Part 98 (1/2)
Several horsemen ran quickly to hiood; so, e! I will lay a wager that 'twas that Saint Christopher, Porthos, who perforave some orders in a low voice to one of the horsemen
”I think it will be wise to set off,” said D'Artagnan
”Yes; but I a some one, a friend of Athos”
”A friend!” exclai through the bushes”
”The count! the count!” cried a young voice that made Athos start
”Raoul! Raoul!” he ejaculated
For one ot his habitual respect--he threw himself on his father's neck
”Look, my lord cardinal,” said Aramis, ”would it not have been a pity to have separated men who love each other as we love? Gentle the cavaliers, who becaentlereater honor He will, indeed give us the favor of his corateful for it; Porthos, do not lose sight of his enan, ere consulting together
”Conan, after a conference of five in our journey”
”Where are we to go?” asked Porthos
”To your house, dear Porthos, at Pierrefonds; your fine chateau is worthy of affording its princely hospitality to his eminence; it is, likewise, well situated--neither too near Paris, nor too far from it; we can establish a coreat facility Come, my lord, you shall be treated like a prince, as you are”
”A fallen prince!” exclaimed Mazarin, piteously
”The chances of war,” said Athos, ”are e of thenan
The rest of the night was e with the wonderful rapidity of former days Mazarin, still so in this way; it looked a race of phanto rein; half the escort were exhausted and several horses fell down
”Horses, nowadays, are not what they were forenerates”
”I have sent Gri us five fresh horses--one for his eneur; the rest of the start will rejoin us later Once beyond Saint Denis we shall have nothing to fear”
Griht back five horses The noble a friend of Porthos, was very ready, not to sell them, as was proposed, but to lend them Ten minutes later the escort stopped at Ermenonville, but the four friends went on ell sustained ardor, guarding Mazarin carefully At noon they rode into the avenue of Pierrefonds
”Ah!” said Mousqueton, who had ridden by the side of D'Artagnan without speaking a word on the journey, ”you may think what you will, sir, but I can breathe now for the first time since allop to announce to the other servants the arrival of Monsieur du Vallon and his friends
”We are four of us,” said D'Artagnan; ”we uard over my lord and each of usto exanable in case of siege; Porthos will see to the provisions and Araarrison That is to say, Athos will be chief engineer, Porthos purveyor-in-general, and Araave up to Mazarin the handsomest room in the chateau
”Gentlemen,” he said, when he was in his roo tinito?”
”No, my lord,” replied the Gascon; ”on the contrary, we think of announcing very soon that we have you here”
”Then you will be besieged”
”We expect it”
”And what shall you do?”
”Defend ourselves Were the late Cardinal Richelieu alive he would tell you a certain story of the Bastion Saint Gervais, which we four, with our four lackeys and twelve dead ainst a whole army”
”Such feats, sir, are done once--and never repeated”
”However, nowadays there's no need of so much heroism To-morrow the army of Paris will be summoned, the day after it will be here! The field of battle, instead, therefore, of being at Saint Denis or at Charenton, will be near Cone or Villars-Cotterets”
”The prince will vanquish you, as he has always done”
”'Tis possible; ement ensues we shallto our friend Du Vallon, who has three We will not expose your eminence to the chances of war”
”Come,” answered Mazarin, ”I see it will be necessary for e?”
”Yes; the conditions will be better than afterward”
”Ah, my lord! as to conditions, you would soon see how moderate and reasonable we are!”
”Come, nohat are your conditions?”
”Rest yourself first, my lord, and ill reflect”
”I do not need rest, gentle enemies or friends”
”Friends, my lord! friends!”
”Well, then, tell ement be possible Speak, Comte de la Fere!”
”My lord,” replied Athos, ”forto demand For France, were I to specifyyou to excuse , retired and reainst the mantelpiece, a spectator of the scene
”Speak, then, chevalier!” said the cardinal ”What do you want? Nothing auous, if you please Be clear, short and precise”
”As for ramme of the conditions which the deputation--of which I formed one--went yesterday to Saint Gerhts The deranted”
”We were alreed on those,” replied Mazarin; ”let us pass on to private and personal stipulations”