twenty years after(二十年后)-第92章

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〃My　children；〃　he　said；　〃this　is　the　Marechal　de　la
Meilleraie；　as　to　whose　intentions　you　have　been　deceived
and　who　pledges　himself；　on　returning　to　the　Louvre；　to
demand　of　the　queen；　in　your　name；　our　Broussel's　release。
You　pledge　yourself　to　that；　marshal？〃　added　Gondy；　turning
to　La　Meilleraie。
〃Morbleu！〃　cried　the　latter；　〃I　should　say　that　I　do　pledge
myself　to　it！　I　had　no　hope　of　getting　off　so　easily。〃
〃He　gives　you　his　word　of　honor；〃　said　Gondy。
The　marshal　raised　his　hand　in　token　of　assent。
〃Long　live　the　coadjutor！〃　cried　the　crowd。　Some　voices　even
added：　〃Long　live　the　marshal！〃　But　all　took　up　the　cry　in
chorus：　〃Down　with　Mazarin！〃
The　crowd　gave　place；　the　barricade　was　opened；　and　the
marshal；　with　the　remnant　of　his　company；　retreated；
preceded　by　Friquet　and　his　bandits；　some　of　them　making　a
presence　of　beating　drums　and　others　imitating　the　sound　of
the　trumpet。　It　was　almost　a　triumphal　procession；　only；
behind　the　guards　the　barricades　were　closed　again。　The
marshal　bit　his　fingers。
In　the　meantime；　as　we　have　said；　Mazarin　was　in　his　closet；
putting　his　affairs　in　order。　He　called　for　D'Artagnan；　but
in　the　midst　of　such　tumult　he　little　expected　to　see　him；
D'Artagnan　not　being　on　service。　In　about　ten　minutes
D'Artagnan　appeared　at　the　door；　followed　by　the　inseparable
Porthos。
〃Ah；　come　in；　come　in；　Monsieur　d'Artagnan！〃　cried　the
cardinal；　〃and　welcome　your　friend　too。　But　what　is　going　on
in　this　accursed　Paris？〃
〃What　is　going　on；　my　lord？　nothing　good；〃　replied
D'Artagnan；　shaking　his　head。　〃The　town　is　in　open　revolt；
and　just　now；　as　I　was　crossing　the　Rue　Montorgueil　with
Monsieur　du　Vallon；　who　is　here；　and　is　your　humble　servant；
they　wanted　in　spite　of　my　uniform；　or　perhaps　because　of　my
uniform；　to　make　us　cry　‘Long　live　Broussel！'　and　must　I
tell　you；　my　lord　what　they　wished　us　to　cry　as　well？〃
〃Speak；　speak。〃
〃‘Down　with　Mazarin！'　I'faith；　the　treasonable　word　is　out。〃
Mazarin　smiled；　but　became　very　pale。
〃And　you　did　cry？〃　he　asked。
〃I'faith；　no；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃I　was　not　in　voice；
Monsieur　du　Vallon　has　a　cold　and　did　not　cry　either。　Then；
my　lord　　〃
〃Then　what？〃　asked　Mazarin。
〃Look　at　my　hat　and　cloak。〃
And　D'Artagnan　displayed　four　gunshot　holes　in　his　cloak　and
two　in　his　beaver。　As　for　Porthos's　coat；　a　blow　from　a
halberd　had　cut　it　open　on　the　flank　and　a　pistol　shot　had
cut　his　feather　in　two。
〃Diavolo！〃　said　the　cardinal；　pensively　gazing　at　the　two
friends　with　lively　admiration；　〃I　should　have　cried；　I
should。〃
At　this　moment　the　tumult　was　heard　nearer。
Mazarin　wiped　his　forehead　and　looked　around　him。　He　had　a
great　desire　to　go　to　the　window；　but　he　dared　not。
〃See　what　is　going　on；　Monsieur　D'Artagnan；〃　said　he。
D'Artagnan　went　to　the　window　with　his　habitual　composure。
〃Oho！〃　said　he；　〃what　is　this？　Marechal　de　la　Meilleraie
returning　without　a　hat　　Fontrailles　with　his　arm　in　a
sling　　wounded　guards　　horses　bleeding；　eh；　then；　what
are　the　sentinels　about？　They　are　aiming　　they　are　going
to　fire！〃
〃They　have　received　orders　to　fire　on　the　people　if　the
people　approach　the　Palais　Royal！〃　exclaimed　Mazarin。
〃But　if　they　fire；　all　is　lost！〃　cried　D'Artagnan。
〃We　have　the　gates。〃
〃The　gates！　to　hold　for　five　minutes　　the　gates；　they　will
be　torn　down；　twisted　into　iron　wire；　ground　to　powder！
God's　death；　don't　fire！〃　screamed　D'Artagnan；　throwing　open
the　window。
In　spite　of　this　recommendation；　which；　owing　to　the　noise；
could　scarcely　have　been　heard；　two　or　three　musket　shots
resounded；　succeeded　by　a　terrible　discharge。　The　balls
might　be　heard　peppering　the　facade　of　the　Palais　Royal；　and
one　of　them；　passing　under　D'Artagnan's　arm；　entered　and
broke　a　mirror；　in　which　Porthos　was　complacently　admiring
himself。
〃Alack！　alack！〃　cried　the　cardinal；　〃a　Venetian　glass！〃
〃Oh；　my　lord；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　quietly　shutting　the　window；
〃it　is　not　worth　while　weeping　yet；　for　probably　an　hour
hence　there　will　not　be　one　of　your　mirrors　remaining　in　the
Palais　Royal；　whether　they　be　Venetian　or　Parisian。〃
〃But　what　do　you　advise；　then？〃　asked　Mazarin；　trembling。
〃Eh；　egad；　to　give　up　Broussel　as　they　demand！　What　the
devil　do　you　want　with　a　member　of　the　parliament？　He　is　of
no　earthly　use　to　anybody。〃
〃And　you；　Monsieur　du　Vallon；　is　that　your　advice？　What
would　you　do？〃
〃I　should　give　up　Broussel；〃　said　Porthos。
〃Come；　come　with　me；　gentlemen！〃　exclaimed　Mazarin。　〃I　will
go　and　discuss　the　matter　with　the　queen。〃
He　stopped　at　the　end　of　the　corridor　and　said：
〃I　can　count　upon　you；　gentlemen；　can　I　not？〃
〃We　do　not　give　ourselves　twice　over；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃we
have　given　ourselves　to　you；　command；　we　shall　obey。〃
〃Very　well；　then；〃　said　Mazarin；　〃enter　this　cabinet　and
wait　till　I　come　back。〃
And　turning　off　he　entered　the　drawing…room　by　another　door。

48
The　Riot　becomes　a　Revolution。

The　closet　into　which　D'Artagnan　and　Porthos　had　been
ushered　was　separated　from　the　drawing…room　where　the　queen
was　by　tapestried　curtains　only；　and　this　thin　partition
enabled　them　to　hear　all　that　passed　in　the　adjoining　room；
whilst　the　aperture　between　the　two　hangings；　small　as　it
was；　permitted　them　to　see。
The　queen　was　standing　in　the　room；　pale　with　anger；　her
self…control；　however；　was　so　great　that　it　might　have　been
imagined　that　she　was　calm。　Comminges；　Villequier　and
Guitant　were　behind　her　and　the　women　again　were　behind　the
men。　The　Chancellor　Sequier；　who　twenty　years　previously　had
persecuted　her　so　ruthlessly；　stood　before　her；　relating　how
his　carriage　had　been　smashed；　how　he　had　been　pursued　and
had　rushed　into　the　Hotel　d'O　　；　that　the　hotel　was
immediately　invaded；　pillaged　and　devastated；　happily　he　had
time　to　reach　a　closet　hidden　behind　tapestry；　in　which　he
was　secreted　by　an　old　woman；　together　with　his　brother；　the
Bishop　of　Meaux。　Then　the　danger　was　so　imminent；　the
rioters　came　so　near；　uttering　such　threats；　that　the
chancellor　thought　his　last　hour　had　come　and　confessed
himself　to　his　brother　priest；　so　as　to　be　all　ready　to　die
in　case　he　was　discovered。　Fortunately；　however；　he　had　not
been　taken；　the　people；　believing　that　he　had　escaped　by
some　back　entrance；　retired　and　left　him　at　liberty　to
retreat。　Then；　disguised　in　he　clothes　of　the　Marquis　d'O
　；　he　had　left　the　hotel；　stumbling　over　the　bodies　of
an　officer　and　two　guards　who　had　been　killed　whilst
defending　the　street　door。
During　the　recital　Mazarin　entered　and　glided　noiselessly　up
to　the　queen　to　listen。
〃Well；〃　said　the　queen；　when　the　chancellor　had　finished
speaking；　〃what　do　you　think　of　it　all？〃
〃I　think　that　matters　look　very　gloomy；　madame。〃
〃But　what　step　would　you　propose　to　me？〃
〃I　could　propose　one　to　your　majesty；　but　I　dare　not。〃
〃You　may；　you　may；　sir；〃　said　the　queen　with　a　bitter　smile；
〃you　were　not　so　timid　once。〃
The　chancellor　reddened　and　stammered　some　words。
〃It　is　not　a　question　of　the　past；　but　of　the　present；〃　said
the　queen；　〃you　said　you　could　give　me　advice　　what　is
it？〃
〃Madame；〃　said　the　chancellor；　hesitating；　〃it　would　be　to
release　Broussel。〃
The　queen；　although　already　pale；　became　visibly　paler　and
her　face　was　contracted。
〃Release　Broussel！〃　she　cried；　〃never！〃
At　this　moment　steps　were　heard　in　the　ante…room　and　without
any　announcement　the　Marechal　de　la　Meilleraie　appeared　at
the　door。
〃Ah；　there　you　are；　marechal；〃　cried　Anne　of　Austria
joyfully。　〃I　trust　you　have　brought　this　rabble　to　reason。〃
〃Madame；〃　replied　the　marechal；　〃I　have　left　three　men　on
the　Pont　Neuf；　four　at　the　Halle；　six　at　the　corner　of　the
Rue　de　l'Arbre…Sec　and　two　at　the　door　of　your　palace　
fifteen　in　all。　I　have　brought　away　ten　or　twelve　wounded。　I
know　not　where　I　have　left　my　hat；　and　in　all　probability　I
should　have　been　left　with　my　hat；　had　the　coadjutor　not
arrived　in　time　to　rescue　me。〃
〃Ah；　indeed；〃　said　the　queen；　〃it　would　have　much　astonished
me　if　that　low　cur；　with　his　distorted　legs；　had　not　been
mixed　up　with　all　this。〃
〃Madame；〃　said　La　Meilleraie；　〃do　not　say　too　much　against
him　before　me；　for　the　service　he　rendered　me　is　still
fresh。〃
〃Very　good；〃　said　the　queen；　〃be　as　grateful　as