twenty years after(二十年后)-第114章

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heart；　the　best　friend；　the　best　soldier　that　I　know　　you；
with　a　soul　that　makes　you　worthy　of　a　birth　on　the　steps　of
a　throne；　and　who；　sooner　or　later；　must　receive　your　reward
from　an　intelligent　king　　you；　my　dear　Porthos；　you；　a
gentleman　in　manners；　in　tastes　and　in　courage；　you　are　as
culpable　as　D'Artagnan。〃
Porthos　blushed；　but　with　pleasure　rather　than　with
confusion；　and　yet；　bowing　his　head；　as　if　humiliated；　he
said：
〃Yes；　yes；　my　dear　count；　I　feel　that　you　are　right。〃
Athos　arose。
〃Come；〃　he　said；　stretching　out　his　hand　to　D'Artagnan；
〃come；　don't　be　sullen；　my　dear　son；　for　I　have　said　all
this　to　you；　if　not　in　the　tone；　at　least　with　the　feelings
of　a　father。　It　would　have　been　easier　to　me　merely　to　have
thanked　you　for　preserving　my　life　and　not　to　have　uttered　a
word　of　all　this。〃
〃Doubtless；　doubtless；　Athos。　But　here　it　is：　you　have
sentiments；　the　devil　knows　what；　such　as　every　one　can't
entertain。　Who　could　suppose　that　a　sensible　man　could　leave
his　house；　France；　his　ward　　a　charming　youth；　for　we　saw
him　in　the　camp　　to　fly　to　the　aid　of　a　rotten；　worm…eaten
royalty；　which　is　going　to　crumble　one　of　these　days　like　an
old　hovel。　The　sentiments　you　air　are　certainly　fine；　so
fine　that　they　are　superhuman。〃
〃However　that　may　be；　D'Artagnan；〃　replied　Athos；　without
falling　into　the　snare　which　his　Gascon　friend　had　prepared
for　him　by　an　appeal　to　his　parental　love；　〃however　that　may
be；　you　know　in　the　bottom　of　your　heart　that　it　is　true；
but　I　am　wrong　to　dispute　with　my　master。　D'Artagnan；　I　am
your　prisoner　　treat　me　as　such。〃
〃Ah！　pardieu！〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃you　know　you　will　not　be　my
prisoner　very　long。〃
〃No；〃　said　Aramis；　〃they　will　doubtless　treat　us　like　the
prisoners　of　the　Philipghauts。〃
〃And　how　were　they　treated？〃　asked　D'Artagnan。
〃Why；〃　said　Aramis；　〃one…half　were　hanged　and　the　other　half
were　shot。〃
〃Well；　I；〃　said　D'Artagnan　〃I　answer　that　while　there
remains　a　drop　of　blood　in　my　veins　you　will　be　neither
hanged　nor　shot。　Sang　Diou！　let　them　come　on！　Besides　　do
you　see　that　door；　Athos？〃
〃Yes；　what　then？〃
〃Well；　you　can　go　out　by　that　door　whenever　you　please；　for
from　this　moment　you　are　free　as　the　air。〃
〃I　recognize　you　there；　my　brave　D'Artagnan；〃　replied　Athos；
〃but　you　are　no　longer　our　masters。　That　door　is　guarded；
D'Artagnan；　you　know　that。〃
〃Very　well；　you　will　force　it；〃　said　Porthos。　〃There　are
only　a　dozen　men　at　the　most。〃
〃That　would　be　nothing　for　us　four；　it　is　too　much　for　us
two。　No；　divided　as　we　now　are；　we　must　perish。　See　the
fatal　example：　on　the　Vendomois　road；　D'Artagnan；　you　so
brave；　and　you；　Porthos；　so　valiant　and　so　strong　　you
were　beaten；　to…day　Aramis　and　I　are　beaten　in　our　turn。　Now
that　never　happened　to　us　when　we　were　four　together。　Let　us
die；　then；　as　De　Winter　has　died；　as　for　me；　I　will　fly　only
on　condition　that　we　all　fly　together。〃
〃Impossible；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃we　are　under　Mazarin's
orders。〃
〃I　know　it　and　I　have　nothing　more　to　say；　my　arguments　lead
to　nothing；　doubtless　they　are　bad；　since　they　have　not
determined　minds　so　just　as　yours。〃
〃Besides；〃　said　Aramis；　〃had　they　taken　effect　it　would　be
still　better　not　to　compromise　two　excellent　friends　like
D'Artagnan　and　Porthos。　Be　assured；　gentlemen；　we　shall　do
you　honor　in　our　dying。　As　for　myself；　I　shall　be　proud　to
face　the　bullets；　or　even　the　rope；　in　company　with　you；
Athos；　for　you　have　never　seemed　to　me　so　grand　as　you　are
to…day。〃
D'Artagnan　said　nothing；　but；　after　having　gnawed　the　flower
stalk；　he　began　to　bite　his　nails。　At　last：
〃Do　you　imagine；〃　he　resumed；　〃that　they　mean　to　kill　you？
And　wherefore　should　they　do　so？　What　interest　have　they　in
your　death？　Moreover；　you　are　our　prisoners。〃
〃Fool！〃　cried　Aramis；　〃knowest　thou　not；　then；　Mordaunt？　I
have　but　exchanged　with　him　one　look；　yet　that　look
convinced　me　that　we　were　doomed。〃
〃The　truth　is；　I'm　very　sorry　that　I　did　not　strangle　him　as
you　advised　me；〃　said　Porthos。
〃Eh！　I　make　no　account　of　the　harm　Mordaunt　can　do！〃　cried
D'Artagnan。　〃Cap　de　Diou！　if　he　troubles　me　too　much　I　will
crush　him；　the　insect！　Do　not　fly；　then。　It　is　useless；　for
I　swear　to　you　that　you　are　as　safe　here　as　you　were　twenty
years；　ago　　you；　Athos；　in　the　Rue　Ferou；　and　you；　Aramis；
in　the　Rue　de　Vaugirard。〃
〃Stop；〃　cried　Athos；　extending　his　hand　to　one　of　the　grated
windows　by　which　the　room　was　lighted；　〃you　will　soon　know
what　to　expect；　for　here　he　is。〃
〃Who？〃
〃Mordaunt。〃
In　fact；　looking　at　the　place　to　which　Athos　pointed；
D'Artagnan　saw　a　cavalier　coming　toward　the　house　at　full
gallop。
It　was　Mordaunt。
D'Artagnan　rushed　out　of　the　room。
Porthos　wanted　to　follow　him。
〃Stay；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃and　do　not　come　till　you　hear　me
drum　my　fingers　on　the　door。〃
When　Mordaunt　arrived　opposite　the　house　he　saw　D'Artagnan
on　the　threshold　and　the　soldiers　lying　on　the　grass　here
and　there；　with　their　arms。
〃Halloo！〃　he　cried；　〃are　the　prisoners　still　there？〃
〃Yes；　sir；〃　answered　the　sergeant；　uncovering。
〃'Tis　well；　order　four　men　to　conduct　them　to　my　lodging。〃
Four　men　prepared　to　do　so。
〃What　is　it？〃　said　D'Artagnan；　with　that　jeering　manner
which　our　readers　have　so　often　observed　in　him　since　they
made　his　acquaintance。　〃What　is　the　matter；　if　you　please？〃
〃Sir；〃　replied　Mordaunt；　〃I　have　ordered　the　two　prisoners
we　made　this　morning　to　be　conducted　to　my　lodging。〃
〃Wherefore；　sir？　Excuse　curiosity；　but　I　wish　to　be
enlightened　on　the　subject。〃
〃Because　these　prisoners；　sir；　are　at　my　disposal　and　I
choose　to　dispose　of　them　as　I　like。〃
〃Allow　me　　allow　me；　sir；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃to　observe
you　are　in　error。　The　prisoners　belong　to　those　who　take
them　and　not　to　those　who　only　saw　them　taken。　You　might
have　taken　Lord　Winter　　who；　'tis　said；　was　your　uncle　
prisoner；　but　you　preferred　killing　him；　'tis　well；　we；　that
is；　Monsieur　du　Vallon　and　I；　could　have　killed　our
prisoners　　we　preferred　taking　them。〃
Mordaunt's　very　lips　grew　white　with　rage。
D'Artagnan　now　saw　that　affairs　were　growing　worse　and　he
beat　the　guard's　march　upon　the　door。　At　the　first　beat
Porthos　rushed　out　and　stood　on　the　other　side　of　the　door。
This　movement　was　observed　by　Mordaunt。
〃Sir！〃　he　thus　addressed　D'Artagnan；　〃your　resistance　is
useless；　these　prisoners　have　just　been　given　me　by　my
illustrious　patron；　Oliver　Cromwell。〃
These　words　struck　D'Artagnan　like　a　thunderbolt。　The　blood
mounted　to　his　temples；　his　eyes　became　dim；　he　saw　from
what　fountainhead　the　ferocious　hopes　of　the　young　man
arose；　and　he　put　his　hand　to　the　hilt　of　his　sword。
As　for　Porthos；　he　looked　inquiringly　at　D'Artagnan。
This　look　of　Porthos's　made　the　Gascon　regret　that　he　had
summoned　the　brute　force　of　his　friend　to　aid　him　in　an
affair　which　seemed　to　require　chiefly　cunning。
〃Violence；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃would　spoil　all；
D'Artagnan；　my　friend；　prove　to　this　young　serpent　that　thou
art　not　only　stronger；　but　more　subtle　than　he　is。〃
〃Ah！〃　he　said；　making　a　low　bow；　〃why　did　you　not　begin　by
saying　that；　Monsieur　Mordaunt？　What！　are　you　sent　by
General　Oliver　Cromwell；　the　most　illustrious　captain　of　the
age？〃
〃I　have　this　instant　left　him；〃　replied　Mordaunt；　alighting；
in　order　to　give　his　horse　to　a　soldier　to　hold。
〃Why　did　you　not　say　so　at　once；　my　dear　sir！　all　England　is
with　Cromwell；　and　since　you　ask　for　my　prisoners；　I　bend；
sir；　to　your　wishes。　They　are　yours；　take　them。〃
Mordaunt；　delighted；　advanced；　Porthos　looking　at　D'Artagnan
with　open…mouthed　astonishment。　Then　D'Artagnan　trod　on　his
foot　and　Porthos　began　to　understand　that　this　was　merely
acting。
Mordaunt　put　his　foot　on　the　first　step　of　the　door　and；
with　his　hat　in　hand；　prepared　to　pass　by　the　two　friends；
motioning　to　the　four　men　to　follow　him。
〃But；　pardon；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　with　the　most　charming　smile
and　putting　his　hand　on　the　young　man's　shoulder；　〃if　the
illustrious　General　Oliver　Cromwell　has　disposed　of　our
prisoners　in　your　favour；　he　has；　of　course；　made　that　act
of　donation　in　writing。〃
Mordaunt　stopped　short。
〃He　has　given　you　some　little　writing　for　me　　the　least
bit　of　paper　which　may　show　that　you　come　in　his　name。