The Iron Mask
1
In St. Germain, on the
fifth of September,
1638, public excitement
ran high in anticipation
of an important event.
2
The courtyard of the
Royal Palace -
3
Louis Thirteenth, King
of France -
4
"Your Majesty, this is a
red-letter day for France."
5
"Cardinal Richelieu, forget
you are a Minister of
State and remember you
are a minister of God.
Pray Him that my child
may be a son."
6
In the Rue de Lyon -
7
"D'Artagnan!"
8
"Constance!"
9
"The Queen's carriage.
I must hurry."
10
"This is my wife, sir!"
11
"That's Aramis -- one of
the four best swordsmen
in France."
12
"Ho -- LA!"
13
Porthos and Athos -
14
"Ho -- LA!"
15
"Ten Cardinal's Guards!"
16
"Four Musketeers."
17
"D'Artagnan! The best
blade in France!"
18
"After all, the Cardinal
has forbidden us to
fight duels."
19
In the Palace -
20
"Any news?"
21
"Nothing yet, Father
Joseph."
22
"A son! An heir! A
Dauphin of France!"
23
"Your medicine, my lord
Cardinal."
24
Count de Rochefort, a
trusted but unfaithful
servant of the Cardinal --
25
"You bring me a bitter
dose, Joseph."
26
"Two cannot sit on the same
throne. One heir means
peace to France. Two may
mean revolution."
27
"How many persons
know of this?"
28
"The Queen -- Madame
Perrone -- Constance -
you - and I. Five in all."
29
"The child must be hidden
from France. You and
Madame Perrone will
take him to Spain at
once. I will engage that
the Queen keep silence."
30
"Send Constance Bonacieux
to me."
31
"Tell Count de Rochefort
to await me in the east
corridor."
32
"Chance has put you in
possession of a secret more
important than your life.
Your lips must never
reveal it."
33
"Have Constance Bonacieux
taken to the Convent of
Mantes."
34
"Have her placed in a
separate cell. Neither
you nor anyone else is
to have speech with her."
35
All for one and
one for all.
36
"To the Spanish border."
37
"Sire, you are twice as great
as I thought you were."
38
Milady de Winter, a
shrewd and designing
adventuress -
39
"Take her to the Convent
at Mantes. If you go by
the river road, you should
get there just before
sunrise."
40
"That's Constance Bonacieux.
D'Artagnan must be told."
41
"She is neither to speak
nor be spoken to."
42
"De Rochefort."
43
"Saddle my horse."
44
"Where's Constance?"
45
"Where you will never
find her."
46
"Quick! To the Cardinal!
Tell him what has
happened!"
47
"Where is she?"
48
"By the Cardinal's orders -
the Convent of Mantes."
49
"You told of the where-
abouts of Constance?"
50
"You dolt! You bungler!
You marplot! You place
your paltry life above
your duty."
51
"Your service with me is
ended! You have failed!"
52
"When a man serves me,
his first failure is his
last."
53
"To the Convent at
Mantes."
54
Just before sunrise --
55
"She is to have speech
with no one - except me."
56
"To kill a Cardinal --
a thousand crowns."
57
"When your task is
finished."
58
"-- so we take the road
for Mantes."
59
"To the Spanish border."
60
"For the last time -- will
you share with me the
secret you hold?"
61
"The mark of a criminal!"
62
"No one lives who knows
that."
63
"To horse!"
64
"The - other - one -"
65
"You shall be delivered
to an executioner."
66
"Pursue those men! Put
them where they will
never interfere with my
plans again."
67
"Did Constance speak
before she died?"
68
De Rochefort's hired
cutthroats -
69
"Richelieu!"
70
"Lord Cardinal, I saved
your life to take it --
for that of Constance!"
71
"Their lives -- or mine?"
72
"My plans conserve the
State and those who
thwart them will suffer
the extreme penalty."
73
"I spare your lives because
I keep my bargains. I will
not spare the thing you
value most - - - your
friendship!"
74
"You four must separate,
never to come together
again on pain of death."
75
"Athos, Porthos, Aramis -
to your own provinces."
76
"As for you --"
77
"I regret that I have need
of your stout heart and
gallant blade in the service
of your King."
78
Four years later, in the
Palace of St. Germain,
the young Prince -
79
In Spain, the twin -
80
De Rochefort --
81
In Paris.... The great
Cardinal whose genius
had re-created France was
dying.
82
"Lieutenant D'Artagnan,
my last admonitions are
for you."
83
"The King will not outlive
me long, and this young
Prince faces graver
dangers than you know."
84
"For the preservation of
the State and the glory
of France, stay as close
to him - - as this - -
to this - -"
85
"The - other - one -"
86
Twenty years after.
87
"Friends were friends
in those brave days--
Porthos, Athos,
Aramis and I--
88
Graved our hearts
with mystic phrase,
Bound our lives
with a mystic tie;
89
Come, stir your soul
with our ringing call
Of 'All For One
And One For All!'"
90
Louis Fourteenth, King
of France -
91
"On guard, Captain
D'Artagnan! I'm going
to run you through -
if I can."
92
"Ho -- LA!"
93
"Were you four never
bested?"
94
"Once, Sire."
95
"Ho -- LA!"
96
"Ho -- LA!"
97
"We are pursued by fifty
devils!"
98
In a near-by house....
The twin - -
99
The King's valet --
in secret league
with De Rochefort's
conspiracy --
100
Plans of the secret
passages of the
Palace --
101
"Before morning D'Artagnan
will be dead and the King
a prisoner in the River
Castle."
102
"France will be ours --
to use for our own
profit."
103
Mystery - secret passages --
De Rochefort - villainy -
104
"Behold in me your
brother - for all you
know, your older
brother."
105
"You plan my death."
106
"By no means. With you
alive, I hold the whiphand
over your headstrong
brother."
107
"Take off those clothes
and put them on his
brother. Put his brother's
clothes on him."
108
"D'Artagnan is dead."
109
"Fools! There is no place
in France where I would
not be known."
110
"We've provided against
that, my dear brother."
111
"The iron mask!"
112
The River Castle --
113
"From the River Castle."
114
"- always worn by
the other one."
115
"The - other - one -"
116
"Twins!"
117
"D'Artagnan!"
118
"There are three men in
the world who will risk
being killed with me.
Fetch them - in all haste -
the River Castle!"
119
The Queen Mother --
120
"My other son."
121
"Where is the King?"
122
"Who dares to say I am
not the King?"
123
"All my life I've prayed
you would come back to
me -- but not like this."
124
"For the good of the State,
you must restore your
brother here at once."
125
"No one will ever see my
brother's face again. I am
the King."
126
"My mother is to go to
her room. She will not
leave it save at my
request."
127
"It would be safer if
she were out of the
way entirely."
128
"This passage was sealed up
years ago. It leads through
the powder vaults."
129
"Watch for my friends!"
130
"Order horses - guns -
men! I'll put an end
to this!"
131
"Athos."
132
"Aramis."
133
"Ho -- LA!"
134
Porthos--
135
For the glory of France,
Porthos pays his last
toll --
136
De Rochefort -
137
"The Queen Mother and
I will dine alone. I want
no others here."
138
For the glory of France,
Aramis pays his last
toll --
139
Musketeers --
140
For the glory of
France -
141
"Your own damnable
invention will be your
doom."
142
"My friend, great honor
is due you and great
honor shall be paid you."
143
"Fetch me the baton of
the Marshal of France."
144
For the glory of
France -
145
"Ho -- LA!"
146
"Ho -- LA!"
147
"Come on! There is
greater adventure
beyond."
The Beginning.
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