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The Three Musketeers
Twenty Years Later
The Vicomte De Bragelonne
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Twenty Years Later 5 at Prostate Health
cunning rather than
serious glance, yet he examined his countenance with
attention and after a momentary silence said:
"You are Monsieur dArtagnan?"
"I am that individual," replied the officer.
Mazarin gazed once more at a countenance full of
intelligence, the play of which had been, nevertheless,
subdued by age and experience; and DArtagnan received the
penetrating glance like one who had formerly sustained many
a searching look, very different, indeed, from those which
were inquiringly directed on him at that instant.
"Sir," resumed the cardinal, "you are to come with me, or
rather, I am to go with you."
"I am at your command, my lord," returned DArtagnan.
"I wish to visit in person the outposts which surround the
Palais Royal; do you suppose that there is any danger in so
doing?"
"Danger, my lord!" exclaimed DArtagnan with a look of
astonishment, "what danger?"
"I am told that there is a general insurrection."
"The uniform of the kings musketeers carries a certain
respect with it, and even if that were not the case I would
engage with four of my men to put to flight a hundred of
these clowns."
"Did you witness the injury sustained by Comminges?"
"Monsieur de Comminges is in the guards and not in the
musketeers ---- "
"Which means, I suppose, that the musketeers are better
soldiers than the guards." The cardinal smiled as he spoke.
"Every one likes his own uniform best, my lord."
"Myself excepted," and again Mazarin smiled; "for you
perceive that I have left off mine and put on yours."
"Lord bless us! this is modesty indeed!" cried DArtagnan.
"Had I such a uniform as your eminence possesses, I protest
I should be mightily content, and I would take an oath never
to wear any other costume ---- "
"Yes, but for to-nights adventure I dont suppose my dress
would have been a very safe one. Give me my felt hat,
Bernouin."
The valet instantly brought to his master a regimental hat
with a wide brim. The cardinal put it on in military style.
"Your horses are ready saddled in their stables, are they
not?" he said, turning to DArtagnan.
"Yes, my lord."
"Well, let us set out."
"How many men does your eminence wish to escort you?"
"You say that with four men you will undertake to disperse a
hundred low fellows; as it may happen that we shall have to
encounter two hundred, take eight ---- "
"As many as my lord wishes."
"I will follow you. This way -- light us downstairs Bernouin."
The valet held a wax-light; the cardinal took a key from his
bureau and opening the door of a secret stair descended into
the court of the Palais Royal.
2
A Nightly Patrol.
In ten minutes Mazarin and his party were traversing the
street "Les Bons Enfants" behind the theatre built by
Richelieu expressly for the play of "Mirame," and in which
Mazarin, who was an amateur of music, but not of literature,
had introduced into France the first opera that was ever
acted in that country.
The appearance of the town denoted the greatest agitation.
Numberless groups paraded the streets and, whatever
DArtagnan might think of it, it was obvious that the
citizens had for the night laid aside their usual
forbearance, in order to assume a warlike aspect. From time
to time noises came in the direction of the public markets.
The report of firearms was heard near the Rue Saint Denis
and occasionally church bells began to ring indiscriminately
and at the caprice of the populace. DArtagnan, meantime,
pursued his way with the indifference of a man upon whom
such acts of folly made no impression. When he approached a
group in the middle of the street he urged his horse upon it
without a word of warning; and the members of the group,
whether rebels or not, as if they knew with what sort of a
man they had to deal, at once gave place to the patrol. The
cardinal envied that composure, which he attributed to the
habit of meeting danger; but none the less he conceived for
the officer under whose orders he had for the moment placed
himself, that consideration which even prudence pays to
careless courage. On approaching an outpost near the
Barriere des Sergens, the sentinel cried out, "Whos there?"
and DArtagnan answered -- having first asked the word of
the cardinal -- "Louis and Rocroy." After which he inquired
if Lieutenant Comminges were not the commanding officer at
the outpost. The soldier replied by pointing out to him an
officer who was conversing, on foot, his hand upon the neck
of a horse on which the individual to whom he was talking
sat. Here
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