The admiral, as we have seen, was determined to pay no further attentionto Buckingham's threatening glances and fits of passion. In fact, fromthe moment they quitted England, he had gradually accustomed himself tohis behavior. De Guiche had not yet in any way remarked the animositywhich appeared to influence that young nobleman against him, but hefelt, instinctively, that there could be no sympathy between himself andthe favorite of Charles II. The queen-mother, with greater experienceand calmer judgment, perceived the exact position of affairs, and, asshe discerned its danger, was prepared to meet it, whenever the propermoment should arrive. Quiet had been everywhere restored, except inBuckingham's heart; he, in his impatience, addressed himself to theprincess, in a low tone of voice: "For Heaven's sake, madame, I imploreyou to hasten your disembarkation. Do you not perceive how that insolentDuke of Norfolk is killing me with his attentions and devotions to you?"
Henrietta heard this remark; she smiled, and without turning her headtowards him, but giving only to the tone of her voice that inflection ofgentle reproach, and languid impertinence, which women and princesses sowell know how to assume, she murmured, "I have already hinted, my lord,that you must have taken leave of your senses."
Not a single detail escaped Raoul's attention; he heard bothBuckingham's entreaty and the princess's reply; he remarked Buckinghamretire, heard his deep sigh, and saw him pass his hand across his face.He understood everything, and trembled as he reflected on the positionof affairs, and the state of the minds of those about him. At last theadmiral, with studied delay, gave the last orders for the departure ofthe boats.
Buckingham heard the directions given with such an exhibition ofdelight that a stranger would really imagine the young man's reasonwas affected. As the Duke of Norfolk gave his commands, a large boat orbarge, decked with flags, and capable of holding about twenty rowers andfifteen passengers, was slowly lowered from the side of the admiral'svessel. The barge was carpeted with velvet and decorated with coveringsembroidered with the arms of England, and with garlands of flowers; for,at that time, ornamentation was by no means forgotten in these politicalpageants. No sooner was this really royal boat afloat and the rowerswith oars uplifted, awaiting, like soldiers presenting arms, theembarkation of the princess, than Buckingham ran forward to the ladderin order to take his place. His progress was, however, arrested by thequeen. "My lord," she said, "it is hardly becoming that you should allowmy daughter and myself to land without having previously ascertainedthat our apartments are properly prepared. I beg your lordship to begood enough to precede us ashore, and to give directions that everythingbe in proper order on our arrival."
This was a fresh disappointment for the duke, and, still more so, sinceit was so unexpected. He hesitated, colored violently, but could notreply. He had thought he might be able to keep near Madame during thepassage to the shore, and, by this means, to enjoy to the very lastmoment the brief period fortune still reserved for him. The order,however, was explicit; and the admiral, who heard it given, immediatelycalled out, "Launch the ship's gig." His directions were executed withthat celerity which distinguishes every maneuver on board a man-of-war.
Buckingham, in utter hopelessness, cast a look of despair at theprincess, of supplication towards the queen, and directed a glance fullof anger towards the admiral. The princess pretended not to notice him,while the queen turned aside her head, and the admiral laughed outright,at the sound of which Buckingham seemed ready to spring upon him. Thequeen-mother rose, and with a tone of authority said, "Pray set off,sir."
The young duke hesitated, looked around him, and with a last effort,half-choked by contending emotions, said, "And you, gentlemen, M. deGuiche and M. de Bragelonne, do not you accompany me?"
De Guiche bowed and said, "Both M. de Bragelonne and myself await hermajesty's orders; whatever the commands she imposes on us, we shall obeythem." Saying this, he looked towards the princess, who cast down hereyes.
"Your grace will remember," said the queen, "that M. de Guiche is hereto represent Monsieur; it is he who will do the honors of France, asyou have done those of England; his presence cannot be dispensed with;besides, we owe him this slight favor for the courage he displayed inventuring to seek us in such a terrible stress of weather."
Buckingham opened his lips, as if he were about to speak, but, whetherthoughts or expressions failed him, not a syllable escaped them, andturning away, as though out of his mind, he leapt from the vessel intothe boat. The sailors were just in time to catch hold of him to steadythemselves; for his weight and the rebound had almost upset the boat.
"His grace cannot be in his senses," said the admiral aloud to Raoul.
"I am uneasy on the Duke's account," replied Bragelonne.
While the boat was advancing towards the shore, the duke kept his eyesimmovably fixed upon the admiral's ship, like a miser torn away from hiscoffers, or a mother separated from her child, about to be led away todeath. No one, however, acknowledged his signals, his frowns, or hispitiful gestures. In very anguish of mind, he sank down in the boat,burying his hands in his hair, whilst the boat, impelled by theexertions of the merry sailors, flew over the waves. On his arrival hewas in such a state of apathy, that, had he not been received at theharbor by the messenger whom he had directed to precede him, he wouldhardly have had strength to ask his way. Having once, however, reachedthe house which had been set apart for him, he shut himself up, likeAchilles in his tent. The barge bearing the princesses quitted theadmiral's vessel at the very moment Buckingham landed. It was followedby another boat filled with officers, courtiers, and zealous friends.Great numbers of the inhabitants of Havre, having embarked infishing-cobles and boats of every description, set off to meet the royalbarge. The cannon from the forts fired salutes, which were returned bythe flagship and the two other vessels, and the flashes from theopen mouths of the cannon floated in white fumes over the waves, anddisappeared in the clear blue sky.
The princess landed at the decorated quay. Bands of gay music greetedher arrival, and accompanied her every step she took. During the timeshe was passing through the center of the town, and treading beneath herdelicate feet the richest carpets and the gayest flowers, which had beenstrewn upon the ground, De Guiche and Raoul, escaping from their Englishfriends, hurried through the town and hastened rapidly towards the placeintended for the residence of Madame.
"Let us hurry forward," said Raoul to De Guiche, "for if I readBuckingham's character aright, he will create some disturbance, when helearns the result of our deliberations of yesterday."
"Never fear," said De Guiche, "De Wardes is there, who is determinationitself, while Manicamp is the very personification of artlessgentleness."
De Guiche was not, however, the less diligent on that account, and fiveminutes afterwards they were within sight of the Hotel de Ville. Thefirst thing which struck them was the number of people assembled inthe square. "Excellent," said De Guiche; "our apartments, I see, areprepared."
In fact, in front of the Hotel de Ville, upon the wide open space beforeit, eight tents had been raised, surmounted by the flags of France andEngland united. The hotel was surrounded by tents, as by a girdle ofvariegated colors; ten pages and a dozen mounted troopers, who had beengiven to the ambassadors, for an escort, mounted guard before the tents.It had a singularly curious effect, almost fairy-like in its appearance.These tents had been constructed during the night-time. Fitted up,within and without, with the richest materials that De Guiche had beenable to procure in Havre, they completely encircled the Hotel de Ville.The only passage which led to the steps of the hotel, and which was notinclosed by the silken barricade, was guarded by two tents, resemblingtwo pavilions, the doorways of both of which opened towards theentrance. These two tents were destined for De Guiche and Raoul; inwhose absence they were intended to be occupied, that of De Guiche by DeWardes, and that of Raoul by Manicamp. Surrounding these two tents, andthe six others, a hundred officers, gentlemen, and pages, dazzling intheir display of silk and gold, thronged like bees buzzi
ng about a hive.Every one of them, their swords by their sides, was ready to obey theslightest sign either of De Guiche or Bragelonne, the leaders of theembassy.
At the very moment the two young men appeared at the end of one of thestreets leading to the square, they perceived, crossing the square atfull gallop, a young man on horseback, whose costume was of surprisingrichness. He pushed hastily through the crowd of curious lookers-on,and, at the sight of these unexpected erections, uttered a cry of angerand dismay. It was Buckingham, who had awakened from his stupor, inorder to adorn himself with a costume perfectly dazzling from itsbeauty, and to await the arrival of the princess and the queen-motherat the Hotel de Ville. At the entrance to the tents, the soldiersbarred his passage, and his further progress was arrested. Buckingham,hopelessly infuriated, raised his whip; but his arm was seized by acouple of officers. Of the two guardians of the tent, only one wasthere. De Wardes was in the interior of the Hotel de Ville, engaged inattending to the execution of some orders given by De Guiche. At thenoise made by Buckingham Manicamp, who was indolently reclining uponthe cushions at the doorway of one of the tents, rose with his usualindifference, and, perceiving that the disturbance continued, made hisappearance from underneath the curtains. "What is the matter?" he said,in a gentle tone of voice, "and who is it making this disturbance?"
It so happened, that, at the moment he began to speak, silence had justbeen restored, and, although his voice was very soft and gentle in itstone, every one heard his question. Buckingham turned round; and lookedat the tall, thin figure, and the listless expression of countenance ofhis questioner. Probably the personal appearance of Manicamp, who wasdressed very plainly, did not inspire him with much respect, for hereplied disdainfully, "Who may you be, monsieur?"
Manicamp, leaning on the arm of a gigantic trooper, as firm asthe pillar of a cathedral, replied in his usual tranquil tone ofvoice,--"And you, monsieur?"
"I, monsieur, am the Duke of Buckingham; I have hired all the houseswhich surround the Hotel de Ville, where I have business to transact;and as these houses are let, they belong to me, and, as I hired them inorder to preserve the right of free access to the Hotel de Ville, youare not justified in preventing me passing to it."
"But who prevents you passing, monsieur?" inquired Manicamp.
"Your sentinels."
"Because you wish to pass on horseback, and orders have been given tolet only persons on foot pass."
"No one has any right to give orders here, except myself," saidBuckingham.
"On what grounds?" inquired Manicamp, with his soft tone. "Will you dome the favor to explain this enigma to me?"
"Because, as I have already told you, I have hired all the houseslooking on the square."
"We are very well aware of that, since nothing but the square itself hasbeen left for us."
"You are mistaken, monsieur; the square belongs to me, as well as thehouses in it."
"Forgive me, monsieur, but you are mistaken there. In our country,we say, the highway belongs to the king, therefore this square is hismajesty's; and, consequently, as we are the king's ambassadors, thesquare belongs to us."
"I have already asked you who you are, monsieur," exclaimed Buckingham,exasperated at the coolness of his interlocutor.
"My name is Manicamp," replied the young man, in a voice whose toneswere as harmonious and sweet as the notes of an AEolian harp.
Buckingham shrugged his shoulders contemptuously, and said, "When Ihired these houses which surround the Hotel de Ville, the square wasunoccupied; these barracks obstruct my sight; I hereby order them to beremoved."
A hoarse and angry murmur ran through the crowd of listeners at thesewords. De Guiche arrived at this moment; he pushed through the crowdwhich separated him from Buckingham, and, followed by Raoul, arrived onthe scene of action from one side, just as De Wardes came up from theother. "Pardon me, my lord; but if you have any complaint to make, havethe goodness to address it to me, inasmuch as it was I who supplied theplans for the construction of these tents."
"Moreover, I would beg you to observe, monsieur, that the term 'barrack'is a highly objectionable one!" added Manicamp, graciously.
"You were saying, monsieur--" continued De Guiche.
"I was saying, monsieur le comte," resumed Buckingham, in a tone ofanger more marked than ever, although in some measure moderated by thepresence of an equal, "I was saying that it is impossible these tentscan remain where they are."
"Impossible!" exclaimed De Guiche, "and why?"
"Because I object to them."
A movement of impatience escaped De Guiche, but a warning glance fromRaoul restrained him.
"You should the less object to them, monsieur, on account of the abuseof priority you have permitted yourself to exercise."
"Abuse!"
"Most assuredly. You commission a messenger, who hires in your namethe whole of the town of Havre, without considering the members of theFrench court, who would be sure to arrive here to meet Madame.Your Grace will admit that this is hardly friendly conduct in therepresentative of a friendly nation."
"The right of possession belongs to him who is first on the ground."
"Not in France, monsieur."
"Why not in France?"
"Because France is a country where politeness is observed."
"Which means!" exclaimed Buckingham, in so violent a manner that thosewho were present drew back, expecting an immediate collision.
"Which means, monsieur," replied De Guiche, now rather pale, "thatI caused these tents to be raised as habitations for myself and myfriends, as a shelter for the ambassadors of France, as the only placeof refuge which your exactions have left us in the town; and that Iand those who are with me, shall remain in them, at least, until anauthority more powerful, and more supreme, than your own shall dismissme from them."
"In other words, until we are ejected, as the lawyers say," observedManicamp, blandly.
"I know an authority, monsieur, which I trust is such as you willrespect," said Buckingham, placing his hand on his sword.
At this moment, and as the goddess of Discord, inflaming all minds, wasabout to direct their swords against each other, Raoul gently placed hishand on Buckingham's shoulder. "One word, my lord," he said.
"My right, my right, first of all," exclaimed the fiery young man.
"It is precisely upon that point I wish to have the honor of addressinga word to you."
"Very well, monsieur, but let your remarks be brief."
"One question is all I ask; you can hardly expect me to be briefer."
"Speak, monsieur, I am listening."
"Are you, or is the Duke of Orleans, going to marry the granddaughter ofHenry IV.?"
"What do you mean?" exclaimed Buckingham, retreating a few steps,bewildered.
"Have the goodness to answer me," persisted Raoul, tranquilly.
"Do you mean to ridicule me, monsieur?" inquired Buckingham.
"Your question is a sufficient answer for me. You admit, then, that itis not you who are going to marry the princess?"
"Thou know it perfectly well, monsieur, I should imagine."
"I beg your pardon, but your conduct has been such as to leave it notaltogether certain."
"Proceed, monsieur, what do you mean to convey?"
Raoul approached the duke. "Are you aware, my lord," he said, loweringhis voice, "that your extravagances very much resemble the excessesof jealousy? These jealous fits, with respect to any woman, are notbecoming in one who is neither her lover nor her husband; and I am sureyou will admit that my remark applies with still greater force, when thelady in question is a princess of the blood royal!"
"Monsieur," exclaimed Buckingham, "do you mean to insult MadameHenrietta?"
"Be careful, my lord," replied Bragelonne, coldly, "for it is you whoinsult her. A little while since, when on board the admiral's ship,you wearied the queen, and exhausted the admiral's patience. Iwas observing, my lord; and, at first, I concluded you were notin possession of you
r senses, but I have since surmised the realsignificance of your madness."
"Monsieur!" exclaimed Buckingham.
"One moment more, for I have yet another word to add. I trust I am theonly one of my companions who has guessed it."
"Are you aware, monsieur," said Buckingham, trembling with mingledfeelings of anger and uneasiness, "are you aware that you are holdinglanguage towards me which requires to be checked?"
"Weigh your words well, my lord," said Raoul, haughtily: "my nature isnot such that its vivacities need checking; whilst you, on the contrary,are descended from a race whose passions are suspected by all trueFrenchmen; I repeat, therefore, for the second time, be careful!"
"Careful of what, may I ask? Do you presume to threaten me?"
"I am the son of the Comte de la Fere, my lord, and I never threaten,because I strike first. Therefore, understand me well, the threat that Ihold out to you is this----"
Buckingham clenched his hands, but Raoul continued, as though he had notobserved the gesture. "At the very first word, beyond the respect anddeference due to her royal highness, which you permit yourself to usetowards her,--be patient, my lord, for I am perfectly so."
"You?"
"Undoubtedly. So long as Madame remained on English territory, I heldmy peace; but from the very moment she stepped on French ground, and nowthat we have received her in the name of the prince, I warn you, thatat the first mark of disrespect which you, in your insane attachment,exhibit towards the royal house of France, I shall have one of twocourses to follow;--either I declare, in the presence of every one, themadness with which you are now affected, and I get you ignominiouslyordered back to England; or if you prefer it, I will run my daggerthrough your throat in the presence of all here. This second alternativeseems to me the least disagreeable, and I think I shall hold to it."
Buckingham had become paler than the lace collar around his neck. "M.de Bragelonne," he said, "is it, indeed, a gentleman who is speaking tome?"
"Yes; only the gentleman is speaking to a madman. Get cured, my lord,and he will hold quite another language to you."
"But, M. de Bragelonne," murmured the duke, in a voice, half-choked, andputting his hand to his neck,--"Do you not see I am choking?"
"If your death were to take place at this moment, my lord," repliedRaoul, with unruffled composure, "I should, indeed, regard it as agreat happiness, for this circumstance would prevent all kinds of evilremarks; not alone about yourself, but also about those illustriouspersons whom your devotion is compromising in so absurd a manner."
"You are right, you are right," said the young man, almost besidehimself. "Yes, yes; better to die, than to suffer as I do at thismoment." And he grasped a beautiful dagger, the handle of which wasinlaid with precious stones; and which he half drew from his breast.
Raoul thrust his hand aside. "Be careful what you do," he said; "if youdo not kill yourself, you commit a ridiculous action; and if you were tokill yourself, you sprinkle blood upon the nuptial robe of the princessof England."
Buckingham remained a minute gasping for breath; during this interval,his lips quivered, his fingers worked convulsively, and his eyeswandered as though in delirium. Then suddenly, he said, "M. deBragelonne, I know nowhere a nobler mind than yours; you are, indeed,a worthy son of the most perfect gentleman that ever lived. Keep yourtents." And he threw his arms round Raoul's neck. All who were present,astounded at this conduct, which was the very reverse of what wasexpected, considering the violence of the one adversary and thedetermination of the other, began immediately to clap their hands, anda thousand cheers and joyful shouts arose from all sides. De Guiche, inhis turn, embraced Buckingham somewhat against his inclination; but,at all events, he did embrace him. This was the signal for French andEnglish to do the same; and they who, until that moment, had looked ateach other with restless uncertainty, fraternized on the spot. In themeantime, the procession of the princess arrived, and had it not beenfor Bragelonne, two armies would have been engaged together in conflict,and blood have been shed upon the flowers with which the ground wascovered. At the appearance, however, of the banners borne at the head ofthe procession, complete order was restored.
CHAPTER 86. Night
Ten Years Later Page 92