discovered, arrested, obliged to kill me, which would be a
crime unworthy of loyal gentlemen like you.”
“He is right,” thought Athos.
And, like every other reflection passing in a mind that
entertained none but noble thoughts, this feeling was
expressed in his eyes.
“And therefore,” said D’Artagnan, to clip the hope which
Athos’s tacit adhesion had imparted to Mazarin, “we shall
not proceed to that violence save in the last extremity.”
“If on the contrary,” resumed Mazarin, “you accept your
liberty —- ”
“Why you, my lord, might take it away from us in less than
five minutes afterward; and from my knowledge of you I
believe you will so take it away from us.”
“No — on the faith of a cardinal. You do not believe me?”
“My lord, I never believe cardinals who are not priests.”
“Well, on the faith of a minister.”
“You are no longer a minister, my lord; you are a prisoner.”
“Then, on the honor of a Mazarin, as I am and ever shall be,
I hope,” said the cardinal.
“Hem,” replied D’Artagnan. “I have heard speak of a Mazarin
who had not much religion when his oaths were in question. I
fear he may have been an ancestor of your eminence.”
“Monsieur d’Artagnan, you are a great wit and I am really
sorry to be on bad terms with you.”
“My lord, let us come to terms; I ask nothing better.”
“Very well,” said Mazarin, “if I place you in security, in a
manner evident, palpable —- ”
“Ah! that is another thing,” said Porthos.
“Let us see,” said Athos.
“Let us see,” said D’Artagnan.
“In the first place, do you accept?” asked the cardinal.
“Unfold your plan, my lord, and we will see.”
“Take notice that you are shut up — captured.”
“You well know, my lord, that there always remains to us a
last resource.”
“What?”
“That of dying together.”
Mazarin shuddered.
Page 576
Dumas, Alexandre – Twenty Years After
“Listen,” he said; “at the end of yonder corridor is a door,
of which I have the key, it leads into the park. Go, and
take this key with you; you are active, vigorous, and you
have arms. At a hundred steps, on turning to the left, you
will find the wall of the park; get over it, and in three
leaps you will be on the road and free.”
“Ah! by Jove, my lord,” said D’Artagnan, “you have well
said, but these are only words. Where is the key you speak
of?”
“Here it is.”
“Ah, my lord! You will conduct us yourself, then, to that
door?”
“Very willingly, if it be necessary to reassure you,”
answered the minister, and Mazarin, who was delighted to get
off so cheaply, led the way, in high spirits, to the
corridor and opened the door.
It led into the park, as the three fugitives perceived by
the night breeze which rushed into the corridor and blew the
wind into their faces.
“The devil!” exclaimed the Gascon, “’tis a dreadful night,
my lord. We don’t know the locality, and shall never find
the wall. Since your eminence has come so far, come a few
steps further; conduct us, my lord, to the wall.”
“Be it so,” replied the cardinal; and walking in a straight
line he went to the wall, at the foot of which they all four
arrived at the same instant.
“Are you satisfied, gentlemen?” asked Mazarin.
“I think so, indeed; we should be hard to please if we were
not. Deuce take it! three poor gentlemen escorted by a
prince of the church! Ah! apropos, my lord! you remarked
that we were all active, vigorous and armed.”
“Yes.”
“You are mistaken. Monsieur du Vallon and I are the only two
who are armed. The count is not; and should we meet with one
of your patrol we must defend ourselves.”
“‘Tis true.”
“Where can we find another sword?” asked Porthos.
“My lord,” said D’Artagnan, “will lend his, which is of no
use to him, to the Comte de la Fere.”
“Willingly,” said the cardinal; “I will even ask the count
to keep it for my sake.”
“I promise you, my lord, never to part with it,” replied