THE COUNCIL OF THE MUSKETEERS

As Athos had foreseen, the bastion was only occupied by a

dozen corpses, French and Rochellais.

"Gentlemen," said Athos, who had assumed the command of the

expedition, "while Grimaud spreads the table, let us begin

by collecting the guns and cartridges together. We can talk

while performing that necessary task. These gentlemen,"

added he, pointing to the bodies, "cannot hear us."

"But we could throw them into the ditch," said Porthos,

"after having assured ourselves they have nothing in their

pockets."

"Yes," said Athos, "that`s Grimaud`s business."

"Well, then," cried D`Artagnan, "pray let Grimaud search

them and throw them over the walls."

"Heaven forfend!" said Athos; "they may serve us."

"These bodies serve us?" said Porthos. "You are mad, dear

friend."

"Judge not rashly, say the gospel and the cardinal," replied

Athos. "How many guns, gentlemen?"

"Twelve," replied Aramis.

"How many shots?"

"A hundred."

"That`s quite as many as we shall want. Let us load the

guns."

The four Musketeers went to work; and as they were loading

the last musket Grimaud announced that the breakfast was

ready.

Athos replied, always by gestures, that that was well, and

indicated to Grimaud, by pointing to a turret that resembled

a pepper caster, that he was to stand as sentinel. Only, to

alleviate the tediousness of the duty, Athos allowed him to

take a loaf, two cutlets, and a bottle of wine.

"And now to table," said Athos.

The four friends seated themselves on the ground with their

legs crossed like Turks, or even tailors.

"And now," said D`Artagnan, "as there is no longer any fear

of being overheard, I hope you are going to let me into your

secret."

"I hope at the same time to procure you amusement and glory,

gentlemen," said Athos. "I have induced you to take a

charming promenade; here is a delicious breakfast; and

yonder are five hundred persons, as you may see through the

loopholes, taking us for heroes or madmen--two classes of

imbeciles greatly resembling each other."

"But the secret!" said D`Artagnan.

"The secret is," said Athos, "that I saw Milady last night."

D`Artagnan was lifting a glass to his lips; but at the name

of Milady, his hand trembled so, that he was obliged to put

the glass on the ground again for fear of spilling the

contents."

"You saw your wi--"

"Hush!" interrupted Athos. "You forget, my dear, you forget

that these gentlemen are not initiated into my family

affairs like yourself. I have seen Milady."

"Where?" demanded D`Artagnan.

"Within two leagues of this place, at the inn of the Red

Dovecot."

"In that case I am lost," said D`Artagnan.

"Not so bad yet," replied Athos; "for by this time she must

have quit the shores of France."

D`Artagnan breathed again.

"But after all," asked Porthos, "who is Milady?"

"A charming woman!" said Athos, sipping a glass of sparkling

wine. "Villainous host!" cried he, "he has given us Anjou

wine instead of champagne, and fancies we know no better!

Yes," continued he, "a charming woman, who entertained kind

views toward our friend D`Artagnan, who, on his part, has

given her some offense for which she tried to revenge

herself a month ago by having him killed by two musket

shots, a week ago by trying to poison him, and yesterday by

demanding his head of the cardinal."

"What! by demanding my head of the cardinal?" cried

D`Artagnan, pale with terror.

"Yes, that is true as the Gospel," said Porthos; "I heard

her with my own ears."

"I also," said Aramis.

"Then," said D`Artagnan, letting his arm fall with

discouragement, "it is useless to struggle longer. I may as

well blow my brains out, and all will be over."

"That`s the last folly to be committed," said Athos, "seeing

it is the only one for which there is no remedy."

"But I can never escape," said D`Artagnan, "with such

enemies. First, my stranger of Meung; then De Wardes, to

whom I have given three sword wounds; next Milady, whose

secret I have discovered; finally, the cardinal, whose

vengeance I have balked."

"Well," said Athos, "that only makes four; and we are

four-- one for one. Pardieu! if we may believe the signs

Grimaud is making, we are about to have to do with a very

different number of people. What is it, Grimaud?

Considering the gravity of the occasion, I permit you to

speak, my friend; but be laconic, I beg. What do you see?"

"A troop."

"Of how many persons?"

"Twenty men."

"What sort of men?"

"Sixteen pioneers, four soldiers."

"How far distant?"

"Five hundred paces."

"Good! We have just time to finish this fowl and to drink

one glass of wine to your health, D`Artagnan."

"To your health!" repeated Porthos and Aramis.

"Well, then, to my health! although I am very much afraid

that your good wishes will not be of great service to me."

"Bah!" said Athos, "God is great, as say the followers of

Mohammed, and the future is in his hands."

Then, swallowing the contents of his glass, which he put

down close to him, Athos arose carelessly, took the musket

next to him, and drew near to one of the loopholes.

Porthos, Aramis and D`Artagnan followed his example. As to

Grimaud, he received orders to place himself behind the four

friends in order to reload their weapons.

"Pardieu!" said Athos, "it was hardly worth while to

distribute ourselves for twenty fellows armed with pickaxes,

mattocks, and shovels. Grimaud had only to make them a sign

to go away, and I am convinced they would have left us in

peace."

"I doubt that," replied D`Artagnan, "for they are advancing

very resolutely. Besides, in addition to the pioneers,

there are four soldiers and a brigadier, armed with

muskets."

"That`s because they don`t see us," said Athos.

"My faith," said Aramis, "I must confess I feel a great

repugnance to fire on these poor devils of civilians."

"He is a bad priest," said Porthos, "who has pity for

heretics."

"In truth," said Athos, "Aramis is right. I will warn

them."

"What the devil are you going to do?" cried D`Artagnan, "you

will be shot."

But Athos heeded not his advice. Mounting on the breach,

with his musket in one hand and his hat in the other, he

said, bowing courteously and addressing the soldiers and the

pioneers, who, astonished at this apparition, stopped fifty

paces from the bastion: "Gentlemen, a few friends and

myself are about to breakfast in this bastion. Now, you

know nothing is more disagreeable than being disturbed when

one is at breakfast. We request you, then, if you really

have business here, to wait till we have finished or repast,

or to come again a short time hence, unless; unless, which

would be far better, you form the salutary resolution to

quit the side of the rebels, and come and drink with us to

the health of the King of France."

"Take care, Athos!" cried D`Artagnan; "don`t you see they

are aiming?"

"Yes, yes," said Athos; "but they are only civilians--very

bad marksmen, who will be sure not to hit me."

In fact, at the same instant four shots were fired, and the

balls were flattened against the wall around Athos, but not

one touched him.

Four shots replied to them almost instantaneously, but much

better aimed than those of the aggressors; three soldiers

fell dead, and one of the pioneers was wounded.

"Grimaud," said Athos, still on the breach, "another

musket!"

Grimaud immediately obeyed. On their part, the three

friends had reloaded their arms; a second discharge followed

the first. The brigadier and two pioneers fell dead; the

rest of the troop took to flight.

"Now, gentlemen, a sortie!" cried Athos.

And the four friends rushed out of the fort, gained the

field of battle, picked up the four muskets of the privates

and the half-pike of the brigadier, and convinced that the

fugitives would not stop till they reached the city, turned

again toward the bastion, bearing with them the trophies of

their victory.

"Reload the muskets, Grimaud," said Athos, "and we,

gentlemen, will go on with our breakfast, and resume our

conversation. Where were we?"

"I recollect you were saying," said D`Artagnan, "that after

having demanded my head of the cardinal, Milady had quit the

shores of France. Whither goes she?" added he, strongly

interested in the route Milady followed.

"She goes into England," said Athos.

"With what view?"

"With the view of assassinating, or causing to be

assassinated, the Duke of Buckingham."

D`Artagnan uttered an exclamation of surprise and

indignation.

"But this is infamous!" cried he.

"As to that," said Athos, "I beg you to believe that I care

very little about it. Now you have done, Grimaud, take our

brigadier`s half-pike, tie a napkin to it, and plant it on

top of our bastion, that these rebels of Rochellais may see

that they have to deal with brave and loyal soldiers of the

king."

Grimaud obeyed without replying. An instant afterward, the

white flag was floating over the heads of the four friends.

A thunder of applause saluted its appearance; half the camp

was at the barrier.

"How?" replied D`Artagnan, "you care little if she kills

Buckingham or causes him to be killed? But the duke is our

friend."

"The duke is English; the duke fights against us. Let her

do what she likes with the duke; I care no more about him

than an empty bottle." And Athos threw fifteen paces from

him an empty bottle from which he had poured the last drop

into his glass.

"A moment," said D`Artagnan. "I will not abandon Buckingham

thus. He gave us some very fine horses."

"And moreover, very handsome saddles," said Porthos, who at

the moment wore on his cloak the lace of his own.

"Besides," said Aramis, "God desires the conversion and not

the death of a sinner."

"Amen!" said Athos, "and we will return to that subject

later, if such be your pleasure; but what for the moment

engaged my attention most earnestly, and I am sure you will

understand me, D`Artagnan, was the getting from this woman a

kind of carte blanche which she had extorted from the

cardinal, and by means of which she could with impunity get

rid of you and perhaps of us."

"But this creature must be a demon!" said Porthos, holding

out his plate to Aramis, who was cutting up a fowl.

"And this carte blanche," said D`Artagnan, "this carte

blanche, does it remain in her hands?"

"No, it passed into mine; I will not say without trouble,

for if I did I should tell a lie."

"My dear Athos, I shall no longer count the number of times

I am indebted to you for my life."

"Then it was to go to her that you left us?" said Aramis.

"Exactly."

"And you have that letter of the cardinal?" said D`Artagnan.

"Here it is," said Athos; and he took the invaluable paper

from the pocket of his uniform. D`Artagnan unfolded it with

one hand, whose trembling he did not even attempt to

conceal, to read:

Dec. 3, 1627

It is by more order and for the good of the state that the

bearer of this has done what he has done.

"Richelieu"

"In fact," said Aramis, "it is an absolution according to rule."

"That paper must be torn to pieces," said D`Artagnan, who

fancied he read in it his sentence of death.

"On the contrary," said Athos, "it must be preserved

carefully. I would not give up this paper if covered with

as many gold pieces."

"And what will she do now?" asked the young man.

"Why," replied Athos, carelessly, "she is probably going to

write to the cardinal that a damned Musketeer, named Athos,

has taken her safe-conduct from her by force; she will

advise him in the same letter to get rid of his two friends,

Aramis and Porthos, at the same time. The cardinal will

remember that these are the same men who have often crossed

his path; and then some fine morning he will arrest

D`Artagnan, and for fear he should feel lonely, he will send

us to keep him company in the Bastille."

"Go to! It appears to me you make dull jokes, my dear,"

said Porthos.

"I do not jest," said Athos.

"Do you know," said Porthos, "that to twist that damned

Milady`s neck would be a smaller sin than to twist those of

these poor devils of Huguenots, who have committed no other

crime than singing in French the psalms we sing in Latin?"

"What says the abbe?" asked Athos, quietly.

"I say I am entirely of Porthos`s opinion," replied Aramis.

"And I, too," said D`Artagnan.

"Fortunately, she is far off," said Porthos, "for I confess

she would worry me if she were here."

"She worries me in England as well as in France," said

Athos.

"She worries me everywhere," said D`Artagnan.

"But when you held her in your power, why did you not drown

her, strangle her, hang her?" said Porthos. "It is only the

dead who do not return."

"You think so, Porthos?" replied the Musketeer, with a sad

smile which D`Artagnan alone understood.

"I have an idea," said D`Artagnan.

"What is it?" said the Musketeers.

"To arms!" cried Grimaud.

The young men sprang up, and seized their muskets.

This time a small troop advanced, consisting of from twenty

to twenty-five men; but they were not pioneers, they were

soldiers of the garrison.

"Shall we return to the camp?" said Porthos. "I don`t think

the sides are equal."

"Impossible, for three reasons," replied Athos. "The first,

that we have not finished breakfast; the second, that we

still have some very important things to say; and the third,

that it yet wants ten minutes before the lapse of the hour."

"Well, then," said Aramis, "we must form a plan of battle."

"That`s very simple," replied Athos. "As soon as the enemy

are within musket shot, we must fire upon them. If they

continue to advance, we must fire again. We must fire as

long as we have loaded guns. If those who remain of the

troop persist in coming to the assault, we will allow the

besiegers to get as far as the ditch, and then we will push

down upon their heads that strip of wall which keeps its

perpendicular by a miracle."

"Bravo!" cried Porthos. "Decidedly, Athos, you were born to

be a general, and the cardinal, who fancies himself a great

soldier, is nothing beside you."

"Gentlemen," said Athos, "no divided attention, I beg; let

each one pick out his man."

"I cover mine," said D`Artagnan.

"And I mine," said Porthos.

"And I mine," said Aramis.

"Fire, then," said Athos.

The four muskets made but one report, but four men fell.

The drum immediately beat, and the little troop advanced at

charging pace.

Then the shots were repeated without regularity, but always

aimed with the same accuracy. Nevertheless, as if they had

been aware of the numerical weakness of the friends, the

Rochellais continued to advance in quick time.

With every three shots at least two men fell; but the march

of those who remained was not slackened.

Arrived at the foot of the bastion, there were still more

than a dozen of the enemy. A last discharge welcomed them,

but did not stop them; they jumped into the ditch, and

prepared to scale the breach.

"Now, my friends," said Athos, "finish them at a blow. To

the wall; to the wall!"

And the four friends, seconded by Grimaud, pushed with the

barrels of their muskets an enormous sheet of the wall,

which bent as if pushed by the wind, and detaching itself

from its base, fell with a horrible crash into the ditch.

Then a fearful crash was heard; a cloud of dust mounted

toward the sky--and all was over!

"Can we have destroyed them all, from the first to the

last?" said Athos.

"My faith, it appears so!" said D`Artagnan.

"No," cried Porthos; "there go three or four, limping away."

In fact, three or four of these unfortunate men, covered

with dirt and blood, fled along the hollow way, and at

length regained the city. These were all who were left of

the little troop.

Athos looked at his watch.

"Gentlemen," said he, "we have been here an hour, and our

wager is won; but we will be fair players. Besides,

D`Artagnan has not told us his idea yet."

And the Musketeer, with his usual coolness, reseated himself

before the remains of the breakfast.

"My idea?" said D`Artagnan.

"Yes; you said you had an idea," said Athos.

"Oh, I remember," said D`Artagnan. "Well, I will go to

England a second time; I will go and find Buckingham."

"You shall not do that, D`Artagnan," said Athos, coolly.

"And why not? Have I not been there once?"

"Yes; but at that period we were not at war. At that period

Buckingham was an ally, and not an enemy. What you would

now do amounts to treason."

D`Artagnan perceived the force of this reasoning, and was

silent.

"But," said Porthos, "I think I have an idea, in my turn."

"Silence for Monsieur Porthos`s idea!" said Aramis.

"I will ask leave of absence of Monsieur de Treville, on

some pretext or other which you must invent; I am not very

clever at pretexts. Milady does not know me; I will get

access to her without her suspecting me, and when I catch my

beauty, I will strangle her."

"Well," replied Athos, "I am not far from approving the idea

of Monsieur Porthos."

"For shame!" said Aramis. "Kill a woman? No, listen to me;

I have the true idea."

"Let us see your idea, Aramis," said Athos, who felt much

deference for the young Musketeer."

"We must inform the queen."

"Ah, my faith, yes!" said Porthos and D`Artagnan, at the

same time; "we are coming nearer to it now."

"Inform the queen!" said Athos; "and how? Have we relations

with the court? Could we send anyone to Paris without its

being known in the camp? From here to Paris it is a hundred

and forty leagues; before our letter was at Angers we should

be in a dungeon."

"As to remitting a letter with safety to her Majesty," said

Aramis, coloring, "I will take that upon myself. I know a

clever person at Tours--"

Aramis stopped on seeing Athos smile.

"Well, do you not adopt this means, Athos?" said D`Artagnan.

"I do not reject it altogether," said Athos; "but I wish to

remind Aramis that he cannot quit the camp, and that nobody

but one of ourselves is trustworthy; that two hours after

the messenger has set out, all the Capuchins, all the

police, all the black caps of the cardinal, will know your

letter by heart, and you and your clever person will be

arrested."

"Without reckoning," objected Porthos, "that the queen would

save Monsieur de Buckingham, but would take no heed of us."

"Gentlemen," said D`Artagnan, "what Porthos says is full of

sense."

"Ah, ah! but what`s going on in the city yonder?" said

Athos.

"They are beating the general alarm."

The four friends listened, and the sound of the drum plainly

reached them.

"You see, they are going to send a whole regiment against

us," said Athos.

"You don`t think of holding out against a whole regiment, do

you?" said Porthos.

"Why not?" said Musketeer. "I feel myself quite in a humor

for it; and I would hold out before an army if we had taken

the precaution to bring a dozen more bottles of wine."

"Upon my word, the drum draws near," said D`Artagnan.

"Let it come," said Athos. "It is a quarter of an hour`s

journey from here to the city, consequently a quarter of an

hour`s journey from the city to hither. That is more than

time enough for us to devise a plan. If we go from this

place we shall never find another so suitable. Ah, stop! I

have it, gentlemen; the right idea has just occurred to me."

"Tell us."

"Allow me to give Grimaud some indispensable orders."

Athos made a sign for his lackey to approach.

"Grimaud," said Athos, pointing to the bodies which lay

under the wall of the bastion, "take those gentlemen, set

them up against the wall, put their hats upon their heads,

and their guns in their hands."

"Oh, the great man!" cried D`Artagnan. "I comprehend now."

"You comprehend?" said Porthos.

"And do you comprehend, Grimaud?" said Aramis.

Grimaud made a sign in the affirmative.

"That`s all that is necessary," said Athos; "now for my

idea."

"I should like, however, to comprehend," said Porthos.

"That is useless."

"Yes, yes! Athos`s idea!" cried Aramis and D`Artagnan, at

the same time.

"This Milady, this woman, this creature, this demon, has a

brother-in-law, as I think you told me, D`Artagnan?"

"Yes, I know him very well; and I also believe that he has

not a very warm affection for his sister-in-law."

"There is no harm in that. If he detested her, it would be

all the better," replied Athos.

"In that case we are as well off as we wish."

"And yet," said Porthos, "I would like to know what Grimaud

is about."

"Silence, Porthos!" said Aramis.

"What is her brother-in-law`s name?"

"Lord de Winter."

"Where is he now?"

"He returned to London at the first sound of war."

"Well, there`s just the man we want," said Athos. "It is he

whom we must warm. We will have him informed that his

sister-in-law is on the point of having someone

assassinated, and beg him not to lose sight of her. There

is in London, I hope, some establishment like that of the

Magdalens, or of the Repentant Daughters. He must place his

sister in one of these, and we shall be in peace."

"Yes," said D`Artagnan, "till she comes out."

"Ah, my faith!" said Athos, "you require too much,

D`Artagnan. I have given you all I have, and I beg leave to

tell you that this is the bottom of my sack."

"But I think it would be still better," said Aramis, "to

inform the queen and Lord de Winter at the same time."

"Yes; but who is to carry the letter to Tours, and who to

London?"

"I answer for Bazin," said Aramis.

"And I for Planchet," said D`Artagnan.

"Ay," said Porthos, "if we cannot leave the camp, our

lackeys may."

"To be sure they may; and this very day we will write the

letters," said Aramis. "Give the lackeys money, and they

will start."

"We will give them money?" replied Athos. "Have you any

money?"

The four friends looked at one another, and a cloud came

over the brows which but lately had been so cheerful.

"Look out!" cried D`Artagnan, "I see black points and red

points moving yonder. Why did you talk of a regiment,

Athos? It is a veritable army!"

"My faith, yes," said Athos; "there they are. See the

sneaks come, without drum or trumpet. Ah, ah! have you

finished, Grimaud?"

Grimaud made a sign in the affirmative, and pointed to a

dozen bodies which he had set up in the most picturesque

attitudes. Some carried arms, others seemed to be taking

aim, and the remainder appeared merely to be sword in hand.

"Bravo!" said Athos; "that does honor to your imagination."

"All very well," said Porthos, "but I should like to

understand."

"Let us decamp first, and you will understand afterward."

"A moment, gentlemen, a moment; give Grimaud time to clear

away the breakfast."

"Ah, ah!" said Aramis, "the black points and the red points

are visibly enlarging. I am of D`Artagnan`s opinion; we

have no time to lose in regaining our camp."

"My faith," said Athos, "I have nothing to say against a

retreat. We bet upon one hour, and we have stayed an hour

and a half. Nothing can be said; let us be off, gentlemen,

let us be off!"

Grimaud was already ahead, with the basket and the dessert.

The four friends followed, ten paces behind him.

"What the devil shall we do now, gentlemen?" cried Athos.

"Have you forgotten anything?" said Aramis.

"The white flag, morbleu! We must not leave a flag in the

hands of the enemy, even if that flag be but a napkin."

And Athos ran back to the bastion, mounted the platform, and

bore off the flag; but as the Rochellais had arrived within

musket range, they opened a terrible fire upon this man, who

appeared to expose himself for pleasure`s sake.

But Athos might be said to bear a charmed life. The balls

passed and whistled all around him; not one struck him.

Athos waved his flag, turning his back on the guards of the

city, and saluting those of the camp. On both sides loud

cries arose--on the one side cries of anger, on the other

cries of enthusiasm.

A second discharge followed the first, and three balls, by

passing through it, made the napkin really a flag. "Cries

were heard from the camp, "Come down! come down!"

Athos came down; his friends, who anxiously awaited him, saw

him returned with joy.

"Come along, Athos, come along!" cried D`Artagnan; "now we

have found everything except money, it would be stupid to be

killed."

But Athos continued to march majestically, whatever remarks

his companions made; and they, finding their remarks

useless, regulated their pace by his.

Grimaud and his basket were far in advance, out of the range

of the balls.

At the end of an instant they heard a furious fusillade.

"What`s that?" asked Porthos, "what are they firing at now?

I hear no balls whistle, and I see nobody!"

"They are firing at the corpses," replied Athos.

"But the dead cannot return their fire."

"Certainly not! They will then fancy it is an ambuscade,

they will deliberate; and by the time they have found out

the pleasantry, we shall be out of the range of their balls.

That renders it useless to get a pleurisy by too much

haste."

"Oh, I comprehend now," said the astonished Porthos.

"That`s lucky," said Athos, shrugging his shoulders.

On their part, the French, on seeing the four friends return

at such a step, uttered cries of enthusiasm.

At length a fresh discharge was heard, and this time the

balls came rattling among the stones around the four

friends, and whistling sharply in their ears. The

Rochellais had at last taken possession of the bastion.

"These Rochellais are bungling fellows," said Athos; "how

many have we killed of them--a dozen?"

"Or fifteen."

"How many did we crush under the wall?"

"Eight or ten."

"And in exchange for all that not even a scratch! Ah, but

what is the matter with your hand, D`Artagnan? It bleeds,

seemingly."

"Oh, it`s nothing," said D`Artagnan.

"A spent ball?"

"Not even that."

"What is it, then?"

We have said that Athos loved D`Artagnan like a child, and

this somber and inflexible personage felt the anxiety of a

parent for the young man.

"Only grazed a little," replied D`Artagnan; "my fingers were

caught between two stones--that of the wall and that of my

ring--and the skin was broken."

"That comes of wearing diamonds, my master," said Athos,

disdainfully.

"Ah, to be sure," cried Porthos, "there is a diamond. Why

the devil, then, do we plague ourselves about money, when

there is a diamond?"

"Stop a bit!" said Aramis.

"Well thought of, Porthos; this time you have an idea."

"Undoubtedly," said Porthos, drawing himself up at Athos`s

compliment; "as there is a diamond, let us sell it."

"But," said D`Artagnan, "it is the queen`s diamond."

"The stronger reason why it should be sold," replied Athos.

The queen saving Monsieur de Buckingham, her lover; nothing

more just. The queen saving us, her friends; nothing more

moral. Let us sell the diamond. What says Monsieur the

Abbe? I don`t ask Porthos; his opinion has been given."

"Why, I think," said Aramis, blushing as usual, "that his

ring not coming from a mistress, and consequently not being

a love token, D`Artagnan may sell it."

"My dear Aramis, you speak like theology personified. Your

advice, then, is--"

"To sell the diamond," replied Aramis.

"Well, then," said D`Artagnan, gaily, "let us sell the

diamond, and say no more about it."

The fusillade continued; but the four friends were out of

reach, and the Rochellais only fired to appease their

consciences.

"My faith, it was time that idea came into Porthos`s head.

Here we are at the camp; therefore, gentlemen, not a word

more of this affair. We are observed; they are coming to

meet us. We shall be carried in triumph."

In fact, as we have said, the whole camp was in motion.

More than two thousand persons had assisted, as at a

spectacle, in this fortunate but wild undertaking of the

four friends--and undertaking of which they were far from

suspecting the real motive. Nothing was heard but cried of

"Live the Musketeers! Live the Guards!" M. de Busigny was

the first to come and shake Athos by the hand, and

acknowledge that the wager was lost. The dragoon and the

Swiss followed him, and all their comrades followed the

dragoon and the Swiss. There was nothing but felicitations,

pressures of the hand, and embraces; there was no end to the

inextinguishable laughter at the Rochellais. The tumult at

length became so great that the cardinal fancied there must

be some riot, and sent La Houdiniere, his captain of the

Guards, to inquire what was going on.

The affair was described to the messenger with all the

effervescence of enthusiasm.

"Well?" asked the cardinal, on seeing La Houdiniere return.

"Well, monseigneur," replied the latter, "three Musketeers

and a Guardsman laid a wager with Monsieur de Busigny that

they would go and breakfast in the bastion St. Gervais; and

while breakfasting they held it for two hours against the

enemy, and have killed I don`t know how many Rochellais."

"Did you inquire the names of those three Musketeers?"

"Yes, monseigneur."

"What are their names?"

"Messieurs Athos, Porthos, and Aramis."

"Still my three brave fellows!" murmured the cardinal. "And

the Guardsman?"

"D`Artagnan."

"Still my young scapegrace. Positively, these four men must

be on my side."

The same evening the cardinal spoke to M. de Treville of the

exploit of the morning, which was the talk of the whole

camp. M. de Treville, who had received the account of the

adventure from the mouths of the heroes of it, related it in

all its details to his Eminence, not forgetting the episode

of the napkin.

"That`s well, Monsieur de Treville," said the cardinal;

"pray let that napkin be sent to me. I will have three

fleur-de-lis embroidered on it in gold, and will give it to

your company as a standard."

"Monseigneur," said M. de Treville, "that will be unjust to

the Guardsmen. Monsieur d`Artagnan is not with me; he

serves under Monsieur Dessessart."

"Well, then, take him," said the cardinal; "when four men

are so much attached to one another, it is only fair that

they should serve in the same company."

That same evening M. de Treville announced this good news to

the three Musketeers and D`Artagnan, inviting all four to

breakfast with him next morning.

D`Artagnan refused; but thinking the opportunity a good one,

dream of his life had been to become a Musketeer. The three

friends were likewise greatly delighted.

"My faith," said D`Artagnan to Athos, "you had a triumphant

idea! As you said, we have acquired glory, and were enabled

to carry on a conversation of the highest importance."

"Which we can resume now without anybody suspecting us, for,

with the help of God, we shall henceforth pass for

cardinalists."

That evening D`Artagnan went to present his respects to M.

Dessessart, and inform him of his promotion.

M. Dessessart, who esteemed D`Artagnan, made him offers of

help, as this change would entail expenses for equipment.

D`Artagnan was beside himself with joy. We know that the he

begged him to have the diamond he put into his hand valued,

as he wished to turn it into money.

The next day, M. Dessessart`s valet came to D`Artagnan`s

lodging, and gave him a bag containing seven thousand

livres.

This was the price of the queen`s diamond.

Date: 2015-01-29; view: 712