twenty years after(二十年后)-第11章

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finger。
〃It　appears；〃　she　resumed；　〃that　he　sold　it　…he　sold　it　in
order　to　save　me　another　time　　to　be　able　to　send　a
messenger　to　the　duke　to　warn　him　of　his　danger　　he　sold
it　to　Monsieur　des　Essarts；　on　whose　finger　I　remarked　it。　I
bought　it　from　him；　but　it　belongs　to　D'Artagnan。　Give　it
back　to　him；　sir；　and　since　you　have　such　a　man　in　your
service；　make　him　useful。〃
〃Thank　you；　madame；〃　said　Mazarin。　〃I　will　profit　by　the
advice。〃
〃And　now；〃　added　the　queen；　her　voice　broken　by　her　emotion；
〃have　you　any　other　question　to　ask　me？〃
〃Nothing；〃　　the　cardinal　spoke　in　his　most　conciliatory
manner　　〃except　to　beg　of　you　to　forgive　my　unworthy
suspicions。　I　love　you　so　tenderly　that　I　cannot　help　being
jealous；　even　of　the　past。〃
A　smile；　which　was　indefinable；　passed　over　the　lips　of　the
queen。
〃Since　you　have　no　further　interrogations　to　make；　leave　me；
I　beseech　you；〃　she　said。　〃I　wish；　after　such　a　scene；　to　be
alone。〃
Mazarin　bent　low　before　her。
〃I　will　retire；　madame。　Do　you　permit　me　to　return？〃
〃Yes；　to…morrow。〃
The　cardinal　took　the　queen's　hand　and　pressed　it　with　an
air　of　gallantry　to　his　lips。
Scarcely　had　he　left　her　when　the　queen　went　into　her　son's
room；　and　inquired　from　Laporte　if　the　king　was　in　bed。
Laporte　pointed　to　the　child；　who　was　asleep。
Anne　ascended　the　steps　side　of　the　bed　and　softly　kissed
the　placid　forehead　of　her　son；　then　she　retired　as　silently
as　she　had　come；　merely　saying　to　Laporte：
〃Try；　my　dear　Laporte；　to　make　the　king　more　courteous　to
Monsieur　le　Cardinal；　to　whom　both　he　and　I　are　under　such
important　obligations。〃

5
The　Gascon　and　the　Italian。

Meanwhile　the　cardinal　returned　to　his　own　room；　and　after
asking　Bernouin；　who　stood　at　the　door；　whether　anything　had
occurred　during　his　absence；　and　being　answered　in　the
negative；　he　desired　that　he　might　be　left　alone。
When　he　was　alone　he　opened　the　door　of　the　corridor　and
then　that　of　the　ante…chamber。　There　D'Artagnan　was　asleep
upon　a　bench。
The　cardinal　went　up　to　him　and　touched　his　shoulder。
D'Artagnan　started；　awakened　himself；　and　as　he　awoke；　stood
up　exactly　like　a　soldier　under　arms。
〃Here　I　am；〃　said　he。　〃Who　calls　me？〃
〃I；〃　said　Mazarin；　with　his　most　smiling　expression。
〃I　ask　pardon　of　your　eminence；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃but　I　was
so　fatigued　　〃
〃Don't　ask　my　pardon；　monsieur；〃　said　Mazarin；　〃for　you
fatigued　yourself　in　my　service。〃
D'Artagnan　admired　Mazarin's　gracious　manner。　〃Ah；〃　said　he；
between　his　teeth；　〃is　there　truth　in　the　proverb　that
fortune　comes　while　one　sleeps？〃
〃Follow　me；　monsieur；〃　said　Mazarin。
〃Come；　come；〃　murmured　D'Artagnan；　〃Rochefort　has　kept　his
promise；　but　where　in　the　devil　is　he？〃　And　he　searched　the
cabinet　even　to　the　smallest　recesses；　but　there　was　no　sign
of　Rochefort。
〃Monsieur　d'Artagnan；〃　said　the　cardinal；　sitting　down　on　a
fauteuil；　〃you　have　always　seemed　to　me　to　be　a　brave　and
honorable　man。〃
〃Possibly；〃　thought　D'Artagnan；　〃but　he　has　taken　a　long
time　to　let　me　know　his　thoughts；〃　nevertheless；　he　bowed　to
the　very　ground　in　gratitude　for　Mazarin's　compliment。
〃Well；〃　continued　Mazarin；　〃the　time　has　come　to　put　to　use
your　talents　and　your　valor。〃
There　was　a　sudden　gleam　of　joy　in　the　officer's　eyes；　which
vanished　immediately；　for　he　knew　nothing　of　Mazarin's
purpose。
〃Order；　my　lord；〃　he　said；　〃I　am　ready　to　obey　your
eminence。〃
〃Monsieur　d'Artagnan；〃　continued　the　cardinal；　〃you
performed　sundry　superb　exploits　in　the　last　reign。〃
〃Your　eminence　is　too　good　to　remember　such　trifles　in　my
favor。　It　is　true　I　fought　with　tolerable　success。〃
〃I　don't　speak　of　your　warlike　exploits；　monsieur；〃　said
Mazarin；　〃although　they　gained　you　much　reputation；　they
were　surpassed　by　others。〃
D'Artagnan　pretended　astonishment。
〃Well；　you　do　not　reply？〃　resumed　Mazarin。
〃I　am　waiting；　my　lord；　till　you　tell　me　of　what　exploits
you　speak。〃
〃I　speak　of　the　adventure　　Eh；　you　know　well　what　I　mean。〃
〃Alas；　no；　my　lord！〃　replied　D'Artagnan；　surprised。
〃You　are　discreet　　so　much　the　better。　I　speak　of　that
adventure　in　behalf　of　the　queen；　of　the　ornaments；　of　the
journey　you　made　with　three　of　your　friends。〃
〃Aha！〃　thought　the　Gascon；　〃is　this　a　snare　or　not？　Let　me
be　on　my　guard。〃
And　he　assumed　a　look　of　stupidity　which　Mendori　or
Bellerose；　two　of　the　first　actors　of　the　day；　might　have
envied。
〃Bravo！〃　cried　Mazarin；　〃they　told　me　that　you　were　the　man
I　wanted。　Come；　let　us　see　what　you　will　do　for　me。〃
〃Everything　that　your　eminence　may　please　to　command　me；〃
was　the　reply。
〃You　will　do　for　me　what　you　have　done　for　the　queen？〃
〃Certainly；〃　D'Artagnan　said　to　himself；　〃he　wishes　to　make
me　speak　out。　He's　not　more　cunning　than　De　Richelieu　was！
Devil　take　him！〃　Then　he　said　aloud：
〃The　queen；　my　lord？　I　don't　comprehend。〃
〃You　don't　comprehend　that　I　want　you　and　your　three　friends
to　be　of　use　to　me？〃
〃Which　of　my　friends；　my　lord？〃
〃Your　three　friends　　the　friends　of　former　days。〃
〃Of　former　days；　my　lord！　In　former　days　I　had　not　only
three　friends；　I　had　thirty；　at　two…and…twenty　one　calls
every　man　one's　friend。〃
〃Well；　sir；〃　returned　Mazarin；　〃prudence　is　a　fine　thing；
but　to…day　you　might　regret　having　been　too　prudent。〃
〃My　lord；　Pythagoras　made　his　disciples　keep　silence　for
five　years　that　they　might　learn　to　hold　their　tongues。〃
〃But　you　have　been　silent　for　twenty　years；　sir。　Speak；　now
the　queen　herself　releases　you　from　your　promise。〃
〃The　queen！〃　said　D'Artagnan；　with　an　astonishment　which
this　time　was　not　pretended。
〃Yes；　the　queen！　And　as　a　proof　of　what　I　say　she　commanded
me　to　show　you　this　diamond；　which　she　thinks　you　know。〃
And　so　saying；　Mazarin　extended　his　hand　to　the　officer；　who
sighed　as　he　recognized　the　ring　so　gracefully　given　to　him
by　the　queen　on　the　night　of　the　ball　at　the　Hotel　de　Ville
and　which　she　had　repurchased　from　Monsieur　des　Essarts。
〃'Tis　true。　I　remember　well　that　diamond；　which　belonged　to
the　queen。〃
〃You　see；　then；　that　I　speak　to　you　in　the　queen's　name。
Answer　me　without　acting　as　if　you　were　on　the　stage；　your
interests　are　concerned　in　your　so　doing。〃
〃Faith；　my　lord；　it　is　very　necessary　for　me　to　make　my
fortune；　your　eminence　has　so　long　forgotten　me。〃
〃We　need　only　a　week　to　amend　all　that。　Come；　you　are
accounted　for；　you　are　here；　but　where　are　your　friends？〃
〃I　do　not　know；　my　lord。　We　have　parted　company　this　long
time；　all　three　have　left　the　service。〃
〃Where　can　you　find　them；　then？〃
〃Wherever　they　are；　that's　my　business。〃
〃Well；　now；　what　are　your　conditions；　if　I　employ　you？〃
〃Money；　my　lord；　as　much　money　as　what　you　wish　me　to
undertake　will　require。　I　remember　too　well　how　sometimes　we
were　stopped　for　want　of　money；　and　but　for　that　diamond；
which　I　was　obliged　to　sell；　we　should　have　remained　on　the
road。〃
〃The　devil　he　does！　Money！　and　a　large　sum！〃　said　Mazarin。
〃Pray；　are　you　aware　that　the　king　has　no　money　in　his
treasury？〃
〃Do　then　as　I　did；　my　lord。　Sell　the　crown　diamonds。　Trust
me；　don't　let　us　try　to　do　things　cheaply。　Great
undertakings　come　poorly　off　with　paltry　means。〃
〃Well；〃　returned　Mazarin；　〃we　will　satisfy　you。〃
〃Richelieu；〃　thought　D'Artagnan；　〃would　have　given　me　five
hundred　pistoles　in　advance。〃
〃You　will　then　be　at　my　service？〃　asked　Mazarin。
〃Yes；　if　my　friends　agree。〃
〃But　if　they　refuse　can　I　count　on　you？〃
〃I　have　never　accomplished　anything　alone；〃　said　D'Artagnan；
shaking　his　head。
〃Go；　then；　and　find　them。〃
〃What　shall　I　say　to　them　by　way　of　inducement　to　serve　your
eminence？〃
〃You　know　them　better　than　I。　Adapt　your　promises　to　their
respective　characters。〃
〃What　shall　I　promise？〃
〃That　if　they　serve　me　as　well　as　they　served　the　queen　my
gratitude　shall　be　magnificent。〃
〃But　what　are　we　to　do？〃
〃Make　your　mind　easy；　when　the　time　for　action　comes　you
shall　be　put　in　full　possession　of　what　I　require　from　you；
wait　till　that　time　arrives　and　find　out　your　friends。〃
〃My　lord；　perhaps　they　are　not　in　Paris。　It　is　even　probable
that　I　shall　have　to　make　a　journey。　I　am　only　a　lieutenant
of　musketeers；　very　poor；　and　journeys　cost　money。
〃My　intention；〃　said　Mazarin；　〃is　not　that　you　go　with　a
great　followin