The three musketeers
You cannot be mistaken; there is but one.”
“Afterward?”
“You will ask for the host, and will repeat to him the word ‘Forward!’”
“Which means?”
“In French, _En avant_. It is the password. He will give you a horse
all saddled, and will point out to you the road you ought to take. You
will find, in the same way, four relays on your route. If you will give
at each of these relays your address in Paris, the four horses will
follow you thither. You already know two of them, and you appeared to
appreciate them like a judge. They were those we rode on; and you may
rely upon me for the others not being inferior to them. These horses
are equipped for the field. However proud you may be, you will not
refuse to accept one of them, and to request your three companions to
accept the others—that is, in order to make war against us. Besides,
the end justified the means, as you Frenchmen say, does it not?”
“Yes, my Lord, I accept them,” said D’Artagnan; “and if it please God,
we will make a good use of your presents.”
“Well, now, your hand, young man. Perhaps we shall soon meet on the
field of battle; but in the meantime we shall part good friends, I
hope.”
“Yes, my Lord; but with the hope of soon becoming enemies.”
“Be satisfied; I promise you that.”
“I depend upon your word, my Lord.”
D’Artagnan bowed to the duke, and made his way as quickly as possible
to the riverside. Opposite the Tower of London he found the vessel that
had been named to him, delivered his letter to the captain, who after
having it examined by the governor of the port made immediate
preparations to sail.
Fifty vessels were waiting to set out. Passing alongside one of them,
D’Artagnan fancied he perceived on board it the woman of Meung—the same
whom the unknown gentleman had called Milady, and whom D’Artagnan had
thought so handsome; but thanks to the current of the stream and a fair
wind, his vessel passed so quickly that he had little more than a
glimpse of her.
The next day about nine o’clock in the morning, he landed at St.
Valery. D’Artagnan went instantly in search of the inn, and easily
discovered it by the riotous noise which resounded from it. War between
England and France was talked of as near and certain, and the jolly
sailors were having a carousal.
D’Artagnan made his way through the crowd, advanced toward the host,
and pronounced the word “Forward!” The host instantly made him a sign
to follow, went out with him by a door which opened into a yard, led
him to the stable, where a saddled horse awaited him, and asked him if
he stood in need of anything else.
“I want to know the route I am to follow,” said D’Artagnan.
“Go from hence to Blangy, and from Blangy to Neufchâtel. At Neufchâtel,
go to the tavern of the Golden Harrow, give the password to the
landlord, and you will find, as you have here, a horse ready saddled.”
“Have I anything to pay?” demanded D’Artagnan.
“Everything is paid,” replied the host, “and liberally. Begone, and may
God guide you!”
“Amen!” cried the young man, and set off at full gallop.
Four hours later he was in Neufchâtel. He strictly followed the
instructions he had received. At Neufchâtel, as at St. Valery, he found
a horse quite ready and awaiting him. He was about to remove the
pistols from the saddle he had quit to the one he was about to fill,
but he found the holsters furnished with similar pistols.
“Your address at Paris?”
“Hôtel of the Guards, company of Dessessart.”
“Enough,” replied the questioner.
“Which route must I take?” demanded D’Artagnan, in his turn.
“That of Rouen; but you will leave the city on your right. You must
stop at the little village of Eccuis, in which there is but one
tavern—the Shield of France. Don’t condemn it from appearances; you
will find a horse in the stables quite as good as this.”
“The same password?”
“Exactly.”
“Adieu, master!”
“A good journey, gentlemen! Do you want anything?”
D’Artagnan shook his head, and set off at full speed. At Eccuis, the
same scene was repeated. He found as provident a host and a fresh
horse. He left his address as he had done before, and set off again at
the same pace for Pontoise. At Pontoise he changed his horse for the
last time, and at nine o’clock galloped into the yard of Tréville’s
hôtel. He had made nearly sixty leagues in little more than twelve
hours.
M. de Tréville received him as if he had seen him that same morning;
only, when pressing his hand a little more warmly than usual, he
informed him that the company of Dessessart was on duty at the Louvre,
and that he might repair at once to his post.
Chapter XXII.
THE BALLET OF LA MERLAISON
On the morrow, nothing was talked of in Paris but the ball which the
aldermen of the city were to give to the king and queen, and in which
their Majesties were to dance the famous La Merlaison—the favorite
ballet of the king.
Eight days had been occupied in preparations at the Hôtel de Ville for
this important evening. The city carpenters had erected scaffolds upon
which the invited ladies were to be placed; the city grocer had
ornamented the chambers with two hundred _flambeaux_ of white wax, a
piece of luxury unheard of at that period; and twenty violins were
ordered, and the price for them fixed at double the usual rate, upon
condition, said the report, that they should be played all night.
At ten o’clock in the morning the Sieur de la Coste, ensign in the
king’s Guards, followed by two officers and several archers of that
body, came to the city registrar, named Clement, and demanded of him
all the keys of the rooms and offices of the hôtel. These keys were
given up to him instantly. Each of them had a ticket attached to it, by
which it might be recognized; and from that moment the Sieur de la
Coste was charged with the care of all the doors and all the avenues.
At eleven o’clock came in his turn Duhallier, captain of the Guards,
bringing with him fifty archers, who were distributed immediately
through the Hôtel de Ville, at the doors assigned them.
At three o’clock came two companies of the Guards, one French, the
other Swiss. The company of French guards was composed of half of M.
Duhallier’s men and half of M. Dessessart’s men.
At six in the evening the guests began to come. As fast as they
entered, they were placed in the grand saloon, on the platforms
prepared for them.
At nine o’clock Madame la Première Présidente arrived. As next to the
queen, she was the most considerable personage of the fête, she was
received by the city officials, and placed in a box opposite to that
which the queen was to occupy.
At ten o’clock, the king’s collation, consisting of preserves and other
delicacies, was prepared in the little room on the side of the church
of St. Jean, in front of the silver buffet of the city, which was
guarded by four archers.
At midnight great cries and loud acclamations were heard. It was the
king, who was passing through the streets which led from the Louvre to
the Hôtel de Ville, and which were all illuminated with colored
lanterns.
Immediately the aldermen, clothed in their cloth robes and preceded by
six sergeants, each holding a _flambeau_ in his hand, went to attend
upon the king, whom they met on the steps, where the provost of the
merchants made him the speech of welcome—a compliment to which his
Majesty replied with an apology for coming so late, laying the blame
upon the cardinal, who had detained him till eleven o’clock, talking of
affairs of state.
His Majesty, in full dress, was accompanied by his royal Highness, M.
le Comte de Soissons, by the Grand Prior, by the Duc de Longueville, by
the Duc d’Eubœuf, by the Comte d’Harcourt, by the Comte de la
Roche-Guyon, by M. de Liancourt, by M. de Baradas, by the Comte de
Cramail, and by the Chevalier de Souveray. Everybody noticed that the
king looked dull and preoccupied.
A private room had been prepared for the king and another for Monsieur.
In each of these closets were placed masquerade dresses. The same had
been done for the queen and Madame the President. The nobles and ladies
of their Majesties’ suites were to dress, two by two, in chambers
prepared for the purpose. Before entering his closet the king desired
to be informed the moment the cardinal arrived.
Half an hour after the entrance of the king, fresh acclamations were
heard; these announced the arrival of the queen. The aldermen did as
they had done before, and preceded by their sergeants, advanced to
receive their illustrious guest. The queen entered the great hall; and
it was remarked that, like the king, she looked dull and even weary.
At the moment she entered, the curtain of a small gallery which to that
time had been closed, was drawn, and the pale face of the cardinal
appeared, he being dressed as a Spanish cavalier. His eyes were fixed
upon those of the queen, and a smile of terrible joy passed over his
lips; the queen did not wear her diamond studs.
The queen remained for a short time to receive the compliments of the
city dignitaries and to reply to the salutations of the ladies. All at
once the king appeared with the cardinal at one of the doors of the
hall. The cardinal was speaking to him in a low voice, and the king was
very pale.
The king made his way through the crowd without a mask, and the ribbons
of his doublet scarcely tied. He went straight to the queen, and in an
altered voice said, “Why, madame, have you not thought proper to wear
your diamond studs, when you know it would give me so much
gratification?”
The queen cast a glance around her, and saw the cardinal behind, with a
diabolical smile on his countenance.
“Sire,” replied the queen, with a faltering voice, “because, in the
midst of such a crowd as this, I feared some accident might happen to
them.”
“And you were wrong, madame. If I made you that present it was that you
might adorn yourself therewith. I tell you that you were wrong.”
The voice of the king was tremulous with anger. Everybody looked and
listened with astonishment, comprehending nothing of what passed.
“Sire,” said the queen, “I can send for them to the Louvre, where they
are, and thus your Majesty’s wishes will be complied with.”
“Do so, madame, do so, and that at once; for within an hour the ballet
will commence.”
The queen bent in token of submission, and followed the ladies who were
to conduct her to her room. On his part the king returned to his
apartment.
There was a moment of trouble and confusion in the assembly. Everybody
had remarked that something had passed between the king and queen; but
both of them had spoken so low that everybody, out of respect, withdrew
several steps, so that nobody had heard anything. The violins began to
sound with all their might, but nobody listened to them.
The king came out first from his room. He was in a most elegant hunting
costume; and Monsieur and the other nobles were dressed like him. This
was the costume that best became the king. So dressed, he really
appeared the first gentleman of his kingdom.
The cardinal drew near to the king, and placed in his hand a small
casket. The king opened it, and found in it two diamond studs.
“What does this mean?” demanded he of the cardinal.
“Nothing,” replied the latter; “only, if the queen has the studs, which
I very much doubt, count them, sire, and if you only find ten, ask her
Majesty who can have stolen from her the two studs that are here.”
The king looked at the cardinal as if to interrogate him; but he had
not time to address any question to him—a cry of admiration burst from
every mouth. If the king appeared to be the first gentleman of his
kingdom, the queen was without doubt the most beautiful woman in
France.
It is true that the habit of a huntress became her admirably. She wore