The Three Musketeers (The Modern Library) - Alexandre Dumas [217]
“Excellent, my dear Aramis!” Athos observed coolly. “We all know your views incline strongly to religion.”
“I am only a musketeer ad interim,” Aramis said humbly.
“Apparently he has had no word from his mistress for some time,” Athos whispered to D’Artagnan. “But never mind that! We know all about it.”
“I see no great difficulty,” Porthos ventured.
“How do you mean?”
“The lady is in a convent, you say?”
“Yes, Porthos.”
“Well, the siege over, we shall take her out of the convent.”
“But we still have to know in what convent she is now.”
“True!” sighed Porthos.
“I think I have a clue,” Athos announced. “Didn’t you tell us the Queen chose her convent, D’Artagnan?”
“I think so.”
“In that case Porthos can help us,” Athos suggested.
“How so, if you please?”
“We can appeal to your marquise, your duchess, your princess. She must have a long arm, Porthos?”
“Hush, man!” Porthos placed a chubby finger on his lips. “I fear she is a cardinalist. She must know nothing of the matter.”
“In that case,” Aramis spoke up, “I will make myself responsible to find out exactly where Madame Bonacieux is at the present time.”
“You, Aramis?” D’Artagnan asked.
“What can you do?” Athos inquired.
“You!” Porthos echoed.
Aramis blushed.
“I happen to know the Queen’s almoner,” he explained.
On this assurance, their modest meal finished, the quartet separated, promising to meet again in the evening. D’Artagnan returned to his chores; the three musketeers repaired to Royal Headquarters to prepare their lodging.
XLIII
AT THE SIGN OF THE RED DOVECOTE
Meanwhile the King, who shared the Cardinal’s hatred of Buckingham, but with greater cause, was impatient to meet the enemy. He had no sooner reached the front than he wished to begin operations. He therefore ordered all necessary preparations to be made in order first to drive the English from the Isle of Ré and next to press the siege of La Rochelle. But despite all his efforts, he was delayed by dissensions which broke out between Bassompierre and Schomberg on one hand and the Duc d’Angoulême on the other.
Bassompierre and Schomberg, as Marshals of France, claimed their right to command the army under the orders of the King. But the Cardinal, knowing Bassompierre to be a Huguenot at heart, feared that he might not exert himself sufficiently against the English and the men of La Rochelle, his brothers in religion. The Cardinal therefore supported the Duc d’Angoulême whom the King at his instigation had named Lieutenant General. As a result, in order to prevent Bassompierre and Schomberg from deserting the army, a separate command had to be given to each. Bassompierre took up his quarters to the north of the city, between La Leu and Dompierre; the Duc d’Angoulême to the east, from Dompierre to Périgny; and Schomberg to the south, from Périgny to Angoutin.
The quarters of the Duc d’Orléans were at Dompierre; the King’s quarters were sometimes at Etré, sometimes at La Jarrie; the Cardinal’s quarters were on the dunes, by the bridge of La Pierre, in a simple house without intrenchment of any sort. Thus the Duc d’Orléans could keep an eye on Bassompierre, the King on the Duc d’Angoulême, and the Cardinal on Schomberg. As soon as this organization was established, they all set about driving the English out of the island.
The conjuncture was favorable. The English, who require good fare above all else to fight well, subsisted on salted meat and wretched biscuits. Many of them fell sick. Worse, the sea, very rough at this time of year all along the sea-coast, destroyed some little vessel or other day-in day-out. At every tide the shore from the point of Aiguillon to the trenches was literally strewn with the wrecks of pinnaces, roberges and feluccas. Thus even if the French remained quietly intrenched in their camp, it was evident that Buckingham, who was hanging on in the Ile de Ré through sheer obstinacy, must perforce raise the siege soon.
Yet Monsieur de Toirac reported that preparations for a fresh assault were being made in the enemy camp; so King Louis, judging it best