twenty years after(二十年后)-第114部分

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piece　of　Mouston；　couldn't　you；　especially　after　two　or
three　days　of　fasting？〃
〃Oh；　no；〃　replied　Aramis；　〃I　should　much　prefer　Blaisois；　we
haven't　known　him　so　long。〃
One　may　readily　conceive　that　during　these　jokes　which　were
intended　chiefly　to　divert　Athos　from　the　scene　which　had
just　taken　place；　the　servants；　with　the　exception　of
Grimaud；　were　not　silent。　Suddenly　Musqueton　uttered　a　cry
of　delight；　taking　from　beneath　one　of　the　benches　a　bottle
of　wine；　and　on　looking　more　closely　in　the　same　place　he
discovered　a　dozen　similar　bottles；　bread；　and　a　monster
junk　of　salted　beef。
〃Oh；　sir！〃　he　cried；　passing　the　bottle　to　Porthos；　〃we　are
saved　　the　bark　is　supplied　with　provisions。〃
This　intelligence　restored　every　one　save　Athos　to　gayety。
〃Zounds！〃　exclaimed　Porthos；　〃'tis　astonishing　how　empty
violent　agitation　makes　the　stomach。〃
And　he　drank　off　half　a　bottle　at　a　draught　and　bit　great
mouthfuls　of　the　bread　and　meat。
〃Now；〃　said　Athos；　〃sleep；　or　try　to　sleep；　my　friends；　and
I　will　watch。〃
In　a　few　moments；　notwithstanding　their　wet　clothes；　the　icy
blast　that　blew　and　the　previous　scene　of　terror；　these
hardy　adventurers；　with　their　iron　frames；　inured　to　every
hardship；　threw　themselves　down；　intending　to　profit　by　the
advice　of　Athos；　who　sat　at　the　helm；　pensively　wakeful；
guiding　the　little　bark　the　way　it　was　to　go；　his　eyes　fixed
on　the　heavens；　as　if　he　sought　to　verify　not　only　the　road
to　France；　but　the　benign　aspect　of　protecting　Providence。
After　some　hours　of　repose　the　sleepers　were　aroused　by
Athos。
Dawn　was　shedding　its　pallid；　placid　glimmer　on　the　purple
ocean；　when　at　the　distance　of　a　musket　shot　from　them　was
seen　a　dark　gray　mass；　above　which　gleamed　a　triangular
sail；　then　masters　and　servants　joined　in　a　fervent　cry　to
the　crew　of　that　vessel　to　hear　them　and　to　save。
〃A　bark！〃　all　cried　together。
It　was；　in　fact；　a　small　craft　from　Dunkirk　bound　for
Boulogne。
A　quarter　of　an　hour　afterward　the　rowboat　of　this　craft
took　them　all　aboard。　Grimaud　tendered　twenty　guineas　to　the
captain；　and　at　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning；　having　a　fair
wind；　our　Frenchmen　set　foot　on　their　native　land。
〃Egad！　how　strong　one　feels　here！〃　said　Porthos；　almost
burying　his　large　feet　in　the　sands。　〃Zounds！　I　could　defy　a
nation！〃
〃Be　quiet；　Porthos；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃we　are　observed。〃
〃We　are　admired；　i'faith；〃　answered　Porthos。
〃These　people　who　are　looking　at　us　are　only　merchants；〃
said　Athos；　〃and　are　looking　more　at　the　cargo　than　at　us。〃
〃I　shall　not　trust　to　that；〃　said　the　lieutenant；　〃and　I
shall　make　for　the　Dunes*　as　soon　as　possible。〃

*Sandy　hills　about　Dunkirk；　from　which　it　derives　its　name。

The　party　followed　him　and　soon　disappeared　with　him　behind
the　hillocks　of　sand　unobserved。　Here；　after　a　short
conference；　they　proposed　to　separate。
〃And　why　separate？〃　asked　Athos。
〃Because；〃　answered　the　Gascon；　〃we　were　sent；　Porthos　and
I；　by　Cardinal　Mazarin　to　fight　for　Cromwell；　instead　of
fighting　for　Cromwell　we　have　served　Charles　I。　　not　the
same　thing　by　any　means。　In　returning　with　the　Comte　de　la
Fere　and　Monsieur　d'Herblay　our　crime　would　be　confirmed。　We
have　circumvented　Cromwell；　Mordaunt；　and　the　sea；　but　we
shall　find　a　certain　difficulty　in　circumventing　Mazarin。〃
〃You　forget；〃　replied　Athos；　〃that　we　consider　ourselves
your　prisoners　and　not　free　from　the　engagement　we　entered
into。〃
〃Truly；　Athos；〃　interrupted　D'Artagnan；　〃I　am　vexed　that
such　a　man　as　you　are　should　talk　nonsense　which　schoolboys
would　be　ashamed　of。　Chevalier；〃　he　continued；　addressing
Aramis；　who；　leaning　proudly　on　his　sword；　seemed　to　agree
with　his　companion；　〃Chevalier；　Porthos　and　I　run　no　risk；
besides；　should　any　ill…luck　happen　to　two　of　us；　will　it
not　be　much　better　that　the　other　two　should　be　spared　to
assist　those　who　may　be　apprehended？　Besides；　who　knows
whether；　divided；　we　may　not　obtain　a　pardon　　you　from　the
queen；　we　from　Mazarin　　which；　were　we　all　four　together；
would　never　be　granted。　Come；　Athos　and　Aramis；　go　to　the
right；　Porthos；　come　with　me　to　the　left；　these　gentlemen
should　file　off　into　Normandy；　whilst　we；　by　the　nearest
road；　reach　Paris。〃
He　then　gave　his　friends　minute　directions　as　to　their
route。
〃Ah！　my　dear　friend；〃　exclaimed　Athos；　〃how　I　should　admire
the　resources　of　your　mind　did　I　not　stop　to　adore　those　of
your　heart。〃
And　he　gave　him　his　hand。
〃Isn't　this　fox　a　genius；　Athos？〃　asked　the　Gascon。　〃No！　he
knows　how　to　crunch　fowls；　to　dodge　the　huntsman　and　to　find
his　way　home　by　day　or　by　night；　that's　all。　Well；　is　all
said？〃
〃All。〃
〃Then　let's　count　our　money　and　divide　it。　Ah！　hurrah！
there's　the　sun！　A　merry　morning　to　you；　Sunshine。　'Tis　a
long　time　since　I　saw　thee！〃
〃Come；　come；　D'Artagnan；〃　said　Athos；　〃do　not　affect　to　be
strong…minded；　there　are　tears　in　your　eyes。　Let　us　be　open
with　each　other　and　sincere。〃
〃What！〃　cried　the　Gascon；　〃do　you　think；　Athos；　we　can　take
leave；　calmly；　of　two　friends　at　a　time　not　free　from　danger
to　you　and　Aramis？〃
〃No；〃　answered　Athos；　〃embrace　me；　my　son。〃
〃Zounds！〃　said　Porthos；　sobbing；　〃I　believe　I'm　crying；　but
how　foolish　all　this　is！〃
Then　they　embraced。　At　that　moment　their　fraternal　bond　of
union　was　closer　than　ever；　and　when　they　parted；　each　to
take　the　route　agreed　on；　they　turned　back　to　utter
affectionate　expressions；　which　the　echoes　of　the　Dunes
repeated。　At　last　they　lost　sight　of　each　other。
〃Sacrebleu！　D'Artagnan；〃　said　Porthos；　〃I　must　out　with　it
at　once；　for　I　can't　keep　to　myself　anything　I　have　against
you；　I　haven't　been　able　to　recognize　you　in　this　matter。〃
〃Why　not？〃　said　D'Artagnan；　with　his　wise　smile。
〃Because　if；　as　you　say；　Athos　and　Aramis　are　in　real
danger；　this　is　not　the　time　to　abandon　them。　For　my　part；　I
confess　to　you　that　I　was　all　ready　to　follow　them　and　am
still　ready　to　rejoin　them；　in　spite　of　all　the　Mazarins　in
the　world。〃
〃You　would　be　right；　Porthos；　but　for　one　thing；　which　may
change　the　current　of　your　ideas；　and　that　is；　that　it　is
not　those　gentlemen　who　are　in　the　greatest　danger；　it　is
ourselves；　it　is　not　to　abandon　them　that　we　have　separated；
but　to　avoid　compromising　them。〃
〃Really？〃　said　Porthos；　opening　his　eyes　in　astonishment。
〃Yes；　no　doubt。　If　they　are　arrested　they　will　only　be　put
in　the　Bastile；　if　we　are　arrested　it　is　a　matter　of　the
Place　de　Greve。〃
〃Oh！　oh！〃　said　Porthos；　〃there　is　quite　a　gap　between　that
fate　and　the　baronial　coronet　you　promised　me；　D'Artagnan。〃
〃Bah！　perhaps　not　so　great　as　you　think；　Porthos；　you　know
the　proverb；　‘All　roads　lead　to　Rome。'〃
〃But　how　is　it　that　we　are　incurring　greater　risks　than
Athos　and　Aramis？〃　asked　Porthos。
〃Because　they　have　but　fulfilled　the　mission　confided　to
them　by　Queen　Henrietta　and　we　have　betrayed　that　confided
to　us　by　Mazarin；　because；　going　hence　as　emissaries　to
Cromwell；　we　became　partisans　of　King　Charles；　because；
instead　of　helping　cut　off　the　royal　head　condemned　by　those
fellows　called　Mazarin；　Cromwell；　Joyce；　Bridge；　Fairfax；
etc。；　we　very　nearly　succeeded　in　saving　it。〃
〃Upon　my　word　that　is　true；〃　said　Porthos；　〃but　how　can　you
suppose；　my　dear　friend；　that　in　the　midst　of　his　great
preoccupations　General　Cromwell　has　had　time　to　think　　〃
〃Cromwell　thinks　of　everything；　Cromwell　has　time　for
everything；　and　believe　me；　dear　friend；　we　ought　not　to
lose　our　time　　it　is　precious。　We　shall　not　be　safe　till
we　have　seen　Mazarin；　and　then　　〃
〃The　devil！〃　said　Porthos；　〃what　can　we　say　to　Mazarin？〃
〃Leave　that　to　me　　I　have　my　plan。　He　laughs　best　who
laughs　last。　Cromwell　is　mighty；　Mazarin　is　tricky；　but　I
would　rather　have　to　do　with　them　than　with　the　late
Monsieur　Mordaunt。〃
〃Ah！〃　said　Porthos；　〃it　is　very　pleasant　to　be　able　to　say
‘the　late　Monsieur　Mordaunt。'〃
〃My　faith；　yes；〃　said　D'Artagnan。　〃But　we　must　be　going。〃
The　two　immediately　started　across　country　toward　the　road
to　Paris；　followed　by　Musqueton；　who；　after　being　too　cold
all　night；　at　the　end　of　a　quarter　of　an　hour　found　himself
too　warm。

75
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　be