How the King was Afraid of Being Afraid.
When the king left St. Luc, he found the court, according to his orders, in the great gallery. Then he gave D’O, D’Epernon and Schomberg an order to retire into the provinces, threatened Quelus and Maugiron to punish them if they quarreled anymore with Bussy, to whom he gave his hand to kiss, and then embraced his brother Fran?ois.
As for the queen, he was prodigal1 in politeness to her.
When the usual time for retiring approached, the king seemed trying to retard2 it. At last ten o’clock struck.
“Come with me, Chicot,” then said he, “good night, gentlemen.”
“Good night, gentlemen,” said Chicot, “we are going to bed. I want my barber, my hairdresser, my valet de chambre, and, above all, my cream.”
“No,” said the king, “I want none of them to-night; Lent is going to begin.”
“I regret the cream,” said Chicot.
The king and Chicot entered the room, which we already know.
“Ah ?a! Henri,” said Chicot, “I am the favorite to-night. Am I handsomer than that Cupid, Quelus?”
“Silence, Chicot, and you, gentlemen of the toilette, go out.”
They obeyed, and the king and Chicot were left alone.
“Why do you send them away?” asked Chicot, “they have not greased us yet. Are you going to grease me with your own royal hand? It would be an act of humility3.”
“Let us pray,” said Henri.
“Thank you, that is not amusing. If that be what you called me here for, I prefer to return to the bad company I have left. Adieu, my son. Good night.”
“Stay,” said the king.
“Oh! this is tyranny. You are a despot, a Phalaris, a Dionysius. All day you have made me tear the shoulders of my friends with cow-hide, and now we are to begin again. Do not let us do it, Henri, when there’s but two, every blow tells.”
“Hold your tongue, miserable4 chatterer, and think of repentance5.”
“I repent6! And of what? Of being jester to a monk7. Confiteor — I repent, mea culpa, it is a great sin.”
“Ah! I would rather he shut up in a cage with lions and apes, than with a mad king. Adieu, I am going.”
The king locked the door.
“Henri, you look sinister9; if you do not let me go, I will cry, I will call, I will break the window, I will kick down the door.”
“Chicot,” said the king, in a melancholy10 tone, “you abuse my sadness.”
“Ah! I understand, you are afraid to be alone. Tyrants11 always are so. Take my long sword, and let me take the scabbard to my room.”
At the word “afraid,” Henri shuddered12, and he looked nervously13 around, and seemed so agitated14 and grew so pale, that Chicot began to think him really ill, and said —
“Come, my son, what is the matter, tell your troubles to your friend Chicot.”
The king looked at him and said, “Yes, you are my friend, my only friend.”
“There is,” said Chicot, “the abbey of Valency vacant.”
“Listen, Chicot, you are discreet15.”
“There is also that of Pithiviers, where they make such good pies.”
“In spite of your buffooneries, you are a brave man.”
“Then do not give me an abbey, give me a regiment16.”
“And even a wise one.”
“Then do not give me a regiment, make me a counselor17; but no, when I think of it, I should prefer a regiment, for I should be always forced to be of the king’s opinion.”
“Hold your tongue, Chicot, the terrible hour approaches.”
“Ah! you are beginning again.”
“You will hear.”
“Hear what?”
“Wait, and the event will show you. Chicot, you are brave!”
“I boast of it, but I do not wish to try. Call your captain of the guard, your Swiss, and let me go away from this invisible danger.”
“Chicot, I command you to stay.”
“On my word, a nice master. I am afraid, I tell you. Help!”
“Well, dr?le, if I must, I will tell you all.”
“Ah!” cried Chicot, drawing his sword, “once warned, I do not care; tell, my son, tell. Is it a crocodile? my sword is sharp, for I use it every week to cut my corns.” And Chicot sat down in the armchair with his drawn18 sword between his legs.
“Last night,” said Henri, “I slept ——”
“And I also,” said Chicot.
“Suddenly a breath swept over my face.”
“It was the dog, who was hungry, and who licked your cream.”
“I half woke, and felt my beard bristle19 with terror under my mask.”
“Ah! you make me tremble deliciously.”
“Then,” continued the king, in a trembling voice, “then a voice sounded through the room, with a doleful vibration20.”
“The voice of the crocodile! I have read in Marco Polo, that the crocodile has a voice like the crying of children; but be easy, my son, for if it comes, we will kill it.”
“‘Listen! miserable sinner,’ said the voice ——”
“Oh! it spoke21; then it was not a crocodile.”
“‘Miserable sinner,’ said the voice, ‘I am the angel of God.’”
“The angel of God!”
“Ah! Chicot, it was a frightful22 voice.”
“Was it like the sound of a trumpet23?”
“‘Are you there?’ continued the voice, ‘do you hear, hardened sinner; are you determined24 to persevere25 in your iniquities26?’”
“Ah, really; he said very much the same as other people, it seems to me.”
“Then, Chicot, followed many other reproaches, which I assure you were most painful.”
“But tell me what he said, that I may see if he was well informed?”
“Impious! do you doubt?”
“I? all that astonishes me is, that he waited so long to reproach you. So, my son, you were dreadfully afraid?”
“Oh, yes, the marrow27 seemed to dry in my bones.”
“It is quite natural; on my word, I do not know what I should have done in your place. And then you called?”
“Yes.”
“And they came?”
“Yes.”
“And there was no one here?”
“No one.”
“It is frightful.”
“So frightful, that I sent for my confessor.”
“And he came?”
“Immediately.”
“Now, be frank, my son; tell the truth for once. What did he think of your revelation?”
“He shuddered.”
“I should think so.”
“He ordered me to repent, as the voice told me.”
“Very well. There can be no harm in repenting28. But what did he think of the vision?”
“That it was a miracle, and that I must think of it seriously. Therefore, this morning ——”
“What have you done”
“I gave 100,000 livres to the Jesuits.”
“Very well.”
“And scourged29 myself and my friends.”
“Perfect! but after?”
“Well, what do you think of it, Chicot? It is not to the jester I speak, but to the man of sense, to my friend.”
“Ah, sire, I think your majesty30 had the nightmare.”
“You think so?”
“Yes, it was a dream, which will not be renewed, unless your majesty thinks too much about it.”
“A dream? No, Chicot, I was awake, my eyes were open.”
“I sleep like that.”
“Yes, but then you do not see, and I saw the moon shining through my windows, and its light on the amethyst31 in the hilt of my sword, which lay in that chair where you are.”
“And the lamp?”
“Had gone out.”
“A dream, my son.”
“Why do you not believe, Chicot? It is said that God speaks to kings, when He wishes to effect some change on the earth.”
“Yes, he speaks, but so low that they never hear Him.”
“Well, do you know why I made you stay? — that you might hear as well as I.”
“No one would believe me if I said I heard it.”
“My friend, it is a secret which I confide32 to your known fidelity33.”
“Well, I accept. Perhaps it will also speak to me.”
“Well, what must I do?”
“Go to bed, my son.”
“But ——”
“Do you think that sitting up will keep it away?”
“Well, then, you remain.”
“I said so.”
“Well, then, I will go to bed.”
“Good.”
“But you will not?”
“Certainly not, I will stay here.”
“You will not go to sleep?”
“Oh, that I cannot promise; sleep is like fear, my son, a thing independent of will.”
“You will try, at least?”
“Be easy; I will pinch myself. Besides, the voice would wake me.”
“Do not joke about the voice.”
“Well, well, go to bed.”
The king sighed, looked round anxiously, and glided34 tremblingly into bed. Then Chicot established him in his chair, arranging round him the pillows and cushions.
“How do you feel, sire?” said he.
“Pretty well; and you?”
“Very well; good night, Henri.”
“Good night, Chicot; do not go to sleep.”
“Of course not,” said Chicot, yawning fit to break his jaws35.
And they both closed their eyes, the king to pretend to sleep, Chicot to sleep really.
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prodigal
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| adj.浪费的，挥霍的，放荡的 | |
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retard
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| n.阻止，延迟；vt.妨碍，延迟，使减速 | |
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humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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repentance
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| n.懊悔 | |
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repent
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| v.悔悟，悔改，忏悔，后悔 | |
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monk
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| n.和尚，僧侣，修道士 | |
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wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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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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tyrants
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| 专制统治者( tyrant的名词复数 )； 暴君似的人； （古希腊的）僭主； 严酷的事物 | |
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shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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discreet
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| adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的 | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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counselor
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| n.顾问，法律顾问 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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bristle
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| v.（毛发）直立，气势汹汹，发怒；n.硬毛发 | |
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vibration
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| n.颤动，振动；摆动 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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trumpet
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| n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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persevere
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| v.坚持，坚忍，不屈不挠 | |
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iniquities
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| n.邪恶( iniquity的名词复数 )；极不公正 | |
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marrow
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| n.骨髓；精华；活力 | |
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repenting
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| 对（自己的所为）感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的现在分词 ) | |
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scourged
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| 鞭打( scourge的过去式和过去分词 )； 惩罚，压迫 | |
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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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amethyst
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| n.紫水晶 | |
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confide
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| v.向某人吐露秘密 | |
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fidelity
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| n.忠诚，忠实；精确 | |
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glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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