第40章

"Good—day，Monsieurd\'Artagnan，"saidtheminister，withmarkedaffability，"haveyouhadapleasantjourney？"

"Yes，monsieur，"saidD\'Artagnan，bowingtotheneckofhishorse。

"Iheardthekinginviteyoutohistableforthisevening，"continuedtheminister;"youwillmeetanoldfriendthere。"

"Anoldfriendofmine？"askedD\'Artagnan，plungingpainfullyintothedarkwavesofthepast，whichhadswallowedupforhimsomanyfriendshipsandsomanyhatreds。

"M。leDucd\'Alm閐a，whoisarrivedthismorningfromSpain。"

"TheDucd\'Alm閐a？"saidD\'Artagnan，reflectinginvain。

"Here！"

criedanoldman，whiteassnow，sittingbentinhiscarriage，whichhecausedtobethrownopentomakeroomforthemusketeer。

"Aramis！"criedD\'Artagnan，struckwithprofoundamazement。？Andhefelt，inertasitwas，thethinarmoftheoldnoblemanhangingroundhisneck。

Colbert，afterhavingobservedtheminsilenceforafewmoments，urgedhishorseforward，andleftthetwooldfriendstogether。

"Andso，"saidthemusketeer，takingAramis\'sarm，"you，theexile，therebel，areagaininFrance？"

"Ah！andI

shalldinewithyouattheking\'stable，"saidAramis，smiling。？"Yes，willyounotaskyourselfwhatistheuseoffidelityinthisworld？？Stop！letusallowpoorLaValli鑢e\'scarriagetopass。？Look，howuneasysheis！？Howhereyes，dimwithtears，followtheking，whoisridingonhorsebackyonder！"

"Withwhom？"

"WithMademoiselledeTonnay—Charente，nowMadamedeMontespan，"repliedAramis。

"Sheisjealous。？Isshethendeserted？"

"Notquiteyet，butitwillnotbelongbeforesheis。"

Transcriber\'snote:MadamedeMontespanwouldoustLouisefromtheking\'saffectionsby1667。—JB

Theychattedtogether，whilefollowingthesport，andAramis\'scoachmandrovethemsocleverlythattheyarrivedattheinstantwhenthefalcon，attackingthebird，beathimdown，andfelluponhim。？Thekingalighted;MadamedeMontespanfollowedhisexample。？Theywereinfrontofanisolatedchapel，concealedbyhugetrees，alreadydespoiledoftheirleavesbythefirstcuttingwindsofautumn。？Behindthischapelwasaninclosure，closedbyalatticedgate。？Thefalconhadbeatendownhispreyintheinclosurebelongingtothislittlechapel，andthekingwasdesirousofgoingintotakethefirstfeather，accordingtocustom。？Thecort鑗eformedacircleroundthebuildingandthehedges，toosmalltoreceivesomany。？D\'ArtagnanheldbackAramisbythearm，ashewasabout，liketherest，toalightfromhiscarriage，andinahoarse，brokenvoice，"Doyouknow，Aramis，"saidhe，"whitherchancehasconductedus？"

"No，"

repliedtheduke。

"Herereposementhatweknewwell，"saidD\'Artagnan，greatlyagitated。

Aramis，withoutdivininganything，andwithatremblingstep，penetratedintothechapelbyalittledoorwhichD\'Artagnanopenedforhim。？"Wherearetheyburied？"saidhe。

"There，intheinclosure。？Thereisacross，yousee，beneathyonlittlecypress。？Thetreeofgriefisplantedovertheirtomb;don\'tgotoit;thekingisgoingthatway;theheronhasfallenjustthere。"

Aramisstopped，andconcealedhimselfintheshade。？Theythensaw，withoutbeingseen，thepalefaceofLaValli鑢e，who，neglectedinhercarriage，atfirstlookedon，withamelancholyheart，fromthedoor，andthen，carriedawaybyjealousy，advancedintothechapel，whence，leaningagainstapillar，shecontemplatedthekingsmilingandmakingsignstoMadamedeMontespantoapproach，astherewasnothingtobeafraidof。？MadamedeMontespancomplied;shetookthehandthekingheldouttoher，andhe，pluckingoutthefirstfeatherfromtheheron，whichthefalconerhadstrangled，placeditinhisbeautifulcompanion\'shat。？She，smilinginherturn，kissedthehandtenderlywhichmadeherthispresent。？Thekinggrewscarletwithvanityandpleasure;helookedatMadamedeMontespanwithallthefireofnewlove。

"Whatwillyougivemeinexchange？"saidhe。

Shebrokeoffalittlebranchofcypressandofferedittotheking，wholookedintoxicatedwithhope。

"Humph！"

saidAramistoD\'Artagnan;"thepresentisbutasadone，forthatcypressshadesatomb。"

"Yes，andthetombisthatofRaouldeBragelonne，"saidD\'Artagnanaloud;"ofRaoul，whosleepsunderthatcrosswithhisfather。"

Agroanresounded—theysawawomanfallfaintingtotheground。？MademoiselledelaValli鑢ehadseenall，heardall。

"Poorwoman！"mutteredD\'Artagnan，ashehelpedtheattendantstocarrybacktohercarriagethelonelyladywhoselothenceforthinlifewassuffering。

ThateveningD\'Artagnanwasseatedattheking\'stable，nearM。ColbertandM。leDucd\'Alm閐a。？Thekingwasverygay。？Hepaidathousandlittleattentionstothequeen，athousandkindnessestoMadame，seatedathislefthand，andverysad。？Itmighthavebeensupposedthattimeofcalmwhenthekingwaswonttowatchhismother\'seyesfortheapprovalordisapprovalofwhathehadjustdone。

Ofmistressestherewasnoquestionatthisdinner。？ThekingaddressedAramistwoorthreetimes，callinghimM。

l\'ambassadeur，whichincreasedthesurprisealreadyfeltbyD\'Artagnanatseeinghisfriendtherebelsomarvelouslywellreceivedatcourt。

Theking，onrisingfromtable，gavehishandtothequeen，andmadeasigntoColbert，whoseeyewasonhismaster\'sface。？ColberttookD\'ArtagnanandAramisononeside。？Thekingbegantochatwithhissister，whilstMonsieur，veryuneasy，entertainedthequeenwithapreoccupiedair，withoutceasingtowatchhiswifeandbrotherfromthecornerofhiseye。？TheconversationbetweenAramis，D\'Artagnan，andColbertturneduponindifferentsubjects。？Theyspokeofprecedingministers;ColbertrelatedthesuccessfultricksofMazarin，anddesiredthoseofRichelieutoberelatedtohim。？D\'Artagnancouldnotovercomehissurpriseatfindingthisman，withhisheavyeyebrowsandlowforehead，displaysomuchsoundknowledgeandcheerfulspirits。？Aramiswasastonishedatthatlightnessofcharacterwhichpermittedthisseriousmantoretardwithadvantagethemomentformoreimportantconversation，towhichnobodymadeanyallusion，althoughallthreeinterlocutorsfeltitsimminence。？Itwasveryplain，fromtheembarrassedappearanceofMonsieur，howmuchtheconversationofthekingandMadameannoyedhim。？Madame\'seyeswerealmostred:wasshegoingtocomplain？？Wasshegoingtoexposealittlescandalinopencourt？？Thekingtookherononeside，andinatonesotenderthatitmusthaveremindedtheprincessofthetimewhenshewaslovedforherself:

"Sister，"

saidhe，"whydoIseetearsinthoselovelyeyes？"

"Why—sire—"saidshe。

"Monsieurisjealous，ishenot，sister？"

ShelookedtowardsMonsieur，aninfalliblesignthattheyweretalkingabouthim。

"Yes，"

saidshe。

"Listentome，"saidtheking;"ifyourfriendscompromiseyou，itisnotMonsieur\'sfault。"

HespokethesewordswithsomuchkindnessthatMadame，encouraged，havingbornesom

后续内容为VIP可读请开通VIP，或购买此章节