Prostate Health
Prostate Articles
Antioxidant levels key for prostate cancer risk
Obesity and prostate health
Tomatoes for prostate health
Green tea and prostate health
Screening tests for prostate
Books
The Three Musketeers
Twenty Years Later
The Vicomte De Bragelonne
|
|
Twenty Years Later 189 at Prostate Health
la
Chevrette, whence you will take my horse and that of
Monsieur du Vallon, which you must saddle and equip as if
for war, and then you will leave Paris, bringing them with
you to Cours la Reine. If, when you arrive at Cours la
Reine, you find no one, you must go on to Saint Germain. On
the kings service."
The musketeer touched his cap and went away to execute the
orders thus received.
DArtagnan mounted the box, having a pair of pistols in his
belt, a musket under his feet and a naked sword behind him.
The queen appeared, and was followed by the king and the
Duke dAnjou, his brother.
"Monsieur the coadjutors carriage!" she exclaimed, falling
back.
"Yes, madame," said DArtagnan; "but get in fearlessly, for
I myself will drive you."
The queen uttered a cry of surprise and entered the
carriage, and the king and monsieur took their places at her
side.
"Come, Laporte," said the queen.
"How, madame!" said the valet, "in the same carriage as your
majesties?"
"It is not a matter of royal etiquette this evening, but of
the kings safety. Get in, Laporte."
Laporte obeyed.
"Pull down the blinds," said DArtagnan.
"But will that not excite suspicion, sir?" asked the queen.
"Your majestys mind may be quite at ease," replied the
officer; "I have my answer ready."
The blinds were pulled down and they started at a gallop by
the Rue Richelieu. On reaching the gate the captain of the
post advanced at the head of a dozen men, holding a lantern
in his hand.
DArtagnan signed to them to draw near.
"Do you recognize the carriage?" he asked the sergeant.
"No," replied the latter.
"Look at the arms."
The sergeant put the lantern near the panel.
"They are those of monsieur le coadjuteur," he said.
"Hush; he is enjoying a ride with Madame de Guemenee."
The sergeant began to laugh.
"Open the gate," he cried. "I know who it is!" Then putting
his face to the lowered blinds, he said:
"I wish you joy, my lord!"
"Impudent fellow!" cried DArtagnan, "you will get me turned
off."
The gate groaned on its hinges, and DArtagnan, seeing the
way clear, whipped his horses, who started at a canter, and
five minutes later they had rejoined the cardinal.
"Mousqueton!" exclaimed DArtagnan, "draw up the blinds of
his majestys carriage."
"It is he!" cried Porthos.
"Disguised as a coachman!" exclaimed Mazarin.
"And driving the coadjutors carriage!" said the queen.
"Corpo di Dio! Monsieur dArtagnan!" said Mazarin, "you are
worth your weight in gold."
53
How DArtagnan and Porthos earned by selling Straw, the one
Two Hundred and Nineteen, and the other Two Hundred and
Fifteen Louis dor.
Mazarin was desirous of setting out instantly for Saint
Germain, but the queen declared that she should wait for the
people whom she had appointed to meet her. However, she
offered the cardinal Laportes place, which he accepted and
went from one carriage to the other.
It was not without foundation that a report of the kings
intention to leave Paris by night had been circulated. Ten
or twelve persons had been in the secret since six oclock,
and howsoever great their prudence might be, they could not
issue the necessary orders for the departure without
suspicion being generated. Besides, each individual had one
or two others for whom he was interested; and as there could
be no doubt but that the queen was leaving Paris full of
terrible projects of vengeance, every one had warned parents
and friends of what was about to transpire; so that the news
of the approaching exit ran like a train of lighted
gunpowder along the streets.
The first carriage which arrived after that of the queen was
that of the Prince de Conde, with the princess and dowager
princess. Both these ladies had been awakened in the middle
of the night and did not know what it all was about. The
second contained the Duke and Duchess of Orleans, the tall
young Mademoiselle and the Abbe de la Riviere; and the
third, the Duke de Longueville and the Prince de Conti,
brother and brother-in-law of Conde. They all alighted and
hastened to pay their respects to the king and queen in
their coach. The queen fixed her eyes upon the carriage they
had left, and seeing that it was empty, she said:
"But where is Madame de Longueville?"
"Ah, yes, where is my sister?" asked the prince.
"Madame de Longueville is ill," said the duke, "and she
desired me to excuse her to your majesty."
Anne gave a quick glance to Mazarin, who answered by an
almost imperceptible shake of his head.
"What do you say of this?" asked the queen.
"I say that she is
Twenty Years Later page 188 Twenty Years Later page 190 |
