Meanwhile time was passing on for the prisoner, as well asfor those who were preparing his escape; only for him itpassed more slowly. Unlike other men, who enter with ardorupon a perilous resolution and grow cold as the moment ofexecution approaches, the Duc de Beaufort, whose buoyantcourage had become a proverb, seemed to push time before himand sought most eagerly to hasten the hour of action. In hisescape alone, apart from his plans for the future, which, itmust be admitted, were for the present sufficiently vagueand uncertain, there was a beginning of vengeance whichfilled his heart. In the first place his escape would be aserious misfortune to Monsieur de Chavigny, whom he hatedfor the petty persecutions he owed to him. It would be astill worse affair for Mazarin, whom he execrated for thegreater offences he had committed. It may be observed thatthere was a proper proportion in his sentiments toward thegovernor of the prison and the minister - toward thesubordinate and the master.

Then Monsieur de Beaufort, who was so familiar with theinterior of the Palais Royal, though he did not know therelations existing between the queen and the cardinal,pictured to himself, in his prison, all that dramaticexcitement which would ensue when the rumor should run fromthe minister's cabinet to the chamber of Anne of Austria:"Monsieur de Beaufort has escaped!" Whilst saying that tohimself, Monsieur de Beaufort smiled pleasantly and imaginedhimself already outside, breathing the air of the plains andthe forests, pressing a strong horse between his knees andcrying out in a loud voice, "I am free!"

It is true that on coming to himself he found that he wasstill within four walls; he saw La Ramee twirling his thumbsten feet from him, and his guards laughing and drinking inthe ante-chamber. The only thing that was pleasant to him inthat odious tableau - such is the instability of the humanmind - was the sullen face of Grimaud, for whom he had atfirst conceived such a hatred and who now was all his hope.Grimaud seemed to him an Antinous. It is needless to saythat this transformation was visible only to the prisoner'sfeverish imagination. Grimaud was still the same, andtherefore he retained the entire confidence of his superior,La Ramee, who now relied upon him more than he did uponhimself, for, as we have said, La Ramee felt at the bottomof his heart a certain weakness for Monsieur de Beaufort.

And so the good La Ramee made a festivity of the littlesupper with his prisoner. He had but one fault - he was agourmand; he had found the pates good, the wine excellent.Now the successor of Pere Marteau had promised him a pate ofpheasant instead of a pate of fowl, and Chambertin wineinstead of Macon. All this, set off by the presence of thatexcellent prince, who was so good-natured, who invented sodroll tricks against Monsieur de Chavigny and so fine jokesagainst Mazarin, made for La Ramee the approaching Pentecostone of the four great feasts of the year. He thereforelooked forward to six o'clock with as much impatience as theduke himself.

Since daybreak La Ramee had been occupied with thepreparations, and trusting no one but himself, he hadvisited personally the successor of Pere Marteau. The latterhad surpassed himself; he showed La Ramee a monstrous pate,ornamented with Monsieur de Beaufort's coat-of-arms. It wasempty as yet, but a pheasant and two partridges were lyingnear it. La Ramee's mouth watered and he returned to theduke's chamber rubbing his hands. To crown his happiness,Monsieur de Chavigny had started on a journey that morningand in his absence La Ramee was deputy-governor of thechateau.

As for Grimaud, he seemed more sullen than ever.

In the course of the forenoon Monsieur de Beaufort had agame of tennis with La Ramee; a sign from Grimaud put him onthe alert. Grimaud, going in advance, followed the coursewhich they were to take in the evening. The game was playedin an inclosure called the little court of the chateau, aplace quite deserted except when Monsieur de Beaufort wasplaying; and even then the precaution seemed superfluous,the wall was so high.

There were three gates to open before reaching theinclosure, each by a different key. When they arrivedGrimaud went carelessly and sat down by a loophole in thewall, letting his legs dangle outside. It was evident thatthere the rope ladder was to be attached.

This manoeuvre, transparent to the Duc de Beaufort, wasquite unintelligible to La Ramee.

The game at tennis, which, upon a sign from Grimaud,Monsieur de Beaufort had consented to play, began in theafternoon. The duke was in full strength and beat La Rameecompletely.

Four of the guards, who were constantly near the prisoner,assisted in picking up the tennis balls. When the game wasover, the duke, laughing at La Ramee for his bad play,offered these men two louis d'or to go and drink his health,with their four other comrades.

The guards asked permission of La Ramee, who gave it tothem, but not till the evening, however; until then he hadbusiness and the prisoner was not to be left alone.

Six o'clock came and, although they were not to sit down totable until seven o'clock, dinner was ready and served up.Upon a sideboard appeared the colossal pie with the duke'sarms on it, and seemingly cooked to a turn, as far as onecould judge by the golden color which illuminated the crust.

The rest of the dinner was to come.

Every one was impatient, La Ramee to sit down to table, theguards to go and drink, the duke to escape.

Grimaud alone was calm as ever. One might have fancied thatAthos had educated him with the express forethought of sucha great event.

There were moments when, looking at Grimaud, the duke askedhimself if he was not dreaming and if that marble figure wasreally at his service and would grow animated when themoment came for action.

La Ramee sent away the guards, desiring them to drink to theduke's health, and as soon as they were gone shut all thedoors, put the keys in his pocket and showed the table tothe prince with an air that signified:

"Whenever my lord pleases."

The prince looked at Grimaud, Grimaud looked at the clock;it was hardly a quarter-past six. The escape was fixed totake place at seven o'clock; there was thereforethree-quarters of an hour to wait.

The duke, in order to pass away another quarter of an hour,pretended to be reading something that interested him andmuttered that he wished they would allow him to finish hischapter. La Ramee went up to him and looked over hisshoulder to see what sort of a book it was that had sosingular an influence over the prisoner as to make him putoff taking his dinner.

It was "Caesar's Commentaries," which La Ramee had lent him,contrary to the orders of the governor; and La Rameeresolved never again to disobey these injunctions.

Meantime he uncorked the bottles and went to smell if thepie was good.

At half-past six the duke arose and said very gravely:

"Certainly, Caesar was the greatest man of ancient times."

"You think so, my lord?" answered La Ramee.

"Yes."

"Well, as for me, I prefer Hannibal."

"And why, pray, Master La Ramee?" asked the duke.

"Because he left no Commentaries," replied La Ramee, withhis coarse laugh.

The duke vouchsafed no reply, but sitting down at the tablemade a sign that La Ramee should seat himself opposite.There is nothing so expressive as the face of an epicure whofinds himself before a well spread table, so La Ramee, whenreceiving his plate of soup from Grimaud, presented a typeof perfect bliss.

The duke smiled.

"Zounds!" he said; "I don't suppose there is a morecontented man at this moment in all the kingdom thanyourself!"

"You are right, my lord duke," answered the officer; "Idon't know any pleasanter sight on earth than a well coveredtable; and when, added to that, he who does the honors isthe grandson of Henry IV., you will, my lord duke, easilycomprehend that the honor fairly doubles the pleasure oneenjoys."

The duke, in his turn, bowed, and an imperceptible smileappeared on the face of Grimaud, who kept behind La Ramee.

"My dear La Ramee," said the duke, "you are the only man toturn such faultless compliments."

"No, my lord duke," replied La Ramee, in the fullness of hisheart; "I say what I think; there is no compliment in what Isay to you - - "

"Then you are attached to me?" asked the duke.

"To own the truth, I should be inconsolable if you were toleave Vincennes."

"A droll way of showing your affliction." The duke meant tosay "affection."

"But, my lord," returned La Ramee, "what would you do if yougot out? Every folly you committed would embroil you withthe court and they would put you into the Bastile, insteadof Vincennes. Now, Monsieur de Chavigny is not amiable, Iallow, but Monsieur du Tremblay is considerably worse."

"Indeed!" exclaimed the duke, who from time to time lookedat the clock, the fingers of which seemed to move withsickening slowness.

"But what can you expect from the brother of a capuchinmonk, brought up in the school of Cardinal Richelieu? Ah, mylord, it is a great happiness that the queen, who alwayswished you well, had a fancy to send you here, where there'sa promenade and a tennis court, good air, and a good table."

"In short," answered the duke, "if I comprehend you aright,La Ramee, I am ungrateful for having ever thought of leavingthis place?"

"Oh! my lord duke, 'tis the height of ingratitude; but yourhighness has never seriously thought of it?"

"Yes," returned the duke, "I must confess I sometimes thinkof it."

"Still by one of your forty methods, your highness?"

"Yes, yes, indeed."

"My lord," said La Ramee, "now we are quite at our ease andenjoying ourselves, pray tell me one of those forty waysinvented by your highness."

"Willingly," answered the duke, "give me the pie!"

"I am listening," said La Ramee, leaning back in hisarmchair and raising his glass of Madeira to his lips, andwinking his eye that he might see the sun through the richliquid that he was about to taste.

The duke glanced at the clock. In ten minutes it wouldstrike seven.

Grimaud placed the pie before the duke, who took a knifewith a silver blade to raise the upper crust; but La Ramee,who was afraid of any harm happening to this fine work ofart, passed his knife, which had an iron blade, to the duke.

"Thank you, La Ramee," said the prisoner.

"Well, my lord! this famous invention of yours?"

"Must I tell you," replied the duke, "on what I most reckonand what I determine to try first?"

"Yes, that's the thing, my lord!" cried his custodian,gaily.

"Well, I should hope, in the first instance, to have forkeeper an honest fellow like you."

"And you have me, my lord. Well?"

"Having, then, a keeper like La Ramee, I should try also tohave introduced to him by some friend or other a man whowould be devoted to me, who would assist me in my flight."

"Come, come," said La Ramee, "that's not a bad idea."

"Capital, isn't it? for instance, the former servingman ofsome brave gentleman, an enemy himself to Mazarin, as everygentleman ought to be."

"Hush! don't let us talk politics, my lord."

"Then my keeper would begin to trust this man and to dependupon him, and I should have news from those without theprison walls."

"Ah, yes! but how can the news be brought to you?"

"Nothing easier; in a game of tennis, for example."

"In a game of tennis?" asked La Ramee, giving more seriousattention to the duke's words.

"Yes; see, I send a ball into the moat; a man is there whopicks it up; the ball contains a letter. Instead ofreturning the ball to me when I call for it from the top ofthe wall, he throws me another; that other ball contains aletter. Thus we have exchanged ideas and no one has seen usdo it."

"The devil it does! The devil it does!" said La Ramee,scratching his head; "you are in the wrong to tell me that,my lord. I shall have to watch the men who pick up balls."

The duke smiled.

"But," resumed La Ramee, "that is only a way ofcorresponding."

"And that is a great deal, it seems to me."

"But not enough."

"Pardon me; for instance, I say to my friends, Be on acertain day, on a certain hour, at the other side of themoat with two horses."

"Well, what then?" La Ramee began to be uneasy; "unless thehorses have wings to mount the ramparts and come and fetchyou."

"That's not needed. I have," replied the duke, "a way ofdescending from the ramparts."

"What?"

"A rope ladder."

"Yes, but," answered La Ramee, trying to laugh, "a ladder ofropes can't be sent around a ball, like a letter."

"No, but it may be sent in something else."

"In something else - in something else? In what?"

"In a pate, for example."

"In a pate?" said La Ramee.

"Yes. Let us suppose one thing," replied the duke "let ussuppose, for instance, that my maitre d'hotel, Noirmont, haspurchased the shop of Pere Marteau - - "

"Well?" said La Ramee, shuddering.

"Well, La Ramee, who is a gourmand, sees his pates, thinksthem more attractive than those of Pere Marteau and proposesto me that I shall try them. I consent on condition that LaRamee tries them with me. That we may be more at our ease,La Ramee removes the guards, keeping only Grimaud to wait onus. Grimaud is the man whom a friend has sent to second mein everything. The moment for my escape is fixed - seveno'clock. Well, at a few minutes to seven - - "

"At a few minutes to seven?" cried La Ramee, cold sweat uponhis brow.

"At a few minutes to seven," returned the duke (suiting theaction to the words), "I raise the crust of the pie; I findin it two poniards, a ladder of rope, and a gag. I point oneof the poniards at La Ramee's breast and I say to him, `Myfriend, I am sorry for it, but if thou stirrest, if thouutterest one cry, thou art a dead man!'"

The duke, in pronouncing these words, suited, as we havesaid, the action to the words. He was standing near theofficer and he directed the point of the poniard in such amanner, close to La Ramee's heart, that there could be nodoubt in the mind of that individual as to hisdetermination. Meanwhile, Grimaud, still mute as ever, drewfrom the pie the other poniard, the rope ladder and the gag.

La Ramee followed all these objects with his eyes, his alarmevery moment increasing.

"Oh, my lord," he cried, with an expression of stupefactionin his face; "you haven't the heart to kill me!"

"No; not if thou dost not oppose my flight."

"But, my lord, if I allow you to escape I am a ruined man."

"I will compensate thee for the loss of thy place."

"You are determined to leave the chateau?"

"By Heaven and earth! This night I am determined to befree."

"And if I defend myself, or call, or cry out?"

"I will kill thee, on the honor of a gentleman."

At this moment the clock struck.

"Seven o'clock!" said Grimaud, who had not spoken a word.

La Ramee made one movement, in order to satisfy hisconscience. The duke frowned, the officer felt the point ofthe poniard, which, having penetrated through his clothes,was close to his heart.

"Let us dispatch," said the duke.

"My lord, one last favor."

"What? speak, make haste."

"Bind my arms, my lord, fast."

"Why bind thee?"

"That I may not be considered as your accomplice."

"Your hands?" asked Grimaud.

"Not before me, behind me."

"But with what?" asked the duke.

"With your belt, my lord!" replied La Ramee.

The duke undid his belt and gave it to Grimaud, who tied LaRamee in such a way as to satisfy him.

"Your feet, too," said Grimaud.

La Ramee stretched out his legs, Grimaud took a table-cloth,tore it into strips and tied La Ramee's feet together.

"Now, my lord," said the poor man, "let me have the poired'angoisse. I ask for it; without it I should be tried in acourt of justice because I did not raise the alarm. Thrustit into my mouth, my lord, thrust it in."

Grimaud prepared to comply with this request, when theofficer made a sign as if he had something to say.

"Speak," said the duke.

"Now, my lord, do not forget, if any harm happens to me onyour account, that I have a wife and four children."

"Rest assured; put the gag in, Grimaud."

In a second La Ramee was gagged and laid prostrate. Two orthree chairs were thrown down as if there had been astruggle. Grimaud then took from the pocket of the officerall the keys it contained and first opened the door of theroom in which they were, then shut it and double-locked it,and both he and the duke proceeded rapidly down the gallerywhich led to the little inclosure. At last they reached thetennis court. It was completely deserted. No sentinels, noone at any of the windows. The duke ran to the rampart andperceived on the other side of the ditch, three cavalierswith two riding horses. The duke exchanged a signal withthem. It was indeed for him that they were there.

Grimaud, meantime, undid the means of escape.

This was not, however, a rope ladder, but a ball of silkcord, with a narrow board which was to pass between thelegs, the ball to unwind itself by the weight of the personwho sat astride upon the board.

"Go!" said the duke.

"First, my lord?" inquired Grimaud.

"Certainly. If I am caught, I risk nothing but being takenback again to prison. If they catch thee, thou wilt behung."

"True," replied Grimaud.

And instantly, Grimaud, sitting upon the board as if onhorseback, commenced his perilous descent.

The duke followed him with his eyes, with involuntaryterror. He had gone down about three-quarters of the lengthof the wall when the cord broke. Grimaud fell - precipitated into the moat.

The duke uttered a cry, but Grimaud did not give a singlemoan. He must have been dreadfully hurt, for he did not stirfrom the place where he fell.

Immediately one of the men who were waiting slipped downinto the moat, tied under Grimaud's shoulders the end of acord, and the remaining two, who held the other end, drewGrimaud to them.

"Descend, my lord," said the man in the moat. "There areonly fifteen feet more from the top down here, and the grassis soft."

The duke had already begun to descend. His task was the moredifficult, as there was no board to support him. He wasobliged to let himself down by his hands and from a heightof fifty feet. But as we have said he was active, strong,and full of presence of mind. In less than five minutes hearrived at the end of the cord. He was then only fifteenfeet from the ground, as the gentlemen below had told him.He let go the rope and fell upon his feet, without receivingany injury.

He instantly began to climb up the slope of the moat, on thetop of which he met De Rochefort. The other two gentlemenwere unknown to him. Grimaud, in a swoon, was tied securelyto a horse.

"Gentlemen," said the duke, "I will thank you later; now wehave not a moment to lose. On, then! on! those who love me,follow me!"

And he jumped on his horse and set off at full gallop,snuffing the fresh air in his triumph and shouting out, withan expression of face which it would be impossible todescribe:

"Free! free! free!"