The Vicomte de Bragelonne

  CHAPTER CXVIII.

  RESULT OF THE IDEAS OF THE KING, AND THE IDEAS OF D'ARTAGNAN.

  The blow was direct. It was severe, mortal. D'Artagnan, furious athaving been anticipated by an idea of the king's, did not, however, yetdespair; and, reflecting upon the idea he had brought back fromBelle-Isle, he augured from it a new means of safety for his friends.

  "Gentlemen," said he suddenly, "since the king has charged some otherthan myself with his secret orders, it must be because I no longerpossess his confidence, and I should be really unworthy of it if I hadthe courage to hold a command subject to so many injurious suspicions. Iwill go then immediately and carry my resignation to the king. I give itbefore you all, enjoining you all to fall back with me upon the coast ofFrance, in such a way as not to compromise the safety of the forces hismajesty has confided to me. For this purpose, return all to your posts;within an hour, we shall have the ebb of the tide. To your posts,gentlemen! I suppose," added he, on seeing that all were prepared toobey him, except the surveillant officer, "you have no orders toobject, this time?"

  And D'Artagnan almost triumphed while speaking these words. This planwas the safety of his friends. The blockade once raised, they mightembark immediately, and set sail for England or Spain, without fear ofbeing molested. While they were making their escape, D'Artagnan wouldreturn to the king; would justify his return by the indignation whichthe mistrusts of Colbert had raised in him; he would be sent back withfull powers, and he would take Belle-Isle; that is to say, the cage,after the birds had flown. But to this plan the officer opposed a secondorder of the king's. It was thus conceived.

  "From the moment M. d'Artagnan shall have manifested the desire of giving in his resignation, he shall no longer be reckoned leader of the expedition, and every officer placed under his orders shall be held to no longer obey him. Moreover, the said Monsieur d'Artagnan having lost that quality of leader of the army sent against Belle-Isle, shall set out immediately for France, in company of the officer who will have remitted the message to him, and who will consider him as a prisoner for whom he is answerable."

  Brave and careless as he was, D'Artagnan turned pale. Everything hadbeen calculated with a depth which, for the first time in thirty years,had recalled to him the solid foresight and the inflexible logic of thegreat cardinal. He leaned his head on his hand, thoughtful, scarcelybreathing. "If I were to put this order in my pocket," thought he, "whowould know it, or who would prevent my doing it? Before the king had hadtime to be informed, I should have saved those poor fellows yonder. Letus exercise a little audacity! My head is not one of those which theexecutioner strikes off for disobedience. We will disobey!" But at themoment he was about to adopt this plan, he saw the officers around himreading similar orders which the infernal agent of the thoughts ofColbert had just distributed to them. The case of disobedience had beenforeseen, as the others had been.

  "Monsieur," said the officer, coming up to him, "I await your goodpleasure to depart."

  "I am ready, monsieur," replied D'Artagnan, grinding his teeth.

  The officer immediately commanded a canoe to receive M. d'Artagnan andhimself. At sight of this he became almost mad with rage.

  "How," stammered he, "will you carry on the direction of the differentcorps?"

  "When you are gone, monsieur," replied the commander of the fleet, "itis to me the direction of the whole is committed."

  "Then, monsieur," rejoined Colbert's man, addressing the new leader, "itis for you that this last order that has been remitted to me isintended. Let us see your powers."

  "Here they are," said the sea officer, exhibiting a royal signature.

  "Here are your instructions," replied the officer, placing the foldedpaper in his hands; and turning-toward D'Artagnan, "Come, monsieur,"said he, in an agitated voice (such despair did he behold in that man ofiron), "do me the favor to depart at once."

  "Immediately!" articulated D'Artagnan feebly, subdued, crushed byimplacable impossibility.

  And he let himself slide down into the little boat, which started,favored by wind and tide, for the coast of France. The king's guardsembarked with him. The musketeer still preserved the hope of reachingNantes quickly, and of pleading the cause of his friends eloquentlyenough to incline the king to mercy. The bark flew like a swallow.D'Artagnan distinctly saw the land of France profiled in black againstthe white clouds of night.

  "Ah! monsieur," said he, in a low voice, to the officer, to whom, for anhour, he had ceased speaking, "what would I give to know theinstructions for the new commander! They are all pacific, are they not?and--"

  He did not finish; the sound of a distant cannon rolled over thewaters, then another, and two or three still louder. D'Artagnanshuddered.

  "The fire is opened upon Belle-Isle," replied the officer. The canoe hadjust touched the soil of France.