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　　Raoul　gave　it　up　reluctantly；　Aramis　instantly　seized　and　read　it。
　　〃You；〃　he　said；　〃you；　who　are　so　trusting；　read　and　reflect　that　there　is　something　in　this　letter　important　for　us　to　see。〃
　　Athos　took　the　letter；　frowning；　but　an　idea　that　he　should　find　something　in　this　letter　about　D'Artagnan　conquered　his　unwillingness　to　read　it。
　　〃My　lord；　I　shall　send　this　evening　to　your　eminence　in　order　to　reinforce　the　troop　of　Monsieur　de　minges；　the　ten　men　you　demand。　They　are　good　soldiers；　fit　to　confront　the　two　violent　adversaries　whose　address　and　resolution　your　eminence　is　fearful　of。〃
　　〃Oh！〃　cried　Athos。
　　〃Well；〃　said　Aramis；　〃what　think　you　about　these　two　enemies　whom　it　requires；　besides　minges's　troop；　ten　good　soldiers　to　confront；　are　they　not　as　like　as　two　drops　of　water　to　D'Artagnan　and　Porthos？〃
　　〃We'll　search　Paris　all　day　long；〃　said　Athos；　〃and　if　we　have　no　news　this　evening　we　will　return　to　the　road　to　Picardy；　and　I　feel　no　doubt　that；　thanks　to　D'Artagnan's　ready　invention；　we　shall　then　find　some　clew　which　will　solve　our　doubts。〃
　　〃Yes；　let　us　search　Paris　and　especially　inquire　of　Planchet　if　he　has　yet　heard　from　his　former　master。〃
　　〃That　poor　Planchet！　You　speak　of　him　very　much　at　your　ease；　Aramis；　he　has　probably　been　killed。　All　those　fighting　citizens　went　out　to　battle　and　they　have　been　massacred。〃
　　It　was；　then；　with　a　sentiment　of　uneasiness　whether　Planchet；　who　alone　could　give　them　information；　was　alive　or　dead；　that　the　friends　returned　to　the　Place　Royale；　to　their　great　surprise　they　found　the　citizens　still　encamped　there；　drinking　and　bantering　each　other；　although；　doubtless；　mourned　by　their　families；　who　thought　they　were　at　Charenton　in　the　thickest　of　the　fighting。
　　Athos　and　Aramis　again　questioned　Planchet；　but　he　had　seen　nothing　of　D'Artagnan；　they　wished　to　take　Planchet　with　them；　but　he　could　not　leave　his　troop；　who　at　five　o'clock　returned　home；　saying　that　they　were　returning　from　the　battle；　whereas　they　had　never　lost　sight　of　the　bronze　equestrian　statue　of　Louis　XIII。
　　The　Road　to　Picardy
　　On　leaving　Paris；　Athos　and　Aramis　well　knew　that　they　would　be　encountering　great　danger；　but　we　know　that　for　men　like　these　there　could　be　no　question　of　danger。　Besides；　they　felt　that　the　denouement　of　this　second　Odyssey　was　at　hand　and　that　there　remained　but　a　single　effort　to　make。
　　Besides；　there　was　no　tranquillity　in　Paris　itself。　Provisions　began　to　fail；　and　whenever　one　of　the　Prince　de　Conti's　generals　wished　to　gain　more　influence　he　got　up　a　little　popular　tumult；　which　he　put　down　again；　and　thus　for　the　moment　gained　a　superiority　over　his　colleagues。
　　In　one　of　these　risings。　the　Duc　de　Beaufort　pillaged　the　house　and　library　of　Mazarin；　in　order　to　give　the　populace；　as　he　put　it；　something　to　gnaw　at。　Athos　and　Aramis　left　Paris　after　this　coup…d'etat；　which　took　place　on　the　very　evening　of　the　day　in　which　the　Parisians　had　been　beaten　at　Charenton。
　　They　quitted　Paris；　beholding　it　abandoned　to　extreme　want；　bordering　on　famine；　agitated　by　fear；　torn　by　faction。　Parisians　and　Frondeurs　as　they　were；　the　two　friends　expected　to　find　the　same　misery；　the　same　fears；　the　same　intrigue　in　the　enemy's　camp；　but　what　was　their　surprise；　after　passing　Saint　Denis；　to　hear　that　at　Saint　Germain　people　were　singing　and　laughing；　and　leading　generally　cheerful　lives。　The　two　gentlemen　traveled　by　byways　in　order　not　to　encounter　the　Mazarinists　scattered　about　the　Isle　of　France；　and　also　to　escape　the　Frondeurs；　who　were　in　possession　of　Normandy　and　who　never　failed　to　conduct　captives　to　the　Duc　de　Longueville；　in　order　that　he　might　ascertain　whether　they　were　friends　or　foes。　Having　escaped　these　dangers；　they　returned　by　the　main　road　to　Boulogne；　at　Abbeville；　and　followed　it　step　by　step；　examining　every　track。
　　Nevertheless；　they　were　still　in　a　state　of　uncertainty。　Several　inns　were　visited　by　them；　several　innkeepers　questioned；　without　a　single　clew　being　given　to　guide　their　inquiries；　when　at　Montreuil　Athos　felt　upon　the　table　that　something　rough　was　touching　his　delicate　fingers。　He　turned　up　the　cloth　and　found　these　hieroglyphics　carved　upon　the　wood　with　a　knife：
　　〃Port　。。。。　D'Art　。。。。　2d　February。〃
　　〃This　is　capital！〃　said　Athos　to　Aramis；　〃we　were　to　have　slept　here；　but　we　cannot　　we　must　push　on。〃　They　rode　forward　and　reached　Abbeville。　There　the　great　number　of　inns　puzzled　them；　they　could　not　go　to　all；　how　could　they　guess　in　which　those　whom　they　were　seeking　had　stayed？
　　〃Trust　me；〃　said　Aramis；　〃do　not　expect　to　find　anything　in　Abbeville。　If　we　had　only　been　looking　for　Porthos；　Porthos　would　have　stationed　himself　in　one　of　the　finest　hotels　and　we　could　easily　have　traced　him。　But　D'Artagnan　is　devoid　of　such　weaknesses。　Porthos　would　have　found　it　very　difficult　even　to　make　him　see　that　he　was　dying　of　hunger；　he　has　gone　on　his　road　as　inexorable　as　fate　and　we　must　seek　him　somewhere　else。〃
　　They　continued　their　route。　It　had　now　bee　a　weary　and　almost　hopeless　task；　and　had　it　not　been　for　the　threefold　motives　of　honor；　friendship　and　gratitude；　implanted　in　their　hearts；　our　two　travelers　would　have　given　up　many　a　time　their　rides　over　the　sand；　their　interrogatories　of　the　peasantry　and　their　close　inspection　of　faces。
　　They　proceeded　thus　to　Peronne。
　　Athos　began　to　despair。　His　noble　nature　felt　that　their　ignorance　was　a　sort　of　reflection　upon　them。　They　had　not　looked　carefully　enough　for　their　lost　friends。　They　had　not　shown　sufficient　pertinacity　in　their　inquiries。　They　were　willing　and　ready　to　retrace　their　steps；　when；　in　crossing　the　suburb　which　leads　to　the　gates　of　the　town；　upon　a　white　wall　which　was　at　the　corner　of　a　street　turning　around　the　rampart；　Athos　cast　his　eyes　upon　a　drawing　in　black　chalk；　which　represented；　with　the　awkwardness　of　a　first　attempt；　two　cavaliers　riding　furiously；　one　of　them　carried　a　roll　of　paper　on　which　were　written　these　words：　〃They　are　following　us。〃
　　〃Oh！〃　exclaimed　Athos；　〃here　it　is；　as　clear　as　day；　pursued　as　he　was；　D'Artagnan　would　not　have　tarried　here　five　minutes　had　he　been　pressed　very　closely；　which　gives　us　hopes　that　he　may　have　succeeded　in　escaping。〃
　　Aramis　shook　his　head。
　　〃Had　he　escaped　we　should　either　have　seen　him　or　have　heard　him　spoken　of。〃
　　〃You　are　right；　Aramis；　let　us　travel　on。〃
　　To　describe　the　impatience　and　anxiety　of　these　two　friends　would　be　impossible。　Uneasiness　took　possession　of　the　tender；　constant　heart　of　Athos；　and　fearful　forecasts　were　the　torment　of　the　impulsive　Aramis。　They　galloped　on　for　two　or　three　hours　as　furiously　as　the　cavaliers　on　the　wall。　All　at　once；　in　a　narrow　pass；　they　perceived　that　the　road　was　partially　barricaded　by　an　enormous　stone。　It　had　evidently　been　rolled　across　the　pass　by　some　arm　of　giant　strength。
　　Aramis　stopped。
　　〃Oh！〃　he　said；　looking　at　the　stone；　〃this　is　the　work　of　either　Hercules　or　Porthos。　Let　us　get　down；　count；　and　examine　this　rock。〃
　　They　both　alighted。　The　stone　had　been　brought　with　the　evident　intention　of　barricading　the　road；　but　some　one　having　perceived　the　obstacle　had　partially　turned　it　aside。
　　With　the　assistance　of　Blaisois　and　Grimaud　the　friends　succeeded　in　turning　the　stone　over。　Upon　the　side　next　the　ground　were　scratched　the　following　words：
　　〃Eight　of　the　light　dragoons　are　pursuing　us。　If　we　reach　piegne　we　shall　stop　at　the　Peacock。　It　is　kept　by　a　friend　of　ours。〃
　　〃At　last　we　have　something　definite；〃　said　Athos；　〃let　us　go　to　the　Peacock。〃
　　〃Yes；〃　answered　Aramis；　〃but　if　we　are　to　get　there　we　must　rest　our　horses；　for　they　are　almost　broken…winded。〃
　　Aramis　was　right；　they　stopped　at　the　first　tavern　and　made　each　horse　swallow　a　double　quantity　of　corn　steeped　in　wine；　they　gave　them　three　hours'　rest　and　then　set　off　again。　The　men　themselves　were　almost　dead　with　fatigue；　but　hope　supported　them。
　　In　six　hours　they　reached　piegne　and　alighted　at　the　Peacock。　The　host　proved　to　be　a　worthy　man；　as　bald　as　a　Chinaman。　They　asked　him　if　some　time　ago　he　had　not　received　in　his　house　two　gentlemen