Meanwhile, as Nanon had said, the king, the queen, the cardinal, and
Monsieur de La Meilleraie were on their way to chastise the rebellious
city which had dared openly to espouse the cause of the princes; they
were approaching slowly, but they were approaching.
On his arrival at Libourne the king received a deputation from the
Bordelais, who came to assure him of their respect and devotion. Under
the circumstances this assurance had a strange sound; and so the queen
received the ambassadors from the topmost pinnacle of her Austrian
high-mightiness.
"Messieurs," said she, "we propose to continue our march by way of
Vayres, so that we shall soon be able to judge if your respect and
devotion are as sincere as you pretend."
At the mention of Vayres, the members of the deputation, who were
doubtless in possession of some fact unknown to the queen, looked
at one another with some uneasiness. Anne of Austria, whom nothing
escaped, did not fail to observe the exchange of glances.
"We shall go at once to Vayres," said she. "Monsieur le Duc d'Épernon
assures us that it is a strong place, and we will establish the king's
headquarters there."
She turned to the captain of her guards.
"Who commands at Vayres?" she asked.
"I am told, madame," Guitaut replied, "that it is a new governor."
"A trustworthy man, I hope?" said the queen, with a frown.
"An adherent of Monsieur le Duc d'Épernon."
The cloud vanished from the queen's brow.
"If that is so, let us go on at once," she said.
"Madame," said the Duc de La Meilleraie, "your Majesty will of course
be guided by your own judgment, but I think that we ought not to go
forward more rapidly than the army. A warlike entry at Vayres would
work wonders; it is well that the king's subjects should realize the
extent of the forces at his Majesty's command; that will encourage the
faithful and discourage traitors."
"I think that Monsieur de La Meilleraie is right," said Cardinal de
Mazarin.
"And I say that he is wrong," rejoined the queen. "We have nothing to
fear between this and Bordeaux; the king is strong in himself, and not
in his troops; his household will suffice."
Monsieur de La Meilleraie bowed his acquiescence.
"It is for your Majesty to command," said he; "your will is law."
The queen summoned Guitaut and bade him order the guards, the
musketeers and the light-horse to fall in. The king mounted his horse
and took his place at their head. Mazarin's niece and the maids of
honor entered their carriage.
The line of march was at once taken up for Vayres. The army followed
on, and as the distance was but ten leagues, was expected to arrive
three or four hours after the king, and pitch its camp upon the right
bank of the Dordogne.
The king was barely twelve years old, and yet he was already a finished
horseman, managing his steed with ease and grace, and exhibiting in
his every movement that pride of race which made him in the sequel
the most punctilious of monarchs in matters of etiquette. Brought up
under the queen's eye, but constantly harassed by the everlasting
niggardliness of the cardinal, who forced him to go without the most
necessary things, he was awaiting with furious impatience the hour when
he would attain his majority,--which hour would strike on the fifth
of September following; and sometimes, amid his childish caprices, he
indulged by anticipation in true kingly explosions which indicated what
he would be some day.
This campaign was to him a very agreeable episode; it was in some
sort a farewell to his pagehood, an apprenticeship in the trade of
war, an essay at kingship. He rode proudly along, sometimes at the
carriage-door, saluting the queen and making eyes at Madame de Fronsac,
with whom he was said to be in love, and again at the head of his
household, talking with Monsieur de La Meilleraie and old Guitaut of
the campaigns of Louis XIII. and of the mighty prowess of the late
cardinal.
The miles flew by as they talked, and at last the towers and outer
galleries of the fort of Vayres came in sight. The weather was
magnificent, and the country picturesque in the extreme; the sun's rays
fell obliquely upon the river; for aught there was in the surroundings
to indicate the contrary, they might have been riding out for
pleasure. The king rode between Monsieur de La Meilleraie and Guitaut,
looking through his glass at the fort, where no sign of life could be
discovered, although it was more than probable that the sentinels, who
could be seen standing like statues on the walls, had discovered and
reported the approach of this brilliant advance-guard of the king's
army.
The queen's carriage was driven rapidly forward to the king's side.
"I am surprised at one thing, Monsieur le Maréchal," said Mazarin.
"What is that, monseigneur?"
"It is my impression that careful governors generally know what is
going on in the neighborhood of their fortresses, and that when the
king takes the trouble to come their way, they should at least send him
an escort."
"Nonsense!" said the queen, with a harsh, forced laugh; "mere ceremony!
it's of no consequence; I care more for fidelity."
Monsieur de La Meilleraie put his handkerchief to his face to hide a
grin; or if not that, his longing to indulge in one.
"But it's true that no one stirs," said the young king, annoyed at such
disregard of the rules of etiquette, upon which his future grandeur was
to be founded.
"Sire," replied Anne of Austria, "Monsieur de La Meilleraie here,
and Guitaut too, will tell you that the first duty of a governor,
especially in an enemy's country, is to remain under cover behind his
walls, for fear of surprise. Do you not see yon banner, the banner of
Henri IV. and François I., floating over the citadel?"
And she pointed proudly to that significant emblem, which seemed to
prove that her confidence was most abundantly justified.
The procession rode forward, and in a few moments came upon an outwork
which had evidently been thrown up within a few days.
"Aha!" said the marshal, "the governor seems to be at home in the
profession. The position of this outwork is well selected, and the work
itself well designed."
The queen put her head out through the window, and the king stood up in
his stirrups.
A single sentinel was pacing to and fro upon the half-moon; but except
for him the outwork seemed as silent and deserted as the fort itself.
"Although I am no soldier," said Mazarin, "and although I do not
understand the military duties of a governor, it seems to me that this
is very extraordinary treatment of a royal personage."
"Let us go forward all the same," said the marshal; "we shall soon see."
When the little troop was within a hundred yards of the half-moon,
the sentinel came to a halt. After scrutinizing them for a moment, he
cried:--
"Qui vive?"
"The king!" Monsieur de La Meilleraie replied.
At that word Anne of Austria expected to see officers and soldiers
come running forth, drawbridges lowered, gates thrown open, and swords
waving in the air.
But she saw nothing of all this.
The sentinel brought his right leg up beside his left, drew a bead upon
the new-comers, and said in a loud, firm voice, the one word:--
"Halt!"
The king turned pale with rage; Anne of Austria bit her lips until the
blood came; Mazarin muttered an Italian oath which was little used
in France, but of which he had never succeeded in breaking himself;
Monsieur le Maréchal de La Meilleraie did no more than glance at their
Majesties, but it was a most eloquent glance.
"I love to have all possible precautionary measures taken in my
service," said the queen, striving to deceive herself; for despite the
confident expression she forced herself to maintain, she began to be
disturbed at the bottom of her heart.
"I love respect for my person," murmured the young king, gazing with
sullen wrath at the impassive sentinel.