62 TWO VARIETIES OF DEMONS
Ah," cried Milady and Rochefort together, "it is you!"
"Yes, it is I."
"And you come?" asked Milady.
"From La Rochelle; and you?"
"From England."
"Buckingham?"
"Dead or desperately wounded, as I left without having been able to hearanything of him. A fanatic has just assassinated him."
"Ah," said Rochefort, with a smile; "this is a fortunate chance--onethat will delight his Eminence! Have you informed him of it?"
"I wrote to him from Boulogne. But what brings you here?"
"His Eminence was uneasy, and sent me to find you."
"I only arrived yesterday."
"And what have you been doing since yesterday?"
"I have not lost my time."
"Oh, I don't doubt that."
"Do you know whom I have encountered here?"
"No."
"Guess."
"How can I?"
"That young woman whom the queen took out of prison."
"The mistress of that fellow d'Artagnan?"
"Yes; Madame Bonacieux, with whose retreat the cardinal wasunacquainted."
"Well, well," said Rochefort, "here is a chance which may pair off withthe other! Monsieur Cardinal is indeed a privileged man!"
"Imagine my astonishment," continued Milady, "when I found myself faceto face with this woman!"
"Does she know you?"
"No."
"Then she looks upon you as a stranger?"
Milady smiled. "I am her best friend."
"Upon my honor," said Rochefort, "it takes you, my dear countess, toperform such miracles!"
"And it is well I can, Chevalier," said Milady, "for do you know what isgoing on here?"
"No."
"They will come for her tomorrow or the day after, with an order fromthe queen."
"Indeed! And who?"
"d'Artagnan and his friends."
"Indeed, they will go so far that we shall be obliged to send them tothe Bastille."
"Why is it not done already?"
"What would you? The cardinal has a weakness for these men which Icannot comprehend."
"Indeed!"
"Yes."
"Well, then, tell him this, Rochefort. Tell him that our conversation atthe inn of the Red Dovecot was overheard by these four men; tell himthat after his departure one of them came up to me and took from me byviolence the safe-conduct which he had given me; tell him they warnedLord de Winter of my journey to England; that this time they nearlyfoiled my mission as they foiled the affair of the studs; tell him thatamong these four men two only are to be feared--d'Artagnan and Athos;tell him that the third, Aramis, is the lover of Madame de Chevreuse--hemay be left alone, we know his secret, and it may be useful; as to thefourth, Porthos, he is a fool, a simpleton, a blustering booby, notworth troubling himself about."
"But these four men must be now at the siege of La Rochelle?"
"I thought so, too; but a letter which Madame Bonacieux has receivedfrom Madame the Constable, and which she has had the imprudence to showme, leads me to believe that these four men, on the contrary, are on theroad hither to take her away."
"The devil! What's to be done?"
"What did the cardinal say about me?"
"I was to take your dispatches, written or verbal, and return by post;and when he shall know what you have done, he will advise what you haveto do."
"I must, then, remain here?"
"Here, or in the neighborhood."
"You cannot take me with you?"
"No, the order is imperative. Near the camp you might be recognized; andyour presence, you must be aware, would compromise the cardinal."
"Then I must wait here, or in the neighborhood?"
"Only tell me beforehand where you will wait for intelligence from thecardinal; let me know always where to find you."
"Observe, it is probable that I may not be able to remain here."
"Why?"
"You forget that my enemies may arrive at any minute."
"That's true; but is this little woman, then, to escape his Eminence?"
"Bah!" said Milady, with a smile that belonged only to herself; "youforget that I am her best friend."
"Ah, that's true! I may then tell the cardinal, with respect to thislittle woman--"
"That he may be at ease."
"Is that all?"
"He will know what that means."
"He will guess, at least. Now, then, what had I better do?"
"Return instantly. It appears to me that the news you bear is worth thetrouble of a little diligence."
"My chaise broke down coming into Lilliers."
"Capital!"
"What, CAPITAL?"
"Yes, I want your chaise."
"And how shall I travel, then?"
"On horseback."
"You talk very comfortably,--a hundred and eighty leagues!"
"What's that?"
"One can do it! Afterward?"
"Afterward? Why, in passing through Lilliers you will send me yourchaise, with an order to your servant to place himself at my disposal."
"Well."
"You have, no doubt, some order from the cardinal about you?"
"I have my FULL POWER."
"Show it to the abbess, and tell her that someone will come and fetchme, either today or tomorrow, and that I am to follow the person whopresents himself in your name."
"Very well."
"Don't forget to treat me harshly in speaking of me to the abbess."
"To what purpose?"
"I am a victim of the cardinal. It is necessary to inspire confidence inthat poor little Madame Bonacieux."
"That's true. Now, will you make me a report of all that has happened?"
"Why, I have related the events to you. You have a good memory; repeatwhat I have told you. A paper may be lost."
"You are right; only let me know where to find you that I may not runneedlessly about the neighborhood."
"That's correct; wait!"
"Do you want a map?"
"Oh, I know this country marvelously!"
"You? When were you here?"
"I was brought up here."
"Truly?"
"It is worth something, you see, to have been brought up somewhere."
"You will wait for me, then?"
"Let me reflect a little! Ay, that will do--at Armentieres."
"Where is that Armentieres?"
"A little town on the Lys; I shall only have to cross the river, and Ishall be in a foreign country."
"Capital! but it is understood you will only cross the river in case ofdanger."
"That is well understood."
"And in that case, how shall I know where you are?"
"You do not want your lackey?"
"Is he a sure man?"
"To the proof."
"Give him to me. Nobody knows him. I will leave him at the place I quit,and he will conduct you to me."
"And you say you will wait for me at Armentieres?"
"At Armentieres."
"Write that name on a bit of paper, lest I should forget it. There isnothing compromising in the name of a town. Is it not so?"
"Eh, who knows? Never mind," said Milady, writing the name on half asheet of paper; "I will compromise myself."
"Well," said Rochefort, taking the paper from Milady, folding it, andplacing it in the lining of his hat, "you may be easy. I will do aschildren do, for fear of losing the paper--repeat the name along theroute. Now, is that all?"
"I believe so."
"Let us see: Buckingham dead or grievously wounded; your conversationwith the cardinal overheard by the four Musketeers; Lord de Winterwarned of your arrival at Portsmouth; d'Artagnan and Athos to theBastille; Aramis the lover of Madame de Chevreuse; Porthos an ass;Madame Bonacieux found again; to send you the chaise as soon aspossible; to place my lackey at your disposal; to make you out a victimof the cardinal
in order that the abbess may entertain no suspicion;Armentieres, on the banks of the Lys. Is that all, then?"
"In truth, my dear Chevalier, you are a miracle of memory. A PROPOS, addone thing--"
"What?"
"I saw some very pretty woods which almost touch the convent garden. Saythat I am permitted to walk in those woods. Who knows? Perhaps I shallstand in need of a back door for retreat."
"You think of everything."
"And you forget one thing."
"What?"
"To ask me if I want money."
"That's true. How much do you want?"
"All you have in gold."
"I have five hundred pistoles, or thereabouts."
"I have as much. With a thousand pistoles one may face everything. Emptyyour pockets."
"There."
"Right. And you go--"
"In an hour--time to eat a morsel, during which I shall send for a posthorse."
"Capital! Adieu, Chevalier."
"Adieu, Countess."
"Commend me to the cardinal."
"Commend me to Satan."
Milady and Rochefort exchanged a smile and separated. An hour afterwardRochefort set out at a grand gallop; five hours after that he passedthrough Arras.
Our readers already know how he was recognized by d'Artagnan, and howthat recognition by inspiring fear in the four Musketeers had givenfresh activity to their journey.