43. In which it is proved that first Impulses are oftentimes the best.
The three gentlemen took the road to Picardy, a road so well known tothem and which recalled to Athos and Aramis some of the most picturesqueadventures of their youth.
"If Mousqueton were with us," observed Athos, on reaching the spot wherethey had had a dispute with the paviers, "how he would tremble atpassing this! Do you remember, Aramis, that it was here he received thatfamous bullet wound?"
"By my faith, 'twould be excusable in him to tremble," replied Aramis,"for even I feel a shudder at the recollection; hold, just above thattree is the little spot where I thought I was killed."
It was soon time for Grimaud to recall the past. Arriving before the innat which his master and himself had made such an enormous repast, heapproached Athos and said, showing him the airhole of the cellar:
"Sausages!"
Athos began to laugh, for this juvenile escapade of his appeared to beas amusing as if some one had related it of another person.
At last, after traveling two days and a night, they arrived at Boulognetoward the evening, favored by magnificent weather. Boulogne was astrong position, then almost a deserted town, built entirely on theheights; what is now called the lower town did not then exist.
"Gentlemen," said De Winter, on reaching the gate of the town, "let usdo here as at Paris--let us separate to avoid suspicion. I know an inn,little frequented, but of which the host is entirely devoted to me. Iwill go there, where I expect to find letters, and you go to the firsttavern in the town, to L'Epee du Grand Henri for instance, refreshyourselves, and in two hours be upon the jetty; our boat is waiting forus there."
The matter being thus decided, the two friends found, about two hundredpaces further, the tavern indicated. Their horses were fed, but notunsaddled; the grooms supped, for it was already late, and their twomasters, impatient to return, appointed a place of meeting with them onthe jetty and desired them on no account to exchange a word with anyone. It is needless to say that this caution concerned Blaisoisalone--long enough since it had been a useless one to Grimaud.
Athos and Aramis walked down toward the port. From their dress, coveredwith dust, and from a certain easy manner by means of which a manaccustomed to travel is always recognizable, the two friends excited theattention of a few promenaders. There was more especially one upon whomtheir arrival had produced a decided impression. This man, whom they hadnoticed from the first for the same reason they had themselves beenremarked by others, was walking in a listless way up and down the jetty.From the moment he perceived them he did not cease to look at them andseemed to burn with the wish to speak to them.
On reaching the jetty Athos and Aramis stopped to look at a little boatmade fast to a pile and ready rigged as if waiting to start.
"That is doubtless our boat," said Athos.
"Yes," replied Aramis, "and the sloop out there making ready to sailmust be that which is to take us to our destination; now," continued he,"if only De Winter does not keep us waiting. It is not at all amusinghere; there is not a single woman passing."
"Hush!" said Athos, "we are overheard."
In truth, the walker, who, during the observations of the two friends,had passed and repassed behind them several times, stopped at the nameof De Winter; but as his face betrayed no emotion at mention of thisname, it might have been by chance he stood so still.
"Gentlemen," said the man, who was young and pale, bowing with ease andcourtesy, "pardon my curiosity, but I see you come from Paris, or atleast that you are strangers at Boulogne."
"We come from Paris, yes," replied Athos, with the same courtesy; "whatis there we can do for you?"
"Sir," said the young man, "will you be so good as to tell me if it betrue that Cardinal Mazarin is no longer minister?"
"That is a strange question," said Aramis.
"He is and he is not," replied Athos; "that is to say, he is dismissedby one-half of France, but by intrigues and promises he makes the otherhalf sustain him; you will perceive that this may last a long time."
"However, sir," said the stranger, "he has neither fled nor is inprison?"
"No, sir, not at this moment at least."
"Sirs, accept my thanks for your politeness," said the young man,retreating.
"What do you think of that interrogator?" asked Aramis.
"I think he is either a dull provincial person or a spy in search ofinformation."
"And you replied to him with that notion?"
"Nothing warranted me to answer him otherwise; he was polite to me and Iwas so to him."
"But if he be a spy----"
"What do you think a spy would be about here? We are not living in thetime of Cardinal Richelieu, who would have closed the ports on baresuspicion."
"It matters not; you were wrong to reply to him as you did," continuedAramis, following with his eyes the young man, now vanishing behind thecliffs.
"And you," said Athos, "you forget that you committed a very differentkind of imprudence in pronouncing Lord de Winter's name. Did you not seethat at that name the young man stopped?"
"More reason, then, when he spoke to you, for sending him about hisbusiness."
"A quarrel?" asked Athos.
"And since when have you become afraid of a quarrel?"
"I am always afraid of a quarrel when I am expected at any place andwhen such a quarrel might possibly prevent my reaching it. Besides, letme own something to you. I am anxious to see that young man nearer."
"And wherefore?"
"Aramis, you will certainly laugh at me, you will say that I am alwaysrepeating the same thing, you will call me the most timorous ofvisionaries; but to whom do you see a resemblance in that young man?"
"In beauty or on the contrary?" asked Aramis, laughing.
"In ugliness, in so far as a man can resemble a woman."
"Ah! Egad!" cried Aramis, "you set me thinking. No, in truth you are novisionary, my dear friend, and now I think of it--you--yes, i'faith,you're right--those delicate, yet firm-set lips, those eyes which seemalways at the command of the intellect and never of the heart! Yes, itis one of Milady's bastards!"
"You laugh Aramis."
"From habit, that is all. I swear to you, I like no better than yourselfto meet that viper in my path."
"Ah! here is De Winter coming," said Athos.
"Good! one thing now is only awanting and that is, that our groomsshould not keep us waiting."
"No," said Athos. "I see them about twenty paces behind my lord. Irecognize Grimaud by his long legs and his determined slouch. Tonycarries our muskets."
"Then we set sail to-night?" asked Aramis, glancing toward the west,where the sun had left a single golden cloud, which, dipping into theocean, appeared by degrees to be extinguished.
"Probably," said Athos.
"Diable!" resumed Aramis, "I have little fancy for the sea by day, stillless at night; the sounds of wind and wave, the frightful movements ofthe vessel; I confess I prefer the convent of Noisy."
Athos smiled sadly, for it was evident that he was thinking of otherthings as he listened to his friend and moved toward De Winter.
"What ails our friend?" said Aramis, "he resembles one of Dante'sdamned, whose neck Apollyon has dislocated and who are ever looking attheir heels. What the devil makes him glower thus behind him?"
When De Winter perceived them, in his turn he advanced toward them withsurprising rapidity.
"What is the matter, my lord?" said Athos, "and what puts you out ofbreath thus?"
"Nothing," replied De Winter; "nothing; and yet in passing the heightsit seemed to me----" and he again turned round.
Athos glanced at Aramis.
"But let us go," continued De Winter; "let us be off; the boat must bewaiting for us and there is our sloop at anchor--do you see it there? Iwish I were on board already," and he looked back again.
"He has seen him," said Athos, in a low tone, to Aramis.
They had reached the ladder wh
ich led to the boat. De Winter made thegrooms who carried the arms and the porters with the luggage descendfirst and was about to follow them.
At this moment Athos perceived a man walking on the seashore parallel tothe jetty, and hastening his steps, as if to reach the other side of theport, scarcely twenty steps from the place of embarking. He fancied inthe darkness that he recognized the young man who had questioned him.Athos now descended the ladder in his turn, without losing sight of theyoung man. The latter, to make a short cut, had appeared on a sluice.
"He certainly bodes us no good," said Athos; "but let us embark; onceout at sea, let him come."
And Athos sprang into the boat, which was immediately pushed off andwhich soon sped seawards under the efforts of four stalwart rowers.
But the young man had begun to follow, or rather to advance before theboat. She was obliged to pass between the point of the jetty, surmountedby a beacon just lighted, and a rock which jutted out. They saw him inthe distance climbing the rock in order to look down upon the boat as itpassed.
"Ay, but," said Aramis, "that young fellow is decidedly a spy."
"Which is the young man?" asked De Winter, turning around.
"He who followed us and spoke to us awaits us there; behold!"
De Winter turned and followed the direction of Aramis's finger. Thebeacon bathed with light the little strait through which they were aboutto pass and the rock where the young man stood with bare head andcrossed arms.
"It is he!" exclaimed De Winter, seizing the arm of Athos; "it is he! Ithought I recognized him and I was not mistaken."
"Whom do you mean?" asked Aramis.
"Milady's son," replied Athos.
"The monk!" exclaimed Grimaud.
The young man heard these words and bent so forward over the rock thatone might have supposed he was about to precipitate himself from it.
"Yes, it is I, my uncle--I, the son of Milady--I, the monk--I, thesecretary and friend of Cromwell--I know you now, both you and yourcompanions."
In that boat sat three men, unquestionably brave, whose courage no manwould have dared dispute; nevertheless, at that voice, that accent andthose gestures, they felt a chill access of terror cramp their veins. Asfor Grimaud, his hair stood on end and drops of sweat ran down his brow.
"Ah!" exclaimed Aramis, "that is the nephew, the monk, and the son ofMilady, as he says himself."
"Alas, yes," murmured De Winter.
"Then wait," said Aramis; and with the terrible coolness which onimportant occasions he showed, he took one of the muskets from Tony,shouldered and aimed it at the young man, who stood, like the accusingangel, upon the rock.
"Fire!" cried Grimaud, unconsciously.
Athos threw himself on the muzzle of the gun and arrested the shot whichwas about to be fired.
"The devil take you," said Aramis. "I had him so well at the point of mygun I should have sent a ball into his breast."
"It is enough to have killed the mother," said Athos, hoarsely.
"The mother was a wretch, who struck at us all and at those dear to us."
"Yes, but the son has done us no harm."
Grimaud, who had risen to watch the effect of the shot, fell backhopeless, wringing his hands.
The young man burst into a laugh.
"Ah, it is certainly you!" he cried. "I know you even better now."
His mocking laugh and threatening words passed over their heads, carriedby the breeze, until lost in the depths of the horizon. Aramisshuddered.
"Be calm," exclaimed Athos, "for Heaven's sake! have we ceased to bemen?"
"No," said Aramis, "but that fellow is a fiend; and ask the unclewhether I was wrong to rid him of his dear nephew."
De Winter only replied by a groan.
"It was all up with him," continued Aramis; "ah I much fear that withall your wisdom such mercy yet will prove supernal folly."
Athos took Lord de Winter's hand and tried to turn the conversation.
"When shall we land in England?" he asked; but De Winter seemed not tohear his words and made no reply.
"Hold, Athos," said Aramis, "perhaps there is yet time. See if he isstill in the same place."
Athos turned around with an effort; the sight of the young man wasevidently painful to him, and there he still was, in fact, on the rock,the beacon shedding around him, as it were, a doubtful aureole.
"Decidedly, Aramis," said Athos, "I think I was wrong not to let youfire."
"Hold your tongue," replied Aramis; "you would make me weep, if such athing were possible."
At this moment they were hailed by a voice from the sloop and a fewseconds later men, servants and baggage were aboard. The captain wasonly waiting for his passengers; hardly had they put foot on deck ereher head was turned towards Hastings, where they were to disembark. Atthis instant the three friends turned, in spite of themselves, a lastlook on the rock, upon the menacing figure which pursued them and nowstood out with a distinctness still. Then a voice reached them oncemore, sending this threat: "To our next meeting, sirs, in England."
Vingt ans après. English Page 43