Part 21 (1/2)
”What?”
”That Gri could be reeable to the duke, however, he had presence of h to exclaim: ”To the devil with your Grimaud! He will spoil the feast”
”I will direct him to stand behind your chair, and since he doesn't speak, your highness will neither see nor hear hiine him a hundredvery evident in all this, you distrust me”
”My lord, the day after to-morrow is Pentecost”
”Well, what is Pentecost to ue of fire to open the doors of my prison?”
”No, ician predicted”
”And as it?”
”That the day of Pentecost would not pass without your highness being out of Vincennes”
”You believe in sorcerers, then, you fool?”
”I---I ers; ”but it is my Lord Giulio who cares about theed his shoulders
”Well, then,” ell acted good-hue it all Order whatever you like for supper--the only thing I specify is one of those pies; and tell the confectioner that I will promise him my custom if he excels this time in his pies--not only now, but when I leave my prison”
”Then you think you will some day leave it?” said La Ramee
”The devil!” replied the prince; ”surely, at the death of Mazarin I aer than he is At Vincennes, 'tis true, one lives faster----”
”My lord,” replied La Ramee, ”my lord----”
”Or dies sooner, for it co out He stopped, however, at the door for an instant
”Whohness wish me to send to you?”
”Any one, except Griuard, then, with his chessboard?”
”Yes”
Five minutes afterward the officer entered and the duke seemed to be ie thing is the ht in it by a sign, a word, a hope The duke had been five years in prison, and now to hi back upon them, those five years, which had passed so slowly, seeht hours, which still parted him fro that engaged his ht--in as the escape to be effected? They had told him to hope for it, but had not told him as to be hidden in the mysterious pate And what friends awaited him without? He had friends, then, after five years in prison? If that were so he was indeed a highly favored prince He forgot that besides his friends of his own sex, a woe to say, had remembered him It is true that she had not, perhaps, been scrupulously faithful to hi
So the duke had ly he fared at chess as he had fared at tennis; he made blunder upon blunder and the officer hoame
But his successive defeats did service to the duke in one way--they killed ti; then would coht, sleep So, at least, the duke believed; but sleep is a capricious fairy, and it is precisely when one invokes her presence that she is ht, turning on his ridiron Finally he slept
But at daybreak he awoke Wild dreams had disturbed his repose He dreas--he wished to fly away For a tis supported hiht this new aid failed his were broken and he seemed to sink into a bottomless abyss, whence he awoke, bathed in perspiration and nearly as ain and another vision appeared He was in a subterranean passage by which he was to leave Vincennes Grirees the passage narrowed, yet the duke continued his course At last it becaitive tried in vain to proceed The sides of the walls seeainst hio on; it was impossible Nevertheless, he still saw Gri He wished to call out to him but could not utter a word Then at the other extre him These steps caone Still the walls see on him; they appeared to be in concert with his enemies At last he heard the voice of La Rahed aloud He was captured again, and conducted to the low and vaulted chamber, in which Ornano, Puylaurens, and his uncle had died Their three graves were there, rising above the ground, and a fourth was also there, yawning for its ghastly tenant
The duke was obliged to o to sleep; and La Raued that he inquired whether he was ill
”In fact,” said one of the guards who had remained in the chaht on by the daht and two or three ti, he called for help”
”What is the hness?” asked La Ramee
”'Tis your fault, you simpleton,” answered the duke ”With your idle nonsense yesterday about escaping, you worriedto escape and broke hed
”Co from Heaven Never commit such an imprudence as to try to escape, except in your dreaht,away the sweat that stood on his broide awake though he was; ”after this I will think of nothing but eating and drinking”
”Hush!+” said La Rauards, on various pretexts
”Well?” asked the duke when they were alone
”Well!” replied La Ramee, ”your supper is ordered”
”Ah! and what is it to be? Monsieur, my majordomo, will there be a pie?”
”I should think so, indeed--alh as a tower”
”You told him it was for me?”
”Yes, and he said he would do his best to please your highness”
”Good!” exclai his hands
”Devil take it, ; I haven't seen you with so cheerful a face these five years”
The duke saw that he had not controlled hiht, but at that moment, as if he had listened at the door and co La Ran to La Ra to say to him
La Ramee drew near to Grimaud, who spoke to him in a low voice
The duke meanwhile recovered his self-control
”I have already forbidden that man,” he said, ”to come in here without my permission”