“Are you sure that no one is aware of the queen’s project?”
Mazarin reflected.
“This affair would give a fine opportunity for a traitor, my
lord; the chance of being attacked would be an excuse for
everything.”
Mazarin shuddered, but he reflected that a man who had the
least intention to betray would not warn first.
“And therefore,” added he, quietly, “I have not confidence
in every one; the proof of which is, that I have fixed upon
you to escort me.”
“Shall you not go with the queen?”
“No,” replied Mazarin.
“Then you will start after the queen?”
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Dumas, Alexandre – Twenty Years After
“No,” said Mazarin again.
“Ah!” said D’Artagnan, who began to understand.
“Yes,” continued the cardinal. “I have my plan. With the
queen I double her risk; after the queen her departure would
double mine; then, the court once safe, I might be
forgotten. The great are often ungrateful.”
“Very true,” said D’Artagnan, fixing his eyes, in spite of
himself, on the queen’s diamond, which Mazarin wore on his
finger. Mazarin followed the direction of his eyes and
gently turned the hoop of the ring inside.
“I wish,” he said, with his cunning smile, “to prevent them
from being ungrateful to me.”
“It is but Christian charity,” replied D’Artagnan, “not to
lead one’s neighbors into temptation.”
“It is exactly for that reason,” said Mazarin, “that I wish
to start before them.”
D’Artagnan smiled — he was just the man to understand the
astute Italian. Mazarin saw the smile and profited by the
moment.
“You will begin, therefore, by taking me first out of Paris,
will you not, my dear M. d’Artagnan?”
“A difficult commission, my lord,” replied D’Artagnan,
resuming his serious manner.
“But,” said Mazarin, “you did not make so many difficulties
with regard to the king and queen.”
“The king and the queen are my king and queen,” replied the
musketeer, “my life is theirs and I must give it for them.
If they ask it what have I to say?”
“That is true,” murmured Mazarin, in a low tone, “but as thy
life is not mine I suppose I must buy it, must I not?” and
sighing deeply he began to turn the hoop of his ring outside
again. D’Artagnan smiled. These two men met at one point and
that was, cunning; had they been actuated equally by
courage, the one would have done great things for the other.
“But, also,” said Mazarin, “you must understand that if I
ask this service from you it is with the intention of being
grateful.”
“Is it still only an intention, your eminence?” asked
D’Artagnan.
“Stay,” said Mazarin, drawing the ring from his finger, “my
dear D’Artagnan, there is a diamond which belonged to you
formerly, it is but just it should return to you; take it, I
pray.”
D’Artagnan spared Mazarin the trouble of insisting, and
after looking to see if the stone was the same and assuring
himself of the purity of its water, he took it and passed it
on his finger with indescribable pleasure.
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Dumas, Alexandre – Twenty Years After
“I valued it much,” said Mazarin, giving a last look at it;
“nevertheless, I give it to you with great pleasure.”
“And I, my lord,” said D’Artagnan, “accept it as it is
given. Come, let us speak of your little affairs. You wish
to leave before everybody and at what hour?”
“At ten o’clock.”
“And the queen, at what time is it her wish to start?”
“At midnight.”
“Then it is possible. I can get you out of Paris and leave
you beyond the barriere, and can return for her.”
“Capital; but how will you get me out of Paris?”
“Oh! as to that, you must leave it to me.”
“I give you absolute power, therefore; take as large an
escort as you like.”
D’Artagnan shook his head.
“It seems to me, however,” said Mazarin, “the safest
method.”
“Yes, for you, my lord, but not for the queen; you must
leave it to me and give me the entire direction of the
undertaking.”
“Nevertheless —- ”
“Or find some one else,” continued D’Artagnan, turning his
back.
“Oh!” muttered Mazarin, “I do believe he is going off with
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