minutes, dismissed her.
It was at this moment D’Artagnan entered the courtyard of
the palace, in the coadjutor’s carriage, and a few seconds
later the carriages of the ladies-in-waiting drove out and
the gates were shut after them.
A few minutes after twelve o’clock Bernouin knocked at the
queen’s bedroom door, having come by the cardinal’s secret
corridor. Anne of Austria opened the door to him herself.
She was dressed, that is to say, in dishabille, wrapped in a
long, warm dressing-gown.
“It is you, Bernouin,” she said. “Is Monsieur d’Artagnan
there?”
“Yes, madame, in your oratory. He is waiting till your
majesty is ready.”
“I am. Go and tell Laporte to wake and dress the king, and
then pass on to the Marechal de Villeroy and summon him to
me.”
Bernouin bowed and retired.
The queen entered her oratory, which was lighted by a single
lamp of Venetian crystal, She saw D’Artagnan, who stood
expecting her.
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“Is it you?” she said.
“Yes, madame.”
“Are you ready?”
“I am.”
“And his eminence, the cardinal?”
“Has got off without any accident. He is awaiting your
majesty at Cours la Reine.”
“But in what carriage do we start?”
“I have provided for everything; a carriage below is waiting
for your majesty.”
“Let us go to the king.”
D’Artagnan bowed and followed the queen. The young Louis was
already dressed, with the exception of his shoes and
doublet; he had allowed himself to be dressed, in great
astonishment, overwhelming Laporte with questions, who
replied only in these words, “Sire, it is by the queen’s
commands.”
The bedclothes were thrown back, exposing the king’s bed
linen, which was so worn that here and there holes could be
seen. It was one of the results of Mazarin’s niggardliness.
The queen entered and D’Artagnan remained at the door. As
soon as the child perceived the queen he escaped from
Laporte and ran to meet her. Anne then motioned to
D’Artagnan to approach, and he obeyed.
“My son,” said Anne of Austria, pointing to the musketeer,
calm, standing uncovered, “here is Monsieur d’Artagnan, who
is as brave as one of those ancient heroes of whom you like
so much to hear from my women. Remember his name well and
look at him well, that his face may not be forgotten, for
this evening he is going to render us a great service.”
The young king looked at the officer with his large-formed
eye, and repeated:
“Monsieur d’Artagnan.”
“That is it, my son.”
The young king slowly raised his little hand and held it out
to the musketeer; the latter bent on his knee and kissed it.
“Monsieur d’Artagnan,” repeated Louis; “very well, madame.”
At this moment they were startled by a noise as if a tumult
were approaching.
“What is that?” exclaimed the queen.
“Oh, oh!” replied D’Artagnan, straining both at the same
time his quick ear and his intelligent glance, “it is the
murmur of the populace in revolution.”
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Dumas, Alexandre – Twenty Years After
“We must fly,” said the queen.
“Your majesty has given me the control of this business; we
had better wait and see what they want.”
“Monsieur d’Artagnan!”
“I will answer for everything.”
Nothing is so catching as confidence. The queen, full of
energy and courage, was quickly alive to these two virtues
in others.
“Do as you like,” she said, “I rely upon you.”
“Will your majesty permit me to give orders in your name
throughout this business?”
“Command, sir.”
“What do the people want this time?” demanded the king.
“We are about to ascertain, sire,” replied D’Artagnan, as he
rapidly left the room.
The tumult continued to increase and seemed to surround the
Palais Royal entirely. Cries were heard from the interior,
of which they could not comprehend the sense. It was evident
that there was clamor and sedition.
The king, half dressed, the queen and Laporte remained each
in the same state and almost in the same place, where they
were listening and waiting. Comminges, who was on guard that
night at the Palais Royal, ran in. He had about two hundred
men in the courtyards and stables, and he placed them at the