登陆注册
15512900000258

第258章 87(1)

In which we begin to think that Porthos will be at last a Baron, and D'Artagnan a Captain.

At the expiration of ten minutes Aramis arrived, accompanied by Grimaud and eight or ten followers. He was excessively delighted and threw himself into his friends' arms.

"You are free, my brothers! free without my aid! and I shall have succeeded in doing nothing for you in spite of all my efforts."

"Do not be unhappy, dear friend, on that account; if you have done nothing as yet, you will do something soon," replied Athos.

"I had well concerted my plans," pursued Aramis; "the coadjutor gave me sixty men; twenty guard the walls of the park, twenty the road from Rueil to Saint Germain, twenty are dispersed in the woods. Thus I was able, thanks to the strategic disposition of my forces, to intercept two couriers from Mazarin to the queen."

Mazarin listened intently.

"But," said D'Artagnan, "I trust that you honorably sent them back to monsieur le cardinal!"

"Ah, yes!" said Aramis, "toward him I should be very likely to practice such delicacy of sentiment! In one of the despatches the cardinal declares to the queen that the treasury is empty and that her majesty has no more money. In the other he announces that he is about to transport his prisoners to Melun, since Rueil seemed to him not sufficiently secure. You can understand, dear friend, with what hope I was inspired by that last letter. I placed myself in ambuscade with my sixty men; I encircled the castle; the riding horses I entrusted to Grimaud and I awaited your coming out, which I did not expect till to-morrow, and I didn't hope to free you without a skirmish.

You are free to-night, without fighting; so much the better!

How did you manage to escape that scoundrel Mazarin? You must have much reason to complain of him."

"Not very much," said D'Artagnan.

"Really!"

"I might even say that we have some reason to praise him."

"Impossible!"

"Yes, really; it is owing to him that we are free."

"Owing to him?"

"Yes, he had us conducted into the orangery by Monsieur Bernouin, his valet-de-chambre, and from there we followed him to visit the Comte de la Fere. Then he offered us our liberty and we accepted it. He even went so far as to show us the way out; he led us to the park wall, which we climbed over without accident, and then we fell in with Grimaud."

"Well!" exclaimed Aramis, "this will reconcile me to him; but I wish he were here that I might tell him that I did not believe him capable of so noble an act."

"My lord," said D'Artagnan, no longer able to contain himself, "allow me to introduce to you the Chevalier d'Herblay, who wishes -- as you may have heard -- to offer his congratulations to your eminence."

And he retired, discovering Mazarin, who was in great confusion, to the astonished gaze of Aramis.

"Ho! ho!" exclaimed the latter, "the cardinal! a glorious prize! Halloo! halloo! friends! to horse! to horse!"

Several horsemen ran quickly to him.

"Zounds!" cried Aramis, "I may have done some good; so, my lord, deign to receive my most respectful homage! I will lay a wager that 'twas that Saint Christopher, Porthos, who performed this feat! Apropos! I forgot ---- " and he gave some orders in a low voice to one of the horsemen.

"I think it will be wise to set off," said D'Artagnan.

"Yes; but I am expecting some one, a friend of Athos."

"A friend!" exclaimed the count.

"And here he comes, by Jupiter! galloping through the bushes."

"The count! the count!" cried a young voice that made Athos start.

"Raoul! Raoul!" he ejaculated.

For one moment the young man forgot his habitual respect -- he threw himself on his father's neck.

"Look, my lord cardinal," said Aramis, "would it not have been a pity to have separated men who love each other as we love? Gentlemen," he continued, addressing the cavaliers, who became more and more numerous every instant; "gentlemen, encircle his eminence, that you may show him the greater honor. He will, indeed give us the favor of his company; you will, I hope, be grateful for it; Porthos, do not lose sight of his eminence."

Aramis then joined Athos and D'Artagnan, who were consulting together.

"Come," said D'Artagnan, after a conference of five minutes' duration, "let us begin our journey."

"Where are we to go?" asked Porthos.

"To your house, dear Porthos, at Pierrefonds; your fine chateau is worthy of affording its princely hospitality to his eminence; it is, likewise, well situated -- neither too near Paris, nor too far from it; we can establish a communication between it and the capital with great facility. Come, my lord, you shall be treated like a prince, as you are."

"A fallen prince!" exclaimed Mazarin, piteously.

"The chances of war," said Athos, "are many, but be assured we shall take no improper advantage of them."

"No, but we shall make use of them," said D'Artagnan.

The rest of the night was employed by these cavaliers in traveling with the wonderful rapidity of former days.

Mazarin, still sombre and pensive, permitted himself to be dragged along in this way; it looked a race of phantoms. At dawn twelve leagues had been passed without drawing rein; half the escort were exhausted and several horses fell down.

"Horses, nowadays, are not what they were formerly," observed Porthos; "everything degenerates."

"I have sent Grimaud to Dammartin," said Aramis. "He is to bring us five fresh horses -- one for his eminence, four for us. We, at least, must keep close to monseigneur; the rest of the start will rejoin us later. Once beyond Saint Denis we shall have nothing to fear."

Grimaud, in fact, brought back five horses. The nobleman to whom he applied, being a friend of Porthos, was very ready, not to sell them, as was proposed, but to lend them. Ten minutes later the escort stopped at Ermenonville, but the four friends went on with well sustained ardor, guarding Mazarin carefully. At noon they rode into the avenue of Pierrefonds.

同类推荐
  • 赠别

    赠别

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 宝王三昧念佛直指

    宝王三昧念佛直指

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 儿科醒

    儿科醒

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 皇清秘史

    皇清秘史

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven

    Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 闪闪奇遇记二:淡水龟王子

    闪闪奇遇记二:淡水龟王子

    《闪闪奇遇记二:淡水龟王子》善良英俊的王子被施了魔法,变成了弱小无助的淡水龟,偶遇主人公闪闪后,他将如何自救,如何恢复魔力并打败邪恶的巨人呢?
  • 霸道校草腹黑丫头

    霸道校草腹黑丫头

    开始夏梓熙觉得自己不会喜欢他,因为她是傲慢的校花,可没想到吵着吵着喜欢上了校草慕晨轩,他太霸道了,毕业后结婚,已经订婚了。
  • 卡牌使者

    卡牌使者

    简介未想好。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。
  • 本草撮要

    本草撮要

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 穿越之依然成凤

    穿越之依然成凤

    简介:莫名成为小小才人,她汗颜这战斗力差到极点的角色,决定要安生度日,然那群“姐妹们”总是抓她不知礼数的小辫子,无事生事地下毒计,可每当她受人欺负时,那个高高在上的皇帝,总是第一时间出现,保护她。她不顾一切地感恩戴德,后来才知,她居然是替人贩数钱的傻子!从此一切心酸,难以言说,就在她头戴凤冠之时,众人皆呼,他们啥时好上了?她发誓,揽下皇后这职业,她绝对是故意的。
  • 天朝剑仙的征服之路

    天朝剑仙的征服之路

    新人试水作,不喜勿喷。求点击、收藏、推荐谢谢。
  • 末日丧尸说

    末日丧尸说

    死亡可怕吗?末日会来临吗?即使我是只丧尸,我也要,活着。(新人新书,能写20W字我就死而无憾了)
  • 花都独裁者

    花都独裁者

    一年前,为挚爱,他锒铛入狱。一年后,当他再次出现时,将掀起无尽风波!他奇遇连连而因缘崛起,而神秘古武世家又需要他来传承,不明组织与倾世美女纷纷来袭!感情的纠葛与实力的提升,一个个未知与阴谋的较量,将再现精彩绝伦的战歌!!
  • 天降萌宝腹黑妈

    天降萌宝腹黑妈

    “叔叔,我想尿尿。可我找不到厕所。”洛宸璇皱眉,低头,看见一个小包子拉着自己的裤子,双腿紧紧并拢着,扭来扭去。“我抱你去。”洛宸璇第一次没有排斥小孩子。“叔叔,对不起,我没憋住。”洛宸璇看着自己湿漉漉的衬衫和小屁孩的裤裆,咬牙切齿。“安小姐,根据DNA亲子鉴定,您的孩子和洛先生的基因相似99.9%”。律师递过一份资料。“哦。你们拿错我孩子的头发了,那根头发本身就是你们老板他妈的。”安橙淡定地接过资料,“看来,你们老板是亲生的”。“女人,你狠!”霖宸企业董事长办公室,一股莫名的寒气从周遭蔓延……一场以夺子为名的追爱之旅即将展开,当腹黑单身妈咪遇上万年单身傲娇总裁,谁将会为谁画地为牢?
  • 觉迷

    觉迷

    轮回的灵魂逐渐觉醒,寻找此生的目的,试图改变未来。