The Three Musketeers (The Modern Library) - Alexandre Dumas [252]
The young man’s mild calm expression changed; he flushed with all the hatred he could find in his heart:
“My Lord,” he said solemnly, “your orders will be carried out.”
Her eyes on his face, Milady received Felton’s harsh glance with the air of a gentle victim, innocence and submission written large upon her exquisite features. Even Lord Winter found it difficult to believe that here was the tigress he had been ready to strike down a few moments ago.
“This woman is never to leave this room under any circumstances whatever, do you understand, John? She is to communicate with no one by writing, and orally with you alone. Whether or not you do her the honor of replying is your own affair.”
“I understand, My Lord. I have given you my word of honor.”
Lord Winter nodded. Then to Milady:
“Now that Man has passed judgment upon you, Madame,” he advised, “try to make your peace with God.”
Milady bowed her head as if crushed by the overwhelming justice of this sentence; Lord Winter beckoned to Felton to follow and the door closed upon them. A moment later the steady tread of a sentry echoed up and down the corridor with the occasional clank of a musket against wall or floor.
Suspecting that somebody might be spying up on her through the keyhole, Milady sat stock-still for some minutes. Then raising her head she stared into space, her features contracted in defiance and menace. Presently she edged toward the door to listen; then she crossed to the window to look down on the sea; and at last she sank back into her armchair, lost in thought.
LI
OF AN OFFICER OUT ON A STROLL
Meanwhile the Cardinal was anxiously awaiting news from England; but none came save of the most unpleasant and threatening nature.
La Rochelle was thoroughly invested; every precaution had been taken and the dike, which prevented the entrance of even a skiff into the beleagured city, augured certain success. Yet the blockade might last quite a while, which would prove a great affront to the King’s arms and a great inconvenience for the Cardinal. True, Richelieu need no longer embroil the King with Anne of Austria; he had already accomplished this. But he had still to accommodate matters between Monsieur de Bassompierre and the Duc d’Angoulême who were on very bad terms. As for the Duc d’Orléans, brother to the King, having begun the siege, he left the task of finishing it to the Cardinal.
Notwithstanding the incredible perseverance of their Mayor, the citizens of La Rochelle had attempted a mutiny of sorts to force him to surrender. The Mayor hanged the ringleaders. This show of force quieted the unruly who resolved to die of hunger, a slower and less drastic death than strangulation.
The besiegers, for their part, occasionally intercepted couriers sent by the men of La Rochelle to Buckingham or spies sent by Buckingham to the men of La Rochelle. Justice in either case was swiftly rendered. The Cardinal merely uttered the word “Hanging!” and a man hung. His Majesty was invariably invited to witness the execution. The King arrived languidly, occupied a favored place whence he could observe each detail of the operation, was invariably somewhat entertained and felt the siege to be less of a chore. But he was very bored indeed and spoke constantly of returning to Paris. Thus had there been a lack of La Rochelle messengers and English spies, His Eminence, despite his imagination and resource, would have found himself in an awkward position.
Time passed on and still the city showed no sign of surrendering. The most recent spy captured was the bearer of a letter informing Buckingham that the city was desperate. But instead of saying: “If your succor is not forthcoming within a fortnight we shall surrender,” it read: “If your succor does not arrive within a fortnight we shall all be dead of hunger when it does arrive.”
Buckingham, then, was the sole hope of the citizenry of La Rochelle; he was their Messiah. Obviously if once they learned for certain that they could no longer count on him their courage would collapse