twenty years after(二十年后)-第4节

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〃Yes；　but　you　understand　French；〃　and　Mazarin　laid　his　hand
upon　Guitant's　shoulder。　〃My　good；　my　brave　Guitant；
whatsoever　command　I　may　give　you　in　that　language　　in
French　　whatever　I　may　order　you　to　do；　will　you　not
perform　it？〃
〃Certainly。　I　have　already　answered　that　question　in　the
affirmative；　but　that　command　must　come　from　the　queen
herself。〃
〃Yes！　ah　yes！〃　Mazarin　bit　his　lips　as　he　spoke；　〃I　know
your　devotion　to　her　majesty。〃
〃I　have　been　a　captain　in　the　queen's　guards　for　twenty
years；〃　was　the　reply。
〃En　route；　Monsieur　d'Artagnan；〃　said　the　cardinal；　〃all
goes　well　in　this　direction。〃
D'Artagnan；　in　the　meantime；　had　taken　the　head　of　his
detachment　without　a　word　and　with　that　ready　and　profound
obedience　which　marks　the　character　of　an　old　soldier。
He　led　the　way　toward　the　hill　of　Saint　Roche。　The　Rue
Richelieu　and　the　Rue　Villedot　were　then；　owing　to　their
vicinity　to　the　ramparts；　less　frequented　than　any　others　in
that　direction；　for　the　town　was　thinly　inhabited
thereabout。
〃Who　is　in　command　here？〃　asked　the　cardinal。
〃Villequier；〃　said　Guitant。
〃Diavolo！　Speak　to　him　yourself；　for　ever　since　you　were
deputed　by　me　to　arrest　the　Duc　de　Beaufort；　this　officer
and　I　have　been　on　bad　terms。　He　laid　claim　to　that　honor　as
captain　of　the　royal　guards。〃
〃I　am　aware　of　that；　and　I　have　told　him　a　hundred　times
that　he　was　wrong。　The　king　could　not　give　that　order；　since
at　that　time　he　was　hardly　four　years　old。〃
〃Yes；　but　I　could　give　him　the　order　　I；　Guitant　　and　I
preferred　to　give　it　to　you。〃
Guitant；　without　reply；　rode　forward　and　desired　the
sentinel　to　call　Monsieur　de　Villequier。
〃Ah！　so　you　are　here！〃　cried　the　officer；　in　the　tone　of
ill…humor　habitual　to　him；　〃what　the　devil　are　you　doing
here？〃
〃I　wish　to　know　　can　you　tell　me；　pray　　is　anything
fresh　occurring　in　this　part　of　the　town？〃
〃What　do　you　mean？　People　cry　out；　‘Long　live　the　king！　down
with　Mazarin！'　That's　nothing　new；　no；　we've　been　used　to
those　acclamations　for　some　time。〃
〃And　you　sing　chorus；〃　replied　Guitant；　laughing。
〃Faith；　I've　half　a　mind　to　do　it。　In　my　opinion　the　people
are　right；　and　cheerfully　would　I　give　up　five　years　of　my
pay　　which　I　am　never　paid；　by　the　way　　to　make　the　king
five　years　older。〃
〃Really！　And　pray　what　would　come　to　pass；　supposing　the
king　were　five　years　older　than　he　is？〃
〃As　soon　as　ever　the　king　comes　of　age　he　will　issue　his
commands　himself；　and　'tis　far　pleasanter　to　obey　the
grandson　of　Henry　IV。　than　the　son　of　Peter　Mazarin。
'Sdeath！　I　would　die　willingly　for　the　king；　but　supposing　I
happened　to　be　killed　on　account　of　Mazarin；　as　your　nephew
came　near　being　to…day；　there　could　be　nothing　in　Paradise；
however　well　placed　I　might　be　there；　that　could　console　me
for　it。〃
〃Well；　well；　Monsieur　de　Villequier；〃　Mazarin　interposed；　〃I
shall　make　it　my　care　the　king　hears　of　your　loyalty。　Come；
gentlemen；〃　addressing　the　troop；　〃let　us　return。〃
〃Stop；〃　exclaimed　Villequier；　〃so　Mazarin　was　here！　so　much
the　better。　I　have　been　waiting　for　a　long　time　to　tell　him
what　I　think　of　him。　I　am　obliged　to　you　Guitant；　although
your　intention　was　perhaps　not　very　favorable　to　me；　for
such　an　opportunity。〃
He　turned　away　and　went　off　to　his　post；　whistling　a　tune
then　popular　among　the　party　called　the　〃Fronde；〃　whilst
Mazarin　returned；　in　a　pensive　mood；　toward　the　Palais
Royal。　All　that　he　had　heard　from　these　three　different　men；
Comminges；　Guitant　and　Villequier；　confirmed　him　in　his
conviction　that　in　case　of　serious　tumults　there　would　be　no
one　on　his　side　except　the　queen；　and　then　Anne　of　Austria
had　so　often　deserted　her　friends　that　her　support　seemed
most　precarious。　During　the　whole　of　this　nocturnal　ride；
during　the　whole　time　that　he　was　endeavoring　to　understand
the　various　characters　of　Comminges；　Guitant　and　Villequier；
Mazarin　was；　in　truth；　studying　more　especially　one　man。
This　man；　who　had　remained　immovable　as　bronze　when　menaced
by　the　mob　　not　a　muscle　of　whose　face　was　stirred；　either
at　Mazarin's　witticisms　or　by　the　jests　of　the　multitude　
seemed　to　the　cardinal　a　peculiar　being；　who；　having
participated　in　past　events　similar　to　those　now　occurring；
was　calculated　to　cope　with　those　now　on　the　eve　of　taking
place。
The　name　of　D'Artagnan　was　not　altogether　new　to　Mazarin；
who；　although　he　did　not　arrive　in　France　before　the　year
1634　or　1635；　that　is　to　say；　about　eight　or　nine　years
after　the　events　which　we　have　related　in　a　preceding
narrative；*　fancied　he　had　heard　it　pronounced　as　that　of
one　who　was　said　to　be　a　model　of　courage；　address　and
loyalty。

*　〃The　Three　Musketeers。〃

Possessed　by　this　idea；　the　cardinal　resolved　to　know　all
about　D'Artagnan　immediately；　of　course　he　could　not　inquire
from　D'Artagnan　himself　who　he　was　and　what　had　been　his
career；　he　remarked；　however；　in　the　course　of　conversation
that　the　lieutenant　of　musketeers　spoke　with　a　Gascon
accent。　Now　the　Italians　and　the　Gascons　are　too　much　alike
and　know　each　other　too　well　ever　to　trust　what　any　one　of
them　may　say　of　himself；　so　in　reaching　the　walls　which
surrounded　the　Palais　Royal；　the　cardinal　knocked　at　a
little　door；　and　after　thanking　D'Artagnan　and　requesting
him　to　wait　in　the　court　of　the　Palais　Royal；　he　made　a　sign
to　Guitant　to　follow　him。
They　both　dismounted；　consigned　their　horses　to　the　lackey
who　had　opened　the　door；　and　disappeared　in　the　garden。
〃My　dear　friend；〃　said　the　cardinal；　leaning；　as　they　walked
through　the　garden；　on　his　friend's　arm；　〃you　told　me　just
now　that　you　had　been　twenty　years　in　the　queen's　service。〃
〃Yes；　it's　true。　I　have；〃　returned　Guitant。
〃Now；　my　dear　Guitant；　I　have　often　remarked　that　in
addition　to　your　courage；　which　is　indisputable；　and　your
fidelity；　which　is　invincible；　you　possess　an　admirable
memory。〃
〃You　have　found　that　out；　have　you；　my　lord？　Deuce　take　it
　all　the　worse　for　me！〃
〃How？〃
〃There　is　no　doubt　but　that　one　of　the　chief　accomplishments
of　a　courtier　is　to　know　when　to　forget。〃
〃But　you；　Guitant；　are　not　a　courtier。　You　are　a　brave
soldier；　one　of　the　few　remaining　veterans　of　the　days　of
Henry　IV。　Alas！　how　few　to…day　exist！〃
〃Plague　on't；　my　lord；　have　you　brought　me　here　to　get　my
horoscope　out　of　me？〃
〃No；　I　only　brought　you　here　to　ask　you；〃　returned　Mazarin；
smiling；　〃if　you　have　taken　any　particular　notice　of　our
lieutenant　of　musketeers？〃
〃Monsieur　d'Artagnan？　I　have　had　no　occasion　to　notice　him
particularly；　he's　an　old　acquaintance。　He's　a　Gascon。　De
Treville　knows　him　and　esteems　him　very　highly；　and　De
Treville；　as　you　know；　is　one　of　the　queen's　greatest
friends。　As　a　soldier　the　man　ranks　well；　he　did　his　whole
duty　and　even　more；　at　the　siege　of　Rochelle　　as　at　Suze
and　Perpignan。〃
〃But　you　know；　Guitant；　we　poor　ministers　often　want　men
with　other　qualities　besides　courage；　we　want　men　of　talent。
Pray；　was　not　Monsieur　d'Artagnan；　in　the　time　of　the
cardinal；　mixed　up　in　some　intrigue　from　which　he　came　out；
according　to　report；　quite　cleverly？〃
〃My　lord；　as　to　the　report　you　allude　to〃　　Guitant
perceived　that　the　cardinal　wished　to　make　him　speak　out　
〃I　know　nothing　but　what　the　public　knows。　I　never　meddle　in
intrigues；　and　if　I　occasionally　become　a　confidant　of　the
intrigues　of　others　I　am　sure　your　eminence　will　approve　of
my　keeping　them　secret。〃
Mazarin　shook　his　head。
〃Ah！〃　he　said；　〃some　ministers　are　fortunate　and　find　out
all　that　they　wish　to　know。〃
〃My　lord；〃　replied　Guitant；　〃such　ministers　do　not　weigh　men
in　the　same　balance；　they　get　their　information　on　war　from
warriors；　on　intrigues；　from　intriguers。　Consult　some
politician　of　the　period　of　which　you　speak；　and　if　you　pay
well　for　it　you　will　certainly　get　to　know　all　you　want。〃
〃Eh；　pardieu！〃　said　Mazarin；　with　a　grimace　which　he　always
made　when　spoken　to　about　money。　〃They　will　be　paid；　if
there　is　no　way　of　getting　out　of　it。〃
〃Does　my　lord　seriously　wish　me　to　name　any　one　who　was
mixed　up　in　the　cabals　of　that　day？〃
〃By　Bacchus！〃　rejoined　Mazarin；　impatiently；　〃it's　about　an
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　dow