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！
hour since I asked you for that very thing； wooden…head that
you are。〃
〃There is one man for whom I can answer； if he will speak
out。〃
〃That's my concern； I will make him speak。〃
〃Ah； my lord； 'tis not easy to make people say what they
don't wish to let out。〃
〃Pooh！ with patience one must succeed。 Well； this man。 Who
is he？〃
〃The Comte de Rochefort。〃
〃The Comte de Rochefort！〃
〃Unfortunately he has disappeared these four or five years
and I don't know where he is。〃
〃I know； Guitant；〃 said Mazarin。
〃Well； then； how is it that your eminence complained just
now of want of information？〃
〃You think；〃 resumed Mazarin； 〃that Rochefort 〃
〃He was Cardinal Richelieu's creature； my lord。 I warn you；
however； his services will cost you something。 The cardinal
was lavish to his underlings。〃
〃Yes； yes； Guitant；〃 said Mazarin； 〃Richelieu was a great
man； a very great man； but he had that defect。 Thanks；
Guitant； I shall benefit by your advice this very evening。〃
Here they separated and bidding adieu to Guitant in the
court of the Palais Royal； Mazarin approached an officer who
was walking up and down within that inclosure。
It was D'Artagnan； who was waiting for him。
〃Cane hither；〃 said Mazarin in his softest voice； 〃I have an
order to give you。〃
D'Artagnan bent low and following the cardinal up the secret
staircase； soon found himself in the study whence they had
first set out。
The cardinal seated himself before his bureau and taking a
sheet of paper wrote some lines upon it； whilst D'Artagnan
stood imperturbable； without showing either impatience or
curiosity。 He was like a soldierly automaton； or rather；
like a magnificent marionette。
The cardinal folded and sealed his letter。
〃Monsieur d'Artagnan；〃 he said； 〃you are to take this
dispatch to the Bastile and bring back here the person it
concerns。 You must take a carriage and an escort； and guard
the prisoner with the greatest care。〃
D'Artagnan took the letter； touched his hat with his hand；
turned round upon his heel like a drill…sergeant； and a
moment afterward was heard； in his dry and monotonous tone；
commanding 〃Four men and an escort； a carriage and a horse。〃
Five minutes afterward the wheels of the carriage and the
horses' shoes were heard resounding on the pavement of the
courtyard。
3
Dead Animosities。
D'Artagnan arrived at the Bastile just as it was striking
half…past eight。 His visit was announced to the governor；
who； on hearing that he came from the cardinal； went to meet
him and received him at the top of the great flight of steps
outside the door。 The governor of the Bastile was Monsieur
du Tremblay； the brother of the famous Capuchin； Joseph；
that fearful favorite of Richelieu's； who went by the name
of the Gray Cardinal。
During the period that the Duc de Bassompierre passed in the
Bastile where he remained for twelve long years when
his companions； in their dreams of liberty； said to each
other： 〃As for me； I shall go out of the prison at such a
time；〃 and another； at such and such a time； the duke used
to answer； 〃As for me； gentlemen； I shall leave only when
Monsieur du Tremblay leaves；〃 meaning that at the death of
the cardinal Du Tremblay would certainly lose his place at
the Bastile and De Bassompierre regain his at court。
His prediction was nearly fulfilled； but in a very different
way from that which De Bassompierre supposed； for after the
death of Richelieu everything went on； contrary to
expectation； in the same way as before； and Bassompierre had
little chance of leaving his prison。
Monsieur du Tremblay received D'Artagnan with extreme
politeness and invited him to sit down with him to supper；
of which he was himself about to partake。
〃I should be delighted to do so；〃 was the reply； 〃but if I
am not mistaken； the words ‘In haste；' are written on the
envelope of the letter which I brought。〃
〃You are right；〃 said Du Tremblay。 〃Halloo； major！ tell them
to order Number 25 to come downstairs。〃
The unhappy wretch who entered the Bastile ceased； as he
crossed the threshold； to be a man he became a number。
D'Artagnan shuddered at the noise of the keys； he remained
on horseback； feeling no inclination to dismount； and sat
looking at the bars； at the buttressed windows and the
immense walls he had hitherto only seen from the other side
of the moat； but by which he had for twenty years been
awe…struck。
A bell resounded。
〃I must leave you；〃 said Du Tremblay； 〃I am sent for to sign
the release of a prisoner。 I shall be happy to meet you
again； sir。〃
〃May the devil annihilate me if I return thy wish！〃 murmured
D'Artagnan； smiling as he pronounced the imprecation； 〃I
declare I feel quite ill after only being five minutes in
the courtyard。 Go to！ go to！ I would rather die on straw
than hoard up a thousand a year by being governor of the
Bastile。〃
He had scarcely finished this soliloquy before the prisoner
arrived。 On seeing him D'Artagnan could hardly suppress an
exclamation of surprise。 The prisoner got into the carriage
without seeming to recognize the musketeer。
〃Gentlemen；〃 thus D'Artagnan addressed the four musketeers；
〃I am ordered to exercise the greatest possible care in
guarding the prisoner； and since there are no locks to the
carriage； I shall sit beside him。 Monsieur de Lillebonne；
lead my horse by the bridle； if you please。〃 As he spoke he
dismounted； gave the bridle of his horse to the musketeer
and placing himself by the side of the prisoner said； in a
voice perfectly composed； 〃To the Palais Royal； at full
trot。〃
The carriage drove on and D'Artagnan； availing himself of
the darkness in the archway under which they were passing；
threw himself into the arms of the prisoner。
〃Rochefort！〃 he exclaimed； 〃you！ is it you； indeed？ I am not
mistaken？〃
〃D'Artagnan！〃 cried Rochefort。
〃Ah！ my poor friend！〃 resumed D'Artagnan； 〃not having seen
you for four or five years I concluded you were dead。〃
〃I'faith；〃 said Rochefort； 〃there's no great difference； I
think； between a dead man and one who has been buried alive；
now I have been buried alive； or very nearly so。〃
〃And for what crime are you imprisoned in the Bastile。〃
〃Do you wish me to speak the truth？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Well； then； I don't know。〃
〃Have you any suspicion of me； Rochefort？〃
〃No！ on the honor of a gentleman； but I cannot be imprisoned
for the reason alleged； it is impossible。〃
〃What reason？〃 asked D'Artagnan。
〃For stealing。〃
〃For stealing！ you； Rochefort！ you are laughing at me。〃
〃I understand。 You mean that this demands explanation； do
you not？〃
〃I admit it。〃
〃Well； this is what actually took place： One evening after
an orgy in Reinard's apartment at the Tuileries with the Duc
d'Harcourt； Fontrailles； De Rieux and others； the Duc
d'Harcourt proposed that we should go and pull cloaks on the
Pont Neuf； that is； you know； a diversion which the Duc
d'Orleans made quite the fashion。〃
〃Were you crazy； Rochefort？ at your age！〃
〃No； I was drunk。 And yet； since the amusement seemed to me
rather tame； I proposed to Chevalier de Rieux that we should
be spectators instead of actors； and； in order to see to
advantage； that we should mount the bronze horse。 No sooner
said than done。 Tha