Twenty Years After by Alexandre Dumas (epub read online books .txt) đ
- Author: Alexandre Dumas
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At ten oâclock Anne of Austria had entered the kingâs room. Monsieur had just retired, and the youthful Louis, remaining the last, was amusing himself by placing some lead soldiers in a line of battle, a game which delighted him much. Two royal pages were playing with him.
âLaporte,â said the queen, âit is time for his majesty to go to bed.â
The king asked to remain up, having, he said, no wish to sleep; but the queen was firm.
âAre you not going to-morrow morning at six oâclock, Louis, to bathe at Conflans? I think you wished to do so of your own accord?â
âYou are right, madame,â said the king, âand I am ready to retire to my room when you have kissed me. Laporte, give the light to Monsieur the Chevalier de Coislin.â
The queen touched with her lips the white, smooth brow the royal child presented to her with a gravity which already partook of etiquette.
âGo to sleep soon, Louis,â said the queen, âfor you must be awakened very early.â
âI will do my best to obey you, madame,â said the youthful king, âbut I have no inclination to sleep.â
âLaporte,â said Anne of Austria, in an undertone, âfind some very dull book to read to his majesty, but do not undress yourself.â
The king went out, accompanied by the Chevalier de Coislin, bearing the candlestick, and then the queen returned to her own apartment. Her ladies--that is to say Madame de Bregy, Mademoiselle de Beaumont, Madame de Motteville, and Socratine, her sister, so called on account of her sense--had just brought into her dressing-room the remains of the dinner, on which, according to her usual custom, she supped. The queen then gave her orders, spoke of a banquet which the Marquis de Villequier was to give to her on the day after the morrow, indicated the persons she would admit to the honor of partaking of it, announced another visit on the following day to Val-de-Grace, where she intended to pay her devotions, and gave her commands to her senior valet to accompany her. When the ladies had finished their supper the queen feigned extreme fatigue and passed into her bedroom. Madame de Motteville, who was on especial duty that evening, followed to aid and undress her. The queen then began to read, and after conversing with her affectionately for a few minutes, dismissed her.
It was at this moment DâArtagnan entered the courtyard of the palace, in the coadjutorâs carriage, and a few seconds later the carriages of the ladies-in-waiting drove out and the gates were shut after them.
A few minutes after twelve oâclock Bernouin knocked at the queenâs bedroom door, having come by the cardinalâs secret corridor. Anne of Austria opened the door to him herself. She was dressed, that is to say, in dishabille, wrapped in a long, warm dressing-gown.
âIt is you, Bernouin,â she said. âIs Monsieur dâArtagnan there?â
âYes, madame, in your oratory. He is waiting till your majesty is ready.â
âI am. Go and tell Laporte to wake and dress the king, and then pass on to the Marechal de Villeroy and summon him to me.â
Bernouin bowed and retired.
The queen entered her oratory, which was lighted by a single lamp of Venetian crystal, She saw DâArtagnan, who stood expecting her.
âIs it you?â she said.
âYes, madame.â
âAre you ready?â
âI am.â
âAnd his eminence, the cardinal?â
âHas got off without any accident. He is awaiting your majesty at Cours la Reine.â
âBut in what carriage do we start?â
âI have provided for everything; a carriage below is waiting for your majesty.â
âLet us go to the king.â
DâArtagnan bowed and followed the queen. The young Louis was already dressed, with the exception of his shoes and doublet; he had allowed himself to be dressed, in great astonishment, overwhelming Laporte with questions, who replied only in these words, âSire, it is by the queenâs commands.â
The bedclothes were thrown back, exposing the kingâs bed linen, which was so worn that here and there holes could be seen. It was one of the results of Mazarinâs niggardliness.
The queen entered and DâArtagnan remained at the door. As soon as the child perceived the queen he escaped from Laporte and ran to meet her. Anne then motioned to DâArtagnan to approach, and he obeyed.
âMy son,â said Anne of Austria, pointing to the musketeer, calm, standing uncovered, âhere is Monsieur dâArtagnan, who is as brave as one of those ancient heroes of whom you like so much to hear from my women. Remember his name well and look at him well, that his face may not be forgotten, for this evening he is going to render us a great service.â
The young king looked at the officer with his large-formed eye, and repeated:
âMonsieur dâArtagnan.â
âThat is it, my son.â
The young king slowly raised his little hand and held it out to the musketeer; the latter bent on his knee and kissed it.
âMonsieur dâArtagnan,â repeated Louis; âvery well, madame.â
At this moment they were startled by a noise as if a tumult were approaching.
âWhat is that?â exclaimed the queen.
âOh, oh!â replied DâArtagnan, straining both at the same time his quick ear and his intelligent glance, âit is the murmur of the populace in revolution.â
âWe must fly,â said the queen.
âYour majesty has given me the control of this business; we had better wait and see what they want.â
âMonsieur dâArtagnan!â
âI will answer for everything.â
Nothing is so catching as confidence. The queen, full of energy and courage, was quickly alive to these two virtues in others.
âDo as you like,â she said, âI rely upon you.â
âWill your majesty permit me to give orders in your name throughout this business?â
âCommand, sir.â
âWhat do the people want this time?â demanded the king.
âWe are about to ascertain, sire,â replied DâArtagnan, as he rapidly left the room.
The tumult continued to increase and seemed to surround the Palais Royal entirely. Cries were heard from the interior, of which they could not comprehend the sense. It was evident that there was clamor and sedition.
The king, half dressed, the queen and Laporte remained each in the same state and almost in the same place, where they were listening and waiting. Comminges, who was on guard that night at the Palais Royal, ran in. He had about two hundred men in the courtyards and stables, and he placed them at the queenâs disposal.
âWell,â asked Anne of Austria, when DâArtagnan reappeared, âwhat does it mean?â
âIt means, madame, that the report has spread that the queen has left the Palais Royal, carrying off the king, and the people ask to have proof to the contrary, or threaten to demolish the Palais Royal.â
âOh, this time it is too much!â exclaimed the queen, âand I will prove to them I have not left.â
DâArtagnan saw from the expression of the queenâs face that she was about to issue some violent command. He approached her and said in a low voice:
âHas your majesty still confidence in me?â
This voice startled her. âYes, sir,â she replied, âevery confidence; speak.â
âWill the queen deign to follow my advice?â
âSpeak.â
âLet your majesty dismiss M. de Comminges and desire him to shut himself up with his men in the guardhouse and in the stables.â
Comminges glanced at DâArtagnan with the envious look with which every courtier sees a new favorite spring up.
âYou hear, Comminges?â said the queen.
DâArtagnan went up to him; with his usual quickness he caught the anxious glance.
âMonsieur de Comminges,â he said, âpardon me; we both are servants of the queen, are we not? It is my turn to be of use to her; do not envy me this happiness.â
Comminges bowed and left.
âCome,â said DâArtagnan to himself, âI have got one more enemy.â
âAnd now,â said the queen, addressing DâArtagnan, âwhat is to be done? for you hear that, instead of becoming calmer, the noise increases.â
âMadame,â said DâArtagnan, âthe people want to see the king and they must see him.â
âWhat! must see him! Where--on the balcony?â
âNot at all, madame, but here, sleeping in his bed.â
âOh, your majesty,â exclaimed Laporte, âMonsieur dâArtagnan is right.â
The queen became thoughtful and smiled, like a woman to whom duplicity is no stranger.
âWithout doubt,â she murmured.
âMonsieur Laporte,â said DâArtagnan, âgo and announce to the people through the grating that they are going to be satisfied and that in five minutes they shall not only see the king, but they shall see him in bed; add that the king sleeps and that the queen begs that they will keep silence, so as not to awaken him.â
âBut not every one; a deputation of two or four people.â
âEvery one, madame.â
âBut reflect, they will keep us here till daybreak.â
âIt shall take but a quarter of an hour, I answer for everything, madame; believe me, I know the people; they are like a great child, who only wants humoring. Before the sleeping king they will be mute, gentle and timid as lambs.â
âGo, Laporte,â said the queen.
The young king approached his mother and said, âWhy do as these people ask?â
âIt must be so, my son,â said Anne of Austria.
âBut if they say, âit must beâ to me, am I no longer king?â
The queen remained silent.
âSire,â said DâArtagnan, âwill your majesty permit me to ask you a question?â
Louis XIV. turned around, astonished that any one should dare to address him. But the queen pressed the childâs hand.
âYes, sir.â he said.
âDoes your majesty remember, when playing in the park of Fontainebleau, or in the palace courts at Versailles, ever to have seen the sky grow suddenly dark and heard the sound of thunder?â
âYes, certainly.â
âWell, then, this noise of thunder, however much your majesty may have wished to continue playing, has said, âgo in, sire. You must do so.ââ
âCertainly, sir; but they tell me that the noise of thunder is the voice of God.â
âWell then, sire,â continued DâArtagnan, âlisten to the noise of the people; you will perceive that it resembles that of thunder.â
In truth at that moment a terrible murmur was wafted to them by the night breeze; then all at once it ceased.
âHold, sire,â said DâArtagnan, âthey have just told the people that you are asleep; you see, you still are king.â
The queen looked with surprise at this strange man, whose brilliant courage made him the equal of the bravest, and who was, by his fine and quick intelligence, the equal of the most astute.
Laporte entered.
âWell, Laporte?â asked the queen.
âMadame,â he replied, âMonsieur dâArtagnanâs prediction has been accomplished; they are calm, as if by enchantment. The doors are about to be opened and in five minutes they will be here.â
âLaporte,â said the queen, âsuppose you put one of your sons in the kingâs place; we might be off during the time.â
âIf your majesty desires it,â said Laporte, âmy sons, like myself, are at the queenâs service.â
âNot at all,â said DâArtagnan; âshould one of them know his majesty and discover but a substitute, all would be lost.â
âYou are right, sir, always right,â said Anne of Austria. âLaporte, place the king in bed.â
Laporte placed the king, dressed as he was, in the bed and then covered him as far as the shoulders with the sheet. The queen bent over him and kissed his brow.
âPretend to sleep, Louis,â said she.
âYes,â said the king, âbut I do
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