CHAPTER 40
An Affair of State
The cardinal, on passing into his cabinet, found the Comte
de la Fere, who was waiting for him, engaged in admiring a
very fine Raphael placed over a sideboard covered with
plate. His eminence came in softly, lightly, and silently as
a shadow, and surprised the countenance of the comte, as he
was accustomed to do, pretending to divine by the simple
expression of the face of his interlocutor what would be the
result of the conversation.
But this time Mazarin was foiled in his expectation: he read
nothing upon the face of Athos, not even the respect he was
accustomed to see on all faces. Athos was dressed in black,
with a simple lacing of silver. He wore the Holy Ghost, the
Garter, and the Golden Fleece, three orders of such
importance, that a king alone, or else a player, could wear
them at once.
Mazarin rummaged a long time in his somewhat troubled memory
to recall the name he ought to give to this icy figure, but
he did not succeed. "I am told," said he, at length, "you
have a message from England for me."
And he sat down, dismissing Bernouin, who, in his quality of
secretary, was getting his pen ready.
"On the part of his majesty, the king of England, yes, your
eminence."
"You speak very good French for an Englishman monsieur,"
said Mazarin, graciously, looking through his fingers at the
Holy Ghost, Garter, and Golden Fleece, but more particularly
at the face of the messenger.
"I am not an Englishman, but a Frenchman, monsieur le
cardinal," replied Athos.
"It is remarkable that the king of England should choose a
Frenchman for his ambassador; it is an excellent augury.
Your name, monsieur, if you please."
"Comte de la Fere," replied Athos, bowing more slightly than
the ceremonial and pride of the all-powerful minister
required.
Mazarin bent his shoulders, as if to say: --
"I do not know that name."
Athos did not alter his carriage.
"And you come, monsieur," continued Mazarin, "to tell me
---- "
"I come on the part of his majesty the king of Great Britain
to announce to the king of France" -- Mazarin frowned -- "to
announce to the king of France," continued Athos,
imperturbably, "the happy restoration of his majesty Charles
II. to the throne of his ancestors."
This shade did not escape his cunning eminence. Mazarin was
too much accustomed to mankind, not to see in the cold and
almost haughty politeness of Athos, an index of hostility,
which was not of the temperature of that hot-house called a
court.
"You have powers. I suppose?" asked Mazarin, in a short,
querulous tone.
"Yes, monseigneur." And the word "monseigneur" came so
painfully from the lips of Athos that it might be said it
skinned them.
Athos took from an embroidered velvet bag which he carried
under his doublet a dispatch. The cardinal held out his hand
for it. "Your pardon, monseigneur," said Athos. "My dispatch
is for the king."
"Since you are a Frenchman, monsieur, you ought to know the
position of a prime minister at the court of France."
"There was a time," replied Athos, "when I occupied myself
with the importance of prime ministers, but I have formed,
long ago, a resolution to treat no longer with any but the
king."
"Then, monsieur," said Mazarin, who began to be irritated,
"you will neither see the minister nor the king."
Mazarin rose. Athos replaced his dispatch in its bag, bowed
gravely, and made several steps towards the door. This
coolness exasperated Mazarin. "What strange diplomatic
proceedings are these!" cried he. "Have we returned to the
times when Cromwell sent us bullies in the guise of charges
d'affaires? You want nothing monsieur, but the steel cap on
your head, and a Bible at your girdle."
"Monsieur," said Athos, dryly, "I have never had, as you
have, the advantage of treating with Cromwell; and I have
only seen his charges d'affaires sword in hand, I am
therefore ignorant of how he treated with prime ministers.
As for the king of England, Charles II., I know that when he
writes to his majesty King Louis XIV., he does not write to
his eminence the Cardinal Mazarin. I see no diplomacy in
that distinction."
"Ah!" cried Mazarin, raising his attenuated hand and
striking his head, "I remember now!" Athos looked at him in
astonishment. "Yes, that is it!" said the cardinal,
continuing to look at his interlocutor; "yes, that is
certainly it. I know you now, monsieur. Ah! diavolo! I am no
longer astonished."
"In fact, I was astonished that, with your eminence's
excellent memory," replied Athos, smiling, "you had not
recognized me before."
"Always refractory and grumbling -- monsieur -- monsieur --
What do they call you? Stop -- a name of a river -- Potamos;
no -- the name of an island -- Naxos; no, per Giove! -- the
name of a mountain -- Athos! now I have it. Delighted to see
you again, and to be no longer at Rueil, where you and your
damned companions made me pay ransom. Fronde! still Fronde!
accursed Fronde! Oh, what grudges! Why, monsieur, have your
antipathies survived mine? If any one had cause to complain,
I think it could not be you, who got out of the affair not
only in a sound skin, but with the cordon of the Holy Ghost
around your neck."
"My lord cardinal," replied Athos, "permit me not to enter
into considerations of that kind. I have a mission to
fulfill. Will you facilitate the means of my fulfilling that
mission, or will you not?"
"I am astonished," said Mazarin, -- quite delighted at
having recovered his memory, and bristling with malice -- "I
am astonished, Monsieur -- Athos -- that a Frondeur like you
should have accepted a mission for the Mazarin, as used to
be said in the good old times ---- " And Mazarin began to
laugh, in spite of a painful cough, which cut short his
sentences, converting them into sobs.
"I have only accepted the mission near the king of France,
monsieur le cardinal," retorted the comte, though with less
asperity, for he thought he had sufficiently the advantage
to show himself moderate.
"And yet, Monsieur le Frondeur," said Mazarin gayly, "the
affair which you have taken in charge must, from the king
---- "
"With which I have been given in charge, monseigneur. I do
not run after affairs."
"Be it so. I say that this negotiation must pass through my
hands. Let us lose no precious time, then. Tell me the
conditions."
"I have had the honor of assuring your eminence that only
the letter of his majesty King Charles II. contains the
revelation of his wishes."
"Pooh! you are ridiculous with your obstinacy, Monsieur
Athos. It is plain you have kept company with the Puritans
yonder. As to your secret, I know it better than you do; and
you have done wrongly, perhaps, in not having shown some
respect for a very old and suffering man, who has labored
much during his life, and kept the field for his ideas as
bravely as you have for yours. You will not communicate your
letter to me? You will say nothing to me? Very well! Come
with me into my chamber; you shall speak to the king -- and
before the king. -- Now, then, one last word: who gave you
the Fleece? I remember you passed for having the Garter; but
as to the Fleece, I do not know ---- "
"Recently, my lord, Spain, on the occasion of the marriage
of his majesty Louis XIV., sent King Charles II. a brevet of
the Fleece in blank, Charles II. immediately transmitted it
to me, filling up the blank with my name."
Mazarin arose, and leaning on the arm of Bernouin, he
returned to his ruelle at the moment the name of M. le
Prince was being announced. The Prince de Conde, the first
prince of the blood, the conqueror of Rocroy, Lens and
Nordlingen, was, in fact, entering the apartment of
Monseigneur de Mazarin, followed by his gentlemen, and had
already saluted the king, when the prime minister raised his
curtain. Athos had time to see Raoul pressing the hand of
the Comte de Guiche, and send him a smile in return for his
respectful bow. He had time, likewise, to see the radiant
countenance of the cardinal, when he perceived before him,
upon the table, an enormous heap of gold, which the Comte de
Guiche had won in a run of luck, after his eminence had
confided his cards to him. So forgetting ambassador, embassy
and prince, his first thought was of the gold. "What!" cried
the old man -- "all that -- won?"
"Some fifty thousand crowns; yes, monseigneur!" replied the
Comte de Guiche, rising. "Must I give up my place to your
eminence, or shall I continue?"
"Give up! give up! you are mad. You would lose all you have
won. Peste!"
"My lord!" said the Prince de Conde, bowing.
"Good-evening, monsieur le prince," said the minister, in a
careless tone; "it is very kind of you to visit an old sick
friend."
"A friend!" murmured the Comte de la Fere, at witnessing
with stupor this monstrous alliance of words; -- "friends!
when the parties are Conde and Mazarin!"
Mazarin seemed to divine the thought of the Frondeur, for he
smiled upon him with triumph, and immediately, -- "Sire,"
said he to the king, "I have the honor of presenting to your
majesty, Monsieur le Comte de la Fere, ambassador from his
Britannic majesty. An affair of state, gentlemen," added he,
waving his hand to all who filled the chamber, and who, the
Prince de Conde at their head, all disappeared at the simple
gesture. Raoul, after a last look cast at the comte,
followed M. de Conde. Philip of Anjou and the queen appeared
to be consulting about departing.
"A family affair," said Mazarin, suddenly, detaining them in
their seats. "This gentleman is the bearer of a letter in
which King Charles II., completely restored to his throne,
demands an alliance between Monsieur, the brother of the
king, and Mademoiselle Henrietta, grand-daughter of Henry
IV. Will you remit your letter of credit to the king,
monsieur le comte?"
Athos remained for a minute stupefied. How could the
minister possibly know the contents of the letter which had
never been out of his keeping for a single instant?
Nevertheless, always master of himself, he held out the
dispatch to the young king, Louis XIV., who took it with a
blush. A solemn silence reigned in the cardinal's chamber.
It was only troubled by the dull sound of the gold, which
Mazarin with his yellow dry hand, piled up in a casket,
whilst the king was reading.
