Chapter LXVI. In Which Porthos Is Convinced without Having UnderstoodAnything.
The good and worthy Porthos, faithful to all the laws of ancientchivalry, had determined to wait for M. de Saint-Aignan until sunset;and as Saint-Aignan did not come, as Raoul had forgotten to communicatewith his second, and as he found that waiting so long was verywearisome, Porthos had desired one of the gate-keepers to fetch him afew bottles of good wine and a good joint of meat,--so that, at least,he might pass away the time by means of a glass or two and a mouthful ofsomething to eat. He had just finished when Raoul arrived, escorted byGrimaud, both of them riding at full speed. As soon as Porthos saw thetwo cavaliers riding at such a pace along the road, he did not for amoment doubt but that they were the men he was expecting, and he rosefrom the grass upon which he had been indolently reclining and began tostretch his legs and arms, saying, "See what it is to have good habits.The fellow has finished by coming, after all. If I had gone away hewould have found no one here and would have taken advantage of that." Hethen threw himself into a martial attitude, and drew himself up to thefull height of his gigantic stature. But instead of Saint-Aignan, heonly saw Raoul, who, with the most despairing gestures, accosted him bycrying out, "Pray forgive me, my dear friend, I am most wretched."
"Raoul!" cried Porthos, surprised.
"You have been angry with me?" said Raoul, embracing Porthos.
"I? What for?"
"For having forgotten you. But I assure you my head seems utterly lost.If you only knew!"
"You have killed him?"
"Who?"
"Saint-Aignan; or, if that is not the case, what is the matter?"
"The matter is, that Monsieur le Comte de la Fere has by this time beenarrested."
Porthos gave a start that would have thrown down a wall.
"Arrested!" he cried out; "by whom?"
"By D'Artagnan."
"It is impossible," said Porthos.
"My dear friend, it is perfectly true."
Porthos turned towards Grimaud, as if he needed a second confirmation ofthe intelligence.
Grimaud nodded his head. "And where have they taken him?"
"Probably to the Bastile."
"What makes you think that?"
"As we came along we questioned some persons, who saw the carriage pass;and others who saw it enter the Bastile."
"Oh!" muttered Porthos.
"What do you intend to do?" inquired Raoul.
"I? Nothing; only I will not have Athos remain at the Bastile."
"Do you know," said Raoul, advancing nearer to Porthos, "that the arrestwas made by order of the king?"
Porthos looked at the young man, as if to say, "What does that matter tome?" This dumb language seemed so eloquent of meaning to Raoul that hedid not ask any other question. He mounted his horse again; and Porthos,assisted by Grimaud, had already done the same.
"Let us arrange our plan of action," said Raoul.
"Yes," returned Porthos, "that is the best thing we can do."
Raoul sighed deeply, and then paused suddenly.
"What is the matter?" asked Porthos; "are you faint?"
"No, only I feel how utterly helpless our position is. Can we threepretend to go and take the Bastile?"
"Well, if D'Artagnan were only here," replied Porthos, "I am not so verycertain we would fail."
Raoul could not resist a feeling of admiration at the sight of suchperfect confidence, heroic in its simplicity. These were truly thecelebrated men who, by three or four, attacked armies and assaultedcastles! Men who had terrified death itself, who had survived the wrecksof a tempestuous age, and still stood, stronger than the most robust ofthe young.
"Monsieur," said he to Porthos, "you have just given me an idea; weabsolutely must see M. d'Artagnan."
"Undoubtedly."
"He ought by this time to have returned home, after having taken myfather to the Bastile. Let us go to his house."
"First inquire at the Bastile," said Grimaud, who was in the habit ofspeaking little, but that to the purpose.
Accordingly, they hastened towards the fortress, when one of thosechances which Heaven bestows on men of strong will caused Grimaudsuddenly to perceive the carriage, which was entering by the great gateof the drawbridge. This was the moment that D'Artagnan was, as we haveseen, returning from his visit to the king. In vain was it that Raoulurged on his horse in order to join the carriage, and to see whom itcontained. The horses had already gained the other side of the greatgate, which again closed, while one of the sentries struck the nose ofRaoul's horse with his musket; Raoul turned about, only too happy tofind he had ascertained something respecting the carriage which hadcontained his father.
"We have him," said Grimaud.
"If we wait a little it is certain he will leave; don't you think so, myfriend?"
"Unless, indeed, D'Artagnan also be a prisoner," replied Porthos, "inwhich case everything is lost."
Raoul returned no answer, for any hypothesis was admissible.He instructed Grimaud to lead the horses to the little streetJean-Beausire, so as to give rise to less suspicion, and himself withhis piercing gaze watched for the exit either of D'Artagnan or thecarriage. Nor had he decided wrongly; for twenty minutes had not elapsedbefore the gate reopened and the carriage reappeared. A dazzling ofthe eyes prevented Raoul from distinguishing what figures occupied theinterior. Grimaud averred that he had seen two persons, and that one ofthem was his master. Porthos kept looking at Raoul and Grimaud by turns,in the hope of understanding their idea.
"It is clear," said Grimaud, "that if the comte is in the carriage,either he is set at liberty or they are taking him to another prison."
"We shall soon see that by the road he takes," answered Porthos.
"If he is set at liberty," said Grimaud, "they will conduct him home."
"True," rejoined Porthos.
"The carriage does not take that way," cried Raoul; and indeed thehorses were just disappearing down the Faubourg St. Antoine.
"Let us hasten," said Porthos; "we will attack the carriage on the roadand tell Athos to flee."
"Rebellion," murmured Raoul.
Porthos darted a second glance at Raoul, quite worthy of the first.Raoul replied only by spurring the flanks of his steed. In a few momentsthe three cavaliers had overtaken the carriage, and followed it soclosely that their horses' breath moistened the back of it. D'Artagnan,whose senses were ever on the alert, heard the trot of the horses, atthe moment when Raoul was telling Porthos to pass the chariot, so as tosee who was the person accompanying Athos. Porthos complied, but couldnot see anything, for the blinds were lowered. Rage and impatience weregaining mastery over Raoul. He had just noticed the mystery preserved byAthos's companion, and determined on proceeding to extremities. On hispart D'Artagnan had perfectly recognized Porthos, and Raoul also, fromunder the blinds, and had communicated to the comte the result of hisobservation. They were desirous only of seeing whether Raoul and Porthoswould push the affair to the uttermost. And this they speedily did, forRaoul, presenting his pistol, threw himself on the leader, commandingthe coachmen to stop. Porthos seized the coachman, and dragged him fromhis seat. Grimaud already had hold of the carriage door. Raoul threwopen his arms, exclaiming, "M. le comte! M. le comte!"
"Ah! is it you, Raoul?" said Athos, intoxicated with joy.
"Not bad, indeed!" added D'Artagnan, with a burst of laughter, and theyboth embraced the young man and Porthos, who had taken possession ofthem.
"My brave Porthos! best of friends," cried Athos, "it is still the sameold way with you."
"He is still only twenty," said D'Artagnan, "brave Porthos!"
"Confound it," answered Porthos, slightly confused, "we thought that youwere being arrested."
"While," rejoined Athos, "the matter in question was nothing but mytaking a drive in M. d'Artagnan's carriage."
"But we followed you from the Bastile," returned Raoul, with a tone ofsuspicion and reproach.
"Where we had been to t
ake supper with our friend M. Baisemeaux. Do yourecollect Baisemeaux, Porthos?"
"Very well, indeed."
"And there we saw Aramis."
"In the Bastile?"
"At supper."
"Ah!" said Porthos, again breathing freely.
"He gave us a thousand messages to you."
"And where is M. le comte going?" asked Grimaud, already recompensed bya smile from his master.
"We were going home to Blois."
"How can that be?"
"At once?" said Raoul.
"Yes, right forward."
"Without any luggage?"
"Oh! Raoul would have been instructed to forward me mine, or to bring itwith him on his return, _if_ he returns."
"If nothing detains him longer in Paris," said D'Artagnan, with a glancefirm and cutting as steel, and as painful (for it reopened the pooryoung fellow's wounds), "he will do well to follow you, Athos."
"There is nothing to keep me any longer in Paris," said Raoul.
"Then we will go immediately."
"And M. d'Artagnan?"
"Oh! as for me, I was only accompanying Athos as far as the barrier, andI return with Porthos."
"Very good," said the latter.
"Come, my son," added the comte, gently passing his arm around Raoul'sneck to draw him into the carriage, and again embracing him. "Grimaud,"continued the comte, "you will return quietly to Paris with your horseand M. du Vallon's, for Raoul and I will mount here and give up thecarriage to these two gentlemen to return to Paris in; and then, assoon as you arrive, you will take my clothes and letters and forward thewhole to me at home."
"But," observed Raoul, who was anxious to make the comte converse,"when you return to Paris, there will not be a single thing there foryou--which will be very inconvenient."
"I think it will be a very long time, Raoul, ere I return to Paris. Thelast sojourn we have made there has not been of a nature to encourage meto repeat it."
Raoul hung down his head and said not a word more. Athos descended fromthe carriage and mounted the horse which had brought Porthos, andwhich seemed no little pleased at the exchange. Then they embraced,and clasped each other's hands, and interchanged a thousand pledges ofeternal friendship. Porthos promised to spend a month with Athos at thefirst opportunity. D'Artagnan engaged to take advantage of his firstleave of absence; and then, having embraced Raoul for the last time: "Toyou, my boy," said he, "I will write." Coming from D'Artagnan, who heknew wrote very seldom, these words expressed everything. Raoul wasmoved even to tears. He tore himself away from the musketeer anddeparted.
D'Artagnan rejoined Porthos in the carriage: "Well," said he, "my dearfriend, what a day we have had!"
"Indeed we have," answered Porthos.
"You must be quite worn out."
"Not quite; however, I shall retire early to rest, so as to be ready forto-morrow."
"And wherefore?"
"Why! to complete what I have begun."
"You make me shudder, my friend, you seem to me quite angry. What thedevil _have_ you begun which is not finished?"
"Listen; Raoul has not fought, but _I_ must fight!"
"With whom? with the king?"
"How!" exclaimed Porthos, astounded, "with the king?"
"Yes, I say, you great baby, with the king."
"I assure you it is with M. Saint-Aignan."
"Look now, this is what I mean; you draw your sword against the king infighting with this gentleman."
"Ah!" said Porthos, staring; "are you sure of it?"
"Indeed I am."
"What in the world are we to do, then?"
"We must try and make a good supper, Porthos. The captain of themusketeers keeps a tolerable table. There you will see the handsomeSaint-Aignan, and will drink his health."
"I?" cried Porthos, horrified.
"What!" said D'Artagnan, "you refuse to drink the king's health?"
"But, body alive! I am not talking to you about the king at all; I amspeaking of M. de Saint-Aignan."
"But when I repeat that it is the same thing?"
"Ah, well, well!" said Porthos, overcome.
"You understand, don't you?"
"No," answered Porthos, "but 'tis all the same."
Chapter LXVII. M. de Baisemeaux's "Society."
The reader has not forgotten that, on quitting the Bastile, D'Artagnanand the Comte de la Fere had left Aramis in close confabulation withBaisemeaux. When once these two guests had departed, Baisemeaux did notin the least perceive that the conversation suffered by their absence.He used to think that wine after supper, and that of the Bastilein particular, was excellent, and that it was a stimulation quitesufficient to make any honest man talkative. But he little knewhis Greatness, who was never more impenetrable than at dessert. HisGreatness, however, perfectly understood M. de Baisemeaux, when hereckoned on making the governor discourse by the means which the latterregarded as efficacious. The conversation, therefore, without flaggingin appearance, flagged in reality; for Baisemeaux not only had it nearlyall to himself, but further, kept speaking only of that singular event,the incarceration of Athos, followed by so prompt an order to set himagain at liberty. Nor, moreover, had Baisemeaux failed to observe thatthe two orders of arrest and of liberation, were both in the king'shand. But then, the king would not take the trouble to write similarorders except under pressing circumstances. All this was veryinteresting, and, above all, very puzzling to Baisemeaux; but as, on theother hand, all this was very clear to Aramis, the latter did notattach to the occurrence the same importance as did the worthy governor.Besides, Aramis rarely put himself out of the way for anything, and hehad not yet told M. de Baisemeaux for what reason he had now done so.And so at the very climax of Baisemeaux's dissertation, Aramis suddenlyinterrupted him.
"Tell me, my dear Baisemeaux," said he, "have you never had any otherdiversions at the Bastile than those at which I assisted during the twoor three visits I have had the honor to pay you?"
This address was so unexpected that the governor, like a vane whichsuddenly receives an impulsion opposed to that of the wind, was quitedumbfounded at it. "Diversions!" said he; "but I take them continually,monseigneur."
"Oh, to be sure! And these diversions?"
"Are of every kind."
"Visits, no doubt?"
"No, not visits. Visits are not frequent at the Bastile."
"What, are visits rare, then?"
"Very much so."
"Even on the part of your society?"
"What do you term my society--the prisoners?"
"Oh, no!--your prisoners, indeed! I know well it is you who visit them,and not they you. By your society, I mean, my dear Baisemeaux, thesociety of which you are a member."
Baisemeaux looked fixedly at Aramis, and then, as if the idea which hadflashed across his mind were impossible, "Oh," he said, "I have verylittle society at present. If I must own it to you, dear M. d'Herblay,the fact is, to stay at the Bastile appears, for the most part,distressing and distasteful to persons of the gay world. As for theladies, it is never without a certain dread, which costs me infinitetrouble to allay, that they succeed in reaching my quarters. And,indeed, how should they avoid trembling a little, poor things, whenthey see those gloomy dungeons, and reflect that they are inhabitedby prisoners who--" And in proportion as the eyes of Baisemeauxconcentrated their gaze on the face of Aramis, the worthy governor'stongue faltered more and more until it ended by stopping altogether.
"No, you don't understand me, my dear M. Baisemeaux; you don'tunderstand me. I do not at all mean to speak of society in general, butof a particular society--of _the_ society, in a word--to which you areaffiliated."
Baisemeaux nearly dropped the glass of muscat which he was in the act ofraising to his lips. "Affiliated," cried he, "affiliated!"
"Yes, affiliated, undoubtedly," repeated Aramis, with the greatestself-possession. "Are you not a member of a secret society, my dear M.Baisemeaux?"
"Secret?"
"Sec
ret or mysterious."
"Oh, M. d'Herblay!"
"Consider, now, don't deny it."
"But believe me."
"I believe what I know."
"I swear to you."
"Listen to me, my dear M. Baisemeaux; I say yes, you say no; one of ustwo necessarily says what is true, and the other, it inevitably follows,what is false."
"Well, and then?"
"Well, we shall come to an understanding presently."
"Let us see," said Baisemeaux; "let us see."
"Now drink your glass of muscat, dear Monsieur de Baisemeaux," saidAramis. "What the devil! you look quite scared."
"No, no; not the least in the world; oh, no."
"Drink then." Baisemeaux drank, but he swallowed the wrong way.
"Well," resumed Aramis, "if, I say, you are not a member of a secretor mysterious society, which you like to call it--the epithet is of noconsequence--if, I say, you are not a member of a society similar tothat I wish to designate, well, then, you will not understand a word ofwhat I am going to say. That is all."
"Oh! be sure beforehand that I shall not understand anything."
"Well, well!"
"Try, now; let us see!"
"That is what I am going to do."
"If, on the contrary, you are one of the members of this society, youwill immediately answer me--yes or no."
"Begin your questions," continued Baisemeaux, trembling.
"You will agree, dear Monsieur de Baisemeaux," continued Aramis, withthe same impassibility, "that it is evident a man cannot be a member ofa society, it is evident that he cannot enjoy the advantages it offersto the affiliated, without being himself bound to certain littleservices."
"In short," stammered Baisemeaux, "that would be intelligible, if--"
"Well," resumed Aramis, "there is in the society of which I speak, andof which, as it seems you are not a member--"
"Allow me," said Baisemeaux. "I should not like to say absolutely."
"There is an engagement entered into by all the governors and captainsof fortresses affiliated to the order." Baisemeaux grew pale.
"Now the engagement," continued Aramis firmly, "is of this nature."
Baisemeaux rose, manifesting unspeakable emotion: "Go on, dear M.d'Herblay: go on," said he.
Aramis then spoke, or rather recited the following paragraph, in thesame tone as if he had been reading it from a book: "The aforesaidcaptain or governor of a fortress shall allow to enter, when need shallarise, and on demand of the prisoner, a confessor affiliated to theorder." He stopped. Baisemeaux was quite distressing to look at,being so wretchedly pale and trembling. "Is not that the text of theagreement?" quietly asked Aramis.
"Monseigneur!" began Baisemeaux.
"Ah! well, you begin to understand, I think."
"Monseigneur," cried Baisemeaux, "do not trifle so with my unhappy mind!I find myself as nothing in your hands, if you have the malignant desireto draw from me the little secrets of my administration."
"Oh! by no means; pray undeceive yourself, dear M. Baisemeaux; it is notthe little secrets of your administration, but those of your consciencethat I aim at."
"Well, then, my conscience be it, dear M. d'Herblay. But have someconsideration for the situation I am in, which is no ordinary one."
"It is no ordinary one, my dear monsieur," continued the inflexibleAramis, "if you are a member of this society; but it is a quite naturalone if free from all engagement. You are answerable only to the king."
"Well, monsieur, well! I obey only the king, and whom else would youhave a French nobleman obey?"
Aramis did not yield an inch, but with that silvery voice of hiscontinued: "It is very pleasant," said he, "for a French nobleman, fora prelate of France, to hear a man of your mark express himself soloyally, dear De Baisemeaux, and having heard you to believe no morethan you do."
"Have you doubted, monsieur?"
"I? oh, no!"
"And so you doubt no longer?"
"I have no longer any doubt that such a man as you, monsieur," saidAramis, gravely, "does not faithfully serve the masters whom hevoluntarily chose for himself."
"Masters!" cried Baisemeaux.
"Yes, masters, I said."
"Monsieur d'Herblay, you are still jesting, are you not?"
"Oh, yes! I understand that it is a more difficult position to haveseveral masters than one; but the embarrassment is owing to you, my dearBaisemeaux, and I am not the cause of it."
"Certainly not," returned the unfortunate governor, more embarrassedthan ever; "but what are you doing? You are leaving the table?"
"Assuredly."
"Are you going?"
"Yes, I am going."
"But you are behaving very strangely towards me, monseigneur."
"I am behaving strangely--how do you make that out?"
"Have you sworn, then, to put me to the torture?"
"No, I should be sorry to do so."
"Remain, then."
"I cannot."
"And why?"
"Because I have no longer anything to do here; and, indeed, I haveduties to fulfil elsewhere."
"Duties, so late as this?"
"Yes; understand me now, my dear De Baisemeaux: they told me at theplace whence I came, 'The aforesaid governor or captain will allowto enter, as need shall arise, on the prisoner's demand, a confessoraffiliated with the order.' I came; you do not know what I mean, and soI shall return to tell them that they are mistaken, and that they mustsend me elsewhere."
"What! you are--" cried Baisemeaux, looking at Aramis almost in terror.
"The confessor affiliated to the order," said Aramis, without changinghis voice.
But, gentle as the words were, they had the same effect on the unhappygovernor as a clap of thunder. Baisemeaux became livid, and it seemed tohim as if Aramis's beaming eyes were two forks of flame, piercing tothe very bottom of his soul. "The confessor!" murmured he; "you,monseigneur, the confessor of the order!"
"Yes, I; but we have nothing to unravel together, seeing that you arenot one of the affiliated."
"Monseigneur!"
"And I understand that, not being so, you refuse to comply with itscommand."
"Monseigneur, I beseech you, condescend to hear me."
"And wherefore?"
"Monseigneur, I do not say that I have nothing to do with the society."
"Ah! ah!"
"I say not that I refuse to obey."
"Nevertheless, M. de Baisemeaux, what has passed wears very much the airof resistance."
"Oh, no! monseigneur, no; I only wished to be certain."
"To be certain of what?" said Aramis, in a tone of supreme contempt.
"Of nothing at all, monseigneur." Baisemeaux lowered his voice, andbending before the prelate, said, "I am at all times and in all placesat the disposal of my superiors, but--"
"Very good. I like you better thus, monsieur," said Aramis, as heresumed his seat, and put out his glass to Baisemeaux, whose handtrembled so that he could not fill it. "You were saying 'but'--"continued Aramis.
"But," replied the unhappy man, "having received no notice, I was veryfar from expecting it."
"Does not the Gospel say, 'Watch, for the moment is known only of God?'Do not the rules of the order say, 'Watch, for that which I will, youought always to will also.' And what pretext will serve you now that youdid not expect the confessor, M. de Baisemeaux?"
"Because, monseigneur, there is at present in the Bastile no prisonerill."
Aramis shrugged his shoulders. "What do you know about that?" said he.
"But, nevertheless, it appears to me--"
"M. de Baisemeaux," said Aramis, turning round in his chair, "here isyour servant, who wishes to speak with you;" and at this moment, DeBaisemeaux's servant appeared at the threshold of the door.
"What is it?" asked Baisemeaux, sharply.
"Monsieur," said the man, "they are bringing you the doctor's return."
Aramis looked at De Baisemeaux wit
h a calm and confident eye.
"Well," said he, "let the messenger enter."
The messenger entered, saluted, and handed in the report. Baisemeauxran his eye over it, and raising his head, said in surprise, "No. 12 isill!"
"How was it, then," said Aramis, carelessly, "that you told me everybodywas well in your hotel, M. de Baisemeaux?" And he emptied his glasswithout removing his eyes from Baisemeaux.
The governor then made a sign to the messenger, and when he had quittedthe room, said, still trembling, "I think that there is in the article,'on the prisoner's demand.'"
"Yes, it is so," answered Aramis. "But see what it is they want with younow."
And that moment a sergeant put his head in at the door. "What do youwant now?" cried Baisemeaux. "Can you not leave me in peace for tenminutes?"
"Monsieur," said the sergeant, "the sick man, No. 12, has commissionedthe turnkey to request you to send him a confessor."
Baisemeaux very nearly sank on the floor; but Aramis disdained toreassure him, just as he had disdained to terrify him. "What must Ianswer?" inquired Baisemeaux.
"Just what you please," replied Aramis, compressing his lips; "that isyour business. _I_ am not the governor of the Bastile."
"Tell the prisoner," cried Baisemeaux, quickly,--"tell the prisoner thathis request is granted." The sergeant left the room. "Oh! monseigneur,monseigneur," murmured Baisemeaux, "how could I have suspected!--howcould I have foreseen this!"
"Who requested you to suspect, and who besought you to foresee?"contemptuously answered Aramis. "The order suspects; the order knows;the order foresees--is that not enough?"
"What is it you command?" added Baisemeaux.
"I?--nothing at all. I am nothing but a poor priest, a simple confessor.Have I your orders to go and see the sufferer?"
"Oh, monseigneur, I do not order; I pray you to go."
"'Tis well; conduct me to him."
End of Louise de la Valliere. The last text in the series is The Man inthe Iron Mask.
Footnotes:
[Footnote 1: "To err is human."]
[Footnote 2: Potatoes were not grown in France at that time. La Siecle insiststhat the error is theirs, and that Dumas meant "tomatoes."]
[Footnote 3: In the five-volume edition, Volume 3 ends here.]
[Footnote 4: "In your house."]
[Footnote 5: This alternate translation of the verse in this chapter:
"Oh! you who sadly are wandering alone, Come, come, and laugh with us."
---is closer to the original meaning.]
[Footnote 6: Marie de Mancini was a former love of the king's. He had to abandonher for the political advantages which the marriage to the SpanishInfanta, Maria Theresa, afforded. See The Vicomte de Bragelonne, ChapterXIII.]
[Footnote 7: "[A sun] not eclipsed by many suns." Louis's device was the sun.]
[Footnote 8: In the three-volume edition, Volume 2, entitled Louise de laValliere, ends here.]
[Footnote 9: "To what heights may he not aspire?" Fouquet's motto.]
[Footnote 10: "A creature rare on earth."]
[Footnote 11: "With an eye always to the climax."]
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