_ of the duke, Mary, it seems he has shown you great -attention since his return from France; how is your own heart in that -direction?" - -Mary Grafton shrugged her shoulders with seeming indifference. - -"Well, well, I will ask Bragelonne about it," said Stewart, laughing; -"let us go and find him at once." - -"What for?" - -"I wish to speak to him." - -"Not yet, one word before you do: come, come, you who know so many of -the king's secrets, tell me why M. de Bragelonne is in England?" - -"Because he was sent as an envoy from one sovereign to another." - -"That may be; but, seriously, although politics do not much concern us, -we know enough to be satisfied that M. de Bragelonne has no mission of -serious import here." - -"Well, then, listen," said Stewart, with assumed gravity, "for your sake -I am going to betray a state secret. Shall I tell you the nature of the -letter which King Louis XIV. gave M. de Bragelonne for King Charles II.? -I will; these are the very words: 'My brother, the bearer of this is a -gentleman attached to my court, and the son of one whom you regard most -warmly. Treat him kindly, I beg, and try and make him like England.'" - -"Did it say that!" - -"Word for word--or something very like it. I will not answer for the -form, but the substance I am sure of." - -"Well, and what conclusion do you, or rather what conclusion does the -king, draw from that?" - -"That the king of France has his own reasons for removing M. de -Bragelonne, and for getting him married anywhere else than in France." - -"So that, then, in consequence of this letter--" - -"King Charles received M. de Bragelonne, as you are aware, in the -most distinguished and friendly manner; the handsomest apartments in -Whitehall were allotted to him; and as you are the most valuable -and precious person in his court, inasmuch as you have rejected his -heart,--nay, do not blush,--he wished you to take a fancy to this -Frenchman, and he was desirous to confer upon him so costly a prize. -And this is the reason why you, the heiress of three hundred thousand -pounds, a future duchess, so beautiful, so good, have been thrown in -Bragelonne's way, in all the promenades and parties of pleasure to which -he was invited. In fact it was a plot,--a kind of conspiracy." - -Mary Grafton smiled with that charming expression which was habitual to -her, and pressing her companion's arm, said: "Thank the king, Lucy." - -"Yes, yes, but the Duke of Buckingham is jealous, so take care." - -Hardly had she pronounced these words, when the duke appeared from one -of the pavilions on the terrace, and, approaching the two girls, with -a smile, said, "You are mistaken, Miss Lucy; I am not jealous; and the -proof, Miss Mary, is yonder, in the person of M. de Bragelonne himself, -who ought to be the cause of my jealousy, but who is dreaming in pensive -solitude. Poor fellow! Allow me to leave you for a few minutes, while I -avail myself of those few minutes to converse with Miss Lucy Stewart, to -whom I have something to say." And then, bowing to Lucy, he added, "Will -you do me the honor to accept my hand, in order that I may lead you to -the king, who is waiting for us?" With these words, Buckingham, still -smiling, took Miss Stewart's hand, and led her away. When by herself, -Mary Grafton, her head gently inclined towards her shoulder, with that -indolent gracefulness of action which distinguishes young English girls, -remained for a moment with her eyes fixed on Raoul, but as if uncertain -what to do. At last, after first blushing violently, and then turning -deadly pale, thus revealing the internal combat which assailed her -heart, she seemed to make up her mind to adopt a decided course, and -with a tolerably firm step, advanced towards the seat on which Raoul -was reclining, buried in the profoundest meditation, as we have already -said. The sound of Miss Mary's steps, though they could hardly be heard -upon the green sward, awakened Raoul from his musing attitude; he -turned round, perceived the young girl, and walked forward to meet the -companion whom his happy destiny had thrown in his way. - -"I have been sent to you, monsieur," said Mary Grafton; "will you take -care of me?" - -"To whom is my gratitude due, for so great a happiness?" inquired Raoul. - -"To the Duke of Buckingham," replied Mary, affecting a gayety she did -not really feel. - -"To the Duke of Buckingham, do you say?--he who so passionately -seeks your charming society! Am I really to believe you are serious, -mademoiselle?" - -"The fact is, monsieur, you perceive, that everything seems to conspire -to make us pass the best, or rather the longest, part of our days -together. Yesterday it was the king who desired me to beg you to seat -yourself next to me at dinner; to-day, it is the Duke of Buckingham who -begs me to come and place myself near you on this seat." - -"And he has gone away in order to leave us together?" asked Raoul, with -some embarrassment. - -"Look yonder, at the turning of that path; he is just out of sight, with -Miss Stewart. Are these polite attentions usual in France, monsieur le -vicomte?" - -"I cannot very precisely say what people do in France, mademoiselle, for -I can hardly be called a Frenchman. I have resided in many countries, -and almost always as a soldier; and then, I have spent a long period of -my life in the country. I am almost a savage." - -"You do not like your residence in England, I fear." - -"I scarcely know," said Raoul, inattentively, and sighing deeply at the -same time. - -"What! you do not know?" - -"Forgive me," said Raoul, shaking his head, and collecting his thoughts, -"I did not hear you." - -"Oh!" said the young girl, sighing in her turn, "how wrong the duke was -to send me here!" - -"Wrong!" said Raoul, "perhaps so; for I am but a rude, uncouth -companion, and my society annoys you. The duke did, indeed, very wrong -to send you." - -"It is precisely," replied Mary Grafton, in a clear, calm voice, -"because your society does not annoy me, that the duke was wrong to send -me to you." - -It was now Raoul's turn to blush. "But," he resumed, "how happens it -that the Duke of Buckingham should send you to me; and why did you come? -the duke loves you, and you love him." - -"No," replied Mary, seriously, "the duke does not love me, because he -is in love with the Duchesse d'Orleans; and, as for myself, I have no -affection for the duke." - -Raoul looked at the young lady with astonishment. - -"Are you a friend of the Duke of Buckingham?" she inquired. - -"The duke has honored me by calling me so ever since we met in France." - -"You are simple acquaintances, then?" - -"No; for the duke is the most intimate friend of one whom I regard as a -brother." - -"The Duc de Guiche?" - -"Yes." - -"He who is in love with Madame la Duchesse d'Orleans?" - -"Oh! What is that you are saying?" - -"And who loves him in return," continued the young girl, quietly. - -Raoul bent down his head, and Mary Grafton, sighing deeply, continued, -"They are very happy. But, leave me, Monsieur de Bragelonne, for the -Duke of Buckingham has given you a very troublesome commission in -offering me as a companion for your promenade. Your heart is elsewhere, -and it is with the greatest difficulty you can be charitable enough to -lend me your attention. Confess truly; it would be unfair on your part, -vicomte, not to admit it." - -"Madame, I do confess it." - -She looked at him steadily. He was so noble and so handsome in his -bearing, his eyes revealed so much gentleness, candor, and resolution, -that the idea could not possibly enter her mind that he was either -rudely discourteous, or a mere simpleton. She only perceived, clearly -enough, that he loved another woman, and not herself, with the whole -strength of his heart. "Ah! I now understand you," she said; "you have -left your heart behind you in France." Raoul bowed. "The duke is aware -of your affection?" - -"No one knows it," replied Raoul. - -"Why, therefore, do you tell me? Nay, answer me." - -"I cannot." - -"It is for me, then, to anticipate an explanation; you do not wish to -tell me anything, because you are now convinced that I do not love the -duke; because you see that I possibly might have loved you; because you -are a gentleman of noble and delicate sentiments; and because, instead -of accepting, even were it for the mere amusement of the passing hour, -a hand which is almost pressed upon you; and because, instead of meeting -my smiles with a smiling lip, you, who are young, have preferred to tell -me, whom men have called beautiful, 'My heart is over the sea--it is in -France.' For this, I thank you, Monsieur de Bragelonne; you are, indeed, -a noble-hearted, noble-minded man, and I regard you all the more for it, -as a friend only. And now let us cease speaking of myself, and talk of -your own affairs. Forget that I have ever spoken to you of myself, tell -me why you are sad, and why you have become more than usually so during -these past four days?" - -Raoul was deeply and sensibly moved by these sweet and melancholy tones; -and as he could not, at the moment, find a word to say, the young girl -again came to his assistance. - -"Pity me," she said. "My mother was born in France, and I can truly -affirm that I, too, am French in blood, as well as in feeling; but the -leaden atmosphere and characteristic gloom of England seem to weigh -upon me. Sometimes my dreams are golden-hued and full of wonderful -enjoyments, when suddenly a mist rises and overspreads my fancy, -blotting them out forever. Such, indeed, is the case at the present -moment. Forgive me; I have now said enough on that subject; give me your -hand, and relate your griefs to me as a friend." - -"You say you are French in heart and soul?" - -"Yes, not only, I repeat it, that my mother was French, but, further, as -my father, a friend of King Charles I., was exiled in France, I, during -the trial of that prince, as well as during the Protector's life, was -brought up in Paris; at the Restoration of King Charles II., my poor -father returned to England, where he died almost immediately afterwards; -and then the king created me a duchess, and has dowered me according to -my rank. - -"Have you any relations in France?" Raoul inquired, with the deepest -interest. - -"I have a sister there, my senior by seven or eight years, who was -married in France, and was early left a widow; her name is Madame de -Belliere. Do you know her?" she added, observing Raoul start suddenly. - -"I have heard her name." - -"She, too, loves with her whole heart; and her last letters inform me -she is happy, and her affection is, I conclude, returned. I told you, -Monsieur de Bragelonne, that although I possess half of her nature, I do -not share her happiness. But let us now speak of yourself; whom do you -love in France?" - -"A young girl, as soft and pure as a lily." - -"But if she loves you, why are you sad?" - -"I have been told that she ceases to love me." - -"You do not believe it, I trust?" - -"He who wrote me so does not sign his letter." - -"An anonymous denunciation! some treachery, be assured," said Miss -Grafton. - -"Stay," said Raoul, showing the young girl a letter which he had read -over a thousand times; she took it from his hand and read as follows: - -"VICOMTE,--You are perfectly right to amuse yourself yonder with the -lovely faces of Charles II.'s court, for at Louis XIV.'s court, the -castle in which your affections are enshrined is being besieged. Stay in -London altogether, poor vicomte, or return without delay to Paris." - -"There is no signature," said Miss Mary. - -"None." - -"Believe it not, then." - -"Very good; but here is a second letter, from my friend De Guiche, which -says, 'I am lying here wounded and ill. Return, Raoul, oh, return!'" - -"What do you intend doing?" inquired the young girl, with a feeling of -oppression at her heart. - -"My intention, as soon as I received this letter, was immediately to -take my leave of the king." - -"When did you receive it?" - -"The day before yesterday." - -"It is dated Fontainebleau." - -"A singular circumstance, do you not think, for the court is now at -Paris? At all events, I would have set off; but when I mentioned my -intention to the king, he began to laugh, and said to me, 'How comes -it, monsieur l'amassadeur, that you think of leaving? Has your sovereign -recalled you?' I colored, naturally enough, for I was confused by the -question; for the fact is, the king himself sent me here, and I have -received no order to return." - -Mary frowned in deep thought, and said, "Do you remain, then?" - -"I must, mademoiselle." - -"Do you ever receive any letters from her to whom you are so devoted?" - -"Never." - -"Never, do you say? Does she not love you, then?" - -"At least, she has not written to me since my departure, although she -used occasionally to write to me before. I trust she may have been -prevented." - -"Hush! the duke is coming." - -And Buckingham at that moment was seen at the end of the walk, -approaching towards them, alone and smiling; he advanced slowly, and -held out his hands to them both. "Have you arrived at an understanding?" -he said. - -"About what?" - -"About whatever might render you happy, dear Mary, and make Raoul less -miserable." - -"I do not understand you, my lord," said Raoul. - -"That is my view of the subject, Miss Mary; do you wish me to mention it -before M. de Bragelonne?" he added, with a smile. - -"If you mean," replied the young girl, haughtily, "that I was not -indisposed to love M. de Bragelonne, that is useless, for I have told -him so myself." - -Buckingham reflected for a moment, and, without seeming in any way -discountenanced, as she expected, he said: "My reason for leaving you -with M. de Bragelonne was, that I thoroughly knew your refined delicacy -of feeling, no less than the perfect loyalty of your mind and heart, and -I hoped that M. de Bragelonne's cure might be effected by the hands of a -physician such as you are." - -"But, my lord, before you spoke of M. de Bragelonne's heart, you spoke -to me of your own. Do you mean to effect the cure of two hearts at the -same time?" - -"Perfectly true, madame; but you will do me the justice to admit that -I have long discontinued a useless pursuit, acknowledging that my own -wound is incurable." - -"My lord," said Mary, collecting herself for a moment before she spoke, -"M. de Bragelonne is happy, for he loves and is beloved. He has no need -of such a physician as I can be." - -"M. de Bragelonne," said Buckingham, "is on the very eve of experiencing -a serious misfortune, and he has greater need than ever of sympathy and -affection." - -"Explain yourself, my lord," inquired Raoul, anxiously. - -"No; gradually I will explain myself; but, if you desire it, I can tell -Miss Grafton what you may not listen to yourself." - -"My lord, you are putting me to the torture; you know something you wish -to conceal from me?" - -"I know that Miss Mary Grafton is the most charming object that a heart -ill at ease could possibly meet with in its way through life." - -"I have already told you that the Vicomte de Bragelonne loves -elsewhere," said the young girl. - -"He is wrong, then." - -"Do you assume to know, my lord, that _I_ am wrong?" - -"Yes." - -"Whom is it that he loves, then?" exclaimed the young girl. - -"He loves a lady who is unworthy of him," said Buckingham, with that -calm, collected manner peculiar to Englishmen. - -Miss Grafton uttered a cry, which, together with the remark that -Buckingham had that moment made, spread oover De Bragelonne's features a -deadly paleness, arising from the sudden surprise, and also from a vague -fear of impending misfortune. "My lord," he exclaimed, "you have just -pronounced words which compel me, without a moment's delay, to seek -their explanation in Paris." - -"You will remain here," said Buckingham, "because you have no right to -leave; and no one has the right to quit the service of the king for that -of any woman, even were she as worthy of being loved as Mary Grafton -is." - -"You will tell me all, then?" - -"I will, on condition that you will remain." - -"I will remain, if you will promise to speak openly and without -reserve." - -Thus far had their conversation proceeded, and Buckingham, in all -probability, was on the point of revealing, not indeed all that had -taken place, but at least all he was aware of, when one of the king's -attendants appeared at the end of the terrace, and advanced towards the -summer-house where the king was sitting with Lucy Stewart. A courier -followed him, covered with dust from head to foot, and who seemed as if -he had but a few moments before dismounted from his horse. - -"The courier from France! Madame's courier!" exclaimed Raoul, -recognizing the princess's livery; and while the attendant and the -courier advanced towards the king, Buckingham and Miss Grafton exchanged -a look full of intelligence with each other. - - - -Chapter XXXVIII. The Courier from Madame. - -Charles II. was busily engaged in proving, or in endeavoring to prove, -to Miss Stewart that she was the only person for whom he cared at all, -and consequently was avowing to her an affection similar to that which -his ancestor Henry IV. had entertained for Gabrielle. Unfortunately for -Charles II., he had hit upon an unlucky day, the very day Miss Stewart -had taken it into her head to make him jealous, and therefore, instead -of being touched by his offer, as the king had hoped, she laughed -heartily. - -"Oh! sire, sire," she cried, laughing all the while; "if I were to be -unfortunate enough to ask you for a proof of the affection you possess, -how easy it would be to see that you are telling a falsehood." - -"Nay, listen to me," said Charles, "you know my cartoons by Raphael; -you know whether I care for them or not; the whole world envies me their -possession, as you well know also; my father commissioned Van Dyck to -purchase them. Would you like me to send them to your house this very -day?" - -"Oh, no!" replied the young girl; "pray keep them yourself, sire; my -house is far too small to accommodate such visitors." - -"In that case you shall have Hampton Court to put the cartoons in." - -"Be less generous, sire, and learn to love a little while longer, that -is all I have to ask you." - -"I shall never cease to love you; is not that enough?" - -"You are smiling, sire." - -"Do you wish me to weep?" - -"No; but I should like to see you a little more melancholy." - -"Thank Heaven, I have been so long enough; fourteen years of exile, -poverty, and misery, I think I may well regard it as a debt discharged; -besides, melancholy makes people look so plain." - -"Far from that--for look at the young Frenchman." - -"What! the Vicomte de Bragelonne? are you smitten too? By Heaven, they -will all grow mad over him one after the other; but he, on the contrary, -has a reason for being melancholy." - -"Why so?" - -"Oh, indeed! you wish me to betray state secrets, do you?" - -"If I wish it, you must do so, for you told me you were quite ready to -do everything I wished." - -"Well, then, he is bored in his own country. Does that satisfy you?" - -"Bored?" - -"Yes, a proof that he is a simpleton; I allow him to fall in love with -Miss Mary Grafton, and he feels bored. Can you believe it?" - -"Very good; it seems, then, that if you were to find Miss Lucy Stewart -indifferent to you, you would console yourself by falling in love with -Miss Mary Grafton." - -"I don't say that; in the first place, you know that Mary Grafton does -not care for me; besides, a man can only console himself for a lost -affection by the discovery of a new one. Again, however, I repeat, the -question is not of myself, but of that young man. One might almost be -tempted to call the girl he has left behind him a Helen--a Helen before -the little ceremony she went through with Paris, of course." - -"He has left some one, then?" - -"That is to say, some one has left _him_." - -"Poor fellow! so much the worse!" - -"Why do you mean by 'so much the worse'?" - -"Why not? why did he leave?" - -"Do you think it was of his own wish or will that he left?" - -"Was he obliged to leave, then?" - -"He left Paris under orders, my dear Stewart; and prepare to be -surprised--by express orders of the king." - -"Ah! I begin to see, now." - -"At least say nothing at all about it." - -"You know very well that I am just as discreet as anybody else. And so -the king sent him away?" - -"Yes." - -"And during his absence he takes his sweetheart from him?" - -"Yes; and, will you believe it? the silly fellow, instead of thanking -the king, is making himself miserable." - -"What! thank the king for depriving him of the woman he loves! Really, -sire, yours is a most ungallant speech." - -"But, pray understand me. If she whom the king had run off with was -either a Miss Grafton or a Miss Stewart, I should not be of his opinion; -nay, I should even think him not half wretched enough; but she is a -little, thin, lame thing. Deuce take such fidelity as that! Surely, one -can hardly understand how a man can refuse a girl who is rich for one -who is poverty itself--a girl who loves him for one who deceives and -betrays him." - -"Do you think that Mary seriously wishes to please the vicomte, sire?" - -"I do, indeed." - -"Very good! the vicomte will settle down in England, for Mary has a -clear head, and when she fixes her mind upon anything, she does so -thoroughly." - -"Take care, my dear Miss Stewart; if the vicomte has any idea of -adopting our country, he has not long to do so, for it was only the day -before yesterday that he again asked me for permission to leave." - -"Which you refused him, I suppose?" - -"I should think so, indeed; my royal brother is far too anxious for his -absence; and, for myself, my _amour propre_ is enlisted on his side, for -I will never have it said that I had held out as a bait to this young -man the noblest and gentlest creature in England--" - -"You are very gallant, sire," said Miss Stewart, with a pretty pout. - -"I do not allude to Miss Stewart, for she is worthy of a king's -devotion; and since she has captivated me I trust that no one else will -be caught by her; I say, therefore, finally, that the attention I have -shown this young man will not have been thrown away; he will stay with -us here, he will marry here, or I am very much mistaken." - -"And I hope that when he is once married and settled, instead of being -angry with your majesty, he will be grateful to you, for every one tries -his utmost to please him; even the Duke of Buckingham, whose brilliancy, -which is incredible, seems to pale before that of this young Frenchman." - -"Including Miss Stewart even, who calls him the most finished gentleman -she ever saw." - -"Stay, sire; you have spoken quite enough, and quite highly enough, of -Miss Grafton, to overlook what I may have said about De Bragelonne. But, -by the by, sire, your kindness for some time past astonishes me: you -think of those who are absent, you forgive those who have done you a -wrong, in fact, you are as nearly as possible, perfect. How does it -happen--" - -"It is because you allow yourself to be loved," he said, beginning to -laugh. - -"Oh! there must be some other reason." - -"Well, I am doing all I can to oblige my brother, Louis XIV." - -"Nay, I must have another reason." - -"Well, then, the true motive is that Buckingham strongly recommended the -young man to me, saying: 'Sire, I begin by yielding up all claim to Miss -Grafton; I pray you follow my example.'" - -"The duke is, indeed, a true gentleman." - -"Oh! of course, of course; it is Buckingham's turn now, I suppose, to -turn your head. You seem determined to cross me in everything to-day." - -At this moment some one rapped at the door. - -"Who is it who presumes to interrupt us?" exclaimed Charles, -impatiently. - -"Really, sire, you are extremely vain with your 'who is it who -presumes?' and in order to punish you for it--" - -She went to the door and opened it. - -"It is a courier from France," said Miss Stewart. - -"A courier from France!" exclaimed Charles; "from my sister, perhaps?" - -"Yes, sire," said the usher, "a special messenger." - -"Let him come in at once," said Charles. - -"You have a letter for me," said the king to the courier as he entered, -"from the Duchess of Orleans?" - -"Yes, sire," replied the courier, "and so urgent in its nature that I -have only been twenty-six hours in bringing it to your majesty, and yet -I lost three-quarters of an hour at Calais." - -"Your zeal shall not be forgotten," said the king, as he opened the -letter. When he had read it he burst out laughing, and exclaimed, "Upon -my word, I am at a loss to understand anything about it." He then read -the letter a second time, Miss Stewart assuming a manner marked by the -greatest reserve, and doing her utmost to restrain her ardent curiosity. - -"Francis," said the king to his valet, "see that this excellent fellow -is well taken care of and sleeps soundly, and that on waking to-morrow -he finds a purse of fifty sovereigns by his bedside." - -"Sire!" said the courier, amazed. - -"Begone, begone; my sister was perfectly right in desiring you to use -the utmost diligence; the affair was most pressing." And he again began -to laugh louder than ever. The courier, the valet, and Miss Stewart -hardly knew what sort of countenance to assume. "Ah!" said the king, -throwing himself back in his armchair: "When I think that you have -knocked up--how many horses?" - -"Two!" - -"Two horses to bring this intelligence to me. That will do, you can -leave us now." - -The courier retired with the valet. Charles went to the window, which he -opened, and leaning forward, called out--"Duke! Buckingham! come here, -there's a good fellow." - -The duke hurried to him, in obedience to the summons; but when he -reached the door, and perceived Miss Stewart, he hesitated to enter. - -"Come in, and shut the door," said the king. The duke obeyed; and, -perceiving in what an excellent humor the king was, he advanced, -smiling, towards him. "Well, my dear duke, how do you get on with your -Frenchman?" - -"Sire, I am in the most perfect state of utter despair about him." - -"Why so?" - -"Because charming Miss Grafton is willing to marry him, but he is -unwilling." - -"Why, he is a perfect Boeotian!" cried Miss Stewart. "Let him say either -'Yes,' or No,' and let the affair end." - -"But," said Buckingham, seriously, "you know, or you ought to know, -madame, that M. de Bragelonne is in love in another direction." - -"In that case," said the king, coming to Miss Stewart's help, "nothing -is easier; let him say 'No,' then." - -"Very true; and I have proved to him he was wrong not to say 'Yes.'" - -"You told him candidly, I suppose, that La Valliere was deceiving him?" - -"Yes, without the slightest reserve; and, as soon as I had done so, he -gave a start, as if he were going to clear the Channel at a bound." - -"At all events," said Miss Stewart, "he has done something; and a very -good thing too, upon my word." - -"But," said Buckingham, "I stopped him; I have left him and Miss Mary in -conversation together, and I sincerely trust that now he will not leave, -as he seemed to have an idea of doing." - -"An idea of leaving England?" cried the king. - -"I, at one moment, hardly thought that any human power could have -prevented him; but Miss Mary's eyes are now bent fully on him, and he -will remain." - -"Well, that is the very thing which deceives you, Buckingham," said the -king, with a peal of laughter; "the poor fellow is predestined." - -"Predestined to what?" - -"If it were to be simply deceived, that is nothing; but, to look at him, -it is a great deal." - -"At a distance, and with Miss Grafton's aid, the blow will be warded -off." - -"Far from it, far from it; neither distance nor Miss Grafton's help will -be of the slightest avail. Bragelonne will set off for Paris within an -hour's time." - -Buckingham started, and Miss Stewart opened her eyes very wide in -astonishment. - -"But, sire," said the duke, "your majesty knows that it is impossible." - -"That is to say, my dear Buckingham, that it is impossible until it -happens." - -"Do not forget, sire, that the young man is a perfect lion, and that his -wrath is terrible." - -"I don't deny it, my dear duke." - -"And that if he sees that his misfortune is certain, so much the worse -for the author of it." - -"I don't deny it; but what the deuce am I to do?" - -"Were it the king himself," cried Buckingham, "I would not answer for -him." - -"Oh, the king has his musketeers to take care of him," said Charles, -quietly; "I know that perfectly well, for I was kept dancing attendance -in his ante-chamber at Blois. He has M. d'Artagnan, and what better -guardian could the king have than M. d'Artagnan? I should make myself -perfectly easy with twenty storms of passion, such as Bragelonne might -display, if I had four guardians like D'Artagnan." - -"But I entreat your majesty, who is so good and kind, to reflect a -little." - -"Stay," said Charles II., presenting the letter to the duke, "read, and -answer yourself what you would do in my place." - -Buckingham slowly took hold of Madame's letter, and trembling with -emotion, read the following words: - -"For your own sake, for mine, for the honor and safety of every one, -send M. de Bragelonne back to France immediately. Your devoted sister, -HENRIETTA." - -"Well, Villiers, what do you say?" - -"Really, sire, I have nothing to say," replied the duke, stupefied. - -"Nay, would you, of all persons," said the king, artfully, "advise me -not to listen to my sister when she writes so urgently?" - -"Oh, no, no, sire; and yet--" - -"You have not read the postscript, Villiers; it is under the fold of the -letter, and escaped me at first; read it." And as the duke turned down a -fold of the letter, he read: - -"A thousand kind remembrances to those who love me." - -The duke's head sank gradually on his breast; the paper trembled in -his fingers, as if it had been changed to lead. The king paused for a -moment, and, seeing that Buckingham did not speak, "He must follow his -destiny, as we ours," continued the king; "every man has his own share -of grief in this world; I have had my own,--I have had that of -others who belong to me,--and have thus had a double weight of woe to -endure!--But the deuce take all my cares now! Go, and bring our friend -here, Villiers." - -The duke opened the trellised door of the summer-house, and pointing at -Raoul and Mary, who were walking together side by side, said, "What a -cruel blow, sire, for poor Miss Grafton!" - -"Nonsense; call him," said Charles II., knitting his black brows -together; "every one seems to be sentimental here. There, look at Miss -Stewart, who is wiping her eyes,--now deuce take the French fellow!" - -The duke called to Raoul, and taking Miss Grafton by the hand, he led -her towards the king. - -"Monsieur de Bragelonne," said Charles II., "did you not ask me the day -before yesterday for permission to return to Paris?" - -"Yes, sire," replied Raoul, greatly puzzled by this address. - -"And I refused you, I think?" - -"Yes, sire." - -"For which you were angry with me?" - -"No, sire; your majesty had no doubt excellent reasons for withholding -it; for you are so wise and so good that everything you do is well -done." - -"I alleged, I believe, as a reason, that the king of France had not -recalled you?" - -"Yes, sire, that was the reason you assigned." - -"Well, M. de Bragelonne, I have reflected over the matter since; if -the king did not, in fact, fix your return, he begged me to render your -sojourn in England as agreeable as possible; since, however, you ask my -permission to return, it is because your longer residence in England is -no longer agreeable to you." - -"I do not say that, sire." - -"No, but your request, at least," said the king, "signified that another -place of residence would be more agreeable to you than this." - -At this moment Raoul turned towards the door, against which Miss Grafton -was leaning, pale and sorrow-stricken; her other hand was passed through -the duke's arm. - -"You do not reply," pursued Charles; "the proverb is plain enough, that -'silence gives consent.' Very good, Monsieur de Bragelonne; I am now in -a position to satisfy you; whenever you please, therefore, you can leave -for Paris, for which you have my authority." - -"Sire!" exclaimed Raoul, while Mary stifled an exclamation of grief -which rose to her lips, unconsciously pressing Buckingham's arm. - -"You can be at Dover this evening," continued the king, "the tide serves -at two o'clock in the morning." - -Raoul, astounded, stammered out a few broken sentences, which equally -answered the purpose both of thanks and of excuse. - -"I therefore bid you adieu, Monsieur de Bragelonne, and wish you every -sort of prosperity," said the king, rising; "you will confer a pleasure -on me by keeping this diamond in remembrance of me; I had intended it as -a marriage gift." - -Miss Grafton felt her limbs almost giving way; and, as Raoul received -the ring from the king's hand, he, too, felt his strength and courage -failing him. He addressed a few respectful words to the king, a passing -compliment to Miss Stewart, and looked for Buckingham to bid him adieu. -The king profited by this moment to disappear. Raoul found the duke -engaged in endeavoring to encourage Miss Grafton. - -"Tell him to remain, I implore you!" said Buckingham to Mary. - -"No, I will tell him to go," replied Miss Grafton, with returning -animation; "I am not one of those women who have more pride than heart; -if she whom he loves is in France, let him return thither and bless me -for having advised him to go and seek his happiness there. If, on the -contrary, she shall have ceased to love him, let him come back here -again; I shall still love him, and his unhappiness will not have -lessened him in my regard. In the arms of my house you will find that -which Heaven has engraven on my heart--_Habenti parum, egenti cuncta_. -'To the rich is accorded little, to the poor everything.'" - -"I do not believe, Bragelonne, that you will find yonder the equivalent -of what you leave behind you here." - -"I think, or at least hope," said Raoul, with a gloomy air, "that she -whom I love is worthy of my affection; but if it be true she is unworthy -of me, as you have endeavored to make me believe, I will tear her image -from my heart, duke, even if my heart breaks in the attempt." - -Mary Grafton gazed upon him with an expression of the most indefinable -pity, and Raoul returned her look with a sweet, sorrowful smile, saying, -"Mademoiselle, the diamond which the king has given me was destined -for you,--give me leave to offer it for your acceptance: if I marry in -France, you will send it me back; if I do not marry, keep it." And he -bowed and left her. - -"What does he mean?" thought Buckingham, while Raoul pressed Mary's icy -hand with marks of the most reverential respect. - -Mary understood the look that Buckingham fixed upon her. - -"If it were a wedding-ring, I would not accept it," she said. - -"And yet you were willing to ask him to return to you." - -"Oh! duke," cried the young girl in heart-broken accents, "a woman such -as I am is never accepted as a consolation by a man like him." - -"You do not think he will return, then?" - -"Never," said Miss Grafton, in a choking voice. - -"And I grieve to tell you, Mary, that he will find yonder his happiness -destroyed, his mistress lost to him. His honor even has not escaped. -What will be left him, then, Mary, equal to your affection? Answer, -Mary, you who know yourself so well." - -Miss Grafton placed her white hand on Buckingham's arm, and, while Raoul -was hurrying away with headlong speed, she repeated in dying accents the -line from Romeo and Juliet: - -"_I must be gone and live, or stay and die_." - -As she finished the last word, Raoul disappeared. Miss Grafton returned -to her own apartments, paler than death. Buckingham availed himself of -the arrival of the courier, who had brought the letter to the king, -to write to Madame and to the Comte de Guiche. The king had not been -mistaken, for at two in the morning the tide was at full flood, and -Raoul had embarked for France. - - - -Chapter XXXIX. Saint-Aignan Follows Malicorne's Advice. - -The king most assiduously followed the progress which was made in La -Valliere's portrait; and did so with a care and attention arising as -much from a desire that it should resemble her as from the wish that the -painter should prolong the period of its completion as much as possible. -It was amusing to observe him follow the artist's brush, awaiting the -completion of a particular plan, or the result of a combination of -colors, and suggesting various modifications to the painter, which the -latter consented to adopt with the most respectful docility. And again, -when the artist, following Malicorne's advice, was a little late in -arriving, and when Saint-Aignan had been obliged to be absent for some -time, it was interesting to observe, though no one witnessed them, those -moments of silence full of deep expression, which united in one sigh -two souls most disposed to understand each other, and who by no means -objected to the quiet meditation they enjoyed together. The minutes flew -rapidly by, as if on wings, and as the king drew closer to Louise -and bent his burning gaze upon her, a noise was suddenly heard in the -ante-room. It was the artist, who had just arrived; Saint-Aignan, too, -had returned, full of apologies; and the king began to talk and -La Valliere to answer him very hurriedly, their eyes revealing to -Saint-Aignan that they had enjoyed a century of happiness during his -absence. In a word, Malicorne, philosopher that he was, though he knew -it not, had learned how to inspire the king with an appetite in the -midst of plenty, and with desire in the assurance of possession. La -Valliere's fears of interruption had never been realized, and no one -imagined she was absent from her apartment two or three hours every day; -she pretended that her health was very uncertain; those who went to her -room always knocked before entering, and Malicorne, the man of so many -ingenious inventions, had constructed an acoustic piece of mechanism, by -means of which La Valliere, when in Saint-Aignan's apartment, was -always forewarned of any visits which were paid to the room she usually -inhabited. In this manner, therefore, without leaving her room, and -having no _confidante_, she was able to return to her apartment, thus -removing by her appearance, a little tardy perhaps, the suspicions of -the most determined skeptics. Malicorne having asked Saint-Aignan the -next morning what news he had to report, the latter was obliged to -confess that the quarter of an hour's liberty had made the king in most -excellent humor. "We must double the dose," replied Malicorne, "but by -insensible degrees; wait until they seem to wish it." - -They were so desirous for it, however, that on the evening of the fourth -day, at the moment when the painter was packing up his implements, -during Saint-Aignan's continued absence, Saint-Aignan on his return -noticed upon La Valliere's face a shade of disappointment and vexation, -which she could not conceal. The king was less reserved, and exhibited -his annoyance by a very significant shrug of the shoulders, at which La -Valliere could not help blushing. "Very good!" thought Saint-Aignan to -himself; "M. Malicorne will be delighted this evening;" as he, in fact, -was, when it was reported to him. - -"It is very evident," he remarked to the comte, "that Mademoiselle de la -Valliere hoped that you would be at least ten minutes later." - -"And the king that I should be half an hour later, dear Monsieur -Malicorne." - -"You would show but very indifferent devotion to the king," replied -the latter, "if you were to refuse his majesty that half-hour's -satisfaction." - -"But the painter," objected Saint-Aignan. - -"_I_ will take care of him," said Malicorne, "only I must study faces -and circumstances a little better before I act; those are my magical -inventions and contrivances; and while sorcerers are enabled by means of -their astrolabe to take the altitude of the sun, moon, and stars, I -am satisfied merely by looking into people's faces, in order to see if -their eyes are encircled with dark lines, and if the mouth describes a -convex or concave arc." - -And the cunning Malicorne had every opportunity of watching narrowly -and closely, for the very same evening the king accompanied the queen -to Madame's apartments, and made himself so remarked by his serious face -and his deep sigh, and looked at La Valliere with such a languishing -expression, that Malicorne said to Montalais during the evening: -"To-morrow." And he went off to the painter's house in the street of -the Jardins Saint-Paul to request him to postpone the next sitting for -a couple of days. Saint-Aignan was not within, when La Valliere, who -was now quite familiar with the lower story, lifted up the trap-door and -descended. The king, as usual was waiting for her on the staircase, -and held a bouquet in his hand; as soon as he saw her, he clasped her -tenderly in his arms. La Valliere, much moved at the action, looked -around the room, but as she saw the king was alone, she did not complain -of it. They sat down, the king reclining near the cushions on which -Louise was seated, with his head supported by her knees, placed there as -in an asylum whence no one could banish him; he gazed ardently upon her, -and as if the moment had arrived when nothing could interpose between -their two hearts; she, too, gazed with similar passion upon him, and -from her eyes, so softly pure, emanated a flame, whose rays first -kindled and then inflamed the heart of the king, who, trembling with -happiness as Louise's hand rested on his head, grew giddy from excess -of joy, and momentarily awaited either the painter's or Saint-Aignan's -return to break the sweet illusion. But the door remained closed, and -neither Saint-Aignan nor the painter appeared, nor did the hangings even -move. A deep mysterious silence reigned in the room--a silence which -seemed to influence even the song-birds in their gilded prisons. The -king, completely overcome, turned round his head and buried his burning -lips in La Valliere's hands, who, herself faint, with excess of emotion, -pressed her trembling hands against her lover's lips. Louis threw -himself upon his knees, and as La Valliere did not move her head, the -king's forehead being within reach of her lips, she furtively passed -her lips across the perfumed locks which caressed her cheeks. The king -seized her in his arms, and, unable to resist the temptation, they -exchanged their first kiss, that burning kiss, which changes love into -delirium. Suddenly, a noise upon the upper floor was heard, which had, -in fact, continued, though it had remained unnoticed, for some time; it -had at last aroused La Valliere's attention, though but slowly so. As -the noise, however, continued, as it forced itself upon the attention, -and recalled the poor girl from her dreams of happiness to the sad -realities of life, she rose in a state of utter bewilderment, though -beautiful in her disorder, saying: - -"Some one is waiting for me above. Louis, Louis, do you not hear?" - -"Well! and am I not waiting for you, also?" said the king, with infinite -tenderness of tone. "Let others henceforth wait for you." - -But she gently shook her head, as she replied: "Happiness hidden... -power concealed... my pride should be as silent as my heart." - -The noise was again resumed. - -"I hear Montalais's voice," she said, and she hurried up the staircase; -the king followed her, unable to let her leave his sight, and covering -her hand with his kisses. "Yes, yes," repeated La Valliere, who had -passed half-way through the opening. "Yes, it is Montalais who is -calling me; something important must have happened." - -"Go then, dearest love," said the king, "but return quickly." - -"No, no, not to-day, sire! Adieu! adieu!" she said, as she stooped down -once more to embrace her lover--and escaped. Montalais was, in fact, -waiting for her, very pale and agitated. - -"Quick, quick! _he_ is coming," she said. - -"Who--who is coming?" - -"Raoul," murmured Montalais. - -"It is I--I," said a joyous voice, upon the last steps of the grand -staircase. - -La Valliere uttered a terrible shriek and threw herself back. - -"I am here, dear Louise," said Raoul, running towards her. "I knew but -too well that you had not ceased to love me." - -La Valliere with a gesture, partly of extreme terror, and partly as if -invoking a blessing, attempted to speak, but could not articulate one -word. "No, no!" she said, as she fell into Montalais's arms, murmuring, -"Do not touch me, do not come near me." - -Montalais made a sign to Raoul, who stood almost petrified at the door, -and did not even attempt to advance another step into the room. -Then, looking towards the side of the room where the screen was, she -exclaimed: "Imprudent girl, she has not even closed the trap-door." - -And she advanced towards the corner of the room to close the screen, and -also, behind the screen, the trap-door. But suddenly the king, who had -heard Louise's exclamation, darted through the opening, and hurried -forward to her assistance. He threw himself on his knees before her, as -he overwhelmed Montalais with questions, who hardly knew where she was. -At the moment, however, when the king threw himself on his knees, a cry -of utter despair rang through the corridor, accompanied by the sound of -retreating footsteps. The king wished to see who had uttered the cry and -whose were the footsteps he had heard; and it was in vain that Montalais -sought to retain him, for Louis, quitting his hold of La Valliere, -hurried towards the door, too late, however, for Raoul was already at a -distance, and the king only beheld a shadow that quickly vanished in the -silent corridor. [8] - - - -Chapter XL: Two Old Friends. - -Whilst every one at court was busily engaged with his own affairs, a man -mysteriously took up his post behind the Place de Greve, in the -house which we once saw besieged by D'Artagnan on the occasion of the -_emeute_. The principal entrance of the house was in the Place Baudoyer; -it was tolerably large, surrounded by gardens, inclosed in the Rue -Saint-Jean by the shops of toolmakers, which protected it from prying -looks, and was walled in by a triple rampart of stone, noise, and -verdure, like an embalmed mummy in its triple coffin. The man we have -just alluded to walked along with a firm step, although he was no longer -in his early prime. His dark cloak and long sword plainly revealed -one who seemed in search of adventures; and, judging from his curling -mustache, his fine smooth skin, which could be seen beneath his -_sombrero_, it would not have been difficult to pronounce that gallantry -had not a little share in his adventures. In fact, hardly had the -cavalier entered the house, when the clock struck eight; and ten minutes -afterwards a lady, followed by a servant armed to the teeth, approached -and knocked at the same door, which an old woman immediately opened for -her. The lady raised her veil as she entered; though no longer beautiful -or young, she was still active and of an imposing carriage. She -concealed, beneath a rich toilette and the most exquisite taste, an age -which Ninon de l'Enclos alone could have smiled at with impunity. Hardly -had she reached the vestibule, when the cavalier, whose features we have -only roughly sketched, advanced towards her, holding out his hand. - -"Good day, my dear duchesse," he said. - -"How do you do, my dear Aramis?" replied the duchesse. - -He led her to a most elegantly furnished apartment, on whose high -windows were reflected the expiring rays of the setting sun, which -filtered gaudily through the dark green needles of the adjacent firs. -They sat down side by side. Neither of them thought of asking for -additional light in the room, and they buried themselves as it were in -the shadow, as if they wished to bury themselves in forgetfulness. - -"Chevalier," said the duchesse, "you have never given me a single sign -of life since our interview at Fontainebleau, and I confess that your -presence there on the day of the Franciscan's death, and your initiation -in certain secrets, caused me the liveliest astonishment I ever -experienced in my whole life." - -"I can explain my presence there to you, as well as my initiation," said -Aramis. - -"But let us, first of all," said the duchess, "talk a little of -ourselves, for our friendship is by no means of recent date." - -"Yes, madame: and if Heaven wills it, we shall continue to be friends, I -will not say for a long time, but forever." - -"That is quite certain, chevalier, and my visit is a proof of it." - -"Our interests, duchess, are no longer the same as they used to be," -said Aramis, smiling without apprehension in the growing gloom by which -the room was overcast, for it could not reveal that his smile was less -agreeable and not so bright as formerly. - -"No, chevalier, at the present day we have other interests. Every -period of life brings its own; and, as we now understand each other in -conversing, as perfectly as we formerly did without saying a word, let -us talk, if you like." - -"I am at your orders, duchesse. Ah! I beg your pardon, how did you -obtain my address, and what was your object?" - -"You ask me why? I have told you. Curiosity in the first place. I wished -to know what you could have to do with the Franciscan, with whom I had -certain business transactions, and who died so singularly. You know that -on the occasion of our interview at Fontainebleau, in the cemetery, at -the foot of the grave so recently closed, we were both so much overcome -by our emotions that we omitted to confide to each other what we may -have to say." - -"Yes, madame." - -"Well, then, I had no sooner left you than I repented, and have ever -since been most anxious to ascertain the truth. You know that Madame de -Longueville and myself are almost one, I suppose?" - -"I was not aware," said Aramis, discreetly. - -"I remembered, therefore," continued the duchesse, "that neither of us -said anything to the other in the cemetery; that you did not speak of -the relationship in which you stood to the Franciscan, whose burial you -superintended, and that I did not refer to the position in which I -stood to him; all which seemed very unworthy of two such old friends as -ourselves, and I have sought an opportunity of an interview with you in -order to give you some information that I have recently acquired, and to -assure you that Marie Michon, now no more, has left behind her one who -has preserved her recollection of events." - -Aramis bowed over the duchess's hand, and pressed his lips upon it. "You -must have had some trouble to find me again," he said. - -"Yes," she answered, annoyed to find the subject taking a turn which -Aramis wished to give it; "but I knew you were a friend of M. Fouquet's, -and so I inquired in that direction." - -"A friend! oh!" exclaimed the chevalier, "I can hardly pretend to be -_that_. A poor priest who has been favored by a generous protector, and -whose heart is full of gratitude and devotion, is all that I pretend to -be to M. Fouquet." - -"He made you a bishop?" - -"Yes, duchesse." - -"A very good retiring pension for so handsome a musketeer." - -"Yes; in the same way that political intrigue is for yourself," thought -Aramis. "And so," he added, "you inquired after me at M. Fouquet's?" - -"Easily enough. You had been to Fontainebleau with him, and had -undertaken a voyage to your diocese, which is Belle-Ile-en-Mer, I -believe." - -"No, madame," said Aramis. "My diocese is Vannes." - -"I meant that. I only thought that Belle-Ile-en-Mer--" - -"Is a property belonging to M. Fouquet, nothing more." - -"Ah! I had been told that Belle-Isle was fortified; besides, I know how -great the military knowledge is you possess." - -"I have forgotten everything of the kind since I entered the Church," -said Aramis, annoyed. - -"Suffice it to know that I learned you had returned from Vannes, and -I sent off to one of our friends, M. le Comte de la Fere, who is -discretion itself, in order to ascertain it, but he answered that he was -not aware of your address." - -"So like Athos," thought the bishop; "the really good man never -changes." - -"Well, then, you know that I cannot venture to show myself here, and -that the queen-mother has always some grievance or other against me." - -"Yes, indeed, and I am surprised at it." - -"Oh! there are various reasons for it. But, to continue, being obliged -to conceal myself, I was fortunate enough to meet with M. d'Artagnan, -who was formerly one of your old friends, I believe?" - -"A friend of mine still, duchesse." - -"He gave me certain information, and sent me to M. Baisemeaux, the -governor of the Bastile." - -Aramis was somewhat agitated at this remark, and a light flashed from -his eyes in the darkness of the room, which he could not conceal -from his keen-sighted friend. "M. de Baisemeaux!" he said, "why did -D'Artagnan send you to M. de Baisemeaux?" - -"I cannot tell you." - -"What can this possibly mean?" said the bishop, summoning all the -resources of his mind to his aid, in order to carry on the combat in a -befitting manner. - -"M. de Baisemeaux is greatly indebted to you, D'Artagnan told me." - -"True, he is so." - -"And the address of a creditor is as easily ascertained as that of a -debtor." - -"Very true; and so Baisemeaux indicated to you--" - -"Saint-Mande, where I forwarded a letter to you." - -"Which I have in my hand, and which is most precious to me," said -Aramis, "because I am indebted to it for the pleasure of seeing you -here." The duchesse, satisfied at having successfully overcome the -various difficulties of so delicate an explanation, began to breathe -freely again, which Aramis, however, could not succeed in doing. "We had -got as far as your visit to M. Baisemeaux, I believe?" - -"Nay," she said, laughing, "farther than that." - -"In that case we must have been speaking about the grudge you have -against the queen-mother." - -"Further still," she returned, "further still; we were talking of the -connection--" - -"Which existed between you and the Franciscan," said Aramis, -interrupting her eagerly, "well, I am listening to you very -attentively." - -"It is easily explained," returned the duchesse. "You know that I am -living at Brussels with M. de Laicques?" - -"I heard so." - -"You know that my children have ruined and stripped me of everything." - -"How terrible, dear duchesse." - -"Terrible indeed; this obliged me to resort to some means of obtaining a -livelihood, and, particularly, to avoid vegetating for the remainder of -my existence. I had old hatreds to turn to account, old friendships to -make use of; I no longer had either credit or protectors." - -"_You_, who had extended protection towards so many persons," said -Aramis, softly. - -"It is always the case, chevalier. Well, at the present time I am in the -habit of seeing the king of Spain very frequently." - -"Ah!" - -"Who has just nominated a general of the Jesuits, according to the usual -custom." - -"Is it usual, indeed?" - -"Were you not aware of it?" - -"I beg your pardon; I was inattentive." - -"You must be aware of that--you who were on such good terms with the -Franciscan." - -"With the general of the Jesuits, you mean?" - -"Exactly. Well, then, I have seen the king of Spain, who wished to do -me a service, but was unable. He gave me recommendations, however, to -Flanders, both for myself and for Laicques too; and conferred a pension -on me out of the funds belonging to the order." - -"Of Jesuits?" - -"Yes. The general--I mean the Franciscan--was sent to me; and, for the -purpose of conforming with the requisitions of the statues of the order, -and of entitling me to the pension, I was reputed to be in a position to -render certain services. You are aware that that is the rule?" - -"No, I did not know it," said Aramis. - -Madame de Chevreuse paused to look at Aramis, but it was perfectly dark. -"Well, such is the rule, however," she resumed. "I had, therefore, to -appear to possess a power of usefulness of some kind or other, and -I proposed to travel for the order, and I was placed on the list of -affiliated travelers. You understand it was a formality, by means of -which I received my pension, which was very convenient for me." - -"Good heavens! duchesse, what you tell me is like a dagger-thrust. _You_ -obliged to receive a pension from the Jesuits?" - -"No, chevalier! from Spain." - -"Except for a conscientious scruple, duchesse, you will admit that it is -pretty nearly the same thing." - -"No, not at all." - -"But surely of your magnificent fortune there must remain--" - -"Dampierre is all that remains." - -"And that is handsome enough." - -"Yes; but Dampierre is burdened, mortgaged, and almost fallen to ruin, -like its owner." - -"And can the queen-mother know and see all that, without shedding a -tear?" said Aramis, with a penetrating look, which encountered nothing -but darkness. - -"Yes. She has forgotten everything." - -"You, I believe, attempted to get restored to favor?" - -"Yes; but, most singularly, the young king inherits the antipathy his -dear father had for me. You will, perhaps, tell me that I am indeed a -woman to be hated, and that I am no longer one who can be loved." - -"Dear duchesse, pray come quickly to the cause that brought you here; -for I think we can be of service to each other." - -"Such has been my own thought. I came to Fontainebleau with a double -object in view. In the first place, I was summoned there by the -Franciscan whom you knew. By the by, how did you know him?--for I have -told you my story, and have not yet heard yours." - -"I knew him in a very natural way, duchesse. I studied theology with him -at Parma. We became fast friends; and it happened, from time to time, -that business, or travel, or war, separated us from each other." - -"You were, of course, aware that he was the general of the Jesuits?" - -"I suspected it." - -"But by what extraordinary chance did it happen that you were at the -hotel when the affiliated travelers met together?" - -"Oh!" said Aramis, in a calm voice, "it was the merest chance in the -world. I was going to Fontainebleau to see M. Fouquet, for the purpose -of obtaining an audience of the king. I was passing by, unknown; I saw -the poor dying monk in the road, and recognized him immediately. You -know the rest--he died in my arms." - -"Yes; but bequeathing to you so vast a power that you issue your -sovereign orders and directions like a monarch." - -"He certainly did leave me a few commissions to settle." - -"And what for me?" - -"I have told you--a sum of twelve thousand livres was to be paid to -you. I thought I had given you the necessary signature to enable you to -receive it. Did you not get the money?" - -"Oh! yes, yes. You give your orders, I am informed, with so much -mystery, and such a majestic presence, that it is generally believed you -are the successor of the defunct chief." - -Aramis colored impatiently, and the duchesse continued: "I have obtained -my information," she said, "from the king of Spain himself; and he -cleared up some of my doubts on the point. Every general of the Jesuits -is nominated by him, and must be a Spaniard, according to the statutes -of the order. You are not a Spaniard, nor have you been nominated by the -king of Spain." - -Aramis did not reply to this remark, except to say, "You see, duchesse, -how greatly you were mistaken, since the king of Spain told you that." - -"Yes, my dear Aramis; but there was something else which I have been -thinking of." - -"What is that?" - -"You know, I believe, something about most things, and it occurred to me -that you know the Spanish language." - -"Every Frenchman who has been actively engaged in the Fronde knows -Spanish." - -"You have lived in Flanders?" - -"Three years." - -"And have stayed at Madrid?" - -"Fifteen months." - -"You are in a position, then, to become a naturalized Spaniard, when you -like." - -"Really?" said Aramis, with a frankness which deceived the duchesse. - -"Undoubtedly. Two years' residence and an acquaintance with the language -are indispensable. You have upwards of four years--more than double the -time necessary." - -"What are you driving at, duchesse?" - -"At this--I am on good terms with the king of Spain." - -"And I am not on bad terms," thought Aramis to himself. - -"Shall I ask the king," continued the duchesse, "to confer the -succession to the Franciscan's post upon you?" - -"Oh, duchesse!" - -"You have it already, perhaps?" she said. - -"No, upon my honor." - -"Very well, then, I can render you that service." - -"Why did you not render the same service to M. de Laicques, duchesse? He -is a very talented man, and one you love, besides." - -"Yes, no doubt; but, at all events, putting Laicques aside, will you -have it?" - -"No, I thank you, duchesse." - -She paused. "He is nominated," she thought; and then resumed aloud, -"If you refuse me in this manner, it is not very encouraging for me, -supposing I should have something to ask of you." - -"Oh! ask, pray, ask." - -"Ask! I cannot do so, if you have not the power to grant what I want." - -"However limited my power and ability, ask all the same." - -"I need a sum of money, to restore Dampierre." - -"Ah!" replied Aramis, coldly--"money? Well, duchesse, how much would you -require?" - -"Oh! a tolerably round sum." - -"So much the worse--you know I am not rich." - -"No, no; but the order is--and if you had been the general--" - -"You know I am not the general, I think." - -"In that case, you have a friend who must be very wealthy--M. Fouquet." - -"M. Fouquet! He is more than half ruined, madame." - -"So it is said, but I did not believe it." - -"Why, duchesse?" - -"Because I have, or rather Laicques has, certain letters in his -possession from Cardinal Mazarin, which establish the existence of very -strange accounts." - -"What accounts?" - -"Relative to various sums of money borrowed and disposed of. I cannot -very distinctly remember what they are; but they establish the fact -that the superintendent, according to these letters, which are signed by -Mazarin, had taken thirteen millions of francs from the coffers of the -state. The case is a very serious one." - -Aramis clenched his hands in anxiety and apprehension. "Is it possible," -he said, "that you have such letters as you speak of, and have not -communicated them to M. Fouquet?" - -"Ah!" replied the duchesse, "I keep such trifling matters as these in -reserve. The day may come when they will be of service; and they can be -withdrawn from the safe custody in which they now remain." - -"And that day has arrived?" said Aramis. - -"Yes." - -"And you are going to show those letters to M. Fouquet?" - -"I prefer to talk about them with you, instead." - -"You must be in sad want of money, my poor friend, to think of such -things as these--you, too, who held M. de Mazarin's prose effusions in -such indifferent esteem." - -"The fact is, I am in want of money." - -"And then," continued Aramis, in cold accents, "it must have been very -distressing to you to be obliged to have recourse to such a means. It is -cruel." - -"Oh! if had wished to do harm instead of good," said Madame de -Chevreuse, "instead of asking the general of the order, or M. Fouquet, -for the five hundred thousand francs I require, I--" - -"_Five hundred thousand francs!_" - -"Yes; no more. Do you think it much? I require at least as much as that -to restore Dampierre." - -"Yes, madame." - -"I say, therefore, that instead of asking for this amount, I should -have gone to see my old friend the queen-mother; the letters from her -husband, Signor Mazarini, would have served me as an introduction, and -I should have begged this mere trifle of her, saying to her, 'I wish, -madame, to have the honor of receiving you at Dampierre. Permit me to -put Dampierre in a fit state for that purpose.'" - -Aramis did not return a single word. "Well," she said, "what are you -thinking about?" - -"I am making certain additions," said Aramis. - -"And M. Fouquet subtractions. I, on the other hand, am trying my hand at -the art of multiplication. What excellent calculators we all three are! -How well we might understand one another!" - -"Will you allow me to reflect?" said Aramis. - -"No, for with such an opening between people like ourselves, 'yes' or -'no' is the only answer, and that an immediate one." - -"It is a snare," thought the bishop; "it is impossible that Anne of -Austria would listen to such a woman as this." - -"Well?" said the duchesse. - -"Well, madame, I should be very much astonished if M. Fouquet had five -hundred thousand francs at his disposal at the present moment." - -"It is no use speaking of it, then," said the duchesse, "and Dampierre -must get restored how best it may." - -"Oh! you are not embarrassed to such an extent as that, I suppose." - -"No; I am never embarrassed." - -"And the queen," continued the bishop, "will certainly do for you what -the superintendent is unable to do?" - -"Oh! certainly. But tell me, do you think it would be better that I -should speak, myself, to M. Fouquet about these letters?" - -"Nay, duchesse, you will do precisely whatever you please in that -respect. M. Fouquet either feels or does not feel himself to be guilty; -if he really be so, I know he is proud enough not to confess it; if he -be not so, he will be exceedingly offended at your menace." - -"As usual, you reason like an angel," said the duchesse, as she rose -from her seat. - -"And so, you are now going to denounce M. Fouquet to the queen," said -Aramis. - -"'Denounce!' Oh! what a disagreeable word. I shall not 'denounce' my -dear friend; you know matters of policy too well to be ignorant how -easily these affairs are arranged. I shall merely side against M. -Fouquet, and nothing more; and, in a war of party against party, a -weapon is always a weapon." - -"No doubt." - -"And once on friendly terms again with the queen-mother, I may be -dangerous towards some persons." - -"You are at liberty to prove so, duchesse." - -"A liberty of which I shall avail myself." - -"You are not ignorant, I suppose, duchesse, that M. Fouquet is on the -best terms with the king of Spain." - -"I suppose so." - -"If, therefore, you begin a party warfare against M. Fouquet, he will -reply in the same way; for he, too, is at perfect liberty to do so, is -he not?" - -"Oh! certainly." - -"And as he is on good terms with Spain, he will make use of that -friendship as a weapon of attack." - -"You mean, that he is, naturally, on good terms with the general of the -order of the Jesuits, my dear Aramis." - -"That may be the case, duchesse." - -"And that, consequently, the pension I have been receiving from the -order will be stopped." - -"I am greatly afraid it might be." - -"Well; I must contrive to console myself in the best way I can; for -after Richelieu, after the Fronde, after exile, what is there left for -Madame de Chevreuse to be afraid of?" - -"The pension, you are aware, is forty-eight thousand francs." - -"Alas! I am quite aware of it." - -"Moreover, in party contests, you know, the friends of one's enemy do -not escape." - -"Ah! you mean that poor Laicques will have to suffer." - -"I am afraid it is almost inevitable, duchesse." - -"Oh! he only receives twelve thousand francs pension." - -"Yes, but the king of Spain has some influence left; advised by M. -Fouquet, he might get M. Laicques shut up in prison for a little while." - -"I am not very nervous on that point, my dear friend; because, once -reconciled with Anne of Austria, I will undertake that France would -insist upon M. Laicques's liberation." - -"True. In that case, you will have something else to apprehend." - -"What can that be?" said the duchesse, pretending to be surprised and -terrified. - -"You will learn; indeed, you must know it already, that having once been -an affiliated member of the order, it is not easy to leave it; for the -secrets that any particular member may have acquired are unwholesome, -and carry with them the germs of misfortune for whosoever may reveal -them." - -The duchesse paused and reflected for a moment, and then said, "That is -more serious: I will think it over." - -And notwithstanding the profound obscurity, Aramis seemed to feel a -basilisk glance, like a white-hot iron, escape from his friend's eyes, -and plunge into his heart. - -"Let us recapitulate," said Aramis, determined to keep himself on -his guard, and gliding his hand into his breast where he had a dagger -concealed. - -"Exactly, let us recapitulate; short accounts make long friends." - -"The suppression of your pension--" - -"Forty-eight thousand francs, and that of Laicques's twelve, make -together sixty thousand francs; that is what you mean, I suppose?" - -"Precisely; and I was trying to find out what would be your equivalent -for that." - -"Five hundred thousand francs, which I shall get from the queen." - -"Or, which you will _not_ get." - -"I know a means of procuring them," said the duchesse, thoughtlessly. - -This remark made the chevalier prick up his ears; and from the moment -his adversary had committed this error, his mind was so thoroughly on -its guard, that he seemed every moment to gain the advantage more and -more; and she, consequently, to lose it. "I will admit, for argument's -sake, that you obtain the money," he resumed; "you will lose twice as -much, having a hundred thousand francs' pension to receive instead of -sixty thousand, and that for a period of ten years." - -"Not so, for I shall only be subjected to this reduction of my income -during the period of M. Fouquet's remaining in power, a period which I -estimate at two months." - -"Ah!" said Aramis. - -"I am frank, you see." - -"I thank you for it, duchesse; but you would be wrong to suppose that -after M. Fouquet's disgrace the order would resume the payment of your -pension." - -"I know a means of making the order pay, as I know a means of forcing -the queen-mother to concede what I require." - -"In that case, duchesse, we are all obliged to strike our flags to you. -The victory is yours, and the triumph also. Be clement, I entreat you." - -"But is it possible," resumed the duchesse, without taking notice of the -irony, "that you really draw back from a miserable sum of five hundred -thousand francs, when it is a question of sparing you--I mean your -friend--I beg your pardon, I ought rather to say your protector--the -disagreeable consequences which a party contest produces?" - -"Duchesse, I tell you why; supposing the five hundred thousand francs -were to be given you, M. Laicques will require his share, which will be -another five hundred thousand francs, I presume? and then, after M. de -Laicques's and your own portions have been arranged, the portions which -your children, your poor pensioners, and various other persons will -require, will start up as fresh claims, and these letters, however -compromising they may be in their nature, are not worth from three -to four millions. Can you have forgotten the queen of France's -diamonds?--they were surely worth more than these bits of waste paper -signed by Mazarin, and yet their recovery did not cost a fourth part of -what you ask for yourself." - -"Yes, that is true; but the merchant values his goods at his own price, -and it is for the purchaser to buy or refuse." - -"Stay a moment, duchesse; would you like me to tell you why I will not -buy your letters?" - -"Pray tell me." - -"Because the letters you claim to be Mazarin's are false." - -"What an absurdity." - -"I have no doubt of it, for it would, to say the least, be very -singular, that after you had quarreled with the queen through M. -Mazarin's means, you should have kept up any intimate acquaintance with -the latter; it would look as if you had been acting as a spy; and upon -my word, I do not like to make use of the word." - -"Oh! pray do." - -"You great complacence would seem suspicions, at all events." - -"That is quite true; but the contents of the letters are even more so." - -"I pledge you my word, duchesse, that you will not be able to make use -of it with the queen." - -"Oh! yes, indeed; I can make use of everything with the queen." - -"Very good," thought Aramis. "Croak on, old owl--hiss, beldame-viper." - -But the duchesse had said enough, and advanced a few steps towards the -door. Aramis, however, had reserved one exposure which she did _not_ -expect. - -He rang the bell, candles immediately appeared in the adjoining room, -and the bishop found himself completely encircled by lights, which shone -upon the worn, haggard face of the duchesse, revealing every feature -but too clearly. Aramis fixed a long ironical look upon her pale, thin, -withered cheeks--her dim, dull eyes--and upon her lips, which she kept -carefully closed over her discolored scanty teeth. He, however, -had thrown himself into a graceful attitude, with his haughty and -intelligent head thrown back; he smiled so as to reveal teeth still -brilliant and dazzling. The antiquated coquette understood the trick -that had been played her. She was standing immediately before a large -mirror, in which her decrepitude, so carefully concealed, was only made -more manifest. And, thereupon, without even saluting Aramis, who bowed -with the ease and grace of the musketeer of early days, she hurried -away with trembling steps, which her very precipitation only the more -impeded. Aramis sprang across the room, like a zephyr, to lead her to -the door. Madame de Chevreuse made a sign to her servant, who resumed -his musket, and she left the house where such tender friends had not -been able to understand each other only because they had understood each -other too well. - - - -Chapter XLI. Wherein May Be Seen that a Bargain Which Cannot Be Made -with One Person, Can Be Carried Out with Another. - -Aramis had been perfectly correct in his supposition; for hardly had she -left the house in the Place Baudoyer than Madame de Chevreuse proceeded -homeward. She was doubtless afraid of being followed, and by this means -thought she might succeed in throwing those who might be following her -off their guard; but scarcely had she arrived within the door of the -hotel, and hardly had assured herself that no one who could cause her -any uneasiness was on her track, when she opened the door of the garden, -leading into another street, and hurried towards the Rue Croix des -Petits-Champs, where M. Colbert resided. - -We have already said that evening, or rather night, had closed in; it -was a dark, thick night, besides; Paris had once more sunk into its -calm, quiescent state, enshrouding alike within its indulgent mantle the -high-born duchesse carrying out her political intrigue, and the simple -citizen's wife, who, having been detained late by a supper in the city, -was making her way slowly homewards, hanging on the arm of a lover, -by the shortest possible route. Madame de Chevreuse had been too well -accustomed to nocturnal political intrigues to be ignorant that a -minister never denies himself, even at his own private residence, to -any young and beautiful woman who may chance to object to the dust and -confusion of a public office, or to old women, as full of experience -as of years, who dislike the indiscreet echo of official residences. A -valet received the duchesse under the peristyle, and received her, it -must be admitted, with some indifference of manner; he intimated, after -having looked at her face, that it was hardly at such an hour that one -so advanced in years as herself could be permitted to disturb Monsieur -Colbert's important occupations. But Madame de Chevreuse, without -looking or appearing to be annoyed, wrote her name upon a leaf of her -tablets--a name which had but too frequently sounded so disagreeably in -the ears of Louis XIII. and of the great cardinal. She wrote her name in -the large, ill-formed characters of the higher classes of that period, -handed it to the valet, without uttering a word, but with so haughty and -imperious a gesture, that the fellow, well accustomed to judge of people -from their manners and appearance, perceived at once the quality of the -person before him, bowed his head, and ran to M. Colbert's room. The -minister could not control a sudden exclamation as he opened the paper; -and the valet, gathering from it the interest with which his master -regarded the mysterious visitor, returned as fast as he could to beg the -duchesse to follow him. She ascended to the first floor of the beautiful -new house very slowly, rested herself on the landing-place, in order not -to enter the apartment out of breath, and appeared before M. Colbert, -who, with his own hands, held both the folding doors open. The duchesse -paused at the threshold, for the purpose of well studying the character -of the man with whom she was about to converse. At the first glance, -the round, large, heavy head, thick brows, and ill-favored features of -Colbert, who wore, thrust low down on his head, a cap like a priest's -_calotte_, seemed to indicate that but little difficulty was likely -to be met with in her negotiations with him, but also that she was to -expect as little interest in the discussion of particulars; for there -was scarcely any indication that the rough and uncouth nature of the man -was susceptible to the impulses of a refined revenge, or of an exalted -ambition. But when, on closer inspection, the duchesse perceived the -small, piercingly black eyes, the longitudinal wrinkles of his high and -massive forehead, the imperceptible twitching of the lips, on which were -apparent traces of rough good-humor, Madame de Chevreuse altered her -opinion of him, and felt she could say to herself: "I have found the man -I want." - -"What is the subject, madame, which procures me the honor of a visit -from you?" he inquired. - -"The need I have of you, monsieur," returned the duchesse, "as well -as that which you have of me." - -"I am delighted, madame, with the first portion of your sentence; but, -as far as the second portion is concerned--" - -Madame de Chevreuse sat down in the armchair which M. Colbert advanced -towards her. "Monsieur Colbert, you are the intendant of finances, and -are ambitious of becoming the superintendent?" - -"Madame!" - -"Nay, do not deny it; that would only unnecessarily prolong our -conversation, and that is useless." - -"And yet, madame, however well-disposed and inclined to show politeness -I may be towards a lady of your position and merit, nothing will make -me confess that I have ever entertained the idea of supplanting my -superior." - -"I said nothing about supplanting, Monsieur Colbert. Could I -accidentally have made use of that word? I hardly think that likely. -The word 'replace' is less aggressive in its signification, and -more grammatically suitable, as M. de Voiture would say. I presume, -therefore, that you are ambitious of replacing M. Fouquet." - -"M. Fouquet's fortune, madame, enables him to withstand all attempts. -The superintendent in this age plays the part of the Colossus of Rhodes; -the vessels pass beneath him and do not overthrow him." - -"I ought to have availed myself precisely of that very comparison. It -is true, M. Fouquet plays the part of the Colossus of Rhodes; but I -remember to have heard it said by M. Conrart, a member of the academy, I -believe, that when the Colossus of Rhodes fell from its lofty position, -the merchant who had cast it down--a merchant, nothing more, M. -Colbert--loaded four hundred camels with the ruins. A merchant! and that -is considerably less than an intendant of finances." - -"Madame, I can assure you that I shall never overthrow M. Fouquet." - -"Very good, Monsieur Colbert, since you persist in showing so much -sensitiveness with me, as if you were ignorant that I am Madame de -Chevreuse, and also that I am somewhat advanced in years; in other -words, that you have to do with a woman who has had political dealings -with the Cardinal Richelieu, and who has no time to lose; as, I repeat, -you do not hesitate to commit such an imprudence, I shall go and find -others who are more intelligent and more desirous of making their -fortunes." - -"How, madame, how?" - -"You give me a very poor idea of negotiations of the present day. -I assure you that if, in my earlier days, a woman had gone to M. -de Cinq-Mars, who was not, moreover, a man of a very high order of -intellect, and had said to him about the cardinal what I have just said -to you of M. Fouquet, M. de Cinq-Mars would by this time have already -set actively to work." - -"Nay, madame, show a little indulgence, I entreat you." - -"Well, then, do you really consent to replace M. Fouquet?" - -"Certainly, I do, if the king dismisses M. Fouquet." - -"Again, a word too much; it is quite evident that, if you have not yet -succeeded in driving M. Fouquet from his post, it is because you have -not been able to do so. Therefore, I should be the greatest simpleton -possible if, in coming to you, I did not bring the very thing you -require." - -"I am distressed to be obliged to persist, madame," said Colbert, -after a silence which enabled the duchesse to sound the depths of -his dissimulation, "but I must warn you that, for the last six years, -denunciation after denunciation has been made against M. Fouquet, and he -has remained unshaken and unaffected by them." - -"There is a time for everything, Monsieur Colbert; those who were the -authors of those denunciations were not called Madame de Chevreuse, and -they had no proofs equal to the six letters from M. de Mazarin which -establish the offense in question." - -"The offense!" - -"The crime, if you like it better." - -"The crime! committed by M. Fouquet!" - -"Nothing less. It is rather strange, M. Colbert, but your face, which -just now was cold and indifferent, is now positively the very reverse." - -"A crime!" - -"I am delighted to see that it makes an impression upon you." - -"It is because that word, madame, embraces so many things." - -"It embraces the post of superintendent of finance for yourself, and a -letter of exile, or the Bastile, for M. Fouquet." - -"Forgive me, madame la duchesse, but it is almost impossible that M. -Fouquet can be exiled; to be imprisoned or disgraced, that is already a -great deal." - -"Oh, I am perfectly aware of what I am saying," returned Madame de -Chevreuse, coldly. "I do not live at such a distance from Paris as not -to know what takes place there. The king does not like M. Fouquet, and -he would willingly sacrifice M. Fouquet if an opportunity were only -given him." - -"It must be a good one, though." - -"Good enough, and one I estimate to be worth five hundred thousand -francs." - -"In what way?" said Colbert. - -"I mean, monsieur, that holding this opportunity in my own hands, I will -not allow it to be transferred to yours except for a sum of five hundred -thousand francs." - -"I understand you perfectly, madame. But since you have fixed a price -for the sale, let me now see the value of the articles to be sold." - -"Oh, a mere trifle; six letters, as I have already told you, from M. de -Mazarin; and the autographs will most assuredly not be regarded as too -highly priced, if they establish, in an irrefutable manner, that -M. Fouquet has embezzled large sums of money from the treasury and -appropriated them to his own purposes." - -"In an irrefutable manner, do you say?" observed Colbert, whose eyes -sparkled with delight. - -"Perfectly so; would you like to read the letters?" - -"With all my heart! Copies, of course?" - -"Of course, the copies," said the duchesse, as she drew from her bosom a -small packet of papers flattened by her velvet bodice. "Read," she said. - -Colbert eagerly snatched the papers and devoured them. "Excellent!" he -said. - -"It is clear enough, is it not?" - -"Yes, madame, yes; M. Mazarin must have handed the money to M. Fouquet, -who must have kept it for his own purposes; but the question is, what -money?" - -"Exactly,--what money; if we come to terms I will join to these six -letters a seventh, which will supply you with the fullest particulars." - -Colbert reflected. "And the originals of these letters?" - -"A useless question to ask; exactly as if I were to ask you, Monsieur -Colbert, whether the money-bags you will give me will be full or empty." - -"Very good, madame." - -"Is it concluded?" - -"No; for there is one circumstance to which neither of us has given any -attention." - -"Name it!" - -"M. Fouquet can be utterly ruined, under the legal circumstances you -have detailed, only by means of legal proceedings." - -"Well?" - -"A public scandal, for instance; and yet neither the legal proceedings -nor the scandal can be commenced against him." - -"Why not?" - -"Because he is procureur-general of the parliament; because, too, -in France, all public administrators, the army, justice itself, and -commerce, are intimately connected by ties of good-fellowship, which -people call _esprit de corps_. In such a case, madame, the parliament -will never permit its chief to be dragged before a public tribunal; and -never, even if he be dragged there by royal authority, never, I say, -will he be condemned." - -"Well, Monsieur Colbert, I do not see what I have to do with that." - -"I am aware of that, madame; but I have to do with it, and it -consequently diminishes the value of what you have brought to show me. -What good can a proof of a crime be to me, without the possibility of -obtaining a condemnation?" - -"Even if he be only suspected, M. Fouquet will lose his post of -superintendent." - -"Is that all?" exclaimed Colbert, whose dark, gloomy features were -momentarily lighted up by an expression of hate and vengeance. - -"Ah! ah! Monsieur Colbert," said the duchesse, "forgive me, but I did -not think you were so impressionable. Very good; in that case, since you -need more than I have to give you, there is no occasion to speak of the -matter at all." - -"Yes, madame, we will go on talking of it; only, as the value of your -commodities had decreased, you must lower your pretensions." - -"You are bargaining, then?" - -"Every man who wishes to deal loyally is obliged to do so." - -"How much will you offer me?" - -"Two hundred thousand francs," said Colbert. - -The duchesse laughed in his face, and then said, suddenly, "Wait a -moment, I have another arrangement to propose; will you give me three -hundred thousand francs?" - -"No, no." - -"Oh, you can either accept or refuse my terms; besides, that is not -all." - -"More still! you are becoming too impracticable to deal with, madame." - -"Less so than you think, perhaps, for it is not money I am going to ask -you for." - -"What is it, then?" - -"A service; you know that I have always been most affectionately -attached to the queen, and I am desirous of having an interview with her -majesty." - -"With the queen?" - -"Yes, Monsieur Colbert, with the queen, who is, I admit, no longer my -friend, and who has ceased to be so for a long time past, but who may -again become so if the opportunity be only given her." - -"Her majesty has ceased to receive any one, madame. She is a great -sufferer, and you may be aware that the paroxysms of her disease occur -with greater frequency than ever." - -"That is the very reason why I wish to have an interview with her -majesty; for in Flanders there is a great variety of these kinds of -complaints." - -"What, cancers--a fearful, incurable disorder?" - -"Do not believe that, Monsieur Colbert. The Flemish peasant is somewhat -a man of nature, and his companion for life is not alone a wife, but a -female laborer also; for while he is smoking his pipe, the woman works: -it is she who draws the water from the well; she who loads the mule -or the ass, and even bears herself a portion of the burden. Taking but -little care of herself, she gets knocked about first in one direction, -and then in another, and very often is beaten by her husband, and -cancers frequently rise from contusions." - -"True, true," said Colbert. - -"The Flemish women do not die the sooner on that account. When they are -great sufferers from this disease they go in search of remedies, and the -Beguines of Bruges are excellent doctors for every kind of disease. They -have precious waters of one sort or another; specifics of various kinds; -and they give a bottle of it and a wax candle to the sufferer, whereby -the priests are gainers, and Heaven is served by the disposal of both -their wares. I will take the queen some of this holy water, which I will -procure from the Beguines of Bruges; her majesty will recover, and will -burn as many wax candles as she may see fit. You see, Monsieur Colbert, -to prevent my seeing the queen is almost as bad as committing the crime -of regicide." - -"You are undoubtedly, madame la duchesse, a woman of exceedingly great -abilities, and I am more than astounded at their display; still I cannot -but suppose that this charitable consideration towards the queen in some -measure covers a slight personal interest for yourself." - -"I have not given myself the trouble to conceal it, that I am aware -of, Monsieur Colbert. You said, I believe, that I had a slight personal -interest? On the contrary, it is a very great interest, and I will prove -it to you, by resuming what I was saying. If you procure me a personal -interview with her majesty, I will be satisfied with the three hundred -thousand francs I have claimed; if not, I shall keep my letters, unless, -indeed, you give me, on the spot, five hundred thousand francs." - -And rising from her seat with this decisive remark, the old duchesse -plunged M. Colbert into a disagreeable perplexity. To bargain any -further was out of the question; and not to bargain was to pay a great -deal too dearly for them. "Madame," he said, "I shall have the pleasure -of handing over a hundred thousand crowns; but how shall I get the -actual letters themselves?" - -"In the simplest manner in the world, my dear Monsieur Colbert--whom -will you trust?" - -The financier began to laugh, silently, so that his large eyebrows went -up and down like the wings of a bat, upon the deep lines of his yellow -forehead. "No one," he said. - -"You surely will make an exception in your own favor, Monsieur Colbert?" - -"In what way, madame?" - -"I mean that, if you would take the trouble to accompany me to the place -where the letters are, they would be delivered into your own hands, and -you would be able to verify and check them." - -"Quite true." - -"You would bring the hundred thousand crowns with you at the same time, -for I, too, do not trust any one." - -Colbert colored to the tips of his ears. Like all eminent men in the art -of figures, he was of an insolent and mathematical probity. "I will -take with me, madame," he said, "two orders for the amount agreed upon, -payable at my treasury. Will that satisfy you?" - -"Would that the orders on your treasury were for two millions, monsieur -l'intendant! I shall have the pleasure of showing you the way, then?" - -"Allow me to order my carriage?" - -"I have a carriage below, monsieur." - -Colbert coughed like an irresolute man. He imagined, for a moment, that -the proposition of the duchesse was a snare; that perhaps some one was -waiting at the door; and that she whose secret had just been sold to -Colbert for a hundred thousand crowns, had already offered it to Fouquet -for the same sum. As he still hesitated, the duchesse looked at him full -in the face. - -"You prefer your own carriage?" she said. - -"I admit I _do_." - -"You suppose I am going to lead you into a snare or trap of some sort or -other?" - -"Madame la duchesse, you have the character of being somewhat -inconsiderate at times, as I am reputed a sober, solemn character, a -jest or practical joke might compromise me." - -"Yes; the fact is, you are afraid. Well, then, take your own carriage, -as many servants as you like, only think well of what I am going to say. -What we two may arrange between ourselves, we are the only persons who -will know--if a third person is present we might as well tell the whole -world about it. After all, I do not make a point of it; my carriage -shall follow yours, and I shall be satisfied to accompany you in your -own carriage to the queen." - -"To the queen?" - -"Have you forgotten that already? Is it possible that one of the clauses -of the agreement of so much importance to me, can have escaped you so -soon? How trifling it seems to you, indeed; if I had known it I should -have asked double what I have done." - -"I have reflected, madame, and I shall not accompany you." - -"Really--and why not?" - -"Because I have the most perfect confidence in you." - -"You overpower me. But--provided I receive the hundred thousand crowns?" - -"Here they are, madame," said Colbert, scribbling a few lines on a piece -of paper, which he handed to the duchesse, adding, "You are paid." - -"The trait is a fine one, Monsieur Colbert, and I will reward you for -it," she said, beginning to laugh. - -Madame de Chevreuse's laugh was a very sinister sound; a man with youth, -faith, love, life itself, throbbing in his heart, would prefer a sob to -such a lamentable laugh. The duchesse opened the front of her dress and -drew forth from her bosom, somewhat less white than it once had been, -a small packet of papers, tied with a flame-colored ribbon, and, still -laughing, she said, "There, Monsieur Colbert, are the originals of -Cardinal Mazarin's letters; they are now your own property," she added, -refastening the body of her dress; "your fortune is secured. And now -accompany me to the queen." - -"No, madame; if you are again about to run the chance of her majesty's -displeasure, and it were known at the Palais Royal that I had been the -means of introducing you there, the queen would never forgive me while -she lived. No; there are certain persons at the palace who are devoted -to me, who will procure you an admission without my being compromised." - -"Just as you please, provided I enter." - -"What do you term those religious women at Bruges who cure disorders?" - -"Beguines." - -"Good; are you one?" - -"As you please,--but I must soon cease to be one." - -"That is your affair." - -"Excuse me, but I do not wish to be exposed to a refusal." - -"That is again your own affair, madame. I am going to give directions -to the head valet of the gentleman in waiting on the queen to allow -admission to a Beguine, who brings an effectual remedy for her majesty's -sufferings. You are the bearer of my letter, you will undertake to -be provided with the remedy, and will give every explanation on the -subject. I admit a knowledge of a Beguine, but I deny all knowledge -of Madame de Chevreuse. Here, madame, then, is your letter of -introduction." - - - -Chapter XLII. The Skin of the Bear. - -Colbert handed the duchesse the letter, and gently drew aside the chair -behind which she was standing; Madame de Chevreuse, with a very slight -bow, immediately left the room. Colbert, who had recognized Mazarin's -handwriting, and had counted the letters, rang to summon his secretary, -whom he enjoined to go in immediate search of M. Vanel, a counselor -of the parliament. The secretary replied that, according to his usual -practice, M. Vanel had just that moment entered the house, in order to -give the intendant an account of the principal details of the business -which had been transacted during the day in parliament. Colbert -approached one of the lamps, read the letters of the deceased cardinal -over again, smiled repeatedly as he recognized the great value of the -papers Madame de Chevreuse had just delivered--and burying his head in -his hands for a few minutes, reflected profoundly. In the meantime, a -tall, loosely-made man entered the room; his spare, thin face, steady -look, and hooked nose, as he entered Colbert's cabinet, with a -modest assurance of manner, revealed a character at once supple and -decided,--supple towards the master who could throw him the prey, -firm towards the dogs who might possibly be disposed to dispute its -possession. M. Vanel carried a voluminous bundle of papers under his -arm, and placed it on the desk on which Colbert was leaning both his -elbows, as he supported his head. - -"Good day, M. Vanel," said the latter, rousing himself from his -meditation. - -"Good day, monseigneur," said Vanel, naturally. - -"You should say monsieur, and not monseigneur," replied Colbert, gently. - -"We give the title of monseigneur to ministers," returned Vanel, with -extreme self-possession, "and you are a minister." - -"Not yet." - -"You are so in point of fact, and I call you monseigneur accordingly; -besides you are seigneur for _me_, and that is sufficient; if you -dislike my calling you monseigneur before others, allow me, at least, to -call you so in private." - -Colbert raised his head as if to read, or try to read, upon Vanel's -face how much or how little sincerity entered into this protestation -of devotion. But the counselor knew perfectly well how to sustain the -weight of such a look, even backed with the full authority of the title -he had conferred. Colbert sighed; he could not read anything in Vanel's -face, and Vanel might possibly be honest in his professions, but Colbert -recollected that this man, inferior to himself in every other respect, -was actually his master in virtue of the fact of his having a wife. -As he was pitying this man's lot, Vanel coldly drew from his pocket a -perfumed letter, sealed with Spanish wax, and held it towards Colbert, -saying, "A letter from my wife, monseigneur." - -Colbert coughed, took, opened and read the letter, and then put it -carefully away in his pocket, while Vanel turned over the leaves of -the papers he had brought with him with an unmoved and unconcerned air. -"Vanel," he said suddenly to his _protege_, "you are a hard-working man, -I know; would twelve hours' daily labor frighten you?" - -"I work fifteen hours every day." - -"Impossible. A counselor need not work more than three hours a day in -parliament." - -"Oh! I am working up some returns for a friend of mine in the department -of accounts, and, as I still have spare time on my hands, I am studying -Hebrew." - -"Your reputation stands high in the parliament, Vanel." - -"I believe so, monseigneur." - -"You must not grow rusty in your post of counselor." - -"What must I do to avoid it?" - -"Purchase a high place. Mean and low ambitions are very difficult to -satisfy." - -"Small purses are the most difficult ones to fill, monseigneur." - -"What post have you in view?" said Colbert. - -"I see none--not one." - -"There is one, certainly, but one need be almost the king himself to be -able to buy it without inconvenience; and the king will not be inclined, -I suppose, to purchase the post of procureur-general." - -At these words, Vanel fixed his peculiar, humble, dull look upon -Colbert, who could hardly tell whether Vanel comprehended him or not. -"Why do you speak to me, monseigneur," said Vanel, "of the post of -procureur-general to the parliament; I know no other post than the one -M. Fouquet fills." - -"Exactly so, my dear counselor." - -"You are not over fastidious, monseigneur; but before the post can be -bought, it must be offered for sale." - -"I believe, Monsieur Vanel, that it will be for sale before long." - -"For sale! What! M. Fouquet's post of procureur-general?" - -"So it is _said_." - -"The post which renders him so perfectly invincible, for sale! Ha, ha!" -said Vanel, beginning to laugh. - -"Would you be afraid, then, of the post?" said Colbert, gravely. - -"Afraid! no; but--" - -"Are you desirous of obtaining it?" - -"You are laughing at me, monseigneur," replied Vanel. "Is it likely -that a counselor of the parliament would not be desirous of becoming -procureur-general?" - -"Well, Monsieur Vanel, since I tell you that the post, as report goes, -will be shortly for sale--" - -"I cannot help repeating, monseigneur, that it is impossible; a man -never throws away the buckler, behind which he maintains his honor, his -fortune, his very life." - -"There are certain men mad enough, Vanel, to fancy themselves out of the -reach of all mischances." - -"Yes, monseigneur; but such men never commit their mad acts for the -advantage of the poor Vanels of the world." - -"Why not?" - -"For the very reason that those Vanels are poor." - -"It is true that M. Fouquet's post might cost a good round sum. What -would you bid for it, Monsieur Vanel?" - -"Everything I am worth." - -"Which means?" - -"Three or four hundred thousand francs." - -"And the post is worth--" - -"A million and a half, at the very lowest. I know persons who have -offered one million seven hundred thousand francs, without being able to -persuade M. Fouquet to sell. Besides, supposing it were to happen that -M. Fouquet wished to sell, which I do not believe, in spite of what I -have been told--" - -"Ah! you have heard something about it, then; who told you?" - -"M. de Gourville, M. Pelisson, and others." - -"Very good; if, therefore, M. Fouquet did wish to sell--" - -"I could not buy it just yet, since the superintendent will only sell -for ready money, and no one has a million and a half to put down at -once." - -Colbert suddenly interrupted the counselor by an imperious gesture; he -had begun to meditate. Observing his superior's serious attitude, and -his perseverance in continuing the conversation on this subject, Vanel -awaited the solution without venturing to precipitate it. - -"Explain to me the privileges which this post confers." - -"The right of impeaching every French subject who is not a prince of -the blood; the right of quashing all proceedings taken against any -Frenchman, who is neither king nor prince. The procureur-general is the -king's right hand to punish the guilty; the office is the means whereby -also he can evade the administration of justice. M. Fouquet, therefore, -would be able, by stirring up parliament, to maintain himself even -against the king; and the king could as easily, by humoring M. Fouquet, -get his edicts registered in spite of every opposition and objection. -The procureur-general can be made a very useful or a very dangerous -instrument." - -"Vanel, would you like to be procureur-general?" said Colbert, suddenly, -softening both his look and his voice. - -"I!" exclaimed the latter; "I have already had the honor to represent -to you that I want about eleven hundred thousand francs to make up the -amount." - -"Borrow that sum from your friends." - -"I have no friends richer than myself." - -"You are an honest and honorable man, Vanel." - -"Ah! monseigneur, if the world would only think as you do!" - -"I think so, and that is quite enough; and if it should be needed, I -will be your security." - -"Do not forget the proverb, monseigneur." - -"What is it?" - -"That he who becomes responsible for another has to pay for his fancy." - -"Let that make no difference." - -Vanel rose, bewildered by this offer which had been so suddenly and -unexpectedly made to him. "You are not trifling with me, monseigneur?" -he said. - -"Stay; you say that M. Gourville has spoken to you about M. Fouquet's -post?" - -"Yes; and M. Pelisson, also." - -"Officially so, or only through their own suggestion?" - -"These were their very words: 'The parliament members are as proud as -they are wealthy; they ought to club together two or three millions -among themselves, to present to their protector and leader, M. -Fouquet.'" - -"And what did you reply?" - -"I said that, for my own part, I would give ten thousand francs if -necessary." - -"Ah! you like M. Fouquet, then!" exclaimed Colbert, with a look of -hatred. - -"No; but M. Fouquet is our chief. He is in debt--is on the high road -to ruin; and we ought to save the honor of the body of which we are -members." - -"Exactly; and that explains why M. Fouquet will be always safe and -sound, so long as he occupies his present post," replied Colbert. - -"Thereupon," said Vanel, "M. Gourville added, 'If we were to do anything -out of charity to M. Fouquet, it could not be otherwise than most -humiliating to him; and he would be sure to refuse it. Let the -parliament subscribe among themselves to purchase, in a proper manner, -the post of procureur-general; in that case, all would go well; the -honor of our body would be saved, and M. Fouquet's pride spared.'" - -"That is an opening." - -"I considered it so, monseigneur." - -"Well, Monsieur Vanel, you will go at once, and find out either M. -Gourville or M. Pelisson. Do you know any other friend of M. Fouquet?" - -"I know M. de la Fontaine very well." - -"La Fontaine, the rhymester?" - -"Yes; he used to write verses to my wife, when M. Fouquet was one of our -friends." - -"Go to him, then, and try and procure an interview with the -superintendent." - -"Willingly--but the sum itself?" - -"On the day and hour you arrange to settle the matter, Monsieur Vanel, -you shall be supplied with the money, so do not make yourself uneasy on -_that_ account." - -"Monseigneur, such munificence! You eclipse kings even--you surpass M. -Fouquet himself." - -"Stay a moment--do not let us mistake each other: I do not make you a -present of fourteen hundred thousand francs, Monsieur Vanel; for I have -children to provide for--but I will _lend_ you that sum." - -"Ask whatever interest, whatever security you please, monseigneur; I am -quite ready. And when all your requisitions are satisfied, I will still -repeat, that you surpass kings and M. Fouquet in munificence. What -conditions do you impose?" - -"The repayment in eight years, and a mortgage upon the appointment -itself." - -"Certainly. Is that all?" - -"Wait a moment. I reserve to myself the right of purchasing the post -from you at one hundred and fifty thousand francs profit for yourself, -if, in your mode of filling the office, you do not follow out a line -of conduct in conformity with the interests of the king and with my -projects." - -"Ah-h!" said Vanel, in an altered tone. - -"Is there anything in that which can possibly be objectionable to you, -Monsieur Vanel?" said Colbert, coldly. - -"Oh! no, no," replied Vanel, nervously. - -"Very good. We will sign an agreement to that effect whenever you like. -And now go as quickly as you can to M. Fouquet's friend, obtain an -interview with the superintendent; do not be too difficult in making -whatever concessions may be required of you; and when once the -arrangements are all made--" - -"I will press him to sign." - -"Be most careful to do nothing of the kind; do not speak of signatures -with M. Fouquet, nor of deeds, nor even ask him to pass his word. -Understand this: otherwise you will lose everything. All you have to do -is to get M. Fouquet to give you his hand on the matter. Go, go." - - - -Chapter XLIII. An Interview with the Queen-Mother. - -The queen-mother was in the bedroom at the Palais Royal, with Madame -de Motteville and Senora Molina. King Louis, who had been impatiently -expected the whole day, had not made his appearance; and the queen, who -was growing impatient, had often sent to inquire about him. The moral -atmosphere of the court seemed to indicate an approaching storm; -the courtiers and the ladies of the court avoided meeting in the -ante-chambers and the corridors in order not to converse on compromising -subjects. Monsieur had joined the king early in the morning for a -hunting-party; Madame remained in her own apartment, cool and distant -to every one; and the queen-mother, after she had said her prayers -in Latin, talked of domestic matters with her two friends in pure -Castilian. Madame de Motteville, who understood the language perfectly, -answered her in French. When the three ladies had exhausted every form -of dissimulation and of politeness, as a circuitous mode of expressing -that the king's conduct was making the queen and the queen-mother pine -away through sheer grief and vexation, and when, in the most guarded -and polished phrases, they had fulminated every variety of imprecation -against Mademoiselle de la Valliere, the queen-mother terminated -her attack by an exclamation indicative of her own reflections and -character. "_Estos hijos!_" said she to Molina--which means, "These -children!" words full of meaning on a mother's lips--words full of -terrible significance in the mouth of a queen who, like Anne of Austria, -hid many curious secrets in her soul. - -"Yes," said Molina, "children, children! for whom every mother becomes a -sacrifice." - -"Yes," replied the queen; "a mother sacrifices everything, certainly." -She did not finish her phrase; for she fancied, when she raised her eyes -towards the full-length portrait of the pale Louis XIII., that light -once more flashed from her husband's dull eyes, and his nostrils -grew livid with wrath. The portrait seemed animated by a living -expression--speak it did not, but it seemed to threaten. A profound -silence succeeded the queen's last remark. La Molina began to turn over -ribbons and laces on a large work-table. Madame de Motteville, surprised -at the look of mutual intelligence which had been exchanged between the -confidant and her mistress, cast down her eyes like a discreet woman, -and pretending to be observant of nothing that was passing, listened -with the utmost attention to every word. She heard nothing, however, but -a very insignificant "hum" on the part of the Spanish duenna, who was -the incarnation of caution--and a profound sigh on that of the queen. -She looked up immediately. - -"You are suffering?" she said. - -"No, Motteville, no; why do you say that?" - -"Your majesty almost groaned just now." - -"You are right; I did sigh, in truth." - -"Monsieur Valot is not far off; I believe he is in Madame's apartment." - -"Why is he with Madame?" - -"Madame is troubled with nervous attacks." - -"A very fine disorder, indeed! There is little good in M. Valot being -there, when a very different physician would quickly cure Madame." - -Madame de Motteville looked up with an air of great surprise, as she -replied, "Another doctor instead of M. Valot?--whom do you mean?" - -"Occupation, Motteville, occupation. If any one is really ill, it is my -poor daughter." - -"And your majesty, too." - -"Less so this evening, though." - -"Do not believe that too confidently, madame," said De Motteville. And, -as if to justify her caution, a sharp, acute pain seized the queen, -who turned deadly pale, and threw herself back in the chair, with -every symptom of a sudden fainting fit. Molina ran to a richly gilded -tortoise-shell cabinet, from which she took a large rock-crystal bottle -of scented salts, and held it to the queen's nostrils, who inhaled it -wildly for a few minutes, and murmured: - -"It is hastening my death--but Heaven's will be done!" - -"Your majesty's death is not so near at hand," added Molina, replacing -the smelling-bottle in the cabinet. - -"Does your majesty feel better now?" inquired Madame de Motteville. - -"Much better," returned the queen, placing her finger on her lips, to -impose silence on her favorite. - -"It is very strange," remarked Madame de Motteville, after a pause. - -"What is strange?" said the queen. - -"Does your majesty remember the day when this pain attacked you for the -first time?" - -"I remember only that it was a grievously sad day for me, Motteville." - -"But your majesty did not always regard that day as a sad one." - -"Why?" - -"Because three and twenty years ago, on that very day, his present -majesty, your own glorious son, was born at the very same hour." - -The queen uttered a loud cry, buried her face in her hands, and seemed -utterly prostrated for some minutes; but whether from recollections -which arose in her mind, or from reflection, or even with sheer pain, -was doubtful. La Molina darted a look at Madame de Motteville, so full -of bitter reproach, that the poor woman, perfectly ignorant of -its meaning, was in her own exculpation on the point of asking an -explanation, when, suddenly, Anne of Austria arose and said, "Yes, the -5th of September; my sorrow began on the 5th of September. The greatest -joy, one day; the deepest sorrow the next;--the sorrow," she added, "the -bitter expiation of a too excessive joy." - -And, from that moment, Anne of Austria, whose memory and reason seemed -to be suspended for the time, remained impenetrable, with vacant look, -mind almost wandering, and hands hanging heavily down, as if life had -almost departed. - -"We must put her to bed," said La Molina. - -"Presently, Molina." - -"Let us leave the queen alone," added the Spanish attendant. - -Madame de Motteville rose; large tears were rolling down the queen's -pallid face; and Molina, having observed this sign of weakness, fixed -her black vigilant eyes upon her. - -"Yes, yes," replied the queen. "Leave us, Motteville; go." - -The word "us" produced a disagreeable effect upon the ears of the -French favorite; for it signified that an interchange of secrets, or of -revelations of the past, was about to be made, and that one person was -_de trop_ in the conversation which seemed likely to take place. - -"Will Molina, alone, be sufficient for your majesty to-night?" inquired -the French woman. - -"Yes," replied the queen. Madame de Motteville bowed in submission, and -was about to withdraw, when suddenly an old female attendant, dressed -as if she had belonged to the Spanish court of the year 1620, opened -the door, and surprised the queen in her tears. "The remedy!" she cried, -delightedly, to the queen, as she unceremoniously approached the group. - -"What remedy?" said Anne of Austria. - -"For your majesty's sufferings," the former replied. - -"Who brings it?" asked Madame de Motteville, eagerly; "Monsieur Valot?" - -"No; a lady from Flanders." - -"From Flanders? Is she Spanish?" inquired the queen. - -"I don't know." - -"Who sent her?" - -"M. Colbert." - -"Her name?" - -"She did not mention it." - -"Her position in life?" - -"She will answer that herself." - -"Who is she?" - -"She is masked." - -"Go, Molina; go and see!" cried the queen. - -"It is needless," suddenly replied a voice, at once firm and gentle in -its tone, which proceeded from the other side of the tapestry hangings; -a voice which made the attendants start, and the queen tremble -excessively. At the same moment, a masked female appeared through the -hangings, and, before the queen could speak a syllable she added, "I -am connected with the order of the Beguines of Bruges, and do, indeed, -bring with me the remedy which is certain to effect a cure of your -majesty's complaint." No one uttered a sound, and the Beguine did not -move a step. - -"Speak," said the queen. - -"I will, when we are alone," was the answer. - -Anne of Austria looked at her attendants, who immediately withdrew. The -Beguine, thereupon, advanced a few steps towards the queen, and bowed -reverently before her. The queen gazed with increasing mistrust at -this woman, who, in her turn, fixed a pair of brilliant eyes upon her, -through her mask. - -"The queen of France must, indeed, be very ill," said Anne of Austria, -"if it is known at the Beguinage of Bruges that she stands in need of -being cured." - -"Your majesty is not irremediably ill." - -"But tell me how you happen to know I am suffering?" - -"Your majesty has friends in Flanders." - -"Since these friends, then, sent you, mention their names." - -"Impossible, madame, since your majesty's memory has not been awakened -by your heart." - -Anne of Austria looked up, endeavoring to discover through the -mysterious mask, and this ambiguous language, the name of her companion, -who expressed herself with such familiarity and freedom; then, suddenly, -wearied by a curiosity which wounded every feeling of pride in her -nature, she said, "You are ignorant, perhaps, that royal personages are -never spoken to with the face masked." - -"Deign to excuse me, madame," replied the Beguine, humbly. - -"I cannot excuse you. I may, possibly, forgive you, if you throw your -mask aside." - -"I have made a vow, madame, to attend and aid all afflicted and -suffering persons, without ever permitting them to behold my face. I -might have been able to administer some relief to your body and to your -mind, too; but since your majesty forbids me, I will take my leave. -Adieu, madame, adieu!" - -These words were uttered with a harmony of tone and respect of manner -that disarmed the queen of all anger and suspicion, but did not remove -her feeling of curiosity. "You are right," she said; "it ill-becomes -those who are suffering to reject the means of relief Heaven sends them. -Speak, then; and may you, indeed, be able, as you assert, to administer -relief to my body--" - -"Let us first speak a little of the mind, if you please," said the -Beguine--"of the mind, which, I am sure, must also suffer." - -"My mind?" - -"There are cancers so insidious in their nature that their very -pulsations cannot be felt. Such cancers, madame, leave the ivory -whiteness of the skin unblemished, and putrefy not the firm, fair flesh, -with their blue tints; the physician who bends over the patient's -chest hears not, though he listens, the insatiable teeth of the disease -grinding onward through the muscles, and the blood flows freely on; the -knife has never been able to destroy, and rarely, even temporarily, to -disarm the rage of these mortal scourges,--their home is in the mind, -which they corrupt,--they gnaw the whole heart until it breaks. Such, -madame, are the cancers fatal to queens; are you, too, free from their -scourge?" - -Anne slowly raised her arm, dazzling in its perfect whiteness, and pure -in its rounded outlines as it was in the time of her earlier days. - -"The evils to which you allude," she said, "are the condition of the -lives of the high in rank upon earth, to whom Heaven has imparted mind. -When those evils become too heavy to be borne, Heaven lightens their -burdens by penitence and confession. Thus, only, we lay down our burden -and the secrets that oppress us. But, forget not that the same gracious -Heaven, in its mercy, apportions to their trials the strength of the -feeble creatures of its hand; and my strength has enabled me to bear my -burden. For the secrets of others, the silence of Heaven is more than -sufficient; for my own secrets, that of my confessor is enough." - -"You are as courageous, madame, I see, as ever, against your enemies. -You do not acknowledge your confidence in your friends?" - -"Queens have no friends; if you have nothing further to say to me,--if -you feel yourself inspired by Heaven as a prophetess--leave me, I pray, -for I dread the future." - -"I should have supposed," said the Beguine, resolutely, "that you would -rather have dreaded the past." - -Hardly had these words escaped her lips, than the queen rose up proudly. -"Speak," she cried, in a short, imperious tone of voice; "explain -yourself briefly, quickly, entirely; or, if not--" - -"Nay, do not threaten me, your majesty," said the Beguine, gently; "I -came here to you full of compassion and respect. I came here on the part -of a friend." - -"Prove that to me! Comfort, instead of irritating me." - -"Easily enough, and your majesty will see who is friendly to you. What -misfortune has happened to your majesty during these three and twenty -years past--" - -"Serious misfortunes, indeed; have I not lost the king?" - -"I speak not of misfortunes of _that_ kind. I wish to ask you, if, since -the birth of the king, any indiscretion on a friend's part has caused -your majesty the slightest serious anxiety, or distress?" - -"I do not understand you," replied the queen, clenching her teeth in -order to conceal her emotion. - -"I will make myself understood, then. Your majesty remembers that the -king was born on the 5th of September, 1638, at a quarter past eleven -o'clock." - -"Yes," stammered out the queen. - -"At half-past twelve," continued the Beguine, "the dauphin, who had been -baptized by Monseigneur de Meaux in the king's and your own presence, -was acknowledged as the heir of the crown of France. The king then went -to the chapel of the old Chateau de Saint-Germain, to hear the _Te Deum_ -chanted." - -"Quite true, quite true," murmured the queen. - -"Your majesty's conferment took place in the presence of Monsieur, his -majesty's late uncle, of the princes, and of the ladies attached to -the court. The king's physician, Bouvard, and Honore, the surgeon, were -stationed in the ante-chamber; your majesty slept from three o'clock -until seven, I believe." - -"Yes, yes; but you tell me no more than every one else knows as well as -you and myself." - -"I am now, madame, approaching that which very few persons are -acquainted with. Very few persons, did I say, alas! I might say two -only, for formerly there were but five in all, and, for many years -past, the secret has been well preserved by the deaths of the principal -participators in it. The late king sleeps now with his ancestors; -Perronnette, the midwife, soon followed him; Laporte is already -forgotten." - -The queen opened her lips as though to reply; she felt, beneath her -icy hand, with which she kept her face half concealed, the beads of -perspiration on her brow. - -"It was eight o'clock," pursued the Beguine; "the king was seated at -supper, full of joy and happiness; around him on all sides arose wild -cries of delight and drinking of healths; the people cheered beneath -the balconies; the Swiss guards, the musketeers, and the royal guards -wandered through the city, borne about in triumph by the drunken -students. Those boisterous sounds of general joy disturbed the dauphin, -the future king of France, who was quietly lying in the arms of Madame -de Hausac, his nurse, and whose eyes, as he opened them, and stared -about, might have observed two crowns at the foot of his cradle. -Suddenly your majesty uttered a piercing cry, and Dame Perronnette -immediately flew to your bedside. The doctors were dining in a room at -some distance from your chamber; the palace, deserted from the frequency -of the irruptions made into it, was without either sentinels or guards. -The midwife, having questioned and examined your majesty, gave a sudden -exclamation as if in wild astonishment, and taking you in her arms, -bewildered almost out of her senses from sheer distress of mind, -dispatched Laporte to inform the king that her majesty the queen-mother -wished to see him in her room. Laporte, you are aware, madame, was a man -of the most admirable calmness and presence of mind. He did not approach -the king as if he were the bearer of alarming intelligence and wished -to inspire the terror he himself experienced; besides, it was not a -very terrifying intelligence which awaited the king. Therefore, Laporte -appeared with a smile upon his lips, and approached the king's chair, -saying to him--'Sire, the queen is very happy, and would be still more -so to see your majesty.' On that day, Louis XIII. would have given -his crown away to the veriest beggar for a 'God bless you.' Animated, -light-hearted, and full of gayety, the king rose from the table, -and said to those around him, in a tone that Henry IV. might have -adopted,--'Gentlemen, I am going to see my wife.' He came to your -beside, madame, at the very moment Dame Perronnette presented to him a -second prince, as beautiful and healthy as the former, and said--'Sire, -Heaven will not allow the kingdom of France to fall into the female -line.' The king, yielding to a first impulse, clasped the child in his -arms, and cried, 'Oh, Heaven, I thank Thee!'" - -At this part of her recital, the Beguine paused, observing how intensely -the queen was suffering; she had thrown herself back in her chair, and -with her head bent forward and her eyes fixed, listened without seeming -to hear, and her lips moving convulsively, either breathing a prayer to -Heaven or imprecations on the woman standing before her. - -"Ah! I do not believe that, if, because there could be but one dauphin -in France," exclaimed the Beguine, "the queen allowed that child to -vegetate, banished from his royal parents' presence, she was on that -account an unfeeling mother. Oh, no, no; there are those alive who have -known and witnessed the passionate kisses she imprinted on that innocent -creature in exchange for a life of misery and gloom to which state -policy condemned the twin brother of Louis XIV." - -"Oh! Heaven!" murmured the queen feebly. - -"It is admitted," continued the Beguine, quickly, "that when the king -perceived the effect which would result from the existence of two sons, -equal in age and pretensions, he trembled for the welfare of France, -for the tranquillity of the state; and it is equally well known that -Cardinal de Richelieu, by the direction of Louis XIII., thought over -the subject with deep attention, and after an hour's meditation in his -majesty's cabinet, he pronounced the following sentence:--'One prince -means peace and safety for the state; two competitors, civil war and -anarchy.'" - -The queen rose suddenly from her seat, pale as death, and her hands -clenched together: - -"You know too much," she said, in a hoarse, thick voice, "since you -refer to secrets of state. As for the friends from whom you have -acquired this secret, they are false and treacherous. You are their -accomplice in the crime which is being now committed. Now, throw aside -your mask, or I will have you arrested by my captain of the guards. Do -not think that this secret terrifies me! You have obtained it, you shall -restore it to me. Never shall it leave your bosom, for neither your -secret nor your own life belong to you from this moment." - -Anne of Austria, joining gesture to the threat, advanced a couple of -steps towards the Beguine. - -"Learn," said the latter, "to know and value the fidelity, the honor, -and secrecy of the friends you have abandoned." And, then, suddenly she -threw aside her mask. - -"Madame de Chevreuse!" exclaimed the queen. - -"With your majesty, the sole living _confidante_ of the secret." - -"Ah!" murmured Anne of Austria; "come and embrace me, duchesse. Alas! -you kill your friend in thus trifling with her terrible distress." - -And the queen, leaning her head upon the shoulder of the old duchesse, -burst into a flood of bitter tears. "How young you are--still!" said the -latter, in a hollow voice; "you can weep!" - - - -Chapter XLIV. Two Friends. - -The queen looked steadily at Madame de Chevreuse, and said: "I believe -you just now made use of the word 'happy' in speaking of me. Hitherto, -duchesse, I had thought it impossible that a human creature could -anywhere be found more miserable than the queen of France." - -"Your afflictions, madame, have indeed been terrible enough. But by the -side of those great and grand misfortunes to which we, two old friends, -separated by men's malice, were just now alluding, you possess sources -of pleasure, slight enough in themselves it may be, but greatly envied -by the world." - -"What are they?" said Anne of Austria, bitterly. "What can induce you -to pronounce the word 'pleasure,' duchesse--you who, just now, admitted -that my body and my mind both stood in need of remedies?" - -Madame de Chevreuse collected herself for a moment, and then murmured, -"How far removed kings are from other people!" - -"What do you mean?" - -"I mean that they are so far removed from the vulgar herd that they -forget that others often stand in need of the bare necessities of life. -They are like the inhabitant of the African mountains, who, gazing from -the verdant tableland, refreshed by the rills of melted snow, cannot -comprehend that the dwellers in the plains below are perishing from -hunger and thirst in the midst of the desert, burnt up by the heat of -the sun." - -The queen colored, for she now began to perceive the drift of her -friend's remark. "It was very wrong," she said, "to have neglected you." - -"Oh! madame, I know the king has inherited the hatred his father bore -me. The king would exile me if he knew I were in the Palais Royal." - -"I cannot say that the king is very well disposed towards you, -duchesse," replied the queen; "but I could--secretly, you know--" - -The duchesse's disdainful smile produced a feeling of uneasiness in the -queen's mind. "Duchesse," she hastened to add, "you did perfectly -right to come here, even were it only to give us the happiness of -contradicting the report of your death." - -"Has it been rumored, then, that I was dead?" - -"Everywhere." - -"And yet my children did not go into mourning." - -"Ah! you know, duchesse, the court is very frequently moving about from -place to place; we see M. Albert de Luynes but seldom, and many things -escape our minds in the midst of the preoccupations that constantly -beset us." - -"Your majesty ought not to have believed the report of my death." - -"Why not? Alas! we are all mortal; and you may perceive how rapidly -I, your younger sister, as we used formerly to say, am approaching the -tomb." - -"If your majesty believed me dead, you ought, in that case, to have been -astonished not to have received the news." - -"Death not unfrequently takes us by surprise, duchesse." - -"Oh! your majesty, those who are burdened with secrets such as we have -just now discussed must, as a necessity of their nature, satisfy their -craving desire to divulge them, and they feel they must gratify that -desire before they die. Among the various preparations for their final -journey, the task of placing their papers in order is not omitted." - -The queen started. - -"Your majesty will be sure to learn, in a particular manner, the day of -my death." - -"In what way?" - -"Because your majesty will receive the next day, under several -coverings, everything connected with our mysterious correspondence of -former times." - -"Did you not burn them?" cried Anne, in alarm. - -"Traitors only," replied the duchesse, "destroy a royal correspondence." - -"Traitors, do you say?" - -"Yes, certainly, or rather they pretend to destroy, instead of which -they keep or sell it. Faithful friends, on the contrary, most carefully -secrete such treasures, for it may happen that some day or other they -would wish to seek out their queen in order to say to her: 'Madame, I am -getting old; my health is fast failing me; in the presence of the danger -of death, for there is the risk for your majesty that this secret may -be revealed, take, therefore, this paper, so fraught with menace for -yourself, and trust not to another to burn it for you.'" - -"What paper do you refer to?" - -"As far as I am concerned, I have but one, it is true, but that is -indeed most dangerous in its nature." - -"Oh! duchesse, tell me what it is." - -"A letter, dated Tuesday, the 2d of August, 1644, in which you beg me to -go to Noisy-le-Sec, to see that unhappy child. In your own handwriting, -madame, there are those words, 'that unhappy child!'" - -A profound silence ensued; the queen's mind was busy in the past; Madame -de Chevreuse was watching the progress of her scheme. "Yes, unhappy, -most unhappy!" murmured Anne of Austria; "how sad the existence he led, -poor child, to finish it in so cruel a manner." - -"Is he dead?" cried the duchesse suddenly, with a curiosity whose -genuine accents the queen instinctively detected. - -"He died of consumption, died forgotten, died withered and blighted like -the flowers a lover has given to his mistress, which she leaves to die -secreted in a drawer where she had hid them from the gaze of others." - -"Died!" repeated the duchesse with an air of discouragement, which would -have afforded the queen the most unfeigned delight, had it not -been tempered in some measure with a mixture of doubt--"Died--at -Noisy-le-Sec?" - -"Yes, in the arms of his tutor, a poor, honest man, who did not long -survive him." - -"That can easily be understood; it is so difficult to bear up under the -weight of such a loss and such a secret," said Madame de Chevreuse,--the -irony of which reflection the queen pretended not to perceive. Madame -de Chevreuse continued: "Well, madame, I inquired some years ago at -Noisy-le-Sec about this unhappy child. I was told that it was not -believed he was dead, and that was my reason for not having at first -condoled with your majesty; for, most certainly, if I could have thought -it were true, never should I have made the slightest allusion to so -deplorable an event, and thus have re-awakened your majesty's most -natural distress." - -"You say that it is not believed the child died at Noisy?" - -"No, madame." - -"What did they say about him, then?" - -"They said--but, no doubt, they were mistaken--" - -"Nay, speak, speak!" - -"They said, that one evening, about the year 1645, a lady, beautiful and -majestic in her bearing, which was observed notwithstanding the mask and -the mantle that concealed her figure--a lady of rank, of very high rank, -no doubt--came in a carriage to the place where the road branches off; -the very same spot, you know, where I awaited news of the young prince -when your majesty was graciously pleased to send me there." - -"Well, well?" - -"That the boy's tutor, or guardian, took the child to this lady." - -"Well, what next?" - -"That both the child and his tutor left that part of the country the -very next day." - -"There, you see there is some truth in what you relate, since, in point -of fact, the poor child died from a sudden attack of illness, which -makes the lives of all children, as doctors say, suspended as it were by -a thread." - -"What your majesty says is quite true; no one knows it better than -yourself--no one believes it more strongly than myself. But yet, how -strange it is--" - -"What can it now be?" thought the queen. - -"The person who gave me these details, who was sent to inquire after the -child's health--" - -"Did you confide such a charge to any one else? Oh, duchesse!" - -"Some one as dumb as your majesty, as dumb as myself; we will suppose -it was myself, Madame; this some one, some months after, passing through -Touraine--" - -"Touraine!" - -"Recognized both the tutor and the child, too! I am wrong, thought he -recognized them, both living, cheerful, happy, and flourishing, the one -in a green old age, the other in the flower of his youth. Judge after -that what truth can be attributed to the rumors which are circulated, or -what faith, after that, placed in anything that may happen in the world! -But I am fatiguing your majesty; it was not my intention, however, to do -so, and I will take my leave of you, after renewing to you the assurance -of my most respectful devotion." - -"Stay, duchesse; let us first talk a little about yourself." - -"Of myself, madame! I am not worthy that you should bend your looks upon -me." - -"Why not, indeed? Are you not the oldest friend I have? Are you angry -with me, duchesse?" - -"I, indeed! what motive could I have? If I had reason to be angry with -your majesty, should I have come here?" - -"Duchesse, age is fast creeping on us both; we should be united against -that death whose approach cannot be far off." - -"You overpower me, madame, with the kindness of your language." - -"No one has ever loved or served me as you have done, duchesse." - -"Your majesty is too kind in remembering it." - -"Not so. Give me a proof of your friendship, duchesse." - -"My whole being is devoted to you, madame." - -"The proof I require is, that you should ask something of me." - -"Ask--" - -"Oh, I know you well,--no one is more disinterested, more noble, and -truly loyal." - -"Do not praise me too highly, madame," said the duchesse, somewhat -anxiously. - -"I could never praise you as much as you deserve to be praised." - -"And yet, age and misfortune effect a terrible change in people, -madame." - -"So much the better; for the beautiful, the haughty, the adored duchesse -of former days might have answered me ungratefully, 'I do not wish for -anything from you.' Heaven be praised! The misfortunes you speak of have -indeed worked a change in you, for you will now, perhaps, answer me, 'I -accept.'" - -The duchesse's look and smile soon changed at this conclusion, and she -no longer attempted to act a false part. - -"Speak, dearest, what do you want?" - -"I must first explain to you--" - -"Do so unhesitatingly." - -"Well, then, your majesty can confer the greatest, the most ineffable -pleasure upon me." - -"What is it?" said the queen, a little distant in her manner, from an -uneasiness of feeling produced by this remark. "But do not forget, my -good Chevreuse, that I am quite as much under my son's influence as I -was formerly under my husband's." - -"I will not be too hard, madame." - -"Call me as you used to do; it will be a sweet echo of our happy youth." - -"Well, then, my dear mistress, my darling Anne--" - -"Do you know Spanish, still?" - -"Yes." - -"Ask me in Spanish, then." - -"Will your majesty do me the honor to pass a few days with me at -Dampierre?" - -"Is that all?" said the queen, stupefied. "Nothing more than that?" - -"Good heavens! can you possibly imagine that, in asking you that, I am -not asking you the greatest conceivable favor? If that really be the -case, you do not know me. Will you accept?" - -"Yes, gladly. And I shall be happy," continued the queen, with some -suspicion, "if my presence can in any way be useful to you." - -"Useful!" exclaimed the duchesse, laughing; "oh, no, no, -agreeable--delightful, if you like; and you promise me, then?" - -"I swear it," said the queen, whereupon the duchesse seized her -beautiful hand, and covered it with kisses. The queen could not help -murmuring to herself, "She is a good-hearted woman, and very generous, -too." - -"Will your majesty consent to wait a fortnight before you come?" - -"Certainly; but why?" - -"Because," said the duchesse, "knowing me to be in disgrace, no one -would lend me the hundred thousand francs, which I require to put -Dampierre into a state of repair. But when it is known that I require -that sum for the purpose of receiving your majesty at Dampierre -properly, all the money in Paris will be at my disposal." - -"Ah!" said the queen, gently nodding her head in sign of intelligence, -"a hundred thousand francs! you want a hundred thousand francs to put -Dampierre into repair?" - -"Quite as much as that." - -"And no one will lend you them?" - -"No one." - -"I will lend them to you, if you like, duchesse." - -"Oh, I hardly dare accept such a sum." - -"You would be wrong if you did _not_. Besides, a hundred thousand francs -is really not much. I know but too well that you never set a right value -upon your silence and secrecy. Push that table a little towards me, -duchesse, and I will write you an order on M. Colbert; no, on M. -Fouquet, who is a far more courteous and obliging man." - -"Will he pay it, though?" - -"If he will not pay it, I will; but it will be the first time he will -have refused me." - -The queen wrote and handed the duchesse the order, and afterwards -dismissed her with a warm embrace. - - - -Chapter XLV. How Jean de La Fontaine Came to Write His First Tale. - -All these intrigues are exhausted; the human mind, so variously -complicated, has been enabled to develop itself at its ease in the three -outlines with which our recital has supplied it. It is not unlikely -that, in the future we are now preparing, a question of politics and -intrigues may still arise, but the springs by which they work will be -so carefully concealed that no one will be able to see aught but flowers -and paintings, just as at a theater, where a colossus appears upon the -scene, walking along moved by the small legs and slender arms of a child -concealed within the framework. - -We now return to Saint-Mande, where the superintendent was in the habit -of receiving his select confederacy of epicureans. For some time past -the host had met with nothing but trouble. Every one in the house was -aware of and felt for the minister's distress. No more magnificent or -recklessly improvident _reunions_. Money had been the pretext assigned -by Fouquet, and never _was_ any pretext, as Gourville said, more -fallacious, for there was not even a shadow of money to be seen. - -M. Vatel was resolutely painstaking in keeping up the reputation of the -house, and yet the gardeners who supplied the kitchens complained of -ruinous delays. The agents for the supply of Spanish wines sent drafts -which no one honored; fishermen, whom the superintendent engaged on the -coast of Normandy, calculated that if they were paid all that was due to -them, the amount would enable them to retire comfortably for life; fish, -which, at a later period, was the cause of Vatel's death, did not arrive -at all. However, on the ordinary reception days, Fouquet's friends -flocked in more numerously than ever. Gourville and the Abbe Fouquet -talked over money matters--that is to say, the abbe borrowed a few -pistoles from Gourville; Pelisson, seated with his legs crossed, was -engaged in finishing the peroration of a speech with which Fouquet -was to open the parliament; and this speech was a masterpiece, because -Pelisson wrote it for his friend--that is to say, he inserted all kinds -of clever things the latter would most certainly never have taken the -trouble to say of his own accord. Presently Loret and La Fontaine would -enter from the garden, engaged in a dispute about the art of making -verses. The painters and musicians, in their turn, were hovering near -the dining-room. As soon as eight o'clock struck the supper would be -announced, for the superintendent never kept any one waiting. It was -already half-past seven, and the appetites of the guests were beginning -to declare themselves in an emphatic manner. As soon as all the guests -were assembled, Gourville went straight up to Pelisson, awoke him out -of his reverie, and led him into the middle of a room, and closed the -doors. "Well," he said, "anything new?" - -Pelisson raised his intelligent and gentle face, and said: "I have -borrowed five and twenty thousand francs of my aunt, and I have them -here in good sterling money." - -"Good," replied Gourville; "we only what one hundred and ninety-five -thousand livres for the first payment." - -"The payment of what?" asked La Fontaine. - -"What! absent-minded as usual! Why, it was you who told us the small -estate at Corbeli was going to be sold by one of M. Fouquet's creditors; -and you, also, who proposed that all his friends should subscribe--more -than that, it was you who said that you would sell a corner of your -house at Chateau-Thierry, in order to furnish your own proportion, and -you come and ask--'_The payment of what?_'" - -This remark was received with a general laugh, which made La Fontaine -blush. "I beg your pardon," he said, "I had not forgotten it; oh, no! -only--" - -"Only you remembered nothing about it," replied Loret. - -"That is the truth, and the fact is, he is quite right, there is a great -difference between forgetting and not remembering." - -"Well, then," added Pelisson, "you bring your mite in the shape of the -price of the piece of land you have sold?" - -"Sold? no!" - -"Have you not sold the field, then?" inquired Gourville, in -astonishment, for he knew the poet's disinterestedness. - -"My wife would not let me," replied the latter, at which there were -fresh bursts of laughter. - -"And yet you went to Chateau-Thierry for that purpose," said some one. - -"Certainly I did, and on horseback." - -"Poor fellow!" - -"I had eight different horses, and I was almost bumped to death." - -"You are an excellent fellow! And you rested yourself when you arrived -there?" - -"Rested! Oh! of course I did, for I had an immense deal of work to do." - -"How so?" - -"My wife had been flirting with the man to whom I wished to sell the -land. The fellow drew back from his bargain, and so I challenged him." - -"Very good, and you fought?" - -"It seems not." - -"You know nothing about it, I suppose?" - -"No, my wife and her relations interfered in the matter. I was kept a -quarter of an hour with my sword in my hand; but I was not wounded." - -"And your adversary?" - -"Oh! he wasn't wounded either, for he never came on the field." - -"Capital!" cried his friends from all sides, "you must have been -terribly angry." - -"Exceedingly so; I caught cold; I returned home and then my wife began -to quarrel with me." - -"In real earnest?" - -"Yes, in real earnest. She threw a loaf of bread at my head, a large -loaf." - -"And what did you do?" - -"Oh! I upset the table over her and her guests; and then I got on my -horse again, and here I am." - -Every one had great difficulty in keeping his countenance at the -exposure of this heroi-comedy, and when the laughter had subsided, one -of the guests present said to La Fontaine: "Is that all you have brought -back?" - -"Oh, no! I have an excellent idea in my head." - -"What is it?" - -"Have you noticed that there is a good deal of sportive, jesting poetry -written in France?" - -"Yes, of course," replied every one. - -"And," pursued La Fontaine, "only a very small portion of it is -printed." - -"The laws are strict, you know." - -"That may be; but a rare article is a dear article, and that is the -reason why I have written a small poem, excessively free in its style, -very broad, and extremely cynical in its tone." - -"The deuce you have!" - -"Yes," continued the poet, with assumed indifference, "and I have -introduced the greatest freedom of language I could possibly employ." - -Peals of laughter again broke forth, while the poet was thus announcing -the quality of his wares. "And," he continued, "I have tried to excel -everything that Boccaccio, Aretin, and other masters of their craft have -written in the same style." - -"Its fate is clear," said Pelisson; "it will be suppressed and -forbidden." - -"Do you think so?" said La Fontaine, simply. "I assure you I did not do -it on my own account so much as M. Fouquet's." - -This wonderful conclusion again raised the mirth of all present. - -"And I have sold the first edition of this little book for eight hundred -livres," exclaimed La Fontaine, rubbing his hands together. "Serious and -religions books sell at about half that rate." - -"It would have been better," said Gourville, "to have written two -religious books instead." - -"It would have been too long, and not amusing enough," replied La -Fontaine tranquilly; "my eight hundred livres are in this little bag, -and I beg to offer them as _my_ contribution." - -As he said this, he placed his offering in the hands of their treasurer; -it was then Loret's turn, who gave a hundred and fifty livres; the -others stripped themselves in the same way; and the total sum in the -purse amounted to forty thousand livres. The money was still being -counted over when the superintendent noiselessly entered the room; -he had heard everything; and then this man, who had possessed so many -millions, who had exhausted all the pleasures and honors the world had -to bestow, this generous heart, this inexhaustible brain, which had, -like two burning crucibles, devoured the material and moral substance of -the first kingdom in Europe, was seen to cross the threshold with tears -in his eyes, and pass his fingers through the gold and silver which the -bag contained. - -"Poor offering," he said, in a softened and affected tone of voice, "you -will disappear into the smallest corner of my empty purse, but you have -filled to overflowing that which no one can ever exhaust, my heart. -Thank you, my friends--thank you." And as he could not embrace every -one present, who were all tearful, too, philosophers as they were, he -embraced La Fontaine, saying to him, "Poor fellow! so you have, on my -account, been beaten by your wife and censured by your confessor." - -"Oh! it is a mere nothing," replied the poet; "if your creditors will -only wait a couple of years, I shall have written a hundred other tales, -which, at two editions each, will pay off the debt." - - - -Chapter XLVI. La Fontaine in the Character of a Negotiator. - -Fouquet pressed La Fontaine's hand most warmly, saying to him, "My dear -poet, write a hundred other tales, not only for the eighty pistoles -which each of them will produce you, but, still more, to enrich our -language with a hundred new masterpieces of composition." - -"Oh!" said La Fontaine, with a little air of pride, "you must not -suppose that I have only brought this idea and the eighty pistoles to -the superintendent." - -"Oh! indeed," was the general acclamation from all parts of the room, -"M. de la Fontaine is in funds to-day." - -"Exactly," replied La Fontaine. - -"Quick, quick!" cried the assembly. - -"Take care," said Pelisson in La Fontaine's ear; "you have had a most -brilliant success up to the present moment; do not go beyond your -depth." - -"Not at all, Monsieur Pelisson; and you, who are a man of decided taste, -will be the first to approve of what I have done." - -"We are talking of millions, remember," said Gourville. - -"I have fifteen hundred thousand francs here, Monsieur Gourville," he -replied, striking himself on the chest. - -"The deuce take this Gascon from Chateau-Thierry!" cried Loret. - -"It is not the pocket you must tap--but the brain," said Fouquet. - -"Stay a moment, monsieur le surintendant," added La Fontaine; "you are -not procureur-general--you are a poet." - -"True, true!" cried Loret, Conrart, and every person present connected -with literature. - -"You are, I repeat, a poet and a painter, a sculptor, a friend of the -arts and sciences; but, acknowledge that you are no lawyer." - -"Oh! I do acknowledge it," replied M. Fouquet, smiling. - -"If you were to be nominated at the Academy, you would refuse, I think." - -"I think I should, with all due deference to the academicians." - -"Very good; if, therefore, you do not wish to belong to the Academy, why -do you allow yourself to form one of the parliament?" - -"Oh!" said Pelisson, "we are talking politics." - -"I wish to know whether the barrister's gown does or does not become M. -Fouquet." - -"There is no question of the gown at all," retorted Pelisson, annoyed at -the laughter of those who were present. - -"On the contrary, it is the gown," said Loret. - -"Take the gown away from the procureur-general," said Conrart, "and we -have M. Fouquet left us still, of whom we have no reason to complain; -but, as he is no procureur-general without his gown, we agree with M. de -la Fontaine and pronounce the gown to be nothing but a bugbear." - -"_Fugiunt risus leporesque_," said Loret. - -"The smiles and the graces," said some one present. - -"That is not the way," said Pelisson, gravely, "that I translate -_lepores_." - -"How do you translate it?" said La Fontaine. - -"Thus: The hares run away as soon as they see M. Fouquet." A burst of -laughter, in which the superintendent joined, followed this sally. - -"But why hares?" objected Conrart, vexed. - -"Because the hare will be the very one who will not be over pleased to -see M. Fouquet surrounded by all the attributes which his parliamentary -strength and power confer on him." - -"Oh! oh!" murmured the poets. - -"_Quo non ascendam_," said Conrart, "seems impossible to me, when one is -fortunate enough to wear the gown of the procureur-general." [9] - -"On the contrary, it seems so to me without that gown," said the -obstinate Pelisson; "what is your opinion, Gourville?" - -"I think the gown in question is a very good thing," replied the latter; -"but I equally think that a million and a half is far better than the -gown." - -"And I am of Gourville's opinion," exclaimed Fouquet, stopping the -discussion by the expression of his own opinion, which would necessarily -bear down all the others. - -"A million and a half," Pelisson grumbled out; "now I happen to know an -Indian fable--" - -"Tell it to me," said La Fontaine; "I ought to know it too." - -"Tell it, tell it," said the others. - -"There was a tortoise, which was, as usual, well protected by its -shell," said Pelisson; "whenever its enemies threatened it, it took -refuge within its covering. One day some one said to it, 'You must feel -very hot in such a house as that in the summer, and you are altogether -prevented showing off your graces; there is a snake here, who will give -you a million and a half for your shell.'" - -"Good!" said the superintendent, laughing. - -"Well, what next?" said La Fontaine, more interested in the apologue -than in the moral. - -"The tortoise sold his shell and remained naked and defenseless. A -vulture happened to see him, and being hungry, broke the tortoise's back -with a blow of his beak and devoured it. The moral is, that M. Fouquet -should take very good care to keep his gown." - -La Fontaine understood the moral seriously. "You forget Aeschylus," he -said, to his adversary. - -"What do you mean?" - -"Aeschylus was bald-headed, and a vulture--your vulture, probably--who -was a great amateur in tortoises, mistook at a distance his head for a -block of stone, and let a tortoise, which was shrunk up in his shell, -fall upon it." - -"Yes, yes, La Fontaine is right," resumed Fouquet, who had become very -thoughtful; "whenever a vulture wishes to devour a tortoise, he well -knows how to break his shell; but happy is that tortoise a snake pays -a million and a half for his envelope. If any one were to bring me a -generous-hearted snake like the one in your fable, Pelisson, I would -give him my shell." - -"_Rara avis in terres!_" cried Conrart. [10] - -"And like a black swan, is he not?" added La Fontaine; "well, then, the -bird in question, black and rare, is already found." - -"Do you mean to say that you have found a purchaser for my post of -procureur-general?" exclaimed Fouquet. - -"I have, monsieur." - -"But the superintendent never said that he wished to sell," resumed -Pelisson. - -"I beg your pardon," said Conrart, "you yourself spoke about it, even--" - -"Yes, I am a witness to that," said Gourville. - -"He seems very tenacious about his brilliant idea," said Fouquet, -laughing. "Well, La Fontaine, who is the purchaser?" - -"A perfect blackbird, for he is a counselor belonging to the parliament, -an excellent fellow." - -"What is his name?" - -"Vanel." - -"Vanel!" exclaimed Fouquet. "Vanel the husband of--" - -"Precisely, her husband; yes, monsieur." - -"Poor fellow!" said Fouquet, with an expression of great interest. - -"He wishes to be everything that you have been, monsieur," said -Gourville, "and to do everything that you have done." - -"It is very agreeable; tell us all about it, La Fontaine." - -"It is very simple. I see him occasionally, and a short time ago I met -him, walking about on the Place de la Bastile, at the very moment when I -was about to take the small carriage to come down here to Saint-Mande." - -"He must have been watching his wife," interrupted Loret. - -"Oh, no!" said La Fontaine, "he is far from being jealous. He accosted -me, embraced me, and took me to the inn called L'Image Saint-Fiacre, and -told me all about his troubles." - -"He has his troubles, then?" - -"Yes; his wife wants to make him ambitious." - -"Well, and he told you--" - -"That some one had spoken to him about a post in parliament; that M. -Fouquet's name had been mentioned; that ever since, Madame Vanel dreams -of nothing else than being called madame la procureur-generale, and that -it makes her ill and kills her every night she does not dream about it." - -"The deuce!" - -"Poor woman!" said Fouquet. - -"Wait a moment. Conrart is always telling me that I do not know how to -conduct matters of business; you will see how I managed this one." - -"Well, go on." - -"'I suppose you know,' said I to Vanel, 'that the value of a post such -as that which M. Fouquet holds is by no means trifling.' - -"'How much do you imagine it to be?' he said. - -"'M. Fouquet, I know, has refused seventeen hundred thousand francs.' - -"'My wife,' replied Vanel, 'had estimated it at about fourteen hundred -thousand.' - -"'Ready money?' I said. - -"'Yes; she has sold some property of hers in Guienne, and has received -the purchase money.'" - -"That's a pretty sum to touch all at once," said the Abbe Fouquet, who -had not hitherto said a word. - -"Poor Madame Vanel!" murmured Fouquet. - -Pelisson shrugged his shoulders, as he whispered in Fouquet's ear, "That -woman is a perfect fiend." - -"That may be; and it will be delightful to make use of this fiend's -money to repair the injury which an angel has done herself for me." - -Pelisson looked with a surprised air at Fouquet, whose thoughts were -from that moment fixed upon a fresh object in view. - -"Well!" inquired La Fontaine, "what about my negotiation?" - -"Admirable, my dear poet." - -"Yes," said Gourville; "but there are some people who are anxious to -have the steed who have not even money enough to pay for the bridle." - -"And Vanel would draw back from his offer if he were to be taken at his -word," continued the Abbe Fouquet. - -"I do not believe it," said La Fontaine. - -"What do you know about it?" - -"Why, you have not yet heard the _denouement_ of my story." - -"If there is a _denouement_, why do you beat about the bush so much?" - -"_Semper ad eventum_. Is that correct?" said Fouquet, with the air of a -nobleman who condescends to barbarisms. To which the Latinists present -answered with loud applause. [11] - -"My _denouement_," cried La Fontaine, "is that Vanel, that determined -blackbird, knowing that I was coming to Saint-Mande, implored me to -bring him with me, and, if possible, to present him to M. Fouquet." - -"So that--" - -"So that he is here; I left him in that part of the ground called -Bel-Air. Well, M. Fouquet, what is your reply?" - -"Well, it is not respectful towards Madame Vanel that her husband -should run the risk of catching cold outside my house; send for him, La -Fontaine, since you know where he is." - -"I will go myself." - -"And I will accompany you," said the Abbe Fouquet; "I will carry the -money bags." - -"No jesting," said Fouquet, seriously; "let the business be a serious -one, if it is to be one at all. But first of all, let us show we are -hospitable. Make my apologies, La Fontaine, to M. Vanel, and tell him -how distressed I am to have kept him waiting, but that I was not -aware he was there." - -La Fontaine set off at once, fortunately accompanied by Gourville, -for, absorbed in his own calculations, the poet would have mistaken -the route, and was hurrying as fast as he could towards the village -of Saint-Mande. Within a quarter of an hour afterwards, M. Vanel was -introduced into the superintendent's cabinet, a description of which has -already been given at the beginning of this story. When Fouquet saw him -enter, he called to Pelisson, and whispered a few words in his ear. "Do -not lose a single word of what I am going to say: let all the silver and -gold plate, together with my jewels of every description, be packed -up in the carriage. You will take the black horses: the jeweler -will accompany you; and you will postpone the supper until Madame de -Belliere's arrival." - -"Will it be necessary to inform Madame de Belliere of it?" said -Pelisson. - -"No; that will be useless; I will do that. So, away with you, my dear -friend." - -Pelisson set off, not quite clear as to his friend's meaning or -intention, but confident, like every true friend, in the judgment of the -man he was blindly obeying. It is that which constitutes the strength of -such men; distrust only arises in the minds of inferior natures. - -Vanel bowed lowly to the superintendent, and was about to begin a -speech. - -"Do not trouble yourself, monsieur," said Fouquet, politely; "I am told -you wish to purchase a post I hold. How much can you give me for it?" - -"It is for you, monseigneur, to fix the amount you require. I know that -offers of purchase have already been made to you for it." - -"Madame Vanel, I have been told, values it at fourteen hundred thousand -livres." - -"That is all we have." - -"Can you give me the money immediately?" - -"I have not the money with me," said Vanel, frightened almost by the -unpretending simplicity, amounting to greatness, of the man, for he had -expected disputes, difficulties, opposition of every kind. - -"When will you be able to bring it?" - -"Whenever you please, monseigneur;" for he began to be afraid that -Fouquet was trifling with him. - -"If it were not for the trouble you would have in returning to Paris, -I would say at once; but we will arrange that the payment and the -signature shall take place at six o'clock to-morrow morning." - -"Very good," said Vanel, as cold as ice, and feeling quite bewildered. - -"Adieu, Monsieur Vanel, present my humblest respects to Madame Vanel," -said Fouquet, as he rose; upon which Vanel, who felt the blood rushing -to his head, for he was quite confounded by his success, said seriously -to the superintendent, "Will you give me your word, monseigneur, upon -this affair?" - -Fouquet turned round his head, saying, "_Pardieu_, and you, monsieur?" - -Vanel hesitated, trembled all over, and at last finished by hesitatingly -holding out his hand. Fouquet opened and nobly extended his own; this -loyal hand lay for a moment in Vanel's most hypocritical palm, and he -pressed it in his own, in order the better to convince himself of the -compact. The superintendent gently disengaged his hand, as he again -said, "Adieu." And then Vanel ran hastily to the door, hurried along the -vestibule, and fled as quickly as he could. - - - -Chapter XLVII. Madame de Belliere's Plate and Diamonds. - -Fouquet had no sooner dismissed Vanel than he began to reflect for a few -moments--"A man never can do too much for the woman he has once loved. -Marguerite wishes to be the wife of a procureur-general--and why not -confer this pleasure upon her? And, now that the most scrupulous and -sensitive conscience will be unable to reproach me with anything, let -my thoughts be bestowed on her who has shown so much devotion for me. -Madame de Belliere ought to be there by this time," he said, as he -turned towards the secret door. - -After he had locked himself in, he opened the subterranean passage, and -rapidly hastened towards the means of communicating between the house at -Vincennes and his own residence. He had neglected to apprise his friend -of his approach, by ringing the bell, perfectly assured that she would -never fail to be exact at the rendezvous; as, indeed, was the case, for -she was already waiting. The noise the superintendent made aroused her; -she ran to take from under the door the letter he had thrust there, and -which simply said, "Come, marquise; we are waiting supper for you." With -her heart filled with happiness Madame de Belliere ran to her carriage -in the Avenue de Vincennes, and in a few minutes she was holding out her -hand to Gourville, who was standing at the entrance, where, in order -the better to please his master, he had stationed himself to watch her -arrival. She had not observed that Fouquet's black horse arrived at the -same time, all steaming and foam-flaked, having returned to Saint-Mande -with Pelisson and the very jeweler to whom Madame de Belliere had sold -her plate and her jewels. Pelisson introduced the goldsmith into the -cabinet, which Fouquet had not yet left. The superintendent thanked him -for having been good enough to regard as a simple deposit in his hands, -the valuable property which he had every right to sell; and he cast his -eyes on the total of the account, which amounted to thirteen hundred -thousand francs. Then, going for a few moments to his desk, he wrote -an order for fourteen hundred thousand francs, payable at sight, at his -treasury, before twelve o'clock the next day. - -"A hundred thousand francs profit!" cried the goldsmith. "Oh, -monseigneur, what generosity!" - -"Nay, nay, not so, monsieur," said Fouquet, touching him on the -shoulder; "there are certain kindnesses which can never be repaid. This -profit is only what you have earned; but the interest of your money -still remains to be arranged." And, saying this, he unfastened from his -sleeve a diamond button, which the goldsmith himself had often valued -at three thousand pistoles. "Take this," he said to the goldsmith, "in -remembrance of me. Farewell; you are an honest man." - -"And you, monseigneur," cried the goldsmith, completely overcome, "are -the noblest man that ever lived." - -Fouquet let the worthy goldsmith pass out of the room by a secret door, -and then went to receive Madame de Belliere, who was already surrounded -by all the guests. The marquise was always beautiful, but now her -loveliness was more dazzling than ever. "Do you not think, gentlemen," -said Fouquet, "that madame is more than usually beautiful this evening? -And do you happen to know why?" - -"Because madame is really the most beautiful of all women," said some -one present. - -"No; but because she is the best. And yet--" - -"Yet?" said the marquise, smiling. - -"And yet, all the jewels which madame is wearing this evening are -nothing but false stones." At this remark the marquise blushed most -painfully. - -"Oh, oh!" exclaimed all the guests, "that can very well be said of one -who has the finest diamonds in Paris." - -"Well?" said Fouquet to Pelisson, in a low tone. - -"Well, at last I have understood you," returned the latter; "and you -have done exceedingly well." - -"Supper is ready, monseigneur," said Vatel, with majestic air and tone. - -The crowd of guests hurried, more quickly than is usually the case -with ministerial entertainments, towards the banqueting-room, where -a magnificent spectacle presented itself. Upon the buffets, upon the -side-tables, upon the supper-table itself, in the midst of flowers and -light, glittered most dazzlingly the richest and most costly gold -and silver plate that could possibly be seen--relics of those ancient -magnificent productions the Florentine artists, whom the Medici family -patronized, sculptured, chased, and moulded for the purpose of holding -flowers, at a time when gold existed still in France. These hidden -marvels, which had been buried during the civil wars, timidly reappeared -during the intervals of that war of good taste called La Fronde; at a -time when noblemen fighting against nobleman killed, but did not pillage -each other. All the plate present had Madame de Belliere's arms engraved -upon it. "Look," cried La Fontaine, "here is a P and a B." - -But the most remarkable object present was the cover which Fouquet had -assigned to the marquise. Near her was a pyramid of diamonds, sapphires, -emeralds, antique cameos, sardonyx stones, carved by the old Greeks of -Asia Minor, with mountings of Mysian gold; curious mosaics of ancient -Alexandria, set in silver; massive Egyptian bracelets lay heaped on -a large plate of Palissy ware, supported by a tripod of gilt bronze, -sculptured by Benvenuto Cellini. The marquise turned pale, as she -recognized what she had never expected to see again. A profound silence -fell on every one of the restless and excited guests. Fouquet did -not even make a sign in dismissal of the richly liveried servants who -crowded like bees round the huge buffets and other tables in the room. -"Gentlemen," he said, "all this plate which you behold once belonged -to Madame de Belliere, who, having observed one of her friends in great -distress, sent all this gold and silver, together with the heap of -jewels now before her, to her goldsmith. This noble conduct of a devoted -friend can well be understood by such friends as you. Happy indeed is -that man who sees himself loved in such a manner. Let us drink to the -health of Madame de Belliere." - -A tremendous burst of applause followed his words, and made poor Madame -de Belliere sink back dumb and breathless in her seat. "And then," -added Pelisson, who was always affected by a noble action, as he was -invariably impressed by beauty, "let us also drink to the health of him -who inspired madame's noble conduct; for such a man is worthy of being -worthily loved." - -It was now the marquise's turn. She rose, pale and smiling; and as she -held out her glass with a faltering hand, and her trembling fingers -touched those of Fouquet, her look, full of love, found its mirror in -that of her ardent and generous-hearted lover. Begun in this manner, the -supper soon became a _fete_; no one tried to be witty, but no one failed -in being so. La Fontaine forgot his Gorgny wine, and allowed Vatel to -reconcile him to the wines of the Rhone, and those from the shores of -Spain. The Abbe Fouquet became so kind and good-natured, that Gourville -said to him, "Take care, monsieur l'abbe; if you are so tender, you will -be carved and eaten." - -The hours passed away so joyously, that, contrary to his usual custom, -the superintendent did not leave the table before the end of the -dessert. He smiled upon his friends, delighted as a man is whose heart -becomes intoxicated before his head--and, for the first time, looked at -the clock. Suddenly a carriage rolled into the courtyard, and, strange -to say, it was heard high above the noise of the mirth which prevailed. -Fouquet listened attentively, and then turned his eyes towards the -ante-chamber. It seemed as if he could hear a step passing across it, -a step that, instead of pressing the ground, weighed heavily upon -his heart. "M. d'Herblay, bishop of Vannes," the usher announced. And -Aramis's grave and thoughtful face appeared upon the threshold of the -door, between the remains of two garlands, of which the flame of a lamp -had just burnt the thread that once united them. - - - -Chapter XLVIII. M. de Mazarin's Receipt. - -Fouquet would have uttered an exclamation of delight on seeing another -friend arrive, if the cold air and averted aspect of Aramis had not -restored all his reserve. "Are you going to join us at dessert?" he -asked. "And yet you would be frightened, perhaps, at the noise which our -wild friends here are making?" - -"Monseigneur," replied Aramis, respectfully, "I will begin by begging -you to excuse me for having interrupted this merry meeting; and then, -I will beg you to give me, as soon as your pleasure is attended to, a -moment's audience on matters of business." - -As the word "business" had aroused the attention of some of the -epicureans present, Fouquet rose, saying: "Business first of all, -Monsieur d'Herblay; we are too happy when matters of business arrive -only at the end of a meal." - -As he said this, he took the hand of Madame de Belliere, who looked at -him with a kind of uneasiness, and then led her to an adjoining _salon_, -after having recommended her to the most reasonable of his guests. And -then, taking Aramis by the arm, he led him towards his cabinet. As soon -as Aramis was there, throwing aside the respectful air he had assumed, -he threw himself into a chair, saying: "Guess whom I have seen this -evening?" - -"My dear chevalier, every time you begin in that manner, I am sure to -hear you announce something disagreeable." - -"Well, and this time you will not be mistaken, either, my dear friend," -replied Aramis. - -"Do not keep me in suspense," added Fouquet, phlegmatically. - -"Well, then, I have seen Madame de Chevreuse." - -"The old duchesse, do you mean?" - -"Yes." - -"Her ghost, perhaps?" - -"No, no; the old she-wolf herself." - -"Without teeth?" - -"Possibly, but not without claws." - -"Well! what harm can she meditate against me? I am no miser with women -who are not prudes. A quality always prized, even by the woman who no -longer presumes to look for love." - -"Madame de Chevreuse knows very well that you are not avaricious, since -she wishes to draw some money of you." - -"Indeed! under what pretext?" - -"Oh! pretexts are never wanting with _her_. Let me tell you what it is: -it seems that the duchesse has a good many letters of M. de Mazarin's in -her possession." - -"I am not surprised at that, for the prelate was gallant enough." - -"Yes, but these letters have nothing whatever to do with the prelate's -love affairs. They concern, it is said, financial matters rather." - -"And accordingly they are less interesting." - -"Do you not suspect what I mean?" - -"Not at all." - -"Have you never heard speak of a prosecution being instituted for an -embezzlement, or appropriation rather, of public funds?" - -"Yes, a hundred, nay, a thousand times. Ever since I have been engaged -in public matters I have hardly heard of anything else. It is precisely -your own case, when, as a bishop, people reproach you for impiety; or, -as a musketeer, for your cowardice; the very thing of which they are -always accusing ministers of finance is the embezzlement of public -funds." - -"Very good; but take a particular instance, for the duchesse asserts -that M. de Mazarin alludes to certain particular instances." - -"What are they?" - -"Something like a sum of thirteen millions of francs, of which it -would be very difficult for you to define the precise nature of the -employment." - -"Thirteen millions!" said the superintendent, stretching himself in his -armchair, in order to enable him the more comfortably to look up towards -the ceiling. "Thirteen millions--I am trying to remember out of all -those I have been accused of having stolen." - -"Do not laugh, my dear monsieur, for it is very serious. It is positive -that the duchesse has certain letters in her possession, and that these -letters must be as she represents them, since she wished to sell them to -me for five hundred thousand francs." - -"Oh! one can have a very tolerable calumny got up for such a sum as -that," replied Fouquet. "Ah! now I know what you mean," and he began to -laugh very heartily. - -"So much the better," said Aramis, a little reassured. - -"I remember the story of those thirteen millions now. Yes, yes, I -remember them quite well." - -"I am delighted to hear it; tell me about them." - -"Well, then, one day Signor Mazarin, Heaven rest his soul! made a profit -of thirteen millions upon a concession of lands in the Valtelline; he -canceled them in the registry of receipts, sent them to me, and then -made me advance them to him for war expenses." - -"Very good; then there is no doubt of their proper destination." - -"No; the cardinal made me invest them in my own name, and gave me a -receipt." - -"You have the receipt?" - -"Of course," said Fouquet, as he quietly rose from his chair, and went -to his large ebony bureau inlaid with mother-of-pearl and gold. - -"What I most admire in you," said Aramis, with an air of great -satisfaction, "is, your memory in the first place, then your -self-possession, and, finally, the perfect order which prevails in your -administration; you, of all men, too, who are by nature a poet." - -"Yes," said Fouquet, "I am orderly out of a spirit of idleness, to save -myself the trouble of looking after things, and so I know that Mazarin's -receipt is in the third drawer under the letter M; I open the drawer, -and place my hand upon the very paper I need. In the night, without a -light, I could find it." - -And with a confident hand he felt the bundle of papers which were piled -up in the open drawer. "Nay, more than that," he continued, "I remember -the paper as if I saw it; it is thick, somewhat crumpled, with gilt -edges; Mazarin had made a blot upon the figure of the date. Ah!" he -said, "the paper knows we are talking about it, and that we want it very -much, and so it hides itself out of the way." - -And as the superintendent looked into the drawer, Aramis rose from his -seat. - -"This is very singular," said Fouquet. - -"Your memory is treacherous, my dear monseigneur; look in another -drawer." - -Fouquet took out the bundle of papers, and turned them over once more; -he then grew very pale. - -"Don't confine your search to that drawer," said Aramis; "look -elsewhere." - -"Quite useless; I have never made a mistake; no one but myself arranges -any papers of mine of this nature; no one but myself ever opens this -drawer, of which, besides, no one, myself excepted, is aware of the -secret." - -"What do you conclude, then?" said Aramis, agitated. - -"That Mazarin's receipt has been stolen from me; Madame de Chevreuse was -right, chevalier; I have appropriated the public funds, I have robbed -the state coffers of thirteen millions of money; I am a thief, Monsieur -d'Herblay." - -"Nay, nay, do not get irritated--do not get excited." - -"And why not, chevalier? surely there is every reason for it. If legal -proceedings are well arranged, and a judgment given in accordance with -them, your friend the superintendent will soon follow Montfaucon, his -colleague Enguerrand de Marigny, and his predecessor, Semblancay." - -"Oh!" said Aramis, smiling, "not so fast as that." - -"And why not? why not so fast? What do you suppose Madame de Chevreuse -has done with those letters--for you refused them, I suppose?" - -"Yes; at once. I suppose that she went and sold them to M. Colbert." - -"Well?" - -"I said I supposed so; I might have said I was sure of it, for I had her -followed, and, when she left me, she returned to her own house, went out -by a back door, and proceeded straight to the intendant's house in the -Rue Croix des Petits-Champs." - -"Legal proceedings will be instituted, then, scandal and dishonor -will follow; and all will fall upon me like a thunderbolt, blindly, -pitilessly." - -Aramis approached Fouquet, who sat trembling in his chair, close to the -open drawers; he placed his hand on his shoulder, and in an affectionate -tone of voice, said: "Do not forget that the position of M. Fouquet can -in no way be compared to that of Semblancay or of Marigny." - -"And why not, in Heaven's name?" - -"Because the proceedings against those ministers were determined, -completed, and the sentence carried out, whilst in your case the same -thing cannot take place." - -"Another blow, why not? A peculator is, under any circumstances, a -criminal." - -"Criminals who know how to find a safe asylum are never in danger." - -"What! make my escape? Fly?" - -"No, I do not mean that; you forget that all such proceedings originate -in the parliament, that they are instituted by the procureur-general, -and that you are the procureur-general. You see that, unless you wish to -condemn yourself--" - -"Oh!" cried Fouquet, suddenly, dashing his fist upon the table. - -"Well! what? what is the matter?" - -"I am procureur-general no longer." - -Aramis, at this reply, became as livid as death; he pressed his hands -together convulsively, and with a wild, haggard look, which almost -annihilated Fouquet, he said, laying a stress on every distinct -syllable, "You are procureur-general no longer, do you say?" - -"No." - -"Since when?" - -"Since the last four or five hours." - -"Take care," interrupted Aramis, coldly; "I do not think you are in the -full possession of your senses, my friend; collect yourself." - -"I tell you," returned Fouquet, "that a little while ago, some one came -to me, brought by my friends, to offer me fourteen hundred thousand -francs for the appointment, and that I sold it." - -Aramis looked as though he had been struck by lightning; the intelligent -and mocking expression of his countenance assumed an aspect of -such profound gloom and terror, that it had more effect upon the -superintendent than all the exclamations and speeches in the world. "You -had need of money, then?" he said, at last. - -"Yes; to discharge a debt of honor." And in a few words, he gave Aramis -an account of Madame de Belliere's generosity, and the manner in which -he had thought it but right to discharge that act of generosity. - -"Yes," said Aramis, "that is, indeed, a fine trait. What has it cost?" - -"Exactly the fourteen hundred thousand francs--the price of my -appointment." - -"Which you received in that manner, without reflection. Oh, imprudent -man!" - -"I have not yet received the amount, but I shall to-morrow." - -"It is not yet completed, then?" - -"It must be carried out, though; for I have given the goldsmith, for -twelve o'clock to-morrow, an order upon my treasury, into which the -purchaser's money will be paid at six or seven o'clock." - -"Heaven be praised!" cried Aramis, clapping his hands together, "nothing -is yet completed, since you have not yet been paid." - -"But the goldsmith?" - -"You shall receive the fourteen hundred thousand francs from me, at a -quarter before twelve." - -"Stay a moment; it is at six o'clock, this very morning, that I am to -sign." - -"Oh! I will answer that you do not sign." - -"I have given my word, chevalier." - -"If you have given it, you will take it back again, that is all." - -"Can I believe what I hear?" cried Fouquet, in a most expressive tone. -"Fouquet recall his word, after it has once been pledged!" - -Aramis replied to the almost stern look of the minister by a look full -of anger. "Monsieur," he said, "I believe I have deserved to be called a -man of honor? As a soldier, I have risked my life five hundred times; as -a priest I have rendered still greater services, both to the state and -to my friends. The value of a word, once passed, is estimated according -to the worth of the man who gives it. So long as it is in his own -keeping, it is of the purest, finest gold; when his wish to keep it -has passed away, it is a two-edged sword. With that word, therefore, he -defends himself as with an honorable weapon, considering that, when he -disregards his word, he endangers his life and incurs an amount of risk -far greater than that which his adversary is likely to derive of profit. -In such a case, monsieur, he appeals to Heaven and to justice." - -Fouquet bent down his head, as he replied, "I am a poor, self-determined -man, a true Breton born; my mind admires and fears yours. I do not say -that I keep my word from a proper feeling only; I keep it, if you like, -from custom, practice, pride, or what you will; but, at all events, the -ordinary run of men are simple enough to admire this custom of mine; it -is my sole good quality--leave me such honor as it confers." - -"And so you are determined to sign the sale of the very appointment -which can alone defend you against all your enemies." - -"Yes, I shall sign." - -"You will deliver yourself up, then, bound hand and foot, from a false -notion of honor, which the most scrupulous casuists would disdain?" - -"I shall sign," repeated Fouquet. - -Aramis sighed deeply, and looked all round him with the impatient -gesture of a man who would gladly dash something to pieces, as a relief -to his feelings. "We have still one means left," he said; "and I trust -you will not refuse me to make use of that." - -"Certainly not, if it be loyal and honorable; as everything is, in fact, -which you propose." - -"I know nothing more loyal than the renunciation of your purchaser. Is -he a friend of yours?" - -"Certainly: but--" - -"'But!'--if you allow me to manage the affair, I do not despair." - -"Oh! you shall be absolutely master to do what you please." - -"Whom are you in treaty with? What manner of man is it?" - -"I am not aware whether you know the parliament." - -"Most of its members. One of the presidents, perhaps?" - -"No; only a counselor, of the name of Vanel." - -Aramis became perfectly purple. "Vanel!" he cried, rising abruptly from -his seat; "Vanel! the husband of Marguerite Vanel?" - -"Exactly." - -"Of your former mistress?" - -"Yes, my dear fellow; she is anxious to be the wife of the -procureur-general. I certainly owed poor Vanel that slight concession, -and I am a gainer by it; since I, at the same time, can confer a -pleasure on his wife." - -Aramis walked straight up to Fouquet, and took hold of his hand. "Do you -know," he said, very calmly, "the name of Madame Vanel's new lover?" - -"Ah! she has a new lover, then? I was not aware of it; no, I have no -idea what his name is." - -"His name is M. Jean-Baptiste Colbert; he is intendant of the finances: -he lives in the Rue Croix des Petits-Champs, where Madame de Chevreuse -has been this evening to take him Mazarin's letters, which she wishes to -sell." - -"Gracious Heaven!" murmured Fouquet, passing his hand across his -forehead, from which the perspiration was starting. - -"You now begin to understand, do you not?" - -"That I am utterly lost!--yes." - -"Do you now think it worth while to be so scrupulous with regard to -keeping your word?" - -"Yes," said Fouquet. - -"These obstinate people always contrive matters in such a way, that one -cannot but admire them all the while," murmured Aramis. - -Fouquet held out his hand to him, and, at the very moment, a richly -ornamented tortoise-shell clock, supported by golden figures, which was -standing on a console table opposite to the fireplace, struck six. The -sound of a door being opened in the vestibule was heard, and Gourville -came to the door of the cabinet to inquire if Fouquet would received M. -Vanel. Fouquet turned his eyes from the gaze of Aramis, and then desired -that M. Vanel should be shown in. - - - -Chapter XLIX. Monsieur Colbert's Rough Draft. - -Vanel, who entered at this stage of the conversation, was nothing less -for Aramis and Fouquet than the full stop which completes a phrase. -But, for Vanel, Aramis's presence in Fouquet's cabinet had quite another -signification; and, therefore, at his first step into the room, he -paused as he looked at the delicate yet firm features of the bishop of -Vannes, and his look of astonishment soon became one of scrutinizing -attention. As for Fouquet, a perfect politician, that is to say, -complete master of himself, he had already, by the energy of his own -resolute will, contrived to remove from his face all traces of the -emotion which Aramis's revelation had occasioned. He was no longer, -therefore, a man overwhelmed by misfortune and reduced to resort to -expedients; he held his head proudly erect, and indicated by a gesture -that Vanel could enter. He was now the first minister of the state, and -in his own palace. Aramis knew the superintendent well; the delicacy of -the feelings of his heart and the exalted nature of his mind no longer -surprised him. He confined himself, then, for the moment--intending to -resume later an active part in the conversation--to the performance of -the difficult part of a man who looks on and listens, in order to learn -and understand. Vanel was visibly overcome, and advanced into the middle -of the cabinet, bowing to everything and everybody. "I am here," he -said. - -"You are punctual, Monsieur Vanel," returned Fouquet. - -"In matters of business, monseigneur," replied Vanel, "I look upon -exactitude as a virtue." - -"No doubt, monsieur." - -"I beg your pardon," interrupted Aramis, indicating Vanel with his -finger, but addressing himself to Fouquet; "this is the gentleman, I -believe, who has come about the purchase of your appointment?" - -"Yes, I am," replied Vanel, astonished at the extremely haughty tone in -which Aramis had put the question; "but in what way am I to address you, -who do me the honor--" - -"Call me monseigneur," replied Aramis, dryly. Vanel bowed. - -"Come, gentlemen, a truce to these ceremonies; let us proceed to the -matter itself." - -"Monseigneur sees," said Vanel, "that I am waiting your pleasure." - -"On the contrary, I am waiting," replied Fouquet. - -"What for, may I be permitted to ask, monseigneur?" - -"I thought that you had perhaps something to say." - -"Oh," said Vanel to himself, "he has reflected on the matter and I -am lost." But resuming his courage, he continued, "No, monseigneur, -nothing, absolutely nothing more than what I said to you yesterday, and -which I am again ready to repeat to you now." - -"Come, now, tell me frankly, Monsieur Vanel, is not the affair rather a -burdensome one for you?" - -"Certainly, monseigneur; fourteen hundred thousand francs is an -important sum." - -"So important, indeed," said Fouquet, "that I have reflected--" - -"You have been reflecting, do you say, monseigneur?" exclaimed Vanel, -anxiously. - -"Yes; that you might not yet be in a position to purchase." - -"Oh, monseigneur!" - -"Do not make yourself uneasy on that score, Monsieur Vanel; I shall not -blame you for a failure in your word, which evidently may arise from -inability on your part." - -"Oh, yes, monseigneur, you would blame me, and you would be right in -doing so," said Vanel; "for a man must either be very imprudent, or a -fool, to undertake engagements which he cannot keep; and I, at least, -have always regarded a thing agreed on as a thing actually carried out." - -Fouquet colored, while Aramis uttered a "Hum!" of impatience. - -"You would be wrong to exaggerate such notions as those, monsieur," said -the superintendent; "for a man's mind is variable, and full of these -very excusable caprices, which are, however, sometimes estimable enough; -and a man may have wished for something yesterday of which he repents -to-day." - -Vanel felt a cold sweat trickle down his face. "Monseigneur!" he -muttered. - -Aramis, who was delighted to find the superintendent carry on the debate -with such clearness and precision, stood leaning his arm upon the marble -top of a console table and began to play with a small gold knife, with a -malachite handle. Fouquet did not hasten to reply; but after a moment's -pause, "Come, my dear Monsieur Vanel," he said, "I will explain to you -how I am situated." Vanel began to tremble. - -"Yesterday I wished to sell--" - -"Monseigneur did more than wish to sell, he actually sold." - -"Well, well, that may be so; but to-day I ask you the favor to restore -me my word which I pledged you." - -"I received your _word_ as a satisfactory assurance that it would be -kept." - -"I know that, and that is the reason why I now entreat you; do you -understand me? I entreat you to restore it to me." - -Fouquet suddenly paused. The words "I entreat you," the effect of -which he did not immediately perceive, seemed almost to choke him as -he uttered it. Aramis, still playing with his knife, fixed a look upon -Vanel which seemed as if he wished to penetrate the recesses of his -heart. Vanel simply bowed, as he said, "I am overcome, monseigneur, at -the honor you do me to consult me upon a matter of business which is -already completed; but--" - -"Nay, do not say _but_, dear Monsieur Vanel." - -"Alas! monseigneur, you see," he said, as he opened a large pocket-book, -"I have brought the money with me,--the whole sum, I mean. And here, -monseigneur, is the contract of sale which I have just effected of -a property belonging to my wife. The order is authentic in every -particular, the necessary signatures have been attached to it, and it is -made payable at sight; it is ready money, in fact, and, in one word, the -whole affair is complete." - -"My dear Monsieur Vanel, there is not a matter of business in this -world, however important it may be, which cannot be postponed in order -to oblige a man, who, by that means, might and would be made a devoted -friend." - -"Certainly," said Vanel, awkwardly. - -"And much more justly acquired would that friend become, Monsieur -Vanel, since the value of the service he had received would have been so -considerable. Well, what do you say? what do you decide?" - -Vanel preserved a perfect silence. In the meantime, Aramis had continued -his close observation of the man. Vanel's narrow face, his deeply sunken -eyes, his arched eyebrows, had revealed to the bishop of Vannes the type -of an avaricious and ambitious character. Aramis's method was to oppose -one passion by another. He saw that M. Fouquet was defeated--morally -subdued--and so he came to his rescue with fresh weapons in his hands. -"Excuse me, monseigneur," he said; "you forgot to show M. Vanel that -his own interests are diametrically opposed to this renunciation of the -sale." - -Vanel looked at the bishop with astonishment; he had hardly expected to -find an auxiliary in him. Fouquet also paused to listen to the bishop. - -"Do you not see," continued Aramis, "that M. Vanel, in order to purchase -your appointment, has been obliged to sell a property belonging to his -wife; well, that is no slight matter; for one cannot displace, as he -has done, fourteen or fifteen hundred thousand francs without some -considerable loss, and very serious inconvenience." - -"Perfectly true," said Vanel, whose secret Aramis had, with keen-sighted -gaze, wrung from the bottom of his heart. - -"Inconveniences such as these are matters of great expense and -calculation, and whenever a man has money matters to deal with, the -expenses are generally the very first thing thought of." - -"Yes, yes," said Fouquet, who began to understand Aramis's meaning. - -Vanel remained perfectly silent; he, too, had understood him. Aramis -observed his coldness of manner and his silence. "Very good," he said to -himself, "you are waiting, I see, until you know the amount; but do -not fear, I shall send you such a flight of crowns that you cannot but -capitulate on the spot." - -"We must offer M. Vanel a hundred thousand crowns at once," said -Fouquet, carried away by his generous feelings. - -The sum was a good one. A prince, even, would have been satisfied with -such a bonus. A hundred thousand crowns at that period was the dowry of -a king's daughter. Vanel, however, did not move. - -"He is a perfect rascal!" thought the bishop, "well, we must offer the -five hundred thousand francs at once," and he made a sign to Fouquet -accordingly. - -"You seem to have spent more than that, dear Monsieur Vanel," said the -superintendent. "The price of ready money is enormous. You must have -made a great sacrifice in selling your wife's property. Well, what can I -have been thinking of? I ought to have offered to sign you an order for -five hundred thousand francs; and even in that case I shall feel that I -am greatly indebted to you." - -There was not a gleam of delight or desire on Vanel's face, which -remained perfectly impassible; not a muscle of it changed in the -slightest degree. Aramis cast a look almost of despair at Fouquet, and -then, going straight up to Vanel and taking hold of him by the coat, -in a familiar manner, he said, "Monsieur Vanel, it is neither the -inconvenience, nor the displacement of your money, nor the sale of your -wife's property even, that you are thinking of at this moment; it -is something more important still. I can well understand it; so pay -particular attention to what I am going to say." - -"Yes, monseigneur," Vanel replied, beginning to tremble in every limb, -as the prelate's eyes seemed almost ready to devour him. - -"I offer you, therefore, in the superintendent's name, not three hundred -thousand livres, nor five hundred thousand, but a million. A million--do -you understand me?" he added, as he shook him nervously. - -"A million!" repeated Vanel, as pale as death. - -"A million; in other words, at the present rate of interest, an income -of seventy thousand francs." - -"Come, monsieur," said Fouquet, "you can hardly refuse that. Answer--do -you accept?" - -"Impossible," murmured Vanel. - -Aramis bit his lips, and something like a cloud seemed to pass over his -face. The thunder behind this cloud could easily be imagined. He still -kept his hold on Vanel. "You have purchased the appointment for fifteen -hundred thousand francs, I think. Well, you will receive these fifteen -hundred thousand francs back again; by paying M. Fouquet a visit, and -shaking hands with him on the bargain, you will have become a gainer -of a million and a half. You get honor and profit at the same time, -Monsieur Vanel." - -"I cannot do it," said Vanel, hoarsely. - -"Very well," replied Aramis, who had grasped Vanel so tightly by the -coat that, when he let go his hold, Vanel staggered back a few paces, -"very well; one can now see clearly enough your object in coming here." - -"Yes," said Fouquet, "one can easily see that." - -"But--" said Vanel, attempting to stand erect before the weakness of -these two men of honor. - -"Does the fellow presume to speak?" said Aramis, with the tone of an -emperor. - -"Fellow!" repeated Vanel. - -"The scoundrel, I meant to say," added Aramis, who had now resumed his -usual self-possession. "Come, monsieur, produce your deed of sale,--you -have it about you, I suppose, in one of your pockets, already prepared, -as an assassin holds his pistol or his dagger concealed under his cloak." - -Vanel began to mutter something. - -"Enough!" cried Fouquet. "Where is this deed?" - -Vanel tremblingly searched in his pockets, and as he drew out his -pocket-book, a paper fell out of it, while Vanel offered the other to -Fouquet. Aramis pounced upon the paper which had fallen out, as soon as -he recognized the handwriting. "I beg your pardon," said Vanel, "that is -a rough draft of the deed." - -"I see that very clearly," retorted Aramis, with a smile more cutting -than a lash of a whip; "and what I admire most is, that this draft is in -M. Colbert's handwriting. Look, monseigneur, look." - -And he handed the draft to Fouquet, who recognized the truth of the -fact; for, covered with erasures, with inserted words, the margins -filled with additions, this deed--a living proof of Colbert's plot--had -just revealed everything to its unhappy victim. "Well!" murmured -Fouquet. - -Vanel, completely humiliated, seemed as if he were looking for some hole -wherein to hide himself. - -"Well!" said Aramis, "if your name were not Fouquet, and if your enemy's -name were not Colbert--if you had not this mean thief before you, I -should say to you, 'Repudiate it;' such a proof as this absolves you -from your word; but these fellows would think you were afraid; they -would fear you less than they do; therefore sign the deed at once." And -he held out a pen towards him. - -Fouquet pressed Aramis's hand; but, instead of the deed which Vanel -handed to him, he took the rough draft of it. - -"No, not that paper," said Aramis, hastily; "this is the one. The other -is too precious a document for you to part with." - -"No, no!" replied Fouquet; "I will sign under M. Colbert's own -handwriting even; and I write, 'The handwriting is approved of.'" He -then signed, and said, "Here it is, Monsieur Vanel." And the latter -seized the paper, dashed down the money, and was about to make his -escape. - -"One moment," said Aramis. "Are you quite sure the exact amount is -there? It ought to be counted over, Monsieur Vanel; particularly since -M. Colbert makes presents of money to ladies, I see. Ah, that worthy M. -Colbert is not so generous as M. Fouquet." And Aramis, spelling every -word, every letter of the order to pay, distilled his wrath and his -contempt, drop by drop, upon the miserable wretch, who had to submit -to this torture for a quarter of an hour. He was then dismissed, not in -words, but by a gesture, as one dismisses or discharges a beggar or a -menial. - -As soon as Vanel had gone, the minister and the prelate, their eyes -fixed on each other, remained silent for a few moments. - -"Well," said Aramis, the first to break the silence; "to what can that -man be compared, who, at the very moment he is on the point of entering -into a conflict with an enemy armed from head to foot, panting for his -life, presents himself for the contest utterly defenseless, throws down -his arms, and smiles and kisses his hands to his adversary in the most -gracious manner? Good faith, M. Fouquet, is a weapon which scoundrels -frequently make use of against men of honor, and it answers their -purpose. Men of honor, ought, in their turn, also, to make use of -dishonest means against such scoundrels. You would soon see how strong -they would become, without ceasing to be men of honor." - -"What they did would be termed the acts of a scoundrel," replied -Fouquet. - -"Far from that; it would be merely coquetting or playing with the truth. -At all events, since you have finished with this Vanel; since you have -deprived yourself of the happiness of confounding him by repudiating -your word; and since you have given up, for the purpose of being used -against yourself, the only weapon which can ruin you--" - -"My dear friend," said Fouquet, mournfully, "you are like the teacher of -philosophy whom La Fontaine was telling us about the other day; he saw -a child drowning, and began to read him a lecture divided into three -heads." - -Aramis smiled as he said, "Philosophy--yes; teacher--yes; a drowning -child--yes; but a child can be saved--you shall see. But first of all -let us talk about business. Did you not some time ago," he continued, as -Fouquet looked at him with a bewildered air, "speak to me about an idea -you had of giving a _fete_ at Vaux?" - -"Oh!" said Fouquet, "that was when affairs were flourishing." - -"A _fete_, I believe, to which the king invited himself of his own -accord?" - -"No, no, my dear prelate; a _fete_ to which M. Colbert advised the king -to invite himself." - -"Ah--exactly; as it would be a _fete_ of so costly a character that you -would be ruined in giving it." - -"Precisely so. In happier days, as I said just now, I had a kind of -pride in showing my enemies how inexhaustible my resources were; I felt -it a point of honor to strike them with amazement, by creating millions -under circumstances where they imagined nothing but bankruptcies and -failures would follow. But, at present, I am arranging my accounts with -the state, with the king, with myself; and I must now become a mean, -stingy man; I shall be able to prove to the world that I can act or -operate with my deniers as I used to do with my bags of pistoles, and -from to-morrow my equipages shall be sold, my mansions mortgaged, my -expenses curtailed." - -"From to-morrow," interrupted Aramis, quietly, "you will occupy -yourself, without the slightest delay, with your _fete_ at Vaux, which -must hereafter be spoken of as one of the most magnificent productions -of your most prosperous days." - -"Are you mad, Chevalier d'Herblay?" - -"I! do you think so?" - -"What do you mean, then? Do you not know that a _fete_ at Vaux, one of -the very simplest possible character, would cost four or five millions?" - -"I do not speak of a _fete_ of the very simplest possible character, my -dear superintendent." - -"But, since the _fete_ is to be given to the king," replied Fouquet, who -misunderstood Aramis's idea, "it cannot be simple." - -"Just so: it ought to be on a scale of the most unbounded magnificence." - -"In that case, I shall have to spend ten or twelve millions." - -"You shall spend twenty, if you require it," said Aramis, in a perfectly -calm voice. - -"Where shall I get them?" exclaimed Fouquet. - -"That is my affair, monsieur le surintendant; and do not be uneasy for a -moment about it. The money shall be placed at once at your disposal, the -moment you have arranged the plans of your _fete_." - -"Chevalier! chevalier!" said Fouquet, giddy with amazement, "whither are -you hurrying me?" - -"Across the gulf into which you were about to fall," replied the bishop -of Vannes. "Take hold of my cloak, and throw fear aside." - -"Why did you not tell me that sooner, Aramis? There was a day when, with -one million only, you could have saved me; whilst to-day--" - -"Whilst to-day I can give you twenty," said the prelate. "Such is the -case, however--the reason is very simple. On the day you speak of, I had -not the million which you had need of at my disposal, whilst now I can -easily procure the twenty millions we require." - -"May Heaven hear you, and save me!" - -Aramis resumed his usual smile, the expression of which was so singular. -"Heaven never fails to hear me," he said. - -"I abandon myself to you unreservedly," Fouquet murmured. - -"No, no; I do not understand it in that manner. I am unreservedly -devoted to you. Therefore, as you have the clearest, the most delicate, -and the most ingenious mind of the two, you shall have entire control -over the _fete_, even to the very smallest details. Only--" - -"Only?" said Fouquet, as a man accustomed to understand and appreciate -the value of a parenthesis. - -"Well, then, leaving the entire invention of the details to you, I shall -reserve to myself a general superintendence over the execution." - -"In what way?" - -"I mean, that you will make of me, on that day, a major-domo, a sort of -inspector-general, or factotum--something between a captain of the guard -and manager or steward. I will look after the people, and will keep the -keys of the doors. You will give your orders, of course: but will give -them to no one but me. They will pass through my lips, to reach those -for whom they are intended--you understand?" - -"No, I am very far from understanding." - -"But you agree?" - -"Of course, of course, my friend." - -"That is all I care about, then. Thanks; and now go and prepare your -list of invitations." - -"Whom shall I invite?" - -"Everybody you know." - - - -Chapter L: In Which the Author Thinks It Is High Time to Return to the -Vicomte de Bragelonne. - -Our readers will have observed in this story, the adventures of the new -and of the past generation being detailed, as it were, side by side. He -will have noticed in the former, the reflection of the glory of earlier -years, the experience of the bitter things of this world; in the former, -also, that peace which takes possession of the heart, and that healing -of the scars which were formerly deep and painful wounds. In the latter, -the conflicts of love and vanity; bitter disappointments, ineffable -delights; life instead of memory. If, therefore, any variety has been -presented to the reader in the different episodes of this tale, it is -to be attributed to the numerous shades of color which are presented on -this double tablet, where two pictures are seen side by side, mingling -and harmonizing their severe and pleasing tones. The repose of -the emotions of one is found in harmonious contrast with the fiery -sentiments of the other. After having talked reason with older heads, -one loves to talk nonsense with youth. Therefore, if the threads of -the story do not seem very intimately to connect the chapter we are -now writing with the one we have just written, we do not intend to give -ourselves any more thought or trouble about it than Ruysdael took in -painting an autumn sky, after having finished a spring-time scene. We -accordingly resume Raoul de Bragelonne's story at the very place where -our last sketch left him. - -In a state of frenzy and dismay, or rather without power or will of -his own,--hardly knowing what he was doing,--he fled swiftly, after the -scene in La Valliere's chamber, that strange exclusion, Louise's grief, -Montalais's terror, the king's wrath--all seemed to indicate some -misfortune. But what? He had arrived from London because he had been -told of the existence of a danger; and almost on his arrival this -appearance of danger was manifest. Was not this sufficient for a lover? -Certainly it was, but it was insufficient for a pure and upright heart -such as his. And yet Raoul did not seek for explanations in the very -quarter where more jealous or less timid lovers would have done. He did -not go straightaway to his mistress, and say, "Louise, is it true -that you love me no longer? Is it true that you love another?" Full of -courage, full of friendship as he was full of love; a religious observer -of his word, and believing blindly the word of others, Raoul said within -himself, "Guiche wrote to put me on my guard, Guiche knows something; -I will go and ask Guiche what he knows, and tell him what I have seen." -The journey was not a long one. Guiche, who had been brought from -Fontainebleau to Paris within the last two days, was beginning to -recover from his wounds, and to walk about a little in his room. He -uttered a cry of joy as he saw Raoul, with the eagerness of friendship, -enter the apartment. Raoul was unable to refrain from a cry of grief, -when he saw De Guiche, so pale, so thin, so melancholy. A very few -words, and a simple gesture which De Guiche made to put aside Raoul's -arm, were sufficient to inform the latter of the truth. - -"Ah! so it is," said Raoul, seating himself beside his friend; "one -loves and dies." - -"No, no, not dies," replied Guiche, smiling, "since I am now recovering, -and since, too, I can press you in my arms." - -"Ah! I understand." - -"And I understand you, too. You fancy I am unhappy, Raoul?" - -"Alas!" - -"No; I am the happiest of men. My body suffers, but not my mind or my -heart. If you only knew--Oh! I am, indeed, the very happiest of men." - -"So much the better," said Raoul; "so much the better, provided it -lasts." - -"It is over. I have had enough happiness to last me to my dying day, -Raoul." - -"I have no doubt you have had; but she--" - -"Listen; I love her, because--but you are not listening to me." - -"I beg your pardon." - -"Your mind is preoccupied." - -"Yes, your health, in the first place--" - -"It is not that, I know." - -"My dear friend, you would be wrong. I think, to ask me any -questions--_you_ of all persons in the world;" and he laid so much -weight upon the "you," that he completely enlightened his friend upon -the nature of the evil, and the difficulty of remedying it. - -"You say that, Raoul, on account of what I wrote to you." - -"Certainly. We will talk over that matter a little, when you have -finished telling me of all your own pleasures and your pains." - -"My dear friend, I am entirely at your service." - -"Thank you; I have hurried, I have flown here; I came in half the time -the government couriers usually take. Now, tell me, my dear friend, what -did you want?" - -"Nothing whatever, but to make you come." - -"Well, then, I am here." - -"All is quite right, then." - -"There must have been something else, I suppose?" - -"No, indeed." - -"De Guiche!" - -"Upon my honor!" - -"You cannot possibly have crushed all my hopes so violently, or have -exposed me to being disgraced by the king for my return, which is in -disobedience of his orders--you cannot, I say, have planted jealousy in -my heart, merely to say to me, 'It is all right, be perfectly easy.'" - -"I do not say to you, Raoul, 'Be perfectly easy;' but pray understand -me; I never will, nor can I, indeed, tell you anything else." - -"What sort of person do you take me for?" - -"What do you mean?" - -"If you know anything, why conceal it from me? If you do not know -anything, why did you write so warningly?" - -"True, true, I was very wrong, and I regret having done so, Raoul. It -seems nothing to write to a friend and say 'Come;' but to have this -friend face to face, to feel him tremble, and breathlessly and anxiously -wait to hear what one hardly dare tell him, is very difficult." - -"Dare! I have courage enough, if you have not," exclaimed Raoul, in -despair. - -"See how unjust you are, and how soon you forget you have to do with a -poor wounded fellow such as your unhappy friend is. So, calm yourself, -Raoul. I said to you, 'Come'--you are here, so ask me nothing further." - -"Your object in telling me to come was your hope that I should see with -my own eyes, was it not? Nay, do not hesitate, for I have seen all." - -"Oh!" exclaimed De Guiche. - -"Or at least I thought--" - -"There, now, you see you are not sure. But if you have any doubt, my -poor friend, what remains for me to do?" - -"I saw Louise much agitated--Montalais in a state of bewilderment--the -king--" - -"The king?" - -"Yes. You turn your head aside. The danger is there, the evil is there; -tell me, is it not so, is it not the king?" - -"I say nothing." - -"Oh! you say a thousand times more than nothing. Give me facts, -for pity's sake, give me proofs. My friend, the only friend I have, -speak--tell me all. My heart is crushed, wounded to death; I am dying -from despair." - -"If that really be so, as I see it is, indeed, dear Raoul," replied De -Guiche, "you relieve me from my difficulty, and I will tell you all, -perfectly sure that I can tell you nothing but what is consoling, -compared to the despair from which I see you suffering." - -"Go on,--go on; I am listening." - -"Well, then, I can only tell you what you might learn from every one you -meet." - -"From every one, do you say? It is talked about, then!" - -"Before you say people talk about it, learn what it is that people have -to talk about. I assure you solemnly, that people only talk about what -may, in truth, be very innocent; perhaps a walk--" - -"Ah! a walk with the king?" - -"Yes, certainly, a walk with the king; and I believe the king has -already very frequently before taken walks with ladies, without on that -account--" - -"You would not have written to me, shall I say again, if there had been -nothing unusual in this promenade." - -"I know that while the storm lasted, it would have been far better if -the king had taken shelter somewhere else, than to have remained with -his head uncovered before La Valliere; but the king is so very courteous -and polite." - -"Oh! De Guiche, De Guiche, you are killing me!" - -"Do not let us talk any more, then." - -"Nay, let us continue. This walk was followed by others, I suppose?" - -"No--I mean yes: there was the adventure of the oak, I think. But I know -nothing about the matter at all." Raoul rose; De Guiche endeavored to -imitate him, notwithstanding his weakness. "Well, I will not add another -word: I have said either too much or not enough. Let others give you -further information if they will, or if they can; my duty was to warn -you, and _that_ I have done. Watch over your own affairs now, yourself." - -"Question others! Alas! you are no true friend to speak to me in that -manner," said the young man, in utter distress. "The first man I meet -may be either evilly disposed or a fool,--if the former, he will tell -me a lie to make me suffer more than I do now; if the latter, he will -do worse still. Ah! De Guiche, De Guiche, before two hours are over, I -shall have been told ten falsehoods, and shall have as many duels on my -hands. Save me, then; is it not best to know the worst always?" - -"But I know nothing, I tell you; I was wounded, attacked by fever: out -of my senses; and I have only a very faint recollection of it all. But -there is no reason why we should search very far, when the very man we -want is close at hand. Is not D'Artagnan your friend?" - -"Oh! true, true!" - -"Got to him, then. He will be able to throw sufficient light upon the -subject." At this moment a lackey entered the room. "What is it?" said -De Guiche. - -"Some one is waiting for monseigneur in the Cabinet des Porcelaines." - -"Very well. Will you excuse me, my dear Raoul? I am so proud since I -have been able to walk again." - -"I would offer you my arm, De Guiche, if I did not guess that the person -in question is a lady." - -"I believe so," said De Guiche, smiling as he quitted Raoul. - -Raoul remained motionless, absorbed in grief, overwhelmed, like the -miner upon whom a vault has just fallen in, who, wounded, his life-blood -welling fast, his thoughts confused, endeavors to recover himself, to -save his life and to retain his reason. A few minutes were all Raoul -needed to dissipate the bewildering sensations occasioned by these two -revelations. He had already recovered the thread of his ideas, when, -suddenly, through the door, he fancied he recognized Montalais's voice -in the Cabinet des Porcelaines. "She!" he cried. "Yes, it is indeed her -voice! She will be able to tell me the whole truth; but shall I question -her here? She conceals herself even from me; she is coming, no doubt, -from Madame. I will see her in her own apartment. She will explain her -alarm, her flight, the strange manner in which I was driven out; she -will tell me all that--after M. d'Artagnan, who knows everything, shall -have given me a fresh strength and courage. Madame, a coquette I fear, -and yet a coquette who is herself in love, has her moments of kindness; -a coquette who is as capricious and uncertain as life or death, but who -tells De Guiche that he is the happiest of men. He at least is lying on -roses." And so he hastily quitted the comte's apartments, reproaching -himself as he went for having talked of nothing but his own affairs to -De Guiche, and soon reached D'Artagnan's quarters. - - - -Chapter LI. Bragelonne Continues His Inquiries. - -The captain, sitting buried in his leathern armchair, his spurs fixed in -the floor, his sword between his legs, was reading a number of letters, -as he twisted his mustache. D'Artagnan uttered a welcome full of -pleasure when he perceived his friend's son. "Raoul, my boy," he said, -"by what lucky accident does it happen that the king has recalled you?" - -These words did not sound agreeably in the young man's ears, who, as -he seated himself, replied, "Upon my word I cannot tell you; all that I -know is--I have come back." - -"Hum!" said D'Artagnan, folding up his letters and directing a look -full of meaning at him; "what do you say, my boy? that the king has not -recalled you, and you have returned? I do not understand that at all." - -Raoul was already pale enough; and he now began to turn his hat round -and round in his hand. - -"What the deuce is the matter that you look as you do, and what makes -you so dumb?" said the captain. "Do people nowadays assume that sort of -airs in England? I have been in England, and came here again as lively -as a chaffinch. Will you not say something?" - -"I have too much to say." - -"Ah! how is your father?" - -"Forgive me, my dear friend, I was going to ask you that." - -D'Artagnan increased the sharpness of his penetrating gaze, which no -secret was capable of resisting. "You are unhappy about something," he -said. - -"I am, indeed; and you know the reason very well, Monsieur d'Artagnan." - -"I?" - -"Of course. Nay, do not pretend to be astonished." - -"I am not pretending to be astonished, my friend." - -"Dear captain, I know very well that in all trials of _finesse_, as well -as in all trials of strength, I shall be beaten by you. You can see that -at the present moment I am an idiot, an absolute noodle. I have neither -head nor arm; do not despise, but help me. In two words, I am the most -wretched of living beings." - -"Oh, oh! why that?" inquired D'Artagnan, unbuckling his belt and thawing -the asperity of his smile. - -"Because Mademoiselle de la Valliere is deceiving me." - -"She is deceiving you," said D'Artagnan, not a muscle of whose face had -moved; "those are big words. Who makes use of them?" - -"Every one." - -"Ah! if every one says so, there must be some truth in it. I begin to -believe there is fire when I see smoke. It is ridiculous, perhaps, but -it is so." - -"Therefore you _do_ believe me?" exclaimed Bragelonne, quickly. - -"I never mix myself up in affairs of that kind; you know that very -well." - -"What! not for a friend, for a son!" - -"Exactly. If you were a stranger, I should tell you--I will tell _you_ -nothing at all. How is Porthos, do you know?" - -"Monsieur," cried Raoul, pressing D'Artagnan's hand, "I entreat you in -the name of the friendship you vowed my father!" - -"The deuce take it, you are really ill--from curiosity." - -"No, it is not from curiosity, it is from love." - -"Good. Another big word. If you were really in love, my dear Raoul, you -would be very different." - -"What do you mean?" - -"I mean that if you were really so deeply in love that I could believe I -was addressing myself to your heart--but it is impossible." - -"I tell you I love Louise to distraction." - -D'Artagnan could read to the very bottom of the young man's heart. - -"Impossible, I tell you," he said. "You are like all young men; you are -not in love, you are out of your senses." - -"Well! suppose it were only that?" - -"No sensible man ever succeeded in making much of a brain when the head -was turned. I have completely lost my senses in the same way a hundred -times in my life. You would listen to me, but you would not hear me! you -would hear, but you would not understand me; you would understand, but -you would not obey me." - -"Oh! try, try." - -"I go far. Even if I were unfortunate enough to know something, and -foolish enough to communicate it to you--You are my friend, you say?" - -"Indeed, yes." - -"Very good. I should quarrel with you. You would never forgive me for -having destroyed your illusion, as people say in love affairs." - -"Monsieur d'Artagnan, you know all; and yet you plunge me in perplexity -and despair, in death itself." - -"There, there now." - -"I never complain, as you know; but as Heaven and my father would never -forgive me for blowing out my brains, I will go and get the first person -I meet to give me the information which you withhold; I will tell him he -lies, and--" - -"And you would kill him. And a fine affair that would be. So much the -better. What should I care? Kill any one you please, my boy, if it gives -you any pleasure. It is exactly like a man with a toothache, who keeps -on saying, 'Oh! what torture I am suffering. I could bite a piece of -iron in half.' My answer always is, 'Bite, my friend, bite; the tooth -will remain all the same.'" - -"I shall not kill any one, monsieur," said Raoul, gloomily. - -"Yes, yes! you now assume a different tone: instead of killing, you will -get killed yourself, I suppose you mean? Very fine, indeed! How much -I should regret you! Of course I should go about all day, saying, 'Ah! -what a fine stupid fellow that Bragelonne was! as great a stupid as I -ever met with. I have passed my whole life almost in teaching him how -to hold and use his sword properly, and the silly fellow has got himself -spitted like a lark.' Go, then, Raoul, go and get yourself disposed of, -if you like. I hardly know who can have taught you logic, but deuce take -me if your father has not been regularly robbed of his money." - -Raoul buried his face in his hands, murmuring: "No, no; I have not a -single friend in the world." - -"Oh! bah!" said D'Artagnan. - -"I meet with nothing but raillery or indifference." - -"Idle fancies, monsieur. I do not laugh at you, although I am a Gascon. -And, as for being indifferent, if I were so, I should have sent you -about your business a quarter of an hour ago, for you would make a man -who was out of his senses with delight as dull as possible, and would be -the death of one who was out of spirits. How now, young man! do you wish -me to disgust you with the girl you are attached to, and to teach you to -execrate the whole sex who constitute the honor and happiness of human -life?" - -"Oh! tell me, monsieur, and I will bless you." - -"Do you think, my dear fellow, that I can have crammed into my brain all -about the carpenter, and the painter, and the staircase, and a hundred -other similar tales of the same kind?" - -"A carpenter! what do you mean?" - -"Upon my word I don't know; some one told me there was a carpenter who -made an opening through a certain flooring." - -"In La Valliere's room!" - -"Oh! I don't know where." - -"In the king's apartment, perhaps?" - -"Of course, if it were in the king's apartment, I should tell you, I -suppose." - -"In whose room, then?" - -"I have told you for the last hour that I know nothing of the whole -affair." - -"But the painter, then? the portrait--" - -"It seems that the king wished to have the portrait of one of the ladies -belonging to the court." - -"La Valliere?" - -"Why, you seem to have only that name in your mouth. Who spoke to you of -La Valliere?" - -"If it be not her portrait, then, why do you suppose it would concern -me?" - -"I do not suppose it will concern you. But you ask me all sorts of -questions, and I answer you. You positively will learn all the scandal -of the affair, and I tell you--make the best you can of it." - -Raoul struck his forehead with his hand in utter despair. "It will kill -me!" he said. - -"So you have said already." - -"Yes, you are right," and he made a step or two, as if he were going to -leave. - -"Where are you going?" - -"To look for some one who will tell me the truth." - -"Who is that?" - -"A woman." - -"Mademoiselle de la Valliere herself, I suppose you mean?" said -D'Artagnan, with a smile. "Ah! a famous idea that! You wish to be -consoled by some one, and you will be so at once. She will tell you -nothing ill of herself, of course. So be off." - -"You are mistaken, monsieur," replied Raoul; "the woman I mean will tell -me all the evil she possibly can." - -"You allude to Montalais, I suppose--her friend; a woman who, on that -account, will exaggerate all that is either bad or good in the matter. -Do not talk to Montalais, my good fellow." - -"You have some reasons for wishing me not to talk with Montalais?" - -"Well, I admit it. And, in point of fact, why should I play with you as -a cat does with a poor mouse? You distress me, you do, indeed. And if I -wish you not to speak to Montalais just now, it is because you will be -betraying your secret, and people will take advantage of it. Wait, if -you can." - -"I cannot." - -"So much the worse. Why, you see, Raoul, if I had an idea,--but I have -not got one." - -"Promise me that you will pity me, my friend, that is all I need, and -leave me to get out of the affair by myself." - -"Oh! yes, indeed, in order that you may get deeper into the mire! A -capital idea, truly! go and sit down at that table and take a pen in -your hand." - -"What for?" - -"To write and ask Montalais to give you an interview." - -"Ah!" said Raoul, snatching eagerly at the pen which the captain held -out to him. - -Suddenly the door opened, and one of the musketeers, approaching -D'Artagnan, said, "Captain, Mademoiselle de Montalais is here, and -wishes to speak to you." - -"To me?" murmured D'Artagnan. "Ask her to come in; I shall soon see," he -said to himself, "whether she wishes to speak to me or not." - -The cunning captain was quite right in his suspicions; for as soon as -Montalais entered she exclaimed, "Oh, monsieur! monsieur! I beg your -pardon, Monsieur d'Artagnan." - -"Oh! I forgive you, mademoiselle," said D'Artagnan; "I know that, at -my age, those who are looking for me generally need me for something or -another." - -"I was looking for M. de Bragelonne," replied Montalais. - -"How very fortunate that is; he was looking for you, too. Raoul, will -you accompany Mademoiselle de Montalais?" - -"Oh! certainly." - -"Go along, then," he said, as he gently pushed Raoul out of the cabinet; -and then, taking hold of Montalais's hand, he said, in a low voice, "Be -kind towards him; spare him, and spare her, too, if you can." - -"Ah!" she said, in the same tone of voice, "it is not I who am going to -speak to him." - -"Who, then?" - -"It is Madame who has sent for him." - -"Very good," cried D'Artagnan, "it is Madame, is it? In an hour's time, -then, the poor fellow will be cured." - -"Or else dead," said Montalais, in a voice full of compassion. "Adieu, -Monsieur d'Artagnan," she said; and she ran to join Raoul, who was -waiting for her at a little distance from the door, very much puzzled -and thoroughly uneasy at the dialogue, which promised no good augury for -him. - - - -Chapter LII. Two Jealousies. - -Lovers are tender towards everything that forms part of the daily life -of the object of their affection. Raoul no sooner found himself alone -with Montalais, than he kissed her hand with rapture. "There, there," -said the young girl, sadly, "you are throwing your kisses away; I will -guarantee that they will not bring you back any interest." - -"How so?--Why?--Will you explain to me, my dear Aure?" - -"Madame will explain everything to you. I am going to take you to her -apartments. - -"_What!_" - -"Silence! and throw away your dark and savage looks. The windows here -have eyes, the walls have ears. Have the kindness not to look at me any -longer; be good enough to speak to me aloud of the rain, of the fine -weather, and of the charms of England." - -"At all events--" interrupted Raoul. - -"I tell you, I warn you, that wherever people may be, I know not how, -Madame is sure to have eyes and ears open. I am not very desirous, you -can easily believe, of being dismissed or thrown in to the Bastile. Let -us talk, I tell you, or rather, do not let us talk at all." - -Raoul clenched his hands, and tried to assume the look and gait of a -man of courage, it is true, but of a man of courage on his way to the -torture chamber. Montalais, glancing in every direction, walking along -with an easy swinging gait, and holding up her head pertly in the air, -preceded him to Madame's apartments, where he was at once introduced. -"Well," he thought, "this day will pass away without my learning -anything. Guiche showed too much consideration for my feelings; he had -no doubt come to an understanding with Madame, and both of them, by a -friendly plot, agreed to postpone the solution of the problem. Why -have I not a determined, inveterate enemy--that serpent, De Wardes, for -instance; that he would bite, is very likely; but I should not hesitate -any more. To hesitate, to doubt--better, far, to die." - -The next moment Raoul was in Madame's presence. Henrietta, more charming -than ever, was half lying, half reclining in her armchair, her small -feet upon an embroidered velvet cushion; she was playing with a kitten -with long silky fur, which was biting her fingers and hanging by the -lace of her collar. - -Madame seemed plunged in deep thought, so deep, indeed, that it required -both Montalais and Raoul's voice to disturb her from her reverie. - -"Your highness sent for me?" repeated Raoul. - -Madame shook her head as if she were just awakening, and then said, -"Good morning, Monsieur de Bragelonne; yes, I sent for you; so you have -returned from England?" - -"Yes, Madame, and am at your royal highness's commands." - -"Thank you; leave us, Montalais," and the latter immediately left the -room. - -"You have a few minutes to give me, Monsieur de Bragelonne, have you -not?" - -"My life is at your royal highness's disposal," Raoul returned with -respect, guessing that there was something serious in these unusual -courtesies; nor was he displeased, indeed, to observe the seriousness -of her manner, feeling persuaded that there was some sort of affinity -between Madame's sentiments and his own. In fact, every one at court, -of any perception at all, knew perfectly well the capricious fancy and -absurd despotism of the princess's singular character. Madame had -been flattered beyond all bounds by the king's attention; she had -made herself talked about; she had inspired the queen with that mortal -jealousy which is the stinging scorpion at the heel of every woman's -happiness; Madame, in a word, in her attempts to cure a wounded pride, -found that her heart had become deeply and passionately attached. We -know what Madame had done to recall Raoul, who had been sent out of -the way by Louis XIV. Raoul did not know of her letter to Charles II., -although D'Artagnan had guessed its contents. Who will undertake to -account for that seemingly inexplicable mixture of love and vanity, that -passionate tenderness of feeling, that prodigious duplicity of conduct? -No one can, indeed; not even the bad angel who kindles the love of -coquetry in the heart of a woman. "Monsieur de Bragelonne," said the -princess, after a moment's pause, "have you returned satisfied?" - -Bragelonne looked at Madame Henrietta, and seeing how pale she was, not -alone from what she was keeping back, but also from what she was burning -to say, said: "Satisfied! what is there for me to be satisfied or -dissatisfied about, Madame?" - -"But what are those things with which a man of your age, and of your -appearance, is usually either satisfied or dissatisfied?" - -"How eager she is," thought Raoul, almost terrified; "what venom is it -she is going to distil into my heart?" and then, frightened at what -she might possibly be going to tell him, and wishing to put off the -opportunity of having everything explained, which he had hitherto so -ardently wished for, yet had dreaded so much, he replied: "I left, -Madame, a dear friend in good health, and on my return I find him very -ill." - -"You refer to M. de Guiche," replied Madame Henrietta, with -imperturbable self-possession; "I _have_ heard he is a very dear friend -of yours." - -"He is, indeed, Madame." - -"Well, it is quite true he has been wounded; but he is better now. -Oh! M. de Guiche is not to be pitied," she said hurriedly; and then, -recovering herself, added, "But has he anything to complain of? Has he -complained of anything? Is there any cause of grief or sorrow that we -are not acquainted with?" - -"I allude only to his wound, Madame." - -"So much the better, then, for, in other respects, M. de Guiche seems -to be very happy; he is always in very high spirits. I am sure that you, -Monsieur de Bragelonne, would far prefer to be, like him, wounded only -in the body... for what, in deed, is such a wound, after all!" - -Raoul started. "Alas!" he said to himself, "she is returning to it." - -"What did you say?" she inquired. - -"I did not say anything Madame." - -"You did not say anything; you disapprove of my observation, then? you -are perfectly satisfied, I suppose?" - -Raoul approached closer to her. "Madame," he said, "your royal highness -wishes to say something to me, and your instinctive kindness and -generosity of disposition induce you to be careful and considerate as -to your manner of conveying it. Will your royal highness throw this kind -forbearance aside? I am able to bear everything; and I am listening." - -"Ah!" replied Henrietta, "what do you understand, then?" - -"That which your royal highness wishes me to understand," said Raoul, -trembling, notwithstanding his command over himself, as he pronounced -these words. - -"In point of fact," murmured the princess... "it seems cruel, but since I -have begun--" - -"Yes, Madame, once your highness has deigned to begin, will you -condescend to finish--" - -Henrietta rose hurriedly and walked a few paces up and down her room. -"What did M. de Guiche tell you?" she said, suddenly. - -"Nothing, Madame." - -"Nothing! Did he say nothing? Ah! how well I recognize him in that." - -"No doubt he wished to spare me." - -"And that is what friends call friendship. But surely, M. d'Artagnan, -whom you have just left, must have told you." - -"No more than De Guiche, Madame." - -Henrietta made a gesture full of impatience, as she said, "At least, you -know all the court knows." - -"I know nothing at all, Madame." - -"Not the scene in the storm?" - -"No, Madame." - -"Not the _tete-a-tete_ in the forest?" - -"No, Madame." - -"Nor the flight to Chaillot?" - -Raoul, whose head dropped like a blossom cut down by the reaper, made -an almost superhuman effort to smile, as he replied with the greatest -gentleness: "I have had the honor of telling your royal highness that -I am absolutely ignorant of everything, that I am a poor unremembered -outcast, who has this moment arrived from England. There have rolled so -many stormy waves between myself and those I left behind me here, that -the rumor of none of the circumstances your highness refers to, has been -able to reach me." - -Henrietta was affected by his extreme pallor, his gentleness, and his -great courage. The principal feeling in her heart at that moment was an -eager desire to hear the nature of the remembrance which the poor lover -retained of the woman who had made him suffer so much. "Monsieur de -Bragelonne," she said, "that which your friends have refused to do, I -will do for you, whom I like and esteem very much. I will be your friend -on this occasion. You hold your head high, as a man of honor should; and -I deeply regret that you may have to bow before ridicule, and in a few -days, it might be, contempt." - -"Ah!" exclaimed Raoul, perfectly livid. "It is as bad as that, then?" - -"If you do not know," said the princess, "I see that you guess; you were -affianced, I believe, to Mademoiselle de la Valliere?" - -"Yes, Madame." - -"By that right, you deserve to be warned about her, as some day or -another I shall be obliged to dismiss Mademoiselle de la Valliere from -my service--" - -"Dismiss La Valliere!" cried Bragelonne. - -"Of course. Do you suppose I shall always be amenable to the tears and -protestations of the king? No, no! my house shall no longer be made a -convenience for such practices; but you tremble, you cannot stand--" - -"No, Madame, no," said Bragelonne, making an effort over himself; "I -thought I should have died just now, that was all. Your royal highness -did me the honor to say that the king wept and implored you--" - -"Yes, but in vain," returned the princess; who then related to Raoul the -scene that took place at Chaillot, and the king's despair on his return; -she told him of his indulgence to herself and the terrible word with -which the outraged princess, the humiliated coquette, had quashed the -royal anger. - -Raoul stood with his head bent down. - -"What do you think of it all?" she said. - -"The king loves her," he replied. - -"But you seem to think she does not love him!" - -"Alas, Madame, I was thinking of the time when she loved _me_." - -Henrietta was for a moment struck with admiration at this sublime -disbelief: and then, shrugging her shoulders, she said, "You do not -believe me, I see. How deeply you must love her. And you doubt if she -loves the king?" - -"I do, until I have a proof of it. Forgive me, Madame, but she has -given me her word; and her mind and heart are too upright to tell a -falsehood." - -"You require a proof! Be it so. Come with me, then." - - - -Chapter LIII. A Domiciliary Visit. - -The princess, preceding Raoul, led him through the courtyard towards -that part of the building La Valliere inhabited, and, ascending the same -staircase which Raoul himself had ascended that very morning, she paused -at the door of the room in which the young man had been so strangely -received by Montalais. The opportunity was remarkably well chosen to -carry out the project Madame Henrietta had conceived, for the chateau -was empty. The king, the courtiers, and the ladies of the court, had -set off for Saint-Germain; Madame Henrietta was the only one who knew -of Bragelonne's return, and thinking over the advantages which might be -drawn from this return, she had feigned indisposition in order to remain -behind. Madame was therefore confident of finding La Valliere's room and -Saint-Aignan's apartment perfectly empty. She took a pass-key from -her pocket and opened the door of her maid of honor's apartment. -Bragelonne's gaze was immediately fixed upon the interior of the room, -which he recognized at once; and the impression which the sight of -it produced upon him was torture. The princess looked at him, and her -practiced eye at once detected what was passing in the young man's -heart. - -"You asked for proofs," she said; "do not be astonished, then, if I give -you them. But if you do not think you have courage enough to confront -them, there is still time to withdraw." - -"I thank you, Madame," said Bragelonne; "but I came here to be -convinced. You promised to convince me,--do so." - -"Enter, then," said Madame, "and shut the door behind you." - -Bragelonne obeyed, and then turned towards the princess, whom he -interrogated by a look. - -"You know where you are, I suppose?" inquired Madame Henrietta. - -"Everything leads me to believe I am in Mademoiselle de la Valliere's -room." - -"You are." - -"But I would observe to your highness, that this room is a room, and is -not a proof." - -"Wait," said the princess, as she walked to the foot of the bed, folded -up the screen into its several compartments, and stooped down towards -the floor. "Look here," she continued; "stoop down and lift up this -trap-door yourself." - -"A trap-door!" said Raoul, astonished; for D'Artagnan's words began -to return to his memory, and he had an indistinct recollection that -D'Artagnan had made use of the same word. He looked, but uselessly, -for some cleft or crevice which might indicate an opening or a ring to -assist in lifting up the planking. - -"Ah, I forgot," said Madame Henrietta, "I forgot the secret spring; the -fourth plank of the flooring,--press on the spot where you will observe -a knot in the wood. Those are the instructions; press, vicomte! press, I -say, yourself." - -Raoul, pale as death, pressed his finger on the spot which had been -indicated to him; at the same moment the spring began to work, and the -trap rose of its own accord. - -"It is ingenious enough, certainly," said the princess; "and one can see -that the architect foresaw that a woman's hand only would have to make -use of this spring, for see how easily the trap-door opened without -assistance." - -"A staircase!" cried Raoul. - -"Yes, and a very pretty one, too," said Madame Henrietta. "See, vicomte, -the staircase has a balustrade, intended to prevent the falling of timid -persons, who might be tempted to descend the staircase; and I will risk -myself on it accordingly. Come, vicomte, follow me!" - -"But before following you, madame, may I ask where this staircase leads -to?" - -"Ah, true; I forgot to tell you. You know, perhaps, that formerly M. de -Saint-Aignan lived in the very next apartment to the king?" - -"Yes, Madame, I am aware of that; that was the arrangement, at least, -before I left; and more than once I had the honor of visiting his -rooms." - -"Well, he obtained the king's leave to change his former convenient -and beautiful apartment for the two rooms to which this staircase will -conduct us, and which together form a lodging for him half the size, and -at ten times greater the distance from the king,--a close proximity to -whom is by no means disdained, in general, by the gentlemen belonging to -the court." - -"Very good, Madame," returned Raoul; "but go on, I beg, for I do not -understand yet." - -"Well, then it accidentally happened," continued the princess, "that M. -de Saint-Aignan's apartment is situated underneath the apartments of -my maids of honor, and by a further coincidence, exactly underneath the -room of La Valliere." - -"But what was the motive of this trap-door and this staircase?" - -"That I cannot tell you. Would you like to go down to Monsieur de -Saint-Aignan's rooms? Perhaps we shall be able to find the solution of -the enigma there." - -And Madame set the example by going down herself, while Raoul, sighing -deeply, followed her. At every step Bragelonne took, he advanced further -into that mysterious apartment which had witnessed La Valliere's sighs -and still retained the perfume of her presence. Bragelonne fancied he -perceived, as he inhaled the atmosphere, that the young girl must have -passed through. Then succeeded to these emanations of herself, which he -regarded as invisible though certain proofs, flowers she preferred to -all others--books of her own selection. If Raoul retained a single doubt -on the subject, it would have vanished at the secret harmony of tastes -and connection of the mind with the ordinary objects of life. La -Valliere, in Bragelonne's eyes, was present there in each article of -furniture, in the color of the hangings, in all that surrounded him. -Dumb, and now completely overwhelmed, there was nothing further for him -now to learn, and he followed his pitiless conductress as blindly as -the culprit follows the executioner; while Madame, as cruel as women of -overstrung temperaments generally are, did not spare him the slightest -detail. But it must be admitted that, notwithstanding the kind of apathy -into which he had fallen, none of these details, even had he been left -alone, would have escaped him. The happiness of the woman who loves, -when that happiness is derived from a rival, is a living torture for -a jealous man; but for a jealous man such as Raoul was, for one whose -heart for the first time in its existence was being steeped in gall and -bitterness, Louise's happiness was in reality an ignominious death, a -death of body and soul. He guessed all; he fancied he could see them, -with their hands clasped in each other's, their faces drawn close -together, and reflected, side by side, in loving proximity, and they -gazed upon the mirrors around them--so sweet an occupation for lovers, -who, as they thus see themselves twice over, imprint the picture still -more deeply on their memories. He could guess, too, the stolen kiss -snatched as they separated from each other's loved society. The luxury, -the studied elegance, eloquent of the perfection of indolence, of -ease; the extreme care shown, either to spare the loved object every -annoyance, or to occasion her a delightful surprise; that might and -majesty of love multiplied by the majesty and might of royalty itself, -seemed like a death-blow to Raoul. If there be anything which can in any -way assuage or mitigate the tortures of jealousy, it is the inferiority -of the man who is preferred to yourself; whilst, on the very contrary, -if there be one anguish more bitter than another, a misery for which -language lacks a word, it is the superiority of the man preferred to -yourself, superior, perhaps, in youth, beauty, grace. It is in such -moments as these that Heaven almost seems to have taken part against the -disdained and rejected lover. - -One final pang was reserved for poor Raoul. Madame Henrietta lifted up a -silk curtain, and behind the canvas he perceived La Valliere's portrait. -Not only the portrait of La Valliere, but of La Valliere radiant with -youth, beauty, and happiness, inhaling life and enjoyment at every pore, -because at eighteen years of age love itself is life. - -"Louise!" murmured Bragelonne,--"Louise! is it true, then? Oh, you have -never loved me, for never have you looked at me in that manner." And he -felt as if his heart were crushed within his bosom. - -Madame Henrietta looked at him, almost envious of his extreme grief, -although she well knew there was nothing to envy in it, and that she -herself was as passionately loved by De Guiche as Louise by Bragelonne. -Raoul interpreted Madame Henrietta's look. - -"Oh, forgive me, forgive me, Madame; in your presence I know I ought to -have greater self-control. But Heaven grant that you may never be struck -by similar misery to that which crushes me at this moment, for you are -but a woman, and would not be able to endure so terrible an affliction. -Forgive me, I again entreat you, Madame; I am but a man without rank or -position, while you belong to a race whose happiness knows no bounds, -whose power acknowledges no limit." - -"Monsieur de Bragelonne," replied Henrietta, "a mind such as your merits -all the consideration and respect which a queen's heart even can bestow. -Regard me as your friend, monsieur; and as such, indeed, I would not -allow your whole life to be poisoned by perfidy, and covered with -ridicule. It was I, indeed, who, with more courage than any of your -pretended friends,--I except M. de Guiche,--was the cause of your return -from London; it is I, also, who now give you the melancholy proofs, -necessary, however, for your cure if you are a lover with courage in his -heart, and not a weeping Amadis. Do not thank me; pity me, even, and do -not serve the king less faithfully than you have done." - -Raoul smiled bitterly. "Ah! true, true; I was forgetting that; the king -is my master." - -"Your liberty, nay, your very life, is in danger." - -A steady, penetrating look informed Madame Henrietta that she was -mistaken, and that her last argument was not a likely one to affect the -young man. "Take care, Monsieur de Bragelonne," she said, "for if you do -not weigh well all your actions, you might throw into an extravagance -of wrath a prince whose passions, once aroused, exceed the bounds of -reason, and you would thereby involve your friends and family in the -deepest distress; you must bend, you must submit, and you must cure -yourself." - -"I thank you, Madame; I appreciate the advice your royal highness is -good enough to give me, and I will endeavor to follow it; but one final -word, I beg." - -"Name it." - -"Should I be indiscreet in asking you the secret of this staircase, of -this trap-door; a secret, which, it seems, you have discovered?" - -"Nothing more simple. For the purpose of exercising a surveillance over -the young girls who are attached to my service, I have duplicate keys of -their doors. It seemed very strange to me that M. de Saint-Aignan should -change his apartments. It seemed very strange that the king should -come to see M. de Saint-Aignan every day, and, finally, it seemed very -strange that so many things should be done during your absence, that the -very habits and customs of the court appeared changed. I do not wish -to be trifled with by the king, nor to serve as a cloak for his love -affairs; for after La Valliere, who weeps incessantly, he will take a -fancy to Montalais, who is always laughing; and then to Tonnay-Charente, -who does nothing but sing all day; to act such a part as that would be -unworthy of me. I thrust aside the scruples which my friendship for -you suggested. I discovered the secret. I have wounded your feelings, I -know, and I again entreat you to pardon me; but I had a duty to fulfil. -I have discharged it. You are now forewarned; the tempest will soon -burst; protect yourself accordingly." - -"You naturally expect, however, that a result of some kind must follow," -replied Bragelonne, with firmness; "for you do not suppose I shall -silently accept the shame thus thrust upon me, or the treachery which -has been practiced against me?" - -"You will take whatever steps in the matter you please, Monsieur Raoul, -only do not betray the source whence you derived the truth. That is all -I have to ask,--the only price I require for the service I have rendered -you." - -"Fear nothing, Madame," said Bragelonne, with a bitter smile. - -"I bribed the locksmith, in whom the lovers confided. You can just as -well have done so as myself, can you not?" - -"Yes, Madame. Your royal highness, however, has no other advice or -caution to give me, except that of not betraying you?" - -"None." - -"I am about, therefore, to beg your royal highness to allow me to remain -here for one moment." - -"Without me?" - -"Oh! no, Madame. It matters very little; for what I have to do can be -done in your presence. I only ask one moment to write a line to some -one." - -"It is dangerous, Monsieur de Bragelonne. Take care." - -"No one can possibly know that your royal highness has done me the -honor to conduct me here. Besides, I shall sign the letter I am going to -write." - -"Do as you please, then." - -Raoul drew out his tablet, and wrote rapidly on one of the leaves the -following words: - -"MONSIEUR LE COMTE,--Do not be surprised to find this paper signed by -me; the friend I shall very shortly send to call on you will have the -honor to explain the object of my visit. - -"VICOMTE RAOUL DE BRAGELONNE." - - -He rolled up the paper, slipped it into the lock of the door which -communicated with the room set apart for the two lovers, and satisfied -himself that the missive was so apparent that Saint-Aignan could not but -see it as he entered; he rejoined the princess, who had already reached -the top of the staircase. They then separated, Raoul pretending to thank -her highness; Henrietta pitying, or seeming to pity, with all her heart, -the wretched young man she had just condemned to such fearful torture. -"Oh!" she said, as she saw him disappear, pale as death, and his eyes -bursting with blood, "if I had foreseen this, I would have hid the truth -from that poor gentleman." - - - -Chapter LIV. Porthos's Plan of Action. - -The great number of individuals we have introduced into this long story -is the reason why each of them has been forced to appear only in turn, -according to the exigencies of the recital. The result is, that our -readers have had no opportunity of meeting our friend Porthos since his -return from Fontainebleau. The honors which he had received from -the king had not changed the easy, affectionate character of that -excellent-hearted man; he may, perhaps, have held up his head a little -higher than usual, and a majesty of demeanor, as it were, may have -betrayed itself since the honor of dining at the king's table had been -accorded him. His majesty's banqueting-room had produced a certain -effect on Porthos. Le Seigneur de Bracieux et de Pierrefonds delighted -to remember that, during that memorable dinner, the numerous array of -servants, and the large number of officials in attendance on the guests, -gave a certain tone and effect to the repast, and seemed, as it were, to -furnish the room. Porthos undertook to confer upon Mouston a position of -some kind or other, in order to establish a sort of hierarchy among -his other domestics, and to create a military household, which was not -unusual among the great captains of the age, since, in the preceding -century, this luxury had been greatly encouraged by Messieurs de -Treville, de Schomberg, de la Vieuville, without alluding to M. de -Richelieu, M. de Conde, and de Bouillon-Turenne. And, therefore, why -should not he, Porthos, the friend of the king, and of M. Fouquet, a -baron, and engineer, etc., why should not he, indeed, enjoy all -the delightful privileges which large possessions and unusual merit -invariably confer? Somewhat neglected by Aramis, who, we know, was -greatly occupied with M. Fouquet; neglected, also, on account of his -being on duty, by D'Artagnan; tired of Truchen and Planchet, Porthos was -surprised to find himself dreaming, without precisely knowing why; but -if any one had said to him, "Do you want anything, Porthos?" he would -most certainly have replied, "Yes." After one of those dinners, during -which Porthos attempted to recall to his recollection all the details of -the royal banquet, gently joyful, thanks to the excellence of the wines; -gently melancholy, thanks to his ambitious ideas, Porthos was gradually -falling off into a placid doze, when his servant entered to announce -that M. de Bragelonne wished to speak to him. Porthos passed into an -adjoining room, where he found his young friend in the disposition of -mind we are already aware of. Raoul advanced towards Porthos, and -shook him by the hand; Porthos, surprised at his seriousness of aspect, -offered him a seat. "Dear M. du Vallon," said Raoul, "I have a service -to ask of you." - -"Nothing could happen more fortunately, my young friend," replied -Porthos; "I have eight thousand livres sent me this morning from -Pierrefonds; and if you want any money--" - -"No, I thank you; it is not money." - -"So much the worse, then. I have always heard it said that that is the -rarest service, but the easiest to render. The remark struck me; I like -to cite remarks that strike me." - -"Your heart is as good as your mind is sound and true." - -"You are much too kind, I declare. You will dine here, of course?" - -"No; I am not hungry." - -"Eh! not dine? What a dreadful country England is!" - -"Not too much so, indeed--but--" - -"Well, if such excellent fish and meat were not to be procured there, it -would hardly be endurable." - -"Yes, I came to--" - -"I am listening. Only just allow me to take a little sip. One gets -thirsty in Paris;" and he ordered a bottle of champagne to be brought; -and, having first filled Raoul's glass, he filled his own, drank it down -at a gulp, and then resumed: "I needed that, in order to listen to you -with proper attention. I am now entirely at your service. What do you -wish to ask me, dear Raoul? What do you want?" - -"Give me your opinion on quarrels in general, my dear friend." - -"My opinion! Well--but--Explain your idea a little more coherently," -replied Porthos, rubbing his forehead. - -"I mean--you are generally good-humored, good-tempered, whenever any -misunderstanding arises between a friend of yours and a stranger, for -instance?" - -"Oh! in the best of tempers." - -"Very good; but what do you do, in such a case?" - -"Whenever any friend of mine gets into a quarrel, I always act on one -principle." - -"What is that?" - -"That lost time is irreparable, and one never arranges an affair so well -as when everything has been done to embroil the disputants as much as -possible." - -"Ah! indeed, is that the principle on which you proceed?" - -"Precisely; so, as soon as a quarrel takes place, I bring the two -parties together." - -"Exactly." - -"You understand that by this means it is impossible for an affair not to -be arranged." - -"I should have thought that, treated in this manner, an affair would, on -the contrary--" - -"Oh! not the least in the world. Just fancy, now, I have had in my life -something like a hundred and eighty to a hundred and ninety regular -duels, without reckoning hasty encounters, or chance meetings." - -"It is a very handsome aggregate," said Raoul, unable to resist a smile. - -"A mere nothing; but I am so gentle. D'Artagnan reckons his duels by -hundreds. It is very true he is a little too hard and sharp--I have -often told him so." - -"And so," resumed Raoul, "you generally arrange the affairs of honor -your friends confide to you." - -"There is not a single instance in which I have not finished by -arranging every one of them," said Porthos, with a gentleness and -confidence that surprised Raoul. - -"But the way in which you settle them is at least honorable, I suppose?" - -"Oh! rely upon that; and at this stage, I will explain my other -principle to you. As soon as my friend has intrusted his quarrel to -me, this is what I do; I go to his adversary at once, armed with -a politeness and self-possession absolutely requisite under such -circumstances." - -"That is the way, then," said Raoul, bitterly, "that you arrange affairs -so safely." - -"I believe you. I go to the adversary, then, and say to him: 'It is -impossible, monsieur, that you are ignorant of the extent to which you -have insulted my friend.'" Raoul frowned at this remark. - -"It sometimes happens--very often, indeed," pursued Porthos--"that my -friend has not been insulted at all; he has even been the first to give -offense; you can imagine, therefore, whether my language is or is not -well chosen." And Porthos burst into a peal of laughter. - -"Decidedly," said Raoul to himself while the merry thunder of Porthos's -laughter was resounding in his ears, "I am very unfortunate. De Guiche -treats me with coolness, D'Artagnan with ridicule, Porthos is too tame; -no one will settle this affair in the only way I wish it to be settled. -And I came to Porthos because I wanted to find a sword instead of cold -reasoning at my service. My ill-luck dogs me." - -Porthos, who had recovered himself, continued: "By one simple -expression, I leave my adversary without an excuse." - -"That is as it may happen," said Raoul, absently. - -"Not at all, it is quite certain. I have not left him an excuse; and -then it is that I display all my courtesy, in order to attain the -happy issue of my project. I advance, therefore, with an air of great -politeness, and taking my adversary by the hand, I say to him: 'Now -that you are convinced of having given the offense, we are sure of -reparation; between my friend and yourself, the future can only offer an -exchange of mutual courtesies of conduct, and consequently, my mission -now is to acquaint you with the length of my friend's sword.'" - -"What!" said Raoul. - -"Wait a minute. 'The length of my friend's sword. My horse is waiting -below; my friend is in such and such a spot and is impatiently awaiting -your agreeable society; I will take you with me; we can call upon your -second as we go along:' and the affair is arranged." - -"And so," said Raoul, pale with vexation, "you reconcile the two -adversaries on the ground." - -"I beg your pardon," interrupted Porthos. "Reconcile! What for?" - -"You said that the affair was arranged." - -"Of course! since my friend is waiting for him." - -"Well! what then? If he is waiting--" - -"Well! if he is waiting, it is merely to stretch his legs a little. The -adversary, on the contrary, is stiff from riding; they place themselves -in proper order, and my friend kills the opponent, and the affair is -ended." - -"Ah! he kills him, then?" cried Raoul. - -"I should think so," said Porthos. "Is it likely I should ever have as a -friend a man who allows himself to get killed? I have a hundred and -one friends; at the head of the list stand your father, Aramis, and -D'Artagnan, all of whom are living and well, I believe?" - -"Oh, my dear baron," exclaimed Raoul, as he embraced Porthos. - -"You approve of my method, then?" said the giant. - -"I approve of it so thoroughly, that I shall have recourse to it this -very day, without a moment's delay,--at once, in fact. You are the very -man I have been looking for." - -"Good; here I am, then; you want to fight, I suppose?" - -"Absolutely." - -"It is very natural. With whom?" - -"With M. de Saint-Aignan." - -"I know him--a most agreeable man, who was exceedingly polite to me -the day I had the honor of dining with the king. I shall certainly -acknowledge his politeness in return, even if it had not happened to be -my usual custom. So, he has given you an offense?" - -"A mortal offense." - -"The deuce! I can say so, I suppose?" - -"More than that, even, if you like." - -"That is a very great convenience." - -"I may look upon it as one of your arranged affairs, may I not?" said -Raoul, smiling. - -"As a matter of course. Where will you be waiting for him?" - -"Ah! I forgot; it is a very delicate matter. M. de Saint-Aignan is a -very great friend of the king's." - -"So I have heard it said." - -"So that if I kill him--" - -"Oh! you will kill him, certainly; you must take every precaution to do -so. But there is no difficulty in these matters now; if you had lived in -our early days,--ah, those were days worth living for!" - -"My dear friend, you do not quite understand me. I mean, that M. -de Saint-Aignan being a friend of the king, the affair will be more -difficult to manage, since the king might learn beforehand--" - -"Oh! no; that is not likely. You know my method: 'Monsieur, you have -just injured my friend, and--'" - -"Yes, I know it." - -"And then: 'Monsieur, I have horses below.' I carry him off before he -can have spoken to any one." - -"Will he allow himself to be carried off like that?" - -"I should think so! I should like to see it fail. It would be the first -time, if it did. It is true, though, that the young men of the present -day--Bah! I would carry him off bodily, if that were all," and Porthos, -adding gesture to speech, lifted Raoul and the chair he was sitting on -off the ground, and carried them round the room. - -"Very good," said Raoul, laughing. "All we have to do is to state the -grounds of the quarrel with M. de Saint-Aignan." - -"Well, but that is done, it seems." - -"No, my dear M. du Vallon, the usage of the present day requires that -the cause of the quarrel should be explained." - -"Very good. Tell me what it is, then." - -"The fact is--" - -"Deuce take it! how troublesome all this is! In former days we had no -occasion to say anything about the matter. People fought for the sake of -fighting; and I, for one, know no better reason than that." - -"You are quite right, M. du Vallon." - -"However, tell me what the cause is." - -"It is too long a story to tell; only, as one must particularize to -a certain extent, and as, on the other hand, the affair is full of -difficulties, and requires the most absolute secrecy, you will have the -kindness merely to tell M. de Saint-Aignan that he has, in the first -place, insulted me by changing his lodgings." - -"By changing his lodgings? Good," said Porthos, who began to count on -his fingers; "next?" - -"Then in getting a trap-door made in his new apartments." - -"I understand," said Porthos; "a trap-door: upon my word, that is very -serious; you ought to be furious at that. What the deuce does the -fellow mean by getting trap-doors made without first consulting you? -Trap-doors! _mordioux!_ I haven't got any, except in my dungeons at -Bracieux." - -"And you will please add," said Raoul, "that my last motive for -considering myself insulted is, the existence of the portrait that M. de -Saint-Aignan well knows." - -"Is it possible? A portrait, too! A change of residence, a trap-door, -and a portrait! Why, my dear friend, with but one of these causes of -complaint there is enough, and more than enough, for all the gentlemen -in France and Spain to cut each other's throats, and that is saying but -very little." - -"Well, my dear friend, you are furnished with all you need, I suppose?" - -"I shall take a second horse with me. Select your own rendezvous, and -while you are waiting there, you can practice some of the best passes, -so as to get your limbs as elastic as possible." - -"Thank you. I shall be waiting for you in the wood of Vincennes, close -to Minimes." - -"All goes well, then. Where am I to find this M. de Saint-Aignan?" - -"At the Palais Royal." - -Porthos ran a huge hand-bell. "My court suit," he said to the servant -who answered the summons, "my horse, and a led horse to accompany me." -Then turning to Raoul, as soon as the servant had quitted the room, he -said: "Does your father know anything about this?" - -"No; I am going to write to him." - -"And D'Artagnan?" - -"No, nor D'Artagnan either. He is very cautious, you know, and might -have diverted me from my purpose." - -"D'Artagnan is a sound adviser, though," said Porthos, astonished that, -in his own loyal faith in D'Artagnan, any one could have thought of -himself, so long as there was a D'Artagnan in the world. - -"Dear M. du Vallon," said Raoul, "do not question me any more, I implore -you. I have told you all that I had to say; it is prompt action I now -expect, sharp and decided as you know how to arrange it. That, indeed, -is my reason for having chosen you." - -"You will be satisfied with me," replied Porthos. - -"Do not forget, either, that, except ourselves, no one must know -anything of this meeting." - -"People generally find these things out," said Porthos, dryly, "when -a dead body is discovered in a wood. But I promise everything, my dear -friend, except the concealment of the dead body. There it is, and it -must be seen, as a matter of course. It is a principle of mine, not to -bury bodies. That has a smack of the assassin about it. Every risk has -its peculiarities." - -"To work, then, my dear friend." - -"Rely upon me," said the giant, finishing the bottle, while a servant -spread out upon a sofa the gorgeously decorated dress trimmed with lace. - -Raoul left the room, saying to himself, with a secret delight, -"Perfidious king! traitorous monarch! I cannot reach thee. I do not wish -it; for kings are sacred objects. But your friend, your accomplice, your -panderer--the coward who represents you--shall pay for your crime. I -will kill him in thy name, and, afterwards, we will bethink ourselves -of--_Louise_." - - - -Chapter LV. The Change of Residence, the Trap-Door, and the Portrait. - -Porthos, intrusted, to his great delight, with this mission, which made -him feel young again, took half an hour less than his usual time to put -on his court suit. To show that he was a man acquainted with the usages -of high society, he had begun by sending his lackey to inquire if -Monsieur de Saint-Aignan were at home, and heard, in answer, that M. -le Comte de Saint-Aignan had had the honor of accompanying the king to -Saint-Germain, as well as the whole court; but that monsieur le comte -had just that moment returned. Immediately upon this reply, Porthos made -as much haste as possible, and reached Saint-Aignan's apartments just -as the latter was having his boots taken off. The promenade had been -delightful. The king, who was in love more than ever, and of course -happier than ever, behaved in the most charming manner to every one. -Nothing could possibly equal his kindness. M. de Saint-Aignan, it may -be remembered, was a poet, and fancied that he had proved that he was -so under too many a memorable circumstance to allow the title to be -disputed by any one. An indefatigable rhymester, he had, during -the whole of the journey, overwhelmed with quatrains, sextains, and -madrigals, first the king, and then La Valliere. The king, on his side, -was in a similarly poetical mood, and had made a distich; while La -Valliere, delighting in poetry, as most women do who are in love, had -composed two sonnets. The day, then, had not been a bad one for Apollo; -and so, as soon as he had returned to Paris, Saint-Aignan, who knew -beforehand that his verse would be sure to be extensively circulated in -court circles, occupied himself, with a little more attention than he -had been able to bestow during the promenade, with the composition, as -well as with the idea itself. Consequently, with all the tenderness of -a father about to start his children in life, he candidly interrogated -himself whether the public would find these offsprings of his -imagination sufficiently elegant and graceful; and in order to make -his mind easy on the subject, M. de Saint-Aignan recited to himself the -madrigal he had composed, and which he had repeated from memory to the -king, and had promised to write out for him on his return. All the -time he was committing these words to memory, the comte was engaged in -undressing himself more completely. He had just taken off his coat, and -was putting on his dressing-gown, when he was informed that Monsieur le -Baron du Vallon de Bracieux de Pierrefonds was waiting to be received. - -"Eh!" he said, "what does that bunch of names mean? I don't know -anything about him." - -"It is the same gentleman," replied the lackey, "who had the honor of -dining with you, monseigneur, at the king's table, when his majesty was -staying at Fontainebleau." - -"Introduce him, then, at once," cried Saint-Aignan. - -Porthos, in a few minutes, entered the room. M. de Saint-Aignan had -an excellent recollection of persons, and, at the first glance, he -recognized the gentleman from the country, who enjoyed so singular -a reputation, and whom the king had received so favorably at -Fontainebleau, in spite of the smiles of some of those who were present. -He therefore advanced towards Porthos with all the outward signs of -consideration of manner which Porthos thought but natural, considering -that he himself, whenever he called upon an adversary, hoisted a -standard of the most refined politeness. Saint-Aignan desired the -servant to give Porthos a chair; and the latter, who saw nothing unusual -in this act of politeness, sat down gravely and coughed. The ordinary -courtesies having been exchanged between the two gentlemen, the comte, -to whom the visit was paid, said, "May I ask, monsieur le baron, to what -happy circumstance I am indebted for the favor of a visit from you?" - -"The very thing I am about to have the honor of explaining to you, -monsieur le comte; but, I beg your pardon--" - -"What is the matter, monsieur?" inquired Saint-Aignan. - -"I regret to say that I have broken your chair." - -"Not at all, monsieur," said Saint-Aignan; "not at all." - -"It is the fact, though, monsieur le comte; I have broken it--so much -so, indeed, that if I do not move, I shall fall down, which would be an -exceedingly disagreeable position for me in the discharge of the very -serious mission which has been intrusted to me with regard to yourself." - -Porthos rose; and but just in time, for the chair had given way several -inches. Saint-Aignan looked about him for something more solid for his -guest to sit upon. - -"Modern articles of furniture," said Porthos, while the comte was -looking about, "are constructed in a ridiculously flimsy manner. In my -early days, when I used to sit down with far more energy than is now the -case, I do not remember ever to have broken a chair, except in taverns, -with my arms." - -Saint-Aignan smiled at this remark. "But," said Porthos, as he settled -himself down on a couch, which creaked, but did not give way beneath his -weight, "that unfortunately has nothing whatever to do with my present -visit." - -"Why unfortunately? Are you the bearer of a message of ill-omen, -monsieur le baron?" - -"Of ill-omen--for a gentleman? Certainly not, monsieur le comte," -replied Porthos, nobly. "I have simply come to say that you have -seriously insulted a friend of mine." - -"I, monsieur?" exclaimed Saint-Aignan--"I have insulted a friend of -yours, do you say? May I ask his name?" - -"M. Raoul de Bragelonne." - -"I have insulted M. Raoul de Bragelonne!" cried Saint-Aignan. "I really -assure you, monsieur, that it is quite impossible; for M. de Bragelonne, -whom I know but very slightly,--nay, whom I know hardly at all--is in -England, and, as I have not seen him for a long time past, I cannot -possibly have insulted him." - -"M. de Bragelonne is in Paris, monsieur le comte," said Porthos, -perfectly unmoved; "and I repeat, it is quite certain you have insulted -him, since he himself told me you had. Yes, monsieur, you have seriously -insulted him, mortally insulted him, I repeat." - -"It is impossible, monsieur le baron, I swear, quite impossible." - -"Besides," added Porthos, "you cannot be ignorant of the circumstance, -since M. de Bragelonne informed me that he had already apprised you of -it by a note." - -"I give you my word of honor, monsieur, that I have received no note -whatever." - -"This is most extraordinary," replied Porthos. - -"I will convince you," said Saint-Aignan, "that have received nothing -in any way from him." And he rang the bell. "Basque," he said to the -servant who entered, "how many letters or notes were sent here -during my absence?" - -"Three, monsieur le comte--a note from M. de Fiesque, one from Madame de -Laferte, and a letter from M. de las Fuentes." - -"Is that all?" - -"Yes, monsieur le comte." - -"Speak the truth before this gentleman--the truth, you understand. I -will take care you are not blamed." - -"There was a note, also, from--from--" - -"Well, from whom?" - -"From Mademoiselle--de--" - -"Out with it!" - -"De Laval." - -"That is quite sufficient," interrupted Porthos. "I believe you, -monsieur le comte." - -Saint-Aignan dismissed the valet, and followed him to the door, in order -to close it after him; and when he had done so, looking straight before -him, he happened to see in the keyhole of the adjoining apartment the -paper which Bragelonne had slipped in there as he left. "What is this?" -he said. - -Porthos, who was sitting with his back to the room, turned round. "Aha!" -he said. - -"A note in the keyhole!" exclaimed Saint-Aignan. - -"That is not unlikely to be the missing letter, monsieur le comte," said -Porthos. - -Saint-Aignan took out the paper. "A note from M. de Bragelonne!" he -exclaimed. - -"You see, monsieur, I was right. Oh, when I say a thing--" - -"Brought here by M. de Bragelonne himself," the comte murmured, turning -pale. "This is infamous! How could he possibly have come here?" And the -comte rang again. - -"Who has been here during my absence with the king?" - -"No one, monsieur." - -"That is impossible! Some one must have been here." - -"No one could possibly have entered, monsieur, since the keys have never -left my pocket." - -"And yet I find the letter in yonder lock; some one must have put it -there; it could not have come here of its own accord." - -Basque opened his arms as if signifying the most absolute ignorance on -the subject. - -"Probably it was M. de Bragelonne himself who placed it there," said -Porthos. - -"In that case he must have entered here." - -"How could that have been, since I have the key in my own pocket?" -returned Basque, perseveringly. - -Saint-Aignan crumpled the letter in his palm, after having read it. -"There is something mysterious about this," he murmured, absorbed in -thought. Porthos left him to his reflections; but after a while returned -to the mission he had undertaken. - -"Shall we return to our little affair?" Porthos resumed, addressing -Saint-Aignan after a brief pause. - -"I think I can now understand it, from this note, which has arrived here -in so singular a manner. Monsieur de Bragelonne says that a friend will -call." - -"I am his friend. I am the person he alludes to." - -"For the purpose of giving me a challenge?" - -"Precisely." - -"And he complains that I have insulted him?" - -"Mortally." - -"In what way, may I ask; for his conduct is so mysterious, that, at -least, it needs some explanation?" - -"Monsieur," replied Porthos, "my friend cannot but be right; and, as far -as his conduct is concerned, if it be mysterious, as you say, you have -only yourself to blame for it." Porthos pronounced these words with an -amount of confidence which, for a man who was unaccustomed to his ways, -must have revealed an infinity of sense. - -"Mystery, so be it; but what is all the mystery about?" said -Saint-Aignan. - -"You will think it the best, perhaps," Porthos replied, with a low bow, -"if I do not enter in to particulars." - -"Oh, I perfectly understand. We will touch very lightly upon it, then, -so speak, monsieur, I am listening." - -"In the first place, monsieur," said Porthos, "you have changed your -apartments." - -"Yes, that is quite true," said Saint-Aignan. - -"You admit it," said Porthos, with an air of satisfaction. - -"Admit it! of course I admit it. Why should I not admit it, do you -suppose?" - -"You have admitted it. Very good," said Porthos, lifting up one finger. - -"But how can my having moved my lodgings have done M. de Bragelonne -any harm? Have the goodness to tell me that, for I positively do not -comprehend a word of what you are saying." - -Porthos stopped him, and then said, with great gravity, "Monsieur, this -is the first of M. de Bragelonne's complaints against you. If he makes a -complaint, it is because he feels himself insulted." - -Saint-Aignan began to beat his foot impatiently on the ground. "This -looks like a spurious quarrel," he said. - -"No one can possibly have a spurious quarrel with the Vicomte de -Bragelonne," returned Porthos; "but, at all events, you have nothing to -add on the subject of your changing your apartments, I suppose?" - -"Nothing. And what is the next point?" - -"Ah, the next! You will observe, monsieur, that the one I have already -mentioned is a most serious injury, to which you have given no answer, -or rather, have answered very indifferently. Is it possible, monsieur, -that you have changed your lodgings? M. de Bragelonne feels insulted at -your having done so, and you do not attempt to excuse yourself." - -"What!" cried Saint-Aignan, who was getting annoyed at the perfect -coolness of his visitor--"what! am I to consult M. de Bragelonne whether -I am to move or not? You can hardly be serious, monsieur." - -"I am. And it is absolutely necessary, monsieur; but under any -circumstances, you will admit that it is nothing in comparison with the -second ground of complaint." - -"Well, what is that?" - -Porthos assumed a very solemn expression as he said: "How about the -trap-door, monsieur?" - -Saint-Aignan turned exceedingly pale. He pushed back his chair so -abruptly, that Porthos, simple as he was, perceived that the blow had -told. "The trap-door," murmured Saint-Aignan. - -"Yes, monsieur, explain that if you can," said Porthos, shaking his -head. - -Saint-Aignan held down his head, as he murmured: "I have been betrayed, -everything is known!" - -"Everything," replied Porthos, who knew nothing. - -"You see me perfectly overwhelmed," pursued Saint-Aignan, "overwhelmed -to a degree that I hardly know what I am about." - -"A guilty conscience, monsieur. Your affair is a bad one, and when the -public learns all about it, it will judge--" - -"Oh, monsieur!" exclaimed the count, hurriedly, "such a secret ought not -to be known even by one's confessor." - -"That we will think about," said Porthos; "the secret will not go far, -in fact." - -"Surely, monsieur," returned Saint-Aignan, "since M. de Bragelonne has -penetrated the secret, he must be aware of the danger he as well as -others run the risk of incurring." - -"M. de Bragelonne runs no danger, monsieur, nor does he fear any either, -as you, if it please Heaven, will find out very soon." - -"This fellow is a perfect madman," thought Saint-Aignan. "What, in -Heaven's name, does he want?" He then said aloud: "Come, monsieur, let -us hush up this affair." - -"You forget the portrait," said Porthos, in a voice of thunder, which -made the comte's blood freeze in his veins. - -As the portrait in question was La Valliere's portrait, and no mistake -could any longer exist on the subject, Saint-Aignan's eyes were -completely opened. "Ah!" he exclaimed--"ah! monsieur, I remember now -that M. de Bragelonne was engaged to be married to her." - -Porthos assumed an imposing air, all the majesty of ignorance, in fact, -as he said: "It matters nothing whatever to me, nor to yourself, indeed, -whether or not my friend was, as you say, engaged to be married. I am -even astonished that you should have made use of so indiscreet a remark. -It may possibly do your cause harm, monsieur." - -"Monsieur," replied Saint-Aignan, "you are the incarnation of -intelligence, delicacy, and loyalty of feeling united. I see the whole -matter now clearly enough." - -"So much the better," said Porthos. - -"And," pursued Saint-Aignan, "you have made me comprehend it in the most -ingenious and the most delicate manner possible. I beg you to accept my -best thanks." Porthos drew himself up, unable to resist the flattery of -the remark. "Only, now that I know everything, permit me to explain--" - -Porthos shook his head, as a man who does not wish to hear, but -Saint-Aignan continued: "I am in despair, I assure you, at all that -has happened; but how would you have acted in my place? Come, between -ourselves, tell me what you would have done?" - -Porthos drew himself up as he answered: "There is now no question at -all of what I should have done, young man; you have been made acquainted -with the three causes of complaint against you, I believe?" - -"As for the first, my change of rooms, and I now address myself to you -as a man of honor and of great intelligence, could I, when the desire -of so august a personage was so urgently expressed that I should move, -ought I to have disobeyed?" - -Porthos was about to speak, but Saint-Aignan did not give him time to -answer. "Ah! my frankness, I see, convinces you," he said, interpreting -the movement according to his own fancy. "You feel that I am right." - -Porthos did not reply, and so Saint-Aignan continued: "I pass by that -unfortunate trap-door," he said, placing his hand on Porthos's arm, -"that trap-door, the occasion and means of so much unhappiness, and -which was constructed for--you know what. Well, then, in plain truth, do -you suppose that it was I who, of my own accord, in such a place, too, -had that trap-door made?--Oh, no!--you do not believe it; and here, -again, you feel, you guess, you understand the influence of a will -superior to my own. You can conceive the infatuation, the blind, -irresistible passion which has been at work. But, thank Heaven! I am -fortunate in speaking to a man who has so much sensitiveness of feeling; -and if it were not so, indeed, what an amount of misery and scandal -would fall upon her, poor girl! and upon him--whom I will not name." - -Porthos, confused and bewildered by the eloquence and gestures of -Saint-Aignan, made a thousand efforts to stem this torrent of words, -of which, by the by, he did not understand a single one; he remained -upright and motionless on his seat, and that was all he could do. -Saint-Aignan continued, and gave a new inflection to his voice, and an -increasing vehemence to his gesture: "As for the portrait, for I readily -believe the portrait is the principal cause of complaint, tell me -candidly if you think me to blame?--Who was it who wished to have her -portrait? Was it I?--Who is in love with her? Is it I?--Who wishes to -gain her affection? Again, is it I?--Who took her likeness? I, do you -think? No! a thousand times no! I know M. de Bragelonne must be in a -state of despair; I know these misfortunes are most cruel. But I, too, -am suffering as well; and yet there is no possibility of offering any -resistance. Suppose we were to fight? we would be laughed at. If he -obstinately persist in his course, he is lost. You will tell me, I know, -that despair is ridiculous, but then you are a sensible man. You have -understood me. I perceived by your serious, thoughtful, embarrassed -air, even, that the importance of the situation we are placed in has -not escaped you. Return, therefore, to M. de Bragelonne; thank him--as I -have indeed reason to thank him--for having chosen as an intermediary a -man of your high merit. Believe me that I shall, on my side, preserve -an eternal gratitude for the man who has so ingeniously, so cleverly -arranged the misunderstanding between us. And since ill luck would have -it that the secret should be known to four instead of three, why, -this secret, which might make the most ambitious man's fortune, I am -delighted to share with you, monsieur, from the bottom of my heart I -am delighted at it. From this very moment you can make use of me as you -please, I place myself entirely at your mercy. What can I possibly do -for you? What can I solicit, nay, require even? You have only to speak, -monsieur, only to speak." - -And, according to the familiarly friendly fashion of that period, -Saint-Aignan threw his arms round Porthos, and clasped him tenderly -in his embrace. Porthos allowed him to do this with the most perfect -indifference. "Speak," resumed Saint-Aignan, "what do you require?" - -"Monsieur," said Porthos, "I have a horse below: be good enough to mount -him; he is a very good one and will play you no tricks." - -"Mount on horseback! what for?" inquired Saint-Aignan, with no little -curiosity. - -"To accompany me to where M. de Bragelonne is waiting us." - -"Ah! he wishes to speak to me, I suppose? I can well believe that; he -wishes to have the details, very likely; alas! it is a very delicate -matter; but at the present moment I cannot, for the king is waiting for -me." - -"The king must wait, then," said Porthos. - -"What do you say? the king must wait!" interrupted the finished -courtier, with a smile of utter amazement, for he could not understand -that the king could under any circumstances be supposed to have to wait. - -"It is merely the affair of a very short hour," returned Porthos. - -"But where is M. de Bragelonne waiting for me?" - -"At the Minimes, at Vincennes." - -"Ah, indeed! but are we going to laugh over the affair when we get -there?" - -"I don't think it likely," said Porthos, as his face assumed a look of -utter hardness. - -"But the Minimes is a rendezvous where duels take place, and what can I -have to do at the Minimes?" - -Porthos slowly drew his sword, and said: "That is the length of my -friend's sword." - -"Why, the man is mad!" cried Saint-Aignan. - -The color mounted to Porthos's face, as he replied: "If I had not the -honor of being in your own apartment, monsieur, and of representing M. -de Bragelonne's interests, I would throw you out of the window. It will -be merely a pleasure postponed, and you will lose nothing by waiting. -Will you come with me to the Minimes, monsieur, of your own free will?" - -"But--" - -"Take care, I will carry you if you do not come quickly." - -"Basque!" cried Saint-Aignan. As soon as Basque appeared, he said, "The -king wishes to see monsieur le comte." - -"That is very different," said Porthos; "the king's service before -anything else. We will wait until this evening, monsieur." - -And saluting Saint-Aignan with his usual courtesy, Porthos left the -room, delighted at having arranged another affair. Saint-Aignan looked -after him as he left; and then hastily putting on his court dress -again, he ran off, arranging his costume as he went along, muttering to -himself, "The Minimes! the Minimes! We shall see how the king will fancy -this challenge; for it is for him after all, that is certain." - - - -Chapter LVI. Rivals in Politics. - -On his return from the promenade, which had been so prolific in poetical -effusions, and in which every one had paid his or her tribute to the -Muses, as the poets of the period used to say, the king found M. Fouquet -waiting for an audience. M. Colbert had lain in wait for his majesty in -the corridor, and followed him like a jealous and watchful shadow; -M. Colbert, with his square head, his vulgar and untidy, though rich -costume, somewhat resembled a Flemish gentleman after he had been -over-indulging in his national drink--beer. Fouquet, at sight of his -enemy, remained perfectly unmoved, and during the whole of the scene -which followed scrupulously resolved to observe a line of conduct -particularly difficult to the man of superior mind, who does not even -wish to show his contempt, for fear of doing his adversary too much -honor. Colbert made no attempt to conceal his insolent expression of the -vulgar joy he felt. In his opinion, M. Fouquet's was a game very badly -played and hopelessly lost, although not yet finished. Colbert belonged -to that school of politicians who think cleverness alone worthy of -their admiration, and success the only thing worth caring for. Colbert, -moreover, who was not simply an envious and jealous man, but who had the -king's interest really at heart, because he was thoroughly imbued with -the highest sense of probity in all matters of figures and accounts, -could well afford to assign as a pretext for his conduct, that in hating -and doing his utmost to ruin M. Fouquet, he had nothing in view but the -welfare of the state and the dignity of the crown. None of these details -escaped Fouquet's observation; through his enemy's thick, bushy brows, -and despite the restless movement of his eyelids, he could, by merely -looking at his eyes, penetrate to the very bottom of Colbert's heart, -and he read to what an unbounded extent hate towards himself and triumph -at his approaching fall existed there. But as, in observing everything, -he wished to remain himself impenetrable, he composed his features, -smiled with the charmingly sympathetic smile that was peculiarly his -own, and saluted the king with the most dignified and graceful ease and -elasticity of manner. "Sire," he said, "I perceive by your majesty's -joyous air that you have been gratified with the promenade." - -"Most gratified, indeed, monsieur le surintendant, most gratified. You -were very wrong not to come with us, as I invited you to do." - -"I was working, sire," replied the superintendent, who did not even -seem to take the trouble to turn aside his head in merest respect of -Colbert's presence. - -"Ah! M. Fouquet," cried the king, "there is nothing like the country. I -should be delighted to live in the country always, in the open air and -under the trees." - -"I should hope that your majesty is not yet weary of the throne," said -Fouquet. - -"No; but thrones of soft turf are very pleasant." - -"Your majesty gratifies my utmost wishes in speaking in that manner, for -I have a request to submit to you." - -"On whose behalf, monsieur?" - -"Oh behalf of the nymphs of Vaux, sire." - -"Ah! ah!" said Louis XIV. - -"Your majesty, too, once deigned to make me a promise," said Fouquet. - -"Yes, I remember it." - -"The _fete_ at Vaux, the celebrated _fete_, I think, it was, sire," -said Colbert, endeavoring to show his importance by taking part in the -conversation. - -Fouquet, with the profoundest contempt, did not take the slightest -notice of the remark, as if, as far as he was concerned, Colbert had not -even thought or said a word. - -"Your majesty is aware," he said, "that I destine my estate at Vaux to -receive the most amiable of princes, the most powerful of monarchs." - -"I have given you my promise, monsieur," said Louis XIV., smiling; "and -a king never departs from his word." - -"And I have come now, sire, to inform your majesty that I am ready to -obey your orders in every respect." - -"Do you promise me many wonders, monsieur le surintendant?" said Louis, -looking at Colbert. - -"Wonders? Oh! no, sire. I do not undertake that. I hope to be able -to procure your majesty a little pleasure, perhaps even a little -forgetfulness of the cares of state." - -"Nay, nay, M. Fouquet," returned the king; "I insist upon the word -'wonders.' You are a magician, I believe; we all know the power you -wield; we also know that you can find gold even when there is none to be -found elsewhere; so much so, indeed, that people say you coin it." - -Fouquet felt that the shot was discharged from a double quiver, and -that the king had launched an arrow from his own bow as well as one from -Colbert's. "Oh!" said he, laughingly, "the people know perfectly well -out of what mine I procure the gold; and they know it only too well, -perhaps; besides," he added, "I can assure your majesty that the gold -destined to pay the expenses of the _fete_ at Vaux will cost neither -blood nor tears; hard labor it may, perhaps, but that can be paid for." - -Louis paused quite confused. He wished to look at Colbert; Colbert, too, -wished to reply to him; a glance as swift as an eagle's, a king-like -glance, indeed, which Fouquet darted at the latter, arrested the -words upon his lips. The king, who had by this time recovered his -self-possession, turned towards Fouquet, saying, "I presume, therefore, -I am now to consider myself formally invited?" - -"Yes, sire, if your majesty will condescend so far as to accept my -invitation." - -"What day have you fixed?" - -"Any day your majesty may find most convenient." - -"You speak like an enchanter who has but to conjure up in actuality -the wildest fancies, Monsieur Fouquet. I could not say so much, indeed, -myself." - -"Your majesty will do, whenever you please, everything that a monarch -can and ought to do. The king of France has servants at his bidding -who are able to do anything on his behalf, to accomplish everything to -gratify his pleasures." - -Colbert tried to look at the superintendent, in order to see whether -this remark was an approach to less hostile sentiments on his part; but -Fouquet had not even looked at his enemy, and Colbert hardly seemed -to exist as far as he was concerned. "Very good, then," said the king. -"Will a week hence suit you?" - -"Perfectly well, sire." - -"This is Tuesday; if I give you until next Sunday week, will that be -sufficient?" - -"The delay which your majesty deigns to accord me will greatly aid the -various works which my architects have in hand for the purpose of adding -to the amusement of your majesty and your friends." - -"By the by, speaking of my friends," resumed the king; "how do you -intend to treat them?" - -"The king is master everywhere, sire; your majesty will draw up your own -list and give your own orders. All those you may deign to invite will be -my guests, my honored guests, indeed." - -"I thank you!" returned the king, touched by the noble thought expressed -in so noble a tone. - -Fouquet, therefore, took leave of Louis XIV., after a few words had been -added with regard to the details of certain matters of business. He felt -that Colbert would remain behind with the king, that they would both -converse about him, and that neither of them would spare him in the -least degree. The satisfaction of being able to give a last and -terrible blow to his enemy seemed to him almost like a compensation -for everything they were about to subject him to. He turned back again -immediately, as soon, indeed, as he had reached the door, and addressing -the king, said, "I was forgetting that I had to crave your majesty's -forgiveness." - -"In what respect?" said the king, graciously. - -"For having committed a serious fault without perceiving it." - -"A fault! You! Ah! Monsieur Fouquet, I shall be unable to do otherwise -than forgive you. In what way or against whom have you been found -wanting?" - -"Against every sense of propriety, sire. I forgot to inform your majesty -of a circumstance that has lately occurred of some little importance." - -"What is it?" - -Colbert trembled; he fancied that he was about to frame a denunciation -against him. His conduct had been unmasked. A single syllable from -Fouquet, a single proof formally advanced, and before the youthful -loyalty of feeling which guided Louis XIV., Colbert's favor would -disappear at once; the latter trembled, therefore, lest so daring a blow -might overthrow his whole scaffold; in point of fact, the opportunity -was so admirably suited to be taken advantage of, that a skillful, -practiced player like Aramis would not have let it slip. "Sire," said -Fouquet, with an easy, unconcerned air, "since you have had the kindness -to forgive me, I am perfectly indifferent about my confession; this -morning I sold one of the official appointments I hold." - -"One of your appointments," said the king, "which?" - -Colbert turned perfectly livid. "That which conferred upon me, sire, -a grand gown, and a stern air of gravity; the appointment of -procureur-general." - -The king involuntarily uttered a loud exclamation and looked at Colbert, -who, with his face bedewed with perspiration, felt almost on the point -of fainting. "To whom have you sold this department, Monsieur Fouquet?" -inquired the king. - -Colbert was obliged to lean against a column of the fireplace. "To a -councilor belonging to the parliament, sire, whose name is Vanel." - -"Vanel?" - -"Yes, sire, a particular friend of the intendant Colbert," added -Fouquet; letting every word fall from his lips with the most inimitable -nonchalance, and with an admirably assumed expression of forgetfulness -and ignorance. And having finished, and having overwhelmed Colbert -beneath the weight of this superiority, the superintendent again saluted -the king and quitted the room, partially revenged by the stupefaction of -the king and the humiliation of the favorite. - -"Is it really possible," said the king, as soon as Fouquet had -disappeared, "that he has sold that office?" - -"Yes, sire," said Colbert, meaningly. - -"He must be mad," the king added. - -Colbert this time did not reply; he had penetrated the king's thought, -a thought which amply revenged him for the humiliation he had just been -made to suffer; his hatred was augmented by a feeling of bitter jealousy -of Fouquet; and a threat of disgrace was now added to the plan he had -arranged for his ruin. Colbert felt perfectly assured that for the -future, between Louis XIV. and himself, their hostile feelings and ideas -would meet with no obstacles, and that at the first fault committed by -Fouquet, which could be laid hold of as a pretext, the chastisement -so long impending would be precipitated. Fouquet had thrown aside his -weapons of defense, and hate and jealousy had picked them up. Colbert -was invited by the king to the _fete_ at Vaux; he bowed like a man -confident in himself, and accepted the invitation with the air of -one who almost confers a favor. The king was about writing down -Saint-Aignan's name on his list of royal commands, when the usher -announced the Comte de Saint-Aignan. As soon as the royal "Mercury" -entered, Colbert discreetly withdrew. - - - -Chapter LVII. Rivals in Love. - -Saint-Aignan had quitted Louis XIV. hardly a couple of hours before; but -in the first effervescence of his affection, whenever Louis XIV. was out -of sight of La Valliere, he was obliged to talk about her. Besides, -the only person with whom he could speak about her at his ease was -Saint-Aignan, and thus Saint-Aignan had become an indispensable. - -"Ah, is that you, comte?" he exclaimed, as soon as he perceived him, -doubly delighted, not only to see him again, but also to get rid of -Colbert, whose scowling face always put him out of humor. "So much -the better, I am very glad to see you. You will make one of the best -traveling party, I suppose?" - -"Of what traveling part are you speaking, sire?" inquired Saint-Aignan. - -"The one we are making up to go to the _fete_ the superintendent is -about to give at Vaux. Ah! Saint-Aignan, you will, at last, see a -_fete_, a royal _fete_, by the side of which all our amusements at -Fontainebleau are petty, contemptible affairs." - -"At Vaux! the superintendent going to give a _fete_ in your majesty's -honor? Nothing more than that!" - -"'Nothing more than that,' do you say? It is very diverting to find -you treating it with so much disdain. Are you who express such an -indifference on the subject, aware, that as soon as it is known that M. -Fouquet is going to receive me at Vaux next Sunday week, people will -be striving their very utmost to get invited to the _fete?_ I repeat, -Saint-Aignan, you shall be one of the invited guests." - -"Very well, sire; unless I shall, in the meantime, have undertaken a -longer and a less agreeable journey." - -"What journey do you allude to?" - -"The one across the Styx, sire." - -"Bah!" said Louis XIV., laughing. - -"No, seriously, sire," replied Saint-Aignan, "I am invited; and in such -a way, in truth, that I hardly know what to say, or how to act, in order -to refuse the invitation." - -"I do not understand you. I know that you are in a poetical vein; but -try not to sink from Apollo to Phoebus." - -"Very well; if your majesty will deign to listen to me, I will not keep -your mind on the rack a moment longer." - -"Speak." - -"Your majesty knows the Baron du Vallon?" - -"Yes, indeed; a good servant to my father, the late king, and an -admirable companion at table; for, I think, you are referring to the -gentleman who dined with us at Fontainebleau?" - -"Precisely so; but you have omitted to add to his other qualifications, -sire, that he is a most charming polisher-off of other people." - -"What! Does M. du Vallon wish to polish you off?" - -"Or to get me killed, which is much the same thing." - -"The deuce!" - -"Do not laugh, sire, for I am not saying one word beyond the exact -truth." - -"And you say he wishes to get you killed." - -"Such is that excellent person's present idea." - -"Be easy; I will defend you, if he be in the wrong." - -"Ah! There is an 'if'!" - -"Of course; answer me as candidly as if it were some one else's affair -instead of your own, my poor Saint-Aignan; is he right or wrong?" - -"Your majesty shall be the judge." - -"What have you done to him?" - -"To him, personally, nothing at all; but, it seems, to one of his -friends, I have." - -"It is all the same. Is his friend one of the celebrated 'four'?" - -"No. It is the son of one of the celebrated 'four,' though." - -"What have you done to the son? Come, tell me." - -"Why, it seems that I have helped some one to take his mistress from -him." - -"You confess it, then?" - -"I cannot help confessing it, for it is true." - -"In that case, you are wrong; and if he were to kill you, he would be -doing perfectly right." - -"Ah! that is your majesty's way of reasoning, then!" - -"Do you think it a bad way?" - -"It is a very expeditious way, at all events." - -"'Good justice is prompt;' so my grandfather Henry IV. used to say." - -"In that case, your majesty will, perhaps, be good enough to sign my -adversary's pardon, for he is now waiting for me at the Minimes, for the -purpose of putting me out of my misery." - -"His name, and a parchment!" - -"There is a parchment upon your majesty's table; and for his name--" - -"Well, what is it?" - -"The Vicomte de Bragelonne, sire." - -"'The Vicomte de Bragelonne!'" exclaimed the king; changing from a fit -of laughter to the most profound stupor, and then, after a moment's -silence, while he wiped his forehead, which was bedewed with -perspiration, he again murmured, "Bragelonne!" - -"No other, sire." - -"Bragelonne, who was affianced to--" - -"Yes, sire." - -"But--he has been in London." - -"Yes; but I can assure you, sire, he is there no longer." - -"Is he in Paris, then?" - -"He is at Minimes, sire, where he is waiting for me, as I have already -had the honor of telling you." - -"Does he know all?" - -"Yes; and many things besides. Perhaps your majesty would like to look -at the letter I have received from him;" and Saint-Aignan drew from his -pocket the note we are already acquainted with. "When your majesty has -read the letter, I will tell you how it reached me." - -The king read it in a great agitation, and immediately said, "Well?" - -"Well, sire; your majesty knows a certain carved lock, closing a certain -door of carved ebony, which separates a certain apartment from a certain -blue and white sanctuary?" - -"Of course; Louise's boudoir." - -"Yes, sire. Well, it was in the keyhole of that lock that I found yonder -note." - -"Who placed it there?" - -"Either M. de Bragelonne, or the devil himself; but, inasmuch as the -note smells of musk and not of sulphur, I conclude that it must be, not -the devil, but M. de Bragelonne." - -Louis bent his head, and seemed absorbed in sad and bitter thought. -Perhaps something like remorse was at that moment passing through his -heart. "The secret is discovered," he said. - -"Sire, I shall do my utmost that the secret dies in the breast of the -man who possesses it!" said Saint-Aignan, in a tone of bravado, as he -moved towards the door; but a gesture of the king made him pause. - -"Where are you going?" he inquired. - -"Where they await me, sire." - -"What for?" - -"To fight, in all probability." - -"_You_ fight!" exclaimed the king. "One moment, if you please, monsieur -le comte!" - -Saint-Aignan shook his head, as a rebellious child does, whenever any -one interferes to prevent him throwing himself into a well, or playing -with a knife. "But, sire," he said. - -"In the first place," continued the king. "I want to be enlightened a -little further." - -"Upon all points, if your majesty will be pleased to interrogate me," -replied Saint-Aignan, "I will throw what light I can." - -"Who told you that M. de Bragelonne had penetrated into that room?" - -"The letter which I found in the keyhole told me." - -"Who told you that it was De Bragelonne who put it there?" - -"Who but himself would have dared to undertake such a mission?" - -"You are right. How was he able to get into your rooms?" - -"Ah! that is very serious, inasmuch as all the doors were closed, and my -lackey, Basque, had the keys in his pocket." - -"Your lackey must have been bribed." - -"Impossible, sire; for if he had been bribed, those who did so would not -have sacrificed the poor fellow, whom, it is not unlikely, they might -want to turn to further use by and by, in showing so clearly that it was -he whom they had made use of." - -"Quite true. And now I can only form one conjecture." - -"Tell me what it is, sire, and we shall see if it is the same that has -presented itself to my mind." - -"That he effected an entrance by means of the staircase." - -"Alas, sire, that seems to me more than probable." - -"There is no doubt that some one must have sold the secret of the -trap-door." - -"Either sold it or given it." - -"Why do you make that distinction?" - -"Because there are certain persons, sire, who, being above the price of -treason, give, and do not sell." - -"What do you mean?" - -"Oh, sire! Your majesty's mind is too clear-sighted not to guess what -I mean, and you will save me the embarrassment of naming the person I -allude to." - -"You are right: you mean Madame; I suppose her suspicions were aroused -by your changing your lodgings." - -"Madame has keys of the apartments of her maids of honor, and she is -powerful enough to discover what no one but yourself could do, or she -would not be able to discover anything." - -"And you suppose, then, that my sister must have entered into an -alliance with Bragelonne, and has informed him of all the details of the -affair." - -"Possibly even better still, for she perhaps accompanied him there." - -"Which way? through your own apartments?" - -"You think it impossible, sire? Well, listen to me. Your majesty knows -that Madame is very fond of perfumes?" - -"Yes, she acquired that taste from my mother." - -"Vervain, particularly." - -"Yes, it is the scent she prefers to all others." - -"Very good, sire! my apartments happen to smell very strongly of -vervain." - -The king remained silent and thoughtful for a few moments, and then -resumed: "But why should Madame take Bragelonne's part against me?" - -Saint-Aignan could very easily have replied: "A woman's jealousy!" The -king probed his friend to the bottom of his heart to ascertain if he -had learned the secret of his flirtation with his sister-in-law. But -Saint-Aignan was not an ordinary courtier; he did not lightly run the -risk of finding out family secrets; and he was too a friend of the Muses -not to think very frequently of poor Ovidius Naso, whose eyes shed so -many tears in expiation of his crime for having once beheld something, -one hardly knows what, in the palace of Augustus. He therefore passed -by Madame's secret very skillfully. But as he had shown no ordinary -sagacity in indicating Madame's presence in his rooms in company with -Bragelonne, it was necessary, of course, for him to repay with interest -the king's _amour propre_, and reply plainly to the question which had -been put to him of: "Why has Madame taken Bragelonne's part against me?" - -"Why?" replied Saint-Aignan. "Your majesty forgets, I presume, that the -Comte de Guiche is the intimate friend of the Vicomte de Bragelonne." - -"I do not see the connection, however," said the king. - -"Ah! I beg your pardon, then, sire; but I thought the Comte de Guiche -was a very great friend of Madame's." - -"Quite true," the king returned; "there is no occasion to search any -further, the blow came from that direction." - -"And is not your majesty of opinion that, in order to ward it off, it -will be necessary to deal another blow?" - -"Yes, but not one of the kind given in the Bois de Vincennes," replied -the king. - -"You forget, sire," said Saint-Aignan, "that I am a gentleman, and that -I have been challenged." - -"The challenge neither concerns nor was it intended for you." - -"But I am the man, sire, who has been expected at the Minimes, sire, -during the last hour and more; and I shall be dishonored if I do not -go." - -"The first honor and duty of a gentleman is obedience to his sovereign." - -"Sire!" - -"I order you to remain." - -"Sire!" - -"Obey, monsieur!" - -"As your majesty pleases." - -"Besides, I wish to have the whole of this affair explained; I wish to -know how it is that I have been so insolently trifled with, as to have -the sanctuary of my affections pried into. It is not you, Saint-Aignan, -whose business it is to punish those who have acted in this manner, for -it is not your honor they have attacked, but my own." - -"I implore your majesty not to overwhelm M. de Bragelonne with your -wrath, for although in the whole of this affair he may have shown -himself deficient in prudence, he has not been so in his feelings of -loyalty." - -"Enough! I shall know how to decide between the just and the unjust, -even in the height of my anger. But take care that not a word of this is -breathed to Madame." - -"But what am I to do with regard to M. de Bragelonne? He will be seeking -me in every direction, and--" - -"I shall either have spoken to him, or taken care that he has been -spoken to, before the evening is over." - -"Let me once more entreat your majesty to be indulgent towards him." - -"I have been indulgent long enough, comte," said Louis XIV., frowning -severely; "it is now quite time to show certain persons that I am master -in my own palace." - -The king had hardly pronounced these words, which betokened that a fresh -feeling of irritation was mingling with the recollections of old, when -an usher appeared at the door of the cabinet. "What is the matter?" -inquired the king, "and why do you presume to come when I have not -summoned you?" - -"Sire," said the usher, "your majesty desired me to permit M. le Comte -de la Fere to pass freely on any and every occasion, when he might wish -to speak to your majesty." - -"Well, monsieur?" - -"M. le Comte de la Fere is now waiting to see your majesty." - -The king and Saint-Aignan at this reply exchanged a look which betrayed -more uneasiness than surprise. Louis hesitated for a moment, but -immediately afterwards, seeming to make up his mind, he said: - -"Go, Saint-Aignan, and find Louise; inform her of the plot against us; -do not let her be ignorant that Madame will return to her system of -persecutions against her, and that she has set those to work who would -have found it far safer to remain neuter." - -"Sire--" - -"If Louise gets nervous and frightened, reassure her as much as you can; -tell her that the king's affection is an impenetrable shield over her; -if, which I suspect is the case, she already knows everything, or if she -has already been herself subjected to an attack of some kind or other -from any quarter, tell her, be sure to tell her, Saint-Aignan," added -the king, trembling with passion, "tell her, I say, that this time, -instead of defending her, I will avenge her, and that too so terribly -that no one will in future even dare to raise his eyes towards her." - -"Is that all, sire?" - -"Yes, all. Go as quickly as you can, and remain faithful; for, you who -live in the midst of this stake of infernal torments, have not, like -myself, the hope of the paradise beyond it." - -Saint-Aignan exhausted himself in protestations of devotion, took the -king's hand, kissed it, and left the room radiant with delight. - - - -Chapter LVIII. King and Noble. - -The king endeavored to recover his self-possession as quickly as -possible, in order to meet M. de la Fere with an untroubled countenance. -He clearly saw it was not mere chance that had induced the comte's -visit, he had some vague impression of its importance; but he felt -that to a man of Athos's tone of mind, to one of such a high order of -intellect, his first reception ought not to present anything either -disagreeable or otherwise than kind and courteous. As soon as the king -had satisfied himself that, as far as appearances went, he was perfectly -calm again, he gave directions to the ushers to introduce the comte. A -few minutes afterwards Athos, in full court dress, and with his breast -covered with the orders that he alone had the right to wear at the court -of France, presented himself with so grave and solemn an air that the -king perceived, at the first glance, that he was not deceived in his -anticipations. Louis advanced a step towards the comte, and, with a -smile, held out his hand to him, over which Athos bowed with the air of -the deepest respect. - -"Monsieur le Comte de la Fere," said the king rapidly, "you are so -seldom here, that it is a real piece of good fortune to see you." - -Athos bowed and replied, "I should wish always to enjoy the happiness of -being near your majesty." - -The tone, however, in which this reply was conveyed, evidently -signified, "I should wish to be one of your majesty's advisers, to save -you the commission of faults." The king felt it so, and determined -in this man's presence to preserve all the advantages which could be -derived from his command over himself, as well as from his rank and -position. - -"I see you have something to say to me," he said. - -"Had it not been so, I should not have presumed to present myself before -your majesty." - -"Speak quickly, I am anxious to satisfy you," returned the king, seating -himself. - -"I am persuaded," replied Athos, in a somewhat agitated tone of voice, -"that your majesty will give me every satisfaction." - -"Ah!" said the king, with a certain haughtiness of manner, "you have -come to lodge a complaint here, then?" - -"It would be a complaint," returned Athos, "only in the event of your -majesty--but if you will deign to permit me, sire, I will begin the -conversation from the very commencement." - -"Do so, I am listening." - -"Your majesty will remember that at the period of the Duke of -Buckingham's departure, I had the honor of an interview with you." - -"At or about that period, I think I remember you did; only, with regard -to the subject of the conversation, I have quite forgotten it." - -Athos started, as he replied. "I shall have the honor to remind your -majesty of it. It was with regard to a formal demand I had addressed to -you respecting a marriage which M. de Bragelonne wished to contract with -Mademoiselle de la Valliere." - -"Ah!" thought the king, "we have come to it now.--I remember," he said, -aloud. - -"At that period," pursued Athos, "your majesty was so kind and generous -towards M. de Bragelonne and myself, that not a single word which -then fell from your lips has escaped my memory; and, when I asked -your majesty to accord me Mademoiselle de la Valliere's hand for M. de -Bragelonne, you refused." - -"Quite true," said Louis, dryly. - -"Alleging," Athos hastened to say, "that the young lady had no position -in society." - -Louis could hardly force himself to listen with an appearance of royal -propriety. - -"That," added Athos, "she had but little fortune." - -The king threw himself back in his armchair. - -"That her extraction was indifferent." - -A renewed impatience on the part of the king. - -"And little beauty," added Athos, pitilessly. - -This last bolt buried itself deep in the king's heart, and made him -almost bound from his seat. - -"You have a good memory, monsieur," he said. - -"I invariably have, on occasions when I have had the distinguished honor -of an interview with your majesty," retorted the comte, without being in -the least disconcerted. - -"Very good: it is admitted that I said all that." - -"And I thanked your majesty for your remarks at the time, because they -testified an interest in M. de Bragelonne which did him much honor." - -"And you may possibly remember," said the king, very deliberately, "that -you had the greatest repugnance for this marriage." - -"Quite true, sire." - -"And that you solicited my permission, much against your own -inclination?" - -"Yes, sire." - -"And finally, I remember, for I have a memory nearly as good as your -own; I remember, I say, that you observed at the time: 'I do not believe -that Mademoiselle de la Valliere loves M. de Bragelonne.' Is that true?" - -The blow told well, but Athos did not draw back. "Sire," he said, "I -have already begged your majesty's forgiveness; but there are certain -particulars in that conversation which are only intelligible from the -_denouement_." - -"Well, what is the _denouement_, monsieur?" - -"This: that your majesty then said, 'that you would defer the marriage -out of regard for M. de Bragelonne's own interests.'" - -The king remained silent. "M. de Bragelonne is now so exceedingly -unhappy that he cannot any longer defer asking your majesty for a -solution of the matter." - -The king turned pale; Athos looked at him with fixed attention. - -"And what," said the king, with considerable hesitation, "does M. de -Bragelonne request?" - -"Precisely the very thing that I came to ask your majesty for at my last -audience, namely, your majesty's consent to his marriage." - -The king remained perfectly silent. "The questions which referred to -the different obstacles in the way are all now quite removed for us," -continued Athos. "Mademoiselle de la Valliere, without fortune, birth, -or beauty, is not the less on that account the only good match in the -world for M. de Bragelonne, since he loves this young girl." - -The king pressed his hands impatiently together. "Does your majesty -hesitate?" inquired the comte, without losing a particle of either his -firmness of his politeness. - -"I do not hesitate--I refuse," replied the king. - -Athos paused a moment, as if to collect himself: "I have had the honor," -he said, in a mild tone, "to observe to your majesty that no obstacle -now interferes with M. de Bragelonne's affections, and that his -determination seems unalterable." - -"There is my will--and that is an obstacle, I should imagine!" - -"That is the most serious of all," Athos replied quickly. - -"Ah!" - -"And may we, therefore, be permitted to ask your majesty, with the -greatest humility, your reason for this refusal?" - -"The reason!--A question to me!" exclaimed the king. - -"A demand, sire!" - -The king, leaning with both his hands upon the table, said, in a deep -tone of concentrated passion: "You have lost all recollection of what is -usual at court. At court, please to remember, no one ventures to put a -question to the king." - -"Very true, sire; but if men do not question, they conjecture." - -"Conjecture! What may that mean, monsieur?" - -"Very frequently, sire, conjecture with regard to a particular subject -implies a want of frankness on the part of the king--" - -"Monsieur!" - -"And a want of confidence on the part of the subject," pursued Athos, -intrepidly. - -"You forget yourself," said the king, hurried away by anger in spite of -all his self-control. - -"Sire, I am obliged to seek elsewhere for what I thought I should find -in your majesty. Instead of obtaining a reply from you, I am compelled -to make one for myself." - -The king rose. "Monsieur le comte," he said, "I have now given you all -the time I had at my disposal." This was a dismissal. - -"Sire," replied the comte, "I have not yet had time to tell your majesty -what I came with the express object of saying, and I so rarely see your -majesty that I ought to avail myself of the opportunity." - -"Just now you spoke rudely of conjectures; you are now becoming -offensive, monsieur." - -"Oh, sire! offend your majesty! I?--never! All my life through I have -maintained that kings are above all other men, not only from their rank -and power, but from their nobleness of heart and their true dignity -of mind. I never can bring myself to believe that my sovereign, he who -passed his word to me, did so with a mental reservation." - -"What do you mean? what mental reservation do you allude to?" - -"I will explain my meaning," said Athos, coldly. "If, in refusing -Mademoiselle de la Valliere to Monsieur de Bragelonne, your majesty -had some other object in view than the happiness and fortune of the -vicomte--" - -"You perceive, monsieur, that you are offending me." - -"If, in requiring the vicomte to delay his marriage, your majesty's only -object was to remove the gentleman to whom Mademoiselle de la Valliere -was engaged--" - -"Monsieur! monsieur!" - -"I have heard it said so in every direction, sire. Your majesty's -affection for Mademoiselle de la Valliere is spoken of on all sides." - -The king tore his gloves, which he had been biting for some time. "Woe -to those," he cried, "who interfere in my affairs. I have made up -my mind to take a particular course, and I will break through every -obstacle in my way." - -"What obstacle?" said Athos. - -The king stopped short, like a horse which, having taken the bit between -his teeth and run away, finds it has slipped it back again, and that -his career is checked. "I love Mademoiselle de la Valliere," he said -suddenly, with mingled nobleness of feeling and passion. - -"But," interrupted Athos, "that does not preclude your majesty from -allowing M. de Bragelonne to marry Mademoiselle de la Valliere. The -sacrifice is worthy of so great a monarch; it is fully merited by M. de -Bragelonne, who has already rendered great service to your majesty, -and who may well be regarded as a brave and worthy man. Your majesty, -therefore, in renouncing the affection you entertain, offers a proof at -once of generosity, gratitude, and good policy." - -"Mademoiselle de la Valliere does not love M. de Bragelonne," said the -king, hoarsely. - -"Does your majesty know that to be the case?" remarked Athos, with a -searching look. - -"I do know it." - -"Since a very short time, then; for doubtless, had your majesty known it -when I first preferred my request, you would have taken the trouble to -inform me of it." - -"Since a very short time, it is true, monsieur." - -Athos remained silent for a moment, and then resumed: "In that case, I -do not understand why your majesty should have sent M. de Bragelonne -to London. That exile, and most properly so, too, is a matter of -astonishment to every one who regards your majesty's honor with sincere -affection." - -"Who presumes to impugn my honor, Monsieur de la Fere?" - -"The king's honor, sire, is made up of the honor of his whole nobility. -Whenever the king offends one of his gentlemen, that is, whenever he -deprives him of the smallest particle of his honor, it is from him, from -the king himself, that that portion of honor is stolen." - -"Monsieur de la Fere!" said the king, haughtily. - -"Sire, you sent M. de Bragelonne to London either before you were -Mademoiselle de la Valliere's lover, or since you have become so." - -The king, irritated beyond measure, especially because he felt that he -was being mastered, endeavored to dismiss Athos by a gesture. - -"Sire," replied the comte, "I will tell you all; I will not leave your -presence until I have been satisfied by your majesty or by myself; -satisfied if you prove to me that you are right,--satisfied if I prove -to you that you are wrong. Nay, sire, you can but listen to me. I am -old now, and I am attached to everything that is really great and really -powerful in your kingdom. I am of those who have shed their blood for -your father and for yourself, without ever having asked a single favor -either from yourself or from your father. I have never inflicted the -slightest wrong or injury on any one in this world, and even kings are -still my debtors. You can but listen to me, I repeat. I have come to ask -you for an account of the honor of one of your servants whom you have -deceived by a falsehood, or betrayed by want of heart of judgment. I -know that these words irritate your majesty, but the facts themselves -are killing us. I know that you are endeavoring to find some -means whereby to chastise me for my frankness; but I know also the -chastisement I will implore God to inflict upon you when I relate to Him -your perjury and my son's unhappiness." - -The king during these remarks was walking hurriedly to and fro, his hand -thrust into the breast of his coat, his head haughtily raised, his eyes -blazing with wrath. "Monsieur," he cried, suddenly, "if I acted towards -you as a king, you would be already punished; but I am only a man, and -I have the right to love in this world every one who loves me,--a -happiness which is so rarely found." - -"You cannot pretend to such a right as a man any more than as a king, -sire; or if you intend to exercise that right in a loyal manner, you -should have told M. de Bragelonne so, and not have exiled him." - -"It is too great a condescension, monsieur, to discuss these things with -you," interrupted Louis XIV., with that majesty of air and manner he -alone seemed able to give his look and his voice. - -"I was hoping that you would reply to me," said the comte. - -"You shall know my reply, monsieur." - -"You already know my thoughts on the subject," was the Comte de la -Fere's answer. - -"You have forgotten you are speaking to the king, monsieur. It is a -crime." - -"You have forgotten you are destroying the lives of two men, sire. It is -a mortal sin." - -"Leave the room!" - -"Not until I have said this: 'Son of Louis XIII., you begin your reign -badly, for you begin it by abduction and disloyalty! My race--myself -too--are now freed from all that affection and respect towards you, -which I made my son swear to observe in the vaults of Saint-Denis, in -the presence of the relics of your noble forefathers. You are now become -our enemy, sire, and henceforth we have nothing to do save with Heaven -alone, our sole master. Be warned, be warned, sire.'" - -"What! do you threaten?" - -"Oh, no," said Athos, sadly, "I have as little bravado as fear in my -soul. The God of whom I spoke to you is now listening to me; He knows -that for the safety and honor of your crown I would even yet shed every -drop of blood twenty years of civil and foreign warfare have left in -my veins. I can well say, then, that I threaten the king as little as I -threaten the man; but I tell you, sire, you lose two servants; for you -have destroyed faith in the heart of the father, and love in the heart -of the son; the one ceases to believe in the royal word, the other no -longer believes in the loyalty of the man, or the purity of woman: the -one is dead to every feeling of respect, the other to obedience. Adieu!" - -Thus saying, Athos broke his sword across his knee, slowly placed the -two pieces upon the floor, and saluting the king, who was almost choking -from rage and shame, he quitted the cabinet. Louis, who sat near the -table, completely overwhelmed, was several minutes before he could -collect himself; but he suddenly rose and rang the bell violently. "Tell -M. d'Artagnan to come here," he said to the terrified ushers. - - - -Chapter LIX. After the Storm. - -Our readers will doubtlessly have been asking themselves how it happened -that Athos, of whom not a word has been said for some time past, arrived -so very opportunely at court. We will, without delay, endeavor to -satisfy their curiosity. - -Porthos, faithful to his duty as an arranger of affairs, had, -immediately after leaving the Palais Royal, set off to join Raoul at the -Minimes in the Bois de Vincennes, and had related everything, even to -the smallest details, which had passed between Saint-Aignan and himself. -He finished by saying that the message which the king had sent to his -favorite would probably not occasion more than a short delay, and that -Saint-Aignan, as soon as he could leave the king, would not lose a -moment in accepting the invitation Raoul had sent him. - -But Raoul, less credulous than his old friend, had concluded from -Porthos's recital that if Saint-Aignan was going to the king, -Saint-Aignan would tell the king everything, and that the king would -most assuredly forbid Saint-Aignan to obey the summons he had received -to the hostile meeting. The consequence of his reflections was, that he -had left Porthos to remain at the place appointed for the meeting, in -the very improbable case that Saint-Aignan would come there; having -endeavored to make Porthos promise that he would not remain there -more than an hour or an hour and a half at the very longest. Porthos, -however, formally refused to do anything of the kind, but, on the -contrary, installed himself in the Minimes as if he were going to -take root there, making Raoul promise that when he had been to see his -father, he would return to his own apartments, in order that Porthos's -servant might know where to find him in case M. de Saint-Aignan should -happen to come to the rendezvous. - -Bragelonne had left Vincennes, and proceeded at once straight to the -apartments of Athos, who had been in Paris during the last two days, the -comte having been already informed of what had taken place, by a letter -from D'Artagnan. Raoul arrived at his father's; Athos, after having held -out his hand to him, and embraced him most affectionately, made a sign -for him to sit down. - -"I know you come to me as a man would go to a friend, vicomte, whenever -he is suffering; tell me, therefore, what is it that brings you now." - -The young man bowed, and began his recital; more than once in the course -of it his tears almost choked his utterance, and a sob, checked in his -throat, compelled him to suspend his narrative for a few minutes. Athos -most probably already knew how matters stood, as we have just now -said D'Artagnan had already written to him; but, preserving until the -conclusion that calm, unruffled composure of manner which constituted -the almost superhuman side of his character, he replied, "Raoul, I do -not believe there is a word of truth in these rumors; I do not believe -in the existence of what you fear, although I do not deny that persons -best entitled to the fullest credit have already conversed with me on -the subject. In my heart and soul I think it utterly impossible that the -king could be guilty of such an outrage on a gentleman. I will answer -for the king, therefore, and will soon bring you back the proof of what -I say." - -Raoul, wavering like a drunken man between what he had seen with his own -eyes and the imperturbable faith he had in a man who had never told a -falsehood, bowed and simply answered, "Go, then, monsieur le comte; I -will await your return." And he sat down, burying his face in his hands. -Athos dressed, and then left him, in order to wait upon the king; the -result of that interview is already known to our readers. - -When he returned to his lodgings, Raoul, pale and dejected, had not -quitted his attitude of despair. At the sound, however, of the opening -doors, and of his father's footsteps as he approached him, the young man -raised his head. Athos's face was very pale, his head uncovered, and -his manner full of seriousness; he gave his cloak and hat to the lackey, -dismissed him with a gesture, and sat down near Raoul. - -"Well, monsieur," inquired the young man, "are you convinced yet?" - -"I am, Raoul; the king loves Mademoiselle de la Valliere." - -"He confesses it, then?" cried Raoul. - -"Yes," replied Athos. - -"And she?" - -"I have not seen her." - -"No; but the king spoke to you about her. What did he say?" - -"He says that she loves him." - -"Oh, you see--you see, monsieur!" said the young man, with a gesture of -despair. - -"Raoul," resumed the comte, "I told the king, believe me, all that you -yourself could possibly have urged, and I believe I did so in becoming -language, though sufficiently firm." - -"And what did you say to him, monsieur?" - -"I told him, Raoul, that everything was now at an end between him and -ourselves; that you would never serve him again. I told him that I, too, -should remain aloof. Nothing further remains for me, then, but to be -satisfied of one thing." - -"What is that, monsieur?" - -"Whether you have determined to adopt any steps." - -"Any steps? Regarding what?" - -"With reference to your disappointed affection, and--your ideas of -vengeance." - -"Oh, monsieur, with regard to my affection, I shall, perhaps, some day -or other, succeed in tearing it from my heart; I trust I shall do so, -aided by Heaven's merciful help, and your own wise exhortations. As -far as vengeance is concerned, it occurred to me only when under the -influence of an evil thought, for I could not revenge myself upon the -one who is actually guilty; I have, therefore, already renounced every -idea of revenge." - -"And you no longer think of seeking a quarrel with M. de Saint-Aignan?" - -"No, monsieur; I sent him a challenge: if M. de Saint-Aignan accepts it, -I will maintain it; if he does not take it up, I will leave things as -they are." - -"And La Valliere?" - -"You cannot, I know, have seriously thought that I should dream of -revenging myself upon a woman!" replied Raoul, with a smile so sad that -a tear started even to the eyes of his father, who had so many times -in the course of his life bowed beneath his own sorrows and those of -others. - -He held out his hand to Raoul, which the latter seized most eagerly. - -"And so, monsieur le comte, you are quite satisfied that the misfortune -is one beyond all remedy?" inquired the young man. - -"Poor boy!" he murmured. - -"You think that I still live in hope," said Raoul, "and you pity me. Oh, -it is indeed horrible suffering for me to despise, as I am bound to -do, the one I have loved so devotedly. If I had but some real cause of -complaint against her, I should be happy, I should be able to forgive -her." - -Athos looked at his son with a profoundly sorrowful air, for the words -Raoul had just pronounced seemed to have issued out of his own heart. At -this moment the servant announced M. d'Artagnan. This name sounded very -differently to the ears of Athos and Raoul. The musketeer entered the -room with a vague smile on his lips. Raoul paused. Athos walked towards -his friend with an expression of face that did not escape Bragelonne. -D'Artagnan answered Athos's look by an imperceptible movement of the -eyelid; and then, advancing towards Raoul, whom he took by the hand, he -said, addressing both father and son, "Well, you are trying to console -this poor boy, it seems." - -"And you, kind and good as usual, have come to help me in my difficult -task." - -As he said this, Athos pressed D'Artagnan's hand between both his own. -Raoul fancied he observed in this pressure something beyond the sense -his mere words conveyed. - -"Yes," replied the musketeer, smoothing his mustache with the hand that -Athos had left free, "yes, I have come too." - -"You are most welcome, chevalier; not for the consolation you bring with -you, but on your own account. I am already consoled," said Raoul; and -he attempted to smile, but the effort was more sad than any tears -D'Artagnan had ever seen shed. - -"That is all well and good, then," said D'Artagnan. - -"Only," continued Raoul, "you have arrived just as the comte was about -to give me the details of his interview with the king. You will allow -the comte to continue?" added the young man, as, with his eyes fixed on -the musketeer, he seemed to read the very depths of his heart. - -"His interview with the king?" said D'Artagnan, in a tone so natural and -unassumed that there was no means of suspecting that his astonishment -was feigned. "You have seen the king, then, Athos?" - -Athos smiled as he said, "Yes, I have seen him." - -"Ah, indeed; you were unaware, then, that the comte had seen his -majesty?" inquired Raoul, half reassured. - -"Yes, indeed, quite so." - -"In that case, I am less uneasy," said Raoul. - -"Uneasy--and about what?" inquired Athos. - -"Forgive me, monsieur," said Raoul, "but knowing so well the regard -and affection you have for me, I was afraid you might possibly have -expressed somewhat plainly to his majesty my own sufferings and your -indignation, and that the king had consequently--" - -"And that the king had consequently?" repeated D'Artagnan; "well, go on, -finish what you were going to say." - -"I have now to ask you to forgive me, Monsieur d'Artagnan," said Raoul. -"For a moment, and I cannot help confessing it, I trembled lest you had -come here, not as M. d'Artagnan, but as captain of the musketeers." - -"You are mad, my poor boy," cried D'Artagnan, with a burst of laughter, -in which an exact observer might perhaps have wished to have heard a -little more frankness. - -"So much the better," said Raoul. - -"Yes, mad; and do you know what I would advise you to do?" - -"Tell me, monsieur, for the advice is sure to be good, as it comes from -you." - -"Very good, then; I advise you, after your long journey from England, -after your visit to M. de Guiche, after your visit to Madame, after your -visit to Porthos, after your journey to Vincennes, I advise you, I say, -to take a few hours' rest; go and lie down, sleep for a dozen hours, and -when you wake up, go and ride one of my horses until you have tired him -to death." - -And drawing Raoul towards him, he embraced him as he would have done his -own child. Athos did the like; only it was very visible that the kiss -was still more affectionate, and the pressure of his lips even warmer -with the father than with the friend. The young man again looked at both -his companions, endeavoring to penetrate their real meaning or their -real feelings with the utmost strength of his intelligence; but his look -was powerless upon the smiling countenance of the musketeer or upon -the calm and composed features of the Comte de la Fere. "Where are you -going, Raoul?" inquired the latter, seeing that Bragelonne was preparing -to go out. - -"To my own apartments," replied the latter, in his soft, sad voice. - -"We shall be sure to find you there, then, if we should have anything to -say to you?" - -"Yes, monsieur; but do you suppose it likely you will have something to -say to me?" - -"How can I tell?" said Athos. - -"Yes, something fresh to console you with," said D'Artagnan, pushing him -towards the door. - -Raoul, observing the perfect composure which marked every gesture of his -two friends, quitted the comte's room, carrying away with him nothing -but the individual feeling of his own particular distress. - -"Thank Heaven," he said, "since that is the case, I need only think of -myself." - -And wrapping himself up in his cloak, in order to conceal from the -passers-by in the streets his gloomy and sorrowful face, he quitted -them, for the purpose of returning to his own rooms, as he had promised -Porthos. The two friends watched the young man as he walked away with -a feeling of genuine disinterested pity; only each expressed it in a -different way. - -"Poor Raoul!" said Athos, sighing deeply. - -"Poor Raoul!" said D'Artagnan, shrugging his shoulders. - - - -Chapter LX. Heu! Miser! - -"Poor Raoul!" had said Athos. "Poor Raoul!" had said D'Artagnan: and, -in point of fact, to be pitied by both these men, Raoul must indeed have -been most unhappy. And therefore, when he found himself alone, face to -face, as it were, with his own troubles, leaving behind him the intrepid -friend and the indulgent father; when he recalled the avowal of the -king's affection, which had robbed him of Louise de la Valliere, whom -he loved so deeply, he felt his heart almost breaking, as indeed we all -have at least once in our lives, at the first illusion destroyed, the -first affection betrayed. "Oh!" he murmured, "all is over, then. Nothing -is now left me in this world. Nothing to look forward to, nothing to -hope for. Guiche has told me so, my father has told me so, M. d'Artagnan -has told me so. All life is but an idle dream. The future which I have -been hopelessly pursuing for the last ten years is a dream! the union of -hearts, a dream! a life of love and happiness, a dream! Poor fool that -I am," he continued, after a pause, "to dream away my existence aloud, -publicly, and in the face of others, friends and enemies--and for what -purpose, too? in order that my friends may be saddened by my troubles, -and my enemies may laugh at my sorrows. And so my unhappiness will soon -become a notorious disgrace, a public scandal; and who knows but that -to-morrow I may even be a public laughing-stock?" - -And, despite the composure which he had promised his father and -D'Artagnan to observe, Raoul could not resist uttering a few words of -darkest menace. "And yet," he continued, "if my name were De Wardes, and -if I had the pliancy of character and strength of will of M. d'Artagnan, -I should laugh, with my lips at least; I should convince other women -that this perfidious girl, honored by the affection I have wasted on -her, leaves me only one regret, that of having been abused and deceived -by her seemingly modest and irreproachable conduct; a few might perhaps -fawn on the king by jesting at my expense; I should put myself on -the track of some of those buffoons; I should chastise a few of them, -perhaps; the men would fear me, and by the time I had laid three dying -or dead at my feet, I should be adored by the women. Yes, yes, that, -indeed, would be the proper course to adopt, and the Comte de la Fere -himself would not object to it. Has not he also been tried, in his -earlier days, in the same manner as I have just been tried myself? Did -he not replace affection by intoxication? He has often told me so. Why -should I not replace love by pleasure? He must have suffered as much as -I suffer, even more--if that is possible. The history of one man is the -history of all, a dragging trial, more or less prolonged, more or less -bitter--sorrowful. The note of human nature is nothing but one sustained -cry. But what are the sufferings of others compared to those from which -I am now suffering? Does the open wound in another's breast soften the -anguish of the gaping ulcer in our own? Does the blood which is welling -from another man's side stanch that which is pouring from our own? Does -the general grief of our fellow-creatures lessen our own private and -particular woe? No, no, each suffers on his own account, each struggles -with his own grief, each sheds his own tears. And besides," he went on, -"what has my life been up to the present moment? A cold, barren, sterile -arena, in which I have always fought for others, never for myself. -Sometimes for a king, sometimes for a woman. The king has betrayed, the -woman disdained me. Miserable, unlucky wretch that I am! Women! Can I -not make all expiate the crime of one of their sex? What does that -need? To have a heart no longer, or to forget that I ever had one; to -be strong, even against weakness itself; to lean always, even when -one feels that the support is giving way. What is needed to attain, or -succeed in all that? To be young, handsome, strong, valiant, rich. I -am, or shall be, all that. But honor?" he still continued, "and what is -honor after all? A theory which every man understands in his own way. My -father tells me: 'Honor is the consideration of what is due to others, -and particularly what is due to oneself.' But Guiche, and Manicamp, -and Saint-Aignan particularly, would say to me: 'What's honor? Honor -consists in studying and yielding to the passions and pleasures of one's -king.' Honor such as that indeed, is easy and productive enough. With -honor like that, I can keep my post at the court, become a gentleman of -the chamber, and accept the command of a regiment, which may at any time -be presented to me. With honor such as that, I can be duke and peer. - -"The stain which that woman has stamped upon me, the grief that has -broken my heart, the heart of the friend and playmate of her childhood, -in no way affects M. de Bragelonne, an excellent officer, a courageous -leader, who will cover himself with glory at the first encounter, and -who will become a hundred times greater than Mademoiselle de la Valliere -is to-day, the mistress of the king--for the king will not marry -her--and the more publicly he will proclaim her as his mistress, the -more opaque will grow the shadow of shame he casts upon her face, in the -guise of a crown; and in proportion as others despise, as I despise her, -I shall be gleaning honors in the field. Alas! we had walked together -side by side, she and I, during the earliest, the brightest, the most -angelic portion of our existence, hand in hand along the charming path -of life, covered with the blossoms of youth; and then, alas! we reach -a cross-road, where she separates herself from me, in which we have -to follow a different route, whereby we become more and more widely -separated from each other. And to attain the end of this path, oh, -Heaven! I am now alone, in utter despair, and crushed to the very -earth." - -Such were the sinister reflections in which Raoul indulged, when his -foot mechanically paused at the door of his own dwelling. He had reached -it without remarking the streets through which he passed, without -knowing how he had come; he pushed open the door, continued to advance, -and ascended the staircase. The staircase, as in most of the houses at -that period, was very dark, and the landings most obscure. Raoul lived -on the first floor; he paused in order to ring. Olivain appeared, took -his sword and cloak from his hands; Raoul himself opened the door which, -from the ante-chamber, led into a small _salon_, richly furnished enough -for the _salon_ of a young man, and completely filled with flowers by -Olivain, who, knowing his master's tastes, had shown himself studiously -attentive in gratifying them, without caring whether his master -perceived his attention or not. There was a portrait of La Valliere in -the _salon_, which had been drawn by herself and given by her to Raoul. -This portrait, fastened above a large easy chair covered with dark -colored damask, was the first point towards which Raoul bent his -steps--the first object on which he fixed his eyes. It was, moreover, -Raoul's usual habit to do so; every time he entered his room, this -portrait, before anything else, attracted his attention. This time, as -usual, he walked straight up to the portrait, placed his knees upon the -arm chair, and paused to look at it sadly. His arms were crossed upon -his breast, his head slightly thrown back, his eyes filled with tears, -his mouth worked into a bitter smile. He looked at the portrait of -the one he had so tenderly loved; and then all that he had said passed -before his mind again, all that he had suffered seemed again to assail -his heart; and, after a long silence, he murmured for the third time, -"Miserable, unhappy wretch that I am!" - -He had hardly pronounced these words, when he heard the sound of a sigh -and a groan behind him. He turned sharply round and perceived, in the -angle of the _salon_, standing up, a bending veiled female figure, which -he had been the means of concealing behind the door as he opened it, -and which he had not perceived as he entered. He advanced towards the -figure, whose presence in his room had not been announced to him; and -as he bowed, and inquired at the same moment who she was, she suddenly -raised her head, and removed the veil from her face, revealing her pale -and sorrow-stricken features. Raoul staggered back as if he had seen a -ghost. - -"Louise!" he cried, in a tone of such absolute despair, one could hardly -have thought the human voice was capable of so desponding a cry, without -the snapping of the human heart. - - - - -Chapter LXI. Wounds within Wounds. - -Mademoiselle de la Valliere--for it was indeed she--advanced a few steps -towards him. "Yes--Louise," she murmured. - -But this interval, short as it had been, was quite sufficient for Raoul -to recover himself. "You, mademoiselle?" he said; and then added, in an -indefinable tone, "You here!" - -"Yes, Raoul," the young girl replied, "I have been waiting for you." - -"I beg your pardon. When I came into the room I was not aware--" - -"I know--but I entreated Olivain not to tell you--" She hesitated; and -as Raoul did not attempt to interrupt her, a moment's silence ensued, -during which the sound of their throbbing hearts might have been heard, -not in unison with each other, but the one beating as violently as the -other. It was for Louise to speak, and she made an effort to do so. - -"I wished to speak to you," she said. "It was absolutely necessary that -I should see you--myself--alone. I have not hesitated to adopt a step -which must remain secret; for no one, except yourself, could understand -my motive, Monsieur de Bragelonne." - -"In fact, mademoiselle," Raoul stammered out, almost breathless from -emotion, "as far as I am concerned, and despite the good opinion you -have of me, I confess--" - -"Will you do me the great kindness to sit down and listen to me?" said -Louise, interrupting him with her soft, sweet voice. - -Bragelonne looked at her for a moment; then mournfully shaking his head, -he sat, or rather fell down on a chair. "Speak," he said. - -She cast a glance all round her. This look was a timid entreaty, and -implored secrecy far more effectually than her expressed words had -done a few minutes before. Raoul rouse, and went to the door, which he -opened. "Olivain," he said, "I am not within for any one." And then, -turning towards Louise, he added, "Is not that what you wished?" - -Nothing could have produced a greater effect upon Louise than these few -words, which seemed to signify, "You see that I still understand -you." She passed a handkerchief across her eyes, in order to remove a -rebellious tear which she could not restrain; and then, having collected -herself for a moment, she said, "Raoul, do not turn your kind, frank -look away from me. You are not one of those men who despise a woman -for having given her heart to another, even though her affection might -render him unhappy, or might wound his pride." Raoul did not reply. - -"Alas!" continued La Valliere, "it is only too true, my cause is a bad -one, and I cannot tell in what way to begin. It will be better for me, -I think, to relate to you, very simply, everything that has befallen me. -As I shall speak but the pure and simple truth, I shall always find my -path clear before me in spite of the obscurity and obstacles I have to -brave in order to solace my heart, which is full to overflowing, and -wishes to pour itself out at your feet." - -Raoul continued to preserve the same unbroken silence. La Valliere -looked at him with an air that seemed to say, "Encourage me; for pity's -sake, but a single word!" But Raoul did not open his lips; and the young -girl was obliged to continue: - -"Just now," she said, "M. de Saint-Aignan came to me by the king's -directions." She cast down her eyes as she said this; while Raoul, on -his side, turned his away, in order to avoid looking at her. "M. de -Saint-Aignan came to me from the king," she repeated, "and told me -that you knew all;" and she attempted to look Raoul in the face, after -inflicting this further wound upon him, in addition to the many others -he had already received; but it was impossible to meet Raoul's eyes. - -"He told me you were incensed with me--and justly so, I admit." - -This time Raoul looked at the young girl, and a smile full of disdain -passed across his lips. - -"Oh!" she continued, "I entreat you, do not say that you have had any -other feeling against me than that of anger merely. Raoul, wait until -I have told you all--wait until I have said to you all that I had to -say--all that I came to say." - -Raoul, by the strength of his iron will, forced his features to assume a -calmer expression, and the disdainful smile upon his lip passed away. - -"In the first place," said La Valliere, "in the first place, with my -hands raised in entreaty towards you, with my forehead bowed to the -ground before you, I entreat you, as the most generous, as the noblest -of men, to pardon, to forgive me. If I have left you in ignorance -of what was passing in my own bosom, never, at least, would I have -consented to deceive you. Oh! I entreat you, Raoul--I implore you on my -knees--answer me one word, even though you wrong me in doing so. Better, -far better, an injurious word from your lips, than suspicion resting in -your heart." - -"I admire your subtlety of expression, mademoiselle," said Raoul, making -an effort to remain calm. "To leave another in ignorance that you are -deceiving him, is loyal; but to deceive him--it seems that would be very -wrong, and that you would not do it." - -"Monsieur, for a long time I thought that I loved you better than -anything else; and so long as I believed in my affection for you, I told -you that loved you. I could have sworn it on the altar; but a day came -when I was undeceived." - -"Well, on that day, mademoiselle, knowing that I still continued to love -you, true loyalty of conduct should have forced you to inform me you had -ceased to love me." - -"But on that day, Raoul--on that day, when I read in the depths of my -own heart, when I confessed to myself that you no longer filled my mind -entirely, when I saw another future before me than that of being your -friend, your life-long companion, your wife--on that day, Raoul, you -were not, alas! any more beside me." - -"But you knew where I was, mademoiselle; you could have written to me." - -"Raoul, I did not dare to do so. Raoul, I have been weak and cowardly. -I knew you so thoroughly--I knew how devotedly you loved me, that I -trembled at the bare idea of the grief I was about to cause you; and -that is so true, Raoul, that this very moment I am now speaking to you, -bending thus before you, my heart crushed in my bosom, my voice full of -sighs, my eyes full of tears, it is so perfectly true, that I have no -other defense than my frankness, I have no other sorrow greater than -that which I read in your eyes." - -Raoul attempted to smile. - -"No!" said the young girl, with a profound conviction, "no, no; you will -not do me so foul a wrong as to disguise your feelings before me now! -You loved me; you were sure of your affection for me; you did not -deceive yourself; you do not lie to your own heart--whilst I--I--" And -pale as death, her arms thrown despairingly above her head, she fell -upon her knees. - -"Whilst you," said Raoul, "you told me you loved me, and yet you loved -another." - -"Alas, yes!" cried the poor girl; "alas, yes! I do love another; and -that other--oh! for Heaven's sake let me say it, Raoul, for it is my -only excuse--that other I love better than my own life, better than my -own soul even. Forgive my fault, or punish my treason, Raoul. I came -here in no way to defend myself, but merely to say to you: 'You know -what it is to love!'--in such a case am I! I love to that degree, that -I would give my life, my very soul, to the man I love. If he should ever -cease to love me, I shall die of grief and despair, unless Heaven come -to my assistance, unless Heaven does show pity upon me. Raoul, I came -here to submit myself to your will, whatever it might be--to die, if it -were your wish I should die. Kill me, then, Raoul! if in your heart you -believe I deserve death." - -"Take care, mademoiselle," said Raoul: "the woman who invites death is -one who has nothing but her heart's blood to offer to her deceived and -betrayed lover." - -"You are right," she said. - -Raoul uttered a deep sigh, as he exclaimed, "And you love without being -able to forget?" - -"I love without a wish to forget; without a wish ever to love any one -else," replied La Valliere. - -"Very well," said Raoul. "You have said to me, in fact, all you had to -say; all I could possibly wish to know. And now, mademoiselle, it is I -who ask your forgiveness, for it is I who have almost been an obstacle -in your life; I, too, who have been wrong, for, in deceiving myself, I -helped to deceive you." - -"Oh!" said La Valliere, "I do not ask you so much as that, Raoul." - -"I only am to blame, mademoiselle," continued Raoul, "better informed -than yourself of the difficulties of this life, I should have -enlightened you. I ought not to have relied upon uncertainty; I ought to -have extracted an answer from your heart, whilst I hardly even sought an -acknowledgement from your lips. Once more, mademoiselle, it is I who ask -your forgiveness." - -"Impossible, impossible!" she cried, "you are mocking me." - -"How, impossible?" - -"Yes, it is impossible to be so good, and kind, ah! perfect to such a -degree as that." - -"Take care!" said Raoul, with a bitter smile, "for presently you may say -perhaps I did not love you." - -"Oh! you love me like an affectionate brother; let me hope that, Raoul." - -"As a brother! undeceive yourself, Louise. I love you as a lover--as a -husband, with the deepest, the truest, the fondest affection." - -"Raoul, Raoul!" - -"As a brother! Oh, Louise! I love you so deeply, that I would have -shed my blood for you, drop by drop; I would, oh! how willingly, have -suffered myself to be torn to pieces for your sake, have sacrificed my -very future for you. I love you so deeply, Louise, that my heart feels -dead and crushed within me,--my faith in human nature all is gone,--my -eyes have lost their light; I loved you so deeply, that I now no longer -see, think of, care for, anything, either in this world or the next." - -"Raoul--dear Raoul! spare me, I implore you!" cried La Valliere. "Oh! if -I had but known--" - -"It is too late, Louise; you love, you are happy in your affection; -I read your happiness through your tears--behind the tears which the -loyalty of your nature makes you shed; I feel the sighs your affection -breathes forth. Louise, Louise, you have made me the most abjectly -wretched man living; leave me, I entreat you. Adieu! adieu!" - -"Forgive me! oh, forgive me, Raoul, for what I have done." - -"Have I not done much, much more? _Have I not told you that I love you -still?_" She buried her face in her hands. - -"And to tell you that--do you hear me, Louise?--to tell you that, at -such a moment as this, to tell you that, as I have told you, is to -pronounce my own sentence of death. Adieu!" La Valliere held out her -hands to him in vain. - -"We ought not to see each other again in this world," he said, and as -she was on the point of crying out in bitter agony at this remark, he -placed his hand on her mouth to stifle the exclamation. She pressed her -lips upon it, and fell fainting to the ground. "Olivain," said Raoul, -"take this young lady and bear her to the carriage which is waiting for -her at the door." As Olivain lifted her up, Raoul made a movement as if -to dart towards La Valliere, in order to give her a first and last kiss, -but, stopping abruptly, he said, "No! she is not mine. I am no thief--as -is the king of France." And he returned to his room, whilst the lackey -carried La Valliere, still fainting, to the carriage. - - - -Chapter LXII. What Raoul Had Guessed. - -As soon as Raoul had quitted Athos and D'Artagnan, as the two -exclamations that had followed his departure escaped their lips, they -found themselves face to face alone. Athos immediately resumed the -earnest air that he had assumed at D'Artagnan's arrival. - -"Well," he said, "what have you come to announce to me, my friend?" - -"I?" inquired D'Artagnan. - -"Yes; I do not see you in this way without some reason for it," said -Athos, smiling. - -"The deuce!" said D'Artagnan. - -"I will place you at your ease. The king is furious, I suppose?" - -"Well, I must say he is not altogether pleased." - -"And you have come to arrest me, then?" - -"My dear friend, you have hit the very mark." - -"Oh, I expected it. I am quite ready to go with you." - -"Deuce take it!" said D'Artagnan, "what a hurry you are in." - -"I am afraid of delaying you," said Athos, smiling. - -"I have plenty of time. Are you not curious, besides, to know how things -went on between the king and me?" - -"If you will be good enough to tell me, I will listen with the greatest -of pleasure," said Athos, pointing out to D'Artagnan a large chair, into -which the latter threw himself, assuming the easiest possible attitude. - -"Well, I will do so willingly enough," continued D'Artagnan, "for the -conversation is rather curious, I must say. In the first place the king -sent for me." - -"As soon as I had left?" - -"You were just going down the last steps of the staircase, as the -musketeers told me. I arrived. My dear Athos, he was not red in the face -merely, he was positively purple. I was not aware, of course, of what -had passed; only, on the ground, lying on the floor, I saw a sword -broken in two." - -"'Captain d'Artagnan,' cried the king, as soon as he saw me. - -"'Sire,' I replied. - -"'M. de la Fere has just left me; he is an insolent man.' - -"'An insolent man!' I exclaimed, in such a tone that the king stopped -suddenly short. - -"'Captain d'Artagnan,' resumed the king, with his teeth clenched, 'you -will be good enough to listen to and hear me.' - -"'That is my duty, sire.' - -"'I have, out of consideration for M. de la Fere, wished to spare -him--he is a man of whom I still retain some kind recollections--the -discredit of being arrested in my palace. You will therefore take a -carriage.' At this I made a slight movement. - -"'If you object to arrest him yourself,' continued the king, 'send me my -captain of the guards.' - -"'Sire,' I replied, 'there is no necessity for the captain of the -guards, since I am on duty.' - -"'I should not like to annoy you,' said the king, kindly, 'for you have -always served me well, Monsieur D'Artagnan.' - -"'You do not "annoy" me, sire,' I replied; 'I am on duty, that is all.' - -"'But,' said the king, in astonishment, 'I believe the comte is your -friend?' - -"'If he were my father, sire, it would not make me less on duty than I -am.' - -"The king looked at me; he saw how unmoved my face was, and seemed -satisfied. 'You will arrest M. le Comte de la Fere, then?' he inquired. - -"'Most certainly, sire, if you give me the order to do so.' - -"'Very well; I order you to do so.' - -"I bowed, and replied, 'Where is the comte, sire?' - -"'You will look for him.' - -"'And am I to arrest him, wherever he may be?' - -"'Yes; but try that he may be at his own house. If he should have -started for his own estate, leave Paris at once, and arrest him on his -way thither.' - -"I bowed; but as I did not move, he said, 'Well, what are you waiting -for?' - -"'For the order to arrest the comte, signed by yourself.' - -"The king seemed annoyed; for, in point of fact, it was the exercise of -a fresh act of authority, a repetition of the arbitrary act, if, indeed, -it is to be considered as such. He took hold of his pen slowly, and -evidently in no very good temper; and then he wrote, 'Order for M. le -Chevalier d'Artagnan, captain of my musketeers, to arrest M. le Comte de -la Fere, wherever he is to be found.' He then turned towards me; but I -was looking on without moving a muscle of my face. In all probability he -thought he perceived something like bravado in my tranquil manner, -for he signed hurriedly, and then handing me the order, he said, 'Go, -monsieur!' I obeyed; and here I am." - -Athos pressed his friend's hand. "Well, let us set off," he said. - -"Oh! surely," said D'Artagnan, "you must have some trifling matters to -arrange before you leave your apartments in this manner." - -"I?--not at all." - -"Why not?" - -"Why, you know, D'Artagnan, that I have always been a very simple -traveler on this earth, ready to go to the end of the world by the order -of my sovereign; ready to quit it at the summons of my Maker. What does -a man who is thus prepared require in such a case?--a portmanteau, or -a shroud. I am ready at this moment, as I have always been, my dear -friend, and can accompany you at once." - -"But, Bragelonne--" - -"I have brought him up in the same principles I laid down for my -own guidance; and you observed that, as soon as he perceived you, he -guessed, that very moment, the motive of your visit. We have thrown him -off his guard for a moment; but do not be uneasy, he is sufficiently -prepared for my disgrace not to be too much alarmed at it. So, let us -go." - -"Very well, let us go," said D'Artagnan, quietly. - -"As I broke my sword in the king's presence, and threw the pieces at his -feet, I presume that will dispense with the necessity of delivering it -over to you." - -"You are quite right; and besides that, what the deuce do you suppose I -could do with your sword?" - -"Am I to walk behind, or before you?" inquired Athos, laughing. - -"You will walk arm in arm with me," replied D'Artagnan, as he took the -comte's arm to descend the staircase; and in this manner they arrived at -the landing. Grimaud, whom they had met in the ante-room, looked at them -as they went out together in this manner, with some little uneasiness; -his experience of affairs was quite sufficient to give him good reason -to suspect that there was something wrong. - -"Ah! is that you, Grimaud?" said Athos, kindly. "We are going--" - -"To take a turn in my carriage," interrupted D'Artagnan, with a friendly -nod of the head. - -Grimaud thanked D'Artagnan by a grimace, which was evidently intended -for a smile, and accompanied both the friends to the door. Athos entered -first into the carriage; D'Artagnan followed him without saying a word -to the coachman. The departure had taken place so quietly, that it -excited no disturbance or attention even in the neighborhood. When the -carriage had reached the quays, "You are taking me to the Bastile, I -perceive," said Athos. - -"I?" said D'Artagnan, "I take you wherever you may choose to go; nowhere -else, I can assure you." - -"What do you mean?" said the comte, surprised. - -"Why, surely, my dear friend," said D'Artagnan, "you quite understand -that I undertook the mission with no other object in view than that of -carrying it out exactly as you liked. You surely did not expect that I -was going to get you thrown into prison like that, brutally, and without -any reflection. If I had anticipated that, I should have let the captain -of the guards undertake it." - -"And so--?" said Athos. - -"And so, I repeat again, we will go wherever you may choose." - -"My dear friend," said Athos, embracing D'Artagnan, "how like you that -is!" - -"Well, it seems simple enough to me. The coachman will take you to the -barrier of the Cours-la-Reine; you will find a horse there which I have -ordered to be kept ready for you; with that horse you will be able to do -three posts without stopping; and I, on my side, will take care not to -return to the king, to tell him that you have gone away, until the very -moment it will be impossible to overtake you. In the meantime you will -have reached Le Havre, and from Le Havre across to England, where you -will find the charming residence of which M. Monk made me a present, -without speaking of the hospitality which King Charles will not fail to -show you. Well, what do you think of this project?" - -Athos shook his head, and then said, smiling as he did so, "No, no, take -me to the Bastile." - -"You are an obstinate fellow, my dear Athos," returned D'Artagnan, -"reflect for a few moments." - -"On what subject?" - -"That you are no longer twenty years of age. Believe me, I speak -according to my own knowledge and experience. A prison is certain death -for men who are at our time of life. No, no; I will never allow you to -languish in prison in such a way. Why, the very thought of it makes my -head turn giddy." - -"Dear D'Artagnan," Athos replied, "Heaven most fortunately made my body -as strong, powerful, and enduring as my mind; and, rely upon it, I shall -retain my strength up to the very last moment." - -"But this is not strength of mind or character; it is sheer madness." - -"No, D'Artagnan, it is the highest order of reasoning. Do not suppose -that I should in the slightest degree in the world discuss the question -with you, whether you would not be ruined in endeavoring to save me. I -should have done precisely as you propose if flight had been part of -my plan of action; I should, therefore, have accepted from you what, -without any doubt, you would have accepted from me. No! I know you too -well even to breathe a word upon the subject." - -"Ah! if you would only let me do it," said D'Artagnan, "what a dance we -would give his most gracious majesty!" - -"Still he is the king; do not forget that, my dear friend." - -"Oh! that is all the same to me; and king though he be, I would plainly -tell him, 'Sire, imprison, exile, kill every one in France and Europe; -order me to arrest and poniard even whom you like--even were it -Monsieur, your own brother; but do not touch one of the four musketeers, -or if so, _mordioux!_'" - -"My dear friend," replied Athos, with perfect calmness, "I should like -to persuade you of one thing; namely, that I wish to be arrested; that I -desire above all things that my arrest should take place." - -D'Artagnan made a slight movement of his shoulders. - -"Nay, I wish it, I repeat, more than anything; if you were to let me -escape, it would be only to return of my own accord, and constitute -myself a prisoner. I wish to prove to this young man, who is dazzled -by the power and splendor of his crown, that he can be regarded as the -first and chiefest among men only on the one condition of his proving -himself to be the most generous and the wisest. He may punish me, -imprison, torture me, it matters not. He abuses his opportunities, and -I wish him to learn the bitterness of remorse, while Heaven teaches him -what chastisement is." - -"Well, well," replied D'Artagnan, "I know only too well that, when you -have once said, 'no,' you mean 'no.' I do not insist any longer; you -wish to go to the Bastile?" - -"I do wish to go there." - -"Let us go, then! To the Bastile!" cried D'Artagnan to the coachman. -And throwing himself back in the carriage, he gnawed the ends of his -mustache with a fury which, for Athos, who knew him well, signified a -resolution either already taken or in course of formation. A profound -silence ensued in the carriage, which continued to roll on, but neither -faster nor slower than before. Athos took the musketeer by the hand. - -"You are not angry with me, D'Artagnan?" he said. - -"I!--oh, no! certainly not; of course not. What you do for heroism, I -should have done from obstinacy." - -"But you are quite of opinion, are you not, that Heaven will avenge me, -D'Artagnan?" - -"And I know one or two on earth who will not fail to lend a helping -hand," said the captain. - - - -Chapter LXIII. Three Guests Astonished to Find Themselves at Supper -Together. - -The carriage arrived at the outside of the gate of the Bastile. A -soldier on guard stopped it, but D'Artagnan had only to utter a single -word to procure admittance, and the carriage passed on without further -difficulty. Whilst they were proceeding along the covered way which led -to the courtyard of the governor's residence, D'Artagnan, whose lynx -eyes saw everything, even through the walls, suddenly cried out, "What -is that out yonder?" - -"Well," said Athos, quietly; "what is it?" - -"Look yonder, Athos." - -"In the courtyard?" - -"Yes, yes; make haste!" - -"Well, a carriage; very likely conveying a prisoner like myself." - -"That would be too droll." - -"I do not understand you." - -"Make haste and look again, and look at the man who is just getting out -of that carriage." - -At that very moment a second sentinel stopped D'Artagnan, and while the -formalities were being gone through, Athos could see at a hundred paces -from him the man whom his friend had pointed out to him. He was, in -fact, getting out of the carriage at the door of the governor's house. -"Well," inquired D'Artagnan, "do you see him?" - -"Yes; he is a man in a gray suit." - -"What do you say of him?" - -"I cannot very well tell; he is, as I have just now told you, a man in a -gray suit, who is getting out of a carriage; that is all." - -"Athos, I will wager anything that it is he." - -"He, who?" - -"Aramis." - -"Aramis arrested? Impossible!" - -"I do not say he is arrested, since we see him alone in his carriage." - -"Well, then, what is he doing here?" - -"Oh! he knows Baisemeaux, the governor," replied the musketeer, slyly; -"so we have arrived just in time." - -"What for?" - -"In order to see what we can see." - -"I regret this meeting exceedingly. When Aramis sees me, he will be very -much annoyed, in the first place, at seeing me, and in the next at being -seen." - -"Very well reasoned." - -"Unfortunately, there is no remedy for it; whenever any one meets -another in the Bastile, even if he wished to draw back to avoid him, it -would be impossible." - -"Athos, I have an idea; the question is, to spare Aramis the annoyance -you were speaking of, is it not?" - -"What is to be done?" - -"I will tell you; or in order to explain myself in the best possible -way, let me relate the affair in my own manner; I will not recommend you -to tell a falsehood, for that would be impossible for you to do; but I -will tell falsehoods enough for both; it is easy to do that when one is -born to the nature and habits of a Gascon." - -Athos smiled. The carriage stopped where the one we have just now -pointed out had stopped; namely, at the door of the governor's house. -"It is understood, then?" said D'Artagnan, in a low voice to his friend. -Athos consented by a gesture. They ascended the staircase. There will -be no occasion for surprise at the facility with which they had entered -into the Bastile, if it be remembered that, before passing the first -gate, in fact, the most difficult of all, D'Artagnan had announced that -he had brought a prisoner of state. At the third gate, on the contrary, -that is to say, when he had once fairly entered the prison, he merely -said to the sentinel, "To M. Baisemeaux;" and they both passed on. In a -few minutes they were in the governor's dining-room, and the first face -which attracted D'Artagnan's observation was that of Aramis, who was -seated side by side with Baisemeaux, awaiting the announcement of a -meal whose odor impregnated the whole apartment. If D'Artagnan pretended -surprise, Aramis did not pretend at all; he started when he saw his -two friends, and his emotion was very apparent. Athos and D'Artagnan, -however, complimented him as usual, and Baisemeaux, amazed, completely -stupefied by the presence of his three guests, began to perform a few -evolutions around them. - -"By what lucky accident--" - -"We were just going to ask you," retorted D'Artagnan. - -"Are we going to give ourselves up as prisoners?" cried Aramis, with an -affection of hilarity. - -"Ah! ah!" said D'Artagnan; "it is true the walls smell deucedly like a -prison. Monsieur de Baisemeaux, you know you invited me to sup with you -the other day." - -"I?" cried Baisemeaux. - -"Yes, of course you did, although you now seem so struck with amazement. -Don't you remember it?" - -Baisemeaux turned pale and then red, looked at Aramis, who looked at -him, and finished by stammering out, "Certainly--I am delighted--but, -upon my honor--I have not the slightest--Ah! I have such a wretched -memory." - -"Well! I am wrong, I see," said D'Artagnan, as if he were offended. - -"Wrong, what for?" - -"Wrong to remember anything about it, it seems." - -Baisemeaux hurried towards him. "Do not stand on ceremony, my dear -captain," he said; "I have the worst memory in the world. I no sooner -leave off thinking of my pigeons and their pigeon-house, than I am no -better than the rawest recruit." - -"At all events, you remember it now," said D'Artagnan, boldly. - -"Yes, yes," replied the governor, hesitating; "I think I do remember." - -"It was when you came to the palace to see me; you told me some story or -other about your accounts with M. de Louviere and M. de Tremblay." - -"Oh, yes! perfectly." - -"And about M. d'Herblay's kindness towards you." - -"Ah!" exclaimed Aramis, looking at the unhappy governor full in -the face, "and yet you just now said you had no memory, Monsieur de -Baisemeaux." - -Baisemeaux interrupted the musketeer in the middle of his revelations. -"Yes, yes; you're quite right; how could I have forgotten; I remember it -now as well as possible; I beg you a thousand pardons. But now, once for -all, my dear M. d'Artagnan, be sure that at this present time, as at any -other, whether invited or not, you are perfectly at home here, you and -M. d'Herblay, your friend," he said, turning towards Aramis; "and this -gentleman, too," he added, bowing to Athos. - -"Well, I thought it would be sure to turn out so," replied D'Artagnan, -"and that is the reason I came. Having nothing to do this evening at the -Palais Royal, I wished to judge for myself what your ordinary style of -living was like; and as I was coming along, I met the Comte de la Fere." - -Athos bowed. "The comte, who had just left his majesty, handed me an -order which required immediate attention. We were close by here; I -wished to call in, even if it were for no other object than that of -shaking hands with you and of presenting the comte to you, of whom you -spoke so highly that evening at the palace when--" - -"Certainly, certainly--M. le Comte de la Fere?" - -"Precisely." - -"The comte is welcome, I am sure." - -"And he will sup with you two, I suppose, whilst I, unfortunate dog that -I am, must run off on a matter of duty. Oh! what happy beings you are, -compared to myself," he added, sighing as loud as Porthos might have -done. - -"And so you are going away, then?" said Aramis and Baisemeaux together, -with the same expression of delighted surprise, the tone of which was -immediately noticed by D'Artagnan. - -"I leave you in my place," he said, "a noble and excellent guest." And -he touched Athos gently on the shoulder, who, astonished also, could not -help exhibiting his surprise a little; which was noticed by Aramis only, -for M. de Baisemeaux was not quite equal to the three friends in point -of intelligence. - -"What, are you going to leave us?" resumed the governor. - -"I shall only be about an hour, or an hour and a half. I will return in -time for dessert." - -"Oh! we will wait for you," said Baisemeaux. - -"No, no; that would be really disobliging me." - -"You will be sure to return, though?" said Athos, with an expression of -doubt. - -"Most certainly," he said, pressing his friend's hand confidently; and -he added, in a low voice, "Wait for me, Athos; be cheerful and lively -as possible, and above all, don't allude even to business affairs, for -Heaven's sake." - -And with a renewed pressure of the hand, he seemed to warn the comte of -the necessity of keeping perfectly discreet and impenetrable. Baisemeaux -led D'Artagnan to the gate. Aramis, with many friendly protestations -of delight, sat down by Athos, determined to make him speak; but Athos -possessed every virtue and quality to the very highest degree. If -necessity had required it, he would have been the finest orator in the -world, but on other occasions he would rather have died than have opened -his lips. - -Ten minutes after D'Artagnan's departure, the three gentlemen sat -down to table, which was covered with the most substantial display -of gastronomic luxury. Large joints, exquisite dishes, preserves, the -greatest variety of wines, appeared successively upon the table, which -was served at the king's expense, and of which expense M. Colbert would -have found no difficulty in saving two thirds, without any one in the -Bastile being the worse for it. Baisemeaux was the only one who ate and -drank with gastronomic resolution. Aramis allowed nothing to pass by -him, but merely touched everything he took; Athos, after the soup and -three _hors d'oeuvres_, ate nothing more. The style of conversation was -such as might have been anticipated between three men so opposite -in temper and ideas. Aramis was incessantly asking himself by what -extraordinary chance Athos was there at Baisemeaux's when D'Artagnan was -no longer there, and why D'Artagnan did not remain when Athos was there. -Athos sounded all the depths of the mind of Aramis, who lived in the -midst of subterfuge, evasion, and intrigue; he studied his man well and -thoroughly, and felt convinced that he was engaged upon some important -project. And then he too began to think of his own personal affair, and -to lose himself in conjectures as to D'Artagnan's reason for having left -the Bastile so abruptly, and for leaving behind him a prisoner so badly -introduced and so badly looked after by the prison authorities. But -we shall not pause to examine into the thoughts and feelings of these -personages, but will leave them to themselves, surrounded by the remains -of poultry, game, and fish, which Baisemeaux's generous knife and -fork had so mutilated. We are going to follow D'Artagnan instead, who, -getting into the carriage which had brought him, said to the coachman, -"Return to the palace, as fast as the horses can gallop." - - - -Chapter LXIV. What Took Place at the Louvre During the Supper at the -Bastile. - -M. de Saint-Aignan had executed the commission with which the king had -intrusted him for La Valliere--as we have already seen in one of the -preceding chapters; but, whatever his eloquence, he did not succeed in -persuading the young girl that she had in the king a protector powerful -enough for her under any combination of circumstances, and that she had -no need of any one else in the world when the king was on her side. In -point of fact, at the very first word which the favorite mentioned -of the discovery of the famous secret, Louise, in a passion of tears, -abandoned herself in utter despair to a sorrow which would have been far -from flattering for the king, if he had been a witness of it from one of -the corners of the room. Saint-Aignan, in his character of ambassador, -felt almost as greatly offended at it as his master himself would have -been, and returned to inform the king what he had seen and heard; and it -is thus we find him, in a state of great agitation, in the presence of -the king, who was, if possible, in a state of even greater flurry than -himself. - -"But," said the king to the courtier, when the latter had finished his -report, "what did she decide to do? Shall I at least see her presently -before supper? Will she come to me, or shall I be obliged to go to her -room?" - -"I believe, sire, that if your majesty wishes to see her, you will not -only have to take the first step in advance, but will have to go the -whole way." - -"That I do not mind. Do you think she has yet a secret fancy for young -Bragelonne?" muttered the king between his teeth. - -"Oh! sire, that is not possible; for it is you alone, I am convinced, -Mademoiselle de la Valliere loves, and that, too, with all her heart. -But you know that De Bragelonne belongs to that proud race who play the -part of Roman heroes." - -The king smiled feebly; he knew how true the illustration was, for Athos -had just left him. - -"As for Mademoiselle de la Valliere," Saint-Aignan continued, "she was -brought up under the care of the Dowager Madame, that is to say, in -the greatest austerity and formality. This young engaged couple coldly -exchanged their little vows in the prim presence of the moon and stars; -and now, when they find they have to break those vows asunder, it plays -the very deuce with them." - -Saint-Aignan thought to have made the king laugh; but on the contrary, -from a mere smile Louis passed to the greatest seriousness of manner. -He already began to experience that remorse which the comte had promised -D'Artagnan he would inflict upon him. He reflected that, in fact, these -young persons had loved and sworn fidelity to each other; that one of -the two had kept his word, and that the other was too conscientious -not to feel her perjury most bitterly. And his remorse was not -unaccompanied; for bitter pangs of jealousy began to beset the king's -heart. He did not say another word, and instead of going to pay a visit -to his mother, or the queen, or Madame, in order to amuse himself a -little, and make the ladies laugh, as he himself used to say, he threw -himself into the huge armchair in which his august father Louis XIII. -had passed so many weary days and years in company with Barradat and -Cinq-Mars. Saint-Aignan perceived the king was not to be amused at that -moment; he tried a last resource, and pronounced Louise's name, which -made the king look up immediately. "What does your majesty intend to -do this evening--shall Mademoiselle de la Valliere be informed of your -intention to see her?" - -"It seems she is already aware of that," replied the king. "No, no, -Saint-Aignan," he continued, after a moment's pause, "we will both of us -pass our time in thinking, and musing, and dreaming; when Mademoiselle -de la Valliere shall have sufficiently regretted what she now regrets, -she will deign, perhaps, to give us some news of herself." - -"Ah! sire, is it possible you can so misunderstand her heart, which is -so full of devotion?" - -The king rose, flushed from vexation and annoyance; he was a prey to -jealousy as well as to remorse. Saint-Aignan was just beginning to feel -that his position was becoming awkward, when the curtain before the door -was raised. The king turned hastily round; his first idea was that a -letter from Louise had arrived; but, instead of a letter of love, he -only saw his captain of musketeers, standing upright, and perfectly -silent in the doorway. "M. d'Artagnan," he said, "ah! Well, monsieur?" - -D'Artagnan looked at Saint-Aignan; the king's eyes took the same -direction as those of his captain; these looks would have been clear to -any one, and for a still greater reason they were so for Saint-Aignan. -The courtier bowed and quitted the room, leaving the king and D'Artagnan -alone. - -"Is it done?" inquired the king. - -"Yes, sire," replied the captain of the musketeers, in a grave voice, -"it is done." - -The king was unable to say another word. Pride, however, obliged him -not to pause at what he had done; whenever a sovereign has adopted a -decisive course, even though it be unjust, he is compelled to prove -to all witnesses, and particularly to prove it to himself, that he was -quite right all through. A good means for effecting that--an almost -infallible means, indeed--is, to try and prove his victim to be in the -wrong. Louis, brought up by Mazarin and Anne of Austria, knew better -than any one else his vocation as a monarch; he therefore endeavored to -prove it on the present occasion. After a few moment's pause, which he -had employed in making silently to himself the same reflections which -we have just expressed aloud, he said, in an indifferent tone: "What did -the comte say?" - -"Nothing at all, sire." - -"Surely he did not allow himself to be arrested without saying -something?" - -"He said he expected to be arrested, sire." - -The king raised his head haughtily. "I presume," he said, "that M. le -Comte de la Fere has not continued to play his obstinate and rebellious -part." - -"In the first place, sire, what do you wish to signify by _rebellious?_" -quietly asked the musketeer. "A rebel, in the eyes of the king, is a -man who not only allows himself to be shut up in the Bastile, but still -more, who opposes those who do not wish to take him there." - -"Who do not wish to take him there!" exclaimed the king. "What do you -say, captain! Are you mad?" - -"I believe not, sire." - -"You speak of persons who did not wish to arrest M. de la Fere! Who are -those persons, may I ask?" - -"I should say those whom your majesty intrusted with that duty." - -"But it was you whom I intrusted with it," exclaimed the king. - -"Yes, sire; it was I." - -"And yet you say that, despite my orders, you had the intention of not -arresting the man who had insulted me!" - -"Yes, sire--that was really my intention. I even proposed to the comte -to mount a horse that I had prepared for him at the Barriere de la -Conference." - -"And what was your object in getting this horse ready?" - -"Why, sire, in order that M. le Comte de la Fere might be able to reach -Le Havre, and from that place make his escape to England." - -"You betrayed me, then, monsieur?" cried the king, kindling with a wild -pride. - -"Exactly so." - -There was nothing to say in answer to statements made in such a tone; -the king was astounded at such an obstinate and open resistance on the -part of D'Artagnan. "At least you had a reason, Monsieur d'Artagnan, for -acting as you did?" said the king, proudly. - -"I have always a reason for everything, sire." - -"Your reason cannot be your friendship for the comte, at all -events,--the only one that can be of any avail, the only one that could -possibly excuse you,--for I placed you perfectly at your ease in that -respect." - -"Me, sire?" - -"Did I not give you the choice to arrest, or not to arrest M. le Comte -de la Fere?" - -"Yes, sire, but--" - -"But what?" exclaimed the king, impatiently. - -"But you warned me, sire, that if I did not arrest him, your captain of -the guard should do so." - -"Was I not considerate enough towards you, from the very moment I did -not compel you to obey me?" - -"To me, sire, you were, but not to my friend, for my friend would -be arrested all the same, whether by myself or by the captain of the -guards." - -"And this is your devotion, monsieur! a devotion which argues and -reasons. You are no soldier, monsieur!" - -"I wait for your majesty to tell me what I am." - -"Well, then--you are a Frondeur." - -"And since there is no longer any Fronde, sire, in that case--" - -"But if what you say is true--" - -"What I say is always true, sire." - -"What have you come to say to me, monsieur?" - -"I have come to say to your majesty, 'Sire, M. de la Fere is in the -Bastile.'" - -"That is not your fault, it would seem." - -"That is true, sire; but at all events he is there; and since he is -there, it is important that your majesty should know it." - -"Ah! Monsieur d'Artagnan, so you set your king at defiance." - -"Sire--" - -"Monsieur d'Artagnan! I warn you that you are abusing my patience." - -"On the contrary, sire." - -"What do you mean by 'on the contrary'?" - -"I have come to get myself arrested, too." - -"To get yourself arrested,--you!" - -"Of course. My friend will get wearied to death in the Bastile by -himself; and I have come to propose to your majesty to permit me to bear -him company; if your majesty will but give me the word, I will arrest -myself; I shall not need the captain of the guards for that, I assure -you." - -The king darted towards the table and seized hold of a pen to write the -order for D'Artagnan's imprisonment. "Pay attention, monsieur, that this -is forever," cried the king, in tones of sternest menace. - -"I can quite believe that," returned the musketeer; "for when you have -once done such an act as that, you will never be able to look me in the -face again." - -The king dashed down his pen violently. "Leave the room, monsieur!" he -said. - -"Not so, if it please your majesty." - -"What is that you say?" - -"Sire, I came to speak gently and temperately to your majesty; your -majesty got into a passion with me; that is a misfortune; but I shall -not the less on that account say what I had to say to you." - -"Your resignation, monsieur,--your resignation!" cried the king. - -"Sire, you know whether I care about my resignation or not, since at -Blois, on the very day when you refused King Charles the million which -my friend the Comte de la Fere gave him, I then tendered my resignation -to your majesty." - -"Very well, monsieur--do it at once!" - -"No, sire; for there is no question of my resignation at the present -moment. Your majesty took up your pen just now to send me to the -Bastile,--why should you change your intention?" - -"D'Artagnan! Gascon that you are! who is king, allow me to ask,--you or -myself?" - -"You, sire, unfortunately." - -"What do you mean by 'unfortunately'?" - -"Yes, sire; for if it were I--" - -"If it were you, you would approve of M. d'Artagnan's rebellious -conduct, I suppose?" - -"Certainly." - -"Really!" said the king, shrugging his shoulders. - -"And I should tell my captain of the musketeers," continued D'Artagnan, -"I should tell him, looking at him all the while with human eyes, and -not with eyes like coals of fire, 'M. d'Artagnan, I had forgotten that -I was the king, for I descended from my throne in order to insult a -gentleman.'" - -"Monsieur," said the king, "do you think you can excuse your friend by -exceeding him in insolence?" - -"Oh! sire! I should go much further than he did," said D'Artagnan; "and -it would be your own fault. I should tell you what he, a man full of -the finest sense of delicacy, did not tell you; I should say--'Sire, -you have sacrificed his son, and he defended his son--you sacrificed -himself; he addressed you in the name of honor, of religion, of -virtue--you repulsed, drove him away, imprisoned him.' I should be -harder than he was, for I should say to you--'Sire; it is for you -to choose. Do you wish to have friends or lackeys--soldiers or -slaves--great men or mere puppets? Do you wish men to serve you, or to -bend and crouch before you? Do you wish men to love you, or to be afraid -of you? If you prefer baseness, intrigue, cowardice, say so at once, -sire, and we will leave you,--we who are the only individuals who are -left,--nay, I will say more, the only models of the valor of former -times; we who have done our duty, and have exceeded, perhaps, in courage -and in merit, the men already great for posterity. Choose, sire! and -that, too, without delay. Whatever relics remain to you of the great -nobility, guard them with a jealous eye; you will never be deficient in -courtiers. Delay not--and send me to the Bastile with my friend; for, if -you did not know how to listen to the Comte de la Fere, whose voice is -the sweetest and noblest in all the world when honor is the theme; if -you do not know how to listen to D'Artagnan, the frankest and honestest -voice of sincerity, you are a bad king, and to-morrow will be a poor -king. And learn from me, sire, that bad kings are hated by their people, -and poor kings are driven ignominiously away.' That is what I had to say -to you, sire; you were wrong to drive me to say it." - -The king threw himself back in his chair, cold as death, and as livid as -a corpse. Had a thunderbolt fallen at his feet, he could not have been -more astonished; he seemed as if his respiration had utterly ceased, -and that he was at the point of death. The honest voice of sincerity, -as D'Artagnan had called it, had pierced through his heart like a -sword-blade. - -D'Artagnan had said all he had to say. Comprehending the king's anger, -he drew his sword, and, approaching Louis XIV. respectfully, he placed -it on the table. But the king, with a furious gesture, thrust aside -the sword, which fell on the ground and rolled to D'Artagnan's feet. -Notwithstanding the perfect mastery which D'Artagnan exercised over -himself, he, too, in his turn, became pale, and, trembling with -indignation, said: "A king may disgrace a soldier,--he may exile him, -and may even condemn him to death; but were he a hundred times a king, -he has no right to insult him by casting a dishonor upon his sword! -Sire, a king of France has never repulsed with contempt the sword of -a man such as I am! Stained with disgrace as this sword now is, it has -henceforth no other sheath than either your heart or my own! I choose -my own, sire; and you have to thank Heaven and my own patience that I -do so." Then snatching up his sword, he cried, "My blood be upon your -head!" and, with a rapid gesture, he placed the hilt upon the floor and -directed the point of the blade towards his breast. The king, however, -with a movement far more rapid than that of D'Artagnan, threw his right -arm around the musketeer's neck, and with his left hand seized hold -of the blade by the middle, and returned it silently to the scabbard. -D'Artagnan, upright, pale, and still trembling, let the king do all to -the very end. Louis, overcome and softened by gentler feelings, returned -to the table, took a pen in his hand, wrote a few lines, signed them, -and then held it out to D'Artagnan. - -"What is this paper, sire?" inquired the captain. - -"An order for M. d'Artagnan to set the Comte de la Fere at liberty -immediately." - -D'Artagnan seized the king's hand, and imprinted a kiss upon it; he then -folded the order, placed it in his belt, and quitted the room. Neither -the king nor the captain had uttered a syllable. - -"Oh, human heart! thou guide and director of kings," murmured Louis, -when alone, "when shall I learn to read in your inmost recesses, as in -the leaves of a book! Oh, I am not a bad king--nor am I a poor king; I am -but still a child, when all is said and done." - - - -Chapter LXV. Political Rivals. - -D'Artagnan had promised M. de Baisemeaux to return in time for dessert, -and he kept his word. They had just reached the finer and more delicate -class of wines and liqueurs with which the governor's cellar had the -reputation of being most admirably stocked, when the silver spurs of -the captain resounded in the corridor, and he himself appeared at the -threshold. Athos and Aramis had played a close game; neither of the two -had been able to gain the slightest advantage over the other. They had -supped, talked a good deal about the Bastile, of the last journey to -Fontainebleau, of the intended _fete_ that M. Fouquet was about to give -at Vaux; they had generalized on every possible subject; and no one, -excepting Baisemeaux, had in the slightest degree alluded to private -matters. D'Artagnan arrived in the very midst of the conversation, -still pale and much disturbed by his interview with the king. Baisemeaux -hastened to give him a chair; D'Artagnan accepted a glass of wine, and -set it down empty. Athos and Aramis both remarked his emotion; as -for Baisemeaux, he saw nothing more than the captain of the king's -musketeers, to whom he endeavored to show every possible attention. But, -although Aramis had remarked his emotion, he had not been able to guess -the cause of it. Athos alone believed he had detected it. For him, -D'Artagnan's return, and particularly the manner in which he, usually -so impassible, seemed overcome, signified, "I have just asked the king -something which the king has refused me." Thoroughly convinced that his -conjecture was correct, Athos smiled, rose from the table, and made a -sign to D'Artagnan, as if to remind him that they had something else -to do than to sup together. D'Artagnan immediately understood him, -and replied by another sign. Aramis and Baisemeaux watched this silent -dialogue, and looked inquiringly at each other. Athos felt that he was -called upon to give an explanation of what was passing. - -"The truth is, my friend," said the Comte de la Fere, with a smile, -"that you, Aramis, have been supping with a state criminal, and you, -Monsieur de Baisemeaux, with your prisoner." - -Baisemeaux uttered an exclamation of surprise, and almost of delight; -for he was exceedingly proud and vain of his fortress, and for his own -individual profit, the more prisoners he had, the happier he was, and -the higher in rank the prisoners happened to be, the prouder he felt. -Aramis assumed the expression of countenance he thought the position -justified, and said, "Well, dear Athos, forgive me, but I almost -suspected what has happened. Some prank of Raoul and La Valliere, I -suppose?" - -"Alas!" said Baisemeaux. - -"And," continued Aramis, "you, a high and powerful nobleman as you -are, forgetful that courtiers now exist--you have been to the king, I -suppose, and told him what you thought of his conduct?" - -"Yes, you have guessed right." - -"So that," said Baisemeaux, trembling at having supped so familiarly -with a man who had fallen into disgrace with the king; "so that, -monsieur le comte--" - -"So that, my dear governor," said Athos, "my friend D'Artagnan will -communicate to you the contents of the paper which I perceived just -peeping out of his belt, and which assuredly can be nothing else than -the order for my incarceration." - -Baisemeaux held out his hand with his accustomed eagerness. D'Artagnan -drew two papers from his belt, and presented one of them to the -governor, who unfolded it, and then read, in a low tone of voice, -looking at Athos over the paper, as he did so, and pausing from time to -time: "'Order to detain, in my chateau of the Bastile, Monsieur le Comte -de la Fere.' Oh, monsieur! this is indeed a very melancholy day for me." - -"You will have a patient prisoner, monsieur," said Athos, in his calm, -soft voice. - -"A prisoner, too, who will not remain a month with you, my dear -governor," said Aramis; while Baisemeaux, still holding the order in his -hand, transcribed it upon the prison registry. - -"Not a day, or rather not even a night," said D'Artagnan, displaying the -second order of the king, "for now, dear M. de Baisemeaux, you will -have the goodness to transcribe also this order for setting the comte -immediately at liberty." - -"Ah!" said Aramis, "it is a labor that you have deprived me of, -D'Artagnan;" and he pressed the musketeer's hand in a significant -manner, at the same moment as that of Athos. - -"What!" said the latter in astonishment, "the king sets me at liberty!" - -"Read, my dear friend," returned D'Artagnan. - -Athos took the order and read it. "It is quite true," he said. - -"Are you sorry for it?" asked D'Artagnan. - -"Oh, no, on the contrary. I wish the king no harm; and the greatest evil -or misfortune that any one can wish kings, is that they should commit an -act of injustice. But you have had a difficult and painful task, I know. -Tell me, have you not, D'Artagnan?" - -"I? not at all," said the musketeer, laughing: "the king does everything -I wish him to do." - -Aramis looked fixedly at D'Artagnan, and saw that he was not speaking -the truth. But Baisemeaux had eyes for nothing but D'Artagnan, so great -was his admiration for a man who seemed to make the king do all he -wished. - -"And does the king exile Athos?" inquired Aramis. - -"No, not precisely; the king did not explain himself upon that subject," -replied D'Artagnan; "but I think the comte could not well do better -unless, indeed, he wishes particularly to thank the king--" - -"No, indeed," replied Athos, smiling. - -"Well, then, I think," resumed D'Artagnan, "that the comte cannot do -better than to retire to his _own_ chateau. However, my dear Athos, you -have only to speak, to tell me what you want. If any particular place -of residence is more agreeable to you than another, I am influential -enough, perhaps, to obtain it for you." - -"No, thank you," said Athos; "nothing can be more agreeable to me, my -dear friend, than to return to my solitude beneath my noble trees on the -banks of the Loire. If Heaven be the overruling physician of the evils -of the mind, nature is a sovereign remedy. And so, monsieur," continued -Athos, turning again towards Baisemeaux, "I am now free, I suppose?" - -"Yes, monsieur le comte, I think so--at least, I hope so," said the -governor, turning over and over the two papers in question, "unless, -however, M. d'Artagnan has a third order to give me." - -"No, my dear Baisemeaux, no," said the musketeer; "the second is quite -enough: we will stop there--if you please." - -"Ah! monsieur le comte," said Baisemeaux addressing Athos, "you do -not know what you are losing. I should have placed you among the -thirty-franc prisoners, like the generals--what am I saying?--I mean -among the fifty-francs, like the princes, and you would have supped -every evening as you have done to-night." - -"Allow me, monsieur," said Athos, "to prefer my own simpler fare." And -then, turning to D'Artagnan, he said, "Let us go, my dear friend. Shall -I have that greatest of all pleasures for me--that of having you as my -companion?" - -"To the city gate only," replied D'Artagnan, "after which I will tell -you what I told the king: 'I am on duty.'" - -"And you, my dear Aramis," said Athos, smiling; "will you accompany me? -La Fere is on the road to Vannes." - -"Thank you, my dear friend," said Aramis, "but I have an appointment in -Paris this evening, and I cannot leave without very serious interests -suffering by my absence." - -"In that case," said Athos, "I must say adieu, and take my leave of you. -My dear Monsieur de Baisemeaux, I have to thank you exceedingly for -your kind and friendly disposition towards me, and particularly for -the enjoyable specimen you have given me of the ordinary fare of the -Bastile." And, having embraced Aramis, and shaken hands with M. de -Baisemeaux, and having received best wishes for a pleasant journey from -them both, Athos set off with D'Artagnan. - -Whilst the _denouement_ of the scene of the Palais Royal was taking -place at the Bastile, let us relate what was going on at the lodgings -of Athos and Bragelonne. Grimaud, as we have seen, had accompanied his -master to Paris; and, as we have said, he was present when Athos went -out; he had observed D'Artagnan gnaw the corners of his mustache; he -had seen his master get into the carriage; he had narrowly examined both -their countenances, and he had known them both for a sufficiently long -period to read and understand, through the mask of their impassibility, -that something serious was the matter. As soon as Athos had gone, he -began to reflect; he then, and then only, remembered the strange manner -in which Athos had taken leave of him, the embarrassment--imperceptible -as it would have been to any but himself--of the master whose ideas -were, to him, so clear and defined, and the expression of whose wishes -was so precise. He knew that Athos had taken nothing with him but the -clothes he had on him at the time; and yet he seemed to fancy that Athos -had not left for an hour merely; or even for a day. A long absence was -signified by the manner in which he pronounced the word "Adieu." -All these circumstances recurred to his mind, with feelings of deep -affection for Athos, with that horror of isolation and solitude which -invariably besets the minds of those who love; and all these combined -rendered poor Grimaud very melancholy, and particularly uneasy. Without -being able to account to himself for what he did since his master's -departure, he wandered about the room, seeking, as it were, for some -traces of him, like a faithful dog, who is not exactly uneasy about his -absent master, but at least is restless. Only as, in addition to the -instinct of the animal, Grimaud subjoined the reasoning faculties of the -man, Grimaud therefore felt uneasy and restless too. Not having found -any indication which could serve as a guide, and having neither seen -nor discovered anything which could satisfy his doubts, Grimaud began -to wonder what could possibly have happened. Besides, imagination is -the resource, or rather the plague of gentle and affectionate hearts. In -fact, never does a feeling heart represent its absent friend to itself -as being happy or cheerful. Never does the dove that wings its flight in -search of adventures inspire anything but terror at home. - -Grimaud soon passed from uneasiness to terror; he carefully went over, -in his own mind, everything that had taken place: D'Artagnan's letter -to Athos, the letter which had seemed to distress Athos so much after -he had read it; then Raoul's visit to Athos, which resulted in Athos -desiring him (Grimaud) to get his various orders and his court dress -ready to put on; then his interview with the king, at the end of which -Athos had returned home so unusually gloomy; then the explanation -between the father and the son, at the termination of which Athos had -embraced Raoul with such sadness of expression, while Raoul himself went -away equally weary and melancholy; and finally, D'Artagnan's arrival, -biting, as if he were vexed, the end of his mustache, and leaving again -in the carriage, accompanied by the Comte de la Fere. All this composed -a drama in five acts very clearly, particularly for so analytical an -observer as Grimaud. - -The first step he took was to search in his master's coat for M. -d'Artagnan's letter; he found the letter still there, and its contents -were found to run as follows: - -"MY DEAR FRIEND,--Raoul has been to ask me for some particulars about -the conduct of Mademoiselle de la Valliere, during our young friend's -residence in London. I am a poor captain of musketeers, and I am -sickened to death every day by hearing all the scandal of the barracks -and bedside conversations. If I had told Raoul all I believe, I know the -poor fellow would have died of it; but I am in the king's service, and -cannot relate all I hear about the king's affairs. If your heart tells -you to do it, set off at once; the matter concerns you more than it does -myself, and almost as much as Raoul." - -Grimaud tore, not a handful, but a finger-and-thumbful of hair out of -his head; he would have done more if his head of hair had been in a more -flourishing condition. - -"Yes," he said, "that is the key of the whole enigma. The young girl has -been playing her pranks; what people say about her and the king is true, -then; our young master has been deceived; he ought to know it. Monsieur -le comte has been to see the king, and has told him a piece of his mind; -and then the king sent M. d'Artagnan to arrange the affair. Ah! gracious -goodness!" continued Grimaud, "monsieur le comte, I now remember, -returned without his sword." - -This discovery made the perspiration break out all over poor Grimaud's -face. He did not waste any more time in useless conjecture, but clapped -his hat on his head, and ran to Raoul's lodgings. - -Raoul, after Louise had left him, had mastered his grief, if not his -affection; and, compelled to look forward on that perilous road over -which madness and revulsion were hurrying him, he had seen, from the -very first glance, his father exposed to the royal obstinacy, since -Athos had himself been the first to oppose any resistance to the royal -will. At this moment, from a very natural sequence of feeling, the -unhappy young man remembered the mysterious signs which Athos had made, -and the unexpected visit of D'Artagnan; the result of the conflict -between a sovereign and a subject revealed itself to his terrified -vision. As D'Artagnan was on duty, that is, a fixture at his post -without the possibility of leaving it, it was certainly not likely that -he had come to pay Athos a visit merely for the pleasure of seeing him. -He must have come to say something to him. This something in the -midst of such painful conjectures must have been the news of either a -misfortune or a danger. Raoul trembled at having been so selfish as -to have forgotten his father for his affection; at having, in a word, -passed his time in idle dreams, or in an indulgence of despair, at a -time when a necessity existed for repelling such an imminent attack on -Athos. The very idea nearly drove him frantic; he buckled on his sword -and ran towards his father's lodgings. On his way there he encountered -Grimaud, who, having set off from the opposite pole, was running with -equal eagerness in search of the truth. The two men embraced each other -most warmly. - -"Grimaud," exclaimed Raoul, "is the comte well?" - -"Have you seen him?" - -"No; where is he?" - -"I am trying to find out." - -"And M. d'Artagnan?" - -"Went out with him." - -"When?" - -"Ten minutes after you did." - -"In what way did they go out?" - -"In a carriage." - -"Where did they go?" - -"I have no idea at all." - -"Did my father take any money with him?" - -"No." - -"Or his sword?" - -"No." - -"I have an idea, Grimaud, that M. d'Artagnan came in order to--" - -"Arrest monsieur le comte, do you not think, monsieur?" - -"Yes, Grimaud." - -"I could have sworn it." - -"What road did they take?" - -"The way leading towards the quay." - -"To the Bastile, then?" - -"Yes, yes." - -"Quick, quick; let us run." - -"Yes, let us not lose a moment." - -"But where are we to go?" said Raoul, overwhelmed. - -"We will go to M. d'Artagnan's first, we may perhaps learn something -there." - -"No; if they keep me in ignorance at my father's, they will do the same -everywhere. Let us go to--Oh, good heavens! why, I must be mad to-day, -Grimaud; I have forgotten M. du Vallon, who is waiting for and expecting -me still." - -"Where is he, then?" - -"At the Minimes of Vincennes." - -"Thank goodness, that is on the same side as the Bastile. I will run and -saddle the horses, and we will go at once," said Grimaud. - -"Do, my friend, do." - - - -Chapter LXVI. In Which Porthos Is Convinced without Having Understood -Anything. - -The good and worthy Porthos, faithful to all the laws of ancient -chivalry, had determined to wait for M. de Saint-Aignan until sunset; -and as Saint-Aignan did not come, as Raoul had forgotten to communicate -with his second, and as he found that waiting so long was very -wearisome, Porthos had desired one of the gate-keepers to fetch him a -few bottles of good wine and a good joint of meat,--so that, at least, -he might pass away the time by means of a glass or two and a mouthful of -something to eat. He had just finished when Raoul arrived, escorted by -Grimaud, both of them riding at full speed. As soon as Porthos saw the -two cavaliers riding at such a pace along the road, he did not for a -moment doubt but that they were the men he was expecting, and he rose -from the grass upon which he had been indolently reclining and began to -stretch his legs and arms, saying, "See what it is to have good habits. -The fellow has finished by coming, after all. If I had gone away he -would have found no one here and would have taken advantage of that." He -then threw himself into a martial attitude, and drew himself up to the -full height of his gigantic stature. But instead of Saint-Aignan, he -only saw Raoul, who, with the most despairing gestures, accosted him by -crying out, "Pray forgive me, my dear friend, I am most wretched." - -"Raoul!" cried Porthos, surprised. - -"You have been angry with me?" said Raoul, embracing Porthos. - -"I? What for?" - -"For having forgotten you. But I assure you my head seems utterly lost. -If you only knew!" - -"You have killed him?" - -"Who?" - -"Saint-Aignan; or, if that is not the case, what is the matter?" - -"The matter is, that Monsieur le Comte de la Fere has by this time been -arrested." - -Porthos gave a start that would have thrown down a wall. - -"Arrested!" he cried out; "by whom?" - -"By D'Artagnan." - -"It is impossible," said Porthos. - -"My dear friend, it is perfectly true." - -Porthos turned towards Grimaud, as if he needed a second confirmation of -the intelligence. - -Grimaud nodded his head. "And where have they taken him?" - -"Probably to the Bastile." - -"What makes you think that?" - -"As we came along we questioned some persons, who saw the carriage pass; -and others who saw it enter the Bastile." - -"Oh!" muttered Porthos. - -"What do you intend to do?" inquired Raoul. - -"I? Nothing; only I will not have Athos remain at the Bastile." - -"Do you know," said Raoul, advancing nearer to Porthos, "that the arrest -was made by order of the king?" - -Porthos looked at the young man, as if to say, "What does that matter to -me?" This dumb language seemed so eloquent of meaning to Raoul that he -did not ask any other question. He mounted his horse again; and Porthos, -assisted by Grimaud, had already done the same. - -"Let us arrange our plan of action," said Raoul. - -"Yes," returned Porthos, "that is the best thing we can do." - -Raoul sighed deeply, and then paused suddenly. - -"What is the matter?" asked Porthos; "are you faint?" - -"No, only I feel how utterly helpless our position is. Can we three -pretend to go and take the Bastile?" - -"Well, if D'Artagnan were only here," replied Porthos, "I am not so very -certain we would fail." - -Raoul could not resist a feeling of admiration at the sight of such -perfect confidence, heroic in its simplicity. These were truly the -celebrated men who, by three or four, attacked armies and assaulted -castles! Men who had terrified death itself, who had survived the wrecks -of a tempestuous age, and still stood, stronger than the most robust of -the young. - -"Monsieur," said he to Porthos, "you have just given me an idea; we -absolutely must see M. d'Artagnan." - -"Undoubtedly." - -"He ought by this time to have returned home, after having taken my -father to the Bastile. Let us go to his house." - -"First inquire at the Bastile," said Grimaud, who was in the habit of -speaking little, but that to the purpose. - -Accordingly, they hastened towards the fortress, when one of those -chances which Heaven bestows on men of strong will caused Grimaud -suddenly to perceive the carriage, which was entering by the great gate -of the drawbridge. This was the moment that D'Artagnan was, as we have -seen, returning from his visit to the king. In vain was it that Raoul -urged on his horse in order to join the carriage, and to see whom it -contained. The horses had already gained the other side of the great -gate, which again closed, while one of the sentries struck the nose of -Raoul's horse with his musket; Raoul turned about, only too happy to -find he had ascertained something respecting the carriage which had -contained his father. - -"We have him," said Grimaud. - -"If we wait a little it is certain he will leave; don't you think so, my -friend?" - -"Unless, indeed, D'Artagnan also be a prisoner," replied Porthos, "in -which case everything is lost." - -Raoul returned no answer, for any hypothesis was admissible. -He instructed Grimaud to lead the horses to the little street -Jean-Beausire, so as to give rise to less suspicion, and himself with -his piercing gaze watched for the exit either of D'Artagnan or the -carriage. Nor had he decided wrongly; for twenty minutes had not elapsed -before the gate reopened and the carriage reappeared. A dazzling of -the eyes prevented Raoul from distinguishing what figures occupied the -interior. Grimaud averred that he had seen two persons, and that one of -them was his master. Porthos kept looking at Raoul and Grimaud by turns, -in the hope of understanding their idea. - -"It is clear," said Grimaud, "that if the comte is in the carriage, -either he is set at liberty or they are taking him to another prison." - -"We shall soon see that by the road he takes," answered Porthos. - -"If he is set at liberty," said Grimaud, "they will conduct him home." - -"True," rejoined Porthos. - -"The carriage does not take that way," cried Raoul; and indeed the -horses were just disappearing down the Faubourg St. Antoine. - -"Let us hasten," said Porthos; "we will attack the carriage on the road -and tell Athos to flee." - -"Rebellion," murmured Raoul. - -Porthos darted a second glance at Raoul, quite worthy of the first. -Raoul replied only by spurring the flanks of his steed. In a few moments -the three cavaliers had overtaken the carriage, and followed it so -closely that their horses' breath moistened the back of it. D'Artagnan, -whose senses were ever on the alert, heard the trot of the horses, at -the moment when Raoul was telling Porthos to pass the chariot, so as to -see who was the person accompanying Athos. Porthos complied, but could -not see anything, for the blinds were lowered. Rage and impatience were -gaining mastery over Raoul. He had just noticed the mystery preserved by -Athos's companion, and determined on proceeding to extremities. On his -part D'Artagnan had perfectly recognized Porthos, and Raoul also, from -under the blinds, and had communicated to the comte the result of his -observation. They were desirous only of seeing whether Raoul and Porthos -would push the affair to the uttermost. And this they speedily did, for -Raoul, presenting his pistol, threw himself on the leader, commanding -the coachmen to stop. Porthos seized the coachman, and dragged him from -his seat. Grimaud already had hold of the carriage door. Raoul threw -open his arms, exclaiming, "M. le comte! M. le comte!" - -"Ah! is it you, Raoul?" said Athos, intoxicated with joy. - -"Not bad, indeed!" added D'Artagnan, with a burst of laughter, and they -both embraced the young man and Porthos, who had taken possession of -them. - -"My brave Porthos! best of friends," cried Athos, "it is still the same -old way with you." - -"He is still only twenty," said D'Artagnan, "brave Porthos!" - -"Confound it," answered Porthos, slightly confused, "we thought that you -were being arrested." - -"While," rejoined Athos, "the matter in question was nothing but my -taking a drive in M. d'Artagnan's carriage." - -"But we followed you from the Bastile," returned Raoul, with a tone of -suspicion and reproach. - -"Where we had been to take supper with our friend M. Baisemeaux. Do you -recollect Baisemeaux, Porthos?" - -"Very well, indeed." - -"And there we saw Aramis." - -"In the Bastile?" - -"At supper." - -"Ah!" said Porthos, again breathing freely. - -"He gave us a thousand messages to you." - -"And where is M. le comte going?" asked Grimaud, already recompensed by -a smile from his master. - -"We were going home to Blois." - -"How can that be?" - -"At once?" said Raoul. - -"Yes, right forward." - -"Without any luggage?" - -"Oh! Raoul would have been instructed to forward me mine, or to bring it -with him on his return, _if_ he returns." - -"If nothing detains him longer in Paris," said D'Artagnan, with a glance -firm and cutting as steel, and as painful (for it reopened the poor -young fellow's wounds), "he will do well to follow you, Athos." - -"There is nothing to keep me any longer in Paris," said Raoul. - -"Then we will go immediately." - -"And M. d'Artagnan?" - -"Oh! as for me, I was only accompanying Athos as far as the barrier, and -I return with Porthos." - -"Very good," said the latter. - -"Come, my son," added the comte, gently passing his arm around Raoul's -neck to draw him into the carriage, and again embracing him. "Grimaud," -continued the comte, "you will return quietly to Paris with your horse -and M. du Vallon's, for Raoul and I will mount here and give up the -carriage to these two gentlemen to return to Paris in; and then, as -soon as you arrive, you will take my clothes and letters and forward the -whole to me at home." - -"But," observed Raoul, who was anxious to make the comte converse, -"when you return to Paris, there will not be a single thing there for -you--which will be very inconvenient." - -"I think it will be a very long time, Raoul, ere I return to Paris. The -last sojourn we have made there has not been of a nature to encourage me -to repeat it." - -Raoul hung down his head and said not a word more. Athos descended from -the carriage and mounted the horse which had brought Porthos, and -which seemed no little pleased at the exchange. Then they embraced, -and clasped each other's hands, and interchanged a thousand pledges of -eternal friendship. Porthos promised to spend a month with Athos at the -first opportunity. D'Artagnan engaged to take advantage of his first -leave of absence; and then, having embraced Raoul for the last time: "To -you, my boy," said he, "I will write." Coming from D'Artagnan, who he -knew wrote very seldom, these words expressed everything. Raoul was -moved even to tears. He tore himself away from the musketeer and -departed. - -D'Artagnan rejoined Porthos in the carriage: "Well," said he, "my dear -friend, what a day we have had!" - -"Indeed we have," answered Porthos. - -"You must be quite worn out." - -"Not quite; however, I shall retire early to rest, so as to be ready for -to-morrow." - -"And wherefore?" - -"Why! to complete what I have begun." - -"You make me shudder, my friend, you seem to me quite angry. What the -devil _have_ you begun which is not finished?" - -"Listen; Raoul has not fought, but _I_ must fight!" - -"With whom? with the king?" - -"How!" exclaimed Porthos, astounded, "with the king?" - -"Yes, I say, you great baby, with the king." - -"I assure you it is with M. Saint-Aignan." - -"Look now, this is what I mean; you draw your sword against the king in -fighting with this gentleman." - -"Ah!" said Porthos, staring; "are you sure of it?" - -"Indeed I am." - -"What in the world are we to do, then?" - -"We must try and make a good supper, Porthos. The captain of the -musketeers keeps a tolerable table. There you will see the handsome -Saint-Aignan, and will drink his health." - -"I?" cried Porthos, horrified. - -"What!" said D'Artagnan, "you refuse to drink the king's health?" - -"But, body alive! I am not talking to you about the king at all; I am -speaking of M. de Saint-Aignan." - -"But when I repeat that it is the same thing?" - -"Ah, well, well!" said Porthos, overcome. - -"You understand, don't you?" - -"No," answered Porthos, "but 'tis all the same." - - - -Chapter LXVII. M. de Baisemeaux's "Society." - -The reader has not forgotten that, on quitting the Bastile, D'Artagnan -and the Comte de la Fere had left Aramis in close confabulation with -Baisemeaux. When once these two guests had departed, Baisemeaux did not -in the least perceive that the conversation suffered by their absence. -He used to think that wine after supper, and that of the Bastile -in particular, was excellent, and that it was a stimulation quite -sufficient to make any honest man talkative. But he little knew -his Greatness, who was never more impenetrable than at dessert. His -Greatness, however, perfectly understood M. de Baisemeaux, when he -reckoned on making the governor discourse by the means which the latter -regarded as efficacious. The conversation, therefore, without flagging -in appearance, flagged in reality; for Baisemeaux not only had it nearly -all to himself, but further, kept speaking only of that singular event, -the incarceration of Athos, followed by so prompt an order to set him -again at liberty. Nor, moreover, had Baisemeaux failed to observe that -the two orders of arrest and of liberation, were both in the king's -hand. But then, the king would not take the trouble to write similar -orders except under pressing circumstances. All this was very -interesting, and, above all, very puzzling to Baisemeaux; but as, on the -other hand, all this was very clear to Aramis, the latter did not -attach to the occurrence the same importance as did the worthy governor. -Besides, Aramis rarely put himself out of the way for anything, and he -had not yet told M. de Baisemeaux for what reason he had now done so. -And so at the very climax of Baisemeaux's dissertation, Aramis suddenly -interrupted him. - -"Tell me, my dear Baisemeaux," said he, "have you never had any other -diversions at the Bastile than those at which I assisted during the two -or three visits I have had the honor to pay you?" - -This address was so unexpected that the governor, like a vane which -suddenly receives an impulsion opposed to that of the wind, was quite -dumbfounded at it. "Diversions!" said he; "but I take them continually, -monseigneur." - -"Oh, to be sure! And these diversions?" - -"Are of every kind." - -"Visits, no doubt?" - -"No, not visits. Visits are not frequent at the Bastile." - -"What, are visits rare, then?" - -"Very much so." - -"Even on the part of your society?" - -"What do you term my society--the prisoners?" - -"Oh, no!--your prisoners, indeed! I know well it is you who visit them, -and not they you. By your society, I mean, my dear Baisemeaux, the -society of which you are a member." - -Baisemeaux looked fixedly at Aramis, and then, as if the idea which had -flashed across his mind were impossible, "Oh," he said, "I have very -little society at present. If I must own it to you, dear M. d'Herblay, -the fact is, to stay at the Bastile appears, for the most part, -distressing and distasteful to persons of the gay world. As for the -ladies, it is never without a certain dread, which costs me infinite -trouble to allay, that they succeed in reaching my quarters. And, -indeed, how should they avoid trembling a little, poor things, when -they see those gloomy dungeons, and reflect that they are inhabited -by prisoners who--" And in proportion as the eyes of Baisemeaux -concentrated their gaze on the face of Aramis, the worthy governor's -tongue faltered more and more until it ended by stopping altogether. - -"No, you don't understand me, my dear M. Baisemeaux; you don't -understand me. I do not at all mean to speak of society in general, but -of a particular society--of _the_ society, in a word--to which you are -affiliated." - -Baisemeaux nearly dropped the glass of muscat which he was in the act of -raising to his lips. "Affiliated," cried he, "affiliated!" - -"Yes, affiliated, undoubtedly," repeated Aramis, with the greatest -self-possession. "Are you not a member of a secret society, my dear M. -Baisemeaux?" - -"Secret?" - -"Secret or mysterious." - -"Oh, M. d'Herblay!" - -"Consider, now, don't deny it." - -"But believe me." - -"I believe what I know." - -"I swear to you." - -"Listen to me, my dear M. Baisemeaux; I say yes, you say no; one of us -two necessarily says what is true, and the other, it inevitably follows, -what is false." - -"Well, and then?" - -"Well, we shall come to an understanding presently." - -"Let us see," said Baisemeaux; "let us see." - -"Now drink your glass of muscat, dear Monsieur de Baisemeaux," said -Aramis. "What the devil! you look quite scared." - -"No, no; not the least in the world; oh, no." - -"Drink then." Baisemeaux drank, but he swallowed the wrong way. - -"Well," resumed Aramis, "if, I say, you are not a member of a secret -or mysterious society, which you like to call it--the epithet is of no -consequence--if, I say, you are not a member of a society similar to -that I wish to designate, well, then, you will not understand a word of -what I am going to say. That is all." - -"Oh! be sure beforehand that I shall not understand anything." - -"Well, well!" - -"Try, now; let us see!" - -"That is what I am going to do." - -"If, on the contrary, you are one of the members of this society, you -will immediately answer me--yes or no." - -"Begin your questions," continued Baisemeaux, trembling. - -"You will agree, dear Monsieur de Baisemeaux," continued Aramis, with -the same impassibility, "that it is evident a man cannot be a member of -a society, it is evident that he cannot enjoy the advantages it offers -to the affiliated, without being himself bound to certain little -services." - -"In short," stammered Baisemeaux, "that would be intelligible, if--" - -"Well," resumed Aramis, "there is in the society of which I speak, and -of which, as it seems you are not a member--" - -"Allow me," said Baisemeaux. "I should not like to say absolutely." - -"There is an engagement entered into by all the governors and captains -of fortresses affiliated to the order." Baisemeaux grew pale. - -"Now the engagement," continued Aramis firmly, "is of this nature." - -Baisemeaux rose, manifesting unspeakable emotion: "Go on, dear M. -d'Herblay: go on," said he. - -Aramis then spoke, or rather recited the following paragraph, in the -same tone as if he had been reading it from a book: "The aforesaid -captain or governor of a fortress shall allow to enter, when need shall -arise, and on demand of the prisoner, a confessor affiliated to the -order." He stopped. Baisemeaux was quite distressing to look at, -being so wretchedly pale and trembling. "Is not that the text of the -agreement?" quietly asked Aramis. - -"Monseigneur!" began Baisemeaux. - -"Ah! well, you begin to understand, I think." - -"Monseigneur," cried Baisemeaux, "do not trifle so with my unhappy mind! -I find myself as nothing in your hands, if you have the malignant desire -to draw from me the little secrets of my administration." - -"Oh! by no means; pray undeceive yourself, dear M. Baisemeaux; it is not -the little secrets of your administration, but those of your conscience -that I aim at." - -"Well, then, my conscience be it, dear M. d'Herblay. But have some -consideration for the situation I am in, which is no ordinary one." - -"It is no ordinary one, my dear monsieur," continued the inflexible -Aramis, "if you are a member of this society; but it is a quite natural -one if free from all engagement. You are answerable only to the king." - -"Well, monsieur, well! I obey only the king, and whom else would you -have a French nobleman obey?" - -Aramis did not yield an inch, but with that silvery voice of his -continued: "It is very pleasant," said he, "for a French nobleman, for -a prelate of France, to hear a man of your mark express himself so -loyally, dear De Baisemeaux, and having heard you to believe no more -than you do." - -"Have you doubted, monsieur?" - -"I? oh, no!" - -"And so you doubt no longer?" - -"I have no longer any doubt that such a man as you, monsieur," said -Aramis, gravely, "does not faithfully serve the masters whom he -voluntarily chose for himself." - -"Masters!" cried Baisemeaux. - -"Yes, masters, I said." - -"Monsieur d'Herblay, you are still jesting, are you not?" - -"Oh, yes! I understand that it is a more difficult position to have -several masters than one; but the embarrassment is owing to you, my dear -Baisemeaux, and I am not the cause of it." - -"Certainly not," returned the unfortunate governor, more embarrassed -than ever; "but what are you doing? You are leaving the table?" - -"Assuredly." - -"Are you going?" - -"Yes, I am going." - -"But you are behaving very strangely towards me, monseigneur." - -"I am behaving strangely--how do you make that out?" - -"Have you sworn, then, to put me to the torture?" - -"No, I should be sorry to do so." - -"Remain, then." - -"I cannot." - -"And why?" - -"Because I have no longer anything to do here; and, indeed, I have -duties to fulfil elsewhere." - -"Duties, so late as this?" - -"Yes; understand me now, my dear De Baisemeaux: they told me at the -place whence I came, 'The aforesaid governor or captain will allow -to enter, as need shall arise, on the prisoner's demand, a confessor -affiliated with the order.' I came; you do not know what I mean, and so -I shall return to tell them that they are mistaken, and that they must -send me elsewhere." - -"What! you are--" cried Baisemeaux, looking at Aramis almost in terror. - -"The confessor affiliated to the order," said Aramis, without changing -his voice. - -But, gentle as the words were, they had the same effect on the unhappy -governor as a clap of thunder. Baisemeaux became livid, and it seemed to -him as if Aramis's beaming eyes were two forks of flame, piercing to -the very bottom of his soul. "The confessor!" murmured he; "you, -monseigneur, the confessor of the order!" - -"Yes, I; but we have nothing to unravel together, seeing that you are -not one of the affiliated." - -"Monseigneur!" - -"And I understand that, not being so, you refuse to comply with its -command." - -"Monseigneur, I beseech you, condescend to hear me." - -"And wherefore?" - -"Monseigneur, I do not say that I have nothing to do with the society." - -"Ah! ah!" - -"I say not that I refuse to obey." - -"Nevertheless, M. de Baisemeaux, what has passed wears very much the air -of resistance." - -"Oh, no! monseigneur, no; I only wished to be certain." - -"To be certain of what?" said Aramis, in a tone of supreme contempt. - -"Of nothing at all, monseigneur." Baisemeaux lowered his voice, and -bending before the prelate, said, "I am at all times and in all places -at the disposal of my superiors, but--" - -"Very good. I like you better thus, monsieur," said Aramis, as he -resumed his seat, and put out his glass to Baisemeaux, whose hand -trembled so that he could not fill it. "You were saying 'but'--" -continued Aramis. - -"But," replied the unhappy man, "having received no notice, I was very -far from expecting it." - -"Does not the Gospel say, 'Watch, for the moment is known only of God?' -Do not the rules of the order say, 'Watch, for that which I will, you -ought always to will also.' And what pretext will serve you now that you -did not expect the confessor, M. de Baisemeaux?" - -"Because, monseigneur, there is at present in the Bastile no prisoner -ill." - -Aramis shrugged his shoulders. "What do you know about that?" said he. - -"But, nevertheless, it appears to me--" - -"M. de Baisemeaux," said Aramis, turning round in his chair, "here is -your servant, who wishes to speak with you;" and at this moment, De -Baisemeaux's servant appeared at the threshold of the door. - -"What is it?" asked Baisemeaux, sharply. - -"Monsieur," said the man, "they are bringing you the doctor's return." - -Aramis looked at De Baisemeaux with a calm and confident eye. - -"Well," said he, "let the messenger enter." - -The messenger entered, saluted, and handed in the report. Baisemeaux -ran his eye over it, and raising his head, said in surprise, "No. 12 is -ill!" - -"How was it, then," said Aramis, carelessly, "that you told me everybody -was well in your hotel, M. de Baisemeaux?" And he emptied his glass -without removing his eyes from Baisemeaux. - -The governor then made a sign to the messenger, and when he had quitted -the room, said, still trembling, "I think that there is in the article, -'on the prisoner's demand.'" - -"Yes, it is so," answered Aramis. "But see what it is they want with you -now." - -And that moment a sergeant put his head in at the door. "What do you -want now?" cried Baisemeaux. "Can you not leave me in peace for ten -minutes?" - -"Monsieur," said the sergeant, "the sick man, No. 12, has commissioned -the turnkey to request you to send him a confessor." - -Baisemeaux very nearly sank on the floor; but Aramis disdained to -reassure him, just as he had disdained to terrify him. "What must I -answer?" inquired Baisemeaux. - -"Just what you please," replied Aramis, compressing his lips; "that is -your business. _I_ am not the governor of the Bastile." - -"Tell the prisoner," cried Baisemeaux, quickly,--"tell the prisoner that -his request is granted." The sergeant left the room. "Oh! monseigneur, -monseigneur," murmured Baisemeaux, "how could I have suspected!--how -could I have foreseen this!" - -"Who requested you to suspect, and who besought you to foresee?" -contemptuously answered Aramis. "The order suspects; the order knows; -the order foresees--is that not enough?" - -"What is it you command?" added Baisemeaux. - -"I?--nothing at all. I am nothing but a poor priest, a simple confessor. -Have I your orders to go and see the sufferer?" - -"Oh, monseigneur, I do not order; I pray you to go." - -"'Tis well; conduct me to him." - -End of Louise de la Valliere. The last text in the series is The Man in -the Iron Mask. - - - - -Footnotes: - -[Footnote 1: "To err is human."] - -[Footnote 2: Potatoes were not grown in France at that time. La Siecle insists -that the error is theirs, and that Dumas meant "tomatoes."] - -[Footnote 3: In the five-volume edition, Volume 3 ends here.] - -[Footnote 4: "In your house."] - -[Footnote 5: This alternate translation of the verse in this chapter: - - "Oh! you who sadly are wandering alone, - Come, come, and laugh with us." - - ---is closer to the original meaning.] - -[Footnote 6: Marie de Mancini was a former love of the king's. He had to abandon -her for the political advantages which the marriage to the Spanish -Infanta, Maria Theresa, afforded. See The Vicomte de Bragelonne, Chapter -XIII.] - -[Footnote 7: "[A sun] not eclipsed by many suns." Louis's device was the sun.] - -[Footnote 8: In the three-volume edition, Volume 2, entitled Louise de la -Valliere, ends here.] - -[Footnote 9: "To what heights may he not aspire?" Fouquet's motto.] - -[Footnote 10: "A creature rare on earth."] - -[Footnote 11: "With an eye always to the climax."] - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Louise de la Valliere, by Alexandre Dumas, Pere - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LOUISE DE LA VALLIERE *** - -***** This file should be named 2710.txt or 2710.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/2/7/1/2710/ - -Produced by John Bursey - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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