45 A CONJUGAL SCENE
As Athos had foreseen, it was not long before the cardinal came down. Heopened the door of the room in which the Musketeers were, and foundPorthos playing an earnest game of dice with Aramis. He cast a rapidglance around the room, and perceived that one of his men was missing.
"What has become of Monseigneur Athos?" asked he.
"Monseigneur," replied Porthos, "he has gone as a scout, on account ofsome words of our host, which made him believe the road was not safe."
"And you, what have you done, Monsieur Porthos?"
"I have won five pistoles of Aramis."
"Well; now will you return with me?"
"We are at your Eminence's orders."
"To horse, then, gentlemen; for it is getting late."
The attendant was at the door, holding the cardinal's horse by thebridle. At a short distance a group of two men and three horses appearedin the shade. These were the two men who were to conduct Milady to FortLa Pointe, and superintend her embarkation.
The attendant confirmed to the cardinal what the two Musketeers hadalready said with respect to Athos. The cardinal made an approvinggesture, and retraced his route with the same precautions he had usedincoming.
Let us leave him to follow the road to the camp protected by his esquireand the two Musketeers, and return to Athos.
For a hundred paces he maintained the speed at which he started; butwhen out of sight he turned his horse to the right, made a circuit, andcame back within twenty paces of a high hedge to watch the passage ofthe little troop. Having recognized the laced hats of his companions andthe golden fringe of the cardinal's cloak, he waited till the horsemenhad turned the angle of the road, and having lost sight of them, hereturned at a gallop to the inn, which was opened to him withouthesitation.
The host recognized him.
"My officer," said Athos, "has forgotten to give a piece of veryimportant information to the lady, and has sent me back to repair hisforgetfulness."
"Go up," said the host; "she is still in her chamber."
Athos availed himself of the permission, ascended the stairs with hislightest step, gained the landing, and through the open door perceivedMilady putting on her hat.
He entered the chamber and closed the door behind him. At the noise hemade in pushing the bolt, Milady turned round.
Athos was standing before the door, enveloped in his cloak, with his hatpulled down over his eyes. On seeing this figure, mute and immovable asa statue, Milady was frightened.
"Who are you, and what do you want?" cried she.
"Humph," murmured Athos, "it is certainly she!"
And letting fall his cloak and raising his hat, he advanced towardMilady.
"Do you know me, madame?" said he.
Milady made one step forward, and then drew back as if she had seen aserpent.
"So far, well," said Athos, "I perceive you know me."
"The Comte de la Fere!" murmured Milady, becoming exceedingly pale, anddrawing back till the wall prevented her from going any farther.
"Yes, Milady," replied Athos; "the Comte de la Fere in person, who comesexpressly from the other world to have the pleasure of paying you avisit. Sit down, madame, and let us talk, as the cardinal said."
Milady, under the influence of inexpressible terror, sat down withoututtering a word.
"You certainly are a demon sent upon the earth!" said Athos. "Your poweris great, I know; but you also know that with the help of God men haveoften conquered the most terrible demons. You have once before thrownyourself in my path. I thought I had crushed you, madame; but either Iwas deceived or hell has resuscitated you!"
Milady at these words, which recalled frightful remembrances, hung downher head with a suppressed groan.
"Yes, hell has resuscitated you," continued Athos. "Hell has made yourich, hell has given you another name, hell has almost made you anotherface; but it has neither effaced the stains from your soul nor the brandfrom your body."
Milady arose as if moved by a powerful spring, and her eyes flashedlightning. Athos remained sitting.
"You believed me to be dead, did you not, as I believed you to be? Andthe name of Athos as well concealed the Comte de la Fere, as the nameMilady Clarik concealed Anne de Breuil. Was it not so you were calledwhen your honored brother married us? Our position is truly a strangeone," continued Athos, laughing. "We have only lived up to the presenttime because we believed each other dead, and because a remembrance isless oppressive than a living creature, though a remembrance issometimes devouring."
"But," said Milady, in a hollow, faint voice, "what brings you back tome, and what do you want with me?"
"I wish to tell you that though remaining invisible to your eyes, I havenot lost sight of you."
"You know what I have done?"
"I can relate to you, day by day, your actions from your entrance to theservice of the cardinal to this evening."
A smile of incredulity passed over the pale lips of Milady.
"Listen! It was you who cut off the two diamond studs from the shoulderof the Duke of Buckingham; it was you had the Madame Bonacieux carriedoff; it was you who, in love with de Wardes and thinking to pass thenight with him, opened the door to Monsieur d'Artagnan; it was you who,believing that de Wardes had deceived you, wished to have him killed byhis rival; it was you who, when this rival had discovered your infamoussecret, wished to have him killed in his turn by two assassins, whom yousent in pursuit of him; it was you who, finding the balls had missedtheir mark, sent poisoned wine with a forged letter, to make your victimbelieve that the wine came from his friends. In short, it was you whohave but now in this chamber, seated in this chair I now fill, made anengagement with Cardinal Richelieu to cause the Duke of Buckingham to beassassinated, in exchange for the promise he has made you to allow youto assassinate d'Artagnan."
Milady was livid.
"You must be Satan!" cried she.
"Perhaps," said Athos; "But at all events listen well to this.Assassinate the Duke of Buckingham, or cause him to be assassinated--Icare very little about that! I don't know him. Besides, he is anEnglishman. But do not touch with the tip of your finger a single hairof d'Artagnan, who is a faithful friend whom I love and defend, or Iswear to you by the head of my father the crime which you shall haveendeavored to commit, or shall have committed, shall be the last."
"Monsieur d'Artagnan has cruelly insulted me," said Milady, in a hollowtone; "Monsieur d'Artagnan shall die!"
"Indeed! Is it possible to insult you, madame?" said Athos, laughing;"he has insulted you, and he shall die!"
"He shall die!" replied Milady; "she first, and he afterward."
Athos was seized with a kind of vertigo. The sight of this creature, whohad nothing of the woman about her, recalled awful remembrances. Hethought how one day, in a less dangerous situation than the one in whichhe was now placed, he had already endeavored to sacrifice her to hishonor. His desire for blood returned, burning his brain and pervadinghis frame like a raging fever; he arose in his turn, reached his hand tohis belt, drew forth a pistol, and cocked it.
Milady, pale as a corpse, endeavored to cry out; but her swollen tonguecould utter no more than a hoarse sound which had nothing human in itand resembled the rattle of a wild beast. Motionless against the darktapestry, with her hair in disorder, she appeared like a horrid image ofterror.
Athos slowly raised his pistol, stretched out his arm so that the weaponalmost touched Milady's forehead, and then, in a voice the more terriblefrom having the supreme calmness of a fixed resolution, "Madame," saidhe, "you will this instant deliver to me the paper the cardinal signed;or upon my soul, I will blow your brains out."
With another man, Milady might have preserved some doubt; but she knewAthos. Nevertheless, she remained motionless.
"You have one second to decide," said he.
Milady saw by the contraction of his countenance that the trigger wasabout to be pulled; she reached her hand quickly to her bosom, drew outa pap
er, and held it toward Athos.
"Take it," said she, "and be accursed!"
Athos took the paper, returned the pistol to his belt, approached thelamp to be assured that it was the paper, unfolded it, and read:
"Dec. 3, 1627
"It is by my order and for the good of the state that the bearer of thishas done what he has done.
"RICHELIEU"
"And now," said Athos, resuming his cloak and putting on his hat, "nowthat I have drawn your teeth, viper, bite if you can."
And he left the chamber without once looking behind him.
At the door he found the two men and the spare horse which they held.
"Gentlemen," said he, "Monseigneur's order is, you know, to conduct thatwoman, without losing time, to Fort La Pointe, and never to leave hertill she is on board."
As these words agreed wholly with the order they had received, theybowed their heads in sign of assent.
With regard to Athos, he leaped lightly into the saddle and set out atfull gallop; only instead of following the road, he went across thefields, urging his horse to the utmost and stopping occasionally tolisten.
In one of those halts he heard the steps of several horses on the road.He had no doubt it was the cardinal and his escort. He immediately madea new point in advance, rubbed his horse down with some heath and leavesof trees, and placed himself across the road, about two hundred pacesfrom the camp.
"Who goes there?" cried he, as soon as he perceived the horsemen.
"That is our brave Musketeer, I think," said the cardinal.
"Yes, monseigneur," said Porthos, "it is he."
"Monsieur Athos," said Richelieu, "receive my thanks for the good guardyou have kept. Gentlemen, we are arrived; take the gate on the left. Thewatchword is, 'King and Re.'"
Saying these words, the cardinal saluted the three friends with aninclination of his head, and took the right hand, followed by hisattendant--for that night he himself slept in the camp.
"Well!" said Porthos and Aramis together, as soon as the cardinal wasout of hearing, "well, he signed the paper she required!"
"I know it," said Athos, coolly, "since here it is."
And the three friends did not exchange another word till they reachedtheir quarters, except to give the watchword to the sentinels. Only theysent Mousqueton to tell Planchet that his master was requested, theinstant that he left the trenches, to come to the quarters of theMusketeers.
Milady, as Athos had foreseen, on finding the two men that awaited her,made no difficulty in following them. She had had for an instant aninclination to be reconducted to the cardinal, and relate everything tohim; but a revelation on her part would bring about a revelation on thepart of Athos. She might say that Athos had hanged her; but then Athoswould tell that she was branded. She thought it was best to preservesilence, to discreetly set off to accomplish her difficult mission withher usual skill; and then, all things being accomplished to thesatisfaction of the cardinal, to come to him and claim her vengeance.
In consequence, after having traveled all night, at seven o'clock shewas at the fort of the Point; at eight o'clock she had embarked; and atnine, the vessel, which with letters of marque from the cardinal wassupposed to be sailing for Bayonne, raised anchor, and steered itscourse toward England.
Les trois mousquetaires. English Page 46