twenty years after(二十年后)-第4章

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Fronde；'　hats　‘a　la　Fronde；'　to　say　nothing　of　gloves；
pocket…handkerchiefs；　and　fans；　but　listen　　〃
At　that　moment　a　window　opened　and　a　man　began　to　sing：

〃A　tempest　from　the　Fronde
Did　blow　to…day：
I　think　'twill　blow
Sieur　Mazarin　away。〃

〃Insolent　wretch！〃　cried　Guitant。
〃My　lord；〃　said　Comminges；　who；　irritated　by　his　wounds；
wished　for　revenge　and　longed　to　give　back　blow　for　blow；
〃shall　I　fire　off　a　ball　to　punish　that　jester；　and　to　warn
him　not　to　sing　so　much　out　of　tune　in　the　future？〃
And　as　he　spoke　he　put　his　hand　on　the　holster　of　his
uncle's　saddle…bow。
〃Certainly　not！　certainly　not；〃　exclaimed　Mazarin。　〃Diavolo！
my　dear　friend；　you　are　going　to　spoil　everything　
everything　is　going　on　famously。　I　know　the　French　as　well
as　if　I　had　made　them　myself。　They　sing　　let　them　pay　the
piper。　During　the　Ligue；　about　which　Guitant　was　speaking
just　now；　the　people　chanted　nothing　except　the　mass；　so
everything　went　to　destruction。　Come；　Guitant；　come　along；
and　let's　see　if　they　keep　watch　at　the　Quinze…Vingts　as　at
the　Barriere　des　Sergens。〃
And　waving　his　hand　to　Comminges　he　rejoined　D'Artagnan；　who
instantly　put　himself　at　the　head　of　his　troop；　followed　by
the　cardinal；　Guitant　and　the　rest　of　the　escort。
〃Just　so；〃　muttered　Comminges；　looking　after　Mazarin。　〃True；
I　forgot；　provided　he　can　get　money　out　of　the　people；　that
is　all　he　wants。〃
The　street　of　Saint　Honore；　when　the　cardinal　and　his　party
passed　through　it；　was　crowded　by　an　assemblage　who；
standing　in　groups；　discussed　the　edicts　of　that　memorable
day。　They　pitied　the　young　king；　who　was　unconsciously
ruining　his　country；　and　threw　all　the　odium　of　his
proceedings　on　Mazarin。　Addresses　to　the　Duke　of　Orleans　and
to　Conde　were　suggested。　Blancmesnil　and　Broussel　seemed　in
the　highest　favor。
D'Artagnan　passed　through　the　very　midst　of　this
discontented　mob　just　as　if　his　horse　and　he　had　been　made
of　iron。　Mazarin　and　Guitant　conversed　together　in　whispers。
The　musketeers；　who　had　already　discovered　who　Mazarin　was；
followed　in　profound　silence。　In　the　street　of　Saint
Thomas…du…Louvre　they　stopped　at　the　barrier　distinguished
by　the　name　of　Quinze…Vingts。　Here　Guitant　spoke　to　one　of
the　subalterns；　asking　how　matters　were　progressing。
〃Ah；　captain！〃　said　the　officer；　〃everything　is　quiet
hereabout　　if　I　did　not　know　that　something　is　going　on　in
yonder　house！〃
And　he　pointed　to　a　magnificent　hotel　situated　on　the　very
spot　whereon　the　Vaudeville　now　stands。
〃In　that　hotel？　it　is　the　Hotel　Rambouillet；〃　cried　Guitant。
〃I　really　don't　know　what　hotel　it　is；　all　I　do　know　is　that
I　observed　some　suspicious　looking　people　go　in　there　　〃
〃Nonsense！〃　exclaimed　Guitant；　with　a　burst　of　laughter；
〃those　men　must　be　poets。〃
〃Come；　Guitant；　speak；　if　you　please；　respectfully　of　these
gentlemen；〃　said　Mazarin；　〃don't　you　know　that　I　was　in　my
youth　a　poet？　I　wrote　verses　in　the　style　of　Benserade　
〃
〃You；　my　lord？〃
〃Yes；　I；　shall　I　repeat　to　you　some　of　my　verses？〃
〃Just　as　you　please；　my　lord。　I　do　not　understand　Italian。〃
〃Yes；　but　you　understand　French；〃　and　Mazarin　laid　his　hand
upon　Guitant's　shoulder。　〃My　good；　my　brave　Guitant；
whatsoever　command　I　may　give　you　in　that　language　　in
French　　whatever　I　may　order　you　to　do；　will　you　not
perform　it？〃
〃Certainly。　I　have　already　answered　that　question　in　the
affirmative；　but　that　command　must　come　from　the　queen
herself。〃
〃Yes！　ah　yes！〃　Mazarin　bit　his　lips　as　he　spoke；　〃I　know
your　devotion　to　her　majesty。〃
〃I　have　been　a　captain　in　the　queen's　guards　for　twenty
years；〃　was　the　reply。
〃En　route；　Monsieur　d'Artagnan；〃　said　the　cardinal；　〃all
goes　well　in　this　direction。〃
D'Artagnan；　in　the　meantime；　had　taken　the　head　of　his
detachment　without　a　word　and　with　that　ready　and　profound
obedience　which　marks　the　character　of　an　old　soldier。
He　led　the　way　toward　the　hill　of　Saint　Roche。　The　Rue
Richelieu　and　the　Rue　Villedot　were　then；　owing　to　their
vicinity　to　the　ramparts；　less　frequented　than　any　others　in
that　direction；　for　the　town　was　thinly　inhabited
thereabout。
〃Who　is　in　command　here？〃　asked　the　cardinal。
〃Villequier；〃　said　Guitant。
〃Diavolo！　Speak　to　him　yourself；　for　ever　since　you　were
deputed　by　me　to　arrest　the　Duc　de　Beaufort；　this　officer
and　I　have　been　on　bad　terms。　He　laid　claim　to　that　honor　as
captain　of　the　royal　guards。〃
〃I　am　aware　of　that；　and　I　have　told　him　a　hundred　times
that　he　was　wrong。　The　king　could　not　give　that　order；　since
at　that　time　he　was　hardly　four　years　old。〃
〃Yes；　but　I　could　give　him　the　order　　I；　Guitant　　and　I
preferred　to　give　it　to　you。〃
Guitant；　without　reply；　rode　forward　and　desired　the
sentinel　to　call　Monsieur　de　Villequier。
〃Ah！　so　you　are　here！〃　cried　the　officer；　in　the　tone　of
ill…humor　habitual　to　him；　〃what　the　devil　are　you　doing
here？〃
〃I　wish　to　know　　can　you　tell　me；　pray　　is　anything
fresh　occurring　in　this　part　of　the　town？〃
〃What　do　you　mean？　People　cry　out；　‘Long　live　the　king！　down
with　Mazarin！'　That's　nothing　new；　no；　we've　been　used　to
those　acclamations　for　some　time。〃
〃And　you　sing　chorus；〃　replied　Guitant；　laughing。
〃Faith；　I've　half　a　mind　to　do　it。　In　my　opinion　the　people
are　right；　and　cheerfully　would　I　give　up　five　years　of　my
pay　　which　I　am　never　paid；　by　the　way　　to　make　the　king
five　years　older。〃
〃Really！　And　pray　what　would　come　to　pass；　supposing　the
king　were　five　years　older　than　he　is？〃
〃As　soon　as　ever　the　king　comes　of　age　he　will　issue　his
commands　himself；　and　'tis　far　pleasanter　to　obey　the
grandson　of　Henry　IV。　than　the　son　of　Peter　Mazarin。
'Sdeath！　I　would　die　willingly　for　the　king；　but　supposing　I
happened　to　be　killed　on　account　of　Mazarin；　as　your　nephew
came　near　being　to…day；　there　could　be　nothing　in　Paradise；
however　well　placed　I　might　be　there；　that　could　console　me
for　it。〃
〃Well；　well；　Monsieur　de　Villequier；〃　Mazarin　interposed；　〃I
shall　make　it　my　care　the　king　hears　of　your　loyalty。　Come；
gentlemen；〃　addressing　the　troop；　〃let　us　return。〃
〃Stop；〃　exclaimed　Villequier；　〃so　Mazarin　was　here！　so　much
the　better。　I　have　been　waiting　for　a　long　time　to　tell　him
what　I　think　of　him。　I　am　obliged　to　you　Guitant；　although
your　intention　was　perhaps　not　very　favorable　to　me；　for
such　an　opportunity。〃
He　turned　away　and　went　off　to　his　post；　whistling　a　tune
then　popular　among　the　party　called　the　〃Fronde；〃　whilst
Mazarin　returned；　in　a　pensive　mood；　toward　the　Palais
Royal。　All　that　he　had　heard　from　these　three　different　men；
Comminges；　Guitant　and　Villequier；　confirmed　him　in　his
conviction　that　in　case　of　serious　tumults　there　would　be　no
one　on　his　side　except　the　queen；　and　then　Anne　of　Austria
had　so　often　deserted　her　friends　that　her　support　seemed
most　precarious。　During　the　whole　of　this　nocturnal　ride；
during　the　whole　time　that　he　was　endeavoring　to　understand
the　various　characters　of　Comminges；　Guitant　and　Villequier；
Mazarin　was；　in　truth；　studying　more　especially　one　man。
This　man；　who　had　remained　immovable　as　bronze　when　menaced
by　the　mob　　not　a　muscle　of　whose　face　was　stirred；　either
at　Mazarin's　witticisms　or　by　the　jests　of　the　multitude　
seemed　to　the　cardinal　a　peculiar　being；　who；　having
participated　in　past　events　similar　to　those　now　occurring；
was　calculated　to　cope　with　those　now　on　the　eve　of　taking
place。
The　name　of　D'Artagnan　was　not　altogether　new　to　Mazarin；
who；　although　he　did　not　arrive　in　France　before　the　year
1634　or　1635；　that　is　to　say；　about　eight　or　nine　years
after　the　events　which　we　have　related　in　a　preceding
narrative；*　fancied　he　had　heard　it　pronounced　as　that　of
one　who　was　said　to　be　a　model　of　courage；　address　and
loyalty。

*　〃The　Three　Musketeers。〃

Possessed　by　this　idea；　the　cardinal　resolved　to　know　all
about　D'Artagnan　immediately；　of　course　he　could　not　inquire
from　D'Artagnan　himself　who　he　was　and　what　had　been　his
career；　he　remarked；　however；　in　the　course　of　conversation
that　the　lieutenant　of　musketeers　spoke　with　a　Gascon
accent。　Now　the　Italians　and　the　Gascons　are　too　much　alike
and　know　each　other　too　well　ever　to　trust　what　any　one　of
them　may　say　of　himself；　so　in　reaching　the　wal