Part 16 (2/2)
”I do not knohoelonne, for instance”
”I know the nas M de Bragelonne has said nothing”
”Who can it be, then? If any one, madame, had had the boldness to notice in me that which I do not myself wish to behold-”
”What would you do, duke?”
”There are secrets which kill those who discover them”
”He, then, who has discovered your secret, madman that you are, still lives; and, what is more, you will not slay him, for he is armed on all sides,-he is a husband, a jealous entleman in France,-he is my son, the Duc du Orleans”
The duke turned pale as death ”You are very cruel, ham,” said Anne of Austria, sadly, ”how you pass froht with shadohen it would seeht,loomy depression
Anne ran towards hilish, with a vehe could resist, ”what is it you ask? Do you ask a mother to sacrifice her son,-a queen to consent to the dishonor of her house? Child that you are, do not dream of it What! in order to spare your tears am I to commit these crimes? Villiers! you speak of the dead; the dead, at least, were full of respect and subned themselves to an order of exile; they carried their despair aith them in their hearts, like a priceless possession, because the despair was caused by the woman they loved, and because death, thus deceptive, was like a gift of a favor conferred upon thehaainst his heart ”You are right, madame,” he said, ”but those of whom you speak had received their order of exile from the lips of the one whom they loved; they were not driven away; they were entreated to leave, and were not laughed at”
”No,” otten But who says you are driven away, or that you are exiled? Who says that your devotion will not be remembered? I do not speak on any one's behalf but rant me this favor; let me, for this also, be indebted to one of your name”
”It is for your sake, then, madame?”
”For mine alone”
”No one whom I shall leave behind me will venture to mock,-no prince even who shall say, 'I required it'”
”Listen to nified features of the queen assumed a solemn expression ”I swear to you that no one commands in this matter but h or boast in any way, but no one even shall fail in the respect due to your rank Rely upon me, duke, as I rely upon you”
”You do not explain yourself, madame; my heart is full of bitterness, and I aentle and affectionate, can afford me relief”
”Do you re shtly, madame; yet I remember how she used to cover me with her caresses and her tears whenever I wept”
”Villiers,”man's neck, ”look upon me as your mother, and believe that no one shall everman affected and almost suffocated by his eentler and nobler sentiment than love”
The queen-mother looked at him and pressed his hand ”Go,” she said
”When must I leave? Command me”
”At any time that may suit you, my lord,” resumed the queen; ”you will choose your own day of departure Instead, however, of setting off to-day, as you would doubtless wish to do, or to-morrow, as others may have expected, leave the day after to-; but announce to-day that it is your wish to leave”
”My wish?”duke
”Yes, duke”
”And shall I never return to France?”
Anne of Austria reflected for a ht ”It would be a consolation for me,” she said, ”if you were to return on the day when I shall be carried to , oodness itself; the tide of prosperity is setting in on you; your cup bri years are yet before you”
”In that case you will not co to s as I am Death does not reckon by years; it is ie”
”I will not harbor any sorrowful ideas, duke Let me comfort you; return in two years I perceive from your face that the very idea which saddens you so much noill have disappeared before six otten in the period of absence I have assigned you”
”I think you judgedainst ha the duke upon the forehead with an affection she could not restrain ”Go, go; spare er I a Charles awaits your return Adieu, Villiers,-farewell”
”Forever!” replied the youngto master his emotions
Anne leaned her head upon her hands, and then looking at herself in the glass, murmured, ”It has been truly said, that a wo, and that the blooirl of twenty years ever lies concealed in so Louis XIV does not think Madeh for a Gentleelonne
Raoul and the Co of the saham had held the conversation with the queen-h Raoul, he solicited an audience of the king Hisover, with oods of Lyons manufacture, of which he had made his sister-in-law a present A court dinner had succeeded, then cards, and afterwards, according to his usual custoht o'clock, passed into his cabinet in order to ith M Colbert and M Fouquet Raoul entered the ante-chamber at the veryhih the half-closed door, said, ”What do you want, M de Bragelonne?”
The young man approached: ”An audience, sire,” he replied, ”for the Comte de la Fere, who has just arrived from Blois, and is most anxious to have an intervieith your majesty”
”I have an hour to spare between cards and supper,” said the king ”Is the Comte de la Fere at hand?”
”He is below, and awaits your majesty's per, and five minutes afterwards Athos entered the presence of Louis XIV He was received by the king with that gracious kindness of manner which Louis, with a tact beyond his years, reserved for the purpose of gaining those ere not to be conquered by ordinary favors ”Let , ”that you have co”
”I will not conceal from your majesty,” replied the comte, ”that I am indeed co, joyously
”It is not for myself, sire”