d’affaires? You want nothing monsieur, but the steel cap on
your head, and a Bible at your girdle.”
“Monsieur,” said Athos, dryly, “I have never had, as you
have, the advantage of treating with Cromwell; and I have
only seen his charges d’affaires sword in hand, I am
therefore ignorant of how he treated with prime ministers.
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As for the king of England, Charles II., I know that when he
writes to his majesty King Louis XIV., he does not write to
his eminence the Cardinal Mazarin. I see no diplomacy in
that distinction.”
“Ah!” cried Mazarin, raising his attenuated hand and
striking his head, “I remember now!” Athos looked at him in
astonishment. “Yes, that is it!” said the cardinal,
continuing to look at his interlocutor; “yes, that is
certainly it. I know you now, monsieur. Ah! diavolo! I am no
longer astonished.”
“In fact, I was astonished that, with your eminence’s
excellent memory,” replied Athos, smiling, “you had not
recognized me before.”
“Always refractory and grumbling — monsieur — monsieur —
What do they call you? Stop — a name of a river — Potamos;
no — the name of an island — Naxos; no, per Giove! — the
name of a mountain — Athos! now I have it. Delighted to see
you again, and to be no longer at Rueil, where you and your
damned companions made me pay ransom. Fronde! still Fronde!
accursed Fronde! Oh, what grudges! Why, monsieur, have your
antipathies survived mine? If any one had cause to complain,
I think it could not be you, who got out of the affair not
only in a sound skin, but with the cordon of the Holy Ghost
around your neck.”
“My lord cardinal,” replied Athos, “permit me not to enter
into considerations of that kind. I have a mission to
fulfill. Will you facilitate the means of my fulfilling that
mission, or will you not?”
“I am astonished,” said Mazarin, — quite delighted at
having recovered his memory, and bristling with malice — “I
am astonished, Monsieur — Athos — that a Frondeur like you
should have accepted a mission for the Mazarin, as used to
be said in the good old times —- ” And Mazarin began to
laugh, in spite of a painful cough, which cut short his
sentences, converting them into sobs.
“I have only accepted the mission near the king of France,
monsieur le cardinal,” retorted the comte, though with less
asperity, for he thought he had sufficiently the advantage
to show himself moderate.
“And yet, Monsieur le Frondeur,” said Mazarin gayly, “the
affair which you have taken in charge must, from the king
—- ”
“With which I have been given in charge, monseigneur. I do
not run after affairs.”
“Be it so. I say that this negotiation must pass through my
hands. Let us lose no precious time, then. Tell me the
conditions.”
“I have had the honor of assuring your eminence that only
the letter of his majesty King Charles II. contains the
revelation of his wishes.”
“Pooh! you are ridiculous with your obstinacy, Monsieur
Athos. It is plain you have kept company with the Puritans
yonder. As to your secret, I know it better than you do; and
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you have done wrongly, perhaps, in not having shown some
respect for a very old and suffering man, who has labored
much during his life, and kept the field for his ideas as
bravely as you have for yours. You will not communicate your
letter to me? You will say nothing to me? Very well! Come
with me into my chamber; you shall speak to the king — and
before the king. — Now, then, one last word: who gave you
the Fleece? I remember you passed for having the Garter; but
as to the Fleece, I do not know —- ”
“Recently, my lord, Spain, on the occasion of the marriage
of his majesty Louis XIV., sent King Charles II. a brevet of
the Fleece in blank, Charles II. immediately transmitted it
to me, filling up the blank with my name.”
Mazarin arose, and leaning on the arm of Bernouin, he