Part 27 (1/2)
In a second La Raed and laid prostrate Two or three chairs were thron as if there had been a struggle Grimaud then took from the pocket of the officer all the keys it contained and first opened the door of the room in which they were, then shut it and double-locked it, and both he and the duke proceeded rapidly down the gallery which led to the little inclosure At last they reached the tennis court It was completely deserted No sentinels, no one at any of the s The duke ran to the rampart and perceived on the other side of the ditch, three cavaliers with two riding horses The duke exchanged a signal with them It was indeed for him that they were there
Grimaud, meantime, undid the means of escape
This was not, however, a rope ladder, but a ball of silk cord, with a narrow board which was to pass between the legs, the ball to unwind itself by the weight of the person who sat astride upon the board
”Go!” said the duke
”First, ht, I risk nothing but being taken back again to prison If they catch thee, thou wilt be hung”
”True,” replied Gri upon the board as if on horseback, commenced his perilous descent
The duke followed hione down about three-quarters of the length of the hen the cord broke Grimaud fell--precipitated into the ive a single moan He must have been dreadfully hurt, for he did not stir from the place where he fell
I slipped down into the moat, tied under Gri tho held the other end, drew Grimaud to them
”Descend, my lord,” said the man in the moat ”There are only fifteen feet rass is soft”
The duke had already begun to descend His task was the more difficult, as there was no board to support hied to let hiht of fifty feet But as we have said he was active, strong, and full of presence of mind In less than five minutes he arrived at the end of the cord He was then only fifteen feet froo the rope and fell upon his feet, without receiving any injury
He instantly began to climb up the slope of the entlemen were unknown to him Grimaud, in a swoon, was tied securely to a horse
”Gentlemen,” said the duke, ”I will thank you later; noe have not a moment to lose On, then! on! those who love me, follow allop, snuffing the fresh air in his triu out, with an expression of face which it would be impossible to describe: ”Free! free! free!”
24 The tinan received the ht render the cardinal
From Blois to Paris was a journey of four days for ordinary travelers, but D'Artagnan arrived on the third day at the Barriere Saint Denis In turning the corner of the Rue Montmartre, in order to reach the Rue Tiquetonne and the Hotel de la Chevrette, where he had appointed Porthos to meet him, he saw at one of the s of the hotel, that friend himself dressed in a sky-blue waistcoat, e, till he showed every one of his white teeth; whilst the people passing by adentleman, so handsoreatness
D'Artagnan and Planchet had hardly turned the corner when Porthos recognized thenan!” he cried ”Thank God you have conan
Porthos came down at once to the threshold of the hotel
”Ah,for nan; ”I am most unhappy to hear it, on account of those fine animals”
”And I, also--I was also wretchedly off,” he answered,backward and forward as he spoke; ”and had it not been for the hostess,” he added, with his air of vulgar self-coreeable and understands a joke, I should have got a lodging elsewhere”
The pretty Madeleine, who had approached during this colloquy, stepped back and turned pale as death on hearing Porthos's words, for she thought the scene with the Sas about to be repeated But to her great surprise D'Artagnan rehed, and said to Porthos: ”Yes, I understand, the air of La Rue Tiquetonne is not like that of Pierrefonds; but console yourself, I will soon conduct you to one much better”
”When will you do that?”
”Immediately, I hope”
”Ah! so much the better!”
To that excla, low and profound, which seenan, who had just disainst the wall, the enormous stomach of Mousqueton, whose down-drawn mouth emitted sounds of distress
”And you, too, my poor Monsieur Mouston, are out of place in this poor hotel, are you not?” asked D'Artagnan, in that rallying tone which may indicate either co detestable,” replied Porthos
”Why, then, doesn't he attend to it himself, as at Chantilly?”
”Ah, monsieur, I have not here, as I had there, the ponds of monsieur le prince, where I could catch those beautiful carp, nor the forests of his highness to provide es As for the cellar, I have searched every part and poor stuff I found”
”Monsieur Mouston,” said D'Artagnan, ”I should indeed condole with you had I not at thisto attend to”
Then taking Porthos aside: ”My dear Du Vallon,” he said, ”here you are in full dressto take you to the cardinal's”
”Graciouseyes
”Yes, my friend”
”A presentation? indeed!”
”Does that alaritates me”
”Oh! don't be distressed; you have to deal with a cardinal of another kind This one will not oppress you by his dignity”
”'Tis the sanan--a court”
”There's no court now Alas!”
”The queen!”
”I was going to say, there's no longer a queen The queen! Rest assured, we shall not see her”
”And you say that we are going from here to the Palais Royal?”
”Immediately Only, that there may be no delay, I shall borrow one of your horses”