My surprise was greater when I heard
her answer:
'He was going to carry off the Cardinal's nieces.'
'He seems to have a turn for such exploits,' Annora said. 'Who
wanted to marry them?'
'It was for no such thing!' Cecile said, with as much heat as she
could show; 'it was to take them as hostages.'
'As hostages!'
'Oh, yes! Do not you know? For the Prince.'
Our astonishment was redoubled.
'Eh, quoi! Messieus les Prince de Conde and Conty, and the Duke of
Longueville, are all arrested, coming from the council, by the
treason of the Cardinal. They are sent off no one knows where, but
my husband, you understand, was with M. de Boutteville and a hundred
other brave officers in the garden of the Hotel de Conte when the
news came. M. de Boutteville immediately proposed to gallop to Val de
Grace and then seize on the Demoiselles Mazarin and Mancini as the
best means of bringing the Cardinal to reason, and instantly it is
done; but the cunning Cardinal had foreseen everything; the young
ladies had been seized and carried off, I know not where,' and she
burst into a flood of tears.
With some difficulty we elicited from her that she had learned the
tidings from a sergeant who had been in attendance on the Count, and
had fled when he was taken. At the same time horrible noises and
shouts were heard all over the city.
'Treason! Treason! Down with the Cardinal! Beaufort is taken! The
Coadjutor! Vengeance! Vengeance!'
Sir Francis hurried out to learn the truth, and then my mother in her
fright cried out:
'Will no one come and protect us? Oh! where is M.
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