“Ah!” said Mazarin to himself, “what a sweet face; does she come to borrow money of me?”
And he threw an uneasy glance at his strong box; he even turned inside the bevel of the magnificent diamond ring, the brilliancy of which drew every eye upon his hand, which indeed was white and handsome.
“Your eminence4,” said the august visitor, “it was my first intention to speak of the matters that have brought me here to the queen, my sister, but I have reflected that political affairs are more especially the concern of men.”
“He is very gracious,” thought the queen; “can he have guessed my errand?”
“Give,” continued the cardinal, “your commands to the most respectful of your servants.”
“Alas, sir,” replied the queen, “I have lost the habit of commanding and have adopted instead that of making petitions. I am here to petition you, too happy should my prayer be favorably heard.”
“I am listening, madame, with the greatest interest,” said Mazarin.
“Your eminence, it concerns the war which the king, my husband, is now sustaining against his rebellious6 subjects. You are perhaps ignorant that they are fighting in England,” added she, with a melancholy7 smile, “and that in a short time they will fight in a much more decided8 fashion than they have done hitherto.”
“I am completely ignorant of it, madame,” said the cardinal, accompanying his words with a slight shrug9 of the shoulders; “alas, our own wars quite absorb the time and the mind of a poor, incapable10, infirm old minister like me.”
“Well, then, your eminence,” said the queen, “I must inform you that Charles I., my husband, is on the eve of a decisive engagement. In case of a check” (Mazarin made a slight movement), “one must foresee everything; in the case of a check, he desires to retire into France and to live here as a private individual. What do you say to this project?”
The cardinal had listened without permitting a single fibre of his face to betray what he felt, and his smile remained as it ever was--false and flattering; and when the queen finished speaking, he said:
“Do you think, madame, that France, agitated11 and disturbed as it is, would be a safe retreat for a dethroned king? How will the crown, which is scarce firmly set on the head of Louis XIV., support a double weight?”
“The weight was not so heavy when I was in peril,” interrupted the queen, with a sad smile, “and I ask no more for my husband than has been done for me; you see that we are very humble12 monarchs13, sir.”
“Oh, you, madame,” the cardinal hastened to say, in order to cut short the explanation he foresaw was coming, “with regard to you, that is another thing. A daughter of Henry IV., of that great, that sublime15 sovereign----”
“All which does not prevent you refusing hospitality to his son-in-law, sir! Nevertheless, you ought to remember that that great, that sublime monarch14, when proscribed16 at one time, as my husband may be, demanded aid from England and England accorded it to him; and it is but just to say that Queen Elizabeth was not his niece.”
“Peccato!” said Mazarin, writhing17 beneath this simple eloquence18, “your majesty does not understand me; you judge my intentions wrongly, and that is partly because, doubtless, I explain myself in French.”
“Speak Italian, sir. Ere the cardinal, your predecessor19, sent our mother, Marie de Medicis, to die in exile, she taught us that language. If anything yet remains20 of that great, that sublime king, Henry, of whom you have just spoken, he would be much surprised at so little pity for his family being united to such a profound admiration21 of himself.”
The perspiration22 stood in large drops on Mazarin’s brow.
At this sight the young man stopped short, not in admiration of Raphael’s picture, but as if fascinated at the sight of some terrible object. His eyes dilated23 and a shudder24 ran through his body. One would have said that he longed to break through the wall of glass which separated him from his enemy; for if Comminges had seen with what an expression of hatred25 the eyes of this young man were fixed26 upon De Winter, he would not have doubted for an instant that the Englishman was his eternal foe27.But he stopped, doubtless to reflect; for instead of allowing his first impulse, which had been to go straight to Lord de Winter, to carry him away, he leisurely28 descended29 the staircase, left the palace with his head down, mounted his horse, which he reined30 in at the corner of the Rue31 Richelieu, and with his eyes fixed on the gate, waited until the queen’s carriage had left the court.
He had not long to wait, for the queen scarcely remained a quarter of an hour with Mazarin, but this quarter of an hour of expectation appeared a century to him. At last the heavy machine, which was called a chariot in those days, came out, rumbling32 against the gates, and De Winter, still on horseback, bent33 again to the door to converse34 with her majesty.
The horses started on a trot35 and took the road to the Louvre, which they entered. Before leaving the convent of the Carmelites, Henrietta had desired her daughter to attend her at the palace, which she had inhabited for a long time and which she had only left because their poverty seemed to them more difficult to bear in gilded36 chambers37.
Mordaunt followed the carriage, and when he had watched it drive beneath the sombre arches he went and stationed himself under a wall over which the shadow was extended, and remained motionless, amidst the moldings of Jean Goujon, like a bas-relievo, representing an equestrian38 statue.
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1
cardinal
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| n.(天主教的)红衣主教；adj.首要的，基本的 | |
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2
followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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3
avarice
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| n.贪婪；贪心 | |
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4
eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
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majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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6
rebellious
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| adj.造反的，反抗的，难控制的 | |
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7
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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8
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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9
shrug
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| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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10
incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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11
agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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12
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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13
monarchs
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| 君主，帝王( monarch的名词复数 ) | |
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14
monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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15
sublime
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| adj.崇高的，伟大的；极度的，不顾后果的 | |
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16
proscribed
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| v.正式宣布（某事物）有危险或被禁止( proscribe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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17
writhing
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
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18
eloquence
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| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
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19
predecessor
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| n.前辈，前任 | |
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20
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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21
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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22
perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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dilated
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| adj.加宽的，扩大的v.（使某物）扩大，膨胀，张大( dilate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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24
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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25
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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26
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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leisurely
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| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
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29
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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30
reined
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| 勒缰绳使（马）停步( rein的过去式和过去分词 )； 驾驭； 严格控制； 加强管理 | |
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31
rue
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| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
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32
rumbling
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| n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词 | |
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33
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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34
converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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35
trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
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36
gilded
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| a.镀金的，富有的 | |
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37
chambers
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| n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅 | |
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38
equestrian
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| adj.骑马的；n.马术 | |
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