The Man in the Iron Mask

by Alexandre Dumas

  Chapter LII. M. de Gesvres's Round.

  D'Artagnan was little used to resistance like that he had justexperienced. He returned, profoundly irritated, to Nantes. Irritation,with this vigorous man, usually vented itself in impetuous attack, whichfew people, hitherto, were they king, were they giants, had been able toresist. Trembling with rage, he went straight to the castle, and askedan audience with the king. It might be about seven o'clock in themorning, and, since his arrival at Nantes, the king had been an earlyriser. But on arriving at the corridor with which we are acquainted,D'Artagnan found M. de Gesvres, who stopped him politely, telling himnot to speak too loud and disturb the king. "Is the king asleep?" saidD'Artagnan. "Well, I will let him sleep. But about what o'clock do yousuppose he will rise?"

  "Oh! in about two hours; his majesty has been up all night."

  D'Artagnan took his hat again, bowed to M. de Gesvres, and returned tohis own apartments. He came back at half-past nine, and was told thatthe king was at breakfast. "That will just suit me," said D'Artagnan. "Iwill talk to the king while he is eating."

  M. de Brienne reminded D'Artagnan that the king would not see any one atmeal-time.

  "But," said D'Artagnan, looking askant at Brienne, "you do not know,perhaps, monsieur, that I have the privilege of _entree_ anywhere--andat any hour."

  Brienne took the captain's hand kindly, and said, "Not at Nantes, dearMonsieur d'Artagnan. The king, in this journey, has changed everything."

  D'Artagnan, a little softened, asked about what o'clock the king wouldhave finished his breakfast.

  "We don't know."

  "Eh?--don't know! What does that mean? You don't know how much time theking devotes to eating? It is generally an hour; and, if we admit thatthe air of the Loire gives an additional appetite, we will extend it toan hour and a half; that is enough, I think. I will wait where I am."

  "Oh! dear Monsieur d'Artagnan, the order of the day is not to allow anyperson to remain in this corridor; I am on guard for that particularpurpose."

  D'Artagnan felt his anger mounting to his brain a second time. Hewent out quickly, for fear of complicating the affair by a display ofpremature ill-humor. As soon as he was out he began to reflect. "Theking," said he, "will not receive me, that is evident. The young man isangry; he is afraid, beforehand, of the words that I may speak to him.Yes; but in the meantime Belle-Isle is besieged, and my two friends bynow probably taken or killed. Poor Porthos! As to Master Aramis, he isalways full of resources, and I am easy on his account. But, no, no;Porthos is not yet an invalid, nor is Aramis in his dotage. The onewith his arm, the other with his imagination, will find work for hismajesty's soldiers. Who knows if these brave men may not get up forthe edification of his most Christian majesty a little bastion ofSaint-Gervais! I don't despair of it. They have cannon and a garrison.And yet," continued D'Artagnan, "I don't know whether it would notbe better to stop the combat. For myself alone I will not put up witheither surly looks or insults from the king; but for my friends I mustput up with everything. Shall I go to M. Colbert? Now, there is a manI must acquire the habit of terrifying. I will go to M. Colbert." AndD'Artagnan set forward bravely to find M. Colbert, but was informed thathe was working with the king, at the castle of Nantes. "Good!" cried he,"the times have come again in which I measured my steps from De Trevilleto the cardinal, from the cardinal to the queen, from the queen toLouis XIII. Truly is it said that men, in growing old, become childrenagain!--To the castle, then!" He returned thither. M. de Lyonne wascoming out. He gave D'Artagnan both hands, but told him that the kinghad been busy all the preceding evening and all night, and that ordershad been given that no one should be admitted. "Not even the captain whotakes the order?" cried D'Artagnan. "I think that is rather too strong."

  "Not even he," said M. de Lyonne.

  "Since that is the case," replied D'Artagnan, wounded to the heart;"since the captain of the musketeers, who has always entered theking's chamber, is no longer allowed to enter it, his cabinet, orhis _salle-a-manger_, either the king is dead, or his captain is indisgrace. Do me the favor, then, M. de Lyonne, who are in favor, toreturn and tell the king, plainly, I send him my resignation."

  "D'Artagnan, beware of what you are doing!"

  "For friendship's sake, go!" and he pushed him gently towards thecabinet.

  "Well, I will go," said Lyonne.

  D'Artagnan waited, walking about the corridor in no enviable mood.Lyonne returned.

  "Well, what did the king say?" exclaimed D'Artagnan.

  "He simply answered, ''Tis well,'" replied Lyonne.

  "That it was well!" said the captain, with an explosion. "That is tosay, that he accepts it? Good! Now, then, I am free! I am only a plaincitizen, M. de Lyonne. I have the pleasure of bidding you good-bye!Farewell, castle, corridor, ante-chamber! a _bourgeois_, about tobreathe at liberty, takes his farewell of you."

  And without waiting longer, the captain sprang from the terrace down thestaircase, where he had picked up the fragments of Gourville's letter.Five minutes after, he was at the hostelry, where, according to thecustom of all great officers who have lodgings at the castle, he hadtaken what was called his city-chamber. But when he arrived there,instead of throwing off his sword and cloak, he took his pistols, puthis money into a large leather purse, sent for his horses from thecastle-stables, and gave orders that would ensure their reaching Vannesduring the night. Everything went on according to his wishes. At eighto'clock in the evening, he was putting his foot in the stirrup, whenM. de Gesvres appeared, at the head of twelve guards, in front of thehostelry. D'Artagnan saw all from the corner of his eye; he could notfail seeing thirteen men and thirteen horses. But he feigned not toobserve anything, and was about to put his horse in motion. Gesvres rodeup to him. "Monsieur d'Artagnan!" said he, aloud.

  "Ah, Monsieur de Gesvres! good evening!"

  "One would say you were getting on horseback."

  "More than that,--I am mounted,--as you see."

  "It is fortunate I have met with you."

  "Were you looking for me, then?"

  "_Mon Dieu!_ yes."

  "On the part of the king, I will wager?"

  "Yes."

  "As I, three days ago, went in search of M. Fouquet?"

  "Oh!"

  "Nonsense! It is of no use being over-delicate with me; that is alllabor lost. Tell me at once you are come to arrest me."

  "To arrest you?--Good heavens! no."

  "Why do you come to accost me with twelve horsemen at your heels, then?"

  "I am making my round."

  "That isn't bad! And so you pick me up in your round, eh?"

  "I don't pick you up; I meet with you, and I beg you to come with me."

  "Where?"

  "To the king."

  "Good!" said D'Artagnan, with a bantering air; "the king is disengaged."

  "For Heaven's sake, captain," said M. de Gesvres, in a low voice to themusketeer, "do not compromise yourself! these men hear you."

  D'Artagnan laughed aloud, and replied:

  "March! People who are arrested are placed between the six first guardsand the six last."

  "But as I am not arresting you," said M. de Gesvres, "you will marchbehind, with me, if you please."

  "Well," said D'Artagnan, "that is very polite, duke, and you areright in being so; for if ever I had had to make my rounds near your_chambre-de-ville_, I should have been courteous to you, I assure you,on the word of a gentleman! Now, one favor more; what does the king wantwith me?"

  "Oh, the king is furious!"

  "Very well! the king, who has thought it worth while to be angry, maytake the trouble to grow calm again; that is all. I shan't die of that,I will swear."

  "No, but--"

  "But--I shall be sent to keep company with unfortunate M. Fouquet._Mordioux!_ That is a gallant man, a worthy man! We shall live verysociably together, I will be sworn."

  "Here we are at our place of destination," said the duke. "Captain, forHeaven's sake be calm with the king!"

/>   "Ah! ah! you are playing the brave man with me, duke!" said D'Artagnan,throwing one of his defiant glances over Gesvres. "I have been toldthat you are ambitious of uniting your guards with my musketeers. Thisstrikes me as a splendid opportunity."

  "I will take exceeding good care not to avail myself of it, captain."

  "And why not, pray?"

  "Oh, for many reasons--in the first place, for this: if I were tosucceed you in the musketeers after having arrested you--"

  "Ah! then you admit you have arrested me?"

  "No, I _don't_."

  "Say met me, then. So, you were saying _if_ you were to succeed me afterhaving arrested me?"

  "Your musketeers, at the first exercise with ball cartridges, would fire_my_ way, by mistake."

  "Oh, as to that I won't say; for the fellows _do_ love me a little."

  Gesvres made D'Artagnan pass in first, and took him straight to thecabinet where Louis was waiting for his captain of the musketeers, andplaced himself behind his colleague in the ante-chamber. The king couldbe heard distinctly, speaking aloud to Colbert in the same cabinet whereColbert might have heard, a few days before, the king speaking aloudwith M. d'Artagnan. The guards remained as a mounted picket before theprincipal gate; and the report was quickly spread throughout the citythat monsieur le capitaine of the musketeers had been arrested by orderof the king. Then these men were seen to be in motion, and as in thegood old times of Louis XIII. and M. de Treville, groups were formed,and staircases were filled; vague murmurs, issuing from the court below,came rolling to the upper stories, like the distant moaning of thewaves. M. de Gesvres became uneasy. He looked at his guards, who, afterbeing interrogated by the musketeers who had just got among their ranks,began to shun them with a manifestation of innocence. D'Artagnan wascertainly less disturbed by all this than M. de Gesvres, the captain ofthe guards. As soon as he entered, he seated himself on the ledge of awindow whence with his eagle glance he saw all that was going on withoutthe least emotion. No step of the progressive fermentation which hadshown itself at the report of his arrest escaped him. He foresawthe very moment the explosion would take place; and we know that hisprevisions were in general correct.

  "It would be very whimsical," thought he, "if, this evening, mypraetorians should make me king of France. How I should laugh!"

  But, at the height, all was stopped. Guards, musketeers, officers,soldiers, murmurs, uneasiness, dispersed, vanished, died away; there wasan end of menace and sedition. One word had calmed the waves. The kinghad desired Brienne to say, "Hush, messieurs! you disturb the king."

  D'Artagnan sighed. "All is over!" said he; "the musketeers of thepresent day are not those of his majesty Louis XIII. All is over!"

  "Monsieur d'Artagnan, you are wanted in the ante-chamber of the king,"proclaimed an usher.