I Meet the Cardinal.
My glance travelled rapidly round the apartment, which was large,
lofty, and oddly furnished. A table littered with papers and
parchments occupied the centre; the walls were almost hidden by
hundreds of books and curious-looking maps; two globes stood in one
corner; on a wide shelf close by were several strange instruments, the
uses of which I did not understand; a pair of loosely hung curtains
screened the lower end of the room.
At the table sat two men of striking personal appearance.
One was a tall, venerable man with white beard and moustache, broad,
high forehead, and calm, thoughtful, gray eyes. He was older than his
companion, and the deeply-furrowed brow bespoke a life of much care,
perhaps sorrow. He was dressed in a brown robe, held loosely round the
middle by silken cords; he wore slippers on his feet, and a tasselled
cap partly covered his scanty white hair. I put him down as the
astrologer.
The second man attracted and repelled me at the same time. He was in
the prime of life and undeniably handsome, while there was a look of
sagacity, almost of craft, in his face.
"A strong man," I thought, looking into his wonderful eyes. "Not
brave, perhaps, but dogged and tenacious. A man of cunning, too, who
will play a knave at his own game and beat him. And yet, somehow, one
would expect to find him occupied with paint-brush or guitar, rather
than with the affairs of State."
Stories of the powerful Cardinal had reached even my quiet home, but I
had never met him, and now stood looking at his face longer perhaps
than was in keeping with good manners.
"Hum!" said he, watching me closely, "you are very young for a
conspirator; you should be still with your tutor. What is your name?"
"Albert de Lalande," I replied.
"De Lalande!" he echoed in surprise. "The son of Charles de Lalande?"
"Your Eminence is thinking of my cousin Henri."
"Pouf! Are there two of you? So much the worse; one of the family is
sufficient. Eh, Martin?"
"This youth is like his cousin," replied the astrologer, "but I imagine
he knows little of Paris. I should say he is more at home in the
fields than in the streets."
"It seems he knows enough to be mixed up in a daring plot," said
Mazarin with a grim smile. "But, after all, my enemies do not rate my
powers highly when they send a boy like this against me. I believed I
was of more importance."
"No one sent me," I replied; "on the contrary, I came to warn you, but
I need have had no fear for you, I find."
The Cardinal sighed. "The wolves do not always get into the
sheep-fold," he murmured gently, at which, remembering the body of
armed men below, I felt amused.
He was about to speak again, when, after tapping at the door, an
officer entered the room. His clothes were torn and soiled, there was
a smear of blood on the sleeve of his coat, and he glanced at his
master sheepishly.
"Alone!" exclaimed the latter in astonishment, upon which the soldier
approached him and began to speak in whispers. Mazarin was evidently
displeased, but he listened courteously to the end.
"What bad luck!" he cried. "I thought they were all nicely trapped.
However, no doubt you did your best. Now go and let a surgeon attend
to your hurts. I see you have been wounded."
"A mere scratch, your Eminence," replied the officer saluting, and,
when he had withdrawn, the Cardinal again turned his attention to me.
"Yes," said he, as if in answer to a question, "your companions have
escaped: so much the better for them. But, deprived of the
bell-wether, the flock counts for little. Now, as you value your life,
tell me who sent you here. I warn you to speak the truth; there are
deep dungeons in the Bastille."
"My story is a curious one, your Eminence, but it throws little light
on the affair. My father is the head of the De Lalande family, but he
is poor, and has lost his estates. The other day our friend, M.
Belloc----"
"Belloc?" exclaimed the Cardinal quickly, "what Belloc?"
"Roland Belloc, your Eminence, a stout soldier and your faithful
servant. He offered, if I came to Paris, to speak to you on my behalf."
"Go on," said Mazarin, with evident interest.
"Shortly after his return to Paris I had the misfortune to offend Baron
Maubranne of Vancey, and then my mother, who had before been unwilling
to part from me, agreed to my leaving home. I came to Paris, and
inquired for my friend at the Palais Royal. The soldiers declared he
was absent, which was unfortunate for me. However, I remembered the
name of an inn at which another friend sometimes puts up, and I went
there."
"One must go somewhere," said Mazarin.
"Yesterday," I continued, "a man brought me a note. It was intended
for some one else, but, not knowing that, I opened it. It was very
mysterious, but I gathered there was a conspiracy on foot, and that you
were to be the victim."
"That is generally the case," exclaimed Mazarin with a sigh.
"As the conspirators mistook me for some one else----"
"For your cousin!"
"I resolved to play the part, in the hope of being able to put you on
your guard."
"A remarkable story!" said Mazarin thoughtfully. "Eh, Martin?"
"It seems to ring true, your Eminence," replied the astrologer.
"There are two or three points, though, to be considered. For
instance," turning to me, "to which party does this second friend of
yours belong?"
"I really do not know that he belongs to any party."
"Well, it is of small consequence. Now, as to the people who came here
with you?" and he cast a searching glance at my face.
"I should not recognise them in the street."
"But their names?" he cried impatiently. "You must know at least who
their leader was."
"Pardon me," I said quietly, "but I did not undertake to play the spy.
What I learned was by accident."
"You will not tell me?" and he drummed on the table.
"I cannot: it would be dishonourable."
"Oh," said he with a sneer, "honour is not much esteemed in these days!"
"My father has always taught me to look on it as the most important
thing in the world."
"A clear proof that he is a stranger to Paris. However, I will not
press you. It will ill-suit my purpose to imprison D'Arcy--he is too
useful as a conspirator," he added with a chuckle.
I started in surprise at the mention of D'Arcy's name, and the Cardinal
smiled.
"At present," he said kindly, "your sword will be of more service to me
than your brains. Evidently you are not at home with our Parisian
ways. Come, let me give you a lesson on the question and answer
principle. How came I to be on my guard? My spies, as it happened,
were ignorant of the conspiracy."
"Then one of the plotters betrayed his comrades."
"Precisely. Price--a thousand crowns. Next, how did De Retz discover
that the plot was known?"
"That is more difficult to answer. I thought at first he himself was
the traitor."
"A shrewd guess. Why did you alter your opinion?"
"Because De Retz cannot be in need of a thousand crowns."
"Quite true. Well, I will tell you the story; it will show you the
manner of men with whom I have to deal. Two thousand crowns are better
than one; so my rogue having first sold the Abbe's secret to me,
obtained another by warning him that the conspiracy was discovered."
"But, in that case, why did he let his friends proceed with the scheme?"
Mazarin laughed at my question, saying, "That opens up another matter.
All these people hate me, but they don't love each other. For
instance, it would have delighted De Retz to learn that young D'Arcy
was safe under lock and key in the Bastille."
"Then he will be disappointed."
Again the Cardinal laughed.
"That," he said, "was my rogue's masterpiece. Having pocketed his two
thousand crowns, he sold us in the end by raising the alarm before my
troops were ready. In that way he will stand well with his party,
while making a clear gain all round. But, now, let us talk of
yourself. I understand you have come to Paris to seek your fortune."
I bowed.
"That means I must either have you on my side or against me. There are
several parties in Paris, but every man, ay, and woman too, is either a
friend to Mazarin or his enemy. What say you? Will you wear the green
scarf or not? Think it over. You are a free agent, and I shall
welcome you as a friend, or respect you as a foe. True, you are very
young, but you seem a sensible lad. Now make your choice."
"Providence has decided for me," I answered. "I shall be glad if I can
be of any service to your Eminence."
"Good! Serve me faithfully, and you shall not be able to accuse
Mazarin of being a niggardly paymaster. Belloc will return in a day or
two, and we will have a talk with him. But the night flies. Martin,
my trusty friend, I must depart: we will discuss those accounts at a
quieter season."
"At your pleasure," replied the astrologer, and then at a signal from
Mazarin, a grizzled veteran stepped out from behind the curtain.
"M. de Lalande's sword will be returned to him," said the Cardinal,
"and he will await me with the Guards."
"_Ma foi!_ you are a lucky youngster!" exclaimed my guide when we were
out of earshot; "Mazarin has quite taken to you. I have never known
any one jump into his favour so quickly."
The soldiers still stood at attention in the lower room, and the
officer on being informed of the Cardinal's orders returned my pistols
and helped me to buckle on my sword.
"A pleasanter task," he remarked, "than escorting you to the Bastille,
where I expected you would pass the night. Have you joined the
Cardinal's service?"
"More or less," I answered laughing. "I hardly know how things stand
till M. Belloc returns."
"Are you acquainted with him?"
"He is one of my father's chief friends, perhaps the only one. I
inquired for him the other day at the Palais Royal, but your men are
not too affable to a stranger. Perhaps they would have been less surly
but for my shabby mantle."
Before he had time to reply, Mazarin made his appearance, and, after
issuing some orders, requested me to follow him. The street was
deserted, the people were in bed, there was no sign of any troops, and
I could not help thinking how completely the Cardinal had placed
himself in my power. He, however, appeared to anticipate no danger,
but walked steadily, leaning on my arm.
"The night air is cold," he said presently, drawing his black mantle
closer round him--and after a pause, "Do you know your way? Ah, I had
forgotten. Your home is near Vancey?"
"_At_ Vancey, my grandsire would have answered, your Eminence, but
times have changed, and we with them."
"It is hard work climbing the ladder, but harder still to stand on the
top," remarked the Cardinal, and he asked me to tell him something of
my family history. So, as we walked through the silent streets of the
slumbering city, I described sadly how the broad acres of my
forefathers had dwindled to a solitary farm.
We were in sight of the Palais Royal when I finished the melancholy
narrative, and Mazarin stopped. The night was already past, and, in
the light of the early dawn, we saw each other's faces distinctly. It
may have been mere fancy, or the result of the severe strain on my
nerves, or, more simple still, the manner in which the half light
played on his face, but it seemed to me that the powerful Cardinal had
become strangely agitated.
"Did you hear anything?" he asked suddenly, pressing my arm. "Listen,
there it is again," and from our right came the sound of a low, clear
whistle.
"It is a signal of some sort," I said.
"Yes," he exclaimed, "but fortunately it was given just too late. I
must be more careful in future. Come! The sooner we are inside the
gate the better," and he walked so quickly that I had much ado to keep
pace with him.
Passing the sentries at the gate, we crossed the courtyard, and entered
the Palais Royal through a narrow door leading to a private staircase.
Turning to the left at the top, Mazarin led the way along what appeared
to be an endless succession of corridors. Soldiers were stationed here
and there, but, instantly recognising the cloaked figure, they saluted
and we passed on.
At last Mazarin paused, and blowing softly on a silver whistle was
instantly joined by a man in civilian attire.
"Find M. de Lalande food and a bed," exclaimed the Cardinal briskly.
"For the present he is my guest, and will remain within call. Has M.
Belloc returned?"
"No, my Lord."
"Let him attend me immediately upon his arrival. Where are the
reports?"
"On your table, my Lord."
"Very good. See to M. de Lalande, and then wait in the ante-chamber.
You may be wanted."
The man, who, I imagine, was a kind of under secretary, made a low bow,
and motioned me to follow him, which I did gladly, being both hungry
and tired. Showing me into a large room, he rang the bell and ordered
supper. The excitement had not destroyed my appetite, and I did ample
justice to the meal. Then, passing to an inner chamber, I undressed
and went to bed, to sleep as soundly as if I had still been under my
father's roof.
For three days I saw nothing more of the Cardinal. All sorts of people
came and went--powerful nobles, soldiers, a few bourgeois, and a number
of men whom I classed in my own mind as spies. They crowded the
ante-room for hours, waiting till the minister had leisure to receive
them.
On the fourth morning I was lounging in the corridor, having nothing
better to do, when a soldier passed into the ante-room. His clothes
were soiled and muddy; he was booted and spurred, and had apparently
just returned from a long journey.
"M. Belloc!" I exclaimed, but he did not hear me, and before I could
reach him he had gone into Mazarin's room, much to the disgust of those
who had been waiting since early morning for an audience.
As he remained closeted with the Cardinal for more than an hour, it was
evident he brought important news, and the people in the ante-room
wondered what it could be.
"He is a clever fellow," remarked one. "I know him well. No one has
greater influence with Mazarin."
"The Cardinal is brewing a surprise," whispered another. "Paris will
have a chance to gossip in a day or two."
"It is rumoured," continued the first, "that De Retz nearly found
himself in the Bastille only the other night."
"'Twould have served him right, too; he is a regular monkey for
mischief. I wonder the Cardinal has put up with his tricks so long."
Thus they chattered among themselves till at last the door opened, and
the secretary came out. A dozen men pressed forward eagerly, but,
making his way through them, he approached the corner where I sat.
"M. de Lalande," he said, "the Cardinal wishes to see you."
I jumped up and followed him, amidst cold looks and scarcely concealed
sneers at my shabby dress. It has often astonished me that people show
such contempt for an old coat.
Mazarin stood with his back to the fireplace talking to my father's old
friend.
"This is the youngster," said he, as I entered. "Do you know him?"
"Ay," answered Belloc, "I know him well, and I warrant he will prove as
faithful a follower as any who draws your pay. I have yet to hear of a
De Lalande deserting his flag. Even Henri, scamp though he may be, is
loyal to his party. When De Retz sinks, Henri de Lalande will sink
with him."
"_Ma foi!_" exclaimed the Cardinal, "such a fellow would be well worth
gaining over!"
"You would find him proof against bribes or threats. And I warrant
this lad is of the same mettle."
"Your friend gives you a high character, M. de Lalande," said the
Cardinal smiling.
"I hope he will not be disappointed in me, your Eminence."
"Remember you are responsible for him," continued Mazarin, turning to
the soldier. "Let his name be placed on your books; no doubt I shall
soon find him something to do. Now I must carry your despatches to Her
Majesty."
"Come with me, Albert," said Belloc, "and tell me all the news. You
have made a good start; Mazarin speaks highly of your intelligence.
This way! I am going to my quarters; I have been in the saddle for the
last few days."
Roland Belloc was decidedly a man of influence at the Palais Royal.
Officers and soldiers saluted respectfully as he passed, while he in
turn had a smile and a nod for every one.
He had two rooms in a corner of the Palace, one of which served as a
bedroom. The other was sparsely furnished, while its principal
ornaments were spurs and gauntlets, swords and pistols, which hung on
the walls.
As soon as he had changed his clothing he sat down, and bade me explain
how I came to be in Paris. His brow darkened when I related
Maubranne's insults, and though he made no remark, I knew he was
terribly angry.
"You have had quite a series of adventures," he said at length, "and,
for a youngster, have come remarkably well through them. Your foot is
on the ladder now, my boy, and I hope you will climb high. Mazarin is
a good master to a good servant, and he rules France. Bear that in
mind. If all his enemies joined together I doubt if they could beat
him, but they hate each other too much to unite."
"What shall I have to do?"
"I cannot say till the Cardinal gives his orders. He may make you an
officer in the Guards, or keep you near him as a sort of body-servant.
But do your duty wherever you are placed. Every step forward means a
brighter chance of recovering Vancey."
"That is never long out of my thoughts."
"'Tis a good goal to try for, and not an impossible one either. Have
you quarters in the Palace?"
"Temporary ones, till Mazarin has decided how to employ me."
The old soldier kept me with him some time longer, but seeing he was
tired I made some excuse to get away, promising to call again in the
morning. His return had cheered me considerably. Hitherto I had been
very lonely among the crowds of courtiers, but now I felt secure of
having at least one friend in the vast building.
It was strange, too, what a difference his friendship made in my
position. Gaily-dressed young nobles, who, after a glance at my shabby
doublet, had passed by without a word, now stopped and entered into
conversation, pressing me to come here and there, as if I were their
most intimate friend.
However, I declined their invitations, thinking it best to keep in the
background till I had learned more of the Cardinal's intentions.