twenty years after(二十年后)-第153章

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them　without　the　gates。
Athos　was　looking　on　attentively；　when　some　one　touched　him
softly　on　the　shoulder。
〃Ah！　Monsieur　de　Comminges；〃　he　said。
〃Yes；　count；　and　charged　with　a　commission　for　which　I　beg
of　you　to　accept　my　excuses。〃
〃What　is　it？〃
〃Be　so　good　as　to　give　me　up　your　sword；　count。〃
Athos　smiled　and　opened　the　window。
〃Aramis！〃　he　cried。
A　gentleman　turned　around。　Athos　fancied　he　had　seen　him
among　the　crowd。　It　was　Aramis。　He　bowed　with　great
friendship　to　the　count。
〃Aramis；〃　cried　Athos；　〃I　am　arrested。〃
〃Good；〃　replied　Aramis；　calmly。
〃Sir；〃　said　Athos；　turning　to　Comminges　and　giving　him
politely　his　sword　by　the　hilt；　〃here　is　my　sword；　have　the
kindness　to　keep　it　safely　for　me　until　I　quit　my　prison。　I
prize　it　　it　was　given　to　my　ancestor　by　King　Francis　I。
In　his　time　they　armed　gentlemen；　not　disarmed　them。　Now；
whither　do　you　conduct　me？〃
〃Into　my　room　first；〃　replied　Comminges；　〃the　queen　will
ultimately　decide　your　place　of　domicile。〃
Athos　followed　Comminges　without　saying　a　single　word。

81
Cardinal　Mazarin　as　King。

The　arrest　produced　no　sensation；　indeed　was　almost　unknown；
and　scarcely　interrupted　the　course　of　events。　To　the
deputation　it　was　formally　announced　that　the　queen　would
receive　it。
Accordingly；　it　was　admitted　to　the　presence　of　Anne；　who；
silent　and　lofty　as　ever；　listened　to　the　speeches　and
complaints　of　the　deputies；　but　when　they　had　finished　their
harangues　not　one　of　them　could　say；　so　calm　remained　her
face；　whether　or　no　she　had　heard　them。
On　the　other　hand；　Mazarin；　present　at　that　audience；　heard
very　well　what　those　deputies　demanded。　It　was　purely　and
simply　his　removal；　in　terms　clear　and　precise。
The　discourse　being　finished；　the　queen　remained　silent。
〃Gentlemen；〃　said　Mazarin；　〃I　join　with　you　in　supplicating
the　queen　to　put　an　end　to　the　miseries　of　her　subjects。　I
have　done　all　in　my　power　to　ameliorate　them　and　yet　the
belief　of　the　public；　you　say；　is　that　they　proceed　from　me；
an　unhappy　foreigner；　who　has　been　unable　to　please　the
French。　Alas！　I　have　never　been　understood；　and　no　wonder。　I
succeeded　a　man　of　the　most　sublime　genius　that　ever　upheld
the　sceptre　of　France。　The　memory　of　Richelieu　annihilates
me。　In　vain　　were　I　an　ambitious　man　　should　I　struggle
against　such　remembrances　as　he　has　left；　but　that　I　am　not
ambitious　I　am　going　to　prove　to　you。　I　own　myself
conquered。　I　shall　obey　the　wishes　of　the　people。　If　Paris
has　injuries　to　complain　of；　who　has　not　some　wrongs　to　be
redressed？　Paris　has　been　sufficiently　punished；　enough
blood　has　flowed；　enough　misery　has　humbled　a　town　deprived
of　its　king　and　of　justice。　'Tis　not　for　me；　a　private
individual；　to　disunite　a　queen　from　her　kingdom。　Since　you
demand　my　resignation；　I　retire。〃
〃Then；〃　said　Aramis；　in　his　neighbor's　ear；　〃the　conferences
are　over。　There　is　nothing　to　do　but　to　send　Monsieur
Mazarin　to　the　most　distant　frontier　and　to　take　care　that
he　does　not　return　even　by　that；　nor　any　other　entrance　into
France。〃
〃One　instant；　sir；〃　said　the　man　in　a　gown；　whom　he
addressed；　〃a　plague　on't！　how　fast　you　go！　one　may　soon　see
that　you're　a　soldier。　There's　the　article　of　remunerations
and　indemnifications　to　be　discussed　and　set　to　rights。〃
〃Chancellor；〃　said　the　queen；　turning　to　Seguier；　our　old
acquaintance；　〃you　will　open　the　conferences。　They　can　take
place　at　Rueil。　The　cardinal　has　said　several　things　which
have　agitated　me；　therefore　I　will　not　speak　more　fully　now。
As　to　his　going　or　staying；　I　feel　too　much　gratitude　to　the
cardinal　not　to　leave　him　free　in　all　his　actions；　he　shall
do　what　he　wishes　to　do。〃
A　transient　pallor　overspread　the　speaking　countenance　of
the　prime　minister；　he　looked　at　the　queen　with　anxiety。　Her
face　was　so　passionless；　that　he；　as　every　one　else　present；
was　incapable　of　reading　her　thoughts。
〃But；〃　added　the　queen；　〃in　awaiting　the　cardinal's　decision
let　there　be；　if　you　please；　a　reference　to　the　king　only。〃
The　deputies　bowed　and　left　the　room。
〃What！〃　exclaimed　the　queen；　when　the　last　of　them　had
quitted　the　apartment；　〃you　would　yield　to　these　limbs　of
the　law　　these　advocates？〃
〃To　promote　your　majesty's　welfare；　madame；〃　replied
Mazarin；　fixing　his　penetrating　eyes　on　the　queen；　〃there　is
no　sacrifice　that　I　would　not　make。〃
Anne　dropped　her　head　and　fell　into　one　of　those　reveries　so
habitual　with　her。　A　recollection　of　Athos　came　into　her
mind。　His　fearless　deportment；　his　words；　so　firm；　yet
dignified；　the　shades　which　by　one　word　he　had　evoked；
recalled　to　her　the　past　in　all　its　intoxication　of　poetry
and　romance；　youth；　beauty；　the　eclat　of　love　at　twenty
years　of　age；　the　bloody　death　of　Buckingham；　the　only　man
whom　she　had　ever　really　loved；　and　the　heroism　of　those
obscure　champions　who　had　saved　her　from　the　double　hatred
of　Richelieu　and　the　king。
Mazarin　looked　at　her；　and　whilst　she　deemed　herself　alone
and　freed　from　the　world　of　enemies　who　sought　to　spy　into
her　secret　thoughts；　he　read　her　thoughts　in　her
countenance；　as　one　sees　in　a　transparent　lake　clouds　pass
　reflections；　like　thoughts；　of　the　heavens。
〃Must　we；　then；〃　asked　Anne　of　Austria；　〃yield　to　the　storm；
buy　peace；　and　patiently　and　piously　await　better　times？〃
Mazarin　smiled　sarcastically　at　this　speech；　which　showed
that　she　had　taken　the　minister's　proposal　seriously。
Anne's　head　was　bent　down　　she　had　not　seen　the　Italian's
smile；　but　finding　that　her　question　elicited　no　reply　she
looked　up。
〃Well；　you　do　not　answer；　cardinal；　what　do　you　think　about
it？〃
〃I　am　thinking；　madame；　of　the　allusion　made　by　that
insolent　gentleman；　whom　you　have　caused　to　be　arrested；　to
the　Duke　of　Buckingham　　to　him　whom　you　allowed　to　be
assassinated　　to　the　Duchess　de　Chevreuse；　whom　you
suffered　to　be　exiled　　to　the　Duc　de　Beaufort；　whom　you
imprisoned；　but　if　he　made　allusion　to　me　it　was　because　he
is　ignorant　of　the　relation　in　which　I　stand　to　you。〃
Anne　drew　up；　as　she　always　did；　when　anything　touched　her
pride。　She　blushed；　and　that　she　might　not　answer；　clasped
her　beautiful　hands　till　her　sharp　nails　almost　pierced
them。
〃That　man　has　sagacity；　honor　and　wit；　not　to　mention
likewise　that　he　is　a　man　of　undoubted　resolution。　You　know
something　about　him；　do　you　not；　madame？　I　shall　tell　him；
therefore；　and　in　doing　so　I　shall　confer　a　personal　favor
on　him；　how　he　is　mistaken　in　regard　to　me。　What　is　proposed
to　me　would　be；　in　fact；　almost　an　abdication；　and　an
abdication　requires　reflection。〃
〃An　abdication？〃　repeated　Anne；　〃I　thought；　sir；　that　it　was
kings　alone　who　abdicated！〃
〃Well；〃　replied　Mazarin；　〃and　am　I　not　almost　a　king　
king；　indeed；　of　France？　Thrown　over　the　foot　of　the　royal
bed；　my　simar；　madame；　looks　not　unlike　the　mantle　worn　by
kings。〃
This　was　one　of　the　humiliations　which　Mazarin　made　Anne
undergo　more　frequently　than　any　other；　and　one　that　bowed
her　head　with　shame。　Queen　Elizabeth　and　Catherine　II。　of
Russia　are　the　only　two　monarchs　of　their　set　on　record　who
were　at　once　sovereigns　and　lovers。　Anne　of　Austria　looked
with　a　sort　of　terror　at　the　threatening　aspect　of　the
cardinal　　his　physiognomy　in　such　moments　was　not
destitute　of　a　certain　grandeur。
〃Sir；〃　she　replied；　〃did　I　not　say；　and　did　you　not　hear　me
say　to　those　people；　that　you　should　do　as　you　pleased？〃
〃In　that　case；〃　said　Mazarin；　〃I　think　it　must　please　me
best　to　remain；　not　only　on　account　of　my　own　interest；　but
for　your　safety。〃
〃Remain；　then；　sir；　nothing　can　be　more　agreeable　to　me；
only　do　not　allow　me　to　be　insulted。〃
〃You　are　referring　to　the　demands　of　the　rebels　and　to　the
tone　in　which　they　stated　them？　Patience！　They　have　selected
a　field　of　battle　on　which　I　am　an　abler　general　than　they
　that　of　a　conference。　No；　we　shall　beat　them　by　merely
temporizing。　They　want　food　already。　They　will　be　ten　times
worse　off　in　a　week。〃
〃Ah；　yes！　Good　heavens！　I　know　it　will　end　in　that　way；　but
it　is　not　they　who　taunt　me　with　the　most　wounding
reproaches；　but　　〃
〃I　understand；　you　mean　to　allude　to　the　recollections
perpetually　revived　by　these　three　gentlemen。　However；　we
have　them　safe　in　prison；　and　they　are