Part 19 (1/2)
Sony paid him a visit, the duke used to ask him what he should think if he saw an army of Parisians, all fully armed, appear at Vincennes to deliver hiny, with a lo, ”I have on the ramparts twenty pieces of artillery and in uns I should bounpoas unexploded”
”Yes, but after you had fired off your thirty thousand guns they would take the donjon; the donjon being taken, I should be obliged to let the you--at which I should be most unhappy, certainly”
And in his turn the duke bowed low to Monsieur de Chavigny
”For overnor, ”when the first rebel should pass the threshold of ed to kill you with my own hand, since you were confided peculiarly to ive you up, dead or alive”
And once hness
These bitter-sweet pleasantries lasted ten er, but always finished thus: Monsieur de Chavigny, turning toward the door, used to call out: ”Halloo! La Ramee!”
La Ramee came into the room
”La Ramee, I recommend Monsieur le Duc to you, particularly; treat hiht to be treated; that is, never leave him alone an instant”
La Rauest by compulsion--an eternal keeper, the shadow of his person; but La Rareat hand at tennis, had one defect in the duke's eyes--his incorruptibility
Now, although La Ra shut up with a prisoner of so great irandson of Henry IV hardly cooing from time to time to visit his family
One ood father and husband La Ramee adored his wife and children, wholimpse of from the top of the wall, when in order to please him they used to walk on the opposite side of the moat 'Twas too brief an enjoyarded as the cause of health (of which it was perhaps rather the result) would not long survive such a ht, an offer made to hiive hiny, who promised that he would not oppose it in any way--that is, if he approved of the person proposed
We consider it useless to draw a physical or moral portrait of Griotten the first part of this work, they must have preserved a clear idea of that estied, except that he is twenty years older, an advance in life that has e that had been working in hiiven Grimaud permission to speak
But Grimaud had for twelve or fifteen years preserved habitual silence, and a habit of fifteen or twenty years' duration becoins his Functions
Grimaud thereupon presented himself with his smooth exterior at the donjon of Vincennes Now Monsieur de Chavigny piqued himself on his infallible penetration; for that which almost proved that he was the son of Richelieu was his everlasting pretension; he examined attentively the countenance of the applicant for place and fancied that the contracted eyebrows, thin lips, hooked nose, and prons He addressed about twelve words to hi fellow and it is I who have found out his ny ”Go,” he added, ”and reeable to Monsieur la Ramee, and tell him that you suit me in all respects”
Grimaud had every quality that could attract a man on duty ishes to have a deputy So, after a thousand questions which met with only a word in reply, La Ramee, fascinated by this sobriety in speech, rubbed his hands and engaged Grimaud
”My orders?” asked Grimaud
”They are these; never to leave the prisoner alone; to keep away fro instruth of time with the keepers”
”Those are all?” asked Grimaud
”All now,” replied La Raht to the prisoner
The duke was in the act of corow, as well as his hair, in order to reproach Mazarin with his wretched appearance and condition But having some days previously seen from the top of the donjon Madae, and still cherishi+ng an affection for that beautiful woman, he did not wish to be to her what he wished to be to Mazarin, and in the hope of seeing her again, had asked for a leaden comb, which was allowed him The comb was to be a leaden one, because his beard, like that of most fair people, was rather red; he therefore dyed it thus whilst co it
As Grimaud entered he saw this comb on the tea-table; he took it up, and as he took it he ure with surprise The figure put the comb in its pocket
”Ho! hey! what's that?” cried the duke ”Who is this creature?”
Grimaud did not answer, but bowed a second time
”Art thou dun that he was not
”What art thou, then? Answer! I command thee!” said the duke
”A keeper,” replied Grimaud
”A keeper!” reiterated the duke; ”there was nothing wanting in allows-bird Halloo! La Ramee! some one!”
La Ramee ran in haste to obey the call
”Who is this wretch who takes my comb and puts it in his pocket?” asked the duke
”One of your guards, my prince; a man of talent and ny do, I am sure”
”Why does he take my comb?”
”Why do you take my lord's comb?” asked La Ra his fingers over the largest teeth, pronounced this one word, ”Pointed”
”True,” said La Ramee
”What does the ani has forbidden your lordshi+p to have any pointed instruaveit to you I acted in opposition to my orders”
The duke looked furiously at Grimaud
”I perceive that this creature will be my particular aversion,” he muttered