apitals of their Kingdoms, than to make an Exit.

Whilst D'Artagnan and Porthos were engaged in conducting the cardinal to
Saint Germain, Athos and Aramis returned to Paris.

Each had his own particular visit to make.

Aramis rushed to the Hotel de Ville, where Madame de Longueville was
sojourning. The duchess loudly lamented the announcement of peace. War
had made her a queen; peace brought her abdication. She declared that
she would never assent to the treaty and that she wished eternal war.

But when Aramis had presented that peace to her in a true light--that
is to say, with all its advantages; when he had pointed out to her,
in exchange for the precarious and contested royalty of Paris, the
viceroyalty of Font-de-l'Arche, in other words, of all Normandy; when
he had rung in her ears the five hundred thousand francs promised by the
cardinal; when he had dazzled her eyes with the honor bestowed on her
by the king in holding her child at the baptismal font, Madame de
Longueville contended no longer, except as is the custom with pretty
women to contend, and defended herself only to surrender at last.

Aramis made a presence of believing in the reality of her opposition and
was unwilling to deprive himself in his own view of the credit of her
conversion.

"Madame," he said, "you have wished to conquer the prince your
brother--that is to say, the greatest captain of the age; and when women
of genius wish anything they always succeed in attaining it. You have
succeeded; the prince is beaten, since he can no longer fight. Now
attach him to our party. Withdraw him gently from the queen, whom he
does not like, from Mazarin, whom he despises. The Fronde is a comedy,
of which the first act only is played. Let us wait for a denouement--for
the day when the prince, thanks to you, shall have turned against the
court."

Madame de Longueville was persuaded. This Frondist duchess trusted so
confidently to the power of her fine eyes, that she could not doubt
their influence even over Monsieur de Conde; and the chronicles of the
time aver that her confidence was justified.

Athos, on quitting Aramis, went to Madame de Chevreuse. Here was another
frondeuse to persuade, and she was even less open to conviction than her
younger rival. There had been no stipulation in her favor. Monsieur
de Chevreuse had not been appointed governor of a province, and if the
queen should consent to be godmother it could be only of her grandson