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第65节

twenty years after(二十年后)-第65节

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

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〃He is very gracious;〃 thought the queen; 〃can he have
guessed my errand?〃
〃Give;〃 continued the cardinal; 〃your commands to the most
respectful of your servants。〃
〃Alas; sir;〃 replied the queen; 〃I have lost the habit of
commanding and have adopted instead that of making
petitions。 I am here to petition you; too happy should my
prayer be favorably heard。〃
〃I am listening; madame; with the greatest interest;〃 said
Mazarin。
〃Your eminence; it concerns the war which the king; my
husband; is now sustaining against his rebellious subjects。
You are perhaps ignorant that they are fighting in England;〃
added she; with a melancholy smile; 〃and that in a short
time they will fight in a much more decided fashion than
they have done hitherto。〃
〃I am completely ignorant of it; madame;〃 said the cardinal;
accompanying his words with a slight shrug of the shoulders;
〃alas; our own wars quite absorb the time and the mind of a
poor; incapable; infirm old minister like me。〃
〃Well; then; your eminence;〃 said the queen; 〃I must inform
you that Charles I。; my husband; is on the eve of a decisive
engagement。 In case of a check〃 (Mazarin made a slight
movement); 〃one must foresee everything; in the case of a
check; he desires to retire into France and to live here as
a private individual。 What do you say to this project?〃
The cardinal had listened without permitting a single fibre
of his face to betray what he felt; and his smile remained
as it ever was  false and flattering; and when the queen
finished speaking; he said:
〃Do you think; madame; that France; agitated and disturbed
as it is; would be a safe retreat for a dethroned king? How
will the crown; which is scarce firmly set on the head of
Louis XIV。; support a double weight?〃
〃The weight was not so heavy when I was in peril;〃
interrupted the queen; with a sad smile; 〃and I ask no more
for my husband than has been done for me; you see that we
are very humble monarchs; sir。〃
〃Oh; you; madame;〃 the cardinal hastened to say; in order to
cut short the explanation he foresaw was coming; 〃with
regard to you; that is another thing。 A daughter of Henry
IV。; of that great; that sublime sovereign  〃
〃All which does not prevent you refusing hospitality to his
son…in…law; sir! Nevertheless; you ought to remember that
that great; that sublime monarch; when proscribed at one
time; as my husband may be; demanded aid from England and
England accorded it to him; and it is but just to say that
Queen Elizabeth was not his niece。〃
〃Peccato!〃 said Mazarin; writhing beneath this simple
eloquence; 〃your majesty does not understand me; you judge
my intentions wrongly; and that is partly because;
doubtless; I explain myself in French。〃
〃Speak Italian; sir。 Ere the cardinal; your predecessor;
sent our mother; Marie de Medicis; to die in exile; she
taught us that language。 If anything yet remains of that
great; that sublime king; Henry; of whom you have just
spoken; he would be much surprised at so little pity for his
family being united to such a profound admiration of
himself。〃
The perspiration stood in large drops on Mazarin's brow。
〃That admiration is; on the contrary; so great; so real;
madame;〃 returned Mazarin; without noticing the change of
language offered to him by the queen; 〃that if the king;
Charles I。  whom Heaven protect from evil!  came into
France; I would offer him my house  my own house; but;
alas! it would be but an unsafe retreat。 Some day the people
will burn that house; as they burned that of the Marechal
d'Ancre。 Poor Concino Concini! And yet he but desired the
good of the people。〃
〃Yes; my lord; like yourself!〃 said the queen; ironically。
Mazarin pretended not to understand the double meaning of
his own sentence; but continued to compassionate the fate of
Concino Concini。
〃Well then; your eminence;〃 said the queen; becoming
impatient; 〃what is your answer?〃
〃Madame;〃 cried Mazarin; more and more moved; 〃will your
majesty permit me to give you counsel?〃
〃Speak; sir;〃 replied the queen; 〃the counsels of so prudent
a man as yourself ought certainly to be available。〃
〃Madame; believe me; the king ought to defend himself to the
last。〃
〃He has done so; sir; and this last battle; which he
encounters with resources much inferior to those of the
enemy; proves that he will not yield without a struggle; but
in case he is beaten?〃
〃Well; madame; in that case; my advice  I know that I am
very bold to offer advice to your majesty  my advice is
that the king should not leave his kingdom。 Absent kings are
very soon forgotten; if he passes over into France his cause
is lost。〃
〃But;〃 persisted the queen; 〃if such be your advice and you
have his interest at heart; send him help of men and money;
for I can do nothing for him; I have sold even to my last
diamond to aid him。 If I had had a single ornament left; I
should have bought wood this winter to make a fire for my
daughter and myself。〃
〃Oh; madame;〃 said Mazarin; 〃your majesty knows not what you
ask。 On the day when foreign succor follows in the train of
a king to replace him on his throne; it is an avowal that he
no longer possesses the help and love of his own subjects。〃
〃To the point; sir;〃 said the queen; 〃to the point; and
answer me; yes or no; if the king persists in remaining in
England will you send him succor? If he comes to France will
you accord him hospitality? What do you intend to do?
Speak。〃
〃Madame;〃 said the cardinal; affecting an effusive frankness
of speech; 〃I shall convince your majesty; I trust; of my
devotion to you and my desire to terminate an affair which
you have so much at heart。 After which your majesty will; I
think; no longer doubt my zeal in your behalf。〃
The queen bit her lips and moved impatiently on her chair。
〃Well; what do you propose to do?〃 she; said at length;
〃come; speak。〃
〃I will go this instant and consult the queen; and we will
refer the affair at once to parliament。〃
〃With which you are at war  is it not so? You will charge
Broussel to report it。 Enough; sir; enough。 I understand you
or rather; I am wrong。 Go to the parliament; for it was from
this parliament; the enemy of monarchs; that the daughter of
the great; the sublime Henry IV。; whom you so much admire;
received the only relief this winter which prevented her
from dying of hunger and cold!〃
And with these words Henrietta rose in majestic indignation;
whilst the cardinal; raising his hands clasped toward her;
exclaimed; 〃Ah; madame; madame; how little you know me; mon
Dieu!〃
But Queen Henrietta; without even turning toward him who
made these hypocritical pretensions; crossed the cabinet;
opened the door for herself and passing through the midst of
the cardinal's numerous guards; courtiers eager to pay
homage; the luxurious show of a competing royalty; she went
and took the hand of De Winter; who stood apart in
isolation。 Poor queen; already fallen! Though all bowed
before her; as etiquette required; she had now but a single
arm on which she could lean。
〃It signifies little;〃 said Mazarin; when he was alone。 〃It
gave me pain and it was an ungracious part to play; but I
have said nothing either to the one or to the other。
Bernouin!〃
Bernouin entered。
〃See if the young man with the black doublet and the short
hair; who was with me just now; is still in the palace。〃
Bernouin went out and soon returned with Comminges; who was
on guard。
〃Your eminence;〃 said Comminges; 〃as I was re…conducting the
young man for whom you have asked; he approached the glass
door of the gallery; and gazed intently upon some object;
doubtless the picture by Raphael; which is opposite the
door。 He reflected for a second and then descended the
stairs。 I believe I saw him mount a gray horse and leave the
palace court。 But is not your eminence going to the queen?〃
〃For what purpose?〃
〃Monsieur de Guitant; my uncle; has just told me that her
majesty had received news of the army。〃
〃It is well; I will go。〃
Comminges had seen rightly; and Mordaunt had really acted as
he had related。 In crossing the gallery parallel to the
large glass gallery; he perceived De Winter; who was waiting
until the queen had finished her negotiation。
At this sight the young man stopped short; not in admiration
of Raphael's picture; but as if fascinated at the sight of
some terrible object。 His eyes dilated and a shudder ran
through his body。 One would have said that he longed to
break through the wall of glass which separated him from his
enemy; for if Comminges had seen with what an expression of
hatred the eyes of this young man were fixed upon De Winter;
he would not have doubted for an instant that the Englishman
was his eternal foe。
But he stopped; doubtless to reflect; for instead of
allowing his first impulse; which had been to go straight to
Lord de Winter; to carry him away; he leisurely descended
the staircase; left the palace with his head down; mounted
his horse; which he reined in at the corner of the Rue
Richelieu; and with his eyes fixed on the gate; waited until
the queen's carriage had left the court。
He had not long to wait; for the queen scarcely remained a
quarter of an hour with Mazarin; but this quarter of an hour
of expectation app

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