D'Artagnan saw it all through an opening he had made in the curtain, and in the very first man who entered he recognized Planchet.
"Sir," said the queen to him, thinking he was the leader of the band, "you wished to see the king and therefore I determined to show him to you myself. Approach and look at him and say if we have the appearance of people who wish to run away."
"No, certainly," replied Planchet, rather astonished at the unexpected honor conferred upon him.
"You will say, then, to my good and faithful Parisians," continued Anne, with a smile, the expression of which did not deceive D'Artagnan, "that you have seen the king in bed, asleep, and the queen also ready to retire."
"I shall tell them, madame, and those who accompany me will say the same thing; but ---- "
"But what?" asked Anne of Austria.
"Will your majesty pardon me," said Planchet, "but is it really the king who is lying there?"
Anne of Austria started. "If," she said, "there is one among you who knows the king, let him approach and say whether it is really his majesty lying there."
A man wrapped in a cloak, in the folds of which his face was hidden, approached and leaned over the bed and looked.
For one second, D'Artagnan thought the man had some evil design and he put his hand to his sword; but in the movement made by the man in stooping a portion of his face was uncovered and D'Artagnan recognized the coadjutor.
"It is certainly the king," said the man, rising again. "God bless his majesty!"
"Yes," repeated the leader in a whisper, "God bless his majesty!" and all these men, who had entered enraged, passed from anger to pity and blessed the royal infant in their turn.
"Now,', said Planchet, "let us thank the queen. My friends, retire."
They all bowed, and retired by degrees as noiselessly as they had entered. Planchet, who had been the first to enter, was the last to leave. The queen stopped him.
"What is your name, my friend?" she said.
Planchet, much surprised at the inquiry, turned back.
"Yes," continued the queen, "I think myself as much honored to have received you this evening as if you had been a prince, and I wish to know your name."
"Yes," thought Planchet, "to treat me as a prince. No, thank you."
D'Artagnan trembled lest Planchet, seduced, like the crow in the fable, should tell his name, and that the queen, knowing his name, would discover that Planchet had belonged to him.
"Madame," replied Planchet, respectfully, "I am called Dulaurier, at your service."
"Thank you, Monsieur Dulaurier," said the queen; "and what is your business?"
"Madame, I am a clothier in the Rue Bourdonnais."
"That is all I wished to know," said the queen. "Much obliged to you, Monsieur Dulaurier. You will hear again from me."
"Come, come," thought D'Artagnan, emerging from behind the curtain, "decidedly Monsieur Planchet is no fool; it is evident he has been brought up in a good school."
The different actors in this strange scene remained facing one another, without uttering a single word; the queen standing near the door, D'Artagnan half out of his hiding place, the king raised on his elbow, ready to fall down on his bed again at the slightest sound that would indicate the return of the multitude, but instead of approaching, the noise became more and more distant and very soon it died entirely away.
The queen breathed more freely. D'Artagnan wiped his damp forehead and the king slid off his bed, saying, "Let us go."
At this moment Laporte reappeared.
