Reading Help The Three Musketeers Ch.1-18
obeyed without reply, and entered the chamber, where he appeared `
` to be expected. `
` `
` It was a large cabinet, close and stifling, with the walls `
` furnished with arms offensive and defensive, and in which there `
` was already a fire, although it was scarcely the end of the month `
` of September. A square table, covered with books and papers, `
` upon which was unrolled an immense plan of the city of La `
` Rochelle, occupied the center of the room. `
` `
` Standing before the chimney was a man of middle height, of a `
` haughty, proud mien; with piercing eyes, a large brow, and a thin `
` face, which was made still longer by a ROYAL (or IMPERIAL, as it `
` is now called), surmounted by a pair of mustaches. Although this `
` man was scarcely thirty-six or thirty-seven years of age, hair, `
` mustaches, and royal, all began to be gray. This man, except a `
` sword, had all the appearance of a soldier; and his buff boots `
` still slightly covered with dust, indicated that he had been on `
` horseback in the course of the day. `
` `
` This man was Armand Jean Duplessis, Cardinal de Richelieu; not `
` such as he is now represented--broken down like an old man, `
` suffering like a martyr, his body bent, his voice failing, buried `
` in a large armchair as in an anticipated tomb; no longer living `
` but by the strength of his genius, and no longer maintaining the `
` struggle with Europe but by the eternal application of his `
` thoughts--but such as he really was at this period; that is to `
` say, an active and gallant cavalier, already weak of body, but `
` sustained by that moral power which made of him one of the most `
` extraordinary men that ever lived, preparing, after having `
` supported the Duc de Nevers in his duchy of Mantua, after having `
` taken Nimes, Castres, and Uzes, to drive the English from the `
` Isle of Re and lay siege to La Rochelle. `
` `
` At first sight, nothing denoted the cardinal; and it was `
` impossible for those who did not know his face to guess in whose `
` presence they were. `
` `
` The poor mercer remained standing at the door, while the eyes of `
` the personage we have just described were fixed upon him, and `
` appeared to wish to penetrate even into the depths of the past. `
` `
` "Is this that Bonacieux?" asked he, after a moment of silence. `
` `
` "Yes, monseigneur," replied the officer. `
` `
` "That's well. Give me those papers, and leave us." `
` `
` The officer took from the table the papers pointed out, gave them `
` to him who asked for them, bowed to the ground, and retired. `
` `
` Bonacieux recognized in these papers his interrogatories of the `
` Bastille. From time to time the man by the chimney raised his `
` eyes from the writings, and plunged them like poniards into the `
` heart of the poor mercer. `
` `
` At the end of ten minutes of reading and ten seconds of `
` examination, the cardinal was satisfied. `
` `
` "That head has never conspired," murmured he, "but it matters `
` not; we will see." `
` `
` "You are accused of high treason," said the cardinal, slowly. `
` `
` "So I have been told already, monseigneur," cried Bonacieux, `
` giving his interrogator the title he had heard the officer give `
` him, "but I swear to you that I know nothing about it." `
` `
` The cardinal repressed a smile. `
` `
` "You have conspired with your wife, with Madame de Chevreuse, and `
` with my Lord Duke of Buckingham." `
` `
` "Indeed, monseigneur," responded the mercer, "I have heard her `
` pronounce all those names." `
` `
` "And on what occasion?" `
` `
` "She said that the Cardinal de Richelieu had drawn the Duke of `
` Buckingham to Paris to ruin him and to ruin the queen." `
` `
` "She said that?" cried the cardinal, with violence. `
` `
` "Yes, monseigneur, but I told her she was wrong to talk about `
` such things; and that his Eminence was incapable--" `
` `
` "Hold your tongue! You are stupid," replied the cardinal. `
` `
` "That's exactly what my wife said, monseigneur." `
` `
` "Do you know who carried off your wife?" `
` `
` "No, monseigneur." `
` `
` "You have suspicions, nevertheless?" `
` `
` "Yes, monseigneur; but these suspicions appeared to be `
` disagreeable to Monsieur the Commissary, and I no longer have `
` them." `
` `
` "Your wife has escaped. Did you know that?" `
` `
` "No, monseigneur. I learned it since I have been in prison, and `
` that from the conversation of Monsieur the Commissary--an amiable `
` man." `
` `
` The cardinal repressed another smile. `
` `
` "Then you are ignorant of what has become of your wife since her `
` flight." `
` `
` "Absolutely, monseigneur; but she has most likely returned to the `
` Louvre." `
` `
` "At one o'clock this morning she had not returned." `
` `
` "My God! What can have become of her, then?" `
` `
` "We shall know, be assured. Nothing is concealed from the `
` cardinal; the cardinal knows everything." `
` `
` "In that case, monseigneur, do you believe the cardinal will be `
` so kind as to tell me what has become of my wife?" `
` `
` "Perhaps he may; but you must, in the first place, reveal to the `
` cardinal all you know of your wife's relations with Madame de `
` Chevreuse." `
` `
` "But, monseigneur, I know nothing about them; I have never seen `
` her." `
` `
` "When you went to fetch your wife from the Louvre, did you always `
` return directly home?" `
` `
` "Scarcely ever; she had business to transact with linen drapers, `
` to whose houses I conducted her." `
` `
` "And how many were there of these linen drapers?" `
` `
` "Two, monseigneur." `
` `
` "And where did they live?" `
` `
` "One in Rue de Vaugirard, the other Rue de la Harpe." `
` `
` "Did you go into these houses with her?" `
` `
` "Never, monseigneur; I waited at the door." `
` `
` "And what excuse did she give you for entering all alone?" `
` `
` "She gave me none; she told me to wait, and I waited." `
` `
` "You are a very complacent husband, my dear Monsieur Bonacieux," `
` said the cardinal. `
` `
` "He calls me his dear Monsieur," said the mercer to himself. `
` "PESTE! Matters are going all right." `
` `
` "Should you know those doors again?" `
` `
` "Yes." `
` `
` "Do you know the numbers?" `
` `
` "Yes." `
` `
` "What are they?" `
` `
` "No. 25 in the Rue de Vaugirard; 75 in the Rue de la Harpe." `
` `
` "That's well," said the cardinal. `
` `
` At these words he took up a silver bell, and rang it; the officer `
` entered. `
` `
` "Go," said he, in a subdued voice, "and find Rochefort. Tell him `
` to come to me immediately, if he has returned." `
` `
` "The count is here," said the officer, "and requests to speak `
` with your Eminence instantly." `
` `
` "Let him come in, then!" said the cardinal, quickly. `
` `
` The officer sprang out of the apartment with that alacrity which `
` all the servants of the cardinal displayed in obeying him. `
` `
` "To your Eminence!" murmured Bonacieux, rolling his eyes round in `
` astonishment. `
` `
` Five seconds has scarcely elapsed after the disappearance of the `
` officer, when the door opened, and a new personage entered. `
` `
` "It is he!" cried Bonacieux. `
` `
` "He! What he?" asked the cardinal. `
` `
` "The man who abducted my wife." `
` `
` The cardinal rang a second time. The officer reappeared. `
` `
`
` to be expected. `
` `
` It was a large cabinet, close and stifling, with the walls `
` furnished with arms offensive and defensive, and in which there `
` was already a fire, although it was scarcely the end of the month `
` of September. A square table, covered with books and papers, `
` upon which was unrolled an immense plan of the city of La `
` Rochelle, occupied the center of the room. `
` `
` Standing before the chimney was a man of middle height, of a `
` haughty, proud mien; with piercing eyes, a large brow, and a thin `
` face, which was made still longer by a ROYAL (or IMPERIAL, as it `
` is now called), surmounted by a pair of mustaches. Although this `
` man was scarcely thirty-six or thirty-seven years of age, hair, `
` mustaches, and royal, all began to be gray. This man, except a `
` sword, had all the appearance of a soldier; and his buff boots `
` still slightly covered with dust, indicated that he had been on `
` horseback in the course of the day. `
` `
` This man was Armand Jean Duplessis, Cardinal de Richelieu; not `
` such as he is now represented--broken down like an old man, `
` suffering like a martyr, his body bent, his voice failing, buried `
` in a large armchair as in an anticipated tomb; no longer living `
` but by the strength of his genius, and no longer maintaining the `
` struggle with Europe but by the eternal application of his `
` thoughts--but such as he really was at this period; that is to `
` say, an active and gallant cavalier, already weak of body, but `
` sustained by that moral power which made of him one of the most `
` extraordinary men that ever lived, preparing, after having `
` supported the Duc de Nevers in his duchy of Mantua, after having `
` taken Nimes, Castres, and Uzes, to drive the English from the `
` Isle of Re and lay siege to La Rochelle. `
` `
` At first sight, nothing denoted the cardinal; and it was `
` impossible for those who did not know his face to guess in whose `
` presence they were. `
` `
` The poor mercer remained standing at the door, while the eyes of `
` the personage we have just described were fixed upon him, and `
` appeared to wish to penetrate even into the depths of the past. `
` `
` "Is this that Bonacieux?" asked he, after a moment of silence. `
` `
` "Yes, monseigneur," replied the officer. `
` `
` "That's well. Give me those papers, and leave us." `
` `
` The officer took from the table the papers pointed out, gave them `
` to him who asked for them, bowed to the ground, and retired. `
` `
` Bonacieux recognized in these papers his interrogatories of the `
` Bastille. From time to time the man by the chimney raised his `
` eyes from the writings, and plunged them like poniards into the `
` heart of the poor mercer. `
` `
` At the end of ten minutes of reading and ten seconds of `
` examination, the cardinal was satisfied. `
` `
` "That head has never conspired," murmured he, "but it matters `
` not; we will see." `
` `
` "You are accused of high treason," said the cardinal, slowly. `
` `
` "So I have been told already, monseigneur," cried Bonacieux, `
` giving his interrogator the title he had heard the officer give `
` him, "but I swear to you that I know nothing about it." `
` `
` The cardinal repressed a smile. `
` `
` "You have conspired with your wife, with Madame de Chevreuse, and `
` with my Lord Duke of Buckingham." `
` `
` "Indeed, monseigneur," responded the mercer, "I have heard her `
` pronounce all those names." `
` `
` "And on what occasion?" `
` `
` "She said that the Cardinal de Richelieu had drawn the Duke of `
` Buckingham to Paris to ruin him and to ruin the queen." `
` `
` "She said that?" cried the cardinal, with violence. `
` `
` "Yes, monseigneur, but I told her she was wrong to talk about `
` such things; and that his Eminence was incapable--" `
` `
` "Hold your tongue! You are stupid," replied the cardinal. `
` `
` "That's exactly what my wife said, monseigneur." `
` `
` "Do you know who carried off your wife?" `
` `
` "No, monseigneur." `
` `
` "You have suspicions, nevertheless?" `
` `
` "Yes, monseigneur; but these suspicions appeared to be `
` disagreeable to Monsieur the Commissary, and I no longer have `
` them." `
` `
` "Your wife has escaped. Did you know that?" `
` `
` "No, monseigneur. I learned it since I have been in prison, and `
` that from the conversation of Monsieur the Commissary--an amiable `
` man." `
` `
` The cardinal repressed another smile. `
` `
` "Then you are ignorant of what has become of your wife since her `
` flight." `
` `
` "Absolutely, monseigneur; but she has most likely returned to the `
` Louvre." `
` `
` "At one o'clock this morning she had not returned." `
` `
` "My God! What can have become of her, then?" `
` `
` "We shall know, be assured. Nothing is concealed from the `
` cardinal; the cardinal knows everything." `
` `
` "In that case, monseigneur, do you believe the cardinal will be `
` so kind as to tell me what has become of my wife?" `
` `
` "Perhaps he may; but you must, in the first place, reveal to the `
` cardinal all you know of your wife's relations with Madame de `
` Chevreuse." `
` `
` "But, monseigneur, I know nothing about them; I have never seen `
` her." `
` `
` "When you went to fetch your wife from the Louvre, did you always `
` return directly home?" `
` `
` "Scarcely ever; she had business to transact with linen drapers, `
` to whose houses I conducted her." `
` `
` "And how many were there of these linen drapers?" `
` `
` "Two, monseigneur." `
` `
` "And where did they live?" `
` `
` "One in Rue de Vaugirard, the other Rue de la Harpe." `
` `
` "Did you go into these houses with her?" `
` `
` "Never, monseigneur; I waited at the door." `
` `
` "And what excuse did she give you for entering all alone?" `
` `
` "She gave me none; she told me to wait, and I waited." `
` `
` "You are a very complacent husband, my dear Monsieur Bonacieux," `
` said the cardinal. `
` `
` "He calls me his dear Monsieur," said the mercer to himself. `
` "PESTE! Matters are going all right." `
` `
` "Should you know those doors again?" `
` `
` "Yes." `
` `
` "Do you know the numbers?" `
` `
` "Yes." `
` `
` "What are they?" `
` `
` "No. 25 in the Rue de Vaugirard; 75 in the Rue de la Harpe." `
` `
` "That's well," said the cardinal. `
` `
` At these words he took up a silver bell, and rang it; the officer `
` entered. `
` `
` "Go," said he, in a subdued voice, "and find Rochefort. Tell him `
` to come to me immediately, if he has returned." `
` `
` "The count is here," said the officer, "and requests to speak `
` with your Eminence instantly." `
` `
` "Let him come in, then!" said the cardinal, quickly. `
` `
` The officer sprang out of the apartment with that alacrity which `
` all the servants of the cardinal displayed in obeying him. `
` `
` "To your Eminence!" murmured Bonacieux, rolling his eyes round in `
` astonishment. `
` `
` Five seconds has scarcely elapsed after the disappearance of the `
` officer, when the door opened, and a new personage entered. `
` `
` "It is he!" cried Bonacieux. `
` `
` "He! What he?" asked the cardinal. `
` `
` "The man who abducted my wife." `
` `
` The cardinal rang a second time. The officer reappeared. `
` `
`