太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > twenty years after(二十年后) >

第6节

twenty years after(二十年后)-第6节

小说: twenty years after(二十年后) 字数: 每页4000字

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!



〃And;〃 said the prisoner; 〃what talk is there of war with
Spain?〃
〃With Spain; no;〃 answered D'Artagnan; 〃but Paris。〃
〃What do you mean?〃 cried Rochefort。
〃Do you hear the guns; pray? The citizens are amusing
themselves in the meantime。〃
〃And you  do you really think that anything could be done
with these bourgeois?〃
〃Yes; they might do well if they had any leader to unite
them in one body。〃
〃How miserable not to be free!〃
〃Don't be downcast。 Since Mazarin has sent for you; it is
because he wants you。 I congratulate you! Many a long year
has passed since any one has wanted to employ me; so you see
in what a situation I am。〃
〃Make your complaints known; that's my advice。〃
〃Listen; Rochefort; let us make a compact。 We are friends;
are we not?〃
〃Egad! I bear the traces of our friendship  three slits or
slashes from your sword。〃
〃Well; if you should be restored to favor; don't forget me。〃
〃On the honor of a Rochefort; but you must do the like for
me。〃
〃There's my hand;  I promise。〃
〃Therefore; whenever you find any opportunity of saying
something in my behalf  〃
〃I shall say it; and you?〃
〃I shall do the same。〃
〃Apropos; are we to speak of your friends also; Athos;
Porthos; and Aramis? or have you forgotten them?〃
〃Almost。〃
〃What has become of them?〃
〃I don't know; we separated; as you know。 They are alive;
that's all that I can say about them; from time to time I
hear of them indirectly; but in what part of the world they
are; devil take me if I know; No; on my honor; I have not a
friend in the world but you; Rochefort。〃
〃And the illustrious  what's the name of the lad whom I
made a sergeant in Piedmont's regiment?〃
〃Planchet!〃
〃The illustrious Planchet。 What has become of him?〃
〃I shouldn't wonder if he were at the head of the mob at
this very moment。 He married a woman who keeps a
confectioner's shop in the Rue des Lombards; for he's a lad
who was always fond of sweetmeats; he's now a citizen of
Paris。 You'll see that that queer fellow will be a sheriff
before I shall be a captain。〃
〃Come; dear D'Artagnan; look up a little! Courage! It is
when one is lowest on the wheel of fortune that the
merry…go…round wheels and rewards us。 This evening your
destiny begins to change。〃
〃Amen!〃 exclaimed D'Artagnan; stopping the carriage。
〃What are you doing?〃 asked Rochefort。
〃We are almost there and I want no one to see me getting out
of your carriage; we are supposed not to know each other。〃
〃You are right。 Adieu。〃
〃Au revoir。 Remember your promise。〃
In five minutes the party entered the courtyard and
D'Artagnan led the prisoner up the great staircase and
across the corridor and ante…chamber。
As they stopped at the door of the cardinal's study;
D'Artagnan was about to be announced when Rochefort slapped
him on his shoulder。
〃D'Artagnan; let me confess to you what I've been thinking
about during the whole of my drive; as I looked out upon the
parties of citizens who perpetually crossed our path and
looked at you and your four men with fiery eyes。〃
〃Speak out;〃 answered D'Artagnan。
〃I had only to cry out ‘Help!' for you and for your
companions to be cut to pieces; and then I should have been
free。〃
〃Why didn't you do it?〃 asked the lieutenant。
〃Come; come!〃 cried Rochefort。 〃Did we not swear friendship?
Ah! had any one but you been there; I don't say  〃
D'Artagnan bowed。 〃Is it possible that Rochefort has become
a better man than I am?〃 he said to himself。 And he caused
himself to be announced to the minister。
〃Let M。 de Rochefort enter;〃 said Mazarin; eagerly; on
hearing their names pronounced; 〃and beg M。 d'Artagnan to
wait; I shall have further need of him。〃
These words gave great joy to D'Artagnan。 As he had said; it
had been a long time since any one had needed him; and that
demand for his services on the part of Mazarin seemed to him
an auspicious sign。
Rochefort; rendered suspicious and cautious by these words;
entered the apartment; where he found Mazarin sitting at the
table; dressed in his ordinary garb and as one of the
prelates of the Church; his costume being similar to that of
the abbes in that day; excepting that his scarf and
stockings were violet。
As the door was closed Rochefort cast a glance toward
Mazarin; which was answered by one; equally furtive; from
the minister。
There was little change in the cardinal; still dressed with
sedulous care; his hair well arranged and curled; his person
perfumed; he looked; owing to his extreme taste in dress;
only half his age。 But Rochefort; who had passed five years
in prison; had become old in the lapse of a few years; the
dark locks of this estimable friend of the defunct Cardinal
Richelieu were now white; the deep bronze of his complexion
had been succeeded by a mortal pallor which betokened
debility。 As he gazed at him Mazarin shook his head
slightly; as much as to say; 〃This is a man who does not
appear to me fit for much。〃
After a pause; which appeared an age to Rochefort; Mazarin
took from a bundle of papers a letter; and showing it to the
count; he said:
〃I find here a letter in which you sue for liberty; Monsieur
de Rochefort。 You are in prison; then?〃
Rochefort trembled in every limb at this question。 〃But I
thought;〃 he said; 〃that your eminence knew that
circumstance better than any one  〃
〃I? Oh no! There is a congestion of prisoners in the
Bastile; who were cooped up in the time of Monsieur de
Richelieu; I don't even know their names。〃
〃Yes; but in regard to myself; my lord; it cannot be so; for
I was removed from the Chatelet to the Bastile owing to an
order from your eminence。〃
〃You think you were。〃
〃I am certain of it。〃
〃Ah; stay! I fancy I remember it。 Did you not once refuse to
undertake a journey to Brussels for the queen?〃
〃Ah! ah!〃 exclaimed Rochefort。 〃There is the true reason!
Idiot that I am; though I have been trying to find it out
for five years; I never found it out。〃
〃But I do not say it was the cause of your imprisonment。 I
merely ask you; did you not refuse to go to Brussels for the
queen; whilst you had consented to go there to do some
service for the late cardinal?〃
〃That is the very reason I refused to go back to Brussels。 I
was there at a fearful moment。 I was sent there to intercept
a correspondence between Chalais and the archduke; and even
then; when I was discovered I was nearly torn to pieces。 How
could I; then; return to Brussels? I should injure the queen
instead of serving her。〃
〃Well; since the best motives are liable to misconstruction;
the queen saw in your refusal nothing but a refusal  a
distinct refusal she had also much to complain of you during
the lifetime of the late cardinal; yes; her majesty the
queen  〃
Rochefort smiled contemptuously。
〃Since I was a faithful servant; my lord; to Cardinal
Richelieu during his life; it stands to reason that now;
after his death; I should serve you well; in defiance of the
whole world。〃
〃With regard to myself; Monsieur de Rochefort;〃 replied
Mazarin; 〃I am not; like Monsieur de Richelieu;
all…powerful。 I am but a minister; who wants no servants;
being myself nothing but a servant of the queen's。 Now; the
queen is of a sensitive nature。 Hearing of your refusal to
obey her she looked upon it as a declaration of war; and as
she considers you a man of superior talent; and consequently
dangerous; she desired me to make sure of you; that is the
reason of your being shut up in the Bastile。 But your
release can be managed。 You are one of those men who can
comprehend certain matters and having understood them; can
act with energy  〃
〃Such was Cardinal Richelieu's opinion; my lord。〃
〃The cardinal;〃 interrupted Mazarin; 〃was a great politician
and therein shone his vast superiority over me。 I am a
straightforward; simple man; that's my great disadvantage。 I
am of a frankness of character quite French。〃
Rochefort bit his lips in order to prevent a smile。
〃Now to the point。 I want friends; I want faithful servants。
When I say I want; I mean the queen wants them。 I do nothing
without her commands  pray understand that; not like
Monsieur de Richelieu; who went on just as he pleased。 So I
shall never be a great man; as he was; but to compensate for
that; I shall be a good man; Monsieur de Rochefort; and I
hope to prove it to you。〃
Rochefort knew well the tones of that soft voice; in which
sounded sometimes a sort of gentle lisp; like the hissing of
young vipers。
〃I am disposed to believe your eminence;〃 he replied;
〃though I have had but little evidence of that good…nature
of which your eminence speaks。 Do not forget that I have
been five years in the Bastile and that no medium of viewing
things is so deceptive as the grating of a prison。〃
〃Ah; Monsieur de Rochefort! have I not told you already that
I had nothing to do with that? The queen  cannot you make
allowances for the pettishness of a queen and a princess?
But that has passed away as suddenly as it came; and is
forgotten。〃
〃I can easily suppose; sir; that her majesty has forgotten
it amid the fetes and the courtiers of the Palais Royal; but
I who have passed those years in the Bastile  〃
〃Ah! mon Dieu! my dear Monsieur de Rochefort! do you
absolutely think that the Palais Royal is the ab

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的