Chapter X. Crown and Tiara.

by Alexandre Dumas

　　Aramis was the first to descend from the carriage; he held the door openfor the young man. He saw him place his foot on the mossy ground with atrembling of the whole body, and walk round the carriage with an unsteadyand almost tottering step. It seemed as if the poor prisoner wasunaccustomed to walk on God's earth. It was the 15th of August, abouteleven o'clock at night; thick clouds, portending a tempest, overspreadthe heavens, and shrouded every light and prospect underneath their heavyfolds. The extremities of the avenues were imperceptibly detached fromthe copse, by a lighter shadow of opaque gray, which, upon closerexamination, became visible in the midst of the obscurity. But thefragrance which ascended from the grass, fresher and more penetratingthan that which exhaled from the trees around him; the warm and balmy airwhich enveloped him for the first time for many years past; the ineffableenjoyment of liberty in an open country, spoke to the prince in soseductive a language, that notwithstanding the preternatural caution, wewould almost say dissimulation of his character, of which we have triedto give an idea, he could not restrain his emotion, and breathed a sighof ecstasy. Then, by degrees, he raised his aching head and inhaled thesoftly scented air, as it was wafted in gentle gusts to his upliftedface. Crossing his arms on his chest, as if to control this newsensation of delight, he drank in delicious draughts of that mysteriousair which interpenetrates at night the loftiest forests. The sky he wascontemplating, the murmuring waters, the universal freshness - was notall this reality? Was not Aramis a madman to suppose that he had aughtelse to dream of in this world? Those exciting pictures of country life,so free from fears and troubles, the ocean of happy days that glittersincessantly before all young imaginations, are real allurements wherewithto fascinate a poor, unhappy prisoner, worn out by prison cares,emaciated by the stifling air of the Bastile. It was the picture, itwill be remembered, drawn by Aramis, when he offered the thousandpistoles he had with him in the carriage to the prince, and the enchantedEden which the deserts of Bas-Poitou hid from the eyes of the world.Such were the reflections of Aramis as he watched, with an anxietyimpossible to describe, the silent progress of the emotions of Philippe,whom he perceived gradually becoming more and more absorbed in hismeditations. The young prince was offering up an inward prayer toHeaven, to be divinely guided in this trying moment, upon which his lifeor death depended. It was an anxious time for the bishop of Vannes, whohad never before been so perplexed. His iron will, accustomed toovercome all obstacles, never finding itself inferior or vanquished onany occasion, to be foiled in so vast a project from not having foreseenthe influence which a view of nature in all its luxuriance would have onthe human mind! Aramis, overwhelmed by anxiety, contemplated withemotion the painful struggle that was taking place in Philippe's mind.This suspense lasted the whole ten minutes which the young man hadrequested. During this space of time, which appeared an eternity,Philippe continued gazing with an imploring and sorrowful look towardsthe heavens; Aramis did not remove the piercing glance he had fixed onPhilippe. Suddenly the young man bowed his head. His thought returnedto the earth, his looks perceptibly hardened, his brow contracted, hismouth assuming an expression of undaunted courage; again his looks becamefixed, but this time they wore a worldly expression, hardened bycovetousness, pride, and strong desire. Aramis's look immediately becameas soft as it had before been gloomy. Philippe, seizing his hand in aquick, agitated manner, exclaimed:"Lead me to where the crown of France is to be found.""Is this your decision, monseigneur?" asked Aramis."It is.""Irrevocably so?"Philippe did not even deign to reply. He gazed earnestly at the bishop,as if to ask him if it were possible for a man to waver after having oncemade up his mind."Such looks are flashes of the hidden fire that betrays men's character,"said Aramis, bowing over Philippe's hand; "you will be great,monseigneur, I will answer for that.""Let us resume our conversation. I wished to discuss two points withyou; in the first place the dangers, or the obstacles we may meet with.That point is decided. The other is the conditions you intend imposingon me. It is your turn to speak, M. d'Herblay.""The conditions, monseigneur?""Doubtless. You will not allow so mere a trifle to stop me, and you willnot do me the injustice to suppose that I think you have no interest inthis affair. Therefore, without subterfuge or hesitation, tell me thetruth - ""I will do so, monseigneur. Once a king - ""When will that be?""To-morrow evening - I mean in the night.""Explain yourself.""When I shall have asked your highness a question.""Do so.""I sent to your highness a man in my confidence with instructions todeliver some closely written notes, carefully drawn up, which willthoroughly acquaint your highness with the different persons who composeand will compose your court.""I perused those notes.""Attentively?""I know them by heart.""And understand them? Pardon me, but I may venture to ask that questionof a poor, abandoned captive of the Bastile? In a week's time it willnot be requisite to further question a mind like yours. You will then bein full possession of liberty and power.""Interrogate me, then, and I will be a scholar representing his lesson tohis master.""We will begin with your family, monseigneur.""My mother, Anne of Austria! all her sorrows, her painful malady. Oh! Iknow her - I know her.""Your second brother?" asked Aramis, bowing."To these notes," replied the prince, "you have added portraits sofaithfully painted, that I am able to recognize the persons whosecharacters, manners, and history you have so carefully portrayed.Monsieur, my brother, is a fine, dark young man, with a pale face; hedoes not love his wife, Henrietta, whom I, Louis XIV., loved a little,and still flirt with, even although she made me weep on the day shewished to dismiss Mademoiselle de la Valliere from her service indisgrace.""You will have to be careful with regard to the watchfulness of thelatter," said Aramis; "she is sincerely attached to the actual king. Theeyes of a woman who loves are not easily deceived.""She is fair, has blue eyes, whose affectionate gaze reveals heridentity. She halts slightly in her gait; she writes a letter every day,to which I have to send an answer by M. de Saint-Aignan.""Do you know the latter?""As if I saw him, and I know the last verses he composed for me, as wellas those I composed in answer to his.""Very good. Do you know your ministers?""Colbert, an ugly, dark-browed man, but intelligent enough, his haircovering his forehead, a large, heavy, full head; the mortal enemy of M.Fouquet.""As for the latter, we need not disturb ourselves about him.""No; because necessarily you will not require me to exile him, I suppose?"Aramis, struck with admiration at the remark, said, "You will become verygreat, monseigneur.""You see," added the prince, "that I know my lesson by heart, and withHeaven's assistance, and yours afterwards, I shall seldom go wrong.""You have still an awkward pair of eyes to deal with, monseigneur.""Yes, the captain of the musketeers, M. d'Artagnan, your friend.""Yes; I can well say 'my friend.'""He who escorted La Valliere to Le Chaillot; he who delivered up Monk,cooped in an iron box, to Charles II.; he who so faithfully served mymother; he to whom the crown of France owes so much that it oweseverything. Do you intend to ask me to exile him also?""Never, sire. D'Artagnan is a man to whom, at a certain given time, Iwill undertake to reveal everything; but be on your guard with him, forif he discovers our plot before it is revealed to him, you or I willcertainly be killed or taken. He is a bold and enterprising man.""I will think it over. Now tell me about M. Fouquet; what do you wish tobe done with regard to him?""One moment more, I entreat you, monseigneur; and forgive me, if I seemto fail in respect to questioning you further.""It is your duty to do so, nay, more than that, your right.""Before we pass to M. Fouquet, I should very much regret forgettinganother friend of mine.""M. du Vallon, the Hercules of France, you mean; oh! as far as he isconcerned, his interests are more than safe.""No; it is not he whom I intended to refer to.""The Comte de la Fere, then?""And his son, the son of all four of us.""That poor boy who is dying of love for La Valliere, whom my brother sodisloyally bereft him of? Be easy on that score. I shall know how torehabilitate his happiness. Tell me only one thing, Monsieur d'Herblay;do men, when they love, forget the treachery that has been shown them?Can a man ever forgive the woman who has betrayed him? Is that a Frenchcustom, or is it one of the laws of the human heart?""A man who loves deeply, as deeply as Raoul loves Mademoiselle de laValliere, finishes by forgetting the fault or crime of the woman heloves; but I do not yet know whether Raoul will be able to forget.""I will see after that. Have you anything further to say about yourfriend?""No; that is all.""Well, then, now for M. Fouquet. What do you wish me to do for him?""To keep him on as surintendant, in the capacity in which he has hithertoacted, I entreat you.""Be it so; but he is the first minister at present.""Not quite so.""A king, ignorant and embarrassed as I shall be, will, as a matter ofcourse, require a first minister of state.""Your majesty will require a friend.""I have only one, and that is yourself.""You will have many others by and by, but none so devoted, none sozealous for your glory.""You shall be my first minister of state.""Not immediately, monseigneur, for that would give rise to too muchsuspicion and astonishment.""M. de Richelieu, the first minister of my grandmother, Marie de Medici,was simply bishop of Lucon, as you are bishop of Vannes.""I perceive that your royal highness has studied my notes to greatadvantage; your amazing perspicacity overpowers me with delight.""I am perfectly aware that M. de Richelieu, by means of the queen'sprotection, soon became cardinal.""It would be better," said Aramis, bowing, "that I should not beappointed first minister until your royal highness has procured mynomination as cardinal.""You shall be nominated before two months are past, Monsieur d'Herblay.But that is a matter of very trifling moment; you would not offend me ifyou were to ask more than that, and you would cause me serious regret ifyou were to limit yourself to that.""In that case, I have something still further to hope for, monseigneur.""Speak! speak!""M. Fouquet will not keep long at the head of affairs, he will soon getold. He is fond of pleasure, consistently, I mean, with all his labors,thanks to the youthfulness he still retains; but this protracted youthwill disappear at the approach of the first serious annoyance, or at thefirst illness he may experience. We will spare him the annoyance,because he is an agreeable and noble-hearted man; but we cannot save himfrom ill-health. So it is determined. When you shall have paid all M.Fouquet's debts, and restored the finances to a sound condition, M.Fouquet will be able to remain the sovereign ruler in his little court ofpoets and painters, - we shall have made him rich. When that has beendone, and I have become your royal highness's prime minister, I shall beable to think of my own interests and yours."The young man looked at his interrogator."M. de Richelieu, of whom we were speaking just now, was very much toblame in the fixed idea he had of governing France alone, unaided. Heallowed two kings, King Louis XIII. and himself, to be seated on the self-same throne, whilst he might have installed them more conveniently upontwo separate and distinct thrones.""Upon two thrones?" said the young man, thoughtfully."In fact," pursued Aramis, quietly, "a cardinal, prime minister ofFrance, assisted by the favor and by the countenance of his MostChristian Majesty the King of France, a cardinal to whom the king hismaster lends the treasures of the state, his army, his counsel, such aman would be acting with twofold injustice in applying these mightyresources to France alone. Besides," added Aramis, "you will not be aking such as your father was, delicate in health, slow in judgment, whomall things wearied; you will be a king governing by your brain and byyour sword; you will have in the government of the state no more than youwill be able to manage unaided; I should only interfere with you.Besides, our friendship ought never to be, I do not say impaired, but inany degree affected, by a secret thought. I shall have given you thethrone of France, you will confer on me the throne of St. Peter.Whenever your loyal, firm, and mailed hand should joined in ties ofintimate association the hand of a pope such as I shall be, neitherCharles V., who owned two-thirds of the habitable globe, nor Charlemagne,who possessed it entirely, will be able to reach to half your stature. Ihave no alliances, I have no predilections; I will not throw you intopersecutions of heretics, nor will I cast you into the troubled waters offamily dissension; I will simply say to you: The whole universe is ourown; for me the minds of men, for you their bodies. And as I shall bethe first to die, you will have my inheritance. What do you say of myplan, monseigneur?""I say that you render me happy and proud, for no other reason than thatof having comprehended you thoroughly. Monsieur d'Herblay, you shall becardinal, and when cardinal, my prime minister; and then you will pointout to me the necessary steps to be taken to secure your election aspope, and I will take them. You can ask what guarantees from me youplease.""It is useless. Never shall I act except in such a manner that you willbe the gainer; I shall never ascend the ladder of fortune, fame, orposition, until I have first seen you placed upon the round of the ladderimmediately above me; I shall always hold myself sufficiently aloof fromyou to escape incurring your jealousy, sufficiently near to sustain yourpersonal advantage and to watch over your friendship. All the contractsin the world are easily violated because the interests included in themincline more to one side than to another. With us, however, this willnever be the case; I have no need of any guarantees.""And so - my dear brother - will disappear?""Simply. We will remove him from his bed by means of a plank whichyields to the pressure of the finger. Having retired to rest a crownedsovereign, he will awake a captive. Alone you will rule from thatmoment, and you will have no interest dearer and better than that ofkeeping me near you.""I believe it. There is my hand on it, Monsieur d'Herblay.""Allow me to kneel before you, sire, most respectfully. We will embraceeach other on the day we shall have upon our temples, you the crown, Ithe tiara.""Still embrace me this very day also, and be, for and towards me, morethan great, more than skillful, more than sublime in genius; be kind andindulgent - be my father!"Aramis was almost overcome as he listened to his voice; he fancied hedetected in his own heart an emotion hitherto unknown; but thisimpression was speedily removed. "His father!" he thought; "yes, hisHoly Father."And they resumed their places in the carriage, which sped rapidly alongthe road leading to Vaux-le-Vicomte.