has really pardoned you?”
“Pardoned me! yes, I hope so, sire!”
“Eh! — but it was a cruel trick! Odds fish! to pack up the
first personage of the English revolution like a herring. In
your place I would not trust him, chevalier.”
“But, sire —- ”
“Yes, I know very well that Monk calls you his friend, but
he has too penetrating an eye not to have a memory, and too
lofty a brow not to be very proud, you know grande
supercilium.”
“I shall certainly learn Latin,” said D’Artagnan to himself.
“But stop,” cried the merry monarch, “I must manage your
reconciliation; I know how to set about it; so —- ”
D’Artagnan bit his mustache. “Will your majesty permit me to
tell you the truth?”
“Speak, chevalier, speak.”
“Well, sire, you alarm me greatly. If your majesty
undertakes the affair, as you seem inclined to do, I am a
lost man; the duke will have me assassinated.”
The king burst into a fresh roar of laughter, which changed
D’Artagnan’s alarm into downright terror.
“Sire, I beg you to allow me to settle this matter myself,
and if your majesty has no further need of my services —-
”
“No, chevalier. What, do you want to leave us?” replied
Charles, with a hilarity that grew more and more alarming.
“If your majesty has no more commands for me.”
Charles became more serious.
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Dumas, Alexandre – Ten Years Later
“One single thing. See my sister, the Lady Henrietta. Do you
know her?”
“No, sire, but — an old soldier like me is not an agreeable
spectacle for a young and gay princess.”
“Ah! but my sister must know you; she must in case of need
have you to depend upon.”
“Sire, every one that is dear to your majesty will be sacred
to me.”
“Very well! — Parry! Come here, Parry!”
The side door opened and Parry entered, his face beaming
with pleasure as soon as he saw D’Artagnan.
“What is Rochester doing?” said the king.
“He is on the canal with the ladies,” replied Parry.
“And Buckingham?”
“He is there also.”
“That is well. You will conduct the chevalier to Villiers;
that is the Duke of Buckingham, chevalier; and beg the duke
to introduce M. d’Artagnan to the Princess Henrietta.”
Parry bowed and smiled to D’Artagnan.
“Chevalier,” continued the king, “this is your parting
audience; you can afterwards set out as soon as you please.”
“Sire, I thank you.”
“But be sure you make your peace with Monk!”
“Oh, sire —- ”
“You know there is one of my vessels at your disposal?”
“Sire, you overpower me; I cannot think of putting your
majesty’s officers to inconvenience on my account.”
The king slapped D’Artagnan upon the shoulder.
“Nobody will be inconvenienced on your account, chevalier,
but for that of an ambassador I am about sending to France,
and to whom you will willingly serve as a companion, I
fancy, for you know him.”
D’Artagnan appeared astonished.
“He is a certain Comte de la Fere, — whom you call Athos,”
added the king, terminating the conversation, as he had
begun it, by a joyous burst of laughter. “Adieu, chevalier,
adieu. Love me as I love you.” And thereupon making a sign
to Parry to ask if there were any one waiting for him in the
adjoining closet, the king disappeared into that closet,
leaving the chevalier perfectly astonished by this singular
audience. The old man took his arm in a friendly way, and
led him towards the garden.
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CHAPTER 35
On the Canal
Upon the green waters of the canal bordered with marble,
upon which time had already scattered black spots and tufts
of mossy grass, there glided majestically a long, flat bark
adorned with the arms of England, surmounted by a dais, and
carpeted with long damasked stuffs, which trailed their
fringes in the water. Eight rowers, leaning lazily to their
oars, made it move upon the canal with the graceful slowness
of the swans, which, disturbed in their ancient possessions
by the approach of the bark, looked from a distance at this
splendid and noisy pageant. We say noisy — for the bark