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  .., 2026.



Alexandre Dumas  

Twenty years later   



Part One  



Chapter I  I

The Shadow of Richelieu  

In one of the rooms of the cardinal's palace, already familiar to us, at a table with gilded corners, littered with papers and books, sat a man, his head supported by both hands.         ,     ,    ,  ,    .

Behind him, a bright fire burned in the huge fireplace, and flaming brands crashed onto the gilded grate.        ,         . The light from the hearth fell from behind on the magnificent clothing of the thoughtful man, and his face was illuminated by the flames of the candles lit in the candelabra.        ,      ,   .

And the red cassock, trimmed with rich lace, and the pale forehead, darkened by heavy thought, and the secluded study, and the silence of the empty neighboring halls, and the measured steps of the sentries on the landing of the stairs - everything suggested the thought that the shadow of Cardinal Richelieu still remained in his former home.   ,   ,   ,   ,   ,     ,            ,           .

Alas, this was truly only the shadow of a great man! ,       ! A weakened France, the shaken power of the king, the turbulent nobility that had once again gathered its strength, and the enemy that had crossed the border, testified to the fact that Richelieu was no longer here.  ,   ,        ,  ,   ,     .

But what further confirmed the idea that the red cassock did not belong to the old cardinal was the solitude in which this figure dwelt, more befitting a ghost than a living man: the empty corridors were not crowded with courtiers, but the courtyards were full of guards; from the street to the cardinal's windows flew the jeers of the entire city, united in a stormy hatred for him; finally, from afar, from time to time, the sound of gunfire could be heard, which, it is true, was for the time being in vain, with the sole purpose of showing the guards, the Swiss mercenaries, the musketeers and the soldiers surrounding the Palais-Royal (now the cardinal's palace itself had changed its name) that the people also had weapons.      ,        , ,     ,    ,   :      ,     ;         ,      ; ,       , , ,   ,     ,  ,   ,  - (      ),      .

This shadow of Richelieu was Mazarin.     .

He felt lonely and powerless.      .

 A foreigner!  !  he whispered.    .  An Italian!   ! These are their favorite words.    . With these words they killed, hanged, and exterminated Concini.     , ,  . If I had given them free rein, they would have killed, hanged, and exterminated me too.      ,     , , . And what harm have I done them?      ? I only oppressed them a little with taxes.     . Fools! ! They do not understand that their enemy is not an Italian at all, who speaks French poorly, but various talkers, with the purest Parisian accent, holding forth to them.   ,      ,   -,   ,       .

Yes, yes, muttered the minister with a thin smile that now seemed out of place on his pale lips, yes, your murmur reminds me how precarious is the fate of a temporary worker; but if you know this, then know that I am not a simple temporary worker!  , ,      ,       ,  ,    ,    ;     ,   ,  -   ! The Earl of Essex had a magnificent diamond ring, which was given to him by his royal mistress; and I have a simple ring with a monogram and a number, but this ring is blessed in the church of the Palais-Royal.        ,     ;         ,       -. They cannot break me, however much they threaten.    ,    . They do not notice that, although they are always shouting: "Down with Mazarin!"   , ,     :  ! - I make them also shout: "Long live the Duke of Beaufort!"       :    ! "Long live the Prince of Cond!" ,    ! or "Long live the Parliament!"     ! . And here is the Duke of Beaufort in Vincennes, the Prince will end up there any day now, and the Parliament... (Here the Cardinal's smile turned into a grimace of such hatred as had never been seen on his kind face.      ,   -   ,   (       ,        .) The Parliament... We will see what to do with the Parliament; Orleans and Montargis are for us. )   ,    ;     . Oh, I will not hurry; but those who started by shouting "Down with Mazarin!" ,    ;  ,     ! will end up shouting "down with" all these people, each one in turn. ,         ,   .

Cardinal Richelieu, whom they hated while he was alive, and about whom they talk only since his death, had it worse than I, for he was driven out several times, and very often he was afraid of being driven out.  ,   ,    ,         ,   ,         ,       . But the queen will never drive me out, and if I am forced to give in to the people, she will give in with me; if I have to flee, she will flee with me, and then we will see how the rebels will manage without their queen and king.      ,       ,      ;    ,     ,   ,        . Ah, if only I were not a foreigner, if only I were a Frenchman, if only I were a nobleman! ,    ,   ,   !. .. .

And he fell into thought again.      .

Indeed, the situation was difficult, and the day that had passed had made it even more difficult. ,   ,       . Mazarin, always driven by his vile greed, was crushing the people with taxes, and the people, who, as the prosecutor Talon said, had only a soul left in their bodies, and that because it could not be sold at public auction - this people, whose throats they wanted to shut with the thunder of military victories and who were convinced that they would not be satisfied with laurels - had long been grumbling. ,     ,   ,  ,  ,    ,     ,   ,       ,   ,          ,      ,    .

But that was not all.      . While only the people grumbled, the court, separated from it by the bourgeoisie and the nobility, did not hear their murmurings; but Mazarin had the imprudence to touch upon the judicial department: he sold twelve patents for the post of parliamentary rapporteur!     , ,      ,    ;       :        ! Meanwhile, the officials paid very dearly for their positions; and since the appearance of twelve new confreres was supposed to lower the price, the former ranks united and swore on the Gospel under no circumstances to admit new rapporteurs and to resist all oppression by the court; they pledged, in the event that one of them lost his position for disobedience, to pool their resources and return the cost of his patent.         ;           ,                     ;  ,            ,      .

These are the actions taken by both sides.        .

On the seventh of January, about eight hundred Parisian merchants assembled, indignant at the new taxes on householders, and, having elected ten deputies, sent them to the Duke of Orleans, who, according to his old custom, made advances to the people.       ,     , ,   ,     , ,    ,   . The Duke of Orleans received them, and they declared to him that they had resolved not to pay the new tax, even if they had to defend themselves against the king's collectors with arms in hand.    ,    ,      ,            . The Duke of Orleans listened to them very favorably, encouraged them, promised to discuss a reduction of the tax with the queen, and parted with them, as befits a prince, with the promise: "We will see."      , ,          ,    , : .

For their part, the parliamentary speakers came to the cardinal on the ninth, and one of them, on behalf of all the others, spoke so decisively and boldly that the cardinal was astonished; he dismissed them, saying, like the Duke of Orleans: We will see.   ,       ,             ,    ;   , ,    : .

And so, to see, a council was called; they sent for the financial manager d'Emery.  ,  ,   ;     .

The people hated this d'Emery: firstly, because he was in charge of finances, and a finance manager is always hated; secondly, it must be admitted, he really deserved it.    : ?, ,    ,     , ?,  ,      .

He was the son of the Lyon banker Particelli, who after bankruptcy changed his name and became known as d'Emery.      ,         . Cardinal Richelieu, noticing his great financial abilities, introduced him to Louis XIII under the name d'Emery and, wishing to appoint him as manager of finances, praised him highly.  ,      ,    XIII    ,     ,  .

Wonderful!  ! replied the king.    . I am very glad that you propose dEmery for this position, where an honest man is needed.     ,       ,    . I was told that you patronize the swindler Particelli, and I was afraid that you would force me to take him.  ,     ,   ,      .

Sire, replied the cardinal, rest assured: Particelli, whom your majesty was pleased to remember, has already been hanged.  ,   ,   : ,       ,  .

Ah, so much the better!  ,  ! exclaimed the king.    . So it is not in vain that they call me Louis the Just.   ,      .

And he signed d'Emery's appointment.     .

This same d'Emery was now the financial manager.        .

He was sent for in the name of the minister; he came running pale and frightened, and told them that his son had almost been killed that day in the palace square: he had been recognized, surrounded, and reviled for the luxury in which his wife livedher chambers were upholstered in red velvet with gold fringe.      ;   ,   ,          :  ,      ,     ,          . She was the daughter of Nicolas Le Camus, secretary since 1617, who had come to Paris with twenty livres in his pocket, and had recently, keeping forty thousand livres in rent, divided nine million among his children.      ,   1617 ,         ,  ,       ,      .

D'Emery's son was nearly strangled.     . One of the rebels suggested that they should crush him until they squeezed the stolen gold out of him.         ,       .

The financial manager was too upset by the incident with his son to think calmly, and the council decided nothing that day.        ,   ,        .

The next day, the first president of parliament, Mathieu Molay, whose courage in such circumstances, according to Cardinal de Retz, was equal to that of the Duke of Beaufort and the Prince of Cond, in other words, two men considered the most courageous in all of France  this first president was also attacked the next day: the people threatened to deal with him for all the evil he had done.        ,     ,     ,       ,  ,  ,      ,          :         . However, the first president replied with his usual calm, without agitation or showing surprise, that if the troublemakers did not submit to the will of the king, he would order gallows to be erected in the squares and would immediately hang the most violent ones on them.        ,      ,       ,               . To this he was told that the gallows were long overdue for erection: they would come in handy to hang the extortionate judges who bought the favor of the court at the price of the people's poverty.    ,     :  ,     -,       .

But that was not all.       . On the eleventh, when the queen was heading to mass at Notre Dame Cathedral, which she did every Saturday, more than two hundred women followed her, shouting and demanding justice.  ,         ,      ,      ,    . However, they had no bad intentions: they only wanted to kneel before the queen and awaken compassion in her. ,      :             . But the escort did not allow them, and the queen passed by haughtily and proudly, not listening to complaints.     ,      ,   .

In the afternoon the council was again assembled, and it was decided to uphold the king's authority; for this purpose a meeting of parliament was appointed for the following day, the twelfth.      ,        ;      ,  ,    .

On the day on which we begin our story, the ten-year-old king, who had just recovered from chickenpox, went to give thanks to Notre Dame de Paris for his recovery.   ,        ,  ,      ,       . Under this pretext, by royal command, all the guards, Swiss, and musketeers were assembled and lined up around the Palais Royal, along the embankments and the Pont Neuf.          , ,     -,     . After listening to mass, the king went to parliament, where a royal session thus unexpectedly took place, and not only confirmed all the previous edicts, but also announced five or six new ones, one more destructive than the other, according to Cardinal de Retz.  ,    ,       ,       ,       ,   ,     . And now even the first president, who, as we have seen, had previously sided with the court, decisively spoke out against bringing the king to parliament to restrict the freedom of the deputies.     , ,   ,    ,    ,         .

But President Blancmesnil and Councillor Brussel were especially bold in their rebellion against the new taxes.            .

Having read the edicts, the king returned to the Palais Royal.  ,    -. The people crowded on his way.     . Everyone knew that he was returning from Parliament, but it was unknown whether he went there to protect the people or to oppress them further.  ,     ,   ,    ,   ,   ,    . That is why along his entire journey there was not a single joyful cry, not a single greeting on the occasion of his recovery.            ,       . The faces of the townspeople, on the contrary, were gloomy and restless; some even expressed a threat.  , ,    ;     .

Although the king returned to the palace, the troops remained in their places  they were afraid that a rebellion would break out when the results of the parliament session became known.     ,       ,     ,      . And indeed, as soon as the rumor spread that the king, instead of easing taxes, had increased them even more, people immediately began to gather in groups, loud complaints and cries were heard: Down with Mazarin!  ,    ,  ,     ,    ,      ,     :  ! Long live Brussels!   ! Long live Blancmesnil!   ! 

The people knew that Brussel and Blancmesnil had spoken in their favor, and although their eloquence had been wasted, they were nevertheless grateful to them.  ,        ,      ,       .

They wanted to disperse the crowd, they wanted to silence it, but, as always happens in such cases, it only grew and the shouts grew louder.   ,    , ,      ,      .

The Royal Guards and the Swiss were ordered not only to contain the crowd, but also to send patrols to the Rues Saint-Denis and Saint-Martin, where the gatherings appeared particularly numerous and excited; here, at the Palais-Royal, the arrival of the merchant elder was reported.           ,       -  -,       ;   -     .

He was immediately received and declared that if the government did not cease its hostile actions, then within two hours all of Paris would take up arms.      ,        ,         .

They were still arguing about what measures should be taken when Lieutenant of the Guards, Comminge, entered.    ,    ,     . His face was covered in blood, his dress was torn.     ,  . Upon seeing him, the queen cried out in amazement and asked what had happened to him.  ,      ,    .

But what the merchant elder had foreseen happened: the people were irritated by the appearance of the soldiers.   ,    :    . The alarm sounded from all the bell towers.      . Comminges did not lose his composure, arrested a man who seemed to him to be one of the main rebels, and ordered, as an example, to hang him on a cross in the middle of the Place Traguar; the soldiers grabbed him and dragged him away to carry out the order.   ,  - ,       ,  ,  ,       ;     ,   . But near the market, a crowd attacked them: stones rained down and halberds struck.       :     . The rebel took advantage of the moment, ran to the Rue des Changes and hid in a house, the doors of which the soldiers immediately broke down.   ,        ,      .

However, this brutal violence turned out to be in vain: the culprit could not be found anywhere.      :     . Comminges posted a guard near the house, and he himself, with the rest of the soldiers, returned to the palace to report everything to the queen.     ,        ,     . All along the way they were pursued by shouts and threats; several of his detachment were wounded by pikes and halberds, and he himself had his eyebrow cut with a stone.        ;          ,      .

Comminges's story confirmed the elder's statement; there was a whiff of a serious uprising, and they were unprepared for it.     ;    ,      . Therefore, the cardinal ordered a rumor to be spread among the people that the troops were drawn up on the embankments and on the Pont Neuf only for the occasion of the ceremony and would now withdraw.       ,                . Indeed, by four o'clock in the afternoon they had all been drawn up to the Palais-Royal; they set up a post at the outpost of the Sergeants, another at the Three Hundred Blind, and a third on the hill of Saint-Roc. ,           -;     ,     ,      . In the courtyards and lower floors of the palace they gathered the Swiss and musketeers and began to wait.             .

This was the state of affairs when we introduced the reader to the study of Cardinal Mazarin, which had formerly been Richelieu's study.      ,        ,    . We saw in what frame of mind the cardinal was, listening to the popular murmur that reached him and to the distant gunshots.  ,      ,            .

Suddenly he raised his head, frowning like a man who has made up his mind about something, glanced at the huge wall clock, which was about to strike ten, took from the table the gilded whistle that was always at hand and whistled twice.    ,  ,    - ,     ,      ,               .

The door hidden under the wall paneling opened silently; a man dressed in black quietly came out and stood behind his chair.       ;     ,   ,     .

Bernuin, said the cardinal, without even looking around, since he knew that the valet would appear at the sound of two whistles, what kind of musketeers are on duty in the palace?  ,   ,   ,   ,       ,       ?

- The Black Musketeers, Monsignor.   , .

- Which company?   ?

- Monsieur de Treville.    .

- Are there any officers from this company in the front?   -      ?

- Lieutenant d'Artagnan.   .

- Reliable, I hope?  , ?

- Yes, monsignor.  , .

 Give me the musketeers uniform and help me get dressed.        .

The valet left as silently as he had entered, and returned a minute later with the dress.     ,  ,      .

In silent thought, Mazarin began to take off his ceremonial attire, which he had put on to attend the session of parliament; then he put on the military uniform, which he had worn with a certain ease even during the Italian campaigns.         ,  ,     ;    ,          . Having dressed, he said: ,  :

 Call d'Artagnan here.    .

The valet came out, this time through the middle door, still silent as a shadow.  ,      , - ,  .

Left alone, the cardinal looked at himself in the mirror with satisfaction.  ,        . He was still young - he had just turned forty-six years old - well built, slightly below average height; he had a beautiful, fresh complexion, eyes full of fire, a large but beautiful nose, a wide proud forehead, light brown, slightly curly hair; his beard, darker than the hair on his head, was always carefully curled, which suited him very well.            ,   ,    ;    ,   , ,  , ,   ,   , ,   ; ,    ,    ,     .

The cardinal put on his sword belt, looked smugly at his beautiful and well-groomed hands and, throwing off the rough suede gloves required by the uniform, put on ordinary silk ones.     ,        ,    ,   ,    .

At that moment the door opened.     .

Lieutenant dArtagnan, the valet reported.   ,   .

An officer entered.  .

He was a man of about thirty-nine or forty years of age, of small stature, but slender, thin, with lively, intelligent eyes, with a black beard, but with gray hair on his head, which often happens to people who have lived their lives too happily or too sadly, especially if their hair is dark.        ,  ,  , ,    ,   ,     ,     ,        ,        .

D'Artagnan, entering the room, immediately recognized the office of Cardinal Richelieu, where he had once been. Ē,   ,      ,     . Seeing that there was no one there except a musketeer of his company, he looked closely at this man and immediately recognized the cardinal under the musketeer's clothes. ,    ,    ,              .

D'Artagnan stood in a respectful but dignified pose, as befits a man of society accustomed to meeting often with nobles. Ē    ,   ,     ,     .

The cardinal fixed his gaze on him, rather sharply than deeply, examined him carefully and after a few seconds of silence asked:     ,  ,  ,         :

- Are you Monsieur d'Artagnan?    ?

Yes sir, replied the officer.   , ,   .

The Cardinal looked once more at the intelligent head, at the face, the extraordinary mobility of which had been curbed by years and experience.       ,  ,       . D'Artagnan had passed the test: he had once been looked at by eyes sharper than those that were now examining him. Ē  :       ,     .

You will go with me, sir, said the cardinal, or rather, I will go with you.     , ,   ,  , ,    .

I am at your service, Monseigneur, replied dArtagnan.     , ,   .

I would like to personally inspect the posts at the Palais Royal.         -. Do you think it is dangerous?   ,  ?

Is it dangerous, Monsignor?  , ?  dArtagnan was surprised.    .  Why not?    ?

 They say the people have completely rebelled.  ,   .

The uniform of the kings musketeers is held in high esteem, Monseigneur, and, if necessary, I and three comrades undertake to disperse a hundred of these idlers.       , , ,   ,         .

- But do you know what happened to Komenzh?    ,    ?

Monsieur Comminges is a guardsman, not a musketeer, replied dArtagnan.     ,   ,   .

You mean to say, the cardinal remarked, smiling, that the musketeers are better soldiers than the guards?    ,   , ,     ,  ?

 Everyone is proud of his uniform, Monsignor.     , .

Not me, laughed Mazarin.    ,   . You see, I traded it for yours.    ,     .

- The devil take it!   ! - cried d'Artagnan.    . - You say this out of modesty, Monseigneur!       , ! As for me, if I had Your Eminence's uniform, I would be content with it and would take care never to wear another.   , ,      ,         ,     .

- Yes, but for today's walk it is perhaps not very reliable.  ,     , ,   . Bernouin, your hat! , !

The servant handed him a wide-brimmed uniform hat.       . The Cardinal put it on, cocking it jauntily to one side, and turned to d'Artagnan:   ,   ,    :

 Do you have saddled horses in your stable?        ?

- Yes, Monsignor.  , .

- So let's go.   .

 How many people would you like to take with you, Monsignor?       , ?

You said that four of you could handle a hundred idlers; since we might encounter two hundred of them, take eight.   ,      ;        ,  .

- As you command.   .

- Go, I'm following you.  ,    . Or no, wait, let's go through here.  , ,   . Bernouin, give us the light. ,  .

The servant took the candle, and the cardinal took a small carved key from the table, and, going out by a secret staircase, they found themselves in the courtyard of the Palais Royal a minute later.   ,        , ,    ,       -.



Chapter II  II

Night Watch  

Ten minutes later, the small detachment rode out onto the Rue des Bons Enfants, rounding the theatre built by Cardinal Richelieu for the first performance of "Miram"; now, at the behest of Cardinal Mazarin, who preferred music to literature, the first opera performances in France were held here.          ,  ,       ;  ,    ,   ,      .

Everything in the city testified to popular unrest.       . Numerous crowds moved through the streets, and, contrary to what d'Artagnan had said, people stopped and looked at the soldiers insolently and menacingly.     , ,  ,   ,          . It was clear that the townspeople's usual good nature had given way to a more warlike mood.    ,         . From time to time, a hum of voices could be heard from the direction of the market.        . Guns were fired in the Rue Saint-Denis, and from time to time, somewhere suddenly and for some unknown reason, solely at the whim of the crowd, a bell began to ring.   -   ,    -     ,    ,    .

D'Artagnan rode with the carelessness of a man to whom such trifles mean nothing. Ē    ,       . If a crowd blocked the road, he would direct his horse towards it without even shouting "Beware!"    ,      ,    ! and, as if understanding the kind of person they were dealing with, the crowd would part and make way for the horsemen. ; ,   ,      ,      . The Cardinal envied this calm; and although it was explained, in his opinion, only by habituation to danger, he felt for the officer under whose command he suddenly found himself that involuntary respect which prudence cannot deny to careless courage.    ;    ,   ,    ,    ,     ,   ,        .

As they approached the post at the Sergeant's outpost, a sentry called out to them:        ,   :

- Who goes there?   ?

D'Artagnan responded and, having asked the cardinal for the password, rode up to the guard. Ē  ,    ,   . The password was: Louis and Rocroi.  :   .

After an exchange of formalities, d'Artagnan asked if Lieutenant Comminges was in command of the guard.      ,      .

The sentry pointed out to him an officer who was standing and talking to a horseman, his hand on his horse's neck.     ,     - ,     . This was the one d'Artagnan was looking for.   ,   .

Monsieur de Comminges is here, said dArtagnan, returning to the cardinal.     ,   ,   .

Mazarin rode up to him, while d'Artagnan, out of modesty, remained aloof; from the manner in which both officers, on foot and on horseback, removed their hats, he saw that they recognized the Cardinal.    ,         ;  ,    ,   ,   ,  ,    .

Bravo, Guiteau, said the cardinal to the horseman, I see that, despite your sixty-four years, you are still vigilant and devoted.  , ,    ,   , ,      ,  -   . What did you say to this young man?      ?

Monseigneur, replied Guiteau, I told him that we are living through strange times and that today is very reminiscent of the days of the League, about which I heard so much in my youth.  ,   ,    ,             ,       . You know, today on the streets of Saint-Denis and Saint-Martin there was talk of nothing more and nothing less than barricades! ,    -  -       ,   !

- And what did Cominges answer you, my dear Guito?       ,   ?

Monseigneur, said Comminges, I replied that they lack something for the League, and not a small one, namely the Duke of Guise; but such things do not happen again.  ,   ,   ,     - ,  ,     ;      .

Thats true, but they are preparing the Fronde, as they say, Guiteau remarked.   ,     ,  ,   .

What is the Fronde?    ? asked Mazarin.    .

- That's what they call their party, Monsignor.      , .

 Where does this name come from?    ?

 It seems that a few days ago, Councillor Bashomont said in Parliament that all the rebels were like Parisian schoolboys who sit in the gutters with a sling and throw stones; as soon as they see a policeman, they run away, but as soon as he passes, they start up again.  ,        ,       ,         ;     ,     ,    . They picked up this word and began to call themselves Frondeurs, just as the Brussels ragamuffins call themselves Guez.         ,      . In these two days, everything has become Frondeur  buns, hats, gloves, muffs, fans; but listen for yourself.       -  , , , , ;    .

Indeed, at that very moment a window swung open, a man leaned out and began to sing: The whisper of the wind is heard, The whistle is heard at times, This is the murmur of the Fronde: Down with Mazarin! ,      - ,      :  ,  ,  : ! 

You impudent fellow, Guito grumbled.  ,   .

Monseigneur, said Comminges, who was in a bad mood because of the beating he had received and was looking for an opportunity to inflict a wound in revenge for his bump, may I give you permission to send a bullet to this rascal to teach him not to sing so out of tune next time?  ,   ,  -                ,      ,          ?

And he already reached out his hand to the holster on his uncles saddle.          .

 No, no!  , !  exclaimed Mazarin.    .  Devil, my dear friend, you will ruin the whole thing, and so far it is going wonderfully.   Diavol,  ,    ,     . I know all your Frenchmen, from the first to the last: they sing, which means they will pay.     ,    :   ,  . In the times of the League, which Guiteau was now recalling, they sang only masses, and well, it was very bad.   ,     ,   ,     . Lets go, Guiteau, lets go, we will see if the guard at the Three Hundred Blind is as good as at the Sergeants Outpost. , , , ,       ,    .

And, waving his hand to Comminges, he rode up to d'Artagnan, who had again taken his place at the head of his small detachment. ,   ,    ,         . Following him rode the Cardinal and Guiteau, and a little further away the rest.       ,    .

Its true, grumbled Comminges, looking after the departing cardinal.   ,   ,    . I forgot: pay and pay, he doesnt need anything else.     :   ,     .

Now they rode along the Rue Saint-Honor, continually scattering groups of people along the way.      -,      . The crowd talked of nothing but the new edicts; they pitied the young king, who, without knowing it, was ruining the people; they blamed Mazarin; they talked of appealing to the Duke of Orleans and the Prince of Cond; they enthusiastically repeated the names of Blancmesnil and Brussel.      ,    ;   , ,    ,  ;     ;   ,         ;      .

D'Artagnan rode carelessly among the people, as if he and his horse were made of iron; Mazarin and Guitant were talking quietly; the musketeers, who had finally recognized the cardinal, remained silent. Ē    ,          ;     ; ,   ,  .

When they arrived at the Three Hundred Blind post along the Rue Saint-Thomas, Guiteau called for a junior officer.           ,    . He came forward with a report.    .

Well, how are you?  ,  ? asked Guito.    .

Captain, the officer replied, everything is going well; only in this palace, in my opinion, there is something wrong.  ,   ,    ;     - ,   .

And he pointed with his hand to the magnificent palace that stood where the Vaudeville Theatre was later built.       ,  ,     .

In this house?    ? asked Guiteau.    . But this is the Rambouillet mansion.       .

I dont know if it was Rambouillet or not, but I saw with my own eyes how many suspicious people entered there.   ,   ,      ,      .

- So that's it!    ! - Guito burst out laughing.    . - But they are poets!      !

Hey, Guiteau, said Mazarin, dont speak so disrespectfully of these gentlemen.  , ,   ,        . I myself was a poet in my youth and wrote verses in the manner of Benserade.            .

- You, Monsignor?!  , ?!

- Yes, I do.  , . Do you want me to recite it? , ?

- That won't convince me.     . I don't understand Italian.    -.

But when they speak to you in French, you understand, my glorious and brave Guiteau, Mazarin continued, placing his hand on his shoulder in a friendly manner, and whatever order they give you in this language, you will carry it out?       -,  ,     ,   ,      ,           ,   ?

- Without a doubt, Monseigneur, as always, if, of course, the order comes from the Queen.   , ,  , , ,    .

Yes, yes!  , ! said Mazarin, biting his lip.    ,  . I know you are completely devoted to her.    ,    .

 I have been a captain in Her Majestys Guard for twenty years now.          .

On your way, dArtagnan, said the cardinal, everything is in order here.   , ,   ,     .

D'Artagnan, without saying a word, took his place at the head of the column with that blind obedience which is the distinguishing characteristic of a soldier. Ē,    ,          ,     .

They rode along the streets of Richelieu and Vildo to the third post on the hill of Saint-Roc.              . This post, located almost at the very fortress wall, was the most secluded, and the part of the city adjacent to it was sparsely populated.  ,      ,   ,         .

Who is in charge of this post?     ? asked the cardinal.    .

Villequier, answered Guiteau.  ,   .

Damn it!  ! Mazarin cursed.    . Talk to him yourself.      . You know, we have not been on good terms since you were ordered to arrest the Duke of Beaufort: he is offended that he, the captain of the royal guard, was not entrusted with this honor.  ,         ,       :   ,  ,   ,    .

I know, and I have proved to him a hundred times that he is wrong, because the king, who was then four years old, could not give him such an order.       ,    ,   ,     ,      .

- Yes, but I could have given it to you, Guito; however, I preferred you.  ,      , ;    .

Guiteau, without answering, spurred his horse and, having exchanged the password with the sentry, summoned Villequier. ,   ,   ,    ,  .

He approached him.    .

Ah, its you, Guito!  ,  , ! he said grumpily, as was his custom.     ,   . What the hell did you come here for?       ?

 I came to find out whats new with you.   ,    .

 What do you want?     ? They shout: Long live the king! :   ! and Down with Mazarin!    ! This is nothing new: we have become accustomed to such shouts lately.      :        .

And you yourself echo them?     ?  Guito asked laughing.   ,  .

 To tell the truth, sometimes I want to!    ,   ! In my opinion, they are right, Guiteau; and I would gladly give up all the salary I have not been paid for five years, if only the king were now five years older! -,  , ;             ,         !

- I see!   ! And what would have happened if the king had been five years older?    ,        ?

 It would be like this: the king, if he were of age, would give orders himself, and it is much more pleasant to obey the grandson of Henry IV than the son of Pietro Mazarin.     : ,   ,     ,       ,    . For the king, damn it, I would die with pleasure; but to lay down my life for Mazarin, as almost happened today with your nephew!  ,  ,    ;     ,         !. .. . No heaven will console me for this, no matter what position they give me there.       ,       .

Very well, very well, Captain Vilquier, said Mazarin, rest assured, I will report your loyalty to the king.  , ,  ,   ,   ,      . And, turning to his companions, he added: Lets go, gentlemen; everything is in order.   ,    , :  ,;   .

 Well, well!    !  exclaimed Vilquier.    .  Mazarin himself is here!     ! So much the better: Ive been itching to tell him to his face what I think of him for a long time.  :        ,     . Youve given me a good opportunity, Guiteau, and although you hardly had good intentions, I still thank you.     , ,         ,     .

He turned on his heel and walked into the guardhouse, whistling a rebel song.        ,   .

Mazarin rode the entire return journey in thought: everything he had heard from Comminges, Guitant, and Villequier convinced him that in a difficult moment no one would stand up for him except the queen; and the queen so often abandoned her friends that her support sometimes seemed to the minister, despite all the measures he had taken, very unreliable and dubious.       :     ,     ,         ,  ;       ,      ,      ,    .

During his night journey, which lasted about an hour, the cardinal, while questioning Comminges, Guitant, and Villequier, never ceased to observe one man.     ,   , ,  ,   ,     . This musketeer, who remained calm in the face of popular storms and did not even raise an eyebrow at Mazarins jokes or the ridicule of which the cardinal himself was the subject, seemed to him an unusual man and sufficiently seasoned for the events that were taking place, and even more so for those that were to come.  ,               ,    ,     ,          ,       .

Moreover, the name d'Artagnan was not entirely unfamiliar to him, and although he, Mazarin, had arrived in France only in 1634 or 1635, that is, seven or eight years after the events we described in the previous book, he had nevertheless heard somewhere that this was the name of a man who had once shown (he had already forgotten under what circumstances) miracles of dexterity, courage and devotion.          ,   , ,      1634  1635 ,     -  ,     ,  - - ,    ,   (  ,    )  ,   .

This thought occupied him so much that he resolved to immediately look into the matter, but it was not d'Artagnan he was going to turn to for information about d'Artagnan!     ,        ,           ! From certain words spoken by the lieutenant of the musketeers, the cardinal recognized him as a Gascon; and Italians and Gascons are too much alike and understand each other too well to trust what each of them can say about himself.   ,   ,     ;            ,      ,         . Therefore, when they rode up to the wall that surrounded the garden of the Palais-Royal, the cardinal knocked on the gate (approximately in the place where the Caf Foy now stands), thanked d'Artagnan and, asking him to wait in the courtyard, made a sign to Guitaud to follow him. ,     ,   -,     (   ,     ),   ,     ,      . Both dismounted, threw the reins to the footman who opened the gate, and disappeared into the garden.    ,   ,  ,    .

Dear Guiteau, said the cardinal, taking the old captain of the guard by the arm, you reminded me recently that you have been in the Queens service for more than twenty years.   ,   ,      ,     ,         .

Yes, thats true, Guito replied.  ,  ,   .

So, my dear Guiteau, continued the cardinal, I have noticed that, in addition to your courage, which is beyond all doubt, and your loyalty, which has been proven many times, you are also distinguished by an excellent memory.   ,   ,   ,   ,  ,   ,     ,     ,     .

Have you noticed that, Monsignor?    , ? said the captain of the guard.     . Damn it, so much the worse for me.   ,    .

- Why?  ?

 Without a doubt, one of the main virtues of a courtier is the ability to forget.   ,         .

But you, Guiteau, are not a courtier, you are a brave soldier, one of those glorious warriors who still remain from the time of Henry IV and, unfortunately, will soon be completely extinct.   , ,  ,   ,     ,        ,  ,   .

 Damn it, Monsignor!   , ! Did you invite me here to have my horoscope drawn up?         ,    ?

No, replied Mazarin, laughing, I invited you to ask if you noticed our lieutenant of the musketeers.  ,   , ,    ,  ,        .

- D'Artagnan?  Ē?

- Yes.  .

I had no need to pay attention to him, Monsignor: I have known him for a long time.          , :     .

- What kind of person is this?      ?

What kind of man is he?    ? exclaimed Guiteau, surprised by the question.    ,  . A Gascon.   .

I know that; but I wanted to ask: can he be completely trusted?    ;    :     ?

Monsieur de Treville treats him with great respect, and Monsieur de Treville, as you know, is one of the Queens best friends.          ,    ,   ,     .

 I would like to know if he has proven himself in practice     ,      

- A brave soldier?   ? I can answer you right away.       . I was told that at the siege of La Rochelle, at Susa, at Perpignan, he did more than his duty required.  ,    -,  ,     ,    .

- But you know, dear Guiteau, we poor ministers often need other kinds of people, not only brave men.    ,  , ,  ,       ,    . We need clever people.     . D'Artagnan, under the late cardinal, seems to have been involved in a major intrigue, from which, according to rumors, he extricated himself very skillfully? Ē   , ,     ,  ,  ,   ?

Monseigneur, on this matter, said Guitaud, who realized that the cardinal wanted to force him to spill the beans, I must say that I have little faith in rumors and fabrications.  ,   ,   ,  ,      ,    ,       . I myself never get involved in any intrigues, and if sometimes I am let into other peoples, it is not my secret, and Your Eminence will approve of me for keeping it for the sake of the one who has trusted me.         ,        ,      ,       ,      ,   .

Mazarin shook his head.   .

Ah, he said, honestly, there are some lucky ministers who find out everything they want to know.  ,   ,   ,    ,   ,   .

Monseigneur, replied Guiteau, such ministers do not measure all people by the same yardstick: for military affairs they use military men, for intrigues  intriguers.  ,   ,          :       ,    . Turn to any intriguer of the times you speak of, and from him you will learn whatever you want... for a fee, of course.   -   ,    ,     ,    , .

Okay, Mazarin winced, as he always did when the conversation turned to money in the sense that Guiteau had mentioned it, well pay if theres no other way.  ,   ,   ,        ,     ,     .

Do you really want me to point out to you the person who was involved in all the intrigues of that time?    ,     ,      ?

 Per Vasso!  Per !  exclaimed Mazarin, beginning to lose patience.    ,   .  Ive been telling you this for an hour now, you stubborn head!          ,  !

There is a person who seems quite suitable, but will he agree to talk?   , -,  ,      ?

- I'll take care of that.      .

- Ah, Monsignor, it is not always easy to make a man speak who prefers to remain silent.  , ,      ,  .

- Bah!  ! With patience you can achieve anything.    . So, who is he? ,  ?

 Count Rochefort.   .

- Count Rochefort?   ?

- Yes, but unfortunately he disappeared about four years ago, and I dont know what happened to him.  , ,  ,     ,    ,    .

I know, Guiteau, said Mazarin.  - , ,   .

- So why did you just now complain, Your Eminence, that you dont know anything?       ,  ,    ?

So you think, said Mazarin, that this Rochefort    ,   ,    

He was devoted to the cardinal body and soul, Monsignor.        , . But I warn you, it will cost you dearly: the late cardinal was generous with his favorites.  ,     :       .

Yes, yes, Guiteau, said Mazarin, the Cardinal was a great man, but he had this very flaw.  , , ,   ,     ,  -    . Thank you, Guiteau, I will take advantage of your advice, and today at that.  , ,    ,    .

At this time both interlocutors approached the courtyard of the Palais Royal; the cardinal dismissed Guiteau with a wave of his hand and, noticing the officer pacing back and forth across the courtyard, approached him.         -;      ,  ,      ,   .

It was d'Artagnan, who was waiting for the cardinal at his command.   ,     .

Come to me, Monsieur dArtagnan, said Mazarin in his most pleasant voice, I have a message for you.    ,  ,      ,       .

D'Artagnan bowed, followed the cardinal down the secret staircase, and a minute later found himself in the study where he had already been that evening. Ē ,             ,      .

The cardinal sat down at his desk and jotted down a few lines on a piece of paper.            .

D'Artagnan stood and waited dispassionately, without impatience or curiosity, like a military machine, ready to act or, more accurately, to carry out someone else's will. Ē    ,    ,   ,    , ,    .

The cardinal folded the note and sealed it with his seal.        .

Monsieur dArtagnan, he said, deliver this order immediately to the Bastille and bring back from there the man mentioned here.   ,   ,           ,    . Take a carriage and an escort and keep a close eye on the prisoner.         .

D'Artagnan took the letter, saluted, turned left, no worse than any sergeant on drill, left the office, and a moment later his abrupt and calm voice was heard: Ē  ,  ,   ,      ,   ,         :

 Four guards, a carriage, my horse.   , ,  .

Five minutes later, the wheels of the carriage and the horseshoes of the horses began to clatter on the pavement.           .



Chapter III  III

Two ancient enemies   

When d'Artagnan arrived at the Bastille, half past eight had struck.     ,   .

He ordered that he be reported to the commandant of the prison, who, having learned that the officer had arrived with an order from the cardinal and at his command, went out to meet the messenger on the porch.       , , ,           ,     .

The commandant of the Bastille at that time was Mr. du Tremblay, brother of Richelieu's formidable favorite, the famous Capuchin Joseph, nicknamed the Grey Cardinal.       -  ,    ,   ,   .

When, during the imprisonment of Marshal Bassompierre in the Bastille, who had served exactly twelve years, his comrades in misfortune, dreaming of freedom, would say to each other: I will be released then, And I then, Bassompierre would declare: And I, gentlemen, will be released when Monsieur du Tremblay is released.        ,    ,    ,   , , ,  :   -,   -,  :  , ,  ,      . He was hinting that after the death of Cardinal du Tremblay would inevitably lose his place in the Bastille, while he, Bassompierre, would take his place at court.    ,            ,   , ,     .

His prediction almost came true, only in a different sense than he had thought; after the death of the cardinal, contrary to general expectations, everything remained as before: M. du Tremblain left, and Bassompierre, too, almost spent the rest of his life in the Bastille.     ,    ,   ;   ,   ,   -: -   ,            .

Monsieur du Tremblay was still commandant of the Bastille when d'Artagnan came there to carry out the minister's orders.        ,    ,    . He received him with exquisite politeness; and as he was just about to sit down to table, he invited d'Artagnan to dine with him.      ;         ,      .

I would be glad to, said dArtagnan, but, if Im not mistaken, the envelope is marked Very urgent.     ,   ,  ,   ,    :  .

Thats true, said du Tremblay.   ,    . Hey, Major, have them bring in number two hundred and fifty-six.   , ,      .

Upon entering the Bastille, a prisoner ceased to be a man and became a number.   ,       .

D'Artagnan shuddered involuntarily when he heard the jingle of keys; he did not even want to get off his horse when he saw up close the barred windows and the gigantic walls that he had previously only looked at from the other side of the moat and which had once so frightened him twenty years ago. Ē  ,   ;       ,          ,                   .

The bell rang.   .

I must leave you, du Tremblay told him, I am being called to sign a pass for the prisoner.     ,     ,      . Goodbye, Monsieur dArtagnan.  ,  .

The devil take me if I want to see you again!    ,        ! muttered dArtagnan, accompanying this curse with the sweetest smile.    ,      . Its enough to stay in this courtyard for five minutes to get sick.         ,  . Id rather die on the straw, which is probably what will happen to me, than receive ten thousand livres and be commandant of the Bastille.      , , ,    ,         .

He had hardly finished this monologue when the prisoner appeared.     ,   . Seeing him, d'Artagnan involuntarily shuddered with surprise, but immediately suppressed his feelings.  ,     ,      . The prisoner got into the carriage, apparently not recognizing d'Artagnan.    ,    .

Gentlemen, said dArtagnan to the four musketeers, I have been ordered to keep the strictest watch over the prisoner, and since the carriage doors have no locks, I will sit next to him.  ,     ,       ,       ,      . Lilbon, do me the favor of leading my horse by the bridle. ,  ,     .

Gladly, Lieutenant, replied the one he addressed.  , ,   ,    .

D'Artagnan dismounted, handed the reins to the musketeer, sat down next to the prisoner and ordered in a voice in which not the slightest excitement could be heard: Ē ,   ,       ,        :

 To the Palais Royal, at a trot.   -,  .

As soon as the carriage started moving, d'Artagnan, taking advantage of the darkness that reigned under the arches through which they were passing, threw himself on the prisoner's neck.    , ,  ,   ,   ,    .

 Rochefort!  !  he exclaimed.    .  You!   ! Its really you!   ! Im not mistaken!   !

- D'Artagnan!  Ē! - Rochefort exclaimed in surprise.     .

Ah, my poor friend!  ,   ! continued dArtagnan.    . Not having seen you for five years, I thought you were dead.       ,  ,   .

In my opinion, answered Rochefort, there is little difference between the dead and the buried, and I have already been buried, or as good as buried.  -,   ,       ,         .

- For what crime are you in the Bastille?        ?

 Should I tell you the truth?    ?

- Yes.  .

- Well, here's the thing: I don't know.    :   .

- You dont trust me, Rochefort!     , !

- No, I swear on my honor!    ,  ! Its impossible that Im actually sitting in jail for what Im accused of.  ,      ,    .

- In what way?    ?

- In a night robbery.    .

- You are a night robber!    ! Rochefort, you are joking. ,  .

- I understand you.    . This requires an explanation, doesnt it?   ,   ?

- I confess.  .

 It happened like this: one evening, after a drinking bout at Reynards, in the Tuileries, with Fontrales, de Rieux and others, the Duke dHarcourt proposed going to the Pont Neuf to tear the cloaks off passers-by; this entertainment, as you know, became very fashionable thanks to the Duke of Orleans.    :  ,    ,  ,  ,    ,           ;  ,   ,         .

- At your age!   - ! Youre crazy, Rochefort!     , !

 No, I was simply drunk; but still I considered this amusement unsuitable for myself and proposed to the Chevalier de Rieux to be a spectator with me, not an actor, and, in order to see the performance as from a box, to mount the equestrian statue.  ,    ;                    ,    ,      ,    . No sooner said than done.   . Thanks to the spurs of the bronze horseman, which served as stirrups for us, we quickly climbed onto the croup, settled ourselves perfectly and saw everything perfectly.    ,   ,     ,      . Five cloaks had already been pulled off, and so deftly that no one dared even utter a squeak, when suddenly one less accommodating fool took it into his head to shout: Help!     ,   ,      ,        : !  and a patrol of archers was right there.        . The Duke d'Harcourt, Fontrales and the others ran away; de Rieux also wanted to run away.  ,    ;     . I tried to hold him back; I say that no one will notice us here; no such luck, he doesnt listen, he started to get off, stepped on a spur, the spur broke in half, he fell, breaking his leg, and, instead of keeping silent, he began to scream at the top of his lungs.    ; ,      ;  - ,  ,  ,   ,  ,  ,   , ,    ,    . Then I jumped off, but it was too late.     ,   . I fell into the hands of the archers, who took me to the Chatelet, where I fell asleep peacefully, fully confident that I would get out of there the next day.     ,     ,        ,    . But a day passed, then another, a whole week.   , ,  . I write to the cardinal.  . They immediately come for me, take me to the Bastille, and here I am for five years.    ,   ,      . For what?  ? Probably for insolence, for mounting a horse behind Henry IV, what do you think?  ,  ,  ,       ,   ?

- No, you are right, my dear Rochefort, of course, not for that.  ,  ,   , ,   . But you, in all likelihood, will now find out why you were imprisoned.  ,   ,  ,    .

- Yes, by the way, I forgot to ask you: where are you taking me?  , ,     :    ?

 To the cardinal.   .

- What does he want from me?      ?

I dont know, I didnt even know that I was sent specifically for you.   ,    ,      .

- Are you the cardinal's favorite?    ? No, that's impossible! ,  !

I am the favorite!   ! exclaimed dArtagnan.    . Ah, my unfortunate Count!   ,   ! I am still the same penniless Gascon as I was twenty-two years ago, when, remember, we met in Meung.       ,     , , ,    .

A heavy sigh finished his sentence.     .

 However, you have been given an assignment      

Because I happened to be in the hallway and the cardinal addressed me as he would have addressed anyone else; no, I am still a lieutenant of the musketeers, and, if I am not mistaken, already in my twenty-first year.             ,      ; ,     , ,   ,    .

- However, no harm has happened to you; that is not so little.        ;   - .

 And what misfortune could happen to me?         ? There is a Latin verse (I have forgotten it, and perhaps I never knew it for sure): Lightning does not strike in the valleys.    (  , , ,     ):     . And I am a valley, dear Rochefort, and one of the lowest.   ,  ,     .

- So Mazarin is still Mazarin?  ,  - ?

- More than ever, my dear; they say he is the queen's husband.    -,  ; ,   .

- Husband!  !

If he is not her husband, then he is certainly her lover.      ,    .

 Resist Buckingham and surrender to Mazarin!       !

Thats what women are like!   ! dArtagnan remarked philosophically.     .

 Women  let them; but queens!     ;  !. .. .

- Oh, my God, in this respect queens are doubly women.  ,   ,       .

- Is the Duke of Beaufort still in prison?        ?

- Still the same.  -. Why are you asking about this?     ?

- Because he was good to me and could help me.             .

You are probably closer to freedom now; you are more likely to help him.  -, ,    ; ,   .

- So, its war?  , ?

- It will be.  .

- With Spain?   ?

- No, with Paris.  ,  .

- What do you want to say?     ?

 Do you hear gunshots?    ?

- Yes.  . So what?   ?

- These are peaceful townspeople having fun in anticipation of something serious.         .

- Do you think they are capable of anything?   ,   - ?

They are promising, and if they had a leader who could unite them    , ,      ,    

 What a misfortune to be locked up!     !

- My God!    ! Don't despair.   . If Mazarin sent for you, it means he needs you; and if he needs you, then I dare to congratulate you.      , ,    ;      ,    . For example, no one has needed me for a long time, and you see for yourself to what position this has brought me.   , ,     ,   ,      .

- Well, you're still thinking of complaining!   ,  !

 Listen, Rochefort, lets make an agreement...  , ,  

- Which one?  ?

- You know that we are good friends.   ,    .

- Damn it!   ! This friendship left marks on my body: three sword blows.       :   .

- Well, if you are in favor again, dont forget me.  ,       ,   .

- On Rochefort's word of honor, but on the understanding that you will do the same.    ,   ,      .

- Certainly, here is my hand.  ,    .

- So, as soon as you have the opportunity to talk about me...  ,        

- I'll talk.   . And you?  ?

- Me too.   . And your friends, do you need to take care of them too?   ,     ?

- What friends?   ?

- Athos, Porthos and Aramis.  ,   . Have you forgotten about them?     ?

- Almost.  .

- What happened to them?     ?

 I dont know at all.    .

- Really?  ?

 I swear it is so.  ,  . As you know, we parted.   ,  . They are alive  thats all I know.     ,   . Sometimes I hear from them indirectly.      . But where they are, even if you kill me, I cant tell you.   ,  ,    . Honestly!  ! Of all my friends, only you remain, Rochefort.       , .

- And the famous... what was his name, that fellow whom I promoted to sergeant in the Piedmontese regiment?      ,  ,       ?

- Planchet?  ?

- That's it!  -! What happened to the famous Planchet?      ?

- He married the owner of a pastry shop on the Rue des Changes; he has always loved sweets; and since he is now a Parisian bourgeois, he is, in all likelihood, participating in the rebellion.         ;    ;       , ,   ,   . You will see that this rogue will be a town elder before I am a captain.  ,       ,   .

- Come on, my dear d'Artagnan, don't be discouraged!  ,  ,  ! Just at the moment when you are at the very bottom, the wheel turns and lifts you up.     ,     ,      . Perhaps from this very evening your fate will change.  ,      .

Amen!  ! said dArtagnan and stopped the carriage.       .

What are you doing?    ? asked Rochefort.    .

We have arrived, but I dont want anyone to see me getting out of the carriage: we are strangers.   ,    ,  ,     :    .

- You are right.   . Goodbye. .

- Goodbye; remember your promise.   ;   .

D'Artagnan jumped on his horse and rode ahead. Ē      .

About five minutes later they entered the courtyard of the Palais Royal.        -.

D'Artagnan led the prisoner up the grand staircase through the reception room into the corridor. Ē         . Having reached the door of Mazarin's office, he was about to order his presence to be announced when Rochefort placed his hand on his shoulder.     ,       ,       .

DArtagnan, said Rochefort, smiling, shall I confess to you what I was thinking about the whole way as we passed through the crowd of townspeople who cast angry glances at you and your four soldiers?  Ē,   , ,   ,      ,      ,         ?

Tell me, answered dArtagnan.  ,   .

I thought that all I had to do was shout, Help!   ,     : ! and you and your convoy would be torn to pieces, and I would be free. ,          ,      .

Why didnt you do it?       ? said dArtagnan.    .

What are you saying!    !  objected Rochefort.    .  And what about our oath and friendship?       ? If it werent for you, but someone else, who was driving me, then    ,  -   , 

D'Artagnan lowered his head. Ē  .

Has Rochefort really become better than me?     ? he thought and ordered that the minister be informed about him.          .

Bring in Monsieur Rochefort, Mazarins impatient voice rang out as soon as these two names were mentioned, and ask Lieutenant dArtagnan to wait: I still need him.    ,     ,      ,      :    .

D'Artagnan beamed at these words. Ē    . As he had just said, no one had needed him for a long time, and Mazarin's order seemed to him a good omen.     ,       ,       .

As for Rochefort, these words made him wary.   ,      . He entered the office and saw Mazarin at his desk, in a modest dress, almost the same as that of the abbots of that time - only the stockings and cloak were violet.          ,   ,   ,     ,       .

The door closed again.   . Rochefort glanced sideways at Mazarin, and their eyes met.     ,    .

The minister was still the same, his hair combed, curled, perfumed, and, thanks to his coquetry, seemed younger than his years.     , , , ,       . This could not be said of Rochefort: five years spent in prison had aged Richelieu's worthy friend; his black hair had turned completely white, and his bronze complexion had given way to an almost sickly pallorhe was so exhausted.      :  ,   ,    ;     ,             . At the sight of him, Mazarin shook his head slightly, as if to say: "Here is a man who, it seems, is no longer fit for anything."       ,   :  , , ,       . After a rather long silence, which seemed endless to Rochefort, Mazarin pulled an unfolded letter from a pile of papers and showed it to Rochefort.    ,    ,           .

 I found this letter here in which you ask for your freedom to be returned.      ,       . Are you in prison?    ?

Rochefort shuddered with anger.    .

It seems to me that your Grace knows this better than anyone else, he replied.   ,     ,       ,   .

 Me?  ? Not at all! ! There are many people in the Bastille who were imprisoned during the time of Cardinal Richelieu and whose names I dont even know.    ,            .

But with me its a different matter, Monseigneur. You knew my name, after all, it was by order of Your Eminence that I was transferred from the Chatelet to the Bastille.      , , -   ,             .

- Do you think so?    ?

- I know for sure.    .

- Yes, I remember, indeed.  , , . Didnt you once refuse to go to Brussels on the Queens business?           ?

- Ah!  ! - said Rochefort.    . - So thats the real reason?      ? And Ive been racking my brains for five years.       . What a fool I am not to have guessed!    ,   !

But Im not saying at all that this is the reason for your arrest.      ,     . Understand me, Im asking you, thats all: did you refuse to go to Brussels on the Queens business, when you had previously agreed to go there on the business of the late cardinal?  ,   ,   :          ,         ?

 It was precisely because I went there on the late cardinals business that I could not go there on the queens business.      ,        ,         . I was in Brussels at a difficult time.       . It was during the Chalais conspiracy.      . I had to intercept Chalaiss correspondence with the Archduke, and when I was recognized there, they almost tore me to pieces.        ,  ,  ,     . How could I go back there?      ? I would have ruined the queen instead of doing her a service.    ,      .

- Well, you see how sometimes the best intentions are misinterpreted, my dear Rochefort!    ,        ,   ! The Queen saw in your refusal only a refusal, simple and clear: Her Majesty had many reasons to be dissatisfied with you under the late Cardinal!       ,   :           !

Rochefort smiled contemptuously:   :

You might understand, Monseigneur, that since I served Richelieu well against the Queen, that is precisely why I could serve you well against the whole world after the death of the Cardinal.     , ,        ,               .

No, Rochefort, said Mazarin, I am not like Richelieu, who strove for absolute power: I am a simple minister who does not need servants, being himself a servant of the queen.  , ,   ,    ,  ,   :   ,     ,    . You know that Her Majesty is very touchy: when she heard of your refusal, she read in it a declaration of war, and, remembering what a strong, and therefore dangerous man you are, my dear Rochefort, she ordered me to neutralize you.  ,     :    ,      , , ,   ,  ,   ,   ,     . That is how you ended up in the Bastille.       .

Well, Monseigneur, it seems to me, said Rochefort, that if I ended up in the Bastille through a misunderstanding    , ,  ,   ,         

Yes, yes, interrupted Mazarin, everything can still be put right; you are a man capable of understanding known matters and, having sorted them out, of successfully bringing them to an end.  , ,   ,     ;  ,     ,    ,      .

Cardinal Richelieu was of this opinion, and my admiration for this great man is further increased by the fact that you share his opinion.      ,          ,     .

It is true, continued Mazarin, the cardinal was first and foremost a politician, and in this he had a great advantage over me.   ,   ,      ,         . But I am a simple, straightforward man, and this would be a great disadvantage to myself; I have a purely French frankness.    ,      ;     .

Rochefort bit his lip to keep from smiling.   ,   .

 So, straight to the point!  ,   ! I need good friends, faithful servants; when I say: I need them, it means that the queen needs them.    ,  ;   :  ,  ,    . I do everything only by order of the queen, you understand, and not like Cardinal Richelieu, who acted on his own whim.       ,  ,   ,   ,     . That is why I will never become a great man like him, but I am a good man, Rochefort, and I hope to prove it to you. -      ,  ,     , , , ,   .

Rochefort knew well that velvety voice, in which at times one could hear the hiss of a viper.      ,       .

I am ready to believe you, Monseigneur, he said, though from personal experience I am little acquainted with the kindness of which Your Eminence was pleased to mention.    , ,   ,          ,       . Dont forget, Monseigneur, Rochefort continued, noticing the movement that the minister could not resist, dont forget that I spent five years in the Bastille, and nothing distorts ones view of things more than prison bars.  , ,   ,  ,     ,   ,       ,        ,   .

- Ah, Monsieur Rochefort, I told you that I am not to blame for your imprisonment.  ,  ,    ,       . Its all the queens fault... The anger of a woman and a princess, you understand!       ,  ! But it quickly passes, and then everything is forgotten...    ,    

I readily believe that she forgot everything after spending five years in the Palais Royal, among festivities and courtiers, but I spent them in the Bastille   ,    ,     -,    ,  -    

 Oh, my God, my dear Monsieur Rochefort, dont imagine that life at the Palais Royal is all that fun.  ,  ,   ,  ,    -   . No, what are you saying, what are you saying! ,  ,  ! We have a lot of troubles here too, I assure you.    ,  ,   . But enough of that.    . Im playing fair, as always.    ,  . Tell me: are you on our side, de Rochefort? :    ,  ?

 Of course, Monseigneur, and I wish for nothing better, but I know nothing about what is going on.  , ,      ,        ,  . In the Bastille, one can only talk about politics with soldiers and jailers, and you cannot imagine, Monseigneur, how little these people are informed about events.           ,     , ,       . I know about what happened only from Bassompierres words.  ,  ,      . By the way, is he still one of the seventeen nobles? ,       ?

He died, sir, and it is a great loss.   , ,    . He was devoted to the queen, and devoted people are rare.    ,    .

Of course, said Rochefort, if they are found, you put them in the Bastille.   ,   ,    ,     .

But on the other hand, said Mazarin, how can one prove loyalty?     ,   ,     ?

 Business!  !  answered Rochefort.    .

Yes, yes, action!  , , !  the minister said thoughtfully.     .  But where can we find people of action?        ?

Rochefort shook his head.   .

There is never a shortage of them, Monsignor, you just dont look hard enough.      , ,    .

 Am I looking badly?   ? What do you mean by this, dear Monsieur Rochefort?     ,   ? Teach me.  . Your friendship with the late cardinal must have taught you a lot.         . Ah, what a great man he was! ,     !

- You wont be angry with me for a little moralizing?         ?

- Me?  ? Never! ! You know, you can say anything to my face.  ,      . I try to be loved, not feared.  ,   ,   .

- Monsignor, there is a proverb scratched on the wall of my cell with a nail.  ,         .

What kind of proverb is this?     ? asked Mazarin.    .

- Here it is: what kind of gentleman is he...   :  

 I know, I know: thats the lackeys nature.  , :  .

- No: that's the servant.  :  . The devoted people I just told you about made this modest amendment for their own personal satisfaction.     ,       ,     .

- What does this proverb mean?     ?

It means that Richelieu knew how to find loyal servants, and dozens of them.   ,      ,   .

- Him?  ? Yes, daggers were pointed at him from all sides!         ! All his life he had been busy with nothing but parrying the blows inflicted on him.       ,     .

 But he still repelled them, although sometimes these were cruel blows.       ,      . He had the worst enemies, but he also had devoted friends.     ,      .

- That's exactly what I need.   -   .

I have known men, continued Rochefort, thinking that the moment had come to keep his word to dArtagnan, I have known men who were so clever that they deceived the sagacious cardinal a hundred times; who were so brave that they overcame all his guards and spies; who, penniless, alone, without any help, saved the crown on the head of a crowned head and forced the cardinal to beg for mercy.    ,   , ,     ,  ,    ,    ,      ;   ,       ;   , ,   ,            .

But the people you speak of, said Mazarin, smiling to himself, because Rochefort himself had spoken about what the Italian was getting at, were not at all devoted to the Cardinal, since they fought against him.    ,    ,   ,   ,       ,    ,      ,     .

- No, because otherwise they would have been better rewarded; unfortunately, they were devoted to the very queen for whom you are now looking for loyal servants.  ,        ;  ,      ,       .

- But how do you know all this?       ?

 I know all this because these people were my enemies at the time; because they fought against me; because I did them as much harm as I was able to do; because they more than repaid me in kind; because one of them, with whom I had special dealings, struck me with a sword about seven years ago  this was already the third blow I received from the same hand With this we finally settled old scores.      ,         ; ,     ; ,      ,     ; ,        ; ,    ,       ,             ,            .

Ah, Mazarin sighed with delightful simplicity, how I need such people!  ,      ,      !

- Well, Monsignor, you have had one of them at your disposal for over six years, and for all six years you have considered him good for nothing.  , ,           ,            .

- Who is this?    ?

- Monsieur d'Artagnan.   .

This Gascon!   ! exclaimed Mazarin with superbly feigned surprise.        .

 This Gascon once saved a queen and forced Richelieu himself to admit that he was only an apprentice in matters of cunning, dexterity and resourcefulness.    -            ,     .

- Really?  ?

- Everything is as I told your lordship.   ,     .

 Tell me more, dear Monsieur de Rochefort.    ,    .

It is very difficult, Monsignor, he replied with a smile.    , ,     .

- Well, he will tell me himself.  ,     .

 I doubt it, Monsignor.  , .

- Why?  ?

- Because it is someone else's secret; because, as I told you, it is the secret of a powerful queen.      ;  ,    ,    .

- And he alone accomplished this feat?       ?

- No, Monsignor, he had three friends with him, three brave men who helped him, three brave men exactly like the ones you are looking for...  , ,     ,  ,  ,    ,   

- And these people were closely connected with each other, you say?         ,  ?

 Connected as if these four people were one, as if their four hearts beat in one chest.   ,      ,        . But what havent the four of them done!       !

- My dear Monsieur de Rochefort, you have aroused my curiosity to the extreme.      ,      . Can't you tell me this story?        ?

- No, but I can tell you a story, a wonderful story, Monsignor.  ,      ,  , .

- Oh, tell me, Monsieur de Rochefort!  ,  ,   ! I love fairy tales terribly.    .

Is this what you want, Monseigneur?    , ? said Rochefort, trying to read the true intentions on that cunning, sly face.    ,       ,  .

- Yes.  .

 In that case, if you please.     . Once upon a time there lived a queen... a powerful queen, who owned one of the greatest states in the world. -   ,       . One great minister wanted to do her a lot of harm, because he had previously wished her well too much.         ,       . Dont bother, Monseigneur, you wont guess the names anyway.  , ,      . All this happened long before you came to the state where this queen reigned.      ,     ,    . And then an ambassador comes to court, so handsome, rich, elegant, that all the women went crazy over him, and even the queen herself had the imprudence to give him - no doubt in memory of how he carried out his diplomatic missions - such a wonderful decoration that nothing could replace it.      ,  , , ,        ,        ,   ,    ,      ,    ,     . Since it was given to her by the king, the minister inspired the latter to order the queen to appear at the next ball in this decoration.       ,    ,           . Well, Monseigneur, the minister, of course, knew from reliable sources that the decoration was with the envoy, and the envoy himself had already left far, far away beyond the blue seas. , , , ,    ,     ,      -   . The great queen was on the brink of death, as the last of her subjects.      ,     . She had to fall from the height of her greatness.        .

 Of course!   !  said Mazarin.    .

 Well, my lord, four men decided to save her.   , ,     . These four men were neither princes, nor dukes, nor men of influence, nor even rich men: they were four soldiers who had nothing but a brave heart, a strong arm, and a long sword.       ,  ,   ,   :    ,     ,   ,     . They set out.    . The minister knew of their departure and stationed men everywhere to prevent them from reaching their goal.         ,     . Three of them were disabled by enemies far more numerous than they; but one reached the port, killed or wounded those who tried to detain him, swam across the sea, and brought the queen a jewel which she could pin to her shoulder on the appointed day.        ,   ,  ;     ,      ,      ,          . This nearly destroyed the minister.     . What do you say about this feat, my lord?      , ?

Excellent!  ! said Mazarin thoughtfully.     .

I know of ten more such cases involving him.         .

Mazarin did not answer: he was thinking.   :  .

Several minutes passed.   .

Do you have any more questions for me, Monseigneur?        , ? asked Rochefort.    .

- So d'Artagnan was one of these four people, you say?         ,  ?

- He was the one who ran the whole thing.  -    .

- And who were the others?     ?

- Monseigneur, let me let d'Artagnan name them for you himself.  ,        . They were his friends, not mine; he alone was connected with them, and I don't even know their real names.    ,   ;       ,        .

You dont trust me, dear Monsieur de Rochefort.     ,    . Well, anyway, Ill be frank to the end: I need you, I need him, I need everyone. ,  ,     :   ,  ,  .

- Start with me, Monsignor, since you sent for me and I am here, and then you can deal with them.    , ,        ,      . Dont be surprised at my curiosity.    . After spending five years in prison, you will begin to worry about where they will send you.     ,  ,   .

- You will be my confidant, dear Monsieur de Rochefort.      ,    . You will go to Vincennes, where the Duke of Beaufort is imprisoned, and you will guard him without taking your eyes off him.    ,    ,    ,   . What! ! You seem dissatisfied? , , ?

You are offering me the impossible, replied the disappointed Rochefort, hanging his head.     ,    ,  .

- How is it impossible?    ? Why is it impossible?    ?

 Because the Duke of Beaufort is my friend; or rather, I am one of his friends; have you forgotten, Monseigneur, that he vouched for me to the Queen?  ,     ; , ,     ;   , ,      ?

 The Duke of Beaufort has since become an enemy of the state.         .

I admit that, Monseigneur; but since I am neither a king, nor a queen, nor a minister, he is not my enemy, and I cannot accept your proposal.    , ;      ,     ,     ,       .

- So this is what you call devotion!       ! Congratulations.  . Your devotion obliges you to little, Monsieur Rochefort.      ,  .

And then, Monseigneur, you yourself understand that leaving the Bastille in order to move to Vincennes means only exchanging one prison for another.   , ,   ,      ,    , ,      .

Tell me straight away that you belong to the Beaufort party  that will at least be frank on your part.   ,      ,          .

- Monsignor, I have been locked up for so long that now I want to join only one party, the party of fresh air.  ,     ,        ,    . Send me on an errand wherever you want, assign me any task, but in the open field, if possible.      ,     ,    ,  .

My dear Monsieur de Rochefort, said Mazarin mockingly, you are getting carried away in your zeal.      ,    ,      . You still imagine yourself young, fortunately your heart is still young; but you do not have enough strength.      ,     ;     . Believe me: all you need now is rest.  : ,    ,   . Hey, somebody! , -!

- So, you havent decided anything about me, Monsignor?  ,      , ?

 On the contrary, I have already decided.  ,   .

Bernouin entered.  .

Call the guard, he said, and stay near me, he added in a whisper.   ,   ,     ,    .

A guard entered.  . Mazarin wrote a few words and handed over the note, then, nodding, said:       , , , :

 Goodbye, Monsieur de Rochefort.  ,   .

Rochefort bowed respectfully.   .

It seems, Monseigneur, he said, that they will take me back to the Bastille?  , ,   ,      ?

- You are very smart.    .

Im going back there, Monsignor, but I repeat, youre making a big mistake by not using me.    , , , ,    ,   .

- By you, the friend of my enemies!  ,   !

- What should I do?    ? You should have made me the enemy of your enemies.       .

 Do you really think, Monsieur de Rochefort, that you are alone in the world?      ,   ,     ? I assure you, I will find people better than you.  ,     .

 I wish you good luck, Monsignor.    , .

- Okay, go, go.  , , . By the way: its no use writing to me, Monsieur de Rochefort  your letters will get lost anyway. :   ,   ,      .

It turns out I was pulling chestnuts out of the fire for others, and not for myself, Rochefort grumbled as he left.  ,       ,    ,  , , . If dArtagnan is not pleased with me when I tell him now how I praised him, then it means its hard to please him.         ,     ,   , , ,   . Damn, where are they taking me? ,    ?

Indeed, Rochefort was led up a narrow staircase instead of through the reception room where d'Artagnan was waiting. ,     ,      ,   . In the courtyard he saw a carriage and four guards, but his friend was not among them.        ,       .

Ah, so thats it!  ! thought Rochefort.    . This will give the matter a completely different turn.        . And if there are still so many people on the streets, then we will try to prove to Mazarin that, thank God, we are still capable of something better than guarding prisoners.         ,     ,  ,  ,     ,   .

And he jumped into the carriage as easily as if he were twenty-five years old.       ,      .



Chapter IV  IV

Anne of Austria at forty-six years old      

Left alone with Bernouin, Mazarin sat for a few minutes in thought; he now knew much, but not everything.    ,      ;    ,    . Mazarin cheated at the game; as Brienne attests, he called it "taking advantage of his advantages."    ;   ,      . He decided not to begin the game with d'Artagnan until he knew all his opponent's cards.        ,     .

What do you order?   ? asked Bernouin.    .

Shine the light for me, said Mazarin, Im going to the queen.   ,   ,     .

Bernouin took the candlestick and went forward.      .

A secret passage connected Mazarin's office with the queen's chambers; the cardinal could use this corridor to visit Anne of Austria at any time.        ;          .

Reaching the narrow passage to the queen's bedroom, Bernouin saw Madame de Beauvais there.       ,    ? . She and Bernouin were the confidants of this late love.        . Madame de Beauvais went to report Cardinal Anne of Austria, who was in her chapel with the young King Louis XIV. ?      ,          XIV.

Anne of Austria sat in a large armchair, her elbow resting on the table, her head resting on her hand, looking at the royal child, who, lying on the carpet, was leafing through a thick book about wars and battles.      ,    , ,    ,    , ,   ,       . Anne of Austria was a queen who knew how to be bored with royal grandeur; sometimes she would retire for hours to her bedroom or prayer room and sit there without reading or praying.    ,     ;              ,     .

In the hands of the king was Quintus Curtius, the history of Alexander the Great, with engravings depicting his great deeds.      ,   ,  ,    .

Madame Beauvais announced Cardinal Mazarin from the threshold of the chapel. ?        .

The child rose up on one knee, frowned and asked his mother:     ,      :

- Why does he enter without asking for an audience?    ,   ?

Anna blushed slightly.   .

In such a difficult time as now, she said, it is necessary that the first minister be able to report to the queen at any hour about everything that is happening, without arousing the curiosity and gossip of the courtiers.     ,  ,   ,  ,           ,  ,      .

But Richelieu, it seems, didnt enter like that, the child insisted.   , ,   ,   .

 How can you know what Richelieu did?     ,   ? You were very little then, you cant remember it.     ,     .

 I dont remember, but I asked others, and thats what they told me.     ,    ,    .

Who told you this?      ?  Anna asked with poorly concealed displeasure.        .

Who?  ? I know that I should never name those who answer my questions, the child answered, otherwise no one will tell me anything else.  ,      ,     ,   ,         .

At that moment Mazarin entered.     . The King stood up, slammed the book shut and, placing it on the table, continued to stand in order to force the Cardinal to stand as well.  ,   ,    ,  ,     .

Mazarin watched this scene keenly, trying to decipher the preceding one from it.     ,      . He bowed respectfully before the queen and made a low bow to the king, to which the latter responded with a rather careless nod.          ,       . But his mother's gaze reproached him for this manifestation of the hatred with which Louis XIV had been imbued since childhood with the cardinal, and, in response to the minister's greeting, he forced himself to smile.         ,   XIV     , ,     ,    .

Anne of Austria tried to read in Mazarin's face the reason for his unexpected visit; usually the cardinal came to her only when she was alone.           ;     ,     .

The Minister made a barely perceptible nod with his head.      . The Queen turned to Madame Bove.    ? .

Its time for the king to sleep, she said.    ,   . Call La Porta.     .

The Queen had already reminded little Louis two or three times that it was time for him to go, but the child kindly asked permission to stay a little longer.         ,    ,       . This time he said nothing, only bit his lip and turned pale.       ,     .

A minute later La Porte entered.     .

The child went straight to him without kissing his mother.     ,   .

Listen, Louis, why didnt you say goodbye to me?  , ,      ?  asked Anna.    .

I thought you were angry with me, Your Majesty: you are driving me away.   ,     ,  :   .

Im not driving you away, but youve just had chickenpox, youre not quite recovered yet, and Im afraid youre having a hard time staying up late.     ,        ,     ,   ,     .

You werent afraid that it would be difficult for me to go to parliament today and sign these ill-fated decrees with which the people are so dissatisfied.     ,             ,    .

Sire, said the valet, to change the conversation, to whom would you like me to give the candlestick?  ,   ,   ,     ?

Whoever you want, La Porte, just not Mancini, the child answered loudly.   ,  ,    ,    .

Mancini was the cardinal's little nephew, whom he had sent to the king; the latter transferred some of his hatred of the minister to him.     ,    ;          .

The king left without kissing his mother or saying goodbye to the cardinal.  ,        .

Thats good!    ! said Mazarin.    . Its nice to see that the king is being taught to detest pretense.    ,       .

What does this mean?    ?  the queen asked almost timidly.      .

It seems to me that the kings departure requires no explanation; in general, His Majesty does not bother to hide how little he loves me.   ,      ; ,       ,     . However, this does not prevent me from being devoted to him, as well as to Your Majesty. ,       ,    .

I ask you to forgive him, Cardinal: he is still a child and does not understand how much he owes you.     , :      ,    .

The Cardinal smiled.  .

But, continued the queen, you have undoubtedly come on some important matter?  ,   ,  ,  ,   -  ? What has happened?  ?

Mazarin sat down, or rather, sprawled in a wide armchair and said sadly:   , ,       :

It has happened that, in all likelihood, we will soon be forced to separate, unless, of course, you decide, out of friendship, to follow me to Italy.   , ,   ,     , , ,          .

Why?  ? asked the queen.    .

Because, as they sing in the opera Thisbe: the whole world is hostile to our tender passion, answered Mazarin.   ,     :      ,   .

You are joking, sir!   , ! said the queen, trying to give her voice at least a little of its former grandeur.    ,        .

Alas, Your Majesty, I am not joking at all, replied Mazarin.  ,  ,    ,   . Believe me, I am more ready to cry; and there is reason to, because, as I have already told you: the whole world is hostile to our tender passion.    ,    ;    ,  ,     :      . And since you are also part of this world, it means that you are also leaving me.        , , ,    .

- Cardinal!  !

- Oh, my God, didnt I see you the other day smiling affably at the Duke of Orleans, or rather at what he was saying to you?  ,  ,    ,         , , ,    ?

- And what did he tell me?       ?

He told you, Your Majesty: Your Mazarin is a stumbling block.    ,  :     . Remove him, and all will be well.  ,    .

- What do you want from me?       ?

- Oh, your majesty!  ,  ! You are a queen, as far as I know.   ,   .

- What a royal power!    ! Any clerk from the Palais Royal, any nobleman, can rule here!      -,  !

 However, you are strong enough to remove from yourself people you dont like.       ,     ,    .

Lets say it better that you dont like them!   ,   !  exclaimed the queen.    .

- Me?  ?

- Of course!  ! Werent you the one who removed Madame de Chevreuse, who suffered twelve years of persecution during the last reign?       ,        ?

- Intriguer!  ! She wanted to continue the intrigues against me that she had started against Richelieu.      ,   .

- And who removed Madame Hautefort, my faithful friend, who rejected the kings advances just to keep my favor?      ,   ,    ,     ?

- A hypocrite.  . Every evening, while undressing you, she repeated that you were ruining your soul by loving a priest, as if a cardinal and a priest were one and the same.   ,  , ,     ,  ,         .

- Who ordered the arrest of Beaufort?     ?

- Beaufort is a rebel who said so directly that I should be killed!    ,     ,    !

You know very well, Cardinal, said the Queen, that your enemies are my enemies.    , ,   ,       .

- That is not enough, Your Majesty.   ,  . Your friends must also be my friends.  ,       .

My friends the queen shook her head.       . Alas!   ! I have no more friends.     .

 How can you not have friends in happiness when you had them in the days of your adversity?        ,         ?

 Because in my happiness I forgot my friends.         . I acted like Marie de Medici, who, returning from her first exile, despised those who suffered for her, and then, exiled a second time, died in Cologne, abandoned by everyone, even by her own son, because now everyone despised her in turn.     , ,     ,    ,  ,  ,   ,  ,   ,      ,   .

But perhaps there is still time, said Mazarin, to correct the mistake?    ,   ,   ,   ? Look among your former friends.     .

- What do you want to say?     ?

- Just what he said: look for it.   ,  : .

 Alas, no matter how much I look around me, I see no one whom I could dispose of.  ,      ,    ,     . The kings uncle, the Duke of Orleans, is, as always, controlled by a favorite: yesterday it was Choisy, today La Rivi?re, tomorrow someone else.  ,  ,  ,  :    ,   ,  - . The Prince of Cond obediently follows his coadjutor, and he follows Madame de Gumn.       ,       .

But I advised you to look among your former friends, not among your current ones.        ,     .

The same ones?  ?  repeated the queen.    .

 Yes, for example, among those who helped you fight Richelieu and even defeat him  , ,  ,          

What is he hinting at?    ?  thought the queen, looking warily at the cardinal.    ,     .

Yes, he continued, under certain circumstances, with the help of friends, you were able, using the subtle and strong mind inherent in Your Majesty, to repel the attacks of this enemy.  ,   ,    ,     ,     ,   ,   .

Me?!  ?!  the queen exclaimed.    .  I just endured it, thats all.    ,  .

Yes, said the cardinal, they endured, preparing revenge, like a true woman.  ,   ,  ,  ,   . But lets get down to business.    . Do you remember Rochefort?   ?

Rochefort was not one of my friends: on the contrary, he is my inveterate enemy, the cardinals faithful servant.        : ,    ,   . I thought you knew this.  ,    .

So well known, replied Mazarin, that we ordered him to be thrown into the Bastille.    ,   ,        .

Did he come out from there?    ? asked the queen.    .

Rest assured, he is still there; I only mentioned him to move on to something else.   ,    ;       ,    . Do you know dArtagnan?    ? asked Mazarin, looking straight at the queen.    ,     .

The blow hit the very heart.     .

Did the Gascon really let it slip?    ? whispered Anne of Austria.     . Then she added loudly: DArtagnan?   :  Ē? Wait, yes, indeed, that name is familiar to me. , ,   ,    . DArtagnan, the musketeer who loved one of my chambermaids? Ē, ,      ? She, poor thing, was later poisoned. , ,  .

 Is that all?    ?  said Mazarin.    .

The Queen looked at the Cardinal in surprise:     :

- But, Cardinal, it seems you are interrogating me?  , , ,    ?

In any case, said Mazarin with his eternal smile, in the same sweet tone, it is up to you to answer me or not.    ,       ,     ,        .

State your wishes clearly, and I will answer them in the same way, the queen began to lose patience.     ,       ,     .

Your Majesty, said Mazarin, bowing, I wish you to share your friends with me, as I have shared with you the few knowledge and abilities that heaven has bestowed upon me.   ,   , ,   ,       ,          ,    . The situation is becoming more complicated, and we must act decisively.  ,    .

- Again!  ! - said the queen.    . - I thought we had finished with this, having got rid of Beaufort.    ,     ,   .

- Yes, you looked only at the stream that threatened to wash away everything in its path, and did not look back at the stagnant water.  ,     ,      ,      . Meanwhile, there is a French proverb about still waters.         .

Go on, said the queen.  ,   .

I suffer insults every day from your princes and titled lackeys, from all sorts of puppets who do not see that I hold all the strings to them in my hand, and do not guess that behind my patient calm lies the wrath of a man who has sworn to overcome them one day.            ,   ,   ,        ,   ,       ,        . True, we arrested Beaufort, but of them all, he was the least dangerous. ,   ,        . After all, there is still the Prince of Cond     

- The victor at Rocroi!    ! Arrest him?  ?

- Yes, Your Majesty, I often think about this, but, as we Italians say, pazienza.  ,  ,     , ,   , , pazienza. And besides Conde, we will have to take the Duke of Orleans.       .

- What are you saying?     ? The first prince of the blood, the king's uncle!   ,  !

 No, not the first prince of the blood and not the kings uncle, but a vile conspirator who, in the last reign, spurred on by his capricious and quarrelsome character, consumed by boredom, inflamed by base ambition, envious of those who surpassed him in nobility, courage, and angry at his own insignificance, precisely because of his insignificance became the echo of all malicious gossip, the soul of all conspiracies, the instigator of daredevils who were foolish enough to believe the word of a man of royal blood and whom he renounced when they found themselves on the scaffold.  ,        ,   ,    ,      ,  ,   ,  ,    , ,     ,          ,   ,  ,             ,     . No, I am not speaking of a prince of the blood or of the kings uncle, but of the murderer of Chalais, Montmorency and Saint-Mars, who at the present moment is trying to play the same trick again and imagines that he will gain the upper hand because his opponent has changed, because now he has before him a man who prefers not to threaten, but to smile. ,           ,    ,   -,            ,    ,      ,     ,   ,  . But he He is mistaken.   . He only lost with the death of Richelieu, and it is not in my interests to leave near the queen this source of all discord, the man with whose help the old cardinal successfully inflamed the bile of the late king for twenty years.      ,            , ,            .

Anna blushed and covered her face with her hands.      .

I do not wish to humiliate Your Majesty in the least, Mazarin continued in a calmer, but surprisingly firm voice.        ,     ,     . I want the Queen to be respected and her minister to be respected, because in the eyes of all people I am nothing more than a minister.    ,       ,           . Your Majesty knows that I am not a rogue Italian, as many call me.   ,    -,    . It is necessary that the whole world knows this, just as Your Majesty knows it. ,       ,    .

Okay.  . What should I do?     ? said Anne of Austria, obeying this imperious voice.     ,    .

You must remember the names of those faithful, devoted men who crossed the sea against the will of Richelieu and, leaving traces of their own blood along the way, brought to your majesty one decoration that you were pleased to give to Buckingham.       ,  ,       ,      ,    ,      .

Anna rose majestically and angrily, as if under the influence of a steel spring, and, looking at the cardinal with the proud dignity that made her so powerful in the days of her youth, said:     ,     , ,      ,       , :

- You insult me!    !

I want, continued Mazarin, finishing his thought, interrupted by the queens movement, for you to do now for your husband what you once did for your lover.   ,   ,   ,   ,         ,    -   .

This slander again!    !  exclaimed the queen.    .  I thought that it had died or died out, since you have rid me of it until now.    ,     ,          . But here you are repeating it too.      . So much the better.  . Let us explain ourselves today and finish it once and for all, do you hear?      , ?

But, Your Majesty, said Mazarin, surprised by this unexpected flash of strength, I do not at all demand that you tell me everything.  ,  ,   ,     ,     ,     .

But I want to tell you everything, answered Anne of Austria.       ,    . Listen then.    . There were at that time truly four devoted hearts, four noble souls, four faithful swords, who saved me more than my life: they saved my honor.        ,   ,   ,      :    .

- Ah!  ! Do you admit this?    ? - said Mazarin.    .

 Do you really think that only the guilty can tremble for their honor?  , -,       ? Is it impossible to dishonor someone, especially a woman, based on appearances alone?    -,  ,     ? Yes, everything was against me, and I inevitably had to lose my honor, and yet, I swear to you, I was not guilty. ,    ,       ,   ,  ,    . I swear 

The Queen began to search around her for some sacred object on which she could swear; she took from a secret closet a small rosewood casket with silver inlays and, placing it on the altar, said:      -  ,      ;             ,    , :

I swear by the sacred relics kept here, I loved Buckingham, but Buckingham was not my lover.    ,  ,    ,      .

And what are these sacred objects on which you swear an oath, Your Majesty?       ,     ,  ?  asked Mazarin, smiling.   , , .  As you know, I am a Roman, and therefore not gullible.     ,  ,    . There are all sorts of relics.    .

The queen took a small golden key from her neck and handed it to the cardinal.           .

 Open it and take a look.    .

The surprised Mazarin took the key, opened the chest and found in it a rusty knife and two letters, one of which was stained with blood.    ,           ,      .

What is this?   ? asked Mazarin.    .

What is this?   ? repeated Anne of Austria, with a regal gesture extending her hand over the open casket, which the years had not deprived of its wonderful beauty.     ,       ,      . Ill tell you now.      . These two letters are the only ones I wrote to him.     ,    . And this is the knife with which Felton killed him.   ,    . Read the letters, and you will see if Im lying.  ,   ,   .

Despite the permission he had received, Mazarin, instinctively obeying his feelings, instead of reading the letters, took the knife: the dying Buckingham had taken it from his wound and sent it to the queen through La Porte; the blade was all eaten away by rust, into which the blood had turned.    , ,   ,     ,  :             ;     ,    . The cardinal looked at it for a minute, and during this time the queen turned paler than the linen covering the altar on which she leaned.      ,        ,  ,    . Finally, with an involuntary tremor, the cardinal returned the knife to the casket.          .

- Okay, Your Majesty, I believe your oath.  ,  ,    .

No, no, read it, said the queen, frowning, read it.  , , ,   ,  ,  . I want it, I demand it; I have decided to end this now and never return to it again.  ,  ;               . Or do you think, she added with a terrible smile, that I will open this little chest every time you renew your accusations?   ,      ,         ,     ?

Mazarin, obeying the sudden manifestation of her will, read both letters almost mechanically. ,     ,     . In one, the queen asked Buckingham to return the diamond pendants; this was the letter that d'Artagnan took, it arrived on time.        ;   ,   ,   . The second was sent by La Porte; in it, the queen warned Buckingham that they wanted to kill him, and this letter arrived late.      ;     ,    ,    .

Very well, your Majesty, said Mazarin, there is nothing to answer to that.  ,  ,   ,     .

"No," said the queen, locking the casket and laying her hand on it, "no, there is something to be said for that: I must say that I was ungrateful to the people who saved me and did everything they could to save him; and I did not grant the brave d'Artagnan anything, but only allowed him to kiss my hand and gave him this diamond."  ,   ,       ,  ,     :  ,      ,      ,   ,   ;       ,            .

The Queen extended her lovely hand to the Cardinal and showed him the marvelous stone that glittered on her finger.           ,    .

He sold it in a difficult moment, she said again with a slight embarrassment, sold it in order to save me a second time; with the money he received, he sent a messenger to Buckingham with a warning about the murder that was threatening him.       ,       ,    ,      ;              .

- So d'Artagnan knew about this?  ,    ?

 He knew everything.    . How, I do not understand.  ,  . D'Artagnan sold the ring to Dessessart; I saw the ring on his hand and bought it back. Ē   ;         . But this diamond belongs to d'Artagnan; return the ring to him from me, and since, fortunately for you, there is such a person near you, then try to make use of it.     ;     ,   ,   ,     ,    .

Thank you, Your Majesty, said Mazarin, I will not forget your advice.   ,  ,   ,      .

And now, said the queen, exhausted by the excitement she had experienced, what else would you like to know from me?   ,   ,    ,         ?

Nothing, Your Majesty, the cardinal replied in his most gentle voice.  ,  ,      . I only beg you to forgive me for my unfair suspicion.         . But I love you so much that my jealousy, even towards the past, is not surprising.     ,   ,   , .

A faint smile flickered across the queen's lips.      .

If you have nothing more to ask me, she said, then leave me.         ,   ,    . You understand that after such a conversation I need to be alone with myself.  ,          .

Mazarin bowed:  :

- I am leaving, your majesty.   ,  . But allow me to come again.     .

- Yes, only tomorrow.  ,  . And this time will hardly be enough for me to calm down.       ,   .

The cardinal took the queen's hand, kissed it gallantly and left.    ,    .

As soon as he left, the queen went into her son's room and asked La Porte if the king had gone to bed.    ,         ,   .

La Porte pointed out to her the sleeping child.       .

Anne of Austria climbed the steps of the bed, pressed her lips to her son's furrowed brow and kissed him.      ,         . Then she left just as quietly, saying only to the valet:     ,   :

 Please try, dear La Porte, to make the king look more kindly at the cardinal.  , ,   ,      . Both the king and I owe a lot to the cardinal.    ,     .



Chapter V  V

The Gascon and the Italian   

Meanwhile, the cardinal returned to his study, at the door of which Bernouin was on duty.        ,     . Mazarin asked if there was any news and if there was any news from the city, then, having received a negative answer, he motioned for the servant to leave.  ,           , ,   ,    .

Left alone, he stood up and opened the door into the corridor, then into the hallway; the tired d'Artagnan was sleeping on the bench.  ,       ,   ;     .

Monsieur dArtagnan!   !  Mazarin called in an ingratiating voice.      .

D'Artagnan did not move. Ē  .

Monsieur dArtagnan!   !  Mazarin called louder.     .

D'Artagnan continued to sleep. Ē  .

The cardinal approached him and touched his shoulder with his finger.         .

This time d'Artagnan started, woke up and, having come to his senses, immediately jumped to his feet, like a soldier ready for battle.     ,  ,   ,    ,  ,   .

- I am here.   . Who is calling me?   ?

I, said Mazarin with the most welcoming smile.  ,       .

I beg your pardon, Your Eminence, said dArtagnan, but I am so tired   ,  ,   ,     

There is no need to ask for an apology, said Mazarin, you are tired of my service    ,   ,      

The minister's gracious tone delighted d'Artagnan.       .

Hm he muttered through his teeth, is the proverb that happiness comes in a dream really true?       ,    ,     ?

Follow me, sir, said Mazarin.    , ,   .

- So, so!  , ! - muttered d'Artagnan.    . - Rochefort kept his word; but where the hell did he go?     ;    ,  , ?

He peered into every nook and cranny of the office, but Rochefort was nowhere to be found.      ,     .

Monsieur dArtagnan, said Mazarin, settling himself comfortably in his chair, you have always seemed to me a brave and glorious man.   ,   ,    ,         .

Perhaps, thought dArtagnan, but he took a long time to tell me about it. ,   ,          .

This, however, did not prevent him from bowing low to Mazarin in response to the compliment. , ,          .

So, continued Mazarin, the time has come to use your abilities and virtues.   ,   ,        .

Joy flashed like lightning in the officers eyes, but it immediately died out, since he still did not know where Mazarin was going.   ,  ,  ,    ,      ,   .

Command me, Monsignor, he said, I am happy to obey your Excellency.  , ,   ,      .

Monsieur dArtagnan, continued Mazarin, in the last reign you accomplished such feats   ,   ,        

You are too kind, Monsignor, to recall this.    , ,   . True, I fought not without success ,     

I am not speaking of your military exploits, said Mazarin, for although they have brought you glory, they have been surpassed by others.        ,   ,   ,      ,   .

D'Artagnan feigned astonishment. Ē  .

Why dont you answer?      ?. .. .  said Mazarin.    .

I am waiting, Monsignor, for you to deign to explain to me what exploits you wish to speak of.   , ,     ,      .

 Im talking about one adventure... Yes, you know perfectly well what I want to say.          ,    .

Alas, no, Monseigneur!  , , !  dArtagnan answered in complete amazement.       .

- You are modest, so much the better!   ,  ! I am talking about the story with the queen, about the diamond pendants, about the journey you made with your three friends.      ,   ,  ,       .

So thats it!   !  thought the Gascon.    .  Is this a trap?       ? We must keep our ears open.    .

And he portrayed such bewilderment on his face that Mondori and Bellerose, the two best actors of that time, would have envied him.        ,       ,     .

Excellent!  ! said Mazarin, laughing.   , , . Bravo!   ! No wonder they told me that you are exactly the kind of person I need.   ,     ,   . Well, what would you do for me? ,      ?

Everything, monseigneur, that you command me, replied dArtagnan.  , ,    ,   .

 Would you do for me what you once did for a certain queen?       ,  -    ?

Positively, flashed through dArtagnans mind, he wants to force me to spill the beans. ,     ,      . But well fight.   . Hes not more cunning than Richelieu, damn it!     ,  ! 

 For the queen, monsignor?   , ? I dont understand.   .

 Dont you understand that I need you and your three friends?    ,        ?

- What three friends, Monsignor?    , ?

- Those that you had in the past.  ,       .

In the old days, Monseigneur, replied dArtagnan, I had not three, but fifty friends.    , ,   ,      ,   . At twenty, you consider everyone your friend.      .

Very well, very well, sir officer, said Mazarin.  , ,  ,   . Secrecy is a wonderful thing.      . But I hope you dont regret your excessive secrecy today.          .

Pythagoras forced his disciples to remain silent for five years, Monsignor, to teach them to remain silent when necessary.         , ,    ,   .

- And you kept it for twenty years.       . Fifteen years more than was required of a Pythagorean philosopher, and that seems to me quite sufficient.    ,    -,      . Today you can say - the queen herself releases you from your oath.            .

The Queen?  ? asked dArtagnan with surprise, which this time was not feigned.      ,      .

- Yes, Queen!  , ! And the proof that I speak in her name is her command to show you this diamond, which she thinks you know and which she bought from Monsieur Dessessart.   ,      ,       , ,   ,         .

And Mazarin extended his hand to the lieutenant, who sighed, recognizing the ring the queen had given him at the ball in the town hall.      ,  ,  ,        .

Its true!  ! said dArtagnan.    . I recognize this diamond that belonged to the queen.      ,  .

You see that I am speaking to you on her behalf.   ,        . Answer me, dont play a comedy.   ,   . I have already told you and I repeat again: this is a matter of your fate.       :     .

- Indeed, Monsignor, it is absolutely necessary for me to take care of my fate.  , ,       . You, Your Eminence, have not remembered me for so long! ,  ,      !

- A week is enough to make up for lost time.   ,   . So, you are here yourself, but where are your friends? ,   ,     ?

 I dont know, monsignor.   , .

- How, you dont know?  ,  ?

I dont know; we separated a long time ago, since all three of them left military service.   ;   ,        .

- But where will you find them?      ?

- Wherever they end up.  ,   . That's my business.    .

- Okay.  . Your conditions?  ?

 Money, Monseigneur, as much money as is needed for our undertakings.  , ,  ,     . I remember only too well what obstacles sometimes arose before us due to lack of money, and if it were not for this diamond, which I was forced to sell, we would have been stuck on the road.    ,        -  ,     ,     ,     .

- Damn it!   ! Money! ! And a lot of it, too!      ! - said Mazarin.    . - That's what you wanted, sir officer.      ,  . Do you know that there is no money in the royal treasury?   ,      ?

 Then do as I do, Monseigneur: sell the royal diamonds; but, believe me, there is no point in bargaining: great things are not done well with small means.   ,  , :   ; ,  ,   :       .

Very well, said Mazarin, we will try to satisfy you.  ,   ,     .

Richelieu, thought dArtagnan, would have already given me five hundred pistoles as a deposit. ,   ,        .

- So, will you serve me?  ,    ?

- Yes, if my friends agree.  ,      .

- But if they refuse, can I count on you?           ?

I have never done anything worthwhile alone, said dArtagnan, shaking his head.          ,   ,  .

- Then find them.    .

- What should I tell them to incline them to serve your Excellency?     ,       ?

- You know them better than I do.     ,  . Promise each one according to his character.       .

- What should I promise?    ?

If they serve me as they served the queen, then my gratitude will be dazzling.      ,   ,     .

- What are we going to do?     ?

- Everything, because you seem to be capable of everything.  ,   , -,   .

 Monsignor, if we trust people and want them to trust us, we must inform them better than your Eminence does  ,    ,    ,    ,     

When the time comes to act, Mazarin interrupted him, rest assured, you will know everything.     ,    ,   ,   .

- And until then?     ?

 Wait and look for your friends.      .

- Monseigneur, they may not be in Paris, it is even quite likely.  , ,  ,   ,    . I will have to travel.   . After all, I am only a poor lieutenant, a musketeer, and travel is expensive.     , ,    .

It is not my intention, said Mazarin, for you to appear with great pomp; my plans require secrecy and would suffer from too many people around you.      ,   ,       ,              .

And yet, Monseigneur, I cannot travel on my salary, since I am in debt for three whole months; and I cannot travel on my savings, because in twenty-two years of service I have accumulated only debts.    , ,       ,        ;        ,           .

Mazarin thought for a moment, as if a violent struggle were going on within him; then, going to a triple-locked cabinet, he took out a bag and weighed it in his hand two or three times before handing it to d'Artagnan.    ,      ; ,      ,          - ,    .

Take it, he said with a sigh, its for the journey.  ,     ,    .

If there are Spanish doubloons here, or at least gold ecus, thought dArtagnan, then we can still do business with you.         ,   ,        .

He bowed to the cardinal and dropped the bag into his spacious pocket.          .

So, its decided, the cardinal continued, you are going  , ,   ,   

- Yes, monsignor.  , .

 Write to me every day so that I know how your negotiations are going.     ,   ,    .

- Of course, monsignor.  , .

- Excellent.  . By the way, what are your friends names? ,    ?

What are the names of my friends?     ? repeated dArtagnan, not daring to trust the cardinal completely.    ,     .

- Yes.  . While you are looking, I will make some inquiries on my side and maybe find out something.   ,       ,  , - .

 Count de la F?re, otherwise Athos; Monsieur du Vallon, or Porthos, and the Chevalier d'Herblay, now Abbe d'Herblay, otherwise Aramis.     ,  ;   ,  ,   ,   ,  .

The Cardinal smiled.  .

The younger sons of ancient families, he said, who joined the musketeers under assumed names so as not to compromise their families!     ,   ,       ,     ! A long sword and an empty purse  we are familiar with this.         .

If, God willing, these swords serve you, Monseigneur, replied dArtagnan, then I dare to wish that your Eminences purse would become lighter and theirs would become heavier, because with these three men and me to boot, your Eminence will turn all of France and even all of Europe upside down, if you so desire.  ,  ,    , ,   ,    ,      ,    ,            ,  ,         ,    .

The Gascons can compete with the Italians in boasting, said Mazarin, laughing.        ,  , , .

In any case, said dArtagnan, smiling just like the cardinal, they will surpass them in sword-fighting.    ,   ,   ,  ,        .

And he left, having received leave, which was immediately given to him and signed by Mazarin himself.   ,  ,          .

As soon as he found himself in the yard, he went up to the lantern and quickly looked into the bag.    ,         .

Silver!  ! he said contemptuously.     . Thats what I thought!      ! Ah, Mazarin, Mazarin, you dont trust me  so much the worse for you, it will bring you misfortune. , , ,         ,    .

Meanwhile, the cardinal rubbed his hands with pleasure.        .

A hundred pistoles, he muttered, a hundred pistoles!   ,   ,   ! A hundred pistoles, and I possess a secret for which Richelieu would have paid twenty thousand crowns!       ,        ! Not counting this diamond, he added, casting loving glances at the ring which he had kept instead of giving to dArtagnan, not counting this diamond, which is worth at least ten thousand livres.    ,   ,     ,    ,     ,     ,       .

And the cardinal went to his room, extremely pleased with the evening, which had brought him such a splendid profit; he placed the ring in a casket filled with diamonds of all sorts, for the cardinal had a weakness for precious stones, and called Bernouin to undress him, no longer thinking of the cries in the street, nor of the gunshots that still thundered in Paris, although it was already nearly midnight.      ,   ,      ;    ,    ,        ,   ,    ,        ,    ,     ,     .

At this time, d'Artagnan was walking to Ticton Street, where he lived at the Goat Hotel. Ē       ,      .

Let us say in a few words why d'Artagnan chose this dwelling.    ,        .



Chapter VI  VI

D'Artagnan at forty Ē   

Alas, since we parted with d'Artagnan at 12 Gravediggers Street in our novel The Three Musketeers, many events have happened, and most importantly, many years have passed. ,   ,             ,  12,   ,      .

It is not that d'Artagnan did not know how to take advantage of circumstances, but the circumstances themselves were not in d'Artagnan's favor.        ,        . At the time when he lived alone with his friends, he was young and dreamy.  ,        ,     . He was one of those subtle, impressionable natures that easily assimilate the qualities of others.      ,  ,       . Athos infected him with his proud dignity, Porthos with his ardor, Aramis with his elegance.      ,   ,   . If d'Artagnan had continued to live with these three people, he would have become an outstanding person.         ,     . But Athos was the first to leave him, retiring to his small estate near Blois, which he had inherited; Porthos was the second to leave, having married his prosecutor's wife; The last to leave was Aramis, to be ordained and become an abbot.     ,       ,    ;   ,    ;  ,      . And d'Artagnan, who had always imagined his future as inseparable from that of his three friends, found himself alone and weak; he did not have the resolve to follow further the path on which, according to his own feeling, he could achieve something only on the condition that each of his friends gave him, so to speak, a little of the electric current with which heaven had bestowed upon them.  ,           ,    ;       ,  ,   ,    -   ,      ,    ,   ,    .

After his promotion to lieutenant, d'Artagnan's loneliness only deepened.        . He was not such an aristocrat as Athos that the doors of noble houses could be opened to him; he was not so vain as Porthos to convince others that he frequented high society; was not so refined as Aramis to remain in his natural grace and draw it from within himself.     ,  ,        ;     ,  ,   ,    ;    ,  ,            . For a time, the captivating memory of Madame Bonacieux brought a certain poetry into the soul of the young man, but, like everything in the world, this perishable memory was gradually erased: garrison life has a fatal influence even on select natures.      ?        , ,     ,    - :         . Of the two opposite elements that make up d'Artagnan's personality, the material principle gradually prevailed, and little by little, imperceptibly to himself, d'Artagnan, who had seen nothing but barracks and camps, never dismounted from his horse, became (I dont know what it was called at that time) what in our time is called a real soldier.    ,   ,   - ,  ,   , ,   ,    ,    ,  ( ,      ) ,       .

He did not lose his natural keenness of mind.      . On the contrary, this keenness of mind may even have increased; at least, the rough shell made it even more noticeable. ,   ,  ,  ;   ,      . But he directed his mind not to the great, but to the smallest things in life, to material well-being, well-being in the soldier's manner; in other words, he wanted to have only a good home, a good table and a good housewife.        ,      ,   ,    ;  ,      ,     .

And d'Artagnan found all this six years ago on Ticton Street, in an inn under the sign: "The Goat."            ,    : .

From the very first days of his stay at this hotel, its owner, a beautiful, fresh Flemish woman of about twenty-five or six, fell madly in love with him.           , ,  ,     ,      . The light romance was greatly hampered by the intractable husband, whom d'Artagnan threatened to run through with a sword ten times.      ,        . One fine morning this husband disappeared, quietly selling several barrels of wine and taking money and jewelry with him.       ,            . Everyone thought that he was dead; In particular, his wife, who was very pleased with the idea of being considered a widow, insisted that he had left this world.  ,   ;     ,      ,  ,      . Finally, after three years of a relationship that d'Artagnan had no intention of breaking, finding every year more and more pleasure in his home and his landlady, especially since the latter provided him with the former on credit, this landlady suddenly had a monstrous claim to become his wife and proposed that d'Artagnan marry her. ,    ,     ,            ,         ,               .

- Oh no!    ! - answered d'Artagnan.    . - Bigamists, my dear?   , ? No! ! No! ! It's impossible.  .

- But he died, I'm sure.    ,  .

He was a very stubborn fellow and will come back to send us to the gallows.        ,     .

- Well, if he comes back, you will kill him; you are so brave and clever.    ,   ,   ;     .

- Oh, my dear!  , ! This is just another way to end up on the gallows!       !

- So, you reject my request?  ,    ?

- Of course!   !

The beautiful innkeeper was in despair.     . She would like to acknowledge d'Artagnan not only as her husband, but also as a god: he was such a handsome man and such a dashing warrior!        ,   :         !

In the fourth year of this union, a campaign in Franche-Comt took place.         -. D'Artagnan was also appointed and began to prepare for the journey. Ē        . Then began great suffering, inconsolable tears, solemn oaths of fidelity; all this, of course, on the part of the hostess.    ,  ,    ;  , ,   . D'Artagnan was too magnanimous to promise nothing, and therefore he promised to do everything possible to increase the glory of his name. Ē   ,    ,            .

As for d'Artagnan's bravery, we already know about it.    ,     . He paid for it: while advancing at the head of his company, he was wounded through the chest by a bullet and was left lying on the battlefield.     :     ,             . They saw him fall from his horse, but they did not see him rise, and they thought him dead; and those who hoped to take his place, just in case, assured that he was really killed. ,     ,   ,   ,    ;  ,     ,    ,      . It is easy to believe what you want to believe, because in the army, from the divisional generals who wish the death of the commander-in-chief to the soldiers waiting for the death of the corporal, everyone wishes for someone's death.   ,    ,   ,    ,   ,   ,   ,   - .

But d'Artagnan was not the kind of man to let himself be killed so easily.      ,      . Having lain unconscious on the battlefield all day, he came to his senses from the cool of the night, somehow made his way to the village, knocked on the door of the best house and was received, as the French are always and everywhere received, even the wounded: he was surrounded with tender care and cured.         ,       ,  -  ,        ,      ,  :      . Healthier than before, he set out one fine morning on his journey to France, and then to Paris, and as soon as he got to Paris, to the Rue Tiquetonne. ,  ,        ,  ,    ,      ,    .

But in his room d'Artagnan found a travel bag with men's things and a sword leaning against the wall.             ,   .

Hes back!  ! thought dArtagnan.    . So much the worse and so much the better.       .

It goes without saying that d'Artagnan was referring to her husband.   ,      .

He made inquiries: there was a new footman, a new maid; the mistress had gone out for a walk.   :  ,  ;   .

 Alone?  ?  asked d'Artagnan.    .

- With the master.   .

- So the master has returned?    ?

Of course, the maid answered simply.  ,    .

If I had money, said dArtagnan to himself, I would leave; but I have none; I must stay and, following my mistresss advice, ruin the marriage plans of this restless inhabitant of the afterlife.    ,    ,    ;     ,   ,    ,       .

He had hardly finished his monologue (which proves that in important situations in life a monologue is the most natural thing), when the maid waiting at the door cried out:      ( ,          ),      :

- And here comes the lady and the gentleman!        !

D'Artagnan also looked out and saw in the distance, at the corner of Montmartre Street, the hostess, who was walking, leaning on the arm of a huge Swiss man, who walked with a swaggering gait and pleasantly reminded Porthos of his old friend. Ē     ,    , ,  ,     ,          .

Is this the master?    ?  dArtagnan said to himself.      .  He seems to have grown a lot.   , -,  .

And d'Artagnan sat down in the most prominent place in the hall.         . The hostess, entering, immediately noticed him and screamed. , ,     .

From her voice, d'Artagnan concluded that he was welcome, rose, rushed to her and kissed her tenderly.     ,   , ,      .

The Swiss looked at the pale-as-a-sheet hostess with bewilderment.         .

- Ah!  ! Its you, sir!  , ! What do you want?   ?  she asked in great excitement.       .

Is this gentleman your brother?      ? Or your cousin?  ? asked dArtagnan, playing his role without the slightest embarrassment.    ,      .

Without waiting for an answer, he rushed to embrace the Swiss, who reacted very coldly to his embrace.   ,    ,       .

Who is this man?    ? he asked.    .

The hostess only sobbed in response.     .

Who is this Swiss?    ? asked dArtagnan.    .

This gentleman wants to marry me, the hostess barely managed to say between two sighs.       ,         .

- So your husband finally died?      ?

And what kind of body is this?     ?  the Swiss intervened.    .

I dont care about your body, replied dArtagnan, mimicking him, because you cannot marry without my consent, and I      ,   ,  ,          ,  

- And what about you?   ? - asked the Swiss.    .

But I will not give this consent, said the musketeer.       ,   .

The Swiss blushed like a peony; he wore a beautiful uniform with gold embroidery, and d'Artagnan was wrapped in some kind of gray cloak; the Swiss was six feet tall, and d'Artagnan was no more than five.  ,  ;        ,      -  ;     ,     . The Swiss felt at home, and d'Artagnan seemed to him an uninvited guest.    ,      .

Will you get out of here?     ? shouted the Swiss, stamping his foot hard, like a man who is beginning to get seriously angry.    ,   ,  ,    .

- Me?  ? No way!    ! - answered d'Artagnan.    .

Shouldnt I call someone?     -? said the servant, who could not understand how such a small man could dispute the place of such a big one.    ,    ,          .

Hey you!   !  shouted dArtagnan, becoming furious and grabbing the guy by the ear.    ,        .  Stay where you are and dont move, or Ill tear your ears off.        ,      . And as for you, illustrious descendant of William Tell, you will immediately tie up your things that are in my room and quickly go look for an apartment in another hotel.    ,    ,         ,      ,         .

The Swiss laughed loudly.   .

Should I go?   ?  he said.    .  Why is that?    ?

- Ah, excellent!  , ! - said d'Artagnan.    . - I see you understand French.    ,   -. Then come for a walk with me.     . I will explain the rest to you.    .

The hostess, who knew that d'Artagnan was a master of his craft, began to cry and tear her hair. , ,     ,       . D'Artagnan turned to the tearful beauty. Ē    .

Then drive him away yourself, madam, he said.     , ,   .

- Pa!  ! - answered the Swiss, who did not immediately understand the proposal that d'Artagnan made to him.    ,     ,    . - Pa!   ! And who are you to suggest that I go for a walk with the ladies?    ,       ?

I am a lieutenant of His Majestys musketeers, said dArtagnan, and therefore I am your superior.      ,   ,   ,    . But since it is not a matter of rank here, but of the right to quarters, then you know the custom: we go for orders; whoever returns first will get the quarters.        ,     ,    :   ;   ,     .

D'Artagnan led the Swiss away, ignoring the cries of his hostess, whose heart, in essence, was inclined towards her former lover; but she would not have been averse to teaching a lesson to this proud musketeer, who had insulted her by refusing to marry him. Ē  ,    ,  ,  ,    ;         -,    .

The opponents headed straight for the Montmartre ditch.      . When they arrived, it was already dark.   ,  . D'Artagnan politely asked the Swiss to give him the room and not to return; he shook his head and drew his sword. Ē          ;       .

Then you will spend the night here, said dArtagnan.        ,   . This is a bad place to stay, but it is not my fault, you chose it yourself.     ,    ,    .

At these words he also drew his sword and crossed it with his opponents sword.             .

He had to deal with a strong hand, but his dexterity overcame any strength.       ,      . The Swiss's sword was unable to ward off the musketeer's swords.       . The Swiss was wounded twice.    . Because of the cold, he did not immediately notice the wounds, but the loss of blood and the weakness it caused suddenly forced him to sit down on the ground. -     ,             .

 So!  !  said d'Artagnan.    .  What did I tell you?      ? There you have it, stubborn head.    ,  . Be glad if you get off with two weeks.  ,    . Stay here, I will send your things with a footman now.  ,       . Goodbye.  . By the way, I advise you to stay on the rue Montorgueil, at the "Cat with a Ball of Yarn": they feed excellently there, if only the old mistress is still there. ,     ,    :   ,      . Goodbye. .

Very pleased, he returned home and actually sent a servant to take his belongings to the Swiss, who was still sitting in the same place where d'Artagnan had left him, and could not recover from the insolence of his adversary.  ,            ,       ,    ,         .

The servant, the mistress, and the whole house were filled with such reverence for d'Artagnan as they would have shown only Hercules if he had come back to earth to perform his twelve labors. ,         ,        ,            .

But, left alone with the hostess, d'Artagnan said to her: ,    ,   :

 Now, beautiful Madeleine, you know the difference between a Swiss and a nobleman.  ,  ,  ,     . You yourself behaved like an innkeeper. -     . So much the worse for you, since because of your behavior you lose my respect and your guest.    ,   -         . I threw out the Swiss to teach you a lesson, but I will not live here, I do not lodge with those whom I despise.   ,   ,      ,     ,  . Hey, boy, take the chest to the "Barrel of Cupid" on the Rue Bourdonnais. , ,        . Goodbye, madam.  , .

In uttering these words, d'Artagnan was probably both majestic and touching.   ,  , ,    . The hostess threw herself at his feet, begged forgiveness, and with her tenderness compelled him to linger.     ,        . What more can be said?   ? The spit turned, the fire crackled, the beautiful Madeleine sobbed; d'Artagnan immediately felt the combined effect of hunger, cold, and love; he forgave, and having forgiven, he remained.  ,  ,   ;      ,   ;  ,    .

That is why d'Artagnan lived on Ticton Street at the Goat Inn.          .



Chapter VII  VII

D'Artagnan is in a difficult situation, but one of our old acquaintances comes to his aid Ē   ,          

So, d'Artagnan walked home in thought, happily carrying away Cardinal Mazarin's purse and dreaming of the beautiful diamond that had once belonged to him and now sparkled for a moment on the finger of the first minister. ,       ,           ,               .

If this diamond ever fell into my hands again, he thought, I would immediately convert it into money and buy a small estate near my fathers castle; this castle is a rather pleasant dwelling, but has no lands except a garden the size of the cemetery of the Massacred Innocents; then I would majestically wait until some rich heiress, seduced by my appearance, proposed marriage to me; then I would have three little boys: I would make the first an important gentleman like Athos, the second a brave soldier like Porthos, and the third an elegant abbot like Aramis.     -     ,   ,                  ;     ,       ,       ;    ,  -  ,   ,       ;       :         ,       ,        . Truly, this would be much better than the life I lead; but, unfortunately for me, Monsieur de Mazarin is a miserly miser and will not give up this diamond for my benefit. ,       ,   ; ,   ,              .

What would d'Artagnan have said if he had known that the queen had given Mazarin the diamond to give to him!    ,   ,        !

When he went out to Ticton Street, he found a great commotion there; a multitude of people had gathered near his house.    ,     ;      .

Oh, he said, is the Goat Inn on fire, or has the beautiful Madeleines husband really returned?  ,   ,                ?

It turned out to be neither one nor the other; approaching closer, d'Artagnan saw that the crowd had gathered not in front of his house, but in front of the neighboring one. ,    ;  ,  ,       ,   . Shouts were heard, people were running with torches, and by the light of these torches d'Artagnan made out uniforms.  ,    ,        .

He asked what happened.  ,  .

He was told that a citizen with a dozen friends had attacked a carriage traveling under the escort of the cardinal's guard, but reinforcements had arrived, and the citizens had fled.  ,  -       ,     ,   ,     . Their leader had hidden in a neighboring house, and that house was now being searched.      ,     .

In his youth, d'Artagnan would certainly have rushed to where the soldiers were and would have helped them against the townspeople, but such ardor had long since cooled in him; besides, he had a hundred pistoles in his pocket, received from the cardinal, and he did not want to expose them to various accidents by interfering with the crowd.       ,   ,       ,        ;          ,   ,        ,   .

He went to the inn without further questioning.       . D'Artagnan had always wanted to know everything; now he always thought he knew enough. ,     ;     ,    .

He was met by the beautiful Madeleine.    . She did not expect him, since d'Artagnan told her that he would spend the night at the Louvre, and she caressed him for this unexpected appearance, which was all the more opportune since she was very afraid of confusion in the street and now did not have a Swiss for protection.    ,     ,     ,       ,     ,              .

She wanted to start a conversation with d'Artagnan, to tell him everything that had happened; but he ordered dinner to be served in his room and a bottle of old Burgundy to be brought there.      ,    ;               .

The beautiful Madeleine had been trained by him in a military manner  in other words, she carried out everything at the first sign; and since d'Artagnan deigned to speak this time, his order was carried out twice as quickly as usual.       -   ,     ;         ,        .

D'Artagnan took the key and the candle and went up to his room; so as not to reduce his landlady's income, he contented himself with a small room on the top floor. Ē         ;     ,      . The respect we have for the truth compels us to even say that this room was located right under the roof and next to the gutter. ,     ,    ,            .

D'Artagnan retired to this room, like Achilles to his tent, when he wanted to punish the beautiful Madeleine with his contempt. Ē    ,     ,       .

First of all, he hid his bag in an old cabinet with a new lock, the contents of which he did not intend to count to find out how much it amounted to; a minute later, dinner and a bottle of wine were served to him, he dismissed the servant, locked the door and sat down at the table.            ,      ,  ,    ;        ,   ,      .

All this was not done by d'Artagnan in order to indulge in reflection, as the reader might suppose, but he simply believed that only by doing everything in turn could one do everything well.         ,   ,     ,    , ,     ,    . He was hungry - he had dinner; then he went to bed.      ;   .

D'Artagnan was not one of those people who believe that night is a good adviser: at night, d'Artagnan slept. Ē     ,  ,     :   . On the contrary, it was in the mornings that he was alert, quick-witted, and the best solutions came to him. ,      , ,        . He had not had a reason to think in the mornings for a long time, but he always slept at night.         ,    .

At dawn he woke up, quickly, like a soldier, jumped out of bed and paced the room, thinking: In the year forty-three, about six months before the death of the cardinal, I received a letter from Athos.    , , -,       , :    ,      ,     . Where was it?   ?. .. . Where?  ?. .. . Ah, it was during the siege of Besan?on. ,     . I remember, I was sitting in a trench. ,    . What did he write to me?    ? As if he had settled in a small estate - yes, thats right, in a small estate.     ,  ,  ,   . But where?  ? I had just finished reading these words when a gust of wind carried away the letter.       ,     . I should have rushed after it then, although the wind carried it straight to the field.      ,       . But youth is a great a disadvantage... for someone who is no longer young.       ,    . I let my letter fly to the Spaniards, who had no use for Athos's address, so they had to send me the letter back.       ,       ,        . So, let's stop thinking about Athos. ,    . Let's move on to Porthos...   

I received a letter from him; he invited me to a great hunt on his estates in September of 1646.     ;                . Unfortunately, I was then in Barn on the occasion of my father's death; the letter followed me, but I had already left Barn when it arrived.  ,         ;    ,      ,   . Then it set off on my trail and almost overtook me in Montmdy, being only a few days late.             ,     . In April it finally fell into my hands, but since it was already April of 1647, and the invitation was for September of 1646, I could not take advantage of it.        ,           ,          ,      . I must find this letter: it should be with my estate deeds."    :         .

D'Artagnan opened an old chest in the corner of the room, filled with parchments pertaining to the lands of d'Artagnan, which had been out of the possession of his ancestors for over two hundred years, and cried out with joy. Ē   ,    ,  ,    ,            ,    . He recognized the bold handwriting of Porthos, and beneath it a few lines of scribbled in the withered hand of his worthy wife.     ,      ,      .

D'Artagnan did not waste time rereading the letter, the contents of which he knew, but went straight to the address: "Ch?teau du Vallon." Ē        ,    ,     :   .

Porthos did not even think of giving more precise instructions.        . In his arrogance, he thought that the whole world should know the castle to which he gave his name.     ,      ,     .

 Damned braggart!   !  cried d'Artagnan.    .  He hasn't changed a bit!      ! And I should have started with him, considering that he, having inherited eight hundred thousand livres from Coquenard, does not need money.     -      ,  ,      ,    . Eh, I won't have the best! , -      ! Athos drank so much that he must have become completely stupid.   , , ,  . As for Aramis, he is, of course, immersed in his piety.   ,  , ,    .

D'Artagnan looked at the letter again. Ē     . It contained a postscript which read as follows: "By this same post I am writing to our worthy friend Aramis in his monastery."    ,    :            .

 To his monastery?    ? Excellent. . But which monastery?   ? There are two hundred of them in Paris alone.     . And three thousand in France.     . Besides, perhaps, when he entered the monastery, he changed his name for the third time?    ,  ,   ,      ? Ah, if I were strong in theology, if I could only remember the subject of his theses, which he so zealously discussed in Crevecoeur with the cur of Montdidier and the abbot of the Jesuit monastery, I would already have guessed which doctrine he prefers, and would deduce from this which saint he could dedicate himself to. ,       ,         ,               ,    ,     ,    ,      . And should I not go to the cardinal and ask him for a pass to all sorts of monasteries, even convents?                 ,  ? This is indeed an idea, and perhaps that is where he retired, like Achilles.   , ,  , -   ,  . Yes, but that means with to admit one's own impotence from the very beginning and, from the very first step, to lower oneself in the opinion of the cardinal. ,                   . Dignitaries are only satisfied when the impossible is done for them.     ,     . If this were possible, they tell us, I would do it myself.    ,    ,       . And the dignitaries are right.   . But let's not rush and figure it out properly.       . I also received a letter from him, from a dear friend, and he even asked me to do him some favor, which I did.      ,   ,        - ,    . Yes. . But where did I put this letter?       ?

After thinking for a bit, d'Artagnan went to the coat rack where his old clothes were hanging and started looking for his 1648 waistcoat. Since our d'Artagnan was a neat guy, the waistcoat ended up on a hook.  ,    ,     ,      1648 ,        ,     . He rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a piece of paper: it was a letter from Aramis.   ,   :    .

"Monsieur d'Artagnan," wrote Aramis, "I inform you that I have quarreled with a gentleman who has arranged a duel this evening in the Place Royale; since I am a clergyman and this matter might harm me if I communicate it to someone other than such a faithful friend as yourself, I ask you to be my second.  ,   ,   ,      ,        ;            ,      - ,     ,  ,       .

Enter the square from the new Rue Sainte-Catherine and under the second lamp you will meet your opponent.                . I will be with mine under the third.      . Yours, Aramis."  .

This time there was not even an added "Goodbye."       :  .

D'Artagnan tried to recall the events: he went to the duel, met the said opponent there, whose name he never learned, deftly pierced his hand with his sword and approached Aramis, who, having already finished his business, came out to meet him from under the third lantern. Ē   :    ,    ,       ,         , ,    ,     -  .

It is done, said Aramis.  ,   . I think I have killed the insolent fellow.   ,   . Well, my dear friend, if you should have need of me, you know that I am entirely devoted to you. ,  ,      ,       .

And, having shaken his hand, Aramis disappeared under the arch. ,   ,    .

It turned out that d'Artagnan knew as much about the whereabouts of Aramis as about the whereabouts of Athos and Porthos, and the matter was beginning to seem very difficult to him, when suddenly he heard a sound as if a glass had been broken in his room. ,        ,       ,       ,    ,      .

He immediately remembered his bag and rushed to the cabinet.           . He was not mistaken: at the very moment he entered the room, some man was climbing in through the window.   :   ,     , -    .

Ah, the scoundrel!  , !  cried dArtagnan, mistaking him for a thief and grabbing his sword.    ,        .

 Sir!  !  the man begged.     .  For Gods sake, put your sword back in its sheath and dont kill me without hearing me out.    ,        ,  . Im not a thief, not at all!   ,  ! Im an honest and prosperous bourgeois, I have my own house.     ,    . My name is Ah!   ! Is it possible?   ? No, Im not mistaken, you are Monsieur dArtagnan. ,   ,   .

Is that you, Planchet?   , ?  cried the lieutenant.    .

At your service, Planchet replied, beaming, if I am still any good.    ,   , ,      .

Perhaps, said dArtagnan.   ,   . But why the hell are you climbing on roofs at seven oclock in the morning, and in January at that?             ,     ?

Sir, said Planchet, you must know although, in fact, you probably dont need to know this.  ,   ,     ,  , , ,     .

What is it?   ?  dArtagnan asked again.    .  But first, cover the window with a towel and draw the curtain.          .

Planchet obeyed.  .

Well, speak up!  ,  ! said dArtagnan when he had carried out the order.    ,    .

Sir, tell me first of all, Planchet asked cautiously, what is your relationship with Monsieur de Rochefort?  ,   ,    ,         ?

- Excellent!   ! Of course!  ! He is now one of my best friends!       !

- Ah!  ! Well, so much the better!   !

- But what does Rochefort have in common with this way of entering a room?            ?

 You see, sir... First of all, I must tell you that Monsieur de Rochefort in...   ,      ,     

Planchet hesitated.  .

The devil take it, said dArtagnan.   ,   . I know perfectly well that he is in the Bastille.     ,    .

That is to say, he was there, Planchet replied.      ,   .

How could he have done that?    ? cried dArtagnan.    . Did he really have the good fortune to escape?      ?

Ah, sir, cried Planchet in his turn, if this is happiness in your opinion, then all is well!  , ,  ,   , ,   , -, ,    ! In that case, I must tell you that yesterday, apparently, they sent for Monsieur de Rochefort to the Bastille      ,  , -,       

- Damn!  ! I know this very well, because I went after him myself.    ,      .

 But fortunately for him, it was not you who took him back; because, if I had recognized you among the escorts, then believe me, sir, that I respect you too much to     ,     ;  ,       ,  , ,     , 

- Come on, stop it, you brute!    , ! What happened?   ?

 Well, heres what.    . It happened that on the Hardware Street, when the carriage of Monsieur de Rochefort was making its way through the crowd of people and the guards were dispersing the citizens, a murmur arose, the prisoner thought that an opportune moment had come, said his name and began to call for help. ,    ,             ,  ,  ,    ,        . I was there, heard the name of the Count de Rochefort, remembered that he had made me a sergeant in the Piedmontese regiment, and shouted that this prisoner was a friend of the Duke of Beaufort.    ,     , ,       ,  ,       . Then everyone came running, stopped the horses, pushed back the guard.   ,  ,  . I managed to open the door, Rochefort jumped out of the carriage and disappeared into the crowd.    ,        . Unfortunately, at that moment a patrol passed by, joined the guards, and they rushed at us.  ,     ,   ,     . I retreated to the Ticton Street, they followed me, I ran into the neighboring house, they cordoned it off, searched it, but in vain - I found a sympathetic person on the fifth floor who hid me under two mattresses.     ,   ,     ,  , ,            ,      . I remained in my hiding place all night or so and, thinking that the search might be resumed in the evening, at dawn I went down the drainpipe to find first an entrance, and then an exit in some house that was not cordoned off.           , ,     ,      ,    ,     - ,     . This is my story, and, honestly, sir, I will be in despair if it is not to your taste.   , ,  , ,    ,      .

No, on the contrary, said dArtagnan, I am truly very glad that Rochefort is free.  , ,   ,   ,   ,    . But do you understand that if you were to fall into the hands of the kings soldiers now, you would be hanged without mercy?   , ,       ,    ?

 How can I not understand?    ? Damn it!  !  Planchet exclaimed.    .  This is precisely what worries me, and that is why I was so glad to have found you; after all, if you want to hide me, no one will do it better than you.       ,      ,   ;      ,       .

Yes, said dArtagnan.  ,   . I dont think Im against it, although I risk nothing less than my rank if it is discovered that Im harboring a rebel.   , ,  ,       ,   ,   ,    .

- Ah, sir, you know that I would risk my life for you.  , ,   ,       .

 You can even add that you have risked her more than once, Planchet.     ,     , . I forget only what I want to forget.    ,   . Well, this is what I want to remember.       . Sit down and eat quietly: I see you are looking very expressively at the remains of my dinner.     :  ,        .

 Yes, sir, because the neighbors buffet turned out to be poor in filling things, and since midday I have eaten only a piece of bread with jam.  , ,        ,           . Although I do not disdain sweets when they are served at the right time and place, the dinner still seemed too light to me.      ,       ,       .

- Poor fellow!  ! - said d'Artagnan.    . - Well, eat, eat!    , !

- Ah, sir, you are saving my life for the second time.  , ,     .

Planchet sat down at the table and began to devour his food, just like in the good old days on Gravediggers' Street.          ,        .

D'Artagnan paced the room, trying to think of what use he could get from Planchet in the circumstances. Ē      , ,           . Meanwhile, Planchet worked diligently to make up for lost time.     ,    .

At last he let out that satisfied sigh of a hungry man which shows that, having laid a solid foundation, he is about to take a little rest.        ,  , ,   ,     .

Well, said dArtagnan, thinking that the time had come to begin the interrogation, lets begin in order: do you know where Athos is?  ,   , ,      ,    :   ,  ?

No, sir, answered Planchet.  , ,   .

- Damn it!  ! Do you know where Porthos is?   ,  ?

- Neither.   .

- Damn it!  ! Damn it! ! And Aramis?  ?

- Not the slightest idea.    .

- Damn!  ! Damn! ! Damn! !

But, said Planchet slyly, I know where Bazin is.  ,    ,   ,   .

- What!  ! Do you know where Bazin is?  ,  ?

- Yes, sir.  , .

- Where is he?    ?

 In the Cathedral of Our Lady.    .

- What is he doing in the Cathedral of Our Lady?        ?

- He is the clerk there.    .

- Bazin is a clerk at the Cathedral of Our Lady!      ! Are you sure of this?    ?

- I am quite sure.   . I saw him myself and spoke with him.        .

- He probably knows where his master is!  , , ,   !

- Of course.  .

D'Artagnan thought, then took his cloak and sword and headed for the door. Ē ,         .

Sir, Planchet said plaintively.  ,    . Are you really going to leave me?      ? Just think, I have no one else to rely on. ,       .

But they wont look for you here, said dArtagnan.       ,   .

But what if someone comes in here?      ?  said the cautious Planchet.     .  No one saw me come in, and your family will take me for a thief.     ,   ,       .

Thats true, said dArtagnan.   ,   . Listen, do you know any provincial dialect?   ,   -  ?

Better than that, sir, I know a whole language, said Planchet, I speak Flemish.   , ,    ,   ,    -.

- Where the hell did you learn that?   ,  ,  ?

 In Artois, where I fought for two years.   ,     . Listen: "Goeden morgen, mynheer!" : Goeden morgen, mynheer! Ith ben begeeray te weeten the ge sond hects omstand." Ith ben begeeray te weeten the ge sond hects omstand.

- What does this mean?    ?

- Good afternoon, sir, may I inquire about your state of health.   , ,      .

And this is called language!     ! said dArtagnan.    . But still, its very useful.     ,   .

He went to the door, called a servant and ordered the beautiful Madeleine to be called.    ,       .

What are you doing, sir? cried Planchet. You want to confide a secret to a woman!    , ,   ,      !

- Rest assured, she won't blab.   ,   .

At that moment the hostess appeared.     . She ran in with a joyful face, hoping to find d'Artagnan alone, but, noticing Planchet, she retreated in surprise.     ,    , ,  ,   .

My dear hostess, said dArtagnan, I recommend to you your brother, who has just arrived from Flanders: I will take him into my service for a few days.   ,   ,     ,     :          .

My brother!   ! said the stunned hostess.     .

 Say hello to your sister, master Peter.      , master .

 Wilkom, zuster!  Wilkom, zuster!  said Planchet.    .

 Good day, brother!  Goeden day, br?er!  answered the surprised hostess.     .

Well, heres the thing, said dArtagnan, this man is your brother, whom you may not know, but whom I do; he has come from Amsterdam; I am going away now, and you must dress him; when I return, in about an hour, you will introduce him to me, and on your recommendation, although he does not know a word of French, I will take him into my service, since I cannot refuse you anything.     ,   ,     ,  ,  ,   ,    ;    ;   ,     ;   ,   ,    ,    ,       -,       ,         . Do you understand? ?

Or rather, I guess what you want, and thats enough for me, said Madeleine.  ,  ,   ,     ,   .

You are a wonderful woman, a hostess, and I rely on you.    , ,     .

Having said this, d'Artagnan winked at Planchet and went to Notre Dame Cathedral.  ,        .



Chapter VIII  VIII

On the different effects which a half-pistol can have on a clerk and on a servant   ,         

D'Artagnan walked across the Pont Neuf, rejoicing at having found Planchet again. Ē    , ,    . For, however useful he might be to the good fellow, Planchet was far more useful to himself.        ,       . Indeed, nothing could have been more pleasant to him at that moment than to have a brave and shrewd footman at his disposal.   ,         ,         . True, in all likelihood, Planchet would not serve him for long; but, returning to his business on the Rue des Changes, Planchet would consider himself indebted to d'Artagnan for having saved his life by hiding him, and it was very convenient for d'Artagnan to have connections among the townspeople at a time when they were about to start a war with the court. ,   ,     ; ,       ,        ,  ,    ,   ,              ,       . He would have his own man in the enemy camp, and a clever man like d'Artagnan knew how to turn every little thing to his advantage.        ,   ,  ,       .

In this mood, very pleased with fate and himself, d'Artagnan approached the Cathedral of Notre Dame.   ,      ,     .

He climbed up to the porch, entered the church and asked the sacristan who was sweeping the chapel if he knew Mr. Bazin.    ,       ,  ,     - .

 Mr. Bazin, the sacristan?   , ?  asked the sacristan.    .

- Himself.   .

- Here he is serving at the Mass, in the chapel of the Virgin Mary.      ,   .

D'Artagnan shuddered with joy. Ē   . Despite Planchet's words, he did not believe that he would find Bazin; but now, having caught one end of the thread, he could guarantee that he would reach the other.    ,   ,    ;  ,    ,   ,     .

He knelt down, facing this side chapel, so as not to lose sight of Bazin.    ,    ,      . Fortunately, a short mass was being served, it was soon to end.  ,   ,     . D'Artagnan, who had forgotten all his prayers and had not bothered to take his prayer book with him, began to observe Bazin at his leisure. Ē,          ,     .

The appearance of Bazin in his new clothes was, one might say, as majestic as it was beatific.      ,  ,   ,   . It was immediately evident that he had reached, or almost reached, the limit of his desires, and that the candlestick, mounted in silver, which he held in his hand, seemed to him as honorable as the marshal's baton which Cond threw, or perhaps did not throw, into the enemy ranks during the battle of Freiburg.   ,               ,   ,     ,     ,   ,   ,   ,   ,        .

Even physically he was transformed, so to speak, to match his clothes.    ,    ,    . His whole body became rounder and acquired something priestly.        . All the angularities on his face seemed to have smoothed out.        . His nose was still the same, but it was drowned in round cheeks; his chin passed imperceptibly into his neck; his eyes were puffy, not so much from fat as from a kind of puffiness; his hair, cut in a church-style, with a bracket, covered his forehead right up to his eyebrows.       ,      ;     ;  ,     ,   -; ,  -,  ,     . Let us note, by the way, that Bazins forehead, even completely open, never exceeded an inch and a half in height. , ,   ,   ,       .

At the moment when d'Artagnan finished his inspection, the mass also ended.   ,     ,   . The priest said: "Amen" and left, blessing the worshipers, who, to d'Artagnan's surprise, all knelt.  :   ,  , ,   ,   . He ceased to be surprised, recognizing in the clergyman the coadjutor himself, the famous Jean-Fran?ois de Gondi, who already at that time, anticipating his future role, was building up his popularity by generously distributing alms.   ,     ,  -  ,     ,    ,      . In order to increase this popularity, he sometimes celebrated early masses, which usually only the common people attend.      ,      ,       .

D'Artagnan, like everyone else, fell on his knees, accepted the blessing due to him, crossed himself, but at the moment when Bazin, modestly bringing up the rear, passed by him with his eyes raised to heaven, d'Artagnan grabbed him by the hem; Bazin lowered his eyes and jumped back, as if he had seen a snake. Ē,   ,   ,      , ,    ,   ,     ,  ,   ,     ;      ,   .

 Monsieur d'Artagnan!   !  he exclaimed.    .  Vade retro, Satana!   Vad retro, Satana!

Excellent, my dear Bazin, the officer replied, laughing, thats how you greet an old friend.  ,  ,  , , ,       .

Sir, replied Bazin, the true friends of a Christian are those who promote salvation, and not those who turn him away from it.  ,   ,     ,   ,   ,    .

I do not understand you, Bazin, said dArtagnan, I do not see how I can serve as a stumbling block on your path to salvation.     , ,   ,    ,           .

You forget, replied Bazin, that you tried to close the way to him forever for my poor master; because of you he was ruining his soul, serving in the musketeers, although he felt a fiery calling to the church.   ,   ,            ; -     ,   ,      .

My dear Bazin, replied dArtagnan, you should have realized from the place where you see me that I have changed a lot: with age one becomes wiser.    ,   ,         ,   ,    :    . And since I have no doubt that your master is saving his soul, I want to know from you where he is, so that he can help me with his advice to save myself.      ,      ,      ,   ,        .

 Tell me better  to draw him back into the world?          ? Fortunately, I do not know where he is, since, being in a holy place, I would never dare to lie.  ,   ,  ,  ,    ,      .

 What!  !  exclaimed d'Artagnan, completely disappointed.    ,  .  You don't know where Aramis is?     ,  ?

First of all, said Bazin, Aramis is the name of destruction.   ,   ,      . If you read Aramis backwards, you get Simara, the name of one of the evil spirits, and fortunately my master has abandoned this name forever.    ,  ,     , ,  ,      .

Very well, said dArtagnan, determined to endure everything, I am not looking for Aramis, but for the Abb dHerblay.  ,   ,   ,     ,   . Come on, my dear Bazin, tell me where he is.  ,   ,  ,  .

 Didnt you hear, Monsieur dArtagnan, how I answered you that I didnt know that?     ,  ,    ,    ?

 I have heard, of course; but I will answer you that this is impossible.  , ;    ,   .

 Nevertheless, it is true, sir, the pure truth, as before God      , ,  ,   

D'Artagnan saw very well that he would get nothing out of Bazin; it was clear that Bazin was lying, but from the fervor and persistence with which he lied, one could easily foresee that he would not back down from his own. Ē  ,      ;     ,   ,       ,    ,      .

Very well, said dArtagnan.  ,   . Since you do not know where your master lives, let us not speak of him any more and part as friends; here is half a pistole for you, drink to my health.       ,    ,         ;   ,    .

I dont drink, sir, said Bazin, majestically pushing away the officers hand.    , ,   ,    . That is only proper for laymen.      .

- Incorruptible!  ! - grumbled d'Artagnan.    . - Well, I have no luck!        !

And since d'Artagnan, distracted by his thoughts, had let go of Bazin's hem, the latter hastened to take advantage of his freedom to retreat and quickly went into the sacristy; even there he did not consider himself out of danger until he had locked the door behind him.    ,   ,     ,           ;        ,      .

D'Artagnan, lost in thought, remained motionless and stared fixedly at the door that stood between him and Bazin; suddenly he felt someone gently touch his shoulder. Ē, ,          ,      ;   ,  -    .

He turned around and almost cried out in surprise, but the one who touched him with his finger put that finger to his lips as a sign of silence.        ,  ,     ,        .

Are you here, my dear Rochefort?   ,   ?  said dArtagnan in a low voice.     .

 Shh  said Rochefort.  -   .  Did you know that I was freed?    ,   ?

 I learned this first-hand.       .

- From whom?    ?

 From Planchet.   .

- How about from Planchet?    ?

- Of course.  . After all, it was he who saved you.     .

- Planchet?  ? I really thought it was him.   ,   . Here is proof, my friend, that a good deed is never wasted.  ,  ,      .

- What are you doing here?      ?

I came to thank the Lord for my happy release, said Rochefort.        ,   .

- And why else?    ? It seems to me, not only for this.  ,    .

 And also for orders to the coadjutor; I want to try to see if I can somehow annoy Mazarin.       ;  ,     .

- Madman!  ! You will be thrown into the Bastille again!     !

Oh, no!   ! Ill take care of that, I assure you.    ,  . Its very nice in the fresh air, Rochefort continued, breathing deeply, Ill go to the village, Ill travel around the province.      ,   ,   ,     ,    .

- Really?   ? I'm going too!   ! - said d'Artagnan.    .

 Wouldnt it be immodest to ask where?       ?

 In search of my friends.     .

- What friends?   ?

- The very ones you asked me about yesterday.   ,      .

- Athos, Porthos and Aramis?  ,   ? Are you looking for them?   ?

- Yes.  .

 On your word of honor?   ?

 Whats surprising about that?     ?

- Nothing!  ! It's funny! ! And on whose behalf are you looking for them?       ?

- You don't have any idea?    ?

 I can guess.  .

- Unfortunately, I dont know where they are.   ,   ,  .

And you have no way of finding out?       ? Wait a week, I will get you the information, said Rochefort.  ,    ,   .

 A week is too long, I must find them in three days.      ,       .

Three days are not enough, said Rochefort, France is great.    ,   ,   .

- No problem.   . Do you know what the word must means? ,    ? You can do a lot with this word.      .

- When will you start searching?      ?

 I have already started.   .

- Good luck!    !

- And to you, have a safe journey!      !

 Perhaps we will meet on the road?   ,    ?

- Hardly.   .

- Who knows.   . Fate has many whims.    .

 Goodbye.  .

 Goodbye.   . By the way, if Mazarin remembers me, tell him that I asked you to inform him that he will soon see whether I am as old for business as he thinks. ,     , ,        ,    ,      ,   .

And Rochefort departed with that devilish smile on his lips which had previously made d'Artagnan shudder; but this time d'Artagnan felt no fear and smiled with a sadness that only a single memory could have brought to his face.         ,     ;             ,        - . "Go, demon," he thought, "and do what you like. , ,   ,     . Now I don't care: there is no second Constance in the world."    :     .

Looking around, he saw Bazin, who had already taken off his vestments and was talking to the sacristan to whom d'Artagnan had addressed himself when entering the church. ,   ,          ,    ,   . Bazin was apparently very excited and was rapidly waving his thick, short arms.  , -,         . D'Artagnan realized that Bazin was probably telling the sacristan to be wary of him as much as possible. Ē ,  , ,       .

D'Artagnan took advantage of the preoccupation of both servants, slipped out of the cathedral unnoticed, and hid around the corner of the Rue des Beers. Ē    ,           . Bazin could not pass without d'Artagnan seeing him from his hiding place.     ,        .

Five minutes after d'Artagnan had taken up his post, Bazin came out onto the porch, looking around to see if anyone was watching him.     ,     ,    ,   ,    -  . But he was careless enough not to notice our officer fifty paces away, around the corner of the house, from which only his head was visible.             ,   ,     . Apparently reassured, Bazin walked down the Rue Notre Dame.  ,     . D'Artagnan jumped out of his ambush just in time to see him turn into Jewish Street, then into the Rue des Locheurs and enter a respectable-looking house. Ē       ,  ,      ,           . And our officer had no doubt that the worthy clerk lived in that very house.     ,        .

D'Artagnan was wary of going there for information, since the doorkeeper, if there was one, had probably been warned, and if there was no doorkeeper, then there was no one to turn to. Ē     ,   ,    , , , ,     ,       .

So he went into a tavern on the corner of the Rue Saint-Eligius and the Rue des Corcelles and asked for some mulled wine.                . This drink took a good half hour to prepare, and d'Artagnan could keep an eye on Bazin without arousing anyone's suspicions.       ,      ,      . Suddenly he noticed a lively boy of twelve or fifteen, very cheerful in appearance, in whom he recognized the boy he had seen twenty minutes earlier in the vestments of a church servant.         ,    ,     ,         . He spoke to him, and since the future sexton had no reason to be secretive, d'Artagnan learned that he performed the duties of a choirboy from six to nine in the morning, and from nine until midnight he served as an assistant in the tavern.    ,         ,  ,           ,         .

While they were talking, a horse was brought to Bazins house.   ,     . It was saddled and bridled.     . A minute later Bazin himself came out.      .

- Look at you!   ! - said the boy.    . - Our clerk is getting ready for his journey.       -.

Where is he going?     ? asked dArtagnan.    .

- How should I know?     !

Ill give you half a pistol if you can find out, said dArtagnan.   ,   ,   .

Half a pistol, the boy asked, his eyes lighting up, if I find out where Bazin is going?  ,   ,     ,   ,   ? Its not difficult.  . Youre not joking, are you?    ?

No, on my word as an officer.  ,  . Here, look, heres half a pistol. , ,  . And he showed him the tempting coin, without, however, giving it into his hands.        ,   , ,  .

- I'll ask him.     .

That way you wont find out anything, said dArtagnan.        ,   . Wait until he leaves, and then, damn it, ask, pry, find out.   ,   ,   ,  , , , . Its your business: half a pistol is here.   :  .

And he put the coin back in his pocket.       .

I understand, said the boy, smiling slyly, as only Parisian rascals can smile.  ,   ,  ,      . Okay!   ! Lets wait! !

He did not have to wait long.   . Five minutes later, Bazin set off at a trot, encouraging his horse with blows from his umbrella.      ,    .

Bazin always had the habit of taking an umbrella with him instead of a whip.          .

As soon as he turned the corner of Jewish Street, the boy, like a hound, set off on the trail.       , ,  ,   .

D'Artagnan again took his former place at the table, fully confident that in less than ten minutes he would know everything he needed to know. Ē         ,      ,    ,  .

And indeed, the boy returned even earlier than this time.  ,      .

 Well?  ?  asked d'Artagnan.    .

Its done, said the boy, I know everything.  ,   ,    .

 Where did he go?     ?

- And you havent forgotten about the half-pistol?       ?

- Of course not.   . Speak quickly.  .

- I want to see the coin.     . Show me, is it counterfeit? -,   ?

- Here.  .

Master, said the boy, the master asks for change.  ,   ,     .

The owner sat at the counter.    . He gave some change and accepted half a pistol.      .

The boy put the coins in his pocket.     .

Well, now tell me, where did he go?     ,   ? asked dArtagnan, who was happily watching his prank.    ,    .

 In Noisy.   .

 How do you know?    ?

 Its not a big deal.   . I recognized the butchers horse, which Bazin sometimes rents from him.    ,      . So I thought: the butcher wouldnt give me his horse without asking where theyre going to ride it, although Monsieur Bazin is hardly capable of driving a horse.    :       ,  ,    ,         .

- And he answered you that Mr. Bazin...     ,   

 He went to Noisy.    . Yes, it seems that this has become a habit for him. , ,      . He goes there two or three times a week.     -  .

 Do you know Noisy?     ?

- Of course.   . My wet nurse lives there.    .

 Is there a monastery in Noisy?      ?

- And what a one!   ! Jesuit! !

Okay, said dArtagnan.  ,   . Now everything is clear.     .

 So, you are satisfied?   ,  ?

- Yes.  . What is your name?   ?

 Fricke.  .

D'Artagnan wrote down the boy's name and the address of the tavern. Ē      .

Well, sir officer, he asked, maybe Ill be able to earn another half a pistol?   ,  ,   ,   ,     ?

Perhaps, said dArtagnan.  ,   .

And since he had learned all he needed, he paid for the mulled wine, which he did not drink at all, and hurried back to Tickton Street.      ,    ,    ,    ,      .



Chapter IX  IX

How d'Artagnan, having set out on a long search for Aramis, suddenly discovered him sitting on a horse behind Planchet  ,  ,      ,        

Arriving home, d'Artagnan saw a man sitting by the fireplace: it was Planchet, but Planchet was so transformed by the rags left by his runaway husband that d'Artagnan barely recognized him.  ,  ,     - :   ,      ,   ,     . Madeleine introduced him to d'Artagnan in front of all the servants.         . Planchet addressed the officer with some pompous Flemish phrase, who answered him a few words in a non-existent language, and the agreement was concluded.      -   ,        ,    . Madeleine's brother entered d'Artagnan's service.       .

D'Artagnan already had a plan.      . He did not want to arrive in Noisy during the day, for fear of being recognized.       ,   . Thus, he still had free time: Noisy was located only three or four miles from Paris on the road to Meaux.  ,      :     -       .

He began by having a hearty breakfast.    ,   . This is perhaps a bad start if you intend to work with your head, but a very good one if you want to work with your feet and hands.  ,   ,    ,   ,      . Then he changed his clothes, afraid that the lieutenant's cloak would arouse suspicion, and chose the strongest and most reliable of his three swords, which he used only on important occasions.   , ,      ,          ,        . About two o'clock he ordered the horses to be saddled and, accompanied by Planchet, rode out through the La Villette barrier.               -. And in the house next to the "Goat", the most diligent search for Planchet was still being carried out.            .

Having driven a mile and a half from Paris, d'Artagnan noticed that impatience had forced him to leave too early, and stopped to give the horses a rest.      ,  ,       ,  ,    . The inn was crowded with rather suspicious-looking people, apparently preparing to undertake some kind of nocturnal expedition.      , , -,  -  . A man wrapped in a cloak appeared at the door; noticing a stranger, he made a sign to two friends sitting at the table, and they came out to him.    ,  ;  ,     ,   ,       .

D'Artagnan approached the innkeeper with a carefree air, praised her disgusting Montreuil wine, asked a few questions about Noisy and learned that there were only two large houses there: one belonged to the Archbishop of Paris, and his niece, the Duchess de Longueville, now lived there; the other, which housed a Jesuit monastery, was, as usual, the property of worthy fathers. Ē      ,     ,       ,       :    ,       ,   ; ,    , ,  ,   . There was no mistaking it.   .

At four o'clock d'Artagnan set out again; he rode at a walking pace, intending to arrive at Noisy when it was quite dark.        ;   ,    ,    . Now, when you walk in winter, in cloudy weather, along a dull road, there is nothing else to do except what, according to La Fontaine, a hare does in its hole: reflect.      ,   ,   ,   ,  ,  ,   ,    : . So d'Artagnan reflected, and Planchet too. ,  ,   . Only, as we shall see later, their reflections were of different natures. ,   ,     .

One word from the innkeeper gave a special direction to d'Artagnan's thoughts; this word was the name of the Duchess de Longueville.        ;        .

In fact, the Duchess of Longueville was something to behold: she was one of the most distinguished ladies in the kingdom and one of the most beautiful women at court.   ,        :             . She was married to the old Duke of Longueville, whom she did not love.        ,    . At first, she was reputed to be the mistress of Coligny, who was later killed for her in a duel in the Place Royale by the Duke of Guise; then they spoke of her too tender friendship with the Prince of Cond, her brother, and the bashful souls of the courtiers were greatly embarrassed by this; finally, they said that this friendship had given way to a genuine and profound hatred, and at present the Duchess of Longueville was, according to rumors, in a political relationship with the Prince de Marsillac, the eldest son of the old Duke of La Rochefoucauld, whom she tried to set against her brother, the Duke of Cond.     ,   -         ;          ,  ,        ; , ,        ,        ,  ,       ,       ,       ,    .

D'Artagnan thought about all this. Ē    . He thought that in the Louvre he often saw the dazzling, radiant beauty, the Duchess de Longueville, passing by.  ,          ,  ,   . He thought about Aramis, who was no better than he, and yet had once been the lover of the Duchess de Chevreuse, who played the same role in the previous reign as Madame de Longueville now does.    ,     ,     -    ,       ,     . And he asked himself why there are people in the world who achieve everything they desire, be it honors or love, while others get stuck halfway to their hopes - whether through chance, or from bad luck, or because of natural obstacles placed in them by nature itself.    ,     ,   ,  ,     ,              ,   ,   -  ,     .

D'Artagnan was forced to admit that, despite all his intelligence and all his dexterity, he was and always would probably be among the last. Ē   , ,         ,    , ,    . Suddenly Planchet, riding up to him, said:  ,   , :

 I bet, sir, that you are thinking the same thing as I am.    , ,      ,    .

I doubt it, Planchet, said dArtagnan, smiling.   , ,  , , . But what are you thinking about?        ?

Im thinking about the suspicious characters who were drinking in that tavern where we were relaxing.      ,     ,   .

 You are as careful as ever, Planchet.   ,  , .

- It's instinct, sir.   , .

- Well, let's see what your instinct tells you in this case.  , ,        .

My instinct tells me that these people have gathered in the tavern with evil intentions; and I was pondering what my instinct tells me in the darkest corner of the stable, when suddenly a man wrapped in a cloak entered, and behind him two others.     ,         ;     ,     ,     ,      ,   ,     .

Ah, said dArtagnan, seeing that Planchets story coincided with his own observations.  -,   , ,        . Well, so what?      ?

 One of them said: He must be in Noisy now or must arrive there this evening; I recognized his servant.     : , ,           ;    .  Are you sure of that?      ?  asked the man in the cloak.      . Yes, Prince! , !  was the answer    

 Prince?  ?  interrupted d'Artagnan.    .

 Yes, Prince!  , ! But listen.   . If he is there, we will decide what to do with him, said the second of the drinking companions.   ,  ,    ,     . What to do with him?    ?  repeated the Prince.    . Yes. . He is not the kind of man to surrender voluntarily: he will use his sword.     ,   :     .  Then you will have to do the same, only try to take him alive.         ,     . Do we have ropes to tie him up, and a rag to gag him?     ,   ,  ,   ?  We have everything.    .  Be careful: he will, in all likelihood, be in disguise.    : ,   ,  .  Of course, of course, Monseigneur, rest assured.   , , ,  .  However, I myself will be there and I will show you."   ,       . - "Do you guarantee that justice?    ,  ?. .. ." - "I guarantee everything," said the prince.     ,   . "Okay, we will try our best." ,      . After that, they left the stable.      .

But what has this to do with us?         ? said dArtagnan.    . This is one of those enterprises that are started every day.       ,   .

- Are you sure it is not directed against us?   ,      ?

- Against us!   ! For what reason?   ?

- Hm!  ! Remember what they said: I recognized his servant, said one; this may well apply to me. -,   :    ,   ;      .

 What next?  ?

"He must be in Noisy now or arriving there this evening" - this may well apply to you too.            ,        .

- What else?   ?

 The prince also said: Be careful: he will, in all likelihood, be disguised  this, it seems to me, leaves no doubt, because you are not in the uniform of an officer of the Musketeers, but dressed as a simple horseman.    :  : ,   ,  ,   ,  ,    ,        ,     . Well, what do you say to this? -,     ?

Alas, my dear Planchet, said dArtagnan with a sigh, unfortunately, the time has passed for me when princes sought an opportunity to kill me.  ,   ,     ,   ,    ,      . Ah, those were glorious times! ,    ! Rest assured, these people have no need of us at all.  ,      .

 Are you sure, sir?    , ?

 I guarantee it.  .

- Well, okay then; then theres no point in talking about it.  ,  ;      .

And Planchet rode behind d'Artagnan again with that great confidence which he had always had in his master, and which had not weakened in the least during fifteen years of separation.          ,                .

They rode about a mile.    .

By the end of this mile, Planchet had again caught up with d'Artagnan.         .

Sir, he said.  ,   .

- Well?  ? - he responded.    .

 Look, sir, in that direction; dont you think you see shadows moving there in the darkness?  -, ,   ;    ,  ,  ,  ? Listen: I think I can hear the sound of horses hooves. : -,   .

It cant be, said dArtagnan, the ground is soaked from the rain; but after your words, it seems to me too that I see something.    ,   ,     ;       ,   - . And he stopped, peering and listening.     ,   .

 If you cant hear the horses hoofbeats, you can at least hear their neighing.      ,       . Do you hear that? ?

Indeed, from somewhere in the darkness, d'Artagnan heard the distant neighing of a horse. , -         .

Our lads have set out on a campaign, he said, but that doesnt concern us.      ,   ,      . Lets move on.  .

They continued on their way.    .

Half an hour later they reached the first houses of Noisy.       . It was about half past eight, or even nine o'clock in the evening.    ,       .

According to village custom, everyone was already asleep: not a single light was shining in the village.   ,   :       .

D'Artagnan and Planchet continued on their way. Ē     .

On both sides of the road, even darker rooftops stood out against the dark gray sky.      -        . From time to time, the barking of an awakened dog could be heard from behind the gate, or an alarmed cat would rush from the middle of the street and hide in a pile of brushwood, from where only its frightened eyes could be seen, burning like carbuncles.                      ,      , ,  . It seemed that the cats were the only living creatures living in the village. ,     ,   .

In the middle of the village, on the main square, a large building towered like a dark mass, separated from the other buildings by two alleys.  ,   ,     ,      . Enormous linden trees stretched their dry hands towards its fa?ade.         . D'Artagnan carefully examined the building. Ē   .

This, he said to Planchet, must be the archbishops castle, where the beautiful de Longueville lives.  ,    ,   ,  ,     . But where is the monastery?    ?

 The monastery is at the end of the village, I know it.     ,   .

Then gallop there, said dArtagnan, while I tighten the horses girth; see if the Jesuits have a light in one of their windows, and then come back to me.    ,   ,       ; ,       - ,     .

Planchet obeyed and disappeared into the darkness, while d'Artagnan, having dismounted, began to tighten the girth, as he had said.      ,    , ,  ,   , .

Five minutes later, Planchet returned.     .

 Sir, there is light only in one window facing the field.  ,      ,   .

 Hm!  !  said d'Artagnan.    .  If I were a rebel, I would knock here and would certainly find a peaceful place to sleep; if I were a monk, I would knock there and would probably get an excellent dinner; and we, quite possibly, will spend the night on the damp ground, between the castle and the monastery, dying of thirst and hunger.     ,          ;   ,     , ,    ;  ,  ,    ,    ,     .

Yes, like the famous Buridans ass, added Planchet.  ,    ,   . But still, shouldnt I knock?         ?

- Shh!  -! - said d'Artagnan.    . - The only light in the window went out.         .

 Do you hear?  ?  said Planchet.    .

- Really, what is that noise?    ,    ?

There was a roar, like that of an approaching hurricane.  ,    .

At that very moment, two squads of horsemen, about ten men each, flew out from two alleys adjacent to the house and, closing in, surrounded d'Artagnan and Planchet from all sides.       ,   ,    ,    , , ,       .

- Wow!  ! - said d'Artagnan, drawing his sword and hiding behind his horse.    ,      . Planchet performed the same maneuver.     . - Is it really true that they are really getting to us?           ?

- Here he is!   ! Got him! ! - the horsemen shouted and rushed at d'Artagnan with drawn swords.           .

Dont miss it!   !  a loud voice rang out.     .

- No, Monsignor!  , ! Rest assured.  .

D'Artagnan decided it was time for him to speak. Ē ,     .

Hey, listen, he said in his Gascon accent, what do you want?  , ,       ,    ? What do you need?   ?

Youll find out now!   !  the riders roared in chorus.     .

- Stop!  ! Stop! ! - shouted the one who was called monsignor.    ,   . - Stop, I tell you, that is not his voice!   ,  ,    !

- That's it!  -! - said d'Artagnan.    . - Have they all gone crazy here in Noisy or something?    ,  ,  ,  ? But beware, I warn you: the first one who comes within the length of my sword - and I have a long one - I will rip open the belly of him.  ,  ; ,      ,     ,    .

The leader rode up to him.    .

What are you doing here?     ? he asked in an arrogant voice, accustomed to commanding.      ,  .

 And you?   ?  asked d'Artagnan.    .

 Be more polite, or youll get a proper lesson!  ,      ! Even if I dont tell you who I am, I still demand that you be respectful of my rank.       ,    ,       .

You are afraid to give your name because you command a band of robbers, said dArtagnan, but I, who am traveling peacefully with my lackey, have no reason to hide my name.     ,     ,   ,   ,     ,      .

- Okay, okay!  , ! Who are you?  ?

I will tell you my name so that you know where to find me, sir, prince, or monseigneur, whatever your name is, replied the Gascon, not wanting anyone to think that he was afraid of the threat.     ,   ,   , ,   ,    ,   ,  ,  ,    . Do you know dArtagnan?     ?

 Lieutenant of the King's Musketeers?    ?  asked the voice.    .

- That very one!   !

 Of course I know.   .

- Well, you've probably heard that he has a strong hand and a sharp sword?    , , ,        ?

 Are you Monsieur d'Artagnan?    ?

 Me!  !

- So you came here to defend him?  ,     ?

- Him... Whom him?    ?. .. .

- The one we're looking for.  ,   .

I thought I was going to Noisy, but I seem to have ended up in a kingdom of mysteries, said dArtagnan.      ,  , ,   ,   .

Answer me, said the same haughty voice, were you waiting for him here under the windows?   ,      ,       ? Did you come to Noisy to protect him?    ,   ?

Im not expecting anyone, said dArtagnan, beginning to lose patience, and Im not going to defend anyone except myself; but Im not going to defend myself lightly, I warn you.     ,   ,   ,      ,   ;   -,  ,    .

Okay, said the voice, go away from here, clear a place for us.  ,   ,   ,   .

Leave here?   ?  said dArtagnan, whose plans were disrupted by this order.    ,     .  Its not so easy: I am exhausted from fatigue, and so is my horse; unless you offer me dinner and a place to stay nearby.    -  :    ,    ;         .

 Fraudster!  !

- Hey, sir, be careful with your words, I beg you, because if you say another word like that, then, whether you are a marquis, a duke, a prince or a king, I will ram your words back down your throat, do you hear!  , ,   ,  ,          , ,   , ,   ,        , !

Well, well, said the leader, its impossible to be mistaken. You can tell right away that its a Gascon speaking, and that means its not the one were looking for.  , ,   ,   ,  ,   ,  ,  ,   . It didnt work out this time!     ! Lets go! ! Well meet again, Monsieur dArtagnan, concluded the leader, raising his voice.     ,  ,   ,  .

Yes, but not under such convenient circumstances for you, the Gascon said mockingly.  ,         ,    . Perhaps it will be in broad daylight and you will be alone.    ,         .

 Okay, okay!  , !  said the voice.    .  On the road, gentlemen!    , !

And the squad of horsemen, grumbling and cursing, disappeared into the darkness, turning towards Paris.   ,   ,   ,    .

D'Artagnan and Planchet remained on guard for some time; but as the noise grew more distant, they sheathed their swords. Ē       ;      ,     .

You see, you fool, dArtagnan calmly addressed Planchet, they didnt get to us at all.  , ,      ,       .

Then who is it?      ? asked Planchet.    .

- Honestly, I dont know!  -,  ! And what does it matter to me?     ? I have another concern: getting into the Jesuit monastery.    :     . Well, lets get on our horses and knock on their door! ,  ,    ! Come what may, they wont eat us, damn it!   ,     ,  !

And d'Artagnan jumped into the saddle.     .

Planchet had just done the same when suddenly an unexpected weight fell on his horse's croup, causing the horse to sit down on its hind legs.       ,         ,        .

Hey, sir, Planchet shouted, theres a man sitting behind me!  , ,   ,     !

D'Artagnan turned around and indeed saw two human figures on Planchet's horse. Ē            .

The devil himself is chasing us!     !  he exclaimed, drawing his sword and getting ready to attack the newcomer.    ,       .

No, my dear dArtagnan, he replied, it is not the devil, it is I, Aramis.  ,  ,   ,    ,  , . Gallop, Planchet, and turn left at the end of the village.  , ,      .

Planchet, with Aramis behind him, galloped forward, and d'Artagnan followed them, beginning to think that all this was a fantastic and incoherent dream.       ,     ,  ,       .



Chapter X  X

Abb d'Herblay  

At the end of the village, Planchet turned left, as Aramis had ordered him, and stopped under a lighted window.      ,    ,     . Aramis jumped to the ground and clapped his hands three times.         . Immediately the window opened, and a rope ladder descended from it.    ,     .

My dear friend, said Aramis, if you would like to come up, I will be happy to receive you.   ,   ,     ,     .

- So that's how it is!   ! - said d'Artagnan.    . - Do you always enter your house like this?         ?

 After nine in the evening, you have to, damn it!      ,  ! The monastery rules are very strict!    !

 Excuse me, my friend, did I hear you say, Damn it?  ,  ,  ,  :  ?

- Really?  ? - laughed Aramis.    . - It is possible; you cannot imagine, my dear, how many bad habits one acquires in these damned monasteries and what nasty manners all these fathers with whom I am forced to live have.    ;     ,  ,               ,     . Why dont you get up?     ?

- Go ahead, I'll follow you.   ,   .

"To show you the way, Your Majesty," as the late cardinal said to the late king.     ,  ,       .

Aramis quickly climbed the ladder and in an instant found himself at the window.            .

D'Artagnan followed him, but more slowly; it was clear that this kind of path was less familiar to him than to his friend. Ē   ,  ;  ,        ,   .

Excuse me, said Aramis, noticing his awkwardness, if I had known that you would do me the honor of visiting, I would have ordered a garden ladder to be installed; but this is enough for me.  ,   ,   ,     ,       ,      ;      .

Sir, said Planchet, when dArtagnan had almost reached his goal, this method is good for Monsieur Aramis, it is somehow suitable for you, and it is also not very good for me.  ,   ,      ,       , -   ,       . But horses will never be able to climb a rope ladder.          .

Take them under that shed, my friend, said Aramis, pointing Planchet to a building standing in the middle of the field, there you will find oats and straw for them.      ,  ,   ,    - ,   ,         .

 And for me?    ?  asked Planchet.    .

- You come to this window, clap your hands three times, and we will send you something to eat.      ,     ,     . Rest assured, damn it, no one is dying of hunger here.  ,  ,     . Go! !

And Aramis, having pulled in the ladder, closed the window.  ,  ,  .

D'Artagnan looked around the room with curiosity. Ē    .

Never before had he seen a room furnished in a more warlike and at the same time more elegant manner.               . War trophies, mainly swords, were displayed in every corner, and four large paintings depicted the Cardinal of Lorraine, Cardinal Richelieu, Cardinal Lavalette, and the Archbishop of Bordeaux in full battle armor.          ,           ,  ,     . True, apart from these, nothing else reminded one that this was the abbot's dwelling: the walls were covered in silk, Alencon carpets were everywhere, and the bed, with its lace and lush coverlet, looked more like the bed of a pretty woman than the bed of a man who had vowed to attain paradise at the cost of abstinence and mortification of the flesh. ,  ,     ,    :    ,   ,             ,    ,         .

Are you looking at my cell?     ? said Aramis.    . Ah, my dear, forgive me.   ,  ,  . What can I do!  ! I live like a hermit monk.   -. But why are you looking around?    ?

I dont understand who lowered the ladder down to you; theres no one here, and the ladder couldnt have appeared by itself.   ,    ;   ,        .

- No, Bazin brought it down.  ,   .

Ah, dArtagnan drawled.  -,   .

But, continued Aramis, I have Bazin well trained: he saw that I was not returning alone, and withdrew out of modesty.  ,   ,      :  ,     ,    . Sit down, my dear, lets talk. ,  , .

And Aramis pulled out a wide armchair for d'Artagnan, in which he sprawled comfortably.      ,     .

 First of all, you will have dinner with me, wont you?       ,   ?  asked Aramis.    .

Yes, if you like, and even with great pleasure, said dArtagnan.  ,   ,     ,   . I confess, Im damn hungry on the way.   ,     .

- Ah, my poor friend!  ,  ! - said Aramis.    . - I'm a bit short today, don't blame me, we weren't expecting you.      ,  ,    .

 Am I really in danger of a Crevecoeur omelet with theobroma?        ? Thats what you used to call spinach, isnt it?  , ,    ?

Oh, we must hope, replied Aramis, that with the help of God and Bazin we will find something better in the storerooms of the worthy Jesuit fathers.  ,  ,   ,          -       . Bazin, my friend! ,  !  he called.    .  Bazin, come here!   ,  !

The door opened, and Bazin appeared; but on seeing d'Artagnan, he uttered an exclamation that was more like a cry of despair.  ,   ; ,  ,   ,     .

My dear Bazin, said dArtagnan, I am very pleased to see with what admirable confidence you lie even in church.    ,   ,     ,         .

Sir, I have learned from the worthy Jesuit fathers, replied Bazin, that lying is permissible when it is done with good intentions.  ,      ,   ,    ,     .

- Very well, very well, Bazin.  , , . D'Artagnan is dying of hunger, and so am I; serve us dinner, and something better, and most importantly, bring some good wine. Ē   ,   ;   ,  ,  ,   .

Bazin bowed in submission, sighed heavily and left.     ,    .

We are alone now, my dear Aramis, said dArtagnan, turning his eyes from the furniture to the owner and examining his clothes to complete the overview.    ,  ,   ,          ,   . Tell me, where did you suddenly fall on Planchets horse?    ,       ?

Oh, damn it, said Aramis, you know, from the sky!  ,  ,   ,      !

From the sky!   ! repeated dArtagnan, shaking his head.    ,  . It doesnt look like you came from there or that you will ever get there.   ,          -.

My dear fellow, said Aramis, with a complacency which dArtagnan had never seen in him in the days when he was a musketeer, if I did not come from heaven, then I certainly came from paradise, and that is almost the same thing.   ,     ,          ,    ,        ,    ,       .

 At last the wise men will decide this question!  -    !  exclaimed d'Artagnan.    .  Until now they could not agree on the exact location of paradise: some placed it on Mount Ararat, others  between the Tigris and Euphrates; it turns out that they were looking for it too far away, and it is right next to us: paradise is in Noisy-le-Sec, in the castle of the Archbishop of Paris.              :      ,      ; ,    ,      :    --,    . From there they do not leave through the door, but through the window; they descend not by the marble steps of the staircase, but clinging to the linden branches, and the angel guarding it with a fiery sword, it seems to me, has changed his heavenly name of Gabriel to the more earthly name of the Prince de Marsillac.     ,   ;      ,     ,       ,  ,            .

Aramis burst out laughing.  .

You are still a cheerful conversationalist, my dear, he said, and your Gascon wit has not failed you.   -  ,  ,   ,        . Yes, there is some truth in what you say; but do not think that I am in love with Madame de Longueville. ,  ,   ,   ;    ,       .

- Of course!   ! After you have been Madame de Chevreuses lover for so long, you will not give your heart to her mortal enemy.           ,         .

"Yes, it is true," replied Aramis calmly, "I was once very fond of that dear Duchess, and, to do her justice, she was very useful to us."  , ,    ,  -      , ,    ,     . But what can we do!   ! She was forced to leave France.    . That damned cardinal was a merciless enemy," continued Aramis, glancing at the portrait of the late minister.      ,   ,      . "He ordered her arrest and conveyance to the Ch?teau de Loches.           . By God, he would have cut off her head, like Chalais, Montmorency, and Saint-Mars; but she escaped, disguised as a man, along with her maid, poor Kitty; She even had, I heard, a funny adventure in one village with a priest from whom she asked for a place to stay for the night and who, having only one room and taking Madame de Chevreuse for a man, offered to share it with her. -,     ,  ,   -;   ,  ,    ,  ;    ,  ,       - ,       ,           ,      . She wore men's clothes amazingly skillfully, this dear Marie.       ,   . I don't know another woman who wore them so well; that's why they wrote couplets about her: Laboisiere, tell me, on whom...     ,     ; -     :, ,  

Do you know them?   ?

 No, I dont know; sing, my dear.  ,  ; ,  .

And Aramis sang with the most playful air: Laboissiere, tell me, on whom does a man's attire fit so well?       :, ,     ? You prance on horseback Better than us, without a doubt.    ,  . She, like a young recruit among brawlers and drunkards, is sweet and slender. ,     ,, .

Bravo!  ! said dArtagnan.    . You still sing wonderfully, dear Aramis, and I see that the mass has not spoiled your voice.       ,  ,   ,      .

My dear fellow, said Aramis, you know, when I was a musketeer, I tried with all my might to serve as few guards as possible; now, as an abbot, I try to serve as few dinners as possible.   ,   ,  ,    ,         ; ,  ,      . But let us return to the poor duchess.     .

- To which one?   ? To the Duchess de Chevreuse or to the Duchess de Longueville?         ?

 My friend, I have already said that there is nothing between me and the Duchess de Longueville: only jokes, nothing more.   ,   ,         :  ,  . I am talking about the Duchess de Chevreuse.      . Did you see her upon her return from Brussels after the death of the king?            ?

- Of course.  . She was still very good-looking then.      .

 Yes, and I also saw her at that time; I gave her excellent advice, but she did not take advantage of it; I went on and on, assuring her that Mazarin was the queens lover; she did not want to believe me, saying that she knew Anne of Austria well and that she was too proud to love such a scoundrel.  ,    -      ;     ,     ;  , ,     ;     , ,          ,    . Then she rushed headlong into the conspiracy of the Duke of Beaufort, and the scoundrel went and ordered the arrest of the Duke of Beaufort and the expulsion of the Duchess de Chevreuse.         ,              .

You know, said dArtagnan, she has received permission to return.   ,   ,     .

- Yes, and shes already back... Shell do something stupid again.  ,       .

- Oh, maybe this time she will follow your advice?  ,  ,       ?

Oh, this time, said Aramis, I didnt see her; she must have changed a lot.  ,   ,   ,      ; , ,  .

Not like you, dear Aramis; you are still the same.     ,  ;   . You still have the same beautiful black hair, the same slender figure and feminine hands, which have become the beautiful hands of a prelate.        ,       ,    .

Yes, said Aramis, its true, I care about my appearance.  ,   ,   ,     . But you know, my friend, Im getting old: Ill soon be thirty-seven.  ,  ,  :      .

Listen, said dArtagnan, smiling, since weve already met, lets agree on how old we should be in the future.  ,   , ,       ,  ,        .

 How so?   ?  asked Aramis.    .

Yes, continued dArtagnan, in the old days I was two or three years younger than you, and if Im not mistaken, Im already forty.  ,   ,             ,  ,   ,   .

 Really?    ?  said Aramis.    .  Then Im wrong, because youve always been an excellent mathematician.   ,  ,       . So, by your reckoning, it turns out that Im already forty-three years old?     ,      ? Damn it!  ! Dont let this slip at the Hotel Rambouillet: it might harm me.       :    .

Dont worry, said dArtagnan, I dont go there.   ,   ,     .

- Oh, really?!   ?! But why is that brute Bazin stuck there?       ? - Aramis cried.    . - Hurry up, you idiot, turn around!   , , ! We're dying of hunger and thirst!      !

Bazin, who entered at that moment, raised the bottles he was holding in his hands to the sky.         ,    .

 At last!  -!  said Aramis.    .  Well, is everything ready?    ,  ?

- Yes, sir, right now.  , ,  . After all, it wont be long before you submit all these      

Because you imagine that you are still wearing a church robe, and all you do is read the prayer book.     ,       ,     ,   . But I warn you that if, while you are grinding church utensils in your chapels, you forget how to clean my sword, I will make a fire out of all your icons and roast you on it.   , , ,      ,     ,            .

The indignant Bazin crossed himself with the bottle.    . D'Artagnan, struck by the tone and manners of the Abb d'Herblay, so unlike the tone and manners of the musketeer Aramis, looked at his friend with wide eyes. Ē,      ,        ,       .

Bazin quickly covered the table with a Kamchatka tablecloth and placed on it so many well-roasted, fragrant and tempting dishes that d'Artagnan was dumbfounded with surprise.                 ,     .

But you were probably expecting someone?   , ,  -?  he asked.    .

 Hm!  !  answered Aramis.    .  I am always ready to receive a guest; and besides, I knew that you were looking for me.       ;      ,    .

- From whom?   ?

- Yes, from Bazin himself, who took you for the devil and came running to warn me of the danger that threatens my soul if I again fall into the bad company of the musketeer officer.     ,           ,     ,         .

Oh, sir!   !  Bazin said pleadingly, folding his hands.     ,  .

- Please, no hypocrisy.  ,  . You know, I dont like that.  ,    . Youd better open the window and send down some bread, some chicken and a bottle of wine to your friend Planchet: hes been exhausted for an hour now, clapping his hands under the window. -     ,       :       ,     .

Indeed, Planchet, having given the horses oats and straw, returned to the window and repeated the signal three times. , ,     ,          .

Bazin obeyed and, having tied the three named objects to the end of the rope, lowered them to Planchet.   ,       ,   . The latter, without asking for more, immediately went back to his awning. ,   ,      .

Now lets have dinner, said Aramis.    ,   .

The friends sat down at the table, and Aramis began to cut up the ham, chickens, and partridges with the skill of a true gourmet.    ,     ,       .

 Damn it, how you eat!   ,   !  said d'Artagnan.    .

- Yes, not bad.  , . And for the fast days I have permission from Rome, which the lord coadjutor obtained for me due to my poor health.          ,         . Besides, I have taken in the former cook of lord Lafollon, you know, the old friend of the cardinal, that famous glutton who, instead of praying after dinner, said: Lord, help me to digest well what I have so gloriously enjoyed.          , ,   ,   ,      : ,     ,     .

And yet this did not prevent him from dying of an upset stomach, dArtagnan remarked, laughing.            ,  , , .

What should I do?   ?  Aramis said with resignation.      .  You cant escape fate.      .

- Excuse me, my dear, but can I ask you one question?  ,  ,      ?

- Well, of course, go ahead and ask: you know there are no secrets between us.   , :   ,    .

- Have you become rich?   ?

- Oh my God, not at all.    , . I have twelve thousand livres a year, and also a small allowance of a thousand ecus, which the Prince of Cond got for me.       ,       ,     .

How do you earn these twelve thousand? asked dArtagnan, with your poems?        ,   ,   ?

 No, I have given up poetry; I only occasionally compose some drinking songs, love sonnets or innocent epigrams.  ,   ;  ,   -  ,     . I write sermons, my dear!   ,  !

 How are the sermons?   ?

- Wonderful sermons, I assure you.   ,  . At least according to others.      .

 And you pronounce them yourself?      ?

- No, I sell them.  ,   .

 To whom?  ?

 To those of my brothers who dream of becoming great orators.     ,     .

- I see!   ! And have you yourself never been seduced by fame?        ?

 Of course, it was seductive, but my nature got the better of me.  , ,     . When I am in the pulpit and a pretty woman looks at me, I begin to look at her; she smiles, I smile too.          ,      ;  ,   . Then I get confused and talk nonsense; instead of talking about the torments of hell, I talk about the bliss of paradise.        ;       ,     . Well, for example, this happened to me in the Church of Saint-Louis in Marais ... Some nobleman laughed right in my face.  ,  ,            -      . I interrupted my sermon and told him that he was a fool.       ,   . The parishioners went to get stones, and in the meantime I so arranged the meeting that stones were thrown at the nobleman.    ,       ,     . True, the next morning he came to me, imagining that he was dealing with an ordinary abbot. ,     , ,      .

And what consequences did this visit have?        ? asked dArtagnan, clutching his sides from laughter.    ,     .

 The consequence was that we arranged a meeting for the next day at Royal Square.    ,          . But you yourself know how it happened, damn it!     ,   ,  !

Was it not against this ignoramus that I acted as your second?           ? asked dArtagnan.    .

- Exactly.  . You saw how I finished him off.  ,    .

- And he died?    ?

 I absolutely dont know.    . But just in case, I gave him absolution  in articulo mortis.           in articulo mortis. It is enough to kill the body, but the soul should not be destroyed.   ,     .

Bazin made a gesture of despair, which showed that he might approve of such a moral, but by no means approved of the tone in which it was expressed.    , ,  ,  ,    ,     ,   .

- Bazin, my dear sir, dont you notice that I see you in the mirror!  , ,   ,      ! And yet I have forbidden you once and for all any expressions of approval or censure.            . Be so kind as to bring us some Spanish wine and go to your room.  , -        . Besides, my friend dArtagnan wants to tell me something in confidence.          -  . Isnt that right, dArtagnan?   , ?

D'Artagnan nodded affirmatively, and Bazin, having served Spanish wine, left. Ē  ,  ,   , .

Left alone, the friends were silent for a while.  ,    . Aramis seemed to be indulging in a pleasant digestion, and d'Artagnan was preparing to begin his speech. , ,   ,       . Both glanced furtively at each other.      .

Aramis was the first to break the silence.    .



Chapter XI  XI

Two Cunning Men  

- What are you thinking about, d'Artagnan, and why are you smiling?     , ,   ?

I think, said dArtagnan, that when you were a musketeer you always looked like an abbot, and now that you are an abbot you look very much like a musketeer.   ,   ,  ,    ,     ,  ,  ,     .

Thats true, laughed Aramis.   ,   . Man, as you know, my dear dArtagnan, is a strange animal, entirely made up of contradictions.   ,   ,   ,  ,    . Ever since I became an abbot, I have dreamed of nothing but battles.       ,       .

 Its evident from your surroundings: how many rapiers you have here, and for every taste!      :     ,    ! And have you forgotten how to fencing?     ?. .. .

- Me?  ? Yes, I now fence just like you fenced in the old days, even better, perhaps.      ,      ,  ,  . Thats all I do all day.       .

- With whom?    ?

- With an excellent fencing teacher who lives here.     ,   .

- How is it here?   ?

- Yes, here, in this very monastery.  , ,    . In Jesuit monasteries you can meet anyone...       

 In that case, would you have killed Monsieur de Marsillac if he had attacked you alone, and not at the head of twenty men?          ,       ,      ?

Certainly, said Aramis, and even at the head of twenty men, if only I could use my weapon without fear of being recognized.  ,   ,        ,         ,    .

Hes become as Gascon as I am, damn it!       ,  ! thought dArtagnan and added out loud:       :

- So, my dear Aramis, you ask why I was looking for you?  ,   ,  ,     ?

No, I didnt ask that, Aramis remarked slyly, but I was waiting for you to tell me so yourself.  ,    ,    ,    ,      .

Well, then, I was looking for you solely to offer you the opportunity to kill Monsieur de Marsillac whenever you please, even though he is the most serene prince.   ,  ,      ,        ,   ,     .

- Well, well, well!  , , ! That's an idea!  ! - said Aramis.    .

- Which I suggest you take advantage of, my dear.       ,  . You have a thousand ecus in income from the abbey, and from the sale of sermons you get twelve thousand.       ,        . But tell me: are you rich now?  :    ? Answer frankly!  !

- Rich?  ? But Im as poor as Job!   ,  ! Search all my pockets and drawers - you wont find more than a hundred pistols.              .

A hundred pistoles, damn it!  ,  ! And this is what he calls being as poor as Job!      ,  !  thought dArtagnan.    .  If I always had them at hand, I would be as rich as Croesus.         ,    ,  .

Then he added out loud:   :

- Are you ambitious?   ?

- Like Enceladus.   .

- So, my friend, I will give you the opportunity to become rich, influential and get the right to do whatever you want.   ,  ,      ,      ,  .

A cloud passed over Aramis's brow, as fleeting as a shadow passing over a field in August; but, fleeting as it was, d'Artagnan noticed it.     ,   ,  ,      ; ,     ,     .

Speak, said Aramis.  ,   .

- First, one more question.     . Are you involved in politics?   ?

A flash of lightning flashed in Aramis's eyes, as quick as the shadow that had crossed his face before, but not quick enough for d'Artagnan to miss it.     ,   ,  ,     ,     ,     .

No, answered Aramis.  ,   .

Then any offer will be to your advantage, since now there is no power over you other than God, laughed the Gascon.        ,       ,  ,   .

- Possibly.  .

 Do you sometimes remember, dear Aramis, the glorious days of our youth, spent amid laughter, drinking and duels?     ,  ,     ,   ,   ?

- Yes, of course, and I have regretted them more than once.  , ,      . It was a happy time!   ! Delectabile tempus! Delectabile tempus!

- So, my friend, these happy days can happen again, this happy time can return.   ,  ,     ,     . I have been tasked with finding my comrades, and I started with you, because you were the soul of our union.     ,      ,       .

Aramis bowed more out of politeness than gratitude.     ,   .

To plunge into politics again!     ! said Aramis in a dying voice, leaning back in his chair.           . Ah, dear dArtagnan, you see how measuredly and freely my life flows.   ,  ,  ,       . And we have experienced the ingratitude of noble people, havent we?        ,   ?

That is true, said dArtagnan, but perhaps these noble people have repented of their ingratitude?   ,   ,  ,  ,       ?

- In that case, its a different matter.      . For every sin, indulgence.     . Besides, you are absolutely right in one thing, namely, that if we have again developed a desire to get involved in state affairs, then now, it seems to me, is the time.        ,               ,  ,  ,  .

- How do you know this?     ? After all, you are not involved in politics?     ?

 Oh, my God!    ! Although I dont deal with it myself, I live in an environment where it is very much dealt with.       ,     ,    . Carried away by poetry and indulging in love, I became close with Sarazin, a supporter of Monsieur de Conti, with Voiture, a supporter of the coadjutor, and with Bois-Robert, who, since the death of Cardinal Richelieu, does not support anyone, or, if you like, supports everyone at once; so that political affairs are not so alien to me.     ,     ,    ,  ,  ,   -, ,        ,      ,  ,    ;         .

Thats what I thought, said dArtagnan.     ,   .

 However, my friend, all that I am about to tell you is merely the speech of a humble monk, a man who, like an echo, simply repeats everything he hears from others.  ,  , ,    ,      , , ,  ,   ,    . I have heard that at the present moment Cardinal Mazarin is very worried about the state of affairs.  ,          . Apparently, his orders do not enjoy the same respect with which those of our former scarecrow, the late Cardinal, whose portrait you see here, were formerly treated; for, whatever one may say, it must be admitted that he was a great man. -,      ,         ,  ,     ; ,   , ,  ,    .

I wont contradict you on that, dear Aramis.        ,  . After all, it was he who promoted me to lieutenant.       .

 At first I was entirely on the side of the new cardinal; I told myself that a minister is never loved and that, possessing the great intelligence that is attributed to him, he will ultimately triumph over his enemies and make them fear him, which, in my opinion, is perhaps better than making them love him.         ;   ,        ,   ,   ,              , , -, , ,    .

D'Artagnan nodded as a sign that he fully agreed with this dubious judgment. Ē    ,       .

That, continued Aramis, was my original opinion; but since the vow of humility I have taken obliges me not to rely on my own opinion, I made inquiries, and behold, my friend   ,   ,     ;     ,  ,       ,    ,  ,  

Aramis fell silent.  .

- What - and here it is?     ?

 And so I had to humble my pride; it turned out that I was wrong.         ; ,   .

- Really?    ?

- Yes.  . I made inquiries, as I already told you, and this is what many people, with completely different views and intentions, answered me: Monsieur de Mazarin is not at all such a brilliant man as you imagine him to be.   ,    ,       ,     :        ,     .

 Really?  ?  said d'Artagnan.    .

 Yes.  . He is an insignificant person, a former lackey of Cardinal Bentivolio, who climbed into society through intrigue; an upstart, a man without a name, he does not think about France, but only about himself.   ,    ,     ; ,   ,     ,     . He will rob money, plunder the kings treasury, pay himself all the pensions that the late Cardinal Richelieu generously distributed right and left, but he is not destined to govern the country either by the right of the strong, or by the right of a great man, or even by the right of a man who enjoys universal respect.   ,   ,     ,         ,          ,     ,     ,   . Moreover, it seems that this minister has neither a noble heart nor noble manners, he is some kind of comedian, Pulcinello, Pantaloon.  , -,      ,   ,  - , , . Do you know him?   ? I do not know him at all.    .

Hm, replied dArtagnan, there is some truth in what you say.  ,   ,   ,   ,   .

I am very flattered that, thanks to my natural insight, I was able to come to an agreement with you, a man living at court.    ,             ,   .

- But you told me about his personality, not about his party, not about his friends.        ,     ,    .

- It's true.   . The queen is behind him.    .

 And this, it seems to me, is already worth something.   ,  ,  - .

- But the king is not for him.      .

- Child!  !

- A child who will be an adult in four years.  ,      .

 Its about the present.    .

- Yes, but the present is not the future; and even in the present he has on his side neither parliament, nor the people, that is, money; nor the nobility, nor the gentry, that is, the sword.  ,    ;            ,  ,    ;  ,  ,    .

D'Artagnan scratched his ear. Ē   . He had to admit that this was not only a profound but also a true thought.    ,     ,    .

- You see, my friend, I have not yet lost my usual insight.   , ,       . Perhaps I am wrong to speak so frankly with you: it seems to me that you are leaning towards Mazarins side.  ,       :  ,     .

 Me?  ?  cried d'Artagnan.    .  Not at all!   !

- You were talking about an assignment.     .

 Did I speak of a commission?      ? In that case, I expressed myself poorly.      . No, I have always thought the same as you. ,     ,  . Things are confused; should we not throw the pen to the wind and go in the direction where the wind carries it?  ;              ,    ? Let us return to our former life of adventures.     . We were four brave knights, four hearts bound by friendship, let us unite again not our hearts  for our hearts have always remained inseparable  but our fate and courage.     ,    ,            ,      . An opportunity presents itself to acquire something better than a diamond.      .

You are right, dArtagnan, absolutely right, replied Aramis, and I see proof in the fact that I myself had the same thought.   , ,  ,   ,       ,        . Only it was suggested to me by others, since I do not possess your lively and inexhaustible imagination: in our time everyone needs intermediaries.      ,          :       . I was made an offer: some of our past exploits became known, and then, I will tell you frankly, I blabbed to the coadjutor.    : -      ,  ,   ,   .

 To Monsieur de Gondi, the Cardinals enemy?    ,  ?  cried dArtagnan.    .

No, to the kings friend, answered Aramis, to the kings friend, you understand?  ,  ,   ,   , ? So, the king must be served, and that is the duty of every nobleman.  ,   ,      .

- But the king is in league with Mazarin, my dear.       ,  .

- In fact, yes, but against his will; by actions, but not by his heart.     ,   ; ,   . This is the trap that the kings enemies are preparing for the poor child.     ,      .

- I see!   ! But you are simply offering me civil war, dear Aramis!     -  ,  !

- War for the King.    .

 But the king will stand at the head of the army where Mazarin will be.        ,   .

 And his heart will remain in the army, which will be commanded by Monsieur de Beaufort.       ,      .

- Monsieur de Beaufort!    ! He is at the Ch?teau de Vincennes.    .

 Did I say Beaufort?      ? Well, if not Beaufort, then someone else; if not Beaufort, then the Prince of Cond. ,  ,  - ;  ,   .

But the prince is leaving for the active army, and he is entirely devoted to the cardinal.       ,     .

 Hm-hm!  -!  answered Aramis.    .  They are having some kind of trouble right now.        - . But even if not the prince, then at least Monsieur de Gondi      ,      

 Mr. de Gondi will be a cardinal any day now; they are asking for a cardinal's hat for him.      -  ;     .

Have there never been warlike cardinals?      ? said Aramis.    . Look at the walls: around you are four cardinals who, at the head of an army, were no worse than Messrs. Guebriand and Gassion.     :    ,           .

 A hunchbacked commander will be a good one!     !

 The hump will be hidden by armor.    . Besides, remember, Alexander limped, and Hannibal was one-eyed.    ,  ,    .

Do you think this match will bring you great benefits?   ,      ? asked dArtagnan.    .

- She will bring me the patronage of powerful people.       .

- And the government's proscriptions?    ?

 Parliament and rebellions will help to abolish them.       .

Everything you say could come true if we could separate the king from his mother.  ,   ,   ,        .

- This may be achieved.  ,  , .

Never!  ! cried dArtagnan with conviction.      . You yourself are a witness to this, Aramis, you who know Anne of Austria as well as I do.      , , ,      ,  . Do you think that she will ever be able to forget that her son is her support, her protection, the guarantee of her well-being, her happiness, her life?  ,   -  ,    ,  ,   ,  ,  ? She should go over with him to the side of the nobility and abandon Mazarin, but you know better than anyone else that she has serious reasons not to leave him.             ,    ,  - ,         .

Perhaps you are right, Aramis said thoughtfully.   ,  ,    . I, perhaps, will not join them   , ,    

 To them!   ! And to me?   ?  said d'Artagnan.    .

 To no one.    . I am a priest; what do I care about politics?  ;     ? I never even have a missal in my hands.         . My clientele is enough for me: clever, witty abbots and pretty women.     :      . The more confusion there is in state affairs, the less noise there is about my pranks; everything goes wonderfully without my interference.      ,    -  ;       . Decidedly, my dear friend, I will not interfere in anything. ,  ,       .

And indeed, my dear, said dArtagnan, your philosophy is beginning to infect me.     ,  ,   ,      . Really, I dont understand what fly has suddenly bitten me! ,  ,     ! I have a service that somehow feeds me.    ,   - . After Trevilles deaththe poor fellow is getting old!      !I can become a captain.      . This is not a bad marshals baton for a Gascon nobleman, the youngest in the family, and I feel that I generally have an inclination for modest but daily food.        ,   ,   ,       ,  . Rather than chasing adventures, Id rather accept Porthoss invitation and go hunting on his estate.    ,     ,     . You know, Porthos has an estate.  ,    .

- Of course!   ! Of course I know. , . Ten miles of forests, swamps and meadows; he is the lord of the mountains and valleys and is competing with the Bishop of Noyon for feudal rights.   ,   ;             .

Excellent, thought dArtagnan, thats just what I needed to know. ,   ,  -     . Porthos in Picardy.   .

And he now bears his former surname, du Vallon?          ? he asked out loud.     .

- Yes, and he added to it the name de Bracieux; that is the name of his land, which once gave rights to the baronial title!  ,        ;    ,       !

- So will we see Porthos as a baron?       ?

- Without a doubt.   . Baroness Porthos will be especially good!     !

Both friends burst out laughing.   .

So, dArtagnan began, you dont want to become a supporter of Mazarin?  ,   ,       ?

- Are you a supporter of the princes?     ?

- No.  . Well then, let us not be anyones supporters and let us remain friends; let us be neither cardinalists nor frondeurs.         ;    ,  .

Yes, said Aramis, let us be musketeers.  ,   ,   .

 At least in a cassock.     .

Especially in a cassock, exclaimed Aramis, thats the beauty of it!    ,   ,   -  !

Well then, farewell, said dArtagnan, standing up.    ,  , , .

I wont keep you, my dear, said Aramis, because I have nowhere to put you.     ,  ,   ,         . And to suggest that you spend the night with Planchet in the barn would be indecent.           .

 Besides, Im only three miles from Paris.           . The horses are rested, and Ill be home in less than an hour.  ,    ,    .

D'Artagnan poured himself the last glass. Ē    .

 To our good old times!      !

Yes, Aramis continued, unfortunately, it has passed Fugit irreparabile tempus  ,   ,   ,   Fugit irreparabile tempus

- Bah!  ! It might come back. ,  ,  . Just in case you need me, remember: Tiktonskaya Street, the Kozochka Hotel.   ,    , :  ,  .

- And I am here, in the Jesuit monastery.     ,   . From six in the morning until eight in the evening  through the door, from eight in the evening until six in the morning  through the window.         ,         .

 Goodbye, my dear.   ,  .

- Oh, I wont let you go like this, let me walk you home.  ,     ,    .

And Aramis took up his cloak and sword.       .

He wants to make sure of my departure, thought dArtagnan.      ,   .

Aramis whistled, but Bazin was dozing in the hall over the remains of dinner, and Aramis was forced to tug his ear to wake him.  ,        ,        ,  .

Bazin stretched, rubbed his eyes and tried to fall asleep again.  ,      .

- Come on, sleepyhead, get the ladder quickly.  -, ,  .

Yes, said Bazin, yawning from ear to ear, its still hanging in the window, the ladder.   ,   ,   ,     , -.

- Give me the other one, the garden ladder.   ,  . Can't you see that Monsieur d'Artagnan had a hard time going up, and it will be even harder for him to go down.   ,     ,      .

D'Artagnan wanted to assure Aramis that he would go down just fine, but one thought occurred to him and he remained silent. Ē    ,    ,       ,   .

Bazin took a deep breath and went to get the ladder.       . A minute later, a good and reliable wooden ladder was placed against the window.           .

This is a staircase, said dArtagnan, a woman could climb it.     ,   ,      .

Aramis's gaze seemed to want to read his thoughts in the very depths of his heart, but d'Artagnan withstood this gaze with remarkable simplicity.   , ,        ,        .

Besides, he had already put his foot on the first step and started to go down.             .

In an instant he was on the ground.       . Bazin remained at the window.    .

Wait here, said Aramis, Ill be right back.   ,   ,    .

Both headed towards the barn; Planchet came out to meet them, holding the horses by the bridle.    ;    ,    .

- Excellent!  ! What a smart and efficient servant!     ! Not like my lazy Bazin, who is no good for anything since he served in the church.      ,         ,    . Follow us, Planchet, - said Aramis, - we will walk to the end of the village.   , ,  ,       .

Indeed, the friends walked through the entire village, talking about various trifles; at the last house, Aramis said: ,    ,    ;     :

- Well, my friend, go your own way.  ,  ,   . Fortune smiles upon you, do not let it slip away.   ,   . Remember, happiness is a courtesan; treat her as she deserves. ,    ;   ,    . Well, I will remain in my insignificance and my laziness.           . Goodbye. .

- So, its decided and signed: my proposal doesnt suit you?  , ,   :     ?

It would suit me very well, said Aramis, if I were a man like others, but, I repeat to you, I am all contradictions: what I hate today, I adore tomorrow, and vice versa.      ,   ,      , ,  ,     : ,   ,   , et vice versa.You see, I cannot commit myself, like you, for example, who have very definite views.  ,       , , , ,     .

Youre lying, you sly one, dArtagnan said to himself, on the contrary, you know how to choose a target and get to it secretly. , ,    ,  , -        .

So, good-bye, my dear, continued Aramis, and thank you for your good intentions, and especially for the pleasant memories that your appearance awakened in me.    , ,   ,       ,      ,      .

They embraced.  . Planchet was already on horseback.     . D'Artagnan also jumped into the saddle, he and Aramis shook hands again. Ē    ,         . The riders spurred their horses and galloped towards Paris.         .

Aramis stood in the middle of the road until he lost sight of them.       ,      .

But d'Artagnan, having ridden about two hundred paces, abruptly reined in his horse, jumped to the ground, threw the reins to Planchet and, taking his pistols from their holsters, tucked them into his belt.  ,   ,   ,  ,    ,    ,     .

What happened?   ? asked the frightened Planchet.     .

The fact is that no matter how cunning he is, replied dArtagnan, he wont fool me.  ,     ,   ,     . Stay here and wait for me, but off to the side of the road.     ,     .

With these words, d'Artagnan jumped over the ditch that ran along the road and set off across the field, going around the village.      ,   ,    ,   . He noticed between the house where Madame de Longueville lived and the Jesuit monastery a vacant lot, surrounded only by a hedge.    ,   ?  ,    ,    .

Perhaps an hour ago he would have had difficulty in finding this fence, but now the moon was up, and although it was hidden behind clouds from time to time, it was still possible to see the road quite clearly even when the moon disappeared.  ,          ,    ,         ,        ,    .

D'Artagnan reached the hedge and walked stealthily in its shadow. Ē     , ,   . As he passed the house where the scene we have described had taken place, he noticed that Aramis's window was lit; but he was sure that Aramis had not yet returned to his room, and that when he did, he would not return alone.   ,     ,  ,    ;    ,       ,   ,    .

Indeed, he soon heard approaching footsteps and seemingly muffled voices. ,          .

The footsteps died away near the fence.    .

D'Artagnan knelt down, looking for a place where the hedge was thicker. Ē   ,   ,    .

At that moment, to d'Artagnan's great surprise, two men appeared.   ,    ,   . But his surprise did not last long; he heard a gentle, harmonious voice.     ;   ,  . One of the men was a woman dressed in men's clothing.     ,    .

Calm down, dear Ren, said a gentle voice, this will never happen again.  ,  ,    ,      . I discovered something like an underground passage under the street: we only have to lift one slab near the door, and the exit is open.        :        ,  .

Oh, I swear to you, Princess, replied another voice, in which dArtagnan recognized the voice of Aramis, if your good name did not depend on these precautions, and if I were only risking my own life  ,  , ,    ,      ,                   

- Yes, yes, I know, you are a man of the world and at the same time brave and courageous.  , ,  ,           . But you belong not only to me, you belong to our entire party.      ,     . Be careful, be prudent.   ,  .

I always obey, madam, said Aramis, when I am commanded in such a pleasant voice.    , ,   ,       .

He kissed her hand tenderly.     .

Ah!  ! exclaimed the gentleman, who had a pleasant voice.    ,   .

What is it?   ? asked Aramis.    .

 Can't you see, the wind blew my hat away!     ,    !

Aramis rushed after the hat that had flown away.     . D'Artagnan took advantage of the moment and moved to another place, where the hedge was not so dense and he could freely examine Aramis's mysterious companion. Ē       ,              . At that moment the moon, perhaps as curious as our officer, came out from behind a cloud, and by its immodest light d'Artagnan recognized the large blue eyes, golden hair and proud head of the Duchess de Longueville.    ,     ,   ,  - ,          ,        .

Aramis, laughing, returned with one hat in his hand and the other on his head, and both headed towards the Jesuit monastery. , ,      ,    ,      .

Excellent, said dArtagnan, standing up and shaking the dust off his knees, now Ive figured you out: youre a rebel and Madame de Longuevilles lover.  ,  ,      , ,     :       .



Chapter XII  XII

Mr. Porthos du Vallon de Bracieux de Pierrefonds        

Thanks to the information received from Aramis, d'Artagnan, who remembered that Porthos's real name was du Vallon, now learned that, according to the name of the estate he owned, he was also called de Bracieux and that, because of this estate, he was in litigation with the Bishop of Noyon.  ,   , , ,       ,  ,    ,   ,        -        .

Therefore, it was necessary to look for him in the vicinity of Noyon, in other words, on the border of Ile-de-France and Picardy. ,       ,  ,   --  .

D'Artagnan immediately worked out his route.     . He would go to Dammartin, where two roads converged: one leading to Soissons, the other to Compiegne; here he would inquire about the Bracieux estate and, depending on the directions, he would go straight ahead or turn left.    ,    :    ,    ;        ,   ,     .

Planchet, who was not yet entirely at peace with the outcome of his prank, declared that he would follow d'Artagnan to the ends of the earth, no matter whether he went straight ahead or turned left. ,         , ,       ,  ,       . He only begged his master to leave in the evening, since darkness ensured him greater safety.       ,       . D'Artagnan advised him to warn his wife, in order to reassure her at least about his fate; but the sagacious Planchet confidently replied that his wife would not die of anxiety if she did not know his whereabouts, while he, Planchet, on the contrary, knowing the intemperance of her tongue, would certainly die of anxiety if only she knew where he was. Ē    ,         ;     ,       ,       ,   , , ,    ,    ,     ,   .

These arguments seemed so compelling to d'Artagnan that he no longer insisted, and at eight o'clock in the evening, when the fog on the streets began to thicken, he left the Goat Hotel and, accompanied by Planchet, left the capital through the Saint-Denis gate.      ,     ,     ,      ,              -.

At midnight both travelers were in Dammartin.       .

It was too late to make inquiries.   ,   . The owner of the inn "Sign of the Cross" was already asleep.       . D'Artagnan postponed his inquiries until tomorrow. Ē    .

The next morning he ordered the innkeeper to be called.     . He was one of those cunning Normans who say neither yes nor no and believe that they will lower themselves in the eyes of their interlocutor by answering the question asked without evasion.       ,     ,    ,      ,      . Having understood only that he had to go straight ahead, d'Artagnan set off on his way according to this imprecise instruction.  ,    ,        . At nine o'clock in the morning he arrived in Nanteuil and stopped there to have breakfast.           ,  .

This time the innkeeper was a frank and distinguished Picard.         . Recognizing Planchet as a fellow countryman, he gave him the necessary explanations without further ado.    ,        . The Bracieux estate was located several miles from Villers-Cotterets.        -.

D'Artagnan knew Villers-Cotterets, as he had accompanied the court there two or three times. Ē  -,   -    . Villers-Cotterets was one of the royal residences at that time. -        . He went to this city and stayed, as usual, at the Golden Dolphin Hotel.       ,  ,    .

Here he received exhaustive information.     . He learned that the Bracieux estate was located four miles from the city, but that Porthos was not to be found there at all.  ,          ,         .

Porthos was in fact in litigation with the Bishop of Noyon over the estate of Pierrefonds, which bordered on his lands; tired of the legal red tape, of which he understood nothing, he, in order to put an end to it, simply bought Pierrefonds and in this way added a third name to his two previous ones.          ,    ;   ,       , ,    ,     -         . He was now called du Vallon de Bracieux de Pierrefonds and lived on his new estate.               .

In the absence of other glory, Porthos obviously aimed to become the Marquis of Carabao.     , ,    .

We had to wait until tomorrow again.     . The horses had covered ten miles during the day and were very tired.         . True, we could have taken others, but we had to go through the forest, and Planchet, as we know, did not like forests at night. ,    ,    ,  ,   ,    .

There was another thing that Planchet did not like, namely, setting out on a journey on an empty stomach: therefore, when d'Artagnan woke up in the morning, he found breakfast ready on the table.    ,    ,       : ,  ,      . It was difficult to be angry at such attention, and d'Artagnan sat down at the table.      ,     . Needless to say, Planchet, having returned to his former duties, regained his former humility; therefore, he was no more ashamed to finish the remains from d'Artagnan's table than Madame de Motteville or Madame de Fargy were, finishing the dishes from the table of Anne of Austria.   ,  ,    ,    ;          ,  ?    ?  ,      .

Therefore, it was only possible to leave around eight o'clock in the morning.        . There was no way to make a mistake: you had to take the road leading from Villers-Cotterets to Compiegne, and, after passing the forest, turn right.   :    ,   -  , ,  ,  .

It was a beautiful spring morning; birds were singing in the tall trees, and the sunlight in the forest clearings seemed like a curtain of golden muslin.    ;     ,          .

Here and there the sun's rays struggled to penetrate the dense vault of foliage, and the trunks of old oaks, upon which nimble squirrels climbed at the sight of travelers, were lost in the darkness. -         ,       ,   ,  ,  . All nature that early morning breathed the heart-pleasing aroma of grass, flowers, and leaves.           ,   . D'Artagnan, tired of the stench of Paris, thought that a man who bore the names of three estates, strung one on top of the other, could be quite happy in such a paradise. Ē,    , ,  ,    ,    ,       . And he thought, shaking his head: "If I were in Porthos's place and d'Artagnan made me the offer that I am about to make to Porthos, it is already clear what I would answer d'Artagnan."   ,  :          ,     ,  ,     .

But Planchet thought nothing: he was digesting his breakfast.     :    .

At the edge of the forest, d'Artagnan saw the road indicated to him, and at the end of the road, the towers of a huge feudal castle.        ,        .

Oh, he grumbled, this castle seems to have belonged to the senior branch of the family of the Dukes of Orleans.  ,   ,   , ,      . Did Porthos make a deal with the Duke de Longueville?           ?

 What an estate, sir!    , ! It is well managed!  !  said Planchet.    .  And if it belongs to Monsieur Porthos, then he can be congratulated.        ,    .

Dont you dare, damn it, call him Porthos, said dArtagnan, or even du Vallon.    ,  ,   ,   ,     . Call him de Bracieux or de Pierrefonds.       . You will ruin our whole business.     .

As they approached the castle that had attracted their attention, d'Artagnan became convinced that his friend could not live there.     ,    ,   ,       . The towers, although strong as those built yesterday, were pierced and torn apart, as if some giant had chopped them up with an axe. ,   ,   ,    ,  -    .

Arriving at the end of the road, d'Artagnan saw at his feet a marvelous valley, in the depths of which slumbered a small, charming lake, surrounded by scattered houses with thatched and tiled roofs; they seemed to respectfully acknowledge as their overlord the beautiful castle that stood nearby, built at the beginning of the reign of Henry IV and adorned with weathervanes bearing the owner's coat of arms.    ,       ,       ,           ; ,          ,      IV      .

This time d'Artagnan had no doubt that he was in front of Porthos's home.      ,     .

The road led straight to the beautiful castle, which, next to its ancestor on the mountain, resembled a modern dandy next to an iron-clad knight from the time of Charles VII.      ,                   VII. D'Artagnan urged his horse into a trot. Ē   . Planchet urged his steed on, trying to keep up with his master.    ,     .

Ten minutes later, d'Artagnan rode into an avenue lined with beautiful poplars and ending in an iron fence with gilded points and crossbars.       ,             . In the middle of this avenue, a gentleman, all in green and gilded like the fence, sat astride a fat, low stallion.   -      ,  ,      . To the right and left of him stood two footmen in liveries with braid on all the seams; at a distance, a crowd of respectful peasants stood.               ;     .

Is this not the sovereign Monsieur du Vallon de Bracieux de Pierrefonds?            ?  said dArtagnan to himself.      .  My God, how he has shrunk since he stopped calling himself Porthos.    ,      ,    .

It cant be him, said Planchet, answering dArtagnans thought.      ,   ,    . Monsieur Porthos is six feet tall, but this one is not even five.        ,       .

 However, this gentleman is bowed to very low.       .

Having said this, d'Artagnan moved towards the stallion, the footmen and the important gentleman.  ,      ,    . The closer he rode, the more it seemed to him that he recognized the features of his face.    ,    ,      .

 Lord Jesus!   !  exclaimed Planchet, who also seemed to recognize him.    ,      .  Sir, is it really he?   ,   ?

At this exclamation, the man on horseback slowly and very majestically turned around, and the travelers saw in all their splendor the round eyes, ruddy face and blissful smile of Mousqueton.           ,        ,     .

And indeed, it was Mousqueton, fat, glowing with health and contentment.  ,   , ,    . Recognizing d'Artagnan, he - not like that hypocrite Bazin - hastily dismounted from his stallion and, with his head uncovered, went to meet the officer.  ,                     . And the respectful crowd turned sharply to the new luminary who had eclipsed the previous one.        ,  .

 Monsieur d'Artagnan!   ! Monsieur d'Artagnan!  !  burst from the thick cheeks of Mousqueton, choking with joy.       ,   .  Monsieur d'Artagnan!    ! Ah, what joy for my lord and master du Vallon de Bracieux de Pierrefonds! ,             !

- My dearest Musketon!   ! So your master is here?    ?

- You are in his domain.     .

But how smart, plump, and blooming you are!      , , !  continued dArtagnan, tirelessly listing the changes that had occurred under the influence of prosperity in the once hungry guy.    ,    ,        .

Yes, yes, thank God, sir, replied Mousqueton, I feel quite well.  , ,  , ,   ,     .

- Why dont you tell your friend Planchet anything?          ?

Planchet, my friend Planchet, is it you?  ,   ,   ? cried Mousqueton, rushing towards Planchet with open arms and tears in his eyes.    ,           .

I am the one, replied the prudent Planchet, I just wanted to check if you were getting too arrogant.   ,    ,     ,    .

 To put on airs in front of an old friend!     ! No, Planchet, never! , , ! You dont think so yourself, or you dont know Mousqueton well.      ,     .

Well, thats good!    ! said Planchet, jumping off his horse and, in turn, hugging Mousqueton.    ,    ,   ,  . Youre not like that scoundrel Bazin, who kept me in the barn for two hours and didnt even let on that he knew me.         ,           ,     .

And Planchet and Mousqueton kissed each other with a feeling that greatly touched those present, who decided, in view of Mousquetons high position, that Planchet was some kind of nobleman in disguise.       ,   , ,    ,   -  .

And now, sir, said Mousqueton, freeing himself from the embrace of Planchet, who was unsuccessfully trying to clasp his hands on his friends back, and now, sir, allow me to leave you, for I do not wish my master to learn of your arrival from anyone but me; he will not forgive me for allowing myself to be anticipated.   , ,   ,    ,        ,   , ,    ,     ,         -,  ;    ,     .

Old friend!   ! said dArtagnan, avoiding calling Porthos by either his old or his new name.    ,     ,   . So he hasnt forgotten me yet?        ?

 Forget?  ? For him?  -?  exclaimed Mousqueton.    .  Not a day passed that we did not expect news of your appointment as Marshal, either in place of Monsieur de Gassion or Monsieur de Bassompierre.      ,              ,     .

One of those rare sad smiles that remained in the depths of his heart as a trace of the disappointments of his youth flashed across d'Artagnan's lips.          ,          .

And you, peasants, continued Mousqueton, stay with His Excellency Count dArtagnan and try to serve him as best you can while I go and report to Monseigneur about his arrival.   , ,   ,              ,        .

And, having mounted his portly horse with the help of two compassionate souls, while the more agile Planchet had mounted his own without assistance, Mousqueton galloped across the lawn at a slow pace, which showed more the strength of his back than the speed of his steed's legs. ,          ,             ,      ,     ,      .

Thats a good beginning!    ! said dArtagnan.    . There are no secrets, no pretense, no politics here; here they laugh out loud, cry with joy, everyones faces are a yard wide.      ,  ,  ;     ,   ,      . Really, it seems to me that nature itself is celebrating a holiday, that the trees, instead of leaves and flowers, are decorated with green and pink ribbons. ,  ,     ,           .

And to me, said Planchet, it seems that from here I smell the most delicious aroma of roast meat and see an honor guard of cooks lined up to greet us.   ,   ,  ,            ,   . Ah, sir, Monsieur de Pierrefonds must have a cook: he loved to eat well even back when his name was only Porthos. , ,        :       ,   - .

Stop, said dArtagnan, youre frightening me!  ,   ,    ! If reality corresponds to external signs, Im lost.     ,  . Such a happy man will never give up his happiness, and failure awaits me, like Aramis.        ,    ,   .



Chapter XIII  XIII

How d'Artagnan, having met Porthos, was convinced that happiness is not in money  ,   , ,     

D'Artagnan rode through the bars and found himself in front of the castle. Ē       . He had barely jumped off his horse when some giant appeared on the porch.     ,  -    . It must be said that d'Artagnan was to his credit: regardless of any selfish considerations, his heart beat joyfully at the sight of the tall figure and warlike face, which immediately reminded him what a brave and kind man he was.    :     ,           ,   ,     .

He ran up the steps and threw himself into Porthos's arms; the entire household, standing in a circle at a respectful distance, looked at them with curiosity.         ;  ,     ,     . Mousqueton, in the front row, was wiping his eyes.      . The poor fellow had not stopped crying from the moment he recognized d'Artagnan and Planchet.       ,     . Porthos took his friend by the hand.     .

Ah, how glad I am to see you again, dear dArtagnan!  ,      ,  ! he exclaimed (now he spoke in a bass voice instead of a baritone).     (     ). So you havent forgotten me.   , ,   .

 Forget you?   ? Ah, dear du Vallon, is it possible to forget the best days of youth, and your faithful friends, and the dangers we experienced together! ,   ,      ,    ,    ! Seeing you, I remembered every moment of our former friendship.  ,       .

Yes, yes, said Porthos, twirling his moustache and trying to give it the former dandyish look that it had lost during his seclusion.  , ,   ,         ,       . Yes, we did some glorious things in our time  there was something to puzzle the poor cardinal over.   ,               .

And he sighed heavily.    . D'Artagnan looked at him. Ē   .

In any case, Porthos continued languidly, welcome, my dear friend, you will amuse me.    ,    ,   ,  ,   . Tomorrow we will hunt a hare in my excellent fields or a roe deer in my magnificent forests.              . My four greyhounds are reputed to be the lightest in our region, and my hounds are such that their equals will not be found for twenty miles in a circle.         ,     ,          .

And Porthos sighed a second time.     .

Wow! ! thought dArtagnan.    . Is my friend really not as happy as he seems?        ,  ? 

But first of all, he replied, you will introduce me to Madame du Vallon, because I remember the kind invitation you sent me and to which she deigned to add a few lines.    ,   ,       ,      ,            .

The Third Breath of Porthos.   .

I lost Madame du Vallon two years ago and I still mourn it.                . Thats why I left my castle of Vallon, near Corbeil, and settled in Bracieux, and because of this move, I eventually bought this estate. -       ,  ,    ,  -         . Poor Madame du Vallon!    !  Porthos continued, making a sad face.    ,   .  She did not have a very docile character, but in the end she still reconciled herself to my habits and tastes.         ,            .

So you are rich and free?  ,    ? said dArtagnan.    .

Alas, answered Porthos, I am a widower, and I have forty thousand in income.  ,   ,   ,      . Lets go have breakfast.  . Would you like some? ?

Very much so, replied dArtagnan.   ,   . The morning air has whetted my appetite.       .

Yes, Porthos remarked, I have excellent air.  ,   ,     .

They entered the castle.    . Inside, everything from top to bottom shone with gold: gilded cornices, gilded carvings, gilded furniture.      :  ,  ,  .

A laid table awaited them.    .

You see, said Porthos, thats always how it is with me.   ,   ,     .

- Damn it, I'm delighted!   ,  ! Even the king wouldn't have a table like this.       .

- Yes, I heard that Mazarin feeds him very poorly.  ,  ,      . Try the cutlets, dear d'Artagnan.  ,  . Made from his own lamb.   .

- You have very tender rams, I can congratulate you.      ,   .

- Yes, they are fattened on my excellent meadows.  ,      .

 Give me some more.    .

- No, try a hare instead.  ,   . I killed it yesterday in one of my reserves.         .

- Damn!  ! How delicious!  ! You probably feed your hares only with the Virgin Mary herb!     , ,   !

- How do you like my wine?       ? Isn't it nice?   , ?

- It's excellent.   .

- And yet it is local.       .

- Really?    ?

- Yes, a small vineyard on the southern slope of the mountain: it yields twenty muids.  ,      :    .

- A magnificent collection.   .

Porthos sighed for the fifth time.     . D'Artagnan counted Porthos's sighs. Ē   .

But listen finally, he said, wanting to solve this riddle, one might think, my friend, that something is saddening you?    ,   ,    ,   ,  ,   - ? Are you ill?     ? Is health  

- Excellent, my friend, better than ever: I will kill the bull with a blow of my fist.  ,  , ,  -:     .

- So, family troubles?  ,  ?. .. .

 Family?  ? Fortunately, I dont have a family.  ,    .

- What then is the reason for your sighs?       ?

I will be frank with you, my friend, said Porthos.      ,  ,   . I am unhappy.    .

 Are you unhappy, Porthos?   , ? You, who own castles, meadows, hills, forests  you, who finally have forty thousand livres in income, are you unhappy? ,  , , , ,  , , ,    ,  ?

My dear, answered Porthos, it is true that I have everything, but I am alone in the midst of all this.   ,   ,  ,    ,      .

- Ah, I understand: you are surrounded by beggars, and it is humiliating for you to associate with them...  , :   ,      

Porthos turned slightly pale and drained a huge glass of wine from his vineyard.           .

No, not that, he said, rather the contrary.  ,  ,   ,   . These small gentry, who all have some title or other and consider themselves descendants of Pharamond, Charlemagne, or at least Hugo Capet.   ,    -      ,       . As I was new, I should have been the first to go to them, and at first I did so; but you know, my dear, Madame du Vallon (here Porthos seemed to choke) Madame du Vallon was a dubious noblewoman.     ,       ,     ;   ,  ,    (  )      . Her first marriageI think you know this, dArtagnanwas to a lawyer; that, in their opinion, was disgusting.     ,   , ,   ,   ; ,   ,  . Thats exactly what they said: Disgusting.    : . You understand, for such an expression one could kill thirty thousand people.  ,        . I killed two; This silenced the others, but did not bring me their friendship.   ;    ,      . So now I am deprived of all society; I live alone, I am bored, I am dying of boredom.       ;  , ,   .

D'Artagnan smiled; he now knew the weak spot and was preparing to strike. Ē ;        .

But after all, he said, you yourself are a nobleman, and marriage has not taken away your nobility.     ,   ,            .

 Yes, but you see, I do not belong to the historical nobility, like, for example, the Coucys, who were content with the title of sire, or the Rohans, who did not want to be dukes; I am forced to give in to these people, who are all counts and viscounts; in church, at all ceremonies, everywhere they take advantage of me, and I can do nothing about it.  , , ,      , , , ,   ,  ,     ;     ,     ;  ,   ,      ,        . Ah, if only I were ,     

Baron, isnt it?  ,   ?  dArtagnan finished his friends sentence.      .

- Ah!  ! - exclaimed Porthos, beaming.    , . - Ah, if only I were a baron!   ,     !

Excellent, thought dArtagnan, success is guaranteed here. ,   ,    .

You know, my dear friend, he said to Porthos, I have brought you this very title that you so desire today.   ,  ,    ,  - ,    ,     .

Porthos jumped up so hard that everything around him shook; two or three bottles, losing their balance, rolled off the table and broke.   ,    ; - ,  ,     . Mousqueton came running at the noise, and Planchet appeared in the doorway with his mouth full and a napkin in his hands.    ,           .

You called me, Monseigneur?    , ? asked Mousqueton.    . Porthos motioned to Mousqueton to pick up the shards of glass.       .

I am glad to see, said dArtagnan, that this fine fellow is still with you.    ,   ,      -  .

He is my manager, answered Porthos.    ,   . He knows how to do his business, this swindler, its obvious, he said loudly, but, he added, lowering his voice, he is devoted to me and will not leave me for anything in the world.    -   ,  ,  ,    ,  ,   ,  ,             .

And he calls you Monseigneur, thought dArtagnan.     ,   .

You may go, Muston, said Porthos.   , ,   .

- Did you say Muston?    ? Oh yes, I understand, the shortened name, Musketon, is too long!  , ,  ,     !

- Yes, and besides, that name smells of barracks a mile away.  ,            . However, we were talking about business when this fool came in.     ,    .

Yes, said dArtagnan.  ,   . But lets postpone the conversation until another time, otherwise your people might get wind of something: perhaps there are spies here.        ,      - :  ,   . You understand, Porthos, this is an important matter.  , ,   .

- Damn it!   ! - said Porthos.    . - Well, let's go for a walk in the park, for digestion.    ,    ,  .

With pleasure, said dArtagnan.   ,   .

As the hearty breakfast came to an end, they went to inspect the magnificent garden.       ,     . Chestnut and linden alleys surrounded the plot of at least thirty acres.            . In the cages, lined with dense hedges, rabbits frolicked, playing in the tall grass.  ,    ,  ,    .

"Upon my word," said d'Artagnan, "your park is as magnificent as everything else; and if you have as many fish in your ponds as rabbits in your cages, you must be the happiest man in the world, unless you have fallen out of love with hunting and have failed to take up fishing."   ,   ,       ,    ;         ,    ,        ,            .

 I leave fishing to Mousqueton, my friend: its a peasants pleasure.   ,  ,   :   . I do hunt sometimes, in other words, when Im bored, I sit here on the marble bench, order them to bring me a gun, bring Gredine  thats my favorite hunting dog  and shoot rabbits.     ,  ,   ,      ,    ,            .

This is very funny, said dArtagnan.    ,   .

Yes, Porthos replied with a sigh, its very funny.  ,     ,    .

D'Artagnan had already stopped counting Porthos's sighs. Ē     .

Then, added Porthos, Gredine finds them and takes them to the cook himself: he is well trained.  ,   ,         :   .

What a wonderful dog!    ! said dArtagnan.    .

But lets leave Gredine, continued Porthos.    ,   . If you want, Ill give him to you, Im already tired of him; lets get back to our business now.    ,    ,    ;     .

If you please, said dArtagnan.  ,   . But, my dear friend, so that you cannot later reproach me for treachery, I warn you that you will have to completely change your way of life.   ,  ,         ,   ,       .

- How so?   ?

 To put on combat gear again, to gird on a sword, to expose oneself to dangers, sometimes leaving pieces of ones skin along the way  in a word, to live the old life, you understand?     ,  ,  ,       ,  ,   , ?

- Oh, damn it!  ,  ! - muttered Porthos.    .

- Yes, I understand that you have become spoiled, my dear friend; you have grown a belly, your arm has lost its former flexibility, which, more than once, you used to demonstrate to the cardinals guards.  ,  ,   ,  ;   ,    , , ,      .

Well, the arm is still not bad, I swear to you, said Porthos, showing his huge paw, which resembled a shoulder blade of mutton.  , -   ,  ,   ,   ,    .

 So much the better.   .

- So, are we going to fight?  ,   ?

- Of course.   .

- And with whom?    ?

 Do you follow politics, my friend?     ,  ?

- Me?  ? I dont think so.   .

 In short, who are you for: Mazarin or the princes?  ,   :     ?

- I'm just not for anyone.      .

 In other words, you are for us?   ,   ? So much the better, Porthos, it is the most advantageous.  , ,   . So, my dear, I will tell you: I have come from the cardinal. ,  ,   :    .

This word had such an effect on Porthos as if it were still 1640 and the person in question was a real cardinal.       ,      1640       .

- Wow!  ! What does His Grace want from me?       ?

- His Eminence wishes you to enter his service.    ,       .

- And who told him about me?       ?

- Rochefort.  . Remember? ?

- Of course, damn it!   ,  ! The very same one who used to annoy us so much, by whose grace we had to drive so much along the roads!  , , ,   ,          ! The one whom you treated to the sword three times, and one might say he got it for good reason! ,     ,  ,  ,   !

But do you know that he has become our friend?     ,     ? asked dArtagnan.    .

- No, I didnt know.  ,  . He apparently doesnt hold a grudge. , , .

You are mistaken, Porthos, objected dArtagnan, it is I who am not vindictive.   , ,   ,    .

Porthos did not quite understand these words, but, as we know, he was not particularly intelligent.      , ,   ,    .

So you say, he continued, that Count Rochefort spoke about me to the Cardinal?    ,   ,        ?

- Yes, and then the queen.  ,   .

- Queen?  ?

To inspire us with confidence in him, she even gave him the famous diamond, remember, which I sold to Mr. Dessessart and which, I dont know how, ended up in her hands again.       ,      , ,       ,    ,     .

But it seems to me, Porthos remarked with his characteristic awkward common sense, that she would have done better if she had returned it to you.    ,        ,     ,     .

I think so too, replied dArtagnan.     ,   . But what can you do? Kings and queens sometimes have strange quirks.     ,        . And since, in the end, wealth and honors are in their power, and money and titles come from them, you feel devotion to them.                   ,      .

Yes, you are devoted to them repeated Porthos.  ,       . So, at this moment you are devoted?   ,     ?. .. .

 To the king, queen and cardinal.  ,   . Moreover, I have vouched for you too.  ,     .

- And you say that you set some conditions regarding me?    ,      ?

 Brilliant, my dear, brilliant.  ,  , . First of all, you have money, dont you?      ,   ? Forty thousand livres of income, you said?    ,  ?

Porthos suddenly became alarmed.   .

Well, my dear, he said, no one has any extra money.  ,  ,   ,        . Madame du Vallons inheritance is somewhat complicated, and I am not a master of litigation, so I make do as best I can.      ,      ,     ,  .

Hes afraid Ive come to ask him for a loan, thought dArtagnan.  ,       ,   .

Ah, my friend, he said loudly, so much the better if you have a hitch in business.  ,  ,    ,   ,      .

 Why: the better?  :  ?  asked Porthos.    .

- Because His Eminence will give you all the lands, money, and titles.   ,       , , .

Ah!  -! said Porthos, his eyes widening at dArtagnans last word.    ,      .

Under the previous cardinal, continued dArtagnan, we didnt know how to take advantage of the opportunity, but there was an opportunity.    ,   ,      ,    . Im not talking about you: you have forty thousand in income, and you, in my opinion, are the happiest man in the world     :     ,  , -,    

Porthos sighed.  .

But nevertheless, continued dArtagnan, despite your forty thousand livres income, or perhaps precisely because of these forty thousand livres, it seems to me that a small crown on the doors of your carriage would look very nice, eh?     ,   ,        ,   ,       ,  ,           , ?

- Of course.   .

 So, my friend, earn it: it is at the end of your sword.   ,  ,  :     . We will not harm each other.     . Your goal is the title, mine is money... I only need to earn enough to restore Artagnan, which has fallen into decay since my ancestors were ruined in the Crusades, and to buy about thirty acres of land in the neighborhood - I do not need more.    ,        ,   ,      ,       ,            . I will settle there and die in peace.      .

And I, said Porthos, would like to be a baron.   ,   ,     .

- You will be.    .

Have you also remembered our other friends?         ?  asked Porthos.    .

- Of course.  . I saw Aramis.    .

- What does he want?     ? To be a bishop?  ?

Imagine, replied dArtagnan, not wanting to disappoint Porthos, that Aramis has become a monk and a Jesuit and lives like a bear; he has renounced everything earthly and thinks only of the salvation of his soul.   ,   ,    ,           ;           . My proposals could not shake him.      .

- So much the worse!   ! - said Porthos.    . - He was a man of sense.       . And Athos?  ?

I havent seen him yet, but Ill go to him from you.       ,      . Do you know where to look for him?   ,   ?

 Near Blois, in a small estate which he inherited from some relative.   ,   ,     - .

- What is it called?     ?

 Bragelonne.  . Just imagine, my friend, Athos, who is already as noble as the emperor, suddenly inherits land that gives the right to the title of count!  ,  , ,    ,  ,    ,     ! What good does he need these counties for?      ? The county of La F?re, the county of Bragelonne!    ,   !

Especially since he has no children, said dArtagnan.        ,   .

- Hm, I heard that he adopted a young man who looks very much like him.  ,  ,      ,      .

- Athos, our Athos, who was as virtuous as Scipio!  ,  ,   ,  ! Have you seen him?    ?

- No.  .

Well, then, Ill see him tomorrow and tell him about you.             . Im only afraid  but this is between us  that because of his unfortunate weakness for wine, he has grown old and fallen into decay.       ,   -         .

- Yes, its true, he drank a lot.  , ,   .

Besides, he is older than all of us, dArtagnan noted.        ,   .

 Just a few years; his important posture made him look very old.    ;     .

- Yes, that's true.  ,  . So, if Athos is with us, great; but if he isn't, we can do without him. ,       ;     ,     . The two of us are worth a dozen.      .

Yes, said Porthos, smiling at the memory of his past exploits, but four of us would be worth thirty-six; especially since the matter will not be easy, judging by what you say.  ,   ,       ,        ;        ,    .

 Not easy for a beginner, but not for us.     ,    .

- How long will it last?     ?

 Itll probably last for three or four years, damn it!  ,    ,  ,  !

 Will we fight a lot?    ?

- I hope so.  .

 So much the better, so much the better!   ,   ,  !  exclaimed Porthos.    .  You cant imagine how much I want to stretch my bones since Ive been sitting here!       ,     ,    ,   ! Sometimes, on Sundays, after church, I ride my horse through the fields and meadows of my neighbors in the hope of some good fight, since I feel that I need one; but nothing happens, my dear.  ,  ,  ,             -  ,   ,    ;    ,  . Either they respect me, or they fear me, which is more likely.    ,   ,   . They let me trample the alfalfa fields with the dogs, they let me mock everyone, and I return even more bored, thats all.       ,    ,   ,   ,   . Tell me, at least, are they not so persecuted for duels in Paris now?  ,   :         ?

 Well, my dear, everything is fine here.  ,  ,    . There are no edicts, no cardinal's guard, no Jussac and his kind of detectives, nothing.   ,   ,      , . Under any lamp, in a tavern, anywhere: "Are you a Frondeur?"   ,  ,  :  ?  you draw your sword, and that's it.    ,  . Guise killed Coligny in the middle of the Place Royale, and nothing happened.      ,    .

Thats wonderful!    ! said Porthos.    .

And then, soon, continued dArtagnan, we will have battles according to all the rules, with cannons, with fires  whatever your heart desires.   ,   ,   ,        ,  ,    ,   .

- Then I agree.    .

 Do you give me your word?    ?

- Yes, its decided!  , ! I will fight for Mazarin left and right.        . But 

- What "but"?   ?

- Let him make me a baron.      .

- Oh, damn it!  ,  ! Yes, that was already decided in advance.     . I told you and I repeat that I vouch for your barony.     ,     .

Having received this promise, Porthos, who never doubted his friend's word, turned back with him to the castle.   , ,        ,      .



Chapter XIV  XIV

Showing that if Porthos was dissatisfied with his lot, then Mousqueton was completely satisfied with his ,       ,      

On the way back to the castle, Porthos was immersed in dreams of his future barony, and d'Artagnan reflected on the pitiful nature of man, always dissatisfied with what he has, and constantly striving for what he does not have.              ,       ,   ,    ,     ,    . D'Artagnan, if he were in Porthos's place, would have considered himself the happiest man in the world. Ē,     ,       . And what was missing for Porthos to be happy?      ? Five letters that he would have the right to write in front of all his names and surnames, and also a crown painted on the doors of his carriage.  ,            ,   ,    .

Apparently, it is my destiny, thought dArtagnan, to look to the right and to the left all my life and never see a completely happy face. ,  ,   ,                 .

But before he had time to make this philosophical conclusion, fate seemed to want to refute him.        ,      . Having barely parted from Porthos, who had gone to give some orders to his cook, d'Artagnan noticed Mousqueton approaching him.    ,   -   ,  ,     . The good fellow's face, if you don't count the slight excitement that, like a summer cloud, did not so much darken it as slightly clouded it, seemed the face of a completely happy man.   ,     , ,   ,    ,  - ,     .

This is what I was looking for, thought dArtagnan.  ,   ,   . But alas, the poor fellow doesnt know why I came.    ,   ,   .

Musketon stopped at a decent distance.     . D'Artagnan sat down on the bench and motioned for him to come over. Ē         .

Sir, said Mousqueton, taking advantage of the permission, I want to ask you for one favor.  ,   ,  ,        .

Speak, my friend, said dArtagnan.  ,  ,   .

I dont dare, Im afraid you might think that prosperity has spoiled me.    ,  ,     ,    .

So you are happy, my friend?  ,  ,  ? asked dArtagnan.    .

 As happy as I can be, and yet it is in your power to make me even happier.   ,   ,          .

- Well then!   ! Speak. . If the matter depends only on me, then consider it already done.      ,  ,    .

- Oh, sir, it depends only on you!  , ,     !

- I'm waiting.   .

- Sir, the favor I ask of you is that you call me not Mousqueton, but Mouston.  , ,     ,   ,      ,  . Since I have the honor of being His Grace's steward, I bear this name as more worthy and inspiring respect in my subordinates.           ,    ,        . You yourself know, sir, how necessary subordination is for servants.   , ,     .

D'Artagnan smiled: Porthos was lengthening his surname, Mousqueton was shortening his. Ē :    ,   .

So, sir?    , ? asked Musketon, trembling.   , , .

Of course, my dear Muston, of course, replied dArtagnan.   ,   , ,   . Rest assured, I will not forget your request and, if you wish, I will not even address you as you in the future.    ,      ,   ,       .

- Oh!  ! - exclaimed Mousqueton, blushing with joy.   ,   , . - If you do me such an honor, sir, I will be grateful to you all my life.        , ,      . But perhaps I am asking too much?   ,     ?

Alas, thought dArtagnan. ,   . This is very little compared to the unexpected misfortunes that I will bring upon the poor fellow who greeted me so warmly!           ,     ,    ! 

Will you be staying with us for long, sir?       , ? asked Musqueton.    .

His face, having regained its former serenity, blossomed again like a peony.  ,   ,  ,  .

I am leaving tomorrow, my friend, replied dArtagnan.    ,  ,   .

- Ah, sir, have you really come only to upset us?  , ,      ,   ?

Im afraid so, dArtagnan said very quietly, and Mousqueton, who was retreating with low bows, did not hear him.  ,  ,     ,         .

Remorse tormented d'Artagnan, despite the fact that his heart had become quite hardened.   ,        .

He did not regret having led Porthos on a path that was dangerous to his life and well-being, for Porthos would willingly have risked all this for the sake of the baronial title he had dreamed of for fifteen years; but Mousqueton desired only one thing: to be called Mouston; so was it not cruel to tear him away from a happy and well-fed life?     ,     ,      ,          ,     ;  -   :    ;            ? D'Artagnan was thinking about this when Porthos returned. Ē   ,   .

To the table, said Porthos.   ,   .

- How about the table?    ? - asked d'Artagnan.    . - What time is it now?      ?

- Already the second, my dear.   ,  .

 Your abode, Porthos, is simply paradise: here you forget about time.   , ,  :    . I follow you, even though I am not hungry.    ,     .

 Let's go, let's go.  , . If you can't always eat, you can always drink; this is one of the principles of poor Athos, and I have been convinced of his correctness since I began to get bored.     ,    ;      ,         ,   .

D'Artagnan, who, like a true Gascon, was by nature very moderate, apparently did not have much faith in the correctness of Athos's axiom; nevertheless, he tried to keep up with the master of the house as best he could. Ē, ,   ,     , -,       ; -          .

However, watching Porthos eat and himself sipping wine with gusto, d'Artagnan could not rid himself of the thought of Mousqueton, especially since Mousqueton, without serving at the table himself, which in his current position would have been beneath his dignity, kept appearing at the door and showing his gratitude to d'Artagnan by sending them the best and most aged wines. , ,   ,     ,        ,    ,     ,         ,           ,        .

Therefore, when, at dessert, Porthos, at a sign from d'Artagnan, dismissed the footmen and the friends were left alone, d'Artagnan turned to Porthos: ,             ,    :

- And who will accompany you on the campaign, Porthos?         , ?

Muston, of course, Porthos answered calmly.    ,    . DArtagnan was amazed. Ē  . He could already imagine the stewards warm smile turning into a mournful grimace.   ,        .

But Muston, said dArtagnan, is no longer in his first youth, my dear; besides, he has grown fat and, perhaps, has lost his skill for military service.    ,   ,     ,  ;      ,  ,     .

I know, but Ive gotten used to him.   ,     . Yes, however, he himself wont want to leave me: he loves me too much. , ,       :    .

Oh, blind vanity! ,  ! thought dArtagnan.    .

 But it seems that you yourself still have the same lackey in your service: this kind, brave, smart... what was his name?       , ,     :  , ,     ?

- Planchet.  . Yes, he is with me again, but now he is no longer a footman. ,    ,      .

- And who then?    ?

 With his one thousand six hundred livres  remember, the money he earned at the siege of La Rochelle, delivering a letter to Lord Winter  he opened a shop on the Rue des Changes and became a pastry chef.        ,  ,      -,    ,          .

- So he is a pastry chef on Money Changers Street?       ? Why does he work for you?      ?

- He's been a bit naughty and is afraid of trouble.       .

And the musketeer told his friend how he met Planchet.     ,    .

Yes, my dear, said Porthos, what if someone had told you in the past that Planchet would save Rochefort, and that you would then protect him from persecution?  ,  ,   ,  ,   -     ,    ,       ?

 I wouldnt have believed it.     . But what can you do?   ? Events change a person.   .

Quite right, agreed Porthos, but what doesnt change, or rather what changes for the better, is wine.   ,   ,      , ,       . Try the Spanish one that our friend Athos valued so much: sherry. - ,      :  .

At that moment the manager entered to receive orders regarding tomorrow's menu, as well as the proposed hunt.          ,    .

Tell me, Muston, asked Porthos, is my weapon in order?  -, ,   ,     ?

D'Artagnan drummed his fingers on the table to hide his embarrassment. Ē    ,    .

Your weapon, Monsignor?   , ? asked Musqueton.    . What weapon?    ?

- My armor, damn it!    ,  !

- What armor?   ?

- Combat armor.   .

 Yes, Monsignor, I think so, at least.  , ,    ,   .

- Inspect them tomorrow and, if necessary, have them cleaned.     ,  ,  . Which horse is my fastest?      ?

- Volcano.  .

- And the most resilient?    ?

- Bayard.  .

- Which one do you like the most?       ?

I love Rusto, Monsignor, hes a fine horse, we get along very well.    , ,   ,     .

 She's resilient, isn't she?   ,   ?

- A cross between the Norman and Mecklenburg breeds.      . Can run day and night without stopping.       .

- Just what we need.    ,   . You will prepare these three horses for the campaign and clean or have my weapons cleaned; and pistols for yourself and a hunting knife.              ;       .

So, are we going on a journey?  ,   ?  Musketon asked anxiously.     .

D'Artagnan, who had been tapping out vague chords until now, began to drum out a march. Ē,      ,  .

- Better than that, Muston!   , ! - answered Porthos.    .

Are we going on a campaign, sir?     , ? asked the steward, and the roses on his face were replaced by lilies.    ,       .

We are going back to military service, Muston!       , !  answered Porthos, trying to twirl his moustache and give it a martial look, which they had long ago abandoned.    ,         ,     .

As soon as these words were uttered, Mousqueton began to tremble; his thick, reddish-veined cheeks trembled.    ,   ;  ,   ,  . He looked at d'Artagnan with such inexpressibly sad reproach that the officer could not bear it without emotion.         ,        . Then he staggered and asked in a choked voice:       :

- To serve?   ? To serve in the royal army?     ?

- Yes and no.     . We will fight again, seek all sorts of adventures - in a word, we will lead our old lives.    ,     ,    .

The last words struck Mousqueton like thunder.      . It was precisely this very terrible former life that made the present one so pleasant.           .

- Oh, my God!   ! What do I hear?   ? - exclaimed Mousqueton, casting an even more pleading glance at d'Artagnan.    ,       .

What can I do, my dear Muston!   ,   ! said dArtagnan.    . So, its fate   , 

Although d'Artagnan tried not to call him "you" and pronounced his name the way Mousqueton wanted, he still felt the blow, and the blow was so terrible that he left, forgetting to close the door in his excitement.                ,   ,     ,     ,   ,     .

Glorious Musketoon!   ! He is beside himself with joy, said Porthos in the tone in which Don Quixote probably encouraged Sancho to saddle his Gray for the last expedition.      ,    ,   , ,        .

Left alone, the friends began to talk about the future and began to build castles in the air.  ,         . From the glorious wine of Mousqueton, d'Artagnan already imagined heaps of sparkling gold coins and pistoles, and Porthos - a blue ribbon and a ducal mantle.            ,        . In any case, they were both dozing at the table when the servants came to invite them to bed.   ,     ,   ,      .

The following morning, however, d'Artagnan consoled Mousqueton somewhat by declaring to him that the war would, in all probability, be waged all the time in Paris itself and near the castle of Vallon, located in the vicinity of Corbeil, or near Bracieux, located near Melun, and also near Pierrefonds, located between Compiegne and Villers-Cotter?ts.   , ,    ,  ,  ,   ,            ,    ,    ,   ,    ,     -.

But it seems to me that before Musketon began timidly.    ,      .

- Oh!  ! - said d'Artagnan.    . - Nowadays war is not waged as it used to be.       ,  . Now it's all a matter of diplomacy: ask Planchet about it.     :    .

Mousqueton went to make inquiries of his old friend, who confirmed everything that d'Artagnan had said.        ,    ,   .

Only, he added, in this war prisoners are sometimes hanged.  ,   ,       .

The devil take it, said Mousqueton, I think I should still prefer the siege of La Rochelle.   ,   ,  ,       -.

And Porthos gave his guest the opportunity to kill a roe deer while hunting, walked with him through his forests, his mountains, and his ponds, showed him his greyhounds, his pack of hounds, Gredine - in a word, everything that he owned, finally, he treated d'Artagnan three times as sumptuously as possible and, when he began to get ready for the journey, asked him for precise orders.          ,      ,   ,   ,    ,   ,    , ,   ,         ,      ,     .

Let us do this, my friend, Mazarins messenger said to him.   ,  ,     . I need four days to get from here to Blois; spend a day there; three or four to return to Paris.      ,     ;   ;        . Leave here in a week with everything you need; stay on Ticton Street, at the Goat Hotel, and await my return.       ;    ,   ,    .

Its decided, said Porthos.  ,   .

Im going to Athos without any hope of success.          . But even though I think hes no good, one must still maintain decorum in relation to friends.     ,     ,        .

Shouldnt I go with you?        ?  said Porthos.    .  It will distract me a little.      .

- Perhaps me too.  ,  . But you wont have time to make the necessary preparations.       .

- True.  . Go ahead, I wish you success. ,   . I can't wait to get started.      .

Excellent!  ! said dArtagnan.    .

And they parted at the border of the Pierrefonds estates, to which Porthos wished to accompany his friend.       ,       .

At least, said dArtagnan, riding along the road to Villers-Cotterets, I will not be alone.    ,   ,     -,     . This fine fellow Porthos is still full of strength.      . If Athos agrees, excellent.   , . Then the three of us will laugh at Aramis, that rake in a cassock.      ,    .

From Villers-Cotter?ts he wrote to the cardinal:  -   :

Monseigneur, I can already offer one to your eminence, and this one is worth twenty. ,       ,     . I am going to Blois, since the Count de La F?re lives in the castle of Bragelonne in the outskirts of this city.    ,              .

He then rode along the road to Blois, chatting with Planchet, who entertained him greatly during the long journey.       ,   ,       .



Chapter XV  XV

Two Angels  

The road ahead was long, but d'Artagnan was not at all worried: he knew that his horses had rested well in the full manger of the owner of the castle of Bracieux.   ,      :  ,           . He calmly set out on a four or five-day journey, which he had to make accompanied by his faithful Planchet.        ,        .

As we have already said, both companions, in order to kill the boredom of the road, rode side by side all the time, talking to each other.    ,  ,    ,    ,    . D'Artagnan gradually stopped acting like a gentleman, and Planchet gradually dropped the guise of a lackey. Ē -    ,      . This subtle rogue, having turned into a merchant, more than once regretfully recalled the former feasts on the road, as well as the conversations and brilliant society of the nobles.   ,   ,         ,       . And, conscious of certain virtues in himself, he believed that he was humiliating himself by constant communication with rude people. ,     , ,        .

Soon he again became the confidant of the one whom he continued to call his master.      ,      . D'Artagnan had not opened his heart to anyone for many years. Ē        . It turned out that these people, having met again, got along well with each other.  ,   , ,    .

And, to tell the truth, Planchet was not a bad companion in adventures.    ,      . He was a shrewd man; not particularly looking for danger, he did not retreat in battle, which d'Artagnan had the opportunity to see for himself more than once.    ;    ,     ,        . Finally, he had been a soldier in his time, and weapons ennoble. ,      ,   . But the main thing was that if Planchet needed d'Artagnan, he himself was very useful to him.     ,      ,       . So they arrived in Blois almost as friends.        .

On the way, constantly returning to the thought that occupied him, d'Artagnan said, shaking his head:  ,      ,  ,  :

I know that my appeal to Athos is useless and absurd, but I am obliged to show this attention to my friend, who had all the makings of a noble and magnanimous man.   ,        ,        ,       .

- What can I say!    ! Monsieur Athos was a true nobleman!     ! - said Planchet.    .

 Isnt that true?    ?  dArtagnan chimed in.    .

 Money fell from him like hail from the sky,  continued Planchet,  and he drew his sword like a king.     ,    ,   ,     ,  . Do you remember, sir, the duel with the English near the Carmelite monastery? , ,      ? Ah, how handsome and magnificent was Monsieur Athos that day, who said to his opponent: You demanded that I tell you my name, sir? ,          ,   :  ,      , ? So much the worse for you, since now I will have to kill you!    ,       ! I stood next to him and heard everything word for word.          . And his look, sir, when he pierced his opponent, as he had predicted beforehand, and he fell without having time to gasp!   , ,     ,   ,   ,    ! Ah, sir, I will say it again: he was a true nobleman! , ,   :    !

Yes, said dArtagnan, it is the purest truth, but one flaw has ruined all his virtues.  ,   ,    ,       .

Yes, I remember, said Planchet, he liked to drink, or, to put it frankly, he drank a fair amount.  , ,   ,     ,  ,  . But he didnt drink like others.       . His eyes were expressionless when he raised the glass to his lips.     ,      . Truly, silence had never been so eloquent. ,      . It seemed to me that I heard him muttering: Flow, moisture, and drive away my sorrow!    ,   ,   : , ,    ! And how he beat the stems of glasses or the necks of bottles!            ! No one could compete with him in this.         .

What a sad sight awaits us today!       ! continued dArtagnan.    . The noble gentleman with the proud bearing, the excellent fighter, who distinguished himself so brilliantly in the war that everyone wondered why he held a simple sword in his hand and not a marshals baton, will appear to us as a bent old man with a red nose and watery eyes.       ,  ,      ,   ,       ,    ,          . We will find him somewhere on the lawn in the garden; he will look at us with dull eyes and, perhaps, will not even recognize us.    -    ;       ,  ,    . God is my witness, Planchet, I would gladly avoid this sad sight, continued dArtagnan, if I did not want to prove my respect for the glorious shadow of the valiant Count de La F?re, whom we love so much.  , ,       ,   ,               ,    .

Planchet nodded silently; it was clear that he shared all his master's fears.   ;  ,       .

And on top of all that, continued dArtagnan, theres decrepitude, for Athos is now old.    ,   ,  ,     . Perhaps poverty, too, for he did not take care of the little he had.  ,  ,       ,  . And greasy Grimaud, even more silent than before, and an even more bitter drunkard than his master Ah, Planchet, all this breaks my heart!   ,   ,  ,     ,    , ,     !

I think I can already see him staggering, barely able to speak, Planchet said compassionately.   ,      ,   ,   ,     .

 I confess, I am afraid that Athos, overcome by a drunken ardor of war, might accept my proposal.  ,  ,   ,      ,     . It will be a great misfortune for Porthos and me, and most importantly, simply a hindrance; but we will abandon him after the first drinking bout, thats all.        ,  ,  ;        ,   . He will sleep it off and understand.    .

In any case, sir, said Planchet, everything will soon become clear.    , ,   ,    . It seems to me that those high walls, red from the rays of the setting sun, are already Blois.  ,    ,     ,   .

Perhaps, replied dArtagnan, and those pointed, carved bell towers that can be seen there in the forest to the left are reminiscent, according to stories, of Chambord.  ,   ,    ,  ,      , ,  , .

- Are we entering the city?     ?

- Of course, to make inquiries.  ,   .

 I advise you, sir, if we are in town, to try some cream in little pots there: they are highly praised; unfortunately, you cant take it to Paris, and you have to drink it only on the spot.   , ,     ,      :   ;  ,     ,      .

Well then, well taste them, dont worry, replied dArtagnan.      ,  ,   .

At that moment, a heavy ox-drawn cart, the kind usually used to transport trees cut down in the magnificent forests there to the landing stages on the Loire, emerged from the rutted country road onto the main road along which our horsemen were galloping.    ,   ,              ,        ,     . The cart was accompanied by a man holding a long pole with a nail at the end, with which he encouraged his slow animals.   ,         ,       .

Hey, buddy!  , !  Planchet called out to the driver.     .

What would you like, your grace?     ? asked the peasant in the pure and correct language typical of the inhabitants of this area and capable of putting to shame the Parisian guardians of grammar from the Place de la Sorbonne and the Rue de lUniversit.         ,               .

We are looking for the house of the Count de La F?re, said dArtagnan.        ,   . Have you ever heard this name among the names of the neighboring owners?           ?

Hearing this name, the peasant took off his hat.   ,   .

The logs I am carrying, your grace, he replied, belong to him.  ,   ,  ,   ,   . I cut them in his grove and am carrying them to his castle.           .

D'Artagnan did not want to question this man. Ē     . It would have been unpleasant for him to hear from a stranger what he had told Planchet.        ,     .

A castle! ! repeated dArtagnan to himself.      . A castle!   ! Ah, I understand. , . Athos doesnt like to joke; he probably, like Porthos, made the peasants call him monseigneur, and his little house a castle.    ; , ,  ,     ,     . Dear Athos always had a heavy hand, especially when he drank.       ,     .

The oxen walked slowly.   . D'Artagnan and Planchet rode behind the cart. Ē     . Finally, this gait bored them.     .

So, this road leads to the castle, dArtagnan asked the driver, and we can travel along it without the risk of getting lost?  , ,     ,    ,          ?

Certainly, sir, certainly, he replied, you can go straight ahead instead of getting bored trudging along behind such slow animals.  , , ,   ,    ,    ,     . You wont have gone half a mile before you see a castle on your right; you cant see it from here: the poplars hide it.    ,      ;   :   . This castle is not yet Bragelonne, but La Valli?re.     ,  . Continue on.  . Three musket shots from there you will see a large white house with a tiled roof, built on a hill under huge maples  this is the castle of the Count de La F?re.            ,      ,         .

And how long is this half mile?      ? asked dArtagnan.    . In our beautiful France there are different kinds of miles.         .

 Ten minutes walk for your horses nimble legs, sir.         , .

D'Artagnan thanked the driver and spurred his horse. Ē      . Then, involuntarily excited at the thought of seeing again this strange man who loved him so much, who had helped so much with his words and example in raising him as a nobleman, he gradually began to rein in his horse and continued on his way at a walk, his head bowed in thought. ,    ,      ,    ,           ,  -       ,    .

The meeting with the peasant and his behavior gave Planchet cause for serious reflection.             . Never before, neither in Normandy, nor in Franche-Comt, nor in Artois, nor in Picardy - the regions where he lived most - had he encountered such simplicity in behavior, such sedateness, such purity of language among the peasants.  ,   ,   -,   ,     ,     ,          ,  ,   . He was ready to think that he had met some nobleman, a Frondeur like himself, who for political reasons was forced, like him, to change his appearance.    ,   - , ,   ,      ,   ,  .

The driver spoke the truth: soon, around a bend in the road, the Ch?teau de La Valli?re appeared before the eyes of the travelers; and in the distance, at a distance of about a quarter of a mile, in a green frame of enormous maples, against a background of dense trees, which spring had fluffed with a snow of flowers, a white house stood out.   :         ;  ,      ,     ,    ,     ,   . Seeing all this, d'Artagnan, who was not easily moved, felt a strange tremor in his heart: such is the power that impressions of youth have over us throughout our lives.   , ,    ,     :            .

Planchet, who had no reason to be so worried and was surprised by his masters excitement, glanced first at dArtagnan and then at the house. ,          ,    ,   .

The musketeer rode a few more steps and found himself in front of a grille made with the great taste that distinguishes the metalwork of that time.         ,    ,      .

Beyond the bars one could see excellent vegetable gardens and a fairly spacious courtyard, where footmen in various liveries held the bridles of fiery riding horses and a carriage stood harnessed to a pair of horses of a local breed.         ,              ,     .

We have lost our way, or that man has deceived us, said dArtagnan.     ,     ,   . It cannot be that Athos lived here.     ,    . My God, is he dead and has this estate passed to one of his relatives!  ,         -   ! Get off your horse, Planchet, and go and find out.   , ,   . I confess I have not the courage. ,     .

Planchet jumped off his horse.    .

You will say, continued dArtagnan, that a nobleman passing through here wishes to pay his respects to the Count de La F?re, and if the answer is favorable, then you can mention my name.   ,   ,    ,   ,        ,     ,     .

Planchet, leading the horse by the bridle, approached the gate and rang the bell. ,    ,     . A gray-haired footman immediately came out in response to the bell, despite his age, holding himself quite straight.       ,       .

Does Count de La F?re live here?       ? asked Planchet.    .

Yes, here, sir, replied the servant, since Planchet was not dressed in livery.  , , ,   ,        .

- A retired military man, aren't you?   ,   ?

- Absolutely right.   .

Who had a footman named Grimaud?        ? asked Planchet, with his usual caution, considering that an extra inquiry would not hurt.    ,     ,     .

Monsieur Grimaud is away at the moment, replied the footman, unaccustomed to such interrogations and already beginning to look Planchet over from head to toe.      ,   ,              .

In that case, said Planchet joyfully, I see that this is the Count de La F?re we are looking for.    ,    ,   ,        ,   . Open the door for me, please, I would like to inform the Count that my master, his friend, has arrived here and wishes to see him.  , ,     ,  ,  ,      .

Why didnt you say this before?        ?  answered the footman, opening the gate.    ,  .  But where is your master?       ?

- He's coming for me.     .

The footman opened the gate and let Planchet in.      . He made a sign to d'Artagnan, who rode into the courtyard, experiencing unprecedented excitement.    ,    ,   .

As Planchet climbed the porch, he heard someone speaking in the lower hall:   ,  ,  -    :

- Where is this nobleman?     ? Why dont you bring him here?      ?

This voice, reaching d'Artagnan, awakened in his heart a thousand sensations, a thousand forgotten memories.  ,   ,      ,   . He quickly jumped off his horse, while Planchet, with a smile on his lips, was already approaching the master of the house.     ,    ,    ,     .

But I know this young man!       ! said Athos, appearing on the threshold.    ,   .

- Oh yes, Mr. Count, you know me, and I also know you well.   ,  ,   ,      . I am Planchet, Mr. Count.  ,  . Planchet, do you remember... ,  

But here the honest servant hesitated, struck by Athos's appearance.     ,   .

- What?  ? Planchet? ? - cried Athos.    . - Is d'Artagnan really here?     ?

Im here, my friend!   ,  ! Im here, dear Athos!  ,  !  dArtagnan muttered, almost staggering.   ,   , .

Now even Athos's beautiful, calm face showed strong emotion.   ,      . Without taking his eyes off d'Artagnan, he took two quick steps towards him and tenderly embraced him.     ,            . D'Artagnan, having recovered from his embarrassment, in turn, warmly, with tears in his eyes, embraced his friend. Ē,   ,   , ,    ,  .

Then Athos, taking his hand and squeezing it tightly in his own, led d'Artagnan into the living room, where there were several guests.  ,          ,    ,    . Everyone stood up.  .

Allow me to introduce you, gentlemen, said Athos, to the Chevalier dArtagnan, lieutenant of his Majestys musketeers, my sincere friend and one of the bravest and noblest gentlemen I know.    , ,   ,   ,    ,         ,   .

D'Artagnan, as usual, listened to the greetings of those present, responded to them as best he could, and joined the company, and when the conversation, interrupted for a moment, resumed, he began to examine Athos. Ē,  ,   ,   ,  ,    ,       ,   .

A strange thing!  ! Athos had hardly aged.    . His beautiful eyes, without the dark circles from insomnia and drunkenness, seemed to have become even larger and clearer than before.   ,       , ,      ,  . His oval face, having lost its nervous mobility, became more majestic.   ,   ,  . Beautiful and still muscular, although thin hands, in lush lace cuffs, sparkled white, like hands in the paintings of Titian and Van Dyck.   - ,    ,    ,  ,       . He became slimmer than before; His broad, well-developed shoulders spoke of extraordinary strength.   ,  ;  ,       . His long black hair, slightly graying, naturally wavy, fell beautifully over his shoulders.       ,   ,    . His voice was still fresh, as if Athos were still twenty-five years old.   - ,        . His perfectly preserved, beautiful white teeth gave his smile an indescribable charm.         .

Meanwhile, the guests, sensing from the barely perceptible coldness of the conversation that the friends were burning with the desire to be left alone, began to rise one after another with the refined politeness of that time - farewell to the host was always an important matter for people of high society.   ,      ,      ,                      . But then the loud barking of dogs was heard from the courtyard, and several people exclaimed in one voice:        ,      :

- Here comes Raul!     !

At the mention of Raoul, Athos glanced at d'Artagnan, as if to note the curiosity this new name must have aroused in him.       ,     ,         . But d'Artagnan was so astonished by everything he had seen that he still did not really understand anything; therefore, he turned around rather indifferently when a handsome young man of about fifteen, simply but tastefully dressed, entered the drawing room and bowed gracefully, removing his hat with long red feathers.       ,      ;     ,        , ,    ,   ,      .

Nevertheless, the arrival of this new, completely unexpected person struck d'Artagnan.      ,     . Many thoughts arose in his mind, suggesting to him an explanation for the change in Athos, which had seemed to him inexplicable until now.       ,     ,      . The striking resemblance of Athos to the young man shed light on the mystery of his transformation.            . D'Artagnan began to wait, looking closely and listening. Ē  ,   .

Have you returned yet, Raoul?    , ? said the Count.    .

Yes, sir, the young man answered respectfully, I have carried out your order.  , ,     ,     .

But whats wrong with you, Raoul?     , ?  Athos asked solicitously.     .  Youre pale and seem agitated.        .

- It's because something bad happened to our little neighbor.   ,       .

 With Mademoiselle La Valli?re?    ?  Athos asked quickly.     .

What is it?   ?  several voices were heard.     .

 She was walking with her Marceline in the forest where the woodcutters cut logs; I saw her as I passed and stopped.        ,    ;   ,  ,  . She saw me too, and wanted to jump down from the pile of logs she had climbed onto, but she stumbled, poor thing, and fell and could not get up.    ,       ,   ,  , ,     . I think she sprained her ankle.  ,    .

 Oh my God!    !  exclaimed Athos.    .  And does Madame de Saint-Remy, her mother, know about this?      -,  ,   ?

- No, Madame de Saint-Remy is in Blois, with the Duchess of Orleans.  ,   -  ,   . I was afraid that the girl had not received sufficient first aid, and I galloped up to ask your advice.  ,       ,     .

 Send someone to Blois, Raoul!   -  , ! Or better yet, mount your horse and ride there yourself.         .

Raoul bowed.  .

And where is Louise?    ?  the Count continued.    .

I brought her here, Count, and placed her with Charlots wife, who for now makes her keep her foot in ice water.     , ,     ,          .

This news served as a pretext for the guests to leave.       . They rose and began to say goodbye to Athos.       . Only the old Duke de Barbier, who had been friends with the La Valli?re family for twenty years, went to visit little Louise, who was in tears; but, seeing Raoul, she wiped her lovely eyes and immediately smiled.      ,        ,    ,   ; ,  ,         .

The Duke offered to take her to Blois in his carriage.         .

You are right, sir, agreed Athos, she had better go to her mother as soon as possible; but I am sure, Raoul, that your recklessness is to blame for everything.   , ,   ,       ;   , ,      .

No, sir, I swear to you!  , ,  !  the girl exclaimed, while the young man turned pale from the thought that perhaps he was the culprit of such a misfortune.    ,       , ,  ,    .

I assure you, sir Raoul stammered.   ,    .

Nevertheless, you will go to Blois, the Count continued good-naturedly, and ask Madame de Saint-Remy for forgiveness for both yourself and me, and then return back.        ,    ,       -   ,  ,    .

A blush appeared on the young man's cheeks again.      . He asked Athos's permission with a glance, lifted the tearful and smiling girl, who had pressed her head to his shoulder, with his now youthfully strong arms, and carefully placed her in the carriage; then he jumped on his horse with the dexterity and agility of an experienced rider and, bowing to Athos and d'Artagnan, rode alongside the carriage, not taking his eyes off its window.      ,         ,       ,      ;            ,    ,    ,      .



Chapter XVI  XVI

Bragelonne Castle  

D'Artagnan looked at this scene with his eyes wide open and his mouth almost open: everything was so different from what he expected that he could not recover from his amazement. Ē    ,       :        ,   ,         .

Athos took him by the arm and led him into the garden.         .

While they are preparing dinner for us, you will allow me, wont you, my friend, he said, smiling, to clarify a little the riddle over which you are racking your brains?     ,   ,   ,  ,   , ,    ,      ?

Of course, Monsieur le Comte, said dArtagnan, feeling again the enormous superiority that Athos had always had over him.  ,  ,   ,     ,      .

Athos, looking at him with a good-natured smile, said: ,      , :

 First of all, my dear d'Artagnan, there is no Count here.   ,   ,   . If I called you Chevalier, it was only to introduce you to my guests and so that they knew who you were; but for you, d'Artagnan, I hope I am still Athos, your comrade and friend.     ,    ,         ,   ;  , , ,  - ,    . Perhaps you prefer ceremony because you love me less than before?  ,   ,     ,  ?

God forbid!   ! exclaimed the Gascon with the honest youthful impulse that is so rare in mature people.        ,      .

- Well, let's go back to our old customs and, to begin with, let's be frank.             . Everything here surprises you, doesn't it?    ,   ?

- Extremely.  .

And most of all, I myself?      ?  Athos added with a smile.      .  Admit it.   .

- I confess.  .

 I am still young, am I not; despite my forty-nine years, I am still recognizable?    ,   ;      ,     ?

On the contrary, replied dArtagnan, ready to take full advantage of Athoss offered frankness, you are completely unrecognizable.  ,   ,       ,    .

I understand!  ! said Athos, blushing slightly.    ,  . Everything has an end, dArtagnan, and this madness, like everything else.     , ,   ,   .

- Besides, your financial affairs have changed, it seems to me.         ,   . You live in comfort, - after all, this house is yours, I suppose?    ,     ,  ?

- Yes.  . This is the same estate that, as I told you, I inherited when I retired.    , ,    ,    ,     .

 You have a park, horses, hunting     , , 

Athos smiled.  .

The park has twenty acres; but part of it is taken up by vegetable gardens and outbuildings.     ;         . I have only two horses; I dont, of course, count the short-legged horse that belongs to my footman.     ; , ,    ,   . Hunting is limited to four bloodhounds, two greyhounds and one pointer.    ,     . And all this hunting luxury is not for me, added Athos, smiling.          ,   , .

I understand, said dArtagnan, this is for the young man, for Raoul.  ,   ,     ,  .

And d'Artagnan looked at Athos with an involuntary smile.        .

You guessed right, my friend, the latter replied.   ,  ,   .

 And this young man  is he your pet, your godson, your relative, perhaps?        ,  ,  ,  ? Ah, how you have changed, my dear Athos! ,   ,   !

This young man, Athos answered calmly, is an orphan, abandoned by his mother to a poor village priest; I raised and educated him.    ,    ,  ,       ;     .

- And he is probably very attached to you?   , ,    ?

 I think he loves me like a father.   ,      .

- And of course, full of gratitude?   ,  ?

- Oh, as for gratitude, it must be mutual: I owe him as much as he owes me.  ,   ,     :     ,   . I dont tell him this, but Ill tell you the truth, dArtagnan: in essence, Im in his debt.     ,  , ,  :  ,     .

How so?   ?  the musketeer was surprised.    .

- Of course, my God, how could it be otherwise!  ,  ,   ! After all, he is the reason for the change that you see in me.    ,     . I was drying up like a miserable felled tree, deprived of any connection with the earth; and only a strong attachment could make me put down new roots in life.  ,    ,     ;            . A mistress? ? I was too old for that.     . Friends? ? You were no longer with me.      . And now in this child I have found again all that I had lost.         ,  . No longer having the courage to live for myself, I began to live for him.       ,     . Precepts are good for a child, but a good example is better still.    ,     . I set an example for him, d'Artagnan.    , . I got rid of my vices and discovered virtues in myself that I did not have before.          ,    . And I believe that I am not exaggerating, d'Artagnan.  ,   , . Raoul must become the most perfect nobleman that our impoverished times are capable of producing.     ,       .

D'Artagnan looked at Athos with growing admiration. Ē      . They strolled along a cool, shady alley, through the foliage of which the slanting rays of the setting sun were breaking through.      ,        . One of these golden rays illuminated the face of Athos, whose eyes seemed to radiate the same warm, calm evening light.        ,  , ,       .

Suddenly d'Artagnan remembered Milady.     .

And are you happy?    ? he asked his friend.      .

Athos's sharp gaze penetrated into the very depths of d'Artagnan's heart and seemed to read his thoughts.              .

- As happy as a man can be on earth.   ,        . But finish your thought, d'Artagnan, because you haven't told me everything.    , ,      .

You are perceptive, Athos, nothing can be hidden from you, said dArtagnan.   , ,     ,   . Yes, I wanted to ask you if you sometimes experience sudden attacks of horror, similar to   ,    ,        ,  

 Remorse?   ?  Athos picked up.    .  I am finishing your sentence, my friend.      ,  . Yes and no.    . I do not feel remorse, because this woman, as I believe, deserved the punishment she suffered.     ,    ,   ,    . Because if she had been left alive, she would undoubtedly have continued her pernicious work.        , ,  ,     . However, my friend, this does not mean that I am convinced of our right to do what we did. ,  ,   ,         ,   . Perhaps all shed blood requires atonement.  ,     . Milady has already paid; perhaps, in turn, others will have to pay.   ;  ,   ,   .

I sometimes think the same thing, Athos, said dArtagnan.       , ,   .

 This woman had, it seems, a son?     , , ?

- Yes.  .

-Have you heard anything about him?      -?

- Nothing.  .

He must be twenty-three years old now, whispered Athos.  ,  ,    ,   . I often think of this young man, dArtagnan.         , .

- That's strange.   . I completely forgot about him.      .

Athos smiled sadly.   .

 Do you have any news about Lord Winter?        ?

I know that he was in great favor with King Charles I.   ,          .

 And probably shares his fate, and it is sad at the moment.   ,   ,      . Look, d'Artagnan, - continued Athos, - this completely coincides with what I just said. , ,   ,      ,    . He shed Strafford's blood.    . Blood requires blood.   . And the queen?  ?

- What queen?   ?

 Henrietta of England, daughter of Henry IV.   ,   .

 Shes in the Louvre, as you know.    ,   .

 Yes, and she is in great need, is she not?  ,    ,   ? During the severe cold this winter, her sick daughter, as I am told, was forced to stay in bed because there was no firewood.         ,   ,     ,    . Do you understand this?    ?  said Athos, shrugging his shoulders.    ,  .  The daughter of Henry IV is shivering with cold, without a bundle of firewood!        ,    ! Why did she not turn to any of us, instead of asking hospitality from Mazarin?        ,       ? She would not have wanted for anything.       .

- So you know her, Athos?     , ?

- No, but my mother knew her as a child.  ,      . Did I tell you that my mother was a lady-in-waiting to Marie de Medici?   ,     -  ?

- Never.  . You don't like to talk about such things, Athos.        , .

Oh, my God, quite the opposite, as you can see for yourself, replied Athos.  ,  ,  ,    ,   . There was simply no opportunity.      .

Porthos would not have waited for him so patiently, said dArtagnan, smiling.        ,  , , .

- Everyone has their own character, dear d'Artagnan.     ,  . Porthos, if you forget his vanity, has great virtues. ,     ,   . Have you seen him since then?       ?

I parted with him five days ago, said dArtagnan.        ,   .

And immediately, with the lively humor characteristic of the Gascons, he told of the magnificent life of Porthos in his castle of Pierrefonds.                  . And while picking apart Porthos, he touched on the worthy Mr. Mouston two or three times.     ,   -    - .

It is wonderful, replied Athos, smiling at his friends jokes, which reminded him of their glorious days, it is wonderful that we met then by chance and are still united by the closest friendship, despite twenty years of separation.  ,   ,    ,     ,  ,             ,     . In noble hearts, dArtagnan, friendship takes deep roots.   , ,    . Believe me, only an evil man can deny friendship, and only because he does not understand it. ,      ,   ,     . And Aramis?  ?

I saw him too, but he seemed cold to me.     ,  ,  ,    .

So you have seen Aramis?      ? said Athos, looking intently at dArtagnan.    ,    . You have truly undertaken a pilgrimage to the temples of friendship, to use the language of poets.    ,      ,   .

Of course, dArtagnan answered, embarrassed.   ,    .

Aramis, you know yourself, continued Athos, is cold by nature; besides, he is constantly entangled in intrigues with women.  ,   ,   ,    ;          .

He still has a very complex intrigue, dArtagnan noted.        ,   .

Athos did not answer.    .

"He is not curious," thought d'Artagnan.   ,   .

Athos not only did not answer, but even changed the conversation.     ,    .

You see, he said, drawing dArtagnans attention to the fact that they had already approached the castle, after walking for an hour, we have walked around almost all of my possessions.   ,   ,     ,      ,   ,      .

Everything about them is charming, and especially the fact that their owner is felt in everything, replied dArtagnan.     ,    ,      ,   .

At that moment the sound of horse hooves was heard.      .

- This is Raoul returning, he will tell us about the poor little one.    ,      .

Indeed, the young man, covered in dust, appeared behind the bars and soon rode into the courtyard; he jumped off his horse and, handing it over to the groom, bowed to the Count and d'Artagnan. ,             ;     ,   ,    .

This gentleman, said Athos, placing his hand on dArtagnans shoulder, is the Chevalier dArtagnan, of whom I have often spoken to you, Raoul.   ,   ,     ,   ,      , .

Monsieur dArtagnan, said the young man, bowing even lower, the Count always mentioned your name to me when he wanted to give me an example of a brave and generous nobleman.   ,   ,   ,       ,         .

This little compliment touched d'Artagnan's heart.      . Extending his hand to Raoul, he replied:   ,  :

- My young friend, all such praise should be addressed to the Count, because it was he who educated me, and it is not his fault if the student made so poor use of his lessons.    ,       ,      ,    ,       . But you will reward him better, I am sure of that.     ,    . I like you, Raoul, and your kindness touched me.   , ,     .

Athos was extremely pleased with these words; he looked gratefully at d'Artagnan, then smiled at Raoul with that strange smile which makes children, when they notice it, feel proud of themselves.      ;     ,      ,   ,    ,  .

Now, thought dArtagnan, who did not miss the silent play of their faces, I am sure of it. ,   ,        ,     .

I hope, said Athos, the accident had no consequences?  ,   ,      ?

 Nothing is known yet, sir.     , . Because of the swelling, the doctor could not say anything definite. -       . He is still afraid that the tendon may be damaged.   -,    .

 And you didnt stay longer with Madame de Saint-Remy?          -?

I was afraid of being late for dinner, sir, and keeping you waiting for me.      , ,     .

At that moment, the peasant boy who was replacing the footman reported that dinner was served.     ,  , ,   .

Athos led his guest into the dining room.     . It was furnished very simply, but its windows on one side looked out onto the garden, and on the other, onto a greenhouse with wonderful flowers.     ,         ,         .

D'Artagnan glanced at the table setting  it was magnificent; at first glance it was clear that it was all antique family silver. Ē       ;     ,       . On the sideboard stood a superb silver jug.      . D'Artagnan approached to look at it. Ē ,    .

What a wonderful piece of work!    ! he said.    .

Yes, replied Athos, it is a masterpiece by a great Florentine master, Benvenuto Cellini.  ,   ,        ,  .

- What kind of battle does it depict?       ?

 The Battle of Marignano, and at the very moment when one of my ancestors offers his sword to Francis I, who had broken his.    ,      ,          ,  . For this, my great-grandfather Enguerrand de la F?re received the Order of Saint Michael.            . Moreover, fifteen years later, the king, who had not forgotten that he had fought for three hours with the sword of his friend Enguerrand without breaking it, gave him this jug and the sword which you have probably seen in my house before; also a fine piece of chased work.  ,    ,  ,           ,   ,      ,  , ,    ;    . It was a time of giants.    . We are all dwarfs compared to those people.        . Sit down, d'Artagnan, let's have some supper. , ,  . By the way, - Athos turned to the young footman who was serving the soup, - call Charlot. ,      ,  ,   .

The boy went out, and a minute later the servant whom our travelers had addressed upon their arrival entered.  ,      ,       .

My dear Charlot, Athos said to him, I entrust to your special attention Planchet, Monsieur dArtagnans footman, for the duration of their stay here.   ,    ,      ,   ,   ,    . He loves good wine: you have the keys to the cellars.    :     . He has often had to sleep on the bare ground, and he probably would not refuse a soft bed; please see to that too.       , , ,      ,    , .

Charlot bowed and left.    .

Charlot is also a nice man, said Athos.     ,   . He has been serving me for eighteen years now.      ,    .

You are very thoughtful, said dArtagnan.    ,   . Thank you for Planchet, my dear Athos.      ,   .

At this name, the young man opened his eyes wide and looked at the Count, not understanding whether d'Artagnan was addressing him.            ,  ,     .

Does that name seem strange to you, Raoul?      , ? said Athos, smiling.   , , . That is what my comrades in arms called me.        . I bore it in the days when dArtagnan, two other brave friends and I showed our courage at the walls of La Rochelle under the command of the late Cardinal and de Bassompierre, now also deceased.      ,  ,            -       ,   . DArtagnan likes to call me by this friendly name as before, and every time I hear it, my heart trembles with joy. Ē  -     ,   ,    ,     .

This name was famous, said dArtagnan, and once it was awarded a triumph.     ,   ,     .

How so, sir?   , ?  asked Raoul with youthful curiosity.       .

Really, I know nothing about it, said Athos.  ,      ,   .

- Have you forgotten about the bastion Saint-Gervais, Athos, and about that napkin that three bullets turned into a banner?      -, ,    ,      ? I have a better memory, I remember everything, and now you will find out about it, young man.    ,   ,      , .

And he told Raoul the incident on the bastion, just as Athos had previously told the story of his ancestor.       ,       .

The young man listened to d'Artagnan as if he were witnessing the exploits of the best times of chivalry, as narrated by Tasso and Ariosto.     ,          ,      .

But dArtagnan didnt tell you, Raoul, Athos remarked in turn, that he was one of the best fighters of that time: legs as strong as iron, a hand as flexible as steel, an unerring eye and a fiery gaze  these were the qualities his opponents discovered in him!      , ,  ,   , ,          :  ,  ,   , ,     ,        ! He was eighteen years old, only three years older than you are now, Raoul, when I first saw him in action, and against experienced men.    ,     ,   , ,         ,    .

And Monsieur dArtagnan remained the winner?      ?  asked the young man.    .

His eyes were burning and seemed to be begging for details.        .

I think I killed one, said dArtagnan, asking Athos with his eyes, and I disarmed or wounded the other, I dont remember exactly.  ,   ,   ,   ,      ,   .

- Yes, you wounded him.  ,   . Oh, you were a terrible strongman! ,    !

Well, it seems to me that I havent weakened so much since then, replied dArtagnan, smiling with Gascon complacency.  ,  ,        ,   ,    . Just recently    

Athos's look silenced him.     .

You think, Raoul, that you are a clever swordsman, said Athos, but, lest you be sorely disappointed, I should like to show you how dangerous a man is who combines skill with composure.    , ,    ,   ,  ,        ,     ,   ,     . I cannot give a more striking example: ask Monsieur dArtagnan tomorrow, if he is not very tired, to give you a lesson.       :    ,     ,   .

 But, damn it, you, dear Athos, are a good teacher yourself and can teach me better than anyone what you praise me for.  ,  , ,  ,           ,    . Just today, Planchet reminded me of the famous duel near the Carmelite monastery with Lord Winter and his friends.                   . Ah, young man, it could not have happened without the participation of a fighter whom I often called the first sword of the kingdom. ,  ,      ,       .

Oh, I have spoiled my hand with that boy, said Athos.  ,       ,   .

 There are hands that never spoil, my dear Athos, but often spoil the hands of others.   ,    ,   ,      .

The young man was ready to continue the conversation even all night, but Athos remarked to him that their guest was probably tired and needed rest.         ,    ,   , ,     . D'Artagnan protested out of politeness, but Athos insisted that he take possession of his room. Ē   ,   ,       . Raoul led him there.    . But since Athos foresaw that he would try to linger there in order to make d'Artagnan talk about the daring deeds of their youth, a minute later he came for him himself and ended this glorious evening with a friendly handshake and a goodnight to the musketeer.     ,     ,         ,                    .



Chapter XVII  XVII

Athos Diplomacy  

D'Artagnan went to bed, wanting not so much to sleep as to be alone and think over everything he had heard and seen that evening. Ē   ,    ,             .

Being kind by nature and having felt for Athos at first sight an instinctive affection, which later developed into sincere friendship, he was now delighted to have found not a degraded drunkard, sipping wine, in filth and poverty, but a man of brilliant mind and in the prime of life.             ,     ,     ,     ,  ,    ,        . He readily acknowledged Athos's usual superiority over himself and, instead of the envy and disappointment that a less magnanimous man would have felt in his place, he felt only a sincere, noble joy, which reinforced the most optimistic hopes for the outcome of his enterprise.          ,    ,         ,   ,  ,        .

However, it seemed to him that Athos was not entirely straightforward and frank.   ,        . Who was this young man?     ? According to Athos, his adopted son, and yet he was so strikingly similar to his adoptive father.   ,  ,           . What did this return to social life and the excessive abstinence he had noticed at table mean?         ,     ? Even the apparently insignificant circumstance of the absence of Grimaud, with whom Athos had previously been inseparable and whom he had never even thought about, despite the fact that there were plenty of reasons for this, worried d'Artagnan.  , -,    ,              ,         ,     . Obviously, he no longer enjoyed his friend's confidence; perhaps Athos was somehow connected or had even been warned in advance of his visit. ,       ;  ,   -         .

D'Artagnan involuntarily recalled Rochefort and his words in the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Ē         . Had Rochefort really gotten ahead of him at Athos?      ?

There was no time to sort this out.      . D'Artagnan decided to begin the investigation the following day. Ē      . The lack of funds, so cleverly concealed by Athos, testified to his desire to appear richer and revealed in him the remnants of his former ambition, which would not require much effort to awaken.  ,    ,             ,       . Athos's strength of mind and clarity of thought made him a more receptive person than others.           ,  . He would agree to the minister's proposal with all the more readiness because the desire for a reward would double his natural mobility.         ,        .

These thoughts kept d'Artagnan from sleeping, despite his fatigue.      ,   . He considered a plan of attack, and although he knew that Athos was a strong opponent, he nevertheless decided to open offensive operations the very next day, after breakfast.    , ,  ,    ,           ,  .

However, he also thought that, in such uncertain circumstances, he should proceed with caution, study Athos's acquaintances for a few days, observe his new habits, understand them thoroughly, and at the same time try to extract from the simple-minded youth with whom he would fence or hunt the additional information he lacked in order to find a connection between the former and the present Athos.       ,          ,       ,     ,           ,       ,  ,    ,        . This would not be difficult, because the personality of the mentor had probably left an imprint on the heart and mind of the pupil.   ,    , ,       . But at the same time, d'Artagnan, himself a man of insight, understood the disadvantage he could find himself in if some carelessness or awkwardness on his part allowed Athos's experienced eye to notice his tricks.      ,    , ,       ,  -             .

Moreover, it must be said that d'Artagnan, who was willing to cheat with the crafty Aramis and the vain Porthos, was ashamed to dissemble before Athos, a straightforward and honest man.  ,  ,  ,        ,     ,    . It seemed to him that if he outwitted Aramis and Porthos, it would only make them treat him with greater respect, while Athos, on the contrary, would respect him less.  ,        ,           ,   ,  ,    .

Oh, why isnt Grimaud here, silent Grimaud!  ,    ,  ! said dArtagnan.    . I would have understood a lot from his silence.         . Grimaud was so eloquent in his silence!    !

Meanwhile, little by little, everything in the house became quiet.       . D'Artagnan heard the slamming of doors and shutters being locked. Ē      . Then the dogs, which had been barking in response to the barking of the village dogs, fell silent; the nightingale, hidden in the dense foliage of the trees and scattering its melodious trills in the middle of the night, also finally fell asleep.   ,      ; ,            ,   . In the house, only the monotonous sounds of measured footsteps were heard above d'Artagnan's room; Athos's bedroom must have been located there.           ;  ,    .

He walks and thinks, thought dArtagnan.    ,   . But about what?     ? It is impossible to know.   . One can guess anything, but not this.     ,    .

At last Athos apparently went to bed, because these last sounds also died away.  , -,   ,       .

Silence and fatigue finally overcame d'Artagnan; he too closed his eyes and immediately fell asleep.      ;          .

D'Artagnan did not like to sleep long. Ē    . As soon as dawn gilded the curtains, he jumped out of bed and opened the windows.    ,        . Through the blinds, he saw that someone was wandering around the courtyard, trying to move silently.    ,  -   ,   . In his habit of leaving nothing unnoticed, d'Artagnan began to carefully and attentively peer and recognized Raoul's garnet jacket and dark hair.        ,             .

The young man - for it was really he - opened the stable door, brought out the bay horse he had ridden the day before, bridled and saddled it with the agility and dexterity of the most experienced groom, then led the horse along the right-hand alley of the orchard, opened the side gate leading onto the path, brought the horse out, locked the gate behind him, and d'Artagnan saw over the wall how he flew like an arrow, bending under the low flowering branches of acacias and maples.             ,   ,    ,           ,        ,   ,   ,  ,   ,     ,    ,        .

D'Artagnan had noticed yesterday that this path led to Blois. Ē   ,      .

Aha, thought the Gascon, this fickle fellow is already acting up! ,   ,     ! Apparently, he does not share Athoss hatred of the fair sex. ,        . He could not go hunting without a gun and without dogs; he is hardly going on business, then he would not be hiding.           ;      ,     . Who is he hiding from?    ?. .. . From me or from his father?     ?. .. . I am sure that the Count is his father... Damn it!  ,       ! I will find out about that; I will have a frank talk with Athos himself.  -  ,     .

The morning was breaking.  . D'Artagnan heard again all those sounds that had died away one after another the previous evening - everything was beginning to awaken: the birds in the branches, the dogs in their kennels, the sheep in the pasture came to life; even the barges moored to the bank on the Loire seemed to come to life and, separating from the banks, floated downstream. Ē     ,       ,    :    ,  ,   ; , ,        ,   ,    . D'Artagnan, so as not to wake anyone, remained at his window, but, hearing the noise of doors and shutters opening in the castle, he once again smoothed his hair, twisted his mustache, out of habit cleaned the brim of his hat with the sleeve of his doublet and went down. Ē,    ,    , ,        ,     ,  ,           . Descending the last step of the porch, he noticed Athos, bending over to the ground in the pose of a man looking for a coin lost in the sand.     ,   ,      ,      .

Good morning, dear master!    ,  ! said dArtagnan.    .

- Good morning, dear friend.    ,  . How did you spend your night?   ?

- Excellent, my friend; and everything here is excellent: the bed, and yesterday's dinner, and your entire reception.  ,  ;       :  ,   ,    . But what are you looking at so intently?      ? Have you become, God forbid, a lover of tulips?     ,  ,  ?

 This, my friend, is not something to laugh at.   ,  ,   . In the village, tastes change a lot, and without noticing it, you begin to love all the beauty that nature brings to light from underground and that is so neglected in the cities.     , ,    ,     ,      -       . I was just looking at the irises: I planted them yesterday by the pool, and this morning they were trampled.     :      ,     . These gardeners are such clumsy people.     . We went to fetch water and didnt notice that the horse was walking on the garden bed.      ,     .

D'Artagnan smiled. Ē .

Do you think so?    ? he asked.    .

And he led his friend into the alley where many traces were imprinted, similar to those from which the irises suffered.      ,    ,  ,    .

Here, it seems, are more traces, look, Athos, dArtagnan said indifferently.  , ,  , , ,    .

- Indeed.    . And still quite fresh!    !

Quite fresh, confirmed dArtagnan.   ,   .

Who could have left this morning?      ?  Athos asked anxiously.      .  Did the horse escape from the stable?        ?

It doesnt look like it, said dArtagnan, the steps are very even and calm.   ,   ,      .

 Where is Raoul?   ?  Athos exclaimed.    .  And how could it happen that I didnt see him!      ,     !

Shh, dArtagnan stopped him, putting his finger to his lips with a smile.  -,    ,      .

What happened here?    ? asked Athos.    .

D'Artagnan told everything he saw, closely watching his master's face. Ē  ,  ,     .

Ah, now I guess what it is, replied Athos, shrugging his shoulders slightly.  ,   ,   ,   ,   . The poor boy went to Blois.       .

- Why?  ?

- Yes, my God, to find out about the health of little La Valliere.   ,  ,      . Remember that girl who sprained her leg? ,  ,    ?

Do you think so?   ?  dArtagnan asked incredulously.     .

I not only think so, but I am sure of it, replied Athos.    ,    ,   . Havent you noticed that Raoul is in love?      ,   ?

- What are you saying?   ? At whom?  ? At a seven-year-old girl?   ?

 My dear friend, at Raouls age the heart is so full that it is necessary to pour it out on something, be it a dream or reality.   ,       ,      -,     . Well, his love is both together.         .

- You're kidding!   ! How? ? This little one?  ?

- Haven't you seen her?      ? She is a most charming creature.   . Silver-blond hair and blue eyes, already mischievous and languid. -    ,     .

- What do you say about this love?        ?

 I say nothing, I laugh and make fun of Raoul; but the first needs of the heart are so irresistible, the impulses of love's melancholy in young people are so sweet and so bitter at the same time, that they often bear all the signs of true passion.     ,     ;      ,              ,       . I remember that at Raoul's age I myself fell in love with a Greek statue that the good King Henry IV gave to my father.  ,         ,        . I thought I would go mad with grief when I learned that the story of Pygmalion was an empty fiction.  ,      ,  ,      .

- Its from idleness.    . You dont try to occupy Raoul with anything, and he himself looks for something to do.      ,      .

- Exactly.  . I'm already thinking of removing it from here.      .

- And you will do well.    .

 Of course.  . But that would mean breaking his heart, and he would suffer as if from true love.       ,    ,    . Already three or four years ago, when he himself was a child, he began to admire this little goddess and please her, and now he will reach the point of adoration if he stays here.   - ,     ,         ,     ,   . The children make all sorts of plans together every day and talk about many serious things, as if they were twenty years old and were real lovers.             ,         . At first, little La Vallieres relatives all laughed, but they, too, seem to be beginning to frown.      ,   , ,   .

- Childishness.  . But Raoul needs to unwind.    . Send him away from here quickly, otherwise, damn it, he will never become a man.    ,  ,  ,       .

I think of sending him to Paris, said Athos.       ,   .

Ah, responded dArtagnan, and thought that the moment had come for an attack.  ,     ,      . If you wish, he said, we can arrange the fate of this young man.    ,   ,        .

Ah, said Athos in turn.  ,      .

I even want to consult with you about one thing that came to my mind.          ,    .

- If you wish.  .

 Do you think its time for us to re-enter the service?    ,        ?

 Arent you always on duty, dArtagnan?         , ?

- I will say more precisely; we are talking about active service.   ;     . Does your former life no longer tempt you, and if real benefits awaited you, would you not be glad to renew your former adventures in the company of me and our friend Porthos?        ,      ,                ?

I think youre proposing this to me?  ,    ? asked Athos.    .

 Directly and sincerely.    .

- Take up arms again?     ?

- Yes.  .

For whom and against whom?      ?  Athos suddenly asked, fixing his clear and benevolent gaze on the Gascon.     ,        .

- Oh, damn!  , ! You are in too much of a hurry.   .

- First of all, I am precise.     . Listen, d'Artagnan, there is only one person, or rather one cause, to which a man like me can be useful: the cause of the king. , ,     ,  ,  ,  ,  ,   :  .

Thats exactly what you said, said the musketeer.     ,   .

Yes, but first lets agree, Athos continued seriously.  ,   ,    . If taking the kings side, in your opinion, means taking Mazarins side, you and I will not agree.       , -,     ,     .

I didnt say that, the Gascon replied, embarrassed.     ,  , , .

You know what, dArtagnan, said Athos, lets not play tricks on each other.   , ,   ,       . Your silences and evasions clearly explain to me on whose behalf you came here.       ,      . They really dont dare speak loudly about such a matter, and those who are interested in it are recruited quietly, with downcast eyes.              ,  .

- Ah, dear Athos!  ,  ! - said d'Artagnan.    .

You understand, continued Athos, that I am not speaking of youyou are the best of all brave and courageous menI am speaking of this stingy Italian intriguer, of this serf who is trying to put on his head a crown stolen from under his pillow, of this jester who calls his party the kings party and locks up princes of the blood in prison because he does not dare to execute them, as our cardinal, the great cardinal, did.   ,   ,                ,       -,   ,     ,  - ,   ,           ,       ,    ,  . Now in this place is the usurer, who weighs the gold and, clipping the coins, hides the clippings, fearing every minute, despite his cheating, to lose tomorrow; In short, I am talking about a scoundrel who, as they say, does not value the queen at all.     ,    ,  ,  ,  ,    ,  ; ,    , ,  ,      . Well, so much the worse for her!  ,    ! This scoundrel will cause a civil war in three months just to save his income.           ,    . And you propose that I enter the service of such a man, d'Artagnan?   -       , ? Thank you! !

- God have mercy, but you have become even more hot-tempered than before!   ,     ,  ! - said d'Artagnan.    . - The years have heated up your blood instead of cooling it.      ,     . Who tells you that I serve this gentleman and incline you to do the same?   ,           ?

Damn it, he thought, I cant give away a secret to a man who is so hostile.  ,   ,     ,   .

But in that case, my friend, Athos objected, what does your proposal mean?     ,  ,   ,      ?

 Ah, my God, nothing could be simpler.  ,  ,     . You live on your own estate and, apparently, are completely happy in your golden moderation.      , -,      . Porthos has fifty, and perhaps even sixty thousand livres of income.   ,   ,     . Aramis still has fifteen duchesses who are vying with each other for the prelate, just as they once vying with the musketeer; This is the eternal darling of fate.   -   ,      ,    ;    . But what am I?  ,    ? For twenty years I have been wearing armor and breeches, and still I sit in the same, and unenviable, rank, moving neither back nor forward, not living.      ,      ,  , ,    ,  ,  . In a word, I am dead.  ,  . And now, when I am given the opportunity to revive at least a little, you all raise a cry: This is a scoundrel!  ,       ,    :  ! A jester! ! A deceiver! ! How can one serve such a person?     ? Eh, damn it!  ,  ! I think the same thing myself, but find me someone better or pay me a pension.     ,    -     .

Athos thought for three seconds and in those three seconds he understood d'Artagnan's cunning, who, having been too presumptuous at first, was now cutting everything off at once in order to hide his game.             , ,   ,    ,    . He clearly saw that the proposal was made to him seriously and would have been stated in full if he had shown a desire to listen to it.   ,           ,       .

So! ! he thought.    . So, dArtagnan is a supporter of Mazarin.   ,    .

And from that moment on, Athos became extremely reserved.        .

D'Artagnan, for his part, became even more cautious. Ē,   ,   .

But you probably have some intentions?     , ,  - ?  Athos continued asking.     .

- Of course.  . I wanted to consult with all of you and think of a way to do something, because each of us will always miss the others.          - ,         .

- It's true.   . You told me about Porthos.     . Did you really persuade him to seek wealth?      ? It seems to me that he is rich enough.  ,   .

- Yes, he is rich.  ,  . But man is so created that he always lacks something else.    ,       -.

- What is Porthos missing?      ?

- Baronial title.   .

Yes, its true, I forgot, laughed Athos.  , ,   ,   .

Its true! ! thought dArtagnan.    . And how does he know?      ? Is he perhaps corresponding with Aramis?       ? Ah, if I only knew this, I would know everything else! ,      ,      ! 

Here the conversation was interrupted, as Raoul entered.   ,    . Athos wanted to kindly scold him, but the young man was so sad that Athos did not have the courage, he remained silent and began to ask what was the matter.     ,     ,      ,     ,   .

Isnt it worse than our little neighbor?       ? asked dArtagnan.    .

Ah, sir, Raoul answered, almost choking with grief, the bruise is very dangerous, and although there is no visible damage, the doctor is afraid that the girl will remain lame for the rest of her life.  , ,     ,  ,    , ,    ,  ,         .

That would be terrible!     ! said Athos.    .

D'Artagnan had a joke on the tip of his tongue, but seeing how much Athos was involved in this grief, he restrained himself.      , , ,       ,  .

Ah, sir, it completely drives me to despair, said Raoul, that I myself am to blame for all this.  , ,     ,   ,  ,       .

- You?  ? How, Raoul?  , ? - asked Athos.    .

- Of course, because she jumped off the log in order to run to me.  ,       ,    .

There is only one way left for you, dear Raoul: to marry her and thereby atone for your guilt, said dArtagnan.      ,  :        ,   .

Ah, sir, you are laughing at genuine grief, that is very bad, answered Raoul.  , ,     ,   ,   .

And, feeling the need to be alone to cry, he went into his room, from where he emerged only for breakfast. ,    ,  ,     ,     .

The friendly relations between the two friends were not at all affected by the morning skirmish, and so they breakfasted with great appetite, occasionally glancing at Raoul, who sat at the table with his eyes wet with tears, with a heavy heart and could hardly eat.          ,       ,    ,         ,         .

Towards the end of breakfast, two letters were brought in, which Athos read with the greatest attention, involuntarily shuddering several times.       ,      ,      . D'Artagnan, who was sitting at the other end of the table and had excellent eyesight, was ready to swear that he recognized Aramis's small handwriting. Ē,         ,   ,     . The other letter was written in a woman's, stretched out and uneven handwriting.         .

Lets go fencing, dArtagnan said to Raoul, seeing that Athos wanted to be alone to answer the letters or think about them.   ,    , ,     ,       . Come on, it will amuse you.   ,   .

The young man looked at Athos, who nodded affirmatively.     ;   .

They went into the lower hall, where rapiers, masks, gloves, breastplates and other fencing equipment were hung.     ,     , , ,     .

Well, how is it?   ? asked Athos, coming to them a quarter of an hour later.    ,      .

He has your hand entirely, dear Athos, said dArtagnan, and if he had your composure in addition, there would be nothing better to be desired      ,  ,   ,           ,      

The young man felt ashamed.     . If he had touched d'Artagnan's arm or thigh two or three times, the last time he had stabbed him right in the chest twenty times.   -       ,         .

Then Charlot entered and handed d'Artagnan a very urgent letter that had just been sent by courier.         ,     .

Now it was Athos' turn to steal a glance at the letter.        .

D'Artagnan read it, apparently without any emotion, and said, shaking his head slightly: Ē  , -,     ,   :

- That's what service means.     . By God, you're a hundred times right that you don't want to serve anymore! -,    ,     ! Treville is sick, and the regiment can't do without me.  ,        . It looks like my vacation is wasted. ,   .

Are you returning to Paris?     ?  Athos asked quickly.     .

Yes, of course, answered dArtagnan.  , ,   . Arent you going there too?         ?

If I get to Paris, Ill be very glad to see you, Athos replied, blushing slightly.      ,       ,   ,  .

Hey, Planchet!  , ! dArtagnan shouted through the door.      . Were leaving in ten minutes.       . Give the horses some oats.   . And, turning to Athos, he added: I keep feeling like Im missing something, and Im very sorry that Im leaving you without seeing good Grimaud.   ,   , :    ,   -  ,    ,    ,     .

- Grimaud?  ? - said Athos.    . - Indeed, I too am surprised why you do not ask about him.   ,   ,      . I gave him to one of my friends.       .

Who understands his signs?     ? asked dArtagnan.    .

I hope so, replied Athos.  ,   .

The friends embraced warmly.   . D'Artagnan shook Raoul's hand, took a promise from Athos that he would come to see him if he was in Paris, or write if he did not go there, and jumped on his horse. Ē   ,    ,     ,    ,  ,    ,   . Planchet, as always in good order, was already in the saddle. , ,  ,    .

Would you like to come with me?       ?  dArtagnan asked Raoul, laughing.   ,   .  Im going through Blois.      .

Raoul glanced at Athos; he held him back with a barely perceptible movement of his head.    ;       .

No, sir, answered the young man, I will stay with the Count.  , ,    ,     .

Then farewell, my friends, said dArtagnan, shaking their hands for the last time.     ,  ,   ,      . May God protect you, as we used to say when we parted in the old days under the late Cardinal.      ,   ,      .

Athos waved goodbye, Raoul bowed, and d'Artagnan and Planchet left.     ,  ,     .

The Count followed them with his eyes, leaning on the shoulder of the young man, who was almost the same height as him.     ,    ,       . But as soon as d'Artagnan disappeared behind the wall, he said:      ,  :

 Raoul, we are going to Paris this evening.  ,      .

What!  !  exclaimed the young man, turning pale.     , .

 You can go and say goodbye to Madame de Saint-Remy and give her my farewell greetings.         -      . I will expect you back at seven oclock.        .

With a mixed expression of sadness and gratitude on his face, the young man bowed and went to saddle his horse.               .

And d'Artagnan, having barely disappeared from their field of vision, pulled the letter out of his pocket and reread it:  ,      ,       :

"Return immediately to Paris.    . J. . M. ." .

"A dry letter," grumbled d'Artagnan, "and if there hadn't been a postscript, I might not have understood it; but fortunately there is a postscript."   ,   ,     , ,  ,    ; ,  ,  .

And he read the postscript, which reconciled him with the dryness of the letter:    ,     :

"P. P. S. S. Go to the king's treasurer in Blois, tell him your name and show him this letter: you will receive two hundred pistoles."       ,        :    .

I certainly like this kind of prose, said dArtagnan.  ,    ,   . The Cardinal writes better than I thought.     ,   . Come on, Planchet, lets pay a visit to the kings treasurer and then ride on. , ,        .

 To Paris, sir?   , ?

 To Paris.   .

And both of them set off at the fastest trot their horses could manage.      ,       .



Chapter XVIII  XVIII

Duke de Beaufort   

This is what happened, and these were the reasons that required d'Artagnan's return to Paris.   ,     ,     .

One evening, Mazarin, as usual, went to the queen when everyone had already left her, and, passing by the guard room, from which the door opened into one of his reception rooms, he heard a loud conversation.   ,  ,   ,      , ,    ,         ,   . Wanting to find out what the soldiers were talking about, he, as was his habit, crept up to the door, opened it slightly and stuck his head through the crack.  ,    , ,   ,   ,       .

There was an argument between the guards.    .

And Ill tell you, said one of them, that if Coisel predicted, then its as certain as if it had already come true.     ,     ,     , , ,    ,      . I dont know him myself, but Ive heard that hes not only an astrologer, but also a sorcerer.     ,  ,     ,   .

- Damn it, if you're his friend, be careful!   ,    ,   ! You're doing him a disservice.     .

- Why?  ?

- Because he might be brought to court.         .

- Oh no!   ! They dont burn sorcerers anymore!    !

 That may be so, but it seems to me that very recently the late cardinal ordered Urbain Grandier to be burned.  -  ,   ,          . I know about this: I myself stood guard at the fire and saw how he was roasted.  -   :        ,  .

- Oh, my dear!  ,  ! Urbain Grandier was not a sorcerer, but a scientist - that is a completely different matter.     ,  ,     . Urbain Grandier did not predict the future.     . He knew the past, and that is sometimes much worse.   ,       .

Mazarin nodded approvingly; however, wanting to know what this prediction was about which they were arguing, he did not move from his place.   ; ,  ,    ,    ,     .

I dont argue: maybe Coisel is a sorcerer, objected another guard, but I tell you that if he announces his predictions in advance, they may not come true.    :  ,   ,    ,     ,       ,     .

- Why?  ?

- Very clear.   . After all, if we start fighting with swords and I say to you: I will make a straight lunge, you will, of course, parry it.           :    , , ,  . So it is here.   . If Coisel speaks so loudly and reaches the ears of the cardinal that by such-and-such a day such-and-such a prisoner will escape, the cardinal will obviously take measures, and the prisoner will not escape.          ,   -  -  , , ,  ,    .

Come on, said the soldier, who seemed to be dozing on the bench, but despite the drowsiness that was overcoming him, he did not miss a word of the entire conversation.  ,   ,    , ,     ,       . You cant escape fate.      . If the Duke de Beaufort is destined to escape, the Duke de Beaufort will escape, and no measures the cardinal can take will help.      ,    ,       .

Mazarin shuddered.  . He was an Italian and therefore superstitious; he hurriedly entered the guards, who interrupted their conversation at his appearance.    , , ;     ,       .

What are you talking about, gentlemen?     , ? he asked kindly.     . It seems that the Duke de Beaufort has run away?   ,  ,     ?

Oh no, Monsignor, said the skeptical soldier.   , ,   -. Hes not even thinking about it now.         . They only say that hes destined to escape.  ,    .

- And who says this?     ?

Come on, tell your story again, Saint Laurent, the soldier said to the storyteller.  -,     , -,     .

Monseigneur, said the guard, I simply told these gentlemen, from hearsay, about the prophecy of a certain Coisel, who claims that no matter how closely they guard the Duke of Beaufort, he will escape before Trinity Sunday.  ,   ,             ,  ,        ,       .

Is this Coisel a fool or a madman?       ? asked the cardinal, still smiling.    ,   .

Not at all, replied the guardsman, who firmly believed in the prophecy.  ,       . He predicted many things that came true: for example, that the queen would give birth to a son, that Coligny would be killed in a duel by the Duke of Guise, and finally, that the coadjutor would be a cardinal.      ,  : ,    ,        , ,    . And what happened, the queen gave birth not only to one son, but two years later to a second one, and Coligny was killed.   ,      ,      ,    .

Yes, replied Mazarin, but the coadjutor is not yet a cardinal.  ,   ,      .

- Not yet, Monsignor, but he will be.   , ,    .

Mazarin winced, as if to say: Well, he doesnt have a hat yet.  ,   : , -    . Then he added:  :

- So, you are sure, my friend, that Monsieur de Beaufort will escape?  ,  ,  ,     ?

I am so sure, Monseigneur, the soldier replied, that if Your Eminence were to offer me now the position of Monsieur de Chavigny, commandant of the Ch?teau de Vincennes, I would not accept it.   , ,   ,            ,   ,     . But after Trinity, that is a different matter.       .

Nothing convinces us so much as the deep faith of another person.     ,     . It influences even unbelievers; and Mazarin was not only not an unbeliever, but was even, as we have said, superstitious.      ;       ,   ,   , . And so he left very worried.      .

"A miser!"  ! said the guard, who was leaning against the wall.    ,  ,   . "He pretends not to believe your sorcerer, Saint Laurent, just to avoid giving you anything; before he even gets to his own place, he'll have made money off your prediction."    ,     , -,      ;       ,     .

Indeed, instead of going to the queen's chambers, Mazarin returned to the study and, calling Bernouin, gave orders that the next day at dawn he should send for the overseer he had assigned to de Beaufort and that he should awaken himself immediately as soon as he arrived.   ,       ,     ,  ,        ,      ,    ,    .

The soldier, without knowing it, had opened the cardinal's most painful wound. ,    ,     . During the five years that Beaufort spent in prison, not a day passed without Mazarin thinking that sooner or later, Beaufort would be released.    ,     ,   ,     ,   ,  ,    . You cannot keep the grandson of Henry IV in prison all his life, especially when this grandson of Henry IV is barely thirty years old.   IV      ,       IV     . But no matter how he got out of prison, how much hatred he must have accumulated during his imprisonment for the one who was to blame for this; for the one who ordered his capture, rich, brave, crowned with glory, beloved by women and formidable for men; to the one who had taken away the best years of his lifeafter all, vegetating in prison cannot be called life!                     ,     ;  ,    , , ,  ,      ;  ,                ! Meanwhile, Mazarin was increasingly tightening his surveillance over Beaufort.        . But he resembled the miser in the fable who could not sleep near his treasure.       ,      . More than once he dreamed that Beaufort had been kidnapped from him, and he jumped up at night.    ,     ,     . Then he inquired about him and each time, to his chagrin, heard that the prisoner was happily drinking, singing, playing, and amidst games, wine, and songs, he kept swearing that Mazarin would pay dearly for all the pleasures that were being forcibly given to him in Vincennes.        ,   , ,      , ,    ,      ,        ,      .

This thought troubled the minister even in his sleep, so that when at seven o'clock Bernouin came in to wake him, his first words were:       ,  ,        ,    :

- Ah?  ? What happened?  ? Did Monsieur de Beaufort really escape from Vincennes?       ?

I dont think so, Monseigneur, replied Bernouin, whose composure never failed him.   , ,   ,      . In any case, you will now hear all the news, because the warden La Rame, whom you sent for this morning at the Ch?teau de Vincennes, has arrived and is awaiting your orders.     ,     ,     ,         ,     .

Open the door and bring him in, said Mazarin, adjusting the pillows to receive La Rame, sitting up in bed.       ,   ,  ,    ,   .

The officer entered.  . He was a tall, plump man, chubby-cheeked and imposing.      ,   . He had such a serene appearance that Mazarin became alarmed.     ,   .

This guy looks like a fool to me, he muttered.   , -,    ,   .

The warden stopped silently at the door.     .

Come here, sir!  , !  ordered Mazarin.    .

The warden obeyed.  .

 Do you know what they are talking about here?    ,    ?

- No, Your Eminence.  ,  .

 That the Duke of Beaufort will flee from Vincennes, if he has not already done so.       ,     .

The officer's face expressed the greatest astonishment.      . He opened his small eyes and large mouth wide, as if drinking in the joke with which the cardinal had honored him.         ,   ,    . Then, unable to restrain himself from laughing at such a proposition, he burst out laughing so loudly that his fat body shook as if from a violent chill. ,         , ,  ,     ,    .

Mazarin was pleased with this rather irreverent intemperance, but nevertheless retained his serious appearance.      ,        .

Having laughed his fill and wiped his eyes, La Ramee decided it was time to finally speak up and apologize for his indecent gaiety.     ,   ,          .

He will run away, Monseigneur!  , ! He will run away! !  he said.    .  But doesnt your Eminence know where the Duke de Beaufort is?        ,     ?

- Of course, I know that he is in the Ch?teau de Vincennes.  ,  ,     .

- Yes, Monsignor, and in his room the walls are seven feet thick, the windows have iron bars, and each crossbar is an arm thick.  , ,         ,    ,      .

Remember, said Mazarin, that with a little patience you can break through any wall and saw through a grate with a clock spring.  ,   ,              .

You may not know, Monsignor, that the prisoner has eight guards: four in his room and four in the next room, and they never leave him for a minute.  ,  , , ,      :        ,        .

- But he comes out of his room and plays with balls and a ball.        ,      .

- Monsignor, all these entertainments are allowed to prisoners.  ,     . However, if you wish, he can be deprived of them. ,   ,    .

No, no, said Mazarin, afraid that his prisoner, deprived of these pleasures, would leave the castle (if he ever left it) even more embittered against him.  , ,   , ,   ,    ,     (  -   )     . I only ask with whom he is playing.     ,    .

He plays with the guard officer, Monsignor, with me or with other prisoners.      , ,      .

 Doesnt he get close to the walls while playing?            ?

 Doesnt your Grace know what these walls are like?      ,   ? Almost sixty feet high.    . Its unlikely that the Duke of Beaufort was so tired of life that he would risk breaking his neck by jumping from such a wall.       ,      ,    .

Hm!  !  responded the cardinal, beginning to calm down.    ,  .  So, you think, my dear Monsieur La Rame, that   ,  ,     , 

As long as the Duke doesnt manage to turn into a bird, I can vouch for him.         ,    .

Dont get carried away, said Mazarin.    ,   . Monsieur de Beaufort told the guards who were taking him to the castle that he had often thought about being arrested, and therefore had forty ways of escaping from prison in reserve.       ,    ,       ,    ,          .

Monseigneur, if there had been at least one good way out of these forty, La Rame replied, he would have been free long ago.  ,          ,    ,       .

Hm, youre not as stupid as I thought, Mazarin muttered to himself. ,    ,   ,     .

Besides, dont forget, Monseigneur, that the commandant of the Ch?teau de Vincennes is Monsieur de Chavigny, La Rame continued, and he is not one of the friends of the Duke de Beaufort.      , ,        ,    ,          .

- Yes, but Monsieur de Chavigny sometimes goes away.  ,      .

 When he is absent, I am left.    ,  .

- Well, when do you leave?       ?

- Oh, for this case I have one fellow who is aiming to become the kings overseer.  ,        ,     . This one, I guarantee you, guards conscientiously. ,  ,   . He has been serving me for three weeks, and I can only reproach him for one thing - he is too harsh with the prisoner.   ,     ,              .

Who is this Cerberus?     ? asked the cardinal.    .

- A certain Mr. Grimaud, Monseigneur.    , .

- What did he do before he came to serve you at the castle?       ,        ?

He lived in the provinces, caused mischief there through stupidity, and now, it seems, is glad to hide from responsibility by putting on a royal uniform.     ,      , ,    ,   .

- Who recommended this person to you?       ?

- Manager of the Duke de Grammont.     .

- So, in your opinion, can he be relied upon?  , -,    ?

- As for me, Monsignor.     , .

- And he is not a chatterbox?     ?

 Lord Jesus!   ! I thought for a long time, Monsignor, that he was mute: he speaks and responds only with signs.   , ,   :       . It seems that his former master accustomed him to this. ,       .

Then tell him, dear Monsieur La Rame, continued the cardinal, that if he is a good and faithful guard, we will close our eyes to his pranks in the provinces, we will put on him a uniform that will make everyone treat him with respect, and we will put a few pistoles in the pockets of his uniform so that he can drink to the health of the king.    ,    ,   ,  ,       ,        ,    ,        ,       ,      .

Mazarin was generous with his promises  the complete opposite of the glorious Grimaud, whom La Rame praised so much: he said little, but did much.          ,     :   ,   .

The cardinal bombarded La Rame with a ton of questions about the prisoner, his quarters, how he slept, how he was fed.         ,   ,  ,   ,   . La Rame gave such exhaustive answers to these questions that the cardinal let him go almost completely reassured.         ,      .

Then, as it was already nine o'clock in the morning, he rose, perfumed himself, dressed himself, and went to the queen to inform her of the reasons that had detained him. ,       ,  , ,     ,     ,  . The queen, who feared de Beaufort no less than the cardinal himself and was almost as superstitious, made him repeat word for word all the assurances of La Rame and all the praise he had lavished on his assistant; then, when the cardinal had finished, she said in a low voice: ,            ,             ,     ; ,   ,  :

 What a pity we dont have such a Grimaud for every prince.   ,         .

Patience, said Mazarin with his Italian smile, perhaps someday we will achieve this, but for now  ,       ,   , -    ,  

- And in the meantime?   ?. .. .

 I will still take some precautions.      -  .

And he wrote to d'Artagnan to return immediately.    ,    .



Chapter XIX  XIX

What did the Duke de Beaufort do for fun at the Ch?teau de Vincennes?        

The prisoner who inspired such fear in the cardinal and disturbed the peace of the entire court with his forty escapes had no idea of the fears that his person inspired in the Palais Royal. ,              ,     ,    -  .

He was guarded so thoroughly that he realized the impossibility of breaking free, and his only revenge was to revile and curse Mazarin in every possible way.    ,        ,       ,       .

He even tried to compose poetry about him, but was soon forced to give it up.        ,       . Indeed, not only did Mr. de Beaufort not possess a poetic gift, but he even expressed himself in prose with the greatest difficulty.   , -        ,       . It was not for nothing that Blot, a famous writer of satirical songs of that time, said of him: He thunders and sparkles in the battle, Inspiring fear in his enemies; But when we hear his speeches, Everyone has a smile on their lips.  ,      ,   :     ,   ;     ,    . Gaston is not accustomed to battle, But words are easy for him.    ,   . Why is Beaufort tongue-tied?   ? Why is Gaston missing an arm?    ?

After this, it is clear why Beaufort limited himself to only swearing and cursing.   ,       .

The Duke of Beaufort was the grandson of Henry IV and Gabrielle d'Estres, as kind, brave and hot-blooded, and, most importantly, as Gascon as his grandfather, but not nearly as educated.      IV   ,   ,   ,  ,   ,   ,     . After the death of Louis XIII, he was for some time the queen's favorite and confidant and played a leading role at court; but one fine day he was forced to yield the first place to Mazarin and move to the second.    XIII               ;               . And the next day, since he was so imprudent as to become angry, and so careless as to express his displeasure loudly, the queen ordered him to be arrested and sent to Vincennes, which was entrusted to Guiteau, the same Guiteau with whom the reader met at the beginning of our story and whom he will have the opportunity to meet again.    ,      ,  ,   ,     ,        ,     ,   ,                 . It goes without saying that when we say "queen", we mean "Mazarin".   , ,  ,    . Thus, not only did they get rid of Beaufort and his pretensions, but they completely stopped taking him into account, despite his former popularity, and now he was living for six years in the Ch?teau de Vincennes, in a room very unsuitable for a prince.          ,       ,     ,          ,  ,     .

These long years, during which any other man might have come to his senses, had no effect on Beaufort.   ,         ,     . Indeed, anyone else would have realized that if he had not persisted in his intention to compete with the cardinal, to neglect the princes and to act alone, without assistants, with the exception  in the words of Cardinal de Retz  of a few melancholic people who resemble empty dreamers, he would have long ago managed to either gain freedom or acquire supporters.   ,    ,            ,      ,  ,           ,    ,         ,   . But nothing of the sort occurred to the Duke of Beaufort.         . His long imprisonment only further embittered him against Mazarin, who received news about him every day that was not very pleasant for him.         ,           .

Having failed in poetry, Beaufort turned to painting and drew a portrait of the cardinal on the wall with charcoal.    ,           . But since his artistic talent was very limited and did not allow him to achieve a great likeness, he, in order to avoid any doubts about the original, signed below: "Ritratto dell'illustrissimo Facchino Mazarini."               ,  ,      ,  : Ritratto dellillustrissimo Facchino Mazarini.

When M. de Chavigny was informed of this, he came to visit the Duke and asked him to choose some other occupation for himself, or at least to paint portraits without making signatures under them.  -     ,            -        ,     . The very next day, all the walls in the room were covered with both signatures and portraits.            ,  . The Duke of Beaufort, like all prisoners, was like a child who is always drawn to what he is forbidden.  , , ,   ,    ,     ,   .

M. de Chavigny was informed of the increase in profiles. -      . Not trusting his skill enough and not attempting to draw a face full face, Beaufort did not skimp on profiles and transformed his room into a veritable portrait gallery.          ,             . This time the commandant remained silent; but one day, when the Duke was playing ball in the courtyard, he ordered all the drawings to be erased and the walls to be re-whitewashed.     ;  ,       ,         .

Beaufort thanked Chavigny for his attention to the preparation of more space for him to draw.     ,          . This time he divided the room into several parts and dedicated each of them to some episode from the life of Mazarin.               -    .

The first painting was supposed to depict the illustrious scoundrel Mazarin under a hail of blows from Cardinal Bentivolio, whose lackey he was.              ,     .

The second is the most illustrious scoundrel Mazarin, who plays the role of Ignatius Loyola in the tragedy of the same name.     ,         .

The third is the illustrious scoundrel Mazarin, stealing the portfolio of the first minister from Chavigny, who imagined that he already held it in his hands.     ,      ,  ,       .

Finally, the fourth is the most illustrious scoundrel Mazarin, who refuses to give clean sheets to Louis XIV's valet La Porte, because the French king only needs to change his sheets once every three months. ,     ,       XIV  ,           .

These paintings were conceived too broadly, far beyond the artist's modest talent.      ,      . And so for now he limited himself to just outlining the frames and making captions.       ,      .

But to irritate Mr. de Chavigny, the frames with signatures alone were enough.         -  ,       . He ordered the prisoner to be warned that if he did not give up the idea of painting the pictures he had planned, he would take away from him any opportunity to work on them.    ,           ,          . Beaufort replied that, not having the means to gain military glory, he wanted to become famous as an artist.  , ,       ,     . Unable to become a Bayard or a Tribulcio, he wanted to become a second Raphael or a Michelangelo.             .

But one fine day, when Mr. de Beaufort was walking in the prison yard, the firewood was taken out of his room, and not only the firewood, but also the coals, and not only the coals, but even the ashes, so that, upon returning, he found absolutely nothing that could replace his pencil.     ,  -      ,      ,    ,   ,    ,   ,  , ,     ,      .

The Duke cursed, swore, raged, and shouted that they wanted to kill him with cold and damp, as they had killed Puylaurens, Marshal Ornano, and the Grand Prior of Vend?me.  , , , ,       ,   ,      . To this, Chavigny replied that the Duke only had to promise to give up painting, or at least promise not to paint historical pictures, and they would immediately bring him firewood and everything he needed for the fire.    ,                 ,           . But the Duke did not want to give this word and spent the rest of the winter in an unheated room.              .

Moreover, one day, when Beaufort went for a walk, all his inscriptions were scraped off, and the room became white and clean, and not a trace remained of the frescoes.  , ,     ,    ,      ,       .

Then the Duke bought a dog named Pistache from one of the guards.           . Since prisoners were not prohibited from having dogs, Chavigny allowed the dog to pass into the possession of another owner.       ,   ,       . The Duke sat locked up with it for hours at a time.        . It was suspected that he was training it, but no one knew what he was teaching it. ,     ,    ,    . Finally, when the dog was sufficiently trained, Monsieur de Beaufort invited Monsieur de Chavigny and the other officials of Vincennes to a performance which he intended to give in his room. ,     , -    -         ,      . The guests appeared.  . The room was brightly lit; the Duke lit all the candles he could get his hands on.    ;    ,     . The performance began.  .

The prisoner broke a piece of plaster out of the wall and drew a long line on the floor with it, which was supposed to represent a rope.             ,     . Pistache, at the first word of his master, stood near the line, rose on his hind legs and, holding a reed in his front paws, walked along the line, grimacing like a real tightrope dancer. ,    ,   ,     ,    ,   , ,    . After walking back and forth two or three times, he gave the stick to the Duke and did the same without the balance beam.   -   ,           .

The smart dog was awarded with applause.    .

The performance consisted of three parts.     . The first ended, the second began.  ,  .

Now Pistache had to answer the question: what time is it?       :  ?

Chavigny showed him his watch.     . It was half past six.   . Pistache raised and lowered his paw six times, then raised it for the seventh time and held it in the air.       ,          . It was impossible to answer more clearly: even a sundial could not show the time more accurately.    :         . Moreover, as everyone knows, they have one big drawback: you cant tell anything from them when the sun is not shining.     ,   ,    :     ,    .

Then Pistache had to announce to the whole community who was the best jailer in France.       ,     .

The dog walked around all those present three times and lay down most respectfully at Chavignys feet.            .

He pretended to find the joke charming and laughed through his teeth, and when he finished laughing, he bit his lips and frowned.   ,    ,    ,   ,     .

Finally, the Duke asked Pistache a very tricky question: who is the greatest thief in the world?       :     ?

Pistache walked around the room and, without stopping in front of anyone present, ran up to the door and began scratching at it with a pitiful howl.    ,       ,           .

You see, gentlemen, said the Duke.  , ,   . This amazing animal, not finding here the one I am asking him about, wants to leave the room.     ,    ,     ,    . But rest assured, you will still receive an answer.   ,  -  . Pistache, my friend, continued the Duke, come to me. ,  ,   ,    .

The dog obeyed.  .

- So who is the greatest thief in the world?        ? Is it not the king's secretary Le Camus, who came to Paris with twenty livres, and now has ten million?       ,       ,     ?

The dog shook its head.    .

 Then perhaps the Minister of Finance, Emery, who gave his son, Mr. Thore, a wedding gift of three hundred thousand livres and a house in comparison to which the Tuileries is a hut and the Louvre a hovel?  ,  ,   ,   ,  ,         ,       ,    ?

The dog shook its head.    .

So its not him, the Duke continued.  ,  ,   . Well, lets look some more.   ,  . Could it be that most illustrious scoundrel Mazarin di Piscina, tell me!         , -!

Pistache raised and lowered his head a dozen times, which was supposed to mean "yes."        ,     .

You see, gentlemen, said the Duke, turning to those present, who this time did not dare to smile even wryly, you see that the greatest thief in the world turned out to be the most illustrious scoundrel Mazarin di Pishina.   , ,   ,   ,         ,   ,           . At least, thats what Pistache assures us.      .

The performance continued.  .

You know, of course, gentlemen, continued de Beaufort, taking advantage of the deathly silence to announce the program of the third part, that the Duke of Guise taught all the Parisian dogs to jump over a stick in honor of Madame de Pons, whom he proclaimed the first beauty in the world.  , , , ,    ,   ,     ,                 ,      . Well, gentlemen, this is a trifle, because the dogs did not know how to make a distinction (Monsieur de Beaufort wanted to say distinction) between the one for whom they should jump and the one for whom they should not.  , ,  ,        (-     )  ,    ,  ,    . Pistache will now prove to the Commandant, as well as to all of you, gentlemen, that he stands incomparably above his fellows.     ,    , ,       . Lend me your cane, please, Monsieur de Chavigny.  , ,  ,   .

Chavigny handed the cane to Monsieur de Beaufort.    -  .

Beaufort said, holding his cane horizontally a foot from the ground:  ,       :

 Pistache, my friend, please jump in honor of Madame de Montbazon.  ,  ,        .

Everyone laughed: it was known that before his imprisonment, the Duke de Beaufort had openly been the lover of Madame de Montbazon.  :  ,           ?  .

Pistache jumped over the stick without any difficulty.        .

But Pistache, it seems to me, is doing the same thing as his brothers who jumped in honor of Madame de Pons, remarked Chavigny.   ,   ,    ,    ,      ,   .

Wait, said de Beaufort.  ,    . Pistache, my friend, jump in honor of the queen!   ,  ,    !

And he raised his cane about six inches higher.        .

The dog jumped over her respectfully.     .

"Pistache, my friend," said the Duke, raising his cane another six inches, "jump in honor of the King!"  ,  ,   ,      ,     !

The dog ran up and, despite the fact that the cane was quite high from the floor, easily jumped over it.   ,          ,    .

Now, attention, gentlemen!   , !  continued the Duke, lowering his cane almost to the floor.    ,       .  Pistache, my friend, jump in honor of the most illustrious scoundrel Mazarin di Piscin.   ,  ,        .

The dog turned its back to the cane.     .

What does this mean?    ? said the Duke, walking around the dog and again offering him the cane.    ,       . Jump, Mr. Pistache!    ,  !

But the dog again made a half-turn and stood with its back to the cane.          .

The Duke performed the same maneuver and repeated his order.         . But this time Pistache lost his patience.        . He furiously rushed at the cane, tore it from the Duke's hands and bit it in half.     ,       .

Beaufort took the fragments from his mouth and, with the most serious air, handed them to Monsieur de Chavigny, showering him with apologies and saying that the performance was over, but that in about three months, if he wished to attend the performance, Pistache would learn new tricks.              -  ,     ,   ,     ,      ,    .

Three days later the dog was poisoned.     .

They looked for the culprit, but, of course, they never found him.  , , ,    .

Beaufort ordered a monument to be erected on the dog's grave with the inscription: "Here lies Pistache, the most intelligent of all dogs in the world."         :   ,       .

There was nothing to object to the praise, and Chavigny did not protest.     ,    .

Then the Duke began to say publicly that they had tested the poison prepared for him on his dog; and one day, after dinner, he threw himself into bed, screaming that he had colic and that Mazarin had ordered him to be poisoned.      ,      ,    ;  ,  ,   , ,          .

Upon learning of this new trick of Beaufort, the cardinal was terribly frightened.      ,   . The fortress of Vincennes was considered a very unhealthy place: Madame de Rambouillet once said that the cell in which Puylaurens, Marshal Ornano and the Grand Prior of Vend?me died was worth its weight in arsenic, and these words were repeated in every possible way.      : ?    -,  ,    ,      ,    ,       . Therefore, Mazarin ordered that the food and wine that were served to the prisoner be tasted beforehand in his presence.    ,    ,   ,    . It was then that the officer La Rame was assigned to the Duke as a taster.  -          .

The commandant, however, did not forgive the Duke for his insolence, for which the innocent Pistache had already paid. , ,     ,          . Chavigny was the favorite of the late cardinal; they even assured him that he was his son, and therefore he knew how to oppress famously.     ;  ,    ,      . He began to take revenge on Beaufort and first of all ordered that his silver forks be replaced with wooden ones, and his steel knives with silver ones.             ,     . Beaufort expressed his displeasure to him.     . Chavigny ordered him to tell him that since the cardinal had recently informed Madame de Vend?me that her son was imprisoned in the castle for life, he, Chavigny, was afraid that the duke, having learned this sad news, would decide to attempt on his life.    ,        ?  ,       , , , ,   ,    ,      . Two weeks after this, Beaufort saw that the road to the place where he played ball was planted with two rows of branches as thick as a little finger.       ,     ,     ,       . When he asked why they were planted, he was told that someday shady trees would grow there for him trees.   ,    ,  ,   -     . Finally, one morning a gardener came to Beaufort and, as if wishing to please him, announced that he had planted asparagus for him. ,       ,     , ,     . Asparagus, as is well known, grows even now in four years, but in those times, when gardening was less perfect, it took five years. ,  ,      ,    ,     ,     . Such courtesy infuriated the Duke.      .

He came to the conclusion that the time had come for him to resort to one of his forty ways of escaping from prison, and he chose to begin with the simplest of them - bribing La Ramee.    ,               ,            . But La Ramee, who had paid fifteen hundred crowns for his officer's rank, valued it very much.   ,        ,   . Therefore, instead of helping the prisoner, he rushed with a report to Chavigny, who immediately ordered the number of sentries to be doubled, the posts to be tripled, and eight guards to be placed in Beaufort's room.  ,     ,      ,       ,         . From then on, the Duke walked with his retinue like a theatrical king on the stage: four people in front and four behind, not counting the rear guards.       ,     :      ,   .

At first, Beaufort laughed at this severity: it amused him.      :   . Its ridiculous, he said, it gives me variety (Mr. de Beaufort wanted to say: it entertains me, but, as we already know, he did not always say what he wanted to say).  ,   ,     (-    :  , ,    ,     ,   ). Besides, he added, when I get tired of all these honors and want to get rid of them, I will use one of the remaining thirty-nine methods.   ,   ,             ,          .

But soon this entertainment became a torment for him.        . He maintained his character of bragging for about six months; but in the end, constantly seeing eight people around him, who sat down when he sat down, stood up when he stood up, stopped when he stopped, the Duke began to frown and count the days.       ;    ,      , ,   , ,   , ,   ,      .

This new embarrassment further increased the Duke's hatred of Mazarin.         . He cursed him from morning until night and repeated that he would cut off his ears.         ,    . It was truly terrible to listen to him. ,    . And Mazarin, who was informed of everything that was happening in Vincennes, involuntarily pulled his cardinal's hat deeper.  ,    ,   ,      .

Once the Duke gathered all the guards and, despite his inability to express himself clearly and coherently (an inability that had even become proverbial), addressed them with a speech which, to tell the truth, had been prepared in advance.      ,         (,    ),     , ,  ,   .

 Gentlemen!  !  he said.    .  Will you really tolerate insults and subjecting to baseness (he wanted to say: humiliation) the grandson of the good King Henry the Fourth?     ,      (  : )     ? The devil take it, as my grandfather used to say.  --,    . Do you know that I almost reigned in Paris?   ,      ? The King and the Duke of Orleans were under my protection for a whole day.            . The Queen was very merciful to me at that time and called me the most honest man in the state.                . Now, gentlemen, set me free. , ,    . I will go to the Louvre, wring Mazarins neck, and make you my guards, promote you all to officers and appoint a good salary.    ,   ,     ,        . The devil take it!  --! Forward, March! , !

But no matter how touching the eloquence of the grandson of Henry IV was, it did not touch these stony hearts.         IV,      . None of the guards moved.      . Then Beaufort called them fools and made them all his mortal enemies.            .

Whenever Chavigny came to the Duke  and he came to him two or three times a week  the Duke did not miss the opportunity to intimidate him.  ,     ,        -  ,       .

What will you do, he said, if one fine day an army of Parisians, clad in iron and armed with muskets, comes here to free me?    ,   ,                ,   ?

Your Highness, answered Chavigny with a low bow, I have twenty cannons on the rampart, and thirty thousand rounds of ammunition in the casemates.   ,      ,       ,      . I will try to shoot as well as I can.      .

And when you have fired all your charges, they will still take the fortress, and I will have to allow them to hang you, which, of course, will be extremely regrettable to me.        ,  -  ,       ,  , ,   .

And the Duke, in turn, made the most exquisite bow.  ,   ,    .

And I, your Highness, Chavigny objected, as soon as the first of these idlers climbs the rampart or steps into the underground passage, I will be forced, to my greatest regret, to kill you with my own hands, since you are entrusted to my special supervision and I am obliged to keep you alive or dead.   ,  ,   ,               ,  ,    ,   ,               .

Here he bowed again to his lordship.      .

Yes, continued the Duke.  ,   . But since these fellows, getting ready to come here, will first, of course, hang Giulio Mazarin on the gallows, you will not dare touch me and will leave me alive for fear that the Parisians will tie you by the hands and feet to four horses and tear you to pieces, which will be, perhaps, even worse than the gallows.       ,   , , ,     ,              ,                   ,  , ,   .

Such bittersweet jokes continued for ten minutes, a quarter of an hour, twenty minutes at the most.  -    ,  ,    . But the conversation always ended the same way.     .

Hey, La Rame!  ,  ! shouted Chavigny, turning towards the door.    ,   .

La Rame entered.   .

I entrust the Duke de Beaufort, La Rame, to your special attention, said Chavigny.        ,  ,   . Treat him with all the respect due to his name and high rank, and therefore do not lose sight of him for a moment.        ,      ,          .

And he left with an ironic bow, which drove the Duke into a terrible rage.      ,     .

Thus, La Ramee became the Duke's constant companion, his constant guard, his shadow.  ,      ,   ,  . But it must be said that the company of La Ramee, a dashing fellow, a cheerful conversationalist and drinking companion, an excellent ball player and, in essence, a nice guy, who, from the point of view of Mr. de Beaufort, had only one serious flaw - incorruptibility, did not at all embarrass the Duke and even served as entertainment for him.   ,    ,  ,    ,     ,  ,  , ,    -  ,      ,         .

Unfortunately, La Rame himself felt differently.  ,       . Although he appreciated the honor of being locked up with such an important prisoner, the pleasure of having the grandson of Henry IV as his friend still could not replace the pleasure of visiting his family from time to time.           ,        IV -            .

One can be an excellent servant of the king and at the same time a good husband and father.              . And La Ramee dearly loved his wife and children, whom he saw only from the fortress walls, when, wanting to give him consolation as a father and husband, they walked on the other side of the moat.         ,      ,  ,        ,     . This, of course, was too little, and La Ramee felt that his cheerfulness (which he was accustomed to consider the cause of his excellent health, without thinking that it was rather a consequence of it) would not last long with such a way of life. , ,   ,    ,   (       ,    ,      )      . When the relationship between the Duke and Chavigny became so strained that they stopped seeing each other altogether, La Ramee fell into despair: now all responsibility for Beaufort fell on him alone.          ,     ,     :         . And since, as we said, he wanted to have at least an occasional day off, he enthusiastically responded to the offer of his friend, the steward of Marshal Grammont, recommend him an assistant.    ,   ,      ,         ,   ,   . Chavigny, to whom La Rame turned for permission, said that he would be happy to give it, if, of course, the candidate turned out to be suitable. ,       , ,    , , ,   .

We consider it superfluous to describe to our readers the appearance and character of Grimaud.         . If, as we hope, they have not forgotten the first part of our story, they will probably have retained a fairly clear idea of this worthy man, who has changed only in that he has aged twenty years and, thanks to this, has become even more sullen and silent. ,   ,       ,  , ,        ,    ,             . Although Athos, since the change took place in him, allowed Grimaud to speak, the latter, who had communicated by signs for ten or fifteen years, had become so accustomed to silence that this habit became his second nature.  ,        ,    ,  ,        ,    ,       .



Chapter XX  XX

Grimaud Enters the Service    

So, with such a favorable appearance, Grimaud appeared at the Vincennes fortress. ,         . Chavigny considered himself infallible in his ability to recognize people, and this could, perhaps, serve as proof that he really was the son of Richelieu, who also considered himself an expert in these matters.        ,   , ,  ,      ,        . He carefully examined the petitioner and came to the conclusion that Grimaud's fused eyebrows, thin lips, hooked nose and prominent cheekbones testified in his favor.        ,   ,  ,             . In questioning him, Chavigny uttered twelve words; Grimaud answered with only four.  ,    ;    .

Here is a sensible fellow, I noticed that at once, said Chavigny.    ,    ,   . Go now to Monsieur La Rame and try to win his approval.             . You can tell him that I find you suitable in every respect.   ,       .

Grimaud turned on his heel and went to La Rame to undergo a more rigorous examination.         ,     . It was much more difficult to please La Rame.      . Just as Chavigny relied entirely on La Rame, so the latter wanted to find a man on whom he could rely.       ,      ,       .

But Grimaud possessed just the right qualities to entice a prison warden choosing an assistant.       ,     ,   . And finally, after many questions, to which only a quarter as many answers were given, La Ramee, delighted with such moderation in words, rubbed his hands cheerfully and accepted Grimaud into his service.    ,   ,       ,  ,     ,         .

 Instructions?  ?  asked Grimaud.    .

- Here: never leave a prisoner alone, take away from him anything sharp or cutting, do not allow him to make signs to strangers or talk for too long with the guards.  :     ,       ,             .

 All?  ?  asked Grimaud.    .

Thats all for now, La Rame replied.   ,    . Circumstances will change, and so will the regulations.    ,   .

Okay, said Grimaud.  ,   .

And he entered the Duke de Beaufort's room.       .

At that moment he was combing his hair.     . Wanting to annoy Mazarin, he did not cut his hair and grew a beard, showing off how badly he was living and how unhappy he was.   ,       ,  ,        . But a few days ago, looking from a high tower, he seemed to have made out in the window of a passing carriage the features of the beautiful Madame de Montbazon, the memory of which was still dear to him.    ,    ,            ?  ,        . So, since he wanted to make a completely different impression on her than on Mazarin, he, in the hope of seeing her again, ordered a lead comb to be brought to him, which was done.          ,   ,  ,      ,     ,    .

Mr. de Beaufort demanded a lead comb because, like all blond men, his beard was somewhat reddish: when he combed it, he dyed it at the same time. -      ,    ,     ,    : ,    .

Grimaud, entering his room, saw the comb which the Duke had just placed on the table; Grimaud bowed low and took it. ,   ,  ,       ;      .

The Duke looked at this strange figure in surprise.        .

The figure put the comb in its pocket.     .

- Hey there!  , ! Someone! -! What does this mean?   ? - shouted Beaufort.    . - Where did this fool come from?      ?

Grimaud, without answering, bowed again. ,  ,   .

Are you mute or something?   ,  ?  shouted the Duke.    .

Grimaud shook his head.    .

- Who are you?    ? Answer now!  ! I command!  !

The watchman, said Grimaud.  ,   .

 Watchman!  !  repeated the Duke.    .  Just the kind of hanged man I need in my collection!          ! Hey! ! La Rame... someone!   -!

La Ramee entered the room hurriedly.      . Unfortunately for the Duke, La Ramee, relying entirely on Grimaud, was about to leave for Paris; he was already in the courtyard and returned with great displeasure.    ,  ,    ,    ;          .

What happened, Your Highness?   ,  ? he asked.    .

What kind of idler is this?     ? Why did he take my comb and put it in his pocket?           ? asked de Beaufort.     .

He is one of your guards, Your Highness, and a very worthy man.      ,  ,    . I hope you will appreciate him as much as Monsieur de Chavigny ,     ,     

- Why did he take my comb?       ?

Indeed, why did you take the comb from His Highness?    ,         ? asked La Rame.     .

Grimaud took a comb out of his pocket, ran his fingers over it and, pointing to the outermost tooth, answered only:     ,     ,    ,  :

- Colet.  .

Thats true, said La Rame.  ,    .

What does this brute say?     ? asked the Duke.    .

- That the king did not allow sharp objects to be given to your highness.          .

- What, are you crazy, La Rame?   ,   ,  ? After all, you yourself brought me this comb.        .

- And in vain.   . By giving it to you, I myself violated my order.   ,     .

The Duke looked furiously at Grimaud, who gave the comb to La Rame.      ,     .

I feel that I shall come to hate this rascal very much, muttered de Beaufort.   ,     ,    .

Indeed, in prison every feeling reaches its extreme. ,       . After all, everything there  both people and things  is either our enemy or our friend, so there one either loves or hates, sometimes with reason, and more often instinctively.      ,      ,  ,    ,  ,   ,   . So, for the simple reason that Grimaud pleased Chavigny and La Rame at first sight, he was bound to displease Beaufort, for the virtues he possessed in the eyes of the commandant and the warden were shortcomings in the eyes of the prisoner. ,    ,          ,      ,  ,        ,     .

However, Grimaud did not want to quarrel with the prisoner from the first day: he needed not angry outbursts from the Duke, but persistent, long-term hatred.          :         ,  ,  .

And he left, giving up his place to the four guards, who, having finished breakfast, returned to guard the prisoner.   ,     , ,   ,   .

The Duke, for his part, was preparing a new trick, on which he was counting greatly. ,   ,   ,    . The next day he ordered crayfish for breakfast and wanted to have a small gallows erected in his room by that time, in order to hang the best crayfish on it.                   ,       . The red color of the boiled crayfish will be a hint for everyone, and the Duke will have the pleasure of executing the Cardinal in absentia until the opportunity arises to hang him in reality.        ,          ,        . In this case, the Duke could only be reproached for hanging the crayfish.          ,    .

All day long de Beaufort was busy preparing for the execution.        . In prison, everyone becomes a child, and the Duke, more than anyone else, was inclined to this.     ,   ,  - ,    . During his usual walk, he broke off two or three thin twigs that he needed and, after a long search, found a piece of glass - a find that gave him great pleasure - and, returning to his room, pulled out several threads from his handkerchief.         -           ,    ,     ,      .

None of these details escaped Grimaud's keen eye.           .

The next morning the gallows was ready, and in order to install it on the floor, the Duke began to plane its lower end with his splinter.       , ,     ,        .

La Ramee watched him with the curiosity of a father hoping to see a game with which he can later amuse his children, and the four guards watched him with that idle air which has always been and continues to be the distinguishing mark of a soldier.         ,   ,      ,        ,          .

Grimaud entered at the moment when the Duke, not yet having completely planed the end of his gallows, put aside the glass and began to tie a thread to the crossbar.     ,  ,       ,        .

He cast a quick glance at Grimaud as he entered, in which yesterday's displeasure was still noticeable, but immediately returned to his work, enjoying in advance the impression that his new invention would make.       ,       ,       ,   ,     .

Having made a loop on one end of the thread and a sliding loop on the other, the Duke examined the crayfish, chose the most magnificent one by eye and turned to take the glass.       ,    ,   ,       ,   .

The glass has disappeared.  .

Who took my glass?     ? asked the Duke, frowning.    ,  .

Grimaud pointed at himself.    .

- What, you again?  ,  ? - exclaimed the Duke.    . - Why did you take him?       ?

Yes, asked La Ramee, why did you take the glass from His Highness?  ,    ,        ?

Grimaud ran his finger across the glass and limited himself to one word:         :

 It cuts!  !

But hes right, Monsignor, said La Rame.     , ,    . Oh, damn it!   ,  ! This guy is priceless!     !

Monsieur Grimaud, I ask you, in your own interests, to keep such a distance from me that I cannot reach you with my hand, said the Duke.   ,  ,    ,      ,       ,   .

Grimaud bowed and walked to the far corner of the room.        .

Come, come, my lord!  , , ! said La Rame.     . Give me your gallows, and I will plan it with my knife.      ,      .

You?  ?  the Duke asked with a laugh.      .

- Yes, I did.  , . After all, thats what you wanted to do?      ?

- Of course.  . If you please, my dear La Rame. ,    . It will be even funnier.    .

La Ramee, who did not understand the Duke's exclamation, carefully planed the leg of the gallows.  ,    ,      .

Excellent, said the Duke.  ,   . Now drill a hole in the floor, and I will prepare the criminal.       ,    .

La Ramee dropped to one knee and began to pick at the floor.          .

The Duke at this time hung the crayfish on a string.        . Then, with a loud laugh, he erected the gallows in the middle of the room.         .

La Ramee also laughed heartily, without knowing why, and the guards echoed him.      ,    ,    . Only Grimaud did not laugh.     . He approached La Ramee and, pointing to the crayfish spinning on a thread, said:      ,   ,   , :

- Cardinal?  ?

Hanged by His Highness the Duke de Beaufort, the Duke continued, laughing even louder, and by the kings officer Jacques-Chrysostom La Ramee!       ,   ,   ,     -  !

La Ramee, with a cry of horror, rushed to the gallows, tore it from the floor, broke it into small pieces, and threw it out of the window.        ,     ,    ,   . In his haste, he almost threw the crayfish there too, but Grimaud took it from his hands.         ,        .

You can eat it, he said, putting the crayfish in his pocket.   ,   ,     .

This whole scene gave the Duke such pleasure that he almost forgave Grimaud the role he played in it.       ,      ,     . But then, having thought carefully about the intentions that prompted the guard to act this way, and recognizing them as bad, he was filled with even greater hatred towards him.  ,    ,     ,    ,       .

To La Rame's great chagrin, this story became known not only within the fortress itself, but also beyond its borders.     ,         ,     . Mr. de Chavigny, who hated the cardinal in his heart, considered it his duty to tell this amusing incident to two or three of his well-intentioned friends, and they immediately spread it. -  ,     ,       -   ,     .

Thanks to this, the Duke felt quite happy for several days.           .

Meanwhile, the Duke noticed among his guards a man with a rather good-natured face and began to appease him, especially since he hated Grimaud more and more every day.                ,           . One morning, the Duke, accidentally left alone with this guard, began to talk to him, when suddenly Grimaud entered, looked at the interlocutors, then respectfully approached them and took the guard by the hand.   ,      ,    ,    ,   ,          .

What do you want from me?      ?  the Duke asked sharply.     .

Grimaud took the guard aside and pointed to the door.          .

- Go!  ! - he said.    .

The watchman obeyed.  .

You are unbearable!   ! exclaimed the Duke.    . Ill teach you a lesson!     !

Grimaud bowed respectfully.   .

Mr. Spy, I will break all your bones!   ,     !  shouted the angry Duke.     .

Grimaud leaned over again and took a few steps back.        .

- Mister Spy!   ! I will strangle you with my own hands!     !

Grimaud, bowing again, took a few more steps back.         .

And right now this very minute!       !  exclaimed the Duke, finding it better to finish it at once.    , ,    .

He rushed, clenching his fists, towards Grimaud, who hastily pushed the guard out and locked the door behind him.  ,  ,  ,         .

At that very moment the Duke's hands fell heavily on his shoulders and squeezed them like a vice.              ,  . But Grimaud, instead of resisting or calling for help, slowly put his finger to his lips and with the most pleasant smile said in a low voice:  ,        ,            :

 Shh!  !

A smile, a gesture, and a word were so rare in Grimaud that His Highness stood frozen in amazement. ,        ,        .

Grimaud hastened to take advantage of this.    . He pulled out from the lining of his jacket an elegant sealed envelope, which, even after being under Mr. Grimaud's clothes for a long time, had not completely lost its original aroma, and, without uttering a word, handed it to the Duke.   -       ,        -       , ,    ,   .

Even more astonished, the Duke released Grimaud and took the letter.   ,      .

From Madame de Montbazon!     ! he cried out, recognizing the familiar handwriting.    ,   .

Grimaud nodded.  .

The Duke, completely stunned, passed his hand over his eyes, hastily tore open the envelope and read the letter: ,  ,    ,      :

"Dear Duke!  !

You can fully trust the honest man who will deliver my letter to you.      ,     . He is the servant of one of our supporters, who vouches for him, having tested his fidelity during twenty years of service.      ,    ,         . He has agreed to become an assistant to the overseer assigned to you in order to prepare and facilitate your escape from the fortress of Vincennes, which we are planning.      ,   ,           ,   .

The hour of your liberation is approaching.    . Take heart and be patient.     . Know that your friends, despite the long separation, have retained their former feelings for you. ,   ,    ,     .

Yours ever faithfully    

Marie de Montbazon.   .

I sign with my full name.   . It would be too presumptuous of me to think that you will decipher my initials after five years of separation."        ,        .

The Duke stood for a moment completely shocked.      . For five years he had been searching in vain for a friend and assistant, and finally, at the moment when he least expected it, an assistant fell to him as if from the sky.        ,  ,   ,      ,       . He looked at Grimaud in surprise and reread the letter again.           .

 My dear Maria!   !  he whispered.    .  So I was not mistaken, it really was she who was riding by in the carriage.   ,   ,      . And she has not forgotten me after five years of separation!        ! Damn it!  ! You only find such constancy on the pages of Astrea.       . So, you agree to help me, my dear? ,    ,  ?  he added, turning to Grimaud.    ,   .

He nodded.  .

- And that's why you came here?        ?

Grimaud nodded again.    .

And I wanted to strangle you!   -   !  exclaimed the Duke.    .

Grimaud smiled.  .

But wait a minute!   -! said the Duke.    .

And he put his hand in his pocket.      .

Wait!  ! he repeated, rummaging through his pockets in vain.    ,     . Such devotion to the grandson of Henry IV should not go unrewarded.            .

The Duke of Beaufort obviously had the best intentions, but at Vincennes all the money was prudently taken from the prisoners.    , ,  ,         .

Seeing the Duke's confusion, Grimaud took a purse filled with gold from his pocket and handed it to him.   ,          .

This is what you are looking for, he said.     ,   .

The Duke opened his purse and was about to pour all the gold into Grimaud's hands, but he stopped him.            ,    .

Thank you, Monsignor, he said, I have already been paid.   , ,   ,    .

The Duke could only be even more amazed.      . He extended his hand to Grimaud.    . He came up and kissed it respectfully.      . Athos's aristocratic manners were partly transferred to Grimaud.       .

And now what are we going to do?       ? asked the Duke.    . Where do we start?     ?

It is now eleven oclock in the morning, said Grimaud.     ,   . At two oclock in the afternoon, Your Highness will express a desire to play a game of tennis with Monsieur La Ramee and throw two or three balls over the rampart.                     -   .

- Okay.  . And then?  ?

Then your highness will approach the fortress wall and shout to the man who will be working in the ditch to throw the ball back to you.           ,     ,      .

I understand, said the Duke.  ,   .

Grimaud's face lit up.   . He was unaccustomed to speaking and found it difficult.      .

He moved towards the door.    .

Wait!  ! said the Duke.    . So you dont want anything?       ?

 I would like to ask your Highness to make me one promise.          .

- Which one?  ? Speak. .

- When we flee, I will always and everywhere go ahead.      ,       . If they catch you, Monsignor, then the matter will be limited to you being put back in the fortress; if I am caught, at the very least they will hang me.   , ,     ,      ;    ,    .

You are right, said the Duke.   ,   . It shall be as you wish  the word of a nobleman!    -   !

And now I ask you, Monsignor, for only one thing: do me the honor of hating me as before.      , ,   :      -.

Ill try, the Duke replied.  ,   .

There was a knock at the door.   .

The Duke put the letter and the purse in his pocket and threw himself on the bed: everyone knew that he did this when melancholy attacked him.           :  ,    ,     . Grimaud unlocked the door.   . La Ramee entered, having just returned from the cardinal after the conversation we have described.   ,        .

La Ramee cast a searching glance around himself and smiled with satisfaction: the relationship between the prisoner and his guard had apparently not changed for the better.     ,    :      , -,     .

Excellent, excellent, said La Ramee, turning to Grimaud.  , ,    ,   . And I was just speaking of you somewhere.            . I hope you will soon receive news that will not be unpleasant to you. ,     ,     .

Grimaud bowed, trying to express his gratitude, and left the room, as he always did when his boss appeared.  ,   ,    ,   ,    .

You seem to be still angry with the poor fellow, Monsignor?  , ,      , ? asked La Ramee with a loud laugh.        .

Ah, is it you, La Ramee?  ,  ,  ?  exclaimed the Duke.    .  Its about time!    ! I had already lain down on the bed and turned my nose to the wall, so as not to succumb to the temptation to fulfill my promise and not wring the neck of that scoundrel Grimaud.          ,              .

I dont think, however, that he said anything unpleasant to your highness?   , ,    -   ? asked La Ramee, subtly hinting at the silence of his assistant.     ,      .

- Of course, damn it!   ,  ! Dumb Ethiopian!  ! By God, you're back just in time, La Ramee. -,     ,  . I couldn't wait to see you!     !

You are too kind to me, Monseigneur, said La Rame, flattered by his words.      , ,    ,   .

- Not at all.  . By the way, I feel very awkward today, which, of course, will be to your advantage. ,      , , ,    .

Are we going to play ball?       ?  La Rame blurted out.      .

- If you don't mind.       .

- I am always at your Highness's service.       .

You are truly a charming man, La Rame, and I would gladly remain in Vincennes for the rest of my life, if only not to part with you.  ,   ,  ,          ,      .

In any case, your Highness, said La Rame, it will not be the Cardinals fault if your wish is not fulfilled.    ,  ,    ,     ,     .

- How so?   ? Have you seen him?    ?

- He sent for me this morning.       .

- Really!   ! To talk about me?    ?

- What else can he talk to me about?          ? You torment him like a nightmare, Your Highness.   ,  ,  .

The Duke smiled bitterly.   .

Ah, if only you would agree to my proposal, La Rame!  ,       ,  !  he said.    .

- Enough, enough, your Highness.  , ,  . Here you are again talking about this.      . You see how unreasonable you are. ,   .

I have already told you, continued the Duke, and I repeat again that I will make you rich.     ,   ,    ,   .

- How so?   ? You wont even have time to leave the fortress before all your property will be confiscated.      ,     .

 Before I even leave here, I will become the ruler of Paris.      ,    .

- Quiet, quiet!  , ! Well, can I listen to such speeches? ,      ? Good conversation for a royal official!     ! I see, Monseigneur, that I will have to stock up on a second Grimaud. , ,      .

- Very well, let us leave it.   ,  . So you were talking about me with the cardinal? ,      ? The next time he sends for you, let me change into your clothes, La Ramee.   ,     ,      ,  . I will go to him in your place, wring his neck and, honestly, if you make it a condition, I will return back to the fortress.      ,    ,  ,     ,    .

It seems I shall have to call Grimaud, Monseigneur, said La Rame.  ,    , ,    .

- Well, don't be angry.  ,  . So what did that vile face tell you?        ?

Ill let you have that word, said La Ramee with a sly look, because it rhymes with nobleman.      ,       ,        . What did he tell me?    ? He told me to keep a close eye on you.     .

Why do you need to guard me?      ?  the Duke asked with concern.      .

- Because some astrologer predicted that you would run away.    -  ,   .

Ah, so the astrologer predicted it!  ,    !  said the Duke, involuntarily shuddering.    ,  .

- Yes, honestly!  ,  ! These damned sorcerers themselves dont know what to come up with, just to scare good people.      ,  ,     .

- What did you answer to the most illustrious cardinal?       ?

If this astrologer makes calendars, I would not advise His Eminence to buy them.       ,         .

- Why?  ?

- Because the only way you can escape from here is if you turn into a finch or a wren.           ,       .

- Unfortunately, you are right, La Rame.   ,  ,  . Well, let's go play ball. ,    .

 I apologize to Your Highness, but I would like to postpone our game for half an hour.      ,         .

- Why?   ?

- Because Mazarin does not behave as simply as your highness, although he is not of such noble origin.         ,   ,       . He forgot to invite me to breakfast.      .

 Would you like me to order breakfast to be served here?  ,      ?

- No, dont, Monsignor.  ,  , . The thing is, the pie maker who lived opposite the castle, named Marto   ,  ,   ,   

- Well?  ?

 About a week ago I sold my establishment to a Parisian pastry chef, who, it seems, was advised by doctors to live in the village.         ,  , ,    .

- What does it matter to me?  -   ?

 Allow me to finish, Your Highness.   ,  . This new pie shop has such delicious things on display in the windows that it makes your mouth water.          ,    .

- You glutton!   , !

 My God, Monseigneur!   , ! A man who loves to eat well is not yet a glutton. ,    ,   . By his very nature, man seeks perfection in everything, even in pies.         ,   . So this rogue pastry chef, seeing that I had stopped near his exhibition, came out to me, covered in flour, and said: I have a favor to ask of you, Monsieur La Ramee: please bring me some customers from among the prisoners in the fortress.     , ,      ,   ,   ,  :     ,   :  , ,     . My predecessor, Marteau, assured me that he was the supplier of the entire castle, which is why I bought his establishment.  , ,  ,      ,      . And yet I have been here for a week now, and, honestly, Monsieur Chavigny has not bought a single pie from me yet.         , ,  ,            . Monsieur Chavigny must think that your pies are tasteless, I said.  ,   ,     ,   . Not tasty? ? My pies!  !  he exclaimed.    .  Be the judge yourself, Monsieur La Ramee.      ,   . Why put it off?  ? I cant, I said, I need to return to the fortress.   ,   ,      .  Very well, go about your business, you really seem to be in a hurry, but come in half an hour.   ,    , , ,   ,    .  In half an hour?    ?  Yes.   . Have you had breakfast yet?   ?  I never thought of it.     .  Then I will make you a pie and a bottle of old Burgundy, he said.           ,   . You understand, Monseigneur, I left on an empty stomach and, with your Highnesss permission, I wanted La Ramee bowed.  , ,    ,    ,      .

Well, go ahead, you brute, said the Duke, but remember that Im only giving you half an hour.   , ,   ,   ,      .

- Can I promise Uncle Marto's successor that you will become his buyer?        ,     ?

- Yes, but on the condition that he doesnt send me mushroom pies.  ,   ,        . You know that the mushrooms of the Vincennes forest are deadly for our family.   ,        .

La Ramee pretended not to understand the hint and left the room.    ,    ,    . Five minutes after his departure, the guard officer appeared, ostensibly to keep the Duke from getting bored, but in reality, in accordance with the cardinal's orders, to keep sight of the prisoner.          ,   ,     ,      , ,   ,     .

But during the five minutes he spent alone, the Duke managed to reread Madame de Montbazon's letter, which testified that his friends had not forgotten him and were trying to free him.    ,   ,       ?  , ,         . How?  ? He did not yet know this and decided, despite Grimaud's silence, to make him talk.       ,    ,   . The trust the Duke felt in him increased even more, for he understood why he had behaved so strangely at first. ,     ,  ,   ,       . Obviously, Grimaud was inventing petty quibbles in order to silence any suspicion in the prison authorities about the possibility of a conspiracy between him and the prisoner. ,                   .

This clever trick gave the Duke a high opinion of Grimaud's intelligence, and he decided to trust him completely.           ,      .



Chapter XXI  XXI

What was the filling in the pies of Uncle Marto's successor?        

La Ramee returned half an hour later, lively and cheerful, like a man who had eaten well, and most importantly, drunk well.     ,   ,  ,   ,  ,  . The pies turned out to be magnificent, the wine excellent.   ,  .

The day was clear, and the proposed game of ball could take place.   ,       . At the Vincennes fortress they played in the open air, and the Duke, following Grimaud's advice, had no difficulty in throwing a few balls into the moat.       ,  ,   ,       .

However, until two o'clock  the agreed time  he still played quite well. ,            . But he still lost all the games, under this pretext he pretended to be angry, began to get excited and, as always happens in such cases, made one mistake after another.       ,     ,   ,      ,    .

As soon as two o'clock struck, the balls began to fall into the ditch, to the great joy of La Rame, who scored fifteen points for every miss made by the Duke.     ,    ,     ,          .

Finally, the misses became so frequent that there weren't enough balls.    ,     . La Ramee suggested sending someone to get them.     -  . The Duke very reasonably remarked that this would be a waste of time, and, approaching the edge of the wall, which, as La Ramee had rightly told Cardinal, was at least sixty feet high, he saw a man working in one of those tiny gardens that peasants grow along the edge of ditches.    ,      , ,    , ,      ,      ,  - ,       ,      .

Hey, buddy!  , !  shouted the Duke.    .

The man raised his head, and the Duke almost cried out in surprise.   ,       . This man, this peasant, this gardener  was Rochefort, who, in the Dukes opinion, was sitting in the Bastille.  ,  ,     , ,   ,   .

Well, what do you need?  ,  ?  asked the man.    .

 Please pass us the balls.   ,   .

The gardener nodded and began throwing balls, which were then picked up by the guards and La Rame.      ,       .

One of these balls fell right at the Duke's feet, and as it was obviously intended for him, he picked it up and put it in his pocket.         ,    , ,  ,        .

Then, having thanked the peasant, the Duke continued the game. ,  ,   .

Beaufort was having a decidedly bad day.       . The balls were flying around haphazardly, and two or three of them fell back into the ditch.    ,          . But since the gardener had already left and there was no one to throw them back, they remained in the ditch.            ,       . The Duke declared himself ashamed of his clumsiness and stopped playing.  ,      ,   .

La Ramee was absolutely delighted: he had managed to beat a prince of royal blood!      :      !

Returning to his room, the Duke went to bed.   ,    . He had been lying there almost all day long since his books were taken away from him.         ,     .

La Ramee took the Duke's clothes under the pretext that they were dusty and needed cleaning; in reality, however, he wanted to be sure that the prisoner would not move from his place.        ,       ;        ,      . That's how prudent La Ramee was!       !

Luckily, the Duke had already taken the ball out of his pocket and hidden it under his pillow.  ,            .

As soon as La Ramee left and closed the door behind him, the Duke tore the ball cover with his teeth: he had nothing to cut it with.          ,     :     . They even brought him silver knives to the table, which bent and cut nothing.       ,      .

The ball contained a note with the following content:      :

"Your Highness!"  !

Your friends are awake, and the hour of your release is approaching.   ,     . Order a pie to be delivered to you the day after tomorrow from the new pastry chef who has bought the establishment from the former pastry chef, Marteau.        ,      . This new pastry chef is none other than your butler, Noirmont.      ,    . Cut the pie when you are alone.  ,   . I hope you will be satisfied with its filling. ,      .

Your Highness's most devoted servant, both in the Bastille and everywhere, Count Rochefort.        ,   ,  .

You can completely trust Grimaud, Your Highness: he is a very intelligent man and devoted to us.     ,  :       .

The Duke, who had been using the stove since he had given up painting, burned Rochefort's letter, just as he had burned Madame de Montbazon's note, though with much greater regret. ,        ,       ,   ,  ,     ,   ?  . He was about to throw the ball into the stove, but then it occurred to him that it might still be useful for delivering a reply to Rochefort.        ,      ,         .

The Duke was guarded conscientiously: having overheard him moving about in his room, La Rame entered.    : ,     ,     .

What would you like, Your Highness?     ? asked La Rame.     .

I was cold and stirred the wood to get it burning well, said the Duke.      ,    ,   . You know, my dear, that the chambers of the Ch?teau de Vincennes are famous for their dampness.    ,  ,       . It is very convenient to preserve ice here and extract saltpeter.        . And those chambers in which Puylaurens, Marshal Ornano and my uncle, the Grand Prior, died are rightly worth their weight in arsenic, as Madame de Rambouillet put it.   ,    ,     ,  ,     ,     .

And the Duke went back to bed, tucking the ball even deeper under his pillow.      ,      . La Ramee smiled.   . He was, in essence, a good and kind man.  ,  ,    . He was very attached to his noble prisoner and would be in despair if any misfortune happened to him.            ,      - . And what the Duke said about his uncle and the two other prisoners was the absolute truth.  ,          ,   .

You shouldnt indulge in gloomy thoughts, Your Highness, said La Rame.      ,  ,    . Such thoughts kill faster than saltpeter.       .

- It's easy for you to say that, La Rame.     ,  . If I could go to pastry shops, eat pies from Uncle Marteau's successor and wash them down with Burgundy, like you, I wouldn't be bored either.       ,          ,  ,     .

- Yes, it is true, your highness: his pies are excellent, and the wine is wonderful.   ,  ,  ,  :    ,    .

 In any case, his kitchen and cellar must be better than those of Monsieur de Chavigny.    ,       ,     .

And who is stopping you from trying his cooking, Your Highness?        ,  ?  said La Ramee, falling into the trap.     ,   .  By the way, I promised him that you would become his customer.   ,   ,     .

Very well, agreed the Duke.  ,   . If I am destined to sit in prison until my death, as my dear Mazarin took care to inform me, then I must think of some entertainment for my old age.            ,        ,      -   . I will try to become a gourmet by that time.      .

 Listen to good advice, Your Highness, do not put this off until old age.    ,  ,     .

Each person, apparently, has been endowed by heaven with at least one of the seven deadly sins, if not two at once, for the destruction of soul and body, thought the Duke.  ,  ,             ,    ,   . Gluttony is La Rames weakness.       . Well, lets take advantage of this.  ,  .

The day after tomorrow is a holiday, I believe, dear La Rame?  , , ,   ? he asked.    .

- Yes, your highness, Trinity Day.  ,  ,  .

 Would you like to give me a lesson the day after tomorrow?        ?

- What?  ?

 Gastronomy.  .

 With great pleasure, Your Highness.    ,  .

- But for this we must be left alone.        . Let us send the guards to dine in the dining room of Monsieur de Chavigny and arrange a dinner for ourselves, which I will ask you to order.            ,     .

 Hm!  !  said La Rame.     .

The offer was very tempting, but La Rame, despite Mazarin's unfavorable opinion of him, was still a seasoned man and knew all the traps that prisoners could set for their guards.    ,   ,       ,  -      ,      . The Duke boasted more than once that he had forty ways to escape from the fortress.    ,         . Could there be some trick here?      ?

La Ramee thought for a moment, but then decided that since he would be ordering the dinner himself, nothing would be added to the food or the wine.     ,   ,      , ,          . And the Duke, of course, could not hope to get him drunk; La Ramee even laughed at this suggestion.     , ,   ;       . Finally, another thought occurred to him, which resolved the issue.        ,  .

The Duke watched with alarm the reflection of this internal monologue on La Rame's face.             . Finally, the warden's face lit up.    .

Well, is it okay?    , ? asked the Duke.    .

- Okay, your highness, but on one condition.  ,  ,    .

- With which one?   ?

- Grimaud will serve us at table.       .

This could not have come at a better time for the Duke.        .

However, he had enough strength to hide his joy, and he frowned with displeasure.        ,    .

To hell with your Grimaud!     !  he exclaimed.    .  Hell ruin my whole holiday.       .

I will order him to stand behind your chair, Your Highness, and since he usually does not say a word, you will neither see nor hear him.        ,  ,         ,       ,  . And if you wish, you can imagine that he is a hundred miles away from you.     ,        .

Do you know, my dear, what I conclude from all this?   ,  ,      ? said the Duke.    . You dont trust me.      .

 After all, the day after tomorrow is Trinity Day, Your Highness.     ,  .

- So what of it?      ? What do I care about the Trinity?     ? Or are you afraid that the Holy Spirit will descend to earth in the form of tongues of fire to open the prison doors for me?   ,          ,     ?

- Of course not, your grace.  , ,  . But I told you what that damned astrologer predicted.     ,     .

- What is it?    ?

- That you will escape from the fortress before Trinity Day passes.       ,    .

- So you believe in sorcerers?     ? Fool! !

Their predictions are no more frightening to me than this one, said La Rame, snapping his fingers.        ,    ,  . But Monsignor Giulio is indeed a little afraid.          . He is Italian and therefore superstitious.   , , .

The Duke shrugged.   .

Well, so be it, I agree, he said with a well-feigned good nature.  ,   , ,       . Bring your Grimaud, if you really cant do without him, but not a single soul besides him, take care of everything yourselves.     ,      ,       ,    . Order whatever dinner you like, but I make only one condition: that there be that pie you told me so much about.    ,      :   ,      . Order it for me, and let Marteaus successor try.    ,     . Promise him that I will make him my supplier not only for the entire time I sit in the fortress, but also after I leave here.  ,           ,    ,    ,   .

Do you still hope to get out?      ? asked La Rame.     .

Damn it!   ! exclaimed the Duke.    . At the very least, even after Mazarins death.     ,    . After all, Im fifteen years younger than he is.       . Its true, he added with a grin, the years fly by faster in Vincennes. ,     ,      .

- Monsignor!  ! - exclaimed La Rame.     . - Monsignor!   !

Or else they die earlier here, the Duke continued, which comes down to the same thing.      ,   ,      .

Then I will order dinner, Your Highness, said La Rame.     ,  ,    .

- And you think that you will be able to achieve success from your student?    ,        ?

I very much hope so, Monsignor, La Rame replied.   , ,    .

If you only have time, muttered the Duke.    ,   .

- What are you saying, Your Highness?    ,  ?

My Highness asks you not to spare the purse of the cardinal, who has deigned to assume the costs of our maintenance.         ,         .

La Ramee stopped at the door.     .

Whom would you like me to send to you, Monsignor?      , ?  he asked.    .

- Whomever you want, just not Grimaud.   ,   .

- The guard officer?   ?

 Yes, with chess.  ,  .

- Good.  .

And La Rame left.    .

Five minutes later the officer of the guard appeared, and the Duke de Beaufort seemed to be completely immersed in deep calculations of checks and checkmates.      ,    , ,        .

What a strange thing the human mind is!    ! What revolutions one movement, one word, one glimmer of hope sometimes produces in it!        ,  ,   !

The Duke spent five years in prison, which seemed terribly slow for him.      ,      . Now, when he recalled the past, those five years did not seem as long to him as those two days, those forty-eight hours that remained until his release.  ,     ,        ,    ,    ,    .

But most of all he wanted to know how his release would take place.       ,     . He was given hope, but they kept from him what would be in the mysterious pie, what kind of friends would be waiting for him.   ,    ,      ,      . So, despite the five years spent in prison, he still had friends? ,    ,   ,     ? In that case, he really was a prince with very great privileges.           .

He forgot that among his friends (which was quite unusual) there was a woman.  ,      (    )  . Perhaps she was not particularly faithful to him during their separation; but she did not forget about him, and that is already a lot.  ,          ;      ,     .

There was something to think about here.     . And so, in the game of chess, the same thing happened as in the game of ball.         ,     . Beaufort made mistake after mistake and lost to the officer in the evening, just as he lost to La Rame in the morning.           ,     .

However, successive defeats gave the Duke the opportunity to hold out until eight o'clock in the evening and somehow kill three hours.             -   . Then night would come, and with it sleep.   ,     .

So, at least, the Duke thought. ,   ,  . But sleep is a very capricious deity, which does not come exactly when it is called.      ,     ,   . The Duke waited for it until midnight, tossing and turning on his bed, like Saint Lawrence on a hot grate.     ,        ,      . Finally, he fell asleep.   .

But at dawn he woke up.     . All night long he was tormented by terrible dreams.      . He dreamed that he had grown wings.  ,     . It was only natural that he tried to fly, and at first the wings held him up perfectly.  ,    ,      . But, having risen quite high, he suddenly felt that he could no longer stay in the air. ,   ,   ,       . His wings broke, he flew down into a bottomless abyss, and woke up with a cold sweat on his forehead, completely broken, as if he had really fallen from a height.   ,   ,   ,       ,  ,      .

Then he fell asleep again and again plunged into a labyrinth of absurd, incoherent dreams.          ,  . Hardly had he closed his eyes when his imagination, directed toward a single goal - escape from prison, again began to draw attempts to carry it out.    ,   ,        ,      . This time everything went differently.      -. Beaufort dreamed that he discovered an underground passage from Vincennes.  ,       . He went down into this passage, and Grimaud walked ahead with a lantern in his hand.     ,        . But little by little the passage began to narrow.  -   . At first it was still possible to walk, but then the underground passage became so narrow that the fugitive tried in vain to move forward.   -   ,       ,       . The walls of the underground passage were getting closer and closer, they were getting tighter, the Duke was making incredible efforts and still could not move from the spot.     ,  ,            . And meanwhile, a lantern was visible in the distance Grimaud, who was moving steadily forward.      ,   . And no matter how much the Duke tried to call him for help, he could not utter a word, the dungeon was suffocating him.         ,      ,   . And suddenly, at the beginning of the corridor, where he had entered, the hasty steps of his pursuers were heard, they were getting closer and closer; he was noticed, the hope of salvation was lost.     , ,   ,    ,   ;  ,    . And the walls seemed to conspire with the enemy, and the more urgent the need to escape, the more they pressed him.      ,      ,     . At last he heard the voice of La Ramee, saw him.      ,  . La Ramee stretched out his hand and, laughing loudly, grabbed the Duke by the shoulder.     ,  ,    . They dragged him back, brought him to the low vaulted chamber where Marshal Ornano, Puylorans and his uncle died.   ,     ,    ,    . Three mounds marked their graves, a fourth gaped right there, waiting for another corpse.     ,    ,    .

Having woken up, the Duke was already straining all his strength not to fall asleep again, just as he had previously strained them to fall asleep. ,     ,    ,    ,  . He was so pale, he seemed so weak, that La Rame, who came in to him, asked if he was ill.    ,   ,   ,   , ,    .

The Duke had a very restless night indeed, said one of the guards, who had not slept the whole time because his teeth had ached from the dampness.       ,     ,    ,        . He was delirious and called for help two or three times.       -   .

Whats the matter with you, Monsignor?      , ? asked La Rame.     .

Its all your fault, you fool!     , ! said the Duke.    . Your stupid stories about escaping completely turned my head, and all night I dreamed that I was breaking my neck while trying to escape.            ,     ,  ,  ,   .

La Ramee burst out laughing.   .

You see, your Highness, he said.   ,  ,   . This is a warning from above.     . I am sure that you will not be as careless in reality as in a dream.  ,       ,   .

You are right, my dear La Ramee, replied the Duke, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, which was still pouring down, although he had long since woken up.   ,   ,   ,     ,   ,     . I no longer want to think about anything but food and drink.          ,    .

 Shh!  !  said La Rame.     .

And under various pretexts he hastened to remove the guards, one after another.       ,   , .

Well?   ?  asked the Duke when they were alone.    ,    .

Dinner is ordered, said La Rame.   ,    .

- What dishes will be served, Mr. Butler?     ,  ?

 After all, you promised to rely on me, Your Highness!       ,  !

 Will there be pie?    ?

- Of course.   . Like a tower!  !

 Made by Marto's successor?    ?

- Ordered for him.   .

- And you said it was for me?    ,    ?

- He said.  .

- What did he answer?     ?

- That he will try to please your Highness.      .

Excellent, said the Duke, rubbing his hands cheerfully.  ,   ,   .

- Damn it!   ! - exclaimed La Ramee.     . - What progress you are making in terms of gluttony, Your Highness!   , ,      ,  ! Not once in five years have I seen such a happy face on yours.             .

The Duke realized that he was not in control of himself.  ,    . But at that moment Grimaud, who must have overheard the conversation and realized that he needed to distract La Ramees attention with something, entered the room and made a sign to his superior, as if he wanted to tell him something.     ,      ,   -    ,        ,    - .

He came up to him and they began to talk in low voices.    ,    .

The Duke came to his senses during this time.     .

I have, however, forbidden this man to enter here without my permission, he said.  , ,        ,   .

Forgive him, your highness, said La Rame, it was I who told him to come.   ,  ,    ,      .

- Why are you calling him, knowing that I dont like him?      , ,    ?

- But, as we agreed, Your Highness, he will serve at our glorious dinner!   ,   ,  ,       ! Have you forgotten about dinner, Your Highness?    ,  ?

- No, but I forgot about Monsieur Grimaud.  ,      .

Your Highness knows that without Grimaud there will be no dinner.    ,       .

- Okay, do as you wish.   ,   .

Come here, my dear fellow, said La Ramee, and listen to what I have to say.   , ,    ,   ,   .

Grimaud, looking even more sullen than usual, came closer. ,    ,  .

His Highness, continued La Rame, has done me the honor of inviting me to dinner tomorrow.   ,    ,         .

Grimaud looked at him with bewilderment, as if not understanding how this could concern him.      ,   ,      .

Yes, yes, that applies to you too, La Ramee answered this silent question.  , ,    ,        . You will have the honor of serving us, and since, despite all our appetite and thirst, there will still be something left on the plates and in the bottles, there will be enough for your share.        ,   ,       ,      - - ,      .

Grimaud bowed in gratitude.     .

And now I will ask your permission to leave, Your Highness, said La Rame.         ,  ,    . Monsieur de Chavigny, it seems, is leaving for a few days and before leaving, he wishes to give me some orders.     , ,           .

The Duke looked questioningly at Grimaud, but he looked away indifferently.     ,      .

Okay, go ahead, said the Duke, but come back soon.  , ,   ,    .

- Perhaps your Highness would like to take revenge after yesterdays failure?  ,       ?

Grimaud nodded slightly.    .

Of course, I wish to, said the Duke.  , ,   . And beware, La Rame, every day is different: today I intend to smash you to smithereens.    ,  ,     :         .

La Ramee left.   . Grimaud, without moving, watched him go, and as soon as the door closed, he pulled a pencil and a quarter of a sheet of paper out of his pocket. ,  ,    ,    ,       .

Write, Monsignor, he said.  , ,   .

What should I write?   ? asked the Duke.    .

Grimaud thought for a moment and dictated:     :

- Everything is ready for tomorrow evening.      . Wait for us from seven to nine oclock with two saddled horses.           . We will descend from the first window of the gallery.      .

- What next?  ? - said the Duke.    .

Next, Monseigneur?  , ?  Grimaud repeated in surprise.     .  Next, signature.    .

- That's all?   ?

What more, your Highness?    ,  ? said Grimaud, who preferred the most concise syllable.    ,    .

The Duke signed.  .

- Did you destroy the ball, Your Highness?     ,  ?

- What ball?   ?

 In which there was a letter.     .

- No, I thought he might still be useful to us.  ,  ,      . Here he is.  .

And, taking the ball from under the pillow, the Duke handed it to Grimaud. ,  -  ,    . He tried to smile as pleasantly as possible.      .

- Well?  ? - asked the Duke.    .

I will sew a note into the ball, Your Highness, said Grimaud, and you will throw it into the ditch during the game.      ,  ,   ,          .

- What if he gets lost?     ?

- Don't worry.   . There will be a man who will lift it.   ,   .

 Gardener?  ?  asked the Duke.    .

Grimaud nodded.  .

- The same one, from yesterday?   , ?

Grimaud nodded again.   .

- So, Count Rochefort?  ,  ?

Grimaud nodded three times.   .

 Explain to me at least briefly our escape plan.         .

 I was ordered to remain silent until the last minute.       .

- Who will be waiting for me on the other side of the moat?         ?

 I dont know, monsignor.   , .

- So at least tell me what they're sending us in the pie, if you don't want to drive me crazy.    ,   ,     ,       .

 It will contain, Monsignor, two daggers, a rope with knots and a pear.    , ,  ,     .

- Okay, I understand.  , .

 As you can see, Your Highness, there is enough for everyone.   ,  ,   .

Well take the daggers and the rope for ourselves, said the Duke.       ,   .

And well make La Rame eat the pear, added Grimaud.       ,   .

My dear Grimaud, said the Duke, I must give you credit: you dont speak often, but when you do, your words are pure gold.    ,   ,     :    ,    ,      .



Chapter XXII  XXII

One of the Adventures of Marie Michon     

At the very time when the Duke of Beaufort and Grimaud were plotting their escape from Vincennes, two horsemen, accompanied by a servant, were entering Paris through the Faubourg Saint-Marcel.    ,         ,           -. They were the Count de La F?re and the Viscount de Bragelonne.          .

The young man was in Paris for the first time, and, to tell the truth, Athos, entering with him through this gate, did not take the trouble to show in the best light the city with which he had once been on great terms.       , ,   , ,      ,    ,       ,    -   . Probably even the last village of Touraine was more pleasant to look at than the part of Paris facing Blois. ,        ,   ,    . And it must be said, to the shame of this very famous city, that it made a very mediocre impression on the young man.   ,      ,        .

Athos seemed, as always, calm and carefree.  ,  ,   . Having reached the Faubourg Saint-Mdard, Athos, who served as a guide to his companions in this labyrinth, turned onto the Rue du Poste, then onto the Rue des Tortures, then to the Ditches of Saint-Michel, then onto the Rue de Vaugirard.   - , ,       ,    ,    ,     ,    . Having reached the Rue Ferou, they rode along it.    ,    . In the middle of it, Athos glanced with a smile at one of the houses, which looked like a merchant's house, and pointed it out to Raoul.           ,   ,     .

It was in this house, Raoul, he said, that I lived the seven happiest and most cruel years of my life.     , ,   ,            .

Raoul also smiled and, taking off his hat, bowed low to the house.    ,  ,   . He revered Athos, and this was evident in all his actions.    ,       .

As for Athos himself, as we have already said, Raoul was not only the center of his life, but, with the exception of old regimental memories, his only attachment.     , ,    ,       , ,     ,   . From this one can understand how deeply and tenderly Athos loved Raoul.    ,       .

The travelers stayed at the Green Fox Inn, on Old Dovecote Street.      ,    . Athos knew it well, having been there hundreds of times with his friends.    ,         . But over the past twenty years, everything had changed, starting with the owners.       ,   .

Our travelers first of all took care of their horses.        . Entrusting them to the servants, they ordered that they be laid down some straw, given oats, and that their legs and chests be wiped with warm wine, since these thoroughbred horses had covered twenty miles in one day.   ,     ,         ,           . Only after this, as befits good riders, they asked for two rooms for themselves.   ,    ,      .

You need to change, Raoul, said Athos.    , ,   . I want to introduce you to someone.       -.

 Today?  ?  asked the young man.    .

- Yes, in half an hour.  ,  .

Raoul bowed.  .

Not as tireless as Athos, who seemed to be forged from iron, Raoul would much rather have bathed in the Seine now - he had heard so much about it, although he was inclined to admit in advance that it was worse than the Loire - and then go to bed.   ,  ,      ,              ,         ,      . But the Count spoke, and he obeyed.   ,   .

By the way, dress better, Raoul, said Athos.  ,  , ,   . I want you to appear handsome.    ,    .

I hope, Count, that this is not a matter of matchmaking, Raoul said with a smile, for you know my obligations to Louise.  , ,      ,     ,          .

Athos smiled too.   .

- No, dont worry, even though I will introduce you to a woman.  ,  ,      .

A woman?  ?  Raoul asked again.    .

- Yes, and I would even really like you to love her.  ,      ,    .

Raoul looked at the Count with some anxiety, but seeing that he was smiling, he calmed down.       , , ,   , .

How old is she?     ? he asked.    .

Dear Raoul, remember once and for all, said Athos, one does not ask about such things.   ,   ,   ,      . If you can guess a womans age from her face, it is completely unnecessary to ask about it; if you cannot, your question is immodest.               ,        .

- Is she beautiful?   ?

 Sixteen years ago she was considered not only the most beautiful, but also the most charming woman in France.          ,       .

These words completely calmed Raoul.     . It was incredible that Athos was going to marry him to a woman who was considered beautiful a year before Raoul was born.  ,       ,       ,     .

He went into his room and, with the coquetry characteristic of youth, fulfilling Athos's request, tried to give himself the most elegant appearance.        ,  ,   ,      . With his natural beauty, this was not at all difficult.        .

When he entered Athos's presence, the latter looked at him with the paternal smile with which he had greeted d'Artagnan in years past.     ,      ,       . Only there was now much more tenderness in this smile.         .

First of all, Athos looked at Raoul's hair, his hands and feet - they spoke of noble origin.                   . Following the fashion of the time, Raoul parted his hair in the middle, and dark hair fell in curls on his shoulders, framing a matte-pale face.   ,     ,        ,  - . Gray suede gloves, the same color as his hat, outlined his thin, graceful hands, and boots, also gray, like the gloves and hat, deftly hugged small feet, like those of a ten-year-old child.   ,    ,     ,  ,  ,    ,   ,    , .

"If she is not proud of him," thought Athos, "she will be very difficult to please."      ,   ,       .

It was three o'clock in the afternoon, the most opportune time for visiting.          . Our travelers went down the Rue de Grenelle, turned into the Rue des Roses, came out into the Rue Saint-Dominique and stopped at a magnificent house located opposite the Jacobin monastery and decorated with the coats of arms of the de Luynes family.      ,    ,          ,          .

Here, said Athos.  ,   .

He entered the house with a firm, confident step, which immediately makes it clear to the doorkeeper that the person entering has the right to do so, went up the porch and, turning to a footman in a rich livery, sent him to find out whether the Duchess de Chevreuse could receive the Count de La F?re.     ,  ,     ,      ,    ,     ,   ,          .

A minute later the footman returned with the answer: although the Duchess did not have the honor of knowing the Count de La F?re, she asked him to come in.      :           ,    .

Athos followed the footman through a long suite of rooms and stopped in front of a closed door.             . He made a sign to the Vicomte de Bragelonne to wait for him there.      ,     .

The footman opened the door and announced Count de La F?re.          .

The Duchess de Chevreuse, whom we have often mentioned in our novel The Three Musketeers, without ever having the opportunity to bring her on stage, was still considered a very beautiful woman.   ,          ,         ,     . In appearance, one could give her no more than thirty-eight or thirty-nine years old, while in fact she was already forty-four or forty-five.              ,             . She had the same wonderful fair hair, lively intelligent eyes, which so often opened wide when the Duchess was engaged in some intrigue, and which were so often closed by love, and a waist slender, like a nymph's, so that the Duchess, if you did not see her face, could be taken for a very young girl, as she was at the time when she jumped with Anne of Austria over the Tuileries moat, which deprived France of an heir to the throne in 1633.         ,   ,     ,    - ,      ,   ,   ,   ,     ,       ,      ,        ,   1633    .

In the end, it was still the same crazy creature who knew how to give her love affairs such originality that they almost served to the glory of the family.          ,       ,       .

The Duchess was sitting in a small boudoir, the windows of which looked out onto the garden.     ,     . This boudoir, in accordance with the fashion of the time, which Madame de Rambouillet had introduced when decorating her mansion, was covered with blue silk material with pinkish flowers and gold leaves.     ,   ?  ,   ,           . Only a real coquette at the age of the Duchess de Chevreuse would have dared to sit in such a boudoir.              . And she was not even sitting, but reclining on the couch, leaning her head against the embroidered carpet hanging on the wall.    ,    ,     ,   .

She leaned her elbow on the pillow and held an open book in her hand.    ,      .

When the footman announced the Comte de La F?re, the Duchess rose slightly and looked curiously at the door.        ,         .

Athos entered.  .

He wore a purple velvet suit trimmed with laces of the same color with silver blued tips, a cloak without gold embroidery, and a black hat with a simple purple feather.      ,         ,           .

The collar of his shirt was made of expensive lace; the same lace hung down the tops of his black leather boots, and at his side hung a sword with a magnificent hilt, which Porthos had once admired so much on the Rue Ferou, and which Athos had never lent him.        ;          ,        ,       -           .

There was so much nobility and grace in the face and manner of the Count de La F?re, whose name had just sounded completely unknown to the Duchess de Chevreuse, that she rose slightly and invited him to take a seat near her.        ,            ,     ,           .




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