Vingt ans après. English Page 6

  6. D'Artagnan in his Fortieth Year.

  Years have elapsed, many events have happened, alas! since, in ourromance of "The Three Musketeers," we took leave of D'Artagnan at No. 12Rue des Fossoyeurs. D'Artagnan had not failed in his career, butcircumstances had been adverse to him. So long as he was surrounded byhis friends he retained his youth and the poetry of his character. Hewas one of those fine, ingenuous natures which assimilate themselveseasily to the dispositions of others. Athos imparted to him hisgreatness of soul, Porthos his enthusiasm, Aramis his elegance. HadD'Artagnan continued his intimacy with these three men he would havebecome a superior character. Athos was the first to leave him, in orderthat he might retire to a little property he had inherited near Blois;Porthos, the second, to marry an attorney's wife; and lastly, Aramis,the third, to take orders and become an abbe. From that day D'Artagnanfelt lonely and powerless, without courage to pursue a career in whichhe could only distinguish himself on condition that each of his threecompanions should endow him with one of the gifts each had received fromHeaven.

  Notwithstanding his commission in the musketeers, D'Artagnan feltcompletely solitary. For a time the delightful remembrance of MadameBonancieux left on his character a certain poetic tinge, perishableindeed; for like all other recollections in this world, theseimpressions were, by degrees, effaced. A garrison life is fatal even tothe most aristocratic organization; and imperceptibly, D'Artagnan,always in the camp, always on horseback, always in garrison, became (Iknow not how in the present age one would express it) a typical trooper.His early refinement of character was not only not lost, it grew evengreater than ever; but it was now applied to the little, instead of tothe great things of life--to the martial condition of thesoldier--comprised under the head of a good lodging, a rich table, acongenial hostess. These important advantages D'Artagnan found to hisown taste in the Rue Tiquetonne at the sign of the Roe.

  From the time D'Artagnan took quarters in that hotel, the mistress ofthe house, a pretty and fresh looking Flemish woman, twenty-five ortwenty-six years old, had been singularly interested in him; and aftercertain love passages, much obstructed by an inconvenient husband towhom a dozen times D'Artagnan had made a pretence of passing a swordthrough his body, that husband had disappeared one fine morning, afterfurtively selling certain choice lots of wine, carrying away with himmoney and jewels. He was thought to be dead; his wife, especially, whocherished the pleasing idea that she was a widow, stoutly maintainedthat death had taken him. Therefore, after the connection had continuedthree years, carefully fostered by D'Artagnan, who found his bed and hismistress more agreeable every year, each doing credit to the other, themistress conceived the extraordinary desire of becoming a wife andproposed to D'Artagnan that he should marry her.

  "Ah, fie!" D'Artagnan replied. "Bigamy, my dear! Come now, you don'treally wish it?"

  "But he is dead; I am sure of it."

  "He was a very contrary fellow and might come back on purpose to have ushanged."

  "All right; if he comes back you will kill him, you are so skillful andso brave."

  "Peste! my darling! another way of getting hanged."

  "So you refuse my request?"

  "To be sure I do--furiously!"

  The pretty landlady was desolate. She would have taken D'Artagnan notonly as her husband, but as her God, he was so handsome and had sofierce a mustache.

  Then along toward the fourth year came the expedition of Franche-Comte.D'Artagnan was assigned to it and made his preparations to depart. Therewere then great griefs, tears without end and solemn promises to remainfaithful--all of course on the part of the hostess. D'Artagnan was toogrand to promise anything; he purposed only to do all that he could toincrease the glory of his name.

  As to that, we know D'Artagnan's courage; he exposed himself freely todanger and while charging at the head of his company he received a ballthrough the chest which laid him prostrate on the field of battle. Hehad been seen falling from his horse and had not been seen to rise;every one, therefore, believed him to be dead, especially those to whomhis death would give promotion. One believes readily what he wishes tobelieve. Now in the army, from the division-generals who desire thedeath of the general-in-chief, to the soldiers who desire the death ofthe corporals, all desire some one's death.

  But D'Artagnan was not a man to let himself be killed like that. Afterhe had remained through the heat of the day unconscious on thebattle-field, the cool freshness of the night brought him to himself. Hegained a village, knocked at the door of the finest house and wasreceived as the wounded are always and everywhere received in France. Hewas petted, tended, cured; and one fine morning, in better health thanever before, he set out for France. Once in France he turned his coursetoward Paris, and reaching Paris went straight to Rue Tiquetonne.

  But D'Artagnan found in his chamber the personal equipment of a man,complete, except for the sword, arranged along the wall.

  "He has returned," said he. "So much the worse, and so much the better!"

  It need not be said that D'Artagnan was still thinking of the husband.He made inquiries and discovered that the servants were new and that themistress had gone for a walk.

  "Alone?" asked D'Artagnan.

  "With monsieur."

  "Monsieur has returned, then?"

  "Of course," naively replied the servant.

  "If I had any money," said D'Artagnan to himself, "I would go away; butI have none. I must stay and follow the advice of my hostess, whilethwarting the conjugal designs of this inopportune apparition."

  He had just completed this monologue--which proves that in momentouscircumstances nothing is more natural than the monologue--when theservant-maid, watching at the door, suddenly cried out:

  "Ah! see! here is madame returning with monsieur."

  D'Artagnan looked out and at the corner of Rue Montmartre saw thehostess coming along hanging to the arm of an enormous Swiss, whotiptoed in his walk with a magnificent air which pleasantly reminded himof his old friend Porthos.

  "Is that monsieur?" said D'Artagnan to himself. "Oh! oh! he has grown agood deal, it seems to me." And he sat down in the hall, choosing aconspicuous place.

  The hostess, as she entered, saw D'Artagnan and uttered a little cry,whereupon D'Artagnan, judging that he had been recognized, rose, ran toher and embraced her tenderly. The Swiss, with an air of stupefaction,looked at the hostess, who turned pale.

  "Ah, it is you, monsieur! What do you want of me?" she asked, in greatdistress.

  "Is monsieur your cousin? Is monsieur your brother?" said D'Artagnan,not in the slightest degree embarrassed in the role he was playing. Andwithout waiting for her reply he threw himself into the arms of theHelvetian, who received him with great coldness.

  "Who is that man?" he asked.

  The hostess replied only by gasps.

  "Who is that Swiss?" asked D'Artagnan.

  "Monsieur is going to marry me," replied the hostess, between two gasps.

  "Your husband, then, is at last dead?"

  "How does that concern you?" replied the Swiss.

  "It concerns me much," said D'Artagnan, "since you cannot marry madamewithout my consent and since----"

  "And since?" asked the Swiss.

  "And since--I do not give it," said the musketeer.

  The Swiss became as purple as a peony. He wore his elegant uniform,D'Artagnan was wrapped in a sort of gray cloak; the Swiss was six feethigh, D'Artagnan was hardly more than five; the Swiss considered himselfon his own ground and regarded D'Artagnan as an intruder.

  "Will you go away from here?" demanded the Swiss, stamping violently,like a man who begins to be seriously angry.

  "I? By no means!" said D'Artagnan.

  "Some one must go for help," said a lad, who could not comprehend thatthis little man should make a stand against that other man, who was solarge.

  D'Artagnan, with a sudden accession of wrath, seized the lad by the earand led him apart, with the injunction:

  "Stay you where you a
re and don't you stir, or I will pull this ear off.As for you, illustrious descendant of William Tell, you will straightwayget together your clothes which are in my room and which annoy me, andgo out quickly to another lodging."

  The Swiss began to laugh boisterously. "I go out?" he said. "And why?"

  "Ah, very well!" said D'Artagnan; "I see that you understand French.Come then, and take a turn with me and I will explain."

  The hostess, who knew D'Artagnan's skill with the sword, began to weepand tear her hair. D'Artagnan turned toward her, saying, "Then send himaway, madame."

  "Pooh!" said the Swiss, who had needed a little time to take inD'Artagnan's proposal, "pooh! who are you, in the first place, to ask meto take a turn with you?"

  "I am lieutenant in his majesty's musketeers," said D'Artagnan, "andconsequently your superior in everything; only, as the question now isnot of rank, but of quarters--you know the custom--come and seek foryours; the first to return will recover his chamber."

  D'Artagnan led away the Swiss in spite of lamentations on the part ofthe hostess, who in reality found her heart inclining toward her formerlover, though she would not have been sorry to give a lesson to thathaughty musketeer who had affronted her by the refusal of her hand.

  It was night when the two adversaries reached the field of battle.D'Artagnan politely begged the Swiss to yield to him the disputedchamber; the Swiss refused by shaking his head, and drew his sword.

  "Then you will lie here," said D'Artagnan. "It is a wretched bed, butthat is not my fault, and it is you who have chosen it." With thesewords he drew in his turn and crossed swords with his adversary.

  He had to contend against a strong wrist, but his agility was superiorto all force. The Swiss received two wounds and was not aware of it, byreason of the cold; but suddenly feebleness, occasioned by loss ofblood, obliged him to sit down.

  "There!" said D'Artagnan, "what did I tell you? Fortunately, you won'tbe laid up more than a fortnight. Remain here and I will send you yourclothes by the boy. Good-by! Oh, by the way, you'd better take lodgingin the Rue Montorgueil at the Chat Qui Pelote. You will be well fedthere, if the hostess remains the same. Adieu."

  Thereupon he returned in a lively mood to his room and sent to the Swissthe things that belonged to him. The boy found him sitting whereD'Artagnan had left him, still overwhelmed by the coolness of hisadversary.

  The boy, the hostess, and all the house had the same regard forD'Artagnan that one would have for Hercules should he return to earth torepeat his twelve labors.

  But when he was alone with the hostess he said: "Now, pretty Madeleine,you know the difference between a Swiss and a gentleman. As for you, youhave acted like a barmaid. So much the worse for you, for by suchconduct you have lost my esteem and my patronage. I have driven away theSwiss to humiliate you, but I shall lodge here no longer. I will notsleep where I must scorn. Ho, there, boy! Have my valise carried to theMuid d'Amour, Rue des Bourdonnais. Adieu, madame."

  In saying these words D'Artagnan appeared at the same time majestic andgrieved. The hostess threw herself at his feet, asked his pardon andheld him back with a sweet violence. What more need be said? The spitturned, the stove roared, the pretty Madeleine wept; D'Artagnan felthimself invaded by hunger, cold and love. He pardoned, and havingpardoned he remained.

  And this explains how D'Artagnan had quarters in the Rue Tiquetonne, atthe Hotel de la Chevrette.

  D'Artagnan then returned home in thoughtful mood, finding a somewhatlively pleasure in carrying Mazarin's bag of money and thinking of thatfine diamond which he had once called his own and which he had seen onthe minister's finger that night.

  "Should that diamond ever fall into my hands again," he reflected, "Iwould turn it at once into money; I would buy with the proceeds certainlands around my father's chateau, which is a pretty place, well enough,but with no land to it at all, except a garden about the size of theCemetery des Innocents; and I should wait in all my glory till some richheiress, attracted by my good looks, rode along to marry me. Then Ishould like to have three sons; I should make the first a nobleman, likeAthos; the second a good soldier, like Porthos; the third an excellentabbe, like Aramis. Faith! that would be a far better life than I leadnow; but Monsieur Mazarin is a mean wretch, who won't dispossess himselfof his diamond in my favor."

  On entering the Rue Tiquetonne he heard a tremendous noise and found adense crowd near the house.

  "Oho!" said he, "is the hotel on fire?" On approaching the hotel of theRoe he found, however, that it was in front of the next house the mobwas collected. The people were shouting and running about with torches.By the light of one of these torches D'Artagnan perceived men inuniform.

  He asked what was going on.

  He was told that twenty citizens, headed by one man, had attacked acarriage which was escorted by a troop of the cardinal's bodyguard; buta reinforcement having come up, the assailants had been put to flightand the leader had taken refuge in the hotel next to his lodgings; thehouse was now being searched.

  In his youth D'Artagnan had often headed the bourgeoisie against themilitary, but he was cured of all those hot-headed propensities;besides, he had the cardinal's hundred pistoles in his pocket, so hewent into the hotel without a word. There he found Madeleine alarmed forhis safety and anxious to tell him all the events of the evening, but hecut her short by ordering her to put his supper in his room and give himwith it a bottle of good Burgundy.

  He took his key and candle and went upstairs to his bedroom. He had beencontented, for the convenience of the house, to lodge in the fourthstory; and truth obliges us even to confess that his chamber was justabove the gutter and below the roof. His first care on entering it wasto lock up in an old bureau with a new lock his bag of money, and thenas soon as supper was ready he sent away the waiter who brought it upand sat down to table.

  Not to reflect on what had passed, as one might fancy. No, D'Artagnanconsidered that things are never well done when they are not reserved totheir proper time. He was hungry; he supped, he went to bed. Neither washe one of those who think that the necessary silence of the night bringscounsel with it. In the night he slept, but in the morning, refreshedand calm, he was inspired with his clearest views of everything. It waslong since he had any reason for his morning's inspiration, but healways slept all night long. At daybreak he awoke and took a turn aroundhis room.

  "In '43," he said, "just before the death of the late cardinal, Ireceived a letter from Athos. Where was I then? Let me see. Oh! at thesiege of Besancon I was in the trenches. He told me--let me think--whatwas it? That he was living on a small estate--but where? I was justreading the name of the place when the wind blew my letter away, Isuppose to the Spaniards; there's no use in thinking any more aboutAthos. Let me see: with regard to Porthos, I received a letter from him,too. He invited me to a hunting party on his property in the month ofSeptember, 1646. Unluckily, as I was then in Bearn, on account of myfather's death, the letter followed me there. I had left Bearn when itarrived and I never received it until the month of April, 1647; and asthe invitation was for September, 1646, I couldn't accept it. Let melook for this letter; it must be with my title deeds."

  D'Artagnan opened an old casket which stood in a corner of the room, andwhich was full of parchments referring to an estate during a period oftwo hundred years lost to his family. He uttered an exclamation ofdelight, for the large handwriting of Porthos was discernible, andunderneath some lines traced by his worthy spouse.

  D'Artagnan eagerly searched for the heading of this letter; it was datedfrom the Chateau du Vallon.

  Porthos had forgotten that any other address was necessary; in his pridehe fancied that every one must know the Chateau du Vallon.

  "Devil take the vain fellow," said D'Artagnan. "However, I had betterfind him out first, since he can't want money. Athos must have become anidiot by this time from drinking. Aramis must have worn himself to ashadow of his former self by constant genuflexion."

  He cast his eyes again on the letter
. There was a postscript:

  "I write by the same courier to our worthy friend Aramis in hisconvent."

  "In his convent! What convent? There are about two hundred in Paris andthree thousand in France; and then, perhaps, on entering the convent hechanged his name. Ah! if I were but learned in theology I shouldrecollect what it was he used to dispute about with the curate ofMontdidier and the superior of the Jesuits, when we were at Crevecoeur;I should know what doctrine he leans to and I should glean from thatwhat saint he has adopted as his patron.

  "Well, suppose I go back to the cardinal and ask him for a passport intoall the convents one can find, even into the nunneries? It would be acurious idea, and maybe I should find my friend under the name ofAchilles. But, no! I should lose myself in the cardinal's opinion. Greatpeople only thank you for doing the impossible; what's possible, theysay, they can effect themselves, and they are right. But let us wait alittle and reflect. I received a letter from him, the dear fellow, inwhich he even asked me for some small service, which, in fact, Irendered him. Yes, yes; but now what did I do with that letter?"

  D'Artagnan thought a moment and then went to the wardrobe in which hunghis old clothes. He looked for his doublet of the year 1648 and as hehad orderly habits, he found it hanging on its nail. He felt in thepocket and drew from it a paper; it was the letter of Aramis:

  "Monsieur D'Artagnan: You know that I have had a quarrel with a certaingentleman, who has given me an appointment for this evening in the PlaceRoyale. As I am of the church, and the affair might injure me if Ishould share it with any other than a sure friend like you, I write tobeg that you will serve me as second.

  "You will enter by the Rue Neuve Sainte Catherine; under the second lampon the right you will find your adversary. I shall be with mine underthe third.

  "Wholly yours,

  "Aramis."

  D'Artagnan tried to recall his remembrances. He had gone to therendezvous, had encountered there the adversary indicated, whose name hehad never known, had given him a pretty sword-stroke on the arm, thenhad gone toward Aramis, who at the same time came to meet him, havingalready finished his affair. "It is over," Aramis had said. "I think Ihave killed the insolent fellow. But, dear friend, if you ever need meyou know that I am entirely devoted to you." Thereupon Aramis had givenhim a clasp of the hand and had disappeared under the arcades.

  So, then, he no more knew where Aramis was than where Athos and Porthoswere, and the affair was becoming a matter of great perplexity, when hefancied he heard a pane of glass break in his room window. He thoughtdirectly of his bag and rushed from the inner room where he wassleeping. He was not mistaken; as he entered his bedroom a man wasgetting in by the window.

  "Ah! you scoundrel!" cried D'Artagnan, taking the man for a thief andseizing his sword.

  "Sir!" cried the man, "in the name of Heaven put your sword back intothe sheath and don't kill me unheard. I'm no thief, but an honestcitizen, well off in the world, with a house of my own. My name is--ah!but surely you are Monsieur d'Artagnan?"

  "And thou--Planchet!" cried the lieutenant.

  "At your service, sir," said Planchet, overwhelmed with joy; "if I werestill capable of serving you."

  "Perhaps so," replied D'Artagnan. "But why the devil dost thou run aboutthe tops of houses at seven o'clock of the morning in the month ofJanuary?"

  "Sir," said Planchet, "you must know; but, perhaps you ought not toknow----"

  "Tell us what," returned D'Artagnan, "but first put a napkin against thewindow and draw the curtains."

  "Sir," said the prudent Planchet, "in the first place, are you on goodterms with Monsieur de Rochefort?"

  "Perfectly; one of my dearest friends."

  "Ah! so much the better!"

  "But what has De Rochefort to do with this manner you have of invadingmy room?"

  "Ah, sir! I must first tell you that Monsieur de Rochefort is----"

  Planchet hesitated.

  "Egad, I know where he is," said D'Artagnan. "He's in the Bastile."

  "That is to say, he was there," replied Planchet. "But in returningthither last night, when fortunately you did not accompany him, as hiscarriage was crossing the Rue de la Ferronnerie his guards insulted thepeople, who began to abuse them. The prisoner thought this a goodopportunity for escape; he called out his name and cried for help. I wasthere. I heard the name of Rochefort. I remembered him well. I said in aloud voice that he was a prisoner, a friend of the Duc de Beaufort, whocalled for help. The people were infuriated; they stopped the horses andcut the escort to pieces, whilst I opened the doors of the carriage andMonsieur de Rochefort jumped out and soon was lost amongst the crowd. Atthis moment a patrol passed by. I was obliged to sound a retreat towardthe Rue Tiquetonne; I was pursued and took refuge in the house next tothis, where I have been concealed between two mattresses. This morning Iventured to run along the gutters and----"

  "Well," interrupted D'Artagnan, "I am delighted that De Rochefort isfree, but as for thee, if thou shouldst fall into the hands of theking's servants they will hang thee without mercy. Nevertheless, Ipromise thee thou shalt be hidden here, though I risk by concealing theeneither more nor less than my lieutenancy, if it was found out that Igave one rebel an asylum."

  "Ah! sir, you know well I would risk my life for you."

  "Thou mayst add that thou hast risked it, Planchet. I have not forgottenall I owe thee. Sit down there and eat in security. I see thee castexpressive glances at the remains of my supper."

  "Yes, sir; for all I've had since yesterday was a slice of bread andbutter, with preserves on it. Although I don't despise sweet things inproper time and place, I found the supper rather light."

  "Poor fellow!" said D'Artagnan. "Well, come; set to."

  "Ah, sir, you are going to save my life a second time!" cried Planchet.

  And he seated himself at the table and ate as he did in the merry daysof the Rue des Fossoyeurs, whilst D'Artagnan walked to and fro andthought how he could make use of Planchet under present circumstances.While he turned this over in his mind Planchet did his best to make upfor lost time at table. At last he uttered a sigh of satisfaction andpaused, as if he had partially appeased his hunger.

  "Come," said D'Artagnan, who thought that it was now a convenient timeto begin his interrogations, "dost thou know where Athos is?"

  "No, sir," replied Planchet.

  "The devil thou dost not! Dost know where Porthos is?"

  "No--not at all."

  "And Aramis?"

  "Not in the least."

  "The devil! the devil! the devil!"

  "But, sir," said Planchet, with a look of shrewdness, "I know whereBazin is."

  "Where is he?"

  "At Notre Dame."

  "What has he to do at Notre Dame?"

  "He is beadle."

  "Bazin beadle at Notre Dame! He must know where his master is!"

  "Without a doubt he must."

  D'Artagnan thought for a moment, then took his sword and put on hiscloak to go out.

  "Sir," said Planchet, in a mournful tone, "do you abandon me thus to myfate? Think, if I am found out here, the people of the house, who havenot seen me enter it, will take me for a thief."

  "True," said D'Artagnan. "Let's see. Canst thou speak any patois?"

  "I can do something better than that, sir, I can speak Flemish."

  "Where the devil didst thou learn it?"

  "In Artois, where I fought for years. Listen, sir. Goeden morgen,mynheer, eth teen begeeray le weeten the ge sond heets omstand."

  "Which means?"

  "Good-day, sir! I am anxious to know the state of your health."

  "He calls that a language! But never mind, that will do capitally."

  D'Artagnan opened the door and called out to a waiter to desireMadeleine to come upstairs.

  When the landlady made her appearance she expressed much astonishment atseeing Planchet.

  "My dear landlady," said D'Artagnan, "I beg to introduce to you yourbrother, who is arrived from F
landers and whom I am going to take intomy service."

  "My brother?"

  "Wish your sister good-morning, Master Peter."

  "Wilkom, suster," said Planchet.

  "Goeden day, broder," replied the astonished landlady.

  "This is the case," said D'Artagnan; "this is your brother, Madeleine;you don't know him perhaps, but I know him; he has arrived fromAmsterdam. You must dress him up during my absence. When I return, whichwill be in about an hour, you must offer him to me as a servant, andupon your recommendation, though he doesn't speak a word of French, Itake him into my service. You understand?"

  "That is to say, I guess your wishes, and that is all that's necessary,"said Madeleine.

  "You are a precious creature, my pretty hostess, and I am much obligedto you."

  The next moment D'Artagnan was on his way to Notre Dame.