twenty years after(二十年后)-第29章

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puzzles　you　cleared　up。〃
〃True；　monsieur　le　comte；〃　replied　D'Artagnan；　who　felt　that
by　degrees　Athos　was　resuming　that　great　influence　which
aristocracy　had　over　him。
Athos　smiled。
〃First　and　foremost；　dear　D'Artagnan；　we　have　no　title　such
as　count　here。　When　I　call　you　‘chevalier；'　it　is　in
presenting　you　to　my　guests；　that　they　may　know　who　you　are。
But　to　you；　D'Artagnan；　I　am；　I　hope；　still　dear　Athos；　your
comrade；　your　friend。　Do　you　intend　to　stand　on　ceremony
because　you　are　less　attached　to　me　than　you　were？〃
〃Oh！　God　forbid！〃
〃Then　let　us　be　as　we　used　to　be；　let　us　be　open　with　each
other。　You　are　surprised　at　what　you　see　here？〃
〃Extremely。〃
〃But　above　all　things；　I　am　a　marvel　to　you？〃
〃I　confess　it。〃
〃I　am　still　young；　am　I　not？　Should　you　not　have　known　me
again；　in　spite　of　my　eight…and…forty　years　of　age？〃
〃On　the　contrary；　I　do　not　find　you　the　same　person　at　all。〃
〃I　understand；〃　cried　Athos；　with　a　gentle　blush。
〃Everything；　D'Artagnan；　even　folly；　has　its　limit。〃
〃Then　your　means；　it　appears；　are　improved；　you　have　a
capital　house　　your　own；　I　presume？　You　have　a　park；　and
horses；　servants。〃
Athos　smiled。
〃Yes；　I　inherited　this　little　property　when　I　quitted　the
army；　as　I　told　you。　The　park　is　twenty　acres　　twenty；
comprising　kitchen…gardens　and　a　common。　I　have　two　horses；
　I　do　not　count　my　servant's　bobtailed　nag。　My　sporting
dogs　consist　of　two　pointers；　two　harriers　and　two　setters。
But　then　all　this　extravagance　is　not　for　myself；〃　added
Athos；　laughing。
〃Yes；　I　see；　for　the　young　man　Raoul；〃　said　D'Artagnan。
〃You　guess　aright；　my　friend；　this　youth　is　an　orphan；
deserted　by　his　mother；　who　left　him　in　the　house　of　a　poor
country　priest。　I　have　brought　him　up。　It　is　Raoul　who　has
worked　in　me　the　change　you　see；　I　was　dried　up　like　a
miserable　tree；　isolated；　attached　to　nothing　on　earth；　it
was　only　a　deep　affection　that　could　make　me　take　root　again
and　drag　me　back　to　life。　This　child　has　caused　me　to
recover　what　I　had　lost。　I　had　no　longer　any　wish　to　live
for　myself；　I　have　lived　for　him。　I　have　corrected　the　vices
that　I　had；　I　have　assumed　the　virtues　that　I　had　not。
Precept　something；　but　example　more。　I　may　be　mistaken；　but
I　believe　that　Raoul　will　be　as　accomplished　a　gentleman　as
our　degenerate　age　could　display。〃
The　remembrance　of　Milady　recurred　to　D'Artagnan。
〃And　you　are　happy？〃　he　said　to　his　friend。
〃As　happy　as　it　is　allowed　to　one　of　God's　creatures　to　be
on　this　earth；　but　say　out　all　you　think；　D'Artagnan；　for
you　have　not　yet　done　so。〃
〃You　are　too　bad；　Athos；　one　can　hide　nothing　from　you；〃
answered　D'Artagnan。　〃I　wished　to　ask　you　if　you　ever　feel
any　emotions　of　terror　resembling　　〃
〃Remorse！　I　finish　your　phrase。　Yes　and　no。　I　do　not　feel
remorse；　because　that　woman；　I　profoundly　hold；　deserved　her
punishment。　Had　she　one　redeeming　trait？　I　doubt　it。　I　do
not　feel　remorse；　because　had　we　allowed　her　to　live　she
would　have　persisted　in　her　work　of　destruction。　But　I　do
not　mean；　my　friend　that　we　were　right　in　what　we　did。
Perhaps　all　blood　demands　some　expiation。　Hers　had　been
accomplished；　it　remains；　possibly；　for　us　to　accomplish
ours。〃
〃I　have　sometimes　thought　as　you　do；　Athos。〃
〃She　had　a　son；　that　unhappy　woman？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Have　you　ever　heard　of　him？〃
〃Never。〃
〃He　must　be　about　twenty…three　years　of　age；〃　said　Athos；　in
a　low　tone。　〃I　often　think　of　that　young　man；　D'Artagnan。〃
〃Strange！　for　I　had　forgotten　him；〃　said　the　lieutenant。
Athos　smiled；　the　smile　was　melancholy。
〃And　Lord　de　Winter　　do　you　know　anything　about　him？〃
〃I　know　that　he　is　in　high　favor　with　Charles　I。〃
〃The　fortunes　of　that　monarch　now　are　at　low　water。　He　shed
the　blood　of　Strafford；　that　confirms　what　I　said　just　now
　blood　will　have　blood。　And　the　queen？〃
〃What　queen？〃
〃Madame　Henrietta　of　England；　daughter　of　Henry　IV。〃
〃She　is　at　the　Louvre；　as　you　know。〃
〃Yes；　and　I　hear　in　bitter　poverty。　Her　daughter；　during　the
severest　cold；　was　obliged　for　want　of　fire　to　remain　in
bed。　Do　you　grasp　that？〃　said　Athos；　shrugging　his
shoulders；　〃the　daughter　of　Henry　IV。　shivering　for　want　of
a　fagot！　Why　did　she　not　ask　from　any　one　of　us　a　home
instead　of　from　Mazarin？　She　should　have　wanted　nothing。〃
〃Have　you　ever　seen　the　queen　of　England？〃　inquired
D'Artagnan。
〃No；　but　my　mother；　as　a　child；　saw　her。　Did　I　ever　tell　you
that　my　mother　was　lady　of　honor　to　Marie　de　Medici　〃
〃Never。　You　know；　Athos；　you　never　spoke　much　of　such
matters。〃
〃Ah；　mon　Dieu；　yes；　you　are　right；〃　Athos　replied；　〃but　then
there　must　be　some　occasion　for　speaking。〃
〃Porthos　wouldn't　have　waited　for　it　so　patiently；〃　said
D'Artagnan；　with　a　smile。
〃Every　one　according　to　his　nature；　my　dear　D'Artagnan。
Porthos；　in　spite　of　a　touch　of　vanity；　has　many　excellent
qualities。　Have　you　seen　him？〃
〃I　left　him　five　days　ago；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　and　he
portrayed　with　Gascon　wit　and　sprightliness　the　magnificence
of　Porthos　in　his　Chateau　of　Pierrefonds；　nor　did　he　neglect
to　launch　a　few　arrows　of　wit　at　the　excellent　Monsieur
Mouston。
〃I　sometimes　wonder；〃　replied　Athos；　smiling　at　that　gayety
which　recalled　the　good　old　days；　〃that　we　could　form　an
association　of　men　who　would　be；　after　twenty　years　of
separation；　still　so　closely　bound　together。　Friendship
throws　out　deep　roots　in　honest　hearts；　D'Artagnan。　Believe
me；　it　is　only　the　evil…minded　who　deny　friendship；　they
cannot　understand　it。　And　Aramis？〃
〃I　have　seen　him　also；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃but　he　seemed　to
me　cold。〃
〃Ah；　you　have　seen　Aramis？〃　said　Athos；　turning　on
D'Artagnan　a　searching　look。　〃Why；　it　is　a　veritable
pilgrimage；　my　dear　friend；　that　you　are　making　to　the
Temple　of　Friendship；　as　the　poets　would　say。〃
〃Why；　yes；〃　replied　D'Artagnan；　with　embarrassment。
〃Aramis；　you　know；〃　continued　Athos；　〃is　naturally　cold；　and
then　he　is　always　involved　in　intrigues　with　women。〃
〃I　believe　he　is　at　this　moment　in　a　very　complicated　one；〃
said　D'Artagnan。
Athos　made　no　reply。
〃He　is　not　curious；〃　thought　D'Artagnan。
Athos　not　only　failed　to　reply；　he　even　changed　the　subject
of　conversation。
〃You　see；〃　said　he；　calling　D'Artagnan's　attention　to　the
fact　that　they　had　come　back　to　the　chateau　after　an　hour's
walk；　〃we　have　made　a　tour　of　my　domains。〃
〃All　is　charming　and　everything　savors　of　nobility；〃　replied
D'Artagnan。
At　this　instant　they　heard　the　sound　of　horses'　feet。
〃'Tis　Raoul　who　has　come　back；〃　said　Athos；　〃and　we　can　now
hear　how　the　poor　child　is。〃
In　fact；　the　young　man　appeared　at　the　gate；　covered　with
dust；　entered　the　courtyard；　leaped　from　his　horse；　which　he
consigned　to　the　charge　of　a　groom；　and　then　went　to　greet
the　count　and　D'Artagnan。
〃Monsieur；〃　said　Athos；　placing　his　hand　on　D'Artagnan's
shoulder；　〃monsieur　is　the　Chevalier　D'Artagnan　of　whom　you
have　often　heard　me　speak；　Raoul。〃
〃Monsieur；〃　said　the　young　man；　saluting　again　and　more
profoundly；　〃monsieur　le　comte　has　pronounced　your　name
before　me　as　an　example　whenever　he　wished　to　speak　of　an
intrepid　and　generous　gentleman。〃
That　little　compliment　could　not　fail　to　move　D'Artagnan。　He
extended　a　hand　to　Raoul　and　said：
〃My　young　friend；　all　the　praises　that　are　given　me　should
be　passed　on　to　the　count　here；　for　he　has　educated　me　in
everything　and　it　is　not　his　fault　that　his　pupil　profited
so　little　from　his　instructions。　But　he　will　make　it　up　in
you　I　am　sure。　I　like　your　manner；　Raoul；　and　your
politeness　has　touched　me。〃
Athos　was　more　delighted　than　can　be　told。　He　looked　at
D'Artagnan　with　an　expression　of　gratitude　and　then　bestowed
on　Raoul　one　of　those　strange　smiles；　of　which　children　are
so　proud　when　they　receive　them。
〃Now；〃　said　D'Artagnan　to　himself；　noticing　that　silent　play
of　countenance；　〃I　am　sure　of　it。〃
〃I　hope　the　accident　has　been　of　no　consequence？〃
〃They　don't　yet　know；　sir；　on　account　of　the　swelling；　but
the　doctor　is　afraid　some　tendon　has　been　injured。〃
At　this　moment　a　little　boy；　half　peasant；　half　foot…boy；
came　to　announce　supper。
Athos　led　his　guest　into　a　dining…room　of　moderate　size；　the
windows　of　which　opened　on　one　side　on　a　garden；　on　the
other　on　a　hot…house　full　of　magnificent　flowers。