Reading Help The Three Musketeers Ch.41-67
`
` "Adieu, Countess." `
` `
` "Commend me to the cardinal." `
` `
` "Commend me to Satan." `
` `
` Milady and Rochefort exchanged a smile and separated. An hour afterward `
` Rochefort set out at a grand gallop; five hours after that he passed `
` through Arras. `
` `
` Our readers already know how he was recognized by d'Artagnan, and how `
` that recognition by inspiring fear in the four Musketeers had given `
` fresh activity to their journey. `
` `
` `
` `
` 63 THE DROP OF WATER `
` `
` Rochefort had scarcely departed when Mme. Bonacieux re-entered. She `
` found Milady with a smiling countenance. `
` `
` "Well," said the young woman, "what you dreaded has happened. This `
` evening, or tomorrow, the cardinal will send someone to take you away." `
` `
` "Who told you that, my dear?" asked Milady. `
` `
` "I heard it from the mouth of the messenger himself." `
` `
` "Come and sit down close to me," said Milady. `
` `
` "Here I am." `
` `
` "Wait till I assure myself that nobody hears us." `
` `
` "Why all these precautions?" `
` `
` "You shall know." `
` `
` Milady arose, went to the door, opened it, looked in the corridor, and `
` then returned and seated herself close to Mme. Bonacieux. `
` `
` "Then," said she, "he has well played his part." `
` `
` "Who has?" `
` `
` "He who just now presented himself to the abbess as a messenger from the `
` cardinal." `
` `
` "It was, then, a part he was playing?" `
` `
` "Yes, my child." `
` `
` "That man, then, was not--" `
` `
` "That man," said Milady, lowering her voice, "is my brother." `
` `
` "Your brother!" cried Mme. Bonacieux. `
` `
` "No one must know this secret, my dear, but yourself. If you reveal it `
` to anyone in the world, I shall be lost, and perhaps yourself likewise." `
` `
` "Oh, my God!" `
` `
` "Listen. This is what has happened: My brother, who was coming to my `
` assistance to take me away by force if it were necessary, met with the `
` emissary of the cardinal, who was coming in search of me. He followed `
` him. At a solitary and retired part of the road he drew his sword, and `
` required the messenger to deliver up to him the papers of which he was `
` the bearer. The messenger resisted; my brother killed him." `
` `
` "Oh!" said Mme. Bonacieux, shuddering. `
` `
` "Remember, that was the only means. Then my brother determined to `
` substitute cunning for force. He took the papers, and presented himself `
` here as the emissary of the cardinal, and in an hour or two a carriage `
` will come to take me away by the orders of his Eminence." `
` `
` "I understand. It is your brother who sends this carriage." `
` `
` "Exactly; but that is not all. That letter you have received, and `
` which you believe to be from Madame de Chevreuse--" `
` `
` "Well?" `
` `
` "It is a forgery." `
` `
` "How can that be?" `
` `
` "Yes, a forgery; it is a snare to prevent your making any resistance `
` when they come to fetch you." `
` `
` "But it is d'Artagnan that will come." `
` `
` "Do not deceive yourself. D'Artagnan and his friends are detained at the `
` siege of La Rochelle." `
` `
` "How do you know that?" `
` `
` "My brother met some emissaries of the cardinal in the uniform of `
` Musketeers. You would have been summoned to the gate; you would have `
` believed yourself about to meet friends; you would have been abducted, `
` and conducted back to Paris." `
` `
` "Oh, my God! My senses fail me amid such a chaos of iniquities. I feel, `
` if this continues," said Mme. Bonacieux, raising her hands to her `
` forehead, "I shall go mad!" `
` `
` "Stop--" `
` `
` "What?" `
` `
` "I hear a horse's steps; it is my brother setting off again. I should `
` like to offer him a last salute. Come!" `
` `
` Milady opened the window, and made a sign to Mme. Bonacieux to join her. `
` The young woman complied. `
` `
` Rochefort passed at a gallop. `
` `
` "Adieu, brother!" cried Milady. `
` `
` The chevalier raised his head, saw the two young women, and without `
` stopping, waved his hand in a friendly way to Milady. `
` `
` "The good George!" said she, closing the window with an expression of `
` countenance full of affection and melancholy. And she resumed her seat, `
` as if plunged in reflections entirely personal. `
` `
` "Dear lady," said Mme. Bonacieux, "pardon me for interrupting you; but `
` what do you advise me to do? Good heaven! You have more experience `
` than I have. Speak; I will listen." `
` `
` "In the first place," said Milady, "it is possible I may be deceived, `
` and that d'Artagnan and his friends may really come to your assistance." `
` `
` "Oh, that would be too much!" cried Mme. Bonacieux, "so much happiness `
` is not in store for me!" `
` `
` "Then you comprehend it would be only a question of time, a sort of `
` race, which should arrive first. If your friends are the more speedy, `
` you are to be saved; if the satellites of the cardinal, you are lost." `
` `
` "Oh, yes, yes; lost beyond redemption! What, then, to do? What to do?" `
` `
` "There would be a very simple means, very natural--" `
` `
` "Tell me what!" `
` `
` "To wait, concealed in the neighborhood, and assure yourself who are the `
` men who come to ask for you." `
` `
` "But where can I wait?" `
` `
` "Oh, there is no difficulty in that. I shall stop and conceal myself a `
` few leagues hence until my brother can rejoin me. Well, I take you with `
` me; we conceal ourselves, and wait together." `
` `
` "But I shall not be allowed to go; I am almost a prisoner." `
` `
` "As they believe that I go in consequence of an order from the cardinal, `
` no one will believe you anxious to follow me." `
` `
` "Well?" `
` `
` "Well! The carriage is at the door; you bid me adieu; you mount the `
` step to embrace me a last time; my brother's servant, who comes to fetch `
` me, is told how to proceed; he makes a sign to the postillion, and we `
` set off at a gallop." `
` `
` "But d'Artagnan! D'Artagnan! if he comes?" `
` `
` "Shall we not know it?" `
` `
` "How?" `
` `
` "Nothing easier. We will send my brother's servant back to Bethune, `
` whom, as I told you, we can trust. He shall assume a disguise, and `
` place himself in front of the convent. If the emissaries of the `
` cardinal arrive, he will take no notice; if it is Monsieur d'Artagnan `
` and his friends, he will bring them to us." `
` `
` "He knows them, then?" `
` `
` "Doubtless. Has he not seen Monsieur d'Artagnan at my house?" `
` `
` "Oh, yes, yes; you are right. Thus all may go well--all may be for the `
` best; but we do not go far from this place?" `
` `
` "Seven or eight leagues at the most. We will keep on the frontiers, for `
` instance; and at the first alarm we can leave France." `
` `
` "And what can we do there?" `
` `
` "Wait." `
` `
` "But if they come?" `
` `
` "My brother's carriage will be here first." `
` `
` "If I should happen to be any distance from you when the carriage comes `
`
` "Adieu, Countess." `
` `
` "Commend me to the cardinal." `
` `
` "Commend me to Satan." `
` `
` Milady and Rochefort exchanged a smile and separated. An hour afterward `
` Rochefort set out at a grand gallop; five hours after that he passed `
` through Arras. `
` `
` Our readers already know how he was recognized by d'Artagnan, and how `
` that recognition by inspiring fear in the four Musketeers had given `
` fresh activity to their journey. `
` `
` `
` `
` 63 THE DROP OF WATER `
` `
` Rochefort had scarcely departed when Mme. Bonacieux re-entered. She `
` found Milady with a smiling countenance. `
` `
` "Well," said the young woman, "what you dreaded has happened. This `
` evening, or tomorrow, the cardinal will send someone to take you away." `
` `
` "Who told you that, my dear?" asked Milady. `
` `
` "I heard it from the mouth of the messenger himself." `
` `
` "Come and sit down close to me," said Milady. `
` `
` "Here I am." `
` `
` "Wait till I assure myself that nobody hears us." `
` `
` "Why all these precautions?" `
` `
` "You shall know." `
` `
` Milady arose, went to the door, opened it, looked in the corridor, and `
` then returned and seated herself close to Mme. Bonacieux. `
` `
` "Then," said she, "he has well played his part." `
` `
` "Who has?" `
` `
` "He who just now presented himself to the abbess as a messenger from the `
` cardinal." `
` `
` "It was, then, a part he was playing?" `
` `
` "Yes, my child." `
` `
` "That man, then, was not--" `
` `
` "That man," said Milady, lowering her voice, "is my brother." `
` `
` "Your brother!" cried Mme. Bonacieux. `
` `
` "No one must know this secret, my dear, but yourself. If you reveal it `
` to anyone in the world, I shall be lost, and perhaps yourself likewise." `
` `
` "Oh, my God!" `
` `
` "Listen. This is what has happened: My brother, who was coming to my `
` assistance to take me away by force if it were necessary, met with the `
` emissary of the cardinal, who was coming in search of me. He followed `
` him. At a solitary and retired part of the road he drew his sword, and `
` required the messenger to deliver up to him the papers of which he was `
` the bearer. The messenger resisted; my brother killed him." `
` `
` "Oh!" said Mme. Bonacieux, shuddering. `
` `
` "Remember, that was the only means. Then my brother determined to `
` substitute cunning for force. He took the papers, and presented himself `
` here as the emissary of the cardinal, and in an hour or two a carriage `
` will come to take me away by the orders of his Eminence." `
` `
` "I understand. It is your brother who sends this carriage." `
` `
` "Exactly; but that is not all. That letter you have received, and `
` which you believe to be from Madame de Chevreuse--" `
` `
` "Well?" `
` `
` "It is a forgery." `
` `
` "How can that be?" `
` `
` "Yes, a forgery; it is a snare to prevent your making any resistance `
` when they come to fetch you." `
` `
` "But it is d'Artagnan that will come." `
` `
` "Do not deceive yourself. D'Artagnan and his friends are detained at the `
` siege of La Rochelle." `
` `
` "How do you know that?" `
` `
` "My brother met some emissaries of the cardinal in the uniform of `
` Musketeers. You would have been summoned to the gate; you would have `
` believed yourself about to meet friends; you would have been abducted, `
` and conducted back to Paris." `
` `
` "Oh, my God! My senses fail me amid such a chaos of iniquities. I feel, `
` if this continues," said Mme. Bonacieux, raising her hands to her `
` forehead, "I shall go mad!" `
` `
` "Stop--" `
` `
` "What?" `
` `
` "I hear a horse's steps; it is my brother setting off again. I should `
` like to offer him a last salute. Come!" `
` `
` Milady opened the window, and made a sign to Mme. Bonacieux to join her. `
` The young woman complied. `
` `
` Rochefort passed at a gallop. `
` `
` "Adieu, brother!" cried Milady. `
` `
` The chevalier raised his head, saw the two young women, and without `
` stopping, waved his hand in a friendly way to Milady. `
` `
` "The good George!" said she, closing the window with an expression of `
` countenance full of affection and melancholy. And she resumed her seat, `
` as if plunged in reflections entirely personal. `
` `
` "Dear lady," said Mme. Bonacieux, "pardon me for interrupting you; but `
` what do you advise me to do? Good heaven! You have more experience `
` than I have. Speak; I will listen." `
` `
` "In the first place," said Milady, "it is possible I may be deceived, `
` and that d'Artagnan and his friends may really come to your assistance." `
` `
` "Oh, that would be too much!" cried Mme. Bonacieux, "so much happiness `
` is not in store for me!" `
` `
` "Then you comprehend it would be only a question of time, a sort of `
` race, which should arrive first. If your friends are the more speedy, `
` you are to be saved; if the satellites of the cardinal, you are lost." `
` `
` "Oh, yes, yes; lost beyond redemption! What, then, to do? What to do?" `
` `
` "There would be a very simple means, very natural--" `
` `
` "Tell me what!" `
` `
` "To wait, concealed in the neighborhood, and assure yourself who are the `
` men who come to ask for you." `
` `
` "But where can I wait?" `
` `
` "Oh, there is no difficulty in that. I shall stop and conceal myself a `
` few leagues hence until my brother can rejoin me. Well, I take you with `
` me; we conceal ourselves, and wait together." `
` `
` "But I shall not be allowed to go; I am almost a prisoner." `
` `
` "As they believe that I go in consequence of an order from the cardinal, `
` no one will believe you anxious to follow me." `
` `
` "Well?" `
` `
` "Well! The carriage is at the door; you bid me adieu; you mount the `
` step to embrace me a last time; my brother's servant, who comes to fetch `
` me, is told how to proceed; he makes a sign to the postillion, and we `
` set off at a gallop." `
` `
` "But d'Artagnan! D'Artagnan! if he comes?" `
` `
` "Shall we not know it?" `
` `
` "How?" `
` `
` "Nothing easier. We will send my brother's servant back to Bethune, `
` whom, as I told you, we can trust. He shall assume a disguise, and `
` place himself in front of the convent. If the emissaries of the `
` cardinal arrive, he will take no notice; if it is Monsieur d'Artagnan `
` and his friends, he will bring them to us." `
` `
` "He knows them, then?" `
` `
` "Doubtless. Has he not seen Monsieur d'Artagnan at my house?" `
` `
` "Oh, yes, yes; you are right. Thus all may go well--all may be for the `
` best; but we do not go far from this place?" `
` `
` "Seven or eight leagues at the most. We will keep on the frontiers, for `
` instance; and at the first alarm we can leave France." `
` `
` "And what can we do there?" `
` `
` "Wait." `
` `
` "But if they come?" `
` `
` "My brother's carriage will be here first." `
` `
` "If I should happen to be any distance from you when the carriage comes `
`