THE PRESENTATION OF PORTHOS AT COURT.
At seven o'clock the same evening, the king gave an audience to an
ambassador from the United Provinces, in the grand reception-room. The
audience lasted a quarter of an hour. His majesty afterward received
those who had been recently presented, together with a few ladies, who
paid their respects the first. In one quarter of the salon, concealed
behind a column, Porthos and D'Artagnan were conversing together,
waiting until their turn arrived.
"Have you heard the news?" inquired the musketeer of his friend.
"No!"
"Well, look, then." Porthos raised himself on tiptoe, and saw M. Fouquet
in full court dress, leading Aramis toward the king.
"Aramis," said Porthos.
"Presented to the king by M. Fouquet."
"Ah!" ejaculated Porthos.
"For having fortified Belle-Isle," continued D'Artagnan.
"And I?"
"You--ah, you! as I have already had the honor of telling you, are the
good-natured, kind-hearted Porthos; and so they begged you to take care
of Saint-Mandé a little."
"Ah!" repeated Porthos.
"But, very happily, I was there," said D'Artagnan, "and presently it
will be my turn."
At this moment Fouquet addressed the king. "Sire," he said, "I have a
favor to solicit of your majesty. M. d'Herblay is not ambitious, but he
knows he can be of some service. Your majesty needs a representative at
Rome, who should be able to exercise a powerful influence there; may I
request a cardinal's hat for M. d'Herblay?" The king started. "I do not
often solicit anything of your majesty," said Fouquet.
"That is a reason, certainly," replied the king, who always expressed
any hesitation he might have in that manner, and to which remark there
was nothing to say in reply.
Fouquet and Aramis looked at each other. The king resumed: "M. d'Herblay
can serve us equally well in France; an archbishopric, for instance."
"Sire," objected Fouquet, with a grace of manner peculiarly his own,
"your majesty overwhelms M. d'Herblay; the archbishopric may, in your
majesty's extreme kindness, be conferred in addition to the hat; the one
does not exclude the other."
The king admired the readiness which he displayed, and smiled, saying:
"D'Artagnan himself could not have answered better." He had no sooner
pronounced the name, than D'Artagnan appeared.
"Did your majesty call me?" he said.
Aramis and Fouquet drew back a step, as if they were about to retire.
"Will your majesty allow me," said D'Artagnan quickly, as he led forward
Porthos, "to present to your majesty M. le Baron de Valon, one of the
bravest gentlemen of France."
As soon as Aramis saw Porthos, he turned as pale as death, while Fouquet
clenched his hands under his ruffles. D'Artagnan smiled at both of them,
while Porthos bowed, visibly overcome before the royal presence.
"Porthos here?" murmured Fouquet in Aramis' ear.
"Hush! there is some treachery at work," said the latter.
"Sire," said D'Artagnan, "it is more than six years ago that I ought to
have presented M. de Valon to your majesty; but certain men resemble
stars, they move not unless their friends accompany them. The Pleiads
are never disunited, and that is the reason I have selected, for the
purpose of presenting him to you, the very moment when you would see M.
d'Herblay by his side."
Aramis almost lost countenance. He looked at D'Artagnan with a proud,
haughty air, as though willing to accept the defiance which the latter
seemed to throw down.
"Ah! these gentlemen are good friends, then," said the king.
"Excellent friends, sire, the one can answer for the other. Ask M. de
Vannes now in what manner Belle-Isle was fortified?" Fouquet moved back
a step.
"Belle-Isle," said Aramis coldly, "has been fortified by that
gentleman," and he indicated Porthos with his hand, who bowed a second
time. Louis could not withhold his admiration, though at the same time
his suspicions were aroused.
"Yes," said D'Artagnan, "but ask Monsieur le Baron whose assistance he
had in carrying the works out?"
"Aramis'," said Porthos, frankly, and he pointed to the bishop.
"What the deuce does all this mean," thought the bishop, "and what sort
of a termination are we to expect to this comedy?"
"What!" exclaimed the king, "is the cardinal's, I mean the bishop's,
name Aramis?"
"A _nom de guerre_," said D'Artagnan.
"A name of friendship," said Aramis.
"A truce to modesty," exclaimed D'Artagnan; "beneath the priest's robe,
sire, is concealed the most brilliant officer, a gentleman of the most
unparalleled intrepidity, and the wisest theologian in your kingdom."
Louis raised his head. "And an engineer, also, it appears," he said,
admiring Aramis' calm imperturbable self-possession.
"An engineer for a particular purpose, sire," said the latter.
"My companion in the musketeers, sire," said D'Artagnan, with great
warmth of manner, "the man who has more than a hundred times aided your
father's ministers by his advice--M. d'Herblay, in a word, who with M.
de Valon, myself, and M. le Comte de la Fere, who is known to your
majesty, formed that quadrille which was a good deal talked about during
the late king's reign, and during your majesty's minority."
"And who has fortified Belle-Isle?" the king repeated in a significant
tone.
Aramis advanced and said: "In order to serve the son as I have served
the father."
D'Artagnan looked at Aramis most narrowly while he uttered these words,
which displayed so much true respect, so much warm devotion, such entire
frankness and sincerity, that even he, D'Artagnan, the eternal doubter,
he, the almost infallible in his judgment, was deceived by it. "A man
who lies cannot speak in such a tone as that," he said.
Louis was overcome by it. "In that case," he said to Fouquet, who
anxiously awaited the result of this proof, "the cardinal's hat is
promised. Monsieur d'Herblay, I pledge you my honor that the first
promotion shall be yours. Thank M. Fouquet for it." Colbert overheard
these words; they stung him to the quick and he left the salon abruptly.
"And you, Monsieur de Valon," said the king, "what have you to ask? I
am pleased to have it in my power to acknowledge the services of those
who were faithful to my father."
"Sire--" begun Porthos, but he was unable to proceed with what he was
going to say.
"Sire," exclaimed D'Artagnan, "this worthy gentleman is overpowered by
your majesty's presence, he who has so valiantly sustained the looks and
the fire of a thousand foes. But, knowing what his thoughts are, I--who
am more accustomed to gaze upon the sun--can translate his thoughts; he
needs nothing, his sole desire is to have the happiness of gazing upon
your majesty for a quarter of an hour."
"You shall sup with me this evening," said the king, saluting Porthos,
with a gracious smile.
Porthos became crimson from delight and from pride. The king dismissed
him, and D'Artagnan pushed him into the adjoining apartment, after he
had embraced him warmly.
"Sit next to me at table," said Porthos in his ear.
"Yes, my friend."
"Aramis is annoyed with me, I think."
"Aramis has never liked you so much as he does now. Fancy, it was I who
was the means of his getting the cardinal's hat."
"Of course," said Porthos. "By-the-by, does the king like his guests to
eat much at his table?"
"It is a compliment to himself if you do," said D'Artagnan, "for he
possesses a royal appetite."