Part 56 (1/2)
When D'Artagnan returned to the Palais Royal at five o'clock, it presented, in spite of the excitereatest rejoicing Nor was that surprising The queen had restored Broussel and Blanc to fear, since the people had nothing more just then to ask for The return, also, of the conqueror of Lens was the pretext for giving a grand banquet The princes and princesses were invited and their carriages had crowded the court since noon; then after dinner the queen was to have a play in her apartment Anne of Austria had never appeared race and wit Mazarin disappeared as they rose fro for him already at his post in the ante-roo him by the hand led hinan,” said the reatest proof of confidence that a nan, bowing, ”that you give it, my lord, without hesitation and with the conviction that I am worthy of it”
”More worthy than any one in Paris my dear friend; therefore I apply to you We are about to leave this evening,” continued Mazarin ”My dear M d'Artagnan, the welfare of the state is deposited in your hands” He paused
”Explain yourself, ”
”The queen has resolved toto Saint Gernan, ”that is to say, the queen wishes to leave Paris”
”A woman's caprice--you understand”
”Yes, I understand perfectly,” said D'Artagnan
”It was for this she su and that she told you to return at five o'clock”
”Was it worth while to wishthat I would nan ”Oh, women! women! whether queens or not, they are always the same”
”Do you disapprove of this journey, nan?” asked Mazarin, anxiously
”I, nan; ”why should I?”
”Because you shrug your shoulders”
”It is a way I have of speaking to myself I neither approve nor disapprove, my lord; I ly, that I have pitched upon to conduct the king and the queen to Saint Gernan
”You see, therefore,” continued the cardinal, perceiving D'Artagnan's composure, ”that, as I have told you, the welfare of the state is placed in your hands”
”Yes, e”
”You accept, however?”
”I always accept”
”Do you think the thing possible?”
”Everything is possible”
”Shall you be attacked on the road?”
”Probably”
”And ill you do in that case?”
”I shall pass through those who attack h them?”
”So much the worse for them; I shall pass over the and queen in safety also, at Saint Germain?”
”Yes”
”On your life?”
”On azing at the nan smiled
”And I?” asked Mazarin, after a moment's silence
”How? and you, my lord?”
”If I wish to leave?”
”That would be ht be recognized”
”Even under this disguise?” asked Mazarin, raising a cloak which covered an arm-chair, upon which lay a coray and red, entirely euised it will be al more freely
”But it will be necessary for your eminence to do what the other day you declared you should have done in our place--cry, 'Doith Mazarin!'”
”I will: 'Doith Mazarin'”
”In French, in good French, my lord, take care of your accent; they killed six thousand Angevins in Sicily because they pronounced Italian badly Take care that the French do not take their revenge on you for the Sicilian vespers”
”I will do my best”
”The streets are full of arnan ”Are you sure that no one is aware of the queen's project?”
Mazarin reflected
”This affair would give a fine opportunity for a traitor,attacked would be an excuse for everything”