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The Man in the Iron Mask, a novel by Alexandre Dumas |
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CHAPTER XXXVII - The Two Lighters |
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_ D'Artagnan had set off; Fouquet likewise was gone, and with a rapidity which doubled the tender interest of his friends. The first moments of this journey, or better say, this flight, were troubled by a ceaseless dread of every horse and carriage to be seen behind the fugitive. It was not natural, in fact, if Louis XIV. was determined to seize this prey, that he should allow it to escape; the young lion was already accustomed to the chase, and he had bloodhounds sufficiently clever to be trusted. But insensibly all fears were dispersed; the surintendant, by hard traveling, placed such a distance between himself and his persecutors, that no one of them could reasonably be expected to overtake him. As to his position, his friends had made it excellent for him. Was he not traveling to join the king at Nantes, and what did the rapidity prove but his zeal to obey? He arrived, fatigued, but reassured, at Orleans, where he found, thanks to the care of a courier who had preceded him, a handsome lighter of eight oars. These lighters, in the shape of gondolas, somewhat wide and heavy, containing a small chamber, covered by the deck, and a chamber in the poop, formed by a tent, then acted as passage-boats from Orleans to Nantes, by the Loire, and this passage, a long one in our days, appeared then more easy and convenient than the high-road, with its post-hacks and its ill-hung carriages. Fouquet went on board this lighter, which set out immediately. The rowers, knowing they had the honor of conveying the surintendant of the finances, pulled with all their strength, and that magic word, the _finances_, promised them a liberal gratification, of which they wished to prove themselves worthy. The lighter seemed to leap the mimic waves of the Loire. Magnificent weather, a sunrise that empurpled all the landscape, displayed the river in all its limpid serenity. The current and the rowers carried Fouquet along as wings carry a bird, and he arrived before Beaugency without the slightest accident having signalized the voyage. Fouquet hoped to be the first to arrive at Nantes; there he would see the notables and gain support among the principal members of the States; he would make himself a necessity, a thing very easy for a man of his merit, and would delay the catastrophe, if he did not succeed in avoiding it entirely. "Besides," said Gourville to him, "at Nantes, you will make out, or we will make out, the intentions of your enemies; we will have horses always ready to convey you to Poitou, a bark in which to gain the sea, and when once upon the open sea, Belle-Isle is your inviolable port. You see, besides, that no one is watching you, no one is following." He had scarcely finished when they discovered at a distance, behind an elbow formed by the river, the masts of a huge lighter coming down. The rowers of Fouquet's boat uttered a cry of surprise on seeing this galley. "What is the matter?" asked Fouquet. "The matter is, monseigneur," replied the patron of the bark, "that it is Gourville started, and mounted to the deck, in order to obtain a better Fouquet did not go up with him, but said to Gourville, with restrained The lighter had just passed the elbow. It came on so fast, that behind "How they go," repeated the skipper, "how they go! They must be well "Well they may," said one of the rowers, "they are twelve, and we but "Twelve rowers!" replied Gourville, "twelve! impossible." The number of eight rowers for a lighter had never been exceeded, even "What does it mean?" said Gourville, endeavoring to distinguish beneath "They must be in a hurry, for it is not the king," said the patron. Fouquet shuddered. "By what sign do you know that it is not the king?" said Gourville. "In the first place, because there is no white flag with fleurs-de-lis, "And then," said Fouquet, "because it is impossible it should be the Gourville replied to the surintendant by a look which said: "You were "And by what sign do you make out they are in such haste?" added he, for "By this, monsieur," said the patron; "these people must have set out a "Bah!" said Gourville, "who told you that they do not come from Beaugency "We have seen no lighter of that shape, except at Orleans. It comes from Fouquet and Gourville exchanged a glance. The captain remarked their "Some friend, who has laid a wager he would catch us; let us win the The patron opened his mouth to say that it was quite impossible, but "We can try, monseigneur," said the man, timidly. "Come, you fellows, "No," said Fouquet, "on the contrary; stop short." "Monseigneur! what folly!" interrupted Gourville, stooping towards his "Pull up!" repeated Fouquet. The eight oars stopped, and resisting the "I can see them!" cried he; "there are two." "I can see nothing," said Gourville. "You will not be long before you distinguish them; in twenty strokes of But what the patron announced was not realized; the lighter imitated the "I cannot comprehend this," said the captain. "Nor I," cried Gourville. "You who can see so plainly the people in that lighter," resumed Fouquet, "I thought I saw two," replied the boatman. "I can only see one now, "What sort of man is he?" "He is a dark man, broad-shouldered, bull-necked." A little cloud at that moment passed across the azure, darkening the "Colbert!" repeated Fouquet. "Too strange! but no, it is impossible!" "I tell you I recognized him, and he, at the same time, so plainly "In that case he would join us, instead of lying by. What is he doing "He is watching us, without a doubt." "I do not like uncertainty," said Fouquet; "let us go straight up to him." "Oh! monseigneur, do not do that, the lighter is full of armed men." "He wishes to arrest me, then, Gourville? Why does he not come on?" "Monseigneur, it is not consistent with your dignity to go to meet even "But to allow them to watch me like a malefactor!" "Nothing yet proves that they are watching you, monseigneur; be patient!" "What is to be done, then?" "Do not stop; you were only going so fast to appear to obey the king's "That is better. Come!" cried Fouquet; "since they remain stock-still The captain gave the signal, and Fouquet's rowers resumed their task with "Oh! monseigneur!" "These two boats, which follow each other with so much emulation, as if "At least," objected Gourville, "there is still uncertainty; you are Fouquet, taking Gourville's hand - "My friend," said he, "everything He was right; the two lighters held their course as far as Nantes, "To offer you my respects, monseigneur," said the latter. "Were you in that lighter?" - pointing to the one with twelve rowers. "Yes, monseigneur." "Of twelve rowers?" said Fouquet; "what luxury, M. Colbert. For a "Monseigneur!" - and Colbert blushed. "This is a voyage that will cost those who have to pay for it dear, "I have not been quick, monseigneur," he replied, "because I followed "And why did you do that, Monsieur Colbert?" cried Fouquet, irritated by "Out of respect," said the intendant, bowing to the ground. Fouquet got into a carriage which the city had sent to him, we know not |