appearance of naivete; but if we four had resolved upon it
we should do it most certainly."
"I ought," muttered Anne to herself, "by this time to
remember that these men are giants."
"Alas, madame!" exclaimed D'Artagnan, "this proves to me
that not till to-day has your majesty had a just idea of
us."
"Perhaps," said Anne; "but that idea, if at last I have it
---- "
"Your majesty will do us justice. In doing us justice you
will no longer treat us as men of vulgar stamp. You will see
in me an ambassador worthy of the high interests he is
authorized to discuss with his sovereign."
"Where is the treaty?"
"Here it is."
Anne of Austria cast her eyes upon the treaty that
D'Artagnan presented to her.
"I do not see here," she said, "anything but general
conditions; the interests of the Prince de Conti or of the
Ducs de Beaufort, de Bouillon and d'Elbeuf and of the
coadjutor, are herein consulted; but with regard to yours?"
"We do ourselves justice, madame, even in assuming the high
position that we have. We do not think ourselves worthy to
stand near such great names."
"But you, I presume, have decided to assert your pretensions
viva voce?"
"I believe you, madame, to be a great and powerful queen,
and that it will be unworthy of your power and greatness if
you do not recompense the arms which will bring back his
eminence to Saint Germain."
"It is my intention so to do; come, let us hear you. Speak."
"He who has negotiated these matters (forgive me if I begin
by speaking of myself, but I must claim that importance
which has been given to me, not assumed by me) he who has
arranged matters for the return of the cardinal, ought, it
appears to me, in order that his reward may not be unworthy
of your majesty, to be made commandant of the guards -- an
appointment something like that of captain of the
musketeers."
"'Tis the appointment Monsieur de Treville held, you ask of
me."
"The place, madame, is vacant, and although 'tis a year
since Monsieur de Treville has left it, it has not been
filled."
"But it is one of the principal military appointments in the
king's household."
"Monsieur de Treville was but a younger son of a simple
Gascon family, like me, madame; he occupied that post for
twenty years."
"You have an answer ready for everything," replied the
queen, and she took from her bureau a document, which she
filled up and signed.
"Undoubtedly, madame," said D'Artagnan, taking the document
and bowing, "this is a noble reward; but everything in the
world is unstable, and the man who happened to fall into
disgrace with your majesty might lose this office
to-morrow."
"What more do you want?" asked the queen, coloring, as she
found that she had to deal with a mind as subtle as her own.
"A hundred thousand francs for this poor captain of
musketeers, to be paid whenever his services shall no longer
be acceptable to your majesty."
Anne hesitated.
"To think of the Parisians," soliloquized D'Artagnan,
"offering only the other day, by an edict of the parliament,
six hundred thousand francs to any man soever who would
deliver up the cardinal to them, dead or alive -- if alive,
in order to hang him; if dead, to deny him the rites of
Christian burial!"
"Come," said Anne, "'tis reasonable, since you only ask from
a queen the sixth of what the parliament has proposed;" and
she signed an order for a hundred thousand francs.
"Now, then," she said, "what next?"
"Madame, my friend Du Vallon is rich and has therefore
nothing in the way of fortune to desire; but I think I
remember that there was a question between him and Monsieur
Mazarin as to making his estate a barony. Nay, it must have
been a promise."
"A country clown," said Anne of Austria, "people will
laugh."
"Let them," answered D'Artagnan. "But I am sure of one thing
-- that those who laugh at him in his presence will never
laugh a second time."
"Here goes the barony." said the queen; she signed a patent.
"Now there remains the chevalier, or the Abbe d'Herblay, as
your majesty pleases."
"Does he wish to be a bishop?"
"No, madame, something easier to grant."
"What?"
"It is that the king should deign to stand godfather to the
son of Madame de Longueville."
The queen smiled.
"Monsieur de Longueville is of royal blood, madame," said
D'Artagnan.
"Yes," said the queen; "but his son?"
"His son, madame, must be, since the husband of the son's
mother is."
"And your friend has nothing more to ask for Madame de
Longueville?"
"No, madame, for I presume that the king, standing godfather
to him, could do no less than present him with five hundred
thousand francs, giving his father, also, the government of
Normandy."
"As to the government of Normandy," replied the queen, "I
think I can promise; but with regard to the present, the
cardinal is always telling me there is no more money in the
royal coffers."
"We shall search for some, madame, and I think we can find a
little, and if your majesty approves, we will seek for some
together."
"What next?"
"What next, madame?"
"Yes."
"That is all."
"Haven't you, then, a fourth companion?"
"Yes, madame, the Comte de la Fere."
"What does he ask?"
"Nothing."
"There is in the world, then, one man who, having the power
to ask, asks -- nothing!"
"There is the Comte de la Fere, madame. The Comte de la Fere
is not a man."
"What is he, then?"
"The Comte de la Fere is a demi-god."
"Has he not a son, a young man, a relative, a nephew, of
whom Comminges spoke to me as being a brave boy, and who,
with Monsieur de Chatillon, brought the standards from
Lens?"
"He has, as your majesty has said, a ward, who is called the
Vicomte de Bragelonne."
"If that young man should be appointed to a regiment what
would his guardian say?"
"Perhaps he would accept."
"Perhaps?"
"Yes, if your majesty herself should beg him to accept."
"He must be indeed a strange man. Well, we will reflect and
perhaps we will beg him. Are you satisfied, sir?"
"There is one thing the queen has not signed -- her assent
to the treaty."
"Of what use to-day? I will sign it to-morrow."
"I can assure her majesty that if she does not sign to-day
she will not have time to sign to-morrow. Consent, then, I
beg you, madame, to write at the bottom of this schedule,
which has been drawn up by Mazarin, as you see:
"`I consent to ratify the treaty proposed by the
Parisians.'"
Anne was caught, she could not draw back -- she signed; but
scarcely had she done so when pride burst forth and she
began to weep.
D'Artagnan started on seeing these tears. Since that period
of history queens have shed tears, like other women.
The Gascon shook his head, these tears from royalty melted
his heart.
"Madame," he said, kneeling, "look upon the unhappy man at
your feet. He begs you to believe that at a gesture of your
majesty everything will be possible to him. He has faith in
himself; he has faith in his friends; he wishes also to have
faith in his queen. And in proof that he fears nothing, that
he counts on nothing, he will restore Monsieur de Mazarin to
your majesty without conditions. Behold, madame! here are
the august signatures of your majesty's hand; if you think
you are right in giving them to me, you shall do so, but
from this very moment you are free from any obligation to
keep them."
And D'Artagnan, full of splendid pride and manly
intrepidity, placed in Anne's hands, in a bundle, the papers
that he had one by one won from her with so much difficulty.
There are moments -- for if everything is not good,
everything in this world is not bad -- in which the most
rigid and the coldest soul is softened by the tears of
strong emotion, heart-arraigning sentiment: one of these
momentary impulses actuated Anne. D'Artagnan, when he gave
way to his own feelings -- which were in accordance with
those of the queen -- had accomplished more than the most
astute diplomacy could have attempted. He was therefore
instantly recompensed, either for his address or for his
sensibility, whichever it might be termed.
"You were right, sir," said Anne. "I misunderstood you.
There are the acts signed; I deliver them to you without
compulsion. Go and bring me back the cardinal as soon as
possible."
"Madame," faltered D'Artagnan, "'tis twenty years ago -- I
have a good memory -- since I had the honor behind a piece
of tapestry in the Hotel de Ville, of kissing one of those
lovely hands."
"There is the other," replied the queen; "and that the left
hand should not be less liberal than the right," she drew
from her finger a diamond similar to the one formerly given
to him, "take and keep this ring in remembrance of me.
"Madame," said D'Artagnan, rising, "I have only one thing
more to wish, which is, that the next thing you ask from me,
shall be -- my life."
And with this conclusion -- a way peculiar to himself -- he
rose and left the room.
"I never rightly understood those men," said the queen, as
she watched him retiring from her presence; "and it is now
too late, for in a year the king will be of age."
In twenty-four hours D'Artagnan and Porthos conducted
Mazarin to the queen; and the one received his commission,
the other his patent of nobility.
On the same day the Treaty of Paris was signed, and it was
everywhere announced that the cardinal had shut himself up
for three days in order to draw it up with the greatest
care.
Here is what each of the parties concerned gained by that
treaty:
Monsieur de Conti received Damvilliers, and having made his
proofs as general, he succeeded in remaining a soldier,
instead of being made cardinal. Moreover, something had been
said of a marriage with Mazarin's niece. The idea was
welcomed by the prince, to whom it was of little importance
whom he married, so long as he married some one.
The Duc de Beaufort made his entrance at court, receiving
ample reparation for the wrongs he had suffered, and all the
honor due to his rank. Full pardon was accorded to those who
had aided in his escape. He received also the office of
admiral, which had been held by his father, the Duc de
Vendome and an indemnity for his houses and castles,
demolished by the Parliament of Bretagne.
The Duc de Bouillon received domains of a value equal to
that of his principality of Sedan, and the title of prince,
granted to him and to those belonging to his house.
The Duc de Longueville gained the government of
Pont-de-l'Arche, five hundred thousand francs for his wife
and the honor of seeing her son held at the baptismal font
by the young king and Henrietta of England.
Aramis stipulated that Bazin should officiate at that
ceremony and that Planchet should furnish the christening
sugar plums.
The Duc d'Elbeuf obtained payment of certain sums due to his
wife, one hundred thousand francs for his eldest son and
twenty-five thousand for each of the three others.
The coadjutor alone obtained nothing. They promised, indeed,
to negotiate with the pope for a cardinal's hat for him; but
he knew how little reliance should be placed on such
promises, made by the queen and Mazarin. Quite contrary to
the lot of Monsieur de Conti, unable to be cardinal, he was
obliged to remain a soldier.
And therefore, when all Paris was rejoicing in the expected
return of the king, appointed for the next day, Gondy alone,
in the midst of the general happiness, was dissatisfied; he
sent for the two men whom he was wont to summon when in
especially bad humor. Those two men were the Count de
Rochefort and the mendicant of Saint Eustache. They came
with their usual promptness, and the coadjutor spent with
them a part of the night.
89
In which it is shown that it is sometimes more difficult for
Kings to return to the Capitals of their Kingdoms, than to
make an Exit.
Whilst D'Artagnan and Porthos were engaged in conducting the
cardinal to Saint Germain, Athos and Aramis returned to
Paris.
Each had his own particular visit to make.
Aramis rushed to the Hotel de Ville, where Madame de
Longueville was sojourning. The duchess loudly lamented the
announcement of peace. War had made her a queen; peace
brought her abdication. She declared that she would never
assent to the treaty and that she wished eternal war.
But when Aramis had presented that peace to her in a true
light -- that is to say, with all its advantages; when he
had pointed out to her, in exchange for the precarious and
contested royalty of Paris, the viceroyalty of
Font-de-l'Arche, in other words, of all Normandy; when he
had rung in her ears the five hundred thousand francs
promised by the cardinal; when he had dazzled her eyes with
the honor bestowed on her by the king in holding her child
at the baptismal font, Madame de Longueville contended no
longer, except as is the custom with pretty women to
contend, and defended herself only to surrender at last.
Aramis made a presence of believing in the reality of her
