CHAPTER XV.
THE PRESENTATION OF PORTHOS AT COURT.
At seven o'clock the same evening, the king gave an audience to anambassador from the United Provinces, in the grand reception-room. Theaudience lasted a quarter of an hour. His majesty afterward receivedthose who had been recently presented, together with a few ladies, whopaid their respects the first. In one quarter of the salon, concealedbehind a column, Porthos and D'Artagnan were conversing together,waiting until their turn arrived.
"Have you heard the news?" inquired the musketeer of his friend.
"No!"
"Well, look, then." Porthos raised himself on tiptoe, and saw M. Fouquetin full court dress, leading Aramis toward the king.
"Aramis," said Porthos.
"Presented to the king by M. Fouquet."
"Ah!" ejaculated Porthos.
"For having fortified Belle-Isle," continued D'Artagnan.
"And I?"
"You--ah, you! as I have already had the honor of telling you, are thegood-natured, kind-hearted Porthos; and so they begged you to take careof Saint-Mande a little."
"Ah!" repeated Porthos.
"But, very happily, I was there," said D'Artagnan, "and presently itwill be my turn."
At this moment Fouquet addressed the king. "Sire," he said, "I have afavor to solicit of your majesty. M. d'Herblay is not ambitious, but heknows he can be of some service. Your majesty needs a representative atRome, who should be able to exercise a powerful influence there; may Irequest a cardinal's hat for M. d'Herblay?" The king started. "I do notoften solicit anything of your majesty," said Fouquet.
"That is a reason, certainly," replied the king, who always expressedany hesitation he might have in that manner, and to which remark therewas nothing to say in reply.
Fouquet and Aramis looked at each other. The king resumed: "M. d'Herblaycan serve us equally well in France; an archbishopric, for instance."
"Sire," objected Fouquet, with a grace of manner peculiarly his own,"your majesty overwhelms M. d'Herblay; the archbishopric may, in yourmajesty's extreme kindness, be conferred in addition to the hat; the onedoes not exclude the other."
The king admired the readiness which he displayed, and smiled, saying:"D'Artagnan himself could not have answered better." He had no soonerpronounced the name, than D'Artagnan appeared.
"Did your majesty call me?" he said.
Aramis and Fouquet drew back a step, as if they were about to retire.
"Will your majesty allow me," said D'Artagnan quickly, as he led forwardPorthos, "to present to your majesty M. le Baron de Valon, one of thebravest gentlemen of France."
As soon as Aramis saw Porthos, he turned as pale as death, while Fouquetclenched his hands under his ruffles. D'Artagnan smiled at both of them,while Porthos bowed, visibly overcome before the royal presence.
"Porthos here?" murmured Fouquet in Aramis' ear.
"Hush! there is some treachery at work," said the latter.
"Sire," said D'Artagnan, "it is more than six years ago that I ought tohave presented M. de Valon to your majesty; but certain men resemblestars, they move not unless their friends accompany them. The Pleiadsare never disunited, and that is the reason I have selected, for thepurpose of presenting him to you, the very moment when you would see M.d'Herblay by his side."
Aramis almost lost countenance. He looked at D'Artagnan with a proud,haughty air, as though willing to accept the defiance which the latterseemed to throw down.
"Ah! these gentlemen are good friends, then," said the king.
"Excellent friends, sire, the one can answer for the other. Ask M. deVannes now in what manner Belle-Isle was fortified?" Fouquet moved backa step.
"Belle-Isle," said Aramis coldly, "has been fortified by thatgentleman," and he indicated Porthos with his hand, who bowed a secondtime. Louis could not withhold his admiration, though at the same timehis suspicions were aroused.
"Yes," said D'Artagnan, "but ask Monsieur le Baron whose assistance hehad in carrying the works out?"
"Aramis'," said Porthos, frankly, and he pointed to the bishop.
"What the deuce does all this mean," thought the bishop, "and what sortof a termination are we to expect to this comedy?"
"What!" exclaimed the king, "is the cardinal's, I mean the bishop's,name Aramis?"
"A _nom de guerre_," said D'Artagnan.
"A name of friendship," said Aramis.
"A truce to modesty," exclaimed D'Artagnan; "beneath the priest's robe,sire, is concealed the most brilliant officer, a gentleman of the mostunparalleled intrepidity, and the wisest theologian in your kingdom."
Louis raised his head. "And an engineer, also, it appears," he said,admiring Aramis' calm imperturbable self-possession.
"An engineer for a particular purpose, sire," said the latter.
"My companion in the musketeers, sire," said D'Artagnan, with greatwarmth of manner, "the man who has more than a hundred times aided yourfather's ministers by his advice--M. d'Herblay, in a word, who with M.de Valon, myself, and M. le Comte de la Fere, who is known to yourmajesty, formed that quadrille which was a good deal talked about duringthe late king's reign, and during your majesty's minority."
"And who has fortified Belle-Isle?" the king repeated in a significanttone.
Aramis advanced and said: "In order to serve the son as I have servedthe father."
D'Artagnan looked at Aramis most narrowly while he uttered these words,which displayed so much true respect, so much warm devotion, such entirefrankness and sincerity, that even he, D'Artagnan, the eternal doubter,he, the almost infallible in his judgment, was deceived by it. "A manwho lies cannot speak in such a tone as that," he said.
Louis was overcome by it. "In that case," he said to Fouquet, whoanxiously awaited the result of this proof, "the cardinal's hat ispromised. Monsieur d'Herblay, I pledge you my honor that the firstpromotion shall be yours. Thank M. Fouquet for it." Colbert overheardthese words; they stung him to the quick and he left the salon abruptly."And you, Monsieur de Valon," said the king, "what have you to ask? Iam pleased to have it in my power to acknowledge the services of thosewho were faithful to my father."
"Sire--" begun Porthos, but he was unable to proceed with what he wasgoing to say.
"Sire," exclaimed D'Artagnan, "this worthy gentleman is overpowered byyour majesty's presence, he who has so valiantly sustained the looks andthe fire of a thousand foes. But, knowing what his thoughts are, I--whoam more accustomed to gaze upon the sun--can translate his thoughts; heneeds nothing, his sole desire is to have the happiness of gazing uponyour majesty for a quarter of an hour."
"You shall sup with me this evening," said the king, saluting Porthos,with a gracious smile.
Porthos became crimson from delight and from pride. The king dismissedhim, and D'Artagnan pushed him into the adjoining apartment, after hehad embraced him warmly.
"Sit next to me at table," said Porthos in his ear.
"Yes, my friend."
"Aramis is annoyed with me, I think."
"Aramis has never liked you so much as he does now. Fancy, it was I whowas the means of his getting the cardinal's hat."
"Of course," said Porthos. "By-the-by, does the king like his guests toeat much at his table?"
"It is a compliment to himself if you do," said D'Artagnan, "for hepossesses a royal appetite."
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