see! he has the true military style.”
“What, ho!” said Grimaud.
“What?” asked Athos.
“Planchet, sir.”
“Lieutenant yesterday,” said Aramis, “captain to-day,
colonel, doubtless, to-morrow; in a fortnight the fellow
will be marshal of France.”
“Question him about the fight,” said Athos.
Planchet, prouder than ever of his new duties, deigned to
explain to the two gentlemen that he was ordered to take up
his position on the Place Royale with two hundred men,
forming the rear of the army of Paris, and to march on
Charenton when necessary.
“This day will be a warm one,” said Planchet, in a warlike
tone.
“No doubt,” said Aramis, “but it is far from here to the
enemy.”
“Sir, the distance will be diminished,” said a subordinate.
Aramis saluted, then turning toward Athos:
“I don’t care to camp on the Place Royale with all these
people,” he said. “Shall we go forward? We shall see better
what is going on.”
“And then Monsieur de Chatillon will not come to the Place
Royale to look for you. Come, then, my friend, we will go
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forward.”
“Haven’t you something to say to Monsieur de Flamarens on
your own account?”
“My friend,” said Athos, “I have made a resolution never to
draw my sword save when it is absolutely necessary.”
“And how long ago was that?”
“When I last drew my poniard.”
“Ah! Good! another souvenir of Monsieur Mordaunt. Well, my
friend, nothing now is lacking except that you should feel
remorse for having killed that fellow.”
“Hush!” said Athos, putting a finger on his lips, with the
sad smile peculiar to him; “let us talk no more of Mordaunt
— it will bring bad luck.” And Athos set forward toward
Charenton, followed closely by Aramis.
78
The Battle of Charenton.
As Athos and Aramis proceeded, and passed different
companies on the road, they became aware that they were
arriving near the field of battle.
“Ah! my friend!” cried Athos, suddenly, “where have you
brought us? I fancy I perceive around us faces of different
officers in the royal army; is not that the Duc de Chatillon
himself coming toward us with his brigadiers?”
“Good-day, sirs,” said the duke, advancing; “you are puzzled
by what you see here, but one word will explain everything.
There is now a truce and a conference. The prince, Monsieur
de Retz, the Duc de Beaufort, the Duc de Bouillon, are
talking over public affairs. Now one of two things must
happen: either matters will not be arranged, or they will be
arranged, in which last case I shall be relieved of my
command and we shall still meet again.”
“Sir,” said Aramis, “you speak to the point. Allow me to ask
you a question: Where are the plenipotentiaries?”
“At Charenton, in the second house on the right on entering
from the direction of Paris.”
“And was this conference arranged beforehand?”
“No, gentlemen, it seems to be the result of certain
propositions which Mazarin made last night to the
Parisians.”
Athos and Aramis exchanged smiles; for they well knew what
those propositions were, to whom they had been made and who
had made them.
“And that house in which the plenipotentiaries are,” asked
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Athos, “belongs to —- ”
“To Monsieur de Chanleu, who commands your troops at
Charenton. I say your troops, for I presume that you
gentlemen are Frondeurs?”
“Yes, almost,” said Aramis.
“We are for the king and the princes,” added Athos.
“We must understand each other,” said the duke. “The king is
with us and his generals are the Duke of Orleans and the
Prince de Conde, although I must add ’tis almost impossible
now to know to which party any one belongs.”
“Yes,” answered Athos, “but his right place is in our ranks,
with the Prince de Conti, De Beaufort, D’Elbeuf, and De
Bouillon; but, sir, supposing that the conference is broken
off — are you going to try to take Charenton?”
“Such are my orders.”
“Sir, since you command the cavalry —- ”
“Pardon me, I am commander-in-chief.”
“So much the better. You must know all your officers — I
mean those more distinguished.”