CHAPTER CXV.
IN WHICH THE SQUIRREL FALLS--IN WHICH THE ADDER FLIES.
It was two o'clock in the afternoon. The king, full of impatience, wentto his cabinet on the terrace, and kept opening the door of the corridorto see what his secretaries were doing. M. Colbert, seated in the sameplace M. de Saint-Aignan had so long occupied in the morning, waschatting, in a low voice, with M. de Brienne. The king opened the doorsuddenly, and addressing them, "What do you say?" asked he.
"We were speaking of the first sitting of the States," said M. deBrienne, rising.
"Very well," replied the king, and returned to his room.
Five minutes after, the summons of the bell recalled Rose, whose hour itwas.
"Have you finished your copies?" asked the king.
"Not yet, sire."
"See, then, if M. d'Artagnan is returned."
"Not yet, sire."
"It is very strange!" murmured the king. "Call M. Colbert."
Colbert entered: he had been expecting this moment all the morning.
"Monsieur Colbert," said the king, very sharply; "it must be ascertainedwhat is become of M. d'Artagnan."
Colbert, in his calm voice, replied, "Where would your majesty desirehim to be sought for?"
"Eh! monsieur! do you not know to what place I have sent him?" repliedLouis, acrimoniously.
"Your majesty has not told me."
"Monsieur, there are things that are to be guessed; and you, above allothers, do guess them."
"I might have been able to imagine, sire; but I do not presume to bepositive."
Colbert had not finished these words when a much rougher voice than thatof the king interrupted the interesting conversation thus begun betweenthe monarch and his clerk.
"D'Artagnan!" cried the king, with evident joy.
D'Artagnan, pale and in evidently bad humor, cried to the king, as heentered, "Sire, is it your majesty who has given orders to mymusketeers?"
"What orders?" said the king.
"About M. Fouquet's house?"
"None!" replied Louis.
"Ah! ah!" said D'Artagnan, biting his mustache; "I was not mistaken,then; it was monsieur here!" and he pointed to Colbert.
"What orders? Let me know," said the king.
"Orders to turn a house inside out, to beat M. Fouquet's servants, toforce the drawers, to give over a peaceful house to pillage! Mordioux!these are savage orders!"
"Monsieur!" said Colbert, becoming pale.
"Monsieur," interrupted D'Artagnan, "the king alone, understand--theking alone has a right to command my musketeers; but, as to you, Iforbid you to do it, and I tell you so before his majesty; gentlemen whowear swords are not fellows with pens behind their ears."
"D'Artagnan! D'Artagnan!" murmured the king.
"It is humiliating," continued the musketeer; "my soldiers aredisgraced. I do not command _reitres_, thank you, nor clerks of theintendance, mordioux!"
"Well! but what is all this about?" said the king, with authority.
"About this, sire; monsieur--monsieur, who could not guess yourmajesty's orders, and consequently could not know I was gone to arrestM. Fouquet; monsieur, who has caused the iron cage to be constructed forhis patron of yesterday--has sent M. de Roncherat to the lodgings of M.Fouquet, and under pretense of taking away the surintendant's papers,they have taken away the furniture. My musketeers have been placed roundthe house all the morning; such were my orders. Why did any one presumeto order them to enter? Why, by forcing them to assist in this pillage,have they been made accomplices in it? Mordioux! we serve the king, wedo, but we do not serve M. Colbert!"
"Monsieur d'Artagnan," said the king, sternly, "take care; it is not inmy presence that such explanations, and made in this tone, should takeplace."
"I have acted for the good of the king," said Colbert, in a falteringvoice; "it is hard to be so treated by one of your majesty's officers,and that without vengeance, on account of the respect I owe the king."
"The respect you owe the king!" cried D'Artagnan, whose eyes flashedfire, "consists, in the first place, in making his authority respected,and making his person beloved. Every agent of a power without controlrepresents that power, and when people curse the hand which strikesthem, it is to the royal hand that God makes the reproach, do you hear?Must a soldier, hardened by forty years of wounds and blood, give youthis lesson, monsieur? Must mercy be on my side, and ferocity on yours?You have caused the innocent to be arrested, bound, and imprisoned!"
"The accomplices, perhaps, of M. Fouquet," said Colbert.
"Who told you that M. Fouquet had accomplices, or even that he wasguilty? The king alone knows that, his justice is not blind! When heshall say, 'Arrest and imprison' such and such people, then he shall beobeyed. Do not talk to me then any more of the respect you owe the king,and be careful of your words, that they may not chance to convey anymenace; for the king will not allow those to be threatened who do himservice by others who do him disservice; and if in case I should have,which God forbid! a master so ungrateful, I would make myselfrespected."
Thus saying, D'Artagnan took his station haughtily in the king'scabinet, his eye flashing, his hand on his sword, his lips trembling,affecting much more anger than he really felt. Colbert, humiliated anddevoured with rage, bowed to the king as if to ask his permission toleave the room. The king, crossed in his pride and in his curiosity,knew not which part to take. D'Artagnan saw him hesitate. To remainlonger would have been an error; it was necessary to obtain a triumphover Colbert, and the only means was to touch the king so near and sostrongly to the quick, that his majesty would have no other means ofextricating himself but choosing between the two antagonists. D'Artagnanthen bowed as Colbert had done; but the king, who, in preference toeverything else was anxious to have all the exact details of the arrestof the surintendant of the finances from him who had made him tremblefor a moment--the king, perceiving that the ill-humor of D'Artagnanwould put off for half an hour at least the details he was burning to beacquainted with--Louis, we say, forgot Colbert, who had nothing new totell him, and recalled his captain of the musketeers.
"In the first place," said he, "let me see the result of yourcommission, monsieur; you may repose afterward."
D'Artagnan, who was just passing through the door, stopped at the voiceof the king, retraced his steps, and Colbert was forced to leave thecloset. His countenance assumed almost a purple hue, his black andthreatening eyes shone with a dark fire beneath their thick brows; hestepped out, bowed before the king, half drew himself up in passingD'Artagnan, and went away with death in his heart. D'Artagnan, on beingleft alone with the king, softened immediately, and composing hiscountenance: "Sire," said he, "you are a young king. It is by the dawnthat people judge whether the day will be fine or dull. How, sire, willthe people whom the hand of God has placed under your law, argue of yourreign, if, between them and you, you allow angry and violent ministersto act? But let us speak of me, sire, let us leave a discussion that mayappear idle, and perhaps inconvenient to you. Let us speak of me. I havearrested M. Fouquet."
"You took plenty of time about it," said the king sharply.
D'Artagnan looked at the king. "I perceive that I have expressed myselfbadly. I announced to your majesty that I had arrested MonsieurFouquet."
"You did; and what then?"
"Well! I ought to have told your majesty that M. Fouquet had arrestedme; that would have been more just. I re-establish the truth, then; Ihave been arrested by M. Fouquet."
It was now the turn of Louis XIV. to be surprised. His majesty wasastonished in his turn. D'Artagnan, with his quick glance, appreciatedwhat was passing in the heart of his master. He did not allow him timeto put any questions. He related, with that poetry, thatpicturesqueness, which perhaps he alone possessed at that period, theevasion of Fouquet, the pursuit, the furious race, and, lastly, theinimitable generosity of the surintendant, who might have fled ten timesover, who might have killed the adversary attached to the pursuit ofhim, and who had
preferred imprisonment, and perhaps worse, to thehumiliation of him who wished to ravish his liberty from him. Inproportion as the tale advanced, the king became agitated, devouring thenarrator's words, and knocking his finger-nails against each other.
"It results from this, then, sire, in my eyes at least, that the man whoconducts himself thus is a gallant man, and cannot be an enemy to theking. That is my opinion, and I repeat it to your majesty. I know whatthe king will say to me, and I bow to it; reasons of state--so be it!That in my eyes is very respectable. But I am a soldier, I have receivedmy orders, my orders are executed--very unwillingly on my part, it istrue, but they are executed. I say no more."
"Where is M. Fouquet at this moment?" asked Louis, after a shortsilence.
"M. Fouquet, sire," replied D'Artagnan, "is in the iron cage that M.Colbert had prepared for him, and is going, as fast as four vigoroushorses can drag him, toward Angers."
"Why did you leave him on the road?"
"Because your majesty did not tell me to go to Angers. The proof, thebest proof of what I advance, is that the king desired me to be soughtfor but this minute. And then I have another reason."
"What is that?"
"While I was with him, poor M. Fouquet would never attempt to escape."
"Well!" cried the king, with stupefaction.
"Your majesty ought to understand, and does understand, certainly, thatmy warmest wish is to know that M. Fouquet is at liberty. I have givenhim one of my brigadiers, the most stupid I could find among mymusketeers, in order that the prisoner might have a chance of escaping."
"Are you mad, Monsieur d'Artagnan!" cried the king, crossing his arms onhis breast. "Do people speak such enormities, even when they have themisfortune to think them?"
"Ah! sire, you cannot expect that I should be the enemy of M. Fouquet,after what he has just done for you and me. No, no; if you desire thathe should remain under your locks and bolts, never give him in charge tome; however closely wired might be the cage, the bird would, in the end,fly away."
"I am surprised," said the king, in a stern tone, "you have not followedthe fortunes of him whom M. Fouquet wished to place upon my throne. Youhad in him all you want--affection and gratitude. In my service,monsieur, you only find a master."
"If M. Fouquet had not gone to seek you in the Bastille, sire," repliedD'Artagnan, with a deeply impressive manner, "one single man would havegone there, and that man would have been me--you know that right well,sire."
The king was brought to a pause. Before that speech of his captain ofthe musketeers, so frankly spoken and so true, the king had nothing tooffer. On hearing D'Artagnan, Louis remembered the D'Artagnan of formertimes; him who, at the Palais Royal, held himself concealed behind thecurtains of his bed, when the people of Paris, led on by Cardinal deRetz, came to assure themselves of the presence of the king, theD'Artagnan whom he saluted with his hand at the door of his carriage,when repairing to Notre-Dame on his return to Paris; the soldier who hadquitted his service at Blois; the lieutenant whom he had recalled nearhis person when the death of Mazarin restored him his power; the man hehad always found loyal, courageous, and devoted. Louis advanced towardthe door and called Colbert. Colbert had not left the corridor where thesecretaries were at work. Colbert appeared.
"Colbert, have you made a perquisition at the house of M. Fouquet?"
"Yes, sire."
"What has it produced?"
"M. de Roncherat, who was sent with your majesty's musketeers, hasremitted me some papers," replied Colbert.
"I will look at them. Give me your hand."
"My hand, sire!"
"Yes, that I may place it in that of M. d'Artagnan. In fact, M.d'Artagnan," added he with a smile, turning toward the soldier, who, atthe sight of the clerk, had resumed his haughty attitude, "you do notknow this man; make his acquaintance." And he pointed to Colbert. "Hehas been but a moderate servant in subaltern positions, but he will be agreat man if I raise him to the first rank."
"Sire!" stammered Colbert, confused with pleasure and fear.
"I have understood why," murmured D'Artagnan in the king's ear; "he wasjealous."
"Precisely, and his jealousy confined his wings."
"He will henceforth be a winged serpent," grumbled the musketeer, with aremains of hatred against his recent adversary.
But Colbert, approaching him, offered to his eyes a physiognomy sodifferent from that which he had been accustomed to see him wear; heappeared so good, so mild, so easy; his eyes took the expression of anintelligence so noble, that D'Artagnan, a connoisseur in physiognomies,was moved, and almost changed in his convictions. Colbert pressed hishand.
"That which the king has just told you, monsieur, proves how well hismajesty is acquainted with men. The inveterate opposition I havedisplayed, up to this day, against abuses and not against men, provesthat I had it in view to prepare for my king a great reign, for mycountry a great blessing. I have many ideas, M. d'Artagnan; you will seethem expand in the sun of public peace; and if I have not the certaintyand good fortune to conquer the friendship of honest men, I am at leastcertain, monsieur, that I shall obtain their esteem. For theiradmiration, monsieur, I would give my life."
This change, this sudden elevation, this mute approbation of the king,gave the musketeer matter for much reflection. He bowed civilly toColbert, who did not take his eyes off him. The king, when he saw theywere reconciled, dismissed them. They left the room together. As soon asthey were out of the cabinet, the new minister, stopping the captain,said:
"Is it possible, M. d'Artagnan, that with such an eye as yours, you havenot, at the first glance, at the first inspection, discovered what sortof man I am?"
"Monsieur Colbert," replied the musketeer, "the ray of the sun which wehave in our eyes prevents us from seeing the most ardent flames. The manin power radiates, you know; and since you are there, why should youcontinue to persecute him who has just fallen into disgrace, and fallenfrom such a height?"
"I! monsieur," said Colbert; "oh, monsieur! I would never persecute him.I wished to administer the finances, and to administer them alone,because I am ambitious, and, above all, because I have the most entireconfidence in my own merit; because I know that all the gold of thiscountry will fall beneath my eyes, and I love to look at the king'sgold; because, if I live thirty years, in thirty years not a _denier_ ofit will remain in my hands; because, with that gold I will buildgranaries, edifices, cities, and dig ports; because I will create amarine, will equip navies which shall bear the name of France to themost distant peoples; because I will create libraries and acadamies;because I will make of France the first country in the world, and therichest. These are the motives for my animosity against M. Fouquet, whoprevented my acting. And then, when I shall be great and strong, whenFrance is great and strong, in my turn then I will cry, 'Mercy!'"
"Mercy, did you say: then ask his liberty of the king. The king onlycrushes him on your account."
Colbert again raised his head. "Monsieur," said he, "you know that it isnot so, and that the king has his personal enmities against M. Fouquet;it is not for me to teach you that."
"But the king will be tired; he will forget."
"The king never forgets, M. d'Artagnan. Hark! the king calls. He isgoing to issue an order. I have not influenced him, have I? Listen."
The king, in fact, was calling his secretaries. "Monsieur d'Artagnan,"said he.
"I am here, sire."
"Give twenty of your musketeers to M. de Saint-Aignan, to form a guardfor M. Fouquet."
D'Artagnan and Colbert exchanged looks. "And from Angers," continued theking, "they will conduct the prisoner to the Bastille in Paris."
"You were right," said the captain to the minister.
"Saint-Aignan," continued the king, "you will have any one shot whoshall attempt to speak privately with M. Fouquet during the journey."
"But myself, sire?" said the duke.
"You, monsieur, you will only speak to him in the presence of themusketeers." The duke bo
wed, and departed to execute his commission.
D'Artagnan was about to retire, likewise; but the king stopped him.
"Monsieur," said he, "you will go immediately, and take possession ofthe isle and fief of Belle-Isle-en-Mer."
"Yes, sire. Alone?"
"You will take a sufficient number of troops to prevent delay, in casethe place should be contumacious."
A murmur of adulatory incredulity arose from the group of courtiers."That is to be done," said D'Artagnan.
"I saw the place in my infancy," resumed the king, "and I do not wish tosee it again. You have heard me? Go, monsieur, and do not return withoutthe keys of the place."
Colbert went up to D'Artagnan. "A commission which, if you carry it outwell," said he, "will be worth a marechal's baton to you."
"Why do you employ the words, 'if you carry it out well'?"
"Because it is difficult."
"Ah! in what respect?"
"You have friends in Belle-Isle, M. d'Artagnan; and it is not an easything for men like you to march over the bodies of their friends toobtain success."
D'Artagnan hung down his head, while Colbert returned to the king. Aquarter of an hour after, the captain received the written order fromthe king to blow up the fortress of Belle-Isle, in case of resistance,with the power of life and death over all the inhabitants or refugees,and an injunction not to allow one to escape.
"Colbert was right," thought D'Artagnan; "my baton of a marechal ofFrance will cost the lives of my two friends. Only they seem to forgetthat my friends are not more stupid than the birds, and that they willnot wait for the hand of the fowler to extend their wings. I will showthem that hand so plainly, that they will have quite time enough to seeit. Poor Porthos! Poor Aramis! No; my fortune shall not cost your wingsa feather."
Having thus determined, D'Artagnan assembled the royal army, embarked itat Paimboeuf, and set sail without losing a moment.