After quitting Anne, Mazarin took the road to Rueil, wherehe usually resided; in those times of disturbance he wentabout with numerous followers and often disguised himself.In military dress he was, indeed, as we have stated, a veryhandsome man.

In the court of the old Chateau of Saint Germain he enteredhis coach, and reached the Seine at Chatou. The prince hadsupplied him with fifty light horse, not so much by way ofguard as to show the deputies how readily the queen'sgenerals dispersed their troops and to prove that they mightbe safely scattered at pleasure. Athos, on horseback,without his sword and kept in sight by Comminges, followedthe cardinal in silence. Grimaud, finding that his masterhad been arrested, fell back into the ranks near Aramis,without saying a word and as if nothing had happened.

Grimaud had, indeed, during twenty-two years of service,seen his master extricate himself from so many difficultiesthat nothing less than Athos's imminent death was likely tomake him uneasy.

At the branching off of the road toward Paris, Aramis, whohad followed in the cardinal's suite, turned back. Mazarinwent to the right hand and Aramis could see the prisonerdisappear at the turning of the avenue. Athos, at the samemoment, moved by a similar impulse, looked back also. Thetwo friends exchanged a simple inclination of the head andAramis put his finger to his hat, as if to bow, Athos alonecomprehending by that signal that he had some project in hishead.

Ten minutes afterward Mazarin entered the court of thatchateau which his predecessor had built for him at Rueil; ashe alighted, Comminges approached him.

"My lord," he asked, "where does your eminence wish MonsieurComte de la Fere to be lodged?"

"In the pavilion of the orangery, of course, in front of thepavilion where the guard is. I wish every respect to beshown the count, although he is the prisoner of her majestythe queen."

"My lord," answered Comminges, "he begs to be taken to theplace where Monsieur d'Artagnan is confined - that is, inthe hunting lodge, opposite the orangery.

Mazarin thought for an instant.

Comminges saw that he was undecided.

"'Tis a very strong post," he resumed, "and we have fortygood men, tried soldiers, having no connection withFrondeurs nor any interest in the Fronde."

"If we put these three men together, Monsieur Comminges,"said Mazarin, "we must double the guard, and we are not richenough in fighting men to commit such acts of prodigality."

Comminges smiled; Mazarin read and construed that smile.

"You do not know these men, Monsieur Comminges, but I knowthem, first personally, also by hearsay. I sent them tocarry aid to King Charles and they performed prodigies tosave him; had it not been for an adverse destiny, thatbeloved monarch would this day have been among us."

"But since they served your eminence so well, why are they,my lord cardinal, in prison?"

"In prison?" said Mazarin, "and when has Rueil been aprison?"

"Ever since there were prisoners in it," answered Comminges.

"These gentlemen, Comminges, are not prisoners," returnedMazarin, with his ironical smile, "only guests; but guestsso precious that I have put a grating before each of theirwindows and bolts to their doors, that they may not refuseto continue my visitors. So much do I esteem them that I amgoing to make the Comte de la Fere a visit, that I mayconverse with him tete-a-tete, and that we may not bedisturbed at our interview you must conduct him, as I saidbefore, to the pavilion of the orangery; that, you know, ismy daily promenade. Well, while taking my walk I will callon him and we will talk. Although he professes to be myenemy I have sympathy for him, and if he is reasonableperhaps we shall arrange matters."

Comminges bowed, and returned to Athos, who was awaitingwith apparent calmness, but with real anxiety, the result ofthe interview.

"Well?" he said to the lieutenant.

"Sir," replied Comminges, "it seems that it is impossible."

"Monsieur de Comminges," said Athos, "I have been a soldierall my life and I know the force of orders; but outside yourorders there is a service you can render me."

"I will do it with all my heart," said Comminges; "for Iknow who you are and what service you once performed for hermajesty; I know, too, how dear to you is the young man whocame so valiantly to my aid when that old rogue of aBroussel was arrested. I am entirely at your service, exceptonly for my orders."

"Thank you, sir; what I am about to ask will not compromiseyou in any degree."

"If it should even compromise me a little," said Monsieur deComminges, with a smile, "still make your demand. I don'tlike Mazarin any better than you do. I serve the queen andthat draws me naturally into the service of the cardinal;but I serve the one with joy and the other against my will.Speak, then, I beg of you; I wait and listen."

"Since there is no harm," said Athos, "in my knowing thatD'Artagnan is here, I presume there will be none in hisknowing that I am here."

"I have received no orders on that point."

"Well, then, do me the kindness to give him my regards andtell him that I am his neighbor. Tell him also what you havejust told me - that Mazarin has placed me in the pavilionof the orangery in order to make me a visit, and assure himthat I shall take advantage of this honor he proposes toaccord to me to obtain from him some amelioration of ourcaptivity."

"Which cannot last," interrupted Comminges; "the cardinalsaid so; there is no prison here."

"But there are oubliettes!" replied Athos, smiling.

"Oh! that's a different thing; yes, I know there aretraditions of that sort," said Comminges. "It was in thetime of the other cardinal, who was a great nobleman; butour Mazarin - impossible! an Italian adventurer would notdare to go such lengths with such men as ourselves.Oubliettes are employed as a means of kingly vengeance, anda low-born fellow such as he is would not have recourse tothem. Your arrest is known, that of your friends will soonbe known; and all the nobility of France would demand anexplanation of your disappearance. No, no, be easy on thatscore. I will, however, inform Monsieur d'Artagnan of yourarrival here."

Comminges then led the count to a room on the ground floorof a pavilion, at the end of the orangery. They passedthrough a courtyard as they went, full of soldiers andcourtiers. In the centre of this court, in the form of ahorseshoe, were the buildings occupied by Mazarin, and ateach wing the pavilion (or smaller building), whereD'Artagnan was confined, and that, level with the orangery,where Athos was to be. From the ends of these two wingsextended the park.

Athos, when he reached his appointed room, observed throughthe gratings of his window, walls and roofs; and was told,on inquiry, by Comminges, that he was looking on the back ofthe pavilion where D'Artagnan was confined.

"Yes, 'tis too true," said Comminges, "'tis almost a prison;but what a singular fancy this is of yours, count - you,who are the very flower of our nobility - to squander yourvalor and loyalty amongst these upstarts, the Frondists!Really, count, if ever I thought that I had a friend in theranks of the royal army, it was you. A Frondeur! you, theComte de la Fere, on the side of Broussel, Blancmesnil andViole! For shame! you, a Frondeur!"

"On my word of honor," said Athos, "one must be either aMazarinist or a Frondeur. For a long time I had these wordswhispered in my ears, and I chose the latter; at any rate,it is a French word. And now, I am a Frondeur - not ofBroussel's party, nor of Blancmesnil's, nor am I with Viole;but with the Duc de Beaufort, the Ducs de Bouillon andd'Elbeuf; with princes, not with presidents, councillors andlow-born lawyers. Besides, what a charming outlook it wouldhave been to serve the cardinal! Look at that wall - without a single window - which tells you fine things aboutMazarin's gratitude!"

"Yes," replied De Comminges, "more especially if it couldreveal how Monsieur d'Artagnan for this last week has beenanathematizing him."

"Poor D'Artagnan'" said Athos, with the charming melancholythat was one of the traits of his character, "so brave, sogood, so terrible to the enemies of those he loves. You havetwo unruly prisoners there, sir."

"Unruly," Comminges smiled; "you wish to terrify me, Isuppose. When he came here, Monsieur D'Artagnan provoked andbraved the soldiers and inferior officers, in order, Isuppose, to have his sword back. That mood lasted some time;but now he's as gentle as a lamb and sings Gascon songs,which make one die of laughing."

"And Du Vallon?" asked Athos.

"Ah, he's quite another sort of person - a formidablegentleman, indeed. The first day he broke all the doors inwith a single push of his shoulder; and I expected to seehim leave Rueil in the same way as Samson left Gaza. But histemper cooled down, like his friend's; he not only gets usedto his captivity, but jokes about it."

"So much the better," said Athos.

"Do you think anything else was to be expected of them?"asked Comminges, who, putting together what Mazarin had saidof his prisoners and what the Comte de la Fere had said,began to feel a degree of uneasiness.

Athos, on the other hand, reflected that this recentgentleness of his friends most certainly arose from someplan formed by D'Artagnan. Unwilling to injure them bypraising them too highly, he replied: "They? They are twohotheads - the one a Gascon, the other from Picardy; bothare easily excited, but they quiet down immediately. Youhave had a proof of that in what you have just related tome."

This, too, was the opinion of Comminges, who withdrewsomewhat reassured. Athos remained alone in the vastchamber, where, according to the cardinal's directions, hewas treated with all the courtesy due to a nobleman. Heawaited Mazarin's promised visit to get some light on hispresent situation.