登陆注册
5287000000063

第63章 20(4)

"You must know, monsieur, that Marie Michon, when she returned to France in 1643, immediately sought for information about that child; as a fugitive she could not take care of it, but on her return she wished to have it near her."

"And what said the abbe?" asked Athos.

"That a nobleman whom he did not know had wished to take charge of it, had answered for its future, and had taken it away."

"That was true."

"Ah! I see! That nobleman was you; it was his father!"

"Hush! do not speak so loud, madame; he is there."

"He is there! my son! the son of Marie Michon! But I must see him instantly."

"Take care, madame," said Athos, "for he knows neither his father nor his mother."

"You have kept the secret! you have brought him to see me, thinking to make me happy. Oh, thanks! sir, thanks!" cried Madame de Chevreuse, seizing his hand and trying to put it to her lips; "you have a noble heart."

"I bring him to you, madame," said Athos, withdrawing his hand, "hoping that in your turn you will do something for him; till now I have watched over his education and I have made him, I hope, an accomplished gentleman; but I am now obliged to return to the dangerous and wandering life of party faction. To-morrow I plunge into an adventurous affair in which I may be killed. Then it will devolve on you to push him on in that world where he is called on to occupy a place."

"Rest assured," cried the duchess, "I shall do what I can. I have but little influence now, but all that I have shall most assuredly be his. As to his title and fortune ---- "

"As to that, madame, I have made over to him the estate of Bragelonne, my inheritance, which will give him ten thousand francs a year and the title of vicomte."

"Upon my soul, monsieur," said the duchess, "you are a true nobleman! But I am eager to see our young vicomte. Where is he?"

"There, in the salon. I will have him come in, if you really wish it."

Athos moved toward the door; the duchess held him back.

"Is he handsome?" she asked.

Athos smiled.

"He resembles his mother."

So he opened the door and beckoned the young man in.

The duchess could not restrain a cry of joy on seeing so handsome a young cavalier, so far surpassing all that her maternal pride had been able to conceive.

"Vicomte, come here," said Athos; "the duchess permits you to kiss her hand."

The youth approached with his charming smile and his head bare, and kneeling down, kissed the hand of the Duchess de Chevreuse.

"Sir," he said, turning to Athos, "was it not in compassion to my timidity that you told me that this lady was the Duchess de Chevreuse, and is she not the queen?"

"No, vicomte," said Madame de Chevreuse, taking his hand and making him sit near her, while she looked at him with eyes sparkling with pleasure; "no, unhappily, I am not the queen.

If I were I should do for you at once the most that you deserve. But let us see; whatever I may be," she added, hardly restraining herself from kissing that pure brow, "let us see what profession you wish to follow."

Athos, standing, looked at them both with indescribable pleasure.

"Madame," answered the youth in his sweet voice, "it seems to me that there is only one career for a gentleman -- that of the army. I have been brought up by monsieur le comte with the intention, I believe, of making me a soldier; and he gave me reason to hope that at Paris he would present me to some one who would recommend me to the favor of the prince."

"Yes, I understand it well. Personally, I am on bad terms with him, on account of the quarrels between Madame de Montbazon, my mother-in-law, and Madame de Longueville. But the Prince de Marsillac! Yes, indeed, that's the right thing. The Prince de Marsillac -- my old friend -- will recommend our young friend to Madame de Longueville, who will give him a letter to her brother, the prince, who loves her too tenderly not to do what she wishes immediately."

"Well, that will do charmingly," said the count; "but may I beg that the greatest haste may be made, for I have reasons for wishing the vicomte not to sleep longer than to-morrow night in Paris!"

"Do you wish it known that you are interested about him, monsieur le comte?"

"Better for him in future that he should be supposed never to have seen me."

"Oh, sir!" cried Raoul.

"You know, Bragelonne," said Athos, "I never speak without reflection."

"Well, comte, I am going instantly," interrupted the duchess, "to send for the Prince de Marsillac, who is happily, in Paris just now. What are you going to do this evening?"

"We intend to visit the Abbe Scarron, for whom I have a letter of introduction and at whose house I expect to meet some of my friends."

"'Tis well; I will go there also, for a few minutes," said the duchess; "do not quit his salon until you have seen me."

Athos bowed and prepared to leave.

"Well, monsieur le comte," said the duchess, smiling, "does one leave so solemnly his old friends?"

"Ah," murmured Athos, kissing her hand, "had I only sooner known that Marie Michon was so charming a creature!" And he withdrew, sighing.

同类推荐
  • 西湖佳话

    西湖佳话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 造像量度经

    造像量度经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 遗山集

    遗山集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 道德真经集义

    道德真经集义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Moravians in Georgia

    The Moravians in Georgia

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 世界上最复杂的落水者

    世界上最复杂的落水者

    工作是嘉兴市中级法院的一名法官。已发表小说100万余字,散见于《小说选刊》、《中篇小说选刊》、《中国作家》、《江南》、《山花》、《百花洲》等期刊。
  • 太上修真体元妙道经

    太上修真体元妙道经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 洪荒之逆命

    洪荒之逆命

    非铜非铁亦非钢,曾在须弥山下藏,不用阴阳颠倒炼,岂无水火淬锋芒?诛仙利,戮仙亡,陷仙四处起红光,绝仙变化无穷妙,大罗神仙血染裳。一个现代人穿越到洪荒世界成为三清之一通天教主,看他如何逆转乾坤,逆天改命!
  • 农说

    农说

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 惠兰幽幽袁帅情

    惠兰幽幽袁帅情

    白家生和姜大兰夫妇开车把袁帅接到自家的豪宅里,安顿袁帅好好休息两天,周末在深圳的老同学聚会上为他洗尘,然后带他到小梅沙玩海,六月份正是海浴黄金季节,他来得正是时候。白家夫妇的客气使袁帅浑身不自在,他说不要不要,我住旅店算了。又是小车接,又是聚会洗尘,我又不是什么高官,不敢麻烦老同学了。姜大兰逗笑道:老同学,不要忘记你是元帅级别的高官呀。本该送你到五洲宾馆下榻,可惜那里一时腾不出地方,委屈你喽黄元帅。袁帅激动起来,他的外号已有十几年没人叫了,连自己也几乎忘记了,今天一叫倍感亲切,一下年轻了十几岁。
  • 美人谋请君入瓮

    美人谋请君入瓮

    帝王之爱,譬如朝露,若是当真,便是倾尽一生,也不过徒增一场幽梦。
  • 少年中国说(中小学生必读丛书)

    少年中国说(中小学生必读丛书)

    本书精选了梁启超先生在政论、文论、讲演和诗词等方面最具代表性的一些作品。可以说每篇文章都展现了梁启超先生独特而汪洋恣肆的文笔和激扬而与时俱进的思想,具有极高的知识性和可读性。
  • 吴文肃公摘稿

    吴文肃公摘稿

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Life Is A Dream

    Life Is A Dream

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 驴友入门宝典

    驴友入门宝典

    这是中国大陆第一本基础知识类的驴友入门书籍,是写给全国几千万初、中级驴友看的书。这是一本作者参加户外活动7年多、带队出行200余次的经验总结,主要针对的是短程、低海拔、低难度的户外活动,向大家介绍关于驴友的基础知识、户外装备、安全知识、户外小经验、特种户外、省钱攻略、带队常识等等。本书内容全面、通俗易懂,涉及的都是初、中级驴友最关心的、实用的内容,可以帮助初、中级驴友快速成长,更安全、更开心、更省钱的走遍祖国的山山水水!