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

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  Speaker 1: Chapter eighty six Conferences. Mazarin turned by lock of a
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  Speaker 1: double door on the threshold of which they found Athos
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  Speaker 1: ready to receive his illustrious guests. According to the notice
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  Speaker 1: Comminge had given him. On perceiving Mazarin, he bowed your eminence,
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  Speaker 1: he said, might have dispensed with your attendants. The honor
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  Speaker 1: bestowed on me is too great for me to be
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  Speaker 1: unmindful of it. And so, my dear count, said d'artagan,
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  Speaker 1: his eminence didn't actually insist on our attending him. It
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  Speaker 1: is du Vallon and I who have insisted, and even
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  Speaker 1: in a manner somewhat impolite, perhaps so great was our
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  Speaker 1: longing to see you. At that voice, that mocking tone,
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  Speaker 1: and that familiar gesture accenting voice and tone, Athos made
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  Speaker 1: a bound of surprise. D'artallan Porthos, he exclaimed, my very self,
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  Speaker 1: dear friend me also repeated, porthos. What means this, asked
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  Speaker 1: the cat. It means, replied Mazarin, trying to smile and
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  Speaker 1: biting his lips in the attempt that our parts are changed,
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  Speaker 1: and that instead of these gentlemen being my prisoners, I
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  Speaker 1: am theirs. But gentlemen I warn you, Unless you kill me,
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  Speaker 1: your victory will be of very short duration. People will
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  Speaker 1: come to the rescue. Ah, my lord, cried the gascon.
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  Speaker 1: Don't threaten tis a bad example. We are so good
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  Speaker 1: and gentle to your eminence. Come, let us put aside
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  Speaker 1: all rancor and talk pleasantly. There's nothing I wish more,
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  Speaker 1: replied Mazarin. But don't think yourselves in a better position
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  Speaker 1: than you are in ensnaring me. You have fallen into
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  Speaker 1: the trap yourselves. How are you to get away from here?
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  Speaker 1: Remember the soldiers and sentinels who guard these doors. Now,
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  Speaker 1: I'm going to show you how. Sincere I am good,
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  Speaker 1: thought d'Artagnan, we must look about us. He's going to
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  Speaker 1: play us a trick. I offered you your liberty, continued
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  Speaker 1: the minister. Will you take it? Before an hour has passed?
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  Speaker 1: You will be discovered, arrested, obliged to kill me, which
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  Speaker 1: would be a crime unworthy of loyal gentlemen like you.
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  Speaker 1: He is right, thought Athos, And like every other reflection
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  Speaker 1: passing in a mind that entertained none but noble thoughts,
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  Speaker 1: this feeling was expressed in his eyes, And therefore said
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  Speaker 1: d'Artagnan to clip the hope which Athos's tacit adhesion had
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  Speaker 1: imparted to Mazarin, we shall not proceed to that violence,
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  Speaker 1: save in a last extremity. If, on the contrary resumed Mazarin,
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  Speaker 1: you accept your liberty, why you, my lord, might take
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  Speaker 1: it away from us in less than five minutes afterward,
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  Speaker 1: And from my knowledge of you, I believe you will
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  Speaker 1: so take it away from us. No, on the faith
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  Speaker 1: of a cardinal. You do not believe me, my lord.
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  Speaker 1: I never believe cardinals who are not priests. Well, on
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  Speaker 1: the faith of a minister, you are no longer a minister,
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  Speaker 1: my Lord, you are a prisoner. Then, on the honor
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  Speaker 1: of a Mazarin, as I am and ever shall be,
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  Speaker 1: I hope, said the cardinal. Rumph replied d'Artagnan. I've heard
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  Speaker 1: speak of a Mazarin who had not much religion when
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  Speaker 1: his oaths were in question. I fear he may have
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  Speaker 1: been an ancestor of your eminence. Monsieur d'Artagnan. You're a
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  Speaker 1: great wit, and I am really sorry to be on
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  Speaker 1: bad terms with you. My Lord. Let us come to terms.
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  Speaker 1: I ask nothing better. Very well, said Mazarin. If I
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  Speaker 1: place you in security, in a manner evident palpable. Ah,
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  Speaker 1: that is another thing, said Porthos. Let us see, said Athos,
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  Speaker 1: let us see, said d'Artagnan. In the first place, do
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  Speaker 1: you accept, asked the cardinal. Unfold your plan, my lord,
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  Speaker 1: and we will see. Take notice that you are shut
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  Speaker 1: up captured. You well know, my lord, that there always
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  Speaker 1: remains to us a last resource. What that of dying together?
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  Speaker 1: Mazarin shuddered. Listen, he said, At the end of yonder
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  Speaker 1: corridor is a door of which I have the key.
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  Speaker 1: It leads into the park. Go and take this key
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  Speaker 1: with you. You are active, vigorous, and you have arms.
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  Speaker 1: At a hundred steps on, turning to the left, you
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  Speaker 1: will find the wall of the park. Get over it,
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  Speaker 1: and in three leaps you will be on the road
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  Speaker 1: and free. Ah. By jove, my lord, said d'artaine. You
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  Speaker 1: have well said, but these are only words. Where is
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  Speaker 1: the key you speak of? Here? It is, ah, my lord.
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  Speaker 1: You will conduct us yourself then to that door, very willingly,
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  Speaker 1: if it be necessary to reassure you, answered the minister,
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  Speaker 1: and Mazarin, who was delighted to get off so cheaply,
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  Speaker 1: led the way in high spirits to the corridor and
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  Speaker 1: opened the door. It led into the park as the
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  Speaker 1: three fugitives perceived by the night breeze, which rushed in
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  Speaker 1: the corridor and blew the wind into their faces. The
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  Speaker 1: devil exclaimed the gascon tis a dreadful night, my lord.
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  Speaker 1: We don't know the locality and shall never find the wall.
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  Speaker 1: Since your eminence has come so far, come a few
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  Speaker 1: steps further. Conduct us, my lord, to the wall. Be it,
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  Speaker 1: so replied the cardinal, and walking in a straight line,
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  Speaker 1: he went to the wall at the foot of which
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  Speaker 1: they all four arrived at the same instant. Are you satisfied, gentlemen,
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  Speaker 1: asked Mazarin. I think so. Indeed, we should be hard
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  Speaker 1: to please if we were not Jews. Take it, three
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  Speaker 1: poor gentlemen, escorted by a prince of the church. Ah
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  Speaker 1: a papos, my lord, you remarked that we were all active,
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  Speaker 1: vigorous and armed. Yes, you are mistaken. Monsieur de Villone
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  Speaker 1: and I are the only two who are armed. The
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  Speaker 1: Count is not, and should we meet with one of
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  Speaker 1: your patrol, we must defend ourselves. Tis true. Where can
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  Speaker 1: we find another sword? Asked Porthos, my lord, said d'Artagnan,
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  Speaker 1: will lend his which is of no use to him,
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  Speaker 1: to the Comte de la fere. Willingly, said the Cardinal.
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  Speaker 1: I will even ask the Count to keep it for
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  Speaker 1: my sake. I promise you, my lord, never to part
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  Speaker 1: with it, replied Athos. Well, well, cried d'Artagnan. This reconciliation
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  Speaker 1: is truly touching. Have you not tears in your eyes? Porthos, yes,
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  Speaker 1: said Porthos, But I do not know if it is
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  Speaker 1: feeling or the wind that makes me weep. I think
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  Speaker 1: it is the wind. Now climb up, Athos quickly, said d'Artagnan. Athos,
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  Speaker 1: assisted by Porthos, who lifted him up like a feather,
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  Speaker 1: arrived at the top. Now jump down, Athos. Athos jumped
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  Speaker 1: and disappeared on the other side of the wall. Are
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  Speaker 1: you on the ground, asked d'Artagnan. Yes, without accident, perfectly
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  Speaker 1: safe and sound. Porthos, whilst I get up, watch the Cardinal. No,
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  Speaker 1: I don't want your help. Watch the Cardinal I am watching,
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  Speaker 1: said Porthos. Well, you are right, it is more difficult
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  Speaker 1: than I thought. Let me your back, but don't let
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  Speaker 1: the Cardinal go. Porthos lent him his back and d'Artagnan
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  Speaker 1: was soon on the summit of the wall, where he
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  Speaker 1: seated himself. Mazarin pretended to laugh. Are you there, asked Porthos, Yes,
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  Speaker 1: my friend, And now now what asked Porthos, Now give
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  Speaker 1: me the cardinal up here? If he makes any noise,
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  Speaker 1: stifle him. Mazarin wished to cool out, but Porthos held
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  Speaker 1: him tight and passed him to d'Artagnan, who seized him
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  Speaker 1: by the neck and made him sit down by him. Then,
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  Speaker 1: in a menacing tone, he said, sir, jump directly down
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  Speaker 1: close to Monsieur de la fere or on the honor
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  Speaker 1: of a gentleman. I'll kill you. Monsieur masche p Sure,
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  Speaker 1: cried Mazarin, you are breaking your word to me. I
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  Speaker 1: did I promise you anything, my lord Mazarin groaned. You
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  Speaker 1: are free, he said through me. Your liberty was my ransom, agreed,
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  Speaker 1: But the ransom of that immense treasure buried under the
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  Speaker 1: gallery to which one descends on pushing a spring hidden
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  Speaker 1: in the wall, which causes a tub to turn, revealing
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  Speaker 1: a staircase. Must not one speak of that a little,
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  Speaker 1: my lord, dia Avelo, cried. Mazarin almost choked and clasping
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  Speaker 1: his hands, I am a lost and ruined man. But
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  Speaker 1: without listening to his protestations of alarm, d'Artagnan slipped him
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  Speaker 1: gently down into the arms of Athos, who stood immovable
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  Speaker 1: at the bottom of the wall. Porthos next made an
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  Speaker 1: effort which shook the solid wall, and by the aid
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  Speaker 1: of his friend's hand, gained the summit. I didn't understand
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  Speaker 1: it all, he said, but I understand now how droll
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  Speaker 1: it is. Do you think so so much the better?
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  Speaker 1: But that it may prove laughter worthy even to the end.
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  Speaker 1: Let us not lose time, and he jumped off the wall.
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  Speaker 1: Parthos did the same. Attend to Monsieur le Carnell. Gentlemen,
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  Speaker 1: said d'Artagnan, for myself, I will reconnoiter. The Gascon then
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  Speaker 1: drew his sword and marched as a vantguard. My lord,
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  Speaker 1: he said, which way do we go? Think well of
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  Speaker 1: your reply, for should your eminence be mistaken, there might
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  Speaker 1: ensue most grave results for all of us along the wall, Sir,
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  Speaker 1: said Mazarin, there will be no danger of losing yourselves.
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  Speaker 1: The three friends hastened on, but in a short time
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  Speaker 1: were obliged to slacken the pace. The Cardinal could not
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  Speaker 1: keep up with him, though with every wish to do so.
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  Speaker 1: Suddenly that ion touched something warm which moved Stop a horse,
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  Speaker 1: He cried, I've found a horse, and I likewise said Athos,
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  Speaker 1: I too, said Porthos, who, faithful to the instruction, still
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  Speaker 1: held the cardinal's arm. There's luck, my lord, just as
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  Speaker 1: you were complaining of being tired and obliged to walk.
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  Speaker 1: But as he spoke, the barrel of a pistol was
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  Speaker 1: presented at his breast, and these words pronounced, touch it
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  Speaker 1: not Grimaud, he cried, Grimaud, what art thou about? Why
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  Speaker 1: thou art posted here by heaven? No, sir, said the
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  Speaker 1: honest servant. It was Monsieur Aramis who posted me here
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  Speaker 1: to take care of the horses. Is aramis here? Yes, sir,
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  Speaker 1: he's been here since yesterday? What are you doing on
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  Speaker 1: the watch? What aramis here? Cried Athos At the lesser
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  Speaker 1: gate of the castle, he's posted there? Are you a
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  Speaker 1: large party? Sixty? Let him know this moment, sir, And,
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  Speaker 1: believing that no one could execute the commission better than himself,
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  Speaker 1: Grimaud set off at full speed, whilst enchanted at being
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  Speaker 1: altogether again, the friends awaited his return. There was no
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  Speaker 1: one in the whole group in a bad humor except
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  Speaker 1: Carna Mazarin end of chapter eighty six.