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83 - Twenty Years After by Alexandre Dumas · Twenty Years After

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Eighty three strength and sagacity. Now let us pass the
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: Orangerie to the hunting lodge at the extremity of the
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: court yard, where close to a portico formed of ionic columns,
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: where the dark kennels rose an oblong building the pavilion
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: of the Orangerie a half circle inclosing the court of honor.
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: It was in this pavilion, on the ground floor, that
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: d'Artagnan and Porthos were confined, suffering interminable hours of imprisonment
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: in a manner suitable to each different temperament. d'Artagnan was
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: pacing to and fro like a caged tiger with dilated eyes,
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: growling as he paced along by the bars of a window,
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: looking upon the yard of servants offices. Porthos was ruminating
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: over an excellent dinner he had just demolished. The one
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: seemed to be deprived of reason, yet he was meditating.
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: The others seemed to meditate, yet he was more than
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: half asleep. But his sleep was a nightmare, which might
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: be guessed by the incoherent manner in which he sometimes
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: snored and sometimes snorted. Look, said d'Artagnan. Day is declining.
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: It must be nearly four o'clock. We've been in this
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  Speaker 1: place nearly eighty three hours, hum muttered Porthos, with a
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: kind of pretense of answering. Did you hear eternal sleeper?
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: Cried Tathayan, irritated that any one could doze during the
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: day when he had the greatest difficulty in sleeping during
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: the night. What said Porthos, I say, we have been
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: here eighty three hours? Tis your fault? Answered Porthos, How
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  Speaker 1: my fault? Yes, I offered you escape by pulling out
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: a bar and pushing down a door. Certainly, Porthos, men
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: like us can't go out from here purely and simply faith,
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: said Porthos. As for me, I could go out with
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: that purity and that simplicity, which it seems to me
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: you despised too much. D'artagn shrugged his shoulders. And besides,
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: he said, going out of this chamber isn't all, dear friend,
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: said Porthos, you appear to be an somewhat better humor
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: to day than you were yesterday. Explain to me why
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: going out of this chamber isn't everything. Because having neither
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  Speaker 1: arms nor password, we shouldn't take fifty steps in the
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: court without knocking against the sentinel. Very well, said Porthos.
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: We will kill the sentinel, and we shall have his arms. Yes,
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: But before we can kill him, and he will be
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: hard to kill, that Swiss, he will shriek out, and
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: the whole picket will come, and we shall be taken
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: like foxes, we who are allions, and thrown into some dungeon,
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: where we shall not even have the consolation of seeing
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: this frightful gray sky of Rouel, which no more resembles
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: the sky of Tabs than the moon is like the
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: sun lack a day. If we only had some one
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  Speaker 1: to instruct us about the physical and moral topography of
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: this castle. Hah. When one thinks that for twenty years,
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: during which time I did not know what to do
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  Speaker 1: with myself, it never occurred to me to come to
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: study Roure, what difference does that make, said Parthos. We
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: shall go out all the same. Do you know, my
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: dear fellow, why master pastrycooks never work with their hands, No,
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: said Porthos, but should be glad to be informed. It
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: is because, in the presence of their pupils, they fear
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: that some of their tarts or creams may turn out
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: badly cooked. What then, Why then they would be laughed at?
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: And a master pastry cook must never be laughed at.
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: And what have master pastrycooks to do with us? We ought,
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: in our adventures never to be defeated, or give anyone
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: a chance to laugh at us in England? Lately we failed.
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: We were beaten, and that is a blemish on our reputation.
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: By whom then were we beaten, asked Porthos by Mordaunt. Yes,
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: but we have drowned Monsieur mordon That is true, and
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: that will redeem us a little in the eyes of posterity,
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: if posterity ever looks at us. But listen, Porthos, Though
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: Monsieur Mordaunt was a man not to be despised, Mazarin
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: is not less strong than he, and we shall not
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: easily succeed in drowning him. We must therefore watch and
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  Speaker 1: play a close game. For he added with a sigh,
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: we two are equal perhaps to eight others, but we
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: are not equal to the four that you know of.
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: That is true, said Porthos, echoing d'artagnan's sigh. Well, Porthos,
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  Speaker 1: follow my examples, walk back and forth till some news
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  Speaker 1: of our friends reaches us or till we are visited
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  Speaker 1: by a good idea. But don't sleep as you do
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: all the time. Nothing dulls the intellect like sleep. As
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: to what may lie before us, it is perhaps less
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: serious than we at first thought. I don't believe that
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: Monsieur de Mazarin thinks of cutting off our heads, for
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: heads are not taken off without previous trial. A trial
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: would make a noise, and a noise would get the
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  Speaker 1: attention of our friends, who would check the operations of
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: Monsieur de Mazarin. How well you reason, said Porthos admiringly. Well, yes,
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: pretty well, replied d'Artagnan. And besides, ce se if they
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: put us on trial, if they cut off our heads,
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: they must meanwhile either keep us here or transfer us elsewhere. Yes,
• 5:11
  Speaker 1: that is inevitable, said Porthos. Well it is impossible. But
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: that Master aramis that keen scented bloodhound, and Athos that
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: wise and prudent noblemen will discover our retreat. Then believe
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: me it will be time to act. Yes, we will wait.
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: We can wait the more contentedly that it is not
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: absolutely bad here, but for one thing at least, what
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: is that did you observe d'Artagnan that three days running
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: they have brought us braised mutton. No, but if it
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: occurs a fourth time, I shall complain of it, though
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: never mind, and then I feel the loss of my house.
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: There is a long time since I visited my castles.
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: Forget them for a time. We shall return to them
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: unless Mazarin raises them to the ground. Do you think
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: that likely? No, the other cardinal would have done so,
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  Speaker 1: but this one is too mean a fellow to risk it.
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: You reconcile me d'Artagnan. Well, then assume a cheerful manner
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: as I do. You must joke with the guards. We
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: must gain the good will of the soldiers. Since we
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: can't corrupt them. Try Porthos to please them more than
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: you are wont to do when they are under our windows.
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: Thus far you have done nothing but show them your fist.
• 6:26
  Speaker 1: And the more respectable your fist is, Porthos, the less
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  Speaker 1: attractive it is. Ah. I would give much to have
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: five hundred louis. Only so would I, said Porthos. Unwilling
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  Speaker 1: to be behind d'Artagnan in generosity, I would give as
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: much as a hundred pistoles The two prisoners were at
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: this point of their conversation when Commande entered, preceded by
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: a sergeant and two men who brought supper in a
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  Speaker 1: basket with two handles filled with basins and plaits. What,
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: exclaimed Porthos, mutton again, my dear, Monsieur de commen, said d'Artagnan.
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: You will find that my friend, Monsieur du Vallant, will
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: go to the most fatal lengths if Cardinal Mazarin continues
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  Speaker 1: to provide us with this sort of meat mutton every day,
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: I declare, said Porthos, I shall eat nothing if they
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: do not take it away. Remove the mutton, cried Commde.
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: I wish Monsieur viallont to sob well more, especially as
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: I have news to give him that will improve his appetite.
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: Is Mazarin dead, asked Porthos. No, I am sorry to
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: tell you he's perfectly well. So much the worse, said Porthos.
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: What is that news, asked d'Artagnan. News in prison is
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: a fruit so rare that I trust, Monsieur de Comminge,
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: you will excuse my impatience the more eager since you
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: have given us to understand that the news is good.
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: Should you be glad to hear that the Comte de
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: la fere is well? Asked the Commande D'artagnan's penetrating gray
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: eyes were open to the utmost glad. He cried, I
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: should be more than glad, happy beyond measure. Well, I
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: am desired by him to give you his compliments and
• 8:08
  Speaker 1: to say that he is in good health. D'artagn almost
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  Speaker 1: leaped with joy. A quick glance conveyed his thought to Porthos.
• 8:17
  Speaker 1: If Athos knows where we are, if he opens communication
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  Speaker 1: with us before long, Athos will act. Porthos was not
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: very quick to understand the language of glances. But now
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: since the name of Athos has suggested to him the
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: same idea, he understood. Do you say, asked the gascon timidly,
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  Speaker 1: that the Comte la Fere has commissioned you to give
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  Speaker 1: his compliments to Monsieur le Vallon and myself. Yes, sir,
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  Speaker 1: then you have seen him. Certainly I have where, if
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  Speaker 1: I may ask without indiscretion, Near here, replied the commanche,
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  Speaker 1: smiling so near that if the windows which look on
• 8:56
  Speaker 1: the orangely were not stopped up, you could see him
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  Speaker 1: from where there you are he's wondering about the environs
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: of the castle, thought d'Artagnan. Then he said aloud you
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: met him, I dare say, in the park, hunting perhaps
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  Speaker 1: no nearer nearer. Still, look behind this wall, said the commanche,
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: knocking against the wall. Behind this wall. What is that? Then?
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  Speaker 1: Behind this wall? I was brought here by night, So
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: devil take me if I know where I am, well,
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: said Comminge. Suppose one thing. I will suppose anything you please.
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  Speaker 1: Suppose there are a window in this wall. Well, from
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: that window you would see Monsieur de la Fere at
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  Speaker 1: his The count then is in the chateau. Yes, for
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: what reason? The same as yourself. Athos a prisoner, you
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  Speaker 1: know well, replied the Comminge that there are no prisoners
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  Speaker 1: at Rey, because there is no prison. Don't let us
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: play upon words. Sir Athos has been arrested yesterday at
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: Saint Gamain. As he came out from the presence of
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: the Queen, the arms of d'artaillan fell powerless by his side.
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  Speaker 1: One might have supposed him thunderstruck, a paleness, ran like
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: a cloud over his dark sky, but disappeared immediately. A prisoner,
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  Speaker 1: he reiterated a prisoner, repeated Porthos, quite dejected. Suddenly d'Artagnan
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: looked up, and in his eyes there was a gleam,
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: which scarcely even Porthos observed, But it died away, and
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: he appeared more sorrowful than before. Come Come, said Commande, who,
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: since d'artayan on the day of Boiselle's arrest, had saved
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: him from the hands of the Parisians, had entertained a
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  Speaker 1: real affection for him. Don't be unhappy. I never thought
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: of bringing you bad news. Lave at the chance which
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: has brought your friend near to you, Monsieur de Vallen,
• 10:51
  Speaker 1: instead of being in the death of despair about it.
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: But d'Artagnan was still in a desponding mood. And how
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: did he look, asked Porthos, who, perceiving that d'artagan had
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: allowed the conversation to drop, profited by it to put
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: in a word or two. Very well, indeed, Sir, replied Commandche.
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: At first, like you, he seemed distressed. But when he
• 11:13
  Speaker 1: heard that the Cardinal was going to pay him a
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: visit this very evening, ah, cried d'Artagnan. The Cardinal is
• 11:19
  Speaker 1: about to visit the Comte de la Fere. Yes, and
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: the Count desired me to tell you that he should
• 11:25
  Speaker 1: take advantage of this visit to plead for you and
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: for himself. Ah, our dear count, said d'artaian. A fine thing,
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: indeed grunted porthos, A great favor zeunds. Monsieur de Comte
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: de la Fere, whose family is allied to the Montmonci
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: and the Rurhan, is easily the equal of Monsieur de Mazarin.
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: No matter, said d'Artagnan, in his most wheedling tone. On reflection,
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: my dear du Vallen, it is a great honor for
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: the Comte de la Fere, and gives good reason to hope.
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: In fact, it seems to me so great an honor
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: for a prisoner that I think Monsieur de Commine must
• 12:03
  Speaker 1: be mistaken. What I am mistaken? Monsieur de Mazarin will
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: not come to visit the Comte de la Fere, but
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: the Comte de la Fere will be sent for to
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: visit him. No, no, no, said Comminge, who made a
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: point of having the facts appear exactly as they were.
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: I clearly understood what the Cardinal said to me, he
• 12:22
  Speaker 1: will come and visit the Comte de la Fere. d'Artagnan
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: tried to gather from the expression of his eyes whether
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: Porthos understood the importance of that visit, but Porthos did
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: not even look toward him. It is then the cardinal's
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: custom to walk in his rangerie, asked d'Artagnan. Every evening
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: he shuts himself in there, that, it seems, is where
• 12:43
  Speaker 1: he meditates on state affairs. In that case, said d'Artagnan,
• 12:48
  Speaker 1: I begin to believe that Monsieur de la Fere will
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: receive the visit of his eminence. He will of course
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: have an escort, Yes, two soldiers, and will he talk
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: thus of affairs in presence of two strangers. The soldiers
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: are Swiss who understand only German. Besides, according to all probability,
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: they will wait at the door. d'Artagnan made a violent
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: effort over himself to keep his face from being too expressive.
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: Let the Cardinal take care of going alone to visit
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: the Comte de la Fere, said d'Artagnan, For the count
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: must be furious. Commene began to laugh, ho oh, why really,
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: Von would say that you four were anthropefaggy. The Count's
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: an affable man. Besides, he is an aunt At the
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: first word from his eminence that two soldiers about him
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: would run to his assistance. Two soldiers, said d'Artagnan, seeming
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: to remember something, two soldiers. Yes, that then is why
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: I hear two men called every evening, and see them
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: walking sometimes for half an hour under my window. That's it.
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: They are waiting for the Cardinal, or rather for Bernond,
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: who comes to call them when the Cardinal goes out,
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: fine looking man. Upon my word, said d'Artagnan. They belonged
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: to the regiment that was at length which the Prince
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: assigned to the Cardinal. Ah, Monsieur, said d'artaynan, as if
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: to sum up in a word all that conversation. If
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: only his Eminence would relent and grant to Monsieur de
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: la fere our liberty, I wish it with all my heart,
• 14:22
  Speaker 1: said Commine. Then if he should forget that visit, you
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: would find no inconvenience in reminding him of it, not
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: at all. Ah, that gives me more confidence. This skillful
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: turn of the conversation would have seemed a sublime maneuver
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: to any one who could have read the gascon's soul. Now,
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: said Dafallan, I've one last favor to ask of you,
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: Monsieur de Comminge, at your service, sir, you will see
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: the Count again to morrow morning. Will you remember us
• 14:54
  Speaker 1: to him and ask him to solicit for me the
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: same favor that he will have obtained. You want the
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: cardinal to come here. No, I know my place and
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: am not so presumptuous. Let his eminence do me the
• 15:07
  Speaker 1: honor to give me a hearing. That is all I want, ah,
• 15:12
  Speaker 1: muttered Porthos, shaking his head. Never should I have thought
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: this of him? How misfortune humbles a man. I promise
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: you it shall be done, answered the Commande. Tell the
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: Count that I am well that you found me sad
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: but resigned. I am pleased, sir to hear that, and
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: the same also for Monsieur de Vallnt. Not for me,
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: cried Porthos. I am not by any means resigned. But
• 15:38
  Speaker 1: you will be resigned, my friend. Never he will become so,
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: Monsieur I know him better than he knows himself. Be silent,
• 15:47
  Speaker 1: dear du Vallon, and resign yourself. Adieu, gentlemen, said the
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: comminge sleep well, we will try. The commanche went away d'Artagnan,
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: remaining apparently in the same attitude of humble resignation. But
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: scarcely had he departed when he turned and clasped Porthos
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: in his arms with an expression not to be doubted. Huh,
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: cried Porthos, what's the matter now? Have you gone mad?
• 16:12
  Speaker 1: My dear friend? What is the matter? Returned d'artayan. We
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: are saved. I don't see that at all, answered Porthos.
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: I think we're all taken prisoners except Aramis, and that
• 16:24
  Speaker 1: our chances of getting out are lessened since one more
• 16:26
  Speaker 1: of us is caught in Mazarin's mouse trap, which is
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: far too strong for two of us, but not strong
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: enough for three of us. Returned d'artayan, I don't understand,
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: said Porthos. Never mind. Let's sit down to table and
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: take something to strengthen us for the night. What are
• 16:45
  Speaker 1: we to do then to night? To travel perhaps, but
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: sit down, dear friend, to table when one is eating.
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: Ideas flow easily after supper, when they are perfected. I
• 16:59
  Speaker 1: will communicate my plans to you. So Porthos sat down
• 17:02
  Speaker 1: to table without another word, and ate with an appetite
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: that did honor to the confidence that was ever inspired
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: in him by d'artagn's inventive imagination. End of Chapter eighty three.