love.
Raoul could not resist smiling, as thinking of Madame, he
said to himself, “Hers is, indeed, a heart well besieged;”
and then added, compassionately, as he thought of Monsieur,
“and he is a husband well threatened too; it is a good thing
for him that he is a prince of such high rank, that he has
an army to safeguard for him that which is his own.”
Bragelonne watched for some time the conduct of the two
lovers, listened to the loud and uncivil slumbers of
Manicamp, who snored as imperiously as though he was wearing
his blue and gold, instead of his violet suit.
Then he turned towards the night breeze which bore towards
him, he seemed to think, the distant song of the
nightingale; and, after having laid in a due provision of
melancholy, another nocturnal malady, he retired to rest
thinking, with regard to his own love affair, that perhaps
four or even a larger number of eyes, quite as ardent as
those of De Guiche and Buckingham, were coveting his own
idol in the chateau at Blois. “And Mademoiselle de Montalais
is by no means a very conscientious garrison,” said he to
himself, sighing aloud.
CHAPTER 87
From Havre to Paris
The next day the fetes took place, accompanied by all the
pomp and animation that the resources of the town and the
cheerful disposition of men’s minds could supply. During the
last few hours spent in Havre, every preparation for the
departure had been made. After Madame had taken leave of the
English fleet, and, once again, had saluted the country in
saluting its flags, she entered her carriage, surrounded by
a brilliant escort. De Guiche had hoped that the Duke of
Buckingham would accompany the admiral to England; but
Buckingham succeeded in demonstrating to the queen that
there would be great impropriety in allowing Madame to
proceed to Paris almost unprotected. As soon as it had been
settled that Buckingham was to accompany Madame, the young
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duke selected a corps of gentlemen and officers to form part
of his own suite, so that it was almost an army that now set
out towards Paris, scattering gold, and exciting the
liveliest demonstrations as they passed through the
different towns and villages on the route. The weather was
very fine. France is a beautiful country, especially along
the route by which the procession passed. Spring cast its
flowers and its perfumed foliage on their path. Normandy,
with its vast variety of vegetation, its blue skies and
silver rivers, displayed itself in all the loveliness of a
paradise to the new sister of the king. Fetes and brilliant
displays received them everywhere along the line of march.
De Guiche and Buckingham forgot everything; De Guiche in his
anxiety to prevent any fresh attempts on the part of the
duke, and Buckingham, in his desire to awaken in the heart
of the princess a softer remembrance of the country to which
the recollection of many happy days belonged. But, alas! the
poor duke could perceive that the image of that country so
cherished by himself became, from day to day, more and more
effaced in Madame’s mind, in exact proportion as her
affection for France became more deeply engraved on her
heart. In fact, it was not difficult to perceive that his
most devoted attention awakened no acknowledgment, and that
the grace with which he rode one of his most fiery horses
was thrown away, for it was only casually and by the merest
accident that the princess’s eyes were turned towards him.
In vain did he try, in order to fix upon himself one of
those looks, which were thrown carelessly around, or
bestowed elsewhere, to produce in the animal he rode its
greatest display of strength, speed, temper and address; in
vain did he, by exciting his horse almost to madness, spur
him, at the risk of dashing himself in pieces against the
trees, or of rolling in the ditches, over the gates and
barriers which they passed, or down the steep declivities of
the hills. Madame, whose attention had been aroused by the
noise, turned her head for a moment to observe the cause of