twenty years after(二十年后)-第152章

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of　Austria。〃
〃Adieu；　Athos；　I　am　going　to　raise　an　army。〃
〃For　what　purpose？〃
〃To　come　back　and　besiege　Rueil。〃
〃Where　shall　we　meet　again？〃
〃At　the　foot　of　the　cardinal's　gallows。〃
The　two　friends　departed　　Aramis　to　return　to　Paris；　Athos
to　take　measures　preparatory　to　an　interview　with　the　queen。

80
The　Gratitude　of　Anne　of　Austria。

Athos　found　much　less　difficulty　than　he　had　expected　in
obtaining　an　audience　of　Anne　of　Austria。　It　was　granted；
and　was　to　take　place　after　her　morning's　〃levee；〃　at　which；
in　accordance　with　his　rights　of　birth；　he　was　entitled　to
be　present。　A　vast　crowd　filled　the　apartments　of　Saint
Germain。　Anne　had　never　at　the　Louvre　had　so　large　a　court；
but　this　crowd　represented　chiefly　the　second　class　of
nobility；　while　the　Prince　de　Conti；　the　Duc　de　Beaufort　and
the　coadjutor　assembled　around　them　the　first　nobility　of
France。
The　greatest　possible　gayety　prevailed　at　court。　The
particular　characteristic　of　this　was　that　more　songs　were
made　than　cannons　fired　during　its　continuance。　The　court
made　songs　on　the　Parisians　and　the　Parisians　on　the　court；
and　the　casualties；　though　not　mortal；　were　painful；　as　are
all　wounds　inflicted　by　the　weapon　of　ridicule。
In　the　midst　of　this　seeming　hilarity；　nevertheless；
people's　minds　were　uneasy。　Was　Mazarin　to　remain　the
favorite　and　minister　of　the　queen？　Was　he　to　be　carried
back　by　the　wind　which　had　blown　him　there？　Every　one　hoped
so；　so　that　the　minister　felt　that　all　around　him；　beneath
the　homage　of　the　courtiers；　lay　a　fund　of　hatred；　ill
disguised　by　fear　and　interest。　He　felt　ill　at　ease　and　at　a
loss　what　to　do。
Conde　himself；　whilst　fighting　for　him；　lost　no　opportunity
of　ridiculing；　of　humbling　him。　The　queen；　on　whom　he　threw
himself　as　sole　support；　seemed　to　him　now　not　much　to　be
relied　upon。
When　the　hour　appointed　for　the　audience　arrived　Athos　was
obliged　to　stay　until　the　queen；　who　was　waited　upon　by　a
new　deputation　from　Paris；　had　consulted　with　her　minister
as　to　the　propriety　and　manner　of　receiving　them。　All　were
fully　engrossed　with　the　affairs　of　the　day；　Athos　could　not
therefore　have　chosen　a　more　inauspicious　moment　to　speak　of
his　friends　　poor　atoms；　lost　in　that　raging　whirlwind。
But　Athos　was　a　man　of　inflexible　determination；　he　firmly
adhered　to　a　purpose　once　formed；　when　it　seemed　to　him　to
spring　from　conscience　and　to　be　prompted　by　a　sense　of
duty。　He　insisted　on　being　introduced；　saying　that　although
he　was　not　a　deputy　from　Monsieur　de　Conti；　or　Monsieur　de
Beaufort；　or　Monsieur　de　Bouillon；　or　Monsieur　d'Elbeuf；　or
the　coadjutor；　or　Madame　de　Longueville；　or　Broussel；　or　the
Parliament；　and　although　he　had　come　on　his　own　private
account；　he　nevertheless　had　things　to　say　to　her　majesty　of
the　utmost　importance。
The　conference　being　finished；　the　queen　summoned　him　to　her
cabinet。
Athos　was　introduced　and　announced　by　name。　It　was　a　name
that　too　often　resounded　in　her　majesty's　ears　and　too　often
vibrated　in　her　heart　for　Anne　of　Austria　not　to　recognize
it；　yet　she　remained　impassive；　looking　at　him　with　that
fixed　stare　which　is　tolerated　only　in　women　who　are　queens；
either　by　the　power　of　beauty　or　by　the　right　of　birth。
〃It　is　then　a　service　which　you　propose　to　render　us；
count？〃　asked　Anne　of　Austria；　after　a　moment's　silence。
〃Yes；　madame；　another　service；〃　said　Athos；　shocked　that　the
queen　did　not　seem　to　recognize　him。
Athos　had　a　noble　heart；　and　made；　therefore；　but　a　poor
courtier。
Anne　frowned。　Mazarin；　who　was　sitting　at　a　table　folding　up
papers；　as　if　he　had　only　been　a　secretary　of　state；　looked
up。
〃Speak；〃　said　the　queen。
Mazarin　turned　again　to　his　papers。
〃Madame；〃　resumed　Athos；　〃two　of　my　friends；　named
D'Artagnan　and　Monsieur　du　Vallon；　sent　to　England　by　the
cardinal；　suddenly　disappeared　when　they　set　foot　on　the
shores　of　France；　no　one　knows　what　has　become　of　them。〃
〃Well？〃　said　the　queen。
〃I　address　myself；　therefore；　first　to　the　benevolence　of
your　majesty；　that　I　may　know　what　has　become　of　my　friends；
reserving　to　myself；　if　necessary；　the　right　of　appealing
hereafter　to　your　justice。〃
〃Sir；〃　replied　Anne；　with　a　degree　of　haughtiness　which　to
certain　persons　became　impertinence；　〃this　is　the　reason
that　you　trouble　me　in　the　midst　of　so　many　absorbing
concerns！　an　affair　for　the　police！　Well；　sir；　you　ought　to
know　that　we　no　longer　have　a　police；　since　we　are　no　longer
at　Paris。〃
〃I　think　your　majesty　will　have　no　need　to　apply　to　the
police　to　know　where　my　friends　are；　but　that　if　you　will
deign　to　interrogate　the　cardinal　he　can　reply　without　any
further　inquiry　than　into　his　own　recollections。〃
〃But；　God　forgive　me！〃　cried　Anne；　with　that　disdainful　curl
of　the　lips　peculiar　to　her；　〃I　believe　that　you　are
yourself　interrogating。〃
〃Yes；　madame；　here　I　have　a　right　to　do　so；　for　it　concerns
Monsieur　d'Artagnan　…d'Artagnan；〃　he　repeated；　in　such　a
manner　as　to　bow　the　regal　brow　with　recollections　of　the
weak　and　erring　woman。
The　cardinal　saw　that　it　was　now　high　time　to　come　to　the
assistance　of　Anne。
〃Sir；〃　he　said；　〃I　can　tell　you　what　is　at　present　unknown
to　her　majesty。　These　individuals　are　under　arrest。　They
disobeyed　orders。〃
〃I　beg　of　your　majesty；　then；〃　said　Athos；　calmly　and　not
replying　to　Mazarin；　〃to　quash　these　arrests　of　Messieurs
d'Artagnan　and　du　Vallon。〃
〃What　you　ask　is　merely　an　affair　of　discipline　and　does　not
concern　me；〃　said　the　queen。
〃Monsieur　d'Artagnan　never　made　such　an　answer　as　that　when
the　service　of　your　majesty　was　concerned；〃　said　Athos；
bowing　with　great　dignity。　He　was　going　toward　the　door　when
Mazarin　stopped　him。
〃You；　too；　have　been　in　England；　sir？〃　he　said；　making　a
sign　to　the　queen；　who　was　evidently　going　to　issue　a　severe
order。
〃I　was　a　witness　of　the　last　hours　of　Charles　I。　Poor　king！
culpable；　at　the　most；　of　weakness；　how　cruelly　punished　by
his　subjects！　Thrones　are　at　this　time　shaken　and　it　is　to
little　purpose　for　devoted　hearts　to　serve　the　interests　of
princes。　This　is　the　second　time　that　Monsieur　d'Artagnan
has　been　in　England。　He　went　the　first　time　to　save　the
honor　of　a　great　queen；　the　second；　to　avert　the　death　of　a
great　king。〃
〃Sir；〃　said　Anne　to　Mazarin；　with　an　accent　from　which　daily
habits　of　dissimulation　could　not　entirely　chase　the　real
expression；　〃see　if　we　can　do　something　for　these
gentlemen。〃
〃I　wish　to　do；　madame；　all　that　your　majesty　pleases。〃
〃Do　what　Monsieur　de　la　Fere　requests；　that　is　your　name；　is
it　not；　sir？〃
〃I　have　another　name；　madame　　I　am　called　Athos。〃
〃Madame；〃　said　Mazarin；　with　a　smile；　〃you　may　rest　easy；
your　wishes　shall　be　fulfilled。〃
〃You　hear；　sir？〃　said　the　queen。
〃Yes；　madame；　I　expected　nothing　less　from　the　justice　of
your　majesty。　May　I　not　go　and　see　my　friends？〃
〃Yes；　sir；　you　shall　see　them。　But；　apropos；　you　belong　to
the　Fronde；　do　you　not？〃
〃Madame；　I　serve　the　king。〃
〃Yes；　in　your　own　way。〃
〃My　way　is　the　way　of　all　gentlemen；　and　I　know　only　one
way；〃　answered　Athos；　haughtily。
〃Go；　sir；　then；〃　said　the　queen；　〃you　have　obtained　what　you
wish　and　we　know　all　we　desire　to　know。〃
Scarcely；　however；　had　the　tapestry　closed　behind　Athos　when
she　said　to　Mazarin：
〃Cardinal；　desire　them　to　arrest　that　insolent　fellow　before
he　leaves　the　court。〃
〃Your　majesty；〃　answered　Mazarin；　〃desires　me　to　do　only
what　I　was　going　to　ask　you　to　let　me　do。　These　bravoes　who
resuscitate　in　our　epoch　the　traditions　of　another　reign　are
troublesome；　since　there　are　two　of　them　already　there；　let
us　add　a　third。〃
Athos　was　not　altogether　the　queen's　dupe；　but　he　was　not　a
man　to　run　away　on　suspicion　　above　all；　when　distinctly
told　that　he　should　see　his　friends　again。　He　waited；　then；
in　the　ante…chamber　with　impatience；　till　he　should　be
conducted　to　them。
He　walked　to　the　window　and　looked　into　the　court。　He　saw
the　deputation　from　the　Parisians　enter　it；　they　were　coming
to　assign　the　definitive　place　for　the　conference　and　to
make　their　bow　to　the　queen。　A　very　imposing　escort　awaited
them　without　the　gates。
Athos　was　looking　on　attentively；　when　some　one　touched　him
softly　on　the　shoulder。
〃Ah！　Monsi