"Ah!" said Musqueton, who had ridden by the side of D'Artagnan without speaking a word on the journey, "you may think what you will, sir, but I can breathe now for the first time since my departure from Pierrefonds;" and he put his horse to a gallop to announce to the other servants the arrival of Monsieur du Vallon and his friends.
"We are four of us," said D'Artagnan; "we must relieve each other in mounting guard over my lord and each of us must watch three hours at a time. Athos is going to examine the castle, which it will be necessary to render impregnable in case of siege; Porthos will see to the provisions and Aramis to the troops of the garrison. That is to say, Athos will be chief engineer, Porthos purveyor-in-general, and Aramis governor of the fortress."
Meanwhile, they gave up to Mazarin the handsomest room in the chateau.
"Gentlemen," he said, when he was in his room, "you do not expect, I presume, to keep me here a long time incognito?"
"No, my lord," replied the Gascon; "on the contrary, we think of announcing very soon that we have you here."
"Then you will be besieged."
"We expect it."
"And what shall you do?"
"Defend ourselves. Were the late Cardinal Richelieu alive he would tell you a certain story of the Bastion Saint Gervais, which we four, with our four lackeys and twelve dead men, held out against a whole army."
"Such feats, sir, are done once -- and never repeated."
"However, nowadays there's no need of so much heroism.
To-morrow the army of Paris will be summoned, the day after it will be here! The field of battle, instead, therefore, of being at Saint Denis or at Charenton, will be near Compiegne or Villars-Cotterets."
"The prince will vanquish you, as he has always done."
"'Tis possible; my lord; but before an engagement ensues we shall move your eminence to another castle belonging to our friend Du Vallon, who has three. We will not expose your eminence to the chances of war."
"Come," answered Mazarin, "I see it will be necessary for me to capitulate."
"Before a siege?"
"Yes; the conditions will be better than afterward."
"Ah, my lord! as to conditions, you would soon see how moderate and reasonable we are!"
"Come, now, what are your conditions?"
"Rest yourself first, my lord, and we -- we will reflect."
"I do not need rest, gentlemen; I need to know whether I am among enemies or friends."
"Friends, my lord! friends!"
"Well, then, tell me at once what you want, that I may see if any arrangement be possible. Speak, Comte de la Fere!"
"My lord," replied Athos, "for myself I have nothing to demand. For France, were I to specify my wishes, I should have too much. I beg you to excuse me and propose to the chevalier."
And Athos, bowing, retired and remained leaning against the mantelpiece, a spectator of the scene.
"Speak, then, chevalier!" said the cardinal. "What do you want? Nothing ambiguous, if you please. Be clear, short and precise."
"As for me," replied Aramis, "I have in my pocket the very programme of the conditions which the deputation -- of which I formed one -- went yesterday to Saint Germain to impose on you. Let us consider first the ancient rights. The demands in that programme must be granted."
"We were almost agreed on those," replied Mazarin; "let us pass on to private and personal stipulations."
"You suppose, then, that there are some?" said Aramis, smiling.
"I do not suppose that you will all be quite so disinterested as Monsieur de la Fere," replied the cardinal, bowing to Athos.
"My lord, you are right, and I am glad to see that you do justice to the count at last. The count has a mind above vulgar desires and earthly passions. He is a proud soul -- he is a man by himself! You are right -- he is worth us all, and we avow it to you!"
"Aramis," said Athos, "are you jesting?"
"No, no, dear friend; I state only what we all know. You are right; it is not you alone this matter concerns, but my lord and his unworthy servant, myself."
"Well, then, what do you require besides the general conditions before recited?"
"I require, my lord, that Normandy should be given to Madame de Longueville, with five hundred thousand francs and full absolution. I require that his majesty should deign to be godfather to the child she has just borne; and that my lord, after having been present at the christening, should go to proffer his homage to our Holy Father the Pope."
"That is, you wish me to lay aside my ministerial functions, to quit France and be an exile."
"I wish his eminence to become pope on the first opportunity, allowing me then the right of demanding full indulgences for myself and my friends."
Mazarin made a grimace which was quite indescribable, and then turned to D'Artagnan.
"And you, sir?" he said.
