The cardinal, on passing into his cabinet, found the Comte de la Fere,who was waiting for him, engaged in admiring a very fine Raphael placedover a sideboard covered with plate. His eminence came in softly,lightly, and silently as a shadow, and surprised the countenance of thecomte, as he was accustomed to do, pretending to divine by the simpleexpression of the face of his interlocutor what would be the result ofthe conversation.
But this time Mazarin was foiled in his expectation: he read nothingupon the face of Athos, not even the respect he was accustomed to see onall faces. Athos was dressed in black, with a simple lacing of silver.He wore the Holy Ghost, the Garter, and the Golden Fleece, three ordersof such importance, that a king alone, or else a player, could wear themat once.
Mazarin rummaged a long time in his somewhat troubled memory to recallthe name he ought to give to this icy figure, but he did not succeed. "Iam told," said he, at length, "you have a message from England for me."
And he sat down, dismissing Bernouin, who, in his quality of secretary,was getting his pen ready.
"On the part of his majesty, the king of England, yes, your eminence."
"You speak very good French for an Englishman monsieur," said Mazarin,graciously, looking through his fingers at the Holy Ghost, Garter, andGolden Fleece, but more particularly at the face of the messenger.
"I am not an Englishman, but a Frenchman, monsieur le cardinal," repliedAthos.
"It is remarkable that the king of England should choose a Frenchman forhis ambassador; it is an excellent augury. Your name, monsieur, if youplease."
"Comte de la Fere," replied Athos, bowing more slightly than theceremonial and pride of the all-powerful minister required.
Mazarin bent his shoulders, as if to say:--
"I do not know that name."
Athos did not alter his carriage.
"And you come, monsieur," continued Mazarin, "to tell me----"
"I come on the part of his majesty the king of Great Britain to announceto the king of France"--Mazarin frowned--"to announce to the king ofFrance," continued Athos, imperturbably, "the happy restoration of hismajesty Charles II. to the throne of his ancestors."
This shade did not escape his cunning eminence. Mazarin was too muchaccustomed to mankind, not to see in the cold and almost haughtypoliteness of Athos, an index of hostility, which was not of thetemperature of that hot-house called a court.
"You have powers. I suppose?" asked Mazarin, in a short, querulous tone.
"Yes, monseigneur." And the word "monseigneur" came so painfully fromthe lips of Athos that it might be said it skinned them.
Athos took from an embroidered velvet bag which he carried under hisdoublet a dispatch. The cardinal held out his hand for it. "Your pardon,monseigneur," said Athos. "My dispatch is for the king."
"Since you are a Frenchman, monsieur, you ought to know the position ofa prime minister at the court of France."
"There was a time," replied Athos, "when I occupied myself with theimportance of prime ministers, but I have formed, long ago, a resolutionto treat no longer with any but the king."
"Then, monsieur," said Mazarin, who began to be irritated, "you willneither see the minister nor the king."
Mazarin rose. Athos replaced his dispatch in its bag, bowed gravely, andmade several steps towards the door. This coolness exasperated Mazarin."What strange diplomatic proceedings are these!" cried he. "Have wereturned to the times when Cromwell sent us bullies in the guise ofcharges d'affaires? You want nothing monsieur, but the steel cap on yourhead, and a Bible at your girdle."
"Monsieur," said Athos, dryly, "I have never had, as you have, theadvantage of treating with Cromwell; and I have only seen his chargesd'affaires sword in hand, I am therefore ignorant of how he treated withprime ministers. As for the king of England, Charles II., I know thatwhen he writes to his majesty King Louis XIV., he does not write to hiseminence the Cardinal Mazarin. I see no diplomacy in that distinction."
"Ah!" cried Mazarin, raising his attenuated hand and striking his head,"I remember now!" Athos looked at him in astonishment. "Yes, that isit!" said the cardinal, continuing to look at his interlocutor; "yes,that is certainly it. I know you now, monsieur. Ah! diavolo! I am nolonger astonished."
"In fact, I was astonished that, with your eminence's excellent memory,"replied Athos, smiling, "you had not recognized me before."
"Always refractory and grumbling--monsieur--monsieur--What do they callyou? Stop--a name of a river--Potamos; no--the name of an island--Naxos;no, per Giove!--the name of a mountain--Athos! now I have it. Delightedto see you again, and to be no longer at Rueil, where you and yourdamned companions made me pay ransom. Fronde! still Fronde! accursedFronde! Oh, what grudges! Why, monsieur, have your antipathies survivedmine? If any one had cause to complain, I think it could not be you, whogot out of the affair not only in a sound skin, but with the cordon ofthe Holy Ghost around your neck."
"My lord cardinal," replied Athos, "permit me not to enter intoconsiderations of that kind. I have a mission to fulfill. Will youfacilitate the means of my fulfilling that mission, or will you not?"
"I am astonished," said Mazarin,--quite delighted at havingrecovered his memory, and bristling with malice--"I am astonished,Monsieur--Athos--that a Frondeur like you should have accepted a missionfor the Mazarin, as used to be said in the good old times----" AndMazarin began to laugh, in spite of a painful cough, which cut short hissentences, converting them into sobs.
"I have only accepted the mission near the king of France, monsieur lecardinal," retorted the comte, though with less asperity, for he thoughthe had sufficiently the advantage to show himself moderate.
"And yet, Monsieur le Frondeur," said Mazarin gayly, "the affair whichyou have taken in charge must, from the king----"
"With which I have been given in charge, monseigneur. I do not run afteraffairs."
"Be it so. I say that this negotiation must pass through my hands. Letus lose no precious time, then. Tell me the conditions."
"I have had the honor of assuring your eminence that only the letter ofhis majesty King Charles II. contains the revelation of his wishes."
"Pooh! you are ridiculous with your obstinacy, Monsieur Athos. It isplain you have kept company with the Puritans yonder. As to your secret,I know it better than you do; and you have done wrongly, perhaps, innot having shown some respect for a very old and suffering man, whohas labored much during his life, and kept the field for his ideas asbravely as you have for yours. You will not communicate your letter tome? You will say nothing to me? Very well! Come with me into my chamber;you shall speak to the king--and before the king.--Now, then, one lastword: who gave you the Fleece? I remember you passed for having theGarter; but as to the Fleece, I do not know----"
"Recently, my lord, Spain, on the occasion of the marriage of hismajesty Louis XIV., sent King Charles II. a brevet of the Fleece inblank, Charles II. immediately transmitted it to me, filling up theblank with my name."
Mazarin arose, and leaning on the arm of Bernouin, he returned to hisruelle at the moment the name of M. le Prince was being announced. ThePrince de Conde, the first prince of the blood, the conqueror of Rocroy,Lens and Nordlingen, was, in fact, entering the apartment of Monseigneurde Mazarin, followed by his gentlemen, and had already saluted the king,when the prime minister raised his curtain. Athos had time to see Raoulpressing the hand of the Comte de Guiche, and send him a smile inreturn for his respectful bow. He had time, likewise, to see the radiantcountenance of the cardinal, when he perceived before him, upon thetable, an enormous heap of gold, which the Comte de Guiche had won ina run of luck, after his eminence had confided his cards to him. Soforgetting ambassador, embassy and prince, his first thought was of thegold. "What!" cried the old man--"all that--won?"
"Some fifty thousand crowns; yes, monseigneur!" replied the Comte deGuiche, rising. "Must I give up my place to your eminence, or shall Icontinue?"
"Give up! give up! you are mad. You would lose all you have won. Peste
!"
"My lord!" said the Prince de Conde, bowing.
"Good-evening, monsieur le prince," said the minister, in a carelesstone; "it is very kind of you to visit an old sick friend."
"A friend!" murmured the Comte de la Fere, at witnessing with stuporthis monstrous alliance of words;--"friends! when the parties are Condeand Mazarin!"
Mazarin seemed to divine the thought of the Frondeur, for he smiled uponhim with triumph, and immediately,--"Sire," said he to the king, "I havethe honor of presenting to your majesty, Monsieur le Comte de la Fere,ambassador from his Britannic majesty. An affair of state, gentlemen,"added he, waving his hand to all who filled the chamber, and who, thePrince de Conde at their head, all disappeared at the simple gesture.Raoul, after a last look cast at the comte, followed M. de Conde. Philipof Anjou and the queen appeared to be consulting about departing.
"A family affair," said Mazarin, suddenly, detaining them in theirseats. "This gentleman is the bearer of a letter in which King CharlesII., completely restored to his throne, demands an alliance betweenMonsieur, the brother of the king, and Mademoiselle Henrietta,grand-daughter of Henry IV. Will you remit your letter of credit to theking, monsieur le comte?"
Athos remained for a minute stupefied. How could the minister possiblyknow the contents of the letter which had never been out of his keepingfor a single instant? Nevertheless, always master of himself, he heldout the dispatch to the young king, Louis XIV., who took it with ablush. A solemn silence reigned in the cardinal's chamber. It was onlytroubled by the dull sound of the gold, which Mazarin with his yellowdry hand, piled up in a casket, whilst the king was reading.
CHAPTER 41. The Recital
Ten Years Later Page 44