Twenty Years Later by Dumas, Alexandre. Part one

standing and with listening ear; then only when he had heard

the step of the horse going away he fell back on a chair,

saying:

“My God, I thank Thee that he knows me only.”

41

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Dumas, Alexandre – Twenty Years After

Paternal Affection.

Whilst this terrible scene was passing at Lord de Winter’s,

Athos, seated near his window, his elbow on the table and

his head supported on his hand, was listening intently to

Raoul’s account of the adventures he met with on his journey

and the details of the battle.

Listening to the relation of those emotions so fresh and

pure, the fine, noble face of Athos betrayed indescribable

pleasure; he inhaled the tones of that young voice, as

harmonious music. He forgot all that was dark in the past

and that was cloudy in the future. It almost seemed as if

the return of this much loved boy had changed his fears to

hopes. Athos was happy — happy as he had never been before.

“And you assisted and took part in this great battle,

Bragelonne!” cried the former musketeer.

“Yes, sir.”

“And it was a fierce one?”

“His highness the prince charged eleven times in person.”

“He is a great commander, Bragelonne.”

“He is a hero, sir. I did not lose sight of him for an

instant. Oh! how fine it is to be called Conde and to be so

worthy of such a name!”

“He was calm and radiant, was he not?”

“As calm as at parade, radiant as at a fete. When we went up

to the enemy it was slowly; we were forbidden to draw first

and we were marching toward the Spaniards, who were on a

height with lowered muskets. When we arrived about thirty

paces from them the prince turned around to the soldiers:

`Comrades,’ he said, `you are about to suffer a furious

discharge; but after that you will make short work with

those fellows.’ There was such dead silence that friends and

enemies could have heard these words; then raising his

sword, `Sound trumpets!’ he cried.”

“Well, very good; you will do as much when the opportunity

occurs, will you, Raoul?”

“I know not, sir, but I thought it really very fine and

grand!”

“Were you afraid, Raoul?” asked the count.

“Yes, sir,” replied the young man naively; “I felt a great

chill at my heart, and at the word `fire,’ which resounded

in Spanish from the enemy’s ranks, I closed my eyes and

thought of you.”

“In honest truth, Raoul?” said Athos, pressing his hand.

“Yes, sir; at that instant there was such a rataplan of

musketry that one might have imagined the infernal regions

had opened. Those who were not killed felt the heat of the

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Dumas, Alexandre – Twenty Years After

flames. I opened my eyes, astonished to find myself alive

and even unhurt; a third of the squadron were lying on the

ground, wounded, dead or dying. At that moment I encountered

the eye of the prince. I had but one thought and that was

that he was observing me. I spurred on and found myself in

the enemy’s ranks.”

“And the prince was pleased with you?”

“He told me so, at least, sir, when he desired me to return

to Paris with Monsieur de Chatillon, who was charged to

carry the news to the queen and to bring the colors we had

taken. `Go,’ said he; `the enemy will not rally for fifteen

days and until that time I have no need of your service. Go

and see those whom you love and who love you, and tell my

sister De Longueville that I thank her for the present that

she made me of you.’ And I came, sir,” added Raoul, gazing

at the count with a smile of real affection, “for I thought

you would be glad to see me again.”

Athos drew the young man toward him and pressed his lips to

his brow, as he would have done to a young daughter.

“And now, Raoul,” said he, “you are launched; you have dukes

for friends, a marshal of France for godfather, a prince of

the blood as commander, and on the day of your return you

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