"It seems to me, however," said Mazarin, "the safest
method."
"Yes, for you, my lord, but not for the queen; you must
leave it to me and give me the entire direction of the
undertaking."
"Nevertheless ---- "
"Or find some one else," continued D'Artagnan, turning his
back.
"Oh!" muttered Mazarin, "I do believe he is going off with
the diamond! M. d'Artagnan, my dear M. d'Artagnan," he
called out in a coaxing voice, "will you answer for
everything?"
"I will answer for nothing. I will do my best."
"Well, then, let us go -- I must trust to you."
"It is very fortunate," said D'Artagnan to himself.
"You will be here at half-past nine."
"And I shall find your eminence ready?"
"Certainly, quite ready."
"Well, then, it is a settled thing; and now, my lord, will
you obtain for me an audience with the queen?"
"For what purpose?"
"I wish to receive her majesty's commands from her own
lips."
"She desired me to give them to you."
"She may have forgotten something."
"You really wish to see her?"
"It is indispensable, my lord."
Mazarin hesitated for one instant, but D'Artagnan was firm.
"Come, then," said the minister; "I will conduct you to her,
but remember, not one word of our conversation."
"What has passed between us concerns ourselves alone. my
lord," replied D'Artagnan.
"Swear to be mute."
"I never swear, my lord, I say yes or no; and, as I am a
gentleman, I keep my word."
"Come, then, I see that I must trust unreservedly to you."
"Believe me, my lord, it will be your best plan."
"Come," said Mazarin, conducting D'Artagnan into the queen's
oratory and desiring him to wait there. He did not wait
long, for in five minutes the queen entered in full gala
costume. Thus dressed she scarcely appeared thirty-five
years of age. She was still exceedingly handsome.
"It is you, Monsieur D'Artagnan," she said, smiling
graciously; "I thank you for having insisted on seeing me."
"I ought to ask your majesty's pardon, but I wished to
receive your commands from your own mouth."
"Do you accept the commission which I have intrusted to
you?"
"With gratitude."
"Very well, be here at midnight."
"I will not fail."
"Monsieur d'Artagnan," continued the queen, "I know your
disinterestedness too well to speak of my own gratitude at
such a moment, but I swear to you that I shall not forget
this second service as I forgot the first."
"Your majesty is free to forget or to remember, as it
pleases you; and I know not what you mean," said D'Artagnan,
bowing.
"Go, sir," said the queen, with her most bewitching smile,
"go and return at midnight."
And D'Artagnan retired, but as he passed out he glanced at
the curtain through which the queen had entered and at the
bottom of the tapestry he remarked the tip of a velvet
slipper.
"Good," thought he; "Mazarin has been listening to discover
whether I betrayed him. In truth, that Italian puppet does
not deserve the services of an honest man."
D'Artagnan was not less exact to his appointment and at
half-past nine o'clock he entered the ante-room.
He found the cardinal dressed as an officer, and he looked
very well in that costume, which, as we have already said,
he wore elegantly; only he was very pale and trembled
slightly.
"Quite alone?" he asked.
"Yes, my lord."
"And that worthy Monsieur du Vallon, are we not to enjoy his
society?"
"Certainly, my lord; he is waiting in his carriage at the
gate of the garden of the Palais Royal."
"And we start in his carriage, then?"
"Yes, my lord."
"And with us no other escort but you two?"
"Is it not enough? One of us would suffice."
"Really, my dear Monsieur d'Artagnan," said the cardinal,
"your coolness startles me."
"I should have thought, on the contrary, that it ought to
have inspired you with confidence."
"And Bernouin -- do I not take him with me?"
"There is no room for him, he will rejoin your eminence."
"Let us go," said Mazarin, "since everything must be done as
you wish."
"My lord, there is time to draw back," said D'Artagnan, "and
your eminence is perfectly free."
"Not at all, not at all," said Mazarin; "let us be off."
And so they descended the private stair, Mazarin leaning on
the arm of D'Artagnan a hand the musketeer felt trembling.
At last, after crossing the courts of the Palais Royal,
where there still remained some of the conveyances of late
guests, they entered the garden and reached the little gate.
Mazarin attempted to open it by a key which he took from his
pocket, but with such shaking fingers that he could not find
the keyhole.
"Give it to me," said D'Artagnan, who when the gate was open
deposited the key in his pocket, reckoning upon returning by
that gate.
The steps were already down and the door open. Musqueton
stood at the door and Porthos was inside the carriage.
"Mount, my lord," said D'Artagnan to Mazarin, who sprang
into the carriage without waiting for a second bidding.
D'Artagnan followed him, and Musqueton, having closed the
door, mounted behind the carriage with many groans. He had
made some difficulties about going, under pretext that he
still suffered from his wound, but D'Artagnan had said to
him:
"Remain if you like, my dear Monsieur Mouston, but I warn
you that Paris will be burnt down to-night;" upon which
Musqueton had declared, without asking anything further,
that he was ready to follow his master and Monsieur
d'Artagnan to the end of the world.
The carriage started at a measured pace, without betraying
by the slightest sign that it contained people in a hurry.
The cardinal wiped his forehead with his handkerchief and
looked around him. On his left was Porthos, whilst
D'Artagnan was on his right; each guarded a door and served
as a rampart to him on either side. Before him, on the front
seat, lay two pairs of pistols -- one in front of Porthos
and the other of D'Artagnan. About a hundred paces from the
Palais Royal a patrol stopped the carriage.
"Who goes?" asked the captain.
"Mazarin!" replied D'Artagnan, bursting into a laugh. The
cardinal's hair stood on end. But the joke appeared an
excellent one to the citizens, who, seeing the conveyance
without escort and unarmed, would never have believed in the
possibility of so great an imprudence.
"A good journey to ye," they cried, allowing it to pass.
"Hem!" said D'Artagnan, "what does my lord think of that
reply?"
"Man of talent!" cried Mazarin.
"In truth," said Porthos, "I understand; but now ---- "
About the middle of the Rue des Petits Champs they were
stopped by a second patrol.
"Who goes there?" inquired the captain of the patrol.
"Keep back, my lord," said D'Artagnan. And Mazarin buried
himself so far behind the two friends that he disappeared,
completely hidden between them.
"Who goes there?" cried the same voice, impatiently whilst
D'Artagnan perceived that they had rushed to the horses'
heads. But putting hid head out of the carriage:
"Eh! Planchet," said he.
The chief approached, and it was indeed Planchet; D'Artagnan
had recognized the voice of his old servant.
"How, sir!" said Planchet, "is it you?"
"Eh! mon Dieu! yes, my good friend, this worthy Porthos has
just received a sword wound and I am taking him to his
country house at Saint Cloud."
"Oh! really," said Planchet.
"Porthos," said D'Artagnan, "if you can still speak, say a
word, my dear Porthos, to this good Planchet."
"Planchet, my friend," said Porthos, in a melancholy voice,
"I am very ill; should you meet a doctor you will do me a
favor by sending him to me."
"Oh! good Heaven," said Planchet, "what a misfortune! and
how did it happen?"
"I will tell you all about it," replied Musqueton.
Porthos uttered a deep groan.
"Make way for us, Planchet," said D'Artagnan in a whisper to
him, "or he will not arrive alive; the lungs are attacked,
my friend."
Planchet shook his head with the air of a man who says, "In
that case things look ill." Then he exclaimed, turning to
his men:
"Let them pass; they are friends.
The carriage resumed its course, and Mazarin, who had held
his breath, ventured to breathe again.
"Bricconi!" muttered he.
A few steps in advance of the gate of Saint Honore they met
a third troop; this latter party was composed of ill-looking
fellows, who resembled bandits more than anything else; they
were the men of the beggar of Saint Eustache.
"Attention, Porthos!" cried D'Artagnan.
Porthos placed his hand on the pistols.
"What is it?" asked Mazarin.
"My lord, I think we are in bad company."
A man advanced to the door with a kind of scythe in his
hand. "Qui vive?" he asked.
"Eh, rascal!" said D'Artagnan, "do you not recognize his
highness the prince's carriage?"
"Prince or not," said the man, "open. We are here to guard
the gate, and no one whom we do not know shall pass."
"What is to be done?" said Porthos.
"Pardieu! pass," replied D'Artagnan.
"But how?" asked Mazarin.
"Through or over; coachman, gallop on."
The coachman raised his whip.
"Not a step further," said the man, who appeared to be the
captain, "or I will hamstring your horses."
"Peste!" said Porthos, "it would be a pity; animals which
cost me a hundred pistoles each."
"I will pay you two hundred for them," said Mazarin.
"Yes, but when once they are hamstrung, our necks will be
strung next."
"If one of them comes to my side," asked Porthos, "must I
kill him?"
"Yes, by a blow of your fist, if you can; we will not fire
but at the last extremity."
"I can do it," said Porthos.
"Come and open, then!" cried D'Artagnan to the man with the
scythe, taking one of the pistols up by the muzzle and
preparing to strike with the handle. And as the man
approached, D'Artagnan, in order to have more freedom for
his actions, leaned half out of the door; his eyes were
fixed upon those of the mendicant, which were lighted up by
a lantern. Without doubt he recognized D'Artagnan, for he
became deadly pale; doubtless the musketeer knew him, for
his hair stood up on his head.
"Monsieur d'Artagnan!" he cried, falling back a step; "it is
Monsieur d'Artagnan! let him pass."
D'Artagnan was perhaps about to reply, when a blow, similar
to that of a mallet falling on the head of an ox, was heard.
The noise was caused by Porthos, who had just knocked down
his man.
D'Artagnan turned around and saw the unfortunate man upon
his back about four paces off.
"'Sdeath!" cried he to the coachman. "Spur your horses!
whip! get on!"
The coachman bestowed a heavy blow of the whip upon his
horses; the noble animals bounded forward; then cries of men
who were knocked down were heard; then a double concussion
was felt, and two of the wheels seemed to pass over a round
and flexible body. There was a moment's silence, then the
carriage cleared the gate.
"To Cours la Reine!" cried D'Artagnan to the coachman; then
turning to Mazarin he said, "Now, my lord, you can say five
paters and five aves, in thanks to Heaven for your
deliverance. You are safe -- you are free."
Mazarin replied only by a groan; he could not believe in
such a miracle. Five minutes later the carriage stopped,
having reached Cours la Reine.
"Is my lord pleased with his escort?" asked D'Artagnan.
"Enchanted, monsieur," said Mazarin, venturing his head out
of one of the windows; "and now do as much for the queen."
"It will not be so difficult," replied D'Artagnan, springing
to the ground. "Monsieur du Vallon, I commend his eminence
to your care."
"Be quite at ease," said Porthos, holding out his hand,
which D'Artagnan took and shook in his.
"Oh!" cried Porthos, as if in pain.
D'Artagnan looked with surprise at his friend.
"What is the matter, then?" he asked.
"I think I have sprained my wrist,' said Porthos.
"The devil! why, you strike like a blind or a deaf man."
"It was necessary; my man was going to fire a pistol at me;
but you -- how did you get rid of yours?"
"Oh, mine," replied D'Artagnan, "was not a man."
"What was it then?"
"It was an apparition."
"And ---- "
"I charmed it away."
Without further explanation D'Artagnan took the pistols
which were upon the front seat, placed them in his belt,
wrapped himself in his cloak, and not wishing to enter by
the same gate as that through which they had left, he took
his way toward the Richelieu gate.
52
The Carriage of Monsieur le Coadjuteur.
Instead of returning, then, by the Saint Honore gate,
