CHAPTER TWENTY

The Cardinal's Messenger

When d'Artagnan returned to Paris he rented some rooms near the house of Athos. One evening, while he sat thinking over a bottle of wine in his bedroom, there was a loud knock at the door. Before d'Artagnan could stand up the door was pushed open. The man at the door looked around the room, and quickly saw d'Artagnan. D'Artagnan stood up and turned to the door. When he saw who it was at the door he gave out a cry of excitement.

It was the dark stranger of Meung.

D'Artagnan jumped forward and pulled out his sword. "At last!" he yelled with a smile. "This time you will not escape from me!"

"I did not come to fight, Mister," the stranger replied. "I have come in the name of the King to arrest you!"

"What!" d'Artagnan exclaimed. "Who are you?"

"I am the Comte de Rochefort and I have been ordered to take you to the Cardinal."

D'Artagnan stood in his place for a moment and then put away his sword. He smiled and said lightly, "You may take me to the Cardinal, but I will still fight you one day."

The two men got into a carriage and rode to the Cardinal's palace, where d'Artagnan followed Rochefort up to the Cardinal's library.

The Cardinal was sitting at his desk writing. He looked up and told Rochefort to leave, then stared at d'Artagnan for a long time. "Mister," he said, "I have written the order for your arrest. Do you know why?"

"No, sir. The only thing I have done that I could be arrested for, you still do not know."

Richelieu again stared at the young man. "Mister d'Artagnan," he began. "You came to Paris about eight months ago to become a Musketeer and find your fortune in the world. On the way here you rode through the town of Meung, where you met Rochefort and started a fight. I don't know what else happened there, but it was something."

"Mister," said d'Artagnan. "That man stole my—"

"I do not care!" the Cardinal interrupted, "In Meung you lost a letter you were carrying, it was a recommendation to Mister Treville. In your time in Paris you have done many things. You rode on horse, for example, with your Musketeer friends, towards the coast, but they were all stopped on the road, while you continued on your journey. Yes, you have done many things in these last few months. And now, Mister d'Artagnan, you are arrested for having given secrets of France to England—to the Duke of Buckingham, for instance."

"And who can prove what you say, sir?" d'Artagnan asked calmly, "The only person who might know of my actions has herself been punished."

The Cardinal looked surprised. "Whom do you mean?"

"Milady—the Countess de la Fere."

The Cardinal jumped to his feet when he heard the name. "Tell me, young man, who has punished her?" he asked angrily.

"We have, sir—my friends and myself."

"Did you put her in prison, then?"

"She is dead."

"Dead!" screamed the Cardinal, as if he could not believe it. "Are you saying that you killed her?"

"She murdered the young woman I loved. We took her, judged her crimes and killed her."

D'Artagnan then told the Cardinal of how Milady had poisoned Constance Bonacieux, of the trial and the execution.

"So," began the Cardinal. "You acted as judges. You forget that those who kill without being a real judge are murderers."

"We are not, sir," replied d'Artagnan quietly, "since I have a letter of permission in my pocket."

"Permission? Signed by whom? By the King?" Great anger came across the Cardinal's face.

"No," replied d'Artagnan, "signed by you."

"Me! Young man, you are crazy!"

"Sir, you will certainly recognize your own writing?"

D'Artagnan then took a letter from his pocket paper, which the Cardinal read aloud:

October 13th, 1626.

It is by my permission and for the good of France that the man holding this letter has killed who he has killed.

RICHELIEU

The Cardinal sat thinking for a long time. He read the paper again and again. Then he slowly tore it in small pieces.

"Now I am in great trouble!" thought d'Artagnan.

The Cardinal picked up a pen, wrote a few lines on a piece of paper, and signed his name on it.

"I will certainly go to prison, at least," thought d'Artagnan sadly.

"Take this," the Cardinal said suddenly, handing d'Artagnan the piece of paper. "I have taken your paper and changed it with this one. The name on the letter is still missing—I will let you write it in."

D'Artagnan read the piece of paper and could not believe what he saw. The letter was a promotion to become a captain in the Musketeers. He dropped down onto one knee. "Sir," he began, "I should not receive this letter. I have three friends, they are also Musketeers, and they are better than I—"

"You are a man of great courage, Mister d'Artagnan," the Cardinal said, smiling at how quickly he had changed his enemy into a friend. "I admire strong and brave men. You may do anything you wish with this letter of promotion. Just remember that I have given this letter to you to make the choice."

"I will never forget your kindness," replied d'Artagnan.

The Cardinal turned to the door and called, "Rochefort!"

Rochefort entered immediately.

"Rochefort," the Cardinal began, "Mister d'Artagnan is now my good friend. Do not fight with one another; shake hands and become friends, if you value living!"

The two men shook hands, greeted each other politely and smiled to the Cardinal. They then left the room together.

"We will have the opportunity to meet again, shall we not, Mister d'Artagnan?" said Rochefort, as soon as the door was closed.

"Soon," answered d'Artagnan.

"I will be ready," said Rochefort.

"Did I hear you two talking?" said the Cardinal, opening the door.

Again the two men shook hands, smiled at each other and bowed to the Cardinal.

D'Artagnan ran quickly to Athos' rooms. He told Athos everything that had happened when he saw the Cardinal. After finishing his story he held out the promotion letter, and said, "This, of course, should be yours."

Athos smiled at d'Artagnan and shook his head. "No, my friend," he said. "This job is too much for Athos and too little for the Comte de la Fere. You should keep it—it has cost you enough!"

D'Artagnan bowed and left Athos. Next he went to see Porthos. Porthos greeted him dressed in a wonderful and fancy suit of clothes, looking happily at himself in a mirror.

"Well," Porthos asked. "Do you like my new clothes?"

"They are very wonderful," d'Artagnan replied, "but I have come here to offer you a suit clothes that will look even better on you—the clothes of a captain of the Musketeers!" D'Artagnan then showed Porthos the promotion letter.

"My dear friend," said Porthos. "This letter is of no use to me. While we were away in Bethune, a beautiful and rich lady who I know has lost her husband. In a year, when enough time has passed, I will be married to her. You should write your own name on the letter, for I am finished with fighting."

D'Artagnan then went to see Aramis. He found him sitting alone and praying. D'Artagnan told his story once again and offered the promotion to Aramis. Aramis shook his head.

"D'Artagnan," he said. "Our recent adventures have changed me. I have become unhappy with the life of the fighter. I have decided to become a religious man and work for the church. You keep this letter. You will make a brave captain."

D'Artagnan again went to see Athos, whom he found sitting quietly and staring into a glass of wine.

"I see," said Athos, with a smile, "that Porthos and Aramis have also refused your letter."

He reached for a pen and wrote d'Artagnan's name on the paper and returned it to him.

"I will now become a captain," d'Artagnan said with a sad voice, "but it seems that I will not often see my good friends any more. I will be left with only bad memories."

"You are still young," replied Athos, "and all your bad memories will be changed into sweet ones one day."

Epilogue

D'Artagnan became a captain of the Musketeers. Porthos married the rich woman and lived richly and happily. Aramis left Paris and became a monk in the countryside. Athos remained a Musketeer for a few more years, when he retired and moved to a small house in the country.

D'Artagnan fought Rochefort three times, and wounded him three times.

"The next time I shall probably kill you," he said, as he helped Rochefort stand up.

"Then it is better for me that we stop fighting," replied Rochefort, "and let us become friends instead."

(end of section)