按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Oh； madame！ you are the queen！〃
〃Queen； forsooth！ when I am at the mercy of every scribbler
in the Palais Royal who covers waste paper with nonsense； or
of every country squire in the kingdom。〃
〃Nevertheless； you have still the power of banishing from
your presence those whom you do not like！〃
〃That is to say； whom you do not like；〃 returned the queen。
〃I！ persons whom I do not like！〃
〃Yes； indeed。 Who sent away Madame de Chevreuse after she
had been persecuted twelve years under the last reign？〃
〃A woman of intrigue； who wanted to keep up against me the
spirit of cabal she had raised against M。 de Richelieu。〃
〃Who dismissed Madame de Hautefort； that friend so loyal
that she refused the favor of the king that she might remain
in mine？〃
〃A prude； who told you every night； as she undressed you；
that it was a sin to love a priest； just as if one were a
priest because one happens to be a cardinal。〃
〃Who ordered Monsieur de Beaufort to be arrested？〃
〃An incendiary the burden of whose song was his intention to
assassinate me。〃
〃You see； cardinal；〃 replied the queen； 〃that your enemies
are mine。〃
〃That is not enough madame； it is necessary that your
friends should be also mine。〃
〃My friends； monsieur？〃 The queen shook her head。 〃Alas； I
have them no longer！〃
〃How is it that you have no friends in your prosperity when
you had many in adversity？〃
〃It is because in my prosperity I forgot those old friends；
monsieur； because I have acted like Queen Marie de Medicis；
who； returning from her first exile； treated with contempt
all those who had suffered for her and； being proscribed a
second time； died at Cologne abandoned by every one； even by
her own son。〃
〃Well； let us see；〃 said Mazarin； 〃isn't there still time to
repair the evil？ Search among your friends； your oldest
friends。〃
〃What do you mean； monsieur？〃
〃Nothing else than I say search。〃
〃Alas； I look around me in vain！ I have no influence with
any one。 Monsieur is； as usual； led by his favorite；
yesterday it was Choisy； to…day it is La Riviere； to…morrow
it will be some one else。 Monsieur le Prince is led by the
coadjutor； who is led by Madame de Guemenee。〃
〃Therefore； madame； I ask you to look； not among your
friends of to…day； but among those of other times。〃
〃Among my friends of other times？〃 said the queen。
〃Yes； among your friends of other times； among those who
aided you to contend against the Duc de Richelieu and even
to conquer him。〃
〃What is he aiming at？〃 murmured the queen； looking uneasily
at the cardinal。
〃Yes；〃 continued his eminence； 〃under certain circumstances；
with that strong and shrewd mind your majesty possesses；
aided by your friends； you were able to repel the attacks of
that adversary。〃
〃I！〃 said the queen。 〃I suffered； that is all。〃
〃Yes。〃 said Mazarin； 〃as women suffer in avenging
themselves。 Come； let us come to the point。 Do you know
Monsieur de Rochefort？〃
〃One of my bitterest enemies the faithful friend of
Cardinal Richelieu。〃
〃I know that； and we sent him to the Bastile；〃 said Mazarin。
〃Is be at liberty？〃 asked the queen。
〃No； still there； but I only speak of him in order that I
may introduce the name of another man。 Do you know Monsieur
d'Artagnan？〃 he added； looking steadfastly at the queen。
Anne of Austria received the blow with a beating heart。
〃Has the Gascon been indiscreet？〃 she murmured to herself；
then said aloud：
〃D'Artagnan！ stop an instant； the name seems certainly
familiar。 D'Artagnan！ there was a musketeer who was in love
with one of my women。 Poor young creature！ she was poisoned
on my account。〃
〃That's all you know of him？〃 asked Mazarin。
The queen looked at him； surprised。
〃You seem； sir；〃 she remarked； 〃to be making me undergo a
course of cross…examination。〃
〃Which you answer according to your fancy；〃 replied Mazarin。
〃Tell me your wishes and I will comply with them。〃
The queen spoke with some impatience。
〃Well； madame；〃 said Mazarin； bowing； 〃I desire that you
give me a share in your friends； as I have shared with you
the little industry and talent that Heaven has given me。 The
circumstances are grave and it will be necessary to act
promptly。〃
〃Still！〃 said the queen。 〃I thought that we were finally
quit of Monsieur de Beaufort。〃
〃Yes； you saw only the torrent that threatened to overturn
everything and you gave no attention to the still water。
There is； however； a proverb current in France relating to
water which is quiet。〃
〃Continue；〃 said the queen。
〃Well； then； madame； not a day passes in which I do not
suffer affronts from your princes and your lordly servants；
all of them automata who do not perceive that I wind up the
spring that makes them move； nor do they see that beneath my
quiet demeanor lies the still scorn of an injured； irritated
man； who has sworn to himself to master them one of these
days。 We have arrested Monsieur de Beaufort； but he is the
least dangerous among them。 There is the Prince de Conde
〃
〃The hero of Rocroy。 Do you think of him？〃
〃Yes； madame； often and often； but pazienza； as we say in
Italy； next； after Monsieur de Conde； comes the Duke of
Orleans。〃
〃What are you saying？ The first prince of the blood； the
king's uncle！〃
〃No！ not the first prince of the blood； not the king's
uncle； but the base conspirator； the soul of every cabal；
who pretends to lead the brave people who are weak enough to
believe in the honor of a prince of the blood not the
prince nearest to the throne； not the king's uncle； I
repeat； but the murderer of Chalais； of Montmorency and of
Cinq…Mars； who is playing now the same game he played long
ago and who thinks that he will win the game because he has
a new adversary instead of a man who threatened； a man
who smiles。 But he is mistaken； I shall not leave so near
the queen that source of discord with which the deceased
cardinal so often caused the anger of the king to rage above
the boiling point。〃
Anne blushed and buried her face in her hands。
〃What am I to do？〃 she said； bowed down beneath the voice of
her tyrant。
〃Endeavor to remember the names of those faithful servants
who crossed the Channel； in spite of Monsieur de Richelieu；
tracking the roads along which they passed by their blood；
to bring back to your majesty certain jewels given by you to
Buckingham。〃
Anne arose； full of majesty； and as if touched by a spring；
and looking at the cardinal with the haughty dignity which
in the days of her youth had made her so powerful： 〃You are
insulting me！〃 she said。
〃I wish；〃 continued Mazarin； finishing； as it were； the
speech this sudden movement of the queen had cut； 〃I wish；
in fact； that you should now do for your husband what you
formerly did for your lover。〃
〃Again that accusation！〃 cried the queen。 〃I thought that
calumny was stifled or extinct； you have spared me till now；
but since you speak of it； once for all； I tell you 〃
〃Madame； I do not ask you to tell me；〃 said Mazarin；
astounded by this returning courage。
〃I will tell you all；〃 replied Anne。 〃Listen： there were in
truth； at that epoch； four devoted hearts； four loyal
spirits； four faithful swords； who saved more than my life
my honor 〃
〃Ah！ you confess it！〃 exclaimed Ma