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Chapter XLVII
Chapter XLVII
The Council Of The Musketeers
As Athos had forseen, the bastion was only occupied by a dozen of dead
bodies, French and Rochellais.
"Gentlemen," said Athos, who had assumed the command of the expedition,
"while Grimaud is laying out the breakfast, 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 at once."
"I desire he will do no such things," said Athos, "they may be useful
to us."
"These bodies useful to us? Why, Athos, you are mad!" said Porthos.
"Judge not rashly, say the Gospel and the cardinal," replied Athos; "how
many guns, gentlemen?"
"Twelve," replied Aramis.
"How many cartridges?"
"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, still by gestures, that that was well, and indicated to
Grimaud, by pointing to a kind of pepper-castor, 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 sat down upon the ground, with their legs crossed, like
Turks or tailors.
"And now," said D`Artagnan, "as there is no longer a fear of being
overheard, I hope you are going to let me into this momentous secret."
"I hope, at the same time, to procure you amusement and glory,
gentlemen," said Athos. "I have induced you to take a very pleasant walk;
here is a delicious breakfast, and five hundred persons yonder, as you may
see through the loopholes, taking us for heroes or madmen, two classes of
imbeciles sufficiently resembling each other."
"But the secret! 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 shook so that he was obliged to put the glass on the ground again,
for fear of spilling the contents.
"You say your wi - "
"Hush!" interrupted Athos, "you forget, D`Artagnan, you forget that
these gentlemen are not so initiated as you are in my family affairs. I have
seen milady."
"Where?" demanded D`Artagnan.
"Within two leagues of this place, at the auberge of the Colombier
Rouge."
"In that case I am a lost man," said D`Artagnan.
"Not quite so yet," replied Athos; "for by this time she must have left
the shores of France."
D`Artagnan breathed again.
"But, after all," asked Porthos, "who is milady?"
"A very charming woman!" said Athos, sipping a glass of sparkling wine.
"A scoundrel of a host!" cried he, "he has given us Anjou wine instead of
champagne, and fancies we know no better! Yes," continued he, "a very
charming woman, who entertained kind views toward our friend D`Artagnan, who,
on his part, has given her some offense for which she endeavored 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 as true as the Gospel," said Porthos; "I heard her with
my own ears."
"So did I," said Aramis.
"Then," said D`Artagnan, letting his arm fall, as if overcome by
discouragement, "it is useless to struggle any longer; I may as well blow my
brains out, and put an end to the matter at once."
"That`s the last folly to be committed," said Athos, "seeing that that
is the only one for which there is no remedy."
"But I can never escape," said D`Artagnan, "with such enemies. First,
there is my unknown man of Meung; then De Wardes, to whom I have given three
wounds; next milady, whose secret I have discovered; and, last and worst, 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 folks."
"What`s the matter, Grimaud?" said Athos. "Considering the seriousness
of the circumstance, 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 the followers of Mahomet say; 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.
At the expiration of a minute the troop appeared; they advanced along
a sort of narrow channel of the trench, which kept up a means of
communication between the bastion and the city.
"Pardieu!" said Athos, "it was hardly worth while to disturb ourselves
for twenty fellows, armed with pickaxes, mattocks and shovels! Grimaud had
only need have made them a sign to go away, and I am convinced they would
have left us alone."
"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.
"Ma foi?" said Aramis, "I must confess I feel a great repugnance to fire
on these poor devils of bourgeois."
"He is a bad priest," said Porthos, "who feels pity for heretics!"
"In truth," said Athos, "Aramis is right - I will warn them."
"What the devil are you going about?" cried D`Artagnan, "you will be
shot!"
But Athos took no heed of his advice; and, mounting on the breach, with
his musket in one hand, and his hat in the other:
"Gentlemen," said he, addressing the soldiers and the pioneers, who,
astonished at his appearance, stopped at fifty paces from the bastion, and
bowing courteously to them; "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 our repast, or to
come again a short time hence; 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 preparing
to fire?"
"Yes, yes," said Athos; "but they are only bourgeois - very bad
marksmen, and 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 round Athos, but not one hit 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; another discharge followed the second; 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 soldiers` muskets and the half-pike of the brigadier; and,
convinced that the fugitives would not stop till they got to 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?"
"You were saying," said D`Artagnan, "that after having demanded my head
of the cardinal, milady, had left the shores of France. Where is she going
to?" added he, considerably interested in the itinerary milady followed.
"She is going 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 astonishment.
"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 at the 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.
"But why do you care so little whether Buckingham be killed or not? The
duke is our friend."
"The duke is an Englishman, the duke is fighting 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.
"Ay, but stop a minute, I will not give up Buckingham thus," said
D`Artagnan, "he gave us some very fine horses."
"And, moreover, very handsome saddles," said Porthos, who at the moment
wore the lace of his on his cloak.
"Besides," said Aramis. "God desires the conversion, and not the death
of a sinner."
"Amen!" said Athos, "and we will return to that subject presently, if
such be your pleasure: but that which, 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 signed 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 give over counting the number of times I am
indebted to you for my life."
"Then it was to go to her you left us?" said Aramis.
"Exactly so."
"And you have that letter of the cardinal`s?"
"Here it is," said Athos.
And he took the invaluable paper from the pocket of his uniform.
D`Artagnan unfolded it with a hand, the trembling of which he did not
even attempt to conceal, and read:
"It is by my order and for the good of the state, that the bearer of the
present has done what he has done.
"December 5, 1627. Richelieu."
"In fact," said Aramis, "it is an absolution in all its forms."
"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 this paper for as many gold pieces as would cover it."
"And what is she going to 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 protection from
her by force; she will advise him, in the same letter, to get rid of his two
friends, Aramis and Porthos, at the time he disposes of them. The cardinal
will remember that these are the same men that have so 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 Bastile.
"It appears to me you are making but very dull jokes, friend Athos,"
said Porthos.
"I am not joking."
"Do you know," said Porthos, "that to twist that damned milady`s neck
would be a less sin than to twist those of these poor devils of Huguenots,
who have committed no other crimes than singing the Psalms in French that we
sing in Latin?"
"What says the abbe?" asked Athos quietly.
"I say I am entirely of Porthos` opinion," replied Aramis.
"And I am sure I am so too," said D`Artagnan.
"Fortunately, she is a good way off," said Porthos, "for I confess she
would make me very uncomfortable if she were here."
"She makes me uncomfortable in England as well as in France," said
Athos.
"She makes me uncomfortable wherever she is," said D`Artagnan.
"But, when you had her in your power, why did you not drown her, or
strangle her, or hang her?" said Porthos, "it is only the dead that don`t
come back again."
"You think so, do you, 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
five-and-twenty men; but they were no longer 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 is, we have
not finished breakfast; the second, we have still some very important things
to talk about; and the third, it yet wants ten minutes before the hour will
be elapsed."
"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 fire as long as we have loaded guns; if such as then remain of the
troop persist in coming to the assault, we will allow the besiegers to go
into the ditch, and then we will push down upon their heads that strip of
wall which seems only to keep 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 captain, is nothing
to 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 idem," said Aramis.
"Fire! then," said Athos.
The four muskets made one report, but four men fell.
The drum immediately beat, and the little troop advanced in charging
step.
Then the shots were repeated, without regularity, but always aimed with
the same correctness. Nevertheless, as if they had been aware of the
numerical weakness of the friends, the Rochellais continued to advance in
quick time.
Upon every three shots at least two men fell; but the march of those
left untouched was not slackened.
When arrived at the foot of the bastion, there was 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 that 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 over as if acted upon
by the wind, and, becoming detached from its base, fell with a horrible crash
into the ditch. Then a fearful cry was heard, a cloud of dust mounted toward
heaven, and all was over!
"Can we have destroyed them all, from the first to the last?" said
Athos.
"Ma foi! 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, were flying along the hollow way, and at length regained the city;
these were all that 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, went and 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 now," said D`Artagnan. "Well, I will go into England
for a second time; I will go and find M. 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 M. de
Buckingham was an ally, and not an enemy. What you now contemplate doing
would amount 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 M. Porthos` idea!" said Aramis.
"I will ask leave of absence of M. de Treville, on some pretext or
other, which you must find out, as 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 alone, I will strangle her."
"Well," replied Athos, "I am not far from approving the idea of M.
Porthos."
"For shame! for shame!" said Aramis - "kill a woman? No, listen to me;
I have the best idea."
"Let us see your idea, Aramis," said Athos, who entertained much
deference for the young musketeer.
"We must acquaint the queen."
"Ah, ma foi! yes!" said Porthos and D`Artagnan at the same time; "we
are coming nearer to it now."
"Acquaint the queen!" said Athos; "and how will you do that? Have we
any relations with the court? Could we send any one to Paris without its
being known in the camp? From hence 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
safe; that two hours after the messenger has set out all the capuchins, all
the alguazils, all the black caps of the cardinal, will know your letter by
heart, and you and your clever person will be arrested."
"Without reckoning that the queen would save M. 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 generale."
The four friends listened, and all plainly heard the sound of the drum.
"You will 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 the musketeer. "I feel myself quite in a humor for it;
and I could hold out before a whole army if we had had the precaution to
bring a dozen more bottles of wine."
"Upon my word, the drums draws near," said D`Artagnan.
"Let it come," said Athos. "It is a quarter of an hour`s journey from
hence to the city, consequently a quarter of an hour`s journey from the city
hither; that is more than time enough for us to advise 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 what it is, then."
"Allow me to give Grimaud some indispensable orders."
Athos made a sign for his lackey to draw near.
"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`s necessary," said Athos; "now for my idea."
"I should like, however, to comprehend," said Porthos.
"Not at all necessary."
"Athos` idea! Athos` 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 have 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 should like to comprehend what Grimaud is
about."
"Silence, Porthos!" said Aramis.
"What is her brother`s name?"
"Lord de Winter."
"Where is he now?"
"He returned to London at the first rumor of the war."
"Well, that`s just the man we want," said Athos; "it is him we must
warn. We will have him informed that his sister-in-law is on the point of
having some one assassinated. and we beg of him not to lose sight of her.
There is in London, I hope, some establishment like that of the
Madelonnettes, or of the Filles Repenties. He must place his sister in one
of these, and we shall be in peace."
"Yes," said D`Artagnan, "until she gets out again."
"Ah, ma foi!" said Athos, "you require too much, D`Artagnan, I have
given you all I had, and I beg leave to tell you that that is the bottom of
my sack."
"But I think it would be still better," said Aramis, "to inform the
queen and M. 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 them money, and set them forward."
"We will give them money?" replied Athos. "Have you any money, then?"
The four friends looked at each other, and a cloud came over the brows
which but lately had been so cheerful.
"Quick! quick!" cried D`Artagnan, "I see black points and red points
moving yonder. What! did you talk of a regiment, Athos? It is an army!"
"Ma foi! yes," said Athos, "there they are. Think of the sneaks coming
without beat of drum or sound of 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 supported arms,
others seems to be taking aim, and the remainder appeared merely to be sword
in hand.
"Bravo!" said Athos; "that does honor to your imagination."
"Ay, I dare say it`s all very well," said Porthos, "but I should like
to comprehend."
"Let us decamp first, and you can comprehend afterward."
"Stop one minute, gentlemen; give Grimaud time to collect the breakfast
things."
"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 to regain
our camp."
"Ma foi!" said Athos, "I have nothing more to say against a retreat; we
betted 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 went on before with the basket; the four friends followed, at
about 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 were 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 round him; not one hit him.
Athos waved his flag, turning his back to the city guards, 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 return
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 observations his
companions made; and they, finding their observations useless, regulated
their pace by his.
Grimaud and his basket were far in advance, out of the reach of the
balls.
At the end of an instant, a furious firing was heard.
"What`s that?" asked Porthos, "what are they firing at now? I hear no
balls, and I see nobody!"
"They are firing upon Grimaud`s dead company," 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 joke we shall be out of
the reach 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 in common
marching step, uttered cries of enthusiasm.
At length a fresh discharge was heard, and this time the balls came
rattling among the stones around the 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 character 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."
"Certainly I have," said Porthos, drawing himself up at Athos`
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 M. de Buckingham, her lover, nothing more just; the queen saving us,
her friends, nothing more moral; let us sell the diamond. What says Monsieur
l`Abbe? I don`t ask Porthos; his opinion has been given."
"Why, I think," said Aramis, coloring as usual, that this 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 opinion,
then, is - "
"That the diamond may be sold."
"Well, then," said D`Artagnan gayly, "let us sell the diamond, and say
no more about it."
The fusillade continued; but the friends were out of reach, and the
Rochellais only fired for the discharge of their consciences.
"Ma foi! is was time that idea came into Porthos` 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 borne in 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, at this fortunate but wild
undertaking of the four friends, an undertaking of which they were far from
suspecting the real motive. Nothing was heard but cries of "Vivent les
mousquetaires! vivent les gardes!" 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 guard
laid a wager with M. 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?"
"MM. Athos, Porthos, and Aramis."
"Still my three brave fellows!" murmured the cardinal. "And the guard?"
"M. D`Artagnan."
"Still my young scapegrace. Positively, these four men must be mine."
That 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 hardly be doing justice
to the guards; M. D`Artagnan is not mine; he serves under M. Dessessarts."
"Well, then, take him," said the cardinal; "when four men are so much
attached to each other, 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 was beside himself with joy. We know that the dream of his
life had been to become a musketeer. The three friends were likewise greatly
delighted.
"Ma foi!" said D`Artagnan to Athos, "that was a triumphant idea of
yours! As you said, we have acquired glory, and were enabled to carry on a
conversation of the greatest 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 compliments to M.
Dessessarts, and inform him of his promotion.
M. Dessessarts, who esteemed D`Artagnan, made him offers of service, as
this change would bring on expenses for equipment.
D`Artagnan respectfully declined, but thinking the opportunity a good
one, he begged him to have the diamond he put into his hand valued, as he
wished to turn it into money.
The next day, by two o`clock, M. Dessessarts` 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.
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