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Twenty Years Later 299 at Prostate Health
to communicate to her majesty,
something secret and private -- a mission that could be
confided only to a sure man -- and so has sent me to Saint
Germain. And therefore, my dear Monsieur Bernouin, if you
wish to do what will be pleasing to your master, announce to
her majesty that I have come, and tell her with what
purpose."
Whether he spoke seriously or in jest, since it was evident
that under existing circumstances DArtagnan was the only
man who could relieve the queens uneasiness, Bernouin went
without hesitation to announce to her this strange embassy;
and as he had foreseen, the queen gave orders to introduce
Monsieur dArtagnan at once.
DArtagnan approached the sovereign with every mark of
profound respect, and having fallen on his knees presented
to her the cardinals letter
It was, however, merely a letter of introduction. The queen
read it, recognized the writing, and, since there were no
details in it of what had occurred, asked for particulars.
DArtagnan related everything with that simple and ingenuous
air which he knew how to assume on occasions. The queen, as
he went on, looked at him with increasing astonishment. She
could not comprehend how a man could conceive such an
enterprise and still less how he could have the audacity to
disclose it to her whose interest and almost duty it was to
punish him.
"How, sir!" she cried, as DArtagnan finished, "you dare to
tell me the details of your crime -- to give me an account
of your treason!"
"Pardon, madame, but I think that either I have expressed
myself badly or your majesty has imperfectly understood me.
There is here no question of crime or treason. Monsieur de
Mazarin held us in prison, Monsieur du Vallon and myself,
because we could not believe that he had sent us to England
to quietly look on while they cut off the head of Charles
I., brother-in-law of the late king, your husband, the
consort of Madame Henrietta, your sister and your guest, and
because we did all that we could do to save the life of the
royal martyr. We were then convinced, my friend and I, that
there was some error of which we were the victims, and that
an explanation was called for between his eminence and
ourselves. Now, that an explanation may bear fruit, it is
necessary that it should be quietly conducted, far from
noise and interruption. We have therefore taken away
monsieur le cardinal to my friends chateau and there we
have come to an understanding. Well, madame, it proved to be
as we had supposed; there was a mistake. Monsieur de Mazarin
had thought that we had rendered service to General
Cromwell, instead of King Charles, which would have been a
disgrace, rebounding from us to him, and from him to your
majesty -- a dishonor which would have tainted the royalty
of your illustrious son. We were able to prove the contrary,
and that proof we are ready to give to your majesty, calling
in support of it the august widow weeping in the Louvre,
where your royal munificence has provided for her a home.
That proof satisfied him so completely that, as a sign of
satisfaction, he has sent me, as your majesty may see, to
consider with you what reparation should be made to
gentlemen unjustly treated and wrongfully persecuted."
"I listen to you, and I wonder at you, sir," said the queen.
"In fact, I have rarely seen such excess of impudence."
"Your majesty, on your side," said DArtagnan, "is as much
mistaken as to our intentions as the Cardinal Mazarin has
always been."
"You are in error, sir," answered the queen. "I am so little
mistaken that in ten minutes you shall be arrested, and in
an hour I shall set off at the head of my army to release my
minister."
"I am sure your majesty will not commit such an act of
imprudence, first, because it would be useless and would
produce the most disastrous results. Before he could be
possibly set free the cardinal would be dead; and indeed, so
convinced is he of this, that he entreated me, should I find
your majesty disposed to act in this way, to do all I could
to induce you to change your resolution."
"Well, then, I will content myself with arresting you!"
"Madame, the possibility of my arrest has been foreseen, and
should I not have returned by to-morrow, at a certain hour
the next day the cardinal will be brought to Paris and
delivered to the parliament."
"It is evident, sir, that your position has kept you out of
relation
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