Part 92 (1/2)
”But,” added the queen, ”in awaiting the cardinal's decision let there be, if you please, a reference to the king only”
The deputies bowed and left the room
”What!” exclaimed the queen, when the last of them had quitted the apartment, ”you would yield to these limbs of the law--these advocates?”
”To pro his penetrating eyes on the queen, ”there is no sacrifice that I would not make”
Anne dropped her head and fell into one of those reveries so habitual with her A recollection of Athos came into her nified, the shades which by one word he had evoked, recalled to her the past in all its intoxication of poetry and roe, the bloody death of Buckingham, the only man whom she had ever really loved, and the heroism of those obscure champions who had saved her fro
Mazarin looked at her, and whilst she deeht to spy into her secret thoughts, he read her thoughts in her countenance, as one sees in a transparent lake clouds pass--reflections, like thoughts, of the heavens
”Must we, then,” asked Anne of Austria, ”yield to the storm, buy peace, and patiently and piously await better times?”
Mazarin smiled sarcastically at this speech, which showed that she had taken the minister's proposal seriously
Anne's head was bent down--she had not seen the Italian's s that her question elicited no reply she looked up
”Well, you do not answer, cardinal, what do you think about it?”
”I aentleman, whoham--to him whom you allowed to be assassinated--to the duchess de Chevreuse, whom you suffered to be exiled--to the Duc de Beaufort, whom you imprisoned; but if he norant of the relation in which I stand to you”
Anne drew up, as she always did, when anything touched her pride She blushed, and that she ht not answer, clasped her beautiful hands till her sharp nails alacity, honor and wit, not to mention likewise that he is aabout him, do you not,so I shall confer a personal favor on hiard to me What is proposed to me would be, in fact, almost an abdication, and an abdication requires reflection”
”An abdication?” repeated Anne; ”I thought, sir, that it was kings alone who abdicated!”
”Well,” replied Mazarin, ”and a, indeed, of France? Thrown over the foot of the royal bed, s”
This was one of the huo more frequently than any other, and one that bowed her head with shame Queen Elizabeth and Catherine II of Russia are the only two ns and lovers Anne of Austria looked with a sort of terror at the threatening aspect of the cardinal--his physiognorandeur
”Sir,” she replied, ”did I not say, and did you not hear me say to those people, that you should do as you pleased?”
”In that case,” said Mazarin, ”I think it must please me best to remain; not only on account of my own interest, but for your safety”
”Rereeable to me; only do not allowto the demands of the rebels and to the tone in which they stated them? Patience! They have selected a field of battle on which I aeneral than they--that of a conference No, we shall beat the They want food already They will be ten times worse off in a week”
”Ah, yes! Good heavens! I knoill end in that way; but it is not they who tauntreproaches, but----”
”I understand; you mean to allude to the recollections perpetually revived by these three gentlemen However, we have them safe in prison, and they are just sufficiently culpable for us to keep the as we find it convenient One only is still not in our power and braves us But, devil take hi him to join his boon cos than that In the first place I have as a precaution shut up at Rueil, near me, under my own eyes, within reach of my hand, the two most intractable ones To-day the third will be there also”
”As long as they are in prison all will be well,” said Anne, ”but one of these days they will get out”
”Yes, if yourthe train of her own thoughts on such occasions, ”one regrets Paris!”
”Why so?”
”On account of the Bastile, sir, which is so strong and so secure”
”Mada us peace; e have peace we shall regain Paris; with Paris, the Bastile, and our four bullies shall rot therein”
Anne frowned slightly when Mazarin, in taking leave, kissed her hand
Mazarin, after this half huallant attention, went away Anne followed him with her eyes, and as he withdrew, at every step he took, a disdainful sradually burst upon her lips
”I once,” she said, ”despised the love of a cardinal who never said 'I shall do,' but, 'I have done so and so' That man knew of retreats more secure than Rueil, darker and enerate world!”
82 Precautions
After quitting Anne, Mazarin took the road to Rueil, where he usually resided; in those times of disturbance he went about with nuuised himself In military dress he was, indeed, as we have stated, a very handsome man
In the court of the old Chateau of Saint Germain he entered his coach, and reached the Seine at Chatou The prince had supplied hiuard as to show the deputies how readily the queen's generals dispersed their troops and to prove that they ht be safely scattered at pleasure Athos, on horseback, without his sword and kept in sight by Co that his master had been arrested, fell back into the ranks near Ara had happened
Gri twenty-two years of service, seen his master extricate hi less than Athos's imminent death was likely tooff of the road toward Paris, Aramis, who had followed in the cardinal's suite, turned back Mazarin went to the right hand and Ara of the avenue Athos, at the same moment, moved by a sied a sier to his hat, as if to bow, Athos alone conal that he had some project in his head
Ten minutes afterward Mazarin entered the court of that chateau which his predecessor had built for hies approached him
”My lord,” he asked, ”where does your eed?”
”In the pavilion of the orangery, of course, in front of the pavilion where the guard is I wish every respect to be shown the count, although he is the prisoner of her es, ”he begs to be taken to the place where Monsieur d'Artagnan is confined--that is, in the hunting lodge, opposite the orangery”
Mazarin thought for an instant
Co post,” he resu no connection with Frondeurs nor any interest in the Fronde”