Anne of Austria at the Age of Forty-six.
When left alone with Bernouin, Mazarin was for some minutes lost in thought. He had gained much information, but not enough. Mazarin was a cheat at the card-table. This is a detail preserved to us by Brienne. He called it using his advantages. He now determined not to begin the game with D'Artagnan till he knew completely all his adversary's cards.
"My lord, have you any commands?" asked Bernouin.
"Yes, yes," replied Mazarin. "Light me; I am going to the queen."
Bernouin took up a candlestick and led the way.
There was a secret communication between the cardinal's apartments and those of the queen; and through this corridor* Mazarin passed whenever he wished to visit Anne of Austria.
*This secret passage is still to be seen in the Palais Royal.
In the bedroom in which this passage ended, Bernouin encountered Madame de Beauvais, like himself intrusted with the secret of these subterranean love affairs; and Madame de Beauvais undertook to prepare Anne of Austria, who was in her oratory with the young king, Louis XIV., to receive the cardinal.
Anne, reclining in a large easy-chair, her head supported by her hand, her elbow resting on a table, was looking at her son, who was turning over the leaves of a large book filled with pictures. This celebrated woman fully understood the art of being dull with dignity. It was her practice to pass hours either in her oratory or in her room, without either reading or praying.
When Madame de Beauvais appeared at the door and announced the cardinal, the child, who had been absorbed in the pages of Quintus Curtius, enlivened as they were by engravings of Alexander's feats of arms, frowned and looked at his mother.
"Why," he said, "does he enter without first asking for an audience?"
Anne colored slightly.
"The prime minister," she said, "is obliged in these unsettled days to inform the queen of all that is happening from time to time, without exciting the curiosity or remarks of the court."
"But Richelieu never came in this manner," said the pertinacious boy.
"How can you remember what Monsieur de Richelieu did? You were too young to know about such things."
"I do not remember what he did, but I have inquired and I have been told all about it."
"And who told you about it?" asked Anne of Austria, with a movement of impatience.
"I know that I ought never to name the persons who answer my questions," answered the child, "for if I do I shall learn nothing further."
At this very moment Mazarin entered. The king rose immediately, took his book, closed it and went to lay it down on the table, near which he continued standing, in order that Mazarin might be obliged to stand also.
Mazarin contemplated these proceedings with a thoughtful glance. They explained what had occurred that evening.
He bowed respectfully to the king, who gave him a somewhat cavalier reception, but a look from his mother reproved him for the hatred which, from his infancy, Louis XIV. had entertained toward Mazarin, and he endeavored to receive the minister's homage with civility.
Anne of Austria sought to read in Mazarin's face the occasion of this unexpected visit, since the cardinal usually came to her apartment only after every one had retired.
The minister made a slight sign with his head, whereupon the queen said to Madame Beauvais:
"It is time for the king to go to bed; call Laporte."
The queen had several times already told her son that he ought to go to bed, and several times Louis had coaxingly insisted on staying where he was; but now he made no reply, but turned pale and bit his lips with anger.
In a few minutes Laporte came into the room. The child went directly to him without kissing his mother.
"Well, Louis," said Anne, "why do you not kiss me?"
"I thought you were angry with me, madame; you sent me away."
"I do not send you away, but you have had the small-pox and I am afraid that sitting up late may tire you."
"You had no fears of my being tired when you ordered me to go to the palace to-day to pass the odious decrees which have raised the people to rebellion."
"Sire!" interposed Laporte, in order to turn the subject, "to whom does your majesty wish me to give the candle?"
"To any one, Laporte," the child said; and then added in a loud voice, "to any one except Mancini."
Now Mancini was a nephew of Mazarin's and was as much hated by Louis as the cardinal himself, although placed near his person by the minister.
And the king went out of the room without either embracing his mother or even bowing to the cardinal.
"Good," said Mazarin, "I am glad to see that his majesty has been brought up with a hatred of dissimulation."
"Why do you say that?" asked the queen, almost timidly.
"Why, it seems to me that the way in which he left us needs no explanation. Besides, his majesty takes no pains to conceal how little affection he has for me. That, however, does not hinder me from being entirely devoted to his service, as I am to that of your majesty."
"I ask your pardon for him, cardinal," said the queen; "he is a child, not yet able to understand his obligations to you."
The cardinal smiled.
"But," continued the queen, "you have doubtless come for some important purpose. What is it, then?"
Mazarin sank into a chair with the deepest melancholy painted on his countenance.
"It is likely," he replied, "that we shall soon be obliged to separate, unless you love me well enough to follow me to Italy."
"Why," cried the queen; "how is that?"
"Because, as they say in the opera of `Thisbe,' `The whole world conspires to break our bonds.'"
"You jest, sir!" answered the queen, endeavoring to assume something of her former dignity.
"Alas! I do not, madame," rejoined Mazarin. "Mark well what I say. The whole world conspires to break our bonds. Now as you are one of the whole world, I mean to say that you also are deserting me."
"Cardinal!"
"Heavens! did I not see you the other day smile on the Duke of Orleans? or rather at what he said?"
"And what was he saying?"