Louise de la Valliere

by Alexandre Dumas

  Chapter XV. After Supper.

  The king took Saint-Aignan by the arm, and passed into the adjoiningapartment. "What has detained you, comte?" said the king.

  "I was bringing the answer, sire," replied the comte.

  "She has taken a long time to reply to what I wrote her."

  "Sire, your majesty deigned to write in verse, and Mademoiselle de laValliere wished to repay your majesty in the same coin; that is to say,in gold."

  "Verses! Saint-Aignan," exclaimed the king in ecstasy. "Give them tome at once." And Louis broke the seal of a little letter, inclosing theverses which history has preserved entire for us, and which are moremeritorious in invention than in execution. Such as they were, however,the king was enchanted with them, and exhibited his satisfaction byunequivocal transports of delight; but the universal silence whichreigned in the rooms warned Louis, so sensitively particular withregard to good breeding, that his delight must give rise to variousinterpretations. He turned aside and put the note in his pocket, andthen advancing a few steps, which brought him again to the threshold ofthe door close to his guests, he said, "M. du Vallon, I have seen youto-day with the greatest pleasure, and my pleasure will be equally greatto see you again." Porthos bowed as the Colossus of Rhodes would havedone, and retired from the room with his face towards the king. "M.d'Artagnan," continued the king, "you will await my orders in thegallery; I am obliged to you for having made me acquainted with M. duVallon. Gentlemen," addressing himself to the other guests, "I returnto Paris to-morrow on account of the departure of the Spanish and Dutchambassadors. Until to-morrow then."

  The apartment was immediately cleared of the guests. The king tookSaint-Aignan by the arm, made him read La Valliere's verses over again,and said, "What do you think of them?"

  "Charming, sire."

  "They charm me, in fact, and if they were known--"

  "Oh! the professional poets would be jealous of them; but it is notlikely they will know anything about them."

  "Did you give her mine?"

  "Oh! sire, she positively devoured them."

  "They were very weak, I am afraid."

  "That is not what Mademoiselle de la Valliere said of them."

  "Do you think she was pleased with them?"

  "I am sure of it, sire."

  "I must answer, then."

  "Oh! sire, immediately after supper? Your majesty will fatigueyourself."

  "You are quite right; study after eating is notoriously injurious."

  "The labor of a poet especially so; and besides, there is greatexcitement prevailing at Mademoiselle de la Valliere's."

  "What do you mean?"

  "With her as with all the ladies of the court."

  "Why?"

  "On account of poor De Guiche's accident."

  "Has anything serious happened to De Guiche, then?"

  "Yes, sire, he has one hand nearly destroyed, a hole in his breast; infact, he is dying."

  "Good heavens! who told you that?"

  "Manicamp brought him back just now to the house of a doctor here inFontainebleau, and the rumor soon reached us all."

  "Brought back! Poor De Guiche; and how did it happen?"

  "Ah! that is the very question,--how did it happen?"

  "You say that in a very singular manner, Saint-Aignan. Give me thedetails. What does he say himself?"

  "He says nothing, sire; but others do."

  "What others?"

  "Those who brought him back, sire."

  "Who are they?"

  "I do not know, sire; but M. de Manicamp knows. M. de Manicamp is one ofhis friends."

  "As everybody is, indeed," said the king.

  "Oh! no!" returned Saint-Aignan, "you are mistaken sire; every one isnot precisely a friend of M. de Guiche."

  "How do you know that?"

  "Does your majesty require me to explain myself?"

  "Certainly I do."

  "Well, sire, I believe I have heard something said about a quarrelbetween two gentlemen."

  "When?"

  "This very evening, before your majesty's supper was served."

  "That can hardly be. I have issued such stringent and severe ordinanceswith respect to duelling, that no one, I presume, would dare to disobeythem."

  "In that case, Heaven preserve me from excusing any one!" exclaimedSaint-Aignan. "Your majesty commanded me to speak, and I spokeaccordingly."

  "Tell me, then, in what way the Comte de Guiche has been wounded?"

  "Sire, it is said to have been at a boar-hunt."

  "This evening?"

  "Yes, sire."

  "One of his hands shattered, and a hole in his breast. Who was at thehunt with M. de Guiche?"

  "I do not know, sire; but M. de Manicamp knows, or ought to know."

  "You are concealing something from me, Saint-Aignan."

  "Nothing, sire, I assure you."

  "Then, explain to me how the accident happened; was it a musket thatburst?"

  "Very likely, sire. But yet, on reflection, it could hardly have beenthat, for De Guiche's pistol was found close by him still loaded."

  "His pistol? But a man does not go to a boar-hunt with a pistol, Ishould think."

  "Sire, it is also said that De Guiche's horse was killed and that thehorse is still to be found in the wide open glade in the forest."

  "His horse?--Guiche go on horseback to a boar-hunt?--Saint-Aignan, I donot understand a syllable of what you have been telling me. Where didthis affair happen?"

  "At the Rond-point, in that part of the forest called the Bois-Rochin."

  "That will do. Call M. d'Artagnan." Saint-Aignan obeyed, and themusketeer entered.

  "Monsieur d'Artagnan," said the king, "you will leave this place by thelittle door of the private staircase."

  "Yes, sire."

  "You will mount your horse."

  "Yes, sire."

  "And you will proceed to the Rond-point du Bois-Rochin. Do you know thespot?"

  "Yes, sire. I have fought there twice."

  "What!" exclaimed the king, amazed at the reply.

  "Under the edicts, sire, of Cardinal Richelieu," returned D'Artagnan,with his usual impassability.

  "That is very different, monsieur. You will, therefore, go there, andwill examine the locality very carefully. A man has been wounded there,and you will find a horse lying dead. You will tell me what your opinionis upon the whole affair."

  "Very good, sire."

  "As a matter of course, it is your own opinion I require, and not thatof any one else."

  "You shall have it in an hour's time, sire."

  "I prohibit your speaking with any one, whoever it may be."

  "Except with the person who must give me a lantern," said D'Artagnan.

  "Oh! that is a matter of course," said the king, laughing at theliberty, which he tolerated in no one but his captain of the musketeers.D'Artagnan left by the little staircase.

  "Now, let my physician be sent for," said Louis. Ten minutes afterwardsthe king's physician arrived, quite out of breath.

  "You will go, monsieur," said the king to him, "and accompany M. deSaint-Aignan wherever he may take you; you will render me an account ofthe state of the person you may see in the house you will be taken to."The physician obeyed without a remark, as at that time people began toobey Louis XIV., and left the room preceding Saint-Aignan.

  "Do you, Saint-Aignan, send Manicamp to me, before the physician canpossibly have spoken to him." And Saint-Aignan left in his turn.