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第136节

twenty years after(二十年后)-第136节

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〃Go; sir; then;〃 said the queen; 〃you have obtained what you
wish and we know all we desire to know。〃
Scarcely; however; had the tapestry closed behind Athos when
she said to Mazarin:
〃Cardinal; desire them to arrest that insolent fellow before
he leaves the court。〃
〃Your majesty;〃 answered Mazarin; 〃desires me to do only
what I was going to ask you to let me do。 These bravoes who
resuscitate in our epoch the traditions of another reign are
troublesome; since there are two of them already there; let
us add a third。〃
Athos was not altogether the queen's dupe; but he was not a
man to run away on suspicion  above all; when distinctly
told that he should see his friends again。 He waited; then;
in the ante…chamber with impatience; till he should be
conducted to them。
He walked to the window and looked into the court。 He saw
the deputation from the Parisians enter it; they were coming
to assign the definitive place for the conference and to
make their bow to the queen。 A very imposing escort awaited
them without the gates。
Athos was looking on attentively; when some one touched him
softly on the shoulder。
〃Ah! Monsieur de Comminges;〃 he said。
〃Yes; count; and charged with a commission for which I beg
of you to accept my excuses。〃
〃What is it?〃
〃Be so good as to give me up your sword; count。〃
Athos smiled and opened the window。
〃Aramis!〃 he cried。
A gentleman turned around。 Athos fancied he had seen him
among the crowd。 It was Aramis。 He bowed with great
friendship to the count。
〃Aramis;〃 cried Athos; 〃I am arrested。〃
〃Good;〃 replied Aramis; calmly。
〃Sir;〃 said Athos; turning to Comminges and giving him
politely his sword by the hilt; 〃here is my sword; have the
kindness to keep it safely for me until I quit my prison。 I
prize it  it was given to my ancestor by King Francis I。
In his time they armed gentlemen; not disarmed them。 Now;
whither do you conduct me?〃
〃Into my room first;〃 replied Comminges; 〃the queen will
ultimately decide your place of domicile。〃
Athos followed Comminges without saying a single word。

81
Cardinal Mazarin as King。

The arrest produced no sensation; indeed was almost unknown;
and scarcely interrupted the course of events。 To the
deputation it was formally announced that the queen would
receive it。
Accordingly; it was admitted to the presence of Anne; who;
silent and lofty as ever; listened to the speeches and
complaints of the deputies; but when they had finished their
harangues not one of them could say; so calm remained her
face; whether or no she had heard them。
On the other hand; Mazarin; present at that audience; heard
very well what those deputies demanded。 It was purely and
simply his removal; in terms clear and precise。
The discourse being finished; the queen remained silent。
〃Gentlemen;〃 said Mazarin; 〃I join with you in supplicating
the queen to put an end to the miseries of her subjects。 I
have done all in my power to ameliorate them and yet the
belief of the public; you say; is that they proceed from me;
an unhappy foreigner; who has been unable to please the
French。 Alas! I have never been understood; and no wonder。 I
succeeded a man of the most sublime genius that ever upheld
the sceptre of France。 The memory of Richelieu annihilates
me。 In vain  were I an ambitious man  should I struggle
against such remembrances as he has left; but that I am not
ambitious I am going to prove to you。 I own myself
conquered。 I shall obey the wishes of the people。 If Paris
has injuries to complain of; who has not some wrongs to be
redressed? Paris has been sufficiently punished; enough
blood has flowed; enough misery has humbled a town deprived
of its king and of justice。 'Tis not for me; a private
individual; to disunite a queen from her kingdom。 Since you
demand my resignation; I retire。〃
〃Then;〃 said Aramis; in his neighbor's ear; 〃the conferences
are over。 There is nothing to do but to send Monsieur
Mazarin to the most distant frontier and to take care that
he does not return even by that; nor any other entrance into
France。〃
〃One instant; sir;〃 said the man in a gown; whom he
addressed; 〃a plague on't! how fast you go! one may soon see
that you're a soldier。 There's the article of remunerations
and indemnifications to be discussed and set to rights。〃
〃Chancellor;〃 said the queen; turning to Seguier; our old
acquaintance; 〃you will open the conferences。 They can take
place at Rueil。 The cardinal has said several things which
have agitated me; therefore I will not speak more fully now。
As to his going or staying; I feel too much gratitude to the
cardinal not to leave him free in all his actions; he shall
do what he wishes to do。〃
A transient pallor overspread the speaking countenance of
the prime minister; he looked at the queen with anxiety。 Her
face was so passionless; that he; as every one else present;
was incapable of reading her thoughts。
〃But;〃 added the queen; 〃in awaiting the cardinal's decision
let there be; if you please; a reference to the king only。〃
The deputies bowed and left the room。
〃What!〃 exclaimed the queen; when the last of them had
quitted the apartment; 〃you would yield to these limbs of
the law  these advocates?〃
〃To promote your majesty's welfare; madame;〃 replied
Mazarin; fixing his penetrating eyes on the queen; 〃there is
no sacrifice that I would not make。〃
Anne dropped her head and fell into one of those reveries so
habitual with her。 A recollection of Athos came into her
mind。 His fearless deportment; his words; so firm; yet
dignified; the shades which by one word he had evoked;
recalled to her the past in all its intoxication of poetry
and romance; youth; beauty; the eclat of love at twenty
years of age; the bloody death of Buckingham; the only man
whom she had ever really loved; and the heroism of those
obscure champions who had saved her from the double hatred
of Richelieu and the king。
Mazarin looked at her; and whilst she deemed herself alone
and freed from the world of enemies who sought to spy into
her secret thoughts; he read her thoughts in her
countenance; as one sees in a transparent lake clouds pass
 reflections; like thoughts; of the heavens。
〃Must we; then;〃 asked Anne of Austria; 〃yield to the storm;
buy peace; and patiently and piously await better times?〃
Mazarin smiled sarcastically at this speech; which showed
that she had taken the minister's proposal seriously。
Anne's head was bent down  she had not seen the Italian's
smile; but finding that her question elicited no reply she
looked up。
〃Well; you do not answer; cardinal; what do you think about
it?〃
〃I am thinking; madame; of the allusion made by that
insolent gentleman; whom you have caused to be arrested; to
the Duke of Buckingham  to him whom you allowed to be
assassinated  to the Duchess de Chevreuse; whom you
suffered to be exiled  to the Duc de Beaufort; whom you
imprisoned; but if he made allusion to me it was because he
is ignorant of the relation in which I stand to you。〃
Anne drew up; as she always did; when anything touched her
pride。 She blushed; and that she might not answer; clasped
her beautiful hands till her sharp nails almost pierced
them。
〃That man has sagacity; honor and wit; not to mention
likewise that he is a man of undoubted resolution。 You know
something about him; do you not; madame? I shall tell him;
therefore; and in doing so I shall confer a personal favor
on him; how he is mistaken in regard to me。 What is proposed
to me would be; in fact; almost an abdication; and an
abdication requires reflection。〃
〃An abdication?〃 repeated Anne; 〃I thought; sir; that it was
kings alone who abdicated!〃
〃Well;〃 replied Mazarin; 〃and am I not almost a king 
king; indeed; of France? Thrown over the foot of the royal
bed; my simar; madame; looks not unlike the mantle worn by
kings。〃
This was one of the humiliations which Mazarin made Anne
undergo more frequently than any other; and one that bowed
her head with shame。 Queen Elizabeth and Catherine II。 of
Russia are the only two monarchs of their set on record who
were at once sovereigns and lovers。 Anne of Austria looked
with a sort of terror at the threatening aspect of the
cardinal  his physiognomy in such moments was not
destitute of a certain grandeur。
〃Sir;〃 she replied; 〃did I not say; and did you not hear me
say to those people; that you should do as you pleased?〃
〃In that case;〃 said Mazarin; 〃I think it must please me
best to remain; not only on account of my own interest; but
for your safety。〃
〃Remain; then; sir; nothing can be more agreeable to me;
only do not allow me to be insulted。〃
〃You are referring to the demands of the rebels and to the
tone in which they stated them? Patience! They have selected
a field of battle on which I am an abler general than they
 that of a conference。 No; we shall beat them by merely
temporizing。 They want food already。 They will be ten times
worse off in a week。〃
〃Ah; yes! Good heavens! I know it will end in that way; but
it is not they who taunt me with the most wounding
reproaches; but  〃
〃I understand; you mean to allude to the recollections
perpetually revived by these three gentlemen。 However; we
have them safe in prison; and the

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