76. The Ambassadors.
The two friends rode rapidly down the declivity of the Faubourg, but onarriving at the bottom were surprised to find that the streets of Parishad become rivers, and the open places lakes; after the great rainswhich fell in January the Seine had overflowed its banks and the riverinundated half the capital. The two gentlemen were obliged, therefore,to get off their horses and take a boat; and in that strange manner theyapproached the Louvre.
Night had closed in, and Paris, seen thus, by the light of lanternsflickering on the pools of water, crowded with ferry-boats of everykind, including those that glittered with the armed patrols, with thewatchword, passing from post to post--Paris presented such an aspect asto strongly seize the senses of Aramis, a man most susceptible towarlike impressions.
They reached the queen's apartments, but were compelled to stop in theante-chamber, since her majesty was at that moment giving audience togentlemen bringing her news from England.
"We, too," said Athos, to the footman who had given him that answer,"not only bring news from England, but have just come from there."
"What? then, are your names, gentlemen?"
"The Comte de la Fere and the Chevalier d'Herblay," said Aramis.
"Ah! in that case, gentlemen," said the footman, on hearing the nameswhich the queen had so often pronounced with hope, "in that case it isanother thing, and I think her majesty will pardon me for not keepingyou here a moment. Please follow me," and he went on before, followed byAthos and Aramis.
On arriving at the door of the room where the queen was receiving hemade a sign for them to wait and opening the door:
"Madame," he said, "I hope your majesty will forgive me for disobeyingyour orders, when you learn that the gentlemen I have come to announceare the Comte de la Fere and the Chevalier d'Herblay."
On hearing those two names the queen uttered a cry of joy, which the twogentlemen heard.
"Poor queen!" murmured Athos.
"Oh, let them come in! let them come in," cried the young princess,bounding to the door.
The poor child was constant in her attendance on her mother and soughtby her filial attentions to make her forget the absence of her two sonsand her other daughter.
"Come in, gentlemen," repeated the princess, opening the door herself.
The queen was seated on a fauteuil and before her were standing two orthree gentlemen, and among them the Duc de Chatillon, the brother of thenobleman killed eight or nine years previously in a duel on account ofMadame de Longueville, on the Place Royale. All these gentlemen had beennoticed by Athos and Aramis in the guardhouse, and when the two friendswere announced they started and exchanged some words in a low tone."Well, sirs!" cried the queen, on perceiving the two friends, "you havecome, faithful friends! But the royal couriers have been moreexpeditious than you, and here are Monsieur de Flamarens and Monsieur deChatillon, who bring me from Her Majesty the Queen Anne of Austria, thevery latest intelligence."
Aramis and Athos were astounded by the calmness, even the gayety of thequeen's manner.
"Go on with your recital, sirs," said the queen, turning to the Duc deChatillon. "You said that His Majesty, King Charles, my august consort,had been condemned to death by a majority of his subjects!"
"Yes, madame," Chatillon stammered out.
Athos and Aramis were more and more astonished.
"And that being conducted to the scaffold," resumed the queen--"oh, mylord! oh, my king!--and that being led to the scaffold he had been savedby an indignant people."
"Just so madame," replied Chatillon, in so low a voice that though thetwo friends were listening eagerly they could hardly hear thisaffirmation.
The queen clasped her hands in enthusiastic gratitude, whilst herdaughter threw her arms around her mother's neck and kissed her--her owneyes streaming with tears.
"Now, madame, nothing remains to me except to proffer my respectfulhomage," said Chatillon, who felt confused and ashamed beneath the sterngaze of Athos.
"One moment, yes," answered the queen. "One moment--I beg--for here arethe Chevalier d'Herblay and the Comte de la Fere, just arrived fromLondon, and they can give you, as eye-witnesses, such details as you canconvey to the queen, my royal sister. Speak, gentlemen, speak--I amlistening; conceal nothing, gloss over nothing. Since his majesty stilllives, since the honor of the throne is safe, everything else is amatter of indifference to me."
Athos turned pale and laid his hand on his heart.
"Well!" exclaimed the queen, who remarked this movement and hispaleness. "Speak, sir! I beg you to do so."
"I beg you to excuse me, madame; I wish to add nothing to the recital ofthese gentlemen until they perceive themselves that they have perhapsbeen mistaken."
"Mistaken!" cried the queen, almost suffocated by emotion; "mistaken!what has happened, then?"
"Sir," interposed Monsieur de Flamarens to Athos, "if we are mistakenthe error has originated with the queen. I do not suppose you will havethe presumption to set it to rights--that would be to accuse HerMajesty, Queen Anne, of falsehood."
"With the queen, sir?" replied Athos, in his calm, vibrating voice.
"Yes," murmured Flamarens, lowering his eyes.
Athos sighed deeply.
"Or rather, sir," said Aramis, with his peculiar irritating politeness,"the error of the person who was with you when we met you in theguardroom; for if the Comte de la Fere and I are not mistaken, we sawyou in the company of a third gentleman."
Chatillon and Flamarens started.
"Explain yourself, count!" cried the queen, whose anxiety grew greaterevery moment. "On your brow I read despair--your lips falter ere youannounce some terrible tidings--your hands tremble. Oh, my God! my God!what has happened?"
"Lord!" ejaculated the young princess, falling on her knees, "have mercyon us!"
"Sir," said Chatillon, "if you bring bad tidings it will be cruel in youto announce them to the queen."
Aramis went so close to Chatillon as almost to touch him.
"Sir," said he, with compressed lips and flashing eyes, "you have notthe presumption to instruct the Comte de la Fere and myself what weought to say here?"
During this brief altercation Athos, with his hands on his heart, hishead bent low, approached the queen and in a voice of deepest sorrowsaid:
"Madame, princes--who by nature are above other men--receive from Heavencourage to support greater misfortunes than those of lower rank, fortheir hearts are elevated as their fortunes. We ought not, therefore, Ithink, to act toward a queen so illustrious as your majesty as we shouldact toward a woman of our lowlier condition. Queen, destined as you areto endure every sorrow on this earth, hear the result of our unhappymission."
Athos, kneeling down before the queen, trembling and very cold, drewfrom his bosom, inclosed in the same case, the order set in diamondswhich the queen had given to Lord de Winter and the wedding ring whichCharles I. before his death had placed in the hands of Aramis. Since themoment he had first received these two mementoes Athos had never partedwith them.
He opened the case and offered them to the queen with deep and silentanguish.
The queen stretched out her hand, seized the ring, pressed itconvulsively to her lips--and without being able to breathe a sigh, togive vent to a sob, she extended her arms, became deadly pale, and fellsenseless in the arms of her attendants and her daughter.
Athos kissed the hem of the robe of the widowed queen and rising, with adignity that made a deep impression on those around:
"I, the Comte de la Fere, a gentleman who has never deceived any humanbeing, swear before God and before this unhappy queen, that all that waspossible to save the king of England was done whilst we were on Englishground. Now, chevalier," he added, turning to Aramis, "let us go. Ourduty is fulfilled."
"Not yet." said Aramis; "we have still a word to say to thesegentlemen."
And turning to Chatillon: "Sir, be so good as not to go away withoutgiving me an opportunity to tell you something I cannot say
before thequeen."
Chatillon bowed in token of assent and they all went out, stopping atthe window of a gallery on the ground floor.
"Sir," said Aramis, "you allowed yourself just now to treat us in a mostextraordinary manner. That would not be endurable in any case, and isstill less so on the part of those who came to bring the queen themessage of a liar."
"Sir!" cried De Chatillon.
"What have you done with Monsieur de Bruy? Has he by any possibilitygone to change his face which was too like that of Monsieur de Mazarin?There is an abundance of Italian masks at the Palais Royal, fromharlequin even to pantaloon."
"Chevalier! chevalier!" said Athos.
"Leave me alone," said Aramis impatiently. "You know well that I don'tlike to leave things half finished."
"Conclude, then, sir," answered De Chatillon, with as much hauteur asAramis.
"Gentlemen," resumed Aramis, "any one but the Comte de la Fere andmyself would have had you arrested--for we have friends in Paris--but weare contented with another course. Come and converse with us for justfive minutes, sword in hand, upon this deserted terrace."
"One moment, gentlemen," cried Flamarens. "I know well that theproposition is tempting, but at present it is impossible to accept it."
"And why not?" said Aramis, in his tone of raillery. "Is it Mazarin'sproximity that makes you so prudent?"
"Oh, you hear that, Flamarens!" said Chatillon. "Not to reply would be ablot on my name and my honor."
"That is my opinion," said Aramis.
"You will not reply, however, and these gentlemen, I am sure, willpresently be of my opinion."
Aramis shook his head with a motion of indescribable insolence.
Chatillon saw the motion and put his hand to his sword.
"Willingly," replied De Chatillon.
"Duke," said Flamarens, "you forget that to-morrow you are to command anexpedition of the greatest importance, projected by the prince, assentedto by the queen. Until to-morrow evening you are not at your owndisposal."
"Let it be then the day after to-morrow," said Aramis.
"To-morrow, rather," said De Chatillon, "if you will take the trouble ofcoming so far as the gates of Charenton."
"How can you doubt it, sir? For the pleasure of a meeting with you Iwould go to the end of the world."
"Very well, to-morrow, sir."
"I shall rely on it. Are you going to rejoin your cardinal? Swear first,on your honor, not to inform him of our return."
"Conditions?"
"Why not?"
"Because it is for victors to make conditions, and you are not yetvictors, gentlemen."
"Then let us draw on the spot. It is all one to us--to us who do notcommand to-morrow's expedition."
Chatillon and Flamarens looked at each other. There was such irony inthe words and in the bearing of Aramis that the duke had greatdifficulty in bridling his anger, but at a word from Flamarens herestrained himself and contented himself with saying:
"You promise, sir--that's agreed--that I shall find you to-morrow atCharenton?"
"Oh, don't be afraid, sir," replied Aramis; and the two gentlemenshortly afterward left the Louvre.
"For what reason is all this fume and fury?" asked Athos. "What havethey done to you?"
"They--did you not see what they did?"
"No."
"They laughed when we swore that we had done our duty in England. Now,if they believed us, they laughed in order to insult us; if they did notbelieve it they insulted us all the more. However, I'm glad not to fightthem until to-morrow. I hope we shall have something better to doto-night than to draw the sword."
"What have we to do?"
"Egad! to take Mazarin."
Athos curled his lip with disdain.
"These undertakings do not suit me, as you know, Aramis."
"Why?"
"Because it is taking people unawares."
"Really, Athos, you would make a singular general. You would fight onlyby broad daylight, warn your foe before an attack, and never attemptanything by night lest you should be accused of taking advantage of thedarkness."
Athos smiled.
"You know one cannot change his nature," he said. "Besides, do you knowwhat is our situation, and whether Mazarin's arrest wouldn't be ratheran encumbrance than an advantage?"
"Say at once you disapprove of my proposal."
"I think you ought to do nothing, since you exacted a promise from thesegentlemen not to let Mazarin know that we were in France."
"I have entered into no engagement and consider myself quite free. Come,come."
"Where?"
"Either to seek the Duc de Beaufort or the Duc de Bouillon, and to tellthem about this."
"Yes, but on one condition--that we begin by the coadjutor. He is apriest, learned in cases of conscience, and we will tell him ours."
It was then agreed that they were to go first to Monsieur de Bouillon,as his house came first; but first of all Athos begged that he might goto the Hotel du Grand Charlemagne, to see Raoul.
They re-entered the boat which had brought them to the Louvre and thenceproceeded to the Halles; and taking up Grimaud and Blaisois, they wenton foot to the Rue Guenegaud.
But Raoul was not at the Hotel du Grand Charlemagne. He had received amessage from the prince, to whom he had hastened with Olivain theinstant he had received it.