Part 23 (1/2)
”The king has no will but that which policy dictates, but that which reasons of state impose upon him”
”Oh! it is because you have no love,” cried Mary; ”if you loved, sire, you would have a will”
On pronouncing these words, Mary raised her eyes to her lover, whom she saw more pale and more cast down than an exile who is about to quit his native land forever ”Accuse , ”but do not say I do not love you”
A long silence followed these words, which the young king had pronounced with a perfectly true and profound feeling ”I am unable to think that to-morrow, and after to-oing to end my sad days at a distance from Paris; that the lips of an old man, of an unknown, should touch that hand which you hold within yours; no, in truth, I cannot think of all that,my poor heart burst with despair”
And Marie de Mancini did shed floods of tears On his part, the king, much affected, carried his handkerchief to his es have stopped, my sister waits for me, the time is come; what you are about to decide upon will be decided for life Oh, sire! you are willing, then, that I should lose you? You are willing, then, Louis, that she to who to another than to her king, to her e! One word, a single word! Say 'I will!' and all my life is enchained to yours, and allmade no reply Mary then looked at him as Dido looked at Aeneas in the Elysian fields, fierce and disdainful
”Farewell, then,” said she; ”farewell life! love! heaven!”
And she took a step away The king detained her, seizing her hand, which he pressed to his lips, and despair prevailing over the resolution he appeared to have inwardly for tear of regret, which made Mary start, so really had that tear burnt her She saw the hu, his pale brow, his convulsed lips, and cried, with an accent that cannot be described,--
”Oh, sire! you are a king, you weep, and yet I depart!”
As his sole reply, the king hid his face in his handkerchief The officer uttered sohtened the horses
Made's ar to the coacho on, and quick!”
The coache rocked upon its creaking axle, whilst the king of France, alone, cast down, annihilated, did not dare to look either behind or before hi and the Lieutenant each give Proofs of Me, like all the people in the world who are in love, had long and attentively watched disappear in the distance the carriage which bore away his ain a hundred tith succeeded in sohts, he recollected that he was not alone The officer still held the horse by the bridle, and had not lost all hope of seeing the king recover his resolution He had still the resource of e; they would have lost nothing by waiting a little But the iination of the lieutenant of the musketeers was too rich and too brilliant; it left far behind it that of the king, who took care not to allow himself to be carried away to such excess He contented hi the officer, and in a doleful voice, ”Coone; all is ended To horse!”
The officer ie, this slowness, this sadness, and leisurelypushed on sharply, the lieutenant followed hie Louis turned around for the last time The lieutenant, patient as a God who has eternity behind and before hiroundless, nothing appeared Louis gained the street which led to the castle, and entered as seven was striking When the king had returned, and the , had seen a corner of the tapestry over the cardinal'slifted up, he breathed a profound sigh, like a htest bonds, and said in a low voice:
”Now then,suentleman ”Please to understand I shall receive nobody before two o'clock,” said he
”Sire,” replied the gentleman, ”there is, however, some one who requests admittance”
”Who is that?”
”Your lieutenant of musketeers”