twenty years after(二十年后)-第96章

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in　whom　he　had　confided；　had　been　indiscreet。　His　confidence
had　unveiled　the　sinister　project　of　the　queen。
Even　on　the　night　of　the　prince's　return；　some　citizens；
bolder　than　the　rest；　such　as　the　sheriffs；　captains　and　the
quartermaster；　went　from　house　to　house　among　their　friends；
saying：
〃Why　do　we　not　take　the　king　and　place　him　in　the　Hotel　de
Ville？　It　is　a　shame　to　leave　him　to　be　educated　by　our
enemies；　who　will　give　him　evil　counsel；　whereas；　brought　up
by　the　coadjutor；　for　instance；　he　would　imbibe　national
principles　and　love　his　people。〃
That　night　the　question　was　secretly　agitated　and　on　the
morrow　the　gray　and　black　cloaks；　the　patrols　of　armed
shop…people；　and　the　bands　of　mendicants　reappeared。
The　queen　had　passed　the　night　in　lonely　conference　with　the
prince；　who　had　entered　the　oratory　at　midnight　and　did　not
leave　till　five　o'clock　in　the　morning。
At　five　o'clock　Anne　went　to　the　cardinal's　room。　If　she　had
not　yet　taken　any　repose；　he　at　least　was　already　up。　Six
days　had　already　passed　out　of　the　ten　he　had　asked　from
Mordaunt；　he　was　therefore　occupied　in　revising　his　reply　to
Cromwell；　when　some　one　knocked　gently　at　the　door　of
communication　with　the　queen's　apartments。　Anne　of　Austria
alone　was　permitted　to　enter　by　that　door。　The　cardinal
therefore　rose　to　open　it。
The　queen　was　in　a　morning　gown；　but　it　became　her　still；
for；　like　Diana　of　Poictiers　and　Ninon；　Anne　of　Austria
enjoyed　the　privilege　of　remaining　ever　beautiful；
nevertheless；　this　morning　she　looked　handsomer　than　usual；
for　her　eyes　had　all　the　sparkle　inward　satisfaction　adds　to
expression。
〃What　is　the　matter；　madame？〃　said　Mazarin；　uneasily。　〃You
seem　secretly　elated。〃
〃Yes；　Giulio；〃　she　said；　〃proud　and　happy；　for　I　have　found
the　means　of　strangling　this　hydra。〃
〃You　are　a　great　politician；　my　queen；〃　said　Mazarin；　〃let
us　hear　the　means。〃　And　he　hid　what　he　had　written　by
sliding　the　letter　under　a　folio　of　blank　paper。
〃You　know；〃　said　the　queen；　〃that　they　want　to　take　the　king
away　from　me？〃
〃Alas！　yes；　and　to　hang　me。〃
〃They　shall　not　have　the　king。〃
〃Nor　hang　me。〃
〃Listen。　I　want　to　carry　off　my　son　from　them；　with
yourself。　I　wish　that　this　event；　which　on　the　day　it　is
known　will　completely　change　the　aspect　of　affairs；　should
be　accomplished　without　the　knowledge　of　any　others　but
yourself；　myself；　and　a　third　person。〃
〃And　who　is　this　third　person？〃
〃Monsieur　le　Prince。〃
〃He　has　come；　then；　as　they　told　me？〃
〃Last　evening。〃
〃And　you　have　seen　him？〃
〃He　has　just　left　me。〃
〃And　will　he　aid　this　project？〃
〃The　plan　is　his　own。〃
〃And　Paris？〃
〃He　will　starve　it　out　and　force　it　to　surrender　at
discretion。〃
〃The　plan　is　not　wanting　in　grandeur；　I　see　but　one
impediment。〃
〃What　is　it？〃
〃Impossibility。〃
〃A　senseless　word。　Nothing　is　impossible。〃
〃On　paper。〃
〃In　execution。　We　have　money？〃
〃A　little；〃　said　Mazarin；　trembling；　lest　Anne　should　ask　to
draw　upon　his　purse。
〃Troops？〃
〃Five　or　six　thousand　men。〃
〃Courage？〃
〃Plenty。〃
〃Then　the　thing　is　easy。　Oh！　do　think　of　it；　Giulio！　Paris；
this　odious　Paris；　waking　up　one　morning　without　queen　or
king；　surrounded；　besieged；　famished　　having　for　its　sole
resource　its　stupid　parliament　and　their　coadjutor　with
crooked　limbs！〃
〃Charming！　charming！〃　said　Mazarin。　〃I　can　imagine　the
effect；　I　do　not　see　the　means。〃
〃I　will　find　the　means　myself。〃
〃You　are　aware　it　will　be　war；　civil　war；　furious；
devouring；　implacable？〃
〃Oh！　yes；　yes；　war；〃　said　Anne　of　Austria。　〃Yes；　I　will
reduce　this　rebellious　city　to　ashes。　I　will　extinguish　the
fire　with　blood！　I　will　perpetuate　the　crime　and　punishment
by　making　a　frightful　example。　Paris！；　I　　I　detest；　I
loathe　it！〃
〃Very　fine；　Anne。　You　are　now　sanguinary；　but　take　care。　We
are　not　in　the　time　of　Malatesta　and　Castruccio　Castracani。
You　will　get　yourself　decapitated；　my　beautiful　queen；　and
that　would　be　a　pity。〃
〃You　laugh。〃
〃Faintly。　It　is　dangerous　to　go　to　war　with　a　nation。　Look
at　your　brother　monarch；　Charles　I。　He　is　badly　off；　very
badly。〃
〃We　are　in　France；　and　I　am　Spanish。〃
〃So　much　the　worse；　I　had　much　rather　you　were　French　and
myself　also；　they　would　hate　us　both　less。〃
〃Nevertheless；　you　consent？〃
〃Yes；　if　the　thing　be　possible。〃
〃It　is；　it　is　I　who　tell　you　so；　make　preparations　for
departure。〃
〃I！　I　am　always　prepared　to　go；　only；　as　you　know；　I　never
do　go；　and　perhaps　shall　go　this　time　as　little　as　before。〃
〃In　short；　if　I　go；　will　you　go　too？〃
〃I　will　try。〃
〃You　torment　me；　Giulio；　with　your　fears；　and　what　are　you
afraid　of；　then？〃
〃Of　many　things。〃
〃What　are　they？〃
Mazarin's　face；　smiling　as　it　was；　became　clouded。
〃Anne；〃　said　he；　〃you　are　but　a　woman　and　as　a　woman　you　may
insult　men　at　your　ease；　knowing　that　you　can　do　it　with
impunity。　You　accuse　me　of　fear；　I　have　not　so　much　as　you
have；　since　I　do　not　fly　as　you　do。　Against　whom　do　they　cry
out？　is　it　against　you　or　against　myself？　Whom　would　they
hang；　yourself　or　me？　Well；　I　can　weather　the　storm　　I；
whom；　notwithstanding；　you　tax　with　fear　　not　with
bravado；　that　is　not　my　way；　but　I　am　firm。　Imitate　me。　Make
less　hubbub　and　think　more　deeply。　You　cry　very　loud；　you
end　by　doing　nothing；　you　talk　of　flying　　〃
Mazarin　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　taking　the　queen's　hand
led　her　to　the　window。
〃Look！〃　he　said。
〃Well？〃　said　the　queen；　blinded　by　her　obstinacy。
〃Well；　what　do　you　see　from　this　window？　If　I　am　not
mistaken　those　are　citizens；　helmeted　and　mailed；　armed　with
good　muskets；　as　in　the　time　of　the　League；　and　whose　eyes
are　so　intently　fixed　on　this　window　that　they　will　see　you
if　you　raise　that　curtain　much；　and　now　come　to　the　other
side　　what　do　you　see？　Creatures　of　the　people；　armed　with
halberds；　guarding　your　doors。　You　will　see　the　same　at
every　opening　from　this　palace　to　which　I　should　lead　you。
Your　doors　are　guarded；　the　airholes　of　your　cellars　are
guarded；　and　I　could　say　to　you；　as　that　good　La　Ramee　said
to　me　of　the　Duc　de　Beaufort；　you　must　be　either　bird　or
mouse　to　get　out。〃
〃He　did　get　out；　nevertheless。〃
〃Do　you　think　of　escaping　in　the　same　way？〃
〃I　am　a　prisoner；　then？〃
〃Parbleu！〃　said　Mazarin；　〃I　have　been　proving　it　to　you　this
last　hour。〃
And　he　quietly　resumed　his　dispatch　at　the　place　where　he
had　been　interrupted。
Anne；　trembling　with　anger　and　scarlet　with　humiliation；
left　the　room；　shutting　the　door　violently　after　her。
Mazarin　did　not　even　turn　around。　When　once　more　in　her　own
apartment　Anne　fell　into　a　chair　and　wept；　then　suddenly
struck　with　an　idea：
〃I　am　saved！〃　she　exclaimed；　rising；　〃oh；　yes！　yes！　I　know　a
man　who　will　find　the　means　of　taking　me　from　Paris；　a　man　I
have　too　long　forgotten。〃　Then　falling　into　a　reverie；　she
added；　however；　with　an　expression　of　joy；　〃Ungrateful　woman
that　I　am；　for　twenty　years　I　have　forgotten　this　man；　whom
I　ought　to　have　made　a　marechal　of　France。　My　mother…in…law
expended　gold；　caresses；　dignities　on　Concini；　who　ruined
her；　the　king　made　Vitry　marechal　of　France　for　an
assassination：　while　I　have　left　in　obscurity；　in　poverty；
the　noble　D'Artagnan；　who　saved　me！〃
And　running　to　a　table；　on　which　were　paper；　pens　and　ink；
she　hastily　began　to　write。

50
The　Interview。

It　had　been　D'Artagnan's　practice；　ever　since　the　riots；　to
sleep　in　the　same　room　as　Porthos；　and　on　this　eventful
morning　he　was　still　there；　sleeping；　and　dreaming　that　a
yellow　cloud　had　overspread　the　sky　and　was　raining　gold
pieces　into　his　hat；　which　he　held　out　till　it　was
overflowing　with　pistoles。　As　for　Porthos；　he　dreamed　that
the　panels　of　his　carriage　were　not　capacious　enough　to
contain　the　armorial　bearings　he　had　ordered　to　be　painted
on　them。　They　were　both　aroused　at　seven　o'clock　by　the
entrance　of　an　unliveried　servant；　who　brought　a　letter　for
D'Artagnan。
〃From　whom？〃　asked　the　Gascon。
〃From　the　queen；〃　replied　the　servant。
〃Ho！〃　said　Porthos；　raising　himself　in　his　bed；　〃what　does
she　say？〃
D'Artagnan　requested　the　servant　to　wait　in　the　next　room
and　when　the　door　was　closed　he　sprang　up　from　his　bed　and
read　rapidly；　whilst　Porthos　looked　at　him　with　starting
eyes；　not　daring　to　ask　a　single　question。
〃Fr