The Man in the Iron Mask

by Alexandre Dumas

  Chapter XXVIII. Preparations for Departure.

  Athos lost no more time in combating this immutable resolution. He gaveall his attention to preparing, during the two days the duke had grantedhim, the proper appointments for Raoul. This labor chiefly concernedGrimaud, who immediately applied himself to it with the good-will andintelligence we know he possessed. Athos gave this worthy servant ordersto take the route to Paris when the equipments should be ready; and, notto expose himself to the danger of keeping the duke waiting, or delayingRaoul, so that the duke should perceive his absence, he himself, the dayafter the visit of M. de Beaufort, set off for Paris with his son.

  For the poor young man it was an emotion easily to be understood, thusto return to Paris amongst all the people who had known and loved him.Every face recalled a pang to him who had suffered so much; to him whohad loved so much, some circumstance of his unhappy love. Raoul, onapproaching Paris, felt as if he were dying. Once in Paris, he reallyexisted no longer. When he reached Guiche's residence, he was informedthat Guiche was with Monsieur. Raoul took the road to the Luxembourg,and when arrived, without suspecting that he was going to the placewhere La Valliere had lived, he heard so much music and respired somany perfumes, he heard so much joyous laughter, and saw so many dancingshadows, that if it had not been for a charitable woman, who perceivedhim so dejected and pale beneath a doorway, he would have remained therea few minutes, and then would have gone away, never to return. But, aswe have said, in the first ante-chamber he had stopped, solely for thesake of not mixing himself with all those happy beings he felt weremoving around him in the adjacent salons. And as one of Monsieur'sservants, recognizing him, had asked him if he wished to see Monsieur orMadame, Raoul had scarcely answered him, but had sunk down upon a benchnear the velvet doorway, looking at a clock, which had stoppedfor nearly an hour. The servant had passed on, and another, betteracquainted with him, had come up, and interrogated Raoul whether heshould inform M. de Guiche of his being there. This name did not evenarouse the recollections of Raoul. The persistent servant went on torelate that De Guiche had just invented a new game of lottery, andwas teaching it to the ladies. Raoul, opening his large eyes, like theabsent man in Theophrastus, made no answer, but his sadness increasedtwo shades. With his head hanging down, his limbs relaxed, his mouthhalf open for the escape of his sighs, Raoul remained, thus forgotten,in the ante-chamber, when all at once a lady's robe passed, rubbingagainst the doors of a side salon, which opened on the gallery. A lady,young, pretty, and gay, scolding an officer of the household, entered bythat way, and expressed herself with much vivacity. The officer repliedin calm but firm sentences; it was rather a little love pet than aquarrel of courtiers, and was terminated by a kiss on the fingers of thelady. Suddenly, on perceiving Raoul, the lady became silent, and pushingaway the officer:

  "Make your escape, Malicorne," said she; "I did not think there was anyone here. I shall curse you, if they have either heard or seen us!"

  Malicorne hastened away. The young lady advanced behind Raoul, andstretching her joyous face over him as he lay:

  "Monsieur is a gallant man," said she, "and no doubt--"

  She here interrupted herself by uttering a cry. "Raoul!" said she,blushing.

  "Mademoiselle de Montalais!" said Raoul, paler than death.

  He rose unsteadily, and tried to make his way across the slippery mosaicof the floor; but she had comprehended that savage and cruel grief; shefelt that in the flight of Raoul there was an accusation of herself. Awoman, ever vigilant, she did not think she ought to let the opportunityslip of making good her justification; but Raoul, though stopped by herin the middle of the gallery, did not seem disposed to surrender withouta combat. He took it up in a tone so cold and embarrassed, that if theyhad been thus surprised, the whole court would have no doubt about theproceedings of Mademoiselle de Montalais.

  "Ah! monsieur," said she with disdain, "what you are doing is veryunworthy of a gentleman. My heart inclines me to speak to you; youcompromise me by a reception almost uncivil; you are wrong, monsieur;and you confound your friends with enemies. Farewell!"

  Raoul had sworn never to speak of Louise, never even to look at thosewho might have seen Louise; he was going into another world, that hemight never meet with anything Louise had seen, or even touched. Butafter the first shock of his pride, after having had a glimpse ofMontalais, the companion of Louise--Montalais, who reminded him of theturret of Blois and the joys of youth--all his reason faded away.

  "Pardon me, mademoiselle; it enters not, it cannot enter into mythoughts to be uncivil."

  "Do you wish to speak to me?" said she, with the smile of former days."Well! come somewhere else; for we may be surprised."

  "Oh!" said he.

  She looked at the clock, doubtingly, then, having reflected:

  "In my apartment," said she, "we shall have an hour to ourselves." Andtaking her course, lighter than a fairy, she ran up to her chamber,followed by Raoul. Shutting the door, and placing in the hands of her_cameriste_ the mantle she had held upon her arm:

  "You were seeking M. de Guiche, were you not?" said she to Raoul.

  "Yes, mademoiselle."

  "I will go and ask him to come up here, presently, after I have spokento you."

  "Do so, mademoiselle."

  "Are you angry with me?"

  Raoul looked at her for a moment, then, casting down his eyes, "Yes,"said he.

  "You think I was concerned in the plot which brought about the rupture,do you not?"

  "Rupture!" said he, with bitterness. "Oh! mademoiselle, there can be norupture where there has been no love."

  "You are in error," replied Montalais; "Louise did love you."

  Raoul started.

  "Not with love, I know; but she liked you, and you ought to have marriedher before you set out for London."

  Raoul broke into a sinister laugh, which made Montalais shudder.

  "You tell me that very much at your ease, mademoiselle. Do people marrywhom they like? You forget that the king then kept for himself as hismistress her of whom we are speaking."

  "Listen," said the young woman, pressing the hands of Raoul in her own,"you were wrong in every way; a man of your age ought never to leave awoman of hers alone."

  "There is no longer any faith in the world, then," said Raoul.

  "No, vicomte," said Montalais, quietly. "Nevertheless, let me tell youthat, if, instead of loving Louise coldly and philosophically, you hadendeavored to awaken her to love--"

  "Enough, I pray you, mademoiselle," said Raoul. "I feel as though youare all, of both sexes, of a different age from me. You can laugh, andyou can banter agreeably. I, mademoiselle, I loved Mademoiselle de--"Raoul could not pronounce her name,--"I loved her well! I put my faithin her--now I am quits by loving her no longer."

  "Oh, vicomte!" said Montalais, pointing to his reflection in alooking-glass.

  "I know what you mean, mademoiselle; I am much altered, am I not? Well!Do you know why? Because my face is the mirror of my heart, the outersurface changed to match the mind within."

  "You are consoled, then?" said Montalais, sharply.

  "No, I shall never be consoled."

  "I don't understand you, M. de Bragelonne."

  "I care but little for that. I do not quite understand myself."

  "You have not even tried to speak to Louise?"

  "Who! I?" exclaimed the young man, with eyes flashing fire; "I!--Why doyou not advise me to marry her? Perhaps the king would consent now." Andhe rose from his chair full of anger.

  "I see," said Montalais, "that you are not cured, and that Louise hasone enemy the more."

  "One enemy the more!"

  "Yes; favorites are but little beloved at the court of France."

  "Oh! while she has her lover to protect her, is not that enough? Shehas chosen him of such a quality that her enemies cannot prevail againsther." But, stopping all at once, "And then she has you for a friend,mademoiselle," added he, with a shade of irony which did not gli
de offthe cuirass.

  "Who! I?--Oh, no! I am no longer one of those whom Mademoiselle de laValliere condescends to look upon; but--"

  This _but_, so big with menace and with storm; this _but_, which madethe heart of Raoul beat, such griefs did it presage for her whom latelyhe loved so dearly; this terrible _but_, so significant in a womanlike Montalais, was interrupted by a moderately loud noise heard by thespeakers proceeding from the alcove behind the wainscoting. Montalaisturned to listen, and Raoul was already rising, when a lady entered theroom quietly by the secret door, which she closed after her.

  "Madame!" exclaimed Raoul, on recognizing the sister-in-law of the king.

  "Stupid wretch!" murmured Montalais, throwing herself, but too late,before the princess, "I have been mistaken in an hour!" She had,however, time to warn the princess, who was walking towards Raoul.

  "M. de Bragelonne, Madame," and at these words the princess drew back,uttering a cry in her turn.

  "Your royal highness," said Montalais, with volubility, "is kind enoughto think of this lottery, and--"

  The princess began to lose countenance. Raoul hastened his departure,without divining all, but he felt that he was in the way. Madame waspreparing a word of transition to recover herself, when a closet openedin front of the alcove, and M. de Guiche issued, all radiant, also fromthat closet. The palest of the four, we must admit, was still Raoul. Theprincess, however, was near fainting, and was obliged to lean upon thefoot of the bed for support. No one ventured to support her. This sceneoccupied several minutes of terrible suspense. But Raoul broke it.He went up to the count, whose inexpressible emotion made his kneestremble, and taking his hand, "Dear count," said he, "tell Madame I amtoo unhappy not to merit pardon; tell her also that I have loved in thecourse of my life, and that the horror of the treachery that has beenpracticed on me renders me inexorable towards all other treachery thatmay be committed around me. This is why, mademoiselle," said he, smilingto Montalais, "I never would divulge the secret of the visits of myfriend to your apartment. Obtain from Madame--from Madame, who is soclement and so generous,--obtain her pardon for you whom she has justsurprised also. You are both free, love each other, be happy!"

  The princess felt for a moment a despair that cannot be described; itwas repugnant to her, notwithstanding the exquisite delicacy which Raoulhad exhibited, to feel herself at the mercy of one who had discoveredsuch an indiscretion. It was equally repugnant to her to accept theevasion offered by this delicate deception. Agitated, nervous, shestruggled against the double stings of these two troubles. Raoulcomprehended her position, and came once more to her aid. Bending hisknee before her: "Madame!" said he, in a low voice, "in two days I shallbe far from Paris; in a fortnight I shall be far from France, where Ishall never be seen again."

  "Are you going away, then?" said she, with great delight.

  "With M. de Beaufort."

  "Into Africa!" cried De Guiche, in his turn. "You, Raoul--oh! myfriend--into Africa, where everybody dies!"

  And forgetting everything, forgetting that that forgetfulness itselfcompromised the princess more eloquently than his presence, "Ingrate!"said he, "and you have not even consulted me!" And he embraced him;during which time Montalais had led away Madame, and disappearedherself.

  Raoul passed his hand over his brow, and said, with a smile, "I havebeen dreaming!" Then warmly to Guiche, who by degrees absorbed him, "Myfriend," said he, "I conceal nothing from you, who are the elected of myheart. I am going to seek death in yonder country; your secret will notremain in my breast more than a year."

  "Oh, Raoul! a man!"

  "Do you know what is my thought, count? This is it--I shall live morevividly, being buried beneath the earth, than I have lived for thismonth past. We are Christians, my friend, and if such sufferings were tocontinue, I would not be answerable for the safety of my soul."

  De Guiche was anxious to raise objections.

  "Not one word more on my account," said Raoul; "but advice to you, dearfriend; what I am going to say to you is of much greater importance."

  "What is that?"

  "Without doubt you risk much more than I do, because you love."

  "Oh!"

  "It is a joy so sweet to me to be able to speak to you thus! Well, then,De Guiche, beware of Montalais."

  "What! of that kind friend?"

  "She was the friend of--her you know of. She ruined her by pride."

  "You are mistaken."

  "And now, when she has ruined her, she would ravish from her the onlything that renders that woman excusable in my eyes."

  "What is that?"

  "Her love."

  "What do you mean by that?"

  "I mean that there is a plot formed against her who is the mistress ofthe king--a plot formed in the very house of Madame."

  "Can you think so?"

  "I am certain of it."

  "By Montalais?"

  "Take her as the least dangerous of the enemies I dread for--the other!"

  "Explain yourself clearly, my friend; and if I can understand you--"

  "In two words. Madame has been long jealous of the king."

  "I know she has--"

  "Oh! fear nothing--you are beloved--you are beloved, count; do you feelthe value of these three words? They signify that you can raise yourhead, that you can sleep tranquilly, that you can thank God everyminute of you life. You are beloved; that signifies that you may heareverything, even the counsel of a friend who wishes to preserve yourhappiness. You are beloved, De Guiche, you are beloved! You do notendure those atrocious nights, those nights without end, which, witharid eye and fainting heart, others pass through who are destined todie. You will live long, if you act like the miser who, bit by bit,crumb by crumb, collects and heaps up diamonds and gold. You arebeloved!--allow me to tell you what you must do that you may be belovedforever."

  De Guiche contemplated for some time this unfortunate young man, halfmad with despair, till there passed through his heart something likeremorse at his own happiness. Raoul suppressed his feverish excitement,to assume the voice and countenance of an impassible man.

  "They will make her, whose name I should wish still to be able topronounce--they will make her suffer. Swear to me that you will notsecond them in anything--but that you will defend her when possible, asI would have done myself."

  "I swear I will," replied De Guiche.

  "And," continued Raoul, "some day, when you shall have rendered hera great service--some day when she shall thank you, promise me to saythese words to her--'I have done you this kindness, madame, at the warmrequest of M. de Bragelonne, whom you so deeply injured.'"

  "I swear I will," murmured De Guiche.

  "That is all. Adieu! I set out to-morrow, or the day after, forToulon. If you have a few hours to spare, give them to me."

  "All! all!" cried the young man.

  "Thank you!"

  "And what are you going to do now?"

  "I am going to meet M. le comte at Planchet's residence, where we hopeto find M. d'Artagnan."

  "M. d'Artagnan?"

  "Yes, I wish to embrace him before my departure. He is a brave man, wholoves me dearly. Farewell, my friend; you are expected, no doubt; youwill find me, when you wish, at the lodgings of the comte. Farewell!"

  The two young men embraced. Those who chanced to see them both thus,would not have hesitated to say, pointing to Raoul, "That is the happyman!"