The Three Musketeers (The Modern Library) - Alexandre Dumas [111]
At eleven o’clock Captain du Hallier, of the guards, appeared with fifty archers who immediately took up their stations at the posts assigned them in the Hôtel de Ville.
At three o’clock, two companies of guards reported, one French, the other Swiss. The French company was composed half of Monsieur du Hallier’s men, half of men under Monsieur des Essarts.
At six in the evening the guests began to arrive. Fast as they entered, they were ushered to their seats on the scaffolding in the great hall.
At nine o’clock Madame la Première Présidente, wife of the Chief Magistrate, swept into the City Hall. Next to the Queen she was the most important personage of the fête. She was received by the notables of the city and shown to a loge immediately opposite the one the Queen was to occupy.
At ten o’clock, the King’s collation, consisting of preserves, confitures and other sweetmeats, was prepared in the little chamber facing the church of Saint-Jean and placed in front of the silver service of the City, which was guarded by four archers.
At midnight loud cries and vociferous cheers rose from the street, marking the King’s progress as he passed through the city from the Louvre to the Hôtel de Ville along thoroughfares illumined with colored lanterns.
Aldermen and City Councilors, wearing their broadcloth robes and preceded by six sergeants, each of whom bore a torch, advanced to attend upon the King. Meeting His Majesty on the steps, they stopped while the Provost of the Merchants made the official compliment of welcome. His Majesty replied by excusing himself for his late arrival, blaming it on Monsieur le Cardinal who had detained him until eleven o’clock to discuss matters of State.
His Majesty, in full dress, was accompanied by His Royal Highness, Monsieur Duc d’Orléans and brother to the King, by the Comte de Soissons, who was later to attempt to assassinate Richelieu, by the Grand Prior, in all the splendor of his ecclesiastical robes, by the Duc de Longueville, a third-rate politician, governor of Normandy, by the Duc d’Elboeuf, the husband of a legitimized daughter of Henry IV, by the Comte d’Harcourt, d’Elboeuf’s son, by the Comte de La Roche-Guyon, descendant of a heroine of the Hundred Years’ War, by Monsieur de Liancourt, a profligate redeemed by his young wife, by the Comte de Cramail, author and wit who was to be imprisoned by Richelieu for twelve years, by Monsieur de Baradas and by the Chevalier de Souveray.
No one in the crowd failed to notice that the King looked glum and preoccupied.
A dressing-room had been prepared for the King and another for Monsieur, with masquerade dress in each; the same had been done for the Queen and Madame la Première Présidente. The nobles and ladies of Their Majesties’ suites were to dress two by two in chambers prepared for the purpose. Before entering his dressing-room, the King left orders to be notified as soon as the Cardinal arrived.
Half an hour later loud cheers were heard, proclaiming the Queen’s arrival; aldermen and councilors, as before, followed the sergeants to the steps of the City Hall where they repeated the ceremony of welcome.
The Queen entered the great hall. To the public she too, like the King, looked sad and, above all, fatigued. Just as she arrived the curtains of a small gallery, which had until then remained closed, were suddenly parted to reveal, for an instant, the pale face of the Cardinal. His eyes, piercing bright, were fastened upon those of the Queen; and as he noted that she was not wearing the diamond studs, a smile of fierce, cruel joy passed over his lips. The Queen lingered a while to receive the compliments of the city gentlemen and to reply to the salutations of