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The Three Musketeers
Twenty Years Later
The Vicomte De Bragelonne
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The Three Musketeers 209 at Prostate Health
defend, or I swear to
you by the head of my father the crime which you shall have
endeavored to commit, or shall have committed, shall be the
last."
"Monsieur dArtagnan has cruelly insulted me," said Milady,
in a hollow tone; "Monsieur dArtagnan shall die!"
"Indeed! Is it possible to insult you, madame?" said Athos,
laughing; "he has insulted you, and he shall die!"
"He shall die!" replied Milady; "she first, and he
afterward."
Athos was seized with a kind of vertigo. The sight of this
creature, who had nothing of the woman about her, recalled
awful remembrances. He thought how one day, in a less
dangerous situation than the one in which he was now placed,
he had already endeavored to sacrifice her to his honor.
His desire for blood returned, burning his brain and
pervading his frame like a raging fever; he arose in his
turn, reached his hand to his belt, drew forth a pistol, and
cocked it.
Milady, pale as a corpse, endeavored to cry out; but her
swollen tongue could utter no more than a hoarse sound which
had nothing human in it and resembled the rattle of a wild
beast. Motionless against the dark tapestry, with her hair
in disorder, she appeared like a horrid image of terror.
Athos slowly raised his pistol, stretched out his arm so
that the weapon almost touched Miladys forehead, and then,
in a voice the more terrible from having the supreme
calmness of a fixed resolution, "Madame," said he, "you will
this instant deliver to me the paper the cardinal signed; or
upon my soul, I will blow your brains out."
With another man, Milady might have preserved some doubt;
but she knew Athos. Nevertheless, she remained motionless.
"You have one second to decide," said he.
Milady saw by the contraction of his countenance that the
trigger was about to be pulled; she reached her hand quickly
to her bosom, drew out a paper, and held it toward Athos.
"Take it," said she, "and be accursed!"
Athos took the paper, returned the pistol to his belt,
approached the lamp to be assured that it was the paper,
unfolded it, and read:
Dec. 3, 1627
It is by my order and for the good of the state that the
bearer of this has done what he has done.
Richelieu
"And now," said Athos, resuming his cloak and putting on his
hat, "now that I have drawn your teeth, viper, bite if you
can."
And he left the chamber without once looking behind him.
At the door he found the two men and the spare horse which
they held.
"Gentlemen," said he, "Monseigneurs order is, you know, to
conduct that woman, without losing time, to the fort of the
Point, and never to leave her till she is on board."
As these words agreed wholly with the order they had
received, they bowed their heads in sign of assent.
With regard to Athos, he leaped lightly into the saddle and
set out at full gallop; only instead of following the road,
he went across the fields, urging his horse to the utmost
and stopping occasionally to listen.
In one of those halts he heard the steps of several horses
on the road. He had no doubt it was the cardinal and his
escort. He immediately made a new point in advance, rubbed
his horse down with some heath and leaves of trees, and
placed himself across the road, about two hundred paces from
the camp.
"Who goes there?" cried he, as soon as he perceived the
horsemen.
"That is our brave Musketeer, I think," said the cardinal.
"Yes, monseigneur," said Porthos, "it is he."
"Monsieur Athos," said Richelieu, "receive my thanks for the
good guard you have kept. Gentlemen, we are arrived; take
the gate on the left. The watchword is, King and Re."
Saying these words, the cardinal saluted the three friends
with an inclination of his head, and took the right hand,
followed by his attendant--for that night he himself slept
in the camp.
"Well!" said Porthos and Aramis together, as soon as the
cardinal was out of hearing, "well, he signed the paper she
required!"
"I know it," said Athos, coolly, "since here it is."
And the three friends did not exchange another word till
they reached their quarters, except to give the watchword to
the sentinels. Only they sent Mousqueton to tell Planchet
that his master was requested, the instant that he left the
trenches, to come to the quarters of the Musketeers.
Milady, as Athos had foreseen, on finding the two men that
awaited her, made no difficulty in following them.
The Three Musketeers page 208 The Three Musketeers page 210 |
