Louise de la Valliere ............................................................................................................................................1

In Which the Reader Will Be Delighted to Find that Porthos Has Lost Nothing of His Strength

How Porthos, Truchen and Planchet Parted with One Another on Friendly Terms, Thanks to D Artagnan

Showing in What Way D Artagnan Discharged the Mission with Which the King had Intrusted Him

Wherein D Artagnan Perceives that it was He Who Was Mistaken and Manicamp Who Was Right

Showing How Louis, on His Side, had Passed the Time From Ten to HalfPast Twelve at Night

Which Treats of Carpentry Operations, and Furnishes Details Upon the Mode of Constructing Staircases

During all these long and noisy debates between the opposite ambitions of politics and love, one of our

characters, perhaps the one least deserving of neglect, was, however, very much neglected, very much

forgotten, and exceedingly unhappy. In fact, D'Artagnan D'Artagnan, we say, for we must call him by his

name, to remind our readers of his existence D'Artagnan, we repeat, had absolutely nothing whatever to do,

amidst these brilliant butterflies of fashion. After following the king during two whole days at Fontainebleau,

and critically observing the various pastoral fancies and heroicomic transformations of his sovereign, the

musketeer felt that he needed something more than this to satisfy the cravings of his nature. At every moment

assailed by people asking him, "How do you think this costume suits me, Monsieur d'Artagnan?" he would

reply to them in quiet, sarcastic tones, "Why, I think you are quite as welldressed as the bestdressed

monkey to be found in the fair at Saint Laurent." It was just such a compliment D'Artagnan would choose

where he did not feel disposed to pay any other: and, whether agreeable or not, the inquirer was obliged to be

satisfied with it. Whenever any one asked him, "How do you intend to dress yourself this evening?" he

replied, "I shall undress myself;" at which the ladies all laughed, and a few of them blushed. But after a

couple of days passed in this manner, the musketeer, perceiving that nothing serious was likely to arise which

would concern him, and that the king had completely, or, at least, appeared to have completely forgotten

Paris, SaintMande, and BelleIsle that M. Colbert's mind was occupied with illuminations and fireworks

that for the next month, at least, the ladies had plenty of glances to bestow, and also to receive in exchange

D'Artagnan asked the king for leave of absence for a matter of private business. At the moment D'Artagnan

made his request, his majesty was on the point of going to bed, quite exhausted from dancing.

"You wish to leave me, Monsieur d'Artagnan?" inquired the king, with an air of astonishment; for Louis XIV.

could never understand why any one who had the distinguished honor of being near him could wish to leave

"Sire," said D'Artagnan, "I leave you simply because I am not of the slightest service to you in anything. Ah!

if I could only hold the balancingpole while you were dancing, it would be a very different affair."

"But, my dear Monsieur d'Artagnan," said the king, gravely, "people dance without balancingpoles."

"Ah! indeed," said the musketeer, continuing his imperceptible tone of irony, "I had no idea such a thing was

"Yes; but I always thought dancers went from easy to difficult acrobatic feats. I was mistaken; all the more

greater reason, therefore, that I should leave for a time. Sire, I repeat, you have no present occasion for my

services; besides, if your majesty should have any need of me, you would know where to find me."

We shall not look for D'Artagnan, therefore, at Fontainebleau, for to do so would be useless; but, with the

permission of our readers, follow him to the Rue des Lombards, where he was located at the sign of the Pilon

d'Or, in the house of our old friend Planchet. It was about eight o'clock in the evening, and the weather was

exceedingly warm; there was only one window open, and that one belonging to a room on the _entresol_. A

perfume of spices, mingled with another perfume less exotic, but more penetrating, namely, that which arose

from the street, ascended to salute the nostrils of the musketeer. D'Artagnan, reclining in an immense

straightbacked chair, with his legs not stretched out, but simply placed upon a stool, formed an angle of the

most obtuse form that could possibly be seen. Both his arms were crossed over his head, his head reclining

upon his left shoulder, like Alexander the Great. His eyes, usually so quick and intelligent in their expression,

were now half closed, and seemed fastened, as it were, upon a small corner of blue sky that was visible

behind the opening of the chimneys; there was just enough blue, and no more, to fill one of the sacks of

lentils, or haricots, which formed the principal furniture of the shop on the ground floor. Thus extended at his

ease, and sheltered in his place of observation behind the window, D'Artagnan seemed as if he had ceased to

be a soldier, as if he were no longer an officer belonging to the palace, but was, on the contrary, a quiet,

easygoing citizen in a state of stagnation between his dinner and supper, or between his supper and his bed;

one of those strong, ossified brains, which have no more room for a single idea, so fiercely does animal

matter keep watch at the doors of intelligence, narrowly inspecting the contraband trade which might result

from the introduction into the brain of a symptom of thought. We have already said night was closing in, the

shops were being lighted, while the windows of the upper apartments were being closed, and the rhythmic

steps of a patrol of soldiers forming the night watch could be heard retreating. D'Artagnan continued,

however, to think of nothing, except the blue corner of the sky. A few paces from him, completely in the

shade, lying on his stomach, upon a sack of Indian corn, was Planchet, with both his arms under his chin, and

his eyes fixed on D'Artagnan, who was either thinking, dreaming, or sleeping, with his eyes open. Planchet

had been watching him for a tolerably long time, and, by way of interruption, he began by exclaiming, "Hum!

hum!" But D'Artagnan did not stir. Planchet then saw that it was necessary to have recourse to more effectual

means still: after a prolonged reflection on the subject, the most ingenious means that suggested itself to him

under the present circumstances, was to let himself roll off the sack on to the floor, murmuring, at the same

time, against himself, the word "stupid." But, notwithstanding the noise produced by Planchet's fall,

D'Artagnan, who had in the course of his existence heard many other, and very different falls, did not appear

to pay the least attention to the present one. Besides, an enormous cart, laden with stones, passing from the

Rue Saint Mederic, absorbed, in the noise of its wheels, the noise of Planchet's tumble. And yet Planchet

fancied that, in token of tacit approval, he saw him imperceptibly smile at the word "stupid." This

"If you say that you are not _even_ asleep, it is as much as to say that you have not even the consolation of

being able to sleep; or, better still, it is precisely the same as telling me that you are getting bored to death."

"Monsieur d'Artagnan, it is a week since you returned here from Fontainebleau; in other words, you have no

longer your orders to issue, or your men to review and maneuver. You need the sound of guns, drums, and all

that din and confusion; I, who have myself carried a musket, can easily believe that."

"Planchet," replied D'Artagnan, "I assure you I am not bored in the least in the world."

"My dear Planchet, there was, once upon a time, at the siege of La Rochelle, when I was there, when you

were there, when we both were there, a certain Arab, who was celebrated for the manner in which he adjusted

culverins. He was a clever fellow, although of a very odd complexion, which was the same color as your

olives. Well, this Arab, whenever he had done eating or working, used to sit down to rest himself, as I am

resting myself now, and smoked I cannot tell you what sort of magical leaves, in a large ambermouthed

tube; and if any officers, happening to pass, reproached him for being always asleep, he used quietly to reply:

'Better to sit down than to stand up, to lie down than to sit down, to be dead than to lie down.' He was an

acutely melancholy Arab, and I remember him perfectly well, form the color of his skin, and the style of his

conversation. He used to cut off the heads of Protestants with the most singular gusto!"

"Precisely; and then used to embalm them, when they were worth the trouble; and when he was thus engaged

with his herbs and plants about him, he looked like a basketmaker making baskets."

"Well, monsieur, in point of fact, then, 'better to sit down than to stand up,' is plain enough, especially when

one may be fatigued," and Planchet smiled in a roguish way; "as for 'better to be lying down,' let that pass,

but as for the last proposition, that it is 'better to be dead than alive,' it is, in my opinion, very absurd, my own

undoubted preference being for my bed; and if you are not of my opinion, it is simply, as I have already had

"Yes; your house is dull enough to drive people to think; you will admit that, I hope."

"But it is no less true, monsieur, that, if you were living at the back of the house, you would bore yourself I

"Still," said the grocer, "if your reflections are at all like those which led you to restore King Charles II. "

"Is there no other king to be restored, M. d'Artagnan no second Monk to be packed up, like a salted hog, in

"No, my dear Planchet; all the kings are seated on their respective thrones; less comfortably so, perhaps, than

I am upon this chair; but, at all events, there they are." And D'Artagnan sighed deeply.

"Oh!" said D'Artagnan, striking his chest which sounded like an empty cuirass, "it is impossible, Planchet."

"Yes, you are anxious; and you are getting thin, visibly getting thin. _Malaga!_ if you go on getting thin, in

this way, I will take my sword in my hand, and go straight to M. d'Herblay, and have it out with him."

"What!" said M. d'Artagnan, starting in his chair; "what's that you say? And what has M. d'Herblay's name to

"Just as you please. Get angry if you like, or call me names, if you prefer it; but, the deuce is in it. _I know

D'Artagnan had, during this second outburst of Planchet's, so placed himself as not to lose a single look of his

face; that is, he sat with both his hands resting on both his knees, and his head stretched out towards the

grocer. "Come, explain yourself," he said, "and tell me how you could possibly utter such a blasphemy. M.

d'Herblay, your old master, my friend, an ecclesiastic, a musketeer turned bishop do you mean to say you

"I could raise my sword against my own father, when I see you in such a state as you are now."

"It's all the same to me whether he's a gentleman or not. He gives you the blue devils, that is all I know. And

the blue devils make people get thin. _Malaga!_ I have no notion of M. d'Artagnan leaving my house thinner

"Yes, you; and in your nightmare you called out, several times, 'Aramis, deceitful Aramis!'"

"Not so; for every time, during the last three days, when you went out, you have not once failed to ask me, on

your return, 'Have you seen M. d'Herblay?' or else 'Have you received any letters for me from M.

"Well, it is very natural I should take an interest in my old friend," said D'Artagnan.

"Very well, monsieur, I accept it; for I know that when you give your word of honor, it is sacred."

"I will not dream of Aramis any more; and I will never ask you again if there are any letters from M.

"I am a great observer; and just now you made use of a very singular oath, which is unusual for you."

"It is my most ferocious oath; when I have once said _Malaga!_ I am a man no longer."

"Very likely not, monsieur. I had a present made me of it," said Planchet; and, as he pronounced these words,

he winked his eye with a cunning expression, which thoroughly awakened D'Artagnan's attention.

"Why, I am not like you, monsieur," said Planchet. "I don't pass my life in thinking."

"I mean in boring myself to death. We have but a very short time to live why not make the best of it?"

"Why not? My hand is still as steady as ever; I can write, and can weigh out my sugar and spices; my foot is

firm; I can dance and walk about; my stomach has its teeth still, for I eat and digest very well; my heart is not

D'Artagnan crossed one leg over the other, and said, "Planchet, my friend, I am unnerved with extreme

Planchet, flattered in the highest degree by this remark, continued to rub his hands very hard together. "Ah,

ah," he said, "because I happen to be only slow, you think me, perhaps, a positive fool."

"Follow my idea, monsieur, if you please. I said to myself," continued Planchet, "that, without enjoyment,

"At all events, if we cannot obtain pleasure for pleasure is not so common a thing, after all let us, at least,

"I put on a buckler for the purpose of confronting _ennui_. I place my time at the direction of patience; and

"I say, that your philosophy is not to be matched in the Christian or pagan world, in modern days or in

"I could not wish for anything better; but all minds are not of the same stamp; and it might possibly happen

that if I were required to amuse myself in the manner you do, I should bore myself horribly."

"My dear Planchet, you must understand that when people see each other every day, and one of the two

absents himself, the other misses him. Do you not feel the want of my society when I am in the country?"

"And when I returned, how did you think I looked, as far as my face was concerned?"

"You admit, you say, that I always look satisfied. And what have you attributed my satisfaction to?"

"That your business was going on very well; that your purchases of rice, prunes, raw sugar, dried apples,

pears, and treacle were advantageous. You were always very picturesque in your notions and ideas, Planchet;

and I was not in the slightest degree surprised to find you had selected grocery as an occupation, which is of

all trades the most varied, and the very pleasantest, as far as the character is concerned; inasmuch as one

"In thinking that I heave here every fortnight, to collect my money or to make purchases. Ho, ho! how could

you possibly have thought such a thing? Ho, ho, ho!" And Planchet began to laugh in a manner that inspired

"It must be true, since you say it; but pray, be assured that it in no way lessens my opinion of you."

"No; you are a man of genius; and whenever the question happens to be of war, tactics, surprises, or good

honest blows to be dealt with, why, kings are marionettes, compared to you. But for the consolations of the

mind, the proper care of the body, the agreeable things of like, if one may say so ah! monsieur, don't talk to

"Good," said D'Artagnan, really fidgety with curiosity, "upon my word you interest me in the highest

"Very good, then; that is not a bad beginning. I will cure you, rely upon that."

"Yes; and more wonderful still, to a place from which you have just returned for the purpose only, it would

"Let us say tomorrow, if you like; and then, besides, tomorrow is the 14th, that is to say, the day before the

one when I am afraid of getting bored; so we will look upon it as an understood thing."

"No; I prefer the gentlest of all; I never was a very good rider, as you know, and in my grocery business I

"Because I should lose half the pleasure I expect to enjoy," replied Planchet. And thereupon he rose from his

sack of Indian corn, stretching himself, and making all his bones crack, one after the other, with a sort of

"Planchet! Planchet!" exclaimed D'Artagnan, "I do declare that there is no sybarite upon the face of the globe

who can for a moment be compared to you. Oh, Planchet, it is very clear that we have never yet eaten a ton of

"Because, even now I can scarcely say I know you," said D'Artagnan, "and because, in point of fact, I return

to the opinion which, for a moment, I had formed of you that day at Boulogne, when you strangled, or did so

as nearly as possible, M. de Wardes's valet, Lubin; in plain language, Planchet, that you are a man of great

Planchet began to laugh with a laugh full of selfconceit; bade the musketeer goodnight, and went down to

his back shop, which he used as a bedroom. D'Artagnan resumed his original position upon his chair, and his

brow, which had been unruffled for a moment, became more pensive than ever. He had already forgotten the

whims and dreams of Planchet. "Yes," said he, taking up again the thread of his thoughts, which had been

broken by the whimsical conversation in which we have just permitted our readers to participate. "Yes, yes,

those three points include everything: First, to ascertain what Baisemeaux wanted with Aramis; secondly, to

learn why Aramis does not let me hear from him; and thirdly, to ascertain where Porthos is. The whole

mystery lies in these three points. Since, therefore," continued D'Artagnan, "our friends tell us nothing, we

must have recourse to our own poor intelligence. I must do what I can, _mordioux_, or rather _Malaga_, as

D'Artagnan, faithful to his plan, went the very next morning to pay a visit to M. de Baisemeaux. It was

cleaning up or tidying day at the Bastile; the cannons were furbished up, the staircases scraped and cleaned;

and the jailers seemed to be carefully engaged in polishing the very keys. As for the soldiers belonging to the

garrison, they were walking about in different courtyards, under the pretense that they were clean enough.

The governor, Baisemeaux, received D'Artagnan with more than ordinary politeness, but he behaved towards

him with so marked a reserve of manner, that all D'Artagnan's tact and cleverness could not get a syllable out

of him. The more he kept himself within bounds, the more D'Artagnan's suspicion increased. The latter even

fancied he remarked that the governor was acting under the influence of a recent recommendation.

Baisemeaux had not been at the Palais Royal with D'Artagnan the same cold and impenetrable man which the

latter now found in the Baisemeaux of the Bastile. When D'Artagnan wished to make him talk about the

urgent money matters which had brought Baisemeaux in search of D'Artagnan, and had rendered him

expansive, notwithstanding what had passed on that evening, Baisemeaux pretended that he had some orders

to give in the prison, and left D'Artagnan so long alone waiting for him, that our musketeer, feeling sure that

he should not get another syllable out of him, left the Bastile without waiting until Baisemeaux returned from

his inspection. But D'Artagnan's suspicions were aroused, and when once that was the case, D'Artagnan could

not sleep or remain quiet for a moment. He was among men what the cat is among quadrupeds, the emblem

of anxiety and impatience, at the same moment. A restless cat can no more remain the same place than a silk

thread wafted idly to and fro with every breath of air. A cat on the watch is as motionless as death stationed at

is place of observation, and neither hunger nor thirst can draw it from its meditations. D'Artagnan, who was

burning with impatience, suddenly threw aside the feeling, like a cloak which he felt too heavy on his

shoulders, and said to himself that that which they were concealing from him was the very thing it was

important he should know; and, consequently, he reasoned that Baisemeaux would not fail to put Aramis on

his guard, if Aramis had given him any particular recommendation, and this was, in fact, the very thing that

Baisemeaux had hardly had time to return from the donjon, than D'Artagnan placed himself in ambuscade

close to the Rue de PetitMusc, so as to see every one who might leave the gates of the Bastile. After he had

spent an hour on the lookout from the "Golden Portcullis," under the pent house of which he could keep

himself a little in the shade, D'Artagnan observed a soldier leave the Bastile. This was, indeed, the surest

indication he could possibly have wished for, as every jailer or warder has certain days, and even certain

hours, for leaving the Bastile, since all are alike prohibited from having either wives or lodgings in the castle,

and can accordingly leave without exciting any curiosity; but a soldier once in barracks is kept there for four

and twenty hours when on duty, and no one knew this better than D'Artagnan. The guardsman in question,

therefore, was not likely to leave his regimentals, except on an express and urgent order. The soldier, we were

saying, left the Bastile at a slow and lounging pace, like a happy mortal, in fact, who, instead of mounting

sentry before a wearisome guardhouse, or upon a bastion no less wearisome, has the good luck to get a little

liberty, in addition to a walk both pleasures being luckily reckoned as part of his time on duty. He bent his

steps towards the Faubourg SaintAntoine, enjoying the fresh air and the warmth of the sun, and looking at

all the pretty faces he passed. D'Artagnan followed him at a distance; he had not yet arranged his ideas as

what was to be done. "I must, first of all," he thought, "see the fellow's face. A man seen is a man judged."

D'Artagnan increased his pace, and, which was not very difficult, by the by, soon got in advance of the

soldier. Not only did he observe that his face showed a tolerable amount of intelligence and resolution, but he

noticed also that his nose was a little red. "He has a weakness for brandy, I see," said D'Artagnan to himself.

At the same moment that he remarked his red nose, he saw that the soldier had a white paper in his belt.

"Good, he has a letter," added D'Artagnan. The only difficulty was to get hold of the letter. But a common

soldier would, of course, be only too delighted at having been selected by M. de Baisemeaux as a special

messenger, and would not be likely to sell his message. As D'Artagnan was biting his nails, the soldier

continued to advance more and more into the Faubourg SaintAntoine. "He is certainly going to

SaintMande," he said to himself, "and I shall not be able to learn what the letter contains." It was enough to

drive him wild. "If I were in uniform," said D'Artagnan to himself, "I would have this fellow seized, and his

letter with him. I could easily get assistance at the very first guard house; but the devil take me if I mention

my name in an affair of this kind. If I were to treat him to something to drink, his suspicions would be roused;

and besides, he might drink me drunk. _Mordioux!_ my wits seem to have left me," said D'Artagnan; "it is all

over with me. Yet, supposing I were to attack this poor devil, make him draw his sword and kill him for the

sake of his letter? No harm in that, if it were a question of a letter from a queen to a nobleman, or a letter

from a cardinal to a queen; but what miserable intrigues are those of Messieurs Aramis and Fouquet with M.

Colbert. A man's life for that? No, no, indeed; not even ten crowns." As he philosophized in this manner,

biting first his nails, and then his mustaches, he perceived a group of archers and a commissary of the police

engaged in carrying away a man of very gentlemanly exterior, who was struggling with all his might against

them. The archers had torn his clothes, and were dragging him roughly away. He begged they would lead him

along more respectfully, asserting that he was a gentleman and a soldier. And observing our soldier walking

The soldier walked on with the same step towards the man who had called out to him, followed by the crowd.

An idea suddenly occurred to D'Artagnan; it was his first one, and we shall find it was not a bad one either.

During the time the gentleman was relating to the soldier that he had just been seized in a house as a thief,

when the truth was he was only there as a lover; and while the soldier was pitying him, and offering him

consolation and advice with that gravity which a French soldier has always ready whenever his vanity or his

_esprit de corps_ is concerned, D'Artagnan glided behind the soldier, who was closely hemmed in by the

crowd, and with a rapid sweep, like a sabre slash, snatched the letter from his belt. As at this moment the

gentleman with the torn clothes was pulling about the soldier, to show how the commissary of police had

pulled him about, D'Artagnan effected his pillage of the letter without the slightest interference. He stationed

himself about ten paces distant, behind the pillar of an adjoining house, and read on the address, "To

"Good!" he said, and then he unsealed, without tearing the letter, drew out the paper, which was folded in

"DEAR MONSIEUR DU VALLON, Will you be good enough to tell Monsieur d'Herblay that _he_ has

been to the Bastile, and has been making inquiries. "Your devoted "DE BAISEMEAUX."

"Very good! all right!" exclaimed D'Artagnan; "it is clear enough now. Porthos is engaged in it." Being now

satisfied of what he wished to know: "_Mordioux!_" thought the musketeer, "what is to be done with that

poor devil of a soldier? That hotheaded, cunning fellow, De Baisemeaux, will make him pay dearly for my

trick, if he returns without the letter, what will they do to him? Besides, I don't want the letter; when the

egg has been sucked, what is the good of the shell?" D'Artagnan perceived that the commissary and the

archers had succeeded in convincing the soldier, and went on their way with the prisoner, the latter being still

surrounded by the crowd, and continuing his complaints. D'Artagnan advanced into the very middle of the

crowd, let the letter fall, without any one having observed him, and then retreated rapidly. The soldier

resumed his route towards SaintMande, his mind occupied with the gentleman who had implored his

protection. Suddenly he thought of his letter, and, looking at his belt, saw that it was no longer there.

D'Artagnan derived no little satisfaction from his sudden, terrified cry. The poor soldier in the greatest

anguish of mind looked round him on every side, and at last, about twenty paces behind him, he perceived the

lucky envelope. He pounced on it like a falcon on its prey. The envelope was certainly a little dirty, and rather

crumpled, but at all events the letter itself was found. D'Artagnan observed that the broken seal attracted the

soldier's attention a good deal, but he finished apparently by consoling himself, and returned the letter to his

belt. "Go on," said D'Artagnan, "I have plenty of time before me, so you may precede me. It appears that

Aramis is not in Paris, since Baisemeaux writes to Porthos. Dear Porthos, how delighted I shall be to see him

again, and to have some conversation with him!" said the Gascon. And, regulating his pace according to that

of the soldier, he promised himself to arrive a quarter of an hour after him at M. Fouquet's.

D'Artagnan had, according to his usual style, calculated that every hour is worth sixty minutes, and every

minute worth sixty seconds. Thanks to this perfectly exact calculation of minutes and seconds, he reached the

superintendent's door at the very moment the soldier was leaving it with his belt empty. D'Artagnan presented

himself at the door, which a porter with a profusely embroidered livery held half opened for him. D'Artagnan

would very much have liked to enter without giving his name, but this was impossible, and so he gave it.

Notwithstanding this concession, which ought to have removed every difficulty in the way, at least

D'Artagnan thought so, the _concierge_ hesitated; however, at the second repetition of the title, captain of the

king's guards, the _concierge_, without quite leaving the passage clear for him, ceased to bar it completely.

D'Artagnan understood that orders of the most positive character had been given. He decided, therefore, to

tell a falsehood, a circumstance, moreover, which did not seriously affect his peace of mind, when he saw

that beyond the falsehood the safety of the state itself, or even purely and simply his own individual personal

interest, might be at stake. He moreover added to the declarations he had already made, that the soldier sent

to M. du Vallon was his own messenger, and that the only object that letter had in view was to announce his

intended arrival. From that moment, no one opposed D'Artagnan's entrance any further, and he entered

accordingly. A valet wished to accompany him, but he answered that it was useless to take that trouble on his

account, inasmuch as he knew perfectly well where M. du Vallon was. There was nothing, of course, to say

to a man so thoroughly and completely informed on all points, and D'Artagnan was permitted, therefore, to

do as he liked. The terraces, the magnificent apartments, the gardens, were all reviewed and narrowly

inspected by the musketeer. He walked for a quarter of an hour in this more than royal residence, which

included as many wonders as articles of furniture, and as many servants as there were columns and doors.

"Decidedly," he said to himself, "this mansion has no other limits than the pillars of the habitable world. Is it

probable Porthos has taken it into his head to go back to Pierrefonds without even leaving M. Fouquet's

house?" He finally reached a remote part of the chateau inclosed by a stone wall, which was covered with a

profusion of thick plants, luxuriant in blossoms as large and solid as fruit. At equal distances on the top of

this wall were placed various statues in timid or mysterious attitudes. These were vestals hidden beneath the

long Greek peplum, with its thick, sinuous folds; agile nymphs, covered with their marble veils, and guarding

the palace with their fugitive glances. A statue of Hermes, with his finger on his lips; one of Iris, with

extended wings; another of Night, sprinkled all over with poppies, dominated the gardens and outbuildings,

which could be seen through the trees. All these statues threw in white relief their profiles upon the dark

ground of the tall cypresses, which darted their somber summits towards the sky. Around these cypresses

were entwined climbing roses, whose flowering rings were fastened to every fork of the branches, and spread

over the lower boughs and the various statues, showers of flowers of the rarest fragrance. These

enchantments seemed to the musketeer the result of the greatest efforts of the human mind. He felt in a

dreamy, almost poetical, frame of mind. The idea that Porthos was living in so perfect an Eden gave him a

higher idea of Porthos, showing how tremendously true it is, that even the very highest orders of minds are

not quite exempt from the influence of surroundings. D'Artagnan found the door, and on, or rather in the

door, a kind of spring which he detected; having touched it, the door flew open. D'Artagnan entered, closed

the door behind him, and advanced into a pavilion built in a circular form, in which no other sound could be

heard but cascades and the songs of birds. At the door of the pavilion he met a lackey.

"It is here, I believe," said D'Artagnan, without hesitation, "that M. le Baron du Vallon is staying?"

"Have the goodness to tell him that M. le Chevalier d'Artagnan, captain of the king's musketeers, is waiting to

D'Artagnan was introduced into the _salon_, and had not long to remain in expectation: a wellremembered

step shook the floor of the adjoining room, a door opened, or rather flew open, and Porthos appeared and

threw himself into his friend's arms with a sort of embarrassment which did not ill become him. "You here?"

"Yes," said Porthos, with a somewhat embarrassed smile; "yes, you see I am staying in M. Fouquet's house,

"Not at all; why should you not be one of M. Fouquet's friends? M. Fouquet has a very large number,

Porthos had the modesty not to take the compliment to himself. "Besides," he added, "you saw me at

"The fact is, I am acquainted with him," said Porthos, with a certain embarrassment of manner.

"Ah, friend Porthos," said D'Artagnan, "how treacherously you have behaved towards me."

"What! you complete so admirable a work as the fortifications of Belle Isle, and you did not tell me of it!"

Porthos colored. "Nay, more than that," continued D'Artagnan, "you saw me out yonder, you know I am in

the king's service, and yet you could not guess that the king, jealously desirous of learning the name of the

man whose abilities had wrought a work of which he heard the most wonderful accounts, you could not

"Not speak of it!" said Porthos; "on the contrary, we will speak of it; and so the king knew that we were

"No, he only suspected, from what he had been told of the nature of the works, that it was some celebrated

"Come, then, tell me what did you guess after all?" said Porthos, settling himself into an armchair, and

"Wait a minute; I also guessed something else, that you were fortifying BelleIsle by M. Fouquet's orders."

"But even that is not all. Whenever I feel myself in trim for guessing, I do not stop on my road; and so I

guessed that M. Fouquet wished to preserve the most absolute secrecy respecting these fortifications."

"That was his principal reason. But his wish was subservient to a bit of generosity "

"In fact," said Porthos, "I have head it said that M. Fouquet was a very generous man."

"That he fortified BelleIsle on his majesty's account, and that he had made him a present of Belle Isle."

"In those very words. He even added: 'BelleIsle has been fortified by an engineer, one of my friends, a man

of a great deal of merit, whom I shall ask your majesty's permission to present to you.'

"Humph! humph!" grumbled Porthos, which D'Artagnan pretended not to hear; and, changing the

conversation, he said, "You seem to be living in a very solitary place here, my dear fellow?"

"I always preferred retirement. I am of a melancholy disposition," replied Porthos, with a sigh.

"It is only since I have taken to reading, "said Porthos, with a thoughtful air.

Porthos, perceiving that he had made a mistake, wished to correct it. "Yes, I came from BelleIsle upon very

"I am no longer astonished, then, since I, who followed you, found seven or eight lying dead on the road."

"Very well, indeed. He had me attended to by M. Fouquet's own doctor. But just imagine, at the end of a

"Yes, more freely; but no exercise nothing to do. The doctor pretended that I was not to stir; I, on the

contrary, felt that I was stronger than ever; that was the cause of a very serious accident."

"Fancy, my dear fellow, that I revolted against the directions of that ass of a doctor, and I resolved to go out,

whether it suited him or not: and, consequently, I told the valet who waited on me to bring me my clothes."

"Oh, no! on the contrary, I had a magnificent dressinggown to wear. The lackey obeyed; I dressed myself in

my own clothes, which had become too large for me; but a strange circumstance had happened, my feet had

"Oh, yes; I did not make the same reflection you have done. I said to myself: 'Since my feet have entered my

"Allow me to tell you, my dear Porthos, that on this occasion you failed in your logic."

"In short, then, they placed me opposite to a part of the room which was partitioned; I tried to get my boot on;

I pulled it with my hands, I pushed with all the strength of the muscles of my leg, making the most

unheardof efforts, when suddenly the two tags of my boot remained in my hands, and my foot struck out

"My foot darted out like a ballista, and came against the partition, which it broke in; I really thought that, like

Samson, I had demolished the temple. And the number of pictures, the quantity of china, vases of flowers,

"Without reckoning that on the other side of the partition was a small table laden with porcelain "

"Upon my word, it is, as you say, astonishing," replied D'Artagnan, beginning to laugh also; whereupon

"I broke," said Porthos, in a voice halfchoked from his increasing mirth, "more than three thousand francs

"Without counting a luster, which fell on my head and was broken into a thousand pieces ha, ha, ha!"

"No, since I tell you, on the contrary, my dear fellow, that it was the luster which was broken, like glass,

"Venetian glass! a perfect curiosity, quite matchless, indeed, and weighed two hundred pounds."

"Upon my head. Just imagine, a globe of crystal, gilded all over, the lower part beautifully encrusted,

perfumes burning at the top, with jets from which flame issued when they were lighted."

"Why, the luster fell on my skull. It appears that we have upon the top of our heads an exceedingly thick

"Speak for yourself, my dear fellow, it is your own skull that is made in that manner, and not the skulls of

"Well, that may be so," said Porthos, conceitedly, "so much, however, was that the case, in my instance, that

no sooner did the luster fall upon the dome which we have at the top of our head, than there was a report like

a cannon, the crystal was broken to pieces, and I fell, covered from head to foot."

"Not at all; with perfumes, which smelt like rich creams; it was delicious, but the odor was too strong, and I

felt quite giddy from it; perhaps you have experienced it sometimes yourself, D'Artagnan?"

"Yes, in inhaling the scent of the lily of the valley; so that, my poor friend, you were knocked over by the

"Yes; but what is very remarkable, for the doctor told me he had never seen anything like it "

"I will tell you; the luster had, at its lower extremity, five gilt ornaments; excessively sharp."

"Well, these five ornaments penetrated my hair, which, as you see, I wear very thick."

"And they made a mark on my skin. But just notice the singularity of it, these things seem really only to

happen to me! Instead of making indentations, they made bumps. The doctor could never succeed in

"You will do me a great service if you will," said Porthos, winking his eyes, which, with him, was sign of the

"Since you have been employing your brain in studies of an exalted character, in important calculations, and

so on, the head has gained a certain advantage, so that your head is now too full of science."

"I am sure of it. The result is, that, instead of allowing any foreign matter to penetrate the interior of the head,

your bony box or skull, which is already too full, avails itself of the openings which are made in allowing this

"Ah!" said Porthos, to whom this explanation appeared clearer than that of the doctor.

"The five protuberances, caused by the five ornaments of the luster, must certainly have been scientific

"In fact," said Porthos, "the real truth is, that I felt far worse outside my head than inside. I will even confess,

that when I put my hat upon my head, clapping it on my head with that graceful energy which we gentlemen

of the sword possess, if my fist was not very gently applied, I experienced the most painful sensations."

"Therefore, my friend," said the giant, "M. Fouquet decided, seeing how slightly built the house was, to give

"Where the rendezvous are made; that park, indeed, which is so celebrated in some of those mysterious

"I don't know; I have had no rendezvous or heard mysterious stories myself, but they have authorized me to

exercise my muscles, and I take advantage of the permission by rooting up some of the trees."

"To keep my hand in, and also to take some birds' nests; I find it more convenient than climbing."

"Yes, I like the small eggs; I like them very much better than larger ones. You have no idea how delicate an

_omelette_ is, if made of four or five hundred eggs of linnets, chaffinches, starlings, blackbirds, and

D'Artagnan looked at Porthos admiringly for full five minutes, as if he had seen him for the first time, while

Porthos spread his chest out joyously and proudly. They remained in this state several minutes, Porthos

smiling, and D'Artagnan looking at him. D'Artagnan was evidently trying to give the conversation a new turn.

"Do you amuse yourself much here, Porthos?" he asked at last, very likely after he had found out what he was

"I can imagine that; but when you get thoroughly bored, by and by, what do you intend to do?"

"Oh! I shall not be here for any length of time. Aramis is waiting until the last bump on my head disappears,

in order to present me to the king, who I am told cannot endure the sight of a bump."

"Yes; for at Fontainebleau yonder, you must know, they are laughing, dancing, banqueting, and drawing the

corks of M. de Mazarin's wine in fine style. Are you aware that they have a ballet every evening there?"

"Very well, then; never to go out, never to ride on horseback, never to be allowed to see your friends, that is

"It was Aramis who drew the plan of the fortifications at BelleIsle, was it not?"

"Say rather, as I did see. Well, that is precisely the state of the case, my dear Porthos. Aramis, who only drew

the plans, wishes to pass himself off as the engineer, whilst you, who, stone by stone, built the wall, the

"Oh, oh! my dear Aramis, you seem to think you are only five and twenty years of age still."

"While I, look at mine." And Porthos, opening his large mouth very wide, displayed two rows of teeth not

"You can hardly believe, Porthos," said D'Artagnan, "what a fancy the king has for good teeth. Yours decide

"Do you think I have the slightest pretensions upon the fortifications at BelleIsle?"

"Well, I am the intimate friend of the king; and a proof of that is, that whenever there is anything disagreeable

"Bah! whether he or I present you, since you are to be presented, what does it matter?"

"In that case, I will be simple. But what will M. Fouquet say, when he learns that I have left?"

"No, not quite that. But I promised him I would not leave without letting him know."

"Wait a minute, we shall return to that presently. Have you anything to do here?"

"What I tell you pray, understand that is out of interest for you. I suppose, for instance, that you are

"I am not at all curious," said Porthos, as he drew out of his pocket the soldier's letter which Porthos had not

"Therefore, instead of forwarding to our friend any messages, which may or may not be faithfully delivered,

"In fact," said Porthos, "the sooner we set off the less chance there is of Aramis's letter being delayed."

"Porthos, your reasoning is always accurate, and, in your case, logic seems to serve as an auxiliary to the

"It is the result of your hard reading," replied D'Artagnan. "So come along, let us be off."

"Well, you will accost him with these words: 'M. Fouquet, I have the honor to inform you that I have just left

"And," said Porthos, with the same majestic mien, "seeing me at Fontainebleau at the king's, M. Fouquet will

"My dear Porthos, I was just on the point of opening my lips to make the same remark, but you anticipate me

in everything. Oh! Porthos, how fortunately you are gifted! Years have made not the slightest impression on

"My dear Porthos, we shall not want five horses for two persons; besides, I have already three in Paris, which

"It would not be too many if I had some of my servants here; but, alas! I have not got them."

"What a goodhearted fellow you are, Porthos," said D'Artagnan; "but the best thing you can do is to leave

"Because, by and by, it might turn out a very good thing if M. Fouquet had never given you anything at all."

Porthos nodded his head at this word policy; then, after a moment's reflection, he added, "I confess,

"That every man has his day. You told me so, and I have experienced it myself. There are certain days when

one feels less pleasure than others in exposing one's self to a bullet or a swordthrust."

"And mine, too, although I can hardly believe in blows or thrusts that kill outright."

"Therefore, I do not believe I shall ever die from a thrust of a sword or a gunshot."

"I have never had one yet, and I don't believe I ever shall; but there is one thing I will admit," and Porthos

"Upon my word, it's true," said Porthos, in a stentorian voice. "I have seen his eminence Monsieur le Cardinal

de Richelieu, and his eminence Monsieur le Cardinal de Mazarin; the one was a red politician, the other a

black politician; I never felt very much more satisfied with the one than with the other; the first struck off the

heads of M. de Marillac, M. de Thou, M. de CinqMars, M. Chalais, M. de Bouteville, and M. de

Montmorency; the second got a whole crowd of Frondeurs cut in pieces, and we belonged to them."

"Oh! indeed, yes; for if I unsheathed my sword for the cardinal, I struck it for the king."

"Well, I have done. My dread of politics is such, that if there is any question of politics in the matter, I should

"You would be quite right, if that were the case. But with me, my dear Porthos, no politics at all, that is quite

clear. You have labored hard in fortifying BelleIsle; the king wished to know the name of the clever

engineer under whose directions the works were carried out; you are modest, as all men of true genius are;

perhaps Aramis wishes to put you under a bushel. But I happen to seize hold of you; I make it known who

you are; I produce you; the king rewards you; and that is the only policy I have to do with."

"And the only one I will have to do with either," said Porthos, holding out his hand to D'Artagnan.

But D'Artagnan knew Porthos's grasp; he knew that, once imprisoned within the baron's five fingers, no hand

ever left it without being half crushed. He therefore held out, not his hand, but his fist, and Porthos did not

even perceive the difference. The servants talked a little with each other in an undertone, and whispered a few

words, which D'Artagnan understood, but which he took very good care not to let Porthos understand. "Our

friend," he said to himself, "was really and truly Aramis's prisoner. Let us now see what the result will be of

D'Artagnan and Porthos returned on foot, as D'Artagnan had set out. When D'Artagnan, as he entered the

shop of the Pilon d'Or, announced to Planchet that M. du Vallon would be one of the privileged travelers, and

as the plume in Porthos's hat made the wooden candles suspended over the front jingle together, a melancholy

presentiment seemed to eclipse the delight Planchet had promised himself for the morrow. But the grocer had

a heart of gold, ever mindful of the good old times a trait that carries youth into old age. So Planchet,

notwithstanding a sort of internal shiver, checked as soon as experienced, received Porthos with respect,

mingled with the tenderest cordiality. Porthos, who was a little cold and stiff in his manners at first, on

account of the social difference existing at that period between a baron and a grocer, soon began to soften

when he perceived so much goodfeeling and so many kind attentions in Planchet. He was particularly

touched by the liberty which was permitted him to plunge his great palms into the boxes of dried fruits and

preserves, into the sacks of nuts and almonds, and into the drawers full of sweetmeats. So that,

notwithstanding Planchet's pressing invitations to go upstairs to the _entresol_, he chose as his favorite seat,

during the evening which he had to spend at Planchet's house, the shop itself, where his fingers could always

fish up whatever his nose detected. The delicious figs from Provence, filberts from the forest, Tours plums,

were subjects of his uninterrupted attention for five consecutive hours. His teeth, like millstones, cracked

heaps of nuts, the shells of which were scattered all over the floor, where they were trampled by every one

who went in and out of the shop; Porthos pulled from the stalk with his lips, at one mouthful, bunches of the

rich Muscatel raisins with their beautiful bloom, half a pound of which passed at one gulp from his mouth to

his stomach. In one of the corners of the shop, Planchet's assistants, huddled together, looked at each other

without venturing to open their lips. They did not know who Porthos was, for they had never seen him before.

The race of those Titans who had worn the cuirasses of Hugh Capet, Philip Augustus, and Francis I. had

already begun to disappear. They could hardly help thinking he might be the ogre of the fairy tale, who was

going to turn the whole contents of Planchet's shop into his insatiable stomach, and that, too, without in the

slightest degree displacing the barrels and chests that were in it. Cracking, munching, chewing, nibbling,

"He will very soon have none at all to do, if this sort of thing continues," grumbled the foreman, who had

Planchet's word that he should be his successor. In the midst of his despair, he approached Porthos, who

blocked up the whole of the passage leading from the back shop to the shop itself. He hoped that Porthos

At the same moment he took hold of the young fellow by the waistband, lifted him off the ground, and placed

him very gently on the other side, smiling all the while with the same affable expression. As soon as Porthos

had placed him on the ground, the lad's legs so shook under him that he fell back upon some sacks of corks.

"Honey is very cooling," said Porthos, stretching out his hand toward a small barrel of honey which was

open, and he plunged the scoop with which the wants of the customers were supplied into it, and swallowed a

"No, in a waterbottle; that will be quite enough;" and raising the bottle to his mouth, as a trumpeter does his

Planchet was agitated in every fibre of propriety and selfesteem. However, a worthy representative of the

hospitality which prevailed in early days, he feigned to be talking very earnestly with D'Artagnan, and

The foreman clasped his hands together. The two others got under the counters, fearing Porthos might have a

"We shall only take a sort of snack here," said D'Artagnan; "and when we get to Planchet's countryseat, we

"Ah, ah! so we are going to your countryhouse, Planchet," said Porthos; "so much the better."

The "monsieur le baron" had a great effect upon the men, who detected a personage of the highest quality in

an appetite of that kind. This title, too, reassured them. They had never heard that an ogre was ever called

"I will take a few biscuits to eat on the road," said Porthos, carelessly; and he emptied a whole jar of aniseed

"The Dutch cheese, inside which a rat had made his way, and we found only the rind left."

Planchet looked all round his shop, and observing the different articles which had escaped Porthos's teeth, he

found the comparison somewhat exaggerated. The foreman, who remarked what was passing in his master's

"Have you any fruit here?" said Porthos, as he went upstairs to the _entresol_, where it had just been

"Alas!" thought the grocer, addressing a look at D'Artagnan full of entreaty, which the latter half understood.

As soon as they had finished eating they set off. It was late when the three riders, who had left Paris about six

in the evening, arrived at Fontainebleau. The journey passed very agreeably. Porthos took a fancy to

Planchet's society, because the latter was very respectful in his manners, and seemed delighted to talk to him

about his meadows, his woods, and his rabbitwarrens. Porthos had all the taste and pride of a landed

proprietor. When D'Artagnan saw his two companions in earnest conversation, he took the opposite side of

the road, and letting his bridle drop upon his horse's neck, separated himself from the whole world, as he had

done from Porthos and from Planchet. The moon shone softly through the foliage of the forest. The breezes

of the open country rose deliciously perfumed to the horse's nostrils, and they snorted and pranced along

delightedly. Porthos and Planchet began to talk about haycrops. Planchet admitted to Porthos that in the

advanced years of his life, he had certainly neglected agricultural pursuits for commerce, but that his

childhood had been passed in Picardy in the beautiful meadows where the grass grew as high as the knees,

and where he had played under the green appletrees covered with redcheeked fruit; he went on to say, that

he had solemnly promised himself that as soon as he should have made his fortune, he would return to nature,

and end his days, as he had begun them, as near as he possibly could to the earth itself, where all men must

"Eh, eh!" said Porthos; "in that case, my dear Monsieur Planchet, your retirement is not far distant."

"Come, tell me what is the extent of your ambition, and what is the amount you intend to retire upon?"

"There is one circumstance, monsieur," said Planchet, without answering the question, "which occasions me a

"What is it?" inquired Porthos, looking all round him as if in search of the circumstance that annoyed

"Why, formerly," said the grocer, "you used to call me Planchet quite short, and you would have spoken to

"Certainly, certainly, I should have said so formerly," replied the good natured Porthos, with an

"Well if I am not quite his lackey, I am as much as ever I was his devoted servant; and more than that, since

"No, no," said D'Artagnan, whom these words had drawn out of his reverie, and who entered into the

conversation with that readiness and rapidity which distinguished every operation of his mind and body. "It

was not D'Artagnan who entered into the grocery business, but Planchet who entered into a political affair

"Yes," said Planchet, with mingled pride and satisfaction, "we transacted a little business which brought me

"So that, monsieur le baron," continued the grocer, "I again beg you to be kind enough to call me Planchet, as

you used to do; and to speak to me as familiarly as in old times. You cannot possibly imagine the pleasure it

"If that be the case, my dear Planchet, I will do so, certainly," replied Porthos. And as he was quite close to

Planchet, he raised his hand, as if to strike him on the shoulder, in token of friendly cordiality; but a fortunate

movement of the horse made him miss his aim, so that his hand fell on the crupper of Planchet's horse,

D'Artagnan burst out laughing, as he said, "Take care, Planchet; for if Porthos begins to like you so much, he

will caress you, and if he caresses you he will knock you as flat as a pancake. Porthos is still as strong as

"Oh," said Planchet, "Mousqueton is not dead, and yet monsieur le baron is very fond of him."

"Certainly," said Porthos, with a sigh which made all the three horses rear; "and I was only saying, this very

"Oh, monsieur le baron, I have neither chateau, nor park, nor meadows, nor woods."

"What have you got, then?" inquired Porthos, "and why do you call it a countryseat?"

"I did not call it a countryseat, monsieur le baron," replied Planchet, somewhat humiliated, "but a

"No, monsieur le baron, I speak the plain truth. I have rooms for a couple of friends, that's all."

"In the first place, they can walk about the king's forest, which is very beautiful."

"Yes, I know the forest is very fine," said Porthos; "nearly as beautiful as my forest at Berry."

Planchet opened his eyes very wide. "Have you a forest of the same kind as the forest at Fontainebleau,

"Because I don't know where it ends; and, also, because it is full of poachers."

"Because they hunt my game, and I hunt them which, in these peaceful times, is for me a sufficiently

They had reached this turn of conversation, when Planchet, looking up, perceived the houses at the

commencement of Fontainebleau, the lofty outlines of which stood out strongly against the misty visage of

the heavens; whilst, rising above the compact and irregularly formed mass of buildings, the pointed roofs of

the chateau were clearly visible, the slates of which glistened beneath the light of the moon, like the scales of

an immense fish. "Gentlemen," said Planchet, "I have the honor to inform you that we have arrived at

The cavaliers looked up, and saw that what Planchet had announced to them was true. Ten minutes

afterwards they were in the street called the Rue de Lyon, on the opposite side of the hostelry of the Beau

Paon. A high hedge of bushy elders, hawthorn, and wild hops formed an impenetrable fence, behind which

rose a white house, with a high tiled roof. Two of the windows, which were quite dark, looked upon the

street. Between the two, a small door, with a porch supported by a couple of pillars, formed the entrance to

the house. The door was gained by a step raised a little from the ground. Planchet got off his horse, as if he

intended to knock at the door; but, on second thoughts, he took hold of his horse by the bridle, and led it

about thirty paces further on, his two companions following him. He then advanced about another thirty

paces, until he arrived at the door of a carthouse, lighted by an iron grating; and, lifting up a wooden latch,

pushed open one of the foldingdoors. He entered first, leading his horse after him by the bridle, into a small

courtyard, where an odor met them which revealed their close vicinity to a stable. "That smells all right," said

Porthos, loudly, getting off his horse, "and I almost begin to think I am near my own cows at Pierrefonds."

"And I have thirty," said Porthos; "or rather, I don't exactly know how many I have."

When the two cavaliers had entered, Planchet fastened the door behind them. In the meantime, D'Artagnan,

who had dismounted with his usual agility, inhaled the fresh perfumed air with the delight a Parisian feels at

the sight of green fields and fresh foliage, plucked a piece of honeysuckle with one hand, and of sweetbriar

with the other. Porthos clawed hold of some peas which were twined round poles stuck into the ground, and

ate, or rather browsed upon them, shells and all: and Planchet was busily engaged trying to wake up an old

and infirm peasant, who was fast asleep in a shed, lying on a bed of moss, and dressed in an old stable suit of

clothes. The peasant, recognizing Planchet, called him "the master," to the grocer's great satisfaction. "Stable

the horses well, old fellow, and you shall have something good for yourself," said Planchet.

"Yes, yes; fine animals they are too," said the peasant. "Oh! they shall have as much as they like."

"Gently, gently, my man," said D'Artagnan, "we are getting on a little too fast. A few oats and a good bed

"Some bran and water for my horse," said Porthos, "for it is very warm, I think."

"Don't be afraid, gentlemen," replied Planchet; "Daddy Celestin is an old gendarme, who fought at Ivry. He

knows all about horses; so come into the house." And he led the way along a wellsheltered walk, which

crossed a kitchengarden, then a small paddock, and came out into a little garden behind the house, the

principal front of which, as we have already noticed, faced the street. As they approached, they could see,

through two open windows on the ground floor, which led into a sitting room, the interior of Planchet's

residence. This room, softly lighted by a lamp placed on the table, seemed, from the end of the garden, like a

smiling image of repose, comfort, and happiness. In every direction where the rays of light fell, whether upon

a piece of old china, or upon an article of furniture shining from excessive neatness, or upon the weapons

hanging against the wall, the soft light was softly reflected; and its rays seemed to linger everywhere upon

something or another, agreeable to the eye. The lamp which lighted the room, whilst the foliage of jasmine

and climbing roses hung in masses from the window frames, splendidly illuminated a damask tablecloth as

white as snow. The table was laid for two persons. Ambercolored wine sparkled in a long cutglass bottle;

and a large jug of blue china, with a silver lid, was filled with foaming cider. Near the table, in a highbacked

armchair, reclined, fast asleep, a woman of about thirty years of age, her face the very picture of health and

freshness. Upon her knees lay a large cat, with her paws folded under her, and her eyes halfclosed, purring

in that significant manner which, according to feline habits, indicates perfect contentment. The two friends

paused before the window in complete amazement, while Planchet, perceiving their astonishment, was in no

"Oh, oh! there is some white linen!" said Porthos, in his turn, in a voice of thunder. At the sound of this

gigantic voice, the cat took flight, the housekeeper woke up with a start, and Planchet, assuming a gracious

air, introduced his two companions into the room, where the table was already laid.

"Permit me, my dear," he said, "to present to you Monsieur le Chevalier d'Artagnan, my patron." D'Artagnan

took the lady's hand in his in the most courteous manner, and with precisely the same chivalrous air as he

"Monsieur le Baron du Vallon de Bracieux de Pierrefonds," added Planchet. Porthos bowed with a reverence

It was then Planchet's turn, and he unhesitatingly embraced the lady in question, not, however, until he had

made a sign as if requesting D'Artagnan's and Porthos's permission, a permission as a matter of course

frankly conceded. D'Artagnan complimented Planchet, and said, "You are indeed a man who knows how to

"Life, monsieur," said Planchet, laughing, "is capital which a man ought to invest as sensibly as he possibly

"And you get very good interest for yours," said Porthos, with a burst of laughter like a peal of thunder.

Planchet turned to his housekeeper. "You have before you," he said to her, "the two gentlemen who

influenced the greatest, gayest, grandest portion of my life. I have spoken to you about them both very

"And about two others as well," said the lady, with a very decided Flemish accent.

"Madame is Dutch?" inquired D'Artagnan. Porthos curled his mustache, a circumstance which was not lost

"Truchen," said Planchet, "came to me from Flanders with her virtue and two thousand florins. She ran away

from a brute of a husband who was in the habit of beating her. Being myself a Picard born, I was always very

fond of the Artesian women, and it is only a step from Artois to Flanders; she came crying bitterly to her

godfather, my predecessor in the Rue des Lombards; she placed her two thousand florins in my

establishment, which I have turned to very good account, and which have brought her in ten thousand."

"She is free and well off; she has a cow, a maid servant and old Celestin at her orders; she mends my linen,

knits my winter stockings; she only sees me every fortnight, and seems to make herself in all things tolerably

"And indeed, gentlemen, I _am_ very happy and comfortable," said Truchen, with perfect ingenuousness.

Porthos began to curl the other side of his mustache. "The deuce," thought D'Artagnan, "can Porthos have any

In the meantime Truchen had set her cook to work, had laid the table for two more, and covered it with every

possible delicacy that could convert a light supper into a substantial meal, a meal into a regular feast. Fresh

butter, salt beef, anchovies, tunny, a shopful of Planchet's commodities, fowls, vegetables, salad, fish from

the pond and the river, game from the forest all the produce, in fact, of the province. Moreover, Planchet

returned from the cellar, laden with ten bottles of wine, the glass of which could hardly be seen for the thick

coating of dust which covered them. Porthos's heart began to expand as he said, "I am hungry," and he sat

himself beside Madame Truchen, whom he looked at in the most killing manner. D'Artagnan seated himself

on the other side of her, while Planchet, discreetly and full of delight, took his seat opposite.

"Do not trouble yourselves," he said, "if Truchen should leave the table now and then during supper; for she

In fact, the housekeeper made her escape quite frequently, and they could hear, on the first floor above them,

the creaking of the wooden bedsteads and the rolling of the castors on the floor. While this was going on, the

three men, Porthos especially, ate and drank gloriously, it was wonderful to see them. The ten full bottles

were ten empty one by the time Truchen returned with the cheese. D'Artagnan still preserved his dignity and

selfpossession, but Porthos had lost a portion of his; and the mirth soon began to grow somewhat

uproarious. D'Artagnan recommended a new descent into the cellar, and, as Planchet no longer walked with

the steadiness of a welltrained footsoldier, the captain of the musketeers proposed to accompany him.

They set off, humming songs wild enough to frighten anybody who might be listening. Truchen remained

behind at table with Porthos. While the two winebibbers were looking behind the firewood for what they

wanted, a sharp report was heard like the impact of a pair of lips on a lady's cheek.

"Porthos fancies himself at La Rochelle," thought D'Artagnan, as they returned freighted with bottles.

Planchet was singing so loudly that he was incapable of noticing anything. D'Artagnan, whom nothing ever

escaped, remarked how much redder Truchen's left cheek was than her right. Porthos was sitting on Truchen's

left, and was curling with both his hands both sides of his mustache at once, and Truchen was looking at him

with a most bewitching smile. The sparkling wine of Anjou very soon produced a remarkable effect upon the

three companions. D'Artagnan had hardly strength enough left to take a candlestick to light Planchet up his

own staircase. Planchet was pulling Porthos along, who was following Truchen, who was herself jovial

enough. It was D'Artagnan who found out the rooms and the beds. Porthos threw himself into the one

destined for him, after his friend had undressed him. D'Artagnan got into his own bed, saying to himself,

"_Mordioux!_ I had made up my mind never to touch that lightcolored wine, which brings my early camp

days back again. Fie! fie! if my musketeers were only to see their captain in such a state." And drawing the

curtains of his bed, he added, "Fortunately enough, though, they will not see me."

"The country is very amusing," said Porthos, stretching out his legs, which passed through the wooden

footboard, and made a tremendous crash, of which, however, no one in the house was capable of taking the

The next morning found the three heroes sleeping soundly. Truchen had closed the outside blinds to keep the

first rays of the sun from the leadenlidded eyes of her guests, like a kind, good housekeeper. It was still

perfectly dark, then, beneath Porthos's curtains and under Planchet's canopy, when D'Artagnan, awakened by

an indiscreet ray of light which made its way through a peekhole in the shutters, jumped hastily out of bed,

as if he wished to be the first at a forlorn hope. He took by assault Porthos's room, which was next to his own.

The worthy Porthos was sleeping with a noise like distant thunder; in the dim obscurity of the room his

gigantic frame was prominently displayed, and his swollen fist hung down outside the bed upon the carpet.

D'Artagnan awoke Porthos, who rubbed his eyes in a tolerably good humor. In the meantime Planchet was

dressing himself, and met at their bedroom doors his two guests, who were still somewhat unsteady from

their previous evening's entertainment. Although it was yet very early, the whole household was already up.

The cook was mercilessly slaughtering in the poultryyard; Celestin was gathering white cherries in the

garden. Porthos, brisk and lively as ever, held out his hand to Planchet's, and D'Artagnan requested

permission to embrace Madame Truchen. The latter, to show that she bore no illwill, approached Porthos,

upon whom she conferred the same favor. Porthos embraced Madame Truchen, heaving an enormous sigh.

"I am going to show you over the house," he said; "when we arrived last night it was as dark as an oven, and

we were unable to see anything; but in broad daylight, everything looks different, and you will be satisfied, I

"If we begin by the view you have here," said D'Artagnan, "that charms me beyond everything; I have always

lived in royal mansions, you know, and royal personages have tolerably sound ideas upon the selection of

"I am a great stickler for a good view myself," said Porthos. "At my Chateau de Pierrefonds, I have had four

avenues laid out, and at the end of each is a landscape of an altogether different character from the others."

"You shall see _my_ prospect," said Planchet; and he led his two guests to a window.

"Yes, I have two windows on this side, a paltry, insignificant view, for there is always that bustling and noisy

inn, which is a very disagreeable neighbor. I had four windows here, but I bricked up two."

They entered a corridor leading to the bedrooms, and Planchet pushed open the outside blinds.

"The forest," said Planchet. "It is the horizon, a thick line of green, which is yellow in the spring, green in

"All very well, but it is like a curtain, which prevents one seeing a greater distance."

"Yes," said Planchet; "still, one can see, at all events, everything that intervenes."

"Ah, the open country," said Porthos. "But what is that I see out there, crosses and stones?"

"Precisely," said Planchet; "I assure you it is very curious. Hardly a day passes that some one is not buried

there; for Fontainebleau is by no means an inconsiderable place. Sometimes we see young girls clothed in

white carrying banners; at others, some of the towncouncil, or rich citizens, with choristers and all the parish

authorities; and then, too, we see some of the officers of the king's household."

"But," continued Planchet, "we must all die one day or another, and I once met with a maxim somewhere

which I have remembered, that the thought of death is a thought that will do us all good."

"But," objected D'Artagnan, "the thought of green fields, flowers, rivers, blue horizons, extensive and

"If I had any, I should be far from rejecting them," said Planchet; "but possessing only this little cemetery,

full of flowers, so mossgrown, shady, and quiet, I am contented with it, and I think of those who live in

town, in the Rue des Lombards, for instance, and who have to listen to the rumbling of a couple of thousand

vehicles every day, and to the soulless tramp, tramp, tramp of a hundred and fifty thousand foot

"That is exactly the reason," said Planchet, timidly, "why I feel it does me good to contemplate a few dead."

"Upon my word," said D'Artagnan, "that fellow Planchet is born a philosopher as well as a grocer."

"Monsieur," said Planchet, "I am one of those goodhumored sort of men whom Heaven created for the

purpose of living a certain span of days, and of considering all good they meet with during their transitory

D'Artagnan sat down close to the window, and as there seemed to be something substantial in Planchet's

"Ah, ah!" exclaimed Planchet, "if I am not mistaken, we are going to have a representation now, for I think I

"Oh, it is only a burial of a very poor description," said Planchet, disdainfully; "the officiating priest, the

beadle, and only one chorister boy, nothing more. You observe, messieurs, that the defunct lady or gentleman

"Come, come, you are beginning to take a fancy to the place already," said Planchet, delightedly; "it is

exactly my own case. I was so melancholy at first that I could do nothing but make the sign of the cross all

day, and the chants were like so many nails being driven into my head; but now, they lull me to sleep, and no

bird I have ever seen or heard can sing better than those which are to be met with in this cemetery."

"Well," said Porthos, "this is beginning to get a little dull for me, and I prefer going downstairs."

Planchet with one bound was beside his guest, whom he offered to lead into the garden.

"What!" said Porthos to D'Artagnan, as he turned round, "are you going to remain here?"

"Well, M. D'Artagnan is right, after all," said Planchet: "are they beginning to bury yet?"

"Ah! yes, the gravedigger is waiting until the cords are fastened round the bier. But, see, a woman has just

"Yes, yes, my dear Planchet," said D'Artagnan, quickly, "leave me, leave me; I feel I am beginning already to

Planchet left, and D'Artagnan remained, devouring with his eager gaze from behind the halfclosed blinds

what was taking place just before him. The two bearers of the corpse had unfastened the straps by which they

carried the litter, and were letting their burden glide gently into the open grave. At a few paces distant, the

man with the cloak wrapped round him, the only spectator of this melancholy scene, was leaning with his

back against a large cypresstree, and kept his face and person entirely concealed from the gravediggers and

the priests; the corpse was buried in five minutes. The grave having been filled up, the priests turned away,

and the gravedigger having addressed a few words to them, followed them as they moved away. The man in

the mantle bowed as they passed him, and put a piece of gold into the gravedigger's hand.

Aramis, in fact, remained alone, on that side at least; for hardly had he turned his head when a woman's

footsteps, and the rustling of her dress, were heard in the path close to him. He immediately turned round, and

took off his hat with the most ceremonious respect; he led the lady under the shelter of some walnut and lime

"Ah! who would have thought it," said D'Artagnan; "the bishop of Vannes at a rendezvous! He is still the

same Abbe Aramis as he was at Noisyle Sec. Yes," he added, after a pause; "but as it is in a cemetery, the

The conversation lasted for fully half an hour. D'Artagnan could not see the lady's face, for she kept her back

turned towards him; but he saw perfectly well, by the erect attitude of both the speakers, by their gestures, by

the measured and careful manner with which they glanced at each other, either by way of attack or defense,

that they must be conversing about any other subject than of love. At the end of the conversation the lady

"Oh, oh," said D'Artagnan; "this rendezvous finishes like one of a very tender nature though. The cavalier

kneels at the beginning, the young lady by and by gets tamed down, and then it is she who has to supplicate.

This seemed impossible, however, for Aramis was the first to leave; the lady carefully concealed her head

and face, and then immediately departed. D'Artagnan could hold out no longer; he ran to the window which

looked out on the Rue de Lyon, and saw Aramis entering the inn. The lady was proceeding in quite an

opposite direction, and seemed, in fact, to be about to rejoin an equipage, consisting of two led horses and a

carriage, which he could see standing close to the borders of the forest. She was walking slowly, her head

"_Mordioux! Mordioux!_ I must and will learn who that woman is," said the musketeer again; and then,

without further deliberation, he set off in pursuit of her. As he was going along, he tried to think how he

could possibly contrive to make her raise her veil. "She is not young," he said, "and is a woman of high rank

in society. I ought to know that figure and peculiar style of walk." As he ran, the sound of his spurs and of his

boots upon the hard ground of the street made a strange jingling noise; a fortunate circumstance in itself,

which he was far from reckoning upon. The noise disturbed the lady; she seemed to fancy she was being

either followed or pursued, which was indeed the case, and turned round. D'Artagnan started as if he had

received a charge of small shot in his legs, and then turning suddenly round as if he were going back the same

way he had come, he murmured, "Madame de Chevreuse!" D'Artagnan would not go home until he had learnt

everything. He asked Celestin to inquire of the gravedigger whose body it was they had buried that

"A poor Franciscan mendicant friar," replied the latter, "who had not even a dog to love him in this world,

"If that were really the case," thought D'Artagnan, "we should not have found Aramis present at his funeral.

The bishop of Vannes is not precisely a dog as far as devotion goes: his scent, however, is quite as keen, I

There was good living in Planchet's house. Porthos broke a ladder and two cherrytrees, stripped the

raspberrybushes, and was only unable to succeed in reaching the strawberrybeds on account, as he said, of

his belt. Truchen, who had become quite sociable with the giant, said that it was not the belt so much as his

corporation; and Porthos, in a state of the highest delight, embraced Truchen, who gathered him a pailful of

the strawberries, and made him eat them out of her hands. D'Artagnan, who arrived in the midst of these little

innocent flirtations, scolded Porthos for his indolence, and silently pitied Planchet. Porthos breakfasted with a

very good appetite, and when he had finished, he said, looking at Truchen, "I could make myself very happy

here." Truchen smiled at his remark, and so did Planchet, but not without embarrassment.

D'Artagnan then addressed Porthos: "You must not let the delights of Capua make you forget the real object

"Certainly. I am going to take a turn in the town to get everything ready for that. Do not think of leaving the

"No, my friend; and this very evening I will release you from two troublesome guests."

"No, no; you are a noblehearted fellow, but your house is very small. Such a house, with half a dozen acres

of land, would be fit for a king, and make him very happy, too. But you were not born a great lord."

"But he has become so, my good fellow; his income has been a hundred thousand francs a year for the last

twenty years, and for the last fifty years Porthos has been the owner of a couple of fists and a backbone,

which are not to be matched throughout the whole realm of France. Porthos is a man of the very greatest

consequence compared to you, and... well, I need say no more, for I know you are an intelligent fellow."

"Look at your orchard, how stripped it is, how empty your larder, your bedstead broken, your cellar almost

"Madame Truchen is an excellent person," continued D'Artagnan, "but keep her for yourself, do you

Planchet at this moment perceived Porthos and Truchen sitting close together in an arbor; Truchen, with a

grace of manner peculiarly Flemish, was making a pair of earrings for Porthos out of a double cherry, while

Porthos was laughing as amorously as Samson in the company of Delilah. Planchet pressed D'Artagnan's

hand, and ran towards the arbor. We must do Porthos the justice to say that he did not move as they

approached, and, very likely, he did not think he was doing any harm. Nor indeed did Truchen move either,

which rather put Planchet out; but he, too, had been so accustomed to see fashionable folk in his shop, that he

found no difficulty in putting a good countenance on what seemed disagreeable or rude. Planchet seized

Porthos by the arm, and proposed to go and look at the horses, but Porthos pretended he was tired. Planchet

then suggested that the Baron du Vallon should taste some noyeau of his own manufacture, which was not to

be equaled anywhere; an offer the baron immediately accepted; and, in this way, Planchet managed to engage

his enemy's attention during the whole of the day, by dint of sacrificing his cellar, in preference to his _amour

"Everything is arranged," he said; "I saw his majesty at the very moment he was setting off for the chase; the

"The king expects _me!_" cried Porthos, drawing himself up. It is a sad thing to have to confess, but a man's

heart is like an ocean billow; for, from that very moment Porthos ceased to look at Madame Truchen in that

touching manner which had so softened her heart. Planchet encouraged these ambitious leanings as best as he

could. He talked over, or rather gave exaggerated accounts of all the splendors of the last reign, its battles,

sieges, and grand court ceremonies. He spoke of the luxurious display which the English made; the prizes the

three brave companions carried off; and how D'Artagnan, who at the beginning had been the humblest of the

four, finished by becoming the leader. He fired Porthos with a generous feeling of enthusiasm by reminding

him of his early youth now passed away; he boasted as much as he could of the moral life this great lord had

led, and how religiously he respected the ties of friendship; he was eloquent, and skillful in his choice of

subjects. He tickled Porthos, frightened Truchen, and made D'Artagnan think. At six o'clock, the musketeer

ordered the horses to be brought round, and told Porthos to get ready. He thanked Planchet for his kind

hospitality, whispered a few words about a post he might succeed in obtaining for him at court, which

immediately raised Planchet in Truchen's estimation, where the poor grocer so good, so generous, so

devoted had become much lowered ever since the appearance and comparison with him of the two great

gentlemen. Such, however, is a woman's nature; they are anxious to possess what they have not got, and

disdain it as soon as it is acquired. After having rendered this service to his friend Planchet, D'Artagnan said

in a low tone of voice to Porthos: "That is a very beautiful ring you have on your finger."

"Madame Truchen will remember you better if you leave her that ring," replied D'Artagnan, a suggestion

"You think it is not beautiful enough, perhaps," said the musketeer. "I understand your feelings; a great lord

such as you would not think of accepting the hospitality of an old servant without paying him most

handsomely for it: but I am sure that Planchet is too goodhearted a fellow to remember that you have an

"I have more than half a mind," said Porthos, flattered by the remark, "to make Madame Truchen a present of

"It is too much, my good Porthos, too much just at present... Keep it for a future occasion." He then took the

ring off Porthos's finger, and approaching Truchen, said to her: "Madame, monsieur le baron hardly knows

how to entreat you, out of your regard for him, to accept this little ring. M. du Vallon is one of the most

generous and discreet men of my acquaintance. He wished to offer you a farm that he has at Bracieux, but I

"My good friend," stammered out Porthos, delighted at having been so well represented by D'Artagnan.

These several exclamations, uttered at the same moment, made quite a pathetic windingup of a day which

might have finished in a very ridiculous manner. But D'Artagnan was there, and, on every occasion,

wheresoever D'Artagnan exercised any control, matters ended only just in the very way he wished and willed.

There were general embracings; Truchen, whom the baron's munificence had restored to her proper position,

very timidly, and blushing all the while, presented her forehead to the great lord with whom she had been on

such very pretty terms the evening before. Planchet himself was overcome by a feeling of genuine humility.

Still, in the same generosity of disposition, Porthos would have emptied his pockets into the hands of the

"No," he said, "it is now my turn." And he gave one pistole to the woman and two to the man; and the

benedictions which were showered down upon them would have rejoiced the heart of Harpagon himself, and

D'Artagnan made Planchet lead them to the chateau, and introduced Porthos into his own apartment, where

he arrived safely without having been perceived by those he was afraid of meeting.

At seven o'clock the same evening, the king gave an audience to an ambassador from the United Provinces, in

the grand receptionroom. The audience lasted a quarter of an hour. His majesty afterwards received those

who had been recently presented, together with a few ladies, who paid their respects first. In one corner of the

salon, concealed behind a column, Porthos and D'Artagnan were conversing together, waiting until their turn

"Well, look, then." Porthos raised himself on tiptoe, and saw M. Fouquet in full court dress, leading Aramis

"You oh, you! as I have already had the honor of telling you, are the goodnatured, kindhearted Porthos;

"But, happily, I was there," said D'Artagnan, "and presently it will be _my_ turn."

"Sire," he said, "I have a favor to solicit of your majesty. M. d'Herblay is not ambitious, but he knows when

he can be of service. Your majesty needs a representative at Rome, who would be able to exercise a powerful

influence there; may I request a cardinal's hat for M. d'Herblay?" The king started. "I do not often solicit

"That is a reason, certainly," replied the king, who always expressed any hesitation he might have in that

Fouquet and Aramis looked at each other. The king resumed: "M. d'Herblay can serve us equally well in

"Sire," objected Fouquet, with a grace of manner peculiarly his own, "your majesty overwhelms M.

d'Herblay; the archbishopric may, in your majesty's extreme kindness, be conferred in addition to the hat; the

The king admired the readiness which he displayed, and smiled, saying: "D'Artagnan himself could not have

answered better." He had no sooner pronounced the name than D'Artagnan appeared.

"Will your majesty allow me," said D'Artagnan quickly, as he led forward Porthos, "to present to your

As soon as Aramis saw Porthos, he turned as pale as death, while Fouquet clenched his hands under his

ruffles. D'Artagnan smiled blandly at both of them, while Porthos bowed, visibly overcome before the royal

"Sire," said D'Artagnan, "it is more than six years ago I ought to have presented M. du Vallon to your

majesty; but certain men resemble stars, they move not one inch unless their satellites accompany them. The

Pleiades are never disunited, and that is the reason I have selected, for the purpose of presenting him to you,

Aramis almost lost countenance. He looked at D'Artagnan with a proud, haughty air, as though willing to

"Excellent friends, sire; the one can answer for the other. Ask M. de Vannes now in what manner BelleIsle

"BelleIsle," said Aramis, coldly, "was fortified by that gentleman," and he indicated Porthos with his hand,

who bowed a second time. Louis could not withhold his admiration, though at the same time his suspicions

"Yes," said D'Artagnan, "but ask monsieur le baron whose assistance he had in carrying the works out?"

"What the deuce does all this mean?" thought the bishop, "and what sort of a termination are we to expect to

"What!" exclaimed the king, "is the cardinal's, I mean this bishop's, name _Aramis?_"

"A truce to modesty!" exclaimed D'Artagnan; "beneath the priest's robe, sire, is concealed the most brilliant

officer, a gentleman of the most unparalleled intrepidity, and the wisest theologian in your kingdom."

Louis raised his head. "And an engineer, also, it appears," he said, admiring Aramis's calm, imperturbable

"My companion in the musketeers, sire," said D'Artagnan, with great warmth of manner, "the man who has

more than a hundred times aided your father's ministers by his advice M. d'Herblay, in a word, who, with

M. du Vallon, myself, and M. le Comte de la Fere, who is known to your majesty, formed that quartette

which was a good deal talked about during the late king's reign, and during your majesty's minority."

D'Artagnan looked very narrowly at Aramis while he uttered these words, which displayed so much true

respect, so much warm devotion, such entire frankness and sincerity, that even he, D'Artagnan, the eternal

doubter, he, the almost infallible in judgment, was deceived by it. "A man who lies cannot speak in such a

Louis was overcome by it. "In that case," he said to Fouquet, who anxiously awaited the result of this proof,

"the cardinal's hat is promised. Monsieur d'Herblay, I pledge you my honor that the first promotion shall be

yours. Thank M. Fouquet for it." Colbert overheard these words; they stung him to the quick, and he left the

salon abruptly. "And you, Monsieur du Vallon," said the king, "what have you to ask? I am truly pleased to

have it in my power to acknowledge the services of those who were faithful to my father."

"Sire " began Porthos, but he was unable to proceed with what he was going to say.

"Sire," exclaimed D'Artagnan, "this worthy gentleman is utterly overpowered by your majesty's presence, he

who so valiantly sustained the looks and the fire of a thousand foes. But, knowing what his thoughts are, I

who am more accustomed to gaze upon the sun can translate them: he needs nothing, absolutely nothing;

his sole desire is to have the happiness of gazing upon your majesty for a quarter of an hour."

"You shall sup with me this evening," said the king, saluting Porthos with a gracious smile.

Porthos became crimson from delight and pride. The king dismissed him, and D'Artagnan pushed him into

"Aramis has never liked you so much as he does now. Fancy, it was I who was the means of his getting the

"Of course," said Porthos. "By the by, does the king like his guests to eat much at his table?"

"It is a compliment to himself if you do," said D'Artagnan, "for he himself possesses a royal appetite."

Aramis cleverly managed to effect a diversion for the purpose of finding D'Artagnan and Porthos. He came

up to the latter, behind one of the columns, and, as he pressed his hand, said, "So you have escaped from my

"Ah! my friend," replied Aramis, looking at Porthos, "could you not have waited with a little more patience?"

D'Artagnan came to the assistance of Porthos, who already began to breathe hard, in sore perplexity.

"You see, you members of the Church are great politicians; we mere soldiers come at once to the point. The

"Stay!" said Porthos; "you make me remember that I have a letter from Baisemeaux for you, Aramis." And

Porthos held out the bishop the letter we have already seen. Aramis begged to be allowed to read it, and read

it without D'Artagnan feeling in the slightest degree embarrassed by the circumstance that he was so well

acquainted with the contents of it. Besides, Aramis's face was so impenetrable, that D'Artagnan could not but

admire him more than ever; after he had read it, he put the letter into his pocket with the calmest possible air.

"I was saying," continued the musketeer, "that I had gone to pay Baisemeaux a visit on his majesty's service."

"Yes," said D'Artagnan, "and, naturally enough, we talked about you and our friends. I must say that

Baisemeaux received me coldly; so I soon took my leave of him. As I was returning, a soldier accosted me,

and said (no doubt as he recognized me, notwithstanding I was in private clothes), 'Captain, will you be good

enough to read me the name written on this envelope?' and I read, 'To Monsieur du Vallon, at M. Fouquet's

house, SaintMande.' The deuce, I said to myself, Porthos has not returned, then, as I fancied, to BellIsle, or

to Pierrefonds, but is at M. Fouquet's house, at SaintMande; and as M. Fouquet is not at Saint Mande,

Porthos must be quite alone, or, at all events, with Aramis; I will go and see Porthos, and I accordingly went

"Come," thought the musketeer, "since there is to be a squabble, let us take advantage of it."

"Yes, the cemetery," said Porthos. "Planchet is a very excellent fellow, who makes very excellent preserves;

but his house has windows which look out upon the cemetery. And a confoundedly melancholy prospect it is!

D'Artagnan turned his back to them, and walked to the window, where he began to play a march upon one of

"Very depressing, was it not? I should never be able to live in a house where burials can always be seen from

Aramis started, and turned to look at the musketeer, but the latter was engaged in earnest conversation with

SaintAignan. Aramis continued to question Porthos, and when he had squeezed all the juice out of this

enormous lemon, he threw the peel aside. He turned towards his friend D'Artagnan, and clapping him on the

shoulder, when SaintAignan had left him, the king's supper having been announced, said, "D'Artagnan."

"Twenty, if you like. His majesty will take quite that time to get properly seated at table."

"Here, upon these seats if you like; the king has left, we can sit down, and the apartment is empty."

"Tell me, candidly, my dear friend, whether you have not counseled Porthos to distrust me a little?"

"I admit, I have, but not as you understand it. I saw that Porthos was bored to death, and I wished, by

presenting him to the king, to do for him, and for you, what you would never do for yourselves."

"And I brought the cardinal's hat a little nearer, just as it seemed to be retreating from you."

"Ah! I admit that," said Aramis, with a singular smile, "you are, indeed, not to be matched for making your

"You see, then, that I only acted with the view of making Porthos's fortune for him."

"Come," said Aramis, "we ought to deal truthfully with each other. Do you still love me, D'Artagnan?"

"The same as I used to do," replied D'Artagnan, without compromising himself too much by this reply.

"In that case, thanks; and now, for the most perfect frankness," said Aramis; "you visited BelleIsle on behalf

"You wished to deprive us of the pleasure of offering BellIsle completely fortified to the king."

"But before I could deprive you of that pleasure, I ought to have been made acquainted with your intention of

"Of you! yes. How the devil could I imagine that Aramis had become so clever an engineer as to be able to

"I did not divine that Aramis was an engineer. I was only able to guess that Porthos might have become one.

There is a saying, one becomes an orator, one is born a poet; but it has never been said, one is born Porthos,

"Do. When you found out our secret, you made all the haste you could to communicate it to the king."

"I certainly made as much haste as I could, since I saw that you were making still more. When a man

weighing two hundred and fifty pounds, as Porthos does, rides post; when a gouty prelate I beg your

pardon, but you yourself told me you were so when a prelate scours the highway I naturally suppose that

my two friends, who did not wish to be communicative with me, had certain matters of the highest

importance to conceal from me, and so I made as much haste as my leanness and the absence of gout would

"Did it not occur to you, my dear friend, that you might be rendering Porthos and myself a very sad service?"

"Yes, I thought it not unlikely; but you and Porthos made me play a very ridiculous part at BelleIsle."

"You know I was obliged to inform M. Fouquet of what had happened, in order that he would be able to

"A mortal enemy. Well, in order to counteract that man's influence, it was necessary that M. Fouquet should

give the king a proof of his great devotion to him, and of his readiness to make the greatest sacrifices. He

surprised his majesty by offering him BelleIsle. If you had been the first to reach Paris, the surprise would

"That is the whole mystery," said Aramis, satisfied that he had at last quite convinced the musketeer.

"Only," said the latter, "it would have been more simple to have taken me aside, and said to me, 'My dear

D'Artagnan, we are fortifying BelleIsle, and intend to offer it to the king. Tell us frankly, for whom you are

acting. Are you a friend of M. Colbert, or of M. Fouquet?' Perhaps I should not have answered you, but you

would have added, 'Are you my friend?' I should have said 'Yes.'" Aramis hung down his head. "In this

way," continued D'Artagnan, "you would have paralyzed my movements, and I should have gone to the king,

and said, 'Sire, M. Fouquet is fortifying BelleIsle, and exceedingly well, too; but here is a note, which the

governor of BelleIsle gave me for your majesty;' or, 'M. Fouquet is about to wait upon your majesty to

explain his intentions with regard to it.' I should not have been placed in an absurd position; you would have

enjoyed the surprise so long planned, and we should not have had any occasion to look askant at each other

"While, on the contrary," replied Aramis, "you have acted altogether as one friendly to M. Colbert. And you

"Certainly not, indeed!" exclaimed the captain. "M. Colbert is a mean fellow, and I hate him as I used to hate

"Well, then," said Aramis, "I love M. Fouquet, and his interests are mine. You know my position. I have no

property or means whatever. M. Fouquet gave me several livings, a bishopric as well; M. Fouquet has served

and obliged me like the generoushearted man he is, and I know the world sufficiently well to appreciate a

kindness when I meet with one. M. Fouquet has won my regard, and I have devoted myself to his service."

Aramis bit his lips; and then said, "The best a man could possibly have." He then paused for a minute,

"No," said D'Artagnan; "I am curious, of course, but I never question a friend when he wishes to keep a secret

"Oh! do not be afraid.; there is no man whom I love better than Porthos, because he is so simpleminded and

goodnatured. Porthos is so straightforward in everything. Since I have become a bishop, I have looked for

"I saw Porthos and again cultivated his acquaintance; his own time hanging idly on his hands, his presence

recalled my earlier and better days without engaging me in any present evil. I sent for Porthos to come to

Vannes. M. Fouquet, whose regard for me is very great, having learnt that Porthos and I were attached to

each other by old ties of friendship, promised him increase of rank at the earliest promotion, and that is the

"I am sure of that, my dear friend; no one has a finer sense of honor than yourself."

"And now" and here the prelate looked searchingly and scrutinizingly at his friend "now let us talk of

ourselves and for ourselves; will you become one of M. Fouquet's friends? Do not interrupt me until you

"Will you become a marechal of France, peer, duke, and the possessor of a duchy, with a million of francs?"

"Well! I wish to be a marechal; the king will make me marechal, duke, peer; the king will make me all that."

"Oh! my dear friend, between Richelieu and Louis XIII. stood no D'Artagnan," said the musketeer, very

"One moment, Aramis; I observe that every one thinks of himself, and never of his poor prince; I will

"On the contrary, I think his need of me will soon be greater than ever; and hearken, my dear fellow, if it

became necessary to arrest a new Conde, who would do it? This this alone in France!" and D'Artagnan

"You are right," said Aramis, turning very pale; and then he rose and pressed D'Artagnan's hand.

"That is the last summons for supper," said the captain of the musketeers; "will you excuse me?"

Aramis threw his arm round the musketeer's neck, and said, "A friend like you is the brightest jewel in the

"I was right," mused D'Artagnan; "there is, indeed, something strangely serious stirring."

"We must hasten the explosion," breathed the coming cardinal, "for D'Artagnan has discovered the existence

It will not be forgotten how Comte de Guiche left the queenmother's apartments on the day when Louis

XIV. presented La Valliere with the beautiful bracelets he had won in the lottery. The comte walked to and

fro for some time outside the palace, in the greatest distress, from a thousand suspicions and anxieties with

which his mind was beset. Presently he stopped and waited on the terrace opposite the grove of trees,

watching for Madame's departure. More than half an hour passed away; and as he was at that moment quite

alone, the comte could hardly have had any very diverting ideas at his command. He drew his tables from his

pocket, and, after hesitating over and over again, determined to write these words: "Madame, I implore you

to grant me one moment's conversation. Do not be alarmed at this request, which contains nothing in any way

opposed to the profound respect with which I subscribe myself, etc., etc." He had signed and folded this

singular loveletter, when he suddenly observed several ladies leaving the chateau, and afterwards several

courtiers too; in fact, almost every one that formed the queen's circle. He saw La Valliere herself, then

Montalais talking with Malicorne; he watched the departure of the very last of the numerous guests that had a

Madame herself had not yet passed; she would be obliged, however, to cross the courtyard in order to enter

her own apartments; and, from the terrace where he was standing, De Guiche could see all that was going on

in the courtyard. At last he saw Madame leave, attended by a couple of pages, who were carrying torches

before her. She was walking very quickly; as soon as she reached the door, she said:

"Let some one go and look for De Guiche: he has to render an account of a mission he had to discharge for

me; if he should be disengaged, request him to be good enough to come to my apartment."

De Guiche remained silent, hidden in the shade; but as soon as Madame had withdrawn, he darted from the

terrace down the steps and assumed a most indifferent air, so that the pages who were hurrying towards his

"Ah! it is Madame, then, who is seeking me!" he said to himself, quite overcome; and he crushed in his hand

"M. le comte," said one of the pages, approaching him, "we are indeed most fortunate in meeting you."

"Yes, M. le comte, her royal highness has been asking for you; she expects to hear, she told us, the result of a

When De Guiche entered the princess's apartments, he found her pale and agitated. Montalais was standing at

the door, evidently uneasy about what was passing in her mistress's mind. De Guiche appeared.

"Ah! is that you, Monsieur de Guiche?" said Madame; "come in, I beg. Mademoiselle de Montalais, I do not

Montalais, more puzzled than ever, courtesied and withdrew. De Guiche and the princess were left alone. The

come had every advantage in his favor; it was Madame who had summoned him to a rendezvous. But how

was it possible for the comte to make use of this advantage? Madame was so whimsical, and her disposition

so changeable. She soon allowed this to be perceived, for, suddenly, opening the conversation, she said:

He imagined she must have guessed his thoughts; he fancied (for those who are in love are thus constituted,

being as credulous and blind as poets or prophets), he fancied she knew how ardent was his desire to see her,

"The affair of the bracelets," she exclaimed, eagerly, "you mean that, I suppose?"

Guiche looked at her for some time; her eyes sank under his gaze, which seemed to read her very heart.

"I think," he said, "that the king may possibly have had an idea of annoying some one; were it not for that, the

king would hardly show himself so earnest in his attentions as he is; he would not run the risk of

compromising, from mere thoughtlessness of disposition, a young girl against whom no one has been hitherto

"I can positively assure your royal highness," said De Guiche, with a firmness marked by great respect, "that

Mademoiselle de la Valliere is beloved by a man who merits every respect, for he is a brave and honorable

"The king knows that Bragelonne is affianced to Mademoiselle de la Valliere; and as Raoul has served the

Madame began to laugh in a manner that produced a sinister impression upon De Guiche.

"I repeat, Madame, I do not believe the king is in love with Mademoiselle de la Valliere; and the proof that I

do not believe it is, that I was about to ask you whose _amour propre_ it is likely the king is desirous of

wounding? You, who are well acquainted with the whole court, can perhaps assist me in ascertaining that;

and assuredly, with greater certainty, since it is everywhere said that your royal highness is on very friendly

Madame bit her lips, and, unable to assign any good and sufficient reasons, changed the conversation. "Prove

to me," she said, fixing on him one of those looks in which the whole soul seems to pass into the eyes, "prove

to me, I say, that you intended to interrogate me at the very moment I sent for you."

De Guiche gravely drew from his pocket the now crumpled note that he had written, and showed it to her.

"Yes," said the comte, with an indescribable tenderness of tone, "sympathy. I have explained to you how and

why I sought you; you, however, have yet to tell me, Madame, why you sent for me."

"True," replied the princess. She hesitated, and then suddenly exclaimed, "Those bracelets will drive me

"But before you, Madame, before you, his sisterinlaw, was there not the queen herself to whom the king

"Before La Valliere," cried the princess, wounded to the quick, "could he not have presented them to me?

"I assure you, Madame," said the comte, respectfully, "that if any one heard you speak in this manner, if any

one were to see how red your eyes are, and, Heaven forgive me, to see, too, that tear trembling on your

She expected to see De Guiche yield beneath her scornful gesture and her proud tone; but he simply and

"Am I to suppose, monsieur," she stammered out, "that your object is to insult me?"

"It is not possible, Madame," replied the comte, slightly agitated, but resolved to master that fiery nature.

"Leave the room!" said the princess, thoroughly exasperated, De Guiche's coolness and silent respect having

De Guiche fell back a step, bowed slowly, but with great respect, drew himself up, looking as white as his

lace cuffs, and, in a voice slightly trembling, said, "It was hardly worth while to have hurried here to be

He had scarcely gone half a dozen paces when Madame darted like a tigress after him, seized him by the cuff,

and making him turn round again, said, trembling with passion as she did so, "The respect you pretend to

have is more insulting than the insult itself. Insult me, if you please, but at least speak."

"Madame," said the comte, gently, as he drew his sword, "thrust this blade into my heart, rather than kill me

At the look he fixed upon her, a look full of love, resolution, and despair, even, she knew how readily the

comte, so outwardly calm in appearance, would pass his sword through his own breast if she added another

word. She tore the blade from his hands, and, pressing his arm with a feverish impatience, which might pass

for tenderness, said, "Do not be too hard upon me, comte. You see how I am suffering, and yet you have no

Tears, the cries of this strange attack, stifled her voice. As soon as De Guiche saw her weep, he took her in

his arms and carried her to an armchair; in another moment she would have been suffocated.

"Oh, why," he murmured, as he knelt by her side, "why do you conceal your troubles from me? Do you love

any one tell me? It would kill me, I know, but not until I should have comforted, consoled, and served you

She placed both her hands in his. "My heart is indeed another's," she murmured in so low a tone that her

voice could hardly be heard; but he heard it, and said, "Is it the king you love?"

She gently shook her head, and her smile was like a clear bright streak in the clouds, through which after the

tempest has passed one almost fancies Paradise is opening. "But," she added, "there are other passions in a

highborn heart. Love is poetry; but the real life of the heart is pride. Comte, I was born on a throne, I am

proud and jealous of my rank. Why does the king gather such unworthy objects round him?"

"Once more, I repeat," said the comte, "you are acting unjustly towards that poor girl, who will one day be

"If I did not believe it," he said, turning very pale, "Bragelonne should be informed of it tomorrow; indeed

he should, if I thought that poor La Valliere had forgotten the vows she had exchanged with Raoul. But no, it

would be cowardly to betray a woman's secret; it would be criminal to disturb a friend's peace of mind."

"You think, then," said the princess, with a wild burst of laughter, "that ignorance is happiness?"

"It is easily done, Madame. It is reported through the whole court that the king loves you, and that you return

"Well; admit for a moment that Raoul, my friend, had come and said to me, 'Yes, the king loves Madame,

and has made an impression upon her heart,' I possibly should have slain Raoul."

"It would have been necessary," said the princess, with the obstinacy of a woman who feels herself not easily

overcome, "for M. de Bragelonne to have had proofs before he ventured to speak to you in that manner."

"Such, however, is the case," replied De Guiche, with a deep sigh, "that, not having been warned, I have

never examined into the matter seriously; and I now find that my ignorance has saved my life."

"So, then, you drive selfishness and coldness to that extent," said Madame, "that you would let this unhappy

"Well, Madame, since you yourself expected to receive them from the king, what can I possibly say?"

The argument was a telling one, and the princess was overwhelmed by it, and from that moment her defeat

was assured. But as her heart and mind were instinct with noble and generous feelings, she understood De

Guiche's extreme delicacy. She saw that in his heart he really suspected that the king was in love with La

Valliere, and that he did not wish to resort to the common expedient of ruining a rival in the mind of a

woman, by giving the latter the assurance and certainty that this rival's affections were transferred to another

woman. She guessed that his suspicions of La Valliere were aroused, and that, in order to leave himself time

for his convictions to undergo a change, so as not to ruin Louise utterly, he was determined to pursue a

certain straightforward line of conduct. She could read so much real greatness of character, and such true

generosity of disposition in her lover, that her heart really warmed with affection towards him, whose passion

for her was so pure and delicate. Despite his fear of incurring her displeasure, De Guiche, by retaining his

position as a man of proud independence of feeling and deep devotion, became almost a hero in her

estimation, and reduced her to the state of a jealous and littleminded woman. She loved him for this so

"See how many words we have wasted," she said, taking his hand, "suspicions, anxieties, mistrust, sufferings

"Efface them from your heart as I drive them from mine. Whether La Valliere does or does not love the king,

and whether the king does or does not love La Valliere from this moment you and I will draw a distinction

in the two characters I have to perform. You open your eyes so wide that I am sure you hardly understand

"You are so impetuous, Madame, that I always tremble at the fear of displeasing you."

"And see how he trembles now, poor fellow," she said, with the most charming playfulness of manner. "Yes,

monsieur, I have two characters to perform. I am the sister of the king, the sisterinlaw of the king's wife. In

this character ought I not to take an interest in these domestic intrigues? Come, tell me what you think?"

"Agreed, monsieur; but it is a question of dignity; and then, you know, I am the wife of the king's brother."

De Guiche sighed. "A circumstance," she added, with an expression of great tenderness, "which will remind

you that I am always to be treated with the profoundest respect." De Guiche fell at her feet, which he kissed,

with the religious fervor of a worshipper. "And I begin to think that, really and truly, I have another character

"I am a woman," she said, in a voice lower than ever, "and I love." He rose, she opened her arms, and their

lips met. A footstep was heard behind the tapestry, and Mademoiselle de Montalais appeared.

"M. de Guiche is wanted," replied Montalais, who was just in time to see the agitation of the actors of these

four characters; for De Guiche had consistently carried out his part with heroism.

Montalais was right. M. de Guiche, thus summoned in every direction, was very much exposed, from such a

multiplication of business, to the risk of not attending to any. It so happened that, considering the

awkwardness of the interruption, Madame, notwithstanding her wounded pride, and secret anger, could not,

for the moment at least, reproach Montalais for having violated, in so bold a manner, the semiroyal order

with which she had been dismissed on De Guiche's entrance. De Guiche, also, lost his presence of mind, or, it

would be more correct to say, had already lost it, before Montalais's arrival, for, scarcely had he heard the

young girl's voice, than, without taking leave of Madame, as the most ordinary politeness required, even

between persons equal in rank and station, he fled from her presence, his heart tumultuously throbbing, and

his brain on fire, leaving the princess with one hand raised, as though to bid him adieu. Montalais was at no

loss, therefore, to perceive the agitation of the two lovers the one who fled was agitated, and the one who

"Well," murmured the young girl, as she glanced inquisitively round her, "this time, at least, I think I know as

much as the most curious woman could possibly wish to know." Madame felt so embarrassed by this

inquisitorial look, that, as if she heard Montalais's muttered side remark, she did not speak a word to her maid

of honor, but, casting down her eyes, retired at once to her bedroom. Montalais, observing this, stood

listening for a moment, and then heard Madame lock and bolt her door. By this she knew that the rest of the

evening was at her own disposal; and making, behind the door which had just been closed, a gesture which

indicated but little real respect for the princess, she went down the staircase in search of Malicorne, who was

very busily engaged at that moment in watching a courier, who, covered with dust, had just left the Comte de

Guiche's apartments. Montalais knew that Malicorne was engaged in a matter of some importance; she

therefore allowed him to look and stretch out his neck as much as he pleased; and it was only when

Malicorne had resumed his natural position, that she touched him on the shoulder. "Well," said Montalais,

"Thank you," said Malicorne. "Well, and in the other direction, what is stirring?"

"The king wished, this evening, after the lottery, to see Mademoiselle de la Valliere."

"So that the king was obliged to go back again, looking very sheepish, like a thief who has forgotten his

"Because we have work to do. If we get weary now, something unlucky will be sure to happen."

"Nothing easier," replied Montalais. "Three intrigues, carefully nursed, and carefully encouraged, will

"Oh!" exclaimed Malicorne, shrugging his shoulders, "you cannot mean what you say, darling; three letters a

day, that may do for sentimental common people. A musketeer on duty, a young girl in a convent, may

exchange letters with their lovers once a day, perhaps, from the top of a ladder, or through a hole in the wall.

A letter contains all the poetry their poor little hearts have to boast of. But the cases we have in hand require

"Finish! Why, I am only at the beginning. I have still three points as yet untouched."

"Upon my word, he will be the death of me, with his Flemish indifference," exclaimed Montalais.

"And you will drive me mad with your Italian vivacity. I was going to say that our lovers here will be writing

"At this. Not one of our lady correspondents will be able to keep the letters they may receive."

"Because you are not your own mistress; your room is as much La Valliere's as yours; and there are certain

persons who will think nothing of visiting and searching a maid of honor's room; so that I am terribly afraid

of the queen, who is as jealous as a Spaniard; of the queen mother, who is as jealous as a couple of

Spaniards; and, last of all, of Madame herself, who has jealousy enough for ten Spaniards."

"I was only speaking of the women. Let us add them up, then: we will call Monsieur, No. 1."

"No. 4. Of course the king, who not only will be more jealous, but more powerful than all the rest put

"But I, on the contrary, think the wisest course to take is to put ourselves at once at the head of all these

"With you, I could superintend ten of them. I am in my element, you must know. I was born to live at the

"Your comparison does not reassure me in the slightest degree in the world, my dear Montalais. I have heard

it said, and by learned men too, that, in the first place, there are no salamanders at all, and that, if there had

been any, they would have been infallibly baked or roasted on leaving the fire."

"Your learned men may be very wise as far as salamanders are concerned, but they would never tell you what

I can tell you; namely, that Aure de Montalais is destined, before a month is over, to become the first

"You do not forget, I hope, that Monsieur de Bragelonne has written many letters to Mademoiselle de la

"That dear little room, that darling little room, the antechamber of the palace I intend you to live in one of

these days. But, I beg your pardon, you said that all those letters are in that little room?"

"Of course; in the same box where I put all the letters I received from you, and where I put mine also when

"Because I see there is a possibility of not having to run to Blois after the letters, for I have them here."

"Be sure and take care of it, for it contains original documents that will be of priceless value by and by."

"I am perfectly well aware of that indeed, and that is the very reason why I laugh as I do, and with all my

"Bad policy. You will give the letters, you will receive them. Oh! we must have no pride in this affair,

otherwise M. Malicorne and Mademoiselle Aure, not transacting their own affairs themselves, will have to

"Let us be gone." And they both immediately disappeared, all the terms of the contract being agreed on.

The window just opened was, in fact, that of the Comte de Guiche. It was not alone with the hope of catching

a glimpse of Madame through her curtains that he seated himself by the open window for his preoccupation

of mind had at that time a different origin. He had just received, as we have already stated, the courier who

had been dispatched to him by Bragelonne, the latter having written to De Guiche a letter which had made the

deepest impression upon him, and which he had read over and over again. "Strange, strange!" he murmured.

"How irresponsible are the means by which destiny hurries men onward to their fate!" Leaving the window in

order to approach nearer to the light, he once more read the letter he had just received:

"CALAIS. "MY DEAR COUNT, I found M. de Wardes at Calais; he has been seriously wounded in an

affair with the Duke of Buckingham. De Wardes is, as you know, unquestionably brave, but full of

malevolent and wicked feelings. He conversed with me about yourself, for whom, he says, he has a warm

regard, also about Madame, whom he considers a beautiful and amiable woman. He has guessed your

affection for a certain person. He also talked to me about the lady for whom I have so ardent a regard, and

showed the greatest interest on my behalf in expressing a deep pity for me, accompanied, however, by dark

hints which alarmed me at first, but which I at last looked upon as the result of his usual love of mystery.

These are the facts: he had received news of the court; you will understand, however, that it was only through

M. de Lorraine. The report goes, so says the news, that a change has taken place in the king's affections. You

know whom that concerns. Afterwards, the news continues, people are talking about one of the maids of

honor, respecting whom various slanderous reports are being circulated. These vague phrases have not

allowed me to sleep. I have been deploring, ever since yesterday, that my diffidence and vacillation of

purpose, notwithstanding a certain obstinacy of character I may possess, have left me unable to reply to these

insinuations. In a word, M. de Wardes was setting off for Paris, and I did not delay his departure with

explanations; for it seemed rather hard, I confess, to crossexamine a man whose wounds are hardly yet

closed. In short, he travelled by short stages, as he was anxious to leave, he said, in order to be present at a

curious spectacle the court cannot fail to offer within a short time. He added a few congratulatory words

accompanied by vague sympathizing expressions. I could not understand the one any more than the other. I

was bewildered by my own thoughts, and tormented by a mistrust of this man, a mistrust which, you know

better than any one else, I have never been able to overcome. As soon as he left, my perceptions seemed to

become clearer. It is hardly possible that a man of De Wardes's character should not have communicated

something of his own malicious nature to the statements he made to me. It is not unlikely, therefore, that in

the strange hints De Wardes threw out in my presence, there may be a mysterious signification, which I might

have some difficulty in applying either to myself or to some one with whom you are acquainted. Being

compelled to leave as soon as possible, in obedience to the king's commands, the idea did not occur to me of

running after De Wardes in order to ask him to explain his reserve; but I have dispatched a courier to you

with this letter, which will explain in detail my various doubts. I regard you as myself; you have reflected and

observed; it will be for you to act. M. de Wardes will arrive very shortly; endeavor to learn what he meant, if

you do not already know. M. de Wardes, moreover, pretended that the Duke of Buckingham left Paris on the

very best of terms with Madame. This was an affair which would have unhesitatingly made me draw my

sword, had I not felt that I was under the necessity of dispatching the king's mission before undertaking any

quarrel whatsoever. Burn this letter, which Olivain will hand you. Whatever Olivain says, you may

confidently rely on. Will you have the goodness, my dear comte, to recall me to the remembrance of

Mademoiselle de la Valliere, whose hands I kiss with the greatest respect. "Your devoted "DE

"P. S. If anything serious should happen we should be prepared for everything, dispatch a courier to me

with this one single word, 'come,' and I will be in Paris within six and thirty hours after the receipt of your

De Guiche sighed, folded up the letter a third time, and, instead of burning it, as Raoul had recommended him

"How much distress of mind, yet what sublime confidence, he shows!" murmured the comte; "he has poured

out his whole soul in this letter. He says nothing of the Comte de la Fere, and speaks of his respect for

Louise. He cautions me on my own account, and entreats me on his. Ah!" continued De Guiche, with a

threatening gesture, "you interfere in my affairs, Monsieur de Wardes, do you? Very well, then; I will shortly

occupy myself with yours. As for you, poor Raoul, you who intrust your heart to my keeping, be assured I

With this promise, De Guiche begged Malicorne to come immediately to his apartments, if possible.

Malicorne acknowledged the invitation with an activity which was the first result of his conversation with

Montalais. And while De Guiche, who thought that his motive was undiscovered, cross examined

Malicorne, the latter, who appeared to be working in the dark, soon guessed his questioner's motives. The

consequence was, that, after a quarter of an hour's conversation, during which De Guiche thought he had

ascertained the whole truth with regard to La Valliere and the king, he had learned absolutely nothing more

than his own eyes had already acquainted him with, while Malicorne learned, or guessed, that Raoul, who

was absent, was fast becoming suspicious, and that De Guiche intended to watch over the treasure of the

Hesperides. Malicorne accepted the office of dragon. De Guiche fancied he had done everything for his

friend, and soon began to think of nothing but his personal affairs. The next evening, De Wardes's return and

first appearance at the king's reception were announced. When that visit had been paid, the convalescent

waited on Monsieur; De Guiche taking care, however, to be at Monsieur's apartments before the visit took

Monsieur had received De Wardes with that marked favor light and frivolous minds bestow on every novelty

that comes in their way. De Wardes, who had been absent for a month, was like fresh fruit to him. To treat

him with marked kindness was an infidelity to old friends, and there is always something fascinating in that;

moreover, it was a sort of reparation to De Wardes himself. Nothing, consequently, could exceed the

favorable notice Monsieur took of him. The Chevalier de Lorraine, who feared this rival but a little, but who

respected a character and disposition only too parallel to his own in every particular, with the addition of a

bulldog courage he did not himself possess, received De Wardes with a greater display of regard and

affection than even Monsieur had done. De Guiche, as we have said, was there also, but kept in the

background, waiting very patiently until all these interchanges were over. De Wardes, while talking to the

others, and even to Monsieur himself, had not for a moment lost sight of De Guiche, who, he instinctively

felt, was there on his account. As soon as he had finished with the others, he went up to De Guiche. They

exchanged the most courteous compliments, after which De Wardes returned to Monsieur and the other

In the midst of these congratulations Madame was announced. She had been informed of De Wardes's arrival,

and knowing all the details of his voyage and duel, she was not sorry to be present at the remarks she knew

would be made, without delay, by one who, she felt assured, was her personal enemy. Two or three of her

ladies accompanied her. De Wardes saluted Madame in the most graceful and respectful manner, and, as a

commencement of hostilities, announced, in the first place, that he could furnish the Duke of Buckingham's

friends with the latest news about him. This was a direct answer to the coldness with which Madame had

received him. The attack was a vigorous one, and Madame felt the blow, but without appearing to have even

noticed it. He rapidly cast a glance at Monsieur and at De Guiche, the former colored, and the latter turned

very pale. Madame alone preserved an unmoved countenance; but, as she knew how many unpleasant

thoughts and feelings her enemy could awaken in the two persons who were listening to him, she smilingly

bent forward towards the traveler, as if to listen to the news he had brought but he was speaking of other

matters. Madame was brave, even to imprudence; if she were to retreat, it would be inviting an attack; so,

after the first disagreeable impression had passed away, she returned to the charge.

"Have you suffered much from your wounds, Monsieur de Wardes?" she inquired, "for we have been told

It was now De Wardes's turn to wince; he bit his lips, and replied, "No, Madame, hardly at all."

"The seabreezes were very fresh and cool, Madame, and then I had one consolation."

"Ah! you mean he was more seriously wounded than you were; I was not aware of that," said the princess,

"Oh, Madame, you are mistaken, or rather you pretend to misunderstand my remark. I did not say that he was

a greater sufferer in body than myself; but his heart was very seriously affected."

De Guiche comprehended instinctively from what direction the struggle was approaching; he ventured to

make a sign to Madame, as if entreating her to retire from the contest. But she, without acknowledging De

Guiche's gesture, without pretending to have noticed it even, and still smiling, continued:

"Is it possible," she said, "that the Duke of Buckingham's heart was touched? I had no idea, until now, that a

"Alas! Madame," replied De Wardes, politely, "every woman believes that; and it is this belief that gives

"You misunderstand altogether, dearest," said the prince, impatiently; "M. de Wardes means that the Duke of

Buckingham's heart had been touched, not by the sword, but by something sharper."

"Ah! very good, very good!" exclaimed Madame. "It is a jest of M. de Wardes's. Very good; but I should like

to know if the Duke of Buckingham would appreciate the jest. It is, indeed, a very great pity he is not here,

The young man's eyes seemed to flash fire. "Oh!" he said, as he clenched his teeth, "there is nothing I should

De Guiche did not move. Madame seemed to expect that he would come to her assistance. Monsieur

"Madame," he said, "De Wardes knows perfectly well that for a Buckingham's heart to be touched is nothing

"Instead of an ally, I have two enemies," murmured Madame; "two determined enemies, and in league with

each other." And she changed the conversation. To change the conversation is, as every one knows, a right

possessed by princes which etiquette requires all to respect. The remainder of the conversation was moderate

enough in tone; the principal actors had rehearsed their parts. Madame withdrew easily, and Monsieur, who

wished to question her on several matters, offered her his hand on leaving. The chevalier was seriously afraid

that an understanding might be established between the husband and wife if he were to leave them quietly

together. He therefore made his way to Monsieur's apartments, in order to surprise him on his return, and to

destroy with a few words all the good impressions Madame might have been able to sow in his heart. De

Guiche advanced towards De Wardes, who was surrounded by a large number of persons, and thereby

indicated his wish to converse with him; De Wardes, at the same time, showing by his looks and by a

movement of his head that he perfectly understood him. There was nothing in these signs to enable strangers

to suppose they were otherwise than upon the most friendly footing. De Guiche could therefore turn away

from him, and wait until he was at liberty. He had not long to wait; for De Wardes, freed from his

questioners, approached De Guiche, and after a fresh salutation, they walked side by side together.

"You have made a good impression since your return, my dear De Wardes," said the comte.

"Why not? Everything is so ridiculous in this world, everything so absurd around us."

"But, tell me, you surely must have seen some people at Boulogne, one of our friends, for instance; it is no

"Who was on his way to fulfil a mission, with which he was intrusted to King Charles II."

"I do not precisely know what I told him, I must confess: but I do know what I did _not_ tell him." De

Wardes was _finesse_ itself. He perfectly well knew from De Guiche's tone and manner, which was cold and

dignified, that the conversation was about to assume a disagreeable turn. He resolved to let it take what

"La Valliere... What is it? and what was that strange circumstance you seem to have known over yonder,

"What! you, a member of the court, living in Madame's household, a friend of Monsieur's, a guest at their

Guiche colored violently from anger. "What princess are you alluding to?" he said.

"I am only acquainted with one, my dear fellow. I am speaking of Madame herself. Are you devoted to

De Guiche was on the point of launching out, but he saw the drift of the remark. A quarrel was imminent

between the two young men. De Wardes wished the quarrel to be only in Madame's name, while De Guiche

would not accept it except on La Valliere's account. From this moment, it became a series of feigned attacks,

which would have continued until one of the two had been touched home. De Guiche therefore resumed all

"There is not the slightest question in the world of Madame in this matter, my dear De Wardes." said Guiche,

"What! I who have just arrived from a distance of sixty leagues, and you who have not stirred from this place,

who have witnessed with your own eyes that which rumor informed me of at Calais! Do you now tell me

seriously that you do not know what it is about? Oh! comte, this is hardly charitable of you."

"And so you will not tell me anything, will not tell me any more than you told Bragelonne?"

"You are pretending to be deaf, I see. I am convinced that Madame could not possibly have more command

"Double hypocrite," murmured Guiche to himself, "you are again returning to the old subject."

"Very well, then," continued De Wardes, "since we find it so difficult to understand each other about La

"Nay," said De Guiche, "I have no affairs of my own to talk about. You have not said anything about me, I

"No; but understand me, Guiche, that however much I may be ignorant of certain matters, I am quite as

conversant with others. If, for instance, we were conversing about the intimacies of the Duke of Buckingham

at Paris, as I did during my journey with the duke, I could tell you a great many interesting circumstances.

De Guiche passed his hand across his forehead, which was covered in perspiration. "No, no," he said, "a

hundred times no! I have no curiosity for matters which do not concern me. The Duke of Buckingham is for

me nothing more than a simple acquaintance, whilst Raoul is an intimate friend. I have not the slightest

curiosity to learn what happened to the duke, while I have, on the contrary, the greatest interest in all that

"Yes, in Paris, or Boulogne. You understand I am on the spot; if anything should happen, I am here to meet

it; whilst Raoul is absent, and has only myself to represent him; so, Raoul's affairs before my own."

"Not, however, until his mission is completed. In the meantime, you understand, evil reports cannot be

"And for a better reason still, that he will remain some time in London," said De Wardes, chuckling.

"Think so, indeed! do you suppose he was sent to London for no other purpose than to go there and return

"Ah! De Wardes," said De Guiche, grasping De Wardes's hand, "that is a very serious suspicion concerning

De Wardes resumed his former coldness of manner: his love of raillery had led him too far, and by his own

"He told me that you had artfully insinuated some injurious remarks against La Valliere, and that you had

"Well, it is perfectly true I did so," said De Wardes, "and I was quite ready, at the time, to hear from the

Vicomte de Bragelonne that which every man expects from another whenever anything may have been said

to displease him. In the same way, for instance, if I were seeking a quarrel with you, I should tell you that

Madame after having shown the greatest preference for the Duke of Buckingham, is at this moment supposed

"Oh! that would not wound me in the slightest degree, my dear De Wardes," said De Guiche, smiling,

notwithstanding the shiver that ran through his whole frame. "Why, such a favor would be too great a

"I admit that, but if I absolutely wished to quarrel with you, I should try and invent a falsehood, perhaps, and

speak to you about a certain arbor, where you and that illustrious princess were together I should speak also

of certain gratifications, of certain kissings of the hand; and you who are so secret on all occasions, so hasty,

"Well," said De Guiche, interrupting him, with a smile upon his lips, although he almost felt as if he were

going to die; "I swear I should not care for that, nor should I in any way contradict you; for you must know,

my dear marquis, that for all matters which concern myself I am a block of ice; but it is a very different thing

when an absent friend is concerned, a friend, who, on leaving, confided his interests to my safe keeping; for

"I understand you, Monsieur de Guiche. In spite of what you say, there cannot be any question between us,

just now, either of Bragelonne or of this insignificant girl, whose name is La Valliere."

At this moment some of the younger courtiers were crossing the apartment, and having already heard the few

words which had just been pronounced, were able also to hear those which were about to follow. De Wardes

observed this, and continued aloud: "Oh! if La Valliere were a coquette like Madame, whose innocent

flirtations, I am sure, were, first of all, the cause of the Duke of Buckingham being sent back to England, and

afterwards were the reason of your being sent into exile; for you will not deny, I suppose, that Madame's

The courtiers drew nearer to the speakers, SaintAignan at their head, and then Manicamp.

"But, my dear fellow, whose fault was that?" said De Guiche, laughing. "I am a vain, conceited fellow, I

know, and everybody else knows it too. I took seriously that which was only intended as a jest, and got

myself exiled for my pains. But I saw my error. I overcame my vanity, and I obtained my recall, by making

the _amende honorable_, and by promising myself to overcome this defect; and the consequence is, that I am

so thoroughly cured, that I now laugh at the very thing which, three or four days ago, would have almost

broken my heart. But Raoul is in love, and is loved in return; he cannot laugh at the reports which disturb his

happiness reports which you seem to have undertaken to interpret, when you know, marquis, as I do, as

these gentlemen do, as every one does in fact, that all such reports are pure calumny."

"Calumny!" exclaimed De Wardes, furious at seeing himself caught in the snare by De Guiche's coolness of

"Certainly calumny. Look at this letter from him, in which he tell me you have spoken ill of Mademoiselle

de la Valliere; and where he asks me, if what you reported about this young girl is true or not. Do you wish

me to appeal to these gentlemen, De Wardes, to decide?" And with admirable coolness, De Guiche read aloud

the paragraph of the letter which referred to La Valliere. "And now," continued De Guiche, "there is no doubt

in the world, as far as I am concerned, that you wished to disturb Bragelonne's peace of mind, and that your

De Wardes looked round him, to see if he could find support from any one; but, at the idea that De Wardes

had insulted, either directly or indirectly, the idol of the day, every one shook his head; and De Wardes saw

"Messieurs," said De Guiche, intuitively divining the general feeling, "my discussion with Monsieur de

Wardes refers to a subject so delicate in its nature, that it is most important no one should hear more than you

have already heard. Close the doors, then, I beg you, and let us finish our conversation in the manner which

"Is it your opinion, then, that I was wrong in defending Mademoiselle de la Valliere?" said De Guiche. "In

that case, I pass judgment upon myself, and am ready to withdraw the offensive words I may have used to

"The deuce! certainly not!" said SaintAignan. "Mademoiselle de la Valliere is an angel."

"You see, Monsieur de Wardes," said De Guiche, "I am not the only one who undertakes the defense of that

poor girl. I entreat you, therefore, messieurs, a second time, to leave us. You see, it is impossible we could be

It was the very thing the courtiers wished; some went out at one door, and the rest at the other, and the two

"How can it be wondered at, my dear fellow; I have got quite rusty in the country, while the command you

have acquired over yourself, comte, confounds me; a man always gains something in women's society; so,

"I do defy you, for you are known to be an evilminded man; if you do that, you will be looked upon as a

coward, too; and Monsieur would have you hanged, this evening, at his windowcasement. Speak, my dear

"I see, you would not be sorry to fight with me while my wounds are still open."

"The deuce! you are unfortunate in the moment you have chosen; a duel, after the one I have just fought,

would hardly suit me; I have lost too much blood at Boulogne; at the slightest effort my wounds would open

"True," said De Guiche; "and yet, on your arrival here, your looks and your arms showed there was nothing

"Yes, my arms are all right, but my legs are weak; and then, I have not had a foil in my hand since that devil

of a duel; and you, I am sure, have been fencing every day, in order to carry your little conspiracy against me

"Upon my honor, monsieur," replied De Guiche, "it is six months since I last practiced."

"No, comte, after due reflection, I will not fight, at least, with you. I will await Bragelonne's return, since you

"Oh no, indeed! You shall not wait until Bragelonne's return," exclaimed the comte, losing all command over

himself, "for you have said that Bragelonne might, possibly, be some time before he returns; and, in the

"Yes, yes, I understand; a week will give time to my adversary to make his escape. No, no; I will not give you

"And you are a coward, if you do not fight willingly. Nay, what is more, I will denounce you to the king, as

"Ah!" said De Wardes, "you are dangerously treacherous, though you pass for a man of honor."

"There is nothing more dangerous than the treachery, as you term it, of the man whose conduct is always

"Restore me the use of my legs, then, or get yourself bled, till you are as white as I am, so as to equalize our

"We will fight on horseback, and will exchange three pistolshots each. You are a first rate marksman. I have

seen you bring down swallows with single balls, and at full gallop. Do not deny it, for I have seen you

"I believe you are right," said De Wardes; "and as that is the case, it is not unlikely I might kill you."

And both of them, on their way to the stables, passed beneath Madame's windows, which were faintly

lighted; a shadow could be seen behind the lace curtains. "There is a woman," said De Wardes, smiling, "who

De Wardes and De Guiche selected their horses, and saddled them with their own hands, with holster saddles.

De Guiche, having two pairs of pistols, went to his apartments to get them; and after having loaded them,

gave the choice to De Wardes, who selected the pair he had made use of twenty times before the same,

indeed, with which De Guiche had seen him kill swallows flying. "You will not be surprised," he said, "if I

take every precaution. You know the weapons well, and, consequently, I am only making the chances equal."

"Your remark was quite useless," replied De Guiche, "and you have done no more than you are entitled to

"Now," said De Wardes, "I beg you to have the goodness to help me to mount; for I still experience a little

"Very good, then; we will not speak of it again," said De Guiche, as he assisted De Wardes to mount his

"And now," continued the young man, "in our eagerness to murder one another, we have neglected one

"That it is quite dark, and we shall almost be obliged to grope about, in order to kill."

"Oh!" said De Guiche, "you are as anxious as I am that everything should be done in proper order."

"Yes; but I do not wish people to say that you have assassinated me, any more than, supposing I were to kill

"Did any one make a similar remark about your duel with the Duke of Buckingham?" said De Guiche; "it

"Very true; but there was still light enough to see by; and we were up to our middles almost, in the water;

De Guiche reflected for a moment; and the thought which had already presented itself to him became more

confirmed that De Wardes wished to have witnesses present, in order to bring back the conversation about

Madame, and to give a new turn to the combat. He avoided saying a word in reply, therefore; and, as De

Wardes once more looked at him interrogatively, he replied, by a movement of the head, that it would be best

to let things remain as they were. The two adversaries consequently set off, and left the chateau by the same

gate, close to which we may remember to have seen Montalais and Malicorne together. The night, as if to

counteract the extreme heat of the day, had gathered the clouds together in masses which were moving slowly

along from the west to the east. The vault above, without a clear spot anywhere visible, or without the faintest

indication of thunder, seemed to hang heavily over the earth, and soon began, by the force of the wind, to

split into streamers, like a huge sheet torn to shreds. Large and warm drops of rain began to fall heavily, and

gathered the dust into globules, which rolled along the ground. At the same time, the hedges, which seemed

conscious of the approaching storm, the thirsty plants, the drooping branches of the trees, exhaled a thousand

aromatic odors, which revived in the mind tender recollections, thoughts of youth, endless life, happiness,

and love. "How fresh the earth smells," said De Wardes; "it is a piece of coquetry to draw us to her."

"By the by," replied De Guiche, "several ideas have just occurred to me; and I wish to have your opinion

"Is it to be an ordinary combat, and conducted according to established custom?"

"That we dismount in any particular open space that may suit us, fasten our horses to the nearest object, meet,

each without our pistols in our hands, and afterwards retire for a hundred and fifty paces, in order to advance

"Very good; that is precisely the way in which I killed poor Follivent, three weeks ago, at SaintDenis."

"That in your duel with Follivent you advanced towards each other on foot, your swords between your teeth,

"While now, on the contrary, as you cannot walk, you yourself admit that we shall have to mount our horses

"That is the best course, no doubt; but it is quite dark; we must make allowances for more missed shots than

"Very well; each will fire three times; the pair of pistols already loaded, and one reload."

"Well, this glade is admirably adapted for such a purpose, with a variety of roads, byplaces, paths, ditches,

"I am perfectly satisfied, if you are so. We are at our destination, if I am not mistaken."

"Yes. Look at the beautiful open space in the center. The faint light which the stars afford seems concentrated

in this spot; the woods which surround it seem, with their barriers, to form its natural limits."

"The adversaries, having once met in close contact, cannot quit each other under any circumstances, and may,

"Quite sufficient, I think. Here are powder and balls for your pistols; measure out three charges, take three

balls, I will do the same; then we will throw the rest of the powder and balls away."

"And we will solemnly swear," said De Wardes, "that we have neither balls nor powder about us?"

"Agreed; and I swear it," said De Guiche, holding his hand towards heaven, a gesture which De Wardes

"And now, my dear comte," said De Wardes, "allow me to tell you that I am in no way your dupe. You

already are, or soon will be, the accepted lover of Madame. I have detected your secret, and you are afraid I

shall tell others of it. You wish to kill me, to insure my silence; that is very clear; and in your place, I should

do the same." De Guiche hung down his head. "Only," continued De Wardes, triumphantly, "was it really

worth while, tell me, to throw this affair of Bragelonne's on my shoulders? But, take care, my dear fellow; in

bringing the wild boar to bay, you enrage him to madness; in running down the fox, you endow him with the

ferocity of the jaguar. The consequence is, that brought to bay by you, I shall defend myself to the very last."

"Yes; but take care; I shall work more harm than you think. In the first place, as a beginning, you will readily

suppose that I have not been absurd enough to lock up my secret, or your secret rather, in my own breast.

There is a friend of mine, who resembles me in every way, a man whom you know very well, who shares my

secret with me; so, pray understand, that if you kill me, my death will not have been of much service to you;

whilst, on the contrary, if I kill you and everything is possible, you know you understand?" De Guiche

shuddered. "If I kill you," continued De Wardes, "you will have secured two mortal enemies to Madame, who

"Oh! monsieur," exclaimed De Guiche, furiously, "do not reckon upon my death so easily. Of the two

enemies you speak of, I trust most heartily to dispose of one immediately, and the other at the earliest

The only reply De Wardes made was a burst of laughter, so diabolical in its sound, that a superstitious man

would have been terrified. But De Guiche was not so impressionable as that. "I think," he said, "that

everything is now settled, Monsieur de Wardes; so have the goodness to take your place first, unless you

"By no means," said De Wardes. "I shall be delighted to save you the slightest trouble." And spurring his

horse to a gallop, he crossed the wide open space, and took his stand at that point of the circumference of the

crossroad immediately opposite to where De Guiche was stationed. De Guiche remained motionless. At this

distance of a hundred paces, the two adversaries were absolutely invisible to each other, being completely

concealed by the thick shade of elms and chestnuts. A minute elapsed amidst the profoundest silence. At the

end of the minute, each of them, in the deep shade in which he was concealed, heard the double click of the

trigger, as they put the pistols on full cock. De Guiche, adopting the usual tactics, put his horse to a gallop,

persuaded that he should render his safety doubly sure by the movement, as well as by the speed of the

animal. He directed his course in a straight line towards the point where, in his opinion, De Wardes would be

stationed; and he expected to meet De Wardes about halfway; but in this he was mistaken. He continued his

course, presuming that his adversary was impatiently awaiting his approach. When, however, he had gone

about twothirds of the distance, he beheld the trees suddenly illuminated and a ball flew by, cutting the

plume of his hat in two. Nearly at the same moment, and as if the flash of the first shot had served to indicate

the direction of the other, a second report was heard, and a second ball passed through the head of De

Guiche's horse, a little below the ear. The animal fell. These two reports, proceeding from the very opposite

direction in which he expected to find De Wardes, surprised him a great deal; but as he was a man of amazing

selfpossession, he prepared himself for his horse falling, but not so completely, however, that the toe of his

boot escaped being caught under the animal as it fell. Very fortunately the horse in its dying agonies moved

so as to enable him to release the leg which was less entangled than the other. De Guiche rose, felt himself all

over, and found that he was not wounded. At the very moment he had felt the horse tottering under him, he

placed his pistols in the holsters, afraid that the force of the fall might explode one at least, if not both of

them, by which he would have been disarmed, and left utterly without defense. Once on his feet, he took the

pistols out of the holsters, and advanced towards the spot where, by the light of the flash, he had seen De

Wardes appear. De Wardes had, at the first shot, accounted for the maneuver, than which nothing could have

been simpler. Instead of advancing to meet De Guiche, or remaining in his place to await his approach, De

Wardes had, for about fifteen paces, followed the circle of the shadow which hid him from his adversary's

observation, and at the very moment when the latter presented his flank in his career, he had fired from the

place where he stood, carefully taking aim, and assisted instead of being inconvenienced by the horse's

gallop. It has been seen that, notwithstanding the darkness, the first ball passed hardly more than an inch

above De Guiche's head. De Wardes had so confidently relied upon his aim, that he thought he had seen De

Guiche fall; his astonishment was extreme when he saw he still remained erect in his saddle. He hastened to

fire his second shot, but his hand trembled, and he killed the horse instead. It would be a most fortunate

chance for him if De Guiche were to remain held fast under the animal. Before he could have freed himself,

De Wardes would have loaded his pistol and had De Guiche at his mercy. But De Guiche, on the contrary,

was up, and had three shots to fire. De Guiche immediately understood the position of affairs. It would be

necessary to exceed De Wardes in rapidity of execution. He advanced, therefore, so as to reach him before he

should have had time to reload his pistol. De Wardes saw him approaching like a tempest. The ball was rather

tight, and offered some resistance to the ramrod. To load carelessly would be simply to lose his last chance;

to take the proper care in loading meant fatal loss of time, or rather, throwing away his life. He made his

horse bound on one side. De Guiche turned round also, and, at the moment the horse was quiet again, fired,

and the ball carried off De Wardes's hat from his head. De Wardes now knew that he had a moment's time at

his own disposal; he availed himself of it in order to finish loading his pistol. De Guiche, noticing that his

adversary did not fall, threw the pistol he had just discharged aside, and walked straight towards De Wardes,

elevating the second pistol as he did so. He had hardly proceeded more than two or three paces, when De

Wardes took aim at him as he was walking, and fired. An exclamation of anger was De Guiche's answer; the

comte's arm contracted and dropped motionless by his side, and the pistol fell from his grasp. His anxiety was

excessive. "I am lost," murmured De Wardes, "he is not mortally wounded." At the very moment, however,

De Guiche was about to raise his pistol against De Wardes, the head, shoulders, and limbs of the comte

seemed to collapse. He heaved a deepdrawn sigh, tottered, and fell at the feet of De Wardes's horse.

"That is all right," said De Wardes, and gathering up the reins, he struck his spurs into the horse's sides. The

horse cleared the comte's motionless body, and bore De Wardes rapidly back to the chateau. When he arrived

there, he remained a quarter of an hour deliberating within himself as to the proper course to be adopted. In

his impatience to leave the field of battle, he had omitted to ascertain whether De Guiche were dead or not. A

double hypothesis presented itself to De Wardes's agitated mind; either De Guiche was killed, or De Guiche

was wounded only. If he were killed, why should he leave his body in that manner to the tender mercies of

the wolves; it was a perfectly useless piece of cruelty, for if De Guiche were dead, he certainly could not

breathe a syllable of what had passed; if he were not killed, why should he, De Wardes, in leaving him there

uncared for, allow himself to be regarded as a savage, incapable of one generous feeling? This last

De Wardes immediately instituted inquires after Manicamp. He was told that Manicamp had been looking

after De Guiche, and, not knowing where to find him, had retired to bed. De Wardes went and awoke the

sleeper, without any delay, and related the whole affair to him, which Manicamp listened to in perfect silence,

but with an expression of momentarily increasing energy, of which his face could hardly have been supposed

capable. It was only when De Wardes had finished, that Manicamp uttered the words, "Let us go."

As they proceeded, Manicamp became more and more excited, and in proportion as De Wardes related the

details of the affair to him, his countenance assumed every moment a darker expression. "And so," he said,

"A little. But I shall doubt it more than ever, I warn you, if I find the poor fellow is really dead."

"Just as you please. The fact is, I never did like people who come and say, 'I have killed such and such a

gentleman in a corner; it is a great pity, but I killed him in a perfectly honorable manner.' It has an ugly

In fact, the glade could now be seen, and in the open space lay the motionless body of the dead horse. To the

right of the horse, upon the dark grass, with his face against the ground, the poor comte lay, bathed in his

blood. He had remained in the same spot, and did not even seem to have made the slightest movement.

Manicamp threw himself on his knees, lifted the comte in his arms, and found him quite cold, and steeped in

blood. He let him gently fall again. Then, stretching out his hand and feeling all over the ground close to

"By Heaven!" he said, rising to his feet, pale as death and with the pistol in his hand, "you are not mistaken,

"But I told you that I took aim as he was walking towards me, and fired at him at the very moment he was

"Are you quite sure that you fought with him, Monsieur de Wardes? I confess that I am very much afraid it

has been a foul assassination. Nay, nay, no exclamations! You have had your three shots, and his pistol is still

loaded. You have killed his horse, and he, De Guiche, one of the best marksmen in France, has not touched

even either your horse or yourself. Well, Monsieur de Wardes, you have been very unlucky in bringing me

here; all the blood in my body seems to have mounted to my head; and I verily believe that since so good an

opportunity presents itself, I shall blow your brains out on the spot. So, Monsieur de Wardes, recommend

"Very likely; in order, I suppose, that you may do to me what you have done to poor De Guiche."

And Manicamp slowly raised his pistol to the height of De Wardes's breast, and with arm stretched out, and a

De Wardes did not attempt a flight; he was completely terrified. In the midst, however, of this horrible

silence, which lasted about a second, but which seemed an age to De Wardes, a faint sigh was heard.

"Oh," exclaimed De Wardes, "he still lives! Help, De Guiche, I am about to be assassinated!"

Manicamp fell back a step or two, and the two young men saw the comte raise himself slowly and painfully

upon one hand. Manicamp threw the pistol away a dozen paces, and ran to his friend, uttering a cry of

delight. De Wardes wiped his forehead, which was covered with a cold perspiration.

"Where are you hurt?" inquired Manicamp of De Guiche, "and whereabouts are you wounded?"

"Comte," exclaimed De Wardes, "I am accused of having assassinated you; speak, I implore you, and say that

"Perfectly so," said the wounded man; "Monsieur de Wardes fought quite loyally, and whoever says the

"Then, sir," said Manicamp, "assist me, in the first place, to carry this gentleman home, and I will afterwards

give you every satisfaction you please; or, if you are in a hurry, we can do better still; let us stanch the blood

from the comte's wounds here, with your pockethandkerchief and mine, and then, as there are two shots left,

"Thank you," said De Wardes. "Twice already, in one hour, I have seen death too close at hand to be

Manicamp burst out laughing, and Guiche, too, in spite of his sufferings. The two young men wished to carry

him, but he declared he felt quite strong enough to walk alone. The ball had broken his ring finger and his

little finger, and then had glanced along his side, but without penetrating deeply into his chest. It was the pain

rather than the seriousness of the wound, therefore, which had overcome De Guiche. Manicamp passed his

arm under one of the count's shoulders, and De Wardes did the same with the other, and in this way they

brought him back to Fontainebleau, to the house of the same doctor who had been present at the death of the

The king, while these matters were being arranged, was sitting at the suppertable, and the not very large

number of guests for that day had taken their seats too, after the usual gesture intimating the royal permission.

At this period of Louis XIV.'s reign, although etiquette was not governed by the strict regulations

subsequently adopted, the French court had entirely thrown aside the traditions of goodfellowship and

patriarchal affability existing in the time of Henry IV., which the suspicious mind of Louis XIII. had

gradually replaced with pompous state and ceremony, which he despaired of being able fully to realize.

The king, therefore, was seated alone at a small separate table, which, like the desk of a president, overlooked

the adjoining tables. Although we say a small table, we must not omit to add that this small table was the

largest one there. Moreover, it was the one on which were placed the greatest number and quantity of dishes,

consisting of fish, game, meat, fruit, vegetables, and preserves. The king was young and full of vigor and

energy, very fond of hunting, addicted to all violent exercises of the body, possessing, besides, like all the

members of the Bourbon family, a rapid digestion and an appetite speedily renewed. Louis XIV. was a

formidable tablecompanion; he delighted in criticising his cooks; but when he honored them by praise and

commendation, the honor was overwhelming. The king began by eating several kinds of soup, either mixed

together or taken separately. He intermixed, or rather separated, each of the soups by a glass of old wine. He

ate quickly and somewhat greedily. Porthos, who from the beginning had, out of respect, been waiting for a

jog of D'Artagnan's arm, seeing the king make such rapid progress, turned to the musketeer and said in a low

"It seems as if one might go on now; his majesty is very encouraging, from the example he sets. Look."

"The king eats," said D'Artagnan, "but he talks at the same time; try and manage matters in such a manner

that, if he should happen to address a remark to you, he will not find you with your mouth full which would

"The best way, in that case," said Porthos, "is to eat no supper at all; and yet I am very hungry, I admit, and

everything looks and smells most invitingly, as if appealing to all my senses at once."

"Don't think of not eating for a moment," said D'Artagnan; "that would put his majesty out terribly. The king

has a saying, 'that he who works well, eats well,' and he does not like people to eat indifferently at his table."

"All you have to do," replied the captain of the musketeers, "is simply to swallow what you have in it,

"Very good," said Porthos; and from that moment he began to eat with a certain wellbred enthusiasm.

The king occasionally looked at the different persons who were at table with him, and, _en connoisseur_,

Porthos was enjoying a _salmi de lievre_, and swallowed half of the back. His name, pronounced in such a

manner, made him start, and by a vigorous effort of his gullet he absorbed the whole mouthful.

"Sire," replied Porthos, in a stifled voice, but sufficiently intelligible, nevertheless.

"Let those _filets d'agneau_ be handed to Monsieur du Vallon," said the king; "do you like brown meats, M.

Porthos repeated: "Everything your majesty sends me," an observation which the king apparently received

"People eat well who work well," replied the king, delighted to have _en teteatete_ a guest who could eat

as Porthos did. Porthos received the dish of lamb, and put a portion of it on his plate.

"Have you as good mutton in your part of the country, Monsieur du Vallon?" continued the king.

"Sire, I believe that from my own province, as everywhere else, the best of everything is sent to Paris for your

majesty's use; but, on the other hand, I do not eat lamb in the same way your majesty does."

"In this, sire: my cook, who is a German, first stuffs the lamb in question with small sausages he procures

from Strasburg, forcemeat balls from Troyes, and larks from Pithiviers; by some means or other, which I am

not acquainted with, he bones the lamb as he would do a fowl, leaving the skin on, however, which forms a

brown crust all over the animal; when it is cut in beautiful slices, in the same way as an enormous sausage, a

rosecolored gravy pours forth, which is as agreeable to the eye as it is exquisite to the palate." And Porthos

The king opened his eyes with delight, and, while cutting some of the _faisan en daube_, which was being

"That is a dish I should very much like to taste, Monsieur du Vallon. Is it possible! a whole lamb!"

The order was immediately obeyed. Then, continuing the conversation, he said: "And you do not find the

"No, sire, the fat falls down at the same time as the gravy does, and swims on the surface; then the servant

who carves removes the fat with a spoon, which I have had expressly made for that purpose."

"No, sire, I have marshes which are not salt, it is true, but which are not the less valuable on that account."

The king had now arrived at the _entrements_, but without losing sight of Porthos, who continued to play his

"You have an excellent appetite, M. du Vallon," said the king, "and you make an admirable guest at table."

"Ah! sire, if your majesty were ever to pay a visit to Pierrefonds, we would both of us eat our lamb together;

"At your majesty's present happy age," said Porthos, in order to repair the mistake he had made, "I was in the

musketeers, and nothing could ever satisfy me then. Your majesty has an excellent appetite, as I have already

had the honor of mentioning, but you select what you eat with quite too much refinement to be called for one

"Sire, you majesty treats me with far too much kindness to prevent me speaking the whole truth."

"Will, sire, with regard to sweet dishes I only recognize pastry, and even that should be rather solid; all these

frothy substances swell the stomach, and occupy a space which seems to me to be too precious to be so badly

"Ah! gentlemen," said the king, indicating Porthos by a gesture, "here is indeed a model of gastronomy. It

was in such a manner that our fathers, who so well knew what good living was, used to _eat_, while we,"

added his majesty, "do nothing but tantalize with our stomachs." And as he spoke, he took the breast of a

chicken with ham, while Porthos attacked a dish of partridges and quails. The cupbearer filled his majesty's

glass. "Give M. du Vallon some of my wine," said the king. This was one of the greatest honors of the royal

table. D'Artagnan pressed his friend's knee. "If you could only manage to swallow the half of that boar's head

I see yonder," said he to Porthos, "I shall believe you will be a duke and peer within the next twelvemonth."

In fact it was not long before it came to the boar's turn, for the king seemed to take pleasure in urging on his

guest; he did not pass any of the dishes to Porthos until he had tasted them himself, and he accordingly took

some of the boar's head. Porthos showed that he could keep pace with his sovereign; and, instead of eating

the half, as D'Artagnan had told him, he ate threefourths of it. "It is impossible," said the king in an

undertone, "that a gentleman who eats so good a supper every day, and who has such beautiful teeth, can be

"Yes; I think I am rather in favor," said Porthos, balancing himself on his chair.

The king and Porthos continued to eat in the same manner, to the great satisfaction of the other guests, some

of whom, from emulation, had attempted to follow them, but were obliged to give up halfway. The king

soon began to get flushed and the reaction of the blood to his face announced that the moment of repletion

had arrived. It was then that Louis XIV., instead of becoming gay and cheerful, as most good livers generally

do, became dull, melancholy, and taciturn. Porthos, on the contrary, was lively and communicative.

D'Artagnan's foot had more than once to remind him of this peculiarity of the king. The dessert now made its

appearance. The king had ceased to think anything further of Porthos; he turned his eyes anxiously towards

the entrancedoor, and he was heard occasionally to inquire how it happened that Monsieur de Saint Aignan

was so long in arriving. At last, at the moment when his majesty was finishing a pot of preserved plums with

a deep sigh, SaintAignan appeared. The king's eyes, which had become somewhat dull, immediately began

to sparkle. The comte advanced towards the king's table, and Louis rose at his approach. Everybody got up at

the same time, including Porthos, who was just finishing an almondcake capable of making the jaws of a

The king took SaintAignan by the arm, and passed into the adjoining apartment. "What has detained you,

"Sire, your majesty deigned to write in verse, and Mademoiselle de la Valliere wished to repay your majesty

"Verses! SaintAignan," exclaimed the king in ecstasy. "Give them to me at once." And Louis broke the seal

of a little letter, inclosing the verses which history has preserved entire for us, and which are more

meritorious in invention than in execution. Such as they were, however, the king was enchanted with them,

and exhibited his satisfaction by unequivocal transports of delight; but the universal silence which reigned in

the rooms warned Louis, so sensitively particular with regard to good breeding, that his delight must give rise

to various interpretations. He turned aside and put the note in his pocket, and then advancing a few steps,

which brought him again to the threshold of the door close to his guests, he said, "M. du Vallon, I have seen

you to day with the greatest pleasure, and my pleasure will be equally great to see you again." Porthos

bowed as the Colossus of Rhodes would have done, and retired from the room with his face towards the king.

"M. d'Artagnan," continued the king, "you will await my orders in the gallery; I am obliged to you for having

made me acquainted with M. du Vallon. Gentlemen," addressing himself to the other guests, "I return to Paris

tomorrow on account of the departure of the Spanish and Dutch ambassadors. Until tomorrow then."

The apartment was immediately cleared of the guests. The king took Saint Aignan by the arm, made him

"Oh! the professional poets would be jealous of them; but it is not likely they will know anything about

"The labor of a poet especially so; and besides, there is great excitement prevailing at Mademoiselle de la

"Yes, sire, he has one hand nearly destroyed, a hole in his breast; in fact, he is dying."

"Manicamp brought him back just now to the house of a doctor here in Fontainebleau, and the rumor soon

"You say that in a very singular manner, SaintAignan. Give me the details. What does he say himself?"

"I do not know, sire; but M. de Manicamp knows. M. de Manicamp is one of his friends."

"Oh! no!" returned SaintAignan, "you are mistaken sire; every one is not precisely a friend of M. de

"Well, sire, I believe I have heard something said about a quarrel between two gentlemen."

"That can hardly be. I have issued such stringent and severe ordinances with respect to duelling, that no one, I

"In that case, Heaven preserve me from excusing any one!" exclaimed Saint Aignan. "Your majesty

"One of his hands shattered, and a hole in his breast. Who was at the hunt with M. de Guiche?"

"Very likely, sire. But yet, on reflection, it could hardly have been that, for De Guiche's pistol was found

"His pistol? But a man does not go to a boarhunt with a pistol, I should think."

"Sire, it is also said that De Guiche's horse was killed and that the horse is still to be found in the wide open

"His horse? Guiche go on horseback to a boarhunt? SaintAignan, I do not understand a syllable of

"That will do. Call M. d'Artagnan." SaintAignan obeyed, and the musketeer entered.

"Monsieur d'Artagnan," said the king, "you will leave this place by the little door of the private staircase."

"Under the edicts, sire, of Cardinal Richelieu," returned D'Artagnan, with his usual impassability.

"That is very different, monsieur. You will, therefore, go there, and will examine the locality very carefully.

A man has been wounded there, and you will find a horse lying dead. You will tell me what your opinion is

"As a matter of course, it is your own opinion I require, and not that of any one else."

"Oh! that is a matter of course," said the king, laughing at the liberty, which he tolerated in no one but his

"Now, let my physician be sent for," said Louis. Ten minutes afterwards the king's physician arrived, quite

"You will go, monsieur," said the king to him, "and accompany M. de Saint Aignan wherever he may take

you; you will render me an account of the state of the person you may see in the house you will be taken to."

The physician obeyed without a remark, as at that time people began to obey Louis XIV., and left the room

"Do you, SaintAignan, send Manicamp to me, before the physician can possibly have spoken to him." And

While the king was engaged in making these lastmentioned arrangements in order to ascertain the truth,

D'Artagnan, without losing a second, ran to the stable, took down the lantern, saddled his horse himself, and

proceeded towards the place his majesty had indicated. According to the promise he had made, he had not

accosted any one; and, as we have observed, he had carried his scruples so far as to do without the assistance

of the stablehelpers altogether. D'Artagnan was one of those who in moments of difficulty pride themselves

on increasing their own value. By dint of hard galloping, he in less than five minutes reached the wood,

fastened his horse to the first tree he came to, and penetrated to the broad open space on foot. He then began

to inspect most carefully, on foot and with his lantern in his hand, the whole surface of the Rondpoint, went

forward, turned back again, measured, examined, and after half an hour's minute inspection, he returned

silently to where he had left his horse, and pursued his way in deep reflection and at a foot pace to

Fontainebleau. Louis was waiting in his cabinet; he was alone, and with a pencil was scribbling on paper

certain lines which D'Artagnan at the first glance recognized as unequal and very much touched up. The

conclusion he arrived at was, that they must be verses. The king raised his head and perceived D'Artagnan.

"I will approach it as near as I possibly can. The weather was very well adapted for investigations of the

character I have just made; it has been raining this evening, and the roads were wet and muddy "

"Sire, your majesty told me that there was a horse lying dead in the crossroad of the BoisRochin, and I

began, therefore, by studying the roads. I say the roads, because the center of the crossroad is reached by

four separate roads. The one that I myself took was the only one that presented any fresh traces. Two horses

had followed it side by side; their eight feet were marked very distinctly in the clay. One of the riders was

more impatient than the other, for the footprints of the one were invariably in advance of the other about half

"Yes sire. The horses are two rather large animals of equal pace, horses well used to maneuvers of all

"The two cavaliers paused there for a minute, no doubt to arrange the conditions of the engagement; the

horses grew restless and impatient. One of the riders spoke, while the other listened and seemed to have

contented himself by simply answering. His horse pawed the ground, which proves that his attention was so

"One of the two cavaliers remained where he was standing, the one, in fact, who had been listening; the other

crossed the open space, and at first placed himself directly opposite to his adversary. The one who had

remained stationary traversed the Rondpoint at a gallop, about two thirds of its length, thinking that by this

means he would gain upon his opponent; but the latter had followed the circumference of the wood."

"Completely so, sire. Only he who followed the circumference of the wood was mounted on a black horse."

"I found a few hairs of his tail among the brambles which bordered the sides of the ditch."

"As for the other horse, there can be no trouble in describing him, since he was left dead on the field of

"It was a pistolbullet, sire. Besides, the manner in which the horse was wounded explained to me the tactics

of the man who had killed it. He had followed the circumference of the wood in order to take his adversary in

"As your majesty now perceives the position of the two adversaries, I will, for a moment, leave the cavalier

"The cavalier had not time even to throw himself off his horse, and so fell with it. I observed the impression

of his leg, which, with a great effort, he was enabled to extricate from under the horse. The spur, pressed

"Yes, sire. Then, having reached a favorable distance, he stopped firmly, for the impression of both his heels

are left in the ground quite close to each other, fired, and missed his adversary."

"Insufficient, sire," replied D'Artagnan, coldly; "it is a hat without any letters indicating its ownership,

without arms; a red feather, as all hats have; the lace, even, had nothing particular in it."

"Did the man with the hat through which the bullet had passed fire a second time?"

"It cut in two the feather of the hat belonging to him against whom it was directed, and broke a small birch at

"In that case, then, the man on the black horse was disarmed, whilst his adversary had still one more shot to

"Sire, while the dismounted rider was extricating himself from his horse, the other was reloading his pistol.

Only, he was much agitated while he was loading it, and his hand trembled greatly."

"Half the charge fell to the ground, and he threw the ramrod aside, not having time to replace it in the pistol."

"It is only close observation, sire, and the commonest highwayman could tell as much."

"I have, in fact, reconstructed it in my own mind, with merely a few alterations."

"And now," said the king, "let us return to the dismounted cavalier. You were saying that he walked towards

"The shot told terribly, sire; the dismounted cavalier fell upon his face, after having staggered forward three

"In two places; in the first place, in his right hand, and then, by the same bullet, in his chest."

"By a very simple means; the butt end of the pistol was covered with blood, and the trace of the bullet could

be observed, with fragments of a broken ring. The wounded man, in all probability, had the ringfinger and

"Sire, there were two small pools of blood, at a distance of about two feet and a half from each other. At one

of these pools of blood the grass was torn up by the clenched hand; at the other, the grass was simply pressed

"Ah! it was M. de Guiche, then?" said the musketeer, quietly. "I suspected it, but did not venture to mention it

"Very seriously, since he fell immediately, and remained a long time in the same place; however, he was able

"No; but I observed the footprints of three men; the one on the right and the one on the left walked freely and

easily, but the one in the middle dragged his feet as he walked; besides, he left traces of blood at every step

"Now, monsieur, since you saw the combat so distinctly that not a single detail seems to have escaped you,

"Yes, sire, I see everything; but I do not tell all I see; and, since the poor devil has escaped, your majesty will

"Perfectly, sire; but, according to my notions, a man who fights a duel is a brave man; such, at least, is my

own opinion; but your majesty may have another, it is but natural, for you are master here."

D'Artagnan interrupted the king by a respectful gesture. "You ordered me, sire, to gather what particulars I

could, respecting a hostile meeting that had taken place; those particulars you have. If you order me to arrest

M. de Guiche's adversary, I will do so; but do not order me to denounce him to you, for in that case I will not

The king stamped his foot angrily; but after a moment's reflection, he said, "You are right ten times, twenty

"That is my opinion, sire: I am happy that, this time, it accords with your majesty's."

"There was no second, sire. Nay, more than that, when M. de Guiche fell, his adversary fled without giving

"The consequence of your ordinances, sire. If a man has fought well, and fairly, and has already escaped one

chance of death, he naturally wishes to escape a second. M. de Bouteville cannot be forgotten very easily."

"Afterwards, as I have had the honor of telling your majesty, two men on foot arrived, who carried M. de

"A very evident proof, sire; at the moment the encounter took place, the rain had just ceased, the ground had

not had time to imbibe the moisture, and was, consequently, soaked; the footsteps sank in the ground; but

while M. de Guiche was lying there in a fainting condition, the ground became firm again, and the footsteps

Louis clapped his hands together in sign of admiration. "Monsieur d'Artagnan," he said, "you are positively

"Oh! sire, a man may be mistaken; _humanum est errare_," said the musketeer, philosophically.

"In that case, you are not human, Monsieur d'Artagnan, for I believe you are never mistaken."

"Your majesty said that we were going to see whether such was the case, or not."

D'Artagnan shook his head. "No one was present at the combat, I repeat; and unless M. de Manicamp was

And, at the very same moment, Manicamp and SaintAignan appeared at the threshold of the door.

The king signified with an imperious gesture, first to the musketeer, then to SaintAignan, "On your lives,

not a word." D'Artagnan withdrew, like a sentinel, to a corner of the room; SaintAignan, in his character of

a favorite, leaned over the back of the king's chair. Manicamp, with his right foot properly advanced, a smile

upon his lips, and his white and wellformed hands gracefully disposed, advanced to make his reverence to

the king, who returned the salutation by a bow. "Good evening, M. de Manicamp," he said.

"Yes, in order to learn from you all the details of the unfortunate accident which has befallen the Comte de

"But you arrived on the scene of the accident, a few minutes after it took place?"

"Good; give me all the details you are acquainted with, respecting this unhappy affair, Monsieur de

"Perhaps your majesty has already been informed of them, and I fear to fatigue you with useless repetition."

Manicamp looked round him; he saw only D'Artagnan leaning with his back against the wainscot

D'Artagnan, calm, kind, and goodnatured as usual and SaintAignan whom he had accompanied, and who

still leaned over the king's armchair with an expression of countenance equally full of good feeling. He

determined, therefore, to speak out. "Your majesty is perfectly aware," he said, "that accidents are very

"Ah, ah!" said the king, "it was when the animal was brought to bay, then, that the accident happened?"

"And what could possibly have possessed De Guiche to go to a wild boar hunt by himself; that is but a

clownish idea of sport, only fit for that class of people who, unlike the Marechal de Gramont, have no dogs

"At all events," continued Manicamp, not venturing to be too precipitate and hasty, and letting his words fall

very slowly one by one, "at all events, sire, poor De Guiche went hunting all alone."

"Quite alone? indeed? What a sportsman! And is not M. de Guiche aware that the wild boar always stands

"You may as well tell me, monsieur, that De Guiche had some idea of committing suicide; for I have seen

him hunt, and he is an active and vigorous hunter. Whenever he fires at an animal brought to bay and held in

check by the dogs, he takes every possible precaution, and yet he fires with a carbine, and on this occasion he

"A costly pair of pistols, excellent weapons to fight a duel with a man and not a wild boar. What an

"You are quite right, and the event which we are now discussing is certainly one of them. Go on."

During the recital, SaintAignan, who probably would have made a sign to Manicamp to be careful what he

was about, found that the king's glance was constantly fixed upon himself, so that it was utterly impossible to

communicate with Manicamp in any way. As for D'Artagnan, the statue of Silence at Athens was far more

noisy and far more expressive than he. Manicamp, therefore, was obliged to continue in the same way he had

begun, and so contrived to get more and more entangled in his explanation. "Sire," he said, "this is probably

how the affair happened. Guiche was waiting to receive the boar as it rushed towards him."

"On horseback. He fired upon the brute and missed his aim, and then it dashed upon him."

"I have been told that a horse has been found lying dead in the cross roads of the BoisRochin, and I

"De Guiche, once down, was attacked and worried by the wild boar, and wounded in the hand and in the

"It is a horrible accident, but it must be admitted it was De Guiche's own fault. How could he possibly have

gone to hunt such an animal merely armed with pistols; he must have forgotten the fable of Adonis?"

Manicamp rubbed his ear in seeming perplexity. "Very true," he said, "it was very imprudent."

"Yes. How was it that you, who are De Guiche's intimate friend, and who know that he is subject to such acts

Manicamp no longer knew what to do; the tone in which the king spoke was anything but that of a credulous

man. On the other hand, it did not indicate any particular severity, nor did he seem to care very much about

the crossexamination. There was more of raillery in it than menace. "And you say, then," continued the

"No, sire; for your majesty will remember that, at the last hunt, M. de SaintMaure had a horse killed under

"Had Guiche's horse been ripped open like M. de SaintMaure's horse, I should not have been astonished."

"Am I mistaken," resumed the king, "was it not in the frontal bone that De Guiche's horse was struck? You

must admit, Monsieur de Manicamp, that that is a very singular place for a wild boar to attack."

"You are aware, sire, that the horse is a very intelligent animal, and he doubtless endeavoured to defend

"In that case, the terrified horse may have slipped or fallen down," said Manicamp, "and the boar, you

"Oh! I understand that perfectly, as far as the horse is concerned; but how about his rider?"

"Well! that, too, is simple enough; the boar left the horse and attacked the rider; and, as I have already had the

honor of informing your majesty, shattered De Guiche's hand at the very moment he was about to discharge

his second pistol at him, and then, with a gouge of his tusk, made that terrible hole in his chest."

"Nothing is more likely; really, Monsieur de Manicamp, you are wrong in placing so little confidence in your

"Your majesty is exceedingly kind," said Manicamp, saluting him in the most embarrassed manner.

"From this day henceforth, I will prohibit any gentleman attached to my court going out to a similar

Manicamp started, and moved as if he were about to withdraw. "Is your majesty satisfied?"

"Delighted; but do not withdraw yet, Monsieur de Manicamp," said Louis, "I have something to say to you."

"Well, well!" thought D'Artagnan, "there is another who is not up to the mark;" and he uttered a sigh which

At this moment an usher lifted up the curtain before the door, and announced the king's physician.

"Ah!" exclaimed Louis, "here comes Monsieur Valot, who has just been to see M. de Guiche. We shall now

"In this way, at least," added the king, "our conscience will be quite clear." And he looked at D'Artagnan,

M. Valot entered. The position of the different persons present was precisely the same: the king was seated,

SaintAignan leaning over the back of his armchair, D'Artagnan with his back against the wall, and

"By a poacher, rather, or by a jealous husband, or an illused lover, who, in order to be revenged, fired upon

"What is it that you say, Monsieur Valot? Were not M. de Guiche's wounds produced by defending himself

"M. de Guiche's wounds are the result of a pistolbullet that broke his ringfinger and the little finger of the

right hand, and afterwards buried itself in the intercostal muscles of the chest."

"A bullet! Are you sure Monsieur de Guiche was wounded by a _bullet?_" exclaimed the king, pretending to

"Indeed, I am, sire; so sure, in fact, that here it is." And he presented to the king a halfflattened bullet, which

"Not precisely. The ball did not penetrate, but was flattened, as you see, either upon the trigger of the pistol or

"Good heavens!" said the king, seriously, "you said nothing to me about this, Monsieur de Manicamp."

"What does all this mean, then, this invention about hunting a wild boar at nightfall? Come, speak,

"It seems, then, that you are right," said the king, turning round towards his captain of musketeers, "and that a

The king possessed, to a greater extent than any one else, the faculty enjoyed by the great in power or

position, of compromising and dividing those beneath him. Manicamp darted a look full of reproaches at the

musketeer. D'Artagnan understood the look at once, and not wishing to remain beneath the weight of such an

accusation, advanced a step forward, and said: "Sire, your majesty commanded me to go and explore the

place where the crossroads meet in the BoisRochin, and to report to you, according to my own ideas, what

had taken place there. I submitted my observations to you, but without denouncing any one. It was your

"Well, monsieur, well," said the king, haughtily; "you have done your duty, and I am satisfied with you. But

you, Monsieur de Manicamp, have failed in yours, for you have told me a falsehood."

"Sire, I will not attempt to do so. I have already been unfortunate enough to displease your majesty, and it

will, in every respect, be far better for me to accept most humbly any reproaches you may think proper to

"You are right, monsieur, whoever conceals the truth from me, risks my displeasure."

Manicamp bowed and turned pale. D'Artagnan again made another step forward, determined to interfere, if

"You see, monsieur," continued the king, "that it is useless to deny the thing any longer. M. de Guiche has

"I do not deny it, sire, and it would have been truly generous on your majesty's part not to have forced me to

"Sire, M. de Guiche is my friend. Your majesty has forbidden duels under pain of death. A falsehood might

"Instead of telling a falsehood, monsieur, you should have prevented him from fighting," said the king.

"Oh! sire, your majesty, who is the most accomplished gentleman in France, knows quite as well as any of us

other gentlemen that we have never considered M. de Bouteville dishonored for having suffered death on the

Place de Greve. That which does in truth dishonor a man is to avoid meeting his enemy not to avoid

"Well, monsieur, that may be so," said Louis XIV.; "I am desirous of suggesting a means of your repairing

"If it be a means of which a gentleman may avail himself, I shall most eagerly seize the opportunity."

Manicamp bowed very gracefully, unbuckled his sword, smiling as he did so, and handed it for the musketeer

to take. But SaintAignan advanced hurriedly between him and D'Artagnan. "Sire," he said, "will your

"Do so," said the king, delighted, perhaps, at the bottom of his heart, for some one to step between him and

"Manicamp, you are a brave man, and the king will appreciate your conduct; but to wish to serve your friends

too well, is to destroy them. Manicamp, you know the name the king asks you for?"

"Then I will tell it, for I am not so extremely sensitive on such points of honor as you are."

"Oh! a truce to magnanimity; I will not permit you to go to the Bastile in that way. Do you speak; or I will."

Manicamp was keenwitted enough, and perfectly understood that he had done quite sufficient to produce a

good opinion of his conduct; it was now only a question of persevering in such a manner as to regain the

good graces of the king. "Speak, monsieur," he said to SaintAignan; "I have on my own behalf done all that

my conscience told me to do; and it must have been very importunate," he added, turning towards the king,

"since its mandates led me to disobey your majesty's commands; but your majesty will forgive me, I hope,

"If the position of the lady in question warrants it," he said, "I shall not complain of your having acted with so

"Sire, everything which concerns your majesty's household, or the household of your majesty's brother, is of

"In my brother's household," repeated Louis XIV., with a slight hesitation. "The cause of the duel was a lady

"Is one of the maids of honor of her royal highness Madame la Duchesse d'Orleans."

Louis seemed restless and anxious. "Gentlemen," he said, turning towards the spectators of this scene, "will

you have the goodness to retire for a moment. I wish to be alone with M. de Manicamp; I know he has some

important communication to make for his own justification, and which he will not venture before witnesses....

"The fellow decidedly has his wits about him," murmured the musketeer, taking SaintAignan by the arm,

Manicamp cast a glance of recognition at SaintAignan and the captain, which luckily passed unnoticed by

"Come, come," said D'Artagnan, as he left the room, "I had an indifferent opinion of the new generation.

Valot preceded the favorite and the captain, leaving the king and Manicamp alone in the cabinet.

The king, determined to be satisfied that no one was listening, went himself to the door, and then returned

"And in the first place, pray understand," added the king, "that there is nothing to which I personally attach a

"That is the very reason, sire, why I endeavored to study your delicacy of sentiment and feeling."

"Yes, I understand it all now. You say that it was one of the maids of honor of my sisterinlaw who was the

subject of dispute, and that the person in question, De Guiche's adversary, the man, in point of fact, whom

"Yes, you say, however, that this man insulted some one belonging to the household of Madame."

"Ah!" said the king, as if he had expected the name, and yet as if its announcement had caused him a sudden

"A man dares to speak in disrespectful terms of Mademoiselle de la Valliere, and yet you refuse to tell me the

"Sire, I thought it was quite understood that your majesty had abandoned the idea of making me denounce

"Perfectly true, monsieur," returned the king, controlling his anger; "besides, I shall know in good time the

Manicamp perceived that they had returned to the question again. As for the king, he saw he had allowed

himself to be hurried away a little too far, and therefore continued: "And I will punish him not because

there is any question of Mademoiselle de la Valliere, although I esteem her very highly but because a lady

was the object of the quarrel. And I intend that ladies shall be respected at my court, and that quarrels shall be

"And now, Monsieur de Manicamp," continued the king, "what was said about Mademoiselle de la Valliere?"

"Your majesty can imagine the character of the jest in which young men permit themselves to indulge."

"They very probably said that she was in love with some one?" the king ventured to remark.

"But Mademoiselle de la Valliere has a perfect right to love any one she pleases," said the king.

"Why, the name of the man with whom La Valliere is in love, and whom De Guiche's adversary disputed her

"Sire, I know nothing I have heard nothing and have learnt nothing, even accidentally; but De Guiche is a

noblehearted fellow, and if, momentarily, he substituted himself in the place or stead of La Valliere's

protector, it was because that protector was himself of too exalted a position to undertake her defense."

These words were more than transparent; they made the king blush, but this time with pleasure. He struck

Manicamp gently on the shoulder. "Well, well, Monsieur de Manicamp, you are not only a ready, witty

fellow, but a brave gentleman besides, and your friend De Guiche is a paladin quite after my own heart; you

The king smiled and held out his hand to Manicamp, which he took and kissed respectfully. "And then,"

"You told me in the most admirable manner the particulars of the accident which happened to Guiche. I can

see the wild boar rushing out of the wood I can see the horse fall down fighting with his head, and the boar

rush from the horse to the rider. You do not simply relate a story well: you positively paint its incidents."

"On the contrary," said Louis, seriously, "I have so little intention of laughing, Monsieur de Manicamp, that I

"Yes; in the same manner you told it to me, without changing a single word _you understand?_"

"Very well! and now summon M. d'Artagnan; I hope you are no longer afraid of him."

"Oh, sire, from the very moment I am sure of your majesty's kind disposition, I no longer fear anything!"

"Gentlemen," said the king, "I summoned you for the purposes of saying that Monsieur de Manicamp's

D'Artagnan glanced at Valot and SaintAignan, as much as to say, "Well! did I not tell you so?"

The king led Manicamp to the door, and then in a low tone of voice said: "See that M. de Guiche takes good

care of himself, and particularly that he recovers as soon as possible; I am very desirous of thanking him in

the name of every lady, but let him take special care that he does not begin again."

"Were he to die a hundred times, sire, he would begin again if your majesty's honor were in any way called in

This remark was direct enough. But we have already said that the incense of flattery was very pleasing to the

king, and, provided he received it, he was not very particular as to its quality.

"Very well, very well," he said, as he dismissed Manicamp, "I will see De Guiche myself, and make him

listen to reason." And as Manicamp left the apartment, the king turned round towards the three spectators of

this scene, and said, "Tell me, Monsieur d'Artagnan, how does it happen that your sight is so imperfect?

"It must be the case since your majesty says so; but in what respect, may I ask?"

"Certainly. You pretended to have seen the tracks of two horses, to have detected the footprints of two men;

and have described the particulars of an engagement, which you assert took place. Nothing of the sort

"Exactly the same thing with the galloping to and fro of the horses, and the other indications of a struggle. It

was the struggle of De Guiche against the wild boar, and absolutely nothing else; only the struggle was a long

"And when I think that I almost believed it for a moment but, then, you told it with such confidence."

"I admit, sire, that I must have been very shortsighted," said D'Artagnan, with a readiness of humor which

"Oh! a very simple thing, sire; half an hour ago I returned from Bois Rochin, where I had nothing to light

"While now I have all the waxlights of your cabinet, and more than that, your majesty's own eyes, which

The king began to laugh; and SaintAignan broke out into convulsions of merriment.

"It is precisely like M. Valot," said D'Artagnan, resuming the conversation where the king had left off; "he

has been imagining all along, that not only was M. de Guiche wounded by a bullet, but still more, that he

"Yes," said Valot; "not only did I believe it, but, at this very moment, I would swear it."

"M. de Guiche's wound a mere dream; the bullet, a dream. So, take my advice, and prate no more about it."

"Well said," returned the king, "M. d'Artagnan's advice is sound. Do not speak of your dream to any one,

Monsieur Valot, and, upon the word of a gentleman, you will have no occasion to repent it. Good evening,

"A very serious thing, indeed," repeated D'Artagnan, in a loud voice, "is a wild boarhunt!" and he repeated

it in every room through which he passed; and left the chateau, taking Valot with him.

"And now we are alone," said the king to SaintAignan, "what is the name of De Guiche's adversary?"

"Oh! do not hesitate," said the king; "you know that I am bound beforehand to forgive."

"Very good," said Louis XIV.; and then, retiring to his own room, added to himself, "To forgive is not to

Manicamp quitted the king's apartment, delighted at having succeeded so well, when, just as he reached the

bottom of the staircase and was passing a doorway, he felt that some one suddenly pulled him by the sleeve.

He turned round and recognized Montalais, who was waiting for him in the passage, and who, in a very

mysterious manner, with her body bent forward, and in a low tone of voice, said to him, "Follow me,

"In the first place, a true knight would not have asked such a question, but would have followed me without

"No; it is too late, and you cannot take the credit of it. We are going to Madame's apartment, so come at

"This time," said Manicamp, as he followed his guide, "I do not think that stories about hunting expeditions

would be acceptable. We will try, however, and if need be well, if there should be any occasion for it, we

"How fatiguing it is," thought Manicamp, "to have need of one's head and legs at the same time."

At last, however, they arrived. Madame had just finished undressing, and was in a most elegant _deshabille_,

but it must be understood that she had changed her dress before she had any idea of being subjected to the

emotions now agitating her. She was waiting with the most restless impatience; and Montalais and Manicamp

found her standing near the door. At the sound of their approaching footsteps, Madame came forward to meet

Manicamp bowed with the greatest respect; Madame signed to Montalais to withdraw, and she immediately

obeyed. Madame followed her with her eyes, in silence, until the door closed behind her, and then, turning

towards Manicamp, said, "What is the matter? and is it true, as I am told, Monsieur de Manicamp, that

"Yes, Monsieur de Guiche," repeated the princess. "I had, in fact, heard it rumored, but not confirmed. And

"Are you aware, M. de Manicamp," said the princes, hastily, "that the king has the strongest antipathy to

"Oh, you will not insult me by supposing that I credit the absurd fable, with what object I cannot tell,

respecting M. de Guiche having been wounded by a wild boar. No, no, monsieur; the real truth is known, and,

in addition to the inconvenience of his wound, M. de Guiche runs the risk of losing his liberty if not his life."

"I told him how M. de Guiche went to the chase, and how a wild boar rushed forth out of the BoisRochin;

how M. de Guiche fired at it, and how, in fact, the furious brute dashed at De Guiche, killed his horse, and

And Madame walked up and down the room, casting a searching look from time to time at Manicamp, who

"And yet," she said, "every one here seems unanimous in giving another cause for this wound."

"What cause, Madame?" said Manicamp; "may I be permitted, without indiscretion, to ask your highness?"

"You ask such a question! You, M. de Guiche's intimate friend, his confidant, indeed!"

"Oh, Madame! his intimate friend yes; confidant no. De Guiche is a man who can keep his own secrets,

who has some of his own certainly, but who never breathes a syllable about them. De Guiche is discretion

"Very well, then; those secrets which M. de Guiche keeps so scrupulously, I shall have the pleasure of

informing you of," said the princess, almost spitefully; "for the king may possibly question you a second

time, and if, on the second occasion, you were to repeat the same story to him, he possibly might not be very

"But, Madame, I think your highness is mistaken with regard to the king. His majesty was perfectly satisfied

"In that case, permit me to assure you, Monsieur de Manicamp, it only proves one thing, which is, that his

"I think your highness is mistaken in arriving at such an opinion; his majesty is well known not to be

"And do you suppose that he will thank you for your officious falsehood, when he will learn tomorrow that

M. de Guiche had, on behalf of his friend M. de Bragelonne, a quarrel which ended in a hostile meeting?"

"A quarrel on M. de Bragelonne's account," said Manicamp, with the most innocent expression in the world;

"What is there astonishing in that? M. de Guiche is susceptible, irritable, and easily loses his temper."

"On the contrary, Madame, I know M. de Guiche to be very patient, and never susceptible or irritable except

"Very good; you will not deny, I suppose, that M. de Bragelonne is M. de Guiche's good friend?"

"Well, then, M. de Guiche has taken M. de Bragelonne's part; and as M. de Bragelonne was absent and could

Manicamp began to smile, and moved his head and shoulders very slightly, as much as to say, "Oh, if you

"Of course; it is quite clear you are not of my opinion, and that you have something to say."

"What! you do not understand a single word about M. de Guiche's quarrel with M. de Wardes," exclaimed

"A quarrel," she continued, "which arose out of a conversation scandalous in its tone and purport, and more

"You dare not," said Madame, exasperated; "very well, then, wait one moment, I will dare."

"Madame, Madame!" exclaimed Manicamp, as if in great dismay, "be careful of what you are going to say."

"It would seem, monsieur, that, if I happened to be a man, you would challenge me, notwithstanding his

majesty's edicts, as Monsieur de Guiche challenged M. de Wardes; and that, too, on account of the virtue of

"Of Mademoiselle de la Valliere!" exclaimed Manicamp, starting backwards, as if that was the very last name

"What makes you start in that manner, Monsieur de Manicamp?" said Madame, ironically; "do you mean to

"Madame, in the whole course of this affair there has not been the slightest question of Mademoiselle de la

"What! when two men have almost blown each other's brains out on a woman's behalf, do you mean to say

she has had nothing to do with the affair, and that her name has not been called in question at all? I did not

"Pray forgive me, Madame," said the young man, "but we are very far from understanding one another. You

"Forgive me, then; but I fancied I understood your highness to remark that De Guiche and De Wardes had

"On account of Mademoiselle de la Valliere, I think you said?" repeated Manicamp.

"I do not say that M. de Guiche personally took an interest in Mademoiselle de la Valliere, but I say that he

"Come, do not always assume such a bewildered look. Does not every one here know that M. de Bragelonne

is affianced to Mademoiselle de la Valliere, and that before he went on the mission with which the king

intrusted him, he charged his friend M. de Guiche to watch over that interesting young lady?"

Manicamp began to laugh, which almost exasperated the princess, who was not, as we know, of a very

"Madame," resumed the discreet Manicamp, saluting the princess, "let us bury this affair altogether in

"Oh, as far as that goes there is nothing more to do, and the information is complete. The king will learn that

M. de Guiche has taken up the cause of this little adventuress, who gives herself all the airs of a grand lady;

he will learn that Monsieur de Bragelonne, having nominated his friend M. de Guiche his

guardianinordinary, the latter immediately fastened, as he was required to do, upon the Marquis de

Wardes, who ventured to trench upon his privileges. Moreover, you cannot pretend to deny, Monsieur

Manicamp you who know everything so well that the king on his side casts a longing eye upon this

famous treasure, and that he will bear no slight grudge against M. de Guiche for constituting himself its

defender. Are you sufficiently well informed now, or do you require anything further? If so, speak,

"Learn, however for you ought to know it, Monsieur de Manicamp learn that his majesty's indignation

will be followed by terrible consequences. In princes of a similar temperament to that of his majesty, the

"I!" exclaimed the princess, with a gesture of indescribable irony; "I! and by what title, may I ask?"

"And according to your account, then, it would be an injustice to prevent the king arranging his love affairs as

"On the contrary, I am in the most perfect possession of my senses; and I repeat, you will defend M. de

"Because the cause of M. de Guiche is your own, Madame," said Manicamp, with ardor kindling in his eyes.

"I mean, Madame, that, with respect to the defense which Monsieur de Guiche undertook in M. de

Bragelonne's absence, I am surprised that your highness has not detected a pretext in La Valliere's name

"A pretext? But a pretext for what?" repeated the princess, hesitatingly, for Manicamp's steady look had just

"I trust, Madame," said the young man, "I have said sufficient to induce your highness not to overwhelm

before his majesty my poor friend, De Guiche, against whom all the malevolence of a party bitterly opposed

"You mean, on the contrary, I suppose, that all those who have no great affection for Mademoiselle de la

Valliere, and even, perhaps, a few of those who have some regard for her, will be angry with the comte?"

"Oh, Madame! why will you push your obstinacy to such an extent, and refuse to open your ears and listen to

the counsel of one whose devotion to you is unbounded? Must I expose myself to the risk of your displeasure,

am I really to be called upon to name, contrary to my own wish, the person who was the real cause of this

"Must I," continued Manicamp, "tell you how poor De Guiche became irritated, furious, exasperated beyond

all control, at the different rumors now being circulated about this person? Must I, if you persist in this willful

blindness, and if respect should continue to prevent me naming her, must I, I repeat, recall to your

recollection the various scenes which Monsieur had with the Duke of Buckingham, and the insinuations

which were reported respecting the duke's exile? Must I remind you of the anxious care the comte always

took in his efforts to please, to watch, to protect that person for whom alone he lives, for whom alone he

breathes? Well! I will do so; and when I shall have made you recall all the particulars I refer to, you will

perhaps understand how it happened that the comte, having lost all control over himself, and having been for

some time past almost harassed to death by De Wardes, became, at the first disrespectful expression which

the latter pronounced respecting the person in question, inflamed with passion, and panted only for an

The princess concealed her face with her hands. "Monsieur, monsieur!" she exclaimed; "do you know what

"And so, Madame," pursued Manicamp, as if he had not heard the exclamations of the princess, "nothing will

astonish you any longer, neither the comte's ardor in seeking the quarrel, nor his wonderful address in

transferring it to an quarter foreign to your own personal interests. That latter circumstance was, indeed, a

marvelous instance of tact and perfect coolness, and if the person in whose behalf the comte so fought and

shed his blood does, in reality, owe some gratitude to the poor wounded sufferer, it is not on account of the

blood he has shed, or the agony he has suffered, but for the steps he has taken to preserve from comment or

"Oh!" cried Madame, as if she had been alone, "is it possible the quarrel was on my account!"

Manicamp felt he could now breathe for a moment and gallantly had he won the right to do so. Madame, on

her side, remained for some time plunged in a painful reverie. Her agitation could be seen by her quick

respiration, by her drooping eyelids, by the frequency with which she pressed her hand upon her heart. But, in

her, coquetry was not so much a passive quality, as, on the contrary, a fire which sought for fuel to maintain

"If it be as you assert," she said, "the comte will have obliged two persons at the same time; for Monsieur de

Bragelonne also owes a deep debt of gratitude to M. de Guiche and with far greater reason, indeed, because

everywhere, and on every occasion, Mademoiselle de la Valliere will be regarded as having been defended by

Manicamp perceived that there still remained some lingering doubt in the princess's heart. "A truly admirable

service, indeed," he said, "is the one he has rendered to Mademoiselle de la Valliere! A truly admirable

service to M. de Bragelonne! The duel has created a sensation which, in some respects, casts a dishonorable

suspicion upon that young girl; a sensation, indeed, which will embroil her with the vicomte. The

consequence is that De Wardes's pistolbullet has had three results instead of one; it destroys at the same

time the honor of a woman, the happiness of a man, and, perhaps, it has wounded to death one of the best

gentlemen in France. Oh, Madame! your logic is cold even calculating; it always condemns it never

Manicamp's concluding words scattered to the winds the last doubt which lingered, not in Madame's heart,

but in her mind. She was no longer a princess full of scruples, nor a woman with her everreturning

suspicions, but one whose heart has just felt the mortal chill of a wound. "Wounded to death!" she murmured,

in a faltering voice, "oh, Monsieur de Manicamp! did you not say, wounded to death?"

"And so you said that the comte is dangerously wounded?" continued the princess.

"Yes, Madame; one of his hands is shattered, and he has a bullet lodged in his breast."

"Gracious heavens!" resumed the princess, with a feverish excitement, "this is horrible! Monsieur de

Manicamp! a hand shattered, do you say, and a bullet in his breast? And that coward! that wretch! that

Manicamp seemed overcome by a violent emotion. He had, in fact, displayed no little energy in the latter part

of his speech. As for Madame, she entirely threw aside all regard for the formal observances of propriety

society imposes; for when, with her, passion spoke in accents either of anger or sympathy, nothing could

restrain her impulses. Madame approached Manicamp, who had subsided in a chair, as if his grief were a

sufficiently powerful excuse for his infraction of the laws of etiquette. "Monsieur," she said, seizing him by

"Doubly so, Madame," he replied; "in the first place on account of the hemorrhage which has taken place, an

artery having been injured in the hand; and next, in consequence of the wound in his breast, which may, the

"Die, yes, Madame; and without even having had the consolation of knowing that you have been told of his

"I? oh, no, Madame; I will only tell M. de Guiche if, indeed, he is still in a condition to hear me I will

"Indeed, Madame, I shall speak the truth, for nature is very energetic in a man of his age. The physicians are

clever men, and if, by chance, the poor comte should survive his wound, I should not wish him to die of a

wound of the heart, after surviving one of the body." Manicamp rose, and with an expression of profoundest

"At least, monsieur," said Madame, stopping him with almost a suppliant air, "you will be kind enough to tell

me in what state your wounded friend is, and who is the physician who attends him?"

"As regards the state he is in, Madame, he is seriously ill; his physician is M. Valot, his majesty's private

medical attendant. M. Valot is moreover assisted by a professional friend, to whose house M. de Guiche has

"Alas, Madame! the poor fellow was so ill, that he could not even be conveyed thither."

"Give me the address, monsieur," said the princess, hurriedly; "I will send to inquire after him."

"Rue du Feurre; a brickbuilt house, with white outside blinds. The doctor's name is on the door."

"Do what you intended to do; return to M. de Guiche, send away all those whom you may find there, and

"Let us waste no time in useless explanations. Accept the fact as I present it to you; see nothing in it beyond

what is really there, and ask nothing further than what I tell you. I am going to send one of my ladies, perhaps

two, because it is now getting late; I do not wish them to see you, or rather I do not wish you to see them.

These are scruples you can understand you particularly, Monsieur de Manicamp, who seem capable of

"Oh, Madame, perfectly; I can even do better still, I will precede, or rather walk, in advance of your

attendants; it will, at the same time, be the means of showing them the way more accurately, and of

protecting them, if occasion arises, though there is no probability of their needing protection."

"And, by this means, then, they would be sure of entering without difficulty, would they not?"

"Certainly, Madame; for as I should be the first to pass, I thus remove any difficulties that might chance to be

"Very well. Go, go, Monsieur de Manicamp, and wait at the bottom of the staircase."

"When you hear the footsteps of two women descending the stairs, go out, and, without once turning round,

"But if, by any mischance, two other persons were to descend, and I were to be mistaken?"

Manicamp turned round, bowed once more, and left the room, his heart overflowing with joy. In fact, he

knew very well that the presence of Madame herself would be the best balm to apply to his friend's wounds.

A quarter of an hour had hardly elapsed when he heard the sound of a door opened softly, and closed with

like precaution. He listened to the light footfalls gliding down the staircase, and then hard the signal agreed

upon. He immediately went out, and, faithful to his promise, bent his way, without once turning his head,

Two women, their figures completely concealed by their mantles, and whose masks effectually hid the upper

portion of their faces, timidly followed Manicamp's steps. On the first floor, behind curtains of red damask,

the soft light of a lamp placed upon a low table faintly illumined the room, at the other extremity of which, on

a large bedstead supported by spiral columns, around which curtains of the same color as those which

deadened the rays of the lamp had been closely drawn, lay De Guiche, his head supported by pillows, his

eyes looking as if the mists of death were gathering; his long black hair, scattered over the pillow, set off the

young man's hollow temples. It was easy to see that fever was the chief tenant of the chamber. De Guiche

was dreaming. His wandering mind was pursuing, through gloom and mystery, one of those wild creations

delirium engenders. Two or three drops of blood, still liquid, stained the floor. Manicamp hurriedly ran up the

stairs, but paused at the threshold of the door, looked into the room, and seeing that everything was perfectly

quiet, he advanced towards the foot of the large leathern armchair, a specimen of furniture of the reign of

Henry IV., and seeing that the nurse, as a matter of course, had dropped off to sleep, he awoke her, and

Then, standing by the side of the bed, he remained for a moment deliberating whether it would be better to

awaken Guiche, in order to acquaint him with the good news. But, as he began to hear behind the door the

rustling of silk dresses and the hurried breathing of his two companions, and as he already saw that the

curtain screening the doorway seemed on the point of being impatiently drawn aside, he passed round the bed

and followed the nurse into the next room. As soon as he had disappeared the curtain was raised, and his two

female companions entered the room he had just left. The one who entered first made a gesture to her

companion, which riveted her to the spot where she stood, close to the door, and then resolutely advanced

towards the bed, drew back the curtains along the iron rod, and threw them in thick folds behind the head of

the bed. She gazed upon the comte's pallid face; remarked his right hand enveloped in linen whose dazzling

whiteness was emphasized by the counterpane patterned with dark leaves thrown across the couch. She

shuddered as she saw a stain of blood growing larger and larger upon the bandages. The young man's breast

was uncovered, as though for the cool night air to assist his respiration. A narrow bandage fastened the

dressings of the wound, around which a purplish circle of extravasated blood was gradually increasing in

size. A deep sigh broke from her lips. She leaned against one of the columns of the bed, and gazed, through

the apertures in her mask, upon the harrowing spectacle before her. A hoarse harsh groan passed like a

deathrattle through the comte's clenched teeth. The masked lady seized his left hand, which scorched like

burning coals. But at the very moment she placed her icy hand upon it, the action of the cold was such that

De Guiche opened his eyes, and by a look in which revived intelligence was dawning, seemed as though

struggling back again into existence. The first thing upon which he fixed his gaze was this phantom standing

erect by his bedside. At that sight, his eyes became dilated, but without any appearance of consciousness in

them. The lady thereupon made a sign to her companion, who had remained at the door; and in all probability

the latter had already received her lesson, for in a clear tone of voice, and without any hesitation whatever,

she pronounced these words: "Monsieur le comte, her royal highness Madame is desirous of knowing how

you are able to bear your wound, and to express to you, by my lips, her great regret at seeing you suffer."

As she pronounced the word Madame, Guiche started; he had not as yet remarked the person to whom the

voice belonged, and he naturally turned towards the direction whence it preceded. But, as he felt the cold

hand still resting on his own, he again turned towards the motionless figure beside him. "Was it you who

spoke, madame?" he asked, in a weak voice, "or is there another person in beside you in the room?"

"Yes," replied the figure, in an almost unintelligible voice, as she bent down her head.

"Well," said the wounded man, with a great effort, "I thank you. Tell Madame that I no longer regret to die,

At the words "to die," pronounced by one whose life seemed to hang on a thread, the masked lady could not

restrain her tears, which flowed under the mask, and appeared upon her cheeks just where the mask left her

face bare. If De Guiche had been in fuller possession of his senses, he would have seen her tears roll like

glistening pearls, and fall upon his bed. The lady, forgetting that she wore her mask, raised her hand as

though to wipe her eyes, and meeting the rough velvet, she tore away her mask in anger, and threw it on the

floor. At the unexpected apparition before him, which seemed to issue from a cloud, De Guiche uttered a cry

and stretched his arms towards her; but every word perished on his lips, and his strength seemed utterly

abandoning him. His right hand, which had followed his first impulse, without calculating the amount of

strength he had left, fell back again upon the bed, and immediately afterwards the white linen was stained

with a larger spot than before. In the meantime, the young man's eyes became dim, and closed, as if he were

already struggling with the messenger of death; and then, after a few involuntary movements, his head fell

back motionless on his pillow; his face grew livid. The lady was frightened; but on this occasion, contrary to

what is usually the case, fear attracted. She leaned over the young man, gazed earnestly, fixedly at his pale,

cold face, which she almost touched, then imprinted a rapid kiss upon De Guiche's left hand, who, trembling

as if an electric shock had passed through him, awoke a second time, opened his large eyes, incapable of

recognition, and again fell into a state of complete insensibility. "Come," she said to her companion, "we

"Madame, Madame, your highness is forgetting your mask!" said her vigilant companion.

"Pick it up," replied her mistress, as she tottered almost senseless towards the staircase, and as the outer door

had been left only half closed, the two women, light as birds, passed through it, and with hurried steps

returned to the palace. One of the ascended towards Madame's apartments, where she disappeared; the other

entered the rooms belonging to the maids of honor, namely, on the _entresol_, and having reached her own

room, she sat down before a table, and without giving herself time even to breathe, wrote the following letter:

"This evening Madame has been to see M. de Guiche. Everything is going well on this side. See that your

She folded the letter, and leaving her room with every possible precaution, crossed a corridor which led to the

apartments appropriated to the gentlemen attached to Monsieur's service. She stopped before a door, under

which, having previously knocked twice in a short, quick manner, she thrust the paper, and fled. Then,

returning to her own room, she removed every trace of her having gone out, and also of having written the

letter. Amid the investigations she was so diligently pursuing she perceived on the table the mask which

belonged to Madame, and which, according to her mistress's directions, she had brought back but had

forgotten to restore to her. "Oh, oh!" she said, "I must not forget to do tomorrow what I have forgotten

And she took hold of the velvet mask by that part which covered the cheeks, and feeling that her thumb was

wet, looked at it. It was not only wet, but reddened. The mask had fallen upon one of the spots of blood

which, we have already said, stained the floor, and from that black velvet outside which had accidentally

come into contact with it, the blood had passed through to the inside, and stained the white cambric lining.

"Oh, oh!" said Montalais, for doubtless our readers have already recognized her by these various maneuvers,

And rising from her seat, she ran towards a box made of maple wood, which inclosed different articles of

toilette and perfumery. "No, not here," she said, "such a treasure must not be abandoned to the slightest

Then, after a moment's silence, and with a smile that was peculiarly her own, she added: "Beautiful mask,

stained with the blood of that brave knight, you shall go and join that collection of wonders, La Valliere's and

Raoul's letters, that loving collection, indeed, which will some day or other form part of the history of France,

of European royalty. You shall be placed under M. Malicorne's care," said the laughing girl, as she began to

undress herself, "under the protection of that worthy M. Malicorne," she said, blowing out the taper, "who

thinks he was born only to become the chief usher of Monsieur's apartments, and whom I will make keeper of

the records and historiographer of the house of Bourbon, and of the first houses in the kingdom. Let him

grumble now, that discontented Malicorne," she added, as she drew the curtains and fell asleep.

The next day being agreed upon for the departure, the king, at eleven o'clock precisely, descended the grand

staircase with the two queens and Madame, in order to enter his carriage drawn by six horses, that were

pawing the ground in impatience at the foot of the staircase. The whole court awaited the royal appearance in

the _Feracheval_ crescent, in their travelling costumes; the large number of saddled horses and carriages

of ladies and gentlemen of the court, surrounded by their attendants, servants, and pages, formed a spectacle

whose brilliancy could scarcely be equalled. The king entered his carriage with the two queens; Madame was

in the same one with Monsieur. The maids of honor followed their example, and took their seats, two by two,

in the carriages destined for them. The weather was exceedingly warm; a light breeze, which, early in the

morning, all had thought would have proved sufficient to cool the air, soon became fiercely heated by the

rays of the sun, although it was hidden behind the clouds, and filtered through the heated vapor which rose

from the ground like a scorching wind, bearing particles of fine dust against the faces of the travelers.

Madame was the first to complain of the heat. Monsieur's only reply was to throw himself back in the

carriage as though about to faint, and to inundate himself with scents and perfumes, uttering the deepest sighs

all the while; whereupon Madame said to him, with her most amiable expression: "Really, Monsieur, I

fancied that you would have been polite enough, on account of the terrible heart, to have left me my carriage

"Ride on horseback!" cried the prince, with an accent of dismay which showed how little idea he had of

adopting this unnatural advice; "you cannot suppose such a thing, Madame! My skin would peel off if I were

"But the trouble of holding it!" replied Monsieur, with the greatest coolness; "besides, I have no horse."

"What, no horse?" replied the princess, who, if she did not secure the solitude she required, at least obtained

the amusement of teasing. "No horse! You are mistaken, Monsieur; for I see your favorite bay out yonder."

"My bay horse!" exclaimed the prince, attempting to lean forward to look out of the door; but the movement

he was obliged to make cost him so much trouble that he soon hastened to resume his immobility.

And with these words he closed his eyes, like a man on the point of death. Madame, on her side, reclined

indolently in the other corner of the carriage, and closed her eyes also, not, however, to sleep, but to think

more at her ease. In the meantime the king, seated in the front seat of his carriage, the back of which he had

yielded up to the two queens, was a prey to that feverish contrariety experienced by anxious lovers, who,

without being able to quench their ardent thirst, are ceaselessly desirous of seeing the loved object, and then

go away partially satisfied, without perceiving they have acquired a more insatiable thirst than ever. The king,

whose carriage headed the procession, could not from the place he occupied perceive the carriages of the

ladies and maids of honor, which followed in a line behind it. Besides, he was obliged to answer the eternal

questions of the young queen, who, happy to have with her "_her dear husband_," as she called him in utter

forgetfulness of royal etiquette, invested him with all her affection, stifled him with her attentions, afraid that

some one might come to take him from her, or that he himself might suddenly take a fancy to quit her

society. Anne of Austria, whom nothing at that moment occupied except the occasional cruel throbbings in

her bosom, looked pleased and delighted, and although she perfectly realized the king's impatience,

tantalizingly prolonged his sufferings by unexpectedly resuming the conversation at the very moment the

king, absorbed in his own reflections, began to muse over his secret attachment. Everything seemed to

combine not alone the little teasing attentions of the queen, but also the queenmother's interruptions to

make the king's position almost insupportable; for he knew not how to control the restless longings of his

heart. At first, he complained of the heat a complaint merely preliminary to others, but with sufficient tact

to prevent Maria Theresa guessing his real object. Understanding the king's remark literally, she began to fan

him with her ostrich plumes. But the heat passed away, and the king then complained of cramps and stiffness

in his legs, and as the carriages at that moment stopped to change horses, the queen said: "Shall I get out

with you? I too feel tired of sitting. We can walk on a little distance; the carriage will overtake us, and we can

The king frowned; it is a hard trial a jealous woman makes her husband submit to whose fidelity she suspects,

when, although herself a prey to jealousy, she watches herself so narrowly that she avoids giving any pretext

for an angry feeling. The king, therefore, in the present case, could not refuse; he accepted the offer, alighted

from the carriage, gave his arm to the queen, and walked up and down with her while the horses were being

changed. As he walked along, he cast an envious glance upon the courtiers, who were fortunate enough to be

on horseback. The queen soon found out that the promenade she had suggested afforded the king as little

pleasure as he had experienced from driving. She accordingly expressed a wish to return to her carriage, and

the king conducted her to the door, but did not get in with her. He stepped back a few paces, and looked along

the file of carriages for the purpose of recognizing the one in which he took so strong an interest. At the door

of the sixth carriage he saw La Valliere's fair countenance. As the king thus stood motionless, wrapt in

thought, without perceiving that everything was ready, and that he alone was causing the delay, he heard a

voice close beside him, addressing him in the most respectful manner. It was M. Malicorne, in a complete

costume of an equerry, holding over his left arm the bridles of a couple of horses.

"A horse? Have you one of my horses here?" inquired the king, trying to remember the person who addressed

"Sire," replied Malicorne, "at all events I have a horse here which is at your majesty's service."

And Malicorne pointed at Monsieur's bay horse, which Madame had observed. It was a beautiful creature

"Sire, it is a horse out of his royal highness's stables; but he does not ride when the weather is as hot as it is

Louis did not reply, but approached the horse, which stood pawing the ground with its foot. Malicorne

hastened to hold the stirrup for him, but the king was already in the saddle. Restored to goodhumor by this

lucky accident, the king hastened towards the queen's carriage, where he was anxiously expected; and

notwithstanding Maria Theresa's thoughtful and preoccupied air, he said: "I have been fortunate enough to

find this horse, and I intend to avail myself of it. I felt stifled in the carriage. Adieu, ladies."

Then bending gracefully over the arched neck of his beautiful steed, he disappeared in a second. Anne of

Austria leaned forward, in order to look after him as he rode away; he did not get very far, for when he

reached the sixth carriage, he reined in his horse suddenly and took off his hat. He saluted La Valliere, who

uttered a cry of surprise as she saw him, blushing at the same time with pleasure. Montalais, who occupied

the other seat in the carriage, made the king a most respectful bow. And then, with all the tact of a woman,

she pretended to be exceedingly interested in the landscape, and withdrew herself into the lefthand corner.

The conversation between the king and La Valliere began, as all lovers' conversations generally do, namely,

by eloquent looks and by a few words utterly devoid of common sense. The king explained how warm he had

felt in his carriage, so much so indeed that he could almost regard the horse he then rode as a blessing thrown

in his way. "And," he added, "my benefactor is an exceedingly intelligent man, for he seemed to guess my

thoughts intuitively. I have now only one wish, that of learning the name of the gentleman who so cleverly

assisted his king out of his dilemma, and extricated him from his cruel position."

Montalais, during this colloquy, the first words of which had awakened her attention, had slightly altered her

position, and contrived so as to meet the king's look as he finished his remark. It followed very naturally that

the king looked inquiringly as much at her as at La Valliere; she had every reason to suppose that it was

herself who was appealed to, and consequently might be permitted to answer. She therefore said: "Sire, the

horse which your majesty is riding belongs to Monsieur, and was being led by one of his royal highness's

"Yes, sire," replied Aure. "Stay, it is the gentleman who is galloping on my left hand;" and she pointed out

Malicorne, who, with a very sanctified expression, was galloping by the side of the carriage, knowing

perfectly well that they were talking of him at that very moment, but sitting in his saddle as if he were deaf

"Yes," said the king, "that is the gentleman; I remember his face, and will not forget his name;" and the king

Aure had now nothing further to do; she had let Malicorne's name fall; the soil was good; all that was now

left to be done was to let the name take root, and the event would bear fruit in due season. She consequently

threw herself back in her corner, feeling perfectly justified in making as many agreeable signs of recognition

as she liked to Malicorne, since the latter had had the happiness of pleasing the king. As will readily be

believed, Montalais was not mistaken; and Malicorne, with his quick ear and his sly look, seemed to interpret

her remark as "All goes on well," the whole being accompanied by a pantomimic action, which he fancied

"Alas! mademoiselle," said the king, after a moment's pause, "the liberty and freedom of the country is soon

about to cease; your attendance on Madame will be more strictly enforced, and we shall see each other no

"Your majesty is too much attached to Madame," replied Louise, "not to come and see her very frequently;

"Ah!" said the king, in a tender voice, which was gradually lowered in its tone, "to perceive is not to see, and

Louise did not answer a syllable; a sigh filled her heart almost to bursting, but she stifled it.

"You exercise a great control over yourself," said the king to Louise, who smiled upon him with a

melancholy expression. "Exert the strength you have in loving fondly," he continued, "and I will bless

La Valliere still remained silent, but raised her eyes, brimful of affection, toward the king. Louis, as if

overcome by this burning glance, passed his hand across his forehead, and pressing the sides of his horse with

his knees, made him bound several paces forward. La Valliere, leaning back in her carriage, with her eyes

half closed, gazed fixedly upon the king, whose plumes were floating in the air; she could not but admire his

graceful carriage, his delicate and nervous limbs which pressed his horse's sides, and the regular outline of his

features, which his beautiful curling hair set off to great advantage, revealing occasionally his small and

wellformed ear. In fact the poor girl was in love, and she reveled in her innocent affection. In a few

"Do you not perceive," he said, "how terribly your silence affects me? Oh! mademoiselle, how pitilessly

inexorable you would become if you were ever to resolve to break off all acquaintance with any one; and

then, too, I think you changeable; in fact in fact, I dread this deep affection which fills my whole being."

"Oh! sire, you are mistaken," said La Valliere; "if ever I love, it will be for all my life."

"You see," said the king, "that I am right in accusing you; you must admit you are changeable, capricious, a

"That you will never show any of that severity which would break my heart, none of that fickleness of

"Very well, then! but listen. I like promises, I like to place under the guarantee of an oath, under the

protection of Heaven, in fact, everything which interests my heart and my affections. Promise me, or rather

swear to me, that if in the life we are about to commence, a life which will be full of sacrifice, mystery,

anxiety, disappointment, and misunderstanding; swear to me that if we should in any way deceive, or

misunderstand each other, or should judge each other unjustly, for that indeed would be criminal in love such

She trembled with agitation to the very depths of her heart; it was the first time she had heard her name

pronounced in that manner by her royal lover. As for the king, taking off his glove, and placing his hand

within the carriage, he continued: "Swear, that never in all our quarrels will we allow one night even to pass

by, if any misunderstanding should arise between us, without a visit, or at least a message, from either, in

La Valliere took her lover's burning hand between her own cool palms, and pressed it softly, until a

movement of the horse, frightened by the proximity of the wheels, obliged her to abandon her happiness. She

"Return, sire," she said, "return to the queen. I foresee a storm yonder, which threatens my peace of mind and

Louis obeyed, saluted Mademoiselle de Montalais, and set off at a gallop to rejoin the queen. As he passed

Monsieur's carriage, he observed that he was fast asleep, although Madame, on her part, was wide awake. As

the king passed her she said, "What a beautiful horse, sire! Is it not Monsieur's bay horse?"

On the king's arrival in Paris, he sat at the council which had been summoned, and worked for a certain

portion of the day. The queen remained with the queenmother, and burst into tears as soon as she had taken

leave of the king. "Ah, madame!" she said, "the king no longer loves me! What will become of me?"

"A husband always loves his wife when she is like you," replied Anne of Austria.

"Do you happen to have remarked," said Anne of Austria, "that the king has ever done anything of the sort?"

"And that is the very reason why he no longer belongs to me; and that is the reason, too, why I shall find

myself, as so many queens before me, forsaken and forgotten, whilst glory and honors will be reserved for

others. Oh, my mother! the king is so handsome! how often will others tell him that they love him, and how

"It is very seldom, indeed, that women love the man in loving the king. But if such a thing happened, which I

doubt, you would do better to wish, Marie, that such women should really love your husband. In the first

place, the devoted love of a mistress is a rapid element of the dissolution of a lover's affection; and then, by

dint of loving, the mistress loses all influence over her lover, whose power of wealth she does not covet,

caring only for his affection. Wish, therefore, that the king should love but lightly, and that his mistress

"Quite true, quite true; I speak absurdly. There is a feeling of anguish, however, which I can never control."

"The king may make a happy choice may find a home, with all the tender influences of home, not far from

that we can offer him, a home with children round him, the children of another woman. Oh, madame! I

"Marie, Marie," replied the queenmother with a smile, and she took the young queen's hand in her own,

"remember what I am going to say, and let it always be a consolation to you: the king cannot have a Dauphin

With this remark the queenmother quitted her daughterinlaw, in order to meet Madame, whose arrival in

the grand cabinet had just been announced by one of the pages. Madame had scarcely taken time to change

her dress. Her face revealed her agitation, which betrayed a plan, the execution of which occupied, while the

"I came to ascertain," she said, "if your majesties are suffering any fatigue from our journey."

Madame said not a word in reply; but one of those smiles which were peculiarly her own flitted for a moment

across her lips, without passing over the rest of her face; then, immediately changing the conversation, she

continued, "We shall find Paris precisely the Paris we quitted; the same intrigues, plots, and flirtations going

"Who makes up the number to about ten thousand," replied the queen mother. "But what are the plots you

"Oh!" exclaimed the young queen, "you mean those medals struck in Holland, on which a cloud is seen

passing across the sun, which is the king's device. You are wrong in calling that a plot it is an insult."

"But so contemptible that the king can well despise it," replied the queenmother. "Well, what are the

"_Casa de usted_," murmured the queenmother, and without moving her lips, in her daughterinlaw's ear,

without being overheard by Madame, who thus continued: "You know the terrible news?"

"And you attribute it, I suppose, as every one else does, to an accident which happened to him while

Madame drew closer to them, as she said, in a low tone of voice, "It was a duel."

"Ah!" said Anne of Austria, in a severe tone; for, in her ears, the word "duel," which had been forbidden in

"A most deplorable duel, which has nearly cost Monsieur two of his best friends, and the king two of his best

"What was the cause of the duel?" inquired the young queen, animated by a secret instinct.

"Flirtation," repeated Madame, triumphantly. "The gentlemen in question were conversing about the virtue of

a particular lady belonging to the court. One of them thought that Pallas was a very secondrate person

compared to her; the other pretended that the lady in question was an imitation of Venus alluring Mars; and

"Venus alluring Mars?" said the young queen in a low tone of voice without venturing to examine into the

"Who is the lady?" inquired Anne of Austria abruptly. "You said, I believe, she was one of the ladies of

"I thought she was affianced to a gentleman who certainly is not, at least so I have heard, either M. de Guiche

The young queen took up a piece of tapestry, and began to broider with an affectation of tranquillity her

"What were you saying about Venus and Mars?" pursued the queenmother. "Is there a Mars also?"

"The devoted servant of whom?" exclaimed the young queen, forgetting her reserve in allowing her jealous

"Mars, not to be defended except at the expense of Venus," replied Madame. "M. de Guiche maintained the

"And M. de Wardes," said Anne of Austria, quietly, "spread the report that Venus was within her rights, I

"Oh, De Wardes," thought Madame, "you shall pay dearly for the wound you have given that noblest best

of men!" And she began to attack De Wardes with the greatest bitterness; thus discharging her own and De

Guiche's debt, with the assurance that she was working the future ruin of her enemy. She said so much, in

fact, that had Manicamp been there, he would have regretted he had shown such firm regard for his friend,

"I see nothing in the whole affair but _one_ cause of mischief, and that is La Valliere herself," said the

The young queen resumed her work with perfect indifference of manner, while Madame listened eagerly.

"I do not yet quite understand what you said just now about the danger of coquetry," resumed Anne of

"It is quite true," Madame hastened to say, "that if the girl had not been a coquette, Mars would not have

The repetition of this word Mars brought a passing color to the queen's face; but she still continued her work.

"I will not permit that, in my court, gentlemen should be set against each other in this manner," said Anne of

Austria, calmly. "Such manners were useful enough, perhaps, in days when the divided nobility had no other

rallyingpoint than mere gallantry. At that time women, whose sway was absolute and undivided, were

privileged to encourage men's valor by frequent trials of their courage. But now, thank Heaven, there is but

one master in France, and to him every instinct of the mind, every pulse of the body are due. I will not allow

my son to be deprived of any single one of his servants." And she turned towards the young queen, saying,

"La Valliere?" said the queen, apparently surprised, "I do not even know the name;" and she accompanied

this remark by one of those cold, fixed smiles only to be observed on royal lips.

Madame was herself a princess great in every respect, great in intelligence, great by birth, by pride; the

queen's reply, however, completely astonished her, and she was obliged to pause for a moment in order to

"In that case," retorted Maria Theresa, in the same tone, "it is your affair, my sister, and not ours."

"I beg your pardon," resumed Anne of Austria, "it is my affair. And I perfectly well understand," she pursued,

addressing a look full of intelligence at Madame, "Madame's motive for saying what she has just said."

"Everything which emanates from you, madame," said the English princess, "proceeds from the lips of

"If we send this girl back to her own family," said Maria Theresa, gently, "we must bestow a pension upon

"No, no," interrupted Anne of Austria, "no disturbance, I beg. The king dislikes that the slightest disrespectful

remark should be made of any lady. Let everything be done quietly. Will you have the kindness, Madame, to

send for this girl here; and you, my daughter, will have the goodness to retire to your own room."

The dowager queen's entreaties were commands, and as Maria Theresa rose to return to her apartments,

La Valliere entered the queenmother's apartments without in the least suspecting that a serious plot was

being concerted against her. She thought it was for something connected with her duties, and never had the

queenmother been unkind to her when such was the case. Besides, not being immediately under the control

or direction of Anne of Austria, she could only have an official connection with her, to which her own

gentleness of disposition, and the rank of the august princess, made her yield on every occasion with the best

possible grace. She therefore advanced towards the queenmother with that soft and gentle smile which

constituted her principal charm, and as she did not approach sufficiently close, Anne of Austria signed to her

to come nearer. Madame then entered the room, and with a perfectly calm air took her seat beside her

mother inlaw, and continued the work which Maria Theresa had begun. When La Valliere, instead of the

direction which she expected to receive immediately on entering the room, perceived these preparations, she

looked with curiosity, if not with uneasiness, at the two princesses. Anne seemed full of thought, while

Madame maintained an affectation of indifference that would have alarmed a less timid person even than

"Mademoiselle," said the queenmother suddenly, without attempting to moderate or disguise her Spanish

accent, which she never failed to do except when she was angry, "come closer; we were talking of you, as

"Do you pretend to be ignorant of it; are you not aware of the duel between M. de Guiche and M. de

"Oh, madame! I heard of it yesterday," said La Valliere, clasping her hands together.

"Because two men never fight without a motive, and because you must be aware of the motive which

"A persevering denial is a very commonplace mode of defense, and you, who have great pretensions to be

"Oh! madame, your majesty terrifies me with your cold severity of manner; but I do not understand how I can

have incurred your displeasure, or in what respect people concern themselves about me."

"Then I will tell you. M. de Guiche has been obliged to undertake your defense."

"Yes. He is a gallant knight, and beautiful adventuresses like to see brave knights couch lances in their honor.

But, for my part, I hate fields of battle, and above all I hate adventures, and take my remark as you please."

La Valliere sank at the queen's feet, who turned her back upon her. She stretched out her hands towards

"I have begged your majesty to tell me what is the crime I am accused of I can claim this at your hands; and

"Eh! indeed," cried Anne of Austria, "listen to her beautiful phrases, Madame, and to her fine sentiments; she

is an inexhaustible well of tenderness and heroic expressions. One can easily see, young lady, that you have

La Valliere felt struck to the heart; she became, not whiter, but as white as a lily, and all her strength forsook

"I wished to inform you," interrupted the queen, disdainfully, "that if you continue to nourish such feelings,

you will humiliate us to such a degree that we shall be ashamed of appearing before you. Be simple in your

"Are you aware that it is an exceedingly fortunate circumstance for you, mademoiselle, that such is the case,

and without fortune or position, as you are, or without any very great personal advantages, you ought to bless

La Valliere did not reply. "Where is the Vicomte de Bragelonne?" pursued the queen.

"In England," said Madame, "where the report of this young lady's success will not fail to reach him."

"Very well, mademoiselle!" said Anne of Austria, "we will get this young gentleman to return, and send you

away somewhere with him. If you are of a different opinion for girls have strange views and fancies at

times trust to me, I will put you in a proper path again. I have done as much for girls who are not as good as

La Valliere ceased to hear the queen, who pitilessly added: "I will send you somewhere, by yourself, where

you will be able to indulge in a little serious reflection. Reflection calms the ardor of the blood, and swallows

"I am innocent of everything your majesty supposes. Oh, madame! you are a witness of my despair. I love, I

"It would be far better not to respect me at all," said the queen, with a chilling irony of manner. "It would be

far better if you were not innocent. Do you presume to suppose that I should be satisfied simply to leave you

"No acting, if you please, or I will precipitate the _denouement_ of this _play_; leave the room; return to your

"Madame!" said La Valliere to the Duchess d'Orleans, whose hands she seized in her own, "do you, who are

"I!" replied the latter, with an insulting joy, "I good! Ah, mademoiselle, you think nothing of the kind;"

La Valliere, instead of giving way, as from her extreme pallor and her tears the two princesses possibly

expected, suddenly resumed her calm and dignified air; she bowed profoundly, and left the room.

"I always suspect those gentle, patient characters," replied Madame. "Nothing is more full of courage than a

"I feel I may almost venture to assure you she will think twice before she looks at the god Mars again."

"So long as she does not obtain the protection of his buckler I do not care," retorted Madame.

A proud, defiant look of the queenmother was the reply to this objection, which was by no means deficient

in finesse; and both of them, almost sure of their victory, went to look for Maria Theresa, who had been

It was about halfpast six in the evening, and the king had just partaken of refreshment. He lost no time; but

the repast finished, and business matters settled, he took SaintAignan by the arm, and desired him to lead

"Well, what is that for? It is a habit you will have to adopt, and in order to adopt a habit, one must make a

"Oh, sire!" said SaintAignan, "it is hardly possible: for every one can be seen entering or leaving those

apartments. If, however, some pretext or other were made use of if your majesty, for instance, would wait

"No pretext; no delays. I have had enough of these impediments and mysteries; I cannot perceive in what

respect the king of France dishonors himself by conversing with an amiable and clever girl. Evil be to him

"True, true; I always wish the most entire respect to be shown to her majesty. Well, then, this evening only

will I pay Mademoiselle de la Valliere a visit, and after today I will make use of any pretext you like.

SaintAignan made no reply; he descended the steps, preceding the king, and crossed the different courtyards

with a feeling of shame, which the distinguished honor of accompanying the king did not remove. The reason

was that SaintAignan wished to stand well with Madame, as well as with the queens, and also, that he did

not, on the other hand, want to displease Mademoiselle de la Valliere: and in order to carry out so many

promising affairs, it was difficult to avoid jostling against some obstacle or other. Besides, the windows of

the young queen's rooms, those of the queenmother's, and of Madame herself, looked out upon the courtyard

of the maids of honor. To be seen, therefore, accompanying the king, would be effectually to quarrel with

three great and influential princesses whose authority was unbounded for the purpose of supporting the

ephemeral credit of a mistress. The unhappy SaintAignan, who had not displayed a very great amount of

courage in taking La Valliere's part in the park of Fontainebleau, did not feel any braver in the broad

daylight, and found a thousand defects in the poor girl which he was most eager to communicate to the king.

But his trial soon finished, the courtyards were crossed; not a curtain was drawn aside, nor a window

opened. The king walked hastily, because of his impatience, and the long legs of SaintAignan, who

preceded him. At the door, however, SaintAignan wished to retire, but the king desired him to remain; a

delicate consideration, on the king's part, which the courtier could very well have dispensed with. He had to

follow Louis into La Valliere's apartment. As soon as the king arrived the young girl dried her tears, but so

precipitately that the king perceived it. He questioned her most anxiously and tenderly, and pressed her to tell

"No, no; you no longer possess the air of supreme contentment which renders you so beautiful and so

attractive. You do not look at me. Why avoid my gaze?" he said, as she turned aside her head. "In Heaven's

"Nothing at all, sire; and I am perfectly ready to assure your majesty that my mind is as free form anxiety as

"Your mind at ease, when I see you are embarrassed at the slightest thing. Has any one annoyed you?"

"I insist upon knowing if such really be the case," said the prince, his eyes sparkling.

"In that case, pray resume your gentle air of gayety, or that sweet melancholy look which I so loved in you

The king tapped the floor impatiently with his foot, saying, "Such a change is positively inexplicable." And

he looked at SaintAignan, who had also remarked La Valliere's peculiar lethargy, as well as the king's

It was futile for the king to entreat, and as useless for him to try to overcome her depression: the poor girl was

completely overwhelmed, the appearance of an angel would hardly have awakened her from her torpor.

The king saw in her repeated negative replies a mystery full of unkindness; he began to look round the

apartment with a suspicious air. There happened to be in La Valliere's room a miniature of Athos. The king

remarked that this portrait bore a strong resemblance to Bragelonne, for it had been taken when the count was

quite a young man. He looked at it with a threatening air. La Valliere, in her misery far indeed from thinking

of this portrait, could not conjecture the cause of the king's preoccupation. And yet the king's mind was

occupied with a terrible remembrance, which had more than once taken possession of his mind, but which he

had always driven away. He recalled the intimacy existing between the two young people from their birth,

their engagement, and that Athos himself had come to solicit La Valliere's hand for Raoul. He therefore could

not but suppose that on her return to Paris, La Valliere had found news from London awaiting her, and that

this news had counterbalanced the influence he had been enabled to exert over her. He immediately felt

himself stung, as it were, by feelings of the wildest jealousy; and again questioned her, with increased

bitterness. La Valliere could not reply, unless she were to acknowledge everything, which would be to accuse

the queen, and Madame also; and the consequence would be, that she would have to enter into an open

warfare with these two great and powerful princesses. She thought within herself that as she made no attempt

to conceal from the king what was passing in her own mind, the king ought to be able to read in her heart, in

spite of her silence; and that, had he really loved her, he would have understood and guessed everything.

What was sympathy, then, if not that divine flame which possesses the property of enlightening the heart, and

of saving lovers the necessity of an expression of their thoughts and feelings? She maintained her silence,

therefore, sighing, and concealing her face in her hands. These sighs and tears, which had at first distressed,

then terrified Louis XIV., now irritated him. He could not bear opposition, the opposition which tears and

sighs exhibited, any more than opposition of any other kind. His remarks, therefore, became bitter, urgent,

and openly aggressive in their nature. This was a fresh cause of distress for the poor girl. From that very

circumstance, therefore, which she regarded as an injustice on her lover's part, she drew sufficient courage to

The king next began to accuse her in direct terms. La Valliere did not even attempt to defend herself; she

endured all his accusations without according any other reply than that of shaking her head; without any other

remark than that which escapes the heart in deep distress a prayerful appeal to Heaven for help. But this

ejaculation, instead of calming the king's displeasure, rather increased it. He, moreover, saw himself

seconded by SaintAignan, for SaintAignan, as we have observed, having seen the storm increasing, and

not knowing the extent of the regard of which Louis XIV. was capable, felt, by anticipation, all the collected

wrath of the three princesses, and the near approach of poor La Valliere's downfall, and he was not true

knight enough to resist the fear that he himself might be dragged down in the impending ruin. Saint Aignan

did not reply to the king's questions except by short, dry remarks, pronounced halfaloud; and by abrupt

gestures, whose object was to make things worse, and bring about a misunderstanding, the result of which

would be to free him from the annoyance of having to cross the courtyards in open day, in order to follow his

illustrious companion to La Valliere's apartments. In the meantime the king's anger momentarily increased;

he made two or three steps towards the door as if to leave the room, but returned. The young girl did not,

however, raise her head, although the sound of his footsteps might have warned her that her lover was leaving

"For the last time, mademoiselle," he said, "will you speak? Will you assign a reason for this change, this

"What can I say?" murmured La Valliere. "Do you not see, sire, that I am completely overwhelmed at this

"Is it so difficult, then, to speak the truth? You could have told me the whole truth in fewer words than those

La Valliere was just on the point of revealing the truth to the king, her arms made a sudden movement as if

they were about to open, but her lips remained silent, and her hands again fell listlessly by her side. The poor

girl had not yet endured sufficient unhappiness to risk the necessary revelation. "I know nothing," she

"Oh!" exclaimed the king, "this is no longer mere coquetry, or caprice, it is treason."

And this time nothing could restrain him. The impulse of his heart was not sufficient to induce him to turn

back, and he darted out of the room with a gesture full of despair. SaintAignan followed him, wishing for

Louis XIV. did not pause until he reached the staircase, and grasping the balustrade, said: "You see how

"De Guiche fought on the Vicomte de Bragelonne's account, and this Bragelonne oh! SaintAignan, she

still loves him. I vow to you, Saint Aignan, that if, in three days from now, there were to remain but an atom

of affection for her in my heart, I should die from very shame." And the king resumed his way to his own

"I told your majesty how it would be," murmured SaintAignan, continuing to follow the king, and timidly

Unfortunately their return was not, like their arrival, unobserved. A curtain was suddenly drawn aside;

Madame was behind it. She had seen the king leave the apartments of the maids of honor, and as soon as she

observed that his majesty had passed, she left her own apartments with hurried steps, and ran up the staircase

As soon as the king was gone La Valliere raised herself from the ground, and stretched out her arms, as if to

follow and detain him, but when, having violently closed the door, the sound of his retreating footsteps could

be heard in the distance, she had hardly sufficient strength left to totter towards and fall at the foot of her

crucifix. There she remained, brokenhearted, absorbed, and overwhelmed by her grief, forgetful and

indifferent to everything but her profound sorrow; a grief she only vaguely realized as though by instinct.

In the midst of this wild tumult of thoughts, La Valliere heard her door open again; she started, and turned

round, thinking it was the king who had returned. She was deceived, however, for it was Madame who

appeared at the door. What did she now care for Madame! Again she sank down, her head supported by her

_prieDieu_ chair. It was Madame, agitated, angry, and threatening. But what was that to her?

"Mademoiselle," said the princess, standing before La Valliere, "this is very fine, I admit, to kneel and pray,

and make a pretense of being religious; but however submissive you may be in your address to Heaven, it is

desirable that you should pay some little attention to the wishes of those who reign and rule here below."

"Not long since," continued Madame, "a certain recommendation was addressed to you, I believe."

La Valliere's fixed and wild gaze showed how complete her forgetfulness or ignorance was.

"The queen recommended you," continued Madame, "to conduct yourself in such a manner that no one could

"I will not," continued Madame, "allow my household, which is that of the first princess of the blood, to set

an evil example to the court; you would be the cause of such an example. I beg you to understand, therefore,

in the absence of any witness of your shame for I do not wish to humiliate you that you are from this

moment at perfect liberty to leave, and that you can return to your mother at Blois."

La Valliere could not sink lower, nor could she suffer more than she had already suffered. Her countenance

did not even change, but she remained kneeling with her hands clasped, like the figure of the Magdalen.

A shiver, which passed through her whole frame, was La Valliere's only reply. And as the victim gave no

other signs of life, Madame left the room. And then, her very respiration suspended, and her blood almost

congealed, as it were, in her veins, La Valliere by degrees felt that the pulsation of her wrists, her neck, and

temples, began to throb more and more painfully. These pulsations, as they gradually increased, soon

changed into a species of brain fever, and in her temporary delirium she saw the figures of her friends

contending with her enemies, floating before her vision. She heard, too, mingled together in her deafened

ears, words of menace and words of fond affection; she seemed raised out of her existence as though it were

upon the wings of a mighty tempest, and in the dim horizon of the path along which her delirium hurried her,

she saw the stone which covered her tomb upraised, and the grim, appalling texture of eternal night revealed

to her distracted gaze. But the horror of the dream which possessed her senses faded away, and she was again

restored to the habitual resignation of her character. A ray of hope penetrated her heart, as a ray of sunlight

streams into the dungeon of some unhappy captive. Her mind reverted to the journey from Fontainebleau, she

saw the king riding beside her carriage, telling her that he loved her, asking for her love in return, requiring

her to swear, and himself to swear too, that never should an evening pass by, if ever a misunderstanding were

to arise between them, without a visit, a letter, a sign of some kind, being sent, to replace the troubled anxiety

of the evening with the calm repose of the night. It was the king who had suggested that, who had imposed a

promise on her, and who had sworn to it himself. It was impossible, therefore, she reasoned, that the king

should fail in keeping the promise which he had himself exacted from her, unless, indeed, Louis was a despot

who enforced love as he enforced obedience; unless, too, the king were so indifferent that the first obstacle in

his way was sufficient to arrest his further progress. The king, that kind protector, who by a word, a single

word, could relieve her distress of mind, the king even joined her persecutors. Oh! his anger could not

possibly last. Now that he was alone, he would be suffering all that she herself was a prey to. But he was not

tied hand and foot as she was; he could act, could move about, could come to her, while she could do nothing

but wait. And the poor girl waited and waited, with breathless anxiety for she could not believe it possible

It was now about halfpast ten. He would either come to her, or write to her, or send some kind word by M.

de SaintAignan. If he were to come, oh! how she would fly to meet him; how she would thrust aside that

excess of delicacy which she now discovered was misunderstood; how eagerly she would explain: "It is not I

who do not love you it is the fault of others who will not allow me to love you." And then it must be

confessed that she reflected upon it, and also the more she reflected, Louis appeared to her to be less guilty.

In fact, he was ignorant of everything. What must he have thought of the obstinacy with which she remained

silent? Impatient and irritable as the king was known to be, it was extraordinary that he had been able to

preserve his temper so long. And yet, had it been her own case, she undoubtedly would not have acted in such

a manner; she would have understood have guessed everything. Yes, but she was nothing but a poor

simpleminded girl, and not a great and powerful monarch. Oh! if he would but come, if he would but come!

how eagerly she would forgive him for all he had just made her suffer! how much more tenderly she would

love him because she had so cruelly suffered! And so she sat, with her head bent forward in eager expectation

towards the door, her lips slightly parted, as if and Heaven forgive her for the mental exclamation! they

were awaiting the kiss which the king's lips had in the morning so sweetly indicated, when he pronounced the

word _love!_ If the king did not come, at least he would write; it was a second chance; a chance less

delightful certainly than the other, but which would show an affection just as strong, only more timid in its

nature. Oh! how she would devour his letter, how eager she would be to answer it! and when the messenger

who had brought it had left her, how she would kiss it, read it over and over again, press to her heart the

lucky paper which would have brought her ease of mind, tranquillity, and perfect happiness. At all events, if

the king did not come, if the king did not write, he could not do otherwise than send SaintAignan, or

SaintAignan could not do otherwise than come of his own accord. Even if it were a third person, how

openly she would speak to him; the royal presence would not be there to freeze her words upon her tongue,

and then no suspicious feeling would remain a moment longer in the king's heart.

Everything with La Valliere, heart and look, body and mind, was concentrated in eager expectation. She said

to herself that there was an hour left in which to indulge hope; that until midnight struck, the king might

come, or write or send; that at midnight only would every expectation vanish, every hope be lost. Whenever

she heard any stir in the palace, the poor girl fancied she was the cause of it; whenever she heard any one pass

in the courtyard below she imagined they were messengers of the king coming to her. Eleven o'clock struck,

then a quarterpast eleven; then halfpast. The minutes dragged slowly on in this anxiety, and yet they

seemed to pass too quickly. And now, it struck a quarter to twelve. Midnight midnight was near, the last,

the final hope that remained. With the last stroke of the clock, the last ray of light seemed to fade away; and

with the last ray faded her final hope. And so, the king himself had deceived her; it was he who had been the

first to fail in keeping the oath which he had sworn that very day; twelve hours only between his oath and his

perjured vow; it as not long, alas! to have preserved the illusion. And so, not only did the king not love her,

but he despised her whom every one illtreated, he despised her to the extent even of abandoning her to the

shame of an expulsion which was equivalent to having an ignominious sentence passed on her; and yet, it was

he, the king himself, who was the first cause of this ignominy. A bitter smile, the only symptom of anger

which during this long conflict had passed across the angelic face, appeared upon her lips. What, in fact, now

remained on earth for her, after the king was lost to her? Nothing. But Heaven still remained, and her

thoughts flew thither. She prayed that the proper course for her to follow might be suggested. "It is from

Heaven," she thought, "that I expect everything; it is from Heaven I ought to expect everything." And she

looked at her crucifix with a devotion full of tender love. "There," she said, "hangs before me a Master who

never forgets and never abandons those who neither forget nor abandon Him; it is to Him alone that we must

sacrifice ourselves." And, thereupon, could any one have gazed into the recesses of that chamber, they would

have seen the poor despairing girl adopt a final resolution, and determine upon one last plan in her mind.

Then, as her knees were no longer able to support her, she gradually sank down upon the _prieDieu_, and

with her head pressed against the wooden cross, her eyes fixed, and her respiration short and quick, she

watched for the earliest rays of approaching daylight. At two o'clock in the morning she was still in the same

bewilderment of mind, or rather the same ecstasy of feeling. Her thoughts had almost ceased to hold

communion with things of the world. And when she saw the pale violet tints of early dawn visible over the

roofs of the palace, and vaguely revealing the outlines of the ivory crucifix which she held embraced, she

rose from the ground with a newborn strength, kissed the feet of the divine martyr, descended the staircase

leading from the room, and wrapped herself from head to foot in a mantle as she went along. She reached the

wicket at the very moment the guard of the musketeers opened the gate to admit the first relief guard

belonging to one of the Swiss regiments. And then, gliding behind the soldiers, she reached the street before

the officer in command of the patrol had even thought of asking who the young girl was who was making her

La Valliere followed the patrol as it left the courtyard. The patrol bent its steps towards the right, by the Rue

St. Honore, and mechanically La Valliere turned to the left. Her resolution was taken her determination

fixed; she wished to betake herself to the convent of the Carmelites at Chaillot, the superior of which enjoyed

a reputation for severity which made the worldlyminded people of the court tremble. La Valliere had never

seen Paris, she had never gone out on foot, and so would have been unable to find her way even had she been

in a calmer frame of mind than was then the case; and this may explain why she ascended, instead of

descending, the Rue St. Honore. Her only thought was to get away from the Palais Royal, and this she was

doing; she had heard it said that Chaillot looked out upon the Seine, and she accordingly directed her steps

towards the Seine. She took the Rue de Coq, and not being able to cross the Louvre, bore towards the church

of Saint Germain l'Auxerrois, proceeding along the site of the colonnade which was subsequently built there

by Perrault. In a very short time she reached the quays. Her steps were rapid and agitated; she scarcely felt

the weakness which reminded her of having sprained her foot when very young, and which obliged her to

limp slightly. At any other hour in the day her countenance would have awakened the suspicions of the least

clear sighted, attracted the attention of the most indifferent. But at half past two in the morning, the streets

of Paris are almost, if not quite, deserted, and scarcely is any one to be seen but the hardworking artisan on

his way to earn his daily bread or the roistering idlers of the streets, who are returning to their homes after a

night of riot and debauchery; for the former the day was beginning, and for the latter it was just closing. La

Valliere was afraid of both faces, in which her ignorance of Parisian types did not permit her to distinguish

the type of probity from that of dishonesty. The appearance of misery alarmed her, and all she met seemed

either vile or miserable. Her dress, which was the same she had worn during the previous evening, was

elegant even in its careless disorder; for it was the one in which she had presented herself to the

queenmother; and, moreover, when she drew aside the mantle which covered her face, in order to enable her

to see the way she was going, her pallor and her beautiful eyes spoke an unknown language to the men she

met, and, unconsciously, the poor fugitive seemed to invite the brutal remarks of the one class, or to appeal to

the compassion of the other. La Valliere still walked on in the same way, breathless and hurried, until she

reached the top of the Place de Greve. She stopped from time to time, placed her hand upon her heart, leaned

against a wall until she could breathe freely again, and then continued on her course more rapidly than before.

On reaching the Place de Greve La Valliere suddenly came upon a group of three drunken men, reeling and

staggering along, who were just leaving a boat which they had made fast to the quay; the boat was freighted

with wines, and it was apparent that they had done ample justice to the merchandise. They were celebrating

their convivial exploits in three different keys, when suddenly, as they reached the end of the railing leading

down to the quay, they found an obstacle in their path, in the shape of this young girl. La Valliere stopped;

while they, on their part, at the appearance of the young girl dressed in court costume, also halted, and seizing

"Oh! all ye weary wights, who mope alone, Come drink, and sing and laugh, round Venus' throne."

La Valliere at once understood that the men were insulting her, and wished to prevent her passing; she tried

to do so several times, but her efforts were useless. Her limbs failed her; she felt she was on the point of

falling, and uttered a cry of terror. At the same moment the circle which surrounded her was suddenly broken

through in a most violent manner. One of her insulters was knocked to the left, another fell rolling over and

over to the right, close to the water's edge, while the third could hardly keep his feet. An officer of the

musketeers stood face to face with the young girl, with threatening brow and hand raised to carry out his

threat. The drunken fellows, at sight of the uniform, made their escape with what speed their staggering limbs

could lend them, all the more eagerly for the proof of strength which the wearer of the uniform had just

"Is it possible," exclaimed the musketeer, "that it can be Mademoiselle de la Valliere?"

La Valliere, bewildered by what had just happened, and confounded by hearing her name pronounced, looked

up and recognized D'Artagnan. "Oh, M. d'Artagnan! it is indeed I;" and at the same moment she seized his

"Most certainly I will protect you; but, in Heaven's name, where are you going at this hour?"

"You are going to Chaillot by way of La Rapee! why, mademoiselle, you are turning your back upon it."

"In that case, monsieur, be kind enough to put me in the right way, and to go with me a short distance."

"But how does it happen that I have found you here? By what merciful intervention were you sent to my

"I happened to be here, mademoiselle, because I have a house in the Place de Greve, at the sign of the

NotreDame, the rent of which I went to receive yesterday, and where I, in fact, passed the night. And I also

"That is what _I_ was doing," said D'Artagnan to himself; "but what is _she_ doing, and why is she going to

Chaillot at such an hour?" And he offered her his arm, which she took, and began to walk with increased

precipitation, which illconcealed, however, her weakness. D'Artagnan perceived it, and proposed to La

D'Artagnan did not reply; he could tell, merely by the tone of a voice, when a resolution was real or not. He

rather bore along rather than accompanied La Valliere, until they perceived the elevated ground of Chaillot.

"Yes; and since Heaven has directed you towards me to give me your support on my road, accept both my

"To the Carmelites! Your adieux! Are you going to become a nun?" exclaimed D'Artagnan.

"What, you!!!" There was in this "you," which we have marked by three notes of exclamation in order to

render it as expressive as possible, there was, we repeat, in this "you" a complete poem; it recalled to La

Valliere her old recollections of Blois, and her new recollections of Fontainebleau; it said to her, "_You_,

who might be happy with Raoul; _you_, who might be powerful with Louis; _you_ about to become a nun!"

"Yes, monsieur," she said, "I am going to devote myself to the service of Heaven; and to renounce the world

"But are you not mistaken with regard to your vocation, are you not mistaken in supposing it to be the will

"No, since Heaven has been pleased to throw you in my way. Had it not been for you, I should certainly have

sunk from fatigue on the road, and since Heaven, I repeat, has thrown you in my way, it is because it has

"Oh!" said D'Artagnan, doubtingly, "that is a rather subtle distinction, I think."

"Whatever it may be," returned the young girl, "I have acquainted you with the steps I have taken, and with

my fixed resolution. And, now, I have one last favor to ask of you, even while I return you my thanks. The

king is entirely ignorant of my flight from the Palais Royal, and is ignorant also of what I am about to do."

"The king ignorant, you say!" exclaimed D'Artagnan. "Take care, mademoiselle; you are not aware of what

you are doing. No one ought to do anything with which the king is unacquainted, especially those who belong

"Do not be uneasy, monsieur," she continued: "I have well calculated everything; and were it not so, it would

"In the name of that sympathy which misfortune inspires, by your generous feeling, and by your honor as a

"Swear to me, Monsieur d'Artagnan, that you will not tell the king that you have seen me, and that I am at the

"Because I know the king, I know you, I know myself even, nay, the whole human race, too well; no, no, I

"In that case," cried La Valliere, with an energy of which one would hardly have thought her capable,

"instead of the blessing which I should have implored for you until my dying day, I will invoke a curse, for

We have already observed that D'Artagnan could easily recognize the accents of truth and sincerity, and he

could not resist this last appeal. He saw by her face how bitterly she suffered from a feeling of degradation,

he remarked her trembling limbs, how her whole slight and delicate frame was violently agitated by some

internal struggle, and clearly perceived that resistance might be fatal. "I will do as you wish, then," he said.

"Oh! thanks, thanks," exclaimed La Valliere, "you are the most generous man breathing."

And in her extreme delight she seized hold of D'Artagnan's hands and pressed them between her own.

D'Artagnan, who felt himself quite overcome, said: "This is touching, upon my word; she begins where

And La Valliere, who, in the bitterness of her distress, had sunk upon the ground, rose and walked towards

the convent of the Carmelites, which could now, in the dawning light, be perceived just before them.

D'Artagnan followed her at a distance. The entrancedoor was halfopen; she glided in like a shadow, and

thanking D'Artagnan by a parting gesture, disappeared from his sight. When D'Artagnan found himself quite

alone, he reflected very profoundly upon what had just taken place. "Upon my word," he said, "this looks

very much like what is called a false position. To keep such a secret as that, is to keep a burning coal in one's

breechespocket, and trust that it may not burn the stuff. And yet, not to keep it when I have sworn to do so is

dishonorable. It generally happens that some bright idea or other occurs to me as I am going along; but I am

very much mistaken if I shall not, now, have to go a long way in order to find the solution of this affair. Yes,

but which way to go? Oh! towards Paris, of course; that is the best way, after all. Only one must make haste,

and in order to make haste four legs are better than two, and I, unhappily, only have two. 'A horse, a horse,' as

I heard them say at the theatre in London, 'my kingdom for a horse!' And now I think of it, it need not cost me

so much as that, for at the Barriere de la Conference there is a guard of musketeers, and instead of the one

So, in pursuance of this resolution, which he adopted with his usual rapidity, D'Artagnan immediately turned

his back upon the heights of Chaillot, reached the guardhouse, took the fastest horse he could find there, and

was at the palace in less than ten minutes. It was striking five as he reached the Palais Royal. The king, he

was told, had gone to bed at his usual hour, having been long engaged with M. Colbert, and, in all

probability, was still sound asleep. "Come," said D'Artagnan, "she spoke the truth; the king is ignorant of

everything; if he only knew one half of what has happened, the Palais Royal by this time would be turned

When the king left the apartments of the maids of honor, he found Colbert awaiting him to take directions for

the next day's ceremony, as the king was then to receive the Dutch and Spanish ambassadors. Louis XIV. had

serious causes of dissatisfaction with the Dutch; the States had already been guilty of many mean shifts and

evasions with France, and without perceiving or without caring about the chances of a rupture, they again

abandoned the alliance with his Most Christian Majesty, for the purpose of entering into all kinds of plots

with Spain. Louis XIV. at his accession, that is to say, at the death of Cardinal Mazarin, had found this

political question roughly sketched out; the solution was difficult for a young man, but as, at that time, the

king represented the whole nation, anything that the head resolved upon, the body would be found ready to

carry out. Any sudden impulse of anger, the reaction of young hot blood upon the brain, would be quite

sufficient to change an old form of policy and create another system altogether. The part that diplomatists had

to play in those days was that of arranging among themselves the different _coupsd'etat_ which their

sovereign masters might wish to effect. Louis was not in that calm frame of mind which was necessary to

enable him to determine on a wise course of policy. Still much agitated from the quarrel he had just had with

La Valliere, he walked hastily into his cabinet, dimly desirous of finding an opportunity of producing an

explosion after he had controlled himself for so long a time. Colbert, as he saw the king enter, knew the

position of affairs at a glance, understood the king's intentions, and resolved therefore to maneuver a little.

When Louis requested to be informed what it would be necessary to say on the morrow, Colbert began by

expressing his surprise that his majesty had not been properly informed by M. Fouquet. "M. Fouquet," he

said, "is perfectly acquainted with the whole of this Dutch affair he received the dispatches himself direct."

The king, who was accustomed to hear M. Colbert speak in not over scrupulous terms of M. Fouquet,

allowed this remark to pass unanswered, and merely listened. Colbert noticed the effect it had produced, and

hastened to back out, saying that M. Fouquet was not on all occasions as blamable as at the first glance might

seem to be the case, inasmuch as at that moment he was greatly occupied. The king looked up. "What do you

"Sire, men are but men, and M. Fouquet has his defects as well as his great qualities."

"Your majesty, hardly," said Colbert, boldly; for he knew how to convey a good deal of flattery in a light

amount of blame, like the arrow which cleaves the air notwithstanding its weight, thanks to the light feathers

"I am not quite sure, sire; I have very little to do with matters of gallantry."

"I cannot now remember whose, but I think it is one of Madame's maids of honor."

The king started. "You know more than you like to say, M. Colbert," he murmured.

"At all events, Madame's maids of honor are all known, and in mentioning their names to you, you will

"It would be useless, sire. Whenever the name of any lady who runs the risk of being compromised is

A dark cloud seemed to pass over the mind as well as across the face of the king; then, wishing to appear as if

he were perfect master of himself and his feelings, he said, "And now for the affair concerning Holland."

"In the first place, sire, at what hour will your majesty receive the ambassadors?"

"For friends, that would be a matter of no importance; one does what one likes with one's friends; but for

one's enemies, in that case nothing could be better than if they _were_ to feel hurt. I should not be sorry, I

confess, to have to finish altogether with these marshbirds, who annoy me with their cries."

"It shall be precisely as your majesty desires. At nine o'clock, therefore I will give the necessary orders. Is it

"No. I wish to have an explanation with them, and not to embitter matters, as is always the case when many

persons are present, but, at the same time, I wish to clear up everything with them, in order not to have to

"Your majesty will inform me of the persons whom you wish to be present at the reception."

"Allied with Spain, they see themselves bounded and protected by the possessions of their allies; they cannot

touch them, however anxious they may be to do so. From Antwerp to Rotterdam is but a step, and that by the

way of the Scheldt and the Meuse. If they wish to make a bite at the Spanish cake, you, sire, the soninlaw

of the king of Spain, could with your cavalry sweep the earth from your dominions to Brussels in a couple of

days. Their design is, therefore, only to quarrel so far with you, and only to make you suspect Spain so far, as

"It would be far more simple, I should imagine," replied the king, "to form a solid alliance with me, by means

"Not so; for if, by chance, they were to have you, or France rather, as a boundary, your majesty is not an

agreeable neighbor. Young, ardent, warlike, the king of France might inflict some serious mischief on

"I perfectly understand, M. Colbert, and you have explained it very clearly; but be good enough to tell me the

"They will tell your majesty that they are ardently desirous of forming an alliance with you, which will be a

falsehood: they will tell Spain that the three powers ought to unite so as to check the prosperity of England,

and that will equally be a falsehood; for at present, the natural ally of your majesty is England, who has ships

while we have none; England, who can counteract Dutch influence in India; England, in fact, a monarchical

"I should answer, sire, with the greatest possible moderation of tone, that the disposition of Holland does not

seem friendly towards the Court of France; that the symptoms of public feeling among the Dutch are

alarming as regards your majesty; that certain medals have been struck with insulting devices."

"Oh, no! sire, no; insulting is not the word; I was mistaken, I ought to have said immeasurably flattering to

"Oh! if that be so, the pride of the Dutch is a matter of indifference to me," said the king, sighing.

"Your majesty is right, a thousand times right. However, it is never a mistake in politics, your majesty knows

better than myself, to exaggerate a little in order to obtain a concession in your own favor. If your majesty

were to complain as if your susceptibility were offended, you would stand in a far higher position with them."

"What are these medals you speak of?" inquired Louis; "for if I allude to them, I ought to know what to say."

"Upon my word, sire, I cannot very well tell you some overweeningly conceited device that is the sense

"Very good! I will mention the word 'medal,' and they can understand it if they like."

"Oh! they will understand without any difficulty. Your majesty can also slip in a few words about certain

"Never! Pamphlets befoul those who write them much more than those against whom they are written. M.

Colbert, I thank you. You can leave now. Do not forget the hour I have fixed, and be there yourself."

"True," returned the king; and he began to meditate; he had not thought of the list in the least. The clock

struck halfpast eleven. The king's face revealed a violent conflict between pride and love. The political

conversation had dispelled a good deal of the irritation which Louis had felt, and La Valliere's pale, worn

features, in his imagination, spoke a very different language from that of the Dutch medals, or the Batavian

pamphlets. He sat for ten minutes debating within himself whether he should or should not return to La

Valliere; but Colbert having with some urgency respectfully requested that the list might be furnished him,

the king was ashamed to be thinking of mere matters of affection where important state affairs required his

attention. He therefore dictated: the queenmother, the queen, Madame, Madame de Motteville, Madame de

Chatillon, Madame de Navailles; and, for the men, M. le Prince, M. de Gramont, M. de Manicamp, M. de

"Sire, I will leave at once in order to get everything prepared; the orders will be at the different residences

"Say rather today," replied Louis mournfully, as the clock struck twelve. It was the very hour when poor La

Valliere was almost dying from anguish and bitter suffering. The king's attendants entered, it being the hour

of his retirement to his chamber; the queen, indeed, had been waiting for more than an hour. Louis

accordingly retreated to his bedroom with a sigh; but, as he sighed, he congratulated himself on his courage,

D'Artagnan had, with very few exceptions, learned almost all of the particulars of what we have just been

relating; for among his friends he reckoned all the useful, serviceable people in the royal household,

officious attendants who were proud of being recognized by the captain of the musketeers, for the captain's

influence was very great; and then, in addition to any ambitious vies they may have imagined he could

promote, they were proud of being regarded as worth being spoken to by a man as brave as D'Artagnan. In

this manner D'Artagnan learned every morning what he had not been able either to see or to ascertain the

night before, from the simple fact of his not being ubiquitous; so that, with the information he had been able

by his own means to pick up during the day, and with what he had gathered from others, he succeeded in

making up a bundle of weapons, which he was in the prudent habit of using only when occasion required. In

this way, D'Artagnan's two eyes rendered him the same service as the hundred eyes of Argus. Political

secrets, bedside revelations, hints or scraps of conversation dropped by the courtiers on the threshold of the

royal antechamber, in this way D'Artagnan managed to ascertain, and to store away everything in the vast

and impenetrable mausoleum of his memory, by the side of those royal secrets so dearly bought and faithfully

preserved. He therefore knew of the king's interview with Colbert, and of the appointment made for the

ambassadors in the morning, and, consequently, that the question of the medals would be brought up for

debate; and, while he was arranging and constructing the conversation upon a few chance words which had

reached his ears, he returned to his post in the royal apartments, so as to be there at the very moment the king

awoke. It happened that the king rose very early, proving thereby that he, too, on his side, had slept but

indifferently. Towards seven o'clock, he halfopened his door very gently. D'Artagnan was at his post. His

majesty was pale, and seemed wearied; he had not, moreover, quite finished dressing.

SaintAignan was probably awaiting a summons, for the messenger, when he reached his apartment, found

him already dressed. SaintAignan hastened to the king in obedience to the summons. A moment afterwards

the king and SaintAignan passed by together the king walking first. D'Artagnan went to the window

which looked out upon the courtyard; he had no need to put himself to the trouble of watching in what

direction the king went, for he had no difficulty in guessing beforehand where his majesty was going. The

king, in fact, bent his steps towards the apartments of the maids of honor, a circumstance which in no way

astonished D'Artagnan, for he more than suspected, although La Valliere had not breathed a syllable on the

subject, that the king had some kind of reparation to make. SaintAignan followed him as he had done the

previous evening, rather less uneasy in his mind, though still slightly agitated, for he fervently trusted that at

seven o'clock in the morning there might be only himself and the king awake amongst the august guests at the

palace. D'Artagnan stood at the window, careless and perfectly calm in his manner. One could almost have

sworn that he noticed nothing, and was utterly ignorant who were these two hunters after adventures, passing

like shadows across the courtyard, wrapped up in their cloaks. And yet, all the while that D'Artagnan

appeared not to be looking at them at all, he did not for one moment lose sight of them, and while he whistled

that old march of the musketeers, which he rarely recalled except under great emergencies, he conjectured

and prophesied how terrible would be the storm which would be raised on the king's return. In fact, when the

king entered La Valliere's apartment and found the room empty and the bed untouched, he began to be

alarmed, and called out to Montalais, who immediately answered the summons; but her astonishment was

equal to the king's. All that she could tell his majesty was, that she had fancied she had heard La Valliere's

weeping during a portion of the night, but, knowing that his majesty had paid her a visit, she had not dared to

"Sire," replied Montalais, "Louise is of a very sentimental disposition, and as I have often seen her rise at

This appeared probable, and the king immediately ran down the staircase in search of the fugitive.

D'Artagnan saw him grow very pale, and talking in an excited manner with his companion, as he went

towards the gardens; SaintAignan following him, out of breath. D'Artagnan did not stir from the window,

but went on whistling, looking as if he saw nothing, yet seeing everything. "Come, come," he murmured,

when the king disappeared, "his majesty's passion is stronger than I thought; he is now doing, I think, what he

In a quarter of an hour the king again appeared: he had looked everywhere, was completely out of breath,

and, as a matter of course, had not discovered anything. SaintAignan, who still followed him, was fanning

himself with his hat, and in a gasping voice, asking for information about La Valliere from such of the

servants as were about, in fact from every one he met. Among others he came across Manicamp, who had

arrived from Fontainebleau by easy stages; for whilst others had performed the journey in six hours, he had

Whereupon Manicamp, dreamy and absent as usual, answered, thinking that some one was asking him about

And he continued on his way until he reached the antechamber where D'Artagnan was, whom he asked to

explain how it was that the king looked, as he thought, so bewildered; to which D'Artagnan replied that he

was quite mistaken, that the king, on the contrary, was as lively and merry as he could possibly be.

In the midst of all this, eight o'clock struck. It was usual for the king to take his breakfast at this hour, for the

code of etiquette prescribed that the king should always be hungry at eight o'clock. His breakfast was laid

upon a small table in his bedroom, and he ate very fast. SaintAignan, of whom he would not lose sight,

waited on the king. He then disposed of several military audiences, during which he dispatched SaintAignan

to see what he could find out. Then, still occupied, full of anxiety, still watching SaintAignan's return, who

had sent out the servants in every direction, to make inquires, and who had also gone himself, the hour of

As the clock was striking nine the ambassadors entered, and as it finished, the two queens and Madame made

their appearance. There were three ambassadors from Holland, and two from Spain. The king glanced at

them, and then bowed; and, at the same moment, SaintAignan entered, an entrance which the king

regarded as far more important, in a different sense, however, than that of ambassadors, however numerous

they might be, and from whatever country they came; and so, setting everything aside, the king made a sign

of interrogation to SaintAignan, which the latter answered by a most decisive negative. The king almost

entirely lost his courage; but as the queens, the members of the nobility who were present, and the

ambassadors, had their eyes fixed upon him, he overcame his emotion by a violent effort, and invited the

latter to speak. Whereupon one of the Spanish deputies made a long oration, in which he boasted the

The king interrupted him, saying, "Monsieur, I trust that whatever is best for France must be exceedingly

This remark, and particularly the peremptory tone in which it was pronounced, made the ambassadors pale,

and brought the color into the cheeks of the two queens, who, being Spanish, felt wounded in their pride of

The Dutch ambassador then began to address himself to the king, and complained of the injurious suspicions

The king interrupted him, saying, "It is very singular, monsieur, that you should come with any complaint,

when it is I rather who have reason to be dissatisfied; and yet, you see, I do not complain."

The king smiled bitterly. "Will you blame me, monsieur," he said, "if I should happen to entertain suspicions

"I tell you," resumed the king, exciting himself by a recollection of his own personal annoyance, rather than

from political grounds, "that Holland is a land of refuge for all who hate me, and especially for all who

"You wish for proofs, perhaps? Very good; they can be had easily enough. Whence proceed all those vile and

insolent pamphlets which represent me as a monarch without glory and without authority? your

printingpresses groan under their number. If my secretaries were here, I would mention the titles of the

"Sire," replied the ambassador, "a pamphlet can hardly be regarded as the work of a whole nation. Is it just, is

it reasonable, that a great and powerful monarch like your majesty should render a whole nation responsible

for the crime of a few madmen, who are, perhaps, only scribbling in a garret for a few sous to buy bread for

"That may be the case, I admit. But when the mint itself, at Amsterdam, strikes off medals which reflect

The king still looked at Colbert; but Colbert appeared not to understand him, and maintained an unbroken

silence, notwithstanding the king's repeated hints. D'Artagnan then approached the king, and taking a piece of

money out of his pocket, he placed it in the king's hands, saying, "_This_ is the medal your majesty alludes

The king looked at it, and with a look which, ever since he had become his own master, was ever piercing as

the eagle's, observed an insulting device representing Holland arresting the progress of the sun, with this

"In my presence the sun stands still," exclaimed the king, furiously. "Ah! you will hardly deny it now, I

"And the sun," said D'Artagnan, "is this," as he pointed to the panels of the cabinet, where the sun was

brilliantly represented in every direction, with this motto, "_Nec pluribus impar_."

Louis's anger, increased by the bitterness of his own personal sufferings, hardly required this additional

circumstance to foment it. Every one saw, from the kindling passion in the king's eyes, that an explosion was

imminent. A look from Colbert kept postponed the bursting of the storm. The ambassador ventured to frame

excuses by saying that the vanity of nations was a matter of little consequence; that Holland was proud that,

with such limited resources, she had maintained her rank as a great nation, even against powerful monarchs,

and that if a little smoke had intoxicated his countrymen, the king would be kindly disposed, and would even

excuse this intoxication. The king seemed as if he would be glad of some suggestion; he looked at Colbert,

who remained impassible; then at D'Artagnan, who simply shrugged his shoulders, a movement which was

like the opening of the floodgates, whereby the king's anger, which he had restrained for so long a period,

now burst forth. As no one knew what direction his anger might take, all preserved a dead silence. The

second ambassador took advantage of it to begin his excuses also. While he was speaking, and while the king,

who had again gradually returned to his own personal reflections, was automatically listening to the voice,

full of nervous anxiety, with the air of an absent man listening to the murmuring of a cascade, D'Artagnan, on

whose left hand SaintAignan was standing, approached the latter, and, in a voice which was loud enough to

"What has happened to La Valliere?" inquired SaintAignan, in a tone which can easily be imagined.

"The veil!" cried the king, in the midst of the ambassador's discourse; but then, mindful of the rules of

The king did not lose a syllable of this conversation; and again he could hardly control his feelings.

"Because the poor girl was driven away from the court yesterday," replied D'Artagnan.

He had no sooner said this, than the king, with an authoritative gesture, said to the ambassador, "Enough,

"You added that Mademoiselle de la Valliere had been driven away from the court."

The king almost bounded from his seat, regardless of ambassadors, ministers, courtiers, queens, and politics.

The queenmother rose; she had heard everything, or, if she had not heard everything, she had guessed it.

Madame, almost fainting from anger and fear, endeavored to rise as the queenmother had done; but she sank

down again upon her chair, which by an instinctive movement she made roll back a few paces.

"Gentlemen," said the king, "the audience is over; I will communicate my answer, or rather my will, to Spain

and to Holland;" and with a proud, imperious gesture, he dismissed the ambassadors.

"Take care, my son," said the queenmother, indignantly, "you are hardly master of yourself, I think."

"Ah! madame," returned the young lion, with a terrible gesture, "if I am not mater of myself, I will be, I

promise you, of those who do me a deadly injury; come with me, M. d'Artagnan, come." And he quitted the

room in the midst of general stupefaction and dismay. The king hastily descended the staircase, and was

The king's only answer was a look, but this look promised more than the ambition of three D'Artagnans could

Although they had not been summoned, Manicamp and Malicorne had followed the king and D'Artagnan.

They were both exceedingly intelligent men; except that Malicorne was too precipitate, owing to ambition,

while Manicamp was frequently too tardy, owing to indolence. On this occasion, however, they arrived at

precisely the proper moment. Five horses were in readiness. Two were seized upon by the king and

D'Artagnan, two others by Manicamp and Malicorne, while a groom belonging to the stables mounted the

fifth. The cavalcade set off at a gallop. D'Artagnan had been very careful in his selection of the horses; they

were the very animals for distressed lovers horses which did not simply run, but flew. Within ten minutes

after their departure, the cavalcade, amidst a cloud of dust, arrived at Chaillot. The king literally threw

himself off his horse; but notwithstanding the rapidity with which he accomplished this maneuver, he found

D'Artagnan already holding his stirrup. With a sign of acknowledgement to the musketeer, he threw the bridle

to the groom, and darted into the vestibule, violently pushed open the door, and entered the receptionroom.

Manicamp, Malicorne, and the groom remained outside, D'Artagnan alone following him. When he entered

the reception room, the first object which met his gaze was Louise herself, not simply on her knees, but

lying at the foot of a large stone crucifix. The young girl was stretched upon the damp flagstones, scarcely

visible in the gloom of the apartment, which was lighted only by means of a narrow window, protected by

bars and completely shaded by creeping plants. When the king saw her in this state, he thought she was dead,

and uttered a loud cry, which made D'Artagnan hurry into the room. The king had already passed one of his

arms round her body, and D'Artagnan assisted him in raising the poor girl, whom the torpor of death seemed

already to have taken possession of. D'Artagnan seized hold of the alarmbell and rang with all his might.

The Carmelite sisters immediately hastened at the summons, and uttered loud exclamations of alarm and

indignation at the sight of the two men holding a woman in their arms. The superior also hurried to the scene

of action, but far more a creature of the world than any of the female members of the court, notwithstanding

her austerity of manners, she recognized the king at the first glance, by the respect which those present

exhibited for him, as well as by the imperious and authoritative way in which he had thrown the whole

establishment into confusion. As soon as she saw the king, she retired to her own apartments, in order to

avoid compromising her dignity. But by one of the nuns she sent various cordials, Hungary water, etc., etc.,

and ordered that all the doors should immediately be closed, a command which was just in time, for the king's

distress was fast becoming of a most clamorous and despairing character. He had almost decided to send for

his own physician, when La Valliere exhibited signs of returning animation. The first object which met her

gaze, as she opened her eyes, was the king at her feet; in all probability she did not recognize him, for she

uttered a deep sigh full of anguish and distress. Louis fixed his eyes devouringly upon her face; and when, in

the course of a few moments, she recognized Louis, she endeavored to tear herself from his embrace.

Notwithstanding her weakness and utter despair, she rose from the ground, saying, "It must be made,

"Well," murmured D'Artagnan, "I may as well go now. As soon as they begin to speak, we may as well

prevent there being any listeners." And he quitted the room, leaving the lovers alone.

"Sire," continued La Valliere, "not another word, I implore you. Do not destroy the only future I can hope for

my salvation; do not destroy the glory and brightness of your own future for a mere caprice."

"An inexplicable impulse, foolish and unreasonable in its nature, may ephemerally appear to offer a sufficient

excuse for your conduct; but there are duties imposed upon you which are incompatible with your regard for

"You cannot love one whose peace of mind you hold so lightly, and whom you so cruelly abandoned, last

"What did you ask me yesterday morning? To love you. What did you promise me in return? Never to let

midnight pass without offering me an opportunity of reconciliation, if, by any chance, your anger should be

"Jealousy is a sentiment unworthy of a king a man. You may become jealous again, and will end by killing

"Another word, mademoiselle, in that strain, and you will see me expire at your feet."

"No, no, sire, I am better acquainted with my own demerits; and believe me, that to sacrifice yourself for one

"I have no complaints, sire, to prefer against any one; no one but myself to accuse. Farewell, sire; you are

"Oh! be careful, Louise, in what you say; for you are reducing me to the darkness of despair."

"Save me, then," cried the poor girl, "from those determined and pitiless enemies who are thirsting to

annihilate my life and honor too. If you have courage enough to love me, show at least that you have power

enough to defend me. But no; she whom you say you love, others insult and mock, and drive shamelessly

away." And the gentlehearted girl, forced, by her own bitter distress to accuse others, wrung her hands in an

"You have been driven away!" exclaimed the king. "This is the second time I have heard that said."

"I have been driven away with shame and ignominy, sire. You see, then, that I have no other protector but

"My palace, my whole court, shall be your park of peace. Oh! fear nothing further now, Louise; those be

they men or women who yesterday drove you away, shall tomorrow tremble before you tomorrow, do

I say? nay, this very day I have already shown my displeasure have already threatened. It is in my power,

even now, to hurl the thunderbolt I have hitherto withheld. Louise, Louise, you shall be bitterly revenged;

tears of blood shall repay you for the tears you have shed. Give me only the names of your enemies."

"Sire, those upon whom your anger would be prepared to fall, would force you to draw back your hand

"Oh! you do not know me," cried the king, exasperated. "Rather than draw back, I would sacrifice my

kingdom, and would abjure my family. Yes, I would strike until this arm had utterly destroyed all those who

had ventured to make themselves the enemies of the gentlest and best of creatures." And, as he said these

words, Louis struck his fist violently against the oaken wainscoting with a force which alarmed La Valliere;

for his anger, owing to his unbounded power, had something imposing and threatening in it, like the

lightning, which may at any time prove deadly. She, who thought that her own sufferings could not be

surpassed, was overwhelmed by a suffering which revealed itself by menace and by violence.

"Sire," she said, "for the last time I implore you to leave me; already do I feel strengthened by the calm

seclusion of this asylum; and the protection of Heaven has reassured me; for all the pretty human meanness

of this world are forgotten beneath the Divine protection. Once more, then, sire, and for the last time, I again

"Confess, rather," cried Louis, "that you have never loved me; admit that my humility and my repentance are

flattering to your pride, but that my distress affects you not; that the king of this wide realm is no longer

regarded as a lover whose tenderness of devotion is capable of working out your happiness, but as a despot

whose caprice has crushed your very heart beneath his iron heel. Do not say you are seeking Heaven, say

Louise's heart was wrung within her, as she listened to his passionate utterance, which made the fever of hope

"I will make you the most respected, and most adored, and the most envied of my whole court."

"But do you imagine, sire, that I shall allow that; do you imagine that I will let you come to an open rupture

with every member of your family; do you imagine that, for my sake, you could abandon mother, wife and

"Ah! you have named them, then, at last; it is they, then, who have wrought this grievous injury? By the

"That is the reason why the future terrifies me, why I refuse everything, why I do not wish you to revenge

me. Tears enough have already been shed, sufficient sorrow and affliction have already been occasioned. I, at

least, will never be the cause of sorrow, or affliction, or distress to whomsoever it may be, for I have mourned

"In Heaven's name, sire, do not speak to me in that manner. I need all my courage to enable me to accomplish

"Louise, Louise, I implore you! whatever you desire, whatever you command, whether vengeance or

"Oh! sire, if I did not love you, I should let you do what you please; I should let you revenge me, in return for

the insult which has been inflicted on me; I should accept the brilliant triumph to my pride which you

propose; and yet, you cannot deny that I reject even the sweet compensation which your affection affords,

that affection which for me is life itself, for I wished to die when I thought that you loved me no longer."

"Yes, yes; I now know, I now perceive it; you are the sweetest, best, and purest of women. There is no one so

worthy as yourself, not alone of my respect and devotion, but also of the respect and devotion of all who

surround me; and therefore no one shall be loved like yourself; no one shall ever possess the influence over

me that you wield. You wish me to be calm, to forgive? be it so, you shall find me perfectly unmoved. You

wish to reign by gentleness and clemency? I will be clement and gentle. Dictate for me the conduct you

"In Heaven's name, no, sire; what am I, a poor girl, to dictate to so great a monarch as yourself?"

"You are my life, the very spirit and principle of my being. Is it not the spirit that rules the body?"

"On my knees, yes; with my hands upraised to you, yes; with all the strength and power of my being, yes; I

love you so deeply, that I would lay down my life for you, gladly, at your merest wish."

"Oh! sire, now I know you love me, I have nothing to wish for in the world. Give me your hand, sire; and

then, farewell! I have enjoyed in this life all the happiness I was ever meant for."

"Oh! no, no! your happiness is not a happiness of yesterday, it is of to day, of tomorrow, ever enduring.

The future is yours, everything which is mine is yours, too. Away with these ideas of separation, away with

these gloomy, despairing thoughts. You will live for me, as I will live for you, Louise." And he threw himself

at her feet, embracing her knees with the wildest transports of joy and gratitude.

"Because I cannot return to the court. Exiled, how can I see you again? Would it not be far better to bury

myself in a cloister for the rest of my life, with the rich consolation that your affection gives me, with the

pulses of your heart beating for me, and your latest confession of attachment still ringing in my ears?"

"Exiled, you!" exclaimed Louis XIV., "and who dares to exile, let me ask, when I recall?"

"Oh! sire, something which is greater than and superior to the kings even the world and public opinion.

Reflect for a moment; you cannot love a woman who has been ignominiously driven away love one whom

your mother has stained with suspicions; one whom your sister has threatened with disgrace; such a woman,

"Yes, sire, precisely on that account; from the very moment she belongs to you, the character of your mistress

"You are right, Louise; every shade of delicacy of feeling is yours. Very well, you shall not be exiled."

"Ah! from the tone in which you speak, you have not heard Madame, that is very clear."

"Yes, yes, poor Louise, who was already bending beneath the fury of the storm, when you arrived and

"You will not, I know, be able to make either of them yield; believe me, the evil cannot be repaired, for I will

"Very well, Louise, to prove to you how fondly I love you, I will do one thing, I will see Madame; I will

"I will entreat her, if it be necessary," said Louis. "Will you believe in my affection after that?"

Louise drew herself up. "Oh, never, never shall you humiliate yourself on my account; sooner, a thousand

Louis reflected; his features assumed a dark expression. "I will love you as much as you have loved; I will

suffer as keenly as you have suffered; this shall be my expiation in your eyes. Come, mademoiselle, put aside

these paltry considerations; let us show ourselves as great as our sufferings, as strong as our affection for each

other." And, as he said this, he took her in his arms, and encircled her waist with both his hands, saying, "My

She made a final effort, in which she concentrated, no longer all of her firmness of will, for that had long

since been overcome, but all her physical strength. "No!" she replied, weakly, "no! no! I should die from

"No! you shall return like a queen. No one knows of your having left except, indeed, D'Artagnan."

"I promised not to say anything to the king," said D'Artagnan, putting his head through the halfopened door,

"and I kept my word; I was speaking to M. de SaintAignan, and it was not my fault if the king overheard

"Monsieur d'Artagnan," said the king, "be good enough to see if you can find a carriage for Mademoiselle de

"You have taken a long time to find it out," muttered D'Artagnan, notwithstanding he was flattered by the

La Valliere was overcome: after a little further hesitation, she allowed herself to be led away, half fainting, by

her royal lover. But, as she was on the point of leaving the room, she tore herself from the king's grasp, and

returned to the stone crucifix, which she kissed, saying, "Oh, Heaven! it was thou who drewest me hither!

thou, who has rejected me; but thy grace is infinite. Whenever I shall again return, forget that I have ever

separated myself from thee, for, when I return it will be never to leave thee again."

The king could not restrain his emotion, and D'Artagnan, even, was overcome. Louis led the young girl away,

lifted her into the carriage, and directed D'Artagnan to seat himself beside her, while he, mounting his horse,

spurred violently towards the Palais Royal, where, immediately on his arrival, he sent to request an audience

From the manner in which the king had dismissed the ambassadors, even the least clearsighted persons

belonging to the court imagined war would ensue. The ambassadors themselves, but slightly acquainted with

the king's domestic disturbances, had interpreted as directed against themselves the celebrated sentence: "If I

be not master of myself, I, at least, will be so of those who insult me." Happily for the destinies of France and

Holland, Colbert had followed them out of the king's presence for the purpose of explaining matters to them;

but the two queens and Madame, who were perfectly aware of every particular that had taken place in their

several households, having heard the king's remark, so full of dark meaning, retired to their own apartments

in no little fear and chagrin. Madame, especially, felt that the royal anger might fall upon her, and, as she was

brave and exceedingly proud, instead of seeking support and encouragement from the queenmother, she had

returned to her own apartments, if not without some uneasiness, at least without any intention of avoiding an

encounter. Anne of Austria, from time to time at frequent intervals, sent messages to learn if the king had

returned. The silence which the whole palace preserved upon the matter, and upon Louise's disappearance,

was indicative of a long train of misfortunes to all those who knew the haughty and irritable humor of the

king. But Madame, unmoved in spite of all the flying rumors, shut herself up in her apartments, sent for

Montalais, and, with a voice as calm as she could possibly command, desired her to relate all she knew about

the event itself. At the moment that the eloquent Montalais was concluding, with all kinds of oratorical

precautions, and was recommending, if not in actual language, at least in spirit, that she should show

forbearance towards La Valliere, M. Malicorne made his appearance to beg an audience of Madame, on

behalf of the king. Montalais's worthy friend bore upon his countenance all the signs of the very liveliest

emotion. It was impossible to be mistaken; the interview which the king requested would be one of the most

interesting chapters in the history of the hearts of kings and of men. Madame was disturbed by her

brotherinlaw's arrival; she did not expect it so soon, nor had she, indeed, expected any direct step on

Louis's part. Besides, all women who wage war successfully by indirect means, are invariably neither very

skillful nor very strong when it becomes a question of accepting a pitched battle. Madame, however, was not

one who ever drew back; she had the very opposite defect or qualification, in whichever light it may be

considered; she took an exaggerated view of what constituted real courage; and therefore the king's message,

of which Malicorne had been the bearer, was regarded by her as the buglenote proclaiming the

commencement of hostilities. She, therefore, boldly accepted the gage of battle. Five minutes afterwards the

king ascended the staircase. His color was heightened from having ridden hard. His dusty and disordered

clothes formed a singular contrast with the fresh and perfectly arranged toilette of Madame, who,

notwithstanding the rouge on her cheeks, turned pale as Louis entered the room. Louis lost no time in

"My dear sister," said the king, "you are aware that Mademoiselle de la Valliere fled from her own room this

morning, and that she has retired to a cloister, overwhelmed by grief and despair." As he pronounced these

"I should have thought that you might have learned it this morning, during the reception of the ambassadors,"

"From your emotion, sire, I imagined that something extraordinary had happened, but without knowing

The king, with his usual frankness, went straight to the point. "Why did you send Mademoiselle de la Valliere

The king became crimson, and his eyes kindled with a fire which it required all Madame's courage to support.

He mastered his anger, however, and continued: "A stronger reason than that is surely requisite, for one so

good and kind as you are, to turn away and dishonor, not only the young girl herself, but every member of her

family as well. You know that the whole city has its eyes fixed upon the conduct of the female portion of the

court. To dismiss a maid of honor is to attribute a crime to her at the very least a fault. What crime, what

"Since you constitute yourself the protector of Mademoiselle de la Valliere," replied Madame, coldly, "I will

give you those explanations which I should have a perfect right to withhold from every one."

"Even from the king!" exclaimed Louis, as, with a sudden gesture, he covered his head with his hat.

"It matters not," said the youthful monarch, ashamed at having been hurried away by his anger; "neither you,

nor any one else in this kingdom, can assert a right to withhold an explanation in my presence."

"Since that is the way you regard it," said Madame, in a hoarse, angry tone of voice, "all that remains for me

"The protection with which you surround Mademoiselle de la Valliere does not impose any respect."

"No equivocation, I repeat; you are perfectly aware that, as the head of the nobility in France, I am

accountable to all for the honor of every family. You dismiss Mademoiselle de la Valliere, or whoever else it

may be " Madame shrugged her shoulders. "Or whoever else it may be, I repeat," continued the king; "and

as, acting in that manner, you cast a dishonorable reflection upon that person, I ask you for an explanation, in

"Annul my sentence!" exclaimed Madame, haughtily. "What! when I have discharged one of my attendants,

"This would be a sheer abuse of power, sire; it would be indecorous and unseemly."

"As a woman, I should revolt against an abuse so insulting to me; I should no longer be able to regard myself

as a princess of your blood, a daughter of a monarch; I should be the meanest of creatures, more humbled and

The king rose from his seat with anger. "It cannot be a heart," he cried, "you have beating in your bosom; if

you act in such a way with me, I may have reason to act with corresponding severity."

It sometimes happens that in a battle a chance ball may reach its mark. The observation which the king had

made without any particular intention, struck Madame home, and staggered her for a moment; some day or

other she might indeed have reason to dread reprisals. "At all events, sire," she said, "explain what you

"I ask, madame, what has Mademoiselle de la Valliere done to warrant your conduct toward her?"

"She is the most cunning fomenter of intrigues I know; she was the occasion of two personal friends engaging

in mortal combat; and has made people talk of her in such shameless terms that the whole court is indignant

"Under her soft and hypocritical manner," continued Madame, "she hides a disposition full of foul and dark

"You may possibly be deceived, sire, but I know her right well; she is capable of creating dispute and

misunderstanding between the most affectionate relatives and the most intimate friends. You see that she has

"Sire, look well into the case as it stands; we were living on the most friendly understanding, and by the

"I swear to you," said the king, "that on no occasion has a bitter word ever passed her lips; I swear that, even

in my wildest bursts of passion, she would not allow me to menace any one; and I swear, too, that you do not

"Take care, Madame!" said the king; "you forget that you now understand me, and that from this moment

everything is equalized. Mademoiselle de la Valliere will be whatever I may choose her to become; and

"She was not born to a throne, at least, and whatever you may do can affect the future alone, but cannot affect

"Madame, towards you I have shown every kind consideration, and every eager desire to please you; do not

"It is the second time, sire, that you have made that remark, and I have already informed you I am ready to

"In that case, then, you will confer upon me the favor of receiving Mademoiselle de la Valliere back again."

"For what purpose, sire, since you have a throne to bestow upon her? I am too insignificant to protect so

"Do you mean that as a threat, and could you forget yourself so far? Do you believe that, if you push the

"I hope, sire, that you will not force me to take any step which would be unworthy of my rank."

"I hoped that you would remember our recent friendship, and that you would treat me as a brother."

Madame paused for a moment. "I do not disown you for a brother," she said, "in refusing you majesty an

"Come, come, Henrietta, let your heart speak; remember that, for however brief a time, you once loved me;

remember, too, that human hearts should be as merciful as the heart of a sovereign Master. Do not be

"You will drive me to despair you compel me to turn to the last resource of weak people, and seek counsel

"For pity's sake, Henrietta; it is the first time I entreated any one, and I have no hope in any one but in you."

"From rage, from humiliation. That I, the king, should have been obliged to descend to entreaty. I shall hate

this moment during my whole life. You have made me suffer in one moment more distress and more

degradation than I could have anticipated in the greatest extremity in life." And the king rose and gave free

Madame was not touched exactly for the best women, when their pride is hurt, are without pity; but she was

afraid that the tears the king was shedding might possibly carry away every soft and tender feeling in his

"Give what commands you please, sire," she said; "and since you prefer my humiliation to your own

although mine is public and yours has been witnessed but by myself alone speak, I will obey your majesty."

"No, no, Henrietta!" exclaimed Louis, transported with gratitude, "you will have yielded to a brother's

Louis did not answer. He had seized upon Madame's hand and covered it with kisses. "And so you will

receive this poor girl back again, and will forgive her; you will find how gentle and purehearted she is."

The king rose suddenly to his feet. By this word, which had so infelicitously escaped her, Madame had

destroyed the whole merit of her sacrifice. The king felt freed from all obligations. Exasperated beyond

"I thank you, Madame; I shall never forget the service you have rendered me." And, saluting her with an

affectation of ceremony, he took his leave of her. As he passed before a glass, he saw that his eyes were red,

and angrily stamped his foot on the ground. But it was too late, for Malicorne and D'Artagnan, who were

"The king has been crying," thought Malicorne. D'Artagnan approached the king with a respectful air, and

"Sire, it would be better to return to your own apartments by the small staircase."

"Because the dust of the road has left its traces on your face," said D'Artagnan. "By heavens!" he thought,

"when the king has given way like a child, let those look to it who may make the lady weep for whom the

Madame was not badhearted she was only hasty and impetuous. The king was not imprudent he was

simply in love. Hardly had they entered into this compact, which terminated in La Valliere's recall, when they

both sought to make as much as they could by their bargain. The king wished to see La Valliere every

moment of the day, while Madame, who was sensible of the king's annoyance ever since he had so entreated

her, would not relinquish her revenge on La Valliere without a contest. She planted every conceivable

difficulty in the king's path; he was, in fact, obliged, in order to get a glimpse of La Valliere, to be

exceedingly devoted in his attentions to his sisterinlaw, and this, indeed, was Madame's plan of policy. As

she had chosen some one to second her efforts, and as this person was our old friend Montalais, the king

found himself completely hemmed in every time he paid Madame a visit; he was surrounded, and was never

left a moment alone. Madame displayed in her conversation a charm of manner and brilliancy of wit which

dazzled everybody. Montalais followed her, and soon rendered herself perfectly insupportable to the king,

which was, in fact, the very thing she expected would happen. She then set Malicorne at the king, who found

means of informing his majesty that there was a young person belonging to the court who was exceedingly

miserable; and on the king inquiring who this person was, Malicorne replied that it was Mademoiselle de

Montalais. To this the king answered that it was perfectly just that a person should be unhappy when she

rendered others so. Whereupon Malicorne explained how matters stood; for he had received his directions

from Montalais. The king began to open his eyes; he remarked that, as soon as he made his appearance,

Madame made hers too; that she remained in the corridors until after he had left; that she accompanied him

back to his own apartments, fearing that he might speak in the antechambers to one of her maids of honor.

One evening she went further still. The king was seated, surrounded by the ladies who were present, and

holding in his hand, concealed by his lace ruffle, a small note which he wished to slip into La Valliere's hand.

Madame guessed both his intention and the letter too. It was difficult to prevent the king going wherever he

pleased, and yet it was necessary to prevent his going near La Valliere, or speaking to her, as by so doing he

could let the note fall into her lap behind her fan, or into her pockethandkerchief. The king, who was also on

the watch, suspected that a snare was being laid for him. He rose and pushed his chair, without affectation,

near Mademoiselle de Chatillon, with whom he began to talk in a light tone. They were amusing themselves

making rhymes; from Mademoiselle de Chatillon he went to Montalais, and then to Mademoiselle de

TonnayCharente. And thus, by this skillful maneuver, he found himself seated opposite to La Valliere,

whom he completely concealed. Madame pretended to be greatly occupied, altering a group of flowers that

she was working in tapestry. The king showed the corner of his letter to La Valliere, and the latter held out

her handkerchief with a look that signified, "Put the letter inside." Then, as the king had placed his own

handkerchief upon his chair, he was adroit enough to let it fall on the ground, so that La Valliere slipped her

handkerchief on the chair. The king took it up quietly, without any one observing what he did, placed the

letter within it, and returned the handkerchief to the place he had taken it from. There was only just time for

La Valliere to stretch out her hand to take hold of the handkerchief with its valuable contents.

But Madame, who had observed everything that had passed, said to Mademoiselle de Chatillon, "Chatillon,

be good enough to pick up the king's handkerchief, if you please; it has fallen on the carpet."

The young girl obeyed with the utmost precipitation, the king having moved from his seat, and La Valliere

"Ah! I beg your majesty's pardon," said Mademoiselle de Chatillon; "you have two handkerchiefs, I

And the king was accordingly obliged to put into his pocket La Valliere's handkerchief as well as his own. He

certainly gained that souvenir of Louise, who lost, however, a copy of verses which had cost the king ten

hours' hard labor, and which, as far as he was concerned, was perhaps as good as a long poem. It would be

impossible to describe the king's anger and La Valliere's despair; but shortly afterwards a circumstance

occurred which was more than remarkable. When the king left, in order to retire to his own apartments,

Malicorne, informed of what had passed, one can hardly tell how, was waiting in the antechamber. The

antechambers of the Palais Royal are naturally very dark, and, in the evening, they were but indifferently

lighted. Nothing pleased the king more than this dim light. As a general rule, love, whose mind and heart are

constantly in a blaze, contemns all light, except the sunshine of the soul. And so the antechamber was dark;

a page carried a torch before the king, who walked on slowly, greatly annoyed at what had recently occurred.

Malicorne passed close to the king, almost stumbled against him in fact, and begged his forgiveness with the

profoundest humility; but the king, who was in an exceedingly illtemper, was very sharp in his reproof to

Malicorne, who disappeared as soon and as quietly as he possibly could. Louis retired to rest, having had a

misunderstanding with the queen; and the next day, as soon as he entered the cabinet, he wished to have La

"Fetch me," he said, "the coat I wore yesterday evening, but be very sure you do not touch anything it may

The order being obeyed, the king himself searched the pocket of the coat; he found only one handkerchief,

and that his own; La Valliere's had disappeared. Whilst busied with all kinds of conjectures and suspicions, a

"How good and kind of you to have sent me those beautiful verses; how full of ingenuity and perseverance

"What does this mean?" thought the king; "there must be some mistake. Look well about," said he to the

valet, "for a pockethandkerchief must be in one of my pockets; and if you do not find it, or if you have

touched it " He reflected for a moment. To make a state matter of the loss of the handkerchief would be to

act absurdly, and he therefore added, "There was a letter of some importance inside the handkerchief, which

"Sire," said the valet, "your majesty had only one handkerchief, and that is it."

"True, true," replied the king, setting his teeth hard together. "Oh, poverty, how I envy you! Happy is the man

He read La Valliere's letter over again, endeavoring to imagine in what conceivable way his verses could

"I send you back by your messenger this reply, so unworthy of what you sent me."

"So far so good; I shall find out something now," he said delightedly. "Who is waiting, and who brought me

The king frowned. "What jest is this?" he said; "explain yourself. Why does Mademoiselle de la Valliere call

you my messenger? What did you take to that lady? Speak, monsieur, and quickly."

"Sire, I merely took Mademoiselle de la Valliere a pockethandkerchief, that was all."

"Sire, at the very moment when I had the misfortune to stumble against your majesty yesterday a

misfortune which I shall deplore to the last day of my life, especially after the dissatisfaction which you

exhibited I remained, sire, motionless with despair, your majesty being at too great a distance to hear my

"I stooped down, it was a pockethandkerchief. For a moment I had an idea that when I stumbled against

your majesty I must have been the cause of the handkerchief falling from your pocket; but as I felt it all over

very respectfully, I perceived a cipher at one of the corners, and, on looking at it closely, I found that it was

Mademoiselle de la Valliere's cipher. I presumed that on her way to Madame's apartment in the earlier part of

the evening she had let her handkerchief fall, and I accordingly hastened to restore it to her as she was

leaving; and that is all I gave to Mademoiselle de la Valliere, I entreat your majesty to believe." Malicorne's

manner was so simple, so full of contrition, and marked with such extreme humility, that the king was greatly

amused in listening to him. He was as pleased with him for what he had done as if he had rendered him the

"This is the second fortunate meeting I have had with you, monsieur," he said; "you may count upon my good

The plain and sober truth was, that Malicorne had picked the king's pocket of the handkerchief as dexterously

as any of the pickpockets of the good city of Paris could have done. Madame never knew of this little

incident, but Montalais gave La Valliere some idea of the manner in which it had really happened, and La

Valliere afterwards told the king, who laughed exceedingly at it and pronounced Malicorne to be a first rate

politician. Louis XIV. was right, and it is well known that he was tolerably well acquainted with human

Miracles, unfortunately, could not be always happening, whilst Madame's illhumor still continued. In a

week's time, matters had reached such a point, that the king could no longer look at La Valliere without a

look full of suspicion crossing his own. Whenever a promenade was proposed, Madame, in order to avoid the

recurrence of similar scenes to that of the thunderstorm, or the royal oak, had a variety of indispositions

ready prepared; and, thanks to them, she was unable to go out, and her maids of honor were obliged to remain

indoors also. There was not the slightest chance of means of paying a nocturnal visit; for in this respect the

king had, on the very first occasion, experienced a severe check, which happened in the following manner. As

at Fontainebleau, he had taken SaintAignan with him one evening when he wished to pay La Valliere a

visit; but he had found no one but Mademoiselle de TonnayCharente, who had begun to call out "Fire!" and

"Thieves!" in such a manner that a perfect legion of chambermaids, attendants, and pages, ran to her

assistance; so that SaintAignan, who had remained behind in order to save the honor of his royal master,

who had fled precipitately, was obliged to submit to a severe scolding from the queenmother, as well as

from Madame herself. In addition, he had, the next morning, received two challenges from the De Mortemart

family, and the king had been obliged to interfere. This mistake had been owing to the circumstance of

Madame having suddenly ordered a change in the apartments of her maids of honor, and directed La Valliere

and Montalais to sleep in her own cabinet. No gateway, therefore, was any longer open not even

communication by letter; to write under the eyes of so ferocious an Argus as Madame, whose temper and

disposition were so uncertain, was to run the risk of exposure to the greatest danger; and it can well be

conceived into what a state of continuous irritation, and ever increasing anger, all these petty annoyances

threw the young lion. The king almost tormented himself to death endeavoring to discover a means of

communication; and, as he did not think proper to call in the aid of Malicorne or D'Artagnan, the means were

not discovered at all. Malicorne had, indeed, occasional brilliant flashes of imagination, with which he tried

to inspire the king with confidence; but, whether from shame or suspicion, the king, who had at first begun to

nibble at the bait, soon abandoned the hook. In this way, for instance, one evening, while the king was

crossing the garden, and looking up at Madame's windows, Malicorne stumbled over a ladder lying beside a

border of box, and said to Manicamp, then walking with him behind the king, "Did you not see that I just now

"No," said Manicamp, as usual very absentminded, "but it appears you did not fall."

"That doesn't matter; but it is not on that account the less dangerous to leave ladders lying about in that

"True, one might hurt one's self, especially when troubled with fits of absence of mind."

"I don't mean that; what I did mean, was that it is dangerous to allow ladders to lie about so near the windows

"Because, for instance," said Malicorne, "a ladder nineteen feet high is just the height of the cornice of those

"Oh! I don't say that any one would ever venture to go up a ladder into Madame's room; but in Madame's

cabinet, merely separated by a partition, sleep two exceedingly pretty girls, Mesdemoiselles de la Valliere

"Look; you see how brilliantly lighted Madame's apartments are well, do you see those two windows?"

"Well, that is the room of the maids of honor. Look, there is Mademoiselle de la Valliere opening the

window. Ah! how many soft things could an enterprising lover say to her, if he only suspected that there was

"Mademoiselle de Montalais counts for nothing; she is her oldest friend, and exceedingly devoted to her a

positive well, into which can be thrown all sorts of secrets one might wish to get rid of."

The king did not lose a single syllable of this conversation. Malicorne even remarked that his majesty

slackened his pace, in order to give him time to finish. So, when they arrived at the door, Louis dismissed

every one, with the exception of Malicorne a circumstance which excited no surprise, for it was known that

the king was in love; and they suspected he was going to compose some verses by moonlight; and, although

there was no moon that evening, the king might, nevertheless, have some verses to compose. Every one,

therefore, took his leave; and, immediately afterwards, the king turned towards Malicorne, who respectfully

waited until his majesty should address him. "What were you saying, just now, about a ladder, Monsieur

"Did I say anything about ladders, sire?" said Malicorne, looking up, as if in search of words which had

"Oh, yes, sire, I remember; but I spoke to M. Manicamp, and I should not have said a word had I known your

"Because I should not have liked to get the gardener into a scrape who left it there poor fellow!"

Malicorne turned back, and led the king up to the ladder, saying, "This is it, sire."

When Malicorne had brought the ladder on to the gravel walk, the king began to step its whole length.

"Nineteen feet that is rather long; I hardly believe it can be so long as that."

"You cannot judge very correctly with the ladder in that position, sire. If it were upright, against a tree or a

wall, for instance, you would be better able to judge, because the comparison would assist you a good deal."

"Oh! it does not matter, M. Malicorne; but I can hardly believe that the ladder is nineteen feet high."

The king shook his head. "There is one unanswerable means of verifying it," said Malicorne.

"Every one knows, sire, that the groundfloor of the palace is eighteen feet high."

"Well, sire, if I place the ladder against the wall, we shall be able to ascertain."

Malicorne took up the ladder, like a feather, and placed it upright against the wall. And, in order to try the

experiment, he chose, or chance, perhaps, directed him to choose, the very window of the cabinet where La

Valliere was. The ladder just reached the edge of the cornice, that is to say, the sill of the window; so that, by

standing upon the last round but one of the ladder, a man of about the middle height, as the king was, for

instance, could easily talk with those who might be in the room. Hardly had the ladder been properly placed,

when the king, dropping the assumed part he had been playing in the comedy, began to ascend the rounds of

the ladder, which Malicorne held at the bottom. But hardly had he completed half the distance when a patrol

of Swiss guards appeared in the garden, and advanced straight towards them. The king descended with the

utmost precipitation, and concealed himself among the trees. Malicorne at once perceived that he must offer

himself as a sacrifice; for if he, too, were to conceal himself, the guard would search everywhere until they

had found either himself or the king, perhaps both. It would be far better, therefore, that he alone should be

discovered. And, consequently, Malicorne hid himself so clumsily that he was the only one arrested. As soon

as he was arrested, Malicorne was taken to the guardhouse, and there he declared who he was, and was

immediately recognized. In the meantime, by concealing himself first behind one clump of trees and then

behind another, the king reached the side door of his apartment, very much humiliated, and still more

disappointed. More than that, the noise made in arresting Malicorne had drawn La Valliere and Montalais to

their window; and even Madame herself had appeared at her own, with a pair of wax candles, one in each

In the meantime, Malicorne sent for D'Artagnan, who did not lose a moment in hurrying to him. But it was in

vain he attempted to make him understand his reasons, and in vain also that D'Artagnan did understand them;

and, further, it was equally in vain that both their sharp and intuitive minds endeavored to give another turn to

the adventure; there was no other resource left for Malicorne but to let it be supposed that he had wished to

enter Mademoiselle de Montalais's apartment, as Saint Aignan had passed for having wished to force

Mademoiselle de Tonnay Charente's door. Madame was inflexible; in the first place, because, if Malicorne

had, in fact, wished to enter her apartment at night through the window, and by means of the ladder, in order

to see Montalais, it was a punishable offense on Malicorne's part, and he must be punished accordingly; and,

in the second place, if Malicorne, instead of acting in his own name, had acted as an intermediary between La

Valliere and a person whose name it was superfluous to mention, his crime was in that case even greater,

since love, which is an excuse for everything, did not exist in the case as an excuse. Madame therefore made

the greatest possible disturbance about the matter, and obtained his dismissal from Monsieur's household,

without reflecting, poor blind creature, that both Malicorne and Montalais held her fast in their clutches in

consequence of her visit to De Guiche, and in a variety of other ways equally delicate. Montalais, who was

perfectly furious, wished to revenge herself immediately, but Malicorne pointed out to her that the king's

countenance would repay them for all the disgraces in the world, and that it was a great thing to have to suffer

Malicorne was perfectly right, and, therefore, although Montalais had the spirit of ten women in her, he

succeeded in bringing her round to his own opinion. And we must not omit to state that the king helped them

to console themselves, for, in the first place, he presented Malicorne with fifty thousand francs as a

compensation for the post he had lost, and, in the next place, he gave him an appointment in his own

household, delighted to have an opportunity of revenging himself in such a manner upon Madame for all she

had made him and La Valliere suffer. But as Malicorne could no longer carry significant handkerchiefs for

him or plant convenient ladders, the royal lover was in a terrible state. There seemed to be no hope, therefore,

of ever getting near La Valliere again, so long as she should remain at the Palais Royal. All the dignities and

all the money in the world could not remedy that. Fortunately, however, Malicorne was on the lookout, and

this so successfully that he met Montalais, who, to do her justice, it must be admitted, was doing her best to

meet Malicorne. "What do you do during the night in Madame's apartment?" he asked the young girl.

"But it is very wrong to sleep; it can hardly be possible that, with the pain you are suffering, you can manage

"Of course not, since you have received fifty thousand francs and an appointment in the king's household."

"That is a matter of no moment; you are exceedingly afflicted at not seeing me as you used to see me

formerly, and more than all, you are in despair at my having lost Madame's confidence; come now, is not that

"Very good; your distress of mind prevents you sleeping at night, and so you sob, and sigh, and blow your

"I know that perfectly well; of course she can't endure anything; and so, I tell you, when she hears your deep

"The next thing that will happen will be, that La Valliere, finding herself alone without you, will groan and

"Not at all; whenever and whatever the room may be, it will always be preferable to Madame's own room."

The advice which had been given to Montalais was communicated by her to La Valliere, who could not but

acknowledge that it was by no means deficient in judgment, and who, after a certain amount of resistance,

rising rather from timidity than indifference to the project, resolved to put it into execution. This story of the

two girls weeping, and filling Madame's bedroom with the noisiest lamentations, was Malicorne's _chef

d'oeuvre_. As nothing is so probable as improbability, so natural as romance, this kind of Arabian Nights

story succeeded perfectly with Madame. The first thing she did was to send Montalais away, and then, three

days, or rather three nights afterwards, she had La Valliere removed. She gave the latter one of the small

rooms on the top story, situated immediately over the apartments allotted to the gentlemen of Monsieur's

suite. One story only, that is to say, a mere flooring separated the maids of honor from the officers and

gentlemen of her husband's household. A private staircase, which was placed under Madame de Navailles's

surveillance, was the only means of communication. For greater safety, Madame de Navailles, who had heard

of his majesty's previous attempts, had the windows of the rooms and the openings of the chimneys carefully

barred. There was, therefore, every possible security provided for Mademoiselle de la Valliere, whose room

now bore more resemblance to a cage than to anything else. When Mademoiselle de la Valliere was in her

own room, and she was there very frequently, for Madame scarcely ever had any occasion for her services,

since she once knew she was safe under Madame de Navailles's inspection, Mademoiselle de la Valliere had

no better means of amusing herself than looking through the bars of her windows. It happened, therefore, that

one morning, as she was looking out as usual, she perceived Malicorne at one of the windows exactly

opposite to her own. He held a carpenter's rule in his hand, was surveying the buildings, and seemed to be

adding up some figures on paper. La Valliere recognized Malicorne and nodded to him; Malicorne, in his

turn, replied by a formal bow, and disappeared from the window. She was surprised at this marked coolness,

so different from his usual unfailing goodhumor, but she remembered that he had lost his appointment on

her account, and that he could hardly be very amiably disposed towards her, since, in all probability, she

would never be in a position to make him any recompense for what he had lost. She knew how to forgive

offenses, and with still more readiness could she sympathize with misfortune. La Valliere would have asked

Montalais her opinion, if she had been within hearing, but she was absent, it being the hour she commonly

devoted to her own correspondence. Suddenly La Valliere observed something thrown from the window

where Malicorne had been standing, pass across the open space which separated the iron bars, and roll upon

the floor. She advanced with no little curiosity towards this object, and picked it up; it was a wooden reel for

silk, only, in this instance, instead of silk, a piece of paper was rolled round it. La Valliere unrolled it and

"MADEMOISELLE, I am exceedingly anxious to learn two things: the first is, to know if the flooring of

your apartment is wood or brick; the second, to ascertain at what distance your bed is placed from the

window. Forgive my importunity, and will you be good enough to send me an answer by the same way you

receive this letter that is to say, by means of the silk winder; only, instead of throwing into my room, as I

have thrown it into yours, which will be too difficult for you to attempt, have the goodness merely to let it

fall. Believe me, mademoiselle, your most humble, most respectful servant, "MALICORNE. "Write the

"Ah! poor fellow," exclaimed La Valliere, "he must have gone out of his mind;" and she directed towards her

correspondent of whom she caught but a faint glimpse, in consequence of the darkness of the room a look

full of compassionate consideration. Malicorne understood her, and shook his head, as if he meant to say,

"No, no," he signified by a gesture, "my head is right," and pointed to his head, then, after moving his hand

like a man who writes very rapidly, he put his hands together as if entreating her to write.

La Valliere, even if he were mad, saw no impropriety in doing what Malicorne requested her; she took a

pencil and wrote "Wood," and then walked slowly from her window to her bed, and wrote, "Six paces," and

having done this, she looked out again at Malicorne, who bowed to her, signifying that he was about to

descend. La Valliere understood that it was to pick up the silk winder. She approached the window, and, in

accordance with Malicorne's instructions, let it fall. The winder was still rolling along the flagstones as

Malicorne started after it, overtook and picked it up, and beginning to peel it as a monkey would do with a

nut, he ran straight towards M. de SaintAignan's apartment. SaintAignan had chosen, or rather solicited,

that his rooms might be as near the king as possible, as certain plants seek the sun's rays in order to develop

themselves more luxuriantly. His apartment consisted of two rooms, in that portion of the palace occupied by

Louis XIV. himself. M. de SaintAignan was very proud of this proximity, which afforded easy access to his

majesty, and, more than that, the favor of occasional unexpected meetings. At the moment we are now

referring to, he was engaged in having both his rooms magnificently carpeted, with expectation of receiving

the honor of frequent visits from the king; for his majesty, since his passion for La Valliere, had chosen

SaintAignan as his confidant, and could not, in fact, do without him, either night or day. Malicorne

introduced himself to the comte, and met with no difficulties, because he had been favorably noticed by the

king; and also, because the credit which one man may happen to enjoy is always a bait for others.

"What do you mean?" said SaintAignan, opening his eyes very wide. "She was living in the same

"Precisely so; but Madame got tired of her proximity, and has installed her in a room which is situated

"What! up there," exclaimed SaintAignan, with surprise, and pointing at the floor above him with his finger.

"Because I am sure that your apartment _ought_, providentially, to be under Mademoiselle de la Valliere's

SaintAignan, at this remark, gave poor Malicorne a look, similar to one of those La Valliere had already

given a quarter of an hour before, that is to say, he thought he had lost his senses.

"Monsieur," said Malicorne to him, "I wish to answer what you are thinking about."

"Well, then, you are aware that underneath the apartments set for Madame's maids of honor, the gentlemen in

"Precisely. Well, monsieur, admire the singularity of the circumstance; the two rooms destined for M. de

Guiche are exactly the very two rooms situated underneath those which Mademoiselle de Montalais and

"'What then,' do you say? Why, these two rooms are empty, since M. de Guiche is now lying wounded at

"Well! if I had the happiness to call myself SaintAignan, I should guess immediately."

"I should at once change the rooms I am occupying here, for those which M. de Guiche is not using yonder."

"Can you suppose such a thing?" said SaintAignan, disdainfully. "What! abandon the chief post of honor,

the proximity to the king, a privilege conceded only to princes of the blood, to dukes, and peers! Permit me to

"Monsieur," replied the young man, seriously, "you commit two mistakes. My name is Malicorne, simply;

and I am in perfect possession of all my senses." Then, drawing a paper from his pocket, he said, "Listen to

"You know that Madame looks after La Valliere as carefully as Argus did after the nymph Io."

"You know that the king has sought for an opportunity, but uselessly, of speaking to the prisoner, and that

neither you nor myself have yet succeeded in procuring him this piece of good fortune."

"You certainly ought to know something about the subject, my poor Malicorne," said SaintAignan, smiling.

"Very good; what do you suppose would happen to the man whose imagination devised some means of

"Let me ask you, then, M. de SaintAignan, whether you would not be curious to taste a little of this royal

"Certainly," replied SaintAignan, "any favor of my master, as a recognition of the proper discharge of my

"Yes; a plan of M. de Guiche's two rooms, which, in all probability, will soon be your two rooms."

"Because my rooms are the envy of too many gentlemen, to whom I certainly shall not give them up; M. de

Roquelaure, for instance, M. de la Ferte, and M. de Dangeau, would all be anxious to get them."

"In that case I shall leave you, monsieur le comte, and I shall go and offer to one of those gentlemen the plan

"But why do you not keep them for yourself?" inquired SaintAignan, suspiciously.

"Because the king would never do me the honor of paying me a visit openly, whilst he would readily go and

"Go! most certainly he would ten times instead of once. Is it possible you can ask me if the king would go to

Malicorne unfolded the piece of paper which had been wrapped round the bobbin. "Monsieur le comte," he

said, "have the goodness to observe that the flooring of Mademoiselle de la Valliere's room is merely a

"Well! all you would have to do would be to get hold of a journeyman carpenter, lock him up in your

apartments, without letting him know where you have taken him to, and let him make a hole in your ceiling,

"Why, effecting such an opening as that will make a terrible noise: it could be heard all over the palace."

"Oh! monsieur le comte, I am quite sure that the carpenter I shall select will not make the slightest noise in

the world. He will saw an opening three feet square, with a saw covered with tow, and no one, not even those

"To continue," replied Malicorne, quietly, "in the room, the ceiling of which you will have cut through, you

will put up a staircase, which will either allow Mademoiselle de la Valliere to descend into your room, or the

"No; for in your room it will be hidden by a partition, over which you will throw a tapestry similar to that

which covers the rest of the apartment; and in Mademoiselle de la Valliere's room it will not be seen, for the

trapdoor, which will be a part of the flooring itself, will be made to open under the bed."

"And now, monsieur le comte, there is no occasion to make you admit that the king will frequently come to

the room where such a staircase is constructed. I think that M. Dangeau, particularly, will be struck by my

"But, my dear Monsieur Malicorne, you forget that you spoke to me about it the first, and that I have

"The fact is, Monsieur de SaintAignan, I am presenting you with a Jacob's ladder, which is better than the

promise of an additional step in the peerage perhaps, even with a good estate to accompany your

"At least," replied SaintAignan, "it will give me an opportunity of showing the king that he is not mistaken

in occasionally calling me his friend; an opportunity, dear M. Malicorne, for which I am indebted to you."

"Yes; and if you imagine that that staircase is as good as a dukedom for myself, I think there will certainly be

"And one of my servants without livery. But stay, what will La Valliere say if she sees what is going on?"

"Oh! I can assure you she will be very much interested in the operation, and I am equally sure that if the king

has not courage enough to ascend to her room, she will have sufficient curiosity to come down to him."

"We will live in hope," said SaintAignan; "and now I am off to his majesty. At what time will the carpenter

"About a couple of hours; only afterwards he must have sufficient time to construct what may be called the

hyphen between the two rooms. One night and a portion of the following day will do; we must not reckon

"Nay; when one undertakes to open up communications with paradise itself, we must at least take care that

"Quite right; so farewell for a short time, dear M. Malicorne. I shall begin to remove the day after

SaintAignan, delighted with what he had just heard, and rejoiced at what the future foreshadowed for him,

bent his steps towards De Guiche's two rooms. He who, a quarter of an hour previously, would hardly yield

up his own rooms for a million francs, was now ready to expend a million, if it were necessary, upon the

acquisition of the two happy rooms he coveted so eagerly. But he did not meet with so many obstacles. M. de

Guiche did not yet know where he was to lodge, and, besides, was still too far ill to trouble himself about his

lodgings; and so SaintAignan obtained De Guiche's two rooms without difficulty. As for M. Dangeau, he

was so immeasurably delighted, that he did not even give himself the trouble to think whether SaintAignan

had any particular reason for removing. Within an hour after SaintAignan's new resolution, he was in

possession of the two rooms; and ten minutes later Malicorne entered, followed by the upholsterers. During

this time, the king asked for SaintAignan; the valet ran to his late apartments and found M. Dangeau there;

Dangeau sent him on to De Guiche's, and SaintAignan was found there; but a little delay had of course

taken place, and the king had already exhibited once or twice evident signs of impatience, when

"You, too, abandon me, then," said Louis XIV., in a similar tone of lamentation to that with which Caesar,

"Sire, I am far from abandoning you, for, on the contrary, I am busily occupied in changing my lodgings."

"Yes, sire. But I don't find myself comfortable where I am, so I am going to change to the opposite side of the

"Was I not right when I said you were abandoning me?" exclaimed the king. "Oh! this exceeds all endurance.

But so it is: there was only one woman for whom my heart cared at all, and all my family is leagued together

to tear her from me; and my friend, to whom I confided my distress, and who helped me to bear up under it,

has become wearied of my complaints and is going to leave me without even asking my permission."

SaintAignan began to laugh. The king at once guessed there must be some mystery in this want of respect.

"This, sire, that the friend whom the king calumniates is going to try if he cannot restore to his sovereign the

"How how? tell me that, SaintAignan. I wish to know what your project is, and to help you with all my

"Sire," replied SaintAignan, "I cannot, even myself, tell very well how I must set about attaining success;

"Do you happen to know where the two rooms destined for De Guiche are situated?"

"What! is it possible that you do not understand, sire, that above De Guiche's lodgings are two rooms, one of

"La Valliere's, is it not so, SaintAignan? Oh! yes, yes. It is a brilliant idea, SaintAignan, a true friend's

idea, a poet's idea. By bringing me nearer her from whom the world seems to unite to separate me you are

"Sire," said Aignan, with a smile, "I question whether, if your majesty were to know my projects in their full

extent, you would continue to pronounce such a pompous eulogium upon me. Ah! sire, I know how very

different are the epithets which certain Puritans of the court will not fail to apply to me when they learn of

"SaintAignan, I am dying with impatience; I am in a perfect fever; I shall never be able to wait until

"And yet, sire, I shall require you, if you please, to go out presently and divert your impatience by a good

"_Must?_ no, no a thousand times no! I will never again expose myself to the horrible torture of being

close to her, of seeing her, of touching her dress as I pass by her, and yet not be able to say a word to her. No,

I renounce a torture which you suppose will bring me happiness, but which consumes and eats away my very

life; to see her in the presence of strangers, and not to tell her that I love her, when my whole being reveals

my affection and betrays me to every one; no! I have sworn never to do it again, and I will keep my oath."

"In that case, I will continue; it is most urgent, sire pray understand me, it is of the greatest importance

that Madame and her maids of honor should be absent for two hours from the palace."

"It is hard for me to give my sovereign directions what to do; but under the circumstances I do give you

"But if I were to do what you wish, it would be a caprice, a mere whim. In displaying such an impatient

humor I show my whole court that I have no control over my own feelings. Do not people already say that I

am dreaming of the conquest of the world, but that I ought previously to begin by achieving a conquest over

"Those who say so, sire, are as insolent as they would like to be thought facetious; but whomever they may

be, if your majesty prefers to listen to them, I have nothing further to say. In such a case, that which we have

"Nay, SaintAignan, I will go out this evening I will go by torchlight to SaintGermain: I will breakfast

"It is because I have nothing more to tell you. Industry counts for something in this world, sire; but still,

chance plays so important a part in it that I have been accustomed to leave her the sidewalk, confident that

Comforted in this manner, the king went immediately to Madame, to whom he announced the intended

expedition. Madame fancied at the first moment that she saw in this unexpectedly arranged party a plot of the

king's to converse with La Valliere, either on the road under cover of the darkness, or in some other way, but

she took especial care not to show any of her fancies to her brotherinlaw, and accepted the invitation with

a smile upon her lips. She gave directions aloud that her maids of honor should accompany her, secretly

intending in the evening to take the most effectual steps to interfere with his majesty's attachment. Then,

when she was alone, and at the very moment the poor lover, who had issued orders for the departure, was

reveling in the idea that Mademoiselle de la Valliere would form one of the party, luxuriating in the sad

happiness persecuted lovers enjoy of realizing through the sense of sight alone all the transports of

possession, Madame, who was surrounded by her maids of honor, was saying: "Two ladies will be

enough for me this evening, Mademoiselle de TonnayCharente and Mademoiselle de Montalais."

La Valliere had anticipated her own omission, and was prepared for it: but persecution had rendered her

courageous, and she did not give Madame the pleasure of seeing on her face the impression of the shock her

heart received. On the contrary, smiling with that ineffable gentleness which gave an angelic expression to

her features "In that case, Madame, I shall be at liberty this evening, I suppose?" she said.

"I shall be able to employ it, then, in progressing with that piece of tapestry which your highness has been

good enough to notice, and which I have already had the honor of offering to you."

And having made a respectful obeisance she withdrew to her own apartment; Mesdemoiselles de

TonnayCharente and de Montalais did the same. The rumor of the intended promenade soon spread all over

the palace; ten minutes afterwards Malicorne learned Madame's resolution, and slipped under Montalais's

Montalais, in pursuance of the compact she had entered into, began by burning the letter, and then sat down

to reflect. Montalais was a girl full of expedients, and so she very soon arranged her plan. Towards five

o'clock, which was the hour for her to repair to Madame's apartment, she was running across the courtyard,

and had reached within a dozen paces of a group of officers, when she uttered a cry, fell gracefully on one

knee, rose again, with difficulty, and walked on limpingly. The gentlemen ran forward to her assistance;

Montalais had sprained her foot. Faithful to the discharge of her duty, she insisted, however, notwithstanding

"What is the matter, and why do you limp so?" she inquired; "I mistook you for La Valliere."

Montalais related how it had happened, that in hurrying on, in order to arrive as quickly as possible, she had

sprained her foot. Madame seemed to pity her, and wished to have a surgeon sent for immediately, but she,

assuring her that there was nothing really serious in the accident, said: "My only regret, Madame, is, that it

will preclude my attendance on you, and I should have begged Mademoiselle de la Valliere to take my place

with your royal highness, but " seeing that Madame frowned, she added "I have not done so."

"Because poor La Valliere seemed so happy to have her liberty for a whole evening and night too, that I did

"She is wild with delight; she, who is always so melancholy, was singing like a bird. Besides, you highness

knows how much she detests going out, and also that her character has a spice of wildness in it."

"She has already made all her preparations for dining in her own room _teteatete_ with one of her favorite

books. And then, as your highness has six other young ladies who would be delighted to accompany you, I

"Have I acted properly?" continued Montalais, with a slight fluttering of the heart, seeing the little success

that seemed to attend the _ruse de guerre_ which she had relied upon with so much confidence that she had

not thought it even necessary to try and find another. "Does Madame approve of what I have done?" she

Madame was reflecting that the king could very easily leave SaintGermain during the night, and that, as it

was only four leagues and a half from Paris to SaintGermain, he might readily be in Paris in an hour's time.

"Tell me," she said, "whether La Valliere, when she heard of your accident, offered at least to bear you

"Oh! she does not yet know of my accident; but even did she know of it, I most certainly should not ask her

to do anything that might interfere with her own plans. I think she wishes this evening to realize quietly by

herself that amusement of the late king, when he said to M. de Cinq Mars, 'Let us amuse ourselves by doing

Madame felt convinced that some mysterious love adventure lurked behind this strong desire for solitude.

The secret _might_ be Louis's return during the night; it could not be doubted any longer La Valliere had

been informed of his intended return, and that was the reason for her delight at having to remain behind at the

"I will not be their dupe though," said Madame, and she took a decisive step. "Mademoiselle de Montalais,"

she said, "will you have the goodness to inform your friend, Mademoiselle de la Valliere, that I am

exceedingly sorry to disarrange her projects of solitude, but that instead of becoming _ennuyee_ by

remaining behind alone as she wished, she will be good enough to accompany us to SaintGermain and get

"Ah! poor La Valliere," said Montalais, compassionately, but with her heart throbbing with delight; "oh,

"Enough," said Madame; "I desire it. I prefer Mademoiselle la Baume le Blanc's society to that of any one

Montalais did not wait for the order to be repeated; she returned to her room, almost forgetting to feign

lameness, wrote an answer to Malicorne, and slipped it under the carpet. The answer simply said: "She shall."

"By this means," thought Madame, "I will look narrowly after all on the road; she shall sleep near me during

the night, and his majesty must be very clever if he can exchange a single word with Mademoiselle de la

La Valliere received the order to set off with the same indifferent gentleness with which she had received the

order to play Cinderella. But, inwardly, her delight was extreme, and she looked upon this change in the

princess's resolution as a consolation which Providence had sent her. With less penetration than Madame

possessed, she attributed all to chance. While every one, with the exception of those in disgrace, of those who

were ill, and those who were suffering from sprains, were being driven towards SaintGermain, Malicorne

smuggled his workman into the palace in one of M. de SaintAignan's carriages, and led him into the room

corresponding to La Valliere's. The man set to work with a will, tempted by the splendid reward which had

been promised him. As the very best tools and implements had been selected from the reserve stock

belonging to the engineers attached to the king's household and among others, a saw with teeth so sharp and

well tempered that it was able, under water even, to cut through oaken joists as hard as iron the work in

question advanced very rapidly, and a square portion of the ceiling, taken from between two of the joists, fell

into the arms of the delighted SaintAignan, Malicorne, the workman, and a confidential valet, the latter

being one brought into the world to see and hear everything, but to repeat nothing. In accordance with a new

plan indicated by Malicorne, the opening was effected in an angle of the room and for this reason. As there

was no dressingcloset adjoining La Valliere's room, she had solicited, and had that very morning obtained, a

large screen intended to serve as a partition. The screen that had been allotted her was perfectly sufficient to

conceal the opening, which would, besides, be hidden by all the artifices skilled cabinetmakers would have

at their command. The opening having been made, the workman glided between the joists, and found himself

in La Valliere's room. When there, he cut a square opening in the flooring, and out of the boards he

manufactured a trap so accurately fitting into the opening that the most practised eye could hardly detect the

necessary interstices made by its lines of juncture with the floor. Malicorne had provided for everything: a

ring and a couple of hinges which had been bought for the purpose, were affixed to the trapdoor; and a

small circular staircase, packed in sections, had been bought ready made by the industrious Malicorne, who

had paid two thousand francs for it. It was higher than what was required, but the carpenter reduced the

number of steps, and it was found to suit exactly. This staircase, destined to receive so illustrious a burden,

was merely fastened to the wall by a couple of iron clamps, and its base was fixed into the floor of the

comte's room by two iron pegs screwed down tightly, so that the king, and all his cabinet councilors too,

might pass up and down the staircase without any fear. Every blow of the hammer fell upon a thick pad or

cushion, and the saw was not used until the handle had been wrapped in wool, and the blade steeped in oil.

The noisiest part of the work, moreover, had taken place during the night and early in the morning, that is to

say, when La Valliere and Madame were both absent. When, about two o'clock in the afternoon, the court

returned to the Palais Royal, La Valliere went up into her own room. Everything was in its proper place not

the smallest particle of sawdust, not the smallest chip, was left to bear witness to the violation of her

domicile. SaintAignan, however, wishing to do his utmost in forwarding the work, had torn his fingers and

his shirt too, and had expended no ordinary amount of perspiration in the king's service. The palms of his

hands were covered with blisters, occasioned by his having held the ladder for Malicorne. He had, moreover,

brought up, one by one, the seven pieces of the staircase, each consisting of two steps. In fact, we can safely

assert that, if the king had seen him so ardently at work, his majesty would have sworn an eternal gratitude

towards his faithful attendant. As Malicorne anticipated, the workman had completely finished the job in

twentyfour hours; he received twentyfour louis, and left, overwhelmed with delight, for he had gained in

one day as much as six months' hard work would have procured him. No one had the slightest suspicion of

what had taken place in the room under Mademoiselle de la Valliere's apartment. But in the evening of the

second day, at the very moment La Valliere had just left Madame's circle and returned to her own room, she

heard a slight creaking sound in one corner. Astonished, she looked to see whence it proceeded, and the noise

"You! you!" cried the young girl, who for a moment fancied herself under the influence of a dream. "But

"Here," replied the king, opening one of the folds of the screen, and appearing like a ghost at the end of the

La Valliere uttered a loud cry, and fell trembling into an armchair, as the king advanced respectfully towards

La Valliere very soon recovered from her surprise, for, owing to his respectful bearing, the king inspired her

with more confidence by his presence than his sudden appearance had deprived her of. But, as he noticed that

which made La Valliere most uneasy was the means by which he had effected an entrance into her room, he

explained to her the system of the staircase concealed by the screen, and strongly disavowed the notion of his

"Oh, sire!" said La Valliere, shaking her fair head with a most engaging smile, "present or absent, you do not

"Oh, what you know so well, sire; that there is not one moment in which the poor girl whose secret you

surprised at Fontainebleau, and whom you came to snatch from the foot of the cross itself, does not think of

La Valliere smiled mournfully, and continued: "But, sire, have you reflected that your ingenious invention

"Because this room may be subject to being searched at any moment of the day. Madame herself may, at any

time, come here accidentally; my companions run in at any moment they please. To fasten the door on the

inside, is to denounce myself as plainly as if I had written above, 'No admittance, the king is within!' Even

now, sire, at this very moment, there is nothing to prevent the door opening, and your majesty being seen

"In that case," said the king, laughingly, "I should indeed be taken for a phantom, for no one can tell in what

way I came here. Besides, it is only spirits that can pass through brick walls, or floors and ceilings."

"Oh, sire, reflect for a moment how terrible the scandal would be! Nothing equal to it could ever have been

previously said about the maids of honor, poor creatures! whom evil report, however, hardly ever spares."

"Alas! it is a hard thing to say but your majesty must suppress staircase plots, surprises and all; for the evil

consequences which would result from your being found here would be far greater than our happiness in

"Well, Louise," replied the king, tenderly, "instead of removing this staircase by which I have ascended, there

"Yes, another. Oh, you do not love me as I love you, Louise, since my invention is quicker than yours."

She looked at the king, who held out his hand to her, which she took and gently pressed between her own.

"You were saying," continued the king, "that I shall be detected coming here, where any one who pleases can

"Stay, sire; at this very moment, even while you are speaking about it, I tremble with dread of your being

"But you would not be found out, Louise, if you were to descend the staircase which leads to the room

"You do not quite understand me, Louise, since you get offended at my very first word; first of all, do you

"Are you sure?" cried La Valliere; and this exclamation which escaped from the young girl's joyous heart

"But, sire," returned La Valliere, "I cannot visit M. de SaintAignan's rooms any more than I could M. de

"And yet, Louise, I should have thought that, under the safeconduct of the king, you would venture

"Yes, sire, when you are not present; but when you are present, when you speak to me, when I look upon

"It is scarcely respectful, I know, to doubt the king, but for me you are _not_ the king."

"Thank Heaven! I, at least, hope so most devoutly; you see how anxiously I am trying to find or invent a

means of removing all difficulty. Stay; would the presence of a third person reassure you?"

Louise did not answer, she merely looked steadfastly at him with that clear, piercing gaze which penetrates

the very heart, and said softly to herself, "Alas! alas! it is not you of whom I am afraid, it is not you upon

"Well," said the king, sighing, "I agree; and M. de SaintAignan, who enjoys the inestimable privilege of

"Oh, wait, sire, that is not all yet; for such conversations ought, at least, to have a reasonable motive of some

"Dear Louise, every shade of delicacy of feeling is yours, and my only study is to equal you on that point. It

shall be just as you wish: therefore our conversations shall have a reasonable motive, and I have already hit

"Do you meant that that is not soon enough?" exclaimed the king, caressing La Valliere's hand between his

"Sire! sire!" cried La Valliere, "some one is coming; do you hear? Oh, fly! fly! I implore you."

The king made but one bound from the chair where he was sitting to his hidingplace behind the screen. He

had barely time; for as he drew one of the folds before him, the handle of the door was turned, and Montalais

appeared at the threshold. As a matter of course she entered quite naturally, and without any ceremony, for

she knew perfectly well that to knock at the door beforehand would be showing a suspicion towards La

Valliere which would be displeasing to her. She accordingly entered, and after a rapid glance round the room,

in the brief course of which she observed two chairs very close to each other, she was so long in shutting the

door, which seemed to be difficult to close, one can hardly tell how or why, that the king had ample time to

"Is there any occasion for us to enter into explanations, and do you not understand what I mean? Come, you

must have noticed the fluctuations in Madame's humor during several days past; you must have noticed how

she first kept you close beside her, then dismissed you, and then sent for you again."

"Well, it seems Madame has now succeeded in obtaining sufficient information, for she has now gone

straight to the point, as there is nothing further left in France to withstand the torrent which sweeps away all

"I mean," continued Montalais, pitilessly, "that torrent which burst through the gates of the Carmelites of

Chaillot, and overthrew all the prejudices of the court, as well at Fontainebleau as at Paris."

"Alas! alas!" murmured La Valliere, her face still covered by her hands, and her tears streaming through her

"Oh, don't distress yourself in that manner, or you have only heard half of your troubles."

"In Heaven's name," exclaimed the young girl, in great anxiety, "what is the matter?"

"Well, then, this is how the matter stands: Madame, who can no longer rely upon any further assistance in

France; for she has, one after the other, made use of the two queens, of Monsieur, and the whole court, too,

now bethinks herself of a certain person who has certain pretended rights over you."

"This person," continued Madame, "is not in Paris at this moment; but, if I am not mistaken, is, just now, in

"Well, this evening a letter has been dispatched by Madame to Saint James's, with directions for the courier

to go straight to Hampton Court, which I believe is one of the royal residences, situated about a dozen miles

"Well; as Madame writes regularly to London once a fortnight, and as the ordinary courier left for London

not more than three days ago, I have been thinking that some serious circumstance alone could have induced

"This letter has been written, therefore, something tells me so, at least, on your account."

"And I, who saw the letter lying on Madame's desk before she sealed it, fancied I could read "

La Valliere rose hurriedly from her chair, a prey to the most painful agitation. "Montalais," she said, her

voice broken by sobs, "all my smiling dreams of youth and innocence have fled already. I have nothing now

to conceal, either from you or any one else. My life is exposed to every one's inspection, and can be opened

like a book, in which all the world can read, from the king himself to the first passerby. Aure, dearest Aure,

Montalais approached close to her, and said, "Consult your own heart, of course."

"Well; I do not love M. de Bragelonne; when I say I do not love him, understand that I love him as the most

affectionate sister could love the best of brothers, but that is not what he requires, nor what I promised him."

"In fact, you love the king," said Montalais, "and that is a sufficiently good excuse."

"Yes, I do love the king," hoarsely murmured the young girl, "and I have paid dearly enough for pronouncing

those words. And now, Montalais, tell me what can you do either for me, or against me, in my position?"

"No, it is nothing of the kind. Ought I to marry him in order to keep the promise I made, or ought I continue

"You have really placed me in a very difficult position," said Montalais, smiling; "you ask me if you ought to

marry Raoul, whose friend I am, and whom I shall mortally offend in giving my opinion against him; and

then, you ask me if you should cease to listen to the king, whose subject I am, and whom I should offend if I

were to advise you in a particular way. Ah, Louise, you seem to hold a difficult position at a very cheap rate."

"You have not understood me, Aure," said La Valliere, wounded by the slightly mocking tone of her

companion; "if I were to marry M. de Bragelonne, I should be far from bestowing on him the happiness he

deserves; but, for the same reason, if I listen to the king he would become the possessor of one indifferent in

very many aspects, I admit, but one whom his affection confers an appearance of value. What I ask you, then,

is to tell me some means of disengaging myself honorably either from the one or from the other; or rather, I

"My dear Louise," replied Montalais, after a pause, "I am not one of the seven wise men of Greece, and I

have no perfectly invariable rules of conduct to govern me; but, on the other hand, I have a little experience,

and I can assure you that no woman ever asks for advice of the nature which you have just asked me, without

being in a terrible state of embarrassment. Besides, you have made a solemn promise, which every principle

of honor requires you to fulfil; if, therefore, you are embarrassed, in consequence of having undertaken such

an engagement, it is not a stranger's advice (every one is a stranger to a heart full of love), it is not my advice,

I repeat, that can extricate you from your embarrassment. I shall not give it you, therefore; and for a greater

reason still because, were I in your place, I should feel much more embarrassed after the advice than before

it. All I can do is, to repeat what I have already told you; shall I assist you?"

"Very well; that is all. Tell me in what way you wish me to help you; tell me for and against whom, in this

"But first of all," said La Valliere, pressing her companion's hand, "for whom or against whom do you

"A greater reason for being of service to you; if I were not to know what is going on in that direction I should

not be of any service at all, and consequently you would not obtain any advantage from my acquaintance.

"The result is, then, that you will remain at the same time Madame's friend also?"

"I hardly know," sighed La Valliere, thoughtfully, for this cynical frankness appeared to her an offense both

"All well and good, then," said Montalais, "for if you did, you would be very foolish."

"One would almost say that you do not know my heart," said La Valliere, looking at Montalais with her eyes

"Why, the fact is, that since we have belonged to the court, my dear Louise, we are very much changed."

La Valliere hung down her head, and began to weep. Montalais looked at her in an indefinable manner, and

murmured "Poor girl!" and then, adding, "Poor king!" she kissed Louise on the forehead, and returned to her

In that malady which is termed love the paroxysms succeed each other at intervals, ever accelerating from the

moment the disease declares itself. By and by, the paroxysms are less frequent, in proportion as the cure

approaches. This being laid down as a general axiom, and as the leading article of a particular chapter, we

will now proceed with our recital. The next day, the day fixed by the king for the first conversation in

SaintAignan's room, La Valliere, on opening one of the folds of the screen, found upon the floor a letter in

the king's handwriting. The letter had been passed, through a slit in the floor, from the lower apartment to her

own. No indiscreet hand or curious gaze could have brought or did bring this single paper. This, too, was one

of Malicorne's ideas. Having seen how very serviceable SaintAignan would become to the king on account

of his apartment, he did not wish that the courtier should become still more indispensable as a messenger, and

so he had, on his own private account, reserved this last post for himself. La Valliere most eagerly read the

letter, which fixed two o'clock that same afternoon for the rendezvous, and which indicated the way of raising

the trapdoor which was constructed out of the flooring. "Make yourself look as beautiful as you can," added

the postscript of the letter, words which astonished the young girl, but at the same time reassured her.

The hours passed away very slowly, but the time fixed, however, arrived at last. As punctual as the priestess

Hero, Louise lifted up the trap door at the last stroke of the hour of two, and found the king on the steps,

waiting for her with the greatest respect, in order to give her his hand to descend. The delicacy and deference

shown in this attention affected her very powerfully. At the foot of the staircase the two lovers found the

comte, who, with a smile and a low reverence distinguished by the best taste, expressed his thanks to La

Valliere for the honor she conferred upon him. Then turning towards the king, he said:

"Mademoiselle," said the king, "if I have begged you to do me the honor of coming down here, it was from

an interested motive. I have procured a most admirable portrait painter, who is celebrated for the fidelity of

his likenesses, and I wish you to be kind enough to authorize him to paint yours. Besides, if you positively

wish it, the portrait shall remain in your own possession." La Valliere blushed. "You see," said the king to

her, "we shall not be three as you wished, but four instead. And, so long as we are not alone, there can be as

"Shall we pass into the next room, sire?" said SaintAignan, opening the door to let his guests precede him.

The king walked behind La Valliere, and fixed his eyes lingeringly and passionately upon that neck as white

as snow, upon which her long fair ringlets fell in heavy masses. La Valliere was dressed in a thick silk robe of

pearl gray color, with a tinge of rose, with jet ornaments, which displayed to greater effect the dazzling purity

of her skin, holding in her slender and transparent hands a bouquet of heartsease, Bengal roses, and clematis,

surrounded with leaves of the tenderest green, above which uprose, like a tiny goblet spilling magic influence

a Haarlem tulip of gray and violet tints of a pure and beautiful species, which had cost the gardener five

years' toil of combinations, and the king five thousand francs. Louis had placed this bouquet in La Valliere's

hand as he saluted her. In the room, the door of which SaintAignan had just opened, a young man was

standing, dressed in a purple velvet jacket, with beautiful black eyes and long brown hair. It was the painter;

He bowed to La Valliere with the grave curiosity of an artist who is studying his model, saluted the king

discreetly, as if he did not recognize him, and as he would, consequently, have saluted any other gentleman.

Then, leading Mademoiselle de la Valliere to the seat he had arranged for her, he begged her to sit down.

The young girl assumed an attitude graceful and unrestrained, her hands occupied and her limbs reclining on

cushions; and in order that her gaze might not assume a vague or affected expression, the painter begged her

to choose some kind of occupation, so as to engage her attention; whereupon Louis XIV., smiling, sat down

on the cushions at La Valliere's feet; so that she, in the reclining posture she had assumed, leaning back in the

armchair, holding her flowers in her hand, and he, with his eyes raised towards her and fixed devouringly on

her face they, both together, formed so charming a group, that the artist contemplated painting it with

professional delight, while on his side, SaintAignan regarded them with feelings of envy. The painter

sketched rapidly; and very soon, beneath the earliest touches of the brush, there started into life, out of the

gray background, the gentle, poetrybreathing face, with its soft calm eyes and delicately tinted cheeks,

enframed in the masses of hair which fell about her neck. The lovers, however, spoke but little, and looked at

each other a great deal; sometimes their eyes became so languishing in their gaze, that the painter was obliged

to interrupt his work in order to avoid representing an Erycina instead of La Valliere. It was on such

occasions that SaintAignan came to the rescue, and recited verses, or repeated one of those little tales such

as Patru related, and Tallemant des Reaux wrote so cleverly. Or, it might be that La Valliere was fatigued,

and the sitting was, therefore, suspended for awhile; and, immediately, a tray of precious porcelain laden with

the most beautiful fruits which could be obtained, and rich wines distilling their bright colors in silver

goblets, beautifully chased, served as accessories to the picture of which the painter could but retrace the

Louis was intoxicated with love, La Valliere with happiness, SaintAignan with ambition, and the painter

was storing up recollections for his old age. Two hours passed away in this manner, and four o'clock having

struck, La Valliere rose, and made a sign to the king. Louis also rose, approached the picture, and addressed a

few flattering remarks to the painter. SaintAignan also praised the picture, which, as he pretended, was

already beginning to assume an accurate resemblance. La Valliere in her turn, blushingly thanked the painter

and passed into the next room, where the king followed her, after having previously summoned Saint

"Oh! sire, pray think that some one will be sure to come to my room, and will not find me there."

"Oh!" replied the king, "will the day never come when you yourself will tell me to brave everything so that I

"On that day, sire, I shall be quite out of my mind, and you must not believe me."

La Valliere sighed, but, without the courage to oppose her royal lover's wish, she repeated, "Tomorrow,

then, since you desire it, sire," and with these words she ran lightly up the stairs, and disappeared from her

"And does your majesty, then, regard yourself today," said the comte, smiling, "as the unhappiest of men?"

"No; but my love for her is an unquenchable thirst; in vain do I drink, in vain do I swallow the drops of water

which your industry procures for me; the more I drink, the more unquenchable it becomes."

"Sire, that is in some degree your own fault, and your majesty alone has made the position such as it is."

"In that case, therefore, the means to be happy, is to fancy yourself satisfied, and to wait."

"There, there, sire do not despair: I have already been at work on your behalf I have still other resources

"Oh! yes, indeed, yes, my dear SaintAignan; but invent, for Heaven's sake, invent some further project yet."

The king wished to see the portrait again, as he was unable to see the original. He pointed out several

alterations to the painter and left the room, and then SaintAignan dismissed the artist. The easel, paints, and

painter himself, had scarcely gone, when Malicorne showed his head in the doorway. He was received by

SaintAignan with open arms, but still with a little sadness, for the cloud which had passed across the royal

sun, veiled, in its turn, the faithful satellite, and Malicorne at a glance perceived the melancholy that brooded

"And good reason too, my dear Monsieur Malicorne. Will you believe that the king is still dissatisfied?"

"Oh! he has not even thought of that. No, indeed, it seems that what has dissatisfied the king "

"I will tell you, monsieur le comte, he is dissatisfied at finding himself the fourth person at a rendezvous of

"Why, how is it likely I could have done so, dear M. Malicorne, when I followed the king's instructions to the

"And also required that the painter, whom I met downstairs just now, should be here, too?"

"What! dissatisfied that I have so punctually and so literally obeyed his orders? I don't understand you."

Malicorne began to scratch his ear, as he asked, "What time did the king fix for the rendezvous in your

"Ever since halfpast one; it would have been a fine thing, indeed, to have been unpunctual with his

Malicorne, notwithstanding his respect for SaintAignan, could not help smiling. "And the painter," he said,

"No; but I had him waiting here from midday. Far better, you know, for a painter to be kept waiting a couple

Malicorne began to laugh aloud. "Come, dear Monsieur Malicorne," said SaintAignan, "laugh less at me,

"Well, then, monsieur le comte, if you wish the king to be a little more satisfied the next time he comes "

"Well, all you have to do is, when the king comes tomorrow, to be obliged to go away on a most pressing

matter of business, which cannot possibly be postponed, and stay away for twenty minutes."

"Very well, do as you like; don't pay any attention to what I say," said Malicorne, moving towards the door.

"Nay, nay, dear Monsieur Malicorne; on the contrary, go on I begin to understand you. But the painter "

"And my opinion is, that you will be doing perfectly right. Will you allow me to call upon you for the latest

"I have the honor to be your most respectful servant, M. de Saint Aignan," said Malicorne, bowing

"There is no doubt that fellow has more invention than I have," said SaintAignan, as if compelled by his

The revelation we have witnessed, that Montalais made to La Valliere, in a preceding chapter, very naturally

makes us return to the principal hero of this tale, a poor wandering knight, roving about at the king's caprice.

If our readers will be good enough to follow us, we will, in his company, cross that strait, more stormy than

the Euripus, which separates Calais from Dover; we will speed across that green and fertile country, with its

numerous little streams; through Maidstone, and many other villages and towns, each prettier than the other;

and, finally, arrive at London. From thence, like bloodhounds following a track, after having ascertained that

Raoul had made his first stay at Whitehall, his second at St. James's, and having learned that he had been

warmly received by Monk, and introduced to the best society of Charles II.'s court, we will follow him to one

of Charles II.'s summer residences near the lively little village of Kingston, at Hampton Court, situated on the

Thames. The river is not, at that spot, the boastful highway which bears upon its broad bosom its thousands

of travelers; nor are its waters black and troubled as those of Cocytus, as it boastfully asserts, "I, too, am

cousin of the old ocean." No, at Hampton Court it is a soft and murmuring stream, with mossfringed banks,

reflecting, in its broad mirror, the willows and beeches which ornament its sides, and on which may

occasionally be seen a light bark indolently reclining among the tall reeds, in a little creek formed of alders

and forgetmenots. The surrounding country on all sides smiled in happiness and wealth; the brick cottages

from whose chimneys the blue smoke was slowly ascending in wreaths, peeped forth from the belts of green

holly which environed them; children dressed in red frocks appeared and disappeared amidst the high grass,

like poppies bowed by the gentler breath of the passing breeze. The sheep, ruminating with halfclosed eyes,

lay lazily about under the shadow of the stunted aspens, while, far and near, the kingfishers, plumed with

emerald and gold, skimmed swiftly along the surface of the water, like a magic ball heedlessly touching, as

he passed, the line of his brother angler, who sat watching in his boat the fish as they rose to the surface of the

sparkling stream. High above this paradise of dark shadows and soft light, rose the palace of Hampton Court,

built by Wolsey a residence the haughty cardinal had been obliged, timid courtier that he was, to offer to

his master, Henry VIII., who had glowered with envy and cupidity at the magnificent new home. Hampton

Court, with its brick walls, its large windows, its handsome iron gates, as well as its curious bell turrets, its

retired covered walks, and interior fountains, like those of the Alhambra, was a perfect bower of roses,

jasmine, and clematis. Every sense, sight and smell particularly, was gratified, and the receptionrooms

formed a very charming framework for the pictures of love which Charles II. unrolled among the voluptuous

paintings of Titian, of Pordenone and of Van Dyck; the same Charles whose father's portrait the martyr

king was hanging in his gallery, and who could show upon the wainscots of the various apartments the

holes made by the balls of the puritanical followers of Cromwell, when on the 24th of August, 1648, at the

time they had brought Charles I. prisoner to Hampton Court. There it was that the king, intoxicated with

pleasure and adventure, held his court he, who, a poet in feeling, thought himself justified in redeeming, by

a whole day of voluptuousness, every minute which had been formerly passed in anguish and misery. It was

not the soft green sward of Hampton Court so soft that it almost resembled the richest velvet in the

thickness of its texture nor was it the beds of flowers, with their variegated hues which encircled the foot of

every tree with rosetrees many feet in height, embracing most lovingly their trunks nor even the enormous

limetrees, whose branches swept the earth like willows, offering a ready concealment for love or reflection

beneath the shade of their foliage it was none of these things for which Charles II. loved his palace of

Hampton Court. Perhaps it might have been that beautiful sheet of water, which the cool breeze rippled like

the wavy undulations of Cleopatra's hair, waters bedecked with cresses and white waterlilies, whose chaste

bulbs coyly unfolding themselves beneath the sun's warm rays, reveal the golden gems which lie concealed

within their milky petals murmuring waters, on the bosom of which black swans majestically floated, and

the graceful waterfowl, with their tender broods covered with silken down, darted restlessly in every

direction, in pursuit of the insects among the reeds, or the fogs in their mossy retreats. Perhaps it might have

been the enormous hollies, with their dark and tender green foliage; or the bridges uniting the banks of the

canals in their embrace; or the fawns browsing in the endless avenues of the park; or the innumerable birds

that hopped about the gardens, or flew from branch to branch, amidst the emerald foliage.

It might well have been any of these charms for Hampton Court had them all; and possessed, too, almost

forests of white roses, which climbed and trailed along the lofty trellises, showering down upon the ground

their snowy leaves rich with soft perfumery. But no, what Charles II. most loved in Hampton Court were the

charming figures who, when midday was past, flitted to and fro along the broad terraces of the gardens; like

Louis XIV., he had their wealth of beauties painted for his gallery by one of the great artists of the period

an artist who well knew the secret of transferring to canvas the rays of light which escaped from beaming

The day of our arrival at Hampton Court is almost as clear and bright as a summer's day in France; the

atmosphere is heavy with the delicious perfume of geraniums, sweetpeas, seringas, and heliotrope scattered

in profusion around. It is past midday, and the king, having dined after his return from hunting, paid a visit to

Lady Castlemaine, the lady who was reputed at the time to hold his heart in bondage; and this proof of his

devotion discharged, he was readily permitted to pursue his infidelities until evening arrived. Love and

amusement ruled the entire court; it was the period when ladies would seriously interrogate their ruder

companions as to their opinions upon a foot more or less captivating, according to whether it wore a pink or

lilac silk stocking for it was the period when Charles II. had declared that there was no hope of safety for a

woman who wore green silk stockings, because Miss Lucy Stewart wore them of that color. While the king is

endeavoring in all directions to inculcate others with his preferences on this point, we will ourselves bend our

steps towards an avenue of beechtrees opposite the terrace, and listen to the conversation of a young girl in a

dark colored dress, who is walking with another of about her own age dressed in blue. They crossed a

beautiful lawn, from the center of which sprang a fountain, with the figure of a siren executed in bronze, and

strolled on, talking as they went, towards the terrace, along which, looking out upon the park and interspersed

at frequent intervals, were erected summer houses, diverse in form and ornament; these summerhouses

were nearly all occupied; the two young women passed on, the one blushing deeply, while the other seemed

dreamily silent. At last, having reached the end of the terrace which looks on the river, and finding there a

"Yes, you; to the extremity of the palace, towards that seat yonder, where the young Frenchman is seated,

"About how it happens that the Vicomte de Bragelonne always accompanies you in all your walks, as you

"Why not? he is a most agreeable and charming companion. No one hears me, I hope," said Lucy

Stewart, as she turned round with a smile, which indicated, moreover, that her uneasiness on the subject was

"No, no," said Mary, "the king is engaged in his summerhouse with the Duke of Buckingham."

"Oh! _a propos_ of the duke, Mary, it seems he has shown you great attention since his return from France;

"Well, well, I will ask Bragelonne about it," said Stewart, laughing; "let us go and find him at once."

"Not yet, one word before you do: come, come, you who know so many of the king's secrets, tell me why M.

"That may be; but, seriously, although politics do not much concern us, we know enough to be satisfied that

"Well, then, listen," said Stewart, with assumed gravity, "for your sake I am going to betray a state secret.

Shall I tell you the nature of the letter which King Louis XIV. gave M. de Bragelonne for King Charles II.? I

will; these are the very words: 'My brother, the bearer of this is a gentleman attached to my court, and the son

of one whom you regard most warmly. Treat him kindly, I beg, and try and make him like England.'"

"Word for word or something very like it. I will not answer for the form, but the substance I am sure of."

"Well, and what conclusion do you, or rather what conclusion does the king, draw from that?"

"That the king of France has his own reasons for removing M. de Bragelonne, and for getting him married

"King Charles received M. de Bragelonne, as you are aware, in the most distinguished and friendly manner;

the handsomest apartments in Whitehall were allotted to him; and as you are the most valuable and precious

person in his court, inasmuch as you have rejected his heart, nay, do not blush, he wished you to take a

fancy to this Frenchman, and he was desirous to confer upon him so costly a prize. And this is the reason why

you, the heiress of three hundred thousand pounds, a future duchess, so beautiful, so good, have been thrown

in Bragelonne's way, in all the promenades and parties of pleasure to which he was invited. In fact it was a

Mary Grafton smiled with that charming expression which was habitual to her, and pressing her companion's

Hardly had she pronounced these words, when the duke appeared from one of the pavilions on the terrace,

and, approaching the two girls, with a smile, said, "You are mistaken, Miss Lucy; I am not jealous; and the

proof, Miss Mary, is yonder, in the person of M. de Bragelonne himself, who ought to be the cause of my

jealousy, but who is dreaming in pensive solitude. Poor fellow! Allow me to leave you for a few minutes,

while I avail myself of those few minutes to converse with Miss Lucy Stewart, to whom I have something to

say." And then, bowing to Lucy, he added, "Will you do me the honor to accept my hand, in order that I may

lead you to the king, who is waiting for us?" With these words, Buckingham, still smiling, took Miss

Stewart's hand, and led her away. When by herself, Mary Grafton, her head gently inclined towards her

shoulder, with that indolent gracefulness of action which distinguishes young English girls, remained for a

moment with her eyes fixed on Raoul, but as if uncertain what to do. At last, after first blushing violently, and

then turning deadly pale, thus revealing the internal combat which assailed her heart, she seemed to make up

her mind to adopt a decided course, and with a tolerably firm step, advanced towards the seat on which Raoul

was reclining, buried in the profoundest meditation, as we have already said. The sound of Miss Mary's steps,

though they could hardly be heard upon the green sward, awakened Raoul from his musing attitude; he turned

round, perceived the young girl, and walked forward to meet the companion whom his happy destiny had

"I have been sent to you, monsieur," said Mary Grafton; "will you take care of me?"

"To the Duke of Buckingham," replied Mary, affecting a gayety she did not really feel.

"To the Duke of Buckingham, do you say? he who so passionately seeks your charming society! Am I

"The fact is, monsieur, you perceive, that everything seems to conspire to make us pass the best, or rather the

longest, part of our days together. Yesterday it was the king who desired me to beg you to seat yourself next

to me at dinner; today, it is the Duke of Buckingham who begs me to come and place myself near you on

"And he has gone away in order to leave us together?" asked Raoul, with some embarrassment.

"Look yonder, at the turning of that path; he is just out of sight, with Miss Stewart. Are these polite attentions

"I cannot very precisely say what people do in France, mademoiselle, for I can hardly be called a Frenchman.

I have resided in many countries, and almost always as a solider; and then, I have spent a long period of my

"I scarcely know," said Raoul, inattentively, and sighing deeply at the same time.

"Forgive me," said Raoul, shaking his head, and collecting his thoughts, "I did not hear you."

"Oh!" said the young girl, sighing in her turn, "how wrong the duke was to send me here!"

"Wrong!" said Raoul, "perhaps so; for I am but a rude, uncouth companion, and my society annoys you. The

"It is precisely," replied Mary Grafton, in a clear, calm voice, "because your society does not annoy me, that

It was now Raoul's turn to blush. "But," he resumed, "how happens it that the Duke of Buckingham should

"No," replied Mary, seriously, "the duke does not love me, because he is in love with the Duchesse d'Orleans;

"No; for the duke is the most intimate friend of one whom I regard as a brother."

Raoul bent down his head, and Mary Grafton, sighing deeply, continued, "They are very happy. But, leave

me, Monsieur de Bragelonne, for the Duke of Buckingham has given you a very troublesome commission in

offering me as a companion for your promenade. Your heart is elsewhere, and it is with the greatest difficulty

you can be charitable enough to lend me your attention. Confess truly; it would be unfair on your part,

She looked at him steadily. He was so noble and so handsome in his bearing, his eyes revealed so much

gentleness, candor, and resolution, that the idea could not possibly enter her mind that he was either rudely

discourteous, or a mere simpleton. She only perceived, clearly enough, that he loved another woman, and not

herself, with the whole strength of his heart. "Ah! I now understand you," she said; "you have left your heart

"It is for me, then, to anticipate an explanation; you do not wish to tell me anything, because you are now

convinced that I do not love the duke; because you see that I possibly might have loved you; because you are

a gentleman of noble and delicate sentiments; and because, instead of accepting, even were it for the mere

amusement of the passing hour, a hand which is almost pressed upon you; and because, instead of meeting

my smiles with a smiling lip, you, who are young, have preferred to tell me, whom men have called beautiful,

'My heart is over the sea it is in France.' For this, I thank you, Monsieur de Bragelonne; you are, indeed, a

noblehearted, nobleminded man, and I regard you all the more for it, as a friend only. And now let us cease

speaking of myself, and talk of your own affairs. Forget that I have ever spoken to you of myself, tell me why

you are sad, and why you have become more than usually so during these past four days?"

Raoul was deeply and sensibly moved by these sweet and melancholy tones; and as he could not, at the

"Pity me," she said. "My mother was born in France, and I can truly affirm that I, too, am French in blood, as

well as in feeling; but the leaden atmosphere and characteristic gloom of England seem to weigh upon me.

Sometimes my dreams are goldenhued and full of wonderful enjoyments, when suddenly a mist rises and

overspreads my fancy, blotting them out forever. Such, indeed, is the case at the present moment. Forgive

me; I have now said enough on that subject; give me your hand, and relate you griefs to me as a friend."

"Yes, not only, I repeat it, that my mother was French, but, further, as my father, a friend of King Charles I.,

was exiled in France, I, during the trial of that prince, as well as during the Protector's life, was brought up in

Paris; at the Restoration of King Charles II., my poor father returned to England, where he died almost

immediately afterwards; and then the king created me a duchess, and has dowered me according to my rank.

"I have a sister there, my senior by seven or eight years, who was married in France, and was early left a

widow; her name is Madame de Belliere. Do you know her?" she added, observing Raoul start suddenly.

"She, too, loves with her whole heart; and her last letters inform me she is happy, and her affection is, I

conclude, returned. I told you, Monsieur de Bragelonne, that although I possess half of her nature, I do not

share her happiness. But let us now speak of yourself; whom do you love in France?"

"Stay," said Raoul, showing the young girl a letter which he had read over a thousand times; she took it from

"VICOMTE, You are perfectly right to amuse yourself yonder with the lovely faces of Charles II.'s court,

for at Louis XIV.'s court, the castle in which your affections are enshrined is being besieged. Stay in London

"Very good; but here is a second letter, from my friend De Guiche, which says, 'I am lying here wounded and

"What do you intend doing?" inquired the young girl, with a feeling of oppression at her heart.

"My intention, as soon as I received this letter, was immediately to take my leave of the king."

"A singular circumstance, do you not think, for the court is now at Paris? At all events, I would have set off;

but when I mentioned my intention to the king, he began to laugh, and said to me, 'How comes it, monsieur

l'amassadeur, that you think of leaving? Has your sovereign recalled you?' I colored, naturally enough, for I

was confused by the question; for the fact is, the king himself sent me here, and I have received no order to

"At least, she has not written to me since my departure, although she used occasionally to write to me before.

And Buckingham at that moment was seen at the end of the walk, approaching towards them, alone and

smiling; he advanced slowly, and held out his hands to them both. "Have you arrived at an understanding?"

"About whatever might render you happy, dear Mary, and make Raoul less miserable."

"That is my view of the subject, Miss Mary; do you wish me to mention it before M. de Bragelonne?" he

"If you mean," replied the young girl, haughtily, "that I was not indisposed to love M. de Bragelonne, that is

Buckingham reflected for a moment, and, without seeming in any way discountenanced, as she expected, he

said: "My reason for leaving you with M. de Bragelonne was, that I thoroughly knew your refined delicacy of

feeling, no less than the perfect loyalty of your mind and heart, and I hoped that M. de Bragelonne's cure

"But, my lord, before you spoke of M. de Bragelonne's heart, you spoke to me of your own. Do you mean to

"Perfectly true, madame; but you will do me the justice to admit that I have long discontinued a useless

"My lord," said Mary, collecting herself for a moment before she spoke, "M. de Bragelonne is happy, for he

"M. de Bragelonne," said Buckingham, "is on the very eve of experiencing a serious misfortune, and he has

"No; gradually I will explain myself; but, if you desire it, I can tell Miss Grafton what you may not listen to

"My lord, you are putting me to the torture; you know something you wish to conceal from me?"

"I know that Miss Mary Grafton is the most charming object that a heart ill at ease could possibly meet with

"I have already told you that the Vicomte de Bragelonne loves elsewhere," said the young girl.

"He loves a lady who is unworthy of him," said Buckingham, with that calm, collected manner peculiar to

Miss Grafton uttered a cry, which, together with the remark that Buckingham had that moment made, spread

of De Bragelonne's features a deadly paleness, arising from the sudden surprise, and also from a vague fear of

impending misfortune. "My lord," he exclaimed, "you have just pronounced words which compel me,

"You will remain here," said Buckingham, "because you have no right to leave; and no one has the right to

quit the service of the king for that of any woman, even were she as worthy of being loved as Mary Grafton

Thus far had their conversation proceeded, and Buckingham, in all probability, was on the point of revealing,

not indeed all that had taken place, but at least all he was aware of, when one of the king's attendants

appeared at the end of the terrace, and advanced towards the summerhouse where the king was sitting with

Lucy Stewart. A courier followed him, covered with dust from head to foot, and who seemed as if he had but

"The courier from France! Madame's courier!" exclaimed Raoul, recognizing the princess's livery; and while

the attendant and the courier advanced towards the king, Buckingham and Miss Grafton exchanged a look

Charles II. was busily engaged in proving, or in endeavoring to prove, to Miss Stewart that she was the only

person for whom he cared at all, and consequently was avowing to her an affection similar to that which his

ancestor Henry IV. had entertained for Gabrielle. Unfortunately for Charles II., he had hit upon an unlucky

day, the very day Miss Stewart had taken it into her head to make him jealous, and therefore, instead of being

"Oh! sire, sire," she cried, laughing all the while; "if I were to be unfortunate enough to ask you for a proof of

the affection you possess, how easy it would be to see that you are telling a falsehood."

"Nay, listen to me," said Charles, "you know my cartoons by Raphael; you know whether I care for them or

not; the whole world envies me their possession, as you well know also; my father commissioned Van Dyck

"Oh, no!" replied the young girl; "pray keep them yourself, sire; my house is far too small to accommodate

"Be less generous, sire, and learn to love a little while longer, that is all I have to ask you."

"Thank Heaven, I have been so long enough; fourteen years of exile, poverty, and misery, I think I may well

regard it as a debt discharged; besides, melancholy makes people look so plain."

"What! the Vicomte de Bragelonne? are you smitten too? By Heaven, they will all grow mad over him one

"If I wish it, you must do so, for you told me you were quite ready to do everything I wished."

"Yes, a proof that he is a simpleton; I allow him to fall in love with Miss Mary Grafton, and he feels bored.

"Very good; it seems, then, that if you were to find Miss Lucy Stewart indifferent to you, you would console

"I don't say that; in the first place, you know that Mary Grafton does not care for me; besides, a man can only

console himself for a lost affection by the discovery of a new one. Again, however, I repeat, the question is

not of myself, but of that young man. One might almost be tempted to call the girl he has left behind him a

Helen a Helen before the little ceremony she went through with Paris, of course."

"He left Paris under orders, my dear Stewart; and prepare to be surprised by express orders of the king."

"You know very well that I am just as discreet as anybody else. And so the king sent him away?"

"Yes; and, will you believe it? the silly fellow, instead of thanking the king, is making himself miserable."

"What! thank the king for depriving him of the woman he loves! Really, sire, yours is a most ungallant

"But, pray understand me. If she whom the king had run off with was either a Miss Grafton or a Miss

Stewart, I should not be of his opinion; nay, I should even think him not half wretched enough; but she is a

little, thin, lame thing. Deuce take such fidelity as that! Surely, one can hardly understand how a man can

refuse a girl who is rich for one who is poverty itself a girl who loves him for one who deceives and betrays

"Very good! the vicomte will settle down in England, for Mary has a clear head, and when she fixes her mind

"Take care, my dear Miss Stewart; if the vicomte has any idea of adopting our country, he has not long to do

so, for it was only the day before yesterday that he again asked me for permission to leave."

"I should think so, indeed; my royal brother is far too anxious for his absence; and, for myself, my _amour

propre_ is enlisted on his side, for I will never have it said that I had held out as a bait to this young man the

"I do not allude to Miss Stewart, for she is worthy of a king's devotion; and since she has captivated me I trust

that no one else will be caught by her; I say, therefore, finally, that the attention I have shown this young man

will not have been thrown away; he will stay with us here, he will marry here, or I am very much mistaken."

"And I hope that when he is once married and settled, instead of being angry with your majesty, he will be

grateful to you, for every one tries his utmost to please him; even the Duke of Buckingham, whose brilliancy,

"Including Miss Stewart even, who calls him the most finished gentleman she ever saw."

"Stay, sire; you have spoken quite enough, and quite highly enough, of Miss Grafton, to overlook what I may

have said about De Bragelonne. But, by the by, sire, your kindness for some time past astonishes me: you

think of those who are absent, you forgive those who have done you a wrong, in fact, you are as nearly as

"Well, then, the true motive is that Buckingham strongly recommended the young man to me, saying: 'Sire, I

"Oh! of course, of course; it is Buckingham's turn now, I suppose, to turn your head. You seem determined to

"Really, sire, you are extremely vain with your 'who is it who presumes?' and in order to punish you for it "

"You have a letter for me," said the king to the courier as he entered, "from the Duchess of Orleans?"

"Yes, sire," replied the courier, "and so urgent in its nature that I have only been twentysix hours in bringing

"Your zeal shall not be forgotten," said the king, as he opened the letter. When he had read it he burst out

laughing, and exclaimed, "Upon my word, I am at a loss to understand anything about it." He then read the

letter a second time, Miss Stewart assuming a manner marked by the greatest reserve, and doing her utmost to

"Francis," said the king to his valet, "see that this excellent fellow is well taken care of and sleeps soundly,

and that on waking tomorrow he finds a purse of fifty sovereigns by his bedside."

"Begone, begone; my sister was perfectly right in desiring you to use the utmost diligence; the affair was

most pressing." And he again began to laugh louder than ever. The courier, the valet, and Miss Stewart hardly

knew what sort of countenance to assume. "Ah!" said the king, throwing himself back in his armchair: "When

"Two horses to bring this intelligence to me. That will do, you can leave us now."

The courier retired with the valet. Charles went to the window, which he opened, and leaning forward, called

The duke hurried to him, in obedience to the summons; but when he reached the door, and perceived Miss

"Come in, and shut the door," said the king. The duke obeyed; and, perceiving in what an excellent humor the

king was, he advanced, smiling, towards him. "Well, my dear duke, how do you get on with your

"Why, he is a perfect Boeotian!" cried Miss Stewart. "Let him say either 'Yes,' or No,' and let the affair end."

"But," said Buckingham, seriously, "you know, or you ought to know, madame, that M. de Bragelonne is in

"In that case," said the king, coming to Miss Stewart's help, "nothing is easier; let him say 'No,' then."

"Yes, without the slightest reserve; and, as soon as I had done so, he gave a start, as if he were going to clear

"At all events," said Miss Stewart, "he has done something; and a very good thing too, upon my word."

"But," said Buckingham, "I stopped him; I have left him and Miss Mary in conversation together, and I

sincerely trust that now he will not leave, as he seemed to have an idea of doing."

"I, at one moment, hardly thought that any human power could have prevented him; but Miss Mary's eyes are

"Well, that is the very thing which deceives you, Buckingham," said the king, with a peal of laughter; "the

"If it were to be simply deceived, that is nothing; but, to look at him, it is a great deal."

"Far from it, far from it; neither distance nor Miss Grafton's help will be of the slightest avail. Bragelonne

"Do not forget, sire, that the young man is a perfect lion, and that his wrath is terrible."

"And that if he sees that his misfortune is certain, so much the worse for the author of it."

"Oh, the king has his musketeers to take care of him," said Charles, quietly; "I know that perfectly well, for I

was kept dancing attendance in his antechamber at Blois. He has M. d'Artagnan, and what better guardian

could the king have than M. d'Artagnan? I should make myself perfectly easy with twenty storms of passion,

"Stay," said Charles II., presenting the letter to the duke, "read, and answer yourself what you would do in my

Buckingham slowly took hold of Madame's letter, and trembling with emotion, read the following words:

"For your own sake, for mine, for the honor and safety of every one, send M. de Bragelonne back to France

"Nay, would you, of all persons," said the king, artfully, "advise me not to listen to my sister when she writes

"You have not read the postscript, Villiers; it is under the fold of the letter, and escaped me at first; read it."

The duke's head sank gradually on his breast; the paper trembled in his fingers, as if it had been changed to

lead. The king paused for a moment, and, seeing that Buckingham did not speak, "He must follow his

destiny, as we ours," continued the king; "every man has his own share of grief in this world; I have had my

own, I have had that of others who belong to me, and have thus had a double weight of woe to endure!

The duke opened the trellised door of the summerhouse, and pointing at Raoul and Mary, who were walking

"Nonsense; call him," said Charles II., knitting his black brows together; "every one seems to be sentimental

here. There, look at Miss Stewart, who is wiping her eyes, now deuce take the French fellow!"

The duke called to Raoul, and taking Miss Grafton by the hand, he led her towards the king.

"Monsieur de Bragelonne," said Charles II., "did you not ask me the day before yesterday for permission to

"No, sire; your majesty had no doubt excellent reasons for withholding it; for you are so wise and so good

"I alleged, I believe, as a reason, that the king of France had not recalled you?"

"Well, M. de Bragelonne, I have reflected over the matter since; if the king did not, in fact, fix your return, he

begged me to render your sojourn in England as agreeable as possible; since, however, you ask my

permission to return, it is because your longer residence in England is no longer agreeable to you."

"No, but your request, at least," said the king, "signified that another place of residence would be more

At this moment Raoul turned towards the door, against which Miss Grafton was leaning, pale and

"You do not reply," pursued Charles; "the proverb is plain enough, that 'silence gives consent.' Very good,

Monsieur de Bragelonne; I am now in a position to satisfy you; whenever you please, therefore, you can

"Sire!" exclaimed Raoul, while Mary stifled an exclamation of grief which rose to her lips, unconsciously

"You can be at Dover this evening," continued the king, "the tide serves at two o'clock in the morning."

Raoul, astounded, stammered out a few broken sentences, which equally answered the purpose both of thanks

"I therefore bid you adieu, Monsieur de Bragelonne, and wish you every sort of prosperity," said the king,

rising; "you will confer a pleasure on me by keeping this diamond in remembrance of me; I had intended it as

Miss Grafton felt her limbs almost giving way; and, as Raoul received the ring from the king's hand, he, too,

felt his strength and courage failing him. He addressed a few respectful words to the king, a passing

compliment to Miss Stewart, and looked for Buckingham to bid him adieu. The king profited by this moment

to disappear. Raoul found the duke engaged in endeavoring to encourage Miss Grafton.

"No, I will tell him to go," replied Miss Grafton, with returning animation; "I am not one of those women

who have more pride than heart; if she whom he loves is in France, let him return thither and bless me for

having advised him to go and seek his happiness there. If, on the contrary, she shall have ceased to love him,

let him come back here again; I shall still love him, and his unhappiness will not have lessened him in my

regard. In the arms of my house you will find that which Heaven has engraven on my heart _Habenti

parum, egenti cuncta_. 'To the rich is accorded little, to the poor everything.'"

"I do not believe, Bragelonne, that you will find yonder the equivalent of what you leave behind you here."

"I think, or at least hope," said Raoul, with a gloomy air, "that she whom I love is worthy of my affection; but

if it be true she is unworthy of me, as you have endeavored to make me believe, I will tear her image from my

Mary Grafton gazed upon him with an expression of the most indefinable pity, and Raoul returned her look

with a sweet, sorrowful smile, saying, "Mademoiselle, the diamond which the king has given me was

destined for you, give me leave to offer it for your acceptance: if I marry in France, you will send it me

"What does he mean?" thought Buckingham, while Raoul pressed Mary's icy hand with marks of the most

"Oh! duke," cried the young girl in heartbroken accents, "a woman such as I am is never accepted as a

"And I grieve to tell you, Mary, that he will find yonder his happiness destroyed, his mistress lost to him. His

honor even has not escaped. What will be left him, then, Mary, equal to your affection? Answer, Mary, you

Miss Grafton placed her white hand on Buckingham's arm, and, while Raoul was hurrying away with

As she finished the last word, Raoul disappeared. Miss Grafton returned to her own apartments, paler than

death. Buckingham availed himself of the arrival of the courier, who had brought the letter to the king, to

write to Madame and to the Comte de Guiche. The king had not been mistaken, for at two in the morning the

The king most assiduously followed the progress which was made in La Valliere's portrait; and did so with a

care and attention arising as much from a desire that it should resemble her as from the wish that the painter

should prolong the period of its completion as much as possible. It was amusing to observe him follow the

artist's brush, awaiting the completion of a particular plan, or the result of a combination of colors, and

suggesting various modifications to the painter, which the latter consented to adopt with the most respectful

docility. And again, when the artist, following Malicorne's advice, was a little late in arriving, and when

SaintAignan had been obliged to be absent for some time, it was interesting to observe, though no one

witnessed them, those moments of silence full of deep expression, which united in one sigh two souls most

disposed to understand each other, and who by no means objected to the quiet meditation they enjoyed

together. The minutes flew rapidly by, as if on wings, and as the king drew closer to Louise and bent his

burning gaze upon her, a noise was suddenly heard in the ante room. It was the artist, who had just arrived;

SaintAignan, too, had returned, full of apologies; and the king began to talk and La Valliere to answer him

very hurriedly, their eyes revealing to SaintAignan that they had enjoyed a century of happiness during his

absence. In a word, Malicorne, philosopher that he was, though he knew it not, had learned how to inspire the

king with an appetite in the midst of plenty, and with desire in the assurance of possession. La Valliere's fears

of interruption had never been realized, and no one imagined she was absent from her apartment two or three

hours every day; she pretended that her health was very uncertain; those who went to her room always

knocked before entering, and Malicorne, the man of so many ingenious inventions, had constructed an

acoustic piece of mechanism, by means of which La Valliere, when in SaintAignan's apartment, was always

forewarned of any visits which were paid to the room she usually inhabited. In this manner, therefore,

without leaving her room, and having no _confidante_, she was able to return to her apartment, thus

removing by her appearance, a little tardy perhaps, the suspicions of the most determined skeptics. Malicorne

having asked SaintAignan the next morning what news he had to report, the latter was obliged to confess

that the quarter of an hour's liberty had made the king in most excellent humor. "We must double the dose,"

replied Malicorne, "but by insensible degrees; wait until they seem to wish it."

They were so desirous for it, however, that on the evening of the fourth day, at the moment when the painter

was packing up his implements, during SaintAignan's continued absence, SaintAignan on his return

noticed upon La Valliere's face a shade of disappointment and vexation, which she could not conceal. The

king was less reserved, and exhibited his annoyance by a very significant shrug of the shoulders, at which La

Valliere could not help blushing. "Very good!" thought SaintAignan to himself; "M. Malicorne will be

"It is very evident," he remarked to the comte, "that Mademoiselle de la Valliere hoped that you would be at

"You would show but very indifferent devotion to the king," replied the latter, "if you were to refuse his

"_I_ will take care of him," said Malicorne, "only I must study faces and circumstances a little better before I

act; those are my magical inventions and contrivances; and while sorcerers are enabled by means of their

astrolabe to take the altitude of the sun, moon, and stars, I am satisfied merely by looking into people's faces,

in order to see if their eyes are encircled with dark lines, and if the mouth describes a convex or concave arc."

And the cunning Malicorne had every opportunity of watching narrowly and closely, for the very same

evening the king accompanied the queen to Madame's apartments, and made himself so remarked by his

serious face and his deep sigh, and looked at La Valliere with such a languishing expression, that Malicorne

said to Montalais during the evening: "To morrow." And he went off to the painter's house in the street of

the Jardins SaintPaul to request him to postpone the next sitting for a couple of days. SaintAignan was not

within, when La Valliere, who was now quite familiar with the lower story, lifted up the trapdoor and

descended. The king, as usual was waiting for her on the staircase, and held a bouquet in his hand; as soon as

he saw her, he clasped her tenderly in his arms. La Valliere, much moved at the action, looked around the

room, but as she saw the king was alone, she did not complain of it. They sat down, the king reclining near

the cushions on which Louise was seated, with his head supported by her knees, placed there as in an asylum

whence no one could banish him; he gazed ardently upon her, and as if the moment had arrived when nothing

could interpose between their two hearts; she, too, gazed with similar passion upon him, and from her eyes,

so softly pure, emanated a flame, whose rays first kindled and then inflamed the heart of the king, who,

trembling with happiness as Louise's hand rested on his head, grew giddy from excess of joy, and

momentarily awaited either the painter's or SaintAignan's return to break the sweet illusion. But the door

remained closed, and neither SaintAignan nor the painter appeared, nor did the hangings even move. A deep

mysterious silence reigned in the room a silence which seemed to influence even the songbirds in their

gilded prisons. The king, completely overcome, turned round his head and buried his burning lips in La

Valliere's hands, who, herself faint, with excess of emotion, pressed her trembling hands against her lover's

lips. Louis threw himself upon his knees, and as La Valliere did not move her head, the king's forehead being

within reach of her lips, she furtively passed her lips across the perfumed locks which caressed her cheeks.

The king seized her in his arms, and, unable to resist the temptation, they exchanged their first kiss, that

burning kiss, which changes love into delirium. Suddenly, a noise upon the upper floor was heard, which had,

in fact, continued, though it had remained unnoticed, for some time; it had at last aroused La Valliere's

attention, though but slowly so. As the noise, however, continued, as it forced itself upon the attention, and

recalled the poor girl from her dreams of happiness to the sad realities of life, she rose in a state of utter

"Well! and am I not waiting for you, also?" said the king, with infinite tenderness of tone. "Let others

But she gently shook her head, as she replied: "Happiness hidden... power concealed... my pride should be as

"I hear Montalais's voice," she said, and she hurried up the staircase; the king followed her, unable to let her

leave his sight, and covering her hand with his kisses. "Yes, yes," repeated La Valliere, who had passed

halfway through the opening. "Yes, it is Montalais who is calling me; something important must have

"No, no, not today, sire! Adieu! adieu!" she said, as she stooped down once more to embrace her lover

"I am here, dear Louise," said Raoul, running towards her. "I knew but too well that you had not ceased to

La Valliere with a gesture, partly of extreme terror, and partly as if invoking a blessing, attempted to speak,

but could not articulate one word. "No, no!" she said, as she fell into Montalais's arms, murmuring, "Do not

Montalais made a sign to Raoul, who stood almost petrified at the door, and did not even attempt to advance

another step into the room. Then, looking towards the side of the room where the screen was, she exclaimed:

And she advanced towards the corner of the room to close the screen, and also, behind the screen, the

trapdoor. But suddenly the king, who had heard Louise's exclamation, darted through the opening, and

hurried forward to her assistance. He threw himself on his knees before her, as he overwhelmed Montalais

with questions, who hardly knew where she was. At the moment, however, when the king threw himself on

his knees, a cry of utter despair rang through the corridor, accompanied by the sound of retreating footsteps.

The king wished to see who had uttered the cry and whose were the footsteps he had heard; and it was in vain

that Montalais sought to retain him, for Louis, quitting his hold of La Valliere, hurried towards the door, too

late, however, for Raoul was already at a distance, and the king only beheld a shadow that quickly vanished

Whilst every one at court was busily engaged with his own affairs, a man mysteriously took up his post

behind the Place de Greve, in the house which we once saw besieged by D'Artagnan on the occasion of the

_emeute_. The principal entrance of the house was in the Place Baudoyer; it was tolerably large, surrounded

by gardens, inclosed in the Rue Saint Jean by the shops of toolmakers, which protected it from prying looks,

and was walled in by a triple rampart of stone, noise, and verdure, like an embalmed mummy in its triple

coffin. The man we have just alluded to walked along with a firm step, although he was no longer in his early

prime. His dark cloak and long sword plainly revealed one who seemed in search of adventures; and, judging

from his curling mustache, his fine smooth skin, which could be seen beneath his _sombrero_, it would not

have been difficult to pronounce that gallantry had not a little share in his adventures. In fact, hardly had the

cavalier entered the house, when the clock struck eight; and ten minutes afterwards a lady, followed by a

servant armed to the teeth, approached and knocked at the same door, which an old woman immediately

opened for her. The lady raised her veil as she entered; though no longer beautiful or young, she was still

active and of an imposing carriage. She concealed, beneath a rich toilette and the most exquisite taste, an age

which Ninon de l'Enclos alone could have smiled at with impunity. Hardly had she reached the vestibule,

when the cavalier, whose features we have only roughly sketched, advanced towards her, holding out his

He led her to a most elegantly furnished apartment, on whose high windows were reflected the expiring rays

of the setting sun, which filtered gaudily through the dark green needles of the adjacent firs. They sat down

side by side. Neither of them thought of asking for additional light in the room, and they buried themselves as

"Chevalier," said the duchesse, "you have never given me a single sign of life since our interview at

Fontainebleau, and I confess that your presence there on the day of the Franciscan's death, and your initiation

in certain secrets, caused me the liveliest astonishment I ever experienced in my whole life."

"I can explain my presence there to you, as well as my initiation," said Aramis.

"But let us, first of all," said the duchess, "talk a little of ourselves, for our friendship is by no means of recent

"Yes, madame: and if Heaven wills it, we shall continue to be friends, I will not say for a long time, but

"Our interests, duchess, are no longer the same as they used to be," said Aramis, smiling without

apprehension in the growing gloom by which the room was overcast, for it could not reveal that his smile was

"No, chevalier, at the present day we have other interests. Every period of life brings its own; and, as we now

understand each other in conversing, as perfectly as we formerly did without saying a word, let us talk, if you

"I am at your orders, duchesse. Ah! I beg your pardon, how did you obtain my address, and what was your

"You ask me why? I have told you. Curiosity in the first place. I wished to know what you could have to do

with the Franciscan, with whom I had certain business transactions, and who died so singularly. You know

that on the occasion of our interview at Fontainebleau, in the cemetery, at the foot of the grave so recently

closed, we were both so much overcome by our emotions that we omitted to confide to each other what we

"Well, then, I had no sooner left you than I repented, and have ever since been most anxious to ascertain the

truth. You know that Madame de Longueville and myself are almost one, I suppose?"

"I remembered, therefore," continued the duchesse, "that neither of us said anything to the other in the

cemetery; that you did not speak of the relationship in which you stood to the Franciscan, whose burial you

superintended, and that I did not refer to the position in which I stood to him; all which seemed very

unworthy of two such old friends as ourselves, and I have sought an opportunity of an interview with you in

order to give you some information that I have recently acquired, and to assure you that Marie Michon, now

Aramis bowed over the duchess's hand, and pressed his lips upon it. "You must have had some trouble to find

"Yes," she answered, annoyed to find the subject taking a turn which Aramis wished to give it; "but I knew

"A friend! oh!" exclaimed the chevalier, "I can hardly pretend to be _that_. A poor priest who has been

favored by a generous protector, and whose heart is full of gratitude and devotion, is all that I pretend to be to

"Yes; in the same way that political intrigue is for yourself," thought Aramis. "And so," he added, "you

"Easily enough. You had been to Fontainebleau with him, and had undertaken a voyage to your diocese,

"Ah! I had been told that BelleIsle was fortified; besides, I know how great the military knowledge is you

"I have forgotten everything of the kind since I entered the Church," said Aramis, annoyed.

"Suffice it to know that I learned you had returned from Vannes, and I sent off to one of our friends, M. le

Comte de la Fere, who is discretion itself, in order to ascertain it, but he answered that he was not aware of

"Well, then, you know that I cannot venture to show myself here, and that the queenmother has always

"Oh! there are various reasons for it. But, to continue, being obliged to conceal myself, I was fortunate

enough to meet with M. d'Artagnan, who was formerly one of your old friends, I believe?"

"He gave me certain information, and sent me to M. Baisemeaux, the governor of the Bastile."

Aramis was somewhat agitated at this remark, and a light flashed from his eyes in the darkness of the room,

which he could not conceal from his keensighted friend. "M. de Baisemeaux!" he said, "why did D'Artagnan

"What can this possibly mean?" said the bishop, summoning all the resources of his mind to his aid, in order

"Which I have in my hand, and which is most precious to me," said Aramis, "because I am indebted to it for

the pleasure of seeing you here." The duchesse, satisfied at having successfully overcome the various

difficulties of so delicate an explanation, began to breathe freely again, which Aramis, however, could not

succeed in doing. "We had got as far as your visit to M. Baisemeaux, I believe?"

"In that case we must have been speaking about the grudge you have against the queenmother."

"Further still," she returned, "further still; we were talking of the connection "

"Which existed between you and the Franciscan," said Aramis, interrupting her eagerly, "well, I am listening

"It is easily explained," returned the duchesse. "You know that I am living at Brussels with M. de Laicques?"

"Terrible indeed; this obliged me to resort to some means of obtaining a livelihood, and, particularly, to avoid

vegetating for the remainder of my existence. I had old hatreds to turn to account, old friendships to make use

"_You_, who had extended protection towards so many persons," said Aramis, softly.

"It is always the case, chevalier. Well, at the present time I am in the habit of seeing the king of Spain very

"Who has just nominated a general of the Jesuits, according to the usual custom."

"You must be aware of that you who were on such good terms with the Franciscan."

"Exactly. Well, then, I have seen the king of Spain, who wished me to do a service, but was unable. He gave

me recommendations, however, to Flanders, both for myself and for Laicques too; and conferred a pension on

"Yes. The general I mean the Franciscan was sent to me; and, for the purpose of conforming with the

requisitions of the statues of the order, and of entitling me to the pension, I was reputed to be in a position to

Madame de Chevreuse paused to look at Aramis, but it was perfectly dark. "Well, such is the rule, however,"

she resumed. "I had, therefore, to appear to possess a power of usefulness of some kind or other, and I

proposed to travel for the order, and I was placed on the list of affiliated travelers. You understand it was a

formality, by means of which I received my pension, which was very convenient for me."

"Good heavens! duchesse, what you tell me is like a daggerthrust. _You_ obliged to receive a pension from

"Except for a conscientious scruple, duchesse, you will admit that it is pretty nearly the same thing."

"Yes; but Dampierre is burdened, mortgaged, and almost fallen to ruin, like its owner."

"And can the queenmother know and see all that, without shedding a tear?" said Aramis, with a penetrating

"Yes; but, most singularly, the young king inherits the antipathy his dear father had for me. You will,

perhaps, tell me that I am indeed a woman to be hated, and that I am no longer one who can be loved."

"Dear duchesse, pray come quickly to the cause that brought you here; for I think we can be of service to

"Such has been my own thought. I came to Fontainebleau with a double object in view. In the first place, I

was summoned there by the Franciscan whom you knew. By the by, how did you know him? for I have

"I knew him in a very natural way, duchesse. I studied theology with him at Parma. We became fast friends;

and it happened, from time to time, that business, or travel, or war, separated us from each other."

"But by what extraordinary chance did it happen that you were at the hotel when the affiliated travelers met

"Oh!" said Aramis, in a calm voice, "it was the merest chance in the world. I was going to Fontainebleau to

see M. Fouquet, for the purpose of obtaining an audience of the king. I was passing by, unknown; I saw the

poor dying monk in the road, and recognized him immediately. You know the rest he died in my arms."

"Yes; but bequeathing to you so vast a power that you issue your sovereign orders and directions like a

"I have told you a sum of twelve thousand livres was to be paid to you. I thought I had given you the

"Oh! yes, yes. You give your orders, I am informed, with so much mystery, and such a majestic presence,

Aramis colored impatiently, and the duchesse continued: "I have obtained my information," she said, "from

the king of Spain himself; and he cleared up some of my doubts on the point. Every general of the Jesuits is

nominated by him, and must be a Spaniard, according to the statutes of the order. You are not a Spaniard, nor

Aramis did not reply to this remark, except to say, "You see, duchesse, how greatly you were mistaken, since

"Yes, my dear Aramis; but there was something else which I have been thinking of."

"You know, I believe, something about most things, and it occurred to me that you know the Spanish

"Undoubtedly. Two years' residence and an acquaintance with the language are indispensable. You have

"Shall I ask the king," continued the duchesse, "to confer the succession to the Franciscan's post upon you?"

"Why did you not render the same service to M. de Laicques, duchesse? He is a very talented man, and one

She paused. "He is nominated," she thought; and then resumed aloud, "If you refuse me in this manner, it is

"Ah!" replied Aramis, coldly "money? Well, duchesse, how much would you require?"

"Because I have, or rather Laicques has, certain letters in his possession from Cardinal Mazarin, which

"Relative to various sums of money borrowed and disposed of. I cannot very distinctly remember what they

are; but they establish the fact that the superintendent, according to these letters, which are signed by

Mazarin, had taken thirteen millions of francs from the coffers of the state. The case is a very serious one."

Aramis clenched his hands in anxiety and apprehension. "Is it possible," he said, "that you have such letters

"Ah!" replied the duchesse, "I keep such trifling matters as these in reserve. The day may come when they

will be of service; and they can be withdrawn from the safe custody in which they now remain."

"You must be in sad want of money, my poor friend, to think of such things as these you, too, who held M.

"And then," continued Aramis, in cold accents, "it must have been very distressing to you to be obliged to

"Oh! if had wished to do harm instead of good," said Madame de Chevreuse, "instead of asking the general of

"Yes; no more. Do you think it much? I require at least as much as that to restore Dampierre."

"I say, therefore, that instead of asking for this amount, I should have gone to see my old friend the

queenmother; the letters from her husband, Signor Mazarini, would have served me as an introduction, and I

should have begged this mere trifle of her, saying to her, 'I wish, madame, to have the honor of receiving you

Aramis did not return a single word. "Well," she said, "what are you thinking about?"

"And M. Fouquet subtractions. I, on the other hand, am trying my hand at the art of multiplication. What

excellent calculators we all three are! How well we might understand one another!"

"No, for with such an opening between people like ourselves, 'yes' or 'no' is the only answer, and that an

"It is a snare," thought the bishop; "it is impossible that Anne of Austria would listen to such a woman as

"Well, madame, I should be very much astonished if M. Fouquet had five hundred thousand francs at his

"It is no use speaking of it, then," said the duchesse, "and Dampierre must get restored how best it may."

"And the queen," continued the bishop, "will certainly do for you what the superintendent is unable to do?"

"Oh! certainly. But tell me, do you think it would be better that I should speak, myself, to M. Fouquet about

"Nay, duchesse, you will do precisely whatever you please in that respect. M. Fouquet either feels or does not

feel himself to be guilty; if he really be so, I know he is proud enough not to confess it; if he be not so, he will

"As usual, you reason like an angel," said the duchesse, as she rose from her seat.

"'Denounce!' Oh! what a disagreeable word. I shall not 'denounce' my dear friend; you know matters of policy

too well to be ignorant how easily these affairs are arranged. I shall merely side against M. Fouquet, and

nothing more; and, in a war of party against party, a weapon is always a weapon."

"And once on friendly terms again with the queenmother, I may be dangerous towards some persons."

"You are not ignorant, I suppose, duchesse, that M. Fouquet is on the best terms with the king of Spain."

"If, therefore, you begin a party warfare against M. Fouquet, he will reply in the same way; for he, too, is at

"And as he is on good terms with Spain, he will make use of that friendship as a weapon of attack."

"You mean, that he is, naturally, on good terms with the general of the order of the Jesuits, my dear Aramis."

"And that, consequently, the pension I have been receiving from the order will be stopped."

"Well; I must contrive to console myself in the best way I can; for after Richelieu, after the Fronde, after

"Moreover, in party contests, you know, the friends of one's enemy do not escape."

"Yes, but the king of Spain has some influence left; advised by M. Fouquet, he might get M. Laicques shut up

"I am not very nervous on that point, my dear friend; because, once reconciled with Anne of Austria, I will

"What can that be?" said the duchesse, pretending to be surprised and terrified.

"You will learn; indeed, you must know it already, that having once been an affiliated member of the order, it

is not easy to leave it; for the secrets that any particular member may have acquired are unwholesome, and

The duchesse paused and reflected for a moment, and then said, "That is more serious: I will think it over."

And notwithstanding the profound obscurity, Aramis seemed to feel a basilisk glance, like a whitehot iron,

"Let us recapitulate," said Aramis, determined to keep himself on his guard, and gliding his hand into his

"Fortyeight thousand francs, and that of Laicques's twelve, make together sixty thousand francs; that is what

"Precisely; and I was trying to find out what would be your equivalent for that."

This remark made the chevalier prick up his ears; and from the moment his adversary had committed this

error, his mind was so thoroughly on its guard, that he seemed every moment to gain the advantage more and

more; and she, consequently, to lose it. "I will admit, for argument's sake, that you obtain the money," he

resumed; "you will lose twice as much, having a hundred thousand francs' pension to receive instead of sixty

"Not so, for I shall only be subjected to this reduction of my income during the period of M. Fouquet's

"I thank you for it, duchesse; but you would be wrong to suppose that after M. Fouquet's disgrace the order

"I know a means of making the order pay, as I know a means of forcing the queenmother to concede what I

"In that case, duchesse, we are all obliged to strike our flags to you. The victory is yours, and the triumph

"But is it possible," resumed the duchesse, without taking notice of the irony, "that you really draw back from

a miserable sum of five hundred thousand francs, when it is a question of sparing you I mean your friend

I beg your pardon, I ought rather to say your protector the disagreeable consequences which a party contest

"Duchesse, I tell you why; supposing the five hundred thousand francs were to be given you, M. Laicques

will require his share, which will be another five hundred thousand francs, I presume? and then, after M. de

Laicques's and your own portions have been arranged, the portions which your children, your poor

pensioners, and various other persons will require, will start up as fresh claims, and these letters, however

compromising they may be in their nature, are not worth from three to four millions. Can you have forgotten

the queen of France's diamonds? they were surely worth more than these bits of waste paper signed by

Mazarin, and yet their recovery did not cost a fourth part of what you ask for yourself."

"Yes, that is true; but the merchant values his goods at his own price, and it is for the purchaser to buy or

"Stay a moment, duchesse; would you like me to tell you why I will not buy your letters?"

"I have no doubt of it, for it would, to say the least, be very singular, that after you had quarreled with the

queen through M. Mazarin's means, you should have kept up any intimate acquaintance with the latter; it

would look as if you had been acting as a spy; and upon my word, I do not like to make use of the word."

"I pledge you my word, duchesse, that you will not be able to make use of it with the queen."

But the duchesse had said enough, and advanced a few steps towards the door. Aramis, however, had

He rang the bell, candles immediately appeared in the adjoining room, and the bishop found himself

completely encircled by lights, which shone upon the worn, haggard face of the duchesse, revealing every

feature but too clearly. Aramis fixed a long ironical look upon her pale, thin, withered cheeks her dim, dull

eyes and upon her lips, which she kept carefully closed over her discolored scanty teeth. He, however, had

thrown himself into a graceful attitude, with his haughty and intelligent head thrown back; he smiled so as to

reveal teeth still brilliant and dazzling. The antiquated coquette understood the trick that had been played her.

She was standing immediately before a large mirror, in which her decrepitude, so carefully concealed, was

only made more manifest. And, thereupon, without even saluting Aramis, who bowed with the ease and grace

of the musketeer of early days, she hurried away with trembling steps, which her very precipitation only the

more impeded. Aramis sprang across the room, like a zephyr, to lead her to the door. Madame de Chevreuse

made a sign to her servant, who resumed his musket, and she left the house where such tender friends had not

been able to understand each other only because they had understood each other too well.

Aramis had been perfectly correct in his supposition; for hardly had she left the house in the Place Baudoyer

than Madame de Chevreuse proceeded homeward. She was doubtless afraid of being followed, and by this

means thought she might succeed in throwing those who might be following her off their guard; but scarcely

had she arrived within the door of the hotel, and hardly had assured herself that no one who could cause her

any uneasiness was on her track, when she opened the door of the garden, leading into another street, and

We have already said that evening, or rather night, had closed in; it was a dark, thick night, besides; Paris had

once more sunk into its calm, quiescent state, enshrouding alike within its indulgent mantle the high born

duchesse carrying out her political intrigue, and the simple citizen's wife, who, having been detained late by a

supper in the city, was making her way slowly homewards, hanging on the arm of a lover, by the shortest

possible route. Madame de Chevreuse had been too well accustomed to nocturnal political intrigues to be

ignorant that a minister never denies himself, even at his own private residence, to any young and beautiful

woman who may chance to object to the dust and confusion of a public office, or to old women, as full of

experience as of years, who dislike the indiscreet echo of official residences. A valet received the duchesse

under the peristyle, and received her, it must be admitted, with some indifference of manner; he intimated,

after having looked at her face, that it was hardly at such an hour that one so advanced in years as herself

could be permitted to disturb Monsieur Colbert's important occupations. But Madame de Chevreuse, without

looking or appearing to be annoyed, wrote her name upon a leaf of her tablets a name which had but too

frequently sounded so disagreeably in the ears of Louis XIII. and of the great cardinal. She wrote her name in

the large, illformed characters of the higher classes of that period, handed it to the valet, without uttering a

word, but with so haughty and imperious a gesture, that the fellow, well accustomed to judge of people from

their manners and appearance, perceived at once the quality of the person before him, bowed his head, and

ran to M. Colbert's room. The minister could not control a sudden exclamation as he opened the paper; and

the valet, gathering from it the interest with which his master regarded the mysterious visitor, returned as fast

as he could to beg the duchesse to follow him. She ascended to the first floor of the beautiful new house very

slowly, rested herself on the landingplace, in order not to enter the apartment out of breath, and appeared

before M. Colbert, who, with his own hands, held both the folding doors open. The duchesse paused at the

threshold, for the purpose of well studying the character of the man with whom she was about to converse. At

the first glance, the round, large, heavy head, thick brows, and illfavored features of Colbert, who wore,

thrust low down on his head, a cap like a priest's _calotte_, seemed to indicate that but little difficulty was

likely to be met with in her negotiations with him, but also that she was to expect as little interest in the

discussion of particulars; for there was scarcely any indication that the rough and uncouth nature of the man

was susceptible to the impulses of a refined revenge, or of an exalted ambition. But when, on closer

inspection, the duchesse perceived the small, piercingly black eyes, the longitudinal wrinkles of his high and

massive forehead, the imperceptible twitching of the lips, on which were apparent traces of rough

goodhumor, Madame de Chevreuse altered her opinion of him, and felt she could say to herself: "I have

"What is the subject, madame, which procures me the honor of a visit from you?" he inquired.

"The need I have you of you, monsieur," returned the duchesse, "as well as that which you have of me."

"I am delighted, madame, with the first portion of your sentence; but, as far as the second portion is

Madame de Chevreuse sat down in the armchair which M. Colbert advanced towards her. "Monsieur Colbert,

you are the intendant of finances, and are ambitious of becoming the superintendent?"

"Nay, do not deny it; that would only unnecessarily prolong our conversation, and that is useless."

"And yet, madame, however welldisposed and inclined to show politeness I may be towards a lady of your

position and merit, nothing will make me confess that I have ever entertained the idea of supplanting my

"I said nothing about supplanting, Monsieur Colbert. Could I accidentally have made use of that word? I

hardly think that likely. The word 'replace' is less aggressive in its signification, and more grammatically

suitable, as M. de Voiture would say. I presume, therefore, that you are ambitious of replacing M. Fouquet."

"M. Fouquet's fortune, madame, enables him to withstand all attempts. The superintendent in this age plays

the part of the Colossus of Rhodes; the vessels pass beneath him and do not overthrow him."

"I ought to have availed myself precisely of that very comparison. It is true, M. Fouquet plays the part of the

Colossus of Rhodes; but I remember to have heard it said by M. Conrart, a member of the academy, I believe,

that when the Colossus of Rhodes fell from its lofty position, the merchant who had cast it down a

merchant, nothing more, M. Colbert loaded four hundred camels with the ruins. A merchant! and that is

"Very good, Monsieur Colbert, since you persist in showing so much sensitiveness with me, as if you were

ignorant that I am Madame de Chevreuse, and also that I am somewhat advanced in years; in other words,

that you have to do with a woman who has had political dealings with the Cardinal Richelieu, and who has no

time to lose; as, I repeat, you do not hesitate to commit such an imprudence, I shall go and find others who

"You give me a very poor idea of negotiations of the present day. I assure you that if, in my earlier days, a

woman had gone to M. de Cinq Mars, who was not, moreover, a man of a very high order of intellect, and

had said to him about the cardinal what I have just said to you of M. Fouquet, M. de CinqMars would by

"Again, a word too much; it is quite evident that, if you have not yet succeeded in driving M. Fouquet from

his post, it is because you have not been able to do so. Therefore, I should be the greatest simpleton possible

"I am distressed to be obliged to persist, madame," said Colbert, after a silence which enabled the duchesse to

sound the depths of his dissimulation, "but I must warn you that, for the last six years, denunciation after

denunciation has been made against M. Fouquet, and he has remained unshaken and unaffected by them."

"There is a time for everything, Monsieur Colbert; those who were the authors of those denunciations were

not called Madame de Chevreuse, and they had no proofs equal to the six letters from M. de Mazarin which

"Nothing less. It is rather strange, M. Colbert, but your face, which just now was cold and indifferent, is now

"It embraces the post of superintendent of finance for yourself, and a letter of exile, or the Bastile, for M.

"Forgive me, madame la duchesse, but it is almost impossible that M. Fouquet can be exiled; to be

"Oh, I am perfectly aware of what I am saying," returned Madame de Chevreuse, coldly. "I do not live at

such a distance from Paris as not to know what takes place there. The king does not like M. Fouquet, and he

"I mean, monsieur, that holding this opportunity in my own hands, I will not allow it to be transferred to

"I understand you perfectly, madame. But since you have fixed a price for the sale, let me now see the value

"Oh, a mere trifle; six letters, as I have already told you, from M. de Mazarin; and the autographs will most

assuredly not be regarded as too highly priced, if they establish, in an irrefutable manner, that M. Fouquet has

embezzled large sums of money from the treasury and appropriated them to his own purposes."

"In an irrefutable manner, do you say?" observed Colbert, whose eyes sparkled with delight.

"Of course, the copies," said the duchesse, as she drew from her bosom a small packet of papers flattened by

"Yes, madame, yes; M. Mazarin must have handed the money to M. Fouquet, who must have kept it for his

"Exactly, what money; if we come to terms I will join to these six letters a seventh, which will supply you

"A useless question to ask; exactly as if I were to ask you, Monsieur Colbert, whether the moneybags you

"No; for there is one circumstance to which neither of us has given any attention."

"M. Fouquet can be utterly ruined, under the legal circumstances you have detailed, only by means of legal

"A public scandal, for instance; and yet neither the legal proceedings nor the scandal can be commenced

"Because he is procureurgeneral of the parliament; because, too, in France, all public administrators, the

army, justice itself, and commerce, are intimately connected by ties of goodfellowship, which people call

_espirit de corps_. In such a case, madame, the parliament will never permit its chief to be dragged before a

public tribunal; and never, even if he be dragged there by royal authority, never, I say, will he be

"I am aware of that, madame; but I have to do with it, and it consequently diminishes the value of what you

have brought to show me. What good can a proof of a crime be to me, without the possibility of obtaining a

"Even if he be only suspected, M. Fouquet will lose his post of superintendent."

"Is that all?" exclaimed Colbert, whose dark, gloomy features were momentarily lighted up by an expression

"Ah! ah! Monsieur Colbert," said the duchesse, "forgive me, but I did not think you were so impressionable.

Very good; in that case, since you need more than I have to give you, there is no occasion to speak of the

"Yes, madame, we will go on talking of it; only, as the value of your commodities had decreased, you must

The duchesse laughed in his face, and then said, suddenly, "Wait a moment, I have another arrangement to

"Less so than you think, perhaps, for it is not money I am going to ask you for."

"A service; you know that I have always been most affectionately attached to the queen, and I am desirous of

"Yes, Monsieur Colbert, with the queen, who is, I admit, no longer my friend, and who has ceased to be so

for a long time past, but who may again become so if the opportunity be only given her."

"Her majesty has ceased to receive any one, madame. She is a great sufferer, and you may be aware that the

"That is the very reason why I wish to have an interview with her majesty; for in Flanders there is a great

"Do not believe that, Monsieur Colbert. The Flemish peasant is somewhat a man of nature, and his

companion for life is not alone a wife, but a female laborer also; for while he is smoking his pipe, the woman

works: it is she who draws the water from the well; she who loads the mule or the ass, and even bears herself

a portion of the burden. Taking but little care of herself, she gets knocked about first in one direction, and

then in another, and very often is beaten by her husband, and cancers frequently rise from contusions."

"The Flemish women do not die the sooner on that account. When they are great sufferers from this disease

they go in search of remedies, and the Beguines of Bruges are excellent doctors for every kind of disease.

They have precious waters of one sort or another; specifics of various kinds; and they give a bottle of it and a

wax candle to the sufferer, whereby the priests are gainers, and Heaven is served by the disposal of both their

wares. I will take the queen some of this holy water, which I will procure from the Beguines of Bruges; her

majesty will recover, and will burn as many wax candles as she may see fit. You see, Monsieur Colbert, to

prevent my seeing the queen is almost as bad as committing the crime of regicide."

"You are undoubtedly, madame la duchesse, a woman of exceedingly great abilities, and I am more than

astounded at their display; still I cannot but suppose that this charitable consideration towards the queen in

"I have not given myself the trouble to conceal it, that I am aware of, Monsieur Colbert. You said, I believe,

that I had a slight personal interest? On the contrary, it is a very great interest, and I will prove it to you, by

resuming what I was saying. If you procure me a personal interview with her majesty, I will be satisfied with

the three hundred thousand francs I have claimed; if not, I shall keep my letters, unless, indeed, you give me,

And rising from her seat with this decisive remark, the old duchesse plunged M. Colbert into a disagreeable

perplexity. To bargain any further was out of the question; and not to bargain was to pay a great deal too

dearly for them. "Madame," he said, "I shall have the pleasure of handing over a hundred thousand crowns;

"In the simplest manner in the world, my dear Monsieur Colbert whom will you trust?"

The financier began to laugh, silently, so that his large eyebrows went up and down like the wings of a bat,

"I mean that, if you would take the trouble to accompany me to the place where the letters are, they would be

"You would bring the hundred thousand crowns with you at the same time, for I, too, do not trust any one."

Colbert colored to the tips of his ears. Like all eminent men in the art of figures, he was of an insolent and

mathematical probity. "I will take with me, madame," he said, "two orders for the amount agreed upon,

"Would that the orders on your treasury were for two millions, monsieur l'intendant! I shall have the pleasure

Colbert coughed like an irresolute man. He imagined, for a moment, that the proposition of the duchesse was

a snare; that perhaps some one was waiting at the door; and that she whose secret had just been sold to

Colbert for a hundred thousand crowns, had already offered it to Fouquet for the same sum. As he still

"You suppose I am going to lead you into a snare or trap of some sort or other?"

"Madame la duchesse, you have the character of being somewhat inconsiderate at times, as I am reputed a

"Yes; the fact is, you are afraid. Well, then, take your own carriage, as many servants as you like, only think

well of what I am going to say. What we two may arrange between ourselves, we are the only persons who

will know if a third person is present we might as well tell the whole world about it. After all, I do not make

a point of it; my carriage shall follow yours, and I shall be satisfied to accompany you in your own carriage to

"Have you forgotten that already? Is it possible that one of the clauses of the agreement of so much

importance to me, can have escaped you so soon? How trifling it seems to you, indeed; if I had known it I

"Here they are, madame," said Colbert, scribbling a few lines on a piece of paper, which he handed to the

"The trait is a fine one, Monsieur Colbert, and I will reward you for it," she said, beginning to laugh.

Madame de Chevreuse's laugh was a very sinister sound; a man with youth, faith, love, life itself, throbbing

in his heart, would prefer a sob to such a lamentable laugh. The duchesse opened the front of her dress and

drew forth from her bosom, somewhat less white than it once had been, a small packet of papers, tied with a

flamecolored ribbon, and, still laughing, she said, "There, Monsieur Colbert, are the originals of Cardinal

Mazarin's letters; they are now your own property," she added, refastening the body of her dress; "your

"No, madame; if you are again about to run the chance of her majesty's displeasure, and it were known at the

Palais Royal that I had been the means of introducing you there, the queen would never forgive me while she

lived. No; there are certain persons at the palace who are devoted to me, who will procure you an admission

"That is again your own affair, madame. I am going to give directions to the head valet of the gentleman in

waiting on the queen to allow admission to a Beguine, who brings an effectual remedy for her majesty's

sufferings. You are the bearer of my letter, you will undertake to be provided with the remedy, and will give

every explanation on the subject. I admit a knowledge of a Beguine, but I deny all knowledge of Madame de

Colbert handed the duchesse the letter, and gently drew aside the chair behind which she was standing;

Madame de Chevreuse, with a very slight bow, immediately left the room. Colbert, who had recognized

Mazarin's handwriting, and had counted the letters, rang to summon his secretary, whom he enjoined to go in

immediate search of M. Vanel, a counselor of the parliament. The secretary replied that, according to his

usual practice, M. Vanel had just that moment entered the house, in order to give the intendant an account of

the principal details of the business which had been transacted during the day in parliament. Colbert

approached one of the lamps, read the letters of the deceased cardinal over again, smiled repeatedly as he

recognized the great value of the papers Madame de Chevreuse had just delivered and burying his head in

his hands for a few minutes, reflected profoundly. In the meantime, a tall, looselymade man entered the

room; his spare, thin face, steady look, and hooked nose, as he entered Colbert's cabinet, with a modest

assurance of manner, revealed a character at once supple and decided, supple towards the master who could

throw him the prey, firm towards the dogs who might possibly be disposed to dispute its possession. M.

Vanel carried a voluminous bundle of papers under his arm, and placed it on the desk on which Colbert was

"We give the title of monseigneur to ministers," returned Vanel, with extreme selfpossession, "and you are a

"You are so in point of fact, and I call you monseigneur accordingly; besides you are seigneur for _me_, and

that is sufficient; if you dislike my calling you monseigneur before others, allow me, at least, to call you so in

Colbert raised his head as if to read, or try to read, upon Vanel's face how much or how little sincerity entered

into this protestation of devotion. But the counselor knew perfectly well how to sustain the weight of such a

look, even backed with the full authority of the title he had conferred. Colbert sighed; he could not read

anything in Vanel's face, and Vanel might possibly be honest in his professions, but Colbert recollected that

this man, inferior to himself in every other respect, was actually his master in virtue of the fact of his having a

wife. As he was pitying this man's lot, Vanel coldly drew from his pocket a perfumed letter, sealed with

Spanish wax, and held it towards Colbert, saying, "A letter from my wife, monseigneur."

Colbert coughed, took, opened and read the letter, and then put it carefully away in his pocket, while Vanel

turned over the leaves of the papers he had brought with him with an unmoved and unconcerned air. "Vanel,"

he said suddenly to his _protege_, "you are a hardworking man, I know; would twelve hours' daily labor

"Impossible. A counselor need not work more than three hours a day in parliament."

"Oh! I am working up some returns for a friend of mine in the department of accounts, and, as I still have

"There is one, certainly, but one need be almost the king himself to be able to buy it without inconvenience;

and the king will not be inclined, I suppose, to purchase the post of procureurgeneral."

At these words, Vanel fixed his peculiar, humble, dull look upon Colbert, who could hardly tell whether

Vanel comprehended him or not. "Why do you speak to me, monseigneur," said Vanel, "of the post of

procureurgeneral to the parliament; I know no other post than the one M. Fouquet fills."

"You are not over fastidious, monseigneur; but before the post can be bought, it must be offered for sale."

"The post which renders him so perfectly invincible, for sale! Ha, ha!" said Vanel, beginning to laugh.

"You are laughing at me, monseigneur," replied Vanel. "Is it likely that a counselor of the parliament would

"Well, Monsieur Vanel, since I tell you that the post, as report goes, will be shortly for sale "

"I cannot help repeating, monseigneur, that it is impossible; a man never throws away the buckler, behind

"There are certain men mad enough, Vanel, to fancy themselves out of the reach of all mischances."

"Yes, monseigneur; but such men never commit their mad acts for the advantage of the poor Vanels of the

"It is true that M. Fouquet's post might cost a good round sum. What would you bid for it, Monsieur Vanel?"

"A million and a half, at the very lowest. I know persons who have offered one million seven hundred

thousand francs, without being able to persuade M. Fouquet to sell. Besides, supposing it were to happen that

M. Fouquet wished to sell, which I do not believe, in spite of what I have been told "

"I could not buy it just yet, since the superintendent will only sell for ready money, and no one has a million

Colbert suddenly interrupted the counselor by an imperious gesture; he had begun to meditate. Observing his

superior's serious attitude, and his perseverance in continuing the conversation on this subject, Vanel awaited

"The right of impeaching every French subject who is not a prince of the blood; the right of quashing all

proceedings taken against any Frenchman, who is neither king nor prince. The procureurgeneral is the king's

right hand to punish the guilty; the office is the means whereby also he can evade the administration of

justice. M. Fouquet, therefore, would be able, by stirring up parliament, to maintain himself even against the

king; and the king could as easily, by humoring M. Fouquet, get his edicts registered in spite of every

opposition and objection. The procureurgeneral can be made a very useful or a very dangerous instrument."

"Vanel, would you like to be procureurgeneral?" said Colbert, suddenly, softening both his look and his

"I!" exclaimed the latter; "I have already had the honor to represent to you that I want about eleven hundred

"I think so, and that is quite enough; and if it should be needed, I will be your security."

Vanel rose, bewildered by this offer which had been so suddenly and unexpectedly made to him. "You are

"These were their very words: 'The parliament members are as proud as they are wealthy; they ought to club

together two or three millions among themselves, to present to their protector and leader, M. Fouquet.'"

"No; but M. Fouquet is our chief. He is in debt is on the high road to ruin; and we ought to save the honor

"Exactly; and that explains why M. Fouquet will be always safe and sound, so long as he occupies his present

"Thereupon," said Vanel, "M. Gourville added, 'If we were to do anything out of charity to M. Fouquet, it

could not be otherwise than most humiliating to him; and he would be sure to refuse it. Let the parliament

subscribe among themselves to purchase, in a proper manner, the post of procureurgeneral; in that case, all

would go well; the honor of our body would be saved, and M. Fouquet's pride spared.'"

"Well, Monsieur Vanel, you will go at once, and find out either M. Gourville or M. Pelisson. Do you know

"Yes; he used to write verses to my wife, when M. Fouquet was one of our friends."

"On the day and hour you arrange to settle the matter, Monsieur Vanel, you shall be supplied with the money,

"Monseigneur, such munificence! You eclipse kings even you surpass M. Fouquet himself."

"Stay a moment do not let us mistake each other: I do not make you a present of fourteen hundred thousand

francs, Monsieur Vanel; for I have children to provide for but I will _lend_ you that sum."

"Ask whatever interest, whatever security you please, monseigneur; I am quite ready. And when all your

requisitions are satisfied, I will still repeat, that you surpass kings and M. Fouquet in munificence. What

"Wait a moment. I reserve to myself the right of purchasing the post from you at one hundred and fifty

thousand francs profit for yourself, if, in your mode of filling the office, you do not follow out a line of

"Is there anything in that which can possibly be objectionable to you, Monsieur Vanel?" said Colbert, coldly.

"Very good. We will sign an agreement to that effect whenever you like. And now go as quickly as you can

to M. Fouquet's friend, obtain an interview with the superintendent; do not be too difficult in making

whatever concessions may be required of you; and when once the arrangements are all made "

"Be most careful to do nothing of the kind; do not speak of signatures with M. Fouquet, nor of deeds, nor

even ask him to pass his word. Understand this: otherwise you will lose everything. All you have to do is to

The queenmother was in the bedroom at the Palais Royal, with Madame de Motteville and Senora Molina.

King Louis, who had been impatiently expected the whole day, had not made his appearance; and the queen,

who was growing impatient, had often sent to inquire about him. The moral atmosphere of the court seemed

to indicate an approaching storm; the courtiers and the ladies of the court avoided meeting in the ante

chambers and the corridors in order not to converse on compromising subjects. Monsieur had joined the king

early in the morning for a huntingparty; Madame remained in her own apartment, cool and distant to every

one; and the queenmother, after she had said her prayers in Latin, talked of domestic matters with her two

friends in pure Castilian. Madame de Motteville, who understood the language perfectly, answered her in

French. When the three ladies had exhausted every form of dissimulation and of politeness, as a circuitous

mode of expressing that the king's conduct was making the queen and the queenmother pine away through

sheer grief and vexation, and when, in the most guarded and polished phrases, they had fulminated every

variety of imprecation against Mademoiselle de la Valliere, the queenmother terminated her attack by an

exclamation indicative of her own reflections and character. "_Estos hijos!_" said she to Molina which

means, "These children!" words full of meaning on a mother's lips words full of terrible significance in the

mouth of a queen who, like Anne of Austria, hid many curious secrets in her soul.

"Yes," said Molina, "children, children! for whom every mother becomes a sacrifice."

"Yes," replied the queen; "a mother sacrifices everything, certainly." She did not finish her phrase; for she

fancied, when she raised her eyes towards the fulllength portrait of the pale Louis XIII., that light once more

flashed from her husband's dull eyes, and his nostrils grew livid with wrath. The portrait seemed animated by

a living expression speak it did not, but it seemed to threaten. A profound silence succeeded the queen's last

remark. La Molina began to turn over ribbons and laces on a large worktable. Madame de Motteville,

surprised at the look of mutual intelligence which had been exchanged between the confidant and her

mistress, cast down her eyes like a discreet woman, and pretending to be observant of nothing that was

passing, listened with the utmost attention to every word. She heard nothing, however, but a very

insignificant "hum" on the part of the Spanish duenna, who was the incarnation of caution and a profound

"A very fine disorder, indeed! There is little good in M. Valot being there, when a very different physician

Madame de Motteville looked up with an air of great surprise, as she replied, "Another doctor instead of M.

"Occupation, Motteville, occupation. If any one is really ill, it is my poor daughter."

"Do not believe that too confidently, madame," said De Motteville. And, as if to justify her caution, a sharp,

acute pain seized the queen, who turned deadly pale, and threw herself back in the chair, with every symptom

of a sudden fainting fit. Molina ran to a richly gilded tortoise shell cabinet, from which she took a large

rockcrystal bottle of scented salts, and held it to the queen's nostrils, who inhaled it wildly for a few

"Your majesty's death is not so near at hand," added Molina, replacing the smellingbottle in the cabinet.

"Much better," returned the queen, placing her finger on her lips, to impose silence on her favorite.

"Does your majesty remember the day when this pain attacked you for the first time?"

"Because three and twenty years ago, on that very day, his present majesty, your own glorious son, was born

The queen uttered a loud cry, buried her face in her hands, and seemed utterly prostrated for some minutes;

but whether from recollections which arose in her mind, or from reflection, or even with sheer pain, was

doubtful. La Molina darted a look at Madame de Motteville, so full of bitter reproach, that the poor woman,

perfectly ignorant of its meaning, was in her own exculpation on the point of asking an explanation, when,

suddenly, Anne of Austria arose and said, "Yes, the 5th of September; my sorrow began on the 5th of

September. The greatest joy, one day; the deepest sorrow the next; the sorrow," she added, "the bitter

And, from that moment, Anne of Austria, whose memory and reason seemed to be suspended for the time,

remained impenetrable, with vacant look, mind almost wandering, and hands hanging heavily down, as if life

Madame de Motteville rose; large tears were rolling down the queen's pallid face; and Molina, having

The word "us" produced a disagreeable effect upon the ears of the French favorite; for it signified that an

interchange of secrets, or of revelations of the past, was about to be made, and that one person was _de trop_

"Will Molina, alone, be sufficient for your majesty tonight?" inquired the French woman.

"Yes," replied the queen. Madame de Motteville bowed in submission, and was about to withdraw, when

suddenly an old female attendant, dressed as if she had belonged to the Spanish court of the year 1620,

opened the door, and surprised the queen in her tears. "The remedy!" she cried, delightedly, to the queen, as

"It is needless," suddenly replied a voice, at once firm and gentle in its tone, which proceeded from the other

side of the tapestry hangings; a voice which made the attendants start, and the queen tremble excessively. At

the same moment, a masked female appeared through the hangings, and, before the queen could speak a

syllable she added, "I am connected with the order of the Beguines of Bruges, and do, indeed, bring with me

the remedy which is certain to effect a cure of your majesty's complaint." No one uttered a sound, and the

Anne of Austria looked at her attendants, who immediately withdrew. The Beguine, thereupon, advanced a

few steps towards the queen, and bowed reverently before her. The queen gazed with increasing mistrust at

this woman, who, in her turn, fixed a pair of brilliant eyes upon her, through her mask.

"The queen of France must, indeed, be very ill," said Anne of Austria, "if it is known at the Beguinage of

"Impossible, madame, since your majesty's memory has not been awakened by your heart."

Anne of Austria looked up, endeavoring to discover through the mysterious mask, and this ambiguous

language, the name of her companion, who expressed herself with such familiarity and freedom; then,

suddenly, wearied by a curiosity which wounded every feeling of pride in her nature, she said, "You are

ignorant, perhaps, that royal personages are never spoken to with the face masked."

"I cannot excuse you. I may, possibly, forgive you, if you throw your mask aside."

"I have made a vow, madame, to attend and aid all afflicted and suffering persons, without ever permitting

them to behold my face. I might have been able to administer some relief to your body and to your mind, too;

These words were uttered with a harmony of tone and respect of manner that disarmed the queen of all anger

and suspicion, but did not remove her feeling of curiosity. "You are right, "she said; "it illbecomes those

who are suffering to reject the means of relief Heaven sends them. Speak, then; and may you, indeed, be able,

"Let us first speak a little of the mind, if you please," said the Beguine "of the mind, which, I am sure, must

"There are cancers so insidious in their nature that their very pulsations cannot be felt. Such cancers,

madame, leave the ivory whiteness of the skin unblemished, and putrefy not the firm, fair flesh, with their

blue tints; the physician who bends over the patient's chest hears not, though he listens, the insatiable teeth of

the disease grinding onward through the muscles, and the blood flows freely on; the knife has never been able

to destroy, and rarely, even temporarily, to disarm the rage of these mortal scourges, their home is in the

mind, which they corrupt, they gnaw the whole heart until it breaks. Such, madame, are the cancers fatal to

Anne slowly raised her arm, dazzling in its perfect whiteness, and pure in its rounded outlines as it was in the

"The evils to which you allude," she said, "are the condition of the lives of the high in rank upon earth, to

whom Heaven has imparted mind. When those evils become too heavy to be borne, Heaven lightens their

burdens by penitence and confession. Thus, only, we lay down our burden and the secrets that oppress us.

But, forget not that the same gracious Heaven, in its mercy, apportions to their trials the strength of the feeble

creatures of its hand; and my strength has enabled me to bear my burden. For the secrets of others, the silence

of Heaven is more than sufficient; for my own secrets, that of my confessor is enough."

"You are as courageous, madame, I see, as ever, against your enemies. You do not acknowledge your

"Queens have no friends; if you have nothing further to say to me, if you feel yourself inspired by Heaven

"I should have supposed," said the Beguine, resolutely, "that you would rather have dreaded the past."

Hardly had these words escaped her lips, than the queen rose up proudly. "Speak," she cried, in a short,

imperious tone of voice; "explain yourself briefly, quickly, entirely; or, if not "

"Nay, do not threaten me, your majesty," said the Beguine, gently; "I came here to you full of compassion

"Easily enough, and your majesty will see who is friendly to you. What misfortune has happened to your

"I speak not of misfortunes of _that_ kind. I wish to ask you, if, since the birth of the king, any indiscretion

on a friend's part has caused your majesty the slightest serious anxiety, or distress?"

"I do not understand you," replied the queen, clenching her teeth in order to conceal her emotion.

"I will make myself understood, then. Your majesty remembers that the king was born on the 5th of

"At halfpast twelve," continued the Beguine, "the dauphin, who had been baptized by Monseigneur de

Meaux in the king's and your own presence, was acknowledged as the heir of the crown of France. The king

then went to the chapel of the old Chateau de SaintGermain, to hear the _Te Deum_ chanted."

"Your majesty's conferment took place in the presence of Monsieur, his majesty's late uncle, of the princes,

and of the ladies attached to the court. The king's physician, Bouvard, and Honore, the surgeon, were

stationed in the antechamber; your majesty slept from three o'clock until seven, I believe."

"Yes, yes; but you tell me no more than every one else knows as well as you and myself."

"I am now, madame, approaching that which very few persons are acquainted with. Very few persons, did I

say, alas! I might say two only, for formerly there were but five in all, and, for many years past, the secret has

been well preserved by the deaths of the principal participators in it. The late king sleeps now with his

ancestors; Peronne, the midwife, soon followed him; Laporte is already forgotten."

The queen opened her lips as though to reply; she felt, beneath her icy hand, with which she kept her face half

"It was eight o'clock," pursued the Beguine; "the king was seated at supper, full of joy and happiness; around

him on all sides arose wild cries of delight and drinking of healths; the people cheered beneath the balconies;

the Swiss guards, the musketeers, and the royal guards wandered through the city, borne about in triumph by

the drunken students. Those boisterous sounds of general joy disturbed the dauphin, the future king of France,

who was quietly lying in the arms of Madame de Hausac, his nurse, and whose eyes, as he opened them, and

stared about, might have observed two crowns at the foot of his cradle. Suddenly your majesty uttered a

piercing cry, and Dame Peronne immediately flew to your beside. The doctors were dining in a room at some

distance from your chamber; the palace, deserted from the frequency of the irruptions made into it, was

without either sentinels or guards. The midwife, having questioned and examined your majesty, gave a

sudden exclamation as if in wild astonishment, and taking you in her arms, bewildered almost out of her

senses from sheer distress of mind, dispatched Laporte to inform the king that her majesty the queenmother

wished to see him in her room. Laporte, you are aware, madame, was a man of the most admirable calmness

and presence of mind. He did not approach the king as if he were the bearer of alarming intelligence and

wished to inspire the terror he himself experienced; besides, it was not a very terrifying intelligence which

awaited the king. Therefore, Laporte appeared with a smile upon his lips, and approached the king's chair,

saying to him 'Sire, the queen is very happy, and would be still more so to see your majesty.' On that day,

Louis XIII. would have given his crown away to the veriest beggar for a 'God bless you.' Animated,

lighthearted, and full of gayety, the king rose from the table, and said to those around him, in a tone that

Henry IV. might have adopted, 'Gentlemen, I am going to see my wife.' He came to your beside, madame,

at the very moment Dame Peronne presented to him a second prince, as beautiful and healthy as the former,

and said 'Sire, Heaven will not allow the kingdom of France to fall into the female line.' The king, yielding

to a first impulse, clasped the child in his arms, and cried, 'Oh, Heaven, I thank Thee!'"

At this part of her recital, the Beguine paused, observing how intensely the queen was suffering; she had

thrown herself back in her chair, and with her head bent forward and her eyes fixed, listened without seeming

to hear, and her lips moving convulsively, either breathing a prayer to Heaven or imprecations on the woman

"Ah! I do not believe that, if, because there could be but one dauphin in France, "exclaimed the Beguine, "the

queen allowed that child to vegetate, banished from his royal parents' presence, she was on that account an

unfeeling mother. Oh, no, no; there are those alive who have known and witnessed the passionate kisses she

imprinted on that innocent creature in exchange for a life of misery and gloom to which state policy

"It is admitted," continued the Beguine, quickly, "that when the king perceived the effect which would result

from the existence of two sons, equal in age and pretensions, he trembled for the welfare of France, for the

tranquillity of the state; and it is equally well known that Cardinal de Richelieu, by the direction of Louis

XIII., thought over the subject with deep attention, and after an hour's meditation in his majesty's cabinet, he

pronounced the following sentence: 'One prince means peace and safety for the state; two competitors, civil

The queen rose suddenly from her seat, pale as death, and her hands clenched together:

"You know too much," she said, in a hoarse, thick voice, "since you refer to secrets of state. As for the friends

from whom you have acquired this secret, they are false and treacherous. You are their accomplice in the

crime which is being now committed. Now, throw aside your mask, or I will have you arrested by my captain

of the guards. Do not think that this secret terrifies me! You have obtained it, you shall restore it to me. Never

shall it leave your bosom, for neither your secret nor your own life belong to you from this moment."

Anne of Austria, joining gesture to the threat, advanced a couple of steps towards the Beguine.

"Learn," said the latter, "to know and value the fidelity, the honor, and secrecy of the friends you have

"Ah!" murmured Anne of Austria; "come and embrace me, duchesse. Alas! you kill your friend in thus

And the queen, leaning her head upon the shoulder of the old duchesse, burst into a flood of bitter tears.

The queen looked steadily at Madame de Chevreuse, and said: "I believe you just now made use of the word

'happy' in speaking of me. Hitherto, duchesse, I had thought it impossible that a human creature could

"Your afflictions, madame, have indeed been terrible enough. But by the side of those great and grand

misfortunes to which we, two old friends, separated by men's malice, were just now alluding, you possess

sources of pleasure, slight enough in themselves it may be, but greatly envied by the world."

"What are they?" said Anne of Austria, bitterly. "What can induce you to pronounce the word 'pleasure,'

duchesse you who, just now, admitted that my body and my mind both stood in need of remedies?"

Madame de Chevreuse collected herself for a moment, and then murmured, "How far removed kings are from

"I mean that they are so far removed from the vulgar herd that they forget that others often stand in need of

the bare necessities of life. They are like the inhabitant of the African mountains, who, gazing from the

verdant tableland, refreshed by the rills of melted snow, cannot comprehend that the dwellers in the plains

below are perishing from hunger and thirst in the midst of the desert, burnt up by the heat of the sun."

The queen colored, for she now began to perceive the drift of her friend's remark. "It was very wrong," she

"Oh! madame, I know the king has inherited the hatred his father bore me. The king would exile me if he

"I cannot say that the king is very well disposed towards you, duchesse," replied the queen; "but I could

The duchesse's disdainful smile produced a feeling of uneasiness in the queen's mind. "Duchesse," she

hastened to add, "you did perfectly right to come here, even were it only to give us the happiness of

"Ah! you know, duchesse, the court is very frequently moving about from place to place; we see M. Albert de

Luynes but seldom, and many things escape our minds in the midst of the preoccupations that constantly

"Why not? Alas! we are all mortal; and you may perceive how rapidly I, your younger sister, as we used

"If your majesty believed me dead, you ought, in that case, to have been astonished not to have received the

"Oh! your majesty, those who are burdened with secrets such as we have just now discussed must, as a

necessity of their nature, satisfy their craving desire to divulge them, and they feel they must gratify that

desire before they die. Among the various preparations for their final journey, the task of placing their papers

"Your majesty will be sure to learn, in a particular manner, the day of my death."

"Because your majesty will receive the next day, under several coverings, everything connected with our

"Yes, certainly, or rather they pretend to destroy, instead of which they keep or sell it. Faithful friends, on the

contrary, most carefully secrete such treasures, for it may happen that some day or other they would wish to

seek out their queen in order to say to her: 'Madame, I am getting old; my health is fast failing me; in the

presence of the danger of death, for there is the risk for your majesty that this secret may be revealed, take,

therefore, this paper, so fraught with menace for yourself, and trust not to another to burn it for you.'"

"As far as I am concerned, I have but one, it is true, but that is indeed most dangerous in its nature."

"A letter, dated Tuesday, the 2d of August, 1644, in which you beg me to go to NoisyleSec, to see that

unhappy child. In your own handwriting, madame, there are those words, 'that unhappy child!'"

A profound silence ensued; the queen's mind was busy in the past; Madame de Chevreuse was watching the

progress of her scheme. "Yes, unhappy, most unhappy!" murmured Anne of Austria; "how sad the existence

"Is he dead?" cried the duchesse suddenly, with a curiosity whose genuine accents the queen instinctively

"He died of consumption, died forgotten, died withered and blighted like the flowers a lover has given to his

mistress, which she leaves to die secreted in a drawer where she had hid them from the gaze of others."

"Died!" repeated the duchesse with an air of discouragement, which would have afforded the queen the most

unfeigned delight, had it not been tempered in some measure with a mixture of doubt "Died at Noisyle

"Yes, in the arms of his tutor, a poor, honest man, who did not long survive him."

"That can easily be understood; it is so difficult to bear up under the weight of such a loss and such a secret,"

said Madame de Chevreuse, the irony of which reflection the queen pretended not to perceive. Madame de

Chevreuse continued: "Well, madame, I inquired some years ago at Noisyle Sec about this unhappy child.

I was told that it was not believed he was dead, and that was my reason for not having at first condoled with

your majesty; for, most certainly, if I could have thought it were true, never should I have made the slightest

allusion to so deplorable an event, and thus have reawakened your majesty's most natural distress."

"They said, that one evening, about the year 1645, a lady, beautiful and majestic in her bearing, which was

observed notwithstanding the mask and the mantle that concealed her figure a lady of rank, of very high

rank, no doubt came in a carriage to the place where the road branches off; the very same spot, you know,

where I awaited news of the young prince when your majesty was graciously pleased to send me there."

"That both the child and his tutor left that part of the country the very next day."

"There, you see there is some truth in what you relate, since, in point of fact, the poor child died from a

sudden attack of illness, which makes the lives of all children, as doctors say, suspended as it were by a

"What your majesty says is quite true; no one knows it better than yourself no one believes it more strongly

"The person who gave me these details, who was sent to inquire after the child's health "

"Some one as dumb as your majesty, as dumb as myself; we will suppose it was myself, Madame; this some

"Recognized both the tutor and the child, too! I am wrong, thought he recognized them, both living, cheerful,

happy, and flourishing, the one in a green old age, the other in the flower of his youth. Judge after that what

truth can be attributed to the rumors which are circulated, or what faith, after that, placed in anything that

may happen in the world! But I am fatiguing your majesty; it was not my intention, however, to do so, and I

will take my leave of you, after renewing to you the assurance of my most respectful devotion."

"Why not, indeed? Are you not the oldest friend I have? Are you angry with me, duchesse?"

"I, indeed! what motive could I have? If I had reason to be angry with your majesty, should I have come

"Duchesse, age is fast creeping on us both; we should be united against that death whose approach cannot be

"Oh, I know you well, no one is more disinterested, more noble, and truly loyal."

"So much the better; for the beautiful, the haughty, the adored duchesse of former days might have answered

me ungratefully, 'I do not wish for anything from you.' Heaven be praised! The misfortunes you speak of

have indeed worked a change in you, for you will now, perhaps, answer me, 'I accept.'"

The duchesse's look and smile soon changed at this conclusion, and she no longer attempted to act a false

"Well, then, your majesty can confer the greatest, the most ineffable pleasure upon me."

"What is it?" said the queen, a little distant in her manner, from an uneasiness of feeling produced by this

remark. "But do not forget, my good Chevreuse, that I am quite as much under my son's influence as I was

"Good heavens! can you possibly imagine that, in asking you that, I am not asking you the greatest

conceivable favor? If that really be the case, you do not know me. Will you accept?"

"Yes, gladly. And I shall be happy," continued the queen, with some suspicion, "if my presence can in any

"Useful!" exclaimed the duchesse, laughing; "oh, no, no, agreeable delightful, if you like; and you promise

"I swear it," said the queen, whereupon the duchesse seized her beautiful hand, and covered it with kisses.

The queen could not help murmuring to herself, "She is a goodhearted woman, and very generous, too."

"Because," said the duchesse, "knowing me to be in disgrace, no one would lend me the hundred thousand

francs, which I require to put Dampierre into a state of repair. But when it is known that I require that sum for

the purpose of receiving your majesty at Dampierre properly, all the money in Paris will be at my disposal."

"Ah!" said the queen, gently nodding her head in sign of intelligence, "a hundred thousand francs! you want a

"You would be wrong if you did _not_. Besides, a hundred thousand francs is really not much. I know but too

well that you never set a right value upon your silence and secrecy. Push that table a little towards me,

duchesse, and I will write you an order on M. Colbert; no, on M. Fouquet, who is a far more courteous and

"If he will not pay it, I will; but it will be the first time he will have refused me."

The queen wrote and handed the duchesse the order, and afterwards dismissed her with a warm embrace.

All these intrigues are exhausted; the human mind, so variously complicated, has been enabled to develop

itself at its ease in the three outlines with which our recital has supplied it. It is not unlikely that, in the future

we are now preparing, a question of politics and intrigues may still arise, but the springs by which they work

will be so carefully concealed that no one will be able to see aught but flowers and paintings, just as at a

theater, where a colossus appears upon the scene, walking along moved by the small legs and slender arms of

We now return to SaintMande, where the superintendent was in the habit of receiving his select confederacy

of epicureans. For some time past the host had met with nothing but trouble. Every one in the house was

aware of and felt for the minister's distress. No more magnificent or recklessly improvident _reunions_.

Money had been the pretext assigned by Fouquet, and never _was_ any pretext, as Gourville said, more

M. Vatel was resolutely painstaking in keeping up the reputation of the house, and yet the gardeners who

supplied the kitchens complained of ruinous delays. The agents for the supply of Spanish wines sent drafts

which no one honored; fishermen, whom the superintendent engaged on the coast of Normandy, calculated

that if they were paid all that was due to them, the amount would enable them to retire comfortably for life;

fish, which, at a later period, was the cause of Vatel's death, did not arrive at all. However, on the ordinary

reception days, Fouquet's friends flocked in more numerously than ever. Gourville and the Abbe Fouquet

talked over money matters that is to say, the abbe borrowed a few pistoles from Gourville; Pelisson, seated

with his legs crossed, was engaged in finishing the peroration of a speech with which Fouquet was to open

the parliament; and this speech was a masterpiece, because Pelisson wrote it for his friend that is to say, he

inserted all kinds of clever things the latter would most certainly never have taken the trouble to say of his

own accord. Presently Loret and La Fontaine would enter from the garden, engaged in a dispute about the art

of making verses. The painters and musicians, in their turn, were hovering near the dining room. As soon as

eight o'clock struck the supper would be announced, for the superintendent never kept any one waiting. It was

already halfpast seven, and the appetites of the guests were beginning to declare themselves in an emphatic

manner. As soon as all the guests were assembled, Gourville went straight up to Pelisson, awoke him out of

his reverie, and led him into the middle of a room, and closed the doors. "Well," he said, "anything new?"

Pelisson raised his intelligent and gentle face, and said: "I have borrowed five and twenty thousand francs of

"Good," replied Gourville; "we only what one hundred and ninetyfive thousand livres for the first payment."

"What! absentminded as usual! Why, it was you who told us the small estate at Corbeli was going to be sold

by one of M. Fouquet's creditors; and you, also, who proposed that all his friends should subscribe more

than that, it was you who said that you would sell a corner of your house at ChateauThierry, in order to

This remark was received with a general laugh, which made La Fontaine blush. "I beg your pardon," he said,

"That is the truth, and the fact is, he is quite right, there is a great difference between forgetting and not

"Well, then," added Pelisson, "you bring your mite in the shape of the price of the piece of land you have

"Have you not sold the field, then?" inquired Gourville, in astonishment, for he knew the poet's

"My wife would not let me," replied the latter, at which there were fresh bursts of laughter.

"My wife had been flirting with the man to whom I wished to sell the land. The fellow drew back form his

"No, my wife and her relations interfered in the matter. I was kept a quarter of an hour with my sword in my

"Capital!" cried his friends from all sides, "you must have been terribly angry."

"Exceedingly so; I caught cold; I returned home and then my wife began to quarrel with me."

"Oh! I upset the table over her and her guests; and then I got on my horse again, and here I am."

Every one had great difficulty in keeping his countenance at the exposure of this heroicomedy, and when

the laughter had subsided, one of the guests present said to La Fontaine: "Is that all you have brought back?"

"Have you noticed that there is a good deal of sportive, jesting poetry written in France?"

"That may be; but a rare article is a dear article, and that is the reason why I have written a small poem,

"Yes," continued the poet, with assumed indifference, "and I have introduced the greatest freedom of

Peals of laughter again broke forth, while the poet was thus announcing the quality of his wares. "And," he

continued, "I have tried to excel everything that Boccaccio, Aretin, and other masters of their craft have

"Do you think so?" said La Fontaine, simply. "I assure you I did not do it on my own account so much as M.

"And I have sold the first edition of this little book for eight hundred livres," exclaimed La Fontaine, rubbing

"It would have been better," said Gourville, "to have written two religious books instead."

"It would have been too long, and not amusing enough," replied La Fontaine tranquilly; "my eight hundred

As he said this, he placed his offering in the hands of their treasurer; it was then Loret's turn, who gave a

hundred and fifty livres; the others stripped themselves in the same way; and the total sum in the purse

amounted to forty thousand livres. The money was still being counted over when the superintendent

noiselessly entered the room; he had heard everything; and then this man, who had possessed so many

millions, who had exhausted all the pleasures and honors the world had to bestow, this generous heart, this

inexhaustible brain, which had, like two burning crucibles, devoured the material and moral substance of the

first kingdom in Europe, was seen to cross the threshold with tears in his eyes, and pass his fingers through

"Poor offering," he said, in a softened and affected tone of voice, "you will disappear into the smallest corner

of my empty purse, but you have filled to overflowing that which no one can ever exhaust, my heart. Thank

you, my friends thank you." And as he could not embrace every one present, who were all tearful, too,

philosophers as they were, he embraced La Fontaine, saying to him, "Poor fellow! so you have, on my

"Oh! it is a mere nothing," replied the poet; "if your creditors will only wait a couple of years, I shall have

written a hundred other tales, which, at two editions each, will pay off the debt."

Fouquet pressed La Fontaine's hand most warmly, saying to him, "My dear poet, write a hundred other tales,

not only for the eighty pistoles which each of them will produce you, but, still more, to enrich our language

"Oh!" said La Fontaine, with a little air of pride, "you must not suppose that I have only brought this idea and

"Oh! indeed," was the general acclimation from all parts of the room, "M. de la Fontaine is in funds today."

"Take care," said Pelisson in La Fontaine's ear; "you have had a most brilliant success up to the present

"Not at all, Monsieur Pelisson; and you, who are a man of decided taste, will be the first to approve of what I

"I have fifteen hundred thousand francs here, Monsieur Gourville," he replied, striking himself on the chest.

"Stay a moment, monsieur le surintendant," added La Fontaine; "you are not procureurgeneral you are a

"True, true!" cried Loret, Conrart, and every person present connected with literature.

"You are, I repeat, a poet and a painter, a sculptor, a friend of the arts and sciences; but, acknowledge that

"Very good; if, therefore, you do not wish to belong to the Academy, why do you allow yourself to form one

"I wish to know whether the barrister's gown does or does not become M. Fouquet."

"There is no question of the gown at all," retorted Pelisson, annoyed at the laughter of those who were

"Take the gown away from the procureurgeneral," said Conrart, "and we have M. Fouquet left us still, of

whom we have no reason to complain; but, as he is no procureurgeneral without his gown, we agree with M.

"Thus: The hares run away as soon as they see M. Fouquet." A burst of laughter, in which the superintendent

"Because the hare will be the very one who will not be over pleased to see M. Fouquet surrounded by all the

"_Quo non ascendam_," said Conrart, "seems impossible to me, when one is fortunate enough to wear the

"On the contrary, it seems so to me without that gown," said the obstinate Pelisson; "what is your opinion,

"I think the gown in question is a very good thing," replied the latter; "but I equally think that a million and a

"And I am of Gourville's opinion," exclaimed Fouquet, stopping the discussion by the expression of his own

"A million and a half," Pelisson grumbled out; "now I happen to know an Indian fable "

"There was a tortoise, which was, as usual, well protected by its shell," said Pelisson; "whenever its enemies

threatened it, it took refuge within its covering. One day some one said to it, 'You must feel very hot in such a

house as that in the summer, and you are altogether prevented showing off your graces; there is a snake here,

"Well, what next?" said La Fontaine, more interested in the apologue than in the moral.

"The tortoise sold his shell and remained naked and defenseless. A vulture happened to see him, and being

hungry, broke the tortoise's back with a blow of his beak and devoured it. The moral is, that M. Fouquet

La Fontaine understood the moral seriously. "You forget Aeschylus," he said, to his adversary.

"Aeschylus was baldheaded, and a vulture your vulture, probably who was a great amateur in tortoises,

mistook at a distance his head for a block of stone, and let a tortoise, which was shrunk up in his shell, fall

"Yes, yes, La Fontaine is right," resumed Fouquet, who had become very thoughtful; "whenever a vulture

wishes to devour a tortoise, he well knows how to break his shell; but happy is that tortoise a snake pays a

million and a half for his envelope. If any one were to bring me a generoushearted snake like the one in your

"And like a black swan, is he not?" added La Fontaine; "well, then, the bird in question, black and rare, is

"Do you mean to say that you have found a purchaser for my post of procureurgeneral?" exclaimed

"He seems very tenacious about his brilliant idea," said Fouquet, laughing. "Well, La Fontaine, who is the

"A perfect blackbird, for he is a counselor belonging to the parliament, an excellent fellow."

"He wishes to be everything that you have been, monsieur," said Gourville, "and to do everything that you

"It is very simple. I see him occasionally, and a short time ago I met him, walking about on the Place de la

Bastile, at the very moment when I was about to take the small carriage to come down here to SaintMande."

"Oh, no!" said La Fontaine, "he is far from being jealous. He accosted me, embraced me, and took me to the

"That some one had spoken to him about a post in parliament; that M. Fouquet's name had been mentioned;

that ever since, Madame Vanel dreams of nothing else than being called madame la procureurgenerale, and

"Wait a moment. Conrart is always telling me that I do not know how to conduct matters of business; you

"'I suppose you know,' said I to Vanel, 'that the value of a post such as that which M. Fouquet holds is by no

"'My wife,' replied Vanel, 'had estimated it at about fourteen hundred thousand.'

"'Yes; she has sold some property of hers in Guienne, and has received the purchase money.'"

"That's a pretty sum to touch all at once," said the Abbe Fouquet, who had not hitherto said a word.

Pelisson shrugged his shoulders, as he whispered in Fouquet's ear, "That woman is a perfect fiend."

"That may be; and it will be delightful to make use of this fiend's money to repair the injury which an angel

Pelisson looked with a surprised air at Fouquet, whose thoughts were from that moment fixed upon a fresh

"Yes," said Gourville; "but there are some people who are anxious to have the steed who have not even

"And Vanel would draw back from his offer if he were to be taken at his word," continued the Abbe Fouquet.

"_Semper ad eventum_. Is that correct?" said Fouquet, with the air of a nobleman who condescends to

"My _denouement_," cried La Fontaine, "is that Vanel, that determined blackbird, knowing that I was

coming to SaintMande, implored me to bring him with me, and, if possible, to present him to M. Fouquet."

"So that he is here; I left him in that part of the ground called Bel Air. Well, M. Fouquet, what is your

"Well, it is not respectful towards Madame Vanel that her husband should run the risk of catching cold

"And I will accompany you," said the Abbe Fouquet; "I will carry the money bags."

"No jesting," said Fouquet, seriously; "let the business be a serious one, if it is to be one at all. But first of all,

let us show we are hospitable. Make my apologies, La Fontaine, to M. Vanel, and tell him how distressed I

La Fontaine set off at once, fortunately accompanied by Gourville, for, absorbed in his own calculations, the

poet would have mistaken the route, and was hurrying as fast as he could towards the village of

SaintMande. Within a quarter of an hour afterwards, M. Vanel was introduced into the superintendent's

cabinet, a description of which has already been given at the beginning of this story. When Fouquet saw him

enter, he called to Pelisson, and whispered a few words in his ear. "Do not lose a single word of what I am

going to say: let all the silver and gold plate, together with my jewels of every description, be packed up in

the carriage. You will take the black horses: the jeweler will accompany you; and you will postpone the

Pelisson set off, not quite clear as to his friend's meaning or intention, but confident, like every true friend, in

the judgment of the man he was blindly obeying. It is that which constitutes the strength of such men; distrust

"Do not trouble yourself, monsieur," said Fouquet, politely; "I am told you wish to purchase a post I hold.

"It is for you, monseigneur, to fix the amount you require. I know that offers of purchase have already been

"Madame Vanel, I have been told, values it at fourteen hundred thousand livres."

"I have not the money with me," said Vanel, frightened almost by the unpretending simplicity, amounting to

greatness, of the man, for he had expected disputes, difficulties, opposition of every kind.

"Whenever you please, monseigneur;" for he began to be afraid that Fouquet was trifling with him.

"If it were not for the trouble you would have in returning to Paris, I would say at once; but we will arrange

that the payment and the signature shall take place at six o'clock tomorrow morning."

"Adieu, Monsieur Vanel, present my humblest respects to Madame Vanel," said Fouquet, as he rose; upon

which Vanel, who felt the blood rushing to his head, for he was quite confounded by his success, said

seriously to the superintendent, "Will you give me your word, monseigneur, upon this affair?"

Vanel hesitated, trembled all over, and at last finished by hesitatingly holding out his hand. Fouquet opened

and nobly extended his own; this loyal hand lay for a moment in Vanel's most hypocritical palm, and he

pressed it in his own, in order the better to convince himself of the compact. The superintendent gently

disengaged his hand, as he again said, "Adieu." And then Vanel ran hastily to the door, hurried along the

Fouquet had no sooner dismissed Vanel than he began to reflect for a few moments "A man never can do

too much for the woman he has once loved. Marguerite wishes to be the wife of a procureurgeneral and

why not confer this pleasure upon her? And, now that the most scrupulous and sensitive conscience will be

unable to reproach me with anything, let my thoughts be bestowed on her who has shown so much devotion

for me. Madame de Belliere ought to be there by this time," he said, as he turned towards the secret door.

After he had locked himself in, he opened the subterranean passage, and rapidly hastened towards the means

of communicating between the house at Vincennes and his own residence. He had neglected to apprise his

friend of his approach, by ringing the bell, perfectly assured that she would never fail to be exact at the

rendezvous; as, indeed, was the case, for she was already waiting. The noise the superintendent made aroused

her; she ran to take from under the door the letter he had thrust there, and which simply said, "Come,

marquise; we are waiting supper for you." With her heart filled with happiness Madame de Belliere ran to her

carriage in the Avenue de Vincennes, and in a few minutes she was holding out her hand to Gourville, who

was standing at the entrance, where, in order the better to please his master, he had stationed himself to watch

her arrival. She had not observed that Fouquet's black horse arrived at the same time, all steaming and

foamflaked, having returned to SaintMande with Pelisson and the very jeweler to whom Madame de

Belliere had sold her plate and her jewels. Pelisson introduced the goldsmith into the cabinet, which Fouquet

had not yet left. The superintendent thanked him for having been good enough to regard as a simple deposit

in his hands, the valuable property which he had every right to sell; and he cast his eyes on the total of the

account, which amounted to thirteen hundred thousand francs. Then, going for a few moments to his desk, he

wrote an order for fourteen hundred thousand francs, payable at sight, at his treasury, before twelve o'clock

"A hundred thousand francs profit!" cried the goldsmith. "Oh, monseigneur, what generosity!"

"Nay, nay, not so, monsieur," said Fouquet, touching him on the shoulder; "there are certain kindnesses

which can never be repaid. This profit is only what you have earned; but the interest of your money still

remains to be arranged." And, saying this, he unfastened from his sleeve a diamond button, which the

goldsmith himself had often valued at three thousand pistoles. "Take this," he said to the goldsmith, "in

"And you, monseigneur," cried the goldsmith, completely overcome, "are the noblest man that ever lived."

Fouquet let the worthy goldsmith pass out of the room by a secret door, and then went to receive Madame de

Belliere, who was already surrounded by all the guests. The marquise was always beautiful, but now her

loveliness was more dazzling than ever. "Do you not think, gentlemen," said Fouquet, "that madame is more

"Because madame is really the most beautiful of all women," said some one present.

"And yet, all the jewels which madame is wearing this evening are nothing but false stones." At this remark

"Oh, oh!" exclaimed all the guests, "that can very well be said of one who has the finest diamonds in Paris."

"Well, at last I have understood you," returned the latter; "and you have done exceedingly well."

The crowd of guests hurried, more quickly than is usually the case with ministerial entertainments, towards

the banquetingroom, where a magnificent spectacle presented itself. Upon the buffets, upon the side tables,

upon the suppertable itself, in the midst of flowers and light, glittered most dazzlingly the richest and most

costly gold and silver plate that could possibly be seen relics of those ancient magnificent productions the

Florentine artists, whom the Medici family patronized, sculptured, chased, and moulded for the purpose of

holding flowers, at a time when gold existed still in France. These hidden marvels, which had been buried

during the civil wars, timidly reappeared during the intervals of that war of good taste called La Fronde; at a

time when noblemen fighting against nobleman killed, but did not pillage each other. All the plate present

had Madame de Belliere's arms engraved upon it. "Look," cried La Fontaine, "here is a P and a B."

But the most remarkable object present was the cover which Fouquet had assigned to the marquise. Near her

was a pyramid of diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, antique cameos, sardonyx stones, carved by the old Greeks

of Asia Minor, with mountings of Mysian gold; curious mosaics of ancient Alexandria, set in silver; massive

Egyptian bracelets lay heaped on a large plate of Palissy ware, supported by a tripod of gilt bronze,

sculptured by Benvenuto Cellini. The marquise turned pale, as she recognized what she had never expected to

see again. A profound silence fell on every one of the restless and excited guests. Fouquet did not even make

a sign in dismissal of the richly liveried servants who crowded like bees round the huge buffets and other

tables in the room. "Gentlemen," he said, "all this plate which you behold once belonged to Madame de

Belliere, who, having observed one of her friends in great distress, sent all this gold and silver, together with

the heap of jewels now before her, to her goldsmith. This noble conduct of a devoted friend can well be

understood by such friends as you. Happy indeed is that man who sees himself loved in such a manner. Let us

A tremendous burst of applause followed his words, and made poor Madame de Belliere sink back dumb and

breathless in her seat. "And then," added Pelisson, who was always affected by a noble action, as he was

invariably impressed by beauty, "let us also drink to the health of him who inspired madame's noble conduct;

It was now the marquise's turn. She rose, pale and smiling; and as she held out her glass with a faltering hand,

and her trembling fingers touched those of Fouquet, her look, full of love, found its mirror in that of her

ardent and generoushearted lover. Begun in this manner, the supper soon became a _fete_; no one tried to be

witty, but no one failed in being so. La Fontaine forgot his Gorgny wine, and allowed Vatel to reconcile him

to the wines of the Rhone, and those from the shores of Spain. The Abbe Fouquet became so kind and

goodnatured, that Gourville said to him, "Take care, monsieur l'abbe; if you are so tender, you will be

The hours passed away so joyously, that, contrary to his usual custom, the superintendent did not leave the

table before the end of the dessert. He smiled upon his friends, delighted as a man is whose heart becomes

intoxicated before his head and, for the first time, looked at the clock. Suddenly a carriage rolled into the

courtyard, and, strange to say, it was heard high above the noise of the mirth which prevailed. Fouquet

listened attentively, and then turned his eyes towards the ante chamber. It seemed as if he could hear a step

passing across it, a step that, instead of pressing the ground, weighed heavily upon his heart. "M. d'Herblay,

bishop of Vannes," the usher announced. And Aramis's grave and thoughtful face appeared upon the

threshold of the door, between the remains of two garlands, of which the flame of a lamp had just burnt the

Fouquet would have uttered an exclamation of delight on seeing another friend arrive, if the cold air and

averted aspect of Aramis had not restored all his reserve. "Are you going to join us at dessert?" he asked.

"And yet you would be frightened, perhaps, at the noise which our wild friends here are making?"

"Monseigneur," replied Aramis, respectfully, "I will begin by begging you to excuse me for having

interrupted this merry meeting; and then, I will beg you to give me, as soon as your pleasure is attended to, a

As the word "business" had aroused the attention of some of the epicureans present, Fouquet rose, saying:

"Business first of all, Monsieur d'Herblay; we are too happy when matters of business arrive only at the end

As he said this, he took the hand of Madame de Belliere, who looked at him with a kind of uneasiness, and

then led her to an adjoining _salon_, after having recommended her to the most reasonable of his guests. And

then, taking Aramis by the arm, he led him towards his cabinet. As soon as Aramis was there, throwing aside

the respectful air he had assumed, he threw himself into a chair, saying: "Guess whom I have seen this

"My dear chevalier, every time you begin in that manner, I am sure to hear you announce something

"Well, and this time you will not be mistaken, either, my dear friend," replied Aramis.

"Well! what harm can she meditate against me? I am no miser with women who are not prudes. A quality

"Madame de Chevreuse knows very well that you are not avaricious, since she wishes to draw some money

"Oh! pretexts are never wanting with _her_. Let me tell you what it is: it seems that the duchesse has a good

"Yes, but these letters have nothing whatever to do with the prelate's love affairs. They concern, it is said,

"Have you never heard speak of a prosecution being instituted for an embezzlement, or appropriation rather,

"Yes, a hundred, nay, a thousand times. Ever since I have been engaged in public matters I have hardly heard

of anything else. It is precisely your own case, when, as a bishop, people reproach you for impiety; or, as a

musketeer, for your cowardice; the very thing of which they are always accusing ministers of finance is the

"Very good; but take a particular instance, for the duchesse asserts that M. de Mazarin alludes to certain

"Something like a sum of thirteen millions of francs, of which it would be very difficult for you to define the

"Thirteen millions!" said the superintendent, stretching himself in his armchair, in order to enable him the

more comfortably to look up towards the ceiling. "Thirteen millions I am trying to remember out of all

"Do not laugh, my dear monsieur, for it is very serious. It is positive that the duchesse has certain letters in

her possession, and that these letters must be as she represents them, since she wished to sell them to me for

"Oh! one can have a very tolerable calumny got up for such a sum as that," replied Fouquet. "Ah! now I know

"I remember the story of those thirteen millions now. Yes, yes, I remember them quite well."

"Well, then, one day Signor Mazarin, Heaven rest his soul! made a profit of thirteen millions upon a

concession of lands in the Valtelline; he canceled them in the registry of receipts, sent them to me, and then

"Of course," said Fouquet, as he quietly rose from his chair, and went to his large ebony bureau inlaid with

"What I most admire in you," said Aramis, with an air of great satisfaction, "is, your memory in the first

place, then your self possession, and, finally, the perfect order which prevails in your administration; you, of

"Yes," said Fouquet, "I am orderly out of a spirit of idleness, to save myself the trouble of looking after

things, and so I know that Mazarin's receipt is in the third drawer under the letter M; I open the drawer, and

place my hand upon the very paper I need. In the night, without a light, I could find it."

And with a confident hand he felt the bundle of papers which were piled up in the open drawer. "Nay, more

than that," he continued, "I remember the paper as if I saw it; it is thick, somewhat crumpled, with gilt edges;

Mazarin had made a blot upon the figure of the date. Ah!" he said, "the paper knows we are talking about it,

Fouquet took out the bundle of papers, and turned them over once more; he then grew very pale.

"Quite useless; I have never made a mistake; no one but myself arranges any papers of mine of this nature; no

one but myself ever opens this drawer, of which, besides, no one, myself excepted, is aware of the secret."

"That Mazarin's receipt has been stolen from me; Madame de Chevreuse was right, chevalier; I have

appropriated the public funds, I have robbed the state coffers of thirteen millions of money; I am a thief,

"And why not, chevalier? surely there is every reason for it. If legal proceedings are well arranged, and a

judgment given in accordance with them, your friend the superintendent will soon follow Montfaucon, his

"And why not? why not so fast? What do you suppose Madame de Chevreuse has done with those letters

"I said I supposed so; I might have said I was sure of it, for I had her followed, and, when she left me, she

returned to her own house, went out by a back door, and proceeded straight to the intendant's house in the

"Legal proceedings will be instituted, then, scandal and dishonor will follow; and all will fall upon me like a

Aramis approached Fouquet, who sat trembling in his chair, close to the open drawers; he placed his hand on

his shoulder, and in an affectionate tone of voice, said: "Do not forget that the position of M. Fouquet can in

"Because the proceedings against those ministers were determined, completed, and the sentence carried out,

"No, I do not mean that; you forget that all such proceedings originate in the parliament, that they are

instituted by the procureurgeneral, and that you are the procureurgeneral. You see that, unless you wish to

Aramis, at this reply, became as livid as death; he pressed his hands together convulsively, and with a wild,

haggard look, which almost annihilated Fouquet, he said, laying a stress on every distinct syllable, "You are

"Take care," interrupted Aramis, coldly; "I do not think you are in the full possession of your senses, my

"I tell you," returned Fouquet, "that a little while ago, some one came to me, brought by my friends, to offer

Aramis looked as though he had been struck by lightning; the intelligent and mocking expression of his

countenance assumed an aspect of such profound gloom and terror, that it had more effect upon the

superintendent than all the exclamations and speeches in the world. "You had need of money, then?" he said,

"Yes; to discharge a debt of honor." And in a few words, he gave Aramis an account of Madame de Belliere's

generosity, and the manner in which he had thought it but right to discharge that act of generosity.

"It must be carried out, though; for I have given the goldsmith, for twelve o'clock tomorrow, an order upon

my treasury, into which the purchaser's money will be paid at six or seven o'clock."

"Heaven be praised!" cried Aramis, clapping his hands together, "nothing is yet completed, since you have

"You shall receive the fourteen hundred thousand francs from me, at a quarter before twelve."

"Can I believe what I hear?" cried Fouquet, in a most expressive tone. "Fouquet recall his word, after it has

Aramis replied to the almost stern look of the minister by a look full of anger. "Monsieur," he said, "I believe

I have deserved to be called a man of honor? As a soldier, I have risked my life five hundred times; as a priest

I have rendered still greater services, both to the state and to my friends. The value of a word, once passed, is

estimated according to the worth of the man who gives it. So long as it is in his own keeping, it is of the

purest, finest gold; when his wish to keep it has passed away, it is a twoedged sword. With that word,

therefore, he defends himself as with an honorable weapon, considering that, when he disregards his word, he

endangers his life and incurs an amount of risk far greater than that which his adversary is likely to derive of

Fouquet bent down his head, as he replied, "I am a poor, selfdetermined man, a true Breton born; my mind

admires and fears yours. I do not say that I keep my word from a proper feeling only; I keep it, if you like,

from custom, practice, pride, or what you will; but, at all events, the ordinary run of men are simple enough

to admire this custom of mine; it is my sole good quality leave me such honor as it confers."

"And so you are determined to sign the sale of the very appointment which can alone defend you against all

"You will deliver yourself up, then, bound hand and foot, from a false notion of honor, which the most

Aramis sighed deeply, and looked all round him with the impatient gesture of a man who would gladly dash

something to pieces, as a relief to his feelings. "We have still one means left," he said; "and I trust you will

"Certainly not, if it be loyal and honorable; as everything is, in fact, which you propose."

"I know nothing more loyal than the renunciation of your purchaser. Is he a friend of yours?"

Aramis became perfectly purple. "Vanel!" he cried, rising abruptly from his seat; "Vanel! the husband of

"Yes, my dear fellow; she is anxious to be the wife of the procureur general. I certainly owed poor Vanel

that slight concession, and I am a gainer by it; since I, at the same time, can confer a pleasure on his wife."

Aramis walked straight up to Fouquet, and took hold of his hand. "Do you know," he said, very calmly, "the

"Ah! she has a new lover, then? I was not aware of it; no, I have no idea what his name is."

"His name is M. JeanBaptiste Colbert; he is intendant of the finances: he lives in the Rue Croix des

PetitsChamps, where Madame de Chevreuse has been this evening to take him Mazarin's letters, which she

"Gracious Heaven!" murmured Fouquet, passing his hand across his forehead, from which the perspiration

"Do you now think it worth while to be so scrupulous with regard to keeping your word?"

"These obstinate people always contrive matters in such a way, that one cannot but admire them all the

Fouquet held out his hand to him, and, at the very moment, a richly ornamented tortoiseshell clock,

supported by golden figures, which was standing on a console table opposite to the fireplace, struck six. The

sound of a door being opened in the vestibule was heard, and Gourville came to the door of the cabinet to

inquire if Fouquet would received M. Vanel. Fouquet turned his eyes from the gaze of Aramis, and then

Vanel, who entered at this stage of the conversation, was nothing less for Aramis and Fouquet than the full

stop which completes a phrase. But, for Vanel, Aramis's presence in Fouquet's cabinet had quite another

signification; and, therefore, at his first step into the room, he paused as he looked at the delicate yet firm

features of the bishop of Vannes, and his look of astonishment soon became one of scrutinizing attention. As

for Fouquet, a perfect politician, that is to say, complete master of himself, he had already, by the energy of

his own resolute will, contrived to remove from his face all traces of the emotion which Aramis's revelation

had occasioned. He was no longer, therefore, a man overwhelmed by misfortune and reduced to resort to

expedients; he held his head proudly erect, and indicated by a gesture that Vanel could enter. He was now the

first minister of the state, and in his own palace. Aramis knew the superintendent well; the delicacy of the

feelings of his heart and the exalted nature of his mind no longer surprised him. He confined himself, then,

for the moment intending to resume later an active part in the conversation to the performance of the

difficult part of a man who looks on and listens, in order to learn and understand. Vanel was visibly

overcome, and advanced into the middle of the cabinet, bowing to everything and everybody. "I am here," he

"In matters of business, monseigneur," replied Vanel, "I look upon exactitude as a virtue."

"I beg your pardon," interrupted Aramis, indicating Vanel with his finger, but addressing himself to Fouquet;

"this is the gentleman, I believe, who has come about the purchase of your appointment?"

"Yes, I am," replied Vanel, astonished at the extremely haughty tone in which Aramis had put the question;

"Come, gentlemen, a truce to these ceremonies; let us proceed to the matter itself."

"Oh," said Vanel to himself, "he has reflected on the matter and I am lost." But resuming his courage, he

continued, "No, monseigneur, nothing, absolutely nothing more than what I said to you yesterday, and which

"Come, now, tell me frankly, Monsieur Vanel, is not the affair rather a burdensome one for you?"

"You have been reflecting, do you say, monseigneur?" exclaimed Vanel, anxiously.

"Do not make yourself uneasy on that score, Monsieur Vanel; I shall not blame you for a failure in your

"Oh, yes, monseigneur, you would blame me, and you would be right in doing so," said Vanel; "for a man

must either be very imprudent, or a fool, to undertake engagements which he cannot keep; and I, at least,

"You would be wrong to exaggerate such notions as those, monsieur," said the superintendent; "for a man's

mind is variable, and full of these very excusable caprices, which are, however, sometimes estimable enough;

Aramis, who was delighted to find the superintendent carry on the debate with such clearness and precision,

stood leaning his arm upon the marble top of a console table and began to play with a small gold knife, with a

malachite handle. Fouquet did not hasten to reply; but after a moment's pause, "Come, my dear Monsieur

Vanel," he said, "I will explain to you how I am situated." Vanel began to tremble.

"Well, well, that may be so; but today I ask you the favor to restore me my word which I pledged you."

"I know that, and that is the reason why I now entreat you; do you understand me? I entreat you to restore it

Fouquet suddenly paused. The words "I entreat you," the effect of which he did not immediately perceive,

seemed almost to choke him as he uttered it. Aramis, still playing with his knife, fixed a look upon Vanel

which seemed as if he wished to penetrate the recesses of his heart. Vanel simply bowed, as he said, "I am

overcome, monseigneur, at the honor you do me to consult me upon a matter of business which is already

"Alas! monseigneur, you see," he said, as he opened a large pocketbook, "I have brought the money with

me, the whole sum, I mean. And here, monseigneur, is the contract of sale which I have just effected of a

property belonging to my wife. The order is authentic in every particular, the necessary signatures have been

attached to it, and it is made payable at sight; it is ready money, in fact, and, in one word, the whole affair is

"My dear Monsieur Vanel, there is not a matter of business in this world, however important it may be, which

cannot be postponed in order to oblige a man, who, by that means, might and would be made a devoted

"And much more justly acquired would that friend become, Monsieur Vanel, since the value of the service he

had received would have been so considerable. Well, what do you say? what do you decide?"

Vanel preserved a perfect silence. In the meantime, Aramis had continued his close observation of the man.

Vanel's narrow face, his deeply sunken eyes, his arched eyebrows, had revealed to the bishop of Vannes the

type of an avaricious and ambitious character. Aramis's method was to oppose one passion by another. He

saw that M. Fouquet was defeated morally subdued and so he came to his rescue with fresh weapons in

his hands. "Excuse me, monseigneur," he said; "you forgot to show M. Vanel that his own interests are

Vanel looked at the bishop with astonishment; he had hardly expected to find an auxiliary in him. Fouquet

"Do you not see," continued Aramis, "that M. Vanel, in order to purchase your appointment, has been obliged

to sell a property belonging to his wife; well, that is no slight matter; for one cannot displace, as he has done,

fourteen or fifteen hundred thousand francs without some considerable loss, and very serious inconvenience."

"Perfectly true," said Vanel, whose secret Aramis had, with keensighted gaze, wrung from the bottom of his

"Inconveniences such as these are matters of great expense and calculation, and whenever a man has money

matters to deal with, the expenses are generally the very first thing thought of."

Vanel remained perfectly silent; he, too, had understood him. Aramis observed his coldness of manner and

his silence. "Very good," he said to himself, "you are waiting, I see, until you know the amount; but do not

fear, I shall send you such a flight of crowns that you cannot but capitulate on the spot."

"We must offer M. Vanel a hundred thousand crowns at once," said Fouquet, carried away by his generous

The sum was a good one. A prince, even, would have been satisfied with such a bonus. A hundred thousand

crowns at that period was the dowry of a king's daughter. Vanel, however, did not move.

"He is a perfect rascal!" thought the bishop, "well, we must offer the five hundred thousand francs at once,"

"You seem to have spent more than that, dear Monsieur Vanel," said the superintendent. "The price of ready

money is enormous. You must have made a great sacrifice in selling your wife's property. Well, what can I

have been thinking of? I ought to have offered to sign you an order for five hundred thousand francs; and

There was not a gleam of delight or desire on Vanel's face, which remained perfectly impassible; not a

muscle of it changed in the slightest degree. Aramis cast a look almost of despair at Fouquet, and then, going

straight up to Vanel and taking hold of him by the coat, in a familiar manner, he said, "Monsieur Vanel, it is

neither the inconvenience, nor the displacement of your money, nor the sale of your wife's property even, that

you are thinking of at this moment; it is something more important still. I can well understand it; so pay

"Yes, monseigneur," Vanel replied, beginning to tremble in every limb, as the prelate's eyes seemed almost

"I offer you, therefore, in the superintendent's name, not three hundred thousand livres, nor five hundred

thousand, but a million. A million do you understand me?" he added, as he shook him nervously.

"A million; in other words, at the present rate of interest, an income of seventy thousand francs."

"Come, monsieur," said Fouquet, "you can hardly refuse that. Answer do you accept?"

Aramis bit his lips, and something like a cloud seemed to pass over his face. The thunder behind this cloud

could easily be imagined. He still kept his hold on Vanel. "You have purchased the appointment for fifteen

hundred thousand francs, I think. Well, you will receive these fifteen hundred thousand francs back again; by

paying M. Fouquet a visit, and shaking hands with him on the bargain, you will have become a gainer of a

"Very well," replied Aramis, who had grasped Vanel so tightly by the coat that, when he let go his hold,

Vanel staggered back a few paces, "very well; one can now see clearly enough your object in coming here."

"But " said Vanel, attempting to stand erect before the weakness of these two men of honor.

"The scoundrel, I meant to say," added Aramis, who had now resumed his usual selfpossession. "Come,

monsieur, produce your deed of sale, you have it about you, I suppose, in one of your pockets, already

prepared, as an assassin holds his pistol or his dagger concealed under his cloak.

Vanel tremblingly searched in his pockets, and as he drew out his pocket book, a paper fell out of it, while

Vanel offered the other to Fouquet. Aramis pounced upon the paper which had fallen out, as soon as he

recognized the handwriting. "I beg your pardon," said Vanel, "that is a rough draft of the deed."

"I see that very clearly," retorted Aramis, with a smile more cutting than a lash of a whip; "and what I admire

most is, that this draft is in M. Colbert's handwriting. Look, monseigneur, look."

And he handed the draft to Fouquet, who recognized the truth of the fact; for, covered with erasures, with

inserted words, the margins filled with additions, this deed a living proof of Colbert's plot had just

Vanel, completely humiliated, seemed as if he were looking for some hole wherein to hide himself.

"Well!" said Aramis, "if your name were not Fouquet, and if your enemy's name were not Colbert if you

had not this mean thief before you, I should say to you, 'Repudiate it;' such a proof as this absolves you from

your word; but these fellows would think you were afraid; they would fear you less than they do; therefore

Fouquet pressed Aramis's hand; but, instead of the deed which Vanel handed to him, he took the rough draft

"No, not that paper," said Aramis, hastily; "this is the one. The other is too precious a document for you to

"No, no!" replied Fouquet; "I will sign under M. Colbert's own handwriting even; and I write, 'The

handwriting is approved of.'" He then signed, and said, "Here it is, Monsieur Vanel." And the latter seized the

"One moment," said Aramis. "Are you quite sure the exact amount is there? It ought to be counted over,

Monsieur Vanel; particularly since M. Colbert makes presents of money to ladies, I see. Ah, that worthy M.

Colbert is not so generous as M. Fouquet." And Aramis, spelling every word, every letter of the order to pay,

distilled his wrath and his contempt, drop by drop, upon the miserable wretch, who had to submit to this

torture for a quarter of an hour. He was then dismissed, not in words, but by a gesture, as one dismisses or

As soon as Vanel had gone, the minister and the prelate, their eyes fixed on each other, remained silent for a

"Well," said Aramis, the first to break the silence; "to what can that man be compared, who, at the very

moment he is on the point of entering into a conflict with an enemy armed from head to foot, panting for his

life, presents himself for the contest utterly defenseless, throws down his arms, and smiles and kisses his

hands to his adversary in the most gracious manner? Good faith, M. Fouquet, is a weapon which scoundrels

frequently make use of against men of honor, and it answers their purpose. Men of honor, ought, in their turn,

also, to make use of dishonest means against such scoundrels. You would soon see how strong they would

"Far from that; it would be merely coquetting or playing with the truth. At all events, since you have finished

with this Vanel; since you have deprived yourself of the happiness of confounding him by repudiating your

word; and since you have given up, for the purpose of being used against yourself, the only weapon which

"My dear friend," said Fouquet, mournfully, "you are like the teacher of philosophy whom La Fontaine was

telling us about the other day; he saw a child drowning, and began to read him a lecture divided into three

Aramis smiled as he said, "Philosophy yes; teacher yes; a drowning child yes; but a child can be saved

you shall see. But first of all let us talk about business. Did you not some time ago," he continued, as

Fouquet looked at him with a bewildered air, "speak to me about an idea you had of giving a _fete_ at

"No, no, my dear prelate; a _fete_ to which M. Colbert advised the king to invite himself."

"Ah exactly; as it would be a _fete_ of so costly a character that you would be ruined in giving it."

"Precisely so. In happier days, as I said just now, I had a kind of pride in showing my enemies how

inexhaustible my resources were; I felt it a point of honor to strike them with amazement, by creating

millions under circumstances where they imagined nothing but bankruptcies and failures would follow. But,

at present, I am arranging my accounts with the state, with the king, with myself; and I must now become a

mean, stingy man; I shall be able to prove to the world that I can act or operate with my deniers as I used to

do with my bags of pistoles, and from tomorrow my equipages shall be sold, my mansions mortgaged, my

"From tomorrow," interrupted Aramis, quietly, "you will occupy yourself, without the slightest delay, with

your _fete_ at Vaux, which must hereafter be spoken of as one of the most magnificent productions of your

"What do you mean, then? Do you not know that a _fete_ at Vaux, one of the very simplest possible

"I do not speak of a _fete_ of the very simplest possible character, my dear superintendent."

"But, since the _fete_ is to be given to the king," replied Fouquet, who misunderstood Aramis's idea, "it

"You shall spend twenty, if you require it," said Aramis, in a perfectly calm voice.

"That is my affair, monsieur le surintendant; and do not be uneasy for a moment about it. The money shall be

placed at once at your disposal, the moment you have arranged the plans of your _fete_."

"Chevalier! chevalier!" said Fouquet, giddy with amazement, "whither are you hurrying me?"

"Across the gulf into which you were about to fall," replied the bishop of Vannes. "Take hold of my cloak,

"Why did you not tell me that sooner, Aramis? There was a day when, with one million only, you could have

"Whilst today I can give you twenty," said the prelate. "Such is the case, however the reason is very

simple. On the day you speak of, I had not the million which you had need of at my disposal, whilst now I

Aramis resumed his usual smile, the expression of which was so singular. "Heaven never fails to hear me," he

"No, no; I do not understand it in that manner. I am unreservedly devoted to you. Therefore, as you have the

clearest, the most delicate, and the most ingenious mind of the two, you shall have entire control over the

"Only?" said Fouquet, as a man accustomed to understand and appreciate the value of a parenthesis.

"Well, then, leaving the entire invention of the details to you, I shall reserve to myself a general

"I mean, that you will make of me, on that day, a majordomo, a sort of inspectorgeneral, or factotum

something between a captain of the guard and manager or steward. I will look after the people, and will keep

the keys of the doors. You will give your orders, of course: but will give them to no one but me. They will

pass through my lips, to reach those for whom they are intended you understand?"

"That is all I care about, then. Thanks; and now go and prepare your list of invitations."

Our readers will have observed in this story, the adventures of the new and of the past generation being

detailed, as it were, side by side. He will have noticed in the former, the reflection of the glory of earlier

years, the experience of the bitter things of this world; in the former, also, that peace which takes possession

of the heart, and that healing of the scars which were formerly deep and painful wounds. In the latter, the

conflicts of love and vanity; bitter disappointments, ineffable delights; life instead of memory. If, therefore,

any variety has been presented to the reader in the different episodes of this tale, it is to be attributed to the

numerous shades of color which are presented on this double tablet, where two pictures are seen side by side,

mingling and harmonizing their severe and pleasing tones. The repose of the emotions of one is found in

harmonious contrast with the fiery sentiments of the other. After having talked reason with older heads, one

loves to talk nonsense with youth. Therefore, if the threads of the story do not seem very intimately to

connect the chapter we are now writing with the one we have just written, we do not intend to give ourselves

any more thought or trouble about it than Ruysdael took in painting an autumn sky, after having finished a

springtime scene. We accordingly resume Raoul de Bragelonne's story at the very place where our last

In a state of frenzy and dismay, or rather without power or will of his own, hardly knowing what he was

doing, he fled swiftly, after the scene in La Valliere's chamber, that strange exclusion, Louise's grief,

Montalais's terror, the king's wrath all seemed to indicate some misfortune. But what? He had arrived from

London because he had been told of the existence of a danger; and almost on his arrival this appearance of

danger was manifest. Was not this sufficient for a lover? Certainly it was, but it was insufficient for a pure

and upright heart such as his. And yet Raoul did not seek for explanations in the very quarter where more

jealous or less timid lovers would have done. He did not go straightaway to his mistress, and say, "Louise, is

it true that you love me no longer? Is it true that you love another?" Full of courage, full of friendship as he

was full of love; a religious observer of his word, and believing blindly the word of others, Raoul said within

himself, "Guiche wrote to put me on my guard, Guiche knows something; I will go and ask Guiche what he

knows, and tell him what I have seen." The journey was not a long one. Guiche, who had been brought from

Fontainebleau to Paris within the last two days, was beginning to recover from his wounds, and to walk about

a little in his room. He uttered a cry of joy as he saw Raoul, with the eagerness of friendship, enter the

apartment. Raoul was unable to refrain from a cry of grief, when he saw De Guiche, so pale, so thin, so

melancholy. A very few words, and a simple gesture which De Guiche made to put aside Raoul's arm, were

"Ah! so it is," said Raoul, seating himself beside his friend; "one loves and dies."

"No, no, not dies," replied Guiche, smiling, "since I am now recovering, and since, too, I can press you in my

"No; I am the happiest of men. My body suffers, but not my mind or my heart. If you only knew Oh! I am,

"My dear friend, you would be wrong. I think, to ask me any questions _you_ of all persons in the world;"

and he laid so much weight upon the "you," that he completely enlightened his friend upon the nature of the

"Certainly. We will talk over that matter a little, when you have finished telling me of all your own pleasures

"Thank you; I have hurried, I have flown here; I came in half the time the government couriers usually take.

"You cannot possibly have crushed all my hopes so violently, or have exposed me to being disgraced by the

king for my return, which is in disobedience of his orders you cannot, I say, have planted jealousy in my

"I do not say to you, Raoul, 'Be perfectly easy;' but pray understand me; I never will, nor can I, indeed, tell

"If you know anything, why conceal it from me? If you do not know anything, why did you write so

"True, true, I was very wrong, and I regret having done so, Raoul. It seems nothing to write to a friend and

say 'Come;' but to have this friend face to face, to feel him tremble, and breathlessly and anxiously wait to

"See how unjust you are, and how soon you forget you have to do with a poor wounded fellow such as your

unhappy friend is. So, calm yourself, Raoul. I said to you, 'Come' you are here, so ask me nothing further."

"Your object in telling me to come was your hope that I should see with my own eyes, was it not? Nay, do

"There, now, you see you are not sure. But if you have any doubt, my poor friend, what remains for me to

"Yes. You turn your head aside. The danger is there, the evil is there; tell me, is it not so, is it not the king?"

"Oh! you say a thousand times more than nothing. Give me facts, for pity's sake, give me proofs. My friend,

the only friend I have, speak tell me all. My heart is crushed, wounded to death; I am dying from despair."

"If that really be so, as I see it is, indeed, dear Raoul," replied De Guiche, "you relieve me from my difficulty,

and I will tell you all, perfectly sure that I can tell you nothing but what is consoling, compared to the despair

"Before you say people talk about it, learn what it is that people have to talk about. I assure you solemnly,

that people only talk about what may, in truth, be very innocent; perhaps a walk "

"Yes, certainly, a walk with the king; and I believe the king has already very frequently before taken walks

"You would not have written to me, shall I say again, if there had been nothing unusual in this promenade."

"I know that while the storm lasted, it would have been far better if the king had taken shelter somewhere

else, than to have remained with his head uncovered before La Valliere; but the king is so very courteous and

"No I mean yes: there was the adventure of the oak, I think. But I know nothing about the matter at all."

Raoul rose; De Guiche endeavored to imitate him, notwithstanding his weakness. "Well, I will not add

another word: I have said either too much or not enough. Let others give you further information if they will,

or if they can; my duty was to warn you, and _that_ I have done. Watch over your own affairs now, yourself."

"Question others! Alas! you are no true friend to speak to me in that manner," said the young man, in utter

distress. "The first man I meet may be either evilly disposed or a fool, if the former, he will tell me a lie to

make me suffer more than I do now; if the latter, he will do worse still. Ah! De Guiche, De Guiche, before

two hours are over, I shall have been told ten falsehoods, and shall have as many duels on my hands. Save

"But I know nothing, I tell you; I was wounded, attacked by fever: out of my senses; and I have only a very

faint recollection of it all. But there is on reason why we should search very far, when the very man we want

"Got to him, then. He will be able to throw sufficient light upon the subject." At this moment a lackey entered

"Very well. Will you excuse me, my dear Raoul? I am so proud since I have been able to walk again."

"I would offer you my arm, De Guiche, if I did not guess that the person in question is a lady."

Raoul remained motionless, absorbed in grief, overwhelmed, like the miner upon whom a vault has just fallen

in, who, wounded, his lifeblood welling fast, his thoughts confused, endeavors to recover himself, to save

his life and to retain his reason. A few minutes were all Raoul needed to dissipate the bewildering sensations

occasioned by these two revelations. He had already recovered the thread of his ideas, when, suddenly,

through the door, he fancied he recognized Montalais's voice in the Cabinet des Porcelaines. "She!" he cried.

"Yes, it is indeed her voice! She will be able to tell me the whole truth; but shall I question her here? She

conceals herself even from me; she is coming, no doubt, from Madame. I will see her in her own apartment.

She will explain her alarm, her flight, the strange manner in which I was driven out; she will tell me all that

after M. d'Artagnan, who knows everything, shall have given me a fresh strength and courage. Madame, a

coquette I fear, and yet a coquette who is herself in love, has her moments of kindness; a coquette who is as

capricious and uncertain as life or death, but who tells De Guiche that he is the happiest of men. He at least is

lying on roses." And so he hastily quitted the comte's apartments, reproaching himself as he went for having

talked of nothing but his own affairs to De Guiche, and soon reached D'Artagnan's quarters.

The captain, sitting buried in his leathern armchair, his spurs fixed in the floor, his sword between his legs,

was reading a number of letters, as he twisted his mustache. D'Artagnan uttered a welcome full of pleasure

when he perceived his friend's son. "Raoul, my boy, " he said, "by what lucky accident does it happen that the

These words did not sound agreeably in the young man's ears, who, as he seated himself, replied, "Upon my

"Hum!" said D'Artagnan, folding up his letters and directing a look full of meaning at him; "what do you say,

my boy? that the king has not recalled you, and you have returned? I do not understand that at all."

Raoul was already pale enough; and he now began to turn his hat round and round in his hand.

"What the deuce is the matter that you look as you do, and what makes you so dumb?" said the captain. "Do

people nowadays assume that sort of airs in England? I have been in England, and came here again as lively

D'Artagnan increased the sharpness of his penetrating gaze, which no secret was capable of resisting. "You

"Dear captain, I know very well that in all trials of _finesse_, as well as in all trials of strength, I shall be

beaten by you. You can see that at the present moment I am an idiot, an absolute noodle. I have neither head

nor arm; do not despise, but help me. In two words, I am the most wretched of living beings."

"Oh, oh! why that?" inquired D'Artagnan, unbuckling his belt and thawing the asperity of his smile.

"She is deceiving you," said D'Artagnan, not a muscle of whose face had moved; "those are big words. Who

"Ah! if every one says so, there must be some truth in it. I begin to believe there is fire when I see smoke. It is

"Exactly. If you were a stranger, I should tell you I will tell _you_ nothing at all. How is Porthos, do you

"Monsieur," cried Raoul, pressing D'Artagnan's hand, "I entreat you in the name of the friendship you vowed

"Good. Another big word. If you were really in love, my dear Raoul, you would be very different."

"I mean that if you were really so deeply in love that I could believe I was addressing myself to your heart

"Impossible, I tell you," he said. "You are like all young men; you are not in love, you are out of your

"No sensible man ever succeeded in making much of a brain when the head was turned. I have completely

lost my senses in the same way a hundred times in my life. You would listen to me, but you would not hear

me! you would hear, but you would not understand me; you would understand, but you would not obey me."

"I go far. Even if I were unfortunate enough to know something, and foolish enough to communicate it to you

"Very good. I should quarrel with you. You would never forgive me for having destroyed your illusion, as

"Monsieur d'Artagnan, you know all; and yet you plunge me in perplexity and despair, in death itself."

"I never complain, as you know; but as Heaven and my father would never forgive me for blowing out my

brains, I will go and get the first person I meet to give me the information which you withhold; I will tell him

"And you would kill him. And a fine affair that would be. So much the better. What should I care? Kill any

one you please, my boy, if it gives you any pleasure. It is exactly like a man with a toothache, who keeps on

saying, "Oh! what torture I am suffering. I could bite a piece of iron in half.' My answer always is, 'Bite, my

"Yes, yes! you now assume a different tone: instead of killing, you will get killed yourself, I suppose you

mean? Very fine, indeed! How much I should regret you! Of course I should go about all day, saying, 'Ah!

what a fine stupid fellow that Bragelonne was! as great a stupid as I ever met with. I have passed my whole

life almost in teaching him how to hold and use his sword properly, and the silly fellow has got himself

spitted like a lark.' Go, then, Raoul, go and get yourself disposed of, if you like. I hardly know who can have

taught you logic, but deuce take me if your father has not been regularly robbed of his money."

Raoul buried his face in his hands, murmuring: "No, no; I have not a single friend in the world."

"Idle fancies, monsieur. I do not laugh at you, although I am a Gascon. And, as for being indifferent, if I were

so, I should have sent you about your business a quarter of an hour ago, for you would make a man who was

out of his senses with delight as dull as possible, and would be the death of one who was out of spirits. How

now, young man! do you wish me to disgust you with the girl you are attached to, and to teach you to

"Do you think, my dear fellow, that I can have crammed into my brain all about the carpenter, and the

painter, and the staircase, and a hundred other similar tales of the same kind?"

"Upon my word I don't know; some one told me there was a carpenter who made an opening through a

"It seems that the king wished to have the portrait of one of the ladies belonging to the court."

"Why, you seem to have only that name in your mouth. Who spoke to you of La Valliere?"

"I do not suppose it will concern you. But you ask me all sorts of questions, and I answer you. You positively

will learn all the scandal of the affair, and I tell you make the best you can of it."

Raoul struck his forehead with his hand in utter despair. "It will kill me!" he said.

"Mademoiselle de la Valliere herself, I suppose you mean?" said D'Artagnan, with a smile. "Ah! a famous

idea that! You wish to be consoled by some one, and you will be so at once. She will tell you nothing ill of

"You are mistaken, monsieur," replied Raoul; "the woman I mean will tell me all the evil she possibly can."

"You allude to Montalais, I suppose her friend; a woman who, on that account, will exaggerate all that is

"Well, I admit it. And, in point of fact, why should I play with you as a cat does with a poor mouse? You

distress me, you do, indeed. And if I wish you not to speak to Montalais just now, it is because you will be

"So much the worse. Why, you see, Raoul, if I had an idea, but I have not got one."

"Promise me that you will pity me, my friend, that is all I need, and leave me to get out of the affair by

"Oh! yes, indeed, in order that you may get deeper into the mire! A capital idea, truly! go and sit down at that

"Ah!" said Raoul, snatching eagerly at the pen which the captain held out to him.

Suddenly the door opened, and one of the musketeers, approaching D'Artagnan, said, "Captain,

"To me?" murmured D'Artagnan. "Ask her to come in; I shall soon see," he said to himself, "whether she

The cunning captain was quite right in his suspicions; for as soon as Montalais entered she exclaimed, "Oh,

"Oh! I forgive you, mademoiselle," said D'Artagnan; "I know that, at my age, those who are looking for me

"How very fortunate that is; he was looking for you, too. Raoul, will you accompany Mademoiselle de

"Go along, then," he said, as he gently pushed Raoul out of the cabinet; and then, taking hold of Montalais's

hand, he said, in a low voice, "Be kind towards him; spare him, and spare her, too, if you can."

"Ah!" she said, in the same tone of voice, "it is not I who am going to speak to him."

"Very good," cried D'Artagnan, "it is Madame, is it? In an hour's time, then, the poor fellow will be cured."

"Or else dead," said Montalais, in a voice full of compassion. "Adieu, Monsieur d'Artagnan," she said; and

she ran to join Raoul, who was waiting for her at a little distance from the door, very much puzzled and

Lovers are tender towards everything that forms part of the daily life of the object of their affection. Raoul no

sooner found himself alone with Montalais, than he kissed her hand with rapture. "There, there," said the

young girl, sadly, "you are throwing your kisses away; I will guarantee that they will not bring you back any

"Madame will explain everything to you. I am going to take you to her apartments.

"Silence! and throw away your dark and savage looks. The windows here have eyes, the walls have ears.

Have the kindness not to look at me any longer; be good enough to speak to me aloud of the rain, of the fine

"I tell you, I warn you, that wherever people may be, I know not how, Madame is sure to have eyes and ears

open. I am not very desirous, you can easily believe, of being dismissed or thrown in to the Bastile. Let us

Raoul clenched his hands, and tried to assume the look and gait of a man of courage, it is true, but of a man of

courage on his way to the torture chamber. Montalais, glancing in every direction, walking along with an

easy swinging gait, and holding up her head pertly in the air, preceded him to Madame's apartments, where

he was at once introduced. "Well," he thought, "this day will pass away without my learning anything.

Guiche showed too much consideration for my feelings; he had no doubt come to an understanding with

Madame, and both of them, by a friendly plot, agreed to postpone the solution of the problem. Why have I

not a determined, inveterate enemy that serpent, De Wardes, for instance; that he would bite, is very likely;

The next moment Raoul was in Madame's presence. Henrietta, more charming than ever, was half lying, half

reclining in her armchair, her small feet upon an embroidered velvet cushion; she was playing with a kitten

with long silky fur, which was biting her fingers and hanging by the lace of her collar.

Madame seemed plunged in deep thought, so deep, indeed, that it required both Montalais and Raoul's voice

Madame shook her head as if she were just awakening, and then said, "Good morning, Monsieur de

"My life is at your royal highness's disposal," Raoul returned with respect, guessing that there was something

serious in these unusual courtesies; nor was he displeased, indeed, to observe the seriousness of her manner,

feeling persuaded that there was some sort of affinity between Madame's sentiments and his own. In fact,

every one at court, of any perception at all, knew perfectly well the capricious fancy and absurd despotism of

the princess's singular character. Madame had been flattered beyond all bounds by the king's attention; she

had made herself talked about; she had inspired the queen with that mortal jealousy which is the stinging

scorpion at the heel of every woman's happiness; Madame, in a word, in her attempts to cure a wounded

pride, found that her heart had become deeply and passionately attached. We know what Madame had done

to recall Raoul, who had been sent out of the way by Louis XIV. Raoul did not know of her letter to Charles

II., although D'Artagnan had guessed its contents. Who will undertake to account for that seemingly

inexplicable mixture of love and vanity, that passionate tenderness of feeling, that prodigious duplicity of

conduct? No one can, indeed; not even the bad angel who kindles the love of coquetry in the heart of a

woman. "Monsieur de Bragelonne," said the princess, after a moment's pause, "have you returned satisfied?"

Bragelonne looked at Madame Henrietta, and seeing how pale she was, not alone from what she was keeping

back, but also from what she was burning to say, said: "Satisfied! what is there for me to be satisfied or

"But what are those things with which a man of your age, and of your appearance, is usually either satisfied

"How eager she is," thought Raoul, almost terrified; "what venom is it she is going to distil into my heart?"

and then, frightened at what she might possibly be going to tell him, and wishing to put off the opportunity of

having everything explained, which he had hitherto so ardently wished for, yet had dreaded so much, he

replied: "I left, Madame, a dear friend in good health, and on my return I find him very ill."

"You refer to M. de Guiche," replied Madame Henrietta, with imperturbable selfpossession; "I _have_ heard

"Well, it is quite true he has been wounded; but he is better now. Oh! M. de Guiche is not to be pitied," she

said hurriedly; and then, recovering herself, added, "But has he anything to complain of? Has he complained

of anything? Is there any cause of grief or sorrow that we are not acquainted with?"

"So much the better, then, for, in other respects, M. de Guiche seems to be very happy; he is always in very

high spirits. I am sure that you, Monsieur de Bragelonne, would far prefer to be, like him, wounded only in

"You did not say anything; you disapprove of my observation, then? you are perfectly satisfied, I suppose?"

Raoul approached closer to her. "Madame," he said, "your royal highness wishes to say something to me, and

your instinctive kindness and generosity of disposition induce you to be careful and considerate as to your

manner of conveying it. Will your royal highness throw this kind forbearance aside? I am able to bear

"That which your royal highness wishes me to understand," said Raoul, trembling, notwithstanding his

"In point of fact," murmured the princess "it seems cruel, but since I have begun "

"Yes, Madame, once your highness has deigned to begin, will you condescend to finish "

Henrietta rose hurriedly and walked a few paces up and down her room. "What did M. de Guiche tell you?"

"And that is what friends call friendship. But surely, M. d'Artagnan, whom you have just left, must have told

Henrietta made a gesture full of impatience, as she said, "At least, you know all the court knows."

Raoul, whose head dropped like a blossom cut down by the reaper, made an almost superhuman effort to

smile, as he replied with the greatest gentleness: "I have had the honor of telling your royal highness that I am

absolutely ignorant of everything, that I am a poor unremembered outcast, who has this moment arrived from

England. There have rolled so many stormy waves between myself and those I left behind me here, that the

rumor of none of the circumstances your highness refers to, has been able to reach me."

Henrietta was affected by his extreme pallor, his gentleness, and his great courage. The principal feeling in

her heart at that moment was an eager desire to hear the nature of the remembrance which the poor lover

retained of the woman who had made him suffer so much. "Monsieur de Bragelonne," she said, "that which

your friends have refused to do, I will do for you, whom I like and esteem very much. I will be your friend on

this occasion. You hold your head high, as a man of honor should; and I deeply regret that you may have to

"If you do not know," said the princess, "I see that you guess; you were affianced, I believe, to Mademoiselle

"By that right, you deserve to be warned about her, as some day or another I shall be obliged to dismiss

"Of course. Do you suppose I shall always be amenable to the tears and protestations of the king? No, no! my

house shall no longer be made a convenience for such practices; but you tremble, you cannot stand "

"No, Madame, no," said Bragelonne, making an effort over himself; "I thought I should have died just now,

that was all. Your royal highness did me the honor to say that the king wept and implored you "

"Yes, but in vain," returned the princess; who then related to Raoul the scene that took place at Chaillot, and

the king's despair on his return; she told him of his indulgence to herself and the terrible word with which the

Henrietta was for a moment struck with admiration at this sublime disbelief: and then, shrugging her

shoulders, she said, "You do not believe me, I see. How deeply you must love her. And you doubt if she loves

"I do, until I have a proof of it. Forgive me, Madame, but she has given me her word; and her mind and heart

The princess, preceding Raoul, led him through the courtyard towards that part of the building La Valliere

inhabited, and, ascending the same staircase which Raoul himself had ascended that very morning, she

paused at the door of the room in which the young man had been so strangely received by Montalais. The

opportunity was remarkably well chosen to carry out the project Madame Henrietta had conceived, for the

chateau was empty. The king, the courtiers, and the ladies of the court, had set off for SaintGermain;

Madame Henrietta was the only one who knew of Bragelonne's return, and thinking over the advantages

which might be drawn from this return, she had feigned indisposition in order to remain behind. Madame was

therefore confident of finding La Valliere's room and SaintAignan's apartment perfectly empty. She took a

passkey from her pocket and opened the door of her maid of honor's apartment. Bragelonne's gaze was

immediately fixed upon the interior of the room, which he recognized at once; and the impression which the

sight of it produced upon him was torture. The princess looked at him, and her practiced eye at once detected

"You asked for proofs," she said; "do not be astonished, then, if I give you them. But if you do not think you

"I thank you, Madame," said Bragelonne; "but I came here to be convinced. You promised to convince me,

Bragelonne obeyed, and then turned towards the princess, whom he interrogated by a look.

"But I would observe to your highness, that this room is a room, and is not a proof."

"Wait," said the princess, as she walked to the foot of the bed, folded up the screen into its several

compartments, and stooped down towards the floor. "Look here," she continued; "stoop down and lift up this

"A trapdoor!" said Raoul, astonished; for D'Artagnan's words began to return to his memory, and he had an

indistinct recollection that D'Artagnan had made use of the same word. He looked, but uselessly, for some

cleft or crevice which might indicate an opening or a ring to assist in lifting up the planking.

"Ah, I forgot," said Madame Henrietta, "I forgot the secret spring; the fourth plank of the flooring, press on

the spot where you will observe a knot in the wood. Those are the instructions; press, vicomte! press, I say,

Raoul, pale as death, pressed his finger on the spot which had been indicated to him; at the same moment the

"It is ingenious enough, certainly," said the princess; "and one can see that the architect foresaw that a

woman's hand only would have to make use of this spring, for see how easily the trapdoor opened without

"Yes, and a very pretty one, too," said Madame Henrietta. "See, vicomte, the staircase has a balustrade,

intended to prevent the falling of timid persons, who might be tempted to descend the staircase; and I will

"Ah, true; I forgot to tell you. You know, perhaps, that formerly M. de SaintAignan lived in the very next

"Yes, Madame, I am aware of that; that was the arrangement, at least, before I left; and more than once I had

"Well, he obtained the king's leave to change his former convenient and beautiful apartment for the two

rooms to which this staircase will conduct us, and which together form a lodging for him half the size, and at

ten times greater the distance from the king, a close proximity to whom is by no means disdained, in

"Very good, Madame," returned Raoul; "but go on, I beg, for I do not understand yet."

"Well, then it accidentally happened," continued the princess, "that M. de SaintAignan's apartment is

situated underneath the apartments of my maids of honor, and by a further coincidence, exactly underneath

"That I cannot tell you. Would you like to go down to Monsieur de Saint Aignan's rooms? Perhaps we shall

And Madame set the example by going down herself, while Raoul, sighing deeply, followed her. At every

step Bragelonne took, he advanced further into that mysterious apartment which had witnessed La Valliere's

sighs and still retained the perfume of her presence. Bragelonne fancied he perceived, as he inhaled the

atmosphere, that the young girl must have passed through. Then succeeded to these emanations of herself,

which he regarded as invisible though certain proofs, flowers she preferred to all others books of her own

selection. If Raoul retained a single doubt on the subject, it would have vanished at the secret harmony of

tastes and connection of the mind with the ordinary objects of life. La Valliere, in Bragelonne's eyes, was

present there in each article of furniture, in the color of the hangings, in all that surrounded him. Dumb, and

now completely overwhelmed, there was nothing further for him now to learn, and he followed his pitiless

conductress as blindly as the culprit follows the executioner; while Madame, as cruel as women of overstrung

temperaments generally are, did not spare him the slightest detail. But it must be admitted that,

notwithstanding the kind of apathy into which he had fallen, none of these details, even had he been left

alone, would have escaped him. The happiness of the woman who loves, when that happiness is derived from

a rival, is a living torture for a jealous man; but for a jealous man such as Raoul was, for one whose heart for

the first time in its existence was being steeped in gall and bitterness, Louise's happiness was in reality an

ignominious death, a death of body and soul. He guessed all; he fancied he could see them, with their hands

clasped in each other's, their faces drawn close together, and reflected, side by side, in loving proximity, and

they gazed upon the mirrors around them so sweet an occupation for lovers, who, as they thus see

themselves twice over, imprint the picture still more deeply on their memories. He could guess, too, the

stolen kiss snatched as they separated from each other's loved society. The luxury, the studied elegance,

eloquent of the perfection of indolence, of ease; the extreme care shown, either to spare the loved object

every annoyance, or to occasion her a delightful surprise; that might and majesty of love multiplied by the

majesty and might of royalty itself, seemed like a deathblow to Raoul. If there be anything which can in any

way assuage or mitigate the tortures of jealousy, it is the inferiority of the man who is preferred to yourself;

whilst, on the very contrary, if there be one anguish more bitter than another, a misery for which language

lacks a word, it is the superiority of the man preferred to yourself, superior, perhaps, in youth, beauty, grace.

It is in such moments as these that Heaven almost seems to have taken part against the disdained and rejected

One final pang was reserved for poor Raoul. Madame Henrietta lifted up a silk curtain, and behind the canvas

he perceived La Valliere's portrait. Not only the portrait of La Valliere, but of La Valliere radiant with youth,

beauty, and happiness, inhaling life and enjoyment at every pore, because at eighteen years of age love itself

"Louise!" murmured Bragelonne, "Louise! is it true, then? Oh, you have never loved me, for never have

you looked at me in that manner." And he felt as if his heart were crushed within his bosom.

Madame Henrietta looked at him, almost envious of his extreme grief, although she well knew there was

nothing to envy in it, and that she herself was as passionately loved by De Guiche as Louise by Bragelonne.

"Oh, forgive me, forgive me, Madame; in your presence I know I ought to have greater selfcontrol. But

Heaven grant that you may never be struck by similar misery to that which crushes me at this moment, for

you are but a woman, and would not be able to endure so terrible an affliction. Forgive me, I again entreat

you, Madame; I am but a man without rank or position, while you belong to a race whose happiness knows

"Monsieur de Bragelonne," replied Henrietta, "a mind such as your merits all the consideration and respect

which a queen's heart even can bestow. Regard me as your friend, monsieur; and as such, indeed, I would not

allow your whole life to be poisoned by perfidy, and covered with ridicule. It was I, indeed, who, with more

courage than any of your pretended friends, I except M. de Guiche, was the cause of your return from

London; it is I, also, who now give you the melancholy proofs, necessary, however, for your cure if you are a

lover with courage in his heart, and not a weeping Amadis. Do not thank me; pity me, even, and do not serve

Raoul smiled bitterly. "Ah! true, true; I was forgetting that; the king is my master."

A steady, penetrating look informed Madame Henrietta that she was mistaken, and that her last argument was

not a likely one to affect the young man. "Take care, Monsieur de Bragelonne," she said, "for if you do not

weigh well all your actions, you might throw into an extravagance of wrath a prince whose passions, once

aroused, exceed the bounds of reason, and you would thereby involve your friends and family in the deepest

"I thank you, Madame; I appreciate the advice your royal highness is good enough to give me, and I will

"Should I be indiscreet in asking you the secret of this staircase, of this trapdoor; a secret, which, it seems,

"Nothing more simple. For the purpose of exercising a surveillance over the young girls who are attached to

my service, I have duplicate keys of their doors. It seemed very strange to me that M. de SaintAignan

should change his apartments. It seemed very strange that the king should come to see M. de SaintAignan

every day, and, finally, it seemed very strange that so many things should be done during your absence, that

the very habits and customs of the court appeared changed. I do not wish to be trifled with by the king, nor to

serve as a cloak for his love affairs; for after La Valliere, who weeps incessantly, he will take a fancy to

Montalais, who is always laughing; and then to TonnayCharente, who does nothing but sing all day; to act

such a part as that would be unworthy of me. I thrust aside the scruples which my friendship for you

suggested. I discovered the secret. I have wounded your feelings, I know, and I again entreat you to pardon

me; but I had a duty to fulfil. I have discharged it. You are now forewarned; the tempest will soon burst;

"You naturally expect, however, that a result of some kind must follow," replied Bragelonne, with firmness;

"for you do not suppose I shall silently accept the shame thus thrust upon me, or the treachery which has been

"You will take whatever steps in the matter you please, Monsieur Raoul, only do not betray the source

whence you derived the truth. That is all I have to ask, the only price I require for the service I have

"I bribed the locksmith, in whom the lovers confided. You can just as well have done so as myself, can you

"Yes, Madame. Your royal highness, however, has no other advice or caution to give me, except that of not

"I am about, therefore, to beg your royal highness to allow me to remain here for one moment."

"Oh! no, Madame. It matters very little; for what I have to do can be done in your presence. I only ask one

"No one can possibly know that your royal highness has done me the honor to conduct me here. Besides, I

Raoul drew out his tablet, and wrote rapidly on one of the leaves the following words:

"MONSIEUR LE COMTE, Do not be surprised to find this paper signed by me; the friend I shall very

shortly send to call on you will have the honor to explain the object of my visit. "VICOMTE RAOUL DE

He rolled up the paper, slipped it into the lock of the door which communicated with the room set apart for

the two lovers, and satisfied himself that the missive was so apparent that SaintAignan could not but see it

as he entered; he rejoined the princess, who had already reached the top of the staircase. They then separated,

Raoul pretending to thank her highness; Henrietta pitying, or seeming to pity, with all her heart, the wretched

young man she had just condemned to such fearful torture. "Oh!" she said, as she saw him disappear, pale as

death, and his eyes bursting with blood, "if I had foreseen this, I would have hid the truth from that poor

The great number of individuals we have introduced into this long story is the reason why each of them has

been forced to appear only in turn, according to the exigencies of the recital. The result is, that our readers

have had no opportunity of meeting our friend Porthos since his return from Fontainebleau. The honors which

he had received from the king had not changed the easy, affectionate character of that excellent hearted

man; he may, perhaps, have held up his head a little higher than usual, and a majesty of demeanor, as it were,

may have betrayed itself since the honor of dining at the king's table had been accorded him. His majesty's

banquetingroom had produced a certain effect on Porthos. Le Seigneur de Bracieux et de Pierrefonds

delighted to remember that, during that memorable dinner, the numerous array of servants, and the large

number of officials in attendance on the guests, gave a certain tone and effect to the repast, and seemed, as it

were, to furnish the room. Porthos undertook to confer upon Mouston a position of some kind or other, in

order to establish a sort of hierarchy among his other domestics, and to create a military household, which

was not unusual among the great captains of the age, since, in the preceding century, this luxury had been

greatly encouraged by Messieurs de Treville, de Schomberg, de la Vieuville, without alluding to M. de

Richelieu, M. de Conde, and de BouillonTurenne. And, therefore, why should not he, Porthos, the friend of

the king, and of M. Fouquet, a baron, and engineer, etc., why should not he, indeed, enjoy all the delightful

privileges which large possessions and unusual merit invariably confer? Somewhat neglected by Aramis,

who, we know, was greatly occupied with M. Fouquet; neglected, also, on account of his being on duty, by

D'Artagnan; tired of Truchen and Planchet, Porthos was surprised to find himself dreaming, without precisely

knowing why; but if any one had said to him, "Do you want anything, Porthos?" he would most certainly

have replied, "Yes." After one of those dinners, during which Porthos attempted to recall to his recollection

all the details of the royal banquet, gently joyful, thanks to the excellence of the wines; gently melancholy,

thanks to his ambitions ideas, Porthos was gradually falling off into a placid doze, when his servant entered to

announce that M. de Bragelonne wished to speak to him. Porthos passed into an adjoining room, where he

found his young friend in the disposition of mind we are already aware of. Raoul advanced towards Porthos,

and shook him by the hand; Porthos, surprised at his seriousness of aspect, offered him a seat. "Dear M. du

"Nothing could happen more fortunately, my young friend," replied Porthos; "I have eight thousand livres

"So much the worse, then. I have always heard it said that that is the rarest service, but the easiest to render.

"Well, if such excellent fish and meat were not to be procured there, it would hardly be endurable."

"I am listening. Only just allow me to take a little sip. One gets thirsty in Paris;" and he ordered a bottle of

champagne to be brought; and, having first filled Raoul's glass, he filled his own, drank it down at a gulp, and

then resumed: "I needed that, in order to listen to you with proper attention. I am now entirely at your service.

"My opinion! Well but Explain your idea a little more coherently," replied Porthos, rubbing his forehead.

"I mean you are generally goodhumored, goodtempered, whenever any misunderstanding arises between

"Whenever any friend of mine gets into a quarrel, I always act on one principle."

"That lost time is irreparable, and one never arranges an affair so well as when everything has been done to

"Precisely; so, as soon as a quarrel takes place, I bring the two parties together."

"You understand that by this means it is impossible for an affair not to be arranged."

"I should have thought that, treated in this manner, an affair would, on the contrary "

"Oh! not the least in the world. Just fancy, now, I have had in my life something like a hundred and eighty to

a hundred and ninety regular duels, without reckoning hasty encounters, or chance meetings."

"A mere nothing; but I am so gentle. D'Artagnan reckons his duels by hundreds. It is very true he is a little

"And so," resumed Raoul, "you generally arrange the affairs of honor your friends confide to you."

"There is not a single instance in which I have not finished by arranging every one of them," said Porthos,

"Oh! rely upon that; and at this stage, I will explain my other principle to you. As soon as my friend has

intrusted his quarrel to me, this is what I do; I go to his adversary at once, armed with a politeness and

"That is the way, then," said Raoul, bitterly, "that you arrange affairs so safely."

"I believe you. I go to the adversary, then, and say to him: 'It is impossible, monsieur, that you are ignorant of

the extent to which you have insulted my friend.'" Raoul frowned at this remark.

"It sometimes happens very often, indeed," pursued Porthos "that my friend has not been insulted at all;

he has even been the first to give offense; you can imagine, therefore, whether my language is or is not well

"Decidedly," said Raoul to himself while the merry thunder of Porthos's laughter was resounding in his ears,

"I am very unfortunate. De Guiche treats me with coolness, D'Artagnan with ridicule, Porthos is too tame; no

one will settle this affair in the only way I wish it to be settled. And I came to Porthos because I wanted to

Porthos, who had recovered himself, continued: "By one simple expression, I leave my adversary without an

"Not at all, it is quite certain. I have not left him an excuse; and then it is that I display all my courtesy, in

order to attain the happy issue of my project. I advance, therefore, with an air of great politeness, and taking

my adversary by the hand, I say to him: 'Now that you are convinced of having given the offense, we are sure

of reparation; between my friend and yourself, the future can only offer an exchange of mutual courtesies of

conduct, and consequently, my mission now is to acquaint you with the length of my friend's sword.'"

"Wait a minute. 'The length of my friend's sword. My horse is waiting below; my friend is in such and such a

spot and is impatiently awaiting your agreeable society; I will take you with me; we can call upon your

"And so," said Raoul, pale with vexation, "you reconcile the two adversaries on the ground."

"Well! if he is waiting, it is merely to stretch his legs a little. The adversary, on the contrary, is stiff from

riding; they place themselves in proper order, and my friend kills the opponent, and the affair is ended."

"I should think so," said Porthos. "Is it likely I should ever have as a friend a man who allows himself to get

killed? I have a hundred and one friends; at the head of the list stand your father, Aramis, and D'Artagnan, all

"I approve of it so thoroughly, that I shall have recourse to it this very day, without a moment's delay, at

"I know him a most agreeable man, who was exceedingly polite to me the day I had the honor of dining

with the king. I shall certainly acknowledge his politeness in return, even if it had not happened to be my

"I may look upon it as one of your arranged affairs, may I not?" said Raoul, smiling.

"Ah! I forgot; it is a very delicate matter. M. de SaintAignan is a very great friend of the king's."

"Oh! you will kill him, certainly; you must take every precaution to do so. But there is no difficulty in these

matters now; if you had lived in our early days, ah, those were days worth living for!"

"My dear friend, you do not quite understand me. I mean, that M. de SaintAignan being a friend of the king,

the affair will be more difficult to manage, since the king might learn beforehand "

"Oh! no; that is not likely. You know my method: 'Monsieur, you have just injured my friend, and '"

"And then: 'Monsieur, I have horses below.' I carry him off before he can have spoken to any one."

"I should think so! I should like to see it fail. It would be the first time, if it did. It is true, though, that the

young men of the present day Bah! I would carry him off bodily, if that were all," and Porthos, adding

gesture to speech, lifted Raoul and the chair he was sitting on off the ground, and carried them round the

"Very good," said Raoul, laughing. "All we have to do is to state the grounds of the quarrel with M. de

"No, my dear M. du Vallon, the usage of the present day requires that the cause of the quarrel should be

"Deuce take it! how troublesome all this is! In former days we had no occasion to say anything about the

matter. People fought for the sake of fighting; and I, for one, know no better reason than that."

"It is too long a story to tell; only, as one must particularize to a certain extent, and as, on the other hand, the

affair is full of difficulties, and requires the most absolute secrecy, you will have the kindness merely to tell

M. de SaintAignan that he has, in the first place, insulted me by changing his lodgings."

"By changing his lodgings? Good," said Porthos, who began to count on his fingers; "next?"

"I understand," said Porthos; "a trapdoor: upon my word, that is very serious; you ought to be furious at that.

What the deuce does the fellow mean by getting trapdoors made without first consulting you? Trap doors!

"And you will please add," said Raoul, "that my last motive for considering myself insulted is, the existence

"Is it possible? A portrait, too! A change of residence, a trapdoor, and a portrait! Why, my dear friend, with

but one of these causes of complaint there is enough, and more than enough, for all the gentlemen in France

"I shall take a second horse with me. Select your own rendezvous, and while you are waiting there, you can

practice some of the best passes, so as to get your limbs as elastic as possible."

"Thank you. I shall be waiting for you in the wood of Vincennes, close to Minimes."

Porthos ran a huge handbell. "My court suit," he said to the servant who answered the summons, "my horse,

and a led horse to accompany me." Then turning to Raoul, as soon as the servant had quitted the room, he

"No, nor D'Artagnan either. He is very cautions, you know, and might have diverted me from my purpose."

"D'Artagnan is a sound adviser, though," said Porthos, astonished that, in his own loyal faith in D'Artagnan,

any one could have thought of himself, so long as there was a D'Artagnan in the world.

"Dear M. du Vallon," said Raoul, "do not question me any more, I implore you. I have told you all that I had

to say; it is prompt action I now expect, sharp and decided as you know how to arrange it. That, indeed, is my

"Do not forget, either, that, except ourselves, no one must know anything of this meeting."

"People generally find these things out," said Porthos, dryly, "when a dead body is discovered in a wood. But

I promise everything, my dear friend, except the concealment of the dead body. There it is, and it must be

seen, as a matter of course. It is a principle of mine, not to bury bodies. That has a smack of the assassin

"Rely upon me," said the giant, finishing the bottle, while a servant spread out upon a sofa the gorgeously

Raoul left the room, saying to himself, with a secret delight, "Perfidious king! traitorous monarch! I cannot

reach thee. I do not wish it; for kings are sacred objects. But your friend, your accomplice, your panderer

the coward who represents you shall pay for your crime. I will kill him in thy name, and, afterwards, we

Porthos, intrusted, to his great delight, with this mission, which made him feel young again, took half an hour

less than his usual time to put on his court suit. To show that he was a man acquainted with the usages of high

society, he had begun by sending his lackey to inquire if Monsieur de SaintAignan were at home, and heard,

in answer, that M. le Comte de SaintAignan had had the honor of accompanying the king to Saint

Germain, as well as the whole court; but that monsieur le comte had just that moment returned. Immediately

upon this reply, Porthos made as much haste as possible, and reached SaintAignan's apartments just as the

latter was having his boots taken off. The promenade had been delightful. The king, who was in love more

than ever, and of course happier than ever, behaved in the most charming manner to every one. Nothing could

possibly equal his kindness. M. de SaintAignan, it may be remembered, was a poet, and fancied that he had

proved that he was so under too many a memorable circumstance to allow the title to be disputed by any one.

An indefatigable rhymester, he had, during the whole of the journey, overwhelmed with quatrains, sextains,

and madrigals, first the king, and then La Valliere. The king, on his side, was in a similarly poetical mood,

and had made a distich; while La Valliere, delighting in poetry, as most women do who are in love, had

composed two sonnets. The day, then, had not been a bad one for Apollo; and so, as soon as he had returned

to Paris, SaintAignan, who knew beforehand that his verse would be sure to be extensively circulated in

court circles, occupied himself, with a little more attention than he had been able to bestow during the

promenade, with the composition, as well as with the idea itself. Consequently, with all the tenderness of a

father about to start his children in life, he candidly interrogated himself whether the public would find these

offsprings of his imagination sufficiently elegant and graceful; and in order to make his mind easy on the

subject, M. de Saint Aignan recited to himself the madrigal he had composed, and which he had repeated

from memory to the king, and had promised to write out for him on his return. All the time he was

committing these words to memory, the comte was engaged in undressing himself more completely. He had

just taken off his coat, and was putting on his dressinggown, when he was informed that Monsieur le Baron

"Eh!" he said, "what does that bunch of names mean? I don't know anything about him."

"It is the same gentleman," replied the lackey, "who had the honor of dining with you, monseigneur, at the

Porthos, in a few minutes, entered the room. M. de SaintAignan had an excellent recollection of persons,

and, at the first glance, he recognized the gentleman from the country, who enjoyed so singular a reputation,

and whom the king had received so favorably at Fontainebleau, in spite of the smiles of some of those who

were present. He therefore advanced towards Porthos with all the outward signs of consideration of manner

which Porthos thought but natural, considering that he himself, whenever he called upon an adversary,

hoisted a standard of the most refined politeness. SaintAignan desired the servant to give Porthos a chair;

and the latter, who saw nothing unusual in this act of politeness, sat down gravely and coughed. The ordinary

courtesies having been exchanged between the two gentlemen, the comte, to whom the visit was paid, said,

"May I ask, monsieur le baron, to what happy circumstance I am indebted for the favor of a visit from you?"

"The very thing I am about to have the honor of explaining to you, monsieur le comte; but, I beg your pardon

"It is the fact, though, monsieur le comte; I have broken it so much so, indeed, that if I do not move, I shall

fall down, which would be an exceedingly disagreeable position for me in the discharge of the very serious

Porthos rose; and but just in time, for the chair had given way several inches. SaintAignan looked about him

"Modern articles of furniture," said Porthos, while the comte was looking about, "are constructed in a

ridiculously flimsy manner. In my early days, when I used to sit down with far more energy than is now the

case, I do not remember ever to have broken a chair, except in taverns, with my arms."

SaintAignan smiled at this remark. "But," said Porthos, as he settled himself down on a couch, which

creaked, but did not give way beneath his weight, "that unfortunately has nothing whatever to do with my

"Why unfortunately? Are you the bearer of a message of illomen, monsieur le baron?"

"Of illomen for a gentleman? Certainly not, monsieur le comte," replied Porthos, nobly. "I have simply

"I, monsieur?" exclaimed SaintAignan "I have insulted a friend of yours, do you say? May I ask his

"I have insulted M. Raoul de Bragelonne!" cried SaintAignan. "I really assure you, monsieur, that it is quite

impossible; for M. de Bragelonne, whom I know but very slightly, nay, whom I know hardly at all is in

England, and, as I have not seen him for a long time past, I cannot possibly have insulted him."

"M. de Bragelonne is in Paris, monsieur le comte," said Porthos, perfectly unmoved; "and I repeat, it is quite

certain you have insulted him, since he himself told me you had. Yes, monsieur, you have seriously insulted

"Besides," added Porthos, "you cannot be ignorant of the circumstance, since M. de Bragelonne informed me

"I will convince you," said SaintAignan, "that have received nothing in any way from him." And he rang the

bell. "Basque," he said to the servant who entered, "how many letters have or notes were sent here during my

"Three, monsieur le comte a note from M. de Fiesque, one from Madame de Laferte, and a letter from M.

"Speak the truth before this gentleman the truth, you understand. I will take care you are not blamed."

"That is quite sufficient," interrupted Porthos. "I believe you, monsieur le comte."

SaintAignan dismissed the valet, and followed him to the door, in order to close it after him; and when he

had done so, looking straight before him, he happened to see in the keyhole of the adjoining apartment the

paper which Bragelonne had slipped in there as he left. "What is this?" he said.

Porthos, who was sitting with his back to the room, turned round. "Aha!" he said.

"That is not unlikely to be the missing letter, monsieur le comte," said Porthos.

"Brought here by M. de Bragelonne himself," the comte murmured, turning pale. "This is infamous! How

"No one could possibly have entered, monsieur, since the keys have never left my pocket."

"And yet I find the letter in yonder lock; some one must have put it there; it could not have come here of its

Basque opened his arms as if signifying the most absolute ignorance on the subject.

"How could that have been, since I have the key in my own pocket?" returned Basque, perseveringly.

SaintAignan crumpled the letter in his palm, after having read it. "There is something mysterious about

this," he murmured, absorbed in thought. Porthos left him to his reflections; but after a while returned to the

"Shall we return to our little affair?" Porthos resumed, addressing Saint Aignan after a brief pause.

"I think I can now understand it, from this note, which has arrived here in so singular a manner. Monsieur de

"In what way, may I ask; for his conduct is so mysterious, that, at least, it needs some explanation?"

"Monsieur," replied Porthos, "my friend cannot but be right; and, as far as his conduct is concerned, if it be

mysterious, as you say, you have only yourself to blame for it." Porthos pronounced these words with an

amount of confidence which, for a man who was unaccustomed to his ways, must have revealed an infinity of

"You will think it the best, perhaps," Porthos replied, with a low bow, "if I do not enter in to particulars."

"Oh, I perfectly understand. We will touch very lightly upon it, then, so speak, monsieur, I am listening."

"In the first place, monsieur," said Porthos, "you have changed your apartments."

"But how can my having moved my lodgings have done M. de Bragelonne any harm? Have the goodness to

tell me that, for I positively do not comprehend a word of what you are saying."

Porthos stopped him, and then said, with great gravity, "Monsieur, this is the first of M. de Bragelonne's

complaints against you. If he makes a complaint, it is because he feels himself insulted."

SaintAignan began to beat his foot impatiently on the ground. "This looks like a spurious quarrel," he said.

"No one can possibly have a spurious quarrel with the Vicomte de Bragelonne," returned Porthos; "but, at all

events, you have nothing to add on the subject of your changing your apartments, I suppose?"

"Ah, the next! You will observe, monsieur, that the one I have already mentioned is a most serious injury, to

which you have given no answer, or rather, have answered very indifferently. Is it possible, monsieur, that

you have changed your lodgings? M. de Bragelonne feels insulted at your having done so, and you do not

"What!" cried SaintAignan, who was getting annoyed at the perfect coolness of his visitor "what! am I to

consult M. de Bragelonne whether I am to move or not? You can hardly be serious, monsieur."

"I am. And it is absolutely necessary, monsieur; but under any circumstances, you will admit that it is nothing

Porthos assumed a very solemn expression as he said: "How about the trap door, monsieur?"

SaintAignan turned exceedingly pale. He pushed back his chair so abruptly, that Porthos, simple as he was,

SaintAignan held down his head, as he murmured: "I have been betrayed, everything is known!"

"You see me perfectly overwhelmed," pursued SaintAignan, "overwhelmed to a degree that I hardly know

"A guilty conscience, monsieur. Your affair is a bad one, and when the public learns all about it, it will judge

"Oh, monsieur!" exclaimed the count, hurriedly, "such a secret ought not to be known even by one's

"That we will think about," said Porthos; "the secret will not go far, in fact."

"Surely, monsieur," returned SaintAignan, "since M. de Bragelonne has penetrated the secret, he must be

"M. de Bragelonne runs no danger, monsieur, nor does he fear any either, as you, if it please Heaven, will

"This fellow is a perfect madman," thought SaintAignan. "What, in Heaven's name, does he want?" He then

"You forget the portrait," said Porthos, in a voice of thunder, which made the comte's blood freeze in his

As the portrait in question was La Valliere's portrait, and no mistake could any longer exist on the subject,

SaintAignan's eyes were completely opened. "Ah!" he exclaimed "ah! monsieur, I remember now that M.

Porthos assumed an imposing air, all the majesty of ignorance, in fact, as he said: "It matters nothing

whatever to me, nor to yourself, indeed, whether or not my friend was, as you say, engaged to be married. I

am even astonished that you should have made use of so indiscreet a remark. It may possibly do your cause

"Monsieur," replied SaintAignan, "you are the incarnation of intelligence, delicacy, and loyalty of feeling

"And," pursued SaintAignan, "you have made me comprehend it in the most ingenious and the most delicate

manner possible. I beg you to accept my best thanks." Porthos drew himself up, unable to resist the flattery of

Porthos shook his head, as a an who does not wish to hear, but Saint Aignan continued: "I am in despair, I

assure you, at all that has happened; but how would you have acted in my place? Come, between ourselves,

Porthos drew himself up as he answered: "There is now no question of all of what I should have done, young

man; you have been made acquainted with the three causes of complaint against you, I believe?"

"As for the first, my change of rooms, and I now address myself to you as a man of honor and of great

intelligence, could I, when the desire of so august a personage was so urgently expressed that I should move,

Porthos was about to speak, but SaintAignan did not give him time to answer. "Ah! my frankness, I see,

convinces you," he said, interpreting the movement according to his own fancy. "You feel that I am right."

Porthos did not reply, and so SaintAignan continued: "I pass by that unfortunate trapdoor," he said, placing

his hand on Porthos's arm, "that trapdoor, the occasion and means of so much unhappiness, and which was

constructed for you know what. Well, then, in plain truth, do you suppose that it was I who, of my own

accord, in such a place, too, had that trapdoor made? Oh, no! you do not believe it; and here, again, you

feel, you guess, you understand the influence of a will superior to my own. You can conceive the infatuation,

the blind, irresistible passion which has been at work. But, thank Heaven! I am fortunate in speaking to a man

who has so much sensitiveness of feeling; and if it were not so, indeed, what an amount of misery and

Porthos, confused and bewildered by the eloquence and gestures of Saint Aignan, made a thousand efforts

to stem this torrent of words, of which, by the by, he did not understand a single one; he remained upright and

motionless on his seat, and that was all he could do. SaintAignan continued, and gave a new inflection to his

voice, and an increasing vehemence to his gesture: "As for the portrait, for I readily believe the portrait is the

principal cause of complaint, tell me candidly if you think me to blame? Who was it who wished to have

her portrait? Was it I? Who is in love with her? Is it I? Who wishes to gain her affection? Again, is it I?

Who took her likeness? I, do you think? No! a thousand times no! I know M. de Bragelonne must be in a

state of despair; I know these misfortunes are most cruel. But I, too, am suffering as well; and yet there is no

possibility of offering any resistance. Suppose we were to fight? we would be laughed at. If he obstinately

persist in his course, he is lost. You will tell me, I know, that despair is ridiculous, but then you are a sensible

man. You have understood me. I perceived by your serious, thoughtful, embarrassed air, even, that the

importance of the situation we are placed in has not escaped you. Return, therefore, to M. de Bragelonne;

thank him as I have indeed reason to thank him for having chosen as an intermediary a man of your high

merit. Believe me that I shall, on my side, preserve an eternal gratitude for the man who has so ingeniously,

so cleverly arranged the misunderstanding between us. And since ill luck would have it that the secret should

be known to four instead of three, why, this secret, which might make the most ambitious man's fortune, I am

delighted to share with you, monsieur, from the bottom of my heart I am delighted at it. From this very

moment you can make use of me as you please, I place myself entirely at your mercy. What can I possibly do

for you? What can I solicit, nay, require even? You have only to speak, monsieur, only to speak."

And, according to the familiarly friendly fashion of that period, Saint Aignan threw his arms round Porthos,

and clasped him tenderly in his embrace. Porthos allowed him to do this with the most perfect indifference.

"Monsieur," said Porthos, "I have a horse below: be good enough to mount him; he is a very good one and

"Ah! he wishes to speak to me, I suppose? I can well believe that; he wishes to have the details, very likely;

alas! it is a very delicate matter; but at the present moment I cannot, for the king is waiting for me."

"What do you say? the king must wait!" interrupted the finished courtier, with a smile of utter amazement, for

he could not understand that the king could under any circumstances be supposed to have to wait.

"I don't think it likely," said Porthos, as his face assumed a look of utter hardness.

"But the Minimes is a rendezvous where duels take place, and what can I have to do at the Minimes?"

Porthos slowly drew his sword, and said: "That is the length of my friend's sword."

The color mounted to Porthos's face, as he replied: "If I had not the honor of being in your own apartment,

monsieur, and of representing M. de Bragelonne's interests, I would throw you out of the window. It will be

merely a pleasure postponed, and you will lose nothing by waiting. Will you come with me to the Minimes,

"Basque!" cried SaintAignan. As soon as Basque appeared, he said, "The king wishes to see monsieur le

"That is very different," said Porthos; "the king's service before anything else. We will wait until this evening,

And saluting SaintAignan with his usual courtesy, Porthos left the room, delighted at having arranged

another affair. SaintAignan looked after him as he left; and then hastily putting on his court dress again, he

ran off, arranging his costume as he went along, muttering to himself, "The Minimes! the Minimes! We shall

see how the king will fancy this challenge; for it is for him after all, that is certain."

On his return from the promenade, which had been so prolific in poetical effusions, and in which every one

had paid his or her tribute to the Muses, as the poets of the period used to say, the king found M. Fouquet

waiting for an audience. M. Colbert had lain in wait for his majesty in the corridor, and followed him like a

jealous and watchful shadow; M. Colbert, with his square head, his vulgar and untidy, though rich costume,

somewhat resembled a Flemish gentleman after he had been over indulging in his national drink beer.

Fouquet, at sight of his enemy, remained perfectly unmoved, and during the whole of the scene which

followed scrupulously resolved to observe a line of conduct particularly difficult to the man of superior mind,

who does not even wish to show his contempt, for fear of doing his adversary too much honor. Colbert made

no attempt to conceal his insolent expression of the vulgar joy he felt. In his opinion, M. Fouquet's was a

game very badly played and hopelessly lost, although not yet finished. Colbert belonged to that school of

politicians who think cleverness alone worthy of their admiration, and success the only thing worth caring

for. Colbert, moreover, who was not simply an envious and jealous man, but who had the king's interest

really at heart, because he was thoroughly imbued with the highest sense of probity in all matters of figures

and accounts, could well afford to assign as a pretext for his conduct, that in hating and doing his utmost to

ruin M. Fouquet, he had nothing in view but the welfare of the state and the dignity of the crown. None of

these details escaped Fouquet's observation; through his enemy's thick, bushy brows, and despite the restless

movement of his eyelids, he could, by merely looking at his eyes, penetrate to the very bottom of Colbert's

heart, and he read to what an unbounded extent hate towards himself and triumph at his approaching fall

existed there. But as, in observing everything, he wished to remain himself impenetrable, he composed his

features, smiled with the charmingly sympathetic smile that was peculiarly his own, and saluted the king with

the most dignified and graceful ease and elasticity of manner. "Sire," he said, "I perceive by your majesty's

"Most gratified, indeed, monsieur le surintendant, most gratified. You were very wrong not to come with us,

"I was working, sire," replied the superintendent, who did not even seem to take the trouble to turn aside his

"Ah! M. Fouquet," cried the king, "there is nothing like the country. I should be delighted to live in the

"Your majesty gratifies my utmost wishes in speaking in that manner, for I have a request to submit to you."

"The _fete_ at Vaux, the celebrated _fete_, I think, it was, sire," said Colbert, endeavoring to show his

Fouquet, with the profoundest contempt, did not take the slightest notice of the remark, as if, as far as he was

"Your majesty is aware," he said, "that I destine my estate at Vaux to receive the most amiable of princes, the

"I have given you my promise, monsieur," said Louis XIV., smiling; "and a king never departs from his

"And I have come now, sire, to inform your majesty that I am ready to obey your orders in every respect."

"Do you promise me many wonders, monsieur le surintendant?" said Louis, looking at Colbert.

"Wonders? Oh! no, sire. I do not undertake that. I hope to be able to procure your majesty a little pleasure,

"Nay, nay, M. Fouquet," returned the king; "I insist upon the word 'wonders.' You are a magician, I believe;

we all know the power you wield; we also know that you can find gold even when there is none to be found

Fouquet felt that the shot was discharged from a double quiver, and that the king had launched an arrow from

his own bow as well as one from Colbert's. "Oh!" said he, laughingly, "the people know perfectly well out of

what mine I procure the gold; and they know it only too well, perhaps; besides," he added, "I can assure your

majesty that the gold destined to pay the expenses of the _fete_ at Vaux will cost neither blood nor tears; hard

Louis paused quite confused. He wished to look at Colbert; Colbert, too, wished to reply to him; a glance as

swift as an eagle's, a kinglike glance, indeed, which Fouquet darted at the latter, arrested the words upon his

lips. The king, who had by this time recovered his self possession, turned towards Fouquet, saying, "I

"You speak like an enchanter who has but to conjure up in actuality the wildest fancies, Monsieur Fouquet. I

"Your majesty will do, whenever you please, everything that a monarch can and ought to do. The king of

France has servants at his bidding who are able to do anything on his behalf, to accomplish everything to

Colbert tried to look at the superintendent, in order to see whether this remark was an approach to less hostile

sentiments on his part; but Fouquet had not even looked at his enemy, and Colbert hardly seemed to exist as

far as he was concerned. "Very good, then," said the king. "Will a week hence suit you?"

"This is Tuesday; if I give you until next Sunday week, will that be sufficient?"

"The delay which your majesty deigns to accord me will greatly aid the various works which my architects

have in hand for the purpose of adding to the amusement of your majesty and your friends."

"By the by, speaking of my friends," resumed the king; "how do you intend to treat them?"

"The king is master everywhere, sire; your majesty will draw up your own list and give your own orders. All

"I thank you!" returned the king, touched by the noble thought expressed in so noble a tone.

Fouquet, therefore, took leave of Louis XIV., after a few words had been added with regard to the details of

certain matters of business. He felt that Colbert would remain behind with the king, that they would both

converse about him, and that neither of them would spare him in the least degree. The satisfaction of being

able to give a last and terrible blow to his enemy seemed to him almost like a compensation for everything

they were about to subject him to. He turned back again immediately, as soon, indeed, as he had reached the

door, and addressing the king, said, "I was forgetting that I had to crave your majesty's forgiveness."

"A fault! You! Ah! Monsieur Fouquet, I shall be unable to do otherwise than forgive you. In what way or

"Against every sense of propriety, sire. I forgot to inform your majesty of a circumstance that has lately

Colbert trembled; he fancied that he was about to frame a denunciation against him. His conduct had been

unmasked. A single syllable from Fouquet, a single proof formally advanced, and before the youthful loyalty

of feeling which guided Louis XIV., Colbert's favor would disappear at once; the latter trembled, therefore,

lest so daring a blow might overthrow his whole scaffold; in point of fact, the opportunity was so admirably

suited to be taken advantage of, that a skillful, practiced player like Aramis would not have let it slip. "Sire,"

said Fouquet, with an easy, unconcerned air, "since you have had the kindness to forgive me, I am perfectly

indifferent about my confession; this morning I sold one of the official appointments I hold."

Colbert turned perfectly livid. "That which conferred upon me, sire, a grand gown, and a stern air of gravity;

The king involuntarily uttered a loud exclamation and looked at Colbert, who, with his face bedewed with

perspiration, felt almost on the point of fainting. "To whom have you sold this department, Monsieur

Colbert was obliged to lean against a column of the fireplace. "To a councilor belonging to the parliament,

"Yes, sire, a particular friend of the intendant Colbert," added Fouquet; letting every word fall from his lips

with the most inimitable nonchalance, and with an admirably assumed expression of forgetfulness and

ignorance. And having finished, and having overwhelmed Colbert beneath the weight of this superiority, the

superintendent again saluted the king and quitted the room, partially revenged by the stupefaction of the king

"Is it really possible," said the king, as soon as Fouquet had disappeared, "that he has sold that office?"

Colbert this time did not reply; he had penetrated the king's thought, a thought which amply revenged him for

the humiliation he had just been made to suffer; his hatred was augmented by a feeling of bitter jealousy of

Fouquet; and a threat of disgrace was now added to the plan he had arranged for his ruin. Colbert felt

perfectly assured that for the future, between Louis XIV. and himself, their hostile feelings and ideas would

meet with no obstacles, and that at the first fault committed by Fouquet, which could be laid hold of as a

pretext, the chastisement so long impending would be precipitated. Fouquet had thrown aside his weapons of

defense, and hate and jealousy had picked them up. Colbert was invited by the king to the _fete_ at Vaux; he

bowed like a man confident in himself, and accepted the invitation with the air of one who almost confers a

favor. The king was about writing down SaintAignan's name on his list of royal commands, when the usher

announced the Comte de SaintAignan. As soon as the royal "Mercury" entered, Colbert discreetly withdrew.

SaintAignan had quitted Louis XIV. hardly a couple of hours before; but in the first effervescence of his

affection, whenever Louis XIV. was out of sight of La Valliere, he was obliged to talk about her. Besides, the

only person with whom he could speak about her at his ease was Saint Aignan, and thus SaintAignan had

"Ah, is that you, comte?" he exclaimed, as soon as he perceived him, doubly delighted, not only to see him

again, but also to get rid of Colbert, whose scowling face always put him out of humor. "So much the better, I

am very glad to see you. You will make one of the best traveling party, I suppose?"

"The one we are making up to go to the _fete_ the superintendent is about to give at Vaux. Ah!

SaintAignan, you will, at last, see a _fete_, a royal _fete_, by the side of which all our amusements at

"At Vaux! the superintendent going to give a _fete_ in your majesty's honor? Nothing more than that!"

"'Nothing more than that,' do you say? It is very diverting to find you treating it with so much disdain. Are

you who express such an indifference on the subject, aware, that as soon as it is known that M. Fouquet is

going to receive me at Vaux next Sunday week, people will be striving their very utmost to get invited to the

"Very well, sire; unless I shall, in the meantime, have undertaken a longer and a less agreeable journey."

"No, seriously, sire," replied SaintAignan, "I am invited; and in such a way, in truth, that I hardly know

"I do not understand you. I know that you are in a poetical vein; but try not to sink from Apollo to Phoebus."

"Very well; if your majesty will deign to listen to me, I will not keep your mind on the rack a moment

"Yes, indeed; a good servant to my father, the late king, and an admirable companion at table; for, I think,

"Precisely so; but you have omitted to add to his other qualifications, sire, that he is a most charming

"Of course; answer me as candidly as if it were some one else's affair instead of your own, my poor

"To him, personally, nothing at all; but, it seems, to one of his friends, I have."

"In that case, you are wrong; and if he were to kill you, he would be doing perfectly right."

"In that case, your majesty will, perhaps, be good enough to sign my adversary's pardon, for he is now

"'The Vicomte de Bragelonne!'" exclaimed the king; changing from a fit of laughter to the most profound

stupor, and then, after a moment's silence, while he wiped his forehead, which was bedewed with

"He is at Minimes, sire, where he is waiting for me, as I have already had the honor of telling you."

"Yes; and many things besides. Perhaps your majesty would like to look at the letter I have received from

him;" and SaintAignan drew from his pocket the note we are already acquainted with. "When your majesty

"Well, sire; your majesty knows a certain carved lock, closing a certain door of carved ebony, which

"Either M. de Bragelonne, or the devil himself; but, inasmuch as the note smells of musk and not of sulphur, I

Louis bent his head, and seemed absorbed in sad and bitter thought. Perhaps something like remorse was at

"Sire, I shall do my utmost that the secret dies in the breast of the man who possesses it!" said SaintAignan,

in a tone of bravado, as he moved towards the door; but a gesture of the king made him pause.

"_You_ fight!" exclaimed the king. "One moment, if you please, monsieur le comte!"

SaintAignan shook his head, as a rebellious child does, whenever any one interferes to prevent him

"In the first place," continued the king. "I want to be enlightened a little further."

"Upon all points, if your majesty will be pleased to interrogate me," replied SaintAignan, "I will throw what

"Ah! that is very serious, inasmuch as all the doors were closed, and my lackey, Basque, had the keys in his

"Impossible, sire; for if he had been bribed, those who did so would not have sacrificed the poor fellow,

whom, it is not unlikely, they might want to turn to further use by and by, in showing so clearly that it was he

"Tell me what it is, sire, and we shall see if it is the same that has presented itself to my mind."

"Because there are certain persons, sire, who, being above the price of treason, give, and do not sell."

"Oh, sire! Your majesty's mind is too clearsighted not to guess what I mean, and you will save me the

"You are right: you mean Madame; I suppose her suspicions were aroused by your changing your lodgings."

"Madame has keys of the apartments of her maids of honor, and she is powerful enough to discover what no

"And you suppose, then, that my sister must have entered into an alliance with Bragelonne, and has informed

"You think it impossible, sire? Well, listen to me. Your majesty knows that Madame is very fond of

The king remained silent and thoughtful for a few moments, and then resumed: "But why should Madame

SaintAignan could very easily have replied: "A woman's jealousy!" The king probed his friend to the

bottom of his heart to ascertain if he had learned the secret of his flirtation with his sisterinlaw. But Saint

Aignan was not an ordinary courtier; he did not lightly run the risk of finding out family secrets; and he was

too a friend of the Muses not to think very frequently of poor Ovidius Naso, whose eyes shed so many tears

in expiation of his crime for having once beheld something, one hardly knows what, in the palace of

Augustus. He therefore passed by Madame's secret very skillfully. But as he had shown no ordinary sagacity

in indicating Madame's presence in his rooms in company with Bragelonne, it was necessary, of course, for

him to repay with interest the king's _amour propre_, and reply plainly to the question which had been put to

"Why?" replied SaintAignan. "Your majesty forgets, I presume, that the Comte de Guiche is the intimate

"Ah! I beg your pardon, then, sire; but I thought the Comte de Guiche was a very great friend of Madame's."

"Quite true," the king returned; "there is no occasion to search any further, the blow came from that

"And is not your majesty of opinion that, in order to ward it off, it will be necessary to deal another blow?"

"Yes, but not one of the kind given in the Bois de Vincennes," replied the king.

"You forget, sire," said SaintAignan, "that I am a gentleman, and that I have been challenged."

"But I am the man, sire, who has been expected at the Minimes, sire, during the last hour and more; and I

"Besides, I wish to have the whole of this affair explained; I wish to know how it is that I have been so

insolently trifled with, as to have the sanctuary of my affections pried into. It is not you, SaintAignan,

whose business it is to punish those who have acted in this manner, for it is not your honor they have

"I implore your majesty not to overwhelm M. de Bragelonne with your wrath, for although in the whole of

this affair he may have shown himself deficient in prudence, he has not been so in his feelings of loyalty."

"Enough! I shall know how to decide between the just and the unjust, even in the height of my anger. But

"But what am I to do with regard to M. de Bragelonne? He will be seeking me in every direction, and "

"I shall either have spoken to him, or taken care that he has been spoken to, before the evening is over."

"I have been indulgent long enough, comte," said Louis XIV., frowning severely; "it is now quite time to

The king had hardly pronounced these words, which betokened that a fresh feeling of irritation was mingling

with the recollections of old, when an usher appeared at the door of the cabinet. "What is the matter?"

inquired the king, "and why do you presume to come when I have not summoned you?"

"Sire," said the usher, "your majesty desired me to permit M. le Comte de la Fere to pass freely on any and

The king and SaintAignan at this reply exchanged a look which betrayed more uneasiness than surprise.

Louis hesitated for a moment, but immediately afterwards, seeming to make up his mind, he said:

"Go, SaintAignan, and find Louise; inform her of the plot against us; do not let her be ignorant that Madame

will return to her system of persecutions against her, and that she has set those to work who would have

"If Louise gets nervous and frightened, reassure her as much as you can; tell her that the king's affection is an

impenetrable shield over her; if, which I suspect is the case, she already knows everything, or if she has

already been herself subjected to an attack of some kind or other from any quarter, tell her, be sure to tell her,

SaintAignan," added the king, trembling with passion, "tell her, I say, that this time, instead of defending

her, I will avenge her, and that too so terribly that no one will in future even dare to raise his eyes towards

"Yes, all. Go as quickly as you can, and remain faithful; for, you who live in the midst of this stake of

SaintAignan exhausted himself in protestations of devotion, took the king's hand, kissed it, and left the room

The king endeavored to recover his selfpossession as quickly as possible, in order to meet M. de la Fere

with an untroubled countenance. He clearly saw it was not mere chance that had induced the comte's visit, he

had some vague impression of its importance; but he felt that to a man of Athos's tone of mind, to one of such

a high order of intellect, his first reception ought not to present anything either disagreeable or otherwise than

kind and courteous. As soon as the king had satisfied himself that, as far as appearances went, he was

perfectly calm again, he gave directions to the ushers to introduce the comte. A few minutes afterwards

Athos, in full court dress, and with his breast covered with the orders that he alone had the right to wear at the

court of France, presented himself with so grave and solemn an air that the king perceived, at the first glance,

that he was not deceived in his anticipations. Louis advanced a step towards the comte, and, with a smile,

held out his hand to him, over which Athos bowed with the air of the deepest respect.

"Monsieur le Comte de la Fere," said the king rapidly, "you are so seldom here, that it is a real piece of good

Athos bowed and replied, "I should wish always to enjoy the happiness of being near your majesty."

The tone, however, in which this reply was conveyed, evidently signified, "I should wish to be one of your

majesty's advisers, to save you the commission of faults." The king felt it so, and determined in this man's

presence to preserve all the advantages which could be derived from his command over himself, as well as

"Had it not been so, I should not have presumed to present myself before your majesty."

"Speak quickly, I am anxious to satisfy you," returned the king, seating himself.

"I am persuaded," replied Athos, in a somewhat agitated tone of voice, "that your majesty will give me every

"Ah!" said the king, with a certain haughtiness of manner, "you have come to lodge a complaint here, then?"

"It would be a complaint," returned Athos, "only in the event of your majesty but if you will deign to

"Your majesty will remember that at the period of the Duke of Buckingham's departure, I had the honor of an

"At or about that period, I think I remember you did; only, with regard to the subject of the conversation, I

Athos started, as he replied. "I shall have the honor to remind your majesty of it. It was with regard to a

formal demand I had addressed to you respecting a marriage which M. de Bragelonne wished to contract with

"At that period," pursued Athos, "your majesty was so kind and generous towards M. de Bragelonne and

myself, that not a single word which then fell from your lips has escaped my memory; and, when I asked

your majesty to accord me Mademoiselle de la Valliere's hand for M. de Bragelonne, you refused."

"Alleging," Athos hastened to say, "that the young lady had no position in society."

Louis could hardly force himself to listen with an appearance of royal propriety.

This last bolt buried itself deep in the king's heart, and made him almost bound from his seat.

"I invariably have, on occasions when I have had the distinguished honor of an interview with your majesty,"

"And I thanked your majesty for your remarks at the time, because they testified an interest in M. de

"And you may possibly remember," said the king, very deliberately, "that you had the greatest repugnance for

"And finally, I remember, for I have a memory nearly as good as your own; I remember, I say, that you

observed at the time: 'I do not believe that Mademoiselle de la Valliere loves M. de Bragelonne.' Is that true?"

The blow told well, but Athos did not draw back. "Sire," he said, "I have already begged your majesty's

forgiveness; but there are certain particulars in that conversation which are only intelligible from the

"This: that your majesty then said, 'that you would defer the marriage out of regard for M. de Bragelonne's

The king remained silent. "M. de Bragelonne is now so exceedingly unhappy that he cannot any longer defer

"And what," said the king, with considerable hesitation, "does M. de Bragelonne request?"

"Precisely the very thing that I came to ask your majesty for at my last audience, namely, your majesty's

The king remained perfectly silent. "The questions which referred to the different obstacles in the way are all

now quite removed for us," continued Athos. "Mademoiselle de la Valliere, without fortune, birth, or beauty,

is not the less on that account the only good match in the world for M. de Bragelonne, since he loves this

The king pressed his hands impatiently together. "Does your majesty hesitate?" inquired the comte, without

Athos paused a moment, as if to collect himself: "I have had the honor," he said, in a mild tone, "to observe to

your majesty that no obstacle now interferes with M. de Bragelonne's affections, and that his determination

"And may we, therefore, be permitted to ask your majesty, with the greatest humility, your reason for this

The king, leaning with both his hands upon the table, said, in a deep tone of concentrated passion: "You have

lost all recollection of what is usual at court. At court, please to remember, no one ventures to put a question

"Very frequently, sire, conjecture with regard to a particular subject implies a want of frankness on the part of

"And a want of confidence on the part of the subject," pursued Athos, intrepidly.

"You forget yourself," said the king, hurried away by anger in spite of all his selfcontrol.

"Sire, I am obliged to seek elsewhere for what I thought I should find in your majesty. Instead of obtaining a

The king rose. "Monsieur le comte," he said, "I have now given you all the time I had at my disposal." This

"Sire," replied the comte, "I have not yet had time to tell your majesty what I came with the express object of

saying, and I so rarely see your majesty that I ought to avail myself of the opportunity."

"Just now you spoke rudely of conjectures; you are now becoming offensive, monsieur."

"Oh, sire! offend your majesty! I? never! All my life through I have maintained that kings are above all

other men, not only from their rank and power, but from their nobleness of heart and their true dignity of

mind. I never can bring myself to believe that my sovereign, he who passed his word to me, did so with a

"I will explain my meaning," said Athos, coldly. "If, in refusing Mademoiselle de la Valliere to Monsieur de

Bragelonne, your majesty had some other object in view than the happiness and fortune of the vicomte "

"If, in requiring the vicomte to delay his marriage, your majesty's only object was to remove the gentleman to

"I have heard it said so in every direction, sire. Your majesty's affection for Mademoiselle de la Valliere is

The king tore his gloves, which he had been biting for some time. "Woe to those," he cried, "who interfere in

my affairs. I have made up my mind to take a particular course, and I will break through every obstacle in my

The king stopped short, like a horse which, having taken the bit between his teeth and run away, finds it has

slipped it back again, and that his career is checked. "I love Mademoiselle de la Valliere," he said suddenly,

"But," interrupted Athos, "that does not preclude your majesty from allowing M. de Bragelonne to marry

Mademoiselle de la Valliere. The sacrifice is worthy of so great a monarch; it is fully merited by M. de

Bragelonne, who has already rendered great service to your majesty, and who may well be regarded as a

brave and worthy man. Your majesty, therefore, in renouncing the affection you entertain, offers a proof at

"Mademoiselle de la Valliere does not love M. de Bragelonne," said the king, hoarsely.

"Does your majesty know that to be the case?" remarked Athos, with a searching look.

"Since a very short time, then; for doubtless, had your majesty known it when I first preferred my request,

Athos remained silent for a moment, and then resumed: "In that case, I do not understand why your majesty

should have sent M. de Bragelonne to London. That exile, and most properly so, too, is a matter of

astonishment to every one who regards your majesty's honor with sincere affection."

"The king's honor, sire, is made up of the honor of his whole nobility. Whenever the king offends one of his

gentlemen, that is, whenever he deprives him of the smallest particle of his honor, it is from him, from the

"Sire, you sent M. de Bragelonne to London either before you were Mademoiselle de la Valliere's lover, or

The king, irritated beyond measure, especially because he felt that he was being mastered, endeavored to

"Sire," replied the comte, "I will tell you all; I will not leave your presence until I have been satisfied by your

majesty or by myself; satisfied if you prove to me that you are right, satisfied if I prove to you that you are

wrong. Nay, sire, you can but listen to me. I am old now, and I am attached to everything that is really great

and really powerful in your kingdom. I am of those who have shed their blood for your father and for

yourself, without ever having asked a single favor either from yourself or from your father. I have never

inflicted the slightest wrong or injury on any one in this world, and even kings are still my debtors. You can

but listen to me, I repeat. I have come to ask you for an account of the honor of one of your servants whom

you have deceived by a falsehood, or betrayed by want of heart of judgment. I know that these words irritate

your majesty, but the facts themselves are killing us. I know that you are endeavoring to find some means

whereby to chastise me for my frankness; but I know also the chastisement I will implore God to inflict upon

The king during these remarks was walking hurriedly to and fro, his hand thrust into the breast of his coat, his

head haughtily raised, his eyes blazing with wrath. "Monsieur," he cried, suddenly, "if I acted towards you as

a king, you would be already punished; but I am only a man, and I have the right to love in this world every

"You cannot pretend to such a right as a man any more than as a king, sire; or if you intend to exercise that

right in a loyal manner, you should have told M. de Bragelonne so, and not have exiled him."

"It is too great a condescension, monsieur, to discuss these things with you," interrupted Louis XIV., with

that majesty of air and manner he alone seemed able to give his look and his voice.

"You already know my thoughts on the subject," was the Comte de la Fere's answer.

"You have forgotten you are destroying the lives of two men, sire. It is a mortal sin."

"Not until I have said this: 'Son of Louis XIII., you begin your reign badly, for you begin it by abduction and

disloyalty! My race myself too are now freed from all that affection and respect towards you, which I

made my son swear to observe in the vaults of SaintDenis, in the presence of the relics of your noble

forefathers. You are now become our enemy, sire, and henceforth we have nothing to do save with Heaven

"Oh, no," said Athos, sadly, "I have as little bravado as fear in my soul. The God of whom I spoke to you is

now listening to me; He knows that for the safety and honor of your crown I would even yet shed every drop

of blood twenty years of civil and foreign warfare have left in my veins. I can well say, then, that I threaten

the king as little as I threaten the man; but I tell you, sire, you lose two servants; for you have destroyed faith

in the heart of the father, and love in the heart of the son; the one ceases to believe in the royal word, the

other no longer believes in the loyalty of the man, or the purity of woman: the one is dead to every feeling of

Thus saying, Athos broke his sword across his knee, slowly placed the two pieces upon the floor, and saluting

the king, who was almost choking from rage and shame, he quitted the cabinet. Louis, who sat near the table,

completely overwhelmed, was several minutes before he could collect himself; but he suddenly rose and rang

the bell violently. "Tell M. d'Artagnan to come here," he said to the terrified ushers.

Our readers will doubtlessly have been asking themselves how it happened that Athos, of whom not a word

has been said for some time past, arrived so very opportunely at court. We will, without delay, endeavor to

Porthos, faithful to his duty as an arranger of affairs, had, immediately after leaving the Palais Royal, set off

to join Raoul at the Minimes in the Bois de Vincennes, and had related everything, even to the smallest

details, which had passed between SaintAignan and himself. He finished by saying that the message which

the king had sent to his favorite would probably not occasion more than a short delay, and that SaintAignan,

as soon as he could leave the king, would not lose a moment in accepting the invitation Raoul had sent him.

But Raoul, less credulous than his old friend, had concluded from Porthos's recital that if SaintAignan was

going to the king, Saint Aignan would tell the king everything, and that the king would most assuredly

forbid SaintAignan to obey the summons he had received to the hostile meeting. The consequence of his

reflections was, that he had left Porthos to remain at the place appointed for the meeting, in the very

improbable case that SaintAignan would come there; having endeavored to make Porthos promise that he

would not remain there more than an hour or an hour and a half at the very longest. Porthos, however,

formally refused to do anything of the kind, but, on the contrary, installed himself in the Minimes as if he

were going to take root there, making Raoul promise that when he had been to see his father, he would return

to his own apartments, in order that Porthos's servant might know where to find him in case M. de

Bragelonne had left Vincennes, and proceeded at once straight to the apartments of Athos, who had been in

Paris during the last two days, the comte having been already informed of what had taken place, by a letter

from D'Artagnan. Raoul arrived at his father's; Athos, after having held out his hand to him, and embraced

"I know you come to me as a man would go to a friend, vicomte, whenever he is suffering; tell me, therefore,

The young man bowed, and began his recital; more than once in the course of it his tears almost choked his

utterance, and a sob, checked in his throat, compelled him to suspend his narrative for a few minutes. Athos

most probably already knew how matters stood, as we have just now said D'Artagnan had already written to

him; but, preserving until the conclusion that calm, unruffled composure of manner which constituted the

almost superhuman side of his character, he replied, "Raoul, I do not believe there is a word of truth in these

rumors; I do not believe in the existence of what you fear, although I do not deny that persons best entitled to

the fullest credit have already conversed with me on the subject. In my heart and soul I think it utterly

impossible that the king could be guilty of such an outrage on a gentleman. I will answer for the king,

Raoul, wavering like a drunken man between what he had seen with his own eyes and the imperturbable faith

he had in a man who had never told a falsehood, bowed and simply answered, "Go, then, monsieur le comte;

I will await your return." And he sat down, burying his face in his hands. Athos dressed, and then left him, in

order to wait upon the king; the result of that interview is already known to our readers.

When he returned to his lodgings, Raoul, pale and dejected, had not quitted his attitude of despair. At the

sound, however, of the opening doors, and of his father's footsteps as he approached him, the young man

raised his head. Athos's face was very pale, his head uncovered, and his manner full of seriousness; he gave

his cloak and hat to the lackey, dismissed him with a gesture, and sat down near Raoul.

"Raoul," resumed the comte, "I told the king, believe me, all that you yourself could possibly have urged, and

"I told him, Raoul, that everything was now at an end between him and ourselves; that you would never serve

him again. I told him that I, too, should remain aloof. Nothing further remains for me, then, but to be satisfied

"Oh, monsieur, with regard to my affection, I shall, perhaps, some day or other, succeed in tearing it from my

heart; I trust I shall do so, aided by Heaven's merciful help, and your own wise exhortations. As far as

vengeance is concerned, it occurred to me only when under the influence of an evil thought, for I could not

revenge myself upon the one who is actually guilty; I have, therefore, already renounced every idea of

"No, monsieur; I sent him a challenge: if M. de SaintAignan accepts it, I will maintain it; if he does not take

"You cannot, I know, have seriously thought that I should dream of revenging myself upon a woman!"

replied Raoul, with a smile so sad that a tear started even to the eyes of his father, who had so many times in

"And so, monsieur le comte, you are quite satisfied that the misfortune is one beyond all remedy?" inquired

"You think that I still live in hope," said Raoul, "and you pity me. Oh, it is indeed horrible suffering for me to

despise, as I am bound to do, the one I have loved so devotedly. If I had but some real cause of complaint

Athos looked at his son with a profoundly sorrowful air, for the words Raoul had just pronounced seemed to

have issued out of his own heart. At this moment the servant announced M. d'Artagnan. This name sounded

very differently to the ears of Athos and Raoul. The musketeer entered the room with a vague smile on his

lips. Raoul paused. Athos walked towards his friend with an expression of face that did not escape

Bragelonne. D'Artagnan answered Athos's look by an imperceptible movement of the eyelid; and then,

advancing towards Raoul, whom he took by the hand, he said, addressing both father and son, "Well, you are

As he said this, Athos pressed D'Artagnan's hand between both his own. Raoul fancied he observed in this

"Yes," replied the musketeer, smoothing his mustache with the hand that Athos had left free, "yes, I have

"You are most welcome, chevalier; not for the consolation you bring with you, but on your own account. I am

already consoled," said Raoul; and he attempted to smile, but the effort was more sad than any tears

"Only," continued Raoul, "you have arrived just as the comte was about to give me the details of his

interview with the king. You will allow the comte to continue?" added the young man, as, with his eyes fixed

"His interview with the king?" said D'Artagnan, in a tone so natural and unassumed that there was no means

of suspecting that his astonishment was feigned. "You have seen the king, then, Athos?"

"Ah, indeed; you were unaware, then, that the comte had seen his majesty?" inquired Raoul, half reassured.

"Forgive me, monsieur," said Raoul, "but knowing so well the regard and affection you have for me, I was

afraid you might possibly have expressed somewhat plainly to his majesty my own sufferings and your

"And that the king had consequently?" repeated D'Artagnan; "well, go on, finish what you were going to

"I have now to ask you to forgive me, Monsieur d'Artagnan," said Raoul. "For a moment, and I cannot help

confessing it, I trembled lest you had come here, not as M. d'Artagnan, but as captain of the musketeers."

"You are mad, my poor boy," cried D'Artagnan, with a burst of laughter, in which an exact observer might

"Very good, then; I advise you, after your long journey from England, after your visit to M. de Guiche, after

your visit to Madame, after your visit to Porthos, after your journey to Vincennes, I advise you, I say, to take

a few hours' rest; go and lie down, sleep for a dozen hours, and when you wake up, go and ride one of my

And drawing Raoul towards him, he embraced him as he would have done his own child. Athos did the like;

only it was very visible that the kiss was still more affectionate, and the pressure of his lips even warmer with

the father than with the friend. The young man again looked at both his companions, endeavoring to penetrate

their real meaning or their real feelings with the utmost strength of his intelligence; but his look was

powerless upon the smiling countenance of the musketeer or upon the calm and composed features of the

Comte de la Fere. "Where are you going, Raoul?" inquired the latter, seeing that Bragelonne was preparing to

"We shall be sure to find you there, then, if we should have anything to say to you?"

"Yes, monsieur; but do you suppose it likely you will have something to say to me?"

"Yes, something fresh to console you with," said D'Artagnan, pushing him towards the door.

Raoul, observing the perfect composure which marked every gesture of his two friends, quitted the comte's

room, carrying away with him nothing but the individual feeling of his own particular distress.

And wrapping himself up in his cloak, in order to conceal from the passersby in the streets his gloomy and

sorrowful face, he quitted them, for the purpose of returning to his own rooms, as he had promised Porthos.

The two friends watched the young man as he walked away with a feeling of genuine disinterested pity; only

"Poor Raoul!" had said Athos. "Poor Raoul!" had said D'Artagnan: and, in point of fact, to be pitied by both

these men, Raoul must indeed have been most unhappy. And therefore, when he found himself alone, face to

face, as it were, with his own troubles, leaving behind him the intrepid friend and the indulgent father; when

he recalled the avowal of the king's affection, which had robbed him of Louise de la Valliere, whom he loved

so deeply, he felt his heart almost breaking, as indeed we all have at least once in our lives, at the first illusion

destroyed, the first affection betrayed. "Oh!" he murmured, "all is over, then. Nothing is now left me in this

world. Nothing to look forward to, nothing to hope for. Guiche has told me so, my father has told me so, M.

d'Artagnan has told me so. All life is but an idle dream. The future which I have been hopelessly pursuing for

the last ten years is a dream! the union of hearts, a dream! a life of love and happiness, a dream! Poor fool

that I am," he continued, after a pause, "to dream away my existence aloud, publicly, and in the face of

others, friends and enemies and for what purpose, too? in order that my friends may be saddened by my

troubles, and my enemies may laugh at my sorrows. And so my unhappiness will soon become a notorious

disgrace, a public scandal; and who knows but that to morrow I may even be a public laughingstock?"

And, despite the composure which he had promised his father and D'Artagnan to observe, Raoul could not

resist uttering a few words of darkest menace. "And yet," he continued, "if my name were De Wardes, and if

I had the pliancy of character and strength of will of M. d'Artagnan, I should laugh, with my lips at least; I

should convince other women that this perfidious girl, honored by the affection I have wasted on her, leaves

me only one regret, that of having been abused and deceived by her seemingly modest and irreproachable

conduct; a few might perhaps fawn on the king by jesting at my expense; I should put myself on the track of

some of those buffoons; I should chastise a few of them, perhaps; the men would fear me, and by the time I

had laid three dying or dead at my feet, I should be adored by the women. Yes, yes, that, indeed, would be the

proper course to adopt, and the Comte de la Fere himself would not object to it. Has not he also been tried, in

his earlier days, in the same manner as I have just been tried myself? Did he not replace affection by

intoxication? He has often told me so. Why should I not replace love by pleasure? He must have suffered as

much as I suffer, even more if that is possible. The history of one man is the history of all, a dragging trial,

more or less prolonged, more or less bitter sorrowful. The note of human nature is nothing but one

sustained cry. But what are the sufferings of others compared to those from which I am now suffering? Does

the open wound in another's breast soften the anguish of the gaping ulcer in our own? Does the blood which

is welling from another man's side stanch that which is pouring from our own? Does the general grief of our

fellowcreatures lessen our own private and particular woe? No, no, each suffers on his own account, each

struggles with his own grief, each sheds his own tears. And besides," he went on, "what has my life been up

to the present moment? A cold, barren, sterile arena, in which I have always fought for others, never for

myself. Sometimes for a king, sometimes for a woman. The king has betrayed, the woman disdained me.

Miserable, unlucky wretch that I am! Women! Can I not make all expiate the crime of one of their sex? What

does that need? To have a heart no longer, or to forget that I ever had one; to be strong, even against

weakness itself; to lean always, even when one feels that the support is giving way. What is needed to attain,

or succeed in all that? To be young, handsome, strong, valiant, rich. I am, or shall be, all that. But honor?" he

still continued, "and what is honor after all? A theory which every man understands in his own way. My

father tells me: 'Honor is the consideration of what is due to others, and particularly what is due to oneself.'

But Guiche, and Manicamp, and SaintAignan particularly, would say to me: 'What's honor? Honor consists

in studying and yielding to the passions and pleasures of one's king.' Honor such as that indeed, is easy and

productive enough. With honor like that, I can keep my post at the court, become a gentleman of the

chamber, and accept the command of a regiment, which may at any time be presented to me. With honor such

"The stain which that woman has stamped upon me, the grief that has broken my heart, the heart of the friend

and playmate of her childhood, in no way affects M. de Bragelonne, an excellent officer, a courageous leader,

who will cover himself with glory at the first encounter, and who will become a hundred times greater than

Mademoiselle de la Valliere is today, the mistress of the king for the king will not marry her and the

more publicly he will proclaim her as his mistress, the more opaque will grow the shadow of shame he casts

upon her face, in the guise of a crown; and in proportion as others despise, as I despise her, I shall be gleaning

honors in the field. Alas! we had walked together side by side, she and I, during the earliest, the brightest, the

most angelic portion of our existence, hand in hand along the charming path of life, covered with the

blossoms of youth; and then, alas! we reach a crossroad, where she separates herself from me, in which we

have to follow a different route, whereby we become more and more widely separated from each other. And

to attain the end of this path, oh, Heaven! I am now alone, in utter despair, and crushed to the very earth."

Such were the sinister reflections in which Raoul indulged, when his foot mechanically paused at the door of

his own dwelling. He had reached it without remarking the streets through which he passed, without knowing

how he had come; he pushed open the door, continued to advance, and ascended the staircase. The staircase,

as in most of the houses at that period, was very dark, and the landings most obscure. Raoul lived on the first

floor; he paused in order to ring. Olivain appeared, took his sword and cloak from his hands; Raoul himself

opened the door which, from the antechamber, led into a small _salon_, richly furnished enough for the

_salon_ of a young man, and completely filled with flowers by Olivain, who, knowing his master's tastes, had

shown himself studiously attentive in gratifying them, without caring whether his master perceived his

attention or not. There was a portrait of La Valliere in the _salon_, which had been drawn by herself and

given by her to Raoul. This portrait, fastened above a large easy chair covered with dark colored damask, was

the first point towards which Raoul bent his steps the first object on which he fixed his eyes. It was,

moreover, Raoul's usual habit to do so; every time he entered his room, this portrait, before anything else,

attracted his attention. This time, as usual, he walked straight up to the portrait, placed his knees upon the arm

chair, and paused to look at it sadly. His arms were crossed upon his breast, his head slightly thrown back, his

eyes filled with tears, his mouth worked into a bitter smile. He looked at the portrait of the one he had so

tenderly loved; and then all that he had said passed before his mind again, all that he had suffered seemed

again to assail his heart; and, after a long silence, he murmured for the third time, "Miserable, unhappy

He had hardly pronounced these words, when he heard the sound of a sigh and a groan behind him. He turned

sharply round and perceived, in the angle of the _salon_, standing up, a bending veiled female figure, which

he had been the means of concealing behind the door as he opened it, and which he had not perceived as he

entered. He advanced towards the figure, whose presence in his room had not been announced to him; and as

he bowed, and inquired at the same moment who she was, she suddenly raised her head, and removed the veil

from her face, revealing her pale and sorrowstricken features. Raoul staggered back as if he had seen a

"Louise!" he cried, in a tone of such absolute despair, one could hardly have thought the human voice was

Mademoiselle de la Valliere for it was indeed she advanced a few steps towards him. "Yes Louise," she

But this interval, short as it had been, was quite sufficient for Raoul to recover himself. "You,

"I know but I entreated Olivain not to tell you " She hesitated; and as Raoul did not attempt to interrupt

her, a moment's silence ensued, during which the sound of their throbbing hearts might have been heard, not

in unison with each other, but the one beating as violently as the other. It was for Louise to speak, and she

"I wished to speak to you," she said. "It was absolutely necessary that I should see you myself alone. I

have not hesitated to adopt a step which must remain secret; for no one, except yourself, could understand my

"In fact, mademoiselle," Raoul stammered out, almost breathless from emotion, "as far as I am concerned,

"Will you do me the great kindness to sit down and listen to me?" said Louise, interrupting him with her soft,

Bragelonne looked at her for a moment; then mournfully shaking his head, he sat, or rather fell down on a

She cast a glance all round her. This look was a timid entreaty, and implored secrecy far more effectually

than her expressed words had done a few minutes before. Raoul rouse, and went to the door, which he

opened. "Olivain," he said, "I am not within for any one." And then, turning towards Louise, he added, "Is not

Nothing could have produced a greater effect upon Louise than these few words, which seemed to signify,

"You see that I still understand you." She passed a handkerchief across her eyes, in order to remove a

rebellious tear which she could not restrain; and then, having collected herself for a moment, she said,

"Raoul, do not turn your kind, frank look away from me. You are not one of those men who despise a woman

for having given her heart to another, even though her affection might render him unhappy, or might wound

"Alas!" continued La Valliere, "it is only too true, my cause is a bad one, and I cannot tell in what way to

begin. It will be better for me, I think, to relate to you, very simply, everything that has befallen me. As I

shall speak but the pure and simple truth, I shall always find my path clear before me in spite of the obscurity

and obstacles I have to brave in order to solace my heart, which is full to overflowing, and wishes to pour

Raoul continued to preserve the same unbroken silence. La Valliere looked at him with an air that seemed to

say, "Encourage me; for pity's sake, but a single word!" But Raoul did not open his lips; and the young girl

"Just now," she said, "M. de SaintAignan came to me by the king's directions." She cast down her eyes as

she said this; while Raoul, on his side, turned his away, in order to avoid looking at her. "M. de SaintAignan

came to me from the king," she repeated, "and told me that you knew all;" and she attempted to look Raoul in

the face, after inflicting this further wound upon him, in addition to the many others he had already received;

This time Raoul looked at the young girl, and a smile full of disdain passed across his lips.

"Oh!" she continued, "I entreat you, do not say that you have had any other feeling against me than that of

anger merely. Raoul, wait until I have told you all wait until I have said to you all that I had to say all that

Raoul, by the strength of his iron will, forced his features to assume a calmer expression, and the disdainful

"In the first place," said La Valliere, "in the first place, with my hands raised in entreaty towards you, with

my forehead bowed to the ground before you, I entreat you, as the most generous, as the noblest of men, to

pardon, to forgive me. If I have left you in ignorance of what was passing in my own bosom, never, at least,

would I have consented to deceive you. Oh! I entreat you, Raoul I implore you on my knees answer me

one word, even though you wrong me in doing so. Better, far better, an injurious word from your lips, than

"I admire your subtlety of expression, mademoiselle," said Raoul, making an effort to remain calm. "To leave

another in ignorance that you are deceiving him, is loyal; but to deceive him it seems that would be very

"Monsieur, for a long time I thought that I loved you better than anything else; and so long as I believed in

my affection for you, I told you that loved you. I could have sworn it on the altar; but a day came when I was

"Well, on that day, mademoiselle, knowing that I still continued to love you, true loyalty of conduct should

"But on that day, Raoul on that day, when I read in the depths of my own heart, when I confessed to myself

that you no longer filled my mind entirely, when I saw another future before me than that of being your

friend, your lifelong companion, your wife on that day, Raoul, you were not, alas! any more beside me."

"Raoul, I did not dare to do so. Raoul, I have been weak and cowardly. I knew you so thoroughly I knew

how devotedly you loved me, that I trembled at the bare idea of the grief I was about to cause you; and that is

so true, Raoul, that this very moment I am now speaking to you, bending thus before you, my heart crushed

in my bosom, my voice full of sighs, my eyes full of tears, it is so perfectly true, that I have no other defense

than my frankness, I have no other sorrow greater than that which I read in your eyes."

"No!" said the young girl, with a profound conviction, "no, no; you will not do me so foul a wrong as to

disguise your feelings before me now! You loved me; you were sure of your affection for me; you did not

deceive yourself; you do not lie to your own heart whilst I I " And pale as death, her arms thrown

"Whilst you," said Raoul, "you told me you loved me, and yet you loved another."

"Alas, yes!" cried the poor girl; "alas, yes! I do love another; and that other oh! for Heaven's sake let me say

it, Raoul, for it is my only excuse that other I love better than my own life, better than my own soul even.

Forgive my fault, or punish my treason, Raoul. I came here in no way to defend myself, but merely to say to

you: 'You know what it is to love!' in such a case am I! I love to that degree, that I would give my life, my

very soul, to the man I love. If he should ever cease to love me, I shall die of grief and despair, unless Heaven

come to my assistance, unless Heaven does show pity upon me. Raoul, I came here to submit myself to your

will, whatever it might be to die, if it were your wish I should die. Kill me, then, Raoul! if in your heart you

"Take care, mademoiselle," said Raoul: "the woman who invites death is one who has nothing but her heart's

Raoul uttered a deep sigh, as he exclaimed, "And you love without being able to forget?"

"I love without a wish to forget; without a wish ever to love any one else," replied La Valliere.

"Very well," said Raoul. "You have said to me, in fact, all you had to say; all I could possibly wish to know.

And now, mademoiselle, it is I who ask your forgiveness, for it is I who have almost been an obstacle in your

life; I, too, who have been wrong, for, in deceiving myself, I helped to deceive you."

"I only am to blame, mademoiselle," continued Raoul, "better informed than yourself of the difficulties of

this life, I should have enlightened you. I ought not to have relied upon uncertainty; I ought to have extracted

an answer from your heart, whilst I hardly even sought an acknowledgement from your lips. Once more,

"Yes, it is impossible to be so good, and kind, ah! perfect to such a degree as that."

"Take care!' said Raoul, with a bitter smile, "for presently you may say perhaps I did not love you."

"As a brother! undeceive yourself, Louise. I love you as a lover as a husband, with the deepest, the truest,

"As a brother! Oh, Louise! I love you so deeply, that I would have shed my blood for you, drop by drop; I

would, oh! how willingly, have suffered myself to be torn to pieces for your sake, have sacrificed my very

future for you. I love you so deeply, Louise, that my heart feels dead and crushed within me, my faith in

human nature all is gone, my eyes have lost their light; I loved you so deeply, that I now no longer see,

"Raoul dear Raoul! spare me, I implore you!" cried La Valliere. "Oh! if I had but known "

"It is too late, Louise; you love, you are happy in your affection; I read your happiness through your tears

behind the tears which the loyalty of your nature makes you shed; I feel the sighs your affection breathes

forth. Louise, Louise, you have made me the most abjectly wretched man living; leave me, I entreat you.

"Have I not done much, much more? _Have I not told you that I love you still?_" She buried her face in her

"And to tell you that do you hear me, Louise? to tell you that, at such a moment as this, to tell you that, as

I have told you, is to pronounce my own sentence of death. Adieu!" La Valliere held out her hands to him in

"We ought not to see each other again in this world," he said, and as she was on the point of crying out in

bitter agony at this remark, he placed his hand on her mouth to stifle the exclamation. She pressed her lips

upon it, and fell fainting to the ground. "Olivain," said Raoul, "take this young lady and bear her to the

carriage which is waiting for her at the door." As Olivain lifted her up, Raoul made a movement as if to dart

towards La Valliere, in order to give her a first and last kiss, but, stopping abruptly, he said, "No! she is not

mine. I am no thief as is the king of France." And he returned to his room, whilst the lackey carried La

As soon as Raoul had quitted Athos and D'Artagnan, as the two exclamations that had followed his departure

escaped their lips, they found themselves face to face alone. Athos immediately resumed the earnest air that

"Yes; I do not see you in this way without some reason for it," said Athos, smiling.

"I have plenty of time. Are you not curious, besides, to know how things went on between the king and me?"

"If you will be good enough to tell me, I will listen with the greatest of pleasure," said Athos, pointing out to

D'Artagnan a large chair, into which the latter threw himself, assuming the easiest possible attitude.

"Well, I will do so willingly enough," continued D'Artagnan, "for the conversation is rather curious, I must

"You were just going down the last steps of the staircase, as the musketeers told me. I arrived. My dear

Athos, he was not red in the face merely, he was positively purple. I was not aware, of course, of what had

"'An insolent man!' I exclaimed, in such a tone that the king stopped suddenly short.

"'Captain d'Artagnan,' resumed the king, with his teeth clenched, 'you will be good enough to listen to and

"'I have, out of consideration for M. de la Fere, wished to spare him he is a man of whom I still retain some

kind recollections the discredit of being arrested in my palace. You will therefore take a carriage.' At this I

"'If you object to arrest him yourself,' continued the king, 'send me my captain of the guards.'

"'Sire,' I replied, 'there is no necessity for the captain of the guards, since I am on duty.'

"'I should not like to annoy you,' said the king, kindly, 'for you have always served me well, Monsieur

"The king looked at me; he saw how unmoved my face was, and seemed satisfied. 'You will arrest M. le

"'Yes; but try that he may be at his own house. If he should have started for his own estate, leave Paris at

"The king seemed annoyed; for, in point of fact, it was the exercise of a fresh act of authority, a repetition of

the arbitrary act, if, indeed, it is to be considered as such. He took hold of his pen slowly, and evidently in no

very good temper; and then he wrote, 'Order for M. le Chevalier d'Artagnan, captain of my musketeers, to

arrest M. le Comte de la Fere, wherever he is to be found.' He then turned towards me; but I was looking on

without moving a muscle of my face. In all probability he thought he perceived something like bravado in my

tranquil manner, for he signed hurriedly, and then handing me the order, he said, 'Go, monsieur!' I obeyed;

"Oh! surely," said D'Artagnan, "you must have some trifling matters to arrange before you leave your

"Why, you know, D'Artagnan, that I have always been a very simple traveler on this earth, ready to go to the

end of the world by the order of my sovereign; ready to quit it at the summons of my Maker. What does a

man who is thus prepared require in such a case? a portmanteau, or a shroud. I am ready at this moment, as

"I have brought him up in the same principles I laid down for my own guidance; and you observed that, as

soon as he perceived you, he guessed, that very moment, the motive of your visit. We have thrown him off

his guard for a moment; but do not be uneasy, he is sufficiently prepared for my disgrace not to be too much

"As I broke my sword in the king's presence, and threw the pieces at his feet, I presume that will dispense

"You are quite right; and besides that, what the deuce do you suppose I could do with your sword?"

"You will walk arm in arm with me," replied D'Artagnan, as he took the comte's arm to descend the staircase;

and in this manner they arrived at the landing. Grimaud, whom they had met in the anteroom, looked at

them as they went out together in this manner, with some little uneasiness; his experience of affairs was quite

"To take a turn in my carriage," interrupted D'Artagnan, with a friendly nod of the head.

Grimaud thanked D'Artagnan by a grimace, which was evidently intended for a smile, and accompanied both

the friends to the door. Athos entered first into the carriage; D'Artagnan followed him without saying a word

to the coachman. The departure had taken place so quietly, that it excited no disturbance or attention even in

the neighborhood. When the carriage had reached the quays, "You are taking me to the Bastile, I perceive,"

"I?" said D'Artagnan, "I take you wherever you may choose to go; nowhere else, I can assure you."

"Why, surely, my dear friend," said D'Artagnan, "you quite understand that I undertook the mission with no

other object in view than that of carrying it out exactly as you liked. You surely did not expect that I was

going to get you thrown into prison like that, brutally, and without any reflection. If I had anticipated that, I

"Well, it seems simple enough to me. The coachman will take you to the barrier of the CourslaReine; you

will find a horse there which I have ordered to be kept ready for you; with that horse you will be able to do

three posts without stopping; and I, on my side, will take care not to return to the king, to tell him that you

have gone away, until the very moment it will be impossible to overtake you. In the meantime you will have

reached Le Havre, and from Le Havre across to England, where you will find the charming residence of

which M. Monk made me a present, without speaking of the hospitality which King Charles will not fail to

Athos shook his head, and then said, smiling as he did so, "No, no, take me to the Bastile."

"You are an obstinate fellow, my dear Athos," returned D'Artagnan, "reflect for a few moments."

"That you are no longer twenty years of age. Believe me, I speak according to my own knowledge and

experience. A prison is certain death for men who are at our time of life. No, no; I will never allow you to

languish in prison in such a way. Why, the very thought of it makes my head turn giddy."

"Dear D'Artagnan," Athos replied, "Heaven most fortunately made my body as strong, powerful, and

enduring as my mind; and, rely upon it, I shall retain my strength up to the very last moment."

"No, D'Artagnan, it is the highest order of reasoning. Do not suppose that I should in the slightest degree in

the world discuss the question with you, whether you would not be ruined in endeavoring to save me. I

should have done precisely as you propose if flight had been part of my plan of action; I should, therefore,

have accepted from you what, without any doubt, you would have accepted from me. No! I know you too

"Ah! if you would only let me do it," said D'Artagnan, "what a dance we would give his most gracious

"Oh! that is all the same to me; and king though he be, I would plainly tell him, 'Sire, imprison, exile, kill

every one in France and Europe; order me to arrest and poniard even whom you like even were it

Monsieur, your own brother; but do not touch one of the four musketeers, or if so, _mordioux!_'"

"My dear friend," replied Athos, with perfect calmness, "I should like to persuade you of one thing; namely,

that I wish to be arrested; that I desire above all things that my arrest should take place."

"Nay, I wish it, I repeat, more than anything; if you were to let me escape, it would be only to return of my

own accord, and constitute myself a prisoner. I wish to prove to this young man, who is dazzled by the power

and splendor of his crown, that he can be regarded as the first and chiefest among men only on the one

condition of his proving himself to be the most generous and the wisest. He may punish me, imprison, torture

me, it matters not. He abuses his opportunities, and I wish him to learn the bitterness of remorse, while

"Well, well," replied D'Artagnan, "I know only too well that, when you have once said, 'no,' you mean 'no.' I

"Let us go, then! To the Bastile!" cried D'Artagnan to the coachman. And throwing himself back in the

carriage, he gnawed the ends of his mustache with a fury which, for Athos, who knew him well, signified a

resolution either already taken or in course of formation. A profound silence ensued in the carriage, which

continued to roll on, but neither faster nor slower than before. Athos took the musketeer by the hand.

"I! oh, no! certainly not; of course not. What you do for heroism, I should have done from obstinacy."

"But you are quite of opinion, are you not, that Heaven will avenge me, D'Artagnan?"

"And I know one or two on earth who will not fail to lend a helping hand," said the captain.

The carriage arrived at the outside of the gate of the Bastile. A soldier on guard stopped it, but D'Artagnan

had only to utter a single word to procure admittance, and the carriage passed on without further difficulty.

Whilst they were proceeding along the covered way which led to the courtyard of the governor's residence,

D'Artagnan, whose lynx eyes saw everything, even through the walls, suddenly cried out, "What is that out

"Make haste and look again, and look at the man who is just getting out of that carriage."

At that very moment a second sentinel stopped D'Artagnan, and while the formalities were being gone

through, Athos could see at a hundred paces from him the man whom his friend had pointed out to him. He

was, in fact, getting out of the carriage at the door of the governor's house. "Well," inquired D'Artagnan, "do

"I cannot very well tell; he is, as I have just now told you, a man in a gray suit, who is getting out of a

"Oh! he knows Baisemeaux, the governor," replied the musketeer, slyly; "so we have arrived just in time."

"I regret this meeting exceedingly. When Aramis sees me, he will be very much annoyed, in the first place, at

"Unfortunately, there is no remedy for it; whenever any one meets another in the Bastile, even if he wished to

"Athos, I have an idea; the question is, to spare Aramis the annoyance you were speaking of, is it not?"

"I will tell you; or in order to explain myself in the best possible way, let me relate the affair in my own

manner; I will not recommend you to tell a falsehood, for that would be impossible for you to do; but I will

tell falsehoods enough for both; it is easy to do that when one is born to the nature and habits of a Gascon."

Athos smiled. The carriage stopped where the one we have just now pointed out had stopped; namely, at the

door of the governor's house. "It is understood, then?" said D'Artagnan, in a low voice to his friend. Athos

consented by a gesture. They ascended the staircase. There will be no occasion for surprise at the facility with

which they had entered into the Bastile, if it be remembered that, before passing the first gate, in fact, the

most difficult of all, D'Artagnan had announced that he had brought a prisoner of state. At the third gate, on

the contrary, that is to say, when he had once fairly entered the prison, he merely said to the sentinel, "To M.

Baisemeaux;" and they both passed on. In a few minutes they were in the governor's diningroom, and the

first face which attracted D'Artagnan's observation was that of Aramis, who was seated side by side with

Baisemeaux, awaiting the announcement of a meal whose odor impregnated the whole apartment. If

D'Artagnan pretended surprise, Aramis did not pretend at all; he started when he saw his two friends, and his

emotion was very apparent. Athos and D'Artagnan, however, complimented him as usual, and Baisemeaux,

amazed, completely stupefied by the presence of his three guests, began to perform a few evolutions around

"Are we going to give ourselves up as prisoners?" cried Aramis, with an affection of hilarity.

"Ah! ah!" said D'Artagnan; "it is true the walls smell deucedly like a prison. Monsieur de Baisemeaux, you

"Yes, of course you did, although you now seem so struck with amazement. Don't you remember it?"

Baisemeaux turned pale and then red, looked at Aramis, who looked at him, and finished by stammering out,

"Certainly I am delighted but, upon my honor I have not the slightest Ah! I have such a wretched

Baisemeaux hurried towards him. "Do not stand on ceremony, my dear captain," he said; "I have the worst

memory in the world. I no sooner leave off thinking of my pigeons and their pigeonhouse, than I am no

"It was when you came to the palace to see me; you told me some story or other about your accounts with M.

"Ah!" exclaimed Aramis, looking at the unhappy governor full in the face, "and yet you just now said you

Baisemeaux interrupted the musketeer in the middle of his revelations. "Yes, yes; you're quite right; how

could I have forgotten; I remember it now as well as possible; I beg you a thousand pardons. But now, once

for all, my dear M. d'Artagnan, be sure that at this present time, as at any other, whether invited or not, you

are perfectly at home here, you and M. d'Herblay, your friend," he said, turning towards Aramis; "and this

"Well, I thought it would be sure to turn out so," replied D'Artagnan, "and that is the reason I came. Having

nothing to do this evening at the Palais Royal, I wished to judge for myself what your ordinary style of living

Athos bowed. "The comte, who had just left his majesty, handed me an order which required immediate

attention. We were close by here; I wished to call in, even if it were for no other object than that of shaking

hands with you and of presenting the comte to you, of whom you spoke so highly that evening at the palace

"And he will sup with you two, I suppose, whilst I, unfortunate dog that I am, must run off on a matter of

duty. Oh! what happy beings you are, compared to myself," he added, sighing as loud as Porthos might have

"And so you are going away, then?" said Aramis and Baisemeaux together, with the same expression of

"I leave you in my place," he said, "a noble and excellent guest." And he touched Athos gently on the

shoulder, who, astonished also, could not help exhibiting his surprise a little; which was noticed by Aramis

only, for M. de Baisemeaux was not quite equal to the three friends in point of intelligence.

"I shall only be about an hour, or an hour and a half. I will return in time for dessert."

"Most certainly," he said, pressing his friend's hand confidently; and he added, in a low voice, "Wait for me,

Athos; be cheerful and lively as possible, and above all, don't allude even to business affairs, for Heaven's

And with a renewed pressure of the hand, he seemed to warn the comte of the necessity of keeping perfectly

discreet and impenetrable. Baisemeaux led D'Artagnan to the gate. Aramis, with many friendly protestations

of delight, sat down by Athos, determined to make him speak; but Athos possessed every virtue and quality

to the very highest degree. If necessity had required it, he would have been the finest orator in the world, but

Ten minutes after D'Artagnan's departure, the three gentlemen sat down to table, which was covered with the

most substantial display of gastronomic luxury. Large joints, exquisite dishes, preserves, the greatest variety

of wines, appeared successively upon the table, which was served at the king's expense, and of which expense

M. Colbert would have found no difficulty in saving two thirds, without any one in the Bastile being the

worse for it. Baisemeaux was the only one who ate and drank with gastronomic resolution. Aramis allowed

nothing to pass by him, but merely touched everything he took; Athos, after the soup and three _hors

d'oeuvres_, ate nothing more. The style of conversation was such as might have been anticipated between

three men so opposite in temper and ideas. Aramis was incessantly asking himself by what extraordinary

chance Athos was there at Baisemeaux's when D'Artagnan was no longer there, and why D'Artagnan did not

remain when Athos was there. Athos sounded all the depths of the mind of Aramis, who lived in the midst of

subterfuge, evasion, and intrigue; he studied his man well and thoroughly, and felt convinced that he was

engaged upon some important project. And then he too began to think of his own personal affair, and to lose

himself in conjectures as to D'Artagnan's reason for having left the Bastile so abruptly, and for leaving behind

him a prisoner so badly introduced and so badly looked after by the prison authorities. But we shall not pause

to examine into the thoughts and feelings of these personages, but will leave them to themselves, surrounded

by the remains of poultry, game, and fish, which Baisemeaux's generous knife and fork had so mutilated. We

are going to follow D'Artagnan instead, who, getting into the carriage which had brought him, said to the

M. de SaintAignan had executed the commission with which the king had intrusted him for La Valliere as

we have already seen in one of the preceding chapters; but, whatever his eloquence, he did not succeed in

persuading the young girl that she had in the king a protector powerful enough for her under any combination

of circumstances, and that she had no need of any one else in the world when the king was on her side. In

point of fact, at the very first word which the favorite mentioned of the discovery of the famous secret,

Louise, in a passion of tears, abandoned herself in utter despair to a sorrow which would have been far from

flattering for the king, if he had been a witness of it from one of the corners of the room. SaintAignan, in his

character of ambassador, felt almost as greatly offended at it as his master himself would have been, and

returned to inform the king what he had seen and heard; and it is thus we find him, in a state of great

agitation, in the presence of the king, who was, if possible, in a state of even greater flurry than himself.

"But," said the king to the courtier, when the latter had finished his report, "what did she decide to do? Shall I

at least see her presently before supper? Will she come to me, or shall I be obliged to go to her room?"

"I believe, sire, that if your majesty wishes to see her, you will not only have to take the first step in advance,

"That I do not mind. Do you think she has yet a secret fancy for young Bragelonne?" muttered the king

"Oh! sire, that is not possible; for it is you alone, I am convinced, Mademoiselle de la Valliere loves, and that,

too, with all her heart. But you know that De Bragelonne belongs to that proud race who play the part of

The king smiled feebly; he knew how true the illustration was, for Athos had just left him.

"As for Mademoiselle de la Valliere," SaintAignan continued, "she was brought up under the care of the

Dowager Madame, that is to say, in the greatest austerity and formality. This young engaged couple coldly

exchanged their little vows in the prim presence of the moon and stars; and now, when they find they have to

SaintAignan thought to have made the king laugh; but on the contrary, from a mere smile Louis passed to

the greatest seriousness of manner. He already began to experience that remorse which the comte had

promised D'Artagnan he would inflict upon him. He reflected that, in fact, these young persons had loved and

sworn fidelity to each other; that one of the two had kept his word, and that the other was too conscientious

not to feel her perjury most bitterly. And his remorse was not unaccompanied; for bitter pangs of jealousy

began to beset the king's heart. He did not say another word, and instead of going to pay a visit to his mother,

or the queen, or Madame, in order to amuse himself a little, and make the ladies laugh, as he himself used to

say, he threw himself into the huge armchair in which his august father Louis XIII. had passed so many

weary days and years in company with Barradat and CinqMars. SaintAignan perceived the king was not to

be amused at that moment; he tried a last resource, and pronounced Louise's name, which made the king look

up immediately. "What does your majesty intend to do this evening shall Mademoiselle de la Valliere be

"It seems she is already aware of that," replied the king. "No, no, SaintAignan," he continued, after a

moment's pause, "we will both of us pass our time in thinking, and musing, and dreaming; when

Mademoiselle de la Valliere shall have sufficiently regretted what she now regrets, she will deign, perhaps, to

"Ah! sire, is it possible you can so misunderstand her heart, which is so full of devotion?"

The king rose, flushed from vexation and annoyance; he was a prey to jealousy as well as to remorse.

SaintAignan was just beginning to feel that his position was becoming awkward, when the curtain before

the door was raised. The king turned hastily round; his first idea was that a letter from Louise had arrived;

but, instead of a letter of love, he only saw his captain of musketeers, standing upright, and perfectly silent in

D'Artagnan looked at SaintAignan; the king's eyes took the same direction as those of his captain; these

looks would have been clear to any one, and for a still greater reason they were so for SaintAignan. The

"Yes, sire," replied the captain of the musketeers, in a grave voice, "it is done."

The king was unable to say another word. Pride, however, obliged him not to pause at what he had done;

whenever a sovereign has adopted a decisive course, even though it be unjust, he is compelled to prove to all

witnesses, and particularly to prove it to himself, that he was quite right all through. A good means for

effecting that an almost infallible means, indeed is, to try and prove his victim to be in the wrong. Louis,

brought up by Mazarin and Anne of Austria, knew better than any one else his vocation as a monarch; he

therefore endeavored to prove it on the present occasion. After a few moment's pause, which he had

employed in making silently to himself the same reflections which we have just expressed aloud, he said, in

The king raised his head haughtily. "I presume," he said, "that M. le Comte de la Fere has not continued to

"In the first place, sire, what do you wish to signify by _rebellious?_" quietly asked the musketeer. "A rebel,

in the eyes of the king, is a man who not only allows himself to be shut up in the Bastile, but still more, who

"Who do not wish to take him there!" exclaimed the king. "What do you say, captain! Are you mad?"

"You speak of persons who did not wish to arrest M. de la Fere! Who are those persons, may I ask?"

"And yet you say that, despite my orders, you had the intention of not arresting the man who had insulted

"Yes, sire that was really my intention. I even proposed to the comte to mount a horse that I had prepared

"Why, sire, in order that M. le Comte de la Fere might be able to reach Le Havre, and from that place make

There was nothing to say in answer to statements made in such a tone; the king was astounded at such an

obstinate and open resistance on the part of D'Artagnan. "At least you had a reason, Monsieur d'Artagnan, for

"Your reason cannot be your friendship for the comte, at all events, the only one that can be of any avail,

the only one that could possibly excuse you, for I placed you perfectly at your ease in that respect."

"Did I not give you the choice to arrest, or not to arrest M. le Comte de la Fere?"

"But you warned me, sire, that if I did not arrest him, your captain of the guard should do so."

"Was I not considerate enough towards you, from the very moment I did not compel you to obey me?"

"To me, sire, you were, but not to my friend, for my friend would be arrested all the same, whether by myself

"And this is your devotion, monsieur! a devotion which argues and reasons. You are no soldier, monsieur!"

"That is true, sire; but at all events he is there; and since he is there, it is important that your majesty should

"Of course. My friend will get wearied to death in the Bastile by himself; and I have come to propose to your

majesty to permit me to bear him company; if your majesty will but give me the word, I will arrest myself; I

The king darted towards the table and seized hold of a pen to write the order for D'Artagnan's imprisonment.

"Pay attention, monsieur, that this is forever," cried the king, in tones of sternest menace.

"I can quite believe that," returned the musketeer; "for when you have once done such an act as that, you will

"Sire, I came to speak gently and temperately to your majesty; your majesty got into a passion with me; that

is a misfortune; but I shall not the less on that account say what I had to say to you."

"Sire, you know whether I care about my resignation or not, since at Blois, on the very day when you refused

King Charles the million which my friend the Comte de la Fere gave him, I then tendered my resignation to

"No, sire; for there is no question of my resignation at the present moment. Your majesty took up your pen

"If it were you, you would approve of M. d'Artagnan's rebellious conduct, I suppose?"

"And I should tell my captain of the musketeers," continued D'Artagnan, "I should tell him, looking at him all

the while with human eyes, and not with eyes like coals of fire, 'M. d'Artagnan, I had forgotten that I was the

"Monsieur," said the king, "do you think you can excuse your friend by exceeding him in insolence?"

"Oh! sire! I should go much further than he did," said D'Artagnan; "and it would be your own fault. I should

tell you what he, a man full of the finest sense of delicacy, did not tell you; I should say 'Sire, you have

sacrificed his son, and he defended his son you sacrificed himself; he addressed you in the name of honor,

of religion, of virtue you repulsed, drove him away, imprisoned him.' I should be harder than he was, for I

should say to you 'Sire; it is for you to choose. Do you wish to have friends or lackeys soldiers or slaves

great men or mere puppets? Do you wish men to serve you, or to bend and crouch before you? Do you wish

men to love you, or to be afraid of you? If you prefer baseness, intrigue, cowardice, say so at once, sire, and

we will leave you, we who are the only individuals who are left, nay, I will say more, the only models of

the valor of former times; we who have done our duty, and have exceeded, perhaps, in courage and in merit,

the men already great for posterity. Choose, sire! and that, too, without delay. Whatever relics remain to you

of the great nobility, guard them with a jealous eye; you will never be deficient in courtiers. Delay not and

send me to the Bastile with my friend; for, if you did not know how to listen to the Comte de la Fere, whose

voice is the sweetest and noblest in all the world when honor is the theme; if you do not know how to listen

to D'Artagnan, the frankest and honestest voice of sincerity, you are a bad king, and tomorrow will be a

poor king. And learn from me, sire, that bad kings are hated by their people, and poor kings are driven

ignominiously away.' That is what I had to say to you, sire; you were wrong to drive me to say it."

The king threw himself back in his chair, cold as death, and as livid as a corpse. Had a thunderbolt fallen at

his feet, he could not have been more astonished; he seemed as if his respiration had utterly ceased, and that

he was at the point of death. The honest voice of sincerity, as D'Artagnan had called it, had pierced through

D'Artagnan had said all he had to say. Comprehending the king's anger, he drew his sword, and, approaching

Louis XIV. respectfully, he placed it on the table. But the king, with a furious gesture, thrust aside the sword,

which fell on the ground and rolled to D'Artagnan's feet. Notwithstanding the perfect mastery which

D'Artagnan exercised over himself, he, too, in his turn, became pale, and, trembling with indignation, said:

"A king may disgrace a soldier, he may exile him, and may even condemn him to death; but were he a

hundred times a king, he has no right to insult him by casting a dishonor upon his sword! Sire, a king of

France has never repulsed with contempt the sword of a man such as I am! Stained with disgrace as this

sword now is, it has henceforth no other sheath than either your heart or my own! I choose my own, sire; and

you have to thank Heaven and my own patience that I do so." Then snatching up his sword, he cried, "My

blood be upon your head!" and, with a rapid gesture, he placed the hilt upon the floor and directed the point

of the blade towards his breast. The king, however, with a movement far more rapid than that of D'Artagnan,

threw his right arm around the musketeer's neck, and with his left hand seized hold of the blade by the

middle, and returned it silently to the scabbard. D'Artagnan, upright, pale, and still trembling, let the king do

all to the very end. Louis, overcome and softened by gentler feelings, returned to the table, took a pen in his

"An order for M. d'Artagnan to set the Comte de la Fere at liberty immediately."

D'Artagnan seized the king's hand, and imprinted a kiss upon it; he then folded the order, placed it in his belt,

"Oh, human heart! thou guide and director of kings," murmured Louis, when alone, "when shall I learn to

read in your inmost recesses, as in the leaves of a book! Oh, I am not a bad king nor am I poor king; I am

D'Artagnan had promised M. de Baisemeaux to return in time for dessert, and he kept his word. They had just

reached the finer and more delicate class of wines and liqueurs with which the governor's cellar had the

reputation of being most admirably stocked, when the silver spurs of the captain resounded in the corridor,

and he himself appeared at the threshold. Athos and Aramis had played a close game; neither of the two had

been able to gain the slightest advantage over the other. They had supped, talked a good deal about the

Bastile, of the last journey to Fontainebleau, of the intended _fete_ that M. Fouquet was about to give at

Vaux; they had generalized on every possible subject; and no one, excepting Baisemeaux, had in the slightest

degree alluded to private matters. D'Artagnan arrived in the very midst of the conversation, still pale and

much disturbed by his interview with the king. Baisemeaux hastened to give him a chair; D'Artagnan

accepted a glass of wine, and set it down empty. Athos and Aramis both remarked his emotion; as for

Baisemeaux, he saw nothing more than the captain of the king's musketeers, to whom he endeavored to show

every possible attention. But, although Aramis had remarked his emotion, he had not been able to guess the

cause of it. Athos alone believed he had detected it. For him, D'Artagnan's return, and particularly the manner

in which he, usually so impassible, seemed overcome, signified, "I have just asked the king something which

the king has refused me." Thoroughly convinced that his conjecture was correct, Athos smiled, rose from the

table, and made a sign to D'Artagnan, as if to remind him that they had something else to do than to sup

together. D'Artagnan immediately understood him, and replied by another sign. Aramis and Baisemeaux

watched this silent dialogue, and looked inquiringly at each other. Athos felt that he was called upon to give

"The truth is, my friend," said the Comte de la Fere, with a smile, "that you, Aramis, have been supping with

Baisemeaux uttered an exclamation of surprise, and almost of delight; for he was exceedingly proud and vain

of his fortress, and for his own individual profit, the more prisoners he had, the happier he was, and the

higher in rank the prisoners happened to be, the prouder he felt. Aramis assumed the expression of

countenance he thought the position justified, and said, "Well, dear Athos, forgive me, but I almost suspected

"And," continued Aramis, "you, a high and powerful nobleman as you are, forgetful that courtiers now exist

you have been to the king, I suppose, and told him what you thought of his conduct?"

"So that," said Baisemeaux, trembling at having supped so familiarly with a man who had fallen into disgrace

"So that, my dear governor," said Athos, "my friend D'Artagnan will communicate to you the contents of the

paper which I perceived just peeping out of his belt, and which assuredly can be nothing else than the order

Baisemeaux held out his hand with his accustomed eagerness. D'Artagnan drew two papers from his belt, and

presented one of them to the governor, who unfolded it, and then read, in a low tone of voice, looking at

Athos over the paper, as he did so, and pausing from time to time: "'Order to detain, in my chateau of the

Bastile, Monsieur le Comte de la Fere.' Oh, monsieur! this is indeed a very melancholy day for me."

"You will have a patient prisoner, monsieur," said Athos, in his calm, soft voice.

"A prisoner, too, who will not remain a month with you, my dear governor," said Aramis; while Baisemeaux,

"Not a day, or rather not even a night," said D'Artagnan, displaying the second order of the king, "for now,

dear M. de Baisemeaux, you will have the goodness to transcribe also this order for setting the comte

"Ah!" said Aramis, "it is a labor that you have deprived me of, D'Artagnan;" and he pressed the musketeer's

"Oh, no, on the contrary. I wish the king no harm; and the greatest evil or misfortune that any one can wish

kings, is that they should commit an act of injustice. But you have had a difficult and painful task, I know.

"I? not at all," said the musketeer, laughing: "the king does everything I wish him to do."

Aramis looked fixedly at D'Artagnan, and saw that he was not speaking the truth. But Baisemeaux had eyes

for nothing but D'Artagnan, so great was his admiration for a man who seemed to make the king do all he

"No, not precisely; the king did not explain himself upon that subject," replied D'Artagnan; "but I think the

comte could not well do better unless, indeed, he wishes particularly to thank the king "

"Well, then, I think," resumed D'Artagnan, "that the comte cannot do better than to retire to his _own_

chateau. However, my dear Athos, you have only to speak, to tell me what you want. If any particular place

of residence is more agreeable to you than another, I am influential enough, perhaps, to obtain it for you."

"No, thank you," said Athos; "nothing can be more agreeable to me, my dear friend, than to return to my

solitude beneath my noble trees on the banks of the Loire. If Heaven be the overruling physician of the evils

of the mind, nature is a sovereign remedy. And so, monsieur," continued Athos, turning again towards

"Yes, monsieur le comte, I think so at least, I hope so," said the governor, turning over and over the two

papers in question, "unless, however, M. d'Artagnan has a third order to give me."

"No, my dear Baisemeaux, no," said the musketeer; "the second is quite enough: we will stop there if you

"Ah! monsieur le comte," said Baisemeaux addressing Athos, "you do not know what you are losing. I should

have placed you among the thirty franc prisoners, like the generals what am I saying? I mean among the

fiftyfrancs, like the princes, and you would have supped every evening as you have done tonight."

"Allow me, monsieur," said Athos, "to prefer my own simpler fare." And then, turning to D'Artagnan, he

said, "Let us go, my dear friend. Shall I have that greatest of all pleasures for me that of having you as my

"To the city gate only," replied D'Artagnan, "after which I will tell you what I told the king: 'I am on duty.'"

"And you, my dear Aramis," said Athos, smiling; "will you accompany me? La Fere is on the road to

"Thank you, my dear friend," said Aramis, "but I have an appointment in Paris this evening, and I cannot

"In that case," said Athos, "I must say adieu, and take my leave of you. My dear Monsieur de Baisemeaux, I

have to thank you exceedingly for your kind and friendly disposition towards me, and particularly for the

enjoyable specimen you have given me of the ordinary fare of the Bastile." And, having embraced Aramis,

and shaken hands with M. de Baisemeaux, and having received best wishes for a pleasant journey from them

Whilst the _denouement_ of the scene of the Palais Royal was taking place at the Bastile, let us relate what

was going on at the lodgings of Athos and Bragelonne. Grimaud, as we have seen, had accompanied his

master to Paris; and, as we have said, he was present when Athos went out; he had observed D'Artagnan

gnaw the corners of his mustache; he had seen his master get into the carriage; he had narrowly examined

both their countenances, and he had known them both for a sufficiently long period to read and understand,

through the mask of their impassibility, that something serious was the matter. As soon as Athos had gone, he

began to reflect; he then, and then only, remembered the strange manner in which Athos had taken leave of

him, the embarrassment imperceptible as it would have been to any but himself of the master whose ideas

were, to him, so clear and defined, and the expression of whose wishes was so precise. He knew that Athos

had taken nothing with him but the clothes he had on him at the time; and yet he seemed to fancy that Athos

had not left for an hour merely; or even for a day. A long absence was signified by the manner in which he

pronounced the word "Adieu." All these circumstances recurred to his mind, with feelings of deep affection

for Athos, with that horror of isolation and solitude which invariably besets the minds of those who love; and

all these combined rendered poor Grimaud very melancholy, and particularly uneasy. Without being able to

account to himself for what he did since his master's departure, he wandered about the room, seeking, as it

were, for some traces of him, like a faithful dog, who is not exactly uneasy about his absent master, but at

least is restless. Only as, in addition to the instinct of the animal, Grimaud subjoined the reasoning faculties

of the man, Grimaud therefore felt uneasy and restless too. Not having found any indication which could

serve as a guide, and having neither seen nor discovered anything which could satisfy his doubts, Grimaud

began to wonder what could possibly have happened. Besides, imagination is the resource, or rather the

plague of gentle and affectionate hearts. In fact, never does a feeling heart represent its absent friend to itself

as being happy or cheerful. Never does the dove that wings its flight in search of adventures inspire anything

Grimaud soon passed from uneasiness to terror; he carefully went over, in his own mind, everything that had

taken place: D'Artagnan's letter to Athos, the letter which had seemed to distress Athos so much after he had

read it; then Raoul's visit to Athos, which resulted in Athos desiring him (Grimaud) to get his various orders

and his court dress ready to put on; then his interview with the king, at the end of which Athos had returned

home so unusually gloomy; then the explanation between the father and the son, at the termination of which

Athos had embraced Raoul with such sadness of expression, while Raoul himself went away equally weary

and melancholy; and finally, D'Artagnan's arrival, biting, as if he were vexed, the end of his mustache, and

leaving again in the carriage, accompanied by the Comte de la Fere. All this composed a drama in five acts

The first step he took was to search in his master's coat for M. d'Artagnan's letter; he found the letter still

"MY DEAR FRIEND, Raoul has been to ask me for some particulars about the conduct of Mademoiselle

de la Valliere, during our young friend's residence in London. I am a poor captain of musketeers, and I am

sickened to death every day by hearing all the scandal of the barracks and bedside conversations. If I had told

Raoul all I believe, I know the poor fellow would have died of it; but I am in the king's service, and cannot

relate all I hear about the king's affairs. If your heart tells you to do it, set off at once; the matter concerns you

Grimaud tore, not a handful, but a fingerandthumbful of hair out of his head; he would have done more if

"Yes," he said, "that is the key of the whole enigma. The young girl has been playing her pranks; what people

say about her and the king is true, then; our young master has been deceived; he ought to know it. Monsieur

le comte has been to see the king, and has told him a piece of his mind; and then the king sent M. d'Artagnan

to arrange the affair. Ah! gracious goodness!" continued Grimaud, "monsieur le comte, I now remember,

This discovery made the perspiration break out all over poor Grimaud's face. He did not waste any more time

in useless conjecture, but clapped his hat on his head, and ran to Raoul's lodgings.

Raoul, after Louise had left him, had mastered his grief, if not his affection; and, compelled to look forward

on that perilous road over which madness and revulsion were hurrying him, he had seen, from the very first

glance, his father exposed to the royal obstinacy, since Athos had himself been the first to oppose any

resistance to the royal will. At this moment, from a very natural sequence of feeling, the unhappy young man

remembered the mysterious signs which Athos had made, and the unexpected visit of D'Artagnan; the result

of the conflict between a sovereign and a subject revealed itself to his terrified vision. As D'Artagnan was on

duty, that is, a fixture at his post without the possibility of leaving it, it was certainly not likely that he had

come to pay Athos a visit merely for the pleasure of seeing him. He must have come to say something to him.

This something in the midst of such painful conjectures must have been the news of either a misfortune or a

danger. Raoul trembled at having been so selfish as to have forgotten his father for his affection; at having, in

a word, passed his time in idle dreams, or in an indulgence of despair, at a time when a necessity existed for

repelling such an imminent attack on Athos. The very idea nearly drove him frantic; he buckled on his sword

and ran towards his father's lodgings. On his way there he encountered Grimaud, who, having set off from the

opposite pole, was running with equal eagerness in search of the truth. The two men embraced each other

"No; if they keep me in ignorance at my father's, they will do the same everywhere. Let us go to Oh, good

heavens! why, I must be mad today, Grimaud; I have forgotten M. du Vallon, who is waiting for and

"Thank goodness, that is on the same side as the Bastile. I will run and saddle the horses, and we will go at

The good and worthy Porthos, faithful to all the laws of ancient chivalry, had determined to wait for M. de

SaintAignan until sunset; and as SaintAignan did not come, as Raoul had forgotten to communicate with

his second, and as he found that waiting so long was very wearisome, Porthos had desired one of the

gatekeepers to fetch him a few 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 of something to eat. He had just finished when

Raoul arrived, escorted by Grimaud, both of them riding at full speed. As soon as Porthos saw the two

cavaliers riding at such a pace along the road, he did not for a moment doubt but that they were the men he

was expecting, and he rose from the grass upon which he had been indolently reclining and began to stretch

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 he would have found no one here and would have taken advantage of that." He then threw

himself into a martial attitude, and drew himself up to the full height of his gigantic stature. But instead of

SaintAignan, he only saw Raoul, who, with the most despairing gestures, accosted him by crying out, "Pray

"For having forgotten you. But I assure you my head seems utterly lost. If you only knew!"

"The matter is, that Monsieur le Comte de la Fere has by this time been arrested."

Porthos turned towards Grimaud, as if he needed a second confirmation of the intelligence.

"As we came along we questioned some persons, who saw the carriage pass; and others who saw it enter the

"Do you know," said Raoul, advancing nearer to Porthos, "that the arrest was made by order of the king?"

Porthos looked at the young man, as if to say, "What does that matter to me?" This dumb language seemed so

eloquent of meaning to Raoul that he did not ask any other question. He mounted his horse again; and

"No, only I feel how utterly helpless our position is. Can we three pretend to go and take the Bastile?"

"Well, if D'Artagnan were only here," replied Porthos, "I am not so very certain we would fail."

Raoul could not resist a feeling of admiration at the sight of such perfect confidence, heroic in its simplicity.

These were truly the celebrated men who, by three or four, attacked armies and assaulted castles! Men who

had terrified death itself, who had survived the wrecks of a tempestuous age, and still stood, stronger than the

"Monsieur," said he to Porthos, "you have just given me an idea; we absolutely must see M. d'Artagnan."

"He ought by this time to have returned home, after having taken my father to the Bastile. Let us go to his

"First inquire at the Bastile," said Grimaud, who was in the habit of speaking little, but that to the purpose.

Accordingly, they hastened towards the fortress, when one of those chances which Heaven bestows on men

of strong will caused Grimaud suddenly to perceive the carriage, which was entering by the great gate of the

drawbridge. This was the moment that D'Artagnan was, as we have seen, returning from his visit to the king.

In vain was it that Raoul urged on his horse in order to join the carriage, and to see whom it contained. The

horses had already gained the other side of the great gate, which again closed, while one of the sentries struck

the nose of Raoul's horse with his musket; Raoul turned about, only too happy to find he had ascertained

"If we wait a little it is certain he will leave; don't you think so, my friend?"

"Unless, indeed, D'Artagnan also be a prisoner," replied Porthos, "in which case everything is lost."

Raoul returned no answer, for any hypothesis was admissible. He instructed Grimaud to lead the horses to the

little street JeanBeausire, so as to give rise to less suspicion, and himself with his piercing gaze watched for

the exit either of D'Artagnan or the carriage. Nor had he decided wrongly; for twenty minutes had not elapsed

before the gate reopened and the carriage reappeared. A dazzling of the eyes prevented Raoul from

distinguishing what figures occupied the interior. Grimaud averred that he had seen two persons, and that one

of them was his master. Porthos kept looking at Raoul and Grimaud by turns, in the hope of understanding

"It is clear," said Grimaud, "that if the comte is in the carriage, either he is set at liberty or they are taking him

"The carriage does not take that way," cried Raoul; and indeed the horses were just disappearing down the

"Let us hasten," said Porthos; "we will attack the carriage on the road and tell Athos to flee."

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 moments the three cavaliers had overtaken the carriage, and followed it so closely that

their horses' breath moistened the back of it. D'Artagnan, whose senses were ever on the alert, heard the trot

of the horses, at the moment when Raoul was telling Porthos to pass the chariot, so as to see who was the

person accompanying Athos. Porthos complied, but could not see anything, for the blinds were lowered. Rage

and impatience were gaining mastery over Raoul. He had just noticed the mystery preserved by Athos's

companion, and determined on proceeding to extremities. On his part D'Artagnan had perfectly recognized

Porthos, and Raoul also, from under the blinds, and had communicated to the comte the result of his

observation. They were desirous only of seeing whether Raoul and Porthos would push the affair to the

uttermost. And this they speedily did, for Raoul, presenting his pistol, threw himself on the leader,

commanding the coachmen to stop. Porthos seized the coachman, and dragged him from his seat. Grimaud

already had hold of the carriage door. Raoul threw open his arms, exclaiming, "M. le comte! M. le comte!"

"Not bad, indeed!" added D'Artagnan, with a burst of laughter, and they both embraced the young man and

"My brave Porthos! best of friends," cried Athos, "it is still the same old way with you."

"Confound it," answered Porthos, slightly confused, "we thought that you were being arrested."

"While," rejoined Athos, "the matter in question was nothing but my taking a drive in M. d'Artagnan's

"But we followed you from the Bastile," returned Raoul, with a tone of suspicion and reproach.

"Where we had been to take supper with our friend M. Baisemeaux. Do you recollect Baisemeaux, Porthos?"

"And where is M. le comte going?" asked Grimaud, already recompensed by a smile from his master.

"Oh! Raoul would have been instructed to forward me mine, or to bring it with him on his return, _if_ he

"If nothing detains him longer in Paris," said D'Artagnan, with a glance firm and cutting as steel, and as

painful (for it reopened the poor young fellow's wounds), "he will do well to follow you, Athos."

"Oh! as for me, I was only accompanying Athos as far as the barrier, and I return with Porthos."

"Come, my son," added the comte, gently passing his arm around Raoul's neck to draw him into the carriage,

and again embracing him. "Grimaud," continued the comte, "you will return quietly to Paris with your horse

and M. du Vallon's, for Raoul and I will mount here and give up the carriage to these two gentlemen to return

to Paris in; and then, as soon as you arrive, you will take my clothes and letters and forward the whole to me

"But," observed Raoul, who was anxious to make the comte converse, "when you return to Paris, there will

"I think it will be a very long time, Raoul, ere I return to Paris. The last sojourn we have made there has not

Raoul hung down his head and said not a word more. Athos descended from the carriage and mounted the

horse which had brought Porthos, and which seemed no little pleased at the exchange. Then they embraced,

and clasped each other's hands, and interchanged a thousand pledges of eternal friendship. Porthos promised

to spend a month with Athos at the first opportunity. D'Artagnan engaged to take advantage of his first leave

of absence; and then, having embraced Raoul for the last time: "To you, my boy," said he, "I will write."

Coming from D'Artagnan, who he knew wrote very seldom, these words expressed everything. Raoul was

D'Artagnan rejoined Porthos in the carriage: "Well," said he, "my dear friend, what a day we have had!"

"Not quite; however, I shall retire early to rest, so as to be ready for tomorrow."

"You make me shudder, my friend, you seem to me quite angry. What the devil _have_ you begun which is

"Look now, this is what I mean; you draw your sword against the king in fighting with this gentleman."

"We must try and make a good supper, Porthos. The captain of the musketeers keeps a tolerable table. There

"But, body alive! I am not talking to you about the king at all; I am speaking of M. de SaintAignan."

The reader has not forgotten that, on quitting the Bastile, D'Artagnan and the Comte de la Fere had left

Aramis in close confabulation with Baisemeaux. When once these two guests had departed, Baisemeaux did

not in the least perceive that the conversation suffered by their absence. He used to think that wine after

supper, and that of the Bastile in particular, was excellent, and that it was a stimulation quite sufficient to

make any honest man talkative. But he little knew his Greatness, who was never more impenetrable that at

dessert. His Greatness, however, perfectly understood M. de Baisemeaux, when he reckoned on making the

governor discourse by the means which the latter regarded as efficacious. The conversation, therefore,

without flagging in appearance, flagged in reality; for Baisemeaux not only had it nearly all to himself, but

further, kept speaking only of that singular event, the incarceration of Athos, followed by so prompt an order

to set him again at liberty. Nor, moreover, had Baisemeaux failed to observe that the two orders of arrest and

of liberation, were both in the king's hand. But then, the king would not take the trouble to write similar

orders except under pressing circumstances. All this was very interesting, and, above all, very puzzling to

Baisemeaux; but as, on the other hand, all this was very clear to Aramis, the latter did not attach to the

occurrence the same importance as did the worthy governor. Besides, Aramis rarely put himself out of the

way for anything, and he had not yet told M. de Baisemeaux for what reason he had now done so. And so at

"Tell me, my dear Baisemeaux," said he, "have you never had any other diversions at the Bastile than those at

which I assisted during the two or three visits I have had the honor to pay you?"

This address was so unexpected that the governor, like a vane which suddenly receives an impulsion opposed

to that of the wind, was quite dumbfounded at it. "Diversions!" said he; "but I take them continually,

"Oh, no! your prisoners, indeed! I know well it is you who visit them, and not they you. By your society, I

Baisemeaux looked fixedly at Aramis, and then, as if the idea which had flashed across his mind were

impossible, "Oh," he said, "I have very little 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 the ladies, it is never without a certain dread, which costs me infinite trouble to allay, that they succeed

in reaching my quarters. And, indeed, how should they avoid trembling a little, poor things, when they see

those gloomy dungeons, and reflect that they are inhabited by prisoners who " And in proportion as the

eyes of Baisemeaux concentrated their gaze on the face of Aramis, the worthy governor's tongue faltered

"No, you don't understand me, my dear M. Baisemeaux; you don't understand me. I do not at all mean to

speak of society in general, but of a particular society of _the_ society, in a word to which you are

Baisemeaux nearly dropped the glass of muscat which he was in the act of raising to his lips. "Affiliated,"

"Yes, affiliated, undoubtedly," repeated Aramis, with the greatest self possession. "Are you not a member of

"Listen to me, my dear M. Baisemeaux; I say yes, you say no; one of us two necessarily says what is true, and

"Now drink your glass of muscat, dear Monsieur de Baisemeaux," said Aramis. "What the devil! you look

"Well," resumed Aramis, "if, I say, you are not a member of a secret or mysterious society, which you like to

call it the epithet is of no consequence if, I say, you are not a member of a society similar to that I wish to

designate, well, then, you will not understand a word of what I am going to say. That is all."

"If, on the contrary, you are one of the members of this society, you will immediately answer me yes or

"You will agree, dear Monsieur de Baisemeaux," continued Aramis, with the same impassibility, "that it is

evident a man cannot be a member of a society, it is evident that he cannot enjoy the advantages it offers to

"Well," resumed Aramis, "there is in the society of which I speak, and of which, as it seems you are not a

"There is an engagement entered into by all the governors and captains of fortresses affiliated to the order."

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 the same tone as if he had been reading it

from a book: "The aforesaid captain or governor of a fortress shall allow to enter, when need shall arise, and

on demand of the prisoner, a confessor affiliated to the order." He stopped. Baisemeaux was quite distressing

to look at, being so wretchedly pale and trembling. "Is not that the text of the agreement?" quietly asked

"Monseigneur," cried Baisemeaux, "do not trifle so with my unhappy mind! I find myself as nothing in your

hands, if you have the malignant desire to draw from me the little secrets of my administration."

"Oh! by no means; pray undeceive yourself, dear M. Baisemeaux; it is not the little secrets of your

"Well, then, my conscience be it, dear M. d'Herblay. But have some consideration for the situation I am in,

"It is no ordinary one, my dear monsieur," continued the inflexible Aramis, "if you are a member of this

society; but it is a quite natural one if free from all engagement. You are answerable only to the king."

"Well, monsieur, well! I obey only the king, and whom else would you have a French nobleman obey?"

Aramis did not yield an inch, but with that silvery voice of his continued: "It is very pleasant," said he, "for a

French nobleman, for a prelate of France, to hear a man of your mark express himself so loyally, dear De

"I have no longer any doubt that such a man as you, monsieur," said Aramis, gravely, "does not faithfully

"Oh, yes! I understand that it is a more difficult position to have several masters than one; but the

embarrassment is owing to you, my dear Baisemeaux, and I am not the cause of it."

"Certainly not," returned the unfortunate governor, more embarrassed than ever; "but what are you doing?

"Because I have no longer anything to do here; and, indeed, I have duties to fulfil elsewhere."

"Yes; understand me now, my dear De Baisemeaux: they told me at the place whence I came, 'The aforesaid

governor or captain will allow to enter, as need shall arise, on the prisoner's demand, a confessor affiliated

with the order.' I came; you do not know what I mean, and so I shall return to tell them that they are mistaken,

"The confessor affiliated to the order," said Aramis, without changing his voice.

But, gentle as the words were, they had the same effect on the unhappy governor as a clap of thunder.

Baisemeaux became livid, and it seemed to him as if Aramis's beaming eyes were two forks of flame,

piercing to the very bottom of his soul. "The confessor!" murmured he; "you, monseigneur, the confessor of

"Yes, I; but we have nothing to unravel together, seeing that you are not one of the affiliated."

"Nevertheless, M. de Baisemeaux, what has passed wears very much the air of resistance."

"Of nothing at all, monseigneur." Baisemeaux lowered his voice, and bending before the prelate, said, "I am

"Very good. I like you better thus, monsieur," said Aramis, as he resumed his seat, and put out his glass to

Baisemeaux, whose hand trembled so that he could not fill it. "You were saying 'but' " continued Aramis.

"But," replied the unhappy man, "having received no notice, I was very far 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, you ought always to will also.' And what pretext will serve you now that you

"M. de Baisemeaux," said Aramis, turning round in his chair, "here is your servant, who wishes to speak with

you;" and at this moment, De Baisemeaux's servant appeared at the threshold of the door.

The messenger entered, saluted, and handed in the report. Baisemeaux ran his eye over it, and raising his

"How was it, then," said Aramis, carelessly, "that you told me everybody was well in your hotel, M. de

Baisemeaux?" And he emptied his glass without removing his eyes from Baisemeaux.

The governor then made a sign to the messenger, and when he had quitted the room, said, still trembling, "I

And that moment a sergeant put his head in at the door. "What do you want now?" cried Baisemeaux. "Can

"Monsieur," said the sergeant, "the sick man, No. 12, has commissioned the turnkey to request you to send

Baisemeaux very nearly sank on the floor; but Aramis disdained to reassure him, just as he had disdained to

"Just what you please," replied Aramis, compressing his lips; "that is your business. _I_ am not the governor

"Tell the prisoner," cried Baisemeaux, quickly, "tell the prisoner that his request is granted." The sergeant

left the room. "Oh! monseigneur, monseigneur," murmured Baisemeaux, "how could I have suspected! how

"Who requested you to suspect, and who besought you to foresee?" contemptuously answered Aramis. "The

"I? nothing at all. I am nothing but a poor priest, a simple confessor. Have I your orders to go and see the