The Three Musketeers (The Modern Library) - Alexandre Dumas [37]
“A nous, l’Hôtel de La Trémouille! To the rescue! To the rescue!”
Immediately, all those in Monsieur de la Trémouille’s mansion, coming to the aid of the cardinalists, fell upon the victors. Our four friends set up an antiphonal cry: “A nous, mousquetaires!” summoning their comrades to the fight.
This appeal was widely and briskly heeded, for the musketeers, notorious foes of His Eminence, were correspondingly popular. Usually men from the Royal Companies of Guards cast their lot in with the musketeers against the henchmen of the man Aramis had dubbed the Red Duke. Three guardsmen from the company of Monsieur des Essarts happened to be passing; two of them immediately joined in the fray while the third ran off to the Hôtel de Tréville to seek reenforcements. As usual there were plenty of musketeers on the premises; they ran to their comrades’ help and the mêlée became general. Very soon, the musketeers and their allies prevailed; the Cardinal’s guardsmen and Monsieur de La Trémouille’s servants beat a hasty retreat into the Hôtel de La Trémouille, slamming the gates just in time to prevent their pursuers from entering after them. As for Bernajoux, he had been picked up and conveyed to safety early in the battle; his condition was critical.
Excitement was at its height among the musketeers and their supporters. Somebody suggested that they set fire to the Trémouille mansion to punish Monsieur de La Trémouille’s servants for their insolence in daring to make a sally against the Royal Musketeers. The motion, duly seconded, was received enthusiastically; ways and means were being blithely debated, when, as luck would have it, the clock struck eleven. D’Artagnan and his friends recalled their audience with the King and because they could not fight it out then and there, they prevailed on their friends to retire. The royalists decided to hurl some paving stones against the gates but the gates were too solid and they soon tired of the sport. Besides, the leaders of the enterprise had left the group and were on their way to the Hôtel de Tréville. Arriving there, they found the Captain of Musketeers awaiting them; he was already informed of their latest escapade.
“Quick, to the Louvre,” he said, “we must get there before the King has been influenced by His Eminence. We will describe this business as a consequence of yesterday’s trouble and pass the two off together.”
Accordingly the four young men and their Commanding Officer set off for the Royal Palace. To Monsieur de Tréville’s amazement, he was told that the King had gone stag-hunting in the forest of Saint-Germain. Monsieur de Tréville asked to have this information repeated to him no less than twice; each time, his companions noticed that his face darkened.
“Did His Majesty plan yesterday to go hunting?”
“No, Your Excellency, it was all quite sudden,” the valet replied. “The Master of Hounds called this morning to say that he had marked down a stag last night for His Majesty’s benefit. At first the King said he would not go, but he could not resist a day’s hunting, so he left shortly after dinner.”
“Did His Majesty see the Cardinal?”
“Most probably, Your Excellency,” the valet answered. “I saw His Eminence’s horses being harnessed. I asked where he was going and they told me to Saint-Germain.”
“The Cardinal has stolen a march on us,” Monsieur de Tréville told his protégés. “I shall see His Majesty this evening, gentlemen, but I advise you not to venture to do so.”
This advice from a man who knew the King only too well was unassailable. They agreed to return home to await further developments.
For his part, Monsieur de Tréville determined that he had best register an immediate complaint. He therefore dispatched a servant with a letter to Monsieur de La Trémouille, begging him to expel the Cardinal’s guards from his house and to rebuke his servants for their