twenty years after(二十年后)-第147部分

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〃Alas；　madame！〃　exclaimed　D'Artagnan；　〃this　proves　to　me
that　not　till　to…day　has　your　majesty　had　a　just　idea　of
us。〃
〃Perhaps；〃　said　Anne；　〃but　that　idea；　if　at　last　I　have　it
　〃
〃Your　majesty　will　do　us　justice。　In　doing　us　justice　you
will　no　longer　treat　us　as　men　of　vulgar　stamp。　You　will　see
in　me　an　ambassador　worthy　of　the　high　interests　he　is
authorized　to　discuss　with　his　sovereign。〃
〃Where　is　the　treaty？〃
〃Here　it　is。〃
Anne　of　Austria　cast　her　eyes　upon　the　treaty　that
D'Artagnan　presented　to　her。
〃I　do　not　see　here；〃　she　said；　〃anything　but　general
conditions；　the　interests　of　the　Prince　de　Conti　or　of　the
Ducs　de　Beaufort；　de　Bouillon　and　d'Elbeuf　and　of　the
coadjutor；　are　herein　consulted；　but　with　regard　to　yours？〃
〃We　do　ourselves　justice；　madame；　even　in　assuming　the　high
position　that　we　have。　We　do　not　think　ourselves　worthy　to
stand　near　such　great　names。〃
〃But　you；　I　presume；　have　decided　to　assert　your　pretensions
viva　voce？〃
〃I　believe　you；　madame；　to　be　a　great　and　powerful　queen；
and　that　it　will　be　unworthy　of　your　power　and　greatness　if
you　do　not　recompense　the　arms　which　will　bring　back　his
eminence　to　Saint　Germain。〃
〃It　is　my　intention　so　to　do；　come；　let　us　hear　you。　Speak。〃
〃He　who　has　negotiated　these　matters　（forgive　me　if　I　begin
by　speaking　of　myself；　but　I　must　claim　that　importance
which　has　been　given　to　me；　not　assumed　by　me）　he　who　has
arranged　matters　for　the　return　of　the　cardinal；　ought；　it
appears　to　me；　in　order　that　his　reward　may　not　be　unworthy
of　your　majesty；　to　be　made　commandant　of　the　guards　　an
appointment　something　like　that　of　captain　of　the
musketeers。〃
〃'Tis　the　appointment　Monsieur　de　Treville　held；　you　ask　of
me。〃
〃The　place；　madame；　is　vacant；　and　although　'tis　a　year
since　Monsieur　de　Treville　has　left　it；　it　has　not　been
filled。〃
〃But　it　is　one　of　the　principal　military　appointments　in　the
king's　household。〃
〃Monsieur　de　Treville　was　but　a　younger　son　of　a　simple
Gascon　family；　like　me；　madame；　he　occupied　that　post　for
twenty　years。〃
〃You　have　an　answer　ready　for　everything；〃　replied　the
queen；　and　she　took　from　her　bureau　a　document；　which　she
filled　up　and　signed。
〃Undoubtedly；　madame；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　taking　the　document
and　bowing；　〃this　is　a　noble　reward；　but　everything　in　the
world　is　unstable；　and　the　man　who　happened　to　fall　into
disgrace　with　your　majesty　might　lose　this　office
to…morrow。〃
〃What　more　do　you　want？〃　asked　the　queen；　coloring；　as　she
found　that　she　had　to　deal　with　a　mind　as　subtle　as　her　own。
〃A　hundred　thousand　francs　for　this　poor　captain　of
musketeers；　to　be　paid　whenever　his　services　shall　no　longer
be　acceptable　to　your　majesty。〃
Anne　hesitated。
〃To　think　of　the　Parisians；〃　soliloquized　D'Artagnan；
〃offering　only　the　other　day；　by　an　edict　of　the　parliament；
six　hundred　thousand　francs　to　any　man　soever　who　would
deliver　up　the　cardinal　to　them；　dead　or　alive　　if　alive；
in　order　to　hang　him；　if　dead；　to　deny　him　the　rites　of
Christian　burial！〃
〃Come；〃　said　Anne；　〃'tis　reasonable；　since　you　only　ask　from
a　queen　the　sixth　of　what　the　parliament　has　proposed；〃　and
she　signed　an　order　for　a　hundred　thousand　francs。
〃Now；　then；〃　she　said；　〃what　next？〃
〃Madame；　my　friend　Du　Vallon　is　rich　and　has　therefore
nothing　in　the　way　of　fortune　to　desire；　but　I　think　I
remember　that　there　was　a　question　between　him　and　Monsieur
Mazarin　as　to　making　his　estate　a　barony。　Nay；　it　must　have
been　a　promise。〃
〃A　country　clown；〃　said　Anne　of　Austria；　〃people　will
laugh。〃
〃Let　them；〃　answered　D'Artagnan。　〃But　I　am　sure　of　one　thing
　that　those　who　laugh　at　him　in　his　presence　will　never
laugh　a　second　time。〃
〃Here　goes　the　barony。〃　said　the　queen；　she　signed　a　patent。
〃Now　there　remains　the　chevalier；　or　the　Abbe　d'Herblay；　as
your　majesty　pleases。〃
〃Does　he　wish　to　be　a　bishop？〃
〃No；　madame；　something　easier　to　grant。〃
〃What？〃
〃It　is　that　the　king　should　deign　to　stand　godfather　to　the
son　of　Madame　de　Longueville。〃
The　queen　smiled。
〃Monsieur　de　Longueville　is　of　royal　blood；　madame；〃　said
D'Artagnan。
〃Yes；〃　said　the　queen；　〃but　his　son？〃
〃His　son；　madame；　must　be；　since　the　husband　of　the　son's
mother　is。〃
〃And　your　friend　has　nothing　more　to　ask　for　Madame　de
Longueville？〃
〃No；　madame；　for　I　presume　that　the　king；　standing　godfather
to　him；　could　do　no　less　than　present　him　with　five　hundred
thousand　francs；　giving　his　father；　also；　the　government　of
Normandy。〃
〃As　to　the　government　of　Normandy；〃　replied　the　queen；　〃I
think　I　can　promise；　but　with　regard　to　the　present；　the
cardinal　is　always　telling　me　there　is　no　more　money　in　the
royal　coffers。〃
〃We　shall　search　for　some；　madame；　and　I　think　we　can　find　a
little；　and　if　your　majesty　approves；　we　will　seek　for　some
together。〃
〃What　next？〃
〃What　next；　madame？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃That　is　all。〃
〃Haven't　you；　then；　a　fourth　companion？〃
〃Yes；　madame；　the　Comte　de　la　Fere。〃
〃What　does　he　ask？〃
〃Nothing。〃
〃There　is　in　the　world；　then；　one　man　who；　having　the　power
to　ask；　asks　　nothing！〃
〃There　is　the　Comte　de　la　Fere；　madame。　The　Comte　de　la　Fere
is　not　a　man。〃
〃What　is　he；　then？〃
〃The　Comte　de　la　Fere　is　a　demi…god。〃
〃Has　he　not　a　son；　a　young　man；　a　relative；　a　nephew；　of
whom　Comminges　spoke　to　me　as　being　a　brave　boy；　and　who；
with　Monsieur　de　Chatillon；　brought　the　standards　from
Lens？〃
〃He　has；　as　your　majesty　has　said；　a　ward；　who　is　called　the
Vicomte　de　Bragelonne。〃
〃If　that　young　man　should　be　appointed　to　a　regiment　what
would　his　guardian　say？〃
〃Perhaps　he　would　accept。〃
〃Perhaps？〃
〃Yes；　if　your　majesty　herself　should　beg　him　to　accept。〃
〃He　must　be　indeed　a　strange　man。　Well；　we　will　reflect　and
perhaps　we　will　beg　him。　Are　you　satisfied；　sir？〃
〃There　is　one　thing　the　queen　has　not　signed　　her　assent
to　the　treaty。〃
〃Of　what　use　to…day？　I　will　sign　it　to…morrow。〃
〃I　can　assure　her　majesty　that　if　she　does　not　sign　to…day
she　will　not　have　time　to　sign　to…morrow。　Consent；　then；　I
beg　you；　madame；　to　write　at　the　bottom　of　this　schedule；
which　has　been　drawn　up　by　Mazarin；　as　you　see：
〃‘I　consent　to　ratify　the　treaty　proposed　by　the
Parisians。'〃
Anne　was　caught；　she　could　not　draw　back　　she　signed；　but
scarcely　had　she　done　so　when　pride　burst　forth　and　she
began　to　weep。
D'Artagnan　started　on　seeing　these　tears。　Since　that　period
of　history　queens　have　shed　tears；　like　other　women。
The　Gascon　shook　his　head；　these　tears　from　royalty　melted
his　heart。
〃Madame；〃　he　said；　kneeling；　〃look　upon　the　unhappy　man　at
your　feet。　He　begs　you　to　believe　that　at　a　gesture　of　your
majesty　everything　will　be　possible　to　him。　He　has　faith　in
himself；　he　has　faith　in　his　friends；　he　wishes　also　to　have
faith　in　his　queen。　And　in　proof　that　he　fears　nothing；　that
he　counts　on　nothing；　he　will　restore　Monsieur　de　Mazarin　to
your　majesty　without　conditions。　Behold；　madame！　here　are
the　august　signatures　of　your　majesty's　hand；　if　you　think
you　are　right　in　giving　them　to　me；　you　shall　do　so；　but
from　this　very　moment　you　are　free　from　any　obligation　to
keep　them。〃
And　D'Artagnan；　full　of　splendid　pride　and　manly
intrepidity；　placed　in　Anne's　hands；　in　a　bundle；　the　papers
that　he　had　one　by　one　won　from　her　with　so　much　difficulty。
There　are　moments　　for　if　everything　is　not　good；
everything　in　this　world　is　not　bad　　in　which　the　most
rigid　and　the　coldest　soul　is　softened　by　the　tears　of
strong　emotion；　heart…arraigning　sentiment：　one　of　these
momentary　impulses　actuated　Anne。　D'Artagnan；　when　he　gave
way　to　his　own　feelings　　which　were　in　accordance　with
those　of　the　queen　　had　accomplished　more　than　the　most
astute　diplomacy　could　have　attempted。　He　was　therefore
instantly　recompensed；　either　for　his　address　or　for　his
sensibility；　whichever　it　might　be　termed。
〃You　were　right；　sir；〃　said　Anne。　〃I　misunderstood　you。
There　are　the　acts　signed；　I　deliver　them　to　you　without
compulsion。　Go　and　bring　me　back　the　cardinal　as　soon　as
possible。〃
〃Madame；〃　faltered　D'Artagnan；　〃'tis　twenty　years　ago　　I
have　a　good　memory　　since　I　had　the　honor　behind　a　piece
of　tapestry　in　the　Hotel　de　Ville；　of　kissing　one　of　those
lovely　hands。〃
〃There　is　the　other；〃　replied　the　queen；　〃and　that　the　left
hand　should　not　be　less　liberal　than　the　right；〃　she　drew
from　her　finger　a　diamond　similar　to　the　one　formerly　given
to　him；　〃take　and　keep　this　ring　in　remembrance　of　me。
〃Madame；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　rising；　〃I　have　only　one　thing
more　to　wish；　which　is；　that　the　next　thing　you　ask　from　me；
shall　be　　my　life。〃
And　with　this　conclusion　　a　way　peculiar　to　himself　　he
rose　and　left　the　room。
〃I　never　rightly　understood　those　men；〃　said　the　queen；　as
she　watched　him　retiring　from　her　presence；　〃and　it　is　now
too　late；　for　in　a　year　the　king　will　be　of　age。〃
In　twenty…four　hours　D'Artagnan　and　Porthos　conducted
Mazarin　to　the　queen；　and　the　one　received　his　commission；
the　other　his　patent　of　nobility。
On　the　same　day　the　Treaty　of　Paris　was　signed；　and　it　was
everywhere　announced　that　the　cardinal　had　shut　himself　up
for　three　days　in　order　to　draw　it　up　with　the　greatest
care。
Here　is　what　each　of　the　parties　concerned　gained　by　that
treaty：
Monsieur　de　Cont