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Mazarin was desirous of setting out instantly for SaintGermain, but the queen declared that she should wait for thepeople whom she had appointed to meet her. However, sheoffered the cardinal Laporte's place, which he accepted andwent from one carriage to the other.

It was not without foundation that a report of the king'sintention to leave Paris by night had been circulated. Tenor twelve persons had been in the secret since six o'clock,and howsoever great their prudence might be, they could notissue the necessary orders for the departure withoutsuspicion being generated. Besides, each individual had oneor two others for whom he was interested; and as there couldbe no doubt but that the queen was leaving Paris full ofterrible projects of vengeance, every one had warned parentsand friends of what was about to transpire; so that the newsof the approaching exit ran like a train of lightedgunpowder along the streets.

The first carriage which arrived after that of the queen wasthat of the Prince de Conde, with the princess and dowagerprincess. Both these ladies had been awakened in the middleof the night and did not know what it all was about. Thesecond contained the Duke and Duchess of Orleans, the tallyoung Mademoiselle and the Abbe de la Riviere; and thethird, the Duke de Longueville and the Prince de Conti,brother and brother-in-law of Conde. They all alighted andhastened to pay their respects to the king and queen intheir coach. The queen fixed her eyes upon the carriage theyhad left, and seeing that it was empty, she said:

"But where is Madame de Longueville?"

"Ah, yes, where is my sister?" asked the prince.

"Madame de Longueville is ill," said the duke, "and shedesired me to excuse her to your majesty."

Anne gave a quick glance to Mazarin, who answered by analmost imperceptible shake of his head.

"What do you say of this?" asked the queen.

"I say that she is a hostage for the Parisians," answeredthe cardinal.

"Why is she not come?" asked the prince in a low voice,addressing his brother.

"Silence," whispered the duke, "she has her reasons."

"She will ruin us!" returned the prince.

"She will save us," said Conti.

Carriages now arrived in crowds; those of the Marechal deVilleroy, Guitant, Villequier and Comminges came into theline. The two musketeers arrived in their turn, holding thehorses of D'Artagnan and Porthos in their hands. These twoinstantly mounted, the coachman of the latter replacingD'Artagnan on the coach-box of the royal coach. Musquetontook the place of the coachman, and drove standing, forreasons known to himself, like Automedon of antiquity.

The queen, though occupied by a thousand details, tried tocatch the Gascon's eye; but he, with his wonted prudence,had mingled with the crowd.

"Let us be the avant guard," said he to Porthos, "and findgood quarters at Saint Germain; nobody will think of us, andfor my part I am greatly fatigued."

"As for me," replied Porthos, "I am falling asleep, which isstrange, considering we have not had any fighting; truly theParisians are idiots."

"Or rather, we are very clever," said D'Artagnan.

"Perhaps."

"And how is your wrist?"

"Better; but do you think that we've got them this time?"

"Got what?"

"You your command, and I my title?"

"I'faith! yes - I should expect so; besides, if theyforget, I shall take the liberty of reminding them."

"The queen's voice! she is speaking," said Porthos; "I thinkshe wants to ride on horseback."

"Oh, she would like it, but - - "

"But what?"

"The cardinal won't allow it. Gentlemen," he said,addressing the two musketeers, "accompany the royalcarriage, we are going forward to look for lodgings."

D'Artagnan started off for Saint Germain, followed byPorthos.

"We will go on, gentlemen," said the queen.

And the royal carriage drove on, followed by the othercoaches and about fifty horsemen.

They reached Saint German without any accident; ondescending, the queen found the prince awaiting her,bare-headed, to offer her his hand.

"What an awakening for the Parisians!" said the queen,radiant.

"It is war," said the prince.

"Well, then, let it be war! Have we not on our side theconqueror of Rocroy, of Nordlingen, of Lens?"

The prince bowed low.

It was then three o'clock in the morning. The queen walkedfirst, every one followed her. About two hundred persons hadaccompanied her in her flight.

"Gentlemen," said the queen, laughing, "pray take up yourabode in the chateau; it is large, and there will be no wantof room for you all; but, as we never thought of cominghere, I am informed that there are, in all, only three bedsin the whole establishment, one for the king, one for me- - "

"And one for the cardinal," muttered the prince.

"Am I - am I, then, to sleep on the floor?" asked Gastond'Orleans, with a forced smile.

"No, my prince," replied Mazarin, "the third bed is intendedfor your highness."

"But your eminence?" replied the prince.

"I," answered Mazarin, "I shall not sleep at all; I havework to do."

Gaston desired that he should be shown into the room whereinhe was to sleep, without in the least concerning himself asto where his wife and daughter were to repose.

"Well, for my part, I shall go to bed," said D'Artagnan;"come, Porthos."

Porthos followed the lieutenant with that profoundconfidence he ever had in the wisdom of his friend. Theywalked from one end of the chateau to the other, Porthoslooking with wondering eyes at D'Artagnan, who was countingon his fingers.

"Four hundred, at a pistole each, four hundred pistoles."

"Yes," interposed Porthos, "four hundred pistoles; but whois to make four hundred pistoles?"

"A pistole is not enough," said D'Artagnan, "'tis worth alouis."

"What is worth a louis?"

"Four hundred, at a louis each, make four hundred louis."

"Four hundred?" said Porthos.

"Yes, there are two hundred of them, and each of them willneed two, which will make four hundred."

"But four hundred what?"

"Listen!" cried D'Artagnan.

But as there were all kinds of people about, who were in astate of stupefaction at the unexpected arrival of thecourt, he whispered in his friend's ear.

"I understand," answered Porthos, "I understand youperfectly, on my honor; two hundred louis, each of us, wouldbe making a pretty thing of it; but what will people say?"

"Let them say what they will; besides, how will they knowthat we are doing it?"

"But who will distribute these things?" asked Porthos.

"Isn't Musqueton there?"

"But he wears my livery; my livery will be known," repliedPorthos.

"He can turn his coat inside out."

"You are always in the right, my dear friend," criedPorthos; "but where the devil do you discover all thenotions you put into practice?"

D'Artagnan smiled. The two friends turned down the firststreet they came to. Porthos knocked at the door of a houseto the right, whilst D'Artagnan knocked at the door of ahouse to the left.

"Some straw," they said.

"Sir, we don't keep any," was the reply of the people whoopened the doors; "but please ask at the hay dealer's."

"Where is the hay dealer's?"

"At the last large door in the street."

"Are there any other people in Saint Germain who sellstraw?"

"Yes; there's the landlord of the Lamb, and Gros-Louis thefarmer; they both live in the Rue des Ursulines."

"Very well."

D'Artagnan went instantly to the hay dealer and bargainedwith him for a hundred and fifty trusses of straw, which heobtained, at the rate of three pistoles each. He wentafterward to the innkeeper and bought from him two hundredtrusses at the same price. Finally, Farmer Louis sold themeighty trusses, making in all four hundred and thirty.

There was no more to be had in Saint Germain. This foragingdid not occupy more than half an hour. Musqueton, dulyinstructed, was put at the head of this sudden and newbusiness. He was cautioned not to let a bit of straw out ofhis hands under a louis the truss, and they intrusted to himstraw to the amount of four hundred and thirty louis.D'Artagnan, taking with him three trusses of straw, returnedto the chateau, where everybody, freezing with cold and morethan half asleep, envied the king, the queen, and the Dukeof Orleans, on their camp beds. The lieutenant's entranceproduced a burst of laughter in the great drawing-room; buthe did not appear to notice that he was the object ofgeneral attention, but began to arrange, with so muchcleverness, nicety and gayety, his straw bed, that themouths of all these poor creatures, who could not go tosleep, began to water.

"Straw!" they all cried out, "straw! where is there any tobe found?"

"I can show you," answered the Gascon.

And he conducted them to Musqueton, who freely distributedthe trusses at the rate of a louis apiece. It was thoughtrather dear, but people wanted to sleep, and who would notgive even two or three louis for a few hours of sound sleep?

D'Artagnan gave up his bed to any one who wanted it, makingit over about a dozen times; and since he was supposed tohave paid, like the others, a louis for his truss of straw,he pocketed in that way thirty louis in less than half anhour. At five o'clock in the morning the straw was wortheighty francs a truss and there was no more to be had.

D'Artagnan had taken the precaution to set apart fourtrusses for his own use. He put in his pocket the key of theroom where he had hidden them, and accompanied by Porthosreturned to settle with Musqueton, who, naively, and likethe worthy steward that he was, handed them four hundred andthirty louis and kept one hundred for himself.

Musqueton, who knew nothing of what was going on in thechateau, wondered that the idea had not occurred to himsooner. D'Artagnan put the gold in his hat, and in goingback to the chateau settled the reckoning with Porthos, eachof them had cleared two hundred and fifteen louis.

Porthos, however, found that he had no straw left forhimself. He returned to Musqueton, but the steward had soldthe last wisp. He then repaired to D'Artagnan, who, thanksto his four trusses of straw, was in the act of making upand tasting, by anticipation, the luxury of a bed so soft,so well stuffed at the head, so well covered at the foot,that it would have excited the envy of the king himself, ifhis majesty had not been fast asleep in his own. D'Artagnancould on no account consent to pull his bed to pieces againfor Porthos, but for a consideration of four louis that thelatter paid him for it, he consented that Porthos shouldshare his couch with him. He laid his sword at the head, hispistols by his side, stretched his cloak over his feet,placed his felt hat on the top of his cloak and extendedhimself luxuriously on the straw, which rustled under him.He was already enjoying the sweet dream engendered by thepossession of two hundred and nineteen louis, made in aquarter of an hour, when a voice was heard at the door ofthe hall, which made him stir.

"Monsieur d'Artagnan!" it cried.

"Here!" cried Porthos, "here!"

Porthos foresaw that if D'Artagnan was called away he shouldremain the sole possessor of the bed. An officer approached.

"I am come to fetch you, Monsieur d'Artagnan."

"From whom?"

"His eminence sent me."

"Tell my lord that I'm going to sleep, and I advise him, asa friend, to do the same."

"His eminence is not gone to bed and will not go to bed, andwants you instantly."

"The devil take Mazarin, who does not know when to sleep atthe proper time. What does he want with me? Is it to make mea captain? In that case I will forgive him."

And the musketeer rose, grumbling, took his sword, hat,pistols, and cloak, and followed the officer, whilstPorthos, alone and sole possessor of the bed, endeavored tofollow the good example of falling asleep, which hispredecessor had set him.

"Monsieur d'Artagnan," said the cardinal, on perceiving him,"I have not forgotten with what zeal you have served me. Iam going to prove to you that I have not."

"Good," thought the Gascon, "this is a promising beginning."

"Monsieur d'Artagnan," he resumed, "do you wish to become acaptain?"

"Yes, my lord."

"And your friend still longs to be made a baron?"

"At this very moment, my lord, he no doubt dreams that he isone already."

"Then," said Mazarin, taking from his portfolio the letterwhich he had already shown D'Artagnan, "take this dispatchand carry it to England."

D'Artagnan looked at the envelope; there was no address onit.

"Am I not to know to whom to present it?"

"You will know when you reach London; at London you may tearoff the outer envelope."

"And what are my instructions?"

"To obey in every particular the man to whom this letter isaddressed. You must set out for Boulogne. At the Royal Armsof England you will find a young gentleman named Mordaunt."

"Yes, my lord; and what am I to do with this younggentleman?"

"Follow wherever he leads you."

D'Artagnan looked at the cardinal with a stupefied air.

"There are your instructions," said Mazarin; "go!"

"Go! 'tis easy to say so, but that requires money, and Ihaven't any."

"Ah!" replied Mazarin, "so you have no money?"

"None, my lord."

"But the diamond I gave you yesterday?"

"I wish to keep it in remembrance of your eminence."

Mazarin sighed.

"'Tis very dear living in England, my lord, especially asenvoy extraordinary."

"Zounds!" replied Mazarin, "the people there are verysedate, and their habits, since the revolution, simple; butno matter."

He opened a drawer and took out a purse.

"What do you say to a thousand crowns?"

D'Artagnan pouted out his lower lip in a most extraordinarymanner.

"I reply, my lord, 'tis but little, as certainly I shall notgo alone."

"I suppose not. Monsieur du Vallon, that worthy gentleman,for, with the exception of yourself, Monsieur d'Artagnan,there's not a man in France that I esteem and love so muchas him - - "

"Then, my lord," replied D'Artagnan, pointing to the pursewhich Mazarin still held, "if you love and esteem him somuch, you - understand me?"

"Be it so! on his account I add two hundred crowns."

"Scoundrel!" muttered D'Artagnan. "But on our return," hesaid aloud, "may we, that is, my friend and I, depend onhaving, he his barony, and I my promotion?"

"On the honor of Mazarin."

"I should like another sort of oath better," said D'Artagnanto himself; then aloud, "May I not offer my duty to hermajesty the queen?"

"Her majesty is asleep and you must set off directly,"replied Mazarin; "go, pray, sir - - "

"One word more, my lord; if there's any fighting where I'mgoing, must I fight?"

"You are to obey the commands of the personage to whom Ihave addressed the inclosed letter."

"'Tis well," said D'Artagnan, holding out his hand toreceive the money. "I offer my best respects and services toyou, my lord."

D'Artagnan then, returning to the officer, said:

"Sir, have the kindness also to awaken Monsieur du Vallonand to say 'tis by his eminence's order, and that I shallawait him at the stables."

The officer went off with an eagerness that showed theGascon that he had some personal interest in the matter.

Porthos was snoring most musically when some one touched himon the shoulder.

"I come from the cardinal," said the officer.

"Heigho!" said Porthos, opening his large eyes; "what haveyou got to say?"

"That his eminence has ordered you to England and thatMonsieur d'Artagnan is waiting for you in the stables."

Porthos sighed heavily, arose, took his hat, his pistols,and his cloak, and departed, casting a look of regret uponthe couch where he had hoped to sleep so well.

No sooner had he turned his back than the officer laidhimself down in it, and he had scarcely crossed thethreshold before his successor, in his turn, was snoringimmoderately. It was very natural, he being the only personin the whole assemblage, except the king, the queen, and theDuke of Orleans, who slept gratuitously.