twenty years after(二十年后)-第156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！


previous　trial；　a　trial　would　make　a　noise；　and　a　noise
would　get　the　attention　of　our　friends；　who　would　check　the
operations　of　Monsieur　de　Mazarin。〃
〃How　well　you　reason！〃　said　Porthos；　admiringly。
〃Well；　yes；　pretty　well；〃　replied　D'Artagnan；　〃and　besides；
you　see；　if　they　put　us　on　trial；　if　they　cut　off　our　heads；
they　must　meanwhile　either　keep　us　here　or　transfer　us
elsewhere。〃
〃Yes；　that　is　inevitable；〃　said　Porthos。
〃Well；　it　is　impossible　but　that　Master　Aramis；　that
keen…scented　bloodhound；　and　Athos；　that　wise　and　prudent
nobleman；　will　discover　our　retreat。　Then；　believe　me；　it
will　be　time　to　act。〃
〃Yes；　we　will　wait。　We　can　wait　the　more　contentedly；　that
it　is　not　absolutely　bad　here；　but　for　one　thing；　at　least。〃
〃What　is　that？〃
〃Did　you　observe；　D'Artagnan；　that　three　days　running　they
have　brought　us　braised　mutton？〃
〃No；　but　if　it　occurs　a　fourth　time　I　shall　complain　of　it；
so　never　mind。〃
〃And　then　I　feel　the　loss　of　my　house；　'tis　a　long　time
since　I　visited　my　castles。〃
〃Forget　them　for　a　time；　we　shall　return　to　them；　unless
Mazarin　razes　them　to　the　ground。〃
〃Do　you　think　that　likely？〃
〃No；　the　other　cardinal　would　have　done　so；　but　this　one　is
too　mean　a　fellow　to　risk　it。〃
〃You　reconcile　me；　D'Artagnan。〃
〃Well；　then；　assume　a　cheerful　manner；　as　I　do；　we　must　joke
with　the　guards；　we　must　gain　the　good…will　of　the　soldiers；
since　we　can't　corrupt　them。　Try；　Porthos；　to　please　them
more　than　you　are　wont　to　do　when　they　are　under　our
windows。　Thus　far　you　have　done　nothing　but　show　them　your
fist；　and　the　more　respectable　your　fist　is；　Porthos；　the
less　attractive　it　is。　Ah；　I　would　give　much　to　have　five
hundred　louis；　only。〃
〃So　would　I；〃　said　Porthos；　unwilling　to　be　behind
D'Artagnan　in　generosity；　〃I　would　give　as　much　as　a　hundred
pistoles。〃
The　two　prisoners　were　at　this　point　of　their　conversation
when　Comminges　entered；　preceded　by　a　sergeant　and　two　men；
who　brought　supper　in　a　basket　with　two　handles；　filled　with
basins　and　plates。
〃What！〃　exclaimed　Porthos；　〃mutton　again？〃
〃My　dear　Monsieur　de　Comminges；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃you　will
find　that　my　friend；　Monsieur　du　Vallon；　will　go　to　the　most
fatal　lengths　if　Cardinal　Mazarin　continues　to　provide　us
with　this　sort　of　meat；　mutton　every　day。〃
〃I　declare；〃　said　Porthos；　〃I　shall　eat　nothing　if　they　do
not　take　it　away。〃
〃Remove　the　mutton；〃　cried　Comminges；　〃I　wish　Monsieur　du
Vallon　to　sup　well；　more　especially　as　I　have　news　to　give
him　that　will　improve　his　appetite。〃
〃Is　Mazarin　dead？〃　asked　Porthos。
〃No；　I　am　sorry　to　tell　you　he　is　perfectly　well。〃
〃So　much　the　worse；〃　said　Porthos。
〃What　is　that　news？〃　asked　D'Artagnan。　〃News　in　prison　is　a
fruit　so　rare　that　I　trust；　Monsieur　de　Comminges；　you　will
excuse　my　impatience　　the　more　eager　since　you　have　given
us　to　understand　that　the　news　is　good。〃
〃Should　you　be　glad　to　hear　that　the　Comte　de　la　Fere　is
well？〃　asked　De　Comminges。
D'Artagnan's　penetrating　gray　eyes　were　opened　to　the
utmost。
〃Glad！〃　he　cried；　〃I　should　be　more　than　glad！　Happy　
beyond　measure！〃
〃Well；　I　am　desired　by　him　to　give　you　his　compliments　and
to　say　that　he　is　in　good　health。〃
D'Artagnan　almost　leaped　with　joy。　A　quick　glance　conveyed
his　thought　to　Porthos：　〃If　Athos　knows　where　we　are；　if　he
opens　communication　with　us；　before　long　Athos　will　act。〃
Porthos　was　not　very　quick　to　understand　the　language　of
glances；　but　now　since　the　name　of　Athos　had　suggested　to
him　the　same　idea；　he　understood。
〃Do　you　say；〃　asked　the　Gascon；　timidly；　〃that　the　Comte　de
la　Fere　has　commissioned　you　to　give　his　compliments　to
Monsieur　du　Vallon　and　myself？〃
〃Yes；　sir。〃
〃Then　you　have　seen　him？〃
〃Certainly　I　have。〃
〃Where？　if　I　may　ask　without　indiscretion。〃
〃Near　here；〃　replied　De　Comminges；　smiling；　〃so　near　that　if
the　windows　which　look　on　the　orangery　were　not　stopped　up
you　could　see　him　from　where　you　are。〃
〃He　is　wandering　about　the　environs　of　the　castle；〃　thought
D'Artagnan。　Then　he　said　aloud：
〃You　met　him；　I　dare　say；　in　the　park　　hunting；　perhaps？〃
〃No；　nearer；　nearer　still。　Look；　behind　this　wall；〃　said　De
Comminges；　knocking　against　the　wall。
〃Behind　this　wall？　What　is　there；　then；　behind　this　wall？　I
was　brought　here　by　night；　so　devil　take　me　if　I　know　where
I　am。〃
〃Well；〃　said　Comminges；　〃suppose　one　thing。〃
〃I　will　suppose　anything　you　please。〃
〃Suppose　there　were　a　window　in　this　wall。〃
〃Well？〃
〃From　that　window　you　would　see　Monsieur　de　la　Fere　at　his。〃
〃The　count；　then；　is　in　the　chateau？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃For　what　reason？〃
〃The　same　as　yourself。〃
〃Athos　　a　prisoner？〃
〃You　know　well；〃　replied　De　Comminges；　〃that　there　are　no
prisoners　at　Rueil；　because　there　is　no　prison。〃
〃Don't　let　us　play　upon　words；　sir。　Athos　has　been
arrested。〃
〃Yesterday；　at　Saint　Germain；　as　he　came　out　from　the
presence　of　the　queen。〃
The　arms　of　D'Artagnan　fell　powerless　by　his　side。　One　might
have　supposed　him　thunderstruck；　a　paleness　ran　like　a　cloud
over　his　dark　skin；　but　disappeared　immediately。
〃A　prisoner？〃　he　reiterated。
〃A　prisoner；〃　repeated　Porthos；　quite　dejected。
Suddenly　D'Artagnan　looked　up　and　in　his　eyes　there　was　a
gleam　which　scarcely　even　Porthos　observed；　but　it　died　away
and　he　appeared　more　sorrowful　than　before。
〃Come；　come；〃　said　Comminges；　who；　since　D'Artagnan；　on　the
day　of　Broussel's　arrest；　had　saved　him　from　the　hands　of
the　Parisians；　had　entertained　a　real　affection　for　him；
〃don't　be　unhappy；　I　never　thought　of　bringing　you　bad　news。
Laugh　at　the　chance　which　has　brought　your　friend　near　to
you　and　Monsieur　du　Vallon；　instead　of　being　in　the　depths
of　despair　about　it。〃
But　D'Artagnan　was　still　in　a　desponding　mood。
〃And　how　did　he　look？〃　asked　Porthos；　who；　perceiving　that
D'Artagnan　had　allowed　the　conversation　to　drop；　profited　by
it　to　put　in　a　word　or　two。
〃Very　well；　indeed；　sir；〃　replied　Comminges；　〃at　first；　like
you；　he　seemed　distressed；　but　when　he　heard　that　the
cardinal　was　going　to　pay　him　a　visit　this　very　evening　
〃
〃Ah！〃　cried　D'Artagnan；　〃the　cardinal　is　about　to　visit　the
Comte　de　la　Fere？〃
〃Yes；　and　the　count　desired　me　to　tell　you　that　he　should
take　advantage　of　this　visit　to　plead　for　you　and　for
himself。〃
〃Ah！　our　dear　count！〃　said　D'Artagnan。
〃A　fine　thing；　indeed！〃　grunted　Porthos。　〃A　great　favor！
Zounds！　Monsieur　the　Comte　de　la　Fere；　whose　family　is
allied　to　the　Montmorency　and　the　Rohan；　is　easily　the　equal
of　Monsieur　de　Mazarin。〃
〃No　matter；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　in　his　most　wheedling　tone。
〃On　reflection；　my　dear　Du　Vallon；　it　is　a　great　honor　for
the　Comte　de　la　Fere；　and　gives　good　reason　to　hope。　In
fact；　it　seems　to　me　so　great　an　honor　for　a　prisoner　that　I
think　Monsieur　de　Comminges　must　be　mistaken。〃
〃What？　I　am　mistaken？〃
〃Monsieur　de　Mazarin　will　not　come　to　visit　the　Comte　de　la
Fere；　but　the　Comte　de　la　Fere　will　be　sent　for　to　visit
him。〃
〃No；　no；　no；〃　said　Comminges；　who　made　a　point　of　having　the
facts　appear　exactly　as　they　were；　〃I　clearly　understood
what　the　cardinal　said　to　me。　He　will　come　and　visit　the
Comte　de　la　Fere。〃
D'Artagnan　tried　to　gather　from　the　expression　of　his　eyes
whether　Porthos　understood　the　importance　of　that　visit；　but
Porthos　did　not　even　look　toward　him。
〃It　is；　then；　the　cardinal's　custom　to　walk　in　his
orangery？〃　asked　D'Artagnan。
〃Every　evening　he　shuts　himself　in　there。　That；　it　seems；　is
where　he　meditates　on　state　affairs。〃
〃In　that　case；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃I　begin　to　believe　that
Monsieur　de　la　Fere　will　receive　the　visit　of　his　eminence；
he　will；　of　course；　have　an　escort。〃
〃Yes　　two　soldiers。〃
〃And　will　he　talk　thus　of　affairs　in　presence　of　two
strangers？〃
〃The　soldiers　are　Swiss；　who　understand　only　German。
Besides；　according　to　all　probability　they　will　wait　at　the
door。〃
D'Artagnan　made　a　violent　effort　over　himself　to　keep　his
face　from　being　too　expressive。
〃Let　the　cardinal　take　care　of　going　alone　to　visit　the
Comte　de　la　Fere；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃for　the　count　must　be
furious。〃
Comminges　began　to　laugh。　〃Oh；　oh！　why；　really；　one　would
say　that　you　four　were　anthropaphagi！　The　count　is　an
affable　man；　besides；　be　is　unarmed；　at　the　first　word　from
h