imperatively called for; let us rather persevere in our
researches.”
They continued their inquiries and at last met with a light
dragoon who had formed one of the guard which had escorted
D’Artagnan to Rueil.
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Dumas, Alexandre – Twenty Years After
Athos, however, perpetually recurred to his proposed
interview with the queen.
“In order to see the queen,” said Aramis, “we must first see
the cardinal; and when we have seen the cardinal — remember
what I tell you, Athos — we shall be reunited to our
friends, but not in the way you wish. Now, that way of
joining them is not very attractive to me, I confess. Let us
act in freedom, that we may act well and quickly.”
“I shall go,” he said, “to the queen.”
“Well, then,” answered Aramis, “pray tell me a day or two
beforehand, that I may take that opportunity of going to
Paris.”
“To whom?”
“Zounds! how do I know? perhaps to Madame de Longueville.
She is all-powerful yonder; she will help me. But send me
word should you be arrested, for then I will return
directly.”
“Why do you not take your chance and be arrested with me?”
“No, I thank you.”
“Should we, by being arrested, be all four together again,
we should not, I am not sure, be twenty-four hours in prison
without getting free.”
“My friend, since I killed Chatillon, adored of the ladies
of Saint Germain, I am too great a celebrity not to fear a
prison doubly. The queen is likely to follow Mazarin’s
counsels and to have me tried.”
“Do you think she loves this Italian so much as they say she
does?”
“Did she not love an Englishman?”
“My friend, she is a woman.”
“No, no, you are deceived — she is a queen.”
“Dear friend, I shall sacrifice myself and go and see Anne
of Austria.”
“Adieu, Athos, I am going to raise an army.”
“For what purpose?”
“To come back and besiege Rueil.”
“Where shall we meet again?”
“At the foot of the cardinal’s gallows.”
The two friends departed — Aramis to return to Paris, Athos
to take measures preparatory to an interview with the queen.
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Dumas, Alexandre – Twenty Years After
80
The Gratitude of Anne of Austria.
Athos found much less difficulty than he had expected in
obtaining an audience of Anne of Austria. It was granted,
and was to take place after her morning’s “levee,” at which,
in accordance with his rights of birth, he was entitled to
be present. A vast crowd filled the apartments of Saint
Germain. Anne had never at the Louvre had so large a court;
but this crowd represented chiefly the second class of
nobility, while the Prince de Conti, the Duc de Beaufort and
the coadjutor assembled around them the first nobility of
France.
The greatest possible gayety prevailed at court. The
particular characteristic of this was that more songs were
made than cannons fired during its continuance. The court
made songs on the Parisians and the Parisians on the court;
and the casualties, though not mortal, were painful, as are
all wounds inflicted by the weapon of ridicule.
In the midst of this seeming hilarity, nevertheless,
people’s minds were uneasy. Was Mazarin to remain the
favorite and minister of the queen? Was he to be carried
back by the wind which had blown him there? Every one hoped
so, so that the minister felt that all around him, beneath
the homage of the courtiers, lay a fund of hatred, ill
disguised by fear and interest. He felt ill at ease and at a
loss what to do.
Conde himself, whilst fighting for him, lost no opportunity
of ridiculing, of humbling him. The queen, on whom he threw
himself as sole support, seemed to him now not much to be
relied upon.
When the hour appointed for the audience arrived Athos was
obliged to stay until the queen, who was waited upon by a
new deputation from Paris, had consulted with her minister
as to the propriety and manner of receiving them. All were
fully engrossed with the affairs of the day; Athos could not
therefore have chosen a more inauspicious moment to speak of