D'Artagnan knew his part well; he was aware that opportunityhas a forelock only for him who will take it and he was nota man to let it go by him without seizing it. He soonarranged a prompt and certain manner of traveling, bysending relays of horses to Chantilly, so that he might bein Paris in five or six hours. But before setting out hereflected that for a lad of intelligence and experience hewas in a singular predicament, since he was proceedingtoward uncertainty and leaving certainty behind him.

"In fact," he said, as he was about to mount and start onhis dangerous mission, "Athos, for generosity, is a hero ofromance; Porthos has an excellent disposition, but is easilyinfluenced; Aramis has a hieroglyphic countenance, alwaysillegible. What will come out of those three elements when Iam no longer present to combine them? The deliverance of thecardinal, perhaps. Now, the deliverance of the cardinalwould be the ruin of our hopes; and our hopes are thus farthe only recompense we have for labors in comparison withwhich those of Hercules were pygmean."

He went to find Aramis.

"You, my dear Chevalier d'Herblay," he said, "are the Frondeincarnate. Mistrust Athos, therefore, who will not prosecutethe affairs of any one, even his own. Mistrust Porthos,especially, who, to please the count whom he regards as Godon earth, will assist him in contriving Mazarin's escape, ifMazarin has the wit to weep or play the chivalric."

Aramis smiled; his smile was at once cunning and resolute.

"Fear nothing," he said; "I have my conditions to impose. Myprivate ambition tends only to the profit of him who hasjustice on his side."

"Good!" thought D'Artagnan: "in this direction I amsatisfied." He pressed Aramis's hand and went in search ofPorthos.

"Friend," he said, "you have worked so hard with me towardbuilding up our fortune, that, at the moment when we areabout to reap the fruits of our labours, it would be aridiculous piece of silliness in you to allow yourself to becontrolled by Aramis, whose cunning you know - a cunningwhich, we may say between ourselves, is not always withoutegotism; or by Athos, a noble and disinterested man, butblase, who, desiring nothing further for himself, doesn'tsympathize with the desires of others. What should you sayif either of these two friends proposed to you to letMazarin go?"

"Why, I should say that we had too much trouble in takinghim to let him off so easily."

"Bravo, Porthos! and you would be right, my friend; for inlosing him you would lose your barony, which you have inyour grasp, to say nothing of the fact that, were he onceout of this, Mazarin would have you hanged."

"Do you think so?"

"I am sure of it."

"Then I would kill him rather than let him go."

"And you would act rightly. There is no question, youunderstand, provided we secure our own interests, ofsecuring those of the Frondeurs; who, besides, don'tunderstand political matters as we old soldiers do."

"Never fear, dear friend," said Porthos. "I shall see youthrough the window as you mount your horse; I shall followyou with my eyes as long as you are in sight; then I shallplace myself at the cardinal's door - a door with glasswindows. I shall see everything, and at the least suspicioussign I shall begin to exterminate."

"Bravo!" thought D'Artagnan; "on this side I think thecardinal will be well guarded." He pressed the hand of thelord of Pierrefonds and went in search of Athos.

"My dear Athos," he said, "I am going away. I have only onething to say to you. You know Anne of Austria; the captivityof Mazarin alone guarantees my life; if you let him go I ama dead man."

"I needed nothing less than that consideration, my dearD'Artagnan, to persuade myself to adopt the role of jailer.I give you my word that you will find the cardinal where youleave him."

"This reassures me more than all the royal signatures,"thought D'Artagnan. "Now that I have the word of Athos I canset out."

D'Artagnan started alone on his journey, without otherescort than his sword, and with a simple passport fromMazarin to secure his admission to the queen's presence. Sixhours after he left Pierrefonds he was at Saint Germain.

The disappearance of Mazarin was not as yet generally known.Anne of Austria was informed of it and concealed heruneasiness from every one. In the chamber of D'Artagnan andPorthos the two soldiers had been found bound and gagged. Onrecovering the use of their limbs and tongues they could, ofcourse, tell nothing but what they knew - that they hadbeen seized, stripped and bound. But as to what had beendone by Porthos and D'Artagnan afterward they were asignorant as all the inhabitants of the chateau.

Bernouin alone knew a little more than the others. Bernouin,seeing that his master did not return and hearing the strokeof midnight, had made an examination of the orangery. Thefirst door, barricaded with furniture, had aroused in himcertain suspicions, but without communicating his suspicionsto any one he had patiently worked his way into the midst ofall that confusion. Then he came to the corridor, all thedoors of which he found open; so, too, was the door ofAthos's chamber and that of the park. From the latter pointit was easy to follow tracks on the snow. He saw that thesetracks tended toward the wall; on the other side he foundsimilar tracks, then footprints of horses and then signs ofa troop of cavalry which had moved away in the direction ofEnghien. He could no longer cherish any doubt that thecardinal had been carried off by the three prisoners, sincethe prisoners had disappeared at the same time; and he hadhastened to Saint Germain to warn the queen of thatdisappearance.

Anne had enforced the utmost secrecy and had disclosed theevent to no one except the Prince de Conde, who had sentfive or six hundred horsemen into the environs of SaintGermain with orders to bring in any suspicious person whowas going away from Rueil, in whatsoever direction it mightbe.

Now, since D'Artagnan did not constitute a body of horsemen,since he was alone, since he was not going away from Rueiland was going to Saint Germain, no one paid any attention tohim and his journey was not obstructed in any way.

On entering the courtyard of the old chateau the firstperson seen by our ambassador was Maitre Bernouin in person,who, standing on the threshold, awaited news of his vanishedmaster.

At the sight of D'Artagnan, who entered the courtyard onhorseback, Bernouin rubbed his eyes and thought he must bemistaken. But D'Artagnan made a friendly sign to him withhis head, dismounted, and throwing his bridle to a lackeywho was passing, he approached the valet-de-chambre with asmile on his lips.

"Monsieur d'Artagnan!" cried the latter, like a man who hasthe nightmare and talks in his sleep, "Monsieur d'Artagnan!"

"Himself, Monsieur Bernouin."

"And why have you come here?"

"To bring news of Monsieur de Mazarin - the freshest newsthere is."

"What has become of him, then?"

"He is as well as you and I."

"Nothing bad has happened to him, then?"

"Absolutely nothing. He felt the need of making a trip inthe Ile de France, and begged us - the Comte de la Fere andMonsieur du Vallon - to accompany him. We were too devotedservants to refuse him a request of that sort. We set outlast evening and here we are."

"Here you are."

"His eminence had something to communicate to her majesty,something secret and private - a mission that could beconfided only to a sure man - and so has sent me to SaintGermain. And therefore, my dear Monsieur Bernouin, if youwish to do what will be pleasing to your master, announce toher majesty that I have come, and tell her with whatpurpose."

Whether he spoke seriously or in jest, since it was evidentthat under existing circumstances D'Artagnan was the onlyman who could relieve the queen's uneasiness, Bernouin wentwithout hesitation to announce to her this strange embassy;and as he had foreseen, the queen gave orders to introduceMonsieur d'Artagnan at once.

D'Artagnan approached the sovereign with every mark ofprofound respect, and having fallen on his knees presentedto her the cardinal's letter

It was, however, merely a letter of introduction. The queenread it, recognized the writing, and, since there were nodetails in it of what had occurred, asked for particulars.D'Artagnan related everything with that simple and ingenuousair which he knew how to assume on occasions. The queen, ashe went on, looked at him with increasing astonishment. Shecould not comprehend how a man could conceive such anenterprise and still less how he could have the audacity todisclose it to her whose interest and almost duty it was topunish him.

"How, sir!" she cried, as D'Artagnan finished, "you dare totell me the details of your crime - to give me an accountof your treason!"

"Pardon, madame, but I think that either I have expressedmyself badly or your majesty has imperfectly understood me.There is here no question of crime or treason. Monsieur deMazarin held us in prison, Monsieur du Vallon and myself,because we could not believe that he had sent us to Englandto quietly look on while they cut off the head of CharlesI., brother-in-law of the late king, your husband, theconsort of Madame Henrietta, your sister and your guest, andbecause we did all that we could do to save the life of theroyal martyr. We were then convinced, my friend and I, thatthere was some error of which we were the victims, and thatan explanation was called for between his eminence andourselves. Now, that an explanation may bear fruit, it isnecessary that it should be quietly conducted, far fromnoise and interruption. We have therefore taken awaymonsieur le cardinal to my friend's chateau and there wehave come to an understanding. Well, madame, it proved to beas we had supposed; there was a mistake. Monsieur de Mazarinhad thought that we had rendered service to GeneralCromwell, instead of King Charles, which would have been adisgrace, rebounding from us to him, and from him to yourmajesty - a dishonor which would have tainted the royaltyof your illustrious son. We were able to prove the contrary,and that proof we are ready to give to your majesty, callingin support of it the august widow weeping in the Louvre,where your royal munificence has provided for her a home.That proof satisfied him so completely that, as a sign ofsatisfaction, he has sent me, as your majesty may see, toconsider with you what reparation should be made togentlemen unjustly treated and wrongfully persecuted."

"I listen to you, and I wonder at you, sir," said the queen."In fact, I have rarely seen such excess of impudence."

"Your majesty, on your side," said D'Artagnan, "is as muchmistaken as to our intentions as the Cardinal Mazarin hasalways been."

"You are in error, sir," answered the queen. "I am so littlemistaken that in ten minutes you shall be arrested, and inan hour I shall set off at the head of my army to release myminister."

"I am sure your majesty will not commit such an act ofimprudence, first, because it would be useless and wouldproduce the most disastrous results. Before he could bepossibly set free the cardinal would be dead; and indeed, soconvinced is he of this, that he entreated me, should I findyour majesty disposed to act in this way, to do all I couldto induce you to change your resolution."

"Well, then, I will content myself with arresting you!"

"Madame, the possibility of my arrest has been foreseen, andshould I not have returned by to-morrow, at a certain hourthe next day the cardinal will be brought to Paris anddelivered to the parliament."

"It is evident, sir, that your position has kept you out ofrelation to men and affairs; otherwise you would know thatsince we left Paris monsieur le cardinal has returnedthither five or six times; that he has there met DeBeaufort, De Bouillon, the coadjutor and D'Elbeuf and thatnot one of them had any desire to arrest him."

"Your pardon, madame, I know all that. And therefore myfriends will conduct monsieur le cardinal neither to DeBeaufort, nor to De Bouillon, nor to the coadjutor, nor toD'Elbeuf. These gentlemen wage war on private account, andin buying them up, by granting them what they wished,monsieur le cardinal has made a good bargain. He will bedelivered to the parliament, members of which can, ofcourse, be bought, but even Monsieur de Mazarin is not richenough to buy the whole body."

"I think," returned Anne of Austria, fixing upon him aglance, which in any woman's face would have expresseddisdain, but in a queen's, spread terror to those she lookedupon, "nay, I perceive you dare to threaten the mother ofyour sovereign."

"Madame," replied D'Artagnan, "I threaten simply and solelybecause I am obliged to do so. Believe me, madame, as true athing as it is that a heart beats in this bosom - a heartdevoted to you - believe that you have been the idol of ourlives; that we have, as you well know - good Heaven! - risked our lives twenty times for your majesty. Have you,then, madame, no compassion for your servants who for twentyyears have vegetated in obscurity, without betraying in asingle sigh the solemn and sacred secrets they have had thehonor to share with you? Look at me, madame - at me, whomyou accuse of speaking loud and threateningly. What am I? Apoor officer, without fortune, without protection, without afuture, unless the eye of my queen, which I have sought solong, rests on me for a moment. Look at the Comte de laFere, a type of nobility, a flower of chivalry. He has takenpart against his queen, or rather, against her minister. Hehas not been unreasonably exacting, it seems to me. Look atMonsieur du Vallon, that faithful soul, that arm of steel,who for twenty years has awaited the word from your lipswhich will make him in rank what he is in sentiment and incourage. Consider, in short, your people who love you andwho yet are famished, who have no other wish than to blessyou, and who, nevertheless - no, I am wrong, your subjects,madame, will never curse you; say one word to them and allwill be ended - peace succeed war, joy tears, and happinessto misfortune!"

Anne of Austria looked with wonderment on the warlikecountenance of D'Artagnan, which betrayed a singularexpression of deep feeling.

"Why did you not say all this before you took action, sir?"she said.

"Because, madame, it was necessary to prove to your majestyone thing of which you doubted - -that is, that we stillpossess amongst us some valor and are worthy of someconsideration at your hands."

"And that valor would shrink from no undertaking, accordingto what I see."

"It has hesitated at nothing in the past; why, then, shouldit be less daring in the future?"

"Then, in case of my refusal, this valor, should a struggleoccur, will even go the length of carrying me off in themidst of my court, to deliver me into the hands of theFronde, as you propose to deliver my minister?"

"We have not thought about it yet, madame," answeredD'Artagnan, with that Gascon effrontery which had in him theappearance of naivete; but if we four had resolved upon itwe should do it most certainly."

"I ought," muttered Anne to herself, "by this time toremember that these men are giants."

"Alas, madame!" exclaimed D'Artagnan, "this proves to methat not till to-day has your majesty had a just idea ofus."

"Perhaps," said Anne; "but that idea, if at last I have it- - "

"Your majesty will do us justice. In doing us justice youwill no longer treat us as men of vulgar stamp. You will seein me an ambassador worthy of the high interests he isauthorized to discuss with his sovereign."

"Where is the treaty?"

"Here it is."

Anne of Austria cast her eyes upon the treaty thatD'Artagnan presented to her.

"I do not see here," she said, "anything but generalconditions; the interests of the Prince de Conti or of theDucs de Beaufort, de Bouillon and d'Elbeuf and of thecoadjutor, are herein consulted; but with regard to yours?"

"We do ourselves justice, madame, even in assuming the highposition that we have. We do not think ourselves worthy tostand near such great names."

"But you, I presume, have decided to assert your pretensionsviva voce?"

"I believe you, madame, to be a great and powerful queen,and that it will be unworthy of your power and greatness ifyou do not recompense the arms which will bring back hiseminence to Saint Germain."

"It is my intention so to do; come, let us hear you. Speak."

"He who has negotiated these matters (forgive me if I beginby speaking of myself, but I must claim that importancewhich has been given to me, not assumed by me) he who hasarranged matters for the return of the cardinal, ought, itappears to me, in order that his reward may not be unworthyof your majesty, to be made commandant of the guards - anappointment something like that of captain of themusketeers."

"'Tis the appointment Monsieur de Treville held, you ask ofme."

"The place, madame, is vacant, and although 'tis a yearsince Monsieur de Treville has left it, it has not beenfilled."

"But it is one of the principal military appointments in theking's household."

"Monsieur de Treville was but a younger son of a simpleGascon family, like me, madame; he occupied that post fortwenty years."

"You have an answer ready for everything," replied thequeen, and she took from her bureau a document, which shefilled up and signed.

"Undoubtedly, madame," said D'Artagnan, taking the documentand bowing, "this is a noble reward; but everything in theworld is unstable, and the man who happened to fall intodisgrace with your majesty might lose this officeto-morrow."

"What more do you want?" asked the queen, coloring, as shefound that she had to deal with a mind as subtle as her own.

"A hundred thousand francs for this poor captain ofmusketeers, to be paid whenever his services shall no longerbe acceptable to your majesty."

Anne hesitated.

"To think of the Parisians," soliloquized D'Artagnan,"offering only the other day, by an edict of the parliament,six hundred thousand francs to any man soever who woulddeliver up the cardinal to them, dead or alive - if alive,in order to hang him; if dead, to deny him the rites ofChristian burial!"

"Come," said Anne, "'tis reasonable, since you only ask froma queen the sixth of what the parliament has proposed;" andshe signed an order for a hundred thousand francs.

"Now, then," she said, "what next?"

"Madame, my friend Du Vallon is rich and has thereforenothing in the way of fortune to desire; but I think Iremember that there was a question between him and MonsieurMazarin as to making his estate a barony. Nay, it must havebeen a promise."

"A country clown," said Anne of Austria, "people willlaugh."

"Let them," answered D'Artagnan. "But I am sure of one thing- that those who laugh at him in his presence will neverlaugh a second time."

"Here goes the barony." said the queen; she signed a patent.

"Now there remains the chevalier, or the Abbe d'Herblay, asyour majesty pleases."

"Does he wish to be a bishop?"

"No, madame, something easier to grant."

"What?"

"It is that the king should deign to stand godfather to theson of Madame de Longueville."

The queen smiled.

"Monsieur de Longueville is of royal blood, madame," saidD'Artagnan.

"Yes," said the queen; "but his son?"

"His son, madame, must be, since the husband of the son'smother is."

"And your friend has nothing more to ask for Madame deLongueville?"

"No, madame, for I presume that the king, standing godfatherto him, could do no less than present him with five hundredthousand francs, giving his father, also, the government ofNormandy."

"As to the government of Normandy," replied the queen, "Ithink I can promise; but with regard to the present, thecardinal is always telling me there is no more money in theroyal coffers."

"We shall search for some, madame, and I think we can find alittle, and if your majesty approves, we will seek for sometogether."

"What next?"

"What next, madame?"

"Yes."

"That is all."

"Haven't you, then, a fourth companion?"

"Yes, madame, the Comte de la Fere."

"What does he ask?"

"Nothing."

"There is in the world, then, one man who, having the powerto ask, asks - nothing!"

"There is the Comte de la Fere, madame. The Comte de la Fereis not a man."

"What is he, then?"

"The Comte de la Fere is a demi-god."

"Has he not a son, a young man, a relative, a nephew, ofwhom Comminges spoke to me as being a brave boy, and who,with Monsieur de Chatillon, brought the standards fromLens?"

"He has, as your majesty has said, a ward, who is called theVicomte de Bragelonne."

"If that young man should be appointed to a regiment whatwould his guardian say?"

"Perhaps he would accept."

"Perhaps?"

"Yes, if your majesty herself should beg him to accept."

"He must be indeed a strange man. Well, we will reflect andperhaps we will beg him. Are you satisfied, sir?"

"There is one thing the queen has not signed - her assentto the treaty."

"Of what use to-day? I will sign it to-morrow."

"I can assure her majesty that if she does not sign to-dayshe will not have time to sign to-morrow. Consent, then, Ibeg you, madame, to write at the bottom of this schedule,which has been drawn up by Mazarin, as you see:

"`I consent to ratify the treaty proposed by theParisians.'"

Anne was caught, she could not draw back - she signed; butscarcely had she done so when pride burst forth and shebegan to weep.

D'Artagnan started on seeing these tears. Since that periodof history queens have shed tears, like other women.

The Gascon shook his head, these tears from royalty meltedhis heart.

"Madame," he said, kneeling, "look upon the unhappy man atyour feet. He begs you to believe that at a gesture of yourmajesty everything will be possible to him. He has faith inhimself; he has faith in his friends; he wishes also to havefaith in his queen. And in proof that he fears nothing, thathe counts on nothing, he will restore Monsieur de Mazarin toyour majesty without conditions. Behold, madame! here arethe august signatures of your majesty's hand; if you thinkyou are right in giving them to me, you shall do so, butfrom this very moment you are free from any obligation tokeep them."

And D'Artagnan, full of splendid pride and manlyintrepidity, placed in Anne's hands, in a bundle, the papersthat he had one by one won from her with so much difficulty.

There are moments - for if everything is not good,everything in this world is not bad - in which the mostrigid and the coldest soul is softened by the tears ofstrong emotion, heart-arraigning sentiment: one of thesemomentary impulses actuated Anne. D'Artagnan, when he gaveway to his own feelings - which were in accordance withthose of the queen - had accomplished more than the mostastute diplomacy could have attempted. He was thereforeinstantly recompensed, either for his address or for hissensibility, whichever it might be termed.

"You were right, sir," said Anne. "I misunderstood you.There are the acts signed; I deliver them to you withoutcompulsion. Go and bring me back the cardinal as soon aspossible."

"Madame," faltered D'Artagnan, "'tis twenty years ago - Ihave a good memory - since I had the honor behind a pieceof tapestry in the Hotel de Ville, of kissing one of thoselovely hands."

"There is the other," replied the queen; "and that the lefthand should not be less liberal than the right," she drewfrom her finger a diamond similar to the one formerly givento him, "take and keep this ring in remembrance of me.

"Madame," said D'Artagnan, rising, "I have only one thingmore to wish, which is, that the next thing you ask from me,shall be - my life."

And with this conclusion - a way peculiar to himself - herose and left the room.

"I never rightly understood those men," said the queen, asshe watched him retiring from her presence; "and it is nowtoo late, for in a year the king will be of age."

In twenty-four hours D'Artagnan and Porthos conductedMazarin to the queen; and the one received his commission,the other his patent of nobility.

On the same day the Treaty of Paris was signed, and it waseverywhere announced that the cardinal had shut himself upfor three days in order to draw it up with the greatestcare.

Here is what each of the parties concerned gained by thattreaty:

Monsieur de Conti received Damvilliers, and having made hisproofs as general, he succeeded in remaining a soldier,instead of being made cardinal. Moreover, something had beensaid of a marriage with Mazarin's niece. The idea waswelcomed by the prince, to whom it was of little importancewhom he married, so long as he married some one.

The Duc de Beaufort made his entrance at court, receivingample reparation for the wrongs he had suffered, and all thehonor due to his rank. Full pardon was accorded to those whohad aided in his escape. He received also the office ofadmiral, which had been held by his father, the Duc deVendome and an indemnity for his houses and castles,demolished by the Parliament of Bretagne.

The Duc de Bouillon received domains of a value equal tothat of his principality of Sedan, and the title of prince,granted to him and to those belonging to his house.

The Duc de Longueville gained the government ofPont-de-l'Arche, five hundred thousand francs for his wifeand the honor of seeing her son held at the baptismal fontby the young king and Henrietta of England.

Aramis stipulated that Bazin should officiate at thatceremony and that Planchet should furnish the christeningsugar plums.

The Duc d'Elbeuf obtained payment of certain sums due to hiswife, one hundred thousand francs for his eldest son andtwenty-five thousand for each of the three others.

The coadjutor alone obtained nothing. They promised, indeed,to negotiate with the pope for a cardinal's hat for him; buthe knew how little reliance should be placed on suchpromises, made by the queen and Mazarin. Quite contrary tothe lot of Monsieur de Conti, unable to be cardinal, he wasobliged to remain a soldier.

And therefore, when all Paris was rejoicing in the expectedreturn of the king, appointed for the next day, Gondy alone,in the midst of the general happiness, was dissatisfied; hesent for the two men whom he was wont to summon when inespecially bad humor. Those two men were the Count deRochefort and the mendicant of Saint Eustache. They camewith their usual promptness, and the coadjutor spent withthem a part of the night.