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Updated: May 18, 2025
Mazarin was large in promises, quite unlike the virtuous Monsieur Grimaud so bepraised by La Ramee; for he said nothing and did much. It was now nine o'clock. The cardinal, therefore, got up, perfumed himself, dressed, and went to the queen to tell her what had detained him.
When they arrived Grimaud went carelessly and sat down by a loophole in the wall, letting his legs dangle outside. It was evident that there the rope ladder was to be attached. This manoeuvre, transparent to the Duc de Beaufort, was quite unintelligible to La Ramee. The game at tennis, which, upon a sign from Grimaud, Monsieur de Beaufort had consented to play, began in the afternoon.
"I have already forbidden that man," he said, "to come in here without my permission." "You must pardon him, my lord," said La Ramee, "for I directed him to come." "And why did you so direct when you know that he displeases me?" "My lord will remember that it was agreed between us that he should wait upon us at that famous supper. My lord has forgotten the supper."
La Ramee went out, but in five minutes one of the officers of the guard entered in compliance with the strict orders of the cardinal that the prisoner should never be left alone a moment.
At two o'clock the tennis balls began, according to Grimaud's directions, to take the direction of the moat, much to the joy of La Ramee, who marked fifteen whenever the duke sent a ball into the moat; and very soon balls were wanting, so many had gone over.
The peasant, the gardener, was Rochefort, whom he believed to be in the Bastile. "Well? Who's up there?" said the man. "Be so good as to collect and throw us back our balls," said the duke. The gardener nodded and began to fling up the balls, which were picked up by La Ramee and the guard. One, however, fell at the duke's feet, and seeing that it was intended for him, he put it into his pocket.
In half an hour La Ramee returned, full of glee, like most men who have eaten, and more especially drank to their heart's content. The pates were excellent, the wine delicious. The weather was fine and the game at tennis took place in the open air.
Since daybreak La Ramee had been occupied with the preparations, and trusting no one but himself, he had visited personally the successor of Pere Marteau. The latter had surpassed himself; he showed La Ramee a monstrous pate, ornamented with Monsieur de Beaufort's coat-of-arms. It was empty as yet, but a pheasant and two partridges were lying near it.
La Ramée followed each of these objects with his eyes with a visibly increasing terror. "Oh, Monseigneur!" cried he, looking at the duke with an air of stupefaction, which at any other time would have made M. de Beaufort laugh heartily, "you would not have the heart to kill me?" "No, if you do not oppose my flight." "But, Monseigneur, if I let you escape, I am a ruined man."
Ah, my lord, it is a great happiness that the queen, who always wished you well, had a fancy to send you here, where there's a promenade and a tennis court, good air, and a good table." "In short," answered the duke, "if I comprehend you aright, La Ramee, I am ungrateful for having ever thought of leaving this place?"
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