A CONJUGAL SCENE

As Athos had foreseen, it was not long before the cardinal

came down. He opened the door of the room in which the

Musketeers were, and found Porthos playing an earnest game

of dice with Aramis. He cast a rapid glance around the

room, and perceived that one of his men was missing.

"What has become of Monseigneur Athos?" asked he.

"Monseigneur," replied Porthos, "he has gone as a scout, on

account of some words of our host, which made him believe

the road was not safe."

"And you, what have you done, Monsieur Porthos?"

"I have won five pistoles of Aramis."

"Well; now will you return with me?"

"We are at your Eminence`s orders."

"To horse, then, gentlemen; for it is getting late."

The attendant was at the door, holding the cardinal`s horse

by the bridle. At a short distance a group of two men and

three horses appeared in the shade. These were the two men

who were to conduct Milady to the fort of the Point, and

superintend her embarkation.

The attendant confirmed to the cardinal what the two

Musketeers had already said with respect to Athos. The

cardinal made an approving gesture, and retraced his route

with the same precautions he had used incoming.

Let us leave him to follow the road to the camp protected by

his esquire and the two Musketeers, and return to Athos.

For a hundred paces he maintained the speed at which he

started; but when out of sight he turned his horse to the

right, made a circuit, and came back within twenty paces of

a high hedge to watch the passage of the little troop.

Having recognized the laced hats of his companions and the

golden fringe of the cardinal`s cloak, he waited till the

horsemen had turned the angle of the road, and having lost

sight of them, he returned at a gallop to the inn, which was

opened to him without hesitation.

The host recognized him.

"My officer," said Athos, "has forgotten to give a piece of

very important information to the lady, and has sent me back

to repair his forgetfulness."

"Go up," said the host; "she is still in her chamber."

Athos availed himself of the permission, ascended the stairs

with his lightest step, gained the landing, and through the

open door perceived Milady putting on her hat.

He entered the chamber and closed the door behind him. At

the noise he made in pushing the bolt, Milady turned round.

Athos was standing before the door, enveloped in his cloak,

with his hat pulled down over his eyes. On seeing this

figure, mute and immovable as a statue, Milady was

frightened.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" cried she.

"Humph," murmured Athos, "it is certainly she!"

And letting fall his cloak and raising his hat, he advanced

toward Milady.

"Do you know me, madame?" said he.

Milady made one step forward, and then drew back as if she

had seen a serpent.

"So far, well," said Athos, "I perceive you know me."

"The Comte de la Fere!" murmured Milady, becoming

exceedingly pale, and drawing back till the wall prevented

her from going any farther.

"Yes, Milady," replied Athos; "the Comte de la Fere in

person, who comes expressly from the other world to have the

pleasure of paying you a visit. Sit down, madame, and let

us talk, as the cardinal said."

Milady, under the influence of inexpressible terror, sat

down without uttering a word.

"You certainly are a demon sent upon the earth!" said Athos.

"Your power is great, I know; but you also know that with

the help of God men have often conquered the most terrible

demons. You have once before thrown yourself in my path. I

thought I had crushed you, madame; but either I was deceived

or hell has resuscitated you!"

Milady at these words, which recalled frightful

remembrances, hung down her head with a suppressed groan.

"Yes, hell has resuscitated you," continued Athos. "Hell

has made you rich, hell has given you another name, hell has

almost made you another face; but it has neither effaced the

stains from your soul nor the brand from your body."

Milady arose as if moved by a powerful spring, and her eyes

flashed lightning. Athos remained sitting.

"You believed me to be dead, did you not, as I believed you

to be? And the name of Athos as well concealed the Comte de

la Fere, as the name Milady Clarik concealed Anne de Breuil.

Was it not so you were called when your honored brother

married us? Our position is truly a strange one," continued

Athos, laughing. "We have only lived up to the present time

because we believed each other dead, and because a

remembrance is less oppressive than a living creature,

though a remembrance is sometimes devouring."

"But," said Milady, in a hollow, faint voice, "what brings

you back to me, and what do you want with me?"

"I wish to tell you that though remaining invisible to your

eyes, I have not lost sight of you."

"You know what I have done?"

"I can relate to you, day by day, your actions from your

entrance to the service of the cardinal to this evening."

A smile of incredulity passed over the pale lips of Milady.

"Listen! It was you who cut off the two diamond studs from

the shoulder of the Duke of Buckingham; it was you had the

Madame Bonacieux carried off; it was you who, in love with

De Wardes and thinking to pass the night with him, opened

the door to Monsieur d`Artagnan; it was you who, believing

that De Wardes had deceived you, wished to have him killed

by his rival; it was you who, when this rival had discovered

your infamous secret, wished to have him killed in his turn

by two assassins, whom you sent in pursuit of him; it was

you who, finding the balls had missed their mark, sent

poisoned wine with a forged letter, to make your victim

believe that the wine came from his friends. In short, it

was you who have but now in this chamber, seated in this

chair I now fill, made an engagement with Cardinal Richelieu

to cause the Duke of Buckingham to be assassinated, in

exchange for the promise he has made you to allow you to

assassinate D`Artagnan."

Milady was livid.

"You must be Satan!" cried she.

"Perhaps," said Athos; "But at all events listen well to

this. Assassinate the Duke of Buckingham, or cause him to

be assassinated--I care very little about that! I don`t

know him. Besides, he is an Englishman. But do not touch

with the tip of your finger a single hair of D`Artagnan, who

is a faithful friend whom I love and defend, or I swear to

you by the head of my father the crime which you shall have

endeavored to commit, or shall have committed, shall be the

last."

"Monsieur d`Artagnan has cruelly insulted me," said Milady,

in a hollow tone; "Monsieur d`Artagnan shall die!"

"Indeed! Is it possible to insult you, madame?" said Athos,

laughing; "he has insulted you, and he shall die!"

"He shall die!" replied Milady; "she first, and he

afterward."

Athos was seized with a kind of vertigo. The sight of this

creature, who had nothing of the woman about her, recalled

awful remembrances. He thought how one day, in a less

dangerous situation than the one in which he was now placed,

he had already endeavored to sacrifice her to his honor.

His desire for blood returned, burning his brain and

pervading his frame like a raging fever; he arose in his

turn, reached his hand to his belt, drew forth a pistol, and

cocked it.

Milady, pale as a corpse, endeavored to cry out; but her

swollen tongue could utter no more than a hoarse sound which

had nothing human in it and resembled the rattle of a wild

beast. Motionless against the dark tapestry, with her hair

in disorder, she appeared like a horrid image of terror.

Athos slowly raised his pistol, stretched out his arm so

that the weapon almost touched Milady`s forehead, and then,

in a voice the more terrible from having the supreme

calmness of a fixed resolution, "Madame," said he, "you will

this instant deliver to me the paper the cardinal signed; or

upon my soul, I will blow your brains out."

With another man, Milady might have preserved some doubt;

but she knew Athos. Nevertheless, she remained motionless.

"You have one second to decide," said he.

Milady saw by the contraction of his countenance that the

trigger was about to be pulled; she reached her hand quickly

to her bosom, drew out a paper, and held it toward Athos.

"Take it," said she, "and be accursed!"

Athos took the paper, returned the pistol to his belt,

approached the lamp to be assured that it was the paper,

unfolded it, and read:

Dec. 3, 1627

It is by more order and for the good of the state that the

bearer of this has done what he has done.

Richelieu

"And now," said Athos, resuming his cloak and putting on his

hat, "now that I have drawn your teeth, viper, bite if you

can."

And he left the chamber without once looking behind him.

At the door he found the two men and the spare horse which

they held.

"Gentlemen," said he, "Monseigneur`s order is, you know, to

conduct that woman, without losing time, to the fort of the

Point, and never to leave her till she is on board."

As these words agreed wholly with the order they had

received, they bowed their heads in sign of assent.

With regard to Athos, he leaped lightly into the saddle and

set out at full gallop; only instead of following the road,

he went across the fields, urging his horse to the utmost

and stopping occasionally to listen.

In one of those halts he heard the steps of several horses

on the road. He had no doubt it was the cardinal and his

escort. He immediately made a new point in advance, rubbed

his horse down with some heath and leaves of trees, and

placed himself across the road, about two hundred paces from

the camp.

"Who goes there?" cried he, as soon as he perceived the

horsemen.

"That is our brave Musketeer, I think," said the cardinal.

"Yes, monseigneur," said Porthos, "it is he."

"Monsieur Athos," said Richelieu, "receive my thanks for the

good guard you have kept. Gentlemen, we are arrived; take

the gate on the left. The watchword is, `King and Re.`"

Saying these words, the cardinal saluted the three friends

with an inclination of his head, and took the right hand,

followed by his attendant--for that night he himself slept

in the camp.

"Well!" said Porthos and Aramis together, as soon as the

cardinal was out of hearing, "well, he signed the paper she

required!"

"I know it," said Athos, coolly, "since here it is."

And the three friends did not exchange another word till

they reached their quarters, except to give the watchword to

the sentinels. Only they sent Mousqueton to tell Planchet

that his master was requested, the instant that he left the

trenches, to come to the quarters of the Musketeers.

Milady, as Athos had foreseen, on finding the two men that

awaited her, made no difficulty in following them. She had

had for an instant an inclination to be reconducted to the

cardinal, and relate everything to him; but a revelation on

her part would bring about a revelation on the part of

Athos. She might say that Athos had hanged her; but then

Athos would tell that she was branded. She thought it was

best to preserve silence, to discreetly set off to

accomplish her difficult mission with her usual skill; and

then, all things being accomplished to the satisfaction of

the cardinal, to come to him and claim her vengeance.

In consequence, after having traveled all night, at seven

o`clock she was at the fort of the Point; at eight o`clock

she had embarked; and at nine, the vessel, which with

letters of marque from the cardinal was supposed to be

sailing for Bayonne, raised anchor, and steered its course

toward England.

Date: 2015-01-29; view: 582