The Man in the Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas
Chapter XXXVIII. Friendly Advice.
Fouquet had gone to bed, like a man who clings to life, and wishes toeconomize, as much as possible, that slender tissue of existence, ofwhich the shocks and frictions of this world so quickly wear out thetenuity. D'Artagnan appeared at the door of this chamber, and wassaluted by the superintendent with a very affable "Good day."
"_Bon jour!_ monseigneur," replied the musketeer; "how did you getthrough the journey?"
"Tolerably well, thank you."
"And the fever?"
"But poorly. I drink, as you perceive. I am scarcely arrived, and I havealready levied a contribution of _tisane_ upon Nantes."
"You should sleep first, monseigneur."
"Eh! _corbleu!_ my dear Monsieur d'Artagnan, I should be very glad tosleep."
"Who hinders you?"
"Why, _you_ in the first place."
"I? Oh, monseigneur!"
"No doubt you do. Is it at Nantes as at Paris? Do you not come in theking's name?"
"For Heaven's sake, monseigneur," replied the captain, "leave the kingalone! The day on which I shall come on the part of the king, for thepurpose you mean, take my word for it, I will not leave you long indoubt. You will see me place my hand on my sword, according to the_ordonnance_, and you will hear my say at once, in ceremonial voice,'Monseigneur, in the name of the king, I arrest you!'"
"You promise me that frankness?" said the superintendent.
"Upon my honor! But we have not come to that, believe me."
"What makes you think that, M. d'Artagnan? For my part, I think quitethe contrary."
"I have heard speak of nothing of the kind," replied D'Artagnan.
"Eh! eh!" said Fouquet.
"Indeed, no. You are an agreeable man, in spite of your fever. The kingshould not, cannot help loving you, at the bottom of his heart."
Fouquet's expression implied doubt. "But M. Colbert?" said he; "does M.Colbert love me as much as you say?"
"I am not speaking of M. Colbert," replied D'Artagnan. "He is anexceptional man. He does not love you; so much is very possible; but,_mordioux!_ the squirrel can guard himself against the adder with verylittle trouble."
"Do you know that you are speaking to me quite as a friend?" repliedFouquet; "and that, upon my life! I have never met with a man of yourintelligence, and heart?"
"You are pleased to say so," replied D'Artagnan. "Why did you wait tillto-day to pay me such a compliment?"
"Blind that we are!" murmured Fouquet.
"Your voice is getting hoarse," said D'Artagnan; "drink, monseigneur,drink!" And he offered him a cup of _tisane_, with the most friendlycordiality; Fouquet took it, and thanked him by a gentle smile. "Suchthings only happen to me," said the musketeer. "I have passed ten yearsunder your very beard, while you were rolling about tons of gold. Youwere clearing an annual pension of four millions; you never observed me;and you find out there is such a person in the world, just at the momentyou--"
"Just at the moment I am about to fall," interrupted Fouquet. "That istrue, my dear Monsieur d'Artagnan."
"I did not say so."
"But you thought so; and that is the same thing. Well! if I fall,take my word as truth, I shall not pass a single day without sayingto myself, as I strike my brow, 'Fool! fool!--stupid mortal! You had aMonsieur d'Artagnan under your eye and hand, and you did not employ him,you did not enrich him!'"
"You overwhelm me," said the captain. "I esteem you greatly."
"There exists another man, then, who does not think as M. Colbertthinks," said the surintendant.
"How this M. Colbert looms up in your imagination! He is worse thanfever!"
"Oh! I have good cause," said Fouquet. "Judge for yourself." And herelated the details of the course of the lighters, and the hypocriticalpersecution of Colbert. "Is not this a clear sign of my ruin?"
D'Artagnan became very serious. "That is true," he said. "Yes; it hasan unsavory odor, as M. de Treville used to say." And he fixed on M.Fouquet his intelligent and significant look.
"Am I not clearly designated in that, captain? Is not the king bringingme to Nantes to get me away from Paris, where I have so many creatures,and to possess himself of Belle-Isle?"
"Where M. d'Herblay is," added D'Artagnan. Fouquet raised his head. "Asfor me, monseigneur," continued D'Artagnan, "I can assure you the kinghas said nothing to me against you."
"Indeed!"
"The king commanded me to set out for Nantes, it is true; and to saynothing about it to M. de Gesvres."
"My friend."
"To M. de Gesvres, yes, monseigneur," continued the musketeer, whose eyes did not cease to speak a language different from the language of hislips. "The king, moreover, commanded me to take a brigade of musketeers,which is apparently superfluous, as the country is quite quiet."
"A brigade!" said Fouquet, raising himself upon his elbow.
"Ninety-six horsemen, yes, monseigneur. The same number as were employedin arresting MM. de Chalais, de Cinq-Mars, and Montmorency."
Fouquet pricked up his ears at these words, pronounced without apparentvalue. "And what else?" said he.
"Oh! nothing but insignificant orders; such as guarding the castle,guarding every lodging, allowing none of M. de Gesvres's guards tooccupy a single post."
"And as to myself," cried Fouquet, "what orders had you?"
"As to you, monseigneur?--not the smallest word."
"Monsieur d'Artagnan, my safety, my honor, perhaps my life are at stake.You would not deceive me?"
"I?--to what end? Are you threatened? Only there really is an order withrespect to carriages and boats--"
"An order?"
"Yes; but it cannot concern you--a simple measure of police."
"What is it, captain?--what is it?"
"To forbid all horses or boats to leave Nantes, without a pass, signedby the king."
"Great God! but--"
D'Artagnan began to laugh. "All that is not to be put into executionbefore the arrival of the king at Nantes. So that you see plainly,monseigneur, the order in nowise concerns you."
Fouquet became thoughtful, and D'Artagnan feigned not to observe hispreoccupation. "It is evident, by my thus confiding to you the orderswhich have been given to me, that I am friendly towards you, and that Iam trying to prove to you that none of them are directed against you."
"Without doubt!--without doubt!" said Fouquet, still absent.
"Let us recapitulate," said the captain, his glance beaming withearnestness. "A special guard about the castle, in which your lodging isto be, is it not?"
"Do you know the castle?"
"Ah! monseigneur, a regular prison! The absence of M. de Gesvres, whohas the honor of being one of your friends. The closing of the gates ofthe city, and of the river without a pass; but, only when the king shallhave arrived. Please to observe, Monsieur Fouquet, that if, instead ofspeaking to man like you, who are one of the first in the kingdom, Iwere speaking to a troubled, uneasy conscience--I should compromisemyself forever. What a fine opportunity for any one who wished to befree! No police, no guards, no orders; the water free, the roads free,Monsieur d'Artagnan obliged to lend his horses, if required. All thisought to reassure you, Monsieur Fouquet, for the king would not haveleft me thus independent, if he had any sinister designs. In truth,Monsieur Fouquet, ask me whatever you like, I am at your service; and,in return, if you will consent to do it, do me a service, that of givingmy compliments to Aramis and Porthos, in case you embark for Belle-Isle,as you have a right to do without changing your dress, immediately, inyour _robe de chambre_--just as you are." Saying these words, and witha profound bow, the musketeer, whose looks had lost none of theirintelligent kindness, left the apartment. He had not reached the stepsof the vestibule, when Fouquet, quite beside himself, hung to thebell-rope, and shouted, "My horses!--my lighter!" But nobody answered.The surintendant dressed himself with everything that came to hand.
"Gourville!--Gourville!" cried he, while slipping his watch intohis pocket. And
Gourville at length appeared, breathless and pale.
"Let us be gone! Let us be gone!" cried Fouquet, as soon as he saw him.
"It is too late!" said the surintendant's poor friend.
"Too late!--why?"
"Listen!" And they heard the sounds of trumpets and drums in front ofthe castle.
"What does that mean, Gourville?"
"It means the king is come, monseigneur."
"The king!"
"The king, who has ridden double stages, who has killed horses, and whois eight hours in advance of all our calculations."
"We are lost!" murmured Fouquet. "Brave D'Artagnan, all is over, thouhas spoken to me too late!"
The king, in fact, was entering the city, which soon resounded with thecannon from the ramparts, and from a vessel which replied from the lowerparts of the river. Fouquet's brow darkened; he called his _valets dechambre_ and dressed in ceremonial costume. From his window, behind thecurtains, he could see the eagerness of the people, and the movement ofa large troop, which had followed the prince. The king was conductedto the castle with great pomp, and Fouquet saw him dismount under theportcullis, and say something in the ear of D'Artagnan, who held hisstirrup. D'Artagnan, when the king had passed under the arch, directedhis steps towards the house Fouquet was in; but so slowly, and stoppingso frequently to speak to his musketeers, drawn up like a hedge, thatit might be said he was counting the seconds, or the steps, beforeaccomplishing his object. Fouquet opened the window to speak to him inthe court.
"Ah!" cried D'Artagnan, on perceiving him, "are you still there,monseigneur?"
And that word _still_ completed the proof to Fouquet of how muchinformation and how many useful counsels were contained in the firstvisit the musketeer had paid him. The surintendant sighed deeply."Good heavens! yes, monsieur," replied he. "The arrival of the king hasinterrupted me in the projects I had formed."
"Oh, then you know that the king has arrived?"
"Yes, monsieur, I have seen him; and this time you come from him--"
"To inquire after you, monseigneur; and, if your health is not too bad,to beg you to have the kindness to repair to the castle."
"Directly, Monsieur d'Artagnan, directly!"
"Ah, _mordioux!_" said the captain, "now the king is come, there is nomore walking for anybody--no more free will; the password governs allnow, you as much as me, me as much as you."
Fouquet heaved a last sigh, climbed with difficulty into his carriage,so great was his weakness, and went to the castle, escorted byD'Artagnan, whose politeness was not less terrifying this time than ithad just before been consoling and cheerful.