twenty years after(二十年后)-第150章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


then　that　he　told　me　two　cavaliers　of　the　Parisian　army　were
seeking　me　and　named　the　Comte　de　la　Fere。〃
〃What！　you　knew　we　were　there　and　yet　wished　to　kill　your
friend　the　chevalier？〃
〃I　did　not　recognize　the　chevalier　in　armor；　sir！〃　said
Raoul；　blushing；　〃though　I　might　have　known　him　by　his　skill
and　coolness　in　danger。〃
〃Thank　you　for　the　compliment；　my　young　friend；〃　replied
Aramis；　〃we　can　see　from　whom　you　learned　courtesy。　Then　you
were　going　to　Rueil？〃
〃Yes！　I　have　a　despatch　from　the　prince　to　his　eminence。〃
〃You　must　still　deliver　it；〃　said　Athos。
〃No　false　generosity；　count！　the　fate　of　our　friends；　to　say
nothing　of　our　own；　is　perhaps　in　that　very　despatch。〃
〃This　young　man　must　not；　however；　fail　in　his　duty；〃　said
Athos。
〃In　the　first　place；　count；　this　youth　is　our　prisoner；　you
seem　to　forget　that。　What　I　propose　to　do　is　fair　in　war；
the　vanquished　must　not　be　dainty　in　the　choice　of　means。
Give　me　the　despatch；　Raoul。〃
The　young　man　hesitated　and　looked　at　Athos　as　if　seeking　to
read　in　his　eyes　a　rule　of　conduct。
〃Give　him　the　despatch；　Raoul！　you　are　the　chevalier's
prisoner。〃
Raoul　gave　it　up　reluctantly；　Aramis　instantly　seized　and
read　it。
〃You；〃　he　said；　〃you；　who　are　so　trusting；　read　and　reflect
that　there　is　something　in　this　letter　important　for　us　to
see。〃
Athos　took　the　letter；　frowning；　but　an　idea　that　he　should
find　something　in　this　letter　about　D'Artagnan　conquered　his
unwillingness　to　read　it。
〃My　lord；　I　shall　send　this　evening　to　your　eminence　in
order　to　reinforce　the　troop　of　Monsieur　de　Comminges；　the
ten　men　you　demand。　They　are　good　soldiers；　fit　to　confront
the　two　violent　adversaries　whose　address　and　resolution
your　eminence　is　fearful　of。〃
〃Oh！〃　cried　Athos。
〃Well；〃　said　Aramis；　〃what　think　you　about　these　two　enemies
whom　it　requires；　besides　Comminges's　troop；　ten　good
soldiers　to　confront；　are　they　not　as　like　as　two　drops　of
water　to　D'Artagnan　and　Porthos？〃
〃We'll　search　Paris　all　day　long；〃　said　Athos；　〃and　if　we
have　no　news　this　evening　we　will　return　to　the　road　to
Picardy；　and　I　feel　no　doubt　that；　thanks　to　D'Artagnan's
ready　invention；　we　shall　then　find　some　clew　which　will
solve　our　doubts。〃
〃Yes；　let　us　search　Paris　and　especially　inquire　of　Planchet
if　he　has　yet　heard　from　his　former　master。〃
〃That　poor　Planchet！　You　speak　of　him　very　much　at　your
ease；　Aramis；　he　has　probably　been　killed。　All　those
fighting　citizens　went　out　to　battle　and　they　have　been
massacred。〃
It　was；　then；　with　a　sentiment　of　uneasiness　whether
Planchet；　who　alone　could　give　them　information；　was　alive
or　dead；　that　the　friends　returned　to　the　Place　Royale；　to
their　great　surprise　they　found　the　citizens　still　encamped
there；　drinking　and　bantering　each　other；　although；
doubtless；　mourned　by　their　families；　who　thought　they　were
at　Charenton　in　the　thickest　of　the　fighting。
Athos　and　Aramis　again　questioned　Planchet；　but　he　had　seen
nothing　of　D'Artagnan；　they　wished　to　take　Planchet　with
them；　but　he　could　not　leave　his　troop；　who　at　five　o'clock
returned　home；　saying　that　they　were　returning　from　the
battle；　whereas　they　had　never　lost　sight　of　the　bronze
equestrian　statue　of　Louis　XIII。

79
The　Road　to　Picardy。

On　leaving　Paris；　Athos　and　Aramis　well　knew　that　they　would
be　encountering　great　danger；　but　we　know　that　for　men　like
these　there　could　be　no　question　of　danger。　Besides；　they
felt　that　the　denouement　of　this　second　Odyssey　was　at　hand
and　that　there　remained　but　a　single　effort　to　make。
Besides；　there　was　no　tranquillity　in　Paris　itself。
Provisions　began　to　fail；　and　whenever　one　of　the　Prince　de
Conti's　generals　wished　to　gain　more　influence　he　got　up　a
little　popular　tumult；　which　he　put　down　again；　and　thus　for
the　moment　gained　a　superiority　over　his　colleagues。
In　one　of　these　risings。　the　Duc　de　Beaufort　pillaged　the
house　and　library　of　Mazarin；　in　order　to　give　the　populace；
as　he　put　it；　something　to　gnaw　at。　Athos　and　Aramis　left
Paris　after　this　coup…d'etat；　which　took　place　on　the　very
evening　of　the　day　in　which　the　Parisians　had　been　beaten　at
Charenton。
They　quitted　Paris；　beholding　it　abandoned　to　extreme　want；
bordering　on　famine；　agitated　by　fear；　torn　by　faction。
Parisians　and　Frondeurs　as　they　were；　the　two　friends
expected　to　find　the　same　misery；　the　same　fears；　the　same
intrigue　in　the　enemy's　camp；　but　what　was　their　surprise；
after　passing　Saint　Denis；　to　hear　that　at　Saint　Germain
people　were　singing　and　laughing；　and　leading　generally
cheerful　lives。　The　two　gentlemen　traveled　by　byways　in
order　not　to　encounter　the　Mazarinists　scattered　about　the
Isle　of　France；　and　also　to　escape　the　Frondeurs；　who　were
in　possession　of　Normandy　and　who　never　failed　to　conduct
captives　to　the　Duc　de　Longueville；　in　order　that　he　might
ascertain　whether　they　were　friends　or　foes。　Having　escaped
these　dangers；　they　returned　by　the　main　road　to　Boulogne；
at　Abbeville；　and　followed　it　step　by　step；　examining　every
track。
Nevertheless；　they　were　still　in　a　state　of　uncertainty。
Several　inns　were　visited　by　them；　several　innkeepers
questioned；　without　a　single　clew　being　given　to　guide　their
inquiries；　when　at　Montreuil　Athos　felt　upon　the　table　that
something　rough　was　touching　his　delicate　fingers。　He　turned
up　the　cloth　and　found　these　hieroglyphics　carved　upon　the
wood　with　a　knife：
〃Port　。。。。　D'Art　。。。。　2d　February。〃
〃This　is　capital！〃　said　Athos　to　Aramis；　〃we　were　to　have
slept　here；　but　we　cannot　　we　must　push　on。〃　They　rode
forward　and　reached　Abbeville。　There　the　great　number　of
inns　puzzled　them；　they　could　not　go　to　all；　how　could　they
guess　in　which　those　whom　they　were　seeking　had　stayed？
〃Trust　me；〃　said　Aramis；　〃do　not　expect　to　find　anything　in
Abbeville。　If　we　had　only　been　looking　for　Porthos；　Porthos
would　have　stationed　himself　in　one　of　the　finest　hotels　and
we　could　easily　have　traced　him。　But　D'Artagnan　is　devoid　of
such　weaknesses。　Porthos　would　have　found　it　very　difficult
even　to　make　him　see　that　he　was　dying　of　hunger；　he　has
gone　on　his　road　as　inexorable　as　fate　and　we　must　seek　him
somewhere　else。〃
They　continued　their　route。　It　had　now　become　a　weary　and
almost　hopeless　task；　and　had　it　not　been　for　the　threefold
motives　of　honor；　friendship　and　gratitude；　implanted　in
their　hearts；　our　two　travelers　would　have　given　up　many　a
time　their　rides　over　the　sand；　their　interrogatories　of　the
peasantry　and　their　close　inspection　of　faces。
They　proceeded　thus　to　Peronne。
Athos　began　to　despair。　His　noble　nature　felt　that　their
ignorance　was　a　sort　of　reflection　upon　them。　They　had　not
looked　carefully　enough　for　their　lost　friends。　They　had　not
shown　sufficient　pertinacity　in　their　inquiries。　They　were
willing　and　ready　to　retrace　their　steps；　when；　in　crossing
the　suburb　which　leads　to　the　gates　of　the　town；　upon　a
white　wall　which　was　at　the　corner　of　a　street　turning
around　the　rampart；　Athos　cast　his　eyes　upon　a　drawing　in
black　chalk；　which　represented；　with　the　awkwardness　of　a
first　attempt；　two　cavaliers　riding　furiously；　one　of　them
carried　a　roll　of　paper　on　which　were　written　these　words：
〃They　are　following　us。〃
〃Oh！〃　exclaimed　Athos；　〃here　it　is；　as　clear　as　day；　pursued
as　he　was；　D'Artagnan　would　not　have　tarried　here　five
minutes　had　he　been　pressed　very　closely；　which　gives　us
hopes　that　he　may　have　succeeded　in　escaping。〃
Aramis　shook　his　head。
〃Had　he　escaped　we　should　either　have　seen　him　or　have　heard
him　spoken　of。〃
〃You　are　right；　Aramis；　let　us　travel　on。〃
To　describe　the　impatience　and　anxiety　of　these　two　friends
would　be　impossible。　Uneasiness　took　possession　of　the
tender；　constant　heart　of　Athos；　and　fearful　forecasts　were
the　torment　of　the　impulsive　Aramis。　They　galloped　on　for
two　or　three　hours　as　furiously　as　the　cavaliers　on　the
wall。　All　at　once；　in　a　narrow　pass；　they　perceived　that　the
road　was　partially　barricaded　by　an　enormous　stone。　It　had
evidently　been　rolled　across　the　pass　by　some　arm　of　giant
strength。
Aramis　stopped。
〃Oh！〃　he　said；　looking　at　the　stone；　〃this　is　the　work　of
either　Hercules　or　Porthos。　Let　us　get　down；　count；　and
examine　this