50. The Interview.
It had been D'Artagnan's practice, ever since the riots, to sleep in thesame room as Porthos, and on this eventful morning he was still there,sleeping, and dreaming that a yellow cloud had overspread the sky andwas raining gold pieces into his hat, which he held out till it wasoverflowing with pistoles. As for Porthos, he dreamed that the panels ofhis carriage were not capacious enough to contain the armorial bearingshe had ordered to be painted on them. They were both aroused at seveno'clock by the entrance of an unliveried servant, who brought a letterfor 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 thedoor was closed he sprang up from his bed and read rapidly, whilstPorthos looked at him with starting eyes, not daring to ask a singlequestion.
"Friend Porthos," said D'Artagnan, handing the letter to him, "thistime, at least, you are sure of your title of baron, and I of mycaptaincy. Read for yourself and judge."
Porthos took the letter and with a trembling voice read the followingwords:
"The queen wishes to speak to Monsieur d'Artagnan, who must follow thebearer."
"Well!" exclaimed Porthos; "I see nothing in that very extraordinary."
"But I see much that is very extraordinary in it," replied D'Artagnan."It is evident, by their sending for me, that matters are becomingcomplicated. Just reflect a little what an agitation the queen's mindmust be in for her to have remembered me after twenty years."
"It is true," said Porthos.
"Sharpen your sword, baron, load your pistols, and give some corn to thehorses, for I will answer for it, something lightning-like will happenere to-morrow."
"But, stop; do you think it can be a trap that they are laying for us?"suggested Porthos, incessantly thinking how his greatness must beirksome to inferior people.
"If it is a snare," replied D'Artagnan, "I shall scent it out, beassured. If Mazarin is an Italian, I am a Gascon."
And D'Artagnan dressed himself in an instant.
Whilst Porthos, still in bed, was hooking on his cloak for him, a secondknock at the door was heard.
"Come in," exclaimed D'Artagnan; and another servant entered.
"From His Eminence, Cardinal Mazarin," presenting a letter.
D'Artagnan looked at Porthos.
"A complicated affair," said Porthos; "where will you begin?"
"It is arranged capitally; his eminence expects me in half an hour."
"Good."
"My friend," said D'Artagnan, turning to the servant, "tell his eminencethat in half an hour I shall be at his command."
"It is very fortunate," resumed the Gascon, when the valet had retired,"that he did not meet the other one."
"Do you not think that they have sent for you, both for the same thing?"
"I do not think it, I am certain of it."
"Quick, quick, D'Artagnan. Remember that the queen awaits you, and afterthe queen, the cardinal, and after the cardinal, myself."
D'Artagnan summoned Anne of Austria's servant and signified that he wasready to follow him into the queen's presence.
The servant conducted him by the Rue des Petits Champs and turning tothe left entered the little garden gate leading into the Rue Richelieu;then they gained the private staircase and D'Artagnan was ushered intothe oratory. A certain emotion, for which he could not account, made thelieutenant's heart beat: he had no longer the assurance of youth;experience had taught him the importance of past events. Formerly hewould have approached the queen as a young man who bends before a woman;but now it was a different thing; he answered her summons as an humblesoldier obeys an illustrious general.
The silence of the oratory was at last disturbed by the slight rustlingof silk, and D'Artagnan started when he perceived the tapestry raised bya white hand, which, by its form, its color and its beauty he recognizedas that royal hand which had one day been presented to him to kiss. Thequeen entered.
"It is you, Monsieur d'Artagnan," she said, fixing a gaze full ofmelancholy interest on the countenance of the officer, "and I know youwell. Look at me well in your turn. I am the queen; do you recognizeme?"
"No, madame," replied D'Artagnan.
"But are you no longer aware," continued Anne, giving that sweetexpression to her voice which she could do at will, "that in former daysthe queen had once need of a young, brave and devoted cavalier--that shefound this cavalier--and that, although he might have thought that shehad forgotten him, she had kept a place for him in the depths of herheart?"
"No, madame, I was ignorant of that," said the musketeer.
"So much the worse, sir," said Anne of Austria; "so much the worse, atleast for the queen, for to-day she has need of the same courage and thesame devotion."
"What!" exclaimed D'Artagnan, "does the queen, surrounded as she is bysuch devoted servants, such wise counselors, men, in short, so great bymerit or position--does she deign to cast her eyes on an obscuresoldier?"
Anne understood this covert reproach and was more moved than irritatedby it. She had many a time felt humiliated by the self-sacrifice anddisinterestedness shown by the Gascon gentleman. She had allowed herselfto be exceeded in generosity.
"All that you tell me of those by whom I am surrounded, Monsieurd'Artagnan, is doubtless true," said the queen, "but I have confidencein you alone. I know that you belong to the cardinal, but belong to meas well, and I will take upon myself the making of your fortune. Come,will you do to-day what formerly the gentleman you do not know did forthe queen?"
"I will do everything your majesty commands," replied D'Artagnan.
The queen reflected for a moment and then, seeing the cautious demeanorof the musketeer:
"Perhaps you like repose?" she said.
"I do not know, for I have never had it, madame."
"Have you any friends?"
"I had three, two of whom have left Paris, to go I know not where. Onealone is left to me, but he is one of those known, I believe, to thecavalier of whom your majesty did me the honor to speak."
"Very good," said the queen; "you and your friend are worth an army."
"What am I to do, madame?"
"Return at five o'clock and I will tell you; but do not breathe to aliving soul, sir, the rendezvous which I give you."
"No, madame."
"Swear it upon the cross."
"Madame, I have never been false to my word; when I say I will not do athing, I mean it."
The queen, although astonished at this language, to which she was notaccustomed from her courtiers, argued from it a happy omen of the zealwith which D'Artagnan would serve her in the accomplishment of herproject. It was one of the Gascon's artifices to hide his deep cunningoccasionally under an appearance of rough loyalty.
"Has the queen any further commands for me now?" asked D'Artagnan.
"No, sir," replied Anne of Austria, "and you may retire until the timethat I mentioned to you."
D'Artagnan bowed and went out.
"Diable!" he exclaimed when the door was shut, "they seem to have thegreatest need of me just now."
Then, as the half hour had already glided by, he crossed the gallery andknocked at the cardinal's door.
Bernouin introduced him.
"I come for your commands, my lord," he said.
And according to his custom D'Artagnan glanced rapidly around andremarked that Mazarin had a sealed letter before him. But it was soplaced on the desk that he could not see to whom it was addressed.
"You come from the queen?" said Mazarin, looking fixedly at D'Artagnan.
"I! my lord--who told you that?"
"Nobody, but I know it."
"I regret infinitely to tell you, my lord, that you are mistaken,"replied the Gascon, impudently, firm to the promise he had just made toAnne of Austria.
"I opened the door of the ante-room myself and I
saw you enter at theend of the corridor."
"Because I was shown up the private stairs."
"How so?"
"I know not; it must have been a mistake."
Mazarin was aware that it was not easy to make D'Artagnan revealanything he was desirous of hiding, so he gave up, for the time, thediscovery of the mystery the Gascon was concealing.
"Let us speak of my affairs," said Mazarin, "since you will tell menaught of yours. Are you fond of traveling?"
"My life has been passed on the high road."
"Would anything retain you particularly in Paris?"
"Nothing but an order from a superior would retain me in Paris."
"Very well. Here is a letter, which must be taken to its address."
"To its address, my lord? But it has none."
In fact, the side of the letter opposite the seal was blank.
"I must tell you," resumed Mazarin, "that it is in a double envelope."
"I understand; and I am to take off the first one when I have reached acertain place?"
"Just so, take it and go. You have a friend, Monsieur du Vallon, whom Ilike much; let him accompany you."
"The devil!" said D'Artagnan to himself. "He knows that we overheard hisconversation yesterday and he wants to get us away from Paris."
"Do you hesitate?" asked Mazarin.
"No, my lord, and I will set out at once. There is one thing only whichI must request."
"What is it? Speak."
"That your eminence will go at once to the queen."
"What for?"
"Merely to say these words: 'I am going to send Monsieur d'Artagnan awayand I wish him to set out directly.'"
"I told you," said Mazarin, "that you had seen the queen."
"I had the honor of saying to your eminence that there had been somemistake."
"What is the meaning of that?"
"May I venture to repeat my prayer to your eminence?"
"Very well; I will go. Wait here for me." And looking attentively aroundhim, to see if he had left any of his keys in his closets, Mazarin wentout. Ten minutes elapsed, during which D'Artagnan made every effort toread through the first envelope what was written on the second. But hedid not succeed.
Mazarin returned, pale, and evidently thoughtful. He seated himself athis desk and D'Artagnan proceeded to examine his face, as he had justexamined the letter he held, but the envelope which covered hiscountenance appeared as impenetrable as that which covered the letter.
"Ah!" thought the Gascon; "he looks displeased. Can it be with me? Hemeditates. Is it about sending me to the Bastile? All very fine, mylord, but at the very first hint you give of such a thing I willstrangle you and become Frondist. I should be carried home in triumphlike Monsieur Broussel and Athos would proclaim me the French Brutus. Itwould be exceedingly droll."
The Gascon, with his vivid imagination, had already seen the advantageto be derived from his situation. Mazarin gave, however, no order of thekind, but on the contrary began to be insinuating.
"You were right," he said, "my dear Monsieur d'Artagnan, and you cannotset out yet. I beg you to return me that dispatch."
D'Artagnan obeyed, and Mazarin ascertained that the seal was intact.
"I shall want you this evening," he said "Return in two hours."
"My lord," said D'Artagnan, "I have an appointment in two hours which Icannot miss."
"Do not be uneasy," said Mazarin; "it is the same."
"Good!" thought D'Artagnan; "I fancied it was so."
"Return, then, at five o'clock and bring that worthy Monsieur du Vallonwith you. Only, leave him in the ante-room, as I wish to speak to youalone."
D'Artagnan bowed, and thought: "Both at the same hour; both commandsalike; both at the Palais Royal. Monsieur de Gondy would pay a hundredthousand francs for such a secret!"
"You are thoughtful," said Mazarin, uneasily.
"Yes, I was thinking whether we ought to come armed or not."
"Armed to the teeth!" replied Mazarin.
"Very well, my lord; it shall be so."
D'Artagnan saluted, went out and hastened to repeat to his friendMazarin's flattering promises, which gave Porthos an indescribablehappiness.