The Man in the Iron Mask
Result of the Ideas of the King, and the Ideas of D’Artagnan.
The was direct. It was severe, mortal. D’Artagnan, at having been by an idea of the king’s, did not despair, however, yet; and upon the idea he had from Belle-Isle, he means of safety for his friends.
“Gentlemen,” said he, suddenly, “since the king has some other than myself with his orders, it must be I no longer his confidence, and I should be of it if I had the to a to so many suspicions. Therefore I will go and my to the king. I it you all, you all to with me upon the of France, in such a way as not to the safety of the his has to me. For this purpose, return all to your posts; an hour, we shall have the of the tide. To your posts, gentlemen! I suppose,” added he, on that all prepared to him, the officer, “you have no orders to object, this time?”
And D’Artagnan almost while speaking these words. This plan would prove the safety of his friends. The once raised, they might immediately, and set sail for England or Spain, without of being molested. Whilst they were making their escape, D’Artagnan would return to the king; would his return by the which the of Colbert had in him; he would be sent with full powers, and he would take Belle-Isle; that is to say, the cage, after the had flown. But to this plan the officer a order of the king’s. It was thus conceived:
“From the moment M. d’Artagnan shall have the of in his resignation, he shall no longer be leader of the expedition, and every officer under his orders shall be to no longer him. Moreover, the said Monsieur d’Artagnan, having that quality of leader of the army sent against Belle-Isle, shall set out for France, by the officer who will have the message to him, and who will him a for he is answerable.”
Brave and careless as he was, D’Artagnan pale. Everything had been calculated with a of which, for the time in thirty years, to him the solid and logic of the great cardinal. He his on his hand, thoughtful, breathing. “If I were to put this order in my pocket,” he, “who would know it, what would prevent my doing it? Before the king had had time to be informed, I should have saved those yonder. Let us some small audacity! My is not one of those the off for disobedience. We will disobey!” But at the moment he was about to this plan, he saw the officers around him reading orders, which the agent of the of that Colbert had to them. This of his had been foreseen—as all the had been.
“Monsieur,” said the officer, up to him, “I your good to depart.”
“I am ready, monsieur,” D’Artagnan, his teeth.
The officer ordered a to M. d’Artagnan and himself. At of this he almost with rage.
“How,” he, “will you on the of the different corps?”
“When you are gone, monsieur,” the of the fleet, “it is to me the of the whole is committed.”
“Then, monsieur,” Colbert’s man, the new leader, “it is for you that this last order to me is intended. Let us see your powers.”
“Here they are,” said the officer, the signature.
“Here are your instructions,” the officer, the paper in his hands; and D’Artagnan, “Come, monsieur,” said he, in an voice (such did he in that man of iron), “do me the to at once.”
“Immediately!” D’Artagnan, feebly, subdued, by impossibility.
And he into the little boat, which started, by wind and tide, for the of France. The king’s with him. The still the of Nantes quickly, and of the of his friends to the king to mercy. The like a swallow. D’Artagnan saw the land of France in black against the white clouds of night.
“Ah! monsieur,” said he, in a low voice, to the officer to whom, for an hour, he had speaking, “what would I give to know the for the new commander! They are all pacific, are they not? and—”
He did not finish; the of a rolled the waves, another, and two or three still louder. D’Artagnan shuddered.
“They have the of Belle-Isle,” the officer. The had just touched the of France.
