twenty years after(二十年后)-第70章

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It　is　eleven　o'clock　in　the　morning　and　the　pious　sisters
have　just　finished　saying　mass　for　the　success　of　the　armies
of　King　Charles　I。　Leaving　the　church；　a　woman　and　a　young
girl　dressed　in　black；　the　one　as　a　widow　and　the　other　as
an　orphan；　have　re…entered　their　cell。
The　woman　kneels　on　a　prie…dieu　of　painted　wood　and　at　a
short　distance　from　her　stands　the　young　girl；　leaning
against　a　chair；　weeping。
The　woman　must　have　once　been　handsome；　but　traces　of　sorrow
have　aged　her。　The　young　girl　is　lovely　and　her　tears　only
embellish　her；　the　lady　appears　to　be　about　forty　years　of
age；　the　girl　about　fourteen。
〃Oh；　God！〃　prayed　the　kneeling　suppliant；　〃protect　my
husband；　guard　my　son；　and　take　my　wretched　life　instead！〃
〃Oh；　God！〃　murmured　the　girl；　〃leave　me　my　mother！〃
〃Your　mother　can　be　of　no　use　to　you　in　this　world；
Henrietta；〃　said　the　lady；　turning　around。　〃Your　mother　has
no　longer　either　throne　or　husband；　she　has　neither　son；
money　nor　friends；　the　whole　world；　my　poor　child；　has
abandoned　your　mother！〃　And　she　fell　back；　weeping；　into　her
daughter's　arms。
〃Courage；　take　courage；　my　dear　mother！〃　said　the　girl。
〃Ah！　'tis　an　unfortunate　year　for　kings；〃　said　the　mother。
〃And　no　one　thinks　of　us　in　this　country；　for　each　must
think　about　his　own　affairs。　As　long　as　your　brother　was
with　me　he　kept　me　up；　but　he　is　gone　and　can　no　longer　send
us　news　of　himself；　either　to　me　or　to　your　father。　I　have
pledged　my　last　jewels；　sold　your　clothes　and　my　own　to　pay
his　servants；　who　refused　to　accompany　him　unless　I　made
this　sacrifice。　We　are　now　reduced　to　live　at　the　expense　of
these　daughters　of　Heaven；　we　are　the　poor；　succored　by
God。〃
〃But　why　not　address　yourself　to　your　sister；　the　queen？〃
asked　the　girl。
〃Alas！　the　queen；　my　sister；　is　no　longer　queen；　my　child。
Another　reigns　in　her　name。　One　day　you　will　be　able　to
understand　how　all　this　is。〃
〃Well；　then；　to　the　king；　your　nephew。　Shall　I　speak　to　him？
You　know　how　much　he　loves　me；　my　mother。
〃Alas！　my　nephew　is　not　yet　king；　and　you　know　Laporte　has
told　us　twenty　times　that　he　himself　is　in　need　of　almost
everything。〃
〃Then　let　us　pray　to　Heaven；〃　said　the　girl。
The　two　women　who　thus　knelt　in　united　prayer　were　the
daughter　and　grand…daughter　of　Henry　IV。；　the　wife　and
daughter　of　Charles　I。
They　had　just　finished　their　double　prayer；　when　a　nun
softly　tapped　at　the　door　of　the　cell。
〃Enter；　my　sister；〃　said　the　queen。
〃I　trust　your　majesty　will　pardon　this　intrusion　on　her
meditations；　but　a　foreign　lord　has　arrived　from　England　and
waits　in　the　parlor；　demanding　the　honor　of　presenting　a
letter　to　your　majesty。〃
〃Oh；　a　letter！　a　letter　from　the　king；　perhaps。　News　from
your　father；　do　you　hear；　Henrietta？　And　the　name　of　this
lord？〃
〃Lord　de　Winter。〃
〃Lord　de　Winter！〃　exclaimed　the　queen；　〃the　friend　of　my
husband。　Oh；　bid　him　enter！〃
And　the　queen　advanced　to　meet　the　messenger；　whose　hand　she
seized　affectionately；　whilst　he　knelt　down　and　presented　a
letter　to　her；　contained　in　a　case　of　gold。
〃Ah！　my　lord！〃　said　the　queen；　〃you　bring　us　three　things
which　we　have　not　seen　for　a　long　time。　Gold；　a　devoted
friend；　and　a　letter　from　the　king；　our　husband　and　master。〃
De　Winter　bowed　again；　unable　to　reply　from　excess　of
emotion。
On　their　side　the　mother　and　daughter　retired　into　the
embrasure　of　a　window　to　read　eagerly　the　following　letter：

Dear　Wife；　　We　have　now　reached　the　moment　of　decision。　I
have　concentrated　here　at　Naseby　camp　all　the　resources
Heaven　has　left　me；　and　I　write　to　you　in　haste　from　thence。
Here　I　await　the　army　of　my　rebellious　subjects。　I　am　about
to　struggle　for　the　last　time　with　them。　If　victorious；　I
shall　continue　the　struggle；　if　beaten；　I　am　lost。　I　shall
try；　in　the　latter　case　（alas！　in　our　position；　one　must
provide　for　everything）；　I　shall　try　to　gain　the　coast　of
France。　But　can　they；　will　they　receive　an　unhappy　king；　who
will　bring　such　a　sad　story　into　a　country　already　agitated
by　civil　discord？　Your　wisdom　and　your　affection　must　serve
me　as　guides。　The　bearer　of　this　letter　will　tell　you；
madame；　what　I　dare　not　trust　to　pen　and　paper　and　the　risks
of　transit。　He　will　explain　to　you　the　steps　that　I　expect
you　to　pursue。　I　charge　him　also　with　my　blessing　for　my
children　and　with　the　sentiments　of　my　soul　for　yourself；　my
dearest　sweetheart。〃

The　letter　bore　the　signature；　not　of　〃Charles；　King；〃　but
of　〃Charles　　still　king。〃
〃And　let　him　be　no　longer　king；〃　cried　the　queen。　〃Let　him
be　conquered；　exiled；　proscribed；　provided　he　still　lives。
Alas！　in　these　days　the　throne　is　too　dangerous　a　place　for
me　to　wish　him　to　retain　it。　But　my　lord；　tell　me；〃　she
continued；　〃hide　nothing　from　me　　what　is；　in　truth；　the
king's　position？　Is　it　as　hopeless　as　he　thinks？〃
〃Alas！　madame；　more　hopeless　than　he　thinks。　His　majesty　has
so　good　a　heart　that　he　cannot　understand　hatred；　is　so
loyal　that　he　does　not　suspect　treason！　England　is　torn　in
twain　by　a　spirit　of　disturbance　which；　I　greatly　fear；
blood　alone　can　exorcise。〃
〃But　Lord　Montrose；〃　replied　the　queen；　〃I　have　heard　of　his
great　and　rapid　successes　of　battles　gained。　I　heard　it　said
that　he　was　marching　to　the　frontier　to　join　the　king。〃
〃Yes；　madame；　but　on　the　frontier　he　was　met　by　Lesly；　he
had　tried　victory　by　means　of　superhuman　undertakings。　Now
victory　has　abandoned　him。　Montrose；　beaten　at　Philiphaugh；
was　obliged　to　disperse　the　remains　of　his　army　and　to　fly；
disguised　as　a　servant。　He　is　at　Bergen；　in　Norway。〃
〃Heaven　preserve　him！〃　said　the　queen。　〃It　is　at　least　a
consolation　to　know　that　some　who　have　so　often　risked　their
lives　for　us　are　safe。　And　now；　my　lord；　that　I　see　how
hopeless　the　position　of　the　king　is；　tell　me　with　what　you
are　charged　on　the　part　of　my　royal　husband。〃
〃Well；　then；　madame；〃　said　De　Winter；　〃the　king　wishes　you
to　try　and　discover　the　dispositions　of　the　king　and　queen
toward　him。〃
〃Alas！　you　know　that　even　now　the　king　is　but　a　child　and
the　queen　a　woman　weak　enough。　Here；　Monsieur　Mazarin　is
everything。〃
〃Does　he　desire　to　play　the　part　in　France　that　Cromwell
plays　in　England？〃
〃Oh；　no！　He　is　a　subtle；　conscienceless　Italian；　who　though
he　very　likely　dreams　of　crime；　dares　not　commit　it；　and
unlike　Cromwell；　who　disposes　of　both　Houses；　Mazarin　has
had　the　queen　to　support　him　in　his　struggle　with　the
parliament。〃
〃More　reason；　then；　he　should　protect　a　king　pursued　by
parliament。〃
The　queen　shook　her　head　despairingly。
〃If　I　judge　for　myself；　my　lord；〃　she　said；　〃the　cardinal
will　do　nothing；　and　will　even；　perhaps；　act　against　us。　The
presence　of　my　daughter　and　myself　in　France　is　already
irksome　to　him；　much　more　so　would　be　that　of　the　king。　My
lord；〃　added　Henrietta；　with　a　melancholy　smile；　〃it　is　sad
and　almost　shameful　to　be　obliged　to　say　that　we　have　passed
the　winter　in　the　Louvre　without　money；　without　linen；
almost　without　bread；　and　often　not　rising　from　bed　because
we　wanted　fire。〃
〃Horrible！〃　cried　De　Winter；　〃the　daughter　of　Henry　IV。；　and
the　wife　of　King　Charles！　Wherefore　did　you　not　apply；　then；
madame；　to　the　first　person　you　saw　from　us？〃
〃Such　is　the　hospitality　shown　to　a　queen　by　the　minister
from　whom　a　king　demands　it。〃
〃But　I　heard　that　a　marriage　between　the　Prince　of　Wales　and
Mademoiselle　d'Orleans　was　spoken　of；〃　said　De　Winter。
〃Yes；　for　an　instant　I　hoped　it　was　so。　The　young　people
felt　a　mutual　esteem；　but　the　queen；　who　at　first　sanctioned
their　affection；　changed　her　mind；　and　Monsieur；　the　Duc
d'Orleans；　who　had　encouraged　the　familiarity　between　them；
has　forbidden　his　daughter　to　think　any　more　about　the
union。　Oh；　my　lord！〃　continued　the　queen；　without
restraining　her　tears；　〃it　is　better　to　fight　as　the　king
has　done；　and　to　die；　as　perhaps　he　will；　than　live　in
beggary　like　me。〃
〃Courage；　madame！　courage！　Do　not　despair！　The　interests　of
the　French　crown；　endangered　at　this　moment；　are　to
discountenance　rebellion　in　a　neighboring　nation。　Mazarin；
as　a　statesman；　will　understand　the　politic　necessity。〃
〃Are　you　sure；〃　said　the　queen　doubtfully；　〃that　you　have
not　been　forestalled？〃
〃By　whom？〃
〃By　the　Joices；　th