twenty years after(二十年后)-第95章

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gates　began　to　yield。
〃Oh！　madame；〃　cried　Mazarin；　〃you　have　ruined　us　all　　the
king；　yourself　and　me。〃
At　this　cry　from　the　soul　of　the　frightened　cardinal；　Anne
became　alarmed　in　her　turn　and　would　have　recalled
Comminges。
〃It　is　too　late；〃　said　Mazarin；　tearing　his　hair；　〃too
late！〃
The　gale　had　given　way。　Hoarse　shouts　were　heard　from　the
excited　mob。　D'Artagnan　put　his　hand　to　his　sword；　motioning
to　Porthos　to　follow　his　example。
〃Save　the　queen！〃　cried　Mazarin　to　the　coadjutor。
Gondy　sprang　to　the　window　and　threw　it　open；　he　recognized
Louvieres　at　the　head　of　a　troop　of　about　three　or　four
thousand　men。
〃Not　a　step　further；〃　he　shouted；　〃the　queen　is　signing！〃
〃What　are　you　saying？〃　asked　the　queen。
〃The　truth；　madame；〃　said　Mazarin；　placing　a　pen　and　a　paper
before　her；　〃you　must；〃　then　he　added：　〃Sign；　Anne；　I
implore　you　　I　command　you。〃
The　queen　fell　into　a　chair；　took　the　pen　and　signed。
The　people；　kept　back　by　Louvieres；　had　not　made　another
step　forward；　but　the　awful　murmuring；　which　indicates　an
angry　people；　continued。
The　queen　had　written；　〃The　keeper　of　the　prison　at　Saint
Germain　will　set　Councillor　Broussel　at　liberty；〃　and　she
had　signed　it。
The　coadjutor；　whose　eyes　devoured　her　slightest　movements；
seized　the　paper　immediately　the　signature　had　been　affixed
to　it；　returned　to　the　window　and　waved　it　in　his　hand。
〃This　is　the　order；〃　he　said。
All　Paris　seemed　to　shout　with　joy；　and　then　the　air
resounded　with　the　cries　of　〃Long　live　Broussel！〃　〃Long　live
the　coadjutor！〃
〃Long　live　the　queen！〃　cried　De　Gondy；　but　the　cries　which
replied　to　his　were　poor　and　few；　and　perhaps　he　had　but
uttered　it　to　make　Anne　of　Austria　sensible　of　her　weakness。
〃And　now　that　you　have　obtained　what　you　want；　go；〃　said
she；　〃Monsieur　de　Gondy。〃
〃Whenever　her　majesty　has　need　of　me；〃　replied　the
coadjutor；　bowing；　〃her　majesty　knows　I　am　at　her　command。〃
〃Ah；　cursed　priest！〃　cried　Anne；　when　he　had　retired；
stretching　out　her　arm　to　the　scarcely　closed　door；　〃one　day
I　will　make　you　drink　the　dregs　of　the　atrocious　gall　you
have　poured　out　on　me　to…day。〃
Mazarin　wished　to　approach　her。　〃Leave　me！〃　she　exclaimed；
〃you　are　not　a　man！〃　and　she　went　out　of　the　room。
〃It　is　you　who　are　not　a　woman；〃　muttered　Mazarin。
Then；　after　a　moment　of　reverie；　he　remembered　where　he　had
left　D'Artagnan　and　Porthos　and　that　they　must　have
overheard　everything。　He　knit　his　brows　and　went　direct　to
the　tapestry；　which　he　pushed　aside。　The　closet　was　empty。
At　the　queen's　last　word；　D'Artagnan　had　dragged　Porthos
into　the　gallery。　Thither　Mazarin　went　in　his　turn　and　found
the　two　friends　walking　up　and　down。
〃Why　did　you　leave　the　closet；　Monsieur　d'Artagnan？〃　asked
the　cardinal。
〃Because；〃　replied　D'Artagnan；　〃the　queen　desired　every　one
to　leave　and　I　thought　that　this　command　was　intended　for　us
as　well　as　for　the　rest。〃
〃And　you　have　been　here　since　　〃
〃About　a　quarter　of　an　hour；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　motioning　to
Porthos　not　to　contradict　him。
Mazarin　saw　the　sign　and　remained　convinced　that　D'Artagnan
had　seen　and　heard　everything；　but　he　was　pleased　with　his
falsehood。
〃Decidedly；　Monsieur　d'Artagnan；　you　are　the　man　I　have　been
seeking。　You　may　reckon　upon　me　and　so　may　your　friend。〃
Then　bowing　to　the　two　musketeers　with　his　most　gracious
smile；　he　re…entered　his　closet　more　calmly；　for　on　the
departure　of　De　Gondy　the　uproar　had　ceased　as　though　by
enchantment。

49
Misfortune　refreshes　the　Memory。

Anne　of　Austria　returned　to　her　oratory；　furious。
〃What！〃　she　cried；　wringing　her　beautiful　hands；　〃What！　the
people　have　seen　Monsieur　de　Conde；　a　prince　of　the　blood
royal；　arrested　by　my　mother…in…law；　Maria　de　Medicis；　they
saw　my　mother…in…law；　their　former　regent；　expelled　by　the
cardinal；　they　saw　Monsieur　de　Vendome；　that　is　to　say；　the
son　of　Henry　IV。；　a　prisoner　at　Vincennes；　and　whilst　these
great　personages　were　imprisoned；　insulted　and　threatened；
they　said　nothing；　and　now　for　a　Broussel　　good　God！　what；
then；　is　to　become　of　royalty？〃
The　queen　unconsciously　touched　here　upon　the　exciting
question。　The　people　had　made　no　demonstration　for　the
princes；　but　they　had　risen　for　Broussel；　they　were　taking
the　part　of　a　plebeian　and　in　defending　Broussel　they
instinctively　felt　they　were　defending　themselves。
During　this　time　Mazarin　walked　up　and　down　the　study；
glancing　from　time　to　time　at　his　beautiful　Venetian　mirror；
starred　in　every　direction。　〃Ah！〃　he　said；　〃it　is　sad；　I
know　well；　to　be　forced　to　yield　thus；　but；　pshaw！　we　shall
have　our　revenge。　What　matters　it　about　Broussel　　it　is　a
name；　not　a　thing。〃
Mazarin；　clever　politician　as　he　was；　was　for　once　mistaken；
Broussel　was　a　thing；　not　a　name。
The　next　morning；　therefore；　when　Broussel　made　his　entrance
into　Paris　in　a　large　carriage；　having　his　son　Louvieres　at
his　side　and　Friquet　behind　the　vehicle；　the　people　threw
themselves　in　his　way　and　cries　of　〃Long　live　Broussel！〃
〃Long　live　our　father！〃　resounded　from　all　parts　and　was
death　to　Mazarin's　ears；　and　the　cardinal's　spies　brought
bad　news　from　every　direction；　which　greatly　agitated　the
minister；　but　was　calmly　received　by　the　queen。　The　latter
seemed　to　be　maturing　in　her　mind　some　great　stroke；　a　fact
which　increased　the　uneasiness　of　the　cardinal；　who　knew　the
proud　princess　and　dreaded　much　the　determination　of　Anne　of
Austria。
The　coadjutor　returned　to　parliament　more　a　monarch　than
king；　queen；　and　cardinal；　all　three　together。　By　his　advice
a　decree　from　parliament　summoned　the　citizens　to　lay　down
their　arms　and　demolish　the　barricades。　They　now　knew　that
it　required　but　one　hour　to　take　up　arms　again　and　one　night
to　reconstruct　the　barricades。
Rochefort　had　returned　to　the　Chevalier　d'Humieres　his　fifty
horsemen；　less　two；　missing　at　roll　call。　But　the　chevalier
was　himself　at　heart　a　Frondist　and　would　hear　nothing　said
of　compensation。
The　mendicant　had　gone　to　his　old　place　on　the　steps　of
Saint　Eustache　and　was　again　distributing　holy　water　with
one　hand　and　asking　alms　with　the　other。　No　one　could
suspect　that　those　two　hands　had　been　engaged　with　others　in
drawing　out　from　the　social　edifice　the　keystone　of　royalty。
Louvieres　was　proud　and　satisfied；　he　had　taken　revenge　on
Mazarin　and　had　aided　in　his　father's　deliverance　from
prison。　His　name　had　been　mentioned　as　a　name　of　terror　at
the　Palais　Royal。　Laughingly　he　said　to　the　councillor；
restored　to　his　family：
〃Do　you　think；　father；　that　if　now　I　should　ask　for　a
company　the　queen　would　give　it　to　me？〃
D'Artagnan　profited　by　this　interval　of　calm　to　send　away
Raoul；　whom　he　had　great　difficulty　in　keeping　shut　up
during　the　riot；　and　who　wished　positively　to　strike　a　blow
for　one　party　or　the　other。　Raoul　had　offered　some
opposition　at　first；　but　D'Artagnan　made　use　of　the　Comte　de
la　Fere's　name；　and　after　paying　a　visit　to　Madame　de
Chevreuse；　Raoul　started　to　rejoin　the　army。
Rochefort　alone　was　dissatisfied　with　the　termination　of
affairs。　He　had　written　to　the　Duc　de　Beaufort　to　come　and
the　duke　was　about　to　arrive；　and　he　world　find　Paris
tranquil。　He　went　to　the　coadjutor　to　consult　with　him
whether　it　would　not　be　better　to　send　word　to　the　duke　to
stop　on　the　road；　but　Gondy　reflected　for　a　moment；　and　then
said：
〃Let　him　continue　his　journey。〃
〃All　is　not　then　over？〃　asked　Rochefort。
〃My　dear　count；　we　have　only　just　begun。〃
〃What　induces　you　to　think　so？〃
〃The　knowledge　that　I　have　of　the　queen's　heart；　she　will
not　rest　contented　beaten。〃
〃Is　she；　then；　preparing　for　a　stroke？〃
〃I　hope　so。〃
〃Come；　let　us　see　what　you　know。〃
〃I　know　that　she　has　written　to　the　prince　to　return　in
haste　from　the　army。〃
〃Ah！　ha！〃　said　Rochefort；　〃you　are　right。　We　must　let
Monsieur　de　Beaufort　come。〃
In　fact；　the　evening　after　this　conversation　the　report　was
circulated　that　the　Prince　de　Conde　had　arrived。　It　was　a
very　simple；　natural　circumstance　and　yet　it　created　a
profound　sensation。　It　was　said　that　Madame　de　Longueville；
for　whom　the　prince　had　more　than　a　brother's　affection　and
in　whom　he　had　confided；　had　been　indiscreet。　His　confidence
had　unveiled　the　sinister　project　of　the