Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 190 — page 21: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A A . i ° - THE THREE GUARDSMEN. i I i tf ee Ne I i IO iN a AI ne se — ey ee EM of such rigorous treatment in reference to affairs of the police.”’ The expression was imprudent, but Treville had ( He wished for an explo- e mine flames out as it explodes, and thrown it out PaEppeny: sion; because th the flame enlightens us, * Affairs of the police!’ cried the king, taking up And what Busy yourself with It a musketeer is ar- Ah! what a fuss about Treville’s words, “Affairs of the police! do you know about them, sir? your musketeers, and don’t perplex my brain! would seem, to hear you, that i rested, France is in danger, amusketeer! I will arrest ten, fifty, a hundred, aye, even the whole company, and will not hear a word!”’ * The instant that they are suspected by your ma- jesty,’’ said Treville, ** the musketeers gp bye aA iam ready, therefore, to surrender my sword; for, after having accused my soldiers, I do not doubt that the cardinal will conclude by accusing me; and it is unquestionably better that I should deliver myself up as a prisoner with M. Athos, who is already ar- rested, and with M. d’Artaguan, who will doubtless before long be so too.”’ **Gascon head! will you have dene?’ said the King ** He shall be tried,”’ said the king. ** Well, so much the better; for then I shall demand your majesty’s permission to plead for him.” The king dreaded an outbreak. “If his eminence,” said he, * had not any personal motives ——”’ The cardinal saw which way the king was tending, and anticipated hin. * Pardon me,” said he, *‘ but the moment that the king sees in me a ve iced judge, I retire.”’ ** Come,” said the king, * do you swear to me by my father, that M. Athos was at ane house during this event, and he had nothing to do with it?” “ By your glorious father, and by yourself, whom I Jove and venerate most in the world, I swear it.”’ * You must reflect, sire,’’ said the cardinal, * that if we thus release this prisoner, the truth cannot be discovered.” **M. Athos shall always be forthcoming,” said Tre- ville, ‘* when it may please the lawyers to interrogate him. He will notrun away. I answer for him my- self.”’ ‘**In reality he will not desert,’’ said the king, ‘he can always be found, as Treville says. Besides,” Added he, lowering his voice, and regarding the car- dinal with a supplicating air, “put them in security ; it is politic.” ' This policy of Louis XIII. made Richelieu smile. “Give your order, sire,’’ said he, “you have the privilege of pardon,” * The privilege of pardon only refers to the guilty,’ said Treville, who wished to have the last word, ** and my musketeer is not guilty, It is not a pardon, therefore, that your majesty is going to grant, but justice.” “Is he at Fort l'Eveque?” asked the king. ** Yes, sire, and in a solitary dungeon, like the worst of criminals.” **Od’s blood!” said the king, “‘ what is to be done?’ ‘** Sign the order for his release,’ said the cardinal, “and all will be ended. I believe, as well as your majesty, that M. de Treville’s security is more than sufficient.” Treville bowed respectfully, with a joy which was not unmixed with fear. He would have preferred an obstinate resistance on the part of the cardinal to this ‘sudden compliance. The king signed the order of release, and Treville carried it away immediately. At the moment he was going out, the cardinal gave him a friendly smile, and said to the king: ‘Great harmony exists between the officers and soldiers of your musketeers, sire; it must be very beneficial to the service and is honorable to all. * He will play me some scurvy trick presently,” thought Treville; ‘‘ one has never the last word with such aman. But let me hasten, for the king may change his mind soon, and after all, it is more difficult to put a man back into the Bastile, or Fort l'Eveque, who has gotout of it, than to keep him prisoner there when they have already caught him.” M. de Treville entered Fort l'Eveque triumphantly, and set at liberty his musketeer, who had not lost his calm indifference. The first time that he saw D’Artagnan, he said to him: ** You have escaped well; your sword-thrust to Jus- sac is now paid for; that to Bernajoux still remains; but you must not be too confident,” M. de Treville had reason to distrust the carmiinal and to think that all was not ended; for seareely had the captain of the musketeers closed the door behind him, before his eminence said to the king: * Now that we two are alone, we must have some serious conversation, if it please your majesty. Sire, the Duke of Buckingham has been in Paris for five days, and only left it this morning.” CHAPTER XVI. tN WHICH THE KEEPER OF THE SEALS, SEGULIER, LOOKED MORE THAN ONCE AFTER THE BELL, THAT HE MIGHT RING IT AS HE HAD BEEN USED 70 po, Ir is impossible to form an idea of the impression which these few words produced on the king. He grew red and pale by turns, and the cardinal saw im- mediately that he had regained, by a single stwoke, all the ground that he had previously lost, * Sire,”’ said Treville, without in the least lowering his voice, ‘give me up my musketeer, or let him be ta “The Duke of Buckingham at Paris!” said he; ‘‘and what has he being doing there?” ‘**No doubt plotting with your enemies, the Hugue- nots, and the Spaniards,” “No, by God, no! Plotting against my honor, with Madame de Chevreuse, Madame de Longueville, and the Conde.” “ Oh! sire, what an idea! The queen is too good, and above all, loves your majesty too well.” ‘Woman is feeble,’’ said the king; “ and as for her esa me very much, I have my own opinion about that. ‘* Nevertheless, I maintain that the Duke of Buck- ingham came to Paris for an entirely political ob: ject.” ‘And lam just as sure that he came for other pur- poses; but, if the queen is guilty, let her tremble!”’ ** After all,’’ said the cardinal, ‘‘ however unwilling I am to dwell upon a treason of this kind, your ma- jesty brings to my mind, that Madame de Lannoy, whom, by your majesty’s order, I have several times uestioned, told me this morning that, the night be- ore last, the queen was up very late, that this morn- ing she was weeping very much, and that she had been writing throughout tne whole day.” That confirms it!’’ said the king; ** writing to him, no doubt. Cardinal, I must have the queen's pa- pers.’’ “But how are we to get them, sire? It appears to me that neither I nor your majesty ought to under- take such an office.”’ **How did they proceed towards the Marechale d’Ancre?”’ said the king, in the most violent rage: “they first ransacked her chests, and at last searched her person.” The Marechale d’Ancre was only the Marechale d’Ancre, a Florentine adventuress; but the august spouse of your majesty is Anne of Austria, Queen of rance; that is, one of the greatest princesses in the world,” ‘*She is only the more criminal, duke! The more she has forgotten the high position in which she is placed, the lower has she fallen. For along time, now, I have been determined to put an end to all these petty intrigues of politics andlove, There is, also, one Porte in her service.”’ a Whom I believe tobe the master spirit of all s,’’ “Then youthinkas Ido—that she is deceiving me,’’ said the king. “I believe, and I repeat it to your majesty, that the queen plots against the king’s power, but I have not said against his honor.” ‘And I tell you, against both. [tell you that the queen does not love me; I tell you that she loves an- other; I tell you that she loves thisinfamous Duke of Buckingham! Why did you not arrest him, while he was in Paris?”’ “ Arrest the.auke. arrest the prime minister of Charles [. Think, sire, what a commotion! And then, if the suspicions of your majesty had any foundation, which I must doubt, what a dreadful ex- posure—what horrible scandal!”’ ‘* But if he exposed himself to it, like a vagabond and a pilferer, he ought——” Louis stopped, frightened at what he had been about to say; while Richelieu, stretching out his neck, in vain expected the word which hung upon the king's lips. * He ough “ Nothing,’’ said the king, “nothing. But,’ added he, “during all thattime he was in Paris, you did not ever lose sight of him?’’ ‘* Never, sire!’’ ‘Where did he reside?’ ‘“*In the rue de la Harpe, at No 75. ‘** Where is that?’’ ** Near the Luxembourg.” ‘And you are certain that the queen and he did not see each other?’’ “| believe that the queen is too much attached to her duties, sire.” ‘** But they corresponded; it was to him the queen was writing allday! Duke, I must have those let- ters,”’ ‘Sire, and yet * Duke, at whatever cost, I must have them,” ‘*IT would observe to your majesty, however——”’ ‘**And would you also betray me, cardinal, since you thus oppose my wishes? Are you also in league with the Spaniard, and the English; with Madame de Chevreuse, and with the queen?’ . “Sire,” replied the cardinal, with a smile, ‘I thought myself farremoved from any such suspic- ion,”’ “Cardinal, you hear what Isay; I will have these letters?" “ There can only beone way.” ** What fs that?” “Tt isto charge M. de Seguier, the keeper of the seals with this commission. This matter wholly be- longs to his office.” Let him be sent for immediately.” ‘‘He must be at my house now,sire. I sent for him there, and when Icame tothe Louvre, Ileft word he should wait for me.” “Let him be sent for instantly!” > Your majesty’s orders shall be executed; but 39 t——— 9 ** But what?” ** But the queen may perhaps refuse to obey.” ** What, my orders?” Yes, if she does not know that these orders come from the king.” : ‘ Well, then, that she may have no doubt, I will go and tell her myself!”’ * Your majesty will not forget that } have done all I could to prevent a rupture!’ ‘““ Yes, duke, yes; I know that you are very induk gent, perhaps too indulgent, to the queen; and I can tell you that we must have some talk about that hereafter.”’ “Whenever your majesty pleases; but I shall al- ways be happy and proud to sacrifice myself for the harmony whichI should wish to see between the king and queen of France ”’ ‘** Well, well, cardinal; but, in the meantime, send for thechancellor. And now I hasten to the queen. ° “Then, opening the door of communication, Louis entered into the corridor which led from his own apartments to those of Anne of Austria. The queen was surrounded by her ladies, Madame de Guitaut, Madame de Sable, Madame de Monthazon, and Madame de Guemene, In the corner was the Spanish lady of the bed- chamber, Dona Estefaria, who had accompanied her majesty from Madrid. Madame Guemene was reading aloud, and every- body was attending to her, except the queen, who promoted this reading that she might, under the pre- tence of listening, indulge the train of her own thoughts. It was at the very instant that she was profoundly indulging in these melancholy reflections that the door opened, and the king entered. | The reader became immediately silent; the ladies arose; and all was mute. As for the Eing. he made no show of politeness; only stopping before the queen. ‘**Madame,”’ said he, in an agitated voice, “ you are about to receive a visit from the chancellor, who will make known to you certain commands with which I bave charged him.”’ ' The unhappy queen, who was often threatened with divorce—with exile, and even with death, grew pale beneath her rouge, and could not restrain her- self from saying: ‘*But why that visit, sire? What can the chancel- lor have to say, Which your majesty could not you- self tell me?’ The king turned on his heel without any answer; and, almost at the same moment, the captain of the guards, M. de Guitaut, announced the presence of the chancellor. Before the chancellor appeared, the king had ai ready left the apartment by another door. The chancellor entered, half-smiling, and half- blushing. As we shall pros fall into his company again in the course of this history, there w*" no harm in our readers making acquaintance witn him now. This chancellor was a pleasant fellow. It was by des Rochesle Malse, a canon,of Notre-Dame, whohad formerly been the cardinal’s valet, that he had been recommended to his eminence, as one entirely de- voted to his interests. The cardinal trusted him, and was always well served. The following is one of many stories which were eirculated concerning him. After a stormy you‘h, he had retired into a convent to expiate, at least for a time, the follies of his juven- ile years. But, in entering into this holy place, the poor penitent had been unable to close the door so quickly that the passions which he flew from could not enter with him, They worried him, in fact, unceasingly; and the su- perior—to whom he had confided this disgrace, and who wished to preserve him from it as far as he was able—advised him, in order to drive out the diaboli- cal tempter, to have recourse to the beli-rope, and to pull it with his utmost might; since on he this denunciatory sound, the monks would understand that a brother was beset by temptation, aud the whole community would instantly proceed to pray- ers, ‘ee pe ried we ep “ to cor future chancellor, who exorcised the evil spirit by a large ly of prayers, which were offered by the monk f The devil, however, is not easily displaced, when he has once got into garrison; and in propo rt on as these exorcisms were multiplied, the tempte ions Were in- creased; so that the increasing clamor o the bell, by day and by night, perpetually anno a. ex- treme need of mortification which the expe- rienced, . | The monks no longer found a moment’s rest. day they did nothing but go up and down the chapel stairs; and by night, besides complines and matins, they were obliged to jump out of their beds at least fee times, to prostrate themselves upon the floor- ing of their cells, i t is not known whether the devil quitted his hold, or the monks got tired out: but, at the end of three months, the penitent reappeared in the world, with the ep rary of being more terribly by the evil spirit than any one who had ever lived. © On leaving the convent, he entered the ray tone A and became president in the place of his uncle. He then joined the cardinal’s pariy, fh doing which he evin no small sagacity; became chancellor; served his emi- nence zealously against Anne of Austria; stimulated the judges in the business of Chalais; encouraged the ex- periments of the royal gamekeeper, M. de Laffemas; and, finally, invested with the fullest confidence of the cardinal, which he had so well won, he had just received that singular commission, in the execution of which he how presented himself before the queen. The queen was standing when he entered, but as soon as she perceived him she seated herself in her easy- chair, and making a sign for her ladies to place them- selves on their cushions and stools, said, in a tone of®a- preme haughtiness: J i. ‘What do you want, sir; and for what object do you come here?”’ <€om