"You are right, madame," said the king, "and I am ready to retire to my room when you have kissed me. Laporte, give the light to Monsieur the Chevalier de Coislin."
The queen touched with her lips the white, smooth brow the royal child presented to her with a gravity which already partook of etiquette.
"Go to sleep soon, Louis," said the queen, "for you must be awakened very early."
"I will do my best to obey you, madame," said the youthful king, "but I have no inclination to sleep."
"Laporte," said Anne of Austria, in an undertone, "find some very dull book to read to his majesty, but do not undress yourself."
The king went out, accompanied by the Chevalier de Coislin, bearing the candlestick, and then the queen returned to her own apartment. Her ladies -- that is to say Madame de Bregy, Mademoiselle de Beaumont, Madame de Motteville, and Socratine, her sister, so called on account of her sense -- had just brought into her dressing-room the remains of the dinner, on which, according to her usual custom, she supped.
The queen then gave her orders, spoke of a banquet which the Marquis de Villequier was to give to her on the day after the morrow, indicated the persons she would admit to the honor of partaking of it, announced another visit on the following day to Val-de-Grace, where she intended to pay her devotions, and gave her commands to her senior valet to accompany her. When the ladies had finished their supper the queen feigned extreme fatigue and passed into her bedroom.
Madame de Motteville, who was on especial duty that evening, followed to aid and undress her. The queen then began to read, and after conversing with her affectionately for a few minutes, dismissed her.
It was at this moment D'Artagnan entered the courtyard of the palace, in the coadjutor's carriage, and a few seconds later the carriages of the ladies-in-waiting drove out and the gates were shut after them.
A few minutes after twelve o'clock Bernouin knocked at the queen's bedroom door, having come by the cardinal's secret corridor. Anne of Austria opened the door to him herself.
She was dressed, that is to say, in dishabille, wrapped in a long, warm dressing-gown.
"It is you, Bernouin," she said. "Is Monsieur d'Artagnan there?"
"Yes, madame, in your oratory. He is waiting till your majesty is ready."
"I am. Go and tell Laporte to wake and dress the king, and then pass on to the Marechal de Villeroy and summon him to me."
Bernouin bowed and retired.
The queen entered her oratory, which was lighted by a single lamp of Venetian crystal, She saw D'Artagnan, who stood expecting her.
"Is it you?" she said.
"Yes, madame."
"Are you ready?"
"I am."
"And his eminence, the cardinal?"
"Has got off without any accident. He is awaiting your majesty at Cours la Reine."
"But in what carriage do we start?"
"I have provided for everything; a carriage below is waiting for your majesty."
"Let us go to the king."
D'Artagnan bowed and followed the queen. The young Louis was already dressed, with the exception of his shoes and doublet; he had allowed himself to be dressed, in great astonishment, overwhelming Laporte with questions, who replied only in these words, "Sire, it is by the queen's commands."
The bedclothes were thrown back, exposing the king's bed linen, which was so worn that here and there holes could be seen. It was one of the results of Mazarin's niggardliness.
The queen entered and D'Artagnan remained at the door. As soon as the child perceived the queen he escaped from Laporte and ran to meet her. Anne then motioned to D'Artagnan to approach, and he obeyed.
"My son," said Anne of Austria, pointing to the musketeer, calm, standing uncovered, "here is Monsieur d'Artagnan, who is as brave as one of those ancient heroes of whom you like so much to hear from my women. Remember his name well and look at him well, that his face may not be forgotten, for this evening he is going to render us a great service."
The young king looked at the officer with his large-formed eye, and repeated:
"Monsieur d'Artagnan."
"That is it, my son."
The young king slowly raised his little hand and held it out to the musketeer; the latter bent on his knee and kissed it.
"Monsieur d'Artagnan," repeated Louis; "very well, madame."
At this moment they were startled by a noise as if a tumult were approaching.
"What is that?" exclaimed the queen.
"Oh, oh!" replied D'Artagnan, straining both at the same time his quick ear and his intelligent glance, "it is the murmur of the populace in revolution."
"We must fly," said the queen.
"Your majesty has given me the control of this business; we had better wait and see what they want."
"Monsieur d'Artagnan!"
"I will answer for everything."
Nothing is so catching as confidence. The queen, full of energy and courage, was quickly alive to these two virtues in others.
"Do as you like," she said, "I rely upon you."
"Will your majesty permit me to give orders in your name throughout this business?"
"Command, sir."
"What do the people want this time?" demanded the king.
"We are about to ascertain, sire," replied D'Artagnan, as he rapidly left the room.
The tumult continued to increase and seemed to surround the Palais Royal entirely. Cries were heard from the interior, of which they could not comprehend the sense. It was evident that there was clamor and sedition.
The king, half dressed, the queen and Laporte remained each in the same state and almost in the same place, where they were listening and waiting. Comminges, who was on guard that night at the Palais Royal, ran in. He had about two hundred men in the courtyards and stables, and he placed them at the queen's disposal.
"Well," asked Anne of Austria, when D'Artagnan reappeared, "what does it mean?"
"It means, madame, that the report has spread that the queen has left the Palais Royal, carrying off the king, and the people ask to have proof to the contrary, or threaten to demolish the Palais Royal."
"Oh, this time it is too much!" exclaimed the queen, "and I will prove to them I have not left."