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　　〃On　my　word　of　honor；〃　said　Athos；　〃one　must　be　either　a　Mazarinist　or　a　Frondeur。　For　a　long　time　I　had　these　words　whispered　in　my　ears；　and　I　chose　the　latter；　at　any　rate；　it　is　a　French　word。　And　now；　I　am　a　Frondeur　　not　of　Broussel's　party；　nor　of　Blancmesnil's；　nor　am　I　with　Viole；　but　with　the　Duc　de　Beaufort；　the　Ducs　de　Bouillon　and　d'Elbeuf；　with　princes；　not　with　presidents；　councillors　and　low…born　lawyers。　Besides；　what　a　charming　outlook　it　would　have　been　to　serve　the　cardinal！　Look　at　that　wall　　without　a　single　window　　which　tells　you　fine　things　about　Mazarin's　gratitude！〃
　　〃Yes；〃　replied　De　minges；　〃more　especially　if　it　could　reveal　how　Monsieur　d'Artagnan　for　this　last　week　has　been　anathematizing　him。〃
　　〃Poor　D'Artagnan'〃　said　Athos；　with　the　charming　melancholy　that　was　one　of　the　traits　of　his　character；　〃so　brave；　so　good；　so　terrible　to　the　enemies　of　those　he　loves。　You　have　two　unruly　prisoners　there；　sir。〃
　　〃Unruly；〃　minges　smiled；　〃you　wish　to　terrify　me；　I　suppose。　When　he　came　here；　Monsieur　D'Artagnan　provoked　and　braved　the　soldiers　and　inferior　officers；　in　order；　I　suppose；　to　have　his　sword　back。　That　mood　lasted　some　time；　but　now　he's　as　gentle　as　a　lamb　and　sings　Gascon　songs；　which　make　one　die　of　laughing。〃
　　〃And　Du　Vallon？〃　asked　Athos。
　　〃Ah；　he's　quite　another　sort　of　person　　a　formidable　gentleman；　indeed。　The　first　day　he　broke　all　the　doors　in　with　a　single　push　of　his　shoulder；　and　I　expected　to　see　him　leave　Rueil　in　the　same　way　as　Samson　left　Gaza。　But　his　temper　cooled　down；　like　his　friend's；　he　not　only　gets　used　to　his　captivity；　but　jokes　about　it。〃
　　〃So　much　the　better；〃　said　Athos。
　　〃Do　you　think　anything　else　was　to　be　expected　of　them？〃　asked　minges；　who；　putting　together　what　Mazarin　had　said　of　his　prisoners　and　what　the　te　de　la　Fere　had　said；　began　to　feel　a　degree　of　uneasiness。
　　Athos；　on　the　other　hand；　reflected　that　this　recent　gentleness　of　his　friends　most　certainly　arose　from　some　plan　formed　by　D'Artagnan。　Unwilling　to　injure　them　by　praising　them　too　highly；　he　replied：　〃They？　They　are　two　hotheads　　the　one　a　Gascon；　the　other　from　Picardy；　both　are　easily　excited；　but　they　quiet　down　immediately。　You　have　had　a　proof　of　that　in　what　you　have　just　related　to　me。〃
　　This；　too；　was　the　opinion　of　minges；　who　withdrew　somewhat　reassured。　Athos　remained　alone　in　the　vast　chamber；　where；　according　to　the　cardinal's　directions；　he　was　treated　with　all　the　courtesy　due　to　a　nobleman。　He　awaited　Mazarin's　promised　visit　to　get　some　light　on　his　present　situation。
　　Strength　and　Sagacity
　　Now　let　us　pass　the　orangery　to　the　hunting　lodge。　At　the　extremity　of　the　courtyard；　where；　close　to　a　portico　formed　of　Ionic　columns；　were　the　dog　kennels；　rose　an　oblong　building；　the　pavilion　of　the　orangery；　a　half　circle；　inclosing　the　court　of　honor。　It　was　in　this　pavilion；　on　the　ground　floor；　that　D'Artagnan　and　Porthos　were　confined；　suffering　interminable　hours　of　imprisonment　in　a　manner　suitable　to　each　different　temperament。
　　D'Artagnan　was　pacing　to　and　fro　like　a　caged　tiger；　with　dilated　eyes；　growling　as　he　paced　along　by　the　bars　of　a　window　looking　upon　the　yard　of　servant's　offices。
　　Porthos　was　ruminating　over　an　excellent　dinner　he　had　just　demolished。
　　The　one　seemed　to　be　deprived　of　reason；　yet　he　was　meditating。　The　other　seemed　to　meditate；　yet　he　was　more　than　half　asleep。　But　his　sleep　was　a　nightmare；　which　might　be　guessed　by　the　incoherent　manner　in　which　he　sometimes　snored　and　sometimes　snorted。
　　〃Look；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃day　is　declining。　It　must　be　nearly　four　o'clock。　We　have　been　in　this　place　nearly　eighty…three　hours。〃
　　〃Hem！〃　muttered　Porthos；　with　a　kind　of　pretense　of　answering。
　　〃Did　you　hear；　eternal　sleeper？〃　cried　D'Artagnan；　irritated　that　any　one　could　doze　during　the　day；　when　he　had　the　greatest　difficulty　in　sleeping　during　the　night。
　　〃What？〃　said　Porthos。
　　〃I　say　we　have　been　here　eighty…three　hours。〃
　　〃'Tis　your　fault；〃　answered　Porthos。
　　〃How；　my　fault？〃
　　〃Yes；　I　offered　you　escape。〃
　　〃By　pulling　out　a　bar　and　pushing　down　a　door？〃
　　〃Certainly。〃
　　〃Porthos；　men　like　us　can't　go　out　from　here　purely　and　simply。〃
　　〃Faith！〃　said　Porthos；　〃as　for　me；　I　could　go　out　with　that　purity　and　that　simplicity　which　it　seems　to　me　you　despise　too　much。〃
　　D'Artagnan　shrugged　his　shoulders。
　　〃And　besides；〃　he　said；　〃going　out　of　this　chamber　isn't　all。〃
　　〃Dear　friend；〃　said　Porthos；　〃you　appear　to　be　in　a　somewhat　better　humor　to…day　than　you　were　yesterday。　Explain　to　me　why　going　out　of　this　chamber　isn't　everything。〃
　　〃Because；　having　neither　arms　nor　password；　we　shouldn't　take　fifty　steps　in　the　court　without　knocking　against　a　sentinel。〃
　　Very　well；〃　said　Porthos；　〃we　will　kill　the　sentinel　and　we　shall　have　his　arms。〃
　　〃Yes；　but　before　we　can　kill　him　　and　he　will　be　hard　to　kill；　that　Swiss　　he　will　shriek　out　and　the　whole　picket　will　e；　and　we　shall　be　taken　like　foxes；　we；　who　are　lions；　and　thrown　into　some　dungeon；　where　we　shall　not　even　have　the　consolation　of　seeing　this　frightful　gray　sky　of　Rueil；　which　no　more　resembles　the　sky　of　Tarbes　than　the　moon　is　like　the　sun。　Lack…a…day！　if　we　only　had　some　one　to　instruct　us　about　the　physical　and　moral　topography　of　this　castle。　Ah！　when　one　thinks　that　for　twenty　years；　during　which　time　I　did　not　know　what　to　do　with　myself；　it　never　occurred　to　me　to　e　to　study　Rueil。〃
　　〃What　difference　does　that　make？〃　said　Porthos。　〃We　shall　go　out　all　the　same。〃
　　〃Do　you　know；　my　dear　fellow；　why　master　pastrycooks　never　work　with　their　hands？〃
　　〃No；〃　said　Porthos；　〃but　I　should　be　glad　to　be　informed。〃
　　〃It　is　because　in　the　presence　of　their　pupils　they　fear　that　some　of　their　tarts　or　creams　may　turn　out　badly　cooked。〃
　　〃What　then？〃
　　〃Why；　then　they　would　be　laughed　at；　and　a　master　pastrycook　must　never　be　laughed　at。〃
　　〃And　what　have　master　pastrycooks　to　do　with　us？〃
　　〃We　ought；　in　our　adventures；　never　to　be　defeated　or　give　any　one　a　chance　to　laugh　at　us。　In　England；　lately；　we　failed；　we　were　beaten；　and　that　is　a　blemish　on　our　reputation。〃
　　〃By　whom；　then；　were　we　beaten？〃　asked　Porthos。
　　〃By　Mordaunt。〃
　　〃Yes；　but　we　have　drowned　Monsieur　Mordaunt。〃
　　〃That　is　true；　and　that　will　redeem　us　a　little　in　the　eyes　of　posterity；　if　posterity　ever　looks　at　us。　But　listen；　Porthos：　though　Monsieur　Mordaunt　was　a　man　not　to　be　despised；　Mazarin　is　not　less　strong　than　he；　and　we　shall　not　easily　succeed　in　drowning　him。　We　must；　therefore；　watch　and　play　a　close　game；　for；〃　he　added　with　a　sigh；　〃we　two　are　equal；　perhaps；　to　eight　others；　but　we　are　not　equal　to　the　four　that　you　know　of。〃
　　〃That　is　true；〃　said　Porthos；　echoing　D'Artagnan's　sigh。
　　〃Well；　Porthos；　follow　my　examples；　walk　back　and　forth　till　some　news　of　our　friends　reaches　us　or　till　we　are　visited　by　a　good　idea。　But　don't　sleep　as　you　do　all　the　time；　nothing　dulls　the　intellect　like　sleep。　As　to　what　may　lie　before　us；　it　is　perhaps　less　serious　than　we　at　first　thought。　I　don't　believe　that　Monsieur　de　Mazarin　thinks　of　cutting　off　our　heads；　for　heads　are　not　taken　off　without　previous　trial；　a　trial　would　make　a　noise；　and　a　noise　would　get　the　attention　of　our　friends；　who　would　check　the　operations　of　Monsieur　de　Mazarin。〃
　　〃How　well　you　reason！〃　said　Porthos；　admiringly。
　　〃Well；　yes；　pretty　well；〃　replied　D'Artagnan；　〃and　besides；　you　see；　if　they　put　us　on　trial；　if　they　cut　off　our　heads；　they　must　meanwhile　either　keep　us　here　or　transfer　us　elsewhere。〃
　　〃Yes；　that　is　inevitable；〃　said　Porthos。
　　〃Well；　it　is　impossible　but　that　Master　Aramis；　that　keen…scented　bloodhound；　and　Athos；　that　wise　and　prudent　nobleman；　will　discover　our　retreat。　Then；　believe　me；　it　will　be　time　to　act。〃
　　〃Yes；　we　will　wait。　We　can　wait　the　more　contentedly；　that　it　is　not　absolutely　bad　here；　but　for　one　thing；　at　least。〃
　　〃What　is　that？〃
　　〃Did　you　observe；　D'Artagnan；　that　three　days　running　they　have　brought　us　braised　mutton？〃
　　〃No；　but　if　it　occurs　a　fourth　time　I　shall　plain　of　it；　so　never　mind。〃
　　〃And　th