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h　other　without　embarrassment　on　either　side。
　　The　duchess　was　the　first　to　speak。
　　〃Well；　sir；　I　am　waiting　with　impatience　to　hear　what　you　wish　to　say　to　me。〃
　　〃And　I；　madame；〃　replied　Athos；　〃am　looking　with　admiration。〃
　　〃Sir；〃　said　Madame　de　Chevreuse；　〃you　must　excuse　me；　but　I　long　to　know　to　whom　I　am　talking。　You　belong　to　the　court；　doubtless；　yet　I　have　never　seen　you　at　court。　Have　you；　by　any　chance；　been　in　the　Bastile？〃
　　〃No；　madame；　I　have　not；　but　very　likely　I　am　on　the　road　to　it。〃
　　〃Ah！　then　tell　me　who　you　are；　and　get　along　with　you　upon　your　journey；〃　replied　the　duchess；　with　the　gayety　which　made　her　so　charming；　〃for　I　am　sufficiently　in　bad　odor　already；　without　promising　myself　still　more。〃
　　〃Who　I　am；　madame？　My　name　has　been　mentioned　to　you　　the　te　de　la　Fere；　you　do　not　know　that　name。　I　once　bore　another；　which　you　knew；　but　you　have　certainly　forgotten　it。〃
　　〃Tell　it　me；　sir。〃
　　〃Formerly；〃　said　the　count；　〃I　was　Athos。〃
　　Madame　de　Chevreuse　looked　astonished。　The　name　was　not　wholly　forgotten；　but　mixed　up　and　confused　with　ancient　recollections。
　　〃Athos？〃　said　she；　〃wait　a　moment。〃
　　And　she　placed　her　hands　on　her　brow；　as　if　to　force　the　fugitive　ideas　it　contained　to　concentration　in　a　moment。
　　〃Shall　I　help　you；　madame？〃　asked　Athos。
　　〃Yes；　do；〃　said　the　duchess。
　　〃This　Athos　was　connected　with　three　young　musketeers；　named　Porthos；　D'Artagnan；　and　　〃
　　He　stopped　short。
　　〃And　Aramis；〃　said　the　duchess；　quickly。
　　〃And　Aramis；　I　see　you　have　not　forgotten　the　name。〃
　　〃No；〃　she　said；　〃poor　Aramis；　a　charming　man；　elegant；　discreet；　and　a　writer　of　poetical　verses。　I　am　afraid　he　has　turned　out　ill；〃　she　added。
　　〃He　has；　he　is　an　abbe。〃
　　〃Ah；　what　a　misfortune！〃　exclaimed　the　duchess；　playing　carelessly　with　her　fan。　〃Indeed；　sir；　I　thank　you；　you　have　recalled　one　of　the　most　agreeable　recollections　of　my　youth。〃
　　〃Will　you　permit　me；　then；　to　recall　another　to　you？〃
　　〃Relating　to　him？〃
　　〃Yes　and　no。〃
　　〃Faith！〃　said　Madame　de　Chevreuse；　〃say　on。　With　a　man　like　you　I　fear　nothing。〃
　　Athos　bowed。　〃Aramis；〃　he　continued；　〃was　intimate　with　a　young　needlewoman　from　Tours；　a　cousin　of　his；　named　Marie　Michon。〃
　　〃Ah；　I　knew　her！〃　cried　the　duchess。　〃It　was　to　her　he　wrote　from　the　siege　of　Rochelle；　to　warn　her　of　a　plot　against　the　Duke　of　Buckingham。〃
　　〃Exactly　so；　will　you　allow　me　to　speak　to　you　of　her？〃
　　〃If；〃　replied　the　duchess；　with　a　meaning　look；　〃you　do　not　say　too　much　against　her。〃
　　〃I　should　be　ungrateful；〃　said　Athos；　〃and　I　regard　ingratitude；　not　as　a　fault　or　a　crime；　but　as　a　vice；　which　is　much　worse。〃
　　〃You　ungrateful　to　Marie　Michon；　monsieur？〃　said　Madame　de　Chevreuse；　trying　to　read　in　Athos's　eyes。　〃But　how　can　that　be？　You　never　knew　her。〃
　　〃Eh；　madame；　who　knows？〃　said　Athos。　〃There　is　a　popular　proverb　to　the　effect　that　it　is　only　mountains　that　never　meet；　and　popular　proverbs　contain　sometimes　a　wonderful　amount　of　truth。〃
　　〃Oh；　go　on；　monsieur；　go　on！〃　said　Madame　de　Chevreuse　eagerly；　〃you　can't　imagine　how　much　this　conversation　interests　me。〃
　　〃You　encourage　me；〃　said　Athos；　〃I　will　continue；　then。　That　cousin　of　Aramis；　that　Marie　Michon；　that　needlewoman；　notwithstanding　her　low　condition；　had　acquaintances　in　the　highest　rank；　she　called　the　grandest　ladies　of　the　court　her　friend；　and　the　queen　　proud　as　she　is；　in　her　double　character　as　Austrian　and　as　Spaniard　　called　her　her　sister。〃
　　〃Alas！〃　said　Madame　de　Chevreuse；　with　a　slight　sigh　and　a　little　movement　of　her　eyebrows　that　was　peculiarly　her　own；　〃since　that　time　everything　has　changed。〃
　　〃And　the　queen　had　reason　for　her　affection；　for　Marie　was　devoted　to　her　　devoted　to　that　degree　that　she　served　her　as　medium　of　intercourse　with　her　brother；　the　king　of　Spain。〃
　　〃Which；〃　interrupted　the　duchess；　〃is　now　brought　up　against　her　as　a　great　crime。〃
　　〃And　therefore；〃　continued　Athos；　〃the　cardinal　　the　true　cardinal；　the　other　one　　determined　one　fine　morning　to　arrest　poor　Marie　Michon　and　send　her　to　the　Chateau　de　Loches。　Fortunately　the　affair　was　not　managed　so　secretly　but　that　it　became　known　to　the　queen。　The　case　had　been　provided　for：　if　Marie　Michon　should　be　threatened　with　any　danger　the　queen　was　to　send　her　a　prayer…book　bound　in　green　velvet。〃
　　〃That　is　true；　monsieur；　you　are　well　informed。〃
　　〃One　morning　the　green　book　was　brought　to　her　by　the　Prince　de　Marsillac。　There　was　no　time　to　lose。　Happily　Marie　and　a　follower　of　hers　named　Kitty　could　disguise　themselves　admirably　in　men's　clothes。　The　prince　procured　for　Marie　Michon　the　dress　of　a　cavalier　and　for　Kitty　that　of　a　lackey；　he　sent　them　two　excellent　horses；　and　the　fugitives　went　out　hastily　from　Tours；　shaping　their　course　toward　Spain；　trembling　at　the　least　noise；　following　unfrequented　roads；　and　asking　for　hospitality　when　they　found　themselves　where　there　was　no　inn。〃
　　〃Why；　really；　it　was　all　exactly　as　you　say！〃　cried　Madame　de　Chevreuse；　clapping　her　hands。　〃It　would　indeed　be　strange　if　　〃　she　checked　herself。
　　〃If　I　should　follow　the　two　fugitives　to　the　end　of　their　journey？〃　said　Athos。　〃No；　madame；　I　will　not　thus　waste　your　time。　We　will　acpany　them　only　to　a　little　village　in　Limousin；　lying　between　Tulle　and　Angouleme　　a　little　village　called　Roche…l'Abeille。〃
　　Madame　de　Chevreuse　uttered　a　cry　of　surprise；　and　looked　at　Athos　with　an　expression　of　astonishment　that　made　the　old　musketeer　smile。
　　〃Wait；　madame；〃　continued　Athos；　〃what　remains　for　me　to　tell　you　is　even　more　strange　than　what　I　have　narrated。〃
　　〃Monsieur；〃　said　Madame　de　Chevreuse；　〃I　believe　you　are　a　sorcerer；　I　am　prepared　for　anything。　But　really　　No　matter；　go　on。〃
　　〃The　journey　of　that　day　had　been　long　and　wearing；　it　was　a　cold　day；　the　eleventh　of　October；　there　was　no　inn　or　chateau　in　the　village　and　the　homes　of　the　peasants　were　poor　and　unattractive。　Marie　Michon　was　a　very　aristocratic　person；　like　her　sister　the　queen；　she　had　been　accustomed　to　pleasing　perfumes　and　fine　linen；　she　resolved；　therefore；　to　seek　hospitality　of　the　priest。〃
　　Athos　paused。
　　〃Oh；　continue！〃　said　the　duchess。　〃I　have　told　you　that　I　am　prepared　for　anything。〃
　　〃The　two　travelers　knocked　at　the　door。　It　was　late；　the　priest；　who　had　gone　to　bed；　cried　out　to　them　to　e　in。　They　entered；　for　the　door　was　not　locked　　there　is　much　confidence　among　villagers。　A　lamp　burned　in　the　chamber　occupied　by　the　priest。　Marie　Michon；　who　made　the　most　charming　cavalier　in　the　world；　pushed　open　the　door；　put　her　head　in　and　asked　for　hospitality。　‘Willingly；　my　young　cavalier；'　said　the　priest；　‘if　you　will　be　content　with　the　remains　of　my　supper　and　with　half　my　chamber。'
　　〃The　two　travelers　consulted　for　a　moment。　The　priest　heard　a　burst　of　laughter　and　then　the　master；　or　rather；　the　mistress；　replied：　‘Thank　you；　monsieur　le　cure；　I　accept。'
　　‘Sup；　then；　and　make　as　little　noise　as　possible；'　said　the　priest；　‘for　I；　too；　have　been　on　the　go　all　day　and　shall　not　be　sorry　to　sleep　to…night。'〃
　　Madame　de　Chevreuse　evidently　went　from　surprise　to　astonishment；　and　from　astonishment　to　stupefaction。　Her　face；　as　she　looked　at　Athos；　had　taken　on　an　expression　that　cannot　be　described。　It　could　be　seen　that　she　had　wished　to　speak；　but　she　had　remained　silent　through　fear　of　losing　one　of　her　panion's　words。
　　〃What　happened　then？〃　she　asked。
　　〃Then？〃　said　Athos。　〃Ah；　I　have　e　now　to　what　is　most　difficult。〃
　　〃Speak；　speak！　One　can　say　anything　to　me。　Besides；　it　doesn't　concern　me；　it　relates　to　Mademoiselle　Marie　Michon。〃
　　〃Ah；　that　is　true；〃　said　Athos。　〃Well；　then；　Marie　Michon　had　supper　with　her　follower；　and　then；　in　accordance　with　the　permission　given　her；　she　entered　the　chamber　of　her　host；　Kitty　meanwhile　taking　possession　of　an　armchair　in　the　room　first　entered；　where　they　had　taken　their　supper。〃
　　〃Really；　monsieur；〃　said　Madame　de　Chevreuse；　〃unless　you　are　the　devil　in　person　I　don't　know　how　you　could　bee　acquainted　with　all　these　details。〃
　　〃A　charming　woman　was　that　Marie　Michon；〃　resumed　Athos；　〃one　of　those　wild　c