Part 19 (2/2)
”Speak,to you”
”Well, monsieur, it is not a question of a personal injury towards myself, but one towards my father”
”That you have already stated”
”Yes; but there are certain subjects which are only approached with hesitation”
”If that hesitation, in your case, really does exist, I entreat you to overcoraceful action?”
”Yes; in every and any case”
Those ere present at this scene had, at first, looked at each other with a good deal of uneasiness They were reassured, however, when they saw that D'Artagnan manifested no emotion whatever
De Wardes still maintained the same unbroken silence ”Speak,us waiting”
”Listen, then:-My father loved a lady of noble birth, and this lady loved ed looks De Wardes continued: ”M d'Artagnan found some letters which indicated a rendezvous, substituted hiuise, for the person as expected, and took advantage of the darkness”
”That is perfectly true,” said D'Artagnan
A slight uilty of that dishonorable action You should have added, monsieur, since you are so impartial, that, at the period when the circumstance which you have just related happened, I was not one-and-twenty years of age”
A renewed murmur was heard, but this time of astonishment, and almost of doubt
”It was a nan, ”and I have not waited for M de Wardes's reproaches to reproach e has, however, ht; and this injury has been atoned for by a long and lasting regret But I appeal to you, gentlemen; this affair took place in 1626, at a period, happily for yourselves, known to you by tradition only, at a period when love was not over-scrupulous, when consciences did not distill, as in the present day, poison and bitterness We were young soldiers, always fighting, or being attacked, our swords always in our hands, or at least ready to be drawn from their sheaths Death then always stared us in the face, war hardened us, and the cardinal pressed us sorely I have repented of it, and more than that-I still repent it, M de Wardes”
”I can well understand that, monsieur, for the action itself needed repentance; but you were not the less the cause of that lady's disgrace She, of who, covered with shaht upon her, fled, quitted France, and no one ever knehat became of her”
”Stay,” said the Co his hand towards De Wardes, with a peculiar smile upon his face, ”you are mistaken; she was seen; and there are persons even now present, who, having often heard her spoken of, will easily recognize her by the description I ae, slender in form, of a pale coland”
”Married?” exclaimed De Wardes
”So, you were not aware she was married? You see we are far better informed than yourself Do you happen to know she was usually styled 'My Lady,' without the addition of any name to that description?”
”Yes, I know that”
”Good Heavens!” haland, returned to England after having thrice attenan's life That was but just, you will say, since M d'Artagnan had insulted her But that which was not just was, that, when in England, this wo man in the service of Lord de Winter, by na to the Duke of Buckinghaer and sorrow Let your Grace finish the recital, then, and tell M de Wardes who this woman ho placed the knife in the hand of your father's murderer”
A cry escaped fro duke passed his handkerchief across his forehead, which was covered with perspiration A dead silence ensued a the spectators
”You see, M de Wardes,” said D'Artagnan, whom this recital had impressed more and more, as his own recollection revived as Athos spoke, ”you see that my crime did not cause the destruction of any one's soul, and that the soul in question ether lost before ret It is, however, an act of conscience on my part Now this matter is settled, therefore, it reiveness for this shameless action, as most certainly I should have asked it of your father, if he were still alive, and if I had met hi Charles I”
”That is too nan,” exclaientlemen,” said the captain ”And now, M de Wardes, I hope all is finished between us, and that you will have no further occasion to speak ill of ain Do you consider it completely settled?”
De Wardes bowed, and muttered to hinan, approaching the young er speak ill of any one, as it see; for a man so puritanically conscientious as you are, who can reproach an old soldier for a youthful freak five-and-thirty years after it happened, will allow me to ask whether you, who advocate such excessive purity of conscience, will undertake on your side to do nothing contrary either to conscience or the principle of honor And now, listen attentively to what I a to say, M de Wardes, in conclusion Take care that no tale, hich your name may be associated, reaches my ear”
”Monsieur,” said De Wardes, ”it is useless threatening to no purpose”
”I have not yet finished, M de Wardes, and you must listen to er curiosity, drew closer ”You spoke just now of the honor of a wolad to hear you speak in thatto think that such a sentiment of delicacy and rectitude, and which did not exist, it seehtful, too, to see a young e when men from habit become the destroyers of the honor of women, respect and defend it”
De Wardes bit his lip and clenched his hands, evidently much disturbed to learn how this discourse, the co a manner, would terminate
”How did it happen, then, that you allowed yourself to say to M de Bragelonne that he did not knoho hisforward, he exclaimed,-”Chevalier, this is a personal affair of my own!” At which exclamation, a smile, full of nan put Raoul aside, saying,-”Do not interruptat De Wardes in an authoritativewith a matter which cannot be settled by means of the sword I discuss it before men of honor, all of whom have more than once had their swords in their hands in affairs of honor I selected theentleht ceases to be a secret I again put my question to M de Wardes What was the subject of conversation when you offended this younghis father and mother at the same time?”
”It seems to me,” returned De Wardes, ”that liberty of speech is allohen it is supported by every e has at his disposal”
”Tell e can sustain a slanderous expression”
”The sword”
”You fail, not only in logic, in your arguion and honor You expose the lives ofto your ohich seems to be full of hazard Besides, fashi+ons pass away,has passed aithout referring in any way to the edicts of his majesty which forbid it Therefore, in order to be consistent with your own chivalrous notions, you will at once apologize to M de Bragelonne; you will tell hihtly, and that the nobility and purity of his race are inscribed, not in his heart alone, but still more in every action of his life You will do and say this, M de Wardes, as I, an old officer, did and said just now to your boy's moustache”
”And if I refuse?” inquired De Wardes
”In that case the result will be-”
”That which you think you will prevent,” said De Wardes, laughing; ”the result will be that your conciliatory address will end in a violation of the king's prohibition”
”Not so,” said the captain, ”you are quite mistaken”
”What will be the result, then?”
”The result will be that I shall go to the king, hoood terh to render certain services, dating from a period when you were not born, and who, at my request, has just sent overnor of the Bastile; and I shall say to the king: 'Sire, a elonne by insulting his mother; I have written this man's name upon the lettre de cachet which your ive me, so that M de Wardes is in the Bastile for three years” And D'Artagnan, drawing the order signed by the king fro that the youngas an idle threat, he shrugged his shoulders and walked leisurely towards the table, upon which lay a writing-case and a pen, the length of which would have terrified the topographical Porthos De Wardes then saw that nothing could well be more seriously intended than the threat in question, for the Bastile, even at that period, was already held in dread He advanced a step towards Raoul, and, in an alies in the ternan just now dictated, and which I am forced to make to you”
”One reatest tranquillity, ”you y I did not say, 'and which I am forced to make'; I said, 'and which my conscience induces me to make' This latter expression, believe me, is better than the former; and it will be far preferable, since it will be the most truthful expression of your own sentiments”
”I subscribe to it,” said De Wardes; ”but subh the body, as was the custom formerly, was far better than tyranny like this”
”No, ham; ”for the sword-thrust, when received, was no indication that a particular person was right or wrong; it only showed that he was more or less skillful in the use of the weapon”
”Monsieur!” exclaimed De Wardes