"Dumas, Alexandre - The Man In The Iron Mask" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dumas Alexandre)

you. The victory is yours, and the triumph also is yours. Be
clement, I entreat you!"
"But is it possible," resumed the duchess, without taking notice
of the irony, "that you really draw back from a miserable sum of
five hundred thousand livres when it is a question of sparing you- I
mean your friend- I beg your pardon, I ought rather to say your
protector- the disagreeable consequences which a party contest
produces?"
"Duchess, I will tell you why. Supposing the five hundred thousand
livres were to be given to you, M. de Laicques will require his share,
which will be another five hundred thousand livres, I presume; and
then, after M. de Laicques's and your own portions, will come the
portions for your children, your poor pensioners, and various other
persons; and these letters, however compromising they may be, are
not worth from three to four millions. Good heavens! Duchess, the
Queen of France's diamonds were surely worth more than these bits of
waste paper signed by Mazarin; and yet their recovery did not cost a
fourth part of what you ask for yourself."
"Yes, that is true; but the merchant values his goods at his own
price, and it is for the purchaser to buy or to refuse."
"Stay a moment, Duchess; would you like me to tell you why I will
not buy your letters?"
"Pray tell me."
"Because the letters which you say are Mazarin's are false."
"Nonsense!"
"I have no doubt of it; for it would, to say the least, be very
singular that after you had quarrelled with the Queen through M.
Mazarin's means, you should have kept up any intimate acquaintance
with the latter; it would savor of passion, of treachery, of- Upon
my word, I do not like to make use of the term."
"Oh pray say it!"
"Of compliance."
"That is quite true; but what is not less so is that which the
letter contains."
"I pledge you my word, Duchess, that you will not be able to make
use of it with the Queen."
"Oh, yes, indeed; I can make use of everything with the Queen."
"Very good," thought Aramis. "Croak on, old owl! hiss, viper that
you are!"
But the duchess had said enough, and advanced a few steps towards
the door. Aramis, however, had reserved a humiliation which she did
not expect,- the imprecation of the vanquished behind the car of the
conqueror. He rang the bell. Candles immediately appeared in the room;
and the bishop found himself completely encircled by lights, which
shone upon the worn, haggard face of the duchess. Aramis fixed a
long and ironical look upon her pale and withered cheeks, upon her
dim, dull eyes, and upon her lips, which she kept carefully closed
over her blackened and scanty teeth. He, however, had thrown himself
into a graceful attitude, with his haughty and intelligent head thrown
back; he smiled so as to reveal his teeth, which were still