• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 1068 0

relations with her by correspondence . . . that the two women had formed what was then mysteriously called a cabal . . . that he, the Cardinal himself, on the point of unraveling the most mysterious details of this intrigue, was suddenly foiled . . . that the Cardinal, in possession of all necessary proof, was about to arrest, in flagrante delicto, the Queen’s emissary to the banished Madame de Chevreuse . . . that at this moment a musketeer had dared interrupt the course of justice in the most violent fashion . . . and that this same musketeer had fallen, sword in hand, upon honest men of the law who were investigating the affair in the line of duty. . . .

Losing all self-control, Louis XIII started toward the Queen’s apartment, his features set in that mute, pale indignation which when it broke out drove this monarch to commit the most pitiless cruelties. And yet, so far, the Cardinal had not breathed a word about My Lord Duke of Buckingham.

At exactly this point Monsieur de Tréville entered, cool, polite and impeccably clad. Realizing from the Cardinal’s presence and the King’s sullen rage what had occurred, Monsieur de Tréville felt very much as Samson must have felt among the Philistines. Louis XIII had his hand on the doorknob when Monsieur de Tréville entered. The King swung round:

“Your arrival is timely, Monsieur,” he said testily, for when he lost his temper he was incapable of dissembling. “I have just learned some pretty things about your musketeers.”

“Sire,” Tréville countered phlegmatically, “I have some pretty things to tell Your Majesty about his men of law.”

“Pray explain,” the King commanded haughtily.

“I have the honor to inform your Majesty,” Monsieur de Tréville continued coolly as ever, “that a party of commissioners, investigators and policemen—excellent folk, I have no doubt, but apparently rabid enemies of all who wear the King’s uniform—took it upon themselves to enter the house of one of my musketeers. They dared arrest him without warrant, led him away through the streets and tossed him into the prison of Fort L’Evêque. I say without warrant, Sire, because they refused to show me any order; and when I say one of my musketeers, I should more properly say one of your musketeers. I hasten to add that the soldier in question is a man of irreproachable conduct and of almost illustrious repute. Undoubtedly Your Majesty recalls him favorably; his name is Athos.”

“Athos?” the King mechanically repeated. “Yes, as a matter of fact I do know that name.”

“If Your Majesty recalls,” Monsieur de Tréville insisted, “Monsieur Athos is the musketeer who, in the untoward duel you know of, had the misfortune to wound Monsieur de Cahusac so grievously.” Tréville paused a moment to make his point, then, turning to the Cardinal: “By the way, Monsieur le Cardinal, I trust Monsieur de Cahusac has recovered.”

“Quite, thank you,” the Cardinal replied, biting his lips.

“May it please Your Majesty, here are the facts. Monsieur Athos had gone to call upon one of his friends who was out. The friend is a young man from Béarn, a cadet in Your Majesty’s Guards; Monsieur des Essarts is his commanding officer. Athos had barely made himself comfortable at his friend’s and taken up a book while awaiting his friend’s return when a motley crew of bailiffs and soldiers laid siege to the house, broke down several doors—”

(The Cardinal made a sign to the King, as if to say: “That was on account of the matter I just mentioned.”)

“We know all about that!” the King retorted. “It was all done in our service.”

“Then it was also in Your Majesty’s service that one of my musketeers, an innocent man, was seized, hemmed in between two guards like a malefactor and, gallant gentleman though he is, was paraded through the streets to serve as the laughing stock of an insolent rabble? This gentleman, I may add,” Monsieur de Tréville’s voice rose ever so slightly, “this gentleman,” he emphasized, “has shed his blood at least a dozen times on behalf of Your Majesty and he is ready to do so again.”

“Indeed?” The King seemed somewhat shaken.