Part 11 (1/2)
”Toback in his easy-chair ”Ah! dear D'Artagnan! see how regularly I live and how easy I areat,' as you well know”
”'Tis true,” replied D'Artagnan ”Yet the great soratitude”
”In that case it would be quite another thing Coht in another respect, which is in thinking that if ere to meddle in politics there could not be a better time than the present”
”How can you know that? You who never interest yourself in politics?”
”Ah! without caring about the those who are much occupied in them Poet as I am, I am intimate with Sarazin, who is devoted to the Prince de Conti, and with Monsieur de Bois-Robert, who, since the death of Cardinal Richelieu, is of all parties or any party; so that political discussions have not altogether been uninteresting to nan
”Now, my dear friend, look upon all I tell you as merely the state simply what he hears I understand that Mazarin is at this very moment extremely uneasy as to the state of affairs; that his orders are not respected like those of our forbear, the deceased cardinal, whose portrait as you see hangs yonder--for whatever reat”
”I will not contradict you there,” said D'Artagnan
”My first impressions were favorable to the minister; I said to enius this one was said to have he would eventually triumph over his enemies and would make himself feared, which in my opinion is nan n with his head which indicated that he entirely approved that doubtful maxim
”This, then,” continued Aranorant in es ment, but to ask the opinion of others, I have inquired--Eh!--my friend----”
Aramis paused
”Well? what?” asked his friend
”Well, I must mortify myself I must confess that I was enius, as I thought, he is a lio, and he got on by intrigue He is an upstart, a man of no name, ill only be the tool of a party in France He will a's revenue and pay to himself the pensions which Richelieu paid to others He is neither a gentle, but a sort of buffoon, a punchinello, a pantaloon Do you know hinan, ”there is some truth in what you say”
”Ah! it fills me with pride to find that, thanks to a common sort of penetration hich I am endowed, I am approved by a man like you, fresh from the court”
”But you speak of him, not of his party, his resources”
”It is true--the queen is for hi in his favor”
”But he will never have the king”
”A e in four years Then he has neither the parliament nor the people with him--they represent the wealth of the country; nor the nobles nor the princes, who are the nan scratched his ear He was forced to confess to hi was not only comprehensive, but just
”You see, my poor friend, that I ahtfulness; perhaps I a to Mazarin”
”I!” cried D'Artagnan, ”not in the least”
”You spoke of athen, no, I said what you say--there is a crisis at hand Well! let's fly the feather before the wind; let us join with that side to which the ill carry it and resuhts--four hearts fondly united; let us unite again, not our hearts, which have never been severed, but our courage and our fortunes Here's a good opportunity for getting sonan; I held a similar project, but as I had not nor ever shall have your fruitful, vigorous iested to me Every one nowadays wants auxiliaries; propositions have been made to me and I confess to you frankly that the coadjutor has made me speak out”
”Monsieur de Gondy! the cardinal's ene's friend, you understand Well, it is a question of serving the king, the gentle is with Mazarin”
”He is, but not willingly; in appearance, not heart; and that is exactly the snare the king's ene for the poor child”
”Ah! but this is, indeed, civil hich you propose to ”
”Yet the king will be at the head of the army on Mazarin's side”
”But his heart will be in the army commanded by the Duc de Beaufort”
”Monsieur de Beaufort? He is at Vincennes”
”Did I say Monsieur de Beaufort? Monsieur de Beaufort or another Monsieur de Beaufort or Monsieur le Prince”
”But Monsieur le Prince is to set out for the army; he is entirely devoted to the cardinal”
”Oh oh!” said Aramis, ”there are questions between them at this very moment And besides, if it is not the prince, then Monsieur de Gondy----”
”But Monsieur de Gondy is to bethe hat for hiht? Come now, recall the four cardinals that at the head of armies have equalled Monsieur de Guebriant and Monsieur de Gassion”
”But a hueneral!
”Under the cuirass the hump will not be seen Besides, remember that Alexander was lareat advantage in adhering to this party?” asked D'Artagnan
”I foresee in it the aid of powerful princes”
”With the enovernment”
”Counteracted by parliament and insurrections”
”Thatfrom his mother”
”That nan ”You, Aramis, know Anne of Austria better than I do Do you think she will ever forget that her son is her safeguard, her shi+eld, the pledge for her dignity, for her fortune and her life? Should she forsake Mazarin she o over to the princes' side; but you know better than I do that there are certain reasons why she can never abandon Mazarin”
”Perhaps you are right,” said Arae myself”
”To them or to us, do you mean, Aramis?”
”To no one I am a priest,” resued to read any breviary I have a jolly little circle of witty abbes and pretty wooes on smoothly, so certainly, dear friend, I shall not meddle in politics”
”Well, listen, nan; ”your philosophy convincesme and made me ambitious I have a post by which I live; at the death of Monsieur de Treville, who is old, Iberth for a once penniless Gascon Instead of running after adventures I shall accept an invitation froo and shoot on his estate You know he has estates--Porthos?”