The valet went out as silently as he had entered and appeared in a few minutes bringing the dress demanded.
The cardinal, in deep thought and in silence, began to take off the robes of state he had assumed in order to be present at the sitting of parliament, and to attire himself in the military coat, which he wore with a certain degree of easy grace, owing to his former campaigns in Italy. When he was completely dressed he said:
"Send hither Monsieur dArtagnan."
The valet went out of the room, this time by the centre door, but still as silently as before; one might have fancied him an apparition.
When he was left alone the cardinal looked at himself in the glass with a feeling of selfsatisfaction. Still youngfor he was scarcely fortysix years of agehe possessed great elegance of form and was above the middle height; his complexion was brilliant and beautiful; his glance full of expression; his nose, though large, was well proportioned; his forehead broad and majestic; his hair, of a chestnut color, was curled slightly; his beard, which was darker than his hair, was turned carefully with a curling iron, a practice that greatly improved it. After a short time the cardinal arranged his shoulder belt, then looked with great complacency at his hands, which were most elegant and of which he took the greatest care; and throwing on one side the large kid gloves tried on at first, as belonging to the uniform, he put on others of silk only. At this instant the door opened.
"Monsieur dArtagnan," said the valetdechambre.
An officer, as he spoke, entered the apartment. He was a man between thirtynine and forty years of age, of medium height but a very well proportioned figure; with an intellectual and animated physiognomy; his beard black, and his hair turning gray, as often happens when people have found life either too gay or too sad, more especially when they happen to be of swart complexion.
DArtagnan advanced a few steps into the apartment.
How perfectly he remembered his former entrance into that very room! Seeing, however, no one there except a musketeer of his own troop, he fixed his eyes upon the supposed soldier, in whose dress, nevertheless, he recognized at the first glance the cardinal.
The lieutenant remained standing in a dignified but respectful posture, such as became a man of good birth, who had in the course of his life been frequently in the society of the highest nobles.
The cardinal looked at him with a cunning rather than serious glance, yet he examined his countenance with attention and after a momentary silence said:
"You are Monsieur dArtagnan?"
"I am that individual," replied the officer.
Mazarin gazed once more at a countenance full of intelligence, the play of which had been, nevertheless, subdued by age and experience; and DArtagnan received the penetrating glance like one who had formerly sustained many a searching look, very different, indeed, from those which were inquiringly directed on him at that instant.
"Sir," resumed the cardinal, "you are to come with me, or rather, I am to go with you."
"I am at your command, my lord," returned DArtagnan.
"I wish to visit in person the outposts which surround the Palais Royal; do you suppose that there is any danger in so doing?"
"Danger, my lord!" exclaimed DArtagnan with a look of astonishment, "what danger?"
"I am told that there is a general insurrection."
"The uniform of the kings musketeers carries a certain respect with it, and even if that were not the case I would engage with four of my men to put to flight a hundred of these clowns."
"Did you witness the injury sustained by Comminges?"
"Monsieur de Comminges is in the guards and not in the musketeers"
"Which means, I suppose, that the musketeers are better soldiers than the guards." The cardinal smiled as he spoke.
"Every one likes his own uniform best, my lord."
"Myself excepted," and again Mazarin smiled; "for you perceive that I have left off mine and put on yours."
"Lord bless us! this is modesty indeed!" cried DArtagnan. "Had I such a uniform as your eminence possesses, I protest I should be mightily content, and I would take an oath never to wear any other costume"
"Yes, but for tonights adventure I dont suppose my dress would have been a very safe one. Give me my felt hat, Bernouin."
The valet instantly brought to his master a regimental hat with a wide brim. The cardinal put it on in military style.
"Your horses are ready saddled in their stables, are they not?" he said, turning to DArtagnan.
"Yes, my lord."
"Well, let us set out."
"How many men does your eminence wish to escort you?"
"You say that with four men you will undertake to disperse a hundred low fellows; as it may happen that we shall have to encounter two hundred, take eight"
"As many as my lord wishes."
"I will follow you. This waylight us downstairs Bernouin."
The valet held a waxlight; the cardinal took a key from his bureau and opening the door of a secret stair descended into the court of the Palais Royal.
2.
A Nightly Patrol.
In ten minutes Mazarin and his party were traversing the street "Les Bons Enfants" behind the theatre built by Richelieu expressly for the play of "Mirame," and in which Mazarin, who was an amateur of music, but not of literature, had introduced into France the first opera that was ever acted in that country.