"But, God forgive me!" cried Anne, with that disdainful curl of the lips peculiar to her, "I believe that you are yourself interrogating."
"Yes, madame, here I have a right to do so, for it concerns Monsieur d'Artagnan ---d'Artagnan," he repeated, in such a manner as to bow the regal brow with recollections of the weak and erring woman.
The cardinal saw that it was now high time to come to the assistance of Anne.
"Sir," he said, "I can tell you what is at present unknown to her majesty. These individuals are under arrest. They disobeyed orders."
"I beg of your majesty, then," said Athos, calmly and not replying to Mazarin, "to quash these arrests of Messieurs d'Artagnan and du Vallon."
"What you ask is merely an affair of discipline and does not concern me," said the queen.
"Monsieur d'Artagnan never made such an answer as that when the service of your majesty was concerned," said Athos, bowing with great dignity. He was going toward the door when Mazarin stopped him.
"You, too, have been in England, sir?" he said, making a sign to the queen, who was evidently going to issue a severe order.
"I was a witness of the last hours of Charles I. Poor king! culpable, at the most, of weakness, how cruelly punished by his subjects! Thrones are at this time shaken and it is to little purpose for devoted hearts to serve the interests of princes. This is the second time that Monsieur d'Artagnan has been in England. He went the first time to save the honor of a great queen; the second, to avert the death of a great king."
"Sir," said Anne to Mazarin, with an accent from which daily habits of dissimulation could not entirely chase the real expression, "see if we can do something for these gentlemen."
"I wish to do, madame, all that your majesty pleases."
"Do what Monsieur de la Fere requests; that is your name, is it not, sir?"
"I have another name, madame -- I am called Athos."
"Madame," said Mazarin, with a smile, "you may rest easy; your wishes shall be fulfilled."
"You hear, sir?" said the queen.
"Yes, madame, I expected nothing less from the justice of your majesty. May I not go and see my friends?"
"Yes, sir, you shall see them. But, apropos, you belong to the Fronde, do you not?"
"Madame, I serve the king."
"Yes, in your own way."
"My way is the way of all gentlemen, and I know only one way," answered Athos, haughtily.
"Go, sir, then," said the queen; "you have obtained what you wish and we know all we desire to know."
Scarcely, however, had the tapestry closed behind Athos when she said to Mazarin:
"Cardinal, desire them to arrest that insolent fellow before he leaves the court."
"Your majesty," answered Mazarin, "desires me to do only what I was going to ask you to let me do. These bravoes who resuscitate in our epoch the traditions of another reign are troublesome; since there are two of them already there, let us add a third."
Athos was not altogether the queen's dupe, but he was not a man to run away on suspicion -- above all, when distinctly told that he should see his friends again. He waited, then, in the ante-chamber with impatience, till he should be conducted to them.
He walked to the window and looked into the court. He saw the deputation from the Parisians enter it; they were coming to assign the definitive place for the conference and to make their bow to the queen. A very imposing escort awaited them without the gates.
Athos was looking on attentively, when some one touched him softly on the shoulder.
"Ah! Monsieur de Comminges," he said.
"Yes, count, and charged with a commission for which I beg of you to accept my excuses."
"What is it?"
"Be so good as to give me up your sword, count."
Athos smiled and opened the window.
"Aramis!" he cried.
A gentleman turned around. Athos fancied he had seen him among the crowd. It was Aramis. He bowed with great friendship to the count.
"Aramis," cried Athos, "I am arrested."
"Good," replied Aramis, calmly.
"Sir," said Athos, turning to Comminges and giving him politely his sword by the hilt, "here is my sword; have the kindness to keep it safely for me until I quit my prison. I prize it -- it was given to my ancestor by King Francis I.
In his time they armed gentlemen, not disarmed them. Now, whither do you conduct me?"
"Into my room first," replied Comminges; "the queen will ultimately decide your place of domicile."
Athos followed Comminges without saying a single word.
