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Chapter LXII
Chapter LXII
Two Varities Of Demons
"Ah!" cried milady and Rochefort together, "is that you?"
"Yes it is."
"And you come?" - asked milady.
"From La Rochelle - and you?"
"From England."
"Buckingham?"
"Dead or desperately wounded, as I left without being able to obtain
anything of him. A fanatic has just assassinated him."
"Ah!" said Rochefort, with a smile "this is a fortunate chance - one
that will delight his eminence! Have you informed him of it?"
"I wrote to him from Boulogne. But what brings you here?"
"His eminence was uneasy, and sent me to inquire after you."
"I only arrived yesterday."
"And what have you been doing since yesterday?"
"I have not lost my time."
"Oh! I have no fear of that."
"Do you know whom I have found here?"
"No."
"Guess."
"How can I?"
"That young woman whom the queen took out of prison."
"The mistress of that fellow D`Artagnan?"
"Yes, Madame Bonacieux, with whose retreat the cardinal was
unacquainted."
"Upon my word!" said De Rochefort, "here is a chance that may be paired
with the other! Truly, Monsieur le Cardinal is a privileged man!"
"Imagine my astonishment," continued milady, "when I found myself face
to face with this woman."
"Does she know you?"
"No."
"Then she looks upon you as a stranger?"
Milady smiled.
"I am her best friend."
"Upon my honor, it is only you, my fair countess, that can perform such
miracles!"
"And it is well I can, chevalier," said milady; "for do you know what
is going on here?"
"No."
"She is about to be taken away to-morrow, or the day after, with an
order from the queen."
"Indeed! And who is going to do that?"
"D`Artagnan and his friends."
"They certainly will go so far we shall be obliged to put them into the
Bastille at last."
"Why is it not done already?"
"Why, because M. le Cardinal has a weakness with respect to these men
which I cannot at all account for."
"Indeed!"
"Yes."
"Well then! tell him this, Rochefort: tell him that our conversation
at the auberge of the Colombier Rouge was overheard by these four men; tell
him that, after his departure, one of them came up to me, and took from me,
by violence, the safe-conduct which he had given me; tell him they warned
Lord de Winter of my passage to England; that this time they had nearly made
me fail in my mission, as they did in the affair of the studs; tell him that,
among these four men, two only are to be feared - D`Artagnan and Athos: tell
him that the third, Aramis, is the lover of Madame de Chevreuse; he may be
left alone, we know his secret, and it may be useful; as to the fourth,
Porthos, he is a fool, a simpleton, a blustering booby, not worth troubling
himself about."
"But these four men must be now at the siege of La Rochelle?"
"I thought so too, but a letter which Madame Bonacieux had received from
Madame la Connetable, and which she has had the imprudence to show me, leads
me to believe that these four men, on the contrary, are on the road hither
to take her away."
"The devil! what`s to be done?"
"What did the cardinal say with respect to me?"
"I was to take your despatches, written or verbal, to return post; and
when he shall know what you have done, he will think of what you have to do."
"I must then remain here?"
"Here, or in the environs."
"You cannot take me with you?"
"No; the order is imperative: near the camp, you might be recognized;
and your presence, you must be aware, would compromise the cardinal."
"Then I must wait here or in this neighborhood?"
"Only tell me, beforehand, where you will wait for commands from the
cardinal: let me know always where to find you."
"But, observe, it is probable I may not be able to remain here."
"Why not?"
"You forgot that my enemies may arrive at any minute."
"That`s true; but then, is this little woman to escape his eminence?"
"Bah!" said milady, with a smile that only belonged to herself, "did not
I tell you I was her best friend?"
"Ah that`s true, likewise; I may then tell the cardinal, with respect
to this little woman - "
"That he may be at ease."
"Is that all?"
"He will know what that means."
"He will guess, at least. Now, then, what had I better do?"
"Set off back again directly; it appears to me that the news you bear
is worth the trouble of a little diligence."
"My chaise broke down coming into Lilliers."
"I am glad of that."
"Why, glad of that?"
"Yes, I am; I want your chaise."
"And how shall I travel, then - "
"On horseback."
"You ealk very much at your ease; a hundred and eighty leagues?"
"What`s that?"
"Well, that may be done; and then?"
"Then? why, in passing through Lilliers you will send me your chaise,
with an order to your servant to place himself at my disposal."
"Well."
"You have, no doubt, about you some order from the cardinal?"
"I have my full power."
"Show it to the abbess, and tell her that some one will come and fetch
me, either to-day or to-morrow, and that I am to follow the person who
presents himself in your name."
"Very well."
"Don`t forget to treat me harshly, in speaking of me to the abbess."
"To what purpose?"
"I am a victim of the cardinal. I must inspire confidence in that poor
little Madame Bonacieux."
"That`s true. Now, will you make me a report of all that has happened?"
"Why, I have related the events to you, you have a good memory, repeat
what I have told you; a paper may be lost."
"You are right; only let me know where to find you, that I may not lose
my time in hunting for you about the neighborhood."
"That`s correct; wait a minute."
"Do you want a map?"
"Oh! I know this country well."
"You? when were you here before?"
"I was brought up here."
"Indeed!"
"It is worth something, you see, to have been brought up somewhere."
"You will wait for me, then?"
"Let me reflect a little: ay, that will do, at Armentieres."
"Where is that Armentieres?"
"A little town upon the Lys; I only shall have to cross the river, and
I shall be in a foreign country."
"Just so! but it is understood you will only cross the river in case
of danger."
"Certainly not."
"And in that case, how shall I know where you are?"
"You do not want your lackey?"
"No."
"Is he to be depended on?"
"Perfectly."
"Give him to me, then; nobody knows him; I will leave him at the place
I may quit, and he will conduct you to me."
"And you say you will wait for me at Armentieres?"
"At Armentieres."
"Write that name on a piece of paper, lest I should forget it; there is
no fear of compromising yourself in that; a name of a town, is it not?"
"Eh! who knows? never mind," said milady, writing the name upon half
a sheet of paper; "I will commit myself."
"That will do," said Rochefort, taking the paper from milady, folding
it, and placing it in the lining of his hat; "besides, to make sure, I will
do as children do, for fear of losing the paper, repeat the name as I go
along. Now, is that all?"
"I believe so."
"Let us see; Buckingham dead, or grievously wounded; your conversation
with the cardinal overheard by the four musketeers; De Winter warned of your
arrival at Portsmouth; D`Artagnan and Athos to the Bastille; Aramis the lover
of Madame de Chevreuse; Porthos a fool; Madame Bonacieux found again; to send
you the chaise as soon as possible; to place my lackey at your disposal; to
make you out to be a victim of the cardinal, in order that the abbess may
entertain no suspicion; Armentieres, on the banks of the Lys. Is that all
correct?"
"In good truth, my dear chevalier, you are a miracle of memory.
Apropos, add one thing - "
"What is that?"
"I saw some very pretty woods which come close to the convent garden;
say that I may be permitted to walk in those woods; who knows? perhaps I
shall stand in need of a back door to go out at."
"You think of everything."
"And you forget one thing."
"What`s that?"
"To ask me if I want any money."
"That`s true, how much do you want?"
"All you have in gold."
"I have five hundred pistoles, or thereabouts."
"I have as much; with a thousand pistoles we may face everything. Empty
your pockets."
"There it is, then."
"That`s well! when do you start?"
"In an hour - time to eat a morsel, during which I shall send some one
to look for a post-horse."
"All well! Adieu, chevalier!"
"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 his horse`s best speed; five
hours after that he passed through Arras.
Our readers already know that he was recognized by D`Artagnan, and how
that recognition, by inspiring fear in the four musketeers, had given fresh
activity to their journey.
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