75

Twenty Years After

by Alexandre Dumas

75, TWENTY YEARS AFTER by Alexandre Dumas
An eText from LiteratureClassics.com.

Please see the eText readme for important copyright information (available from the options menu above if you are browsing online or as a separate file in the archive if you are browsing offline.)



The Return.



During the six weeks that Athos and Aramis had been absent
from France, the Parisians, finding themselves one morning
without either queen or king, were greatly annoyed at being
thus deserted, and the absence of Mazarin, a thing so long
desired, did not compensate for that of the two august
fugitives.

The first feeling that pervaded Paris on hearing of the
flight to Saint Germain, was that sort of affright which
seizes children when they awake in the night and find
themselves alone. A deputation was therefore sent to the
queen to entreat her to return to Paris; but she not only
declined to receive the deputies, but sent an intimation by
Chancellor Seguier, implying that if the parliament did not
humble itself before her majesty by negativing all the
questions that had been the cause of the quarrel, Paris
would be besieged the very next day.

This threatening answer, unluckily for the court, produced
quite a different effect to that which was intended. It
wounded the pride of the parliament, which, supported by the
citizens, replied by declaring that Cardinal Mazarin was the
cause of all the discontent; denounced him as the enemy both
of the king and the state, and ordered him to retire from
the court that same day and from France within a week
afterward; enjoining, in case of disobedience on his part,
all the subjects of the king to pursue and take him.

Mazarin being thus placed beyond the pale of the protection
of the law, preparations on both sides were commenced -- by
the queen, to attack Paris, by the citizens, to defend it.
The latter were occupied in breaking up the pavement and
stretching chains across the streets, when, headed by the
coadjutor, appeared the Prince de Conti (the brother of the
Prince de Conde) and the Duc de Longueville, his
brother-in-law. This unexpected band of auxiliaries arrived
in Paris on the tenth of January and the Prince of Conti was
named, but not until after a stormy discussion,
generalissimo of the army of the king, out of Paris.

As for the Duc de Beaufort, he arrived from Vendome,
according to the annals of the day, bringing with him his
high bearing and his long and beautiful hair, qualifications
which gained him the sovereignty of the marketplaces.

The Parisian army had organized with the promptness
characteristic of the bourgeois whenever they are moved by
any sentiment whatever to disguise themselves as soldiers.
On the nineteenth the impromptu army had attempted a sortie,
more to assure itself and others of its actual existence
than with any more serious intention. They carried a banner,
on which could be read this strange device: "We are seeking
our king."

The next following days were occupied in trivial movements
which resulted only in the carrying off of a few herds of
cattle and the burning of two or three houses.

That was still the situation of affairs up to the early days
of February. On the first day of that month our four
companions had landed at Boulogne, and, in two parties, had
set out for Paris. Toward the end of the fourth day of the
journey Athos and Aramis reached Nanterre, which place they
cautiously passed by on the outskirts, fearing that they
might encounter some troop from the queen's army.

It was against his will that Athos took these precautions,
but Aramis had very judiciously reminded him that they had
no right to be imprudent, that they had been charged by King
Charles with a supreme and sacred mission, which, received
at the foot of the scaffold, could be accomplished only at
the feet of Queen Henrietta. Upon that, Athos yielded.

On reaching the capital Athos and Aramis found it in arms.
The sentinel at the gate refused even to let them pass, and
called his sergeant.

The sergeant, with the air of importance which such people
assume when they are clad with military dignity, said:

"Who are you, gentlemen?"

"Two gentlemen."

"And where do you come from?"

"From London."

"And what are you going to do in Paris?"

"We are going with a mission to Her Majesty, the Queen of
England."

"Ah, every one seems to be going to see the queen of
England. We have already at the station three gentlemen
whose passports are under examination, who are on their way
to her majesty. Where are your passports?"

"We have none; we left England, ignorant of the state of
politics here, having left Paris before the departure of the
king."

"Ah!" said the sergeant, with a cunning smile, "you are
Mazarinists, who are sent as spies."

"My dear friend," here Athos spoke, "rest assured, if we
were Mazarinists we should come well prepared with every
sort of passport. In your situation distrust those who are
well provided with every formality."

"Enter the guardroom," said the sergeant; "we will lay your
case before the commandant of the post."

The guardroom was filled with citizens and common people,
some playing, some drinking, some talking. In a corner,
almost hidden from view, were three gentlemen, who had
preceded Athos and Aramis, and an officer was examining
their passports. The first impulse of these three, and of
those who last entered, was to cast an inquiring glance at
each other. The first arrivals wore long cloaks, in whose
drapery they were carefully enveloped; one of them, shorter
than the rest, remained pertinaciously in the background.

When the sergeant on entering the room announced that in all
probability he was bringing in two Mazarinists, it appeared
to be the unanimous opinion of the officers on guard that
they ought not to pass.

"Be it so," said Athos; "yet it is probable, on the
contrary, that we shall enter, because we seem to have to do
with sensible people. There seems to be only one thing to
do, which is, to send our names to Her Majesty the Queen of
England, and if she engages to answer for us I presume we
shall be allowed to enter."

On hearing these words the shortest of the other three men
seemed more attentive than ever to what was going on,
wrapping his cloak around him more carefully than before.

"Merciful goodness!" whispered Aramis to Athos, "did you
see?"

"What?" asked Athos.

"The face of the shortest of those three gentlemen?"

"No."

"He looked to me -- but 'tis impossible."

At this instant the sergeant, who had been for his orders,
returned, and pointing to the three gentlemen in cloaks,
said:

"The passports are in order; let these three gentlemen
pass."

The three gentlemen bowed and hastened to take advantage of
this permission.

Aramis looked after them, and as the last of them passed
close to him he pressed the hand of Athos.

"What is the matter with you, my friend?" asked the latter.

"I have -- doubtless I am dreaming; tell me, sir," he said
to the sergeant, "do you know those three gentlemen who are
just gone out?"

"Only by their passports; they are three Frondists, who are
gone to rejoin the Duc de Longueville."

"'Tis strange," said Aramis, almost involuntarily; "I
fancied that I recognized Mazarin himself."

The sergeant burst into a fit of laughter.

"He!" he cried; "he venture himself amongst us, to be hung!
Not so foolish as all that."

"Ah!" muttered Athos, "I may be mistaken, I haven't the
unerring eye of D'Artagnan."

"Who is speaking of Monsieur D'Artagnan?" asked an officer
who appeared at that moment upon the threshold of the room.

"What!" cried Aramis and Athos, "what! Planchet!"

"Planchet," added Grimaud; "Planchet, with a gorget,
indeed!"

"Ah, gentlemen!" cried Planchet, "so you are back again in
Paris. Oh, how happy you make us! no doubt you come to join
the princes!"

"As thou seest, Planchet," said Aramis, whilst Athos smiled
on seeing what important rank was held in the city militia
by the former comrade of Mousqueton, Bazin and Grimaud.

"And Monsieur d'Artagnan, of whom you spoke just now,
Monsieur d'Herblay; may I ask if you have any news of him?"

"We parted from him four days ago and we have reason to
believe that he has reached Paris before us."

"No, sir; I am sure he hasn't yet arrived. But then he may
have stopped at Saint Germain."

"I don't think so; we appointed to meet at La Chevrette."

"I was there this very day."

"And had the pretty Madeleine no news?" asked Aramis,
smiling.

"No, sir, and it must be admitted that she seemed very
anxious."

"In fact," said Aramis, "there is no time lost and we made
our journey quickly. Permit me, then, my dear Athos, without
inquiring further about our friend, to pay my respects to M.
Planchet."

"Ah, monsieur le chevalier," said Planchet, bowing.

"Lieutenant?" asked Aramis.

"Lieutenant, with a promise of becoming captain."

"'Tis capital; and pray, how did you acquire all these
honors?"

"In the first place, gentlemen, you know that I was the
means of Monsieur de Rochefort's escape; well, I was very
near being hung by Mazarin and that made me more popular
than ever."

"So, owing to your popularity ---- "

"No; thanks to something better. You know, gentlemen, that I
served the Piedmont regiment and had the honor of being a
sergeant?"

"Yes."

"Well, one day when no one could drill a mob of citizens,
who began to march, some with the right foot, others with
the left, I succeeded, I did, in making them all begin with
the same foot, and I was made lieutenant on the spot."

"So I presume," said Athos, "that you have a large number of
the nobles with you?"

"Certainly. There are the Prince de Conti, the Duc de
Longueville, the Duc de Beaufort, the Duc de Bouillon, the
Marechal de la Mothe, the Marquis de Sevigne, and I don't
know who, for my part."

"And the Vicomte Raoul de Bragelonne?" inquired Athos, in a
tremulous voice. "D'Artagnan told me that he had recommended
him to your care, in parting."

"Yes, count; nor have I lost sight of him for a single
instant since."

"Then," said Athos in a tone of delight, "he is well? no
accident has happened to him?"

"None, sir."

"And he lives?"

"Still at the Hotel of the Great Charlemagne."

"And passes his time?"

"Sometimes with the queen of England, sometimes with Madame
de Chevreuse. He and the Count de Guiche are like each
other's shadows."

"Thanks, Planchet, thanks!" cried Athos, extending his hand
to the lieutenant.

"Oh, sir!" Planchet only touched the tips of the count's
fingers.

"Well, what are you doing, count -- to a former lackey?

"My friend," said Athos, "he has given me news of Raoul."

"And now, gentlemen," said Planchet, who had not heard what
they were saying, "what do you intend to do?"

"Re-enter Paris, if you will let us, my good Planchet."

"Let you. sir? Now, as ever, I am nothing but your servant."
Then turning to his men:

"Allow these gentlemen to pass," he said; "they are friends
of the Duc de Beaufort."

"Long live the Duc de Beaufort!" cried the sentinels.

The sergeant drew near to Planchet.

"What! without passports?" he murmured.

"Without passports," said Planchet.

"Take notice, captain," he continued, giving Planchet his
expected title, "take notice that one of the three men who
just now went out from here told me privately to distrust
these gentlemen."

"And I," said Planchet, with dignity, "I know them and I
answer for them."

As he said this, he pressed Grimaud's hand, who seemed
honored by the distinction.

"Farewell till we meet again," said Aramis, as they took
leave of Planchet; "if anything happens to us we shall blame
you for it."

"Sir," said Planchet, "I am in all things at your service."

"That fellow is no fool," said Aramis, as he got on his
horse.

"How should he be?" replied Athos, whilst mounting also,
"seeing he was used so long to brush your hats."