27. The four old Friends prepare to meet again.
Well," said Porthos, seated in the courtyard of the Hotel de laChevrette, to D'Artagnan, who, with a long and melancholy face, hadreturned from the Palais Royal; "did he receive you ungraciously, mydear friend?"
"I'faith, yes! a brute, that cardinal. What are you eating there,Porthos?"
"I am dipping a biscuit in a glass of Spanish wine; do the same."
"You are right. Gimblou, a glass of wine."
"Well, how has all gone off?"
"Zounds! you know there's only one way of saying things, so I went inand said, 'My lord, we were not the strongest party.'
"'Yes, I know that,' he said, 'but give me the particulars.'
"You know, Porthos, I could not give him the particulars without namingour friends; to name them would be to commit them to ruin, so I merelysaid they were fifty and we were two.
"'There was firing, nevertheless, I heard,' he said; 'and yourswords--they saw the light of day, I presume?'
"'That is, the night, my lord,' I answered.
"'Ah!' cried the cardinal, 'I thought you were a Gascon, my friend?'
"'I am a Gascon,' said I, 'only when I succeed.' The answer pleased himand he laughed.
"'That will teach me,' he said, 'to have my guards provided with betterhorses; for if they had been able to keep up with you and if each one ofthem had done as much as you and your friend, you would have kept yourword and would have brought him back to me dead or alive.'"
"Well, there's nothing bad in that, it seems to me," said Porthos.
"Oh, mon Dieu! no, nothing at all. It was the way in which he spoke. Itis incredible how these biscuit soak up wine! They are veritablesponges! Gimblou, another bottle."
The bottle was brought with a promptness which showed the degree ofconsideration D'Artagnan enjoyed in the establishment. He continued:
"So I was going away, but he called me back.
"'You have had three horses foundered or killed?' he asked me.
"'Yes, my lord.'
"'How much were they worth?'"
"Why," said Porthos, "that was very good of him, it seems to me."
"'A thousand pistoles,' I said."
"A thousand pistoles!" Porthos exclaimed. "Oh! oh! that is a large sum.If he knew anything about horses he would dispute the price."
"Faith! he was very much inclined to do so, the contemptible fellow. Hemade a great start and looked at me. I also looked at him; then heunderstood, and putting his hand into a drawer, he took from it aquantity of notes on a bank in Lyons."
"For a thousand pistoles?"
"For a thousand pistoles--just that amount, the beggar; not one toomany."
"And you have them?"
"They are here."
"Upon my word, I think he acted very generously."
"Generously! to men who had risked their lives for him, and besides haddone him a great service?"
"A great service--what was that?"
"Why, it seems that I crushed for him a parliament councillor."
"What! that little man in black that you upset at the corner of SaintJean Cemetery?"
"That's the man, my dear fellow; he was an annoyance to the cardinal.Unfortunately, I didn't crush him flat. It seems that he came to himselfand that he will continue to be an annoyance."
"See that, now!" said Porthos; "and I turned my horse aside from goingplump on to him! That will be for another time."
"He owed me for the councillor, the pettifogger!"
"But," said Porthos, "if he was not crushed completely----"
"Ah! Monsieur de Richelieu would have said, 'Five hundred crowns for thecouncillor.' Well, let's say no more about it. How much were youranimals worth, Porthos?"
"Ah, if poor Mousqueton were here he could tell you to a fraction."
"No matter; you can tell within ten crowns."
"Why, Vulcan and Bayard cost me each about two hundred pistoles, andputting Phoebus at a hundred and fifty, we should be pretty near theamount."
"There will remain, then, four hundred and fifty pistoles," saidD'Artagnan, contentedly.
"Yes," said Porthos, "but there are the equipments."
"That is very true. Well, how much for the equipments?"
"If we say one hundred pistoles for the three----"
"Good for the hundred pistoles; there remains, then, three hundred andfifty."
Porthos made a sign of assent.
"We will give the fifty pistoles to the hostess for our expenses," saidD'Artagnan, "and share the three hundred."
"We will share," said Porthos.
"A paltry piece of business!" murmured D'Artagnan crumpling his note.
"Pooh!" said Porthos, "it is always that. But tell me----"
"What?"
"Didn't he speak of me in any way?"
"Ah! yes, indeed!" cried D'Artagnan, who was afraid of disheartening hisfriend by telling him that the cardinal had not breathed a word abouthim; "yes, surely, he said----"
"He said?" resumed Porthos.
"Stop, I want to remember his exact words. He said, 'As to your friend,tell him he may sleep in peace.'"
"Good, very good," said Porthos; "that signified as clear as daylightthat he still intends to make me a baron."
At this moment nine o'clock struck. D'Artagnan started.
"Ah, yes," said Porthos, "there is nine o'clock. We have a rendezvous,you remember, at the Place Royale."
"Ah! stop! hold your peace, Porthos, don't remind me of it; 'tis thatwhich has made me so cross since yesterday. I shall not go."
"Why?" asked Porthos.
"Because it is a grievous thing for me to meet again those two men whocaused the failure of our enterprise."
"And yet," said Porthos, "neither of them had any advantage over us. Istill had a loaded pistol and you were in full fight, sword in hand."
"Yes," said D'Artagnan; "but what if this rendezvous had some hiddenpurpose?"
"Oh!" said Porthos, "you can't think that, D'Artagnan!"
D'Artagnan did not believe Athos to be capable of a deception, but hesought an excuse for not going to the rendezvous.
"We must go," said the superb lord of Bracieux, "lest they should say wewere afraid. We who have faced fifty foes on the high road can well meettwo in the Place Royale."
"Yes, yes, but they took part with the princes without apprising us ofit. Athos and Aramis have played a game with me which alarms me. Wediscovered yesterday the truth; what is the use of going to-day to learnsomething else?"
"You really have some distrust, then?" said Porthos.
"Of Aramis, yes, since he has become an abbe. You can't imagine, my dearfellow, the sort of man he is. He sees us on the road which leads him toa bishopric, and perhaps will not be sorry to get us out of his way."
"Ah, as regards Aramis, that is another thing," said Porthos, "and itwouldn't surprise me at all."
"Perhaps Monsieur de Beaufort will try, in his turn, to lay hands onus."
"Nonsense! He had us in his power and he let us go. Besides we can be onour guard; let us take arms, let Planchet post himself behind us withhis carbine."
"Planchet is a Frondeur," answered D'Artagnan.
"Devil take these civil wars! one can no more now reckon on one'sfriends than on one's footmen," said Porthos. "Ah! if Mousqueton werehere! there's a fellow who will never desert me!"
"So long as you are rich! Ah! my friend! 'tis not civil war thatdisunites us. It is that we are each of us twenty years older; it isthat the honest emotions of youth have given place to suggestions ofinterest, whispers of ambition, counsels of selfishness. Yes, you areright; let us go, Porthos, but let us go well armed; were we not to keepthe rendezvous, they would declare we were afraid. Halloo! Planchet!here! saddle our horses, take your carbine."
"Whom are we going to attack, sir?"
"No one; a mere matter of precaution," answered the Gascon.
"You know, sir, that they wished to murder that good councillor,Brousse
l, the father of the people?"
"Really, did they?" said D'Artagnan.
"Yes, but he has been avenged. He was carried home in the arms of thepeople. His house has been full ever since. He has received visits fromthe coadjutor, from Madame de Longueville, and the Prince de Conti;Madame de Chevreuse and Madame de Vendome have left their names at hisdoor. And now, whenever he wishes----"
"Well, whenever he wishes?"
Planchet began to sing:
"Un vent de fronde S'est leve ce matin; Je crois qu'il gronde Contre leMazarin. Un vent de fronde S'est leve ce matin."
"It doesn't surprise me," said D'Artagnan, in a low tone to Porthos,"that Mazarin would have been much better satisfied had I crushed thelife out of his councillor."
"You understand, then, monsieur," resumed Planchet, "that if it were forsome enterprise like that undertaken against Monsieur Broussel that youshould ask me to take my carbine----"
"No, don't be alarmed; but where did you get all these details?"
"From a good source, sir; I heard it from Friquet."
"From Friquet? I know that name----"
"A son of Monsieur de Broussel's servant, and a lad that, I promise you,in a revolt will not give away his share to the dogs."
"Is he not a singing boy at Notre Dame?" asked D'Artagnan.
"Yes, that is the very boy; he's patronized by Bazin."
"Ah, yes, I know."
"Of what importance is this little reptile to you?" asked Porthos.
"Gad!" replied D'Artagnan; "he has already given me good information andhe may do the same again."
Whilst all this was going on, Athos and Aramis were entering Paris bythe Faubourg St. Antoine. They had taken some refreshment on the roadand hastened on, that they might not fail at the appointed place. Bazinwas their only attendant, for Grimaud had stayed behind to take care ofMousqueton. As they were passing onward, Athos proposed that they shouldlay aside their arms and military costume, and assume a dress moresuited to the city.
"Oh, no, dear count!" cried Aramis, "is it not a warlike encounter thatwe are going to?"
"What do you mean, Aramis?"
"That the Place Royale is the termination to the main road to Vendomois,and nothing else."
"What! our friends?"
"Are become our most dangerous enemies, Athos. Let us be on our guard."
"Oh! my dear D'Herblay!"
"Who can say whether D'Artagnan may not have betrayed us to thecardinal? who can tell whether Mazarin may not take advantage of thisrendezvous to seize us?"
"What! Aramis, you think that D'Artagnan, that Porthos, would lend theirhands to such an infamy?"
"Among friends, my dear Athos, no, you are right; but among enemies itwould be only a stratagem."
Athos crossed his arms and bowed his noble head.
"What can you expect, Athos? Men are so made; and we are not alwaystwenty years old. We have cruelly wounded, as you know, that personalpride by which D'Artagnan is blindly governed. He has been beaten. Didyou not observe his despair on the journey? As to Porthos, his baronywas perhaps dependent on that affair. Well, he found us on his road andwill not be baron this time. Perhaps that famous barony will havesomething to do with our interview this evening. Let us take ourprecautions, Athos."
"But suppose they come unarmed? What a disgrace to us."
"Oh, never fear! besides, if they do, we can easily make an excuse; wecame straight off a journey and are insurgents, too."
"An excuse for us! to meet D'Artagnan with a false excuse! to have tomake a false excuse to Porthos! Oh, Aramis!" continued Athos, shakinghis head mournfully, "upon my soul, you make me the most miserable ofmen; you disenchant a heart not wholly dead to friendship. Go inwhatever guise you choose; for my part, I shall go unarmed."
"No, for I will not allow you to do so. 'Tis not one man, not Athosonly, not the Comte de la Fere whom you will ruin by this amiableweakness, but a whole party to whom you belong and who depend upon you."
"Be it so then," replied Athos, sorrowfully.
And they pursued their road in mournful silence.
Scarcely had they reached by the Rue de la Mule the iron gate of thePlace Royale, when they perceived three cavaliers, D'Artagnan, Porthos,and Planchet, the two former wrapped up in their military cloaks underwhich their swords were hidden, and Planchet, his musket by his side.They were waiting at the entrance of the Rue Sainte Catharine, and theirhorses were fastened to the rings of the arcade. Athos, therefore,commanded Bazin to fasten up his horse and that of Aramis in the samemanner.
They then advanced two and two, and saluted each other politely.
"Now where will it be agreeable to you that we hold our conference?"inquired Aramis, perceiving that people were stopping to look at them,supposing that they were going to engage in one of those far-famed duelsstill extant in the memory of the Parisians, and especially theinhabitants of the Place Royale.
"The gate is shut," said Aramis, "but if these gentlemen like a coolretreat under the trees, and perfect seclusion, I will get the key fromthe Hotel de Rohan and we shall be well suited."
D'Artagnan darted a look into the obscurity of the Place. Porthosventured to put his head between the railings, to try if his glancecould penetrate the gloom.
"If you prefer any other place," said Athos, in his persuasive voice,"choose for yourselves."
"This place, if Monsieur d'Herblay can procure the key, is the best thatwe can have," was the answer.
Aramis went off at once, begging Athos not to remain alone within reachof D'Artagnan and Porthos; a piece of advice which was received with acontemptuous smile.
Aramis returned soon with a man from the Hotel de Rohan, who was sayingto him:
"You swear, sir, that it is not so?"
"Stop," and Aramis gave him a louis d'or.
"Ah! you will not swear, my master," said the concierge, shaking hishead.
"Well, one can never say what may happen; at present we and thesegentlemen are excellent friends."
"Yes, certainly," added Athos and the other two.
D'Artagnan had heard the conversation and had understood it.
"You see?" he said to Porthos.
"What do I see?"
"That he wouldn't swear."
"Swear what?"
"That man wanted Aramis to swear that we are not going to the PlaceRoyale to fight."
"And Aramis wouldn't swear?"
"No."
"Attention, then!"
Athos did not lose sight of the two speakers. Aramis opened the gate andfaced around in order that D'Artagnan and Porthos might enter. Inpassing through the gate, the hilt of the lieutenant's sword was caughtin the grating and he was obliged to pull off his cloak; in doing so heshowed the butt end of his pistols and a ray of the moon was reflectedon the shining metal.
"Do you see?" whispered Aramis to Athos, touching his shoulder with onehand and pointing with the other to the arms which the Gascon wore underhis belt.
"Alas! I do!" replied Athos, with a deep sigh.
He entered third, and Aramis, who shut the gate after him, last. The twoserving-men waited without; but as if they likewise mistrusted eachother, they kept their respective distances.
Vingt ans après. English Page 27