"Alexandre Dumas. Twenty Years After." - читать интересную книгу автора

"But he did ward them off," said De Rochefort, "and the reason was,
that though he had bitter enemies he possessed also true friends. I have
known persons," he continued-for he thought he might avail himself of the
opportunity of speaking of D'Artagnan-"who by their sagacity and address
have deceived the penetration of Cardinal Richelieu; who by their valor
have got the better of his guards and spies; persons without money, without
support, without credit, yet who have preserved to the crowned head its
crown and made the cardinal crave pardon."
"But those men you speak of," said Mazarin, smiling inwardly on seeing
Rochefort approach the point to which he was leading him, "those men were
not devoted to the cardinal, for they contended against him."
"No; in that case they would have met with more fitting reward. They
had the misfortune to be devoted to that very queen for whom just now you
were seeking servants."
"But how is it that you know so much of these matters?"
"I know them because the men of whom I speak were at that time my
enemies; because they fought against me; because I did them all the harm I
could and they returned it to the best of their ability; because one of
them, with whom I had most to do, gave me a pretty sword-thrust, now about
seven years ago, the third that I received from the same hand; it closed an
old account."
"Ah!" said Mazarin, with admirable suavity, "could I but find such
men!"
"My lord, there has stood for six years at your very door a man such
as I describe, and during those six years he has been unappreciated and
unemployed by you."
"Who is it?"
"It is Monsieur d'Artagnan."
"That Gascon!" cried Mazarin, with well acted surprise.
"`That Gascon' has saved a queen and made Monsieur de Richelieu
confess that in point of talent, address and political skill, to him he was
only a tyro."
"Really?"
"It is as I have the honor of telling it to your excellency."
"Tell me a little about it, my dear Monsieur de Rochefort."
"That is somewhat difficult, my lord," said Rochefort, with a smile.
"Then he will tell it me himself."
"I doubt it, my lord."
"Why do you doubt it?"
"Because the secret does not belong to him; because, as I have told
you, it has to do with a great queen."
"And he was alone in achieving an enterprise like that?"
"No, my lord, he had three colleagues, three brave men, men such as
you were wishing for just now."
"And were these four men attached to each other, true in heart, really
united?"
"As if they had been one man-as if their four hearts had pulsated in
one breast."
"You pique my curiosity, dear Rochefort; pray tell me the whole story.
"