friend the Count de Guiche, who told me he had the honor of
being your servant; this letter contains important news and
the expression of his respect.”
At the name of the Count de Guiche a blush spread over the
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cheeks of the young princess and the queen glanced at her
with some degree of severity.
“You told me that the letter was from the Marechal de
Grammont, Henrietta!” said the queen.
“I thought so, madame,” stammered the young girl.
“It is my fault, madame,” said Raoul. “I did announce
myself, in truth, as coming on the part of the Marechal de
Grammont; but being wounded in the right arm he was unable
to write and therefore the Count de Guiche acted as his
secretary.”
“There has been fighting, then?” asked the queen, motioning
to Raoul to rise.
“Yes, madame,” said the young man.
At this announcement of a battle having taken place, the
princess opened her mouth as though to ask a question of
interest; but her lips closed again without articulating a
word, while the color gradually faded from her cheeks.
The queen saw this, and doubtless her maternal heart
translated the emotion, for addressing Raoul again:
“And no evil has happened to the young Count de Guiche?” she
asked; “for not only is he our servant, as you say, sir, but
more — he is one of our friends.”
“No, madame,” replied Raoul; “on the contrary, he gained
great glory and had the honor of being embraced by his
highness, the prince, on the field of battle.”
The young princess clapped her hands; and then, ashamed of
having been betrayed into such a demonstration of joy, she
half turned away and bent over a vase of roses, as if to
inhale their odor.
“Let us see,” said the queen, “what the count says.” And she
opened the letter and read:
“Madame, — Being unable to have the honor of writing to you
myself, by reason of a wound I have received in my right
hand, I have commanded my son, the Count de Guiche, who,
with his father, is equally your humble servant, to write to
tell you that we have just gained the battle of Lens, and
that this victory cannot fail to give great power to
Cardinal Mazarin and to the queen over the affairs of
Europe. If her majesty will have faith in my counsels she
ought to profit by this event to address at this moment, in
favor of her august husband, the court of France. The
Vicomte de Bragelonne, who will have the honor of remitting
this letter to your majesty, is the friend of my son, who
owes to him his life; he is a gentleman in whom your majesty
may confide entirely, in case your majesty may have some
verbal or written order to remit to me.
“I have the honor to be, with respect, etc.,
“Marechal de Grammont.”
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Dumas, Alexandre – Twenty Years After
At the moment mention occurred of his having rendered a
service to the count, Raoul could not help turning his
glance toward the young princess, and then he saw in her
eyes an expression of infinite gratitude to the young man;
he no longer doubted that the daughter of King Charles I.
loved his friend.
“The battle of Lens gained!” said the queen; “they are lucky
here indeed; they can gain battles! Yes, the Marechal de
Grammont is right; this will change the aspect of French
affairs, but I much fear it will do nothing for English,
even if it does not harm them. This is recent news, sir,”
continued she, “and I thank you for having made such haste
to bring it to me; without this letter I should not have
heard till to-morrow, perhaps after to-morrow — the last of
all Paris.”
“Madame,” said Raoul, “the Louvre is but the second palace
this news has reached; it is as yet unknown to all, and I
had sworn to the Count de Guiche to remit this letter to
your majesty before even I should embrace my guardian.”
“Your guardian! is he, too, a Bragelonne?” asked Lord de