Alexandre Dumas

Ten Years Later Alexandre Dumas

The reader guesses beforehand whom the usher preceded in announcing the courierfrom Bretagne. This messenger was easily recognized. It was D'Artagnan, his clothes dusty, his face inflamed, his hair dripping with sweat, his legs stiff; he lifted his feet painfully atevery step, on which resounded the clink of his blood-stained spurs. He perceived in thedoorway he was passing through, the superintendent coming out. Fouquet bowed with asmile to him who, an hour before, was bringing him ruin and death. D'Artagnan found in hisgoodness of heart, and in his inexhaustible vigor of body, enough presence of mind toremember the kind reception of this man; he bowed then, also, much more frombenevolence and compassion, than from respect. He felt upon his lips the word which hadso many times been repeated to the Duc de Guise: "Fly." But to pronounce that word wouldhave been to betray his cause; to speak that word in the cabinet of the king, and before anusher, would have been to ruin himself gratuitously, and could save nobody. D'Artagnanthen, contented himself with bowing to Fouquet and entered. At this moment the kingfloated between the joy the last words of Fouquet had given him, and his pleasure at thereturn of D'Artagnan. Without being a courtier, D'Artagnan had a glance as sure and asrapid as if he had been one. He read, on his entrance, devouring humiliation on thecountenance of Colbert. He even heard the king say these words to him: -"Ah! Monsieur Colbert; you have then nine hundred thousand livres at theintendance?" Colbert, suffocated, bowed but made no reply. All this scene entered into themind of D'Artagnan, by the eyes and ears, at onc