第37章

ThefirstofthefriendsofFouquet\'stoadvancewasP閘isson。？Hedidnotweep，buthistearswereonlyrestrainedthatthekingmightbetterhearhisvoiceandprayer。？Gourvillebithislipstocheckhistears，outofrespectfortheking。？LaFontaineburiedhisfaceinhishandkerchief，andtheonlysignsoflifehegaveweretheconvulsivemotionsofhisshoulders，raisedbyhissobs。

Thekingpreservedhisdignity。？Hiscountenancewasimpassible。？HeevenmaintainedthefrownwhichappearedwhenD\'Artagnanannouncedhisenemies。？Hemadeagesturewhichsignified，"Speak;"andheremainedstanding，withhiseyesfixedsearchinglyonthesedespondingmen。？P閘issonbowedtotheground，andLaFontainekneltaspeopledoinchurches。？Thisdismalsilence，disturbedonlybysighsandgroans，begantoexciteintheking，notcompassion，butimpatience。

"MonsieurP閘isson，"saidhe，inasharp，drytone。？"MonsieurGourville，andyou，Monsieur—"andhedidnotnameLaFontaine，"Icannot，withoutsensibledispleasure，seeyoucometopleadforoneofthegreatestcriminalsitisthedutyofjusticetopunish。？Akingdoesnotallowhimselftosoftensaveatthetearsoftheinnocent，theremorseoftheguilty。？IhavenofaitheitherintheremorseofM。

Fouquetorthetearsofhisfriends，becausetheoneistaintedtotheveryheart，andtheothersoughttodreadoffendingmeinmyownpalace。？Forthesereasons，Ibegyou，MonsieurP閘isson，MonsieurGourville，andyou，Monsieur—，tosaynothingthatwillnotplainlyproclaimtherespectyouhaveformywill。"

"Sire，"

repliedP閘isson，tremblingatthesewords，"wearecometosaynothingtoyourmajestythatisnotthemostprofoundexpressionofthemostsincererespectandlovethatareduetoakingfromallhissubjects。？Yourmajesty\'sjusticeisredoubtable;everyonemustyieldtothesentencesitpronounces。？Werespectfullybowbeforeit。？Farfromustheideaofcomingtodefendhimwhohashadthemisfortunetooffendyourmajesty。？Hewhohasincurredyourdispleasuremaybeafriendofours，butheisanenemytothestate。？Weabandonhim，butwithtears，totheseverityoftheking。"

"Besides，"

interruptedtheking，calmedbythatsupplicatingvoice，andthosepersuasivewords，"myparliamentwilldecide。？Idonotstrikewithoutfirsthavingweighedthecrime;myjusticedoesnotwieldtheswordwithoutemployingfirstapairofscales。"

"Thereforewehaveeveryconfidenceinthatimpartialityoftheking，andhopetomakeourfeeblevoicesheard，withtheconsentofyourmajesty，whenthehourfordefendinganaccusedfriendstrikes。"

"Inthatcase，messieurs，whatdoyouaskofme？"saidtheking，withhismostimposingair。

"Sire，"

continuedP閘isson，"theaccusedhasawifeandfamily。？Thelittlepropertyhehadwasscarcelysufficienttopayhisdebts，andMadameFouquet，sinceherhusband\'scaptivity，isabandonedbyeverybody。？ThehandofyourmajestystrikeslikethehandofGod。？WhentheLordsendsthecurseofleprosyorpestilenceintoafamily，everyonefliesandshunstheabodeoftheleprousorplague—stricken。？Sometimes，butveryrarely，agenerousphysicianaloneventurestoapproachtheill—reputedthreshold，passesitwithcourage，andriskshislifetocombatdeath。？Heisthelastresourceofthedying，thechoseninstrumentofheavenlymercy。？Sire，wesupplicateyou，withclaspedhandsandbendedknees，asadivinityissupplicated！？MadameFouquethasnolongeranyfriends，nolongeranymeansofsupport;sheweepsinherdesertedhome，abandonedbyallthosewhobesiegeditsdoorsinthehourofprosperity;shehasneithercreditnorhopeleft。？Atleast，theunhappywretchuponwhomyourangerfallsreceivesfromyou，howeverculpablehemaybe，hisdailybreadthoughmoistenedbyhistears。？Asmuchafflicted，moredestitutethanherhusband，MadameFouquet—theladywhohadthehonortoreceiveyourmajestyathertable—

MadameFouquet，thewifeoftheancientsuperintendentofyourmajesty\'sfinances，MadameFouquethasnolongerbread。"

HerethemortalsilencewhichhadchainedthebreathofP閘isson\'stwofriendswasbrokenbyanoutburstofsobs;andD\'Artagnan，whosechestheavedathearingthishumbleprayer，turnedroundtowardstheangleofthecabinettobitehismustacheandconcealagroan。

Thekinghadpreservedhiseyedryandhiscountenancesevere;butthebloodhadmountedtohischeeks，andthefirmnessofhislookwasvisiblydiminished。

"Whatdoyouwish？"saidhe，inanagitatedvoice。

"Wecomehumblytoaskyourmajesty，"repliedP閘isson，uponwhomemotionwasfastgaining，"topermitus，withoutincurringthedispleasureofyourmajesty，tolendtoMadameFouquettwothousandpistolescollectedamongtheoldfriendsofherhusband，inorderthatthewidowmaynotstandinneedofthenecessariesoflife。"

Atthewordwidow，pronouncedbyP閘issonwhilstFouquetwasstillalive，thekingturnedverypale;—hispridedisappeared;

pityrosefromhishearttohislips;hecastasoftenedlookuponthemenwhokneltsobbingathisfeet。

"Godforbid，"saidhe，"thatIshouldconfoundtheinnocentwiththeguilty。？Theyknowmebutillwhodoubtmymercytowardstheweak。？Istrikenonebutthearrogant。？Do，messieurs，doallthatyourheartscounselyoutoassuagethegriefofMadameFouquet。？Go，messieurs—go！"

Thethreenowroseinsilencewithdryeyes。？Thetearshadbeenscorchedawaybycontactwiththeirburningcheeksandeyelids。？Theyhadnotthestrengthtoaddresstheirthankstotheking，whohimselfcutshorttheirsolemnreverencesbyentrenchinghimselfsuddenlybehindthefauteuil。

D\'Artagnanremainedalonewiththeking。

"Well，"

saidhe，approachingtheyoungprince，whointerrogatedhimwithhislook。？"Well，mymaster！？Ifyouhadnotthedevicewhichbelongstoyoursun，IwouldrecommendyouonewhichM。ConrartmighttranslateintoeclecticLatin，\'Calmwiththelowly;stormywiththestrong。\'"

Thekingsmiled，andpassedintothenextapartment，afterhavingsaidtoD\'Artagnan，"I

giveyoutheleaveofabsenceyoumustwanttoputtheaffairsofyourfriend，thelateM。duVallon，inorder。"

ChapterLV:

Porthos\'sWill。

AtPierrefondseverythingwasinmourning。？Thecourtsweredeserted—thestablesclosed—theparterresneglected。？Inthebasins，thefountains，formerlysojubilantlyfreshandnoisy，hadstoppedofthemselves。？Alongtheroadsaroundthech鈚eaucameafewgravepersonagesmountedonmulesorcountrynags。？Thesewereruralneighbors，cur閟andbailiffsofadjacentestates。？Allthesepeopleenteredthech鈚eausilently，handedtheirhorsestoamelancholy—lookinggroom，anddirectedtheirsteps，conductedbyahuntsmaninblack，tothegreatdining—room，whereMousquetonreceivedthematthedoor。？Mousquetonhadbecomesothinintwodaysthathisclothesmoveduponhimlikeanill—fittingscabbardinwhichthesword—bladedancesateachmotion。？Hisface，composedofredandwhite，likethatoftheMadonnaofVandyke，wasfurrowedbytwosilverrivuletswhichhaddugtheirbedsinhischeeks，asfullformerlyastheyhadbecomeflabbysincehisgriefbegan。？Ateachfresharrival，Mousquetonfoundfreshtears，anditwaspitifultoseehimpresshisthroatwithhisfathandtokeepfromburstingintosobsandlamentations。？AllthesevisitswereforthepurposeofhearingthereadingofPorthos\'swill，announcedforthatday，andatwhichallthecovetousfriendsofthedeadmanwereanxioustobepresent，ashehadleftnorelationsbehindhim。

Thevisitorstooktheirplacesastheyarrived，andthegreatroomhadjustbeenclosedwhentheclockstrucktwelve，thehourfixedforthereadingoftheimportantdocument。？Porthos\'sprocureur—andthatwasnaturallythesuccessorofMasterCoquenard—commencedbyslowlyunfoldingthevastparchmentuponwhichthepowerfulhandofPorthoshadtracedhissovereignwill。？Thesealbroken—thespectaclesputon—thepreliminarycoughhavingsounded—everyoneprickeduphisears。？Mousquetonhadsquattedhimselfinacorner，thebettertoweepandthebettertohear。？Allatoncethefolding—doorsofthegreatroom，whichhadbeenshut，werethrownopenasifbymagic，andawarlikefigureappeareduponthethreshold，resplendentinthefulllightofthesun。？ThiswasD\'Artagnan，whohadcomealonetothegate，andfindingnobodytoholdhisstirrup，hadtiedhishorsetotheknockerandannouncedhimself。？Thesplendorofdaylightinvadingtheroom，themurmurofallpresent，and，morethanall，theinstinctofthefaithfuldog，drewMousquetonfromhisreverie;heraisedhishead，recognizedtheoldfriendofhismaster，and，screamingwithgrief，heembracedhisknees，wateringthefloorwithhistears。？D\'Artagnanraisedthepoorintendant，embracedhimasifhehadbeenabrother，and，havingnoblysalutedtheassembly，whoallbowedastheywhisperedtoeachotherhisname，hewentandtookhisseatattheextremityofthegreatcarvedoakhall，stillholdingbythehandpoorMousqueton，whowassuffocatingwithexcessofwoe，andsankuponthesteps。？Thentheprocureur，who，liketherest，wasconsiderablyagitated，commenced。

Porthos，afteraprofessionoffaithofthemostChristiancharacter，askedpardonofhi

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