Page:Ten Years Later 2.djvu/73

TEN YEARS LATER. 63 by two tents, resembling two pavilions, the doorways of both of which opened toward the entrance. These two tents were destined for De Guiche and Eaoul; in whose ab- sence they were intended to be occupied, that of De Guiche by De Wardes, and that of Eaoul by Manicamp. Surround- ing these two tents and the six others, a hundred officers, gentlemen, and pages, dazzling in their display of silk and gold, thronged like bees around a hive. Every one of them, their swords by their sides, was ready to obey the slightest sign either of De Guiche or Bragelonne, the two leaders of the embassy. At the very moment the two young men appeared at the end of one of the streets leading to the square they per- ceived, crossing the square at full gallop, a young man on horseback, and whose costume was of surprising richness. He pushed hastily through the crowd of curious lookers-on, and, at the sight of these unexpected erections, uttered a cry of anger and dismay. It was Buckingham, who had awakened from his stupor, in order to adorn himself with a costume perfectly dazzling from its beauty, and to await the arrival of the princess and the queen-mother at the Hotel de Ville. At the entrance to the tents the soldiers bcirred his passage, and his further progress was arrested. Buckingham, completely infuriated, raised his whip; but his am was seized by a couple of the officers. Of the two guai'dians of the tent only one was there. De Wardes was in the interior of the Hotel de Ville, engaged in attending to the execution of some orders given by De Guiche. At the noise made by Buckingham Manicamp, who was indo- lently reclining upon the cushions at the doorway of one of the two tents, rose with his usual indifference, and, per- ceiving that the disturbance continued, made his appear- ance from underneath the curtains. "What is the matter?" he said, in a gentle tone of voice, "and who is it making this disturbance?" It so happened that at the moment he began to speak silence had just been restored, and although his voice was very soft and gentle in its tone, every one heard his qiies- tion. Buckingham turned round and looked at the tall, thin figure, and the listless expression of countenance of his questioner. Probably the personal appearance of Mani- camp, who was dressed very plainly, did not inspire him with much respect, for he replied disdainfully: "Who may you be, monsieur?" Manicamp, leaning on the arm of a gigantic trooper, as