twenty years after(二十年后)-第33章

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The　guard　had；　in　fact；　touched　the　cardinal　in　the
tenderest　point。　During　the　whole　five　years　in　which　the
Duc　de　Beaufort　had　been　in　prison　not　a　day　had　passed　in
which　the　cardinal　had　not　felt　a　secret　dread　of　his
escape。　It　was　not　possible；　as　he　knew　well；　to　confine　for
the　whole　of　his　life　the　grandson　of　Henry　IV。；　especially
when　this　young　prince　was　scarcely　thirty　years　of　age。　But
however　and　whensoever　he　did　escape；　what　hatred　he　must
cherish　against　him　to　whom　he　owed　his　long　imprisonment；
who　had　taken　him；　rich；　brave；　glorious；　beloved　by　women；
feared　by　men；　to　cut　off　his　life's　best；　happiest　years；
for　it　is　not　life；　it　is　merely　existence；　in　prison！
Meantime；　Mazarin　redoubled　his　surveillance　over　the　duke。
But　like　the　miser　in　the　fable；　he　could　not　sleep　for
thinking　of　his　treasure。　Often　he　awoke　in　the　night；
suddenly；　dreaming　that　he　had　been　robbed　of　Monsieur　de
Beaufort。　Then　he　inquired　about　him　and　had　the　vexation　of
hearing　that　the　prisoner　played；　drank；　sang；　but　that
whilst　playing；　drinking；　singing；　he　often　stopped　short　to
vow　that　Mazarin　should　pay　dear　for　all　the　amusements　he
had　forced　him　to　enter　into　at　Vincennes。
So　much　did　this　one　idea　haunt　the　cardinal　even　in　his
sleep；　that　when　at　seven　in　the　morning　Bernouin　came　to
arouse　him；　his　first　words　were：　〃Well；　what's　the　matter？
Has　Monsieur　de　Beaufort　escaped　from　Vincennes？〃
〃I　do　not　think　so；　my　lord；〃　said　Bernouin；　〃but　you　will
hear　about　him；　for　La　Ramee　is　here　and　awaits　the　commands
of　your　eminence。〃
〃Tell　him　to　come　in；〃　said　Mazarin；　arranging　his　pillows；
so　that　he　might　receive　the　visitor　sitting　up　in　bed。
The　officer　entered；　a　large　fat　man；　with　an　open
physiognomy。　His　air　of　perfect　serenity　made　Mazarin
uneasy。
〃Approach；　sir；〃　said　the　cardinal。
The　officer　obeyed。
〃Do　you　know　what　they　are　saying　here？〃
〃No；　your　eminence。〃
〃Well；　they　say　that　Monsieur　de　Beaufort　is　going　to　escape
from　Vincennes；　if　he　has　not　done　so　already。〃
The　officer's　face　expressed　complete　stupefaction。　He
opened　at　once　his　little　eyes　and　his　great　mouth；　to
inhale　better　the　joke　his　eminence　deigned　to　address　to
him；　and　ended　by　a　burst　of　laughter；　so　violent　that　his
great　limbs　shook　in　hilarity　as　they　would　have　done　in　an
ague。
〃Escape！　my　lord　　escape！　Your　eminence　does　not　then　know
where　Monsieur　de　Beaufort　is？〃
〃Yes；　I　do；　sir；　in　the　donjon　of　Vincennes。〃
〃Yes；　sir；　in　a　room；　the　walls　of　which　are　seven　feet
thick；　with　grated　windows；　each　bar　as　thick　as　my　arm。〃
〃Sir；〃　replied　Mazarin；　〃with　perseverance　one　may　penetrate
through　a　wall；　with　a　watch…spring　one　may　saw　through　an
iron　bar。〃
〃Then　my　lord　does　not　know　that　there　are　eight　guards
about　him；　four　in　his　chamber；　four　in　the　antechamber；　and
that　they　never　leave　him。〃
〃But　he　leaves　his　room；　he　plays　at　tennis　at　the　Mall？〃
〃Sir；　those　amusements　are　allowed；　but　if　your　eminence
wishes　it；　we　will　discontinue　the　permission。〃
〃No；　no！〃　cried　Mazarin；　fearing　that　should　his　prisoner
ever　leave　his　prison　he　would　be　the　more　exasperated
against　him　if　he　thus　retrenched　his　amusement。　He　then
asked　with　whom　he　played。
〃My　lord；　either　with　the　officers　of　the　guard；　with　the
other　prisoners；　or　with　me。〃
〃But　does　he　not　approach　the　walls　while　playing？〃
〃Your　eminence　doesn't　know　those　walls；　they　are　sixty　feet
high　and　I　doubt　if　Monsieur　de　Beaufort　is　sufficiently
weary　of　life　to　risk　his　neck　by　jumping　off。〃
〃Hum！〃　said　the　cardinal；　beginning　to　feel　more
comfortable。　〃You　mean　to　say；　then；　my　dear　Monsieur　la
Ramee　　〃
〃That　unless　Monsieur　de　Beaufort　can　contrive　to
metamorphose　himself　into　a　little　bird；　I　will　continue
answerable　for　him。〃
〃Take　care！　you　assert　a　great　deal；〃　said　Mazarin。
〃Monsieur　de　Beaufort　told　the　guards　who　took　him　to
Vincennes　that　he　had　often　thought　what　he　should　do　in
case　he　were　put　into　prison；　and　that　he　had　found　out
forty　ways　of　escaping。〃
〃My　lord；　if　among　these　forty　there　had　been　one　good　way
he　would　have　been　out　long　ago。〃
〃Come；　come；　not　such　a　fool　as　I　fancied！〃　thought　Mazarin。
〃Besides；　my　lord　must　remember　that　Monsieur　de　Chavigny　is
governor　of　Vincennes；〃　continued　La　Ramee；　〃and　that
Monsieur　de　Chavigny　is　not　friendly　to　Monsieur　de
Beaufort。〃
〃Yes；　but　Monsieur　de　Chavigny　is　sometimes　absent。〃
〃When　he　is　absent　I　am　there。〃
〃But　when　you　leave　him；　for　instance？〃
〃Oh！　when　I　leave　him；　I　place　in　my　stead　a　bold　fellow　who
aspires　to　be　his　majesty's　special　guard。　I　promise　you　he
keeps　a　good　watch　over　the　prisoner。　During　the　three　weeks
that　he　has　been　with　me；　I　have　only　had　to　reproach　him
with　one　thing　　being　too　severe　with　the　prisoners。〃
〃And　who　is　this　Cerberus？〃
〃A　certain　Monsieur　Grimaud；　my　lord。〃
〃And　what　was　he　before　he　went　to　Vincennes？〃
〃He　was　in　the　country；　as　I　was　told　by　the　person　who
recommended　him　to　me。〃
〃And　who　recommended　this　man　to　you？〃
〃The　steward　of　the　Duc　de　Grammont。〃
〃He　is　not　a　gossip；　I　hope？〃
〃Lord　a　mercy；　my　lord！　I　thought　for　a　long　time　that　he
was　dumb；　he　answers　only　by　signs。　It　seems　his　former
master　accustomed　him　to　that。〃
〃Well；　dear　Monsieur　la　Ramee；〃　replied　the　cardinal　〃let
him　prove　a　true　and　thankful　keeper　and　we　will　shut　our
eyes　upon　his　rural　misdeeds　and　put　on　his　back　a　uniform
to　make　him　respectable；　and　in　the　pockets　of　that　uniform
some　pistoles　to　drink　to　the　king's　health。〃
Mazarin　was　large　in　promises；　　quite　unlike　the　virtuous
Monsieur　Grimaud　so　bepraised　by　La　Ramee；　for　he　said
nothing　and　did　much。
It　was　now　nine　o'clock。　The　cardinal；　therefore；　got　up；
perfumed　himself；　dressed；　and　went　to　the　queen　to　tell　her
what　had　detained　him。　The　queen；　who　was　scarcely　less
afraid　of　Monsieur　de　Beaufort　than　the　cardinal　himself；
and　who　was　almost　as　superstitious　as　he　was；　made　him
repeat　word　for　word　all　La　Ramee's　praises　of　his　deputy。
Then；　when　the　cardinal　had　ended：
〃Alas；　sir！　why　have　we　not　a　Grimaud　near　every　prince？〃
〃Patience！〃　replied　Mazarin；　with　his　Italian　smile；　〃that
may　happen　one　day；　but　in　the　meantime　　〃
〃Well；　in　the　meantime？〃
〃I　shall　still　take　precautions。〃
And　he　wrote　to　D'Artagnan　to　hasten　his　return。

17
Describes　how　the　Duc　de　Beaufort　amused　his　Leisure　Hours
in　the　Donjon　of　Vincennes。

The　captive　who　was　the　source　of　so　much　alarm　to　the
cardinal　and　whose　means　of　escape　disturbed　the　repose　of
the　whole　court；　was　wholly　unconscious　of　the　terror　he
caused　at　the　Palais　Royal。
He　had　found　himself　so　strictly　guarded　that　he　soon
perceived　the　fruitlessness　of　any　attempt　at　escape。　His
vengeance；　therefore；　consisted　in　coining　curses　on　the
head　of　Mazarin；　he　even　tried　to　make　some　verses　on　him；
but　soon　gave　up　the　attempt；　for　Monsieur　de　Beaufort　had
not　only　not　received　from　Heaven　the　gift　of　versifying；　he
had　the　greatest　difficulty　in　expressing　himself　in　prose。
The　duke　was　the　grandson　of　Henry　VI。　and　Gabrielle
d'Estrees　　as　good…natured；　as　brave；　as　proud；　and　above
all；　as　Gascon　as　his　ancestor；　but　less　elaborately
educated。　After　having　been　for　some　time　after　the　death　of
Louis　XIII。　the　favorite；　the　confidant；　the　first　man；　in
short；　at　the　court；　he　had　been　obliged　to　yield　his　place
to　Mazarin　and　so　became　the　second　in　influence　and　favor；
and　eventually；　as　he　was　stupid　enough　to　be　vexed　at　this
change　of　position；　the　queen　had　had　him　arrested　and　sent
to　Vincennes　in　charge　of　Guitant；　who　made　his　appearance
in　these　pages　in　the　beginning　of　this　history　and　whom　we
shall　see　again。　It　is　understood；　of　course；　that　when　we
say　〃the　queen；〃　Mazarin　is　meant。
During　the　five　years　of　this　seclusion；　which　would　have
improved　and　matured　the　intellect　of　any　other　man；　M。　de
Beaufort；　had　he　not　affected　to　brave　the　cardinal；　despise
princes；　and　walk　alone　without　adherents　or　disciples；
would　either　have　regained　his　liberty　or　made　partisans。
But　these　considerations　never　occurred　to　the　duke　and
every　day　the　cardinal　received　fresh　accounts　of　him　which
were　as　unpleasant　as