family.”
La Ramee went out, but in five minutes one of the officers
of the guard entered in compliance with the strict orders of
the cardinal that the prisoner should never be left alone a
moment.
But during these five minutes the duke had had time to read
again the note from Madame de Montbazon, which proved to the
prisoner that his friends were concerting plans for his
deliverance, but in what way he knew not.
But his confidence in Grimaud, whose petty persecutions he
now perceived were only a blind, increased, and he conceived
the highest opinion of his intellect and resolved to trust
entirely to his guidance.
19
In which the Contents of the Pates made by the Successor of
Father Marteau are described.
In half an hour La Ramee returned, full of glee, like most
men who have eaten, and more especially drank to their
heart’s content. The pates were excellent, the wine
delicious.
The weather was fine and the game at tennis took place in
the open air.
At two o’clock the tennis balls began, according to
Grimaud’s directions, to take the direction of the moat,
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Dumas, Alexandre – Twenty Years After
much to the joy of La Ramee, who marked fifteen whenever the
duke sent a ball into the moat; and very soon balls were
wanting, so many had gone over. La Ramee then proposed to
send some one to pick them up, but the duke remarked that it
would be losing time; and going near the rampart himself and
looking over, he saw a man working in one of the numerous
little gardens cleared out by the peasants on the opposite
side of the moat.
“Hey, friend!” cried the duke.
The man raised his head and the duke was about to utter a
cry of surprise. The peasant, the gardener, was Rochefort,
whom he believed to be in the Bastile.
“Well? Who’s up there?” said the man.
“Be so good as to collect and throw us back our balls,” said
the duke.
The gardener nodded and began to fling up the balls, which
were picked up by La Ramee and the guard. One, however, fell
at the duke’s feet, and seeing that it was intended for him,
he put it into his pocket.
La Ramee was in ecstasies at having beaten a prince of the
blood.
The duke went indoors and retired to bed, where he spent,
indeed, the greater part of every day, as they had taken his
books away. La Ramee carried off all his clothes, in order
to be certain that the duke would not stir. However, the
duke contrived to hide the ball under his bolster and as
soon as the door was closed he tore off the cover of the
ball with his teeth and found underneath the following
letter:
My Lord, — Your friends are watching over you and the hour
of your deliverance is at hand. Ask day after to-morrow to
have a pie supplied you by the new confectioner opposite the
castle, and who is no other than Noirmont, your former
maitre d’hotel. Do not open the pie till you are alone. I
hope you will be satisfied with its contents.
“Your highness’s most devoted servant,
“In the Bastile, as elsewhere,
“Comte de Rochefort.
The duke, who had latterly been allowed a fire, burned the
letter, but kept the ball, and went to bed, hiding the ball
under his bolster. La Ramee entered; he smiled kindly on the
prisoner, for he was an excellent man and had taken a great
liking for the captive prince. He endeavored to cheer him up
in his solitude.
“Ah, my friend!” cried the duke, “you are so good; if I
could but do as you do, and eat pates and drink Burgundy at
the house of Father Marteau’s successor.”
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Dumas, Alexandre – Twenty Years After
“‘Tis true, my lord,” answered La Ramee, “that his pates are
famous and his wine magnificent.”
“In any case,” said the duke, “his cellar and kitchen might
easily excel those of Monsieur de Chavigny.”
“Well, my lord,” said La Ramee, falling into the trap, “what
is there to prevent your trying them? Besides, I have