use to her; do not envy me this happiness."
Comminges bowed and left.
"Come," said D'Artagnan to himself, "I have got one more
enemy."
"And now," said the queen, addressing D'Artagnan, "what is
to be done? for you hear that, instead of becoming calmer,
the noise increases."
"Madame," said D'Artagnan, "the people want to see the king
and they must see him."
"What! must see him! Where -- on the balcony?"
"Not at all, madame, but here, sleeping in his bed."
"Oh, your majesty," exclaimed Laporte, "Monsieur d'Artagnan
is right."
The queen became thoughtful and smiled, like a woman to whom
duplicity is no stranger.
"Without doubt," she murmured.
"Monsieur Laporte," said D'Artagnan, "go and announce to the
people through the grating that they are going to be
satisfied and that in five minutes they shall not only see
the king, but they shall see him in bed; add that the king
sleeps and that the queen begs that they will keep silence,
so as not to awaken him."
"But not every one; a deputation of two or four people."
"Every one, madame."
"But reflect, they will keep us here till daybreak.
"It shall take but a quarter of an hour, I answer for
everything, madame; believe me, I know the people; they are
like a great child, who only wants humoring. Before the
sleeping king they will be mute, gentle and timid as lambs."
"Go, Laporte," said the queen.
The young king approached his mother and said, "Why do as
these people ask?"
"It must be so, my son," said Anne of Austria.
"But if they say, `it must be' to me, am I no longer king?"
The queen remained silent.
"Sire," said D'Artagnan, "will your majesty permit me to ask
you a question?"
Louis XIV. turned around, astonished that any one should
dare to address him. But the queen pressed the child's hand.
"Yes, sir." he said.
"Does your majesty remember, when playing in the park of
Fontainebleau, or in the palace courts at Versailles, ever
to have seen the sky grow suddenly dark and heard the sound
of thunder?"
"Yes, certainly."
"Well, then, this noise of thunder, however much your
majesty may have wished to continue playing, has said, `go
in, sire. You must do so.'"
"Certainly, sir; but they tell me that the noise of thunder
is the voice of God."
"Well then, sire," continued D'Artagnan, "listen to the
noise of the people; you will perceive that it resembles
that of thunder."
In truth at that moment a terrible murmur was wafted to them
by the night breeze; then all at once it ceased.
"Hold, sire," said D'Artagnan, "they have just told the
people that you are asleep; you see, you still are king."
The queen looked with surprise at this strange man, whose
brilliant courage made him the equal of the bravest, and who
was, by his fine and quick intelligence, the equal of the
most astute.
Laporte entered.
"Well, Laporte?" asked the queen.
"Madame," he replied, "Monsieur d'Artagnan's prediction has
been accomplished; they are calm, as if by enchantment. The
doors are about to be opened and in five minutes they will
be here."
"Laporte," said the queen, "suppose you put one of your sons
in the king's place; we might be off during the time."
"If your majesty desires it," said Laporte, "my sons, like
myself, are at the queen's service."
"Not at all," said D'Artagnan; "should one of them know his
majesty and discover but a substitute, all would be lost."
"You are right, sir, always right," said Anne of Austria.
"Laporte, place the king in bed."
Laporte placed the king, dressed as he was, in the bed and
then covered him as far as the shoulders with the sheet. The
queen bent over him and kissed his brow.
"Pretend to sleep, Louis," said she.
"Yes," said the king, "but I do not wish to be touched by
any of those men."
"Sire, I am here," said D'Artagnan, "and I give you my word,
that if a single man has the audacity, his life shall pay
for it."
"And now what is to be done?" asked the queen, "for I hear
them."
"Monsieur Laporte, go to them and again recommend silence.
Madame, wait at the door, whilst I shall be at the head of
the king's bed, ready to die for him."
Laporte went out; the queen remained standing near the
hangings, whilst D'Artagnan glided behind the curtains.
Then the heavy and collected steps of a multitude of men
were heard, and the queen herself raised the tapestry
hangings and put her finger on her lips.
On seeing the queen, the men stopped short, respectfully.
"Enter, gentlemen, enter," said the queen.
There was then amongst that crowd a moment's hesitation,
which looked like shame. They had expected resistance, they
had expected to be thwarted, to have to force the gates, to
overturn the guards. The gates had opened of themselves, and
the king, ostensibly at least, had no other guard at his
bed-head but his mother. The foremost of them stammered and
attempted to fall back.
"Enter, gentlemen," said Laporte, "since the queen desires
you so to do."
Then one more bold than the rest ventured to pass the door
and to advance on tiptoe. This example was imitated by the
rest, until the room filled silently, as if these men had
been the humblest, most devoted courtiers. Far beyond the
door the heads of those who were not able to enter could be
seen, all craning to their utmost height to try and see.
D'Artagnan saw it all through an opening he had made in the
curtain, and in the very first man who entered he recognized
Planchet.
"Sir," said the queen to him, thinking he was the leader of
the band, "you wished to see the king and therefore I
determined to show him to you myself. Approach and look at
him and say if we have the appearance of people who wish to
run away."
"No, certainly," replied Planchet, rather astonished at the
unexpected honor conferred upon him.
"You will say, then, to my good and faithful Parisians,"
continued Anne, with a smile, the expression of which did
not deceive D'Artagnan, "that you have seen the king in bed,
asleep, and the queen also ready to retire."
"I shall tell them, madame, and those who accompany me will
say the same thing; but ---- "
"But what?" asked Anne of Austria.
"Will your majesty pardon me," said Planchet, "but is it
really the king who is lying there?"
Anne of Austria started. "If," she said, "there is one among
you who knows the king, let him approach and say whether it
is really his majesty lying there."
A man wrapped in a cloak, in the folds of which his face was
hidden, approached and leaned over the bed and looked.
For one second, D'Artagnan thought the man had some evil
design and he put his hand to his sword; but in the movement
made by the man in stooping a portion of his face was
uncovered and D'Artagnan recognized the coadjutor.
"It is certainly the king," said the man, rising again. "God
bless his majesty!"
"Yes," repeated the leader in a whisper, "God bless his
majesty!" and all these men, who had entered enraged, passed
from anger to pity and blessed the royal infant in their
turn.
"Now,', said Planchet, "let us thank the queen. My friends,
retire."
They all bowed, and retired by degrees as noiselessly as
they had entered. Planchet, who had been the first to enter,
was the last to leave. The queen stopped him.
"What is your name, my friend?" she said.
Planchet, much surprised at the inquiry, turned back.
"Yes," continued the queen, "I think myself as much honored
to have received you this evening as if you had been a
prince, and I wish to know your name."
"Yes," thought Planchet, "to treat me as a prince. No, thank
you."
D'Artagnan trembled lest Planchet, seduced, like the crow in
the fable, should tell his name, and that the queen, knowing
his name, would discover that Planchet had belonged to him.
"Madame," replied Planchet, respectfully, "I am called
Dulaurier, at your service."
"Thank you, Monsieur Dulaurier," said the queen; "and what
is your business?"
"Madame, I am a clothier in the Rue Bourdonnais."
"That is all I wished to know," said the queen. "Much
obliged to you, Monsieur Dulaurier. You will hear again from
me."
"Come, come," thought D'Artagnan, emerging from behind the
curtain, "decidedly Monsieur Planchet is no fool; it is
evident he has been brought up in a good school."
The different actors in this strange scene remained facing
one another, without uttering a single word; the queen
standing near the door, D'Artagnan half out of his hiding
place, the king raised on his elbow, ready to fall down on
his bed again at the slightest sound that would indicate the
return of the multitude, but instead of approaching, the
noise became more and more distant and very soon it died
entirely away.
The queen breathed more freely. D'Artagnan wiped his damp
forehead and the king slid off his bed, saying, "Let us go."
At this moment Laporte reappeared.
"Well?" asked the queen
"Well, madame," replied the valet, "I followed them as far
as the gates. They announced to all their comrades that they
had seen the king and that the queen had spoken to them;
and, in fact, they went away quite proud and happy."
"Oh, the miserable wretches!" murmured the queen, "they
shall pay dearly for their boldness, and it is I who promise
this."
Then turning to D'Artagnan, she said:
"Sir, you have given me this evening the best advice I have
ever received. Continue, and say what we must do now."
"Monsieur Laporte," said D'Artagnan, "finish dressing his
majesty."
"We may go, then?" asked the queen.
"Whenever your majesty pleases. You have only to descend by
the private stairs and you will find me at the door."
"Go, sir," said the queen; "I will follow you."
D'Artagnan went down and found the carriage at its post and
the musketeer on the box. D'Artagnan took out the parcel
which he had desired Bernouin to place under the seat. It
may be remembered that it was the hat and cloak belonging to
Monsieur de Gondy's coachman.
He placed the cloak on his shoulders and the hat on his
head, whilst the musketeer got off the box.
"Sir," said D'Artagnan, "you will go and release your
companion, who is guarding the coachman. You must mount your
horse and proceed to the Rue Tiquetonne, Hotel de la
Chevrette, whence you will take my horse and that of
Monsieur du Vallon, which you must saddle and equip as if
for war, and then you will leave Paris, bringing them with
you to Cours la Reine. If, when you arrive at Cours la
Reine, you find no one, you must go on to Saint Germain. On
the king's service."
The musketeer touched his cap and went away to execute the
orders thus received.
D'Artagnan mounted the box, having a pair of pistols in his
belt, a musket under his feet and a naked sword behind him.
The queen appeared, and was followed by the king and the
Duke d'Anjou, his brother.
"Monsieur the coadjutor's carriage!" she exclaimed, falling
back.
"Yes, madame," said D'Artagnan; "but get in fearlessly, for
I myself will drive you."
The queen uttered a cry of surprise and entered the
carriage, and the king and monsieur took their places at her
side.
"Come, Laporte," said the queen.
"How, madame!" said the valet, "in the same carriage as your
majesties?"
"It is not a matter of royal etiquette this evening, but of
the king's safety. Get in, Laporte."
Laporte obeyed.
"Pull down the blinds," said D'Artagnan.
"But will that not excite suspicion, sir?" asked the queen.
"Your majesty's mind may be quite at ease," replied the
officer; "I have my answer ready."
The blinds were pulled down and they started at a gallop by
the Rue Richelieu. On reaching the gate the captain of the
post advanced at the head of a dozen men, holding a lantern
in his hand.
D'Artagnan signed to them to draw near.
"Do you recognize the carriage?" he asked the sergeant.
"No," replied the latter.
"Look at the arms."
The sergeant put the lantern near the panel.
"They are those of monsieur le coadjuteur," he said.
"Hush; he is enjoying a ride with Madame de Guemenee."
The sergeant began to laugh.
"Open the gate," he cried. "I know who it is!" Then putting
his face to the lowered blinds, he said:
"I wish you joy, my lord!"
"Impudent fellow!" cried D'Artagnan, "you will get me turned
off."
The gate groaned on its hinges, and D'Artagnan, seeing the
way clear, whipped his horses, who started at a canter, and
five minutes later they had rejoined the cardinal.
"Musqueton!" exclaimed D'Artagnan, "draw up the blinds of
his majesty's carriage."
"It is he!" cried Porthos.
"Disguised as a coachman!" exclaimed Mazarin.
