son hasn't his mother's energy."
"What, my good fellow!" replied Athos, "wait awhile; we have
scarcely left him two hours ago -- he does not know yet in
what direction we came nor where we are. We may say that he
is not equal to his mother when we put foot in France, if we
are not poisoned or killed before then."
"Meanwhile, let us dine," suggested Porthos.
"I'faith, yes," said Athos, "for I am hungry."
"Look out for the black fowls!" cried Aramis.
And the four friends, guided by Musqueton, took up the way
toward the house, already almost restored to their former
gayety; for they were now, as Athos had said, all four once
more united and of single mind.
60
Respect to Fallen Majesty.
As our fugitives approached the house, they found the ground
cut up, as if a considerable body of horsemen had preceded
them. Before the door the traces were yet more apparent;
these horsemen, whoever they might be, had halted there.
"Egad!" cried D'Artagnan, "it's quite clear that the king
and his escort have been by here."
"The devil!" said Porthos; "in that case they have eaten
everything."
"Bah!" said D'Artagnan, "they will have left a chicken, at
least." He dismounted and knocked on the door. There was no
response.
He pushed open the door and found the first room empty and
deserted.
"Well?" cried Porthos.
"I can see nobody," said D'Artagnan. "Aha!"
"What?"
"Blood!"
At this word the three friends leaped from their horses and
entered. D'Artagnan had already opened the door of the
second room, and from the expression of his face it was
clear that he there beheld some extraordinary object.
The three friends drew near and discovered a young man
stretched on the ground, bathed in a pool of blood. It was
evident that he had attempted to regain his bed, but had not
had sufficient strength to do so.
Athos, who imagined that he saw him move, was the first to
go up to him.
"Well?" inquired D'Artagnan.
"Well, if he is dead," said Athos, "he has not been so long,
for he is still warm. But no, his heart is beating. Ho,
there, my friend!"
The wounded man heaved a sigh. D'Artagnan took some water in
the hollow of his hand and threw it upon his face. The man
opened his eyes, made an effort to raise his head, and fell
back again. The wound was in the top of his skull and blood
was flawing copiously.
Aramis dipped a cloth into some water and applied it to the
gash. Again the wounded man opened his eyes and looked in
astonishment at these strangers, who appeared to pity him.
"You are among friends," said Athos, in English; "so cheer
up, and tell us, if you have the strength to do so, what has
happened?"
"The king," muttered the wounded man, "the king is a
prisoner."
"You have seen him?" asked Aramis, in the same language.
The man made no reply.
"Make your mind easy," resumed Athos, "we are all faithful
servants of his majesty."
"Is what you tell me true?" asked the wounded man.
"On our honor as gentlemen."
"Then I may tell you all. I am brother to Parry, his
majesty's lackey."
Athos and Aramis remembered that this was the name by which
De Winter had called the man they had found in the passage
of the king's tent.
"We know him," said Athos, "he never left the king."
"Yes, that is he. Well, he thought of me, when he saw the
king was taken, and as they were passing before the house he
begged in the king's name that they would stop, as the king
was hungry. They brought him into this room and placed
sentinels at the doors and windows. Parry knew this room, as
he had often been to see me when the king was at Newcastle.
He knew that there was a trap-door communicating with a
cellar, from which one could get into the orchard. He made a
sign, which I understood, but the king's guards must have
noticed it and held themselves on guard. I went out as if to
fetch wood, passed through the subterranean passage into the
cellar, and whilst Parry was gently bolting the door, pushed
up the board and beckoned to the king to follow me. Alas! he
would not. But Parry clasped his hands and implored him, and
at last he agreed. I went on first, fortunately. The king
was a few steps behind me, when suddenly I saw something
rise up in front of me like a huge shadow. I wanted to cry
out to warn the king, but that very moment I felt a blow as
if the house was falling on my head, and fell insensible.
When I came to myself again, I was stretched in the same
place. I dragged myself as far as the yard. The king and his
escort were no longer there. I spent perhaps an hour in
coming from the yard to this place; then my strength gave
out and I fainted again."
"And now how are you feeling?"
"Very ill," replied the wounded man.
"Can we do anything for you?" asked Athos.
"Help to put me on the bed; I think I shall feel better
there."
"Have you any one to depend on for assistance?"
"My wife is at Durham and may return at any moment. But you
-- is there nothing that you want?"
"We came here with the intention of asking for something to
eat."
"Alas, they have taken everything; there isn't a morsel of
bread in the house."
"You hear, D'Artagnan?" said Athos; "we shall have to look
elsewhere for our dinner."
"It is all one to me now," said D'Artagnan; "I am no longer
hungry."
"Faith! neither am I," said Porthos.
They carried the man to his bed and called Grimaud to dress
the wound. In the service of the four friends Grimaud had
had so frequent occasion to make lint and bandages that he
had become something of a surgeon.
In the meantime the fugitives had returned to the first
room, where they took counsel together.
"Now," said Aramis, "we know how the matter stands. The king
and his escort have gone this way; we had better take the
opposite direction, eh?"
Athos did not reply; he reflected.
"Yes," said Porthos, "let us take the opposite direction; if
we follow the escort we shall find everything devoured and
die of hunger. What a confounded country this England is!
This is the first time I have gone without my dinner for ten
years, and it is generally my best meal."
"What do you think, D'Artagnan?" asked Athos. "Do you agree
with Aramis?"
"Not at all," said D'Artagnan; "I am precisely of the
contrary opinion."
"What! you would follow the escort?" exclaimed Porthos, in
dismay.
"No, I would join the escort."
Athos's eyes shone with joy.
"Join the escort!" cried Aramis.
"Let D'Artagnan speak," said Athos; "you know he always has
wise advice to give."
"Clearly," said D'Artagnan, "we must go where they will not
look for us. Now, they will be far from looking for us among
the Puritans; therefore, with the Puritans we must go."
"Good, my friend, good!" said Athos. "It is excellent
advice. I was about to give it when you anticipated me."
"That, then, is your opinion?" asked Aramis.
"Yes. They will think we are trying to leave England and
will search for us at the ports; meanwhile we shall reach
London with the king. Once in London we shall be hard to
find -- without considering," continued Athos, throwing a
glance at Aramis, "the chances that may come to us on the
way."
"Yes," said Aramis, "I understand."
"I, however, do not understand," said Porthos. "But no
matter; since it is at the same time the opinion of
D'Artagnan and of Athos, it must be the best."
"But," said Aramis, "shall we not be suspected by Colonel
Harrison?"
"Egad!" cried D'Artagnan, "he's just the man I count upon.
Colonel Harrison is one of our friends. We have met him
twice at General Cromwell's. He knows that we were sent from
France by Monsieur Mazarin; he will consider us as brothers.
Besides, is he not a butcher's son? Well, then, Porthos
shall show him how to knock down an ox with a blow of the
fist, and I how to trip up a bull by taking him by the
horns. That will insure his confidence."
Athos smiled. "You are the best companion that I know,
D'Artagnan," he said, offering his hand to the Gascon; "and
I am very happy in having found you again, my dear son."
This was, as we have seen, the term which Athos applied to
D'Artagnan in his more expansive moods.
At this moment Grimaud came in. He had stanched the wound
and the man was better.
The four friends took leave of him and asked if they could
deliver any message for him to his brother.
"Tell him," answered the brave man, "to let the king know
that they have not killed me outright. However insignificant
I am, I am sure that his majesty is concerned for me and
blames himself for my death."
"Be easy," said D'Artagnan, "he will know all before night."
The little troop recommenced their march, and at the end of
two hours perceived a considerable body of horsemen about
half a league ahead.
"My dear friends," said D'Artagnan, "give your swords to
Monsieur Mouston, who will return them to you at the proper
time and place, and do not forget you are our prisoners."
It was not long before they joined the escort. The king was
riding in front, surrounded by troopers, and when he saw
Athos and Aramis a glow of pleasure lighted his pale cheeks.
D'Artagnan passed to the head of the column, and leaving his
friends under the guard of Porthos, went straight to
Harrison, who recognized him as having met him at Cromwell's
and received him as politely as a man of his breeding and
disposition could. It turned out as D'Artagnan had foreseen.
The colonel neither had nor could have any suspicion.
They halted for the king to dine. This time, however, due
precautions were taken to prevent any attempt at escape. In
the large room of the hotel a small table was placed for him
and a large one for the officers.
"Will you dine with me?" asked Harrison of D'Artagnan.
"Gad, I should be very happy, but I have my companion,
Monsieur du Vallon, and the two prisoners, whom I cannot
leave. Let us manage it better. Have a table set for us in a
corner and send us whatever you like from yours."
"Good," answered Harrison.
The matter was arranged as D'Artagnan had suggested, and
when he returned he found the king already seated at his
little table, where Parry waited on him, Harrison and his
officers sitting together at another table, and, in a
corner, places reserved for himself and his companions.
The table at which the Puritan officers were seated was
round, and whether by chance or coarse intention, Harrison
sat with his back to the king.
The king saw the four gentlemen come in, but appeared to
take no notice of them.
They sat down in such a manner as to turn their backs on
nobody. The officers, table and that of the king were
opposite to them.
"I'faith, colonel," said D'Artagnan, "we are very grateful
for your gracious invitation; for without you we ran the
risk of going without dinner, as we have without breakfast.
My friend here, Monsieur du Vallon, shares my gratitude, for
he was particularly hungry."
"And I am so still," said Porthos bowing to Harrison.
"And how," said Harrison, laughing, "did this serious
calamity of going without breakfast happen to you?"
"In a very simple manner, colonel," said D'Artagnan. "I was
in a hurry to join you and took the road you had already
gone by. You can understand our disappointment when,
arriving at a pretty little house on the skirts of a wood,
which at a distance had quite a gay appearance, with its red
roof and green shutters, we found nothing but a poor wretch
bathed -- Ah! colonel, pay my respects to the officer of
yours who struck that blow."
"Yes," said Harrison, laughing, and looking over at one of
the officers seated at his table. "When Groslow undertakes
this kind of thing there's no need to go over the ground a
second time."
"Ah! it was this gentleman?" said D'Artagnan, bowing to the
officer. "I am sorry he does not speak French, that I might
tender him my compliments."
"I am ready to receive and return them, sir," said the
officer, in pretty good French, "for I resided three years
in Paris."
"Then, sir, allow me to assure you that your blow was so
well directed that you have nearly killed your man."
"Nearly? I thought I had quite," said Groslow.
"No. It was a very near thing, but he is not dead."
As he said this, D'Artagnan gave a glance at Parry, who was
standing in front of the king, to show him that the news was
meant for him.
The king, too, who had listened in the greatest agony, now
breathed again.
"Hang it," said Groslow, "I thought I had succeeded better.
If it were not so far from here to the house I would return
and finish him."
"And you would do well, if you are afraid of his recovering;
for you know, if a wound in the head does not kill at once,
it is cured in a week."
And D'Artagnan threw a second glance toward Parry, on whose
face such an expression of joy was manifested that Charles
