twenty years after(二十年后)-第158章

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of　the　soldiers　was　summoned　away。
〃Now；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃I　am　going　to　call　this　soldier　and
talk　to　him。　Don't　lose　a　word　of　what　I'm　going　to　say　to
you；　Porthos。　Everything　lies　in　the　execution。〃
〃Good；　the　execution　of　plots　is　my　forte。〃
〃I　know　it　well。　I　depend　on　you。　Look；　I　shall　turn　to　the
left；　so　that　the　soldier　will　be　at　your　right；　as　soon　as
he　mounts　on　the　bench　to　talk　to　us。〃
〃But　supposing　he　doesn't　mount？〃
〃He　will；　rely　upon　it。　As　soon　as　you　see　him　get　up；
stretch　out　your　arm　and　seize　him　by　the　neck。　Then；
raising　him　up　as　Tobit　raised　the　fish　by　the　gills；　you
must　pull　him　into　the　room；　taking　care　to　squeeze　him　so
tight　that　he　can't　cry　out。〃
〃Oh！〃　said　Porthos。　〃Suppose　I　happen　to　strangle　him？〃
〃To　be　sure　there　would　only　be　a　Swiss　the　less　in　the
world；　but　you　will　not　do　so；　I　hope。　Lay　him　down　here；
we'll　gag　him　and　tie　him　　no　matter　where　　somewhere。
So　we　shall　get　from　him　one　uniform　and　a　sword。〃
〃Marvelous！〃　exclaimed　Porthos；　looking　at　the　Gascon　with
the　most　profound　admiration。
〃Pooh！〃　replied　D'Artagnan。
〃Yes；〃　said　Porthos；　recollecting　himself；　〃but　one　uniform
and　one　sword　will　not　suffice　for　two。〃
〃Well；　but　there's　his　comrade。〃
〃True；〃　said　Porthos。
〃Therefore；　when　I　cough；　stretch　out　your　arm。〃
〃Good！〃
The　two　friends　then　placed　themselves　as　they　had　agreed；
Porthos　being　completely　hidden　in　an　angle　of　the　window。
〃Good…evening；　comrade；〃　said　D'Artagnan　in　his　most
fascinating　voice　and　manner。
〃Good…evening；　sir；〃　answered　the　soldier；　in　a　strong
provincial　accent。
〃'Tis　not　too　warm　to　walk；〃　resumed　D'Artagnan。
〃No；　sir。〃
〃And　I　think　a　glass　of　wine　will　not　be　disagreeable　to
you？〃
〃A　glass　of　wine　will　be　extremely　welcome。〃
〃The　fish　bites　　the　fish　bites！〃　whispered　the　Gascon　to
Porthos。
〃I　understand；〃　said　Porthos。
〃A　bottle；　perhaps？〃
〃A　whole　bottle？　Yes；　sir。〃
〃A　whole　bottle；　if　you　will　drink　my　health。〃
〃Willingly；〃　answered　the　soldier。
〃Come；　then；　and　take　it；　friend；〃　said　the　Gascon。
〃With　all　my　heart。　How　convenient　that　there's　a　bench
here。　Egad！　one　would　think　it　had　been　placed　here　on
purpose。〃
〃Get　on　it；　that's　it；　friend。〃
And　D'Artagnan　coughed。
That　instant　the　arm　of　Porthos　fell。　His　hand　of　iron
grasped；　quick　as　lightning；　firm　as　a　pair　of　blacksmith's
pincers；　the　soldier's　throat。　He　raised　him；　almost
stifling　him　as　he　drew　him　through　the　aperture；　at　the
risk　of　flaying　him　in　the　passage。　He　then　laid　him　down　on
the　floor；　where　D'Artagnan；　after　giving　him　just　time
enough　to　draw　his　breath；　gagged　him　with　his　long　scarf；
and　the　moment　he　had　done　so　began　to　undress　him　with　the
promptitude　and　dexterity　of　a　man　who　had　learned　his
business　on　the　field　of　battle。　Then　the　soldier；　gagged
and　bound；　was　placed　upon　the　hearth；　the　fire　of　which　had
been　previously　extinguished　by　the　two　friends。
〃Here's　a　sword　and　a　dress；〃　said　Porthos。
〃I　take　them；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃for　myself。　If　you　want
another　uniform　and　sword　you　must　play　the　same　trick　over
again。　Stop！　I　see　the　other　soldier　issue　from　the
guardroom　and　come　toward　us。〃
〃I　think；〃　replied　Porthos；　〃it　would　be　imprudent　to
attempt　the　same　manoeuvre　again；　it　is　said　that　no　man　can
succeed　twice　in　the　same　way；　and　a　failure　would　be
ruinous。　No；　I　will　go　down；　seize　the　man　unawares　and
bring　him　to　you　ready　gagged。〃
〃That　is　better；〃　said　the　Gascon。
〃Be　ready；〃　said　Porthos；　as　he　slipped　through　the　opening。
He　did　as　he　said。　Porthos　seized　his　opportunity；　caught
the　next　soldier　by　his　neck；　gagged　him　and　pushed　him　like
a　mummy　through　the　bars　into　the　room；　and　entered　after
him。　Then　they　undressed　him　as　they　had　done　the　first；
laid　him　on　their　bed　and　bound　him　with　the　straps　which
composed　the　bed　　the　bedstead　being　of　oak。　This
operation　proved　as　great　a　success　as　the　first。
〃There；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃this　is　capital！　Now　let　me　try
on　the　dress　of　yonder　chap。　Porthos；　I　doubt　if　you　can
wear　it；　but　should　it　be　too　tight；　never　mind；　you　can
wear　the　breastplate　and　the　hat　with　the　red　feathers。〃
It　happened；　however；　that　the　second　soldier　was　a　Swiss　of
gigantic　proportions；　so；　save　that　some　few　of　the　seams
split；　his　uniform　fitted　Porthos　perfectly。
They　then　dressed　themselves。
〃'Tis　done！〃　they　both　exclaimed　at　once。　〃As　to　you；
comrades；〃　they　said　to　the　men；　〃nothing　will　happen　to　you
if　you　are　discreet；　but　if　you　stir　you　are　dead　men。〃
The　soldiers　were　complaisant；　they　had　found　the　grasp　of
Porthos　pretty　powerful　and　that　it　was　no　joke　to　fight
against　it。
〃Now；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃you　wouldn't　be　sorry　to　understand
the　plot；　would　you；　Porthos？〃
〃Well；　no；　not　very。〃
〃Well；　then；　we　shall　go　down　into　the　court。〃
〃Yes。〃
〃We　shall　take　the　place　of　those　two　fellows。〃
〃Well？〃
〃We　will　walk　back　and　forth。〃
〃That's　a　good　idea；　for　it　isn't　warm。〃
〃In　a　moment　the　valet…de…chambre　will　call　the　guard；　as　he
did　yesterday　and　the　day　before。〃
〃And　we　shall　answer？〃
〃No；　on　the　contrary；　we　shall　not　answer。〃
〃As　you　please；　I　don't　insist　on　answering。〃
〃We　will　not　answer；　then；　we　will　simply　settle　our　hats　on
our　heads　and　we　will　escort　his　eminence。〃
〃Where　shall　we　escort　him？〃
〃Where　he　is　going　　to　visit　Athos。　Do　you　think　Athos
will　be　sorry　to　see　us？〃
〃Oh！〃　cried　Porthos；　〃oh！　I　understand。〃
〃Wait　a　little；　Porthos；　before　crying　out；　for；　on　my　word；
you　haven't　reached　the　end；〃　said　the　Gascon；　in　a　jesting
tone。
〃What　is　to　happen？〃　said　Porthos。
〃Follow　me；〃　replied　D'Artagnan。　〃The　man　who　lives　to　see
shall　see。〃
And　slipping　through　the　aperture；　he　alighted　in　the　court。
Porthos　followed　him　by　the　same　road；　but　with　more
difficulty　and　less　diligence。　They　could　hear　the　two
soldiers　shivering　with　fear；　as　they　lay　bound　in　the
chamber。
Scarcely　had　the　two　Frenchmen　touched　the　ground　when　a
door　opened　and　the　voice　of　the　valet…de…chambre　called
out：
〃Make　ready！〃
At　the　same　moment　the　guardhouse　was　opened　and　a　voice
called　out：
〃La　Bruyere　and　Du　Barthois！　March！〃
It　seems　that　I　am　named　La　Bruyere；〃　remarked　D'Artagnan。
〃And　I；　Du　Barthois；〃　added　Porthos。
〃Where　are　you？〃　asked　the　valet…de…chambre；　whose　eyes；
dazzled　by　the　light；　could　not　clearly　distinguish　our
heroes　in　the　gloom。
〃Here　we　are；〃　said　the　Gascon。
〃What　say　you　to　that；　Monsieur　du　Vallon？〃　he　added　in　a
low　tone　to　Porthos。
〃If　it　but　lasts；　most　capital；〃　responded　Porthos。
These　two　newly　enlisted　soldiers　marched　gravely　after　the
valet…de…chambre；　who　opened　the　door　of　the　vestibule；　then
another　which　seemed　to　be　that　of　a　waiting…room；　and
showing　them　two　stools：
〃Your　orders　are　very　simple；〃　he　said；　〃don't　allow
anybody；　except　one　person；　to　enter　here。　Do　you　hear　
not　a　single　creature！　Obey　that　person　implicitly。　On　your
return　you　cannot　make　a　mistake。　You　have　only　to　wait　here
till　I　release　you。〃
D'Artagnan　was　known　to　this　valet…de…chambre；　who　was　no
other　than　Bernouin；　and　he　had　during　the　last　six　or　eight
months　introduced　the　Gascon　a　dozen　times　to　the　cardinal。
The　Gascon；　therefore；　instead　of　answering；　growled　out
〃Ja！　Ja！〃　in　the　most　German　and　the　least　Gascon　accent
possible。
As　for　Porthos；　on　whom　D'Artagnan　had　impressed　the
necessity　of　absolute　silence　and　who　did　not　even　now　begin
to　comprehend　the　scheme　of　his　friend；　which　was　to　follow
Mazarin　in　his　visit　to　Athos；　he　was　simply　mute。　All　that
he　was　allowed　to　say；　in　case　of　emergencies；　was　the
proverbial　Der　Teufel！
Bernouin　shut　the　door　and　went　away。　When　Porthos　heard　the
key　turn　in　the　lock　he　began　to　be　alarmed；　lest　they
should　only　have　exchanged　one　prison　for　another。
〃Porthos；　my　friend；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃don't　distrust
Providence！　Let　me　meditate　and　consider。〃
〃Meditate　and　consider　as　much　as　you　like；〃　replied
Porthos；　who　was　now　quite　out　of　humor　at　seeing　things
take　this　turn。
〃We　have　walked　eight　paces；〃　whispered　D'Artagnan；　〃and
gone　up　six　steps；　so　hereabouts　is　the　pavilion　called　the
pavilion　of　the　orangery。　The　Comte　de　la　Fere　cannot　be　far
off；　only　the　doors　ar