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　　〃And　whom　I　advised　you　to　strangle；　Porthos；〃　said　Aramis。
　　〃Mazarin　again。　Cromwell　had　sent　him　to　Mazarin。　Mazarin　sent　us　to　Cromwell。　There　is　a　certain　fatality　in　it。〃
　　〃Yes；　you　are　right；　D'Artagnan；　a　fatality　that　will　separate　and　ruin　us！　So；　my　dear　Aramis；　say　no　more　about　it　and　let　us　prepare　to　submit　to　destiny。〃
　　〃Zounds！　on　the　contrary；　let　us　speak　about　it；　for　it　was　agreed　among　us；　once　for　all；　that　we　should　always　hold　together；　though　engaged　on　opposing　sides。〃
　　〃Yes；〃　added　Athos；　〃I　now　ask　you；　D'Artagnan；　what　side　you　are　on？　Ah！　behold　for　what　end　the　wretched　Mazarin　has　made　use　of　you。　Do　you　know　in　what　crime　you　are　to…day　engaged？　In　the　capture　of　a　king；　his　degradation　and　his　murder。〃
　　〃Oh！　oh！〃　cried　Porthos；　〃do　you　think　so？〃
　　〃You　are　exaggerating；　Athos；　we　are　not　so　far　gone　as　that；〃　replied　the　lieutenant。
　　〃Good　heavens！　we　are　on　the　very　eve　of　it。　I　say；　why　is　the　king　taken　prisoner？　Those　who　wish　to　respect　him　as　a　master　would　not　buy　him　as　a　slave。　Do　you　think　it　is　to　replace　him　on　the　throne　that　Cromwell　has　paid　for　him　two　hundred　thousand　pounds　sterling？　They　will　kill　him；　you　may　be　sure　of　it。〃
　　〃I　don't　maintain　the　contrary；〃　said　D'Artagnan。　〃But　what's　that　to　us？　I　am　here　because　I　am　a　soldier　and　have　to　obey　orders　　I　have　taken　an　oath　to　obey；　and　I　do　obey；　but　you　who　have　taken　no　such　oath；　why　are　you　here　and　what　cause　do　you　represent？〃
　　〃That　most　sacred　in　the　world；〃　said　Athos；　〃the　cause　of　misfortune；　of　religion；　royalty。　A　friend；　a　wife；　a　daughter；　have　done　us　the　honor　to　call　us　to　their　aid。　We　have　served　them　to　the　best　of　our　poor　means；　and　God　will　repense　the　will；　forgive　the　want　of　power。　You　may　see　matters　differently；　D'Artagnan；　and　think　otherwise。　I　will　not　attempt　to　argue　with　you；　but　I　blame　you。〃
　　〃Heyday！〃　cried　D'Artagnan；　〃what　matters　it　to　me；　after　all；　if　Cromwell；　who's　an　Englishman；　revolts　against　his　king；　who　is　a　Scotchman？　I　am　myself　a　Frenchman。　I　have　nothing　to　do　with　these　things　　why　hold　me　responsible？〃
　　〃Yes；〃　said　Porthos。
　　〃Because　all　gentlemen　are　brothers；　because　you　are　a　gentleman；　because　the　kings　of　all　countries　are　the　first　among　gentlemen；　because　the　blind　populace；　ungrateful　and　brutal；　always　takes　pleasure　in　pulling　down　what　is　above　them。　And　you；　you；　D'Artagnan；　a　man　sprung　from　the　ancient　nobility　of　France；　bearing　an　honorable　name；　carrying　a　good　sword；　have　helped　to　give　up　a　king　to　beersellers；　shopkeepers；　and　wagoners。　Ah！　D'Artagnan！　perhaps　you　have　done　your　duty　as　a　soldier；　but　as　a　gentleman；　I　say　that　you　are　very　culpable。〃
　　D'Artagnan　was　chewing　the　stalk　of　a　flower；　unable　to　reply　and　thoroughly　unfortable；　for　when　turned　from　the　eyes　of　Athos　he　encountered　those　of　Aramis。
　　〃And　you；　Porthos；〃　continued　the　count；　as　if　in　consideration　for　D'Artagnan's　embarrassment；　〃you；　the　best　heart；　the　best　friend；　the　best　soldier　that　I　know　　you；　with　a　soul　that　makes　you　worthy　of　a　birth　on　the　steps　of　a　throne；　and　who；　sooner　or　later；　must　receive　your　reward　from　an　intelligent　king　　you；　my　dear　Porthos；　you；　a　gentleman　in　manners；　in　tastes　and　in　courage；　you　are　as　culpable　as　D'Artagnan。〃
　　Porthos　blushed；　but　with　pleasure　rather　than　with　confusion；　and　yet；　bowing　his　head；　as　if　humiliated；　he　said：
　　〃Yes；　yes；　my　dear　count；　I　feel　that　you　are　right。〃
　　Athos　arose。
　　〃e；〃　he　said；　stretching　out　his　hand　to　D'Artagnan；　〃e；　don't　be　sullen；　my　dear　son；　for　I　have　said　all　this　to　you；　if　not　in　the　tone；　at　least　with　the　feelings　of　a　father。　It　would　have　been　easier　to　me　merely　to　have　thanked　you　for　preserving　my　life　and　not　to　have　uttered　a　word　of　all　this。〃
　　〃Doubtless；　doubtless；　Athos。　But　here　it　is：　you　have　sentiments；　the　devil　knows　what；　such　as　every　one　can't　entertain。　Who　could　suppose　that　a　sensible　man　could　leave　his　house；　France；　his　ward　　a　charming　youth；　for　we　saw　him　in　the　camp　　to　fly　to　the　aid　of　a　rotten；　worm…eaten　royalty；　which　is　going　to　crumble　one　of　these　days　like　an　old　hovel。　The　sentiments　you　air　are　certainly　fine；　so　fine　that　they　are　superhuman。〃
　　〃However　that　may　be；　D'Artagnan；〃　replied　Athos；　without　falling　into　the　snare　which　his　Gascon　friend　had　prepared　for　him　by　an　appeal　to　his　parental　love；　〃however　that　may　be；　you　know　in　the　bottom　of　your　heart　that　it　is　true；　but　I　am　wrong　to　dispute　with　my　master。　D'Artagnan；　I　am　your　prisoner　　treat　me　as　such。〃
　　〃Ah！　pardieu！〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃you　know　you　will　not　be　my　prisoner　very　long。〃
　　〃No；〃　said　Aramis；　〃they　will　doubtless　treat　us　like　the　prisoners　of　the　Philipghauts。〃
　　〃And　how　were　they　treated？〃　asked　D'Artagnan。
　　〃Why；〃　said　Aramis；　〃one…half　were　hanged　and　the　other　half　were　shot。〃
　　〃Well；　I；〃　said　D'Artagnan　〃I　answer　that　while　there　remains　a　drop　of　blood　in　my　veins　you　will　be　neither　hanged　nor　shot。　Sang　Diou！　let　them　e　on！　Besides　　do　you　see　that　door；　Athos？〃
　　〃Yes；　what　then？〃
　　〃Well；　you　can　go　out　by　that　door　whenever　you　please；　for　from　this　moment　you　are　free　as　the　air。〃
　　〃I　recognize　you　there；　my　brave　D'Artagnan；〃　replied　Athos；　〃but　you　are　no　longer　our　masters。　That　door　is　guarded；　D'Artagnan；　you　know　that。〃
　　〃Very　well；　you　will　force　it；〃　said　Porthos。　〃There　are　only　a　dozen　men　at　the　most。〃
　　〃That　would　be　nothing　for　us　four；　it　is　too　much　for　us　two。　No；　divided　as　we　now　are；　we　must　perish。　See　the　fatal　example：　on　the　Vendomois　road；　D'Artagnan；　you　so　brave；　and　you；　Porthos；　so　valiant　and　so　strong　　you　were　beaten；　to…day　Aramis　and　I　are　beaten　in　our　turn。　Now　that　never　happened　to　us　when　we　were　four　together。　Let　us　die；　then；　as　De　Winter　has　died；　as　for　me；　I　will　fly　only　on　condition　that　we　all　fly　together。〃
　　〃Impossible；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃we　are　under　Mazarin's　orders。〃
　　〃I　know　it　and　I　have　nothing　more　to　say；　my　arguments　lead　to　nothing；　doubtless　they　are　bad；　since　they　have　not　determined　minds　so　just　as　yours。〃
　　〃Besides；〃　said　Aramis；　〃had　they　taken　effect　it　would　be　still　better　not　to　promise　two　excellent　friends　like　D'Artagnan　and　Porthos。　Be　assured；　gentlemen；　we　shall　do　you　honor　in　our　dying。　As　for　myself；　I　shall　be　proud　to　face　the　bullets；　or　even　the　rope；　in　pany　with　you；　Athos；　for　you　have　never　seemed　to　me　so　grand　as　you　are　to…day。〃
　　D'Artagnan　said　nothing；　but；　after　having　gnawed　the　flower　stalk；　he　began　to　bite　his　nails。　At　last：
　　〃Do　you　imagine；〃　he　resumed；　〃that　they　mean　to　kill　you？　And　wherefore　should　they　do　so？　What　interest　have　they　in　your　death？　Moreover；　you　are　our　prisoners。〃
　　〃Fool！〃　cried　Aramis；　〃knowest　thou　not；　then；　Mordaunt？　I　have　but　exchanged　with　him　one　look；　yet　that　look　convinced　me　that　we　were　doomed。〃
　　〃The　truth　is；　I'm　very　sorry　that　I　did　not　strangle　him　as　you　advised　me；〃　said　Porthos。
　　〃Eh！　I　make　no　account　of　the　harm　Mordaunt　can　do！〃　cried　D'Artagnan。　〃Cap　de　Diou！　if　he　troubles　me　too　much　I　will　crush　him；　the　insect！　Do　not　fly；　then。　It　is　useless；　for　I　swear　to　you　that　you　are　as　safe　here　as　you　were　twenty　years；　ago　　you；　Athos；　in　the　Rue　Ferou；　and　you；　Aramis；　in　the　Rue　de　Vaugirard。〃
　　〃Stop；〃　cried　Athos；　extending　his　hand　to　one　of　the　grated　windows　by　which　the　room　was　lighted；　〃you　will　soon　know　what　to　expect；　for　here　he　is。〃
　　〃Who？〃
　　〃Mordaunt。〃
　　In　fact；　looking　at　the　place　to　which　Athos　pointed；　D'Artagnan　saw　a　cavalier　ing　toward　the　house　at　full　gallop。
　　It　was　Mordaunt。
　　D'Artagnan　rushed　out　of　the　room。
　　Porthos　wanted　to　follow　him。
　　〃Stay；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃and　do　not　e　till　you　hear　me　drum　my　fingers　on　the　door。〃
　　When　Mordaunt　arrived　opposite　the　house　he　saw　D'Artagnan　on　the　threshold　and　the　soldiers　lying　on　the　grass　here　and　there；　with　their　arms。
　　〃Halloo！〃　he　cried；　〃are　the　prisoners　still　there？〃
　　〃Yes；　sir；〃　answered　the　sergeant；　uncovering。
　　〃'Tis　well；　order　four　men　to　conduct　them　to　my　lodging。〃
　　Four　men　prepared　to　do　so。
　　〃What　is　it？〃　said　D'Artag