was, by his fine and quick intelligence, the equal of the
most astute.
Laporte entered.
“Well, Laporte?” asked the queen.
“Madame,” he replied, “Monsieur d’Artagnan’s prediction has
been accomplished; they are calm, as if by enchantment. The
doors are about to be opened and in five minutes they will
be here.”
“Laporte,” said the queen, “suppose you put one of your sons
in the king’s place; we might be off during the time.”
“If your majesty desires it,” said Laporte, “my sons, like
myself, are at the queen’s service.”
“Not at all,” said D’Artagnan; “should one of them know his
majesty and discover but a substitute, all would be lost.”
“You are right, sir, always right,” said Anne of Austria.
“Laporte, place the king in bed.”
Laporte placed the king, dressed as he was, in the bed and
then covered him as far as the shoulders with the sheet. The
queen bent over him and kissed his brow.
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“Pretend to sleep, Louis,” said she.
“Yes,” said the king, “but I do not wish to be touched by
any of those men.”
“Sire, I am here,” said D’Artagnan, “and I give you my word,
that if a single man has the audacity, his life shall pay
for it.”
“And now what is to be done?” asked the queen, “for I hear
them.”
“Monsieur Laporte, go to them and again recommend silence.
Madame, wait at the door, whilst I shall be at the head of
the king’s bed, ready to die for him.”
Laporte went out; the queen remained standing near the
hangings, whilst D’Artagnan glided behind the curtains.
Then the heavy and collected steps of a multitude of men
were heard, and the queen herself raised the tapestry
hangings and put her finger on her lips.
On seeing the queen, the men stopped short, respectfully.
“Enter, gentlemen, enter,” said the queen.
There was then amongst that crowd a moment’s hesitation,
which looked like shame. They had expected resistance, they
had expected to be thwarted, to have to force the gates, to
overturn the guards. The gates had opened of themselves, and
the king, ostensibly at least, had no other guard at his
bed-head but his mother. The foremost of them stammered and
attempted to fall back.
“Enter, gentlemen,” said Laporte, “since the queen desires
you so to do.”
Then one more bold than the rest ventured to pass the door
and to advance on tiptoe. This example was imitated by the
rest, until the room filled silently, as if these men had
been the humblest, most devoted courtiers. Far beyond the
door the heads of those who were not able to enter could be
seen, all craning to their utmost height to try and see.
D’Artagnan saw it all through an opening he had made in the
curtain, and in the very first man who entered he recognized
Planchet.
“Sir,” said the queen to him, thinking he was the leader of
the band, “you wished to see the king and therefore I
determined to show him to you myself. Approach and look at
him and say if we have the appearance of people who wish to
run away.”
“No, certainly,” replied Planchet, rather astonished at the
unexpected honor conferred upon him.
“You will say, then, to my good and faithful Parisians,”
continued Anne, with a smile, the expression of which did
not deceive D’Artagnan, “that you have seen the king in bed,
asleep, and the queen also ready to retire.”
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“I shall tell them, madame, and those who accompany me will
say the same thing; but —- ”
“But what?” asked Anne of Austria.
“Will your majesty pardon me,” said Planchet, “but is it
really the king who is lying there?”
Anne of Austria started. “If,” she said, “there is one among
you who knows the king, let him approach and say whether it
is really his majesty lying there.”
A man wrapped in a cloak, in the folds of which his face was
hidden, approached and leaned over the bed and looked.
For one second, D’Artagnan thought the man had some evil
design and he put his hand to his sword; but in the movement