Part 101 (1/2)
This arrangee of D'Artagnan, which she knew, and the cardinal in the strength of Porthos, which he had experienced
The royal procession set out for Paris Guitant and Couards, nan on one side, Porthos on the other; then the musketeers, for two and twenty years staunch friends of D'Artagnan During twenty he had been lieutenant, their captain since the night before
The cortege proceeded to Notre Dame, where a Te Deum was chanted All Paris were in the streets The Sere drawn up along the road, but as the road was long, they were placed at six or eight feet distant from each other and one deep only This force was therefore wholly insufficient, and froh by the people and was forh it proceeded only fro and queen, Anne looked at D'Artagnan anxiously
Mazarin, who had dispensed a thousand louis to ly no confidence in acclaht at twenty pistoles each, kept one eye on Porthos; but that gigantic body-guard replied to the look with his great bass voice, ”Be tranquil, my lord,” and Mazarin became more and more composed
At the Palais Royal, the crohich had flowed in froreater; like an ie and rolled tumultuously into the Rue Saint Honore
When the procession reached the palace, loud cries of ”Long live their majesties!” resounded Mazarin leaned out of theOne or two shouts of ”Long live the cardinal” saluted his shadow; but instantly hisses and yells stifled them remorselessly Mazarin turned pale and shrank back in the coach
”Low-born fellows!” ejaculated Porthos
D'Artagnan said nothing, but twirled his esture which showed that his fine Gascon humor ake
Anne of Austria bent down and whispered in the young king's ear: ”Say sonan,leaned toward the door
”I have not said good-nan,” he said; ”nevertheless, I have remarked you It was you ere behind ht the Parisians wished to seepermits me,” returned the Gascon, ”I shall be near hier to be encountered”
”Sir,” said Mazarin to Porthos, ”ould you do if the crowd fell upon us?”
”Kill as many as I could,as you are, you could not kill the on his saddle, in order that he ht appraise the immense crowd, ”there are a lot of them”
”I think I should like the other fellow better than this one,” said Mazarin to hie
The queen and her minister, more especially the latter, had reason to feel anxious The crohilst preserving an appearance of respect and even of affection for the king and queen regent, began to be tumultuous Reports hispered about, like certain sounds which announce, as they whistle fro store an enan turned toward the n imperceptible to the crowd, but very easily understood by that chosen regiment, the flower of the army
The ranks closed firmly in and a kind of majestic treents the procession was obliged to stop Coes left the head of the escort and went to the queen's carriage Anne questioned D'Artagnan by a look He answered in the saes returned to his post An effort was h
Some complaints arose fro as well as the nan, in a loud voice
”Onward!” cried Porthos
But as if the multitude had waited only for this demonstration to burst out, all the sentiments of hostility that possessed it exploded simultaneously Cries of ”Doith Mazarin!” ”Death to the cardinal!” resounded on all sides
At the sah the streets of Grenelle, Saint Honore, and Du Coq, a double streauards and cas of Porthos's horse and that of D'Artagnan
This new eruption wascomposed of armed men It was plain that it was not the chance combination of those who had collected a nuanized attack
Each of these , not to the people, but to the honorable corporation ofhis affected ientleman Both were evidently stimulated by the same impulse
There was a shock which was perceived even in the royal carriage Myriads of hoarse cries, for
”Ho! Musketeers!” cried D'Artagnan
The escort divided into two files One of thee, the other to the left One went to support D'Artagnan, the other Porthos Then came a skirmish, the more terrible because it had no definite object; the ed in it knew not for whoiven by the rush of thisable, in the an to give way D'Artagnan offered to lower the blinds of the royal carriage, but the young king stretched out his ar”
”If your nan And turning with that fury which made hients, ato hew a passage to the coach door through the ive way!”
At these words the man with a pistol and sword raised his head, but it was too late The bloas sped by D'Artagnan; the rapier had pierced his boso in vain, too late, to retract the thrust ”What the devil are you doing here, count?”
”Acco on one knee ”I have already got up again after three stabs from you, I shall never rise after this fourth”
”Count!” said D'Artagnan, with so that it was you I am sorry, if you die, that you should die with sentiments of hatred toward nan, who took it The count wished to speak, but a gush of blood stifled him He stiffened in the last convulsions of death and expired
”Back, people!” cried D'Artagnan, ”your leader is dead; you have no longer any business here”
Indeed, as if De Rochefort had been the very soul of the attack, the croho had followed and obeyed hied, with a party of musketeers, up the Rue du Coq, and the portion of thenear the Place Saint Ger the direction of the quays
D'Artagnan returned to help Porthos, if Porthos needed help; but Porthos, for his part, had done his work as conscientiously as D'Artagnan The left of the carriage was as well cleared as the right, and they drew up the blind of the hich Mazarin, less heroic than the king, had taken the precaution to lower
Porthos looked very melancholy
”What a devil of a face you have, Porthos! and what a strange air for a victor!”
”But you,” answered Porthos, ”seeitated”
”There's a reason! Zounds! I have just killed an old friend”
”Indeed!” replied Porthos, ”who?”
”That poor Count de Rochefort”
”Well! exactly like me! I have just killed a man whose face is not unknown to me Unluckily, I hit him on the head and immediately his face was covered with blood”
”And he said nothing as he died?”
”Yes; he exclai, ”if he only said that, it did not enlighten you much”