When left alone with Bernouin, Mazarin was for some minuteslost in thought. He had gained much information, but notenough. Mazarin was a cheat at the card-table. This is adetail preserved to us by Brienne. He called it using hisadvantages. He now determined not to begin the game withD'Artagnan till he knew completely all his adversary'scards.

"My lord, have you any commands?" asked Bernouin.

"Yes, yes," replied Mazarin. "Light me; I am going to thequeen."

Bernouin took up a candlestick and led the way.

There was a secret communication between the cardinal'sapartments and those of the queen; and through thiscorridor* Mazarin passed whenever he wished to visit Anne ofAustria.

*This secret passage is still to be seen in the PalaisRoyal.

In the bedroom in which this passage ended, Bernouinencountered Madame de Beauvais, like himself intrusted withthe secret of these subterranean love affairs; and Madame deBeauvais undertook to prepare Anne of Austria, who was inher oratory with the young king, Louis XIV., to receive thecardinal.

Anne, reclining in a large easy-chair, her head supported byher hand, her elbow resting on a table, was looking at herson, who was turning over the leaves of a large book filledwith pictures. This celebrated woman fully understood theart of being dull with dignity. It was her practice to passhours either in her oratory or in her room, without eitherreading or praying.

When Madame de Beauvais appeared at the door and announcedthe cardinal, the child, who had been absorbed in the pagesof Quintus Curtius, enlivened as they were by engravings ofAlexander's feats of arms, frowned and looked at his mother.

"Why," he said, "does he enter without first asking for anaudience?"

Anne colored slightly.

"The prime minister," she said, "is obliged in theseunsettled days to inform the queen of all that is happeningfrom time to time, without exciting the curiosity or remarksof the court."

"But Richelieu never came in this manner," said thepertinacious boy.

"How can you remember what Monsieur de Richelieu did? Youwere too young to know about such things."

"I do not remember what he did, but I have inquired and Ihave been told all about it."

"And who told you about it?" asked Anne of Austria, with amovement of impatience.

"I know that I ought never to name the persons who answer myquestions," answered the child, "for if I do I shall learnnothing further."

At this very moment Mazarin entered. The king roseimmediately, took his book, closed it and went to lay itdown on the table, near which he continued standing, inorder that Mazarin might be obliged to stand also.

Mazarin contemplated these proceedings with a thoughtfulglance. They explained what had occurred that evening.

He bowed respectfully to the king, who gave him a somewhatcavalier reception, but a look from his mother reproved himfor the hatred which, from his infancy, Louis XIV. hadentertained toward Mazarin, and he endeavored to receive theminister's homage with civility.

Anne of Austria sought to read in Mazarin's face theoccasion of this unexpected visit, since the cardinalusually came to her apartment only after every one hadretired.

The minister made a slight sign with his head, whereupon thequeen said to Madame Beauvais:

"It is time for the king to go to bed; call Laporte."

The queen had several times already told her son that heought to go to bed, and several times Louis had coaxinglyinsisted on staying where he was; but now he made no reply,but turned pale and bit his lips with anger.

In a few minutes Laporte came into the room. The child wentdirectly to him without kissing his mother.

"Well, Louis," said Anne, "why do you not kiss me?"

"I thought you were angry with me, madame; you sent meaway."

"I do not send you away, but you have had the small-pox andI am afraid that sitting up late may tire you."

"You had no fears of my being tired when you ordered me togo to the palace to-day to pass the odious decrees whichhave raised the people to rebellion."

"Sire!" interposed Laporte, in order to turn the subject,"to whom does your majesty wish me to give the candle?"

"To any one, Laporte," the child said; and then added in aloud voice, "to any one except Mancini."

Now Mancini was a nephew of Mazarin's and was as much hatedby Louis as the cardinal himself, although placed near hisperson by the minister.

And the king went out of the room without either embracinghis mother or even bowing to the cardinal.

"Good," said Mazarin, "I am glad to see that his majesty hasbeen brought up with a hatred of dissimulation."

"Why do you say that?" asked the queen, almost timidly.

"Why, it seems to me that the way in which he left us needsno explanation. Besides, his majesty takes no pains toconceal how little affection he has for me. That, however,does not hinder me from being entirely devoted to hisservice, as I am to that of your majesty."

"I ask your pardon for him, cardinal," said the queen; "heis a child, not yet able to understand his obligations toyou."

The cardinal smiled.

"But," continued the queen, "you have doubtless come forsome important purpose. What is it, then?"

Mazarin sank into a chair with the deepest melancholypainted on his countenance.

"It is likely," he replied, "that we shall soon be obligedto separate, unless you love me well enough to follow me toItaly."

"Why," cried the queen; "how is that?"

"Because, as they say in the opera of `Thisbe,' `The wholeworld conspires to break our bonds.'"

"You jest, sir!" answered the queen, endeavoring to assumesomething of her former dignity.

"Alas! I do not, madame," rejoined Mazarin. "Mark well whatI say. The whole world conspires to break our bonds. Now asyou are one of the whole world, I mean to say that you alsoare deserting me."

"Cardinal!"

"Heavens! did I not see you the other day smile on the Dukeof Orleans? or rather at what he said?"

"And what was he saying?"

"He said this, madame: `Mazarin is a stumbling-block. Sendhim away and all will then be well.'"

"What do you wish me to do?"

"Oh, madame! you are the queen!"

"Queen, forsooth! when I am at the mercy of every scribblerin the Palais Royal who covers waste paper with nonsense, orof every country squire in the kingdom."

"Nevertheless, you have still the power of banishing fromyour presence those whom you do not like!"

"That is to say, whom you do not like," returned the queen.

"I! persons whom I do not like!"

"Yes, indeed. Who sent away Madame de Chevreuse after shehad been persecuted twelve years under the last reign?"

"A woman of intrigue, who wanted to keep up against me thespirit of cabal she had raised against M. de Richelieu."

"Who dismissed Madame de Hautefort, that friend so loyalthat she refused the favor of the king that she might remainin mine?"

"A prude, who told you every night, as she undressed you,that it was a sin to love a priest, just as if one were apriest because one happens to be a cardinal."

"Who ordered Monsieur de Beaufort to be arrested?"

"An incendiary the burden of whose song was his intention toassassinate me."

"You see, cardinal," replied the queen, "that your enemiesare mine."

"That is not enough madame, it is necessary that yourfriends should be also mine."

"My friends, monsieur?" The queen shook her head. "Alas, Ihave them no longer!"

"How is it that you have no friends in your prosperity whenyou had many in adversity?"

"It is because in my prosperity I forgot those old friends,monsieur; because I have acted like Queen Marie de Medicis,who, returning from her first exile, treated with contemptall those who had suffered for her and, being proscribed asecond time, died at Cologne abandoned by every one, even byher own son."

"Well, let us see," said Mazarin; "isn't there still time torepair the evil? Search among your friends, your oldestfriends."

"What do you mean, monsieur?"

"Nothing else than I say - search."

"Alas, I look around me in vain! I have no influence withany one. Monsieur is, as usual, led by his favorite;yesterday it was Choisy, to-day it is La Riviere, to-morrowit will be some one else. Monsieur le Prince is led by thecoadjutor, who is led by Madame de Guemenee."

"Therefore, madame, I ask you to look, not among yourfriends of to-day, but among those of other times."

"Among my friends of other times?" said the queen.

"Yes, among your friends of other times; among those whoaided you to contend against the Duc de Richelieu and evento conquer him."

"What is he aiming at?" murmured the queen, looking uneasilyat the cardinal.

"Yes," continued his eminence; "under certain circumstances,with that strong and shrewd mind your majesty possesses,aided by your friends, you were able to repel the attacks ofthat adversary."

"I!" said the queen. "I suffered, that is all."

"Yes." said Mazarin, "as women suffer in avengingthemselves. Come, let us come to the point. Do you knowMonsieur de Rochefort?"

"One of my bitterest enemies - the faithful friend ofCardinal Richelieu."

"I know that, and we sent him to the Bastile," said Mazarin.

"Is be at liberty?" asked the queen.

"No; still there, but I only speak of him in order that Imay introduce the name of another man. Do you know Monsieurd'Artagnan?" he added, looking steadfastly at the queen.

Anne of Austria received the blow with a beating heart.

"Has the Gascon been indiscreet?" she murmured to herself,then said aloud:

"D'Artagnan! stop an instant, the name seems certainlyfamiliar. D'Artagnan! there was a musketeer who was in lovewith one of my women. Poor young creature! she was poisonedon my account."

"That's all you know of him?" asked Mazarin.

The queen looked at him, surprised.

"You seem, sir," she remarked, "to be making me undergo acourse of cross-examination."

"Which you answer according to your fancy," replied Mazarin.

"Tell me your wishes and I will comply with them."

The queen spoke with some impatience.

"Well, madame," said Mazarin, bowing, "I desire that yougive me a share in your friends, as I have shared with youthe little industry and talent that Heaven has given me. Thecircumstances are grave and it will be necessary to actpromptly."

"Still!" said the queen. "I thought that we were finallyquit of Monsieur de Beaufort."

"Yes, you saw only the torrent that threatened to overturneverything and you gave no attention to the still water.There is, however, a proverb current in France relating towater which is quiet."

"Continue," said the queen.

"Well, then, madame, not a day passes in which I do notsuffer affronts from your princes and your lordly servants,all of them automata who do not perceive that I wind up thespring that makes them move, nor do they see that beneath myquiet demeanor lies the still scorn of an injured, irritatedman, who has sworn to himself to master them one of thesedays. We have arrested Monsieur de Beaufort, but he is theleast dangerous among them. There is the Prince de Conde- - "

"The hero of Rocroy. Do you think of him?"

"Yes, madame, often and often, but pazienza, as we say inItaly; next, after Monsieur de Conde, comes the Duke ofOrleans."

"What are you saying? The first prince of the blood, theking's uncle!"

"No! not the first prince of the blood, not the king'suncle, but the base conspirator, the soul of every cabal,who pretends to lead the brave people who are weak enough tobelieve in the honor of a prince of the blood - not theprince nearest to the throne, not the king's uncle, Irepeat, but the murderer of Chalais, of Montmorency and ofCinq-Mars, who is playing now the same game he played longago and who thinks that he will win the game because he hasa new adversary - instead of a man who threatened, a manwho smiles. But he is mistaken; I shall not leave so nearthe queen that source of discord with which the deceasedcardinal so often caused the anger of the king to rage abovethe boiling point."

Anne blushed and buried her face in her hands.

"What am I to do?" she said, bowed down beneath the voice ofher tyrant.

"Endeavor to remember the names of those faithful servantswho crossed the Channel, in spite of Monsieur de Richelieu,tracking the roads along which they passed by their blood,to bring back to your majesty certain jewels given by you toBuckingham."

Anne arose, full of majesty, and as if touched by a spring,and looking at the cardinal with the haughty dignity whichin the days of her youth had made her so powerful: "You areinsulting me!" she said.

"I wish," continued Mazarin, finishing, as it were, thespeech this sudden movement of the queen had cut; "I wish,in fact, that you should now do for your husband what youformerly did for your lover."

"Again that accusation!" cried the queen. "I thought thatcalumny was stifled or extinct; you have spared me till now,but since you speak of it, once for all, I tell you - - "

"Madame, I do not ask you to tell me," said Mazarin,astounded by this returning courage.

"I will tell you all," replied Anne. "Listen: there were intruth, at that epoch, four devoted hearts, four loyalspirits, four faithful swords, who saved more than my life- my honor - - "

"Ah! you confess it!" exclaimed Mazarin.

"Is it only the guilty whose honor is at the sport ofothers, sir? and cannot women be dishonored by appearances?Yes, appearances were against me and I was about to sufferdishonor. However, I swear I was not guilty, I swear it by- - "

The queen looked around her for some sacred object by whichshe could swear, and taking out of a cupboard hidden in thetapestry, a small coffer of rosewood set in silver, andlaying it on the altar:

"I swear," she said, "by these sacred relics that Buckinghamwas not my lover."

"What relics are those by which you swear?" asked Mazarin,smiling. "I am incredulous."

The queen untied from around her throat a small golden keywhich hung there, and presented it to the cardinal.

"Open, sir," she said, "and look for yourself."

Mazarin opened the coffer; a knife, covered with rust, andtwo letters, one of which was stained with blood, alone methis gaze.

"What are these things?" he asked.

"What are these things?" replied Anne, with queen-likedignity, extending toward the open coffer an arm, despitethe lapse of years, still beautiful. "These two letters arethe only ones I ever wrote to him. This knife is the knifewith which Felton stabbed him. Read the letters and see if Ihave lied or spoken the truth."

But Mazarin, notwithstanding this permission, instead ofreading the letters, took the knife which the dyingBuckingham had snatched out of the wound and sent by Laporteto the queen. The blade was red, for the blood had becomerust; after a momentary examination during which the queenbecame as white as the cloth which covered the altar onwhich she was leaning, he put it back into the coffer withan involuntary shudder.

"It is well, madame, I believe your oath."

"No, no, read," exclaimed the queen, indignantly; "read, Icommand you, for I am resolved that everything shall befinished to-night and never will I recur to this subjectagain. Do you think," she said, with a ghastly smile, "thatI shall be inclined to reopen this coffer to answer anyfuture accusations?"

Mazarin, overcome by this determination, read the twoletters. In one the queen asked for the ornaments backagain. This letter had been conveyed by D'Artagnan and hadarrived in time. The other was that which Laporte had placedin the hands of the Duke of Buckingham, warning him that hewas about to be assassinated; that communication had arrivedtoo late.

"It is well, madame," said Mazarin; "nothing can gainsaysuch testimony."

"Sir," replied the queen, closing the coffer and leaning herhand upon it, "if there is anything to be said, it is that Ihave always been ungrateful to the brave men who saved me - that I have given nothing to that gallant officer,D'Artagnan, you were speaking of just now, but my hand tokiss and this diamond."

As she spoke she extended her beautiful hand to the cardinaland showed him a superb diamond which sparkled on herfinger.

"It appears," she resumed, "that he sold it - -he sold it inorder to save me another time - to be able to send amessenger to the duke to warn him of his danger - he soldit to Monsieur des Essarts, on whose finger I remarked it. Ibought it from him, but it belongs to D'Artagnan. Give itback to him, sir, and since you have such a man in yourservice, make him useful."

"Thank you, madame," said Mazarin. "I will profit by theadvice."

"And now," added the queen, her voice broken by her emotion,"have you any other question to ask me?"

"Nothing," - the cardinal spoke in his most conciliatorymanner - "except to beg of you to forgive my unworthysuspicions. I love you so tenderly that I cannot help beingjealous, even of the past."

A smile, which was indefinable, passed over the lips of thequeen.

"Since you have no further interrogations to make, leave me,I beseech you," she said. "I wish, after such a scene, to bealone."

Mazarin bent low before her.

"I will retire, madame. Do you permit me to return?"

"Yes, to-morrow."

The cardinal took the queen's hand and pressed it with anair of gallantry to his lips.

Scarcely had he left her when the queen went into her son'sroom, and inquired from Laporte if the king was in bed.Laporte pointed to the child, who was asleep.

Anne ascended the steps side of the bed and softly kissedthe placid forehead of her son; then she retired as silentlyas she had come, merely saying to Laporte:

"Try, my dear Laporte, to make the king more courteous toMonsieur le Cardinal, to whom both he and I are under suchimportant obligations."