The circumstances that had hastened the return of D'Artagnanto Paris were as follows:

One evening, when Mazarin, according to custom, went tovisit the queen, in passing the guard-chamber he heard loudvoices; wishing to know on what topic the soldiers wereconversing, he approached with his wonted wolf-like step,pushed open the door and put his head close to the chink.

There was a dispute among the guards.

"I tell you," one of them was saying, "that if Coyselpredicted that, 'tis as good as true; I know nothing aboutit, but I have heard say that he's not only an astrologer,but a magician."

"Deuce take it, friend, if he's one of thy friends thou wiltruin him in saying so."

"Why?"

"Because he may be tried for it."

"Ah! absurd! they don't burn sorcerers nowadays."

"No? 'Tis not a long time since the late cardinal burntUrban Grandier, though."

"My friend, Urban Grandier wasn't a sorcerer, he was alearned man. He didn't predict the future, he knew the past- often a more dangerous thing."

Mazarin nodded an assent, but wishing to know what thisprediction was, about which they disputed, he remained inthe same place.

"I don't say," resumed the guard, "that Coysel is not asorcerer, but I say that if his prophecy gets wind, it's asure way to prevent it's coming true."

"How so?"

"Why, in this way: if Coysel says loud enough for thecardinal to hear him, on such or such a day such a prisonerwill escape, 'tis plain that the cardinal will take measuresof precaution and that the prisoner will not escape."

"Good Lord!" said another guard, who might have been thoughtasleep on a bench, but who had lost not a syllable of theconversation, "do you suppose that men can escape theirdestiny? If it is written yonder, in Heaven, that the Duc deBeaufort is to escape, he will escape; and all theprecautions of the cardinal will not prevent it."

Mazarin started. He was an Italian and thereforesuperstitious. He walked straight into the midst of theguards, who on seeing him were silent.

"What were you saying?" he asked with his flattering manner;"that Monsieur de Beaufort had escaped, were you not?"

"Oh, no, my lord!" said the incredulous soldier. "He's wellguarded now; we only said he would escape."

"Who said so?"

"Repeat your story, Saint Laurent," replied the man, turningto the originator of the tale.

"My lord," said the guard, "I have simply mentioned theprophecy I heard from a man named Coysel, who believes that,be he ever so closely watched and guarded, the Duke ofBeaufort will escape before Whitsuntide."

"Coysel is a madman!" returned the cardinal.

"No," replied the soldier, tenacious in his credulity; "hehas foretold many things which have come to pass; forinstance, that the queen would have a son; that MonsieurColigny would be killed in a duel with the Duc de Guise; andfinally, that the coadjutor would be made cardinal. Well!the queen has not only one son, but two; then, Monsieur deColigny was killed, and - - "

"Yes," said Mazarin, "but the coadjutor is not yet madecardinal!"

"No, my lord, but he will be," answered the guard.

Mazarin made a grimace, as if he meant to say, "But he doesnot wear the cardinal's cap;" then he added:

"So, my friend, it's your opinion that Monsieur de Beaufortwill escape?"

"That's my idea, my lord; and if your eminence were to offerto make me at this moment governor of the castle ofVincennes, I should refuse it. After Whitsuntide it would beanother thing."

There is nothing so convincing as a firm conviction. It hasits own effect upon the most incredulous; and far from beingincredulous, Mazarin was superstitious. He went awaythoughtful and anxious and returned to his own room, wherehe summoned Bernouin and desired him to fetch thither in themorning the special guard he had placed over Monsieur deBeaufort and to awaken him whenever he should arrive.

The guard had, in fact, touched the cardinal in thetenderest point. During the whole five years in which theDuc de Beaufort had been in prison not a day had passed inwhich the cardinal had not felt a secret dread of hisescape. It was not possible, as he knew well, to confine forthe whole of his life the grandson of Henry IV., especiallywhen this young prince was scarcely thirty years of age. Buthowever and whensoever he did escape, what hatred he mustcherish against him to whom he owed his long imprisonment;who had taken him, rich, brave, glorious, beloved by women,feared by men, to cut off his life's best, happiest years;for it is not life, it is merely existence, in prison!Meantime, Mazarin redoubled his surveillance over the duke.But like the miser in the fable, he could not sleep forthinking of his treasure. Often he awoke in the night,suddenly, dreaming that he had been robbed of Monsieur deBeaufort. Then he inquired about him and had the vexation ofhearing that the prisoner played, drank, sang, but thatwhilst playing, drinking, singing, he often stopped short tovow that Mazarin should pay dear for all the amusements hehad forced him to enter into at Vincennes.

So much did this one idea haunt the cardinal even in hissleep, that when at seven in the morning Bernouin came toarouse him, his first words were: "Well, what's the matter?Has Monsieur de Beaufort escaped from Vincennes?"

"I do not think so, my lord," said Bernouin; "but you willhear about him, for La Ramee is here and awaits the commandsof your eminence."

"Tell him to come in," said Mazarin, arranging his pillows,so that he might receive the visitor sitting up in bed.

The officer entered, a large fat man, with an openphysiognomy. His air of perfect serenity made Mazarinuneasy.

"Approach, sir," said the cardinal.

The officer obeyed.

"Do you know what they are saying here?"

"No, your eminence."

"Well, they say that Monsieur de Beaufort is going to escapefrom Vincennes, if he has not done so already."

The officer's face expressed complete stupefaction. Heopened at once his little eyes and his great mouth, toinhale better the joke his eminence deigned to address tohim, and ended by a burst of laughter, so violent that hisgreat limbs shook in hilarity as they would have done in anague.

"Escape! my lord - escape! Your eminence does not then knowwhere Monsieur de Beaufort is?"

"Yes, I do, sir; in the donjon of Vincennes."

"Yes, sir; in a room, the walls of which are seven feetthick, with grated windows, each bar as thick as my arm."

"Sir," replied Mazarin, "with perseverance one may penetratethrough a wall; with a watch-spring one may saw through aniron bar."

"Then my lord does not know that there are eight guardsabout him, four in his chamber, four in the antechamber, andthat they never leave him."

"But he leaves his room, he plays at tennis at the Mall?"

"Sir, those amusements are allowed; but if your eminencewishes it, we will discontinue the permission."

"No, no!" cried Mazarin, fearing that should his prisonerever leave his prison he would be the more exasperatedagainst him if he thus retrenched his amusement. He thenasked with whom he played.

"My lord, either with the officers of the guard, with theother prisoners, or with me."

"But does he not approach the walls while playing?"

"Your eminence doesn't know those walls; they are sixty feethigh and I doubt if Monsieur de Beaufort is sufficientlyweary of life to risk his neck by jumping off."

"Hum!" said the cardinal, beginning to feel morecomfortable. "You mean to say, then, my dear Monsieur laRamee - - "

"That unless Monsieur de Beaufort can contrive tometamorphose himself into a little bird, I will continueanswerable for him."

"Take care! you assert a great deal," said Mazarin."Monsieur de Beaufort told the guards who took him toVincennes that he had often thought what he should do incase he were put into prison, and that he had found outforty ways of escaping."

"My lord, if among these forty there had been one good wayhe would have been out long ago."

"Come, come; not such a fool as I fancied!" thought Mazarin.

"Besides, my lord must remember that Monsieur de Chavigny isgovernor of Vincennes," continued La Ramee, "and thatMonsieur de Chavigny is not friendly to Monsieur deBeaufort."

"Yes, but Monsieur de Chavigny is sometimes absent."

"When he is absent I am there."

"But when you leave him, for instance?"

"Oh! when I leave him, I place in my stead a bold fellow whoaspires to be his majesty's special guard. I promise you hekeeps a good watch over the prisoner. During the three weeksthat he has been with me, I have only had to reproach himwith one thing - being too severe with the prisoners."

"And who is this Cerberus?"

"A certain Monsieur Grimaud, my lord."

"And what was he before he went to Vincennes?"

"He was in the country, as I was told by the person whorecommended him to me."

"And who recommended this man to you?"

"The steward of the Duc de Grammont."

"He is not a gossip, I hope?"

"Lord a mercy, my lord! I thought for a long time that hewas dumb; he answers only by signs. It seems his formermaster accustomed him to that."

"Well, dear Monsieur la Ramee," replied the cardinal "lethim prove a true and thankful keeper and we will shut oureyes upon his rural misdeeds and put on his back a uniformto make him respectable, and in the pockets of that uniformsome pistoles to drink to the king's health."

Mazarin was large in promises, - quite unlike the virtuousMonsieur Grimaud so bepraised by La Ramee; for he saidnothing and did much.

It was now nine o'clock. The cardinal, therefore, got up,perfumed himself, dressed, and went to the queen to tell herwhat had detained him. The queen, who was scarcely lessafraid of Monsieur de Beaufort than the cardinal himself,and who was almost as superstitious as he was, made himrepeat word for word all La Ramee's praises of his deputy.Then, when the cardinal had ended:

"Alas, sir! why have we not a Grimaud near every prince?"

"Patience!" replied Mazarin, with his Italian smile; "thatmay happen one day; but in the meantime - - "

"Well, in the meantime?"

"I shall still take precautions."

And he wrote to D'Artagnan to hasten his return.