The Death of D'Artagnan.

by Alexandre Dumas

　　Contrary to that which generally happens, whether in politics or morals,each kept his promises, and did honor to his engagements.The king recalled M. de Guiche, and banished M. le Chevalier de Lorraine;so that Monsieur became ill in consequence. Madame set out for London,where she applied herself so earnestly to make her brother, Charles II.,acquire a taste for the political counsels of Mademoiselle de Keroualle,that the alliance between England and France was signed, and the Englishvessels, ballasted by a few millions of French gold, made a terriblecampaign against the fleets of the United Provinces. Charles II. hadpromised Mademoiselle de Keroualle a little gratitude for her goodcounsels; he made her Duchess of Portsmouth. Colbert had promised theking vessels, munitions, victories. He kept his word, as is well known.At length Aramis, upon whose promises there was least dependence to beplaced, wrote Colbert the following letter, on the subject of thenegotiations which he had undertaken at Madrid:"MONSIEUR COLBERT, - I have the honor to expedite to you the R. P. Oliva,general ad interim of the Society of Jesus, my provisional successor.The reverend father will explain to you, Monsieur Colbert, that Ipreserve to myself the direction of all the affairs of the order whichconcern France and Spain; but that I am not willing to retain the titleof general, which would throw too high a side-light on the progress ofthe negotiations with which His Catholic Majesty wishes to intrust me. Ishall resume that title by the command of his majesty, when the labors Ihave undertaken in concert with you, for the great glory of God and HisChurch, shall be brought to a good end. The R. P. Oliva will inform youlikewise, monsieur, of the consent His Catholic Majesty gives to thesignature of a treaty which assures the neutrality of Spain in the eventof a war between France and the United Provinces. This consent will bevalid even if England, instead of being active, should satisfy herselfwith remaining neutral. As for Portugal, of which you and I have spoken,monsieur, I can assure you it will contribute with all its resources toassist the Most Christian King in his war. I beg you, Monsieur Colbert,to preserve your friendship and also to believe in my profoundattachment, and to lay my respect at the feet of His Most ChristianMajesty. Signed,"LE DUC D'ALMEDA."Transcriber's note: Jean-Paul Oliva was the actual general of the Jesuitsfrom 1664-1681. - JBAramis had performed more than he had promised; it remained to be seenhow the king, M. Colbert, and D'Artagnan would be faithful to eachother. In the spring, as Colbert had predicted, the land army entered onits campaign. It preceded, in magnificent order, the court of LouisXIV., who, setting out on horseback, surrounded by carriages filled withladies and courtiers, conducted the elite of his kingdom to thissanguinary fete. The officers of the army, it is true, had no othermusic save the artillery of the Dutch forts; but it was enough for agreat number, who found in this war honor, advancement, fortune - ordeath.M. d'Artagnan set out commanding a body of twelve thousand men, cavalry,and infantry, with which he was ordered to take the different placeswhich form knots of that strategic network called La Frise. Never was anarmy conducted more gallantly to an expedition. The officers knew thattheir leader, prudent and skillful as he was brave, would not sacrifice asingle man, nor yield an inch of ground without necessity. He had theold habits of war, to live upon the country, keeping his soldiers singingand the enemy weeping. The captain of the king's musketeers well knewhis business. Never were opportunities better chosen, coups-de-mainbetter supported, errors of the besieged more quickly taken advantage of.The army commanded by D'Artagnan took twelve small places within amonth. He was engaged in besieging the thirteenth, which had held outfive days. D'Artagnan caused the trenches to be opened without appearingto suppose that these people would ever allow themselves to be taken.The pioneers and laborers were, in the army of this man, a body full ofideas and zeal, because their commander treated them like soldiers, knewhow to render their work glorious, and never allowed them to be killed ifhe could help it. It should have been seen with what eagerness themarshy glebes of Holland were turned over. Those turf-heaps, mounds ofpotter's clay, melted at the word of the soldiers like butter in thefrying-pans of Friesland housewives.M. d'Artagnan dispatched a courier to the king to give him an account ofthe last success, which redoubled the good humor of his majesty and hisinclination to amuse the ladies. These victories of M. d'Artagnan gaveso much majesty to the prince, that Madame de Montespan no longer calledhim anything but Louis the Invincible. So that Mademoiselle de laValliere, who only called the king Louis the Victorious, lost much of hismajesty's favor. Besides, her eyes were frequently red, and to anInvincible nothing is more disagreeable than a mistress who weeps whileeverything is smiling round her. The star of Mademoiselle de la Vallierewas being drowned in clouds and tears. But the gayety of Madame deMontespan redoubled with the successes of the king, and consoled him forevery other unpleasant circumstance. It was to D'Artagnan the king owedthis; and his majesty was anxious to acknowledge these services; he wroteto M. Colbert:"MONSIEUR COLBERT, - We have a promise to fulfil with M. d'Artagnan, whoso well keeps his. This is to inform you that the time is come forperforming it. All provisions for this purpose you shall be furnishedwith in due time.LOUIS."In consequence of this, Colbert, detaining D'Artagnan's envoy, placed inthe hands of that messenger a letter from himself, and a small coffer ofebony inlaid with gold, not very important in appearance, but which,without doubt, was very heavy, as a guard of five men was given to themessenger, to assist him in carrying it. These people arrived before theplace which D'Artagnan was besieging towards daybreak, and presentedthemselves at the lodgings of the general. They were told that M.d'Artagnan, annoyed by a sortie which the governor, an artful man, hadmade the evening before, and in which the works had been destroyed andseventy-seven men killed, and the reparation of the breaches commenced,had just gone with twenty companies of grenadiers to reconstruct theworks.M. Colbert's envoy had orders to go and seek M. d'Artagnan, wherever hemight be, or at whatever hour of the day or night. He directed hiscourse, therefore, towards the trenches, followed by his escort, all onhorseback. They perceived M. d'Artagnan in the open plain, with his gold-laced hat, his long cane, and gilt cuffs. He was biting his whitemustache, and wiping off, with his left hand, the dust which the passingballs threw up from the ground they plowed so near him. They also saw,amidst this terrible fire, which filled the air with whistling hisses,officers handling the shovel, soldiers rolling barrows, and vastfascines, rising by being either carried or dragged by from ten to twentymen, cover the front of the trench reopened to the center by thisextraordinary effort of the general. In three hours, all wasreinstated. D'Artagnan began to speak more mildly; and he became quitecalm when the captain of the pioneers approached him, hat in hand, totell him that the trench was again in proper order. This man hadscarcely finished speaking, when a ball took off one of his legs, and hefell into the arms of D'Artagnan. The latter lifted up his soldier, andquietly, with soothing words, carried him into the trench, amidst theenthusiastic applause of the regiments. From that time it was no longera question of valor - the army was delirious; two companies stole away tothe advanced posts, which they instantly destroyed.When their comrades, restrained with great difficulty by D'Artagnan, sawthem lodged upon the bastions, they rushed forward likewise; and soon afurious assault was made upon the counterscarp, upon which depended thesafety of the place. D'Artagnan perceived there was only one means leftof checking his army - to take the place. He directed all his force tothe two breaches, where the besieged were busy in repairing. The shockwas terrible; eighteen companies took part in it, and D'Artagnan wentwith the rest, within half cannon-shot of the place, to support theattack by echelons. The cries of the Dutch, who were being poniardedupon their guns by D'Artagnan's grenadiers, were distinctly audible. Thestruggle grew fiercer with the despair of the governor, who disputed hisposition foot by foot. D'Artagnan, to put an end to the affair, and tosilence the fire, which was unceasing, sent a fresh column, whichpenetrated like a very wedge; and he soon perceived upon the ramparts,through the fire, the terrified flight of the besieged, pursued by thebesiegers.At this moment the general, breathing feely and full of joy, heard avoice behind him, saying, "Monsieur, if you please, from M. Colbert."He broke the seal of the letter, which contained these words:"MONSIEUR D'ARTAGNAN: - The king commands me to inform you that he hasnominated you marechal of France, as a reward for your magnificentservices, and the honor you do to his arms. The king is highly pleased,monsieur, with the captures you have made; he commands you, inparticular, to finish the siege you have commenced, with good fortune toyou, and success for him."D'Artagnan was standing with a radiant countenance and sparkling eye. Helooked up to watch the progress of his troops upon the walls, stillenveloped in red and black volumes of smoke. "I have finished," repliedhe to the messenger; "the city will have surrendered in a quarter of anhour." He then resumed his reading:"The coffret, Monsieur d'Artagnan, is my own present. You will not besorry to see that, whilst you warriors are drawing the sword to defendthe king, I am moving the pacific arts to ornament a present worthy ofyou. I commend myself to your friendship, monsieur le marechal, and begyou to believe in mine.COLBERT"D'Artagnan, intoxicated with joy, made a sign to the messenger, whoapproached, with his coffret in his hands. But at the moment themarechal was going to look at it, a loud explosion resounded from theramparts, and called his attention towards the city. "It is strange,"said D'Artagnan, "that I don't yet see the king's flag on the walls, orhear the drums beat the chamade." He launched three hundred fresh men,under a high-spirited officer, and ordered another breach to be made.Then, more tranquilly, he turned towards the coffret, which Colbert'senvoy held out to him. - It was his treasure - he had won it.D'Artagnan was holding out his hand to open the coffret, when a ballfrom the city crushed the coffret in the arms of the officer, struckD'Artagnan full in the chest, and knocked him down upon a sloping heap ofearth, whilst the fleur-de-lised baton, escaping from the broken box,came rolling under the powerless hand of the marechal. D'Artagnanendeavored to raise himself. It was thought he had been knocked downwithout being wounded. A terrible cry broke from the group of terrifiedofficers; the marechal was covered with blood; the pallor of deathascended slowly to his noble countenance. Leaning upon the arms held outon all sides to receive him, he was able once more to turn his eyestowards the place, and to distinguish the white flag at the crest of theprincipal bastion; his ears, already deaf to the sounds of life, caughtfeebly the rolling of the drum which announced the victory. Then,clasping in his nerveless hand the baton, ornamented with its fleurs-de-lis, he cast on it his eyes, which had no longer the power of lookingupwards towards Heaven, and fell back, murmuring strange words, whichappeared to the soldiers cabalistic - words which had formerlyrepresented so many things on earth, and which none but the dying man anylonger comprehended:"Athos - Porthos, farewell till we meet again! Aramis, adieu forever!"Of the four valiant men whose history we have related, there now remainedbut one. Heaven had taken to itself three noble souls.