D'Artagnan arrived at the Bastile just as it was strikinghalf-past eight. His visit was announced to the governor,who, on hearing that he came from the cardinal, went to meethim and received him at the top of the great flight of stepsoutside the door. The governor of the Bastile was Monsieurdu Tremblay, the brother of the famous Capuchin, Joseph,that fearful favorite of Richelieu's, who went by the nameof the Gray Cardinal.

During the period that the Duc de Bassompierre passed in theBastile - where he remained for twelve long years - whenhis companions, in their dreams of liberty, said to eachother: "As for me, I shall go out of the prison at such atime," and another, at such and such a time, the duke usedto answer, "As for me, gentlemen, I shall leave only whenMonsieur du Tremblay leaves;" meaning that at the death ofthe cardinal Du Tremblay would certainly lose his place atthe Bastile and De Bassompierre regain his at court.

His prediction was nearly fulfilled, but in a very differentway from that which De Bassompierre supposed; for after thedeath of Richelieu everything went on, contrary toexpectation, in the same way as before; and Bassompierre hadlittle chance of leaving his prison.

Monsieur du Tremblay received D'Artagnan with extremepoliteness and invited him to sit down with him to supper,of which he was himself about to partake.

"I should be delighted to do so," was the reply; "but if Iam not mistaken, the words `In haste,' are written on theenvelope of the letter which I brought."

"You are right," said Du Tremblay. "Halloo, major! tell themto order Number 25 to come downstairs."

The unhappy wretch who entered the Bastile ceased, as hecrossed the threshold, to be a man - he became a number.

D'Artagnan shuddered at the noise of the keys; he remainedon horseback, feeling no inclination to dismount, and satlooking at the bars, at the buttressed windows and theimmense walls he had hitherto only seen from the other sideof the moat, but by which he had for twenty years beenawe-struck.

A bell resounded.

"I must leave you," said Du Tremblay; "I am sent for to signthe release of a prisoner. I shall be happy to meet youagain, sir."

"May the devil annihilate me if I return thy wish!" murmuredD'Artagnan, smiling as he pronounced the imprecation; "Ideclare I feel quite ill after only being five minutes inthe courtyard. Go to! go to! I would rather die on strawthan hoard up a thousand a year by being governor of theBastile."

He had scarcely finished this soliloquy before the prisonerarrived. On seeing him D'Artagnan could hardly suppress anexclamation of surprise. The prisoner got into the carriagewithout seeming to recognize the musketeer.

"Gentlemen," thus D'Artagnan addressed the four musketeers,"I am ordered to exercise the greatest possible care inguarding the prisoner, and since there are no locks to thecarriage, I shall sit beside him. Monsieur de Lillebonne,lead my horse by the bridle, if you please." As he spoke hedismounted, gave the bridle of his horse to the musketeerand placing himself by the side of the prisoner said, in avoice perfectly composed, "To the Palais Royal, at fulltrot."

The carriage drove on and D'Artagnan, availing himself ofthe darkness in the archway under which they were passing,threw himself into the arms of the prisoner.

"Rochefort!" he exclaimed; "you! is it you, indeed? I am notmistaken?"

"D'Artagnan!" cried Rochefort.

"Ah! my poor friend!" resumed D'Artagnan, "not having seenyou for four or five years I concluded you were dead."

"I'faith," said Rochefort, "there's no great difference, Ithink, between a dead man and one who has been buried alive;now I have been buried alive, or very nearly so."

"And for what crime are you imprisoned in the Bastile."

"Do you wish me to speak the truth?"

"Yes."

"Well, then, I don't know."

"Have you any suspicion of me, Rochefort?"

"No! on the honor of a gentleman; but I cannot be imprisonedfor the reason alleged; it is impossible."

"What reason?" asked D'Artagnan.

"For stealing."

"For stealing! you, Rochefort! you are laughing at me."

"I understand. You mean that this demands explanation, doyou not?"

"I admit it."

"Well, this is what actually took place: One evening afteran orgy in Reinard's apartment at the Tuileries with the Ducd'Harcourt, Fontrailles, De Rieux and others, the Ducd'Harcourt proposed that we should go and pull cloaks on thePont Neuf; that is, you know, a diversion which the Ducd'Orleans made quite the fashion."

"Were you crazy, Rochefort? at your age!"

"No, I was drunk. And yet, since the amusement seemed to merather tame, I proposed to Chevalier de Rieux that we shouldbe spectators instead of actors, and, in order to see toadvantage, that we should mount the bronze horse. No soonersaid than done. Thanks to the spurs, which served asstirrups, in a moment we were perched upon the croupe; wewere well placed and saw everything. Four or five cloaks hadalready been lifted, with a dexterity without parallel, andnot one of the victims had dared to say a word, when somefool of a fellow, less patient than the others, took it intohis head to cry out, `Guard!' and drew upon us a patrol ofarchers. Duc d'Harcourt, Fontrailles, and the othersescaped; De Rieux was inclined to do likewise, but I toldhim they wouldn't look for us where we were. He wouldn'tlisten, put his foot on the spur to get down, the spurbroke, he fell with a broken leg, and, instead of keepingquiet, took to crying out like a gallows-bird. I then wasready to dismount, but it was too late; I descended into thearms of the archers. They conducted me to the Chatelet,where I slept soundly, being very sure that on the next dayI should go forth free. The next day came and passed, theday after, a week; I then wrote to the cardinal. The sameday they came for me and took me to the Bastile. That wasfive years ago. Do you believe it was because I committedthe sacrilege of mounting en croupe behind Henry IV.?"

"No; you are right, my dear Rochefort, it couldn't be forthat; but you will probably learn the reason soon."

"Ah, indeed! I forgot to ask you - where are you takingme?"

"To the cardinal."

"What does he want with me?"

"I do not know. I did not even know that you were the personI was sent to fetch."

"Impossible - you - a favorite of the minister!"

"A favorite! no, indeed!" cried D'Artagnan. "Ah, my poorfriend! I am just as poor a Gascon as when I saw you atMeung, twenty-two years ago, you know; alas!" and heconcluded his speech with a deep sigh.

"Nevertheless, you come as one in authority."

"Because I happened to be in the ante-chamber when thecardinal called me, by the merest chance. I am still alieutenant in the musketeers and have been so these twentyyears."

"Then no misfortune has happened to you?"

"And what misfortune could happen to me? To quote some Latinverses I have forgotten, or rather, never knew well, `thethunderbolt never falls on the valleys,' and I am a valley,dear Rochefort, - one of the lowliest of the low."

"Then Mazarin is still Mazarin?"

"The same as ever, my friend; it is said that he is marriedto the queen."

"Married?"

"If not her husband, he is unquestionably her lover."

"You surprise me. Rebuff Buckingham and consent to Mazarin!"

"Just like the women," replied D'Artagnan, coolly.

"Like women, not like queens."

"Egad! queens are the weakest of their sex, when it comes tosuch things as these."

"And M. de Beaufort - is he still in prison?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Oh, nothing, but that he might get me out of this, if hewere favorably inclined to me."

"You are probably nearer freedom than he is, so it will beyour business to get him out."

"And," said the prisoner, "what talk is there of war withSpain?"

"With Spain, no," answered D'Artagnan; "but Paris."

"What do you mean?" cried Rochefort.

"Do you hear the guns, pray? The citizens are amusingthemselves in the meantime."

"And you - do you really think that anything could be donewith these bourgeois?"

"Yes, they might do well if they had any leader to unitethem in one body."

"How miserable not to be free!"

"Don't be downcast. Since Mazarin has sent for you, it isbecause he wants you. I congratulate you! Many a long yearhas passed since any one has wanted to employ me; so you seein what a situation I am."

"Make your complaints known; that's my advice."

"Listen, Rochefort; let us make a compact. We are friends,are we not?"

"Egad! I bear the traces of our friendship - three slits orslashes from your sword."

"Well, if you should be restored to favor, don't forget me."

"On the honor of a Rochefort; but you must do the like forme."

"There's my hand, - I promise."

"Therefore, whenever you find any opportunity of sayingsomething in my behalf - - "

"I shall say it, and you?"

"I shall do the same."

"Apropos, are we to speak of your friends also, Athos,Porthos, and Aramis? or have you forgotten them?"

"Almost."

"What has become of them?"

"I don't know; we separated, as you know. They are alive,that's all that I can say about them; from time to time Ihear of them indirectly, but in what part of the world theyare, devil take me if I know, No, on my honor, I have not afriend in the world but you, Rochefort."

"And the illustrious - what's the name of the lad whom Imade a sergeant in Piedmont's regiment?"

"Planchet!"

"The illustrious Planchet. What has become of him?"

"I shouldn't wonder if he were at the head of the mob atthis very moment. He married a woman who keeps aconfectioner's shop in the Rue des Lombards, for he's a ladwho was always fond of sweetmeats; he's now a citizen ofParis. You'll see that that queer fellow will be a sheriffbefore I shall be a captain."

"Come, dear D'Artagnan, look up a little! Courage! It iswhen one is lowest on the wheel of fortune that themerry-go-round wheels and rewards us. This evening yourdestiny begins to change."

"Amen!" exclaimed D'Artagnan, stopping the carriage.

"What are you doing?" asked Rochefort.

"We are almost there and I want no one to see me getting outof your carriage; we are supposed not to know each other."

"You are right. Adieu."

"Au revoir. Remember your promise."

In five minutes the party entered the courtyard andD'Artagnan led the prisoner up the great staircase andacross the corridor and ante-chamber.

As they stopped at the door of the cardinal's study,D'Artagnan was about to be announced when Rochefort slappedhim on his shoulder.

"D'Artagnan, let me confess to you what I've been thinkingabout during the whole of my drive, as I looked out upon theparties of citizens who perpetually crossed our path andlooked at you and your four men with fiery eyes."

"Speak out," answered D'Artagnan.

"I had only to cry out `Help!' for you and for yourcompanions to be cut to pieces, and then I should have beenfree."

"Why didn't you do it?" asked the lieutenant.

"Come, come!" cried Rochefort. "Did we not swear friendship?Ah! had any one but you been there, I don't say - - "

D'Artagnan bowed. "Is it possible that Rochefort has becomea better man than I am?" he said to himself. And he causedhimself to be announced to the minister.

"Let M. de Rochefort enter," said Mazarin, eagerly, onhearing their names pronounced; "and beg M. d'Artagnan towait; I shall have further need of him."

These words gave great joy to D'Artagnan. As he had said, ithad been a long time since any one had needed him; and thatdemand for his services on the part of Mazarin seemed to himan auspicious sign.

Rochefort, rendered suspicious and cautious by these words,entered the apartment, where he found Mazarin sitting at thetable, dressed in his ordinary garb and as one of theprelates of the Church, his costume being similar to that ofthe abbes in that day, excepting that his scarf andstockings were violet.

As the door was closed Rochefort cast a glance towardMazarin, which was answered by one, equally furtive, fromthe minister.

There was little change in the cardinal; still dressed withsedulous care, his hair well arranged and curled, his personperfumed, he looked, owing to his extreme taste in dress,only half his age. But Rochefort, who had passed five yearsin prison, had become old in the lapse of a few years; thedark locks of this estimable friend of the defunct CardinalRichelieu were now white; the deep bronze of his complexionhad been succeeded by a mortal pallor which betokeneddebility. As he gazed at him Mazarin shook his headslightly, as much as to say, "This is a man who does notappear to me fit for much."

After a pause, which appeared an age to Rochefort, Mazarintook from a bundle of papers a letter, and showing it to thecount, he said:

"I find here a letter in which you sue for liberty, Monsieurde Rochefort. You are in prison, then?"

Rochefort trembled in every limb at this question. "But Ithought," he said, "that your eminence knew thatcircumstance better than any one - - "

"I? Oh no! There is a congestion of prisoners in theBastile, who were cooped up in the time of Monsieur deRichelieu; I don't even know their names."

"Yes, but in regard to myself, my lord, it cannot be so, forI was removed from the Chatelet to the Bastile owing to anorder from your eminence."

"You think you were."

"I am certain of it."

"Ah, stay! I fancy I remember it. Did you not once refuse toundertake a journey to Brussels for the queen?"

"Ah! ah!" exclaimed Rochefort. "There is the true reason!Idiot that I am, though I have been trying to find it outfor five years, I never found it out."

"But I do not say it was the cause of your imprisonment. Imerely ask you, did you not refuse to go to Brussels for thequeen, whilst you had consented to go there to do someservice for the late cardinal?"

"That is the very reason I refused to go back to Brussels. Iwas there at a fearful moment. I was sent there to intercepta correspondence between Chalais and the archduke, and eventhen, when I was discovered I was nearly torn to pieces. Howcould I, then, return to Brussels? I should injure the queeninstead of serving her."

"Well, since the best motives are liable to misconstruction,the queen saw in your refusal nothing but a refusal - adistinct refusal she had also much to complain of you duringthe lifetime of the late cardinal; yes, her majesty thequeen - - "

Rochefort smiled contemptuously.

"Since I was a faithful servant, my lord, to CardinalRichelieu during his life, it stands to reason that now,after his death, I should serve you well, in defiance of thewhole world."

"With regard to myself, Monsieur de Rochefort," repliedMazarin, "I am not, like Monsieur de Richelieu,all-powerful. I am but a minister, who wants no servants,being myself nothing but a servant of the queen's. Now, thequeen is of a sensitive nature. Hearing of your refusal toobey her she looked upon it as a declaration of war, and asshe considers you a man of superior talent, and consequentlydangerous, she desired me to make sure of you; that is thereason of your being shut up in the Bastile. But yourrelease can be managed. You are one of those men who cancomprehend certain matters and having understood them, canact with energy - - "

"Such was Cardinal Richelieu's opinion, my lord."

"The cardinal," interrupted Mazarin, "was a great politicianand therein shone his vast superiority over me. I am astraightforward, simple man; that's my great disadvantage. Iam of a frankness of character quite French."

Rochefort bit his lips in order to prevent a smile.

"Now to the point. I want friends; I want faithful servants.When I say I want, I mean the queen wants them. I do nothingwithout her commands - pray understand that; not likeMonsieur de Richelieu, who went on just as he pleased. So Ishall never be a great man, as he was, but to compensate forthat, I shall be a good man, Monsieur de Rochefort, and Ihope to prove it to you."

Rochefort knew well the tones of that soft voice, in whichsounded sometimes a sort of gentle lisp, like the hissing ofyoung vipers.

"I am disposed to believe your eminence," he replied;"though I have had but little evidence of that good-natureof which your eminence speaks. Do not forget that I havebeen five years in the Bastile and that no medium of viewingthings is so deceptive as the grating of a prison."

"Ah, Monsieur de Rochefort! have I not told you already thatI had nothing to do with that? The queen - cannot you makeallowances for the pettishness of a queen and a princess?But that has passed away as suddenly as it came, and isforgotten."

"I can easily suppose, sir, that her majesty has forgottenit amid the fetes and the courtiers of the Palais Royal, butI who have passed those years in the Bastile - - "

"Ah! mon Dieu! my dear Monsieur de Rochefort! do youabsolutely think that the Palais Royal is the abode ofgayety? No. We have had great annoyances there. As for me, Iplay my game squarely, fairly, and above board, as I alwaysdo. Let us come to some conclusion. Are you one of us,Monsieur de Rochefort?"

"I am very desirous of being so, my lord, but I am totallyin the dark about everything. In the Bastile one talkspolitics only with soldiers and jailers, and you have not anidea, my lord, how little is known of what is going on bypeople of that sort; I am of Monsieur de Bassompierre'sparty. Is he still one of the seventeen peers of France."

"He is dead, sir; a great loss. His devotion to the queenwas boundless; men of loyalty are scarce."

"I think so, forsooth," said Rochefort, "and when you findany of them, you march them off to the Bastile. However,there are plenty in the world, but you don't look in theright direction for them, my lord."

"Indeed! explain to me. Ah! my dear Monsieur de Rochefort,how much you must have learned during your intimacy with thelate cardinal! Ah! he was a great man."

"Will your eminence be angry if I read you a lesson?"

"I! never! you know you may say anything to me. I try to bebeloved, not feared."

"Well, there is on the wall of my cell, scratched with anail, a proverb, which says, `Like master, like servant.'"

"Pray, what does that mean?"

"It means that Monsieur de Richelieu was able to find trustyservants, dozens and dozens of them."

"He! the point aimed at by every poniard! Richelieu, whopassed his life in warding off blows which were foreveraimed at him!"

"But he did ward them off," said De Rochefort, "and thereason was, that though he had bitter enemies he possessedalso true friends. I have known persons," he continued - for he thought he might avail himself of the opportunity ofspeaking of D'Artagnan - "who by their sagacity and addresshave deceived the penetration of Cardinal Richelieu; who bytheir valor have got the better of his guards and spies;persons without money, without support, without credit, yetwho have preserved to the crowned head its crown and madethe cardinal crave pardon."

"But those men you speak of," said Mazarin, smiling inwardlyon seeing Rochefort approach the point to which he wasleading him, "those men were not devoted to the cardinal,for they contended against him."

"No; in that case they would have met with more fittingreward. They had the misfortune to be devoted to that veryqueen for whom just now you were seeking servants."

"But how is it that you know so much of these matters?"

"I know them because the men of whom I speak were at thattime my enemies; because they fought against me; because Idid them all the harm I could and they returned it to thebest of their ability; because one of them, with whom I hadmost to do, gave me a pretty sword-thrust, now about sevenyears ago, the third that I received from the same hand; itclosed an old account."

"Ah!" said Mazarin, with admirable suavity, "could I butfind such men!"

"My lord, there has stood for six years at your very door aman such as I describe, and during those six years he hasbeen unappreciated and unemployed by you."

"Who is it?"

"It is Monsieur d'Artagnan."

"That Gascon!" cried Mazarin, with well acted surprise.

"`That Gascon' has saved a queen and made Monsieur deRichelieu confess that in point of talent, address andpolitical skill, to him he was only a tyro."

"Really?"

"It is as I have the honor of telling it to yourexcellency."

"Tell me a little about it, my dear Monsieur de Rochefort."

"That is somewhat difficult, my lord," said Rochefort, witha smile.

"Then he will tell it me himself."

"I doubt it, my lord."

"Why do you doubt it?"

"Because the secret does not belong to him; because, as Ihave told you, it has to do with a great queen."

"And he was alone in achieving an enterprise like that?"

"No, my lord, he had three colleagues, three brave men, mensuch as you were wishing for just now."

"And were these four men attached to each other, true inheart, really united?"

"As if they had been one man - as if their four hearts hadpulsated in one breast."

"You pique my curiosity, dear Rochefort; pray tell me thewhole story."

"That is impossible; but I will tell you a true story, mylord."

"Pray do so, I delight in stories," cried the cardinal.

"Listen, then," returned Rochefort, as he spoke endeavoringto read in that subtle countenance the cardinal's motive."Once upon a time there lived a queen - a powerful monarch- who reigned over one of the greatest kingdoms of theuniverse; and a minister; and this minister wished much toinjure the queen, whom once he had loved too well. (Do nottry, my lord, you cannot guess who it is; all this happenedlong before you came into the country where this queenreigned.) There came to the court an ambassador so brave, somagnificent, so elegant, that every woman lost her heart tohim; and the queen had even the indiscretion to give himcertain ornaments so rare that they could never be replacedby any like them.

"As these ornaments were given by the king the ministerpersuaded his majesty to insist upon the queen's appearingin them as part of her jewels at a ball which was soon totake place. There is no occasion to tell you, my lord, thatthe minister knew for a fact that these ornaments had sailedaway with the ambassador, who was far away, beyond seas.This illustrious queen had fallen low as the least of hersubjects - fallen from her high estate."

"Indeed!"

"Well, my lord, four men resolved to save her. These fourmen were not princes, neither were they dukes, neither werethey men in power; they were not even rich. They were fourhonest soldiers, each with a good heart, a good arm and asword at the service of those who wanted it. They set out.The minister knew of their departure and had planted peopleon the road to prevent them ever reaching their destination.Three of them were overwhelmed and disabled by numerousassailants; one of them alone arrived at the port, havingeither killed or wounded those who wished to stop him. Hecrossed the sea and brought back the set of ornaments to thegreat queen, who was able to wear them on her shoulder onthe appointed day; and this very nearly ruined the minister.What do you think of that exploit, my lord?"

"It is magnificent!" said Mazarin, thoughtfully.

"Well, I know of ten such men."

Mazarin made no reply; he reflected.

Five or six minutes elapsed.

"You have nothing more to ask of me, my lord?" saidRochefort.

"Yes. And you say that Monsieur d'Artagnan was one of thosefour men?"

"He led the enterprise."

"And who were the others?"

"I leave it to Monsieur d'Artagnan to name them, my lord.They were his friends and not mine. He alone would have anyinfluence with them; I do not even know them under theirtrue names."

"You suspect me, Monsieur de Rochefort; I want him and youand all to aid me."

"Begin with me, my lord; for after five or six years ofimprisonment it is natural to feel some curiosity as toone's destination."

"You, my dear Monsieur de Rochefort, shall have the post ofconfidence; you shall go to Vincennes, where Monsieur deBeaufort is confined; you will guard him well for me. Well,what is the matter?"

"The matter is that you have proposed to me what isimpossible," said Rochefort, shaking his head with an air ofdisappointment.

"What! impossible? And why is it impossible?"

"Because Monsieur de Beaufort is one of my friends, orrather, I am one of his. Have you forgotten, my lord, thatit is he who answered for me to the queen?"

"Since then Monsieur de Beaufort has become an enemy of theState."

"That may be, my lord; but since I am neither king nor queennor minister, he is not my enemy and I cannot accept youroffer."

"This, then, is what you call devotion! I congratulate you.Your devotion does not commit you too far, Monsieur deRochefort."

"And then, my lord," continued Rochefort, "you understandthat to emerge from the Bastile in order to enter Vincennesis only to change one's prison."

"Say at once that you are on the side of Monsieur deBeaufort; that will be the most sincere line of conduct,"said Mazarin.

"My lord, I have been so long shut up, that I am only of oneparty - I am for fresh air. Employ me in any other way;employ me even actively, but let it be on the high roads."

"My dear Monsieur de Rochefort," Mazarin replied in a toneof raillery, "you think yourself still a young man; yourspirit is that of the phoenix, but your strength fails you.Believe me, you ought now to take a rest. Here!"

"You decide, then, nothing about me, my lord?"

"On the contrary, I have come to a decision."

Bernouin came into the room.

"Call an officer of justice," he said; "and stay close tome," he added, in a low tone.

The officer entered. Mazarin wrote a few words, which hegave to this man; then he bowed.

"Adieu, Monsieur de Rochefort," he said.

Rochefort bent low.

"I see, my lord, I am to be taken back to the Bastile."

"You are sagacious."

"I shall return thither, my lord, but it is a mistake onyour part not to employ me."

"You? the friend of my greatest foes? Don't suppose that youare the only person who can serve me, Monsieur de Rochefort.I shall find many men as able as you are."

"I wish you may, my lord," replied De Rochefort.

He was then reconducted by the little staircase, instead ofpassing through the ante-chamber where D'Artagnan waswaiting. In the courtyard the carriage and the fourmusketeers were ready, but he looked around in vain for hisfriend.

"Ah!" he muttered to himself, "this changes the situation,and if there is still a crowd of people in the streets wewill try to show Mazarin that we are still, thank God, goodfor something else than keeping guard over a prisoner;" andhe jumped into the carriage with the alacrity of a man offive-and-twenty.