66 EXECUTION
It was near midnight; the moon, lessened by its decline, and reddened bythe last traces of the storm, arose behind the little town ofArmentieres, which showed against its pale light the dark outline of itshouses, and the skeleton of its high belfry. In front of them the Lysrolled its waters like a river of molten tin; while on the other sidewas a black mass of trees, profiled on a stormy sky, invaded by largecoppery clouds which created a sort of twilight amid the night. On theleft was an old abandoned mill, with its motionless wings, from theruins of which an owl threw out its shrill, periodical, and monotonouscry. On the right and on the left of the road, which the dismalprocession pursued, appeared a few low, stunted trees, which looked likedeformed dwarfs crouching down to watch men traveling at this sinisterhour.
From time to time a broad sheet of lightning opened the horizon in itswhole width, darted like a serpent over the black mass of trees, andlike a terrible scimitar divided the heavens and the waters into twoparts. Not a breath of wind now disturbed the heavy atmosphere. Adeathlike silence oppressed all nature. The soil was humid andglittering with the rain which had recently fallen, and the refreshedherbs sent forth their perfume with additional energy.
Two lackeys dragged Milady, whom each held by one arm. The executionerwalked behind them, and Lord de Winter, d'Artagnan, Porthos, and Aramiswalked behind the executioner. Planchet and Bazin came last.
The two lackeys conducted Milady to the bank of the river. Her mouth wasmute; but her eyes spoke with their inexpressible eloquence,supplicating by turns each of those on whom she looked.
Being a few paces in advance she whispered to the lackeys, "A thousandpistoles to each of you, if you will assist my escape; but if youdeliver me up to your masters, I have near at hand avengers who willmake you pay dearly for my death."
Grimaud hesitated. Mousqueton trembled in all his members.
Athos, who heard Milady's voice, came sharply up. Lord de Winter did thesame.
"Change these lackeys," said he; "she has spoken to them. They are nolonger sure."
Planchet and Bazin were called, and took the places of Grimaud andMousqueton.
On the bank of the river the executioner approached Milady, and boundher hands and feet.
Then she broke the silence to cry out, "You are cowards, miserableassassins--ten men combined to murder one woman. Beware! If I am notsaved I shall be avenged."
"You are not a woman," said Athos, coldly and sternly. "You do notbelong to the human species; you are a demon escaped from hell, whitherwe send you back again."
"Ah, you virtuous men!" said Milady; "please to remember that he whoshall touch a hair of my head is himself an assassin."
"The executioner may kill, without being on that account an assassin,"said the man in the red cloak, rapping upon his immense sword. "This isthe last judge; that is all. NACHRICHTER, as say our neighbors, theGermans."
And as he bound her while saying these words, Milady uttered two orthree savage cries, which produced a strange and melancholy effect inflying away into the night, and losing themselves in the depths of thewoods.
"If I am guilty, if I have committed the crimes you accuse me of,"shrieked Milady, "take me before a tribunal. You are not judges! Youcannot condemn me!"
"I offered you Tyburn," said Lord de Winter. "Why did you not acceptit?"
"Because I am not willing to die!" cried Milady, struggling. "Because Iam too young to die!"
"The woman you poisoned at Bethune was still younger than you, madame,and yet she is dead," said d'Artagnan.
"I will enter a cloister; I will become a nun," said Milady.
"You were in a cloister," said the executioner, "and you left it to ruinmy brother."
Milady uttered a cry of terror and sank upon her knees. The executionertook her up in his arms and was carrying her toward the boat.
"Oh, my God!" cried she, "my God! are you going to drown me?"
These cries had something so heartrending in them that M. d'Artagnan,who had been at first the most eager in pursuit of Milady, sat down onthe stump of a tree and hung his head, covering his ears with the palmsof his hands; and yet, notwithstanding, he could still hear her cry andthreaten.
D'Artagnan was the youngest of all these men. His heart failed him.
"Oh, I cannot behold this frightful spectacle!" said he. "I cannotconsent that this woman should die thus!"
Milady heard these few words and caught at a shadow of hope.
"d'Artagnan, d'Artagnan!" cried she; "remember that I loved you!"
The young man rose and took a step toward her.
But Athos rose likewise, drew his sword, and placed himself in the way.
"If you take one step farther, d'Artagnan," said he, "we shall crossswords together."
D'Artagnan sank on his knees and prayed.
"Come," continued Athos, "executioner, do your duty."
"Willingly, monseigneur," said the executioner; "for as I am a goodCatholic, I firmly believe I am acting justly in performing my functionson this woman."
"That's well."
Athos made a step toward Milady.
"I pardon you," said he, "the ill you have done me. I pardon you for myblasted future, my lost honor, my defiled love, and my salvation forevercompromised by the despair into which you have cast me. Die in peace!"
Lord de Winter advanced in his turn.
"I pardon you," said he, "for the poisoning of my brother, and theassassination of his Grace, Lord Buckingham. I pardon you for the deathof poor Felton; I pardon you for the attempts upon my own person. Die inpeace!"
"And I," said M. d'Artagnan. "Pardon me, madame, for having by a trickunworthy of a gentleman provoked your anger; and I, in exchange, pardonyou the murder of my poor love and your cruel vengeance against me. Ipardon you, and I weep for you. Die in peace!"
"I am lost!" murmured Milady in English. "I must die!"
Then she arose of herself, and cast around her one of those piercinglooks which seemed to dart from an eye of flame.
She saw nothing; she listened, and she heard nothing.
"Where am I to die?" said she.
"On the other bank," replied the executioner.
Then he placed her in the boat, and as he was going to set foot in ithimself, Athos handed him a sum of silver.
"Here," said he, "is the price of the execution, that it may be plain weact as judges."
"That is correct," said the executioner; "and now in her turn, let thiswoman see that I am not fulfilling my trade, but my debt."
And he threw the money into the river.
The boat moved off toward the left-hand shore of the Lys, bearing theguilty woman and the executioner; all the others remained on theright-hand bank, where they fell on their knees.
The boat glided along the ferry rope under the shadow of a pale cloudwhich hung over the water at that moment.
The troop of friends saw it gain the opposite bank; the figures weredefined like black shadows on the red-tinted horizon.
Milady, during the passage had contrived to untie the cord whichfastened her feet. On coming near the bank, she jumped lightly on shoreand took to flight. But the soil was moist; on reaching the top of thebank, she slipped and fell upon her knees.
She was struck, no doubt, with a superstitious idea; she conceived thatheaven denied its aid, and she remained in the attitude in which she hadfallen, her head drooping and her hands clasped.
Then they saw from the other bank the executioner raise both his armsslowly; a moonbeam fell upon the blade of the large sword. The two armsfell with a sudden force; they heard the hissing of the scimitar and thecry of the victim, then a truncated mass sank beneath the blow.
The executioner then took off his red cloak, spread it upon the ground,laid the body in it, threw in the head, tied all up by the four corners,lifted it on his back, and entered the boat again.
In the middle of the stream he stopped the boat, and suspending hisburden over the water cried in a loud voice, "Let
the justice of God bedone!" and he let the corpse drop into the depths of the waters, whichclosed over it.
Three days afterward the four Musketeers were in Paris; they had notexceeded their leave of absence, and that same evening they went to paytheir customary visit to M. de Treville.
"Well, gentlemen," said the brave captain, "I hope you have been wellamused during your excursion."
"Prodigiously," replied Athos in the name of himself and his comrades.
67 CONCLUSION
On the sixth of the following month the king, in compliance with thepromise he had made the cardinal to return to La Rochelle, left hiscapital still in amazement at the news which began to spread itself ofBuckingham's assassination.
Although warned that the man she had loved so much was in great danger,the queen, when his death was announced to her, would not believe thefact, and even imprudently exclaimed, "it is false; he has just writtento me!"
But the next day she was obliged to believe this fatal intelligence;Laporte, detained in England, as everyone else had been, by the ordersof Charles I, arrived, and was the bearer of the duke's dying gift tothe queen.
The joy of the king was lively. He did not even give himself the troubleto dissemble, and displayed it with affectation before the queen. LouisXIII, like every weak mind, was wanting in generosity.
But the king soon again became dull and indisposed; his brow was not oneof those that long remain clear. He felt that in returning to camp heshould re-enter slavery; nevertheless, he did return.
The cardinal was for him the fascinating serpent, and himself the birdwhich flies from branch to branch without power to escape.
The return to La Rochelle, therefore, was profoundly dull. Our fourfriends, in particular, astonished their comrades; they traveledtogether, side by side, with sad eyes and heads lowered. Athos alonefrom time to time raised his expansive brow; a flash kindled in hiseyes, and a bitter smile passed over his lips, then, like his comrades,he sank again into reverie.
As soon as the escort arrived in a city, when they had conducted theking to his quarters the four friends either retired to their own or tosome secluded cabaret, where they neither drank nor played; they onlyconversed in a low voice, looking around attentively to see that no oneoverheard them.
One day, when the king had halted to fly the magpie, and the fourfriends, according to their custom, instead of following the sport hadstopped at a cabaret on the high road, a man coming from la Rochelle onhorseback pulled up at the door to drink a glass of wine, and darted asearching glance into the room where the four Musketeers were sitting.
"Holloa, Monsieur d'Artagnan!" said he, "is not that you whom I seeyonder?"
D'Artagnan raised his head and uttered a cry of joy. It was the man hecalled his phantom; it was his stranger of Meung, of the Rue desFossoyeurs and of Arras.
D'Artagnan drew his sword, and sprang toward the door.
But this time, instead of avoiding him the stranger jumped from hishorse, and advanced to meet d'Artagnan.
"Ah, monsieur!" said the young man, "I meet you, then, at last! Thistime you shall not escape me!"
"Neither is it my intention, monsieur, for this time I was seeking you;in the name of the king, I arrest you."
"How! what do you say?" cried d'Artagnan.
"I say that you must surrender your sword to me, monsieur, and thatwithout resistance. This concerns your head, I warn you."
"Who are you, then?" demanded d'Artagnan, lowering the point of hissword, but without yet surrendering it.
"I am the Chevalier de Rochefort," answered the other, "the equerry ofMonsieur le Cardinal Richelieu, and I have orders to conduct you to hisEminence."
"We are returning to his Eminence, monsieur the Chevalier," said Athos,advancing; "and you will please to accept the word of Monsieurd'Artagnan that he will go straight to La Rochelle."
"I must place him in the hands of guards who will take him into camp."
"We will be his guards, monsieur, upon our word as gentlemen; butlikewise, upon our word as gentlemen," added Athos, knitting his brow,"Monsieur d'Artagnan shall not leave us."
The Chevalier de Rochefort cast a glance backward, and saw that Porthosand Aramis had placed themselves between him and the gate; he understoodthat he was completely at the mercy of these four men.
"Gentlemen," said he, "if Monsieur d'Artagnan will surrender his swordto me and join his word to yours, I shall be satisfied with your promiseto convey Monsieur d'Artagnan to the quarters of Monseigneur theCardinal."
"You have my word, monsieur, and here is my sword."
"This suits me the better," said Rochefort, "as I wish to continue myjourney."
"If it is for the purpose of rejoining Milady," said Athos, coolly, "itis useless; you will not find her."
"What has become of her, then?" asked Rochefort, eagerly.
"Return to camp and you shall know."
Rochefort remained for a moment in thought; then, as they were only aday's journey from Surgeres, whither the cardinal was to come to meetthe king, he resolved to follow the advice of Athos and go with them.Besides, this return offered him the advantage of watching his prisoner.
They resumed their route.
On the morrow, at three o'clock in the afternoon, they arrived atSurgeres. The cardinal there awaited Louis XIII. The minister and theking exchanged numerous caresses, felicitating each other upon thefortunate chance which had freed France from the inveterate enemy whoset all Europe against her. After which, the cardinal, who had beeninformed that d'Artagnan was arrested and who was anxious to see him,took leave of the king, inviting him to come the next day to view thework already done upon the dyke.
On returning in the evening to his quarters at the bridge of La Pierre,the cardinal found, standing before the house he occupied, d'Artagnan,without his sword, and the three Musketeers armed.
This time, as he was well attended, he looked at them sternly, and madea sign with his eye and hand for d'Artagnan to follow him.
D'Artagnan obeyed.
"We shall wait for you, d'Artagnan," said Athos, loud enough for thecardinal to hear him.
His Eminence bent his brow, stopped for an instant, and then kept on hisway without uttering a single word.
D'Artagnan entered after the cardinal, and behind d'Artagnan the doorwas guarded.
His Eminence entered the chamber which served him as a study, and made asign to Rochefort to bring in the young Musketeer.
Rochefort obeyed and retired.
D'Artagnan remained alone in front of the cardinal; this was his secondinterview with Richelieu, and he afterward confessed that he felt wellassured it would be his last.
Richelieu remained standing, leaning against the mantelpiece; a tablewas between him and d'Artagnan.
"Monsieur," said the cardinal, "you have been arrested by my orders."
"So they tell me, monseigneur."
"Do you know why?"
"No, monseigneur, for the only thing for which I could be arrested isstill unknown to your Eminence."
Richelieu looked steadfastly at the young man.
"Holloa!" said he, "what does that mean?"
"If Monseigneur will have the goodness to tell me, in the first place,what crimes are imputed to me, I will then tell him the deeds I havereally done."
"Crimes are imputed to you which had brought down far loftier heads thanyours, monsieur," said the cardinal.
"What, monseigneur?" said d'Artagnan, with a calmness which astonishedthe cardinal himself.
"You are charged with having corresponded with the enemies of thekingdom; you are charged with having surprised state secrets; you arecharged with having tried to thwart the plans of your general."
"And who charges me with this, monseigneur?" said d'Artagnan, who had nodoubt the accusation came from Milady, "a woman branded by the justiceof the country; a woman who has espoused one man in France and anotherin England; a woman who poisoned her second husband and who attemptedboth to poison and assassin
ate me!"
"What do you say, monsieur?" cried the cardinal, astonished; "and ofwhat woman are you speaking thus?"
"Of Milady de Winter," replied d'Artagnan, "yes, of Milady de Winter, ofwhose crimes your Eminence is doubtless ignorant, since you have honoredher with your confidence."
"Monsieur," said the cardinal, "if Milady de Winter has committed thecrimes you lay to her charge, she shall be punished."
"She has been punished, monseigneur."
"And who has punished her?"
"We."
"She is in prison?"
"She is dead."
"Dead!" repeated the cardinal, who could not believe what he heard,"dead! Did you not say she was dead?"
"Three times she attempted to kill me, and I pardoned her; but shemurdered the woman I loved. Then my friends and I took her, tried her,and condemned her."
D'Artagnan then related the poisoning of Mme. Bonacieux in the conventof the Carmelites at Bethune, the trial in the isolated house, and theexecution on the banks of the Lys.
A shudder crept through the body of the cardinal, who did not shudderreadily.
But all at once, as if undergoing the influence of an unspoken thought,the countenance of the cardinal, till then gloomy, cleared up bydegrees, and recovered perfect serenity.
"So," said the cardinal, in a tone that contrasted strongly with theseverity of his words, "you have constituted yourselves judges, withoutremembering that they who punish without license to punish areassassins?"
"Monseigneur, I swear to you that I never for an instant had theintention of defending my head against you. I willingly submit to anypunishment your Eminence may please to inflict upon me. I do not holdlife dear enough to be afraid of death."
"Yes, I know you are a man of a stout heart, monsieur," said thecardinal, with a voice almost affectionate; "I can therefore tell youbeforehand you shall be tried, and even condemned."
"Another might reply to your Eminence that he had his pardon in hispocket. I content myself with saying: Command, monseigneur; I am ready."
"Your pardon?" said Richelieu, surprised.
"Yes, monseigneur," said d'Artagnan.
"And signed by whom--by the king?" And the cardinal pronounced thesewords with a singular expression of contempt.
"No, by your Eminence."
"By me? You are insane, monsieur."
"Monseigneur will doubtless recognize his own handwriting."
And d'Artagnan presented to the cardinal the precious piece of paperwhich Athos had forced from Milady, and which he had given to d'Artagnanto serve him as a safeguard.
His Eminence took the paper, and read in a slow voice, dwelling uponevery syllable:
"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"
The cardinal, after having read these two lines, sank into a profoundreverie; but he did not return the paper to d'Artagnan.
"He is meditating by what sort of punishment he shall cause me to die,"said the Gascon to himself. "Well, my faith! he shall see how agentleman can die."
The young Musketeer was in excellent disposition to die heroically.
Richelieu still continued thinking, rolling and unrolling the paper inhis hands.
At length he raised his head, fixed his eagle look upon that loyal,open, and intelligent countenance, read upon that face, furrowed withtears, all the sufferings its possessor had endured in the course of amonth, and reflected for the third or fourth time how much there was inthat youth of twenty-one years before him, and what resources hisactivity, his courage, and his shrewdness might offer to a good master.On the other side, the crimes, the power, and the infernal genius ofMilady had more than once terrified him. He felt something like a secretjoy at being forever relieved of this dangerous accomplice.
Richelieu slowly tore the paper which d'Artagnan had generouslyrelinquished.
"I am lost!" said d'Artagnan to himself. And he bowed profoundly beforethe cardinal, like a man who says, "Lord, Thy will be done!"
The cardinal approached the table, and without sitting down, wrote a fewlines upon a parchment of which two-thirds were already filled, andaffixed his seal.
"That is my condemnation," thought d'Artagnan; "he will spare me theENNUI of the Bastille, or the tediousness of a trial. That's very kindof him."
"Here, monsieur," said the cardinal to the young man. "I have taken fromyou one CARTE BLANCHE to give you another. The name is wanting in thiscommission; you can write it yourself."
D'Artagnan took the paper hesitatingly and cast his eyes over it; it wasa lieutenant's commission in the Musketeers.
D'Artagnan fell at the feet of the cardinal.
"Monseigneur," said he, "my life is yours; henceforth dispose of it. Butthis favor which you bestow upon me I do not merit. I have three friendswho are more meritorious and more worthy--"
"You are a brave youth, d'Artagnan," interrupted the cardinal, tappinghim familiarly on the shoulder, charmed at having vanquished thisrebellious nature. "Do with this commission what you will; onlyremember, though the name be blank, it is to you I give it."
"I shall never forget it," replied d'Artagnan. "Your Eminence may becertain of that."
The cardinal turned and said in a loud voice, "Rochefort!" Thechevalier, who no doubt was near the door, entered immediately.
"Rochefort," said the cardinal, "you see Monsieur d'Artagnan. I receivehim among the number of my friends. Greet each other, then; and be wiseif you wish to preserve your heads."
Rochefort and d'Artagnan coolly greeted each other with their lips; butthe cardinal was there, observing them with his vigilant eye.
They left the chamber at the same time.
"We shall meet again, shall we not, monsieur?"
"When you please," said d'Artagnan.
"An opportunity will come," replied Rochefort.
"Hey?" said the cardinal, opening the door.
The two men smiled at each other, shook hands, and saluted his Eminence.
"We were beginning to grow impatient," said Athos.
"Here I am, my friends," replied d'Artagnan; "not only free, but infavor."
"Tell us about it."
"This evening; but for the moment, let us separate."
Accordingly, that same evening d'Artagnan repaired to the quarters ofAthos, whom he found in a fair way to empty a bottle of Spanish wine--anoccupation which he religiously accomplished every night.
D'Artagnan related what had taken place between the cardinal andhimself, and drawing the commission from his pocket, said, "Here, mydear Athos, this naturally belongs to you."
Athos smiled with one of his sweet and expressive smiles.
"Friend," said he, "for Athos this is too much; for the Comte de la Fereit is too little. Keep the commission; it is yours. Alas! you havepurchased it dearly enough."
D'Artagnan left Athos's chamber and went to that of Porthos. He foundhim clothed in a magnificent dress covered with splendid embroidery,admiring himself before a glass.
"Ah, ah! is that you, dear friend?" exclaimed Porthos. "How do you thinkthese garments fit me?"
"Wonderfully," said d'Artagnan; "but I come to offer you a dress whichwill become you still better."
"What?" asked Porthos.
"That of a lieutenant of Musketeers."
D'Artagnan related to Porthos the substance of his interview with thecardinal, and said, taking the commission from his pocket, "Here, myfriend, write your name upon it and become my chief."
Porthos cast his eyes over the commission and returned it to d'Artagnan,to the great astonishment of the young man.
"Yes," said he, "yes, that would flatter me very much; but I should nothave time enough to enjoy the distinction. During our expedition toBethune the husband of my duchess died; so, my dear, the coffer of thedefunct holding out its arms to me, I shall marry the widow. Look here!I was trying on my wedding suit. Keep the lieutenancy, my dear, k
eepit."
The young man then entered the apartment of Aramis. He found himkneeling before a PRIEDIEU with his head leaning on an open prayer book.
He described to him his interview with the cardinal, and said, for thethird time drawing his commission from his pocket, "You, our friend, ourintelligence, our invisible protector, accept this commission. You havemerited it more than any of us by your wisdom and your counsels, alwaysfollowed by such happy results."
"Alas, dear friend!" said Aramis, "our late adventures have disgusted mewith military life. This time my determination is irrevocably taken.After the siege I shall enter the house of the Lazarists. Keep thecommission, d'Artagnan; the profession of arms suits you. You will be abrave and adventurous captain."
D'Artagnan, his eye moist with gratitude though beaming with joy, wentback to Athos, whom he found still at table contemplating the charms ofhis last glass of Malaga by the light of his lamp.
"Well," said he, "they likewise have refused me."
"That, dear friend, is because nobody is more worthy than yourself."
He took a quill, wrote the name of d'Artagnan in the commission, andreturned it to him.
"I shall then have no more friends," said the young man. "Alas! nothingbut bitter recollections."
And he let his head sink upon his hands, while two large tears rolleddown his cheeks.
"You are young," replied Athos; "and your bitter recollections have timeto change themselves into sweet remembrances."
EPILOGUE
La Rochelle, deprived of the assistance of the English fleet and of thediversion promised by Buckingham, surrendered after a siege of a year.On the twenty-eighth of October, 1628, the capitulation was signed.
The king made his entrance into Paris on the twenty-third of December ofthe same year. He was received in triumph, as if he came from conqueringan enemy and not Frenchmen. He entered by the Faubourg St. Jacques,under verdant arches.
D'Artagnan took possession of his command. Porthos left the service, andin the course of the following year married Mme. Coquenard; the cofferso much coveted contained eight hundred thousand livres.
Mousqueton had a magnificent livery, and enjoyed the satisfaction ofwhich he had been ambitious all his life--that of standing behind agilded carriage.
Aramis, after a journey into Lorraine, disappeared all at once, andceased to write to his friends; they learned at a later period throughMme. de Chevreuse, who told it to two or three of her intimates, that,yielding to his vocation, he had retired into a convent--only intowhich, nobody knew.
Bazin became a lay brother.
Athos remained a Musketeer under the command of d'Artagnan till the year1633, at which period, after a journey he made to Touraine, he also quitthe service, under the pretext of having inherited a small property inRoussillon.
Grimaud followed Athos.
D'Artagnan fought three times with Rochefort, and wounded him threetimes.
"I shall probably kill you the fourth," said he to him, holding out hishand to assist him to rise.
"It is much better both for you and for me to stop where we are,"answered the wounded man. "CORBLEU--I am more your friend than youthink--for after our very first encounter, I could by saying a word tothe cardinal have had your throat cut!"
They this time embraced heartily, and without retaining any malice.
Planchet obtained from Rochefort the rank of sergeant in the Piedmontregiment.
M Bonacieux lived on very quietly, wholly ignorant of what had become ofhis wife, and caring very little about it. One day he had the imprudenceto recall himself to the memory of the cardinal. The cardinal had himinformed that he would provide for him so that he should never want foranything in future. In fact, M. Bonacieux, having left his house atseven o'clock in the evening to go to the Louvre, never appeared againin the Rue des Fossoyeurs; the opinion of those who seemed to be bestinformed was that he was fed and lodged in some royal castle, at theexpense of his generous Eminence.
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Les trois mousquetaires. English Page 67