Gaston to Raoul.
“Yes, monseigneur; M. le Prince at first gave me the message
verbally, but upon reflection his highness took up his pen.”
“It is beautiful writing,” said Madame, “but I cannot read
it.”
“Will you read it to Madame, M. de Bragelonne?” said the
duke.
“Yes, read it, if you please, monsieur.”
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Dumas, Alexandre – Ten Years Later
Raoul began to read, Monsieur giving again all his
attention. The letter was conceived in these terms:
Monseigneur — The king is about to set out for the
frontiers. You are aware that the marriage of his majesty is
concluded upon. The king has done me the honor to appoint me
his marechal-des-logis for this journey, and as I knew with
what joy his majesty would pass a day at Blois, I venture to
ask your royal highness’s permission to mark the house you
inhabit as our quarters. If, however, the suddenness of this
request should create to your royal highness any
embarrassment, I entreat you to say so by the messenger I
send, a gentleman of my suite, M. le Vicomte de Bragelonne.
My itinerary will depend upon your royal highness’s
determination, and instead of passing through Blois, we
shall come through Vendome and Romorantin. I venture to hope
that your royal highness will be pleased with my
arrangement, it being the expression of my boundless desire
to make myself agreeable to you.”
“Nothing can be more gracious toward us,” said Madame, who
had more than once consulted the looks of her husband during
the reading of the letter. “The king here!” exclaimed she,
in a rather louder tone than would have been necessary to
preserve secrecy.
“Monsieur,” said his royal highness in his turn, “you will
offer my thanks to M. de Conde, and express to him my
gratitude for the honor he has done me.”
Raoul bowed.
“On what day will his majesty arrive?” continued the prince.
“The king, monseigneur, will in all probability arrive this
evening.”
“But how, then, could he have known my reply if it had been
in the negative?”
“I was desired, monseigneur, to return in all haste to
Beaugency, to give counter-orders to the courier, who was
himself to go back immediately with counter-orders to M. le
Prince.”
“His majesty is at Orleans, then?”
“Much nearer, monseigneur; his majesty must by this time
have arrived at Meung.”
“Does the court accompany him?”
“Yes, monseigneur.”
“A propos, I forgot to ask you after M. le Cardinal.”
“His eminence appears to enjoy good health, monseigneur.”
“His nieces accompany him, no doubt?”
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Dumas, Alexandre – Ten Years Later
“No, monseigneur, his eminence has ordered the
Mesdemoiselles de Mancini to set out for Brouage. They will
follow the left bank of the Loire, while the court will come
by the right.”
“What! Mademoiselle Mary de Mancini quit the court in that
manner?” asked Monsieur, his reserve beginning to diminish.
“Mademoiselle Mary de Mancini in particular,” replied Raoul
discreetly.
A fugitive smile, an imperceptible vestige of his ancient
spirit of intrigue, shot across the pale face of the prince.
“Thanks, M. de Bragelonne,” then said Monsieur. “You would,
perhaps, not be willing to carry M. le Prince the commission
with which I would charge you, and that is, that his
messenger has been very agreeable to me; but I will tell him
so myself.”
Raoul bowed his thanks to Monsieur for the honor he had done
him.
Monsieur made a sign to Madame, who struck a bell which was
placed at her right hand; M. de Saint-Remy entered, and the
room was soon filled with people.
“Messieurs,” said the prince, “his majesty is about to pay
me the honor of passing a day at Blois; I depend upon the
king, my nephew, not having to repent of the favor he does
my house.”
“Vive le Roi!” cried all the officers of the household with
frantic enthusiasm, and M. de Saint-Remy louder than the
rest.
Gaston hung down his head with evident chagrin. He had all
his life been obliged to hear, or rather to undergo this cry
of “Vive le Roi!” which passed over him. For a long time,
being unaccustomed to hear it, his ear had had rest, and now