Chapter VIII. The Presentation of Porthos at Court.
At seven o'clock the same evening, the king gave an audience to anambassador from the United Provinces, in the grand reception-room. Theaudience lasted a quarter of an hour. His majesty afterwards receivedthose who had been recently presented, together with a few ladies, whopaid their respects first. In one corner of the salon, concealed behinda column, Porthos and D'Artagnan were conversing together, waiting untiltheir turn arrived.
"Have you heard the news?" inquired the musketeer of his friend.
"No!"
"Well, look, then." Porthos raised himself on tiptoe, and saw M. Fouquetin full court dress, leading Aramis towards the king.
"Aramis!" said Porthos.
"Presented to the king by M. Fouquet."
"Ah!" ejaculated Porthos.
"For having fortified Belle-Isle," continued D'Artagnan.
"And I?"
"You--oh, you! as I have already had the honor of telling you, are thegood-natured, kind-hearted Porthos; and so they begged you to take careof Saint-Mande a little."
"Ah!" repeated Porthos.
"But, happily, I was there," said D'Artagnan, "and presently it will be_my_ turn."
At this moment Fouquet addressed the king.
"Sire," he said, "I have a favor to solicit of your majesty. M.d'Herblay is not ambitious, but he knows when he can be of service. Yourmajesty needs a representative at Rome, who would be able to exercisea powerful influence there; may I request a cardinal's hat for M.d'Herblay?" The king started. "I do not often solicit anything of yourmajesty," said Fouquet.
"That is a reason, certainly," replied the king, who always expressedany hesitation he might have in that manner, and to which remark therewas nothing to say in reply.
Fouquet and Aramis looked at each other. The king resumed: "M. d'Herblaycan serve us equally well in France; an archbishopric, for instance."
"Sire," objected Fouquet, with a grace of manner peculiarly his own,"your majesty overwhelms M. d'Herblay; the archbishopric may, in yourmajesty's extreme kindness, be conferred in addition to the hat; the onedoes not exclude the other."
The king admired the readiness which he displayed, and smiled, saying:"D'Artagnan himself could not have answered better." He had no soonerpronounced the name than D'Artagnan appeared.
"Did your majesty call me?" he said.
Aramis and Fouquet drew back a step, as if they were about to retire.
"Will your majesty allow me," said D'Artagnan quickly, as he led forwardPorthos, "to present to your majesty M. le Baron du Vallon, one of thebravest gentlemen of France?"
As soon as Aramis saw Porthos, he turned as pale as death, while Fouquetclenched his hands under his ruffles. D'Artagnan smiled blandly atboth of them, while Porthos bowed, visibly overcome before the royalpresence.
"Porthos here?" murmured Fouquet in Aramis's ear.
"Hush! deep treachery at work," hissed the latter.
"Sire," said D'Artagnan, "it is more than six years ago I ought to havepresented M. du Vallon to your majesty; but certain men resemble stars,they move not one inch unless their satellites accompany them. ThePleiades are never disunited, and that is the reason I have selected,for the purpose of presenting him to you, the very moment when you wouldsee M. d'Herblay by his side."
Aramis almost lost countenance. He looked at D'Artagnan with a proud,haughty air, as though willing to accept the defiance the latter seemedto throw down.
"Ah! these gentlemen are good friends, then?" said the king.
"Excellent friends, sire; the one can answer for the other. Ask M. deVannes now in what manner Belle-Isle was fortified?" Fouquet moved backa step.
"Belle-Isle," said Aramis, coldly, "was fortified by that gentleman,"and he indicated Porthos with his hand, who bowed a second time.Louis could not withhold his admiration, though at the same time hissuspicions were aroused.
"Yes," said D'Artagnan, "but ask monsieur le baron whose assistance hehad in carrying the works out?"
"Aramis's," said Porthos, frankly; and he pointed to the bishop.
"What the deuce does all this mean?" thought the bishop, "and what sortof a termination are we to expect to this comedy?"
"What!" exclaimed the king, "is the cardinal's, I mean this bishop's,name _Aramis?_"
"His _nom de guerre_," said D'Artagnan.
"My nickname," said Aramis.
"A truce to modesty!" exclaimed D'Artagnan; "beneath the priest's robe,sire, is concealed the most brilliant officer, a gentleman of the mostunparalleled intrepidity, and the wisest theologian in your kingdom."
Louis raised his head. "And an engineer, also, it appears," he said,admiring Aramis's calm, imperturbable self-possession.
"An engineer for a particular purpose, sire," said the latter.
"My companion in the musketeers, sire," said D'Artagnan, with greatwarmth of manner, "the man who has more than a hundred times aided yourfather's ministers by his advice--M. d'Herblay, in a word, who, withM. du Vallon, myself, and M. le Comte de la Fere, who is known to yourmajesty, formed that quartette which was a good deal talked about duringthe late king's reign, and during your majesty's minority."
"And who fortified Belle-Isle?" the king repeated, in a significanttone.
Aramis advanced and bowed: "In order to serve the son as I served thefather."
D'Artagnan looked very narrowly at Aramis while he uttered these words,which displayed so much true respect, so much warm devotion, such entirefrankness and sincerity, that even he, D'Artagnan, the eternal doubter,he, the almost infallible in judgment, was deceived by it. "A man wholies cannot speak in such a tone as that," he said.
Louis was overcome by it. "In that case," he said to Fouquet, whoanxiously awaited the result of this proof, "the cardinal's hat ispromised. Monsieur d'Herblay, I pledge you my honor that the firstpromotion shall be yours. Thank M. Fouquet for it." Colbert overheardthese words; they stung him to the quick, and he left the salonabruptly. "And you, Monsieur du Vallon," said the king, "what have youto ask? I am truly pleased to have it in my power to acknowledge theservices of those who were faithful to my father."
"Sire--" began Porthos, but he was unable to proceed with what he wasgoing to say.
"Sire," exclaimed D'Artagnan, "this worthy gentleman is utterlyoverpowered by your majesty's presence, he who so valiantly sustainedthe looks and the fire of a thousand foes. But, knowing what histhoughts are, I--who am more accustomed to gaze upon the sun--cantranslate them: he needs nothing, absolutely nothing; his sole desireis to have the happiness of gazing upon your majesty for a quarter of anhour."
"You shall sup with me this evening," said the king, saluting Porthoswith a gracious smile.
Porthos became crimson from delight and pride. The king dismissed him,and D'Artagnan pushed him into the adjoining apartment, after he hadembraced him warmly.
"Sit next to me at table," said Porthos in his ear.
"Yes, my friend."
"Aramis is annoyed with me, I think."
"Aramis has never liked you so much as he does now. Fancy, it was I whowas the means of his getting the cardinal's hat."
"Of course," said Porthos. "By the by, does the king like his guests toeat much at his table?"
"It is a compliment to himself if you do," said D'Artagnan, "for hehimself possesses a royal appetite."