Laporte entered.
“Well, Laporte?” asked the queen.
“Madame,” he replied, “Monsieur d’Artagnan’s prediction has been accomplished; they are calm, as if by enchantment. The doors are about to be opened and in five minutes they will be here.”
“Laporte,” said the queen, “suppose you put one of your sons in the king’s place; we might be off during the time.”
“If your majesty desires it,” said Laporte, “my sons, like myself, are at the queen’s service.”
“Not at all,” said D’Artagnan; “should one of them know his majesty and discover but a substitute, all would be lost.”
“You are right, sir, always right,” said Anne of Austria. “Laporte, place the king in bed.”
Laporte placed the king, dressed as he was, in the bed and then covered him as far as the shoulders with the sheet. The queen bent over him and kissed his brow.
“Pretend to sleep, Louis,” said she.
“Yes,” said the king, “but I do not wish to be touched by any of those men.”