imprisoned; but if he made allusion to me it was because he
is ignorant of the relation in which I stand to you.”
Anne drew up, as she always did, when anything touched her
pride. She blushed, and that she might not answer, clasped
her beautiful hands till her sharp nails almost pierced
them.
“That man has sagacity, honor and wit, not to mention
likewise that he is a man of undoubted resolution. You know
something about him, do you not, madame? I shall tell him,
therefore, and in doing so I shall confer a personal favor
on him, how he is mistaken in regard to me. What is proposed
to me would be, in fact, almost an abdication, and an
abdication requires reflection.”
“An abdication?” repeated Anne; “I thought, sir, that it was
kings alone who abdicated!”
“Well,” replied Mazarin, “and am I not almost a king —
king, indeed, of France? Thrown over the foot of the royal
bed, my simar, madame, looks not unlike the mantle worn by
kings.”
This was one of the humiliations which Mazarin made Anne
undergo more frequently than any other, and one that bowed
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her head with shame. Queen Elizabeth and Catherine II. of
Russia are the only two monarchs of their set on record who
were at once sovereigns and lovers. Anne of Austria looked
with a sort of terror at the threatening aspect of the
cardinal — his physiognomy in such moments was not
destitute of a certain grandeur.
“Sir,” she replied, “did I not say, and did you not hear me
say to those people, that you should do as you pleased?”
“In that case,” said Mazarin, “I think it must please me
best to remain; not only on account of my own interest, but
for your safety.”
“Remain, then, sir; nothing can be more agreeable to me;
only do not allow me to be insulted.”
“You are referring to the demands of the rebels and to the
tone in which they stated them? Patience! They have selected
a field of battle on which I am an abler general than they
— that of a conference. No, we shall beat them by merely
temporizing. They want food already. They will be ten times
worse off in a week.”
“Ah, yes! Good heavens! I know it will end in that way; but
it is not they who taunt me with the most wounding
reproaches, but —- ”
“I understand; you mean to allude to the recollections
perpetually revived by these three gentlemen. However, we
have them safe in prison, and they are just sufficiently
culpable for us to keep them in prison as long as we find it
convenient. One only is still not in our power and braves
us. But, devil take him! we shall soon succeed in sending
him to join his boon companions. We have accomplished more
difficult things than that. In the first place I have as a
precaution shut up at Rueil, near me, under my own eyes,
within reach of my hand, the two most intractable ones.
To-day the third will be there also.”
“As long as they are in prison all will be well,” said Anne,
“but one of these days they will get out.”
“Yes, if your majesty releases them.”
“Ah!” exclaimed Anne, following the train of her own
thoughts on such occasions, “one regrets Paris!”
“Why so?”
“On account of the Bastile, sir, which is so strong and so
secure.”
“Madame, these conferences will bring us peace; when we have
peace we shall regain Paris; with Paris, the Bastile, and
our four bullies shall rot therein.”
Anne frowned slightly when Mazarin, in taking leave, kissed
her hand.
Mazarin, after this half humble, half gallant attention,
went away. Anne followed him with her eyes, and as he
withdrew, at every step he took, a disdainful smile was seen
playing, then gradually burst upon her lips.
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“I once,” she said, “despised the love of a cardinal who
never said `I shall do,’ but, `I have done so and so.’ That
man knew of retreats more secure than Rueil, darker and more