The Three Musketeers (The Modern Library) - Alexandre Dumas [49]
“From Monsieur de La Porte. Didn’t I tell you my wife is his god-daughter? And isn’t he Her Majesty’s most confidential retainer? Well, Monsieur de La Porte placed my wife near Her Majesty in order that our poor Queen might at least have someone she could trust, abandoned as she is by the King, spied upon by the Cardinal, and betrayed by everybody.”
“Ah, your story is taking shape!”
“Now, my wife came home four days ago, Monsieur. (I must explain that one of the conditions she made on accepting the position was that she should visit me twice a week, for, as I had the honor to tell you a moment ago, she loves me dearly.) Well, she came home and she told me that at that very moment Her Majesty was frightened.”
“Indeed?”
“Ay, His Eminence, it would seem, pursues and persecutes her more than ever. He cannot forgive her the incident of the Saraband. You know the story of the Saraband, Monsieur?”
“Of course I know it!” D’Artagnan answered. Though he had never even heard of it, he must appear to know everything that was going on.
“So the Cardinal’s feelings are stronger than hatred now; he is moved by the lust of vengeance.”
“Is that so?”
“And the Queen believes—”
“Well, what does Her Majesty believe?”
“She believes that someone has written to the Duke of Buckingham in her name.”
“In the Queen’s name?”
“Ay, in order to persuade him to come to Paris and, once here, to draw him into some trap.”
“Devil take it, what a tale! But what has your wife to do with all this, Monsieur?”
“Her devotion to the Queen is well known. Somebody therefore wishes either to remove her from her mistress or, by intimidating her, to learn Her Majesty’s secrets, or to win her over and use her as a spy.”
“That seems plausible,” D’Artagnan agreed. “But what about the man who abducted her? Do you know him?”
“As I said, I think I know him.”
“His name?”
“That, I do not know. But I do know he is a creature of the Cardinal’s, the tool of His Eminence’s will.”
“You have seen him?”
“Ay, my wife pointed him out to me one day.”
“Is there anything particularly noticeable about him, any distinctive feature?”
“Ay, certainly. He is a nobleman of lofty bearing . . . black hair . . . a swarthy complexion . . . eyes piercing as drills . . . very white teeth . . . and a scar on his temple. . . .”
“A scar on his temple!” D’Artagnan murmured. “Very white teeth . . . eyes piercing as drills . . . a swarthy complexion . . . black hair . . . a lofty bearing. . . . Why, that’s my man of Meung!”
“Your man, you say.”
“Yes, yes! but that has nothing to do with it. No, I am wrong; on the contrary that simplifies matters considerably. If your man is mine, I shall avenge two wrongs at one blow, that’s all! But where can I find this man?”
“I’m sure I don’t know.”
“Would you happen to know where he lives?”
“No. One day I was accompanying my wife back to the Louvre and he came out as she went in. That was when she pointed him out to me.”
“Devil take it, blast and confound it! all this is very vague!” D’Artagnan cursed. Then: “Look here, how did you hear your wife had been abducted?”
“Monsieur de La Porte told me.”
“Did he give you any details?”
“He knew none himself.”
“Did you obtain any other information?”
“Ay, Monsieur, I received—”
“What?”
“Er—I am afraid I am committing a serious indiscretion.”
“There you are, back on the same tack. This time I must point out that you have gone too far to retreat now.”
“Mordieu, I’m not retreating,” the other swore, hoping the blasphemy might bolster his courage. “Besides, as sure as I am Bonacieux—”
“So your name is Bonacieux?”
“Ay.”
“You were saying: ‘As sure as I am Bonacieux—’ Forgive me for interrupting, but I think your name is not unfamiliar.”
“Possibly, Monsieur; I am your landlord.”
“Ah, you are my landlord!” said D’Artagnan, half-rising and bowing to his visitor.
“Ay,” said the visitor pertinently. “You have been here three months, have you not, Monsieur? Of course I realize how with your important occupations, you have forgotten to pay me my rent. But since I have not bothered you