THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK ALEXANDRE DUMAS CHAPTER 20 Đây là một tác phẩm anh ngữ nổi tiếng với những từ vựng nâng cao chuyên ngành văn chương. Nhằm giúp các bạn yêu thich tiếng anh luyện tập và củng cố thêm kỹ năng đọc tiếng anh . | THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK ALEXANDRE DUMAS CHAPTER 20 The Morning In contrast with the sad and terrible destiny of the King imprisoned in the Bastille and tearing in sheer despair the bolts and bars of his dungeon the rhetoric of the chroniclers of old would not fail to present the antithesis of Philippe lying asleep beneath the royal canopy. We do not pretend to say that such rhetoric is always bad and always scatters in places it should not the flowers with which it embellishes history. But we shall not dwell on the antithesis but shall proceed to draw with interest another picture to serve as a companion to the one we have drawn in the last chapter. The young Prince descended from Aramis s room in the same way the King had descended from the apartment dedicated to Morpheus. The dome gradually and slowly sank down under Aramis s pressure and Philippe stood beside the royal bed which had ascended again after having deposited its prisoner in the secret depths of the subterranean passage. Alone in the presence of all the luxury which surrounded him alone in the presence of his power alone with the part he was about to be forced to act Philippe s soul for the first time opened to the thousand varied emotions which are the vital throbs of a royal heart. But he could not help changing color when he looked upon the empty bed still tumbled by his brother s body. This mute accomplice had returned after having served in the consummation of the enterprise it returned with the traces of the crime it spoke to the guilty author of that crime with the frank and unreserved language which an accomplice never fears to use towards his companion in guilt - it spoke the truth. Philippe bent over the bed and perceived a pocket-handkerchief lying on it which was still damp with the cold sweat that had poured from Louis XIV s face. This sweat-bestained handkerchief terrified Philippe as the blood of Abel terrified Cain. I am now face to face with my destiny said Philippe with his eyes on
