twenty years after(二十年后)-第143章

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ourselves；　it　is　not　to　abandon　them　that　we　have　separated；
but　to　avoid　compromising　them。〃
〃Really？〃　said　Porthos；　opening　his　eyes　in　astonishment。
〃Yes；　no　doubt。　If　they　are　arrested　they　will　only　be　put
in　the　Bastile；　if　we　are　arrested　it　is　a　matter　of　the
Place　de　Greve。〃
〃Oh！　oh！〃　said　Porthos；　〃there　is　quite　a　gap　between　that
fate　and　the　baronial　coronet　you　promised　me；　D'Artagnan。〃
〃Bah！　perhaps　not　so　great　as　you　think；　Porthos；　you　know
the　proverb；　‘All　roads　lead　to　Rome。'〃
〃But　how　is　it　that　we　are　incurring　greater　risks　than
Athos　and　Aramis？〃　asked　Porthos。
〃Because　they　have　but　fulfilled　the　mission　confided　to
them　by　Queen　Henrietta　and　we　have　betrayed　that　confided
to　us　by　Mazarin；　because；　going　hence　as　emissaries　to
Cromwell；　we　became　partisans　of　King　Charles；　because；
instead　of　helping　cut　off　the　royal　head　condemned　by　those
fellows　called　Mazarin；　Cromwell；　Joyce；　Bridge；　Fairfax；
etc。；　we　very　nearly　succeeded　in　saving　it。〃
〃Upon　my　word　that　is　true；〃　said　Porthos；　〃but　how　can　you
suppose；　my　dear　friend；　that　in　the　midst　of　his　great
preoccupations　General　Cromwell　has　had　time　to　think　　〃
〃Cromwell　thinks　of　everything；　Cromwell　has　time　for
everything；　and　believe　me；　dear　friend；　we　ought　not　to
lose　our　time　　it　is　precious。　We　shall　not　be　safe　till
we　have　seen　Mazarin；　and　then　　〃
〃The　devil！〃　said　Porthos；　〃what　can　we　say　to　Mazarin？〃
〃Leave　that　to　me　　I　have　my　plan。　He　laughs　best　who
laughs　last。　Cromwell　is　mighty；　Mazarin　is　tricky；　but　I
would　rather　have　to　do　with　them　than　with　the　late
Monsieur　Mordaunt。〃
〃Ah！〃　said　Porthos；　〃it　is　very　pleasant　to　be　able　to　say
‘the　late　Monsieur　Mordaunt。'〃
〃My　faith；　yes；〃　said　D'Artagnan。　〃But　we　must　be　going。〃
The　two　immediately　started　across　country　toward　the　road
to　Paris；　followed　by　Musqueton；　who；　after　being　too　cold
all　night；　at　the　end　of　a　quarter　of　an　hour　found　himself
too　warm。

75
The　Return。

During　the　six　weeks　that　Athos　and　Aramis　had　been　absent
from　France；　the　Parisians；　finding　themselves　one　morning
without　either　queen　or　king；　were　greatly　annoyed　at　being
thus　deserted；　and　the　absence　of　Mazarin；　a　thing　so　long
desired；　did　not　compensate　for　that　of　the　two　august
fugitives。
The　first　feeling　that　pervaded　Paris　on　hearing　of　the
flight　to　Saint　Germain；　was　that　sort　of　affright　which
seizes　children　when　they　awake　in　the　night　and　find
themselves　alone。　A　deputation　was　therefore　sent　to　the
queen　to　entreat　her　to　return　to　Paris；　but　she　not　only
declined　to　receive　the　deputies；　but　sent　an　intimation　by
Chancellor　Seguier；　implying　that　if　the　parliament　did　not
humble　itself　before　her　majesty　by　negativing　all　the
questions　that　had　been　the　cause　of　the　quarrel；　Paris
would　be　besieged　the　very　next　day。
This　threatening　answer；　unluckily　for　the　court；　produced
quite　a　different　effect　to　that　which　was　intended。　It
wounded　the　pride　of　the　parliament；　which；　supported　by　the
citizens；　replied　by　declaring　that　Cardinal　Mazarin　was　the
cause　of　all　the　discontent；　denounced　him　as　the　enemy　both
of　the　king　and　the　state；　and　ordered　him　to　retire　from
the　court　that　same　day　and　from　France　within　a　week
afterward；　enjoining；　in　case　of　disobedience　on　his　part；
all　the　subjects　of　the　king　to　pursue　and　take　him。
Mazarin　being　thus　placed　beyond　the　pale　of　the　protection
of　the　law；　preparations　on　both　sides　were　commenced　　by
the　queen；　to　attack　Paris；　by　the　citizens；　to　defend　it。
The　latter　were　occupied　in　breaking　up　the　pavement　and
stretching　chains　across　the　streets；　when；　headed　by　the
coadjutor；　appeared　the　Prince　de　Conti　（the　brother　of　the
Prince　de　Conde）　and　the　Duc　de　Longueville；　his
brother…in…law。　This　unexpected　band　of　auxiliaries　arrived
in　Paris　on　the　tenth　of　January　and　the　Prince　of　Conti　was
named；　but　not　until　after　a　stormy　discussion；
generalissimo　of　the　army　of　the　king；　out　of　Paris。
As　for　the　Duc　de　Beaufort；　he　arrived　from　Vendome；
according　to　the　annals　of　the　day；　bringing　with　him　his
high　bearing　and　his　long　and　beautiful　hair；　qualifications
which　gained　him　the　sovereignty　of　the　marketplaces。
The　Parisian　army　had　organized　with　the　promptness
characteristic　of　the　bourgeois　whenever　they　are　moved　by
any　sentiment　whatever　to　disguise　themselves　as　soldiers。
On　the　nineteenth　the　impromptu　army　had　attempted　a　sortie；
more　to　assure　itself　and　others　of　its　actual　existence
than　with　any　more　serious　intention。　They　carried　a　banner；
on　which　could　be　read　this　strange　device：　〃We　are　seeking
our　king。〃
The　next　following　days　were　occupied　in　trivial　movements
which　resulted　only　in　the　carrying　off　of　a　few　herds　of
cattle　and　the　burning　of　two　or　three　houses。
That　was　still　the　situation　of　affairs　up　to　the　early　days
of　February。　On　the　first　day　of　that　month　our　four
companions　had　landed　at　Boulogne；　and；　in　two　parties；　had
set　out　for　Paris。　Toward　the　end　of　the　fourth　day　of　the
journey　Athos　and　Aramis　reached　Nanterre；　which　place　they
cautiously　passed　by　on　the　outskirts；　fearing　that　they
might　encounter　some　troop　from　the　queen's　army。
It　was　against　his　will　that　Athos　took　these　precautions；
but　Aramis　had　very　judiciously　reminded　him　that　they　had
no　right　to　be　imprudent；　that　they　had　been　charged　by　King
Charles　with　a　supreme　and　sacred　mission；　which；　received
at　the　foot　of　the　scaffold；　could　be　accomplished　only　at
the　feet　of　Queen　Henrietta。　Upon　that；　Athos　yielded。
On　reaching　the　capital　Athos　and　Aramis　found　it　in　arms。
The　sentinel　at　the　gate　refused　even　to　let　them　pass；　and
called　his　sergeant。
The　sergeant；　with　the　air　of　importance　which　such　people
assume　when　they　are　clad　with　military　dignity；　said：
〃Who　are　you；　gentlemen？〃
〃Two　gentlemen。〃
〃And　where　do　you　come　from？〃
〃From　London。〃
〃And　what　are　you　going　to　do　in　Paris？〃
〃We　are　going　with　a　mission　to　Her　Majesty；　the　Queen　of
England。〃
〃Ah；　every　one　seems　to　be　going　to　see　the　queen　of
England。　We　have　already　at　the　station　three　gentlemen
whose　passports　are　under　examination；　who　are　on　their　way
to　her　majesty。　Where　are　your　passports？〃
〃We　have　none；　we　left　England；　ignorant　of　the　state　of
politics　here；　having　left　Paris　before　the　departure　of　the
king。〃
〃Ah！〃　said　the　sergeant；　with　a　cunning　smile；　〃you　are
Mazarinists；　who　are　sent　as　spies。〃
〃My　dear　friend；〃　here　Athos　spoke；　〃rest　assured；　if　we
were　Mazarinists　we　should　come　well　prepared　with　every
sort　of　passport。　In　your　situation　distrust　those　who　are
well　provided　with　every　formality。〃
〃Enter　the　guardroom；〃　said　the　sergeant；　〃we　will　lay　your
case　before　the　commandant　of　the　post。〃
The　guardroom　was　filled　with　citizens　and　common　people；
some　playing；　some　drinking；　some　talking。　In　a　corner；
almost　hidden　from　view；　were　three　gentlemen；　who　had
preceded　Athos　and　Aramis；　and　an　officer　was　examining
their　passports。　The　first　impulse　of　these　three；　and　of
those　who　last　entered；　was　to　cast　an　inquiring　glance　at
each　other。　The　first　arrivals　wore　long　cloaks；　in　whose
drapery　they　were　carefully　enveloped；　one　of　them；　shorter
than　the　rest；　remained　pertinaciously　in　the　background。
When　the　sergeant　on　entering　the　room　announced　that　in　all
probability　he　was　bringing　in　two　Mazarinists；　it　appeared
to　be　the　unanimous　opinion　of　the　officers　on　guard　that
they　ought　not　to　pass。
〃Be　it　so；〃　said　Athos；　〃yet　it　is　probable；　on　the
contrary；　that　we　shall　enter；　because　we　seem　to　have　to　do
with　sensible　people。　There　seems　to　be　only　one　thing　to
do；　which　is；　to　send　our　names　to　Her　Majesty　the　Queen　of
England；　and　if　she　engages　to　answer　for　us　I　presume　we
shall　be　allowed　to　enter。〃
On　hearing　these　words　the　shortest　of　the　other　three　men
seemed　more　attentive　than　ever　to　what　was　going　on；
wrapping　his　cloak　around　him　more　carefully　than　before。
〃Merciful　goodness！〃　whispered　Aramis　to　Athos；　〃did　you
see？〃
〃What？〃　asked　Athos。
〃The　face　of　the　shortest　of　those　three　gentlemen？〃
〃No。〃
〃He　looked　to　me　　but　'tis　impossible。〃
At　this　instant　the　sergeant；　w