Anne of Austria returned to her oratory, furious.

"What!" she cried, wringing her beautiful hands, "What! thepeople have seen Monsieur de Conde, a prince of the bloodroyal, arrested by my mother-in-law, Maria de Medicis; theysaw my mother-in-law, their former regent, expelled by thecardinal; they saw Monsieur de Vendome, that is to say, theson of Henry IV., a prisoner at Vincennes; and whilst thesegreat personages were imprisoned, insulted and threatened,they said nothing; and now for a Broussel - good God! what,then, is to become of royalty?"

The queen unconsciously touched here upon the excitingquestion. The people had made no demonstration for theprinces, but they had risen for Broussel; they were takingthe part of a plebeian and in defending Broussel theyinstinctively felt they were defending themselves.

During this time Mazarin walked up and down the study,glancing from time to time at his beautiful Venetian mirror,starred in every direction. "Ah!" he said, "it is sad, Iknow well, to be forced to yield thus; but, pshaw! we shallhave our revenge. What matters it about Broussel - it is aname, not a thing."

Mazarin, clever politician as he was, was for once mistaken;Broussel was a thing, not a name.

The next morning, therefore, when Broussel made his entranceinto Paris in a large carriage, having his son Louvieres athis side and Friquet behind the vehicle, the people threwthemselves in his way and cries of "Long live Broussel!""Long live our father!" resounded from all parts and wasdeath to Mazarin's ears; and the cardinal's spies broughtbad news from every direction, which greatly agitated theminister, but was calmly received by the queen. The latterseemed to be maturing in her mind some great stroke, a factwhich increased the uneasiness of the cardinal, who knew theproud princess and dreaded much the determination of Anne ofAustria.

The coadjutor returned to parliament more a monarch thanking, queen, and cardinal, all three together. By his advicea decree from parliament summoned the citizens to lay downtheir arms and demolish the barricades. They now knew thatit required but one hour to take up arms again and one nightto reconstruct the barricades.

Rochefort had returned to the Chevalier d'Humieres his fiftyhorsemen, less two, missing at roll call. But the chevalierwas himself at heart a Frondist and would hear nothing saidof compensation.

The mendicant had gone to his old place on the steps ofSaint Eustache and was again distributing holy water withone hand and asking alms with the other. No one couldsuspect that those two hands had been engaged with others indrawing out from the social edifice the keystone of royalty.

Louvieres was proud and satisfied; he had taken revenge onMazarin and had aided in his father's deliverance fromprison. His name had been mentioned as a name of terror atthe Palais Royal. Laughingly he said to the councillor,restored to his family:

"Do you think, father, that if now I should ask for acompany the queen would give it to me?"

D'Artagnan profited by this interval of calm to send awayRaoul, whom he had great difficulty in keeping shut upduring the riot, and who wished positively to strike a blowfor one party or the other. Raoul had offered someopposition at first; but D'Artagnan made use of the Comte dela Fere's name, and after paying a visit to Madame deChevreuse, Raoul started to rejoin the army.

Rochefort alone was dissatisfied with the termination ofaffairs. He had written to the Duc de Beaufort to come andthe duke was about to arrive, and he world find Paristranquil. He went to the coadjutor to consult with himwhether it would not be better to send word to the duke tostop on the road, but Gondy reflected for a moment, and thensaid:

"Let him continue his journey."

"All is not then over?" asked Rochefort.

"My dear count, we have only just begun."

"What induces you to think so?"

"The knowledge that I have of the queen's heart; she willnot rest contented beaten."

"Is she, then, preparing for a stroke?"

"I hope so."

"Come, let us see what you know."

"I know that she has written to the prince to return inhaste from the army."

"Ah! ha!" said Rochefort, "you are right. We must letMonsieur de Beaufort come."

In fact, the evening after this conversation the report wascirculated that the Prince de Conde had arrived. It was avery simple, natural circumstance and yet it created aprofound sensation. It was said that Madame de Longueville,for whom the prince had more than a brother's affection andin whom he had confided, had been indiscreet. His confidencehad unveiled the sinister project of the queen.

Even on the night of the prince's return, some citizens,bolder than the rest, such as the sheriffs, captains and thequartermaster, went from house to house among their friends,saying:

"Why do we not take the king and place him in the Hotel deVille? It is a shame to leave him to be educated by ourenemies, who will give him evil counsel; whereas, brought upby the coadjutor, for instance, he would imbibe nationalprinciples and love his people."

That night the question was secretly agitated and on themorrow the gray and black cloaks, the patrols of armedshop-people, and the bands of mendicants reappeared.

The queen had passed the night in lonely conference with theprince, who had entered the oratory at midnight and did notleave till five o'clock in the morning.

At five o'clock Anne went to the cardinal's room. If she hadnot yet taken any repose, he at least was already up. Sixdays had already passed out of the ten he had asked fromMordaunt; he was therefore occupied in revising his reply toCromwell, when some one knocked gently at the door ofcommunication with the queen's apartments. Anne of Austriaalone was permitted to enter by that door. The cardinaltherefore rose to open it.

The queen was in a morning gown, but it became her still;for, like Diana of Poictiers and Ninon, Anne of Austriaenjoyed the privilege of remaining ever beautiful;nevertheless, this morning she looked handsomer than usual,for her eyes had all the sparkle inward satisfaction adds toexpression.

"What is the matter, madame?" said Mazarin, uneasily. "Youseem secretly elated."

"Yes, Giulio," she said, "proud and happy; for I have foundthe means of strangling this hydra."

"You are a great politician, my queen," said Mazarin; "letus hear the means." And he hid what he had written bysliding the letter under a folio of blank paper.

"You know," said the queen, "that they want to take the kingaway from me?"

"Alas! yes, and to hang me."

"They shall not have the king."

"Nor hang me."

"Listen. I want to carry off my son from them, withyourself. I wish that this event, which on the day it isknown will completely change the aspect of affairs, shouldbe accomplished without the knowledge of any others butyourself, myself, and a third person."

"And who is this third person?"

"Monsieur le Prince."

"He has come, then, as they told me?"

"Last evening."

"And you have seen him?"

"He has just left me."

"And will he aid this project?"

"The plan is his own."

"And Paris?"

"He will starve it out and force it to surrender atdiscretion."

"The plan is not wanting in grandeur; I see but oneimpediment."

"What is it?"

"Impossibility."

"A senseless word. Nothing is impossible."

"On paper."

"In execution. We have money?"

"A little," said Mazarin, trembling, lest Anne should ask todraw upon his purse.

"Troops?"

"Five or six thousand men."

"Courage?"

"Plenty."

"Then the thing is easy. Oh! do think of it, Giulio! Paris,this odious Paris, waking up one morning without queen orking, surrounded, besieged, famished - having for its soleresource its stupid parliament and their coadjutor withcrooked limbs!"

"Charming! charming!" said Mazarin. "I can imagine theeffect, I do not see the means."

"I will find the means myself."

"You are aware it will be war, civil war, furious,devouring, implacable?"

"Oh! yes, yes, war," said Anne of Austria. "Yes, I willreduce this rebellious city to ashes. I will extinguish thefire with blood! I will perpetuate the crime and punishmentby making a frightful example. Paris!; I - I detest, Iloathe it!"

"Very fine, Anne. You are now sanguinary; but take care. Weare not in the time of Malatesta and Castruccio Castracani.You will get yourself decapitated, my beautiful queen, andthat would be a pity."

"You laugh."

"Faintly. It is dangerous to go to war with a nation. Lookat your brother monarch, Charles I. He is badly off, verybadly."

"We are in France, and I am Spanish."

"So much the worse; I had much rather you were French andmyself also; they would hate us both less."

"Nevertheless, you consent?"

"Yes, if the thing be possible."

"It is; it is I who tell you so; make preparations fordeparture."

"I! I am always prepared to go, only, as you know, I neverdo go, and perhaps shall go this time as little as before."

"In short, if I go, will you go too?"

"I will try."

"You torment me, Giulio, with your fears; and what are youafraid of, then?"

"Of many things."

"What are they?"

Mazarin's face, smiling as it was, became clouded.

"Anne," said he, "you are but a woman and as a woman you mayinsult men at your ease, knowing that you can do it withimpunity. You accuse me of fear; I have not so much as youhave, since I do not fly as you do. Against whom do they cryout? is it against you or against myself? Whom would theyhang, yourself or me? Well, I can weather the storm - I,whom, notwithstanding, you tax with fear - not withbravado, that is not my way; but I am firm. Imitate me. Makeless hubbub and think more deeply. You cry very loud, youend by doing nothing; you talk of flying - - "

Mazarin shrugged his shoulders and taking the queen's handled her to the window.

"Look!" he said.

"Well?" said the queen, blinded by her obstinacy.

"Well, what do you see from this window? If I am notmistaken those are citizens, helmeted and mailed, armed withgood muskets, as in the time of the League, and whose eyesare so intently fixed on this window that they will see youif you raise that curtain much; and now come to the otherside - what do you see? Creatures of the people, armed withhalberds, guarding your doors. You will see the same atevery opening from this palace to which I should lead you.Your doors are guarded, the airholes of your cellars areguarded, and I could say to you, as that good La Ramee saidto me of the Duc de Beaufort, you must be either bird ormouse to get out."

"He did get out, nevertheless."

"Do you think of escaping in the same way?"

"I am a prisoner, then?"

"Parbleu!" said Mazarin, "I have been proving it to you thislast hour."

And he quietly resumed his dispatch at the place where hehad been interrupted.

Anne, trembling with anger and scarlet with humiliation,left the room, shutting the door violently after her.Mazarin did not even turn around. When once more in her ownapartment Anne fell into a chair and wept; then suddenlystruck with an idea:

"I am saved!" she exclaimed, rising; "oh, yes! yes! I know aman who will find the means of taking me from Paris, a man Ihave too long forgotten." Then falling into a reverie, sheadded, however, with an expression of joy, "Ungrateful womanthat I am, for twenty years I have forgotten this man, whomI ought to have made a marechal of France. My mother-in-lawexpended gold, caresses, dignities on Concini, who ruinedher; the king made Vitry marechal of France for anassassination: while I have left in obscurity, in poverty,the noble D'Artagnan, who saved me!"

And running to a table, on which were paper, pens and ink,she hastily began to write.