D'Artagnan lost no time, and as soon as the thing was suitable andopportune, he paid a visit to the lord treasurer of his majesty. He hadthen the satisfaction to exchange a piece of paper, covered with veryugly writing, for a prodigious number of crowns, recently stamped withthe effigies of his very gracious majesty Charles II.
D'Artagnan easily controlled himself: and yet, on this occasion, hecould not help evincing a joy which the reader will perhaps comprehend,if he deigns to have some indulgence for a man who, since his birth, hadnever seen so many pieces and rolls of pieces juxtaplaced in an ordertruly agreeable to the eye. The treasurer placed all the rolls in bags,and closed each bag with a stamp sealed with the arms of England, afavor which treasurers do not grant to everybody. Then impassible,and just as polite as he ought to be towards a man honored with thefriendship of the king, he said to D'Artagnan:
"Take away your money, sir." Your money! These words made a thousandchords vibrate in the heart of D'Artagnan, which he had never feltbefore. He had the bags packed in a small cart, and returned homemeditating deeply. A man who possesses three hundred thousand crownscan no longer expect to wear a smooth brow; a wrinkle for every hundredthousand livres is not too much.
D'Artagnan shut himself up, ate no dinner, closed his door to everybody,and, with a lighted lamp, and a loaded pistol on the table, he watchedall night, ruminating upon the means of preventing these lovely crowns,which from the coffers of the king had passed into his coffers, frompassing from his coffers into the pockets of any thief whatever. Thebest means discovered by the Gascon was to inclose his treasure, forthe present, under locks so solid that no wrist could break them, andso complicated that no master-key could open them. D'Artagnan rememberedthat the English are masters in mechanics and conservative industry;and he determined to go in the morning in search of a mechanic who wouldsell him a strong box. He did not go far; Master Will Jobson, dwellingin Piccadilly, listened to his propositions, comprehended his wishes,and promised to make him a safety lock that should relieve him from allfuture fear.
"I will give you," said he, "a piece of mechanism entirely new. At thefirst serious attempt upon your lock, an invisible plate will openof itself and vomit forth a pretty copper bullet of the weight of amark--which will knock down the intruder, and not without a loud report.What do you think of it?"
"I think it very ingenious," cried D'Artagnan, "the little copper bulletpleases me mightily. So now, sir mechanic, the terms?"
"A fortnight for the execution, and fifteen hundred crowns payable ondelivery," replied the artisan.
D'Artagnan's brow darkened. A fortnight was delay enough to allow thethieves of London time to remove all occasion for the strong box. Asto the fifteen hundred crowns--that would be paying too dear for what alittle vigilance would procure him for nothing.
"I will think of it," said he, "thank you, sir." And he returned homeat full speed; nobody had yet touched his treasure. That same day Athospaid a visit to his friend and found him so thoughtful that he could nothelp expressing his surprise.
"How is this?" said he, "you are rich and not gay--you, who were soanxious for wealth!"
"My friend, the pleasures to which we are not accustomed oppress us morethan the griefs with which we are familiar. Give me your opinion, if youplease. I can ask you, who have always had money: when we have money,what do we do with it?"
"That depends."
"What have you done with yours, seeing that it has not made you a miseror a prodigal? For avarice dries up the heart, and prodigality drownsit--is not that so?"
"Fabricius could not have spoken more justly. But in truth, my money hasnever been a burden to me."
"How so? Do you place it out at interest?"
"No; you know I have a tolerably handsome house; and that house composesthe better part of my property."
"I know it does."
"So that you can be as rich as I am, and, indeed more rich, whenever youlike, by the same means."
"But your rents,--do you lay them by?"
"What do you think of a chest concealed in a wall?"
"I never made use of such a thing."
"Then you must have some confidant, some safe man of business who paysyou interest at a fair rate."
"Not at all."
"Good heavens! what do you do with it, then?"
"I spend all I have, and I only have what I spend, my dear D'Artagnan."
"Ah that may be. But you are something of a prince, fifteen or sixteenthousand livres melt away between your fingers; and then you haveexpenses and appearances----"
"Well, I don't see why you should be less of a noble than I am, myfriend; your money would be quite sufficient."
"Three hundred thousand crowns! Two-thirds too much!"
"I beg your pardon--did you not tell me?--I thought I heard you say--Ifancied you had a partner----"
"Ah! Mordioux! that's true," cried D'Artagnan, coloring; "there isPlanchet. I had forgotten Planchet, upon my life! Well! there are mythree hundred thousand crowns broken into. That's a pity! it was a roundsum, and sounded well. That is true, Athos; I am no longer rich. What amemory you have!"
"Tolerably good; yes, thank God!"
"The worthy Planchet!" grumbled D'Artagnan; "his was not a bad dream!What a speculation! Peste! Well! what is said is said."
"How much are you to give him?"
"Oh!" said D'Artagnan, "he is not a bad fellow; I shall arrange matterswith him. I have had a great deal of trouble, you see, and expenses; allthat must be taken into account."
"My dear friend, I can depend upon you, and have no fear for the worthyPlanchet; his interests are better in your hands than in his own. Butnow that you have nothing more to do here, we shall depart, if youplease. You can go and thank his majesty, ask if he has any commands,and in six days we may be able to get sight of the towers of NotreDame."
"My friend, I am most anxious to be off, and will go at once and pay myrespects to the king."
"I," said Athos, "am going to call upon some friends in the city, andshall then be at your service."
"Will you lend me Grimaud?"
"With all my heart. What do you want to do with him?"
"Something very simple, and which will not fatigue him; I shall only beghim to take charge of my pistols, which lie there on the table near thatcoffer."
"Very well!" replied Athos, imperturbably.
"And he will not stir, will he?"
"Not more than the pistols themselves."
"Then I shall go and take leave of his majesty. Au revoir!"
D'Artagnan arrived at St. James's, where Charles II. who was busywriting, kept him in the ante-chamber a full hour. Whilst walking aboutin the gallery, from the door to the window, from the window to thedoor, he thought he saw a cloak like Athos's cross the vestibule; but atthe moment he was going to ascertain if it were he, the usher summonedhim to his majesty's presence. Charles II. rubbed his hands whilereceiving the thanks of our friend.
"Chevalier," said he, "you are wrong to express gratitude to me; I havenot paid you a quarter of the value of the history of the box into whichyou put the brave general--the excellent Duke of Albemarle, I mean." Andthe king laughed heartily.
D'Artagnan did not think it proper to interrupt his majesty, and bowedwith much modesty.
"A propos," continued Charles, "do you think my dear Monk has reallypardoned you?"
"Pardoned me! yes, I hope so, sire!"
"Eh!--but it was a cruel trick! Odds fish! to pack up the firstpersonage of the English revolution like a herring. In your place Iwould not trust him, chevalier."
"But, sire----"
"Yes, I know very well that Monk calls you his friend, but he has toopenetrating an eye not to have a memory, and too lofty a brow not to bevery proud, you know grande supercilium."
"I shall certainly learn Latin," said D'Artagnan to himself.
"But stop," cried the merry monarch, "I must manage your reconciliation;I know how to set about it; so----"
D'Arta
gnan bit his mustache. "Will your majesty permit me to tell youthe truth?"
"Speak, chevalier, speak."
"Well, sire, you alarm me greatly. If your majesty undertakes theaffair, as you seem inclined to do, I am a lost man; the duke will haveme assassinated."
The king burst into a fresh roar of laughter, which changed D'Artagnan'salarm into downright terror.
"Sire, I beg you to allow me to settle this matter myself, and if yourmajesty has no further need of my services----"
"No, chevalier. What, do you want to leave us?" replied Charles, with ahilarity that grew more and more alarming.
"If your majesty has no more commands for me."
Charles became more serious.
"One single thing. See my sister, the Lady Henrietta. Do you know her?"
"No, sire, but--an old soldier like me is not an agreeable spectacle fora young and gay princess."
"Ah! but my sister must know you; she must in case of need have you todepend upon."
"Sire, every one that is dear to your majesty will be sacred to me."
"Very well!--Parry! Come here, Parry!"
The side door opened and Parry entered, his face beaming with pleasureas soon as he saw D'Artagnan.
"What is Rochester doing?" said the king.
"He is on the canal with the ladies," replied Parry.
"And Buckingham?"
"He is there also."
"That is well. You will conduct the chevalier to Villiers; that isthe Duke of Buckingham, chevalier; and beg the duke to introduce M.d'Artagnan to the Princess Henrietta."
Parry bowed and smiled to D'Artagnan.
"Chevalier," continued the king, "this is your parting audience; you canafterwards set out as soon as you please."
"Sire, I thank you."
"But be sure you make your peace with Monk!"
"Oh, sire----"
"You know there is one of my vessels at your disposal?"
"Sire, you overpower me; I cannot think of putting your majesty'sofficers to inconvenience on my account."
The king slapped D'Artagnan upon the shoulder.
"Nobody will be inconvenienced on your account, chevalier, but for thatof an ambassador I am about sending to France, and to whom you willwillingly serve as a companion, I fancy, for you know him."
D'Artagnan appeared astonished.
"He is a certain Comte de la Fere,--whom you call Athos," added theking, terminating the conversation, as he had begun it, by a joyousburst of laughter. "Adieu, chevalier, adieu. Love me as I love you." Andthereupon making a sign to Parry to ask if there were any one waitingfor him in the adjoining closet, the king disappeared into that closet,leaving the chevalier perfectly astonished by this singular audience.The old man took his arm in a friendly way, and led him towards thegarden.
CHAPTER 35. On the Canal