Twenty Years Later by Dumas, Alexandre. Part two

beautiful!”

The duchess shook her head.

“Does Monsieur de Bragelonne remain in Paris?” she inquired.

“What think you of it?” inquired Athos.

“Leave him with me,” replied the duchess.

“No, madame; if you have forgotten the history of Oedipus,

I, at least, remember it.”

“Really, sir, you are delightful, and I should like to spend

a month at Bragelonne.”

“Are you not afraid of making people envious of me,

duchess?” replied Athos.

“No, I shall go incognito, count, under the name of Marie

Michon.”

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Dumas, Alexandre – Twenty Years After

“You are adorable, madame.”

“But do not keep Raoul with you.”

“Why not?”

“Because he is in love.”

“He! he is quite a child!”

“And ’tis a child he loves.”

Athos became thoughtful.

“You are right, duchess. This singular passion for a child

of seven may some day make him very unhappy. There is to be

war in Flanders. He shall go thither.”

“And at his return you will send him to me. I will arm him

against love.”

“Alas, madame!” exclaimed Athos, “to-day love is like war —

the breastplate is becoming useless.”

Raoul entered at this moment; he came to announce that the

solemn entrance of the king, queen, and her ministers was to

take place on the ensuing day.

The next day, in fact, at daybreak, the court made

preparations to quit Saint Germain.

Meanwhile, the queen every hour had been sending for

D’Artagnan.

“I hear,” she said, “that Paris is not quiet. I am afraid

for the king’s safety; place yourself close to the coach

door on the right.”

“Reassure yourself, madame, I will answer for the king’s

safety.”

As he left the queen’s presence Bernouin summoned him to the

cardinal.

“Sir,” said Mazarin to him “an emeute is spoken of in Paris.

I shall be on the king’s left and as I am the chief person

threatened, remain at the coach door to the left.”

“Your eminence may be perfectly easy,” replied D’Artagnan;

“they will not touch a hair of your head.”

“Deuce take it!” he thought to himself, “how can I take care

of both? Ah! plague on’t, I will guard the king and Porthos

shall guard the cardinal.”

This arrangement pleased every one. The queen had confidence

in the courage of D’Artagnan, which she knew, and the

cardinal in the strength of Porthos, which he had

experienced.

The royal procession set out for Paris. Guitant and

Comminges, at the head of the guards, marched first; then

came the royal carriage, with D’Artagnan on one side,

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Dumas, Alexandre – Twenty Years After

Porthos on the other; then the musketeers, for two and

twenty years staunch friends of D’Artagnan. During twenty he

had been lieutenant, their captain since the night before.

The cortege proceeded to Notre Dame, where a Te Deum was

chanted. All Paris were in the streets. The Swiss were drawn

up along the road, but as the road was long, they were

placed at six or eight feet distant from each other and one

deep only. This force was therefore wholly insufficient, and

from time to time the line was broken through by the people

and was formed again with difficulty. Whenever this

occurred, although it proceeded only from goodwill and a

desire to see the king and queen, Anne looked at D’Artagnan

anxiously.

Mazarin, who had dispensed a thousand louis to make the

people cry “Long live Mazarin,” and who had accordingly no

confidence in acclamations bought at twenty pistoles each,

kept one eye on Porthos; but that gigantic body-guard

replied to the look with his great bass voice, “Be tranquil,

my lord,” and Mazarin became more and more composed.

At the Palais Royal, the crowd, which had flowed in from the

adjacent street was still greater; like an impetuous mob, a

wave of human beings came to meet the carriage and rolled

tumultuously into the Rue Saint Honore.

When the procession reached the palace, loud cries of “Long

live their majesties!” resounded. Mazarin leaned out of the

window. One or two shouts of “Long live the cardinal”

saluted his shadow; but instantly hisses and yells stifled

them remorselessly. Mazarin turned pale and shrank back in

the coach.

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