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The Three Musketeers
Twenty Years Later
The Vicomte De Bragelonne
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The Vicomte De Bragelonne 539 at Prostate Health
proofs,
necessary, however, for your cure, if you are a lover with courage in
his heart, and not a weeping Amadis. Do not thank me; pity me even, and
do not serve the king less faithfully than you have done."
Raoul smiled bitterly. "Ah; true, true; I was forgetting that! the king
is my master."
"Your liberty, nay, your very life is in danger."
A steady, penetrating look informed Madame Henrietta that she was
mistaken, and that her last argument was not a likely one to affect the
young man. "Take care, Monsieur de Bragelonne," she said, "for if you do
not weigh well all your actions, you might throw into an extravagance of
wrath, a prince, whose passions, once aroused, exceed the utmost limits
of reason, and you would thereby involve your friends and family in the
deepest distress; you must bend, you must submit, and must cure
yourself."
"I thank you, madame; I appreciate the advice your royal highness is
good enough to give me, and I will endeavor to follow it; but one final
word, I beg."
"Name it."
"Should I be indiscreet in asking you the secret of this staircase, of
this trap-door; a secret which, it seems, you have discovered."
"Nothing is more simple. For the purpose of exercising a surveillance
over the young girls who are attached to my service, I have duplicate
keys of their doors. It seemed very strange to me that M. de
Saint-Aignan should change his apartments. It seemed very strange, that
the king should come to see M. de Saint-Aignan every day, and, finally,
it seemed very strange, that so many things should be done during your
absence, that the very habits and customs of the court seemed to be
changed. I do not wish to be trifled with by the king, nor to serve as a
cloak for his love affairs; for, after La Valliere, who weeps
incessantly, he will take a fancy to Montalais, who is always laughing;
and then to Tonnay-Charente, who does nothing but sing all day; to act
such a part as that would be unworthy of me. I have thrust aside the
scruples which my friendship for you suggested. I have discovered the
secret. I have wounded your feelings, I know; and I again entreat you to
excuse me; but I had a duty to fulfill. I have discharged it. You are
now forewarned; the tempest will soon burst; protect yourself
accordingly."
"You naturally expect, however, that a result of some kind must follow,"
replied Bragelonne, with firmness; "for you do not suppose I shall
silently accept the shame which is thrust upon me, or the treachery
which has been practiced against me."
"You will take whatever steps in the matter you please, Monsieur Raoul,
only do not betray the source whence you derived the truth. That is all
I have to ask, that is the only price I require for the service I have
rendered you."
"Fear nothing, madame," said Bragelonne, with a bitter smile.
"I bribed the locksmith, in whom the lovers had confided. You can just
as well have done so as myself, can you not?"
"Yes, madame. Your royal highness, however, has no other advice or
caution to give me, except that of not betraying you."
"None other."
"I am about, therefore, to beg your royal highness to allow me to remain
here for one moment."
"Without me?"
"Oh! no, madame. It matters very little; for what I have to do can be
done in your presence. I only ask one moment to write a line to some
one."
"It is dangerous, Monsieur de Bragelonne. Take care."
"No one can possibly know that your royal highness has done me the honor
to conduct me here. Besides, I shall sign the letter I am going to
write."
"Do as you please, then."
Raoul drew out his tablet, and wrote rapidly on one of the leaves the
following words:
"MONSIEUR LE COMTE--Do not be surprised to find here this
paper signed by me; the friend whom I shall very shortly send to
call on you will have the honor to explain the object of my visit
to you.
"VICOMTE RAOUL DE BRAGELONNE."
He rolled up the paper, slipped it into the lock of the door which
communicated with the room set apart for the two lovers, and satisfied
himself that the paper was so apparent that Saint-Aignan could not but
see it as he entered; he rejoined the princess,
The Vicomte De Bragelonne page 538 The Vicomte De Bragelonne page 540 |
