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oins；　an　officer　in　the　guards；　on　duty　at　the　donjon　of　Vincennes。〃
　　Mazarin；　perceiving　by　the　paleness　and　agitation　of　the　messenger　that　he　had　something　of　importance　to　say；　made　a　sign　that　D'Artagnan　and　Porthos　should　give　place。
　　D'Artagnan　and　Porthos　withdrew　to　a　corner　of　the　cabinet。
　　〃Speak；　monsieur；　speak　at　once！〃　said　Mazarin　〃What　is　the　matter？〃
　　〃The　matter　is；　my　lord；　that　the　Duc　de　Beaufort　has　contrived　to　escape　from　the　Chateau　of　Vincennes。〃
　　Mazarin　uttered　a　cry　and　became　paler　than　the　man　who　had　brought　the　news。　He　fell　back；　almost　fainting；　in　his　chair。
　　〃Escaped？　Monsieur　de　Beaufort　escaped？〃
　　〃My　lord；　I　saw　him　run　off　from　the　top　of　the　terrace。〃
　　〃And　you　did　not　fire　on　him？〃
　　〃He　was　out　of　range。〃
　　〃Monsieur　de　Chavigny　　where　was　he？〃
　　〃Absent。〃
　　〃And　La　Ramee？〃
　　〃Was　found　locked　up　in　the　prisoner's　room；　a　gag　in　his　mouth　and　a　poniard　near　him。〃
　　〃But　the　man　who　was　under　him？〃
　　〃Was　an　acplice　of　the　duke's　and　escaped　along　with　him。〃
　　Mazarin　groaned。
　　〃My　lord；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　advancing　toward　the　cardinal；　〃it　seems　to　me　that　your　eminence　is　losing　precious　time。　It　may　still　be　possible　to　overtake　the　prisoner。　France　is　large；　the　nearest　frontier　is　sixty　leagues　distant。〃
　　〃And　who　is　to　pursue　him？〃　cried　Mazarin。
　　〃I；　pardieu！〃
　　〃And　you　would　arrest　him？〃
　　〃Why　not？〃
　　〃You　would　arrest　the　Duc　de　Beaufort；　armed；　in　the　field？〃
　　〃If　your　eminence　should　order　me　to　arrest　the　devil；　I　would　seize　him　by　the　horns　and　would　bring　him　in。〃
　　〃So　would　I；〃　said　Porthos。
　　〃So　would　you！〃　said　Mazarin；　looking　with　astonishment　at　those　two　men。　〃But　the　duke　will　not　yield　himself　without　a　furious　battle。〃
　　〃Very　well；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　his　eyes　aflame；　〃battle！　It　is　a　long　time　since　we　have　had　a　battle；　eh；　Porthos？〃
　　〃Battle！〃　cried　Porthos。
　　〃And　you　think　you　can　catch　him？〃
　　〃Yes；　if　we　are　better　mounted　than　he。〃
　　〃Go　then；　take　what　guards　you　find　here；　and　pursue　him。〃
　　〃You　mand　us；　my　lord；　to　do　so？〃
　　〃And　I　sign　my　orders；〃　said　Mazarin；　taking　a　piece　of　paper　and　writing　some　lines；　〃Monsieur　du　Vallon；　your　barony　is　on　the　back　of　the　Duc　de　Beaufort's　horse；　you　have　nothing　to　do　but　to　overtake　it。　As　for　you；　my　dear　lieutenant；　I　promise　you　nothing；　but　if　you　bring　him　back　to　me；　dead　or　alive；　you　may　ask　all　you　wish。〃
　　〃To　horse；　Porthos！〃　said　D'Artagnan；　taking　his　friend　by　the　hand。
　　〃Here　I　am；〃　smiled　Porthos；　with　his　sublime　posure。
　　They　descended　the　great　staircase；　taking　with　them　all　the　guards　they　found　on　their　road；　and　crying　out；　〃To　arms！　To　arms！〃　and　immediately　put　spur　to　horse；　which　set　off　along　the　Rue　Saint　Honore　with　the　speed　of　the　whirlwind。
　　〃Well；　baron；　I　promise　you　some　good　exercise！〃　said　the　Gascon。
　　〃Yes；　my　captain。〃
　　As　they　went；　the　citizens；　awakened；　left　their　doors　and　the　street　dogs　followed　the　cavaliers；　barking。　At　the　corner　of　the　Cimetiere　Saint　Jean；　D'Artagnan　upset　a　man；　it　was　too　insignificant　an　occurrence　to　delay　people　so　eager　to　get　on。　The　troop　continued　its　course　as　though　their　steeds　had　wings。
　　Alas！　there　are　no　unimportant　events　in　this　world　and　we　shall　see　that　this　apparently　slight　incident　came　near　endangering　the　monarchy。
　　An　Adventure　on　the　High　Road
　　The　musketeers　rode　the　whole　length　of　the　Faubourg　Saint　Antoine　and　of　the　road　to　Vincennes；　and　soon　found　themselves　out　of　the　town；　then　in　a　forest　and　then　within　sight　of　a　village。
　　The　horses　seemed　to　bee　more　lively　with　each　successive　step；　their　nostrils　reddened　like　glowing　furnaces。　D'Artagnan；　freely　applying　his　spurs；　was　in　advance　of　Porthos　two　feet　at　the　most；　Musqueton　followed　two　lengths　behind；　the　guards　were　scattered　according　to　the　varying　excellence　of　their　respective　mounts。
　　From　the　top　of　an　eminence　D'Artagnan　perceived　a　group　of　people　collected　on　the　other　side　of　the　moat；　in　front　of　that　part　of　the　donjon　which　looks　toward　Saint　Maur。　He　rode　on；　convinced　that　in　this　direction　he　would　gain　intelligence　of　the　fugitive。　In　five　minutes　he　had　arrived　at　the　place；　where　the　guards　joined　him；　ing　up　one　by　one。
　　The　several　members　of　that　group　were　much　excited。　They　looked　at　the　cord；　still　hanging　from　the　loophole　and　broken　at　about　twenty　feet　from　the　ground。　Their　eyes　measured　the　height　and　they　exchanged　conjectures。　On　the　top　of　the　wall　sentinels　went　and　came　with　a　frightened　air。
　　A　few　soldiers；　manded　by　a　sergeant；　drove　away　idlers　from　the　place　where　the　duke　had　mounted　his　horse。　D'Artagnan　went　straight　to　the　sergeant。
　　〃My　officer；〃　said　the　sergeant；　〃it　is　not　permitted　to　stop　here。〃
　　〃That　prohibition　is　not　for　me；〃　said　D'Artagnan。　〃Have　the　fugitives　been　pursued？〃
　　〃Yes；　my　officer；　unfortunately；　they　are　well　mounted。〃
　　〃How　many　are　there？〃
　　〃Four；　and　a　fifth　whom　they　carried　away　wounded。〃
　　〃Four！〃　said　D'Artagnan；　looking　at　Porthos。　〃Do　you　hear；　baron？　They　are　only　four！〃
　　A　joyous　smile　lighted　Porthos's　face。
　　〃How　long　a　start　have　they？〃
　　〃Two　hours　and　a　quarter；　my　officer。〃
　　〃Two　hours　and　a　quarter　　that　is　nothing；　we　are　well　mounted；　are　we　not；　Porthos？〃
　　Porthos　breathed　a　sigh；　he　thought　of　what　was　in　store　for　his　poor　horses。
　　〃Very　good；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃and　now　in　what　direction　did　they　set　out？〃
　　〃That　I　am　forbidden　to　tell。〃
　　D'Artagnan　drew　from　his　pocket　a　paper。　〃Order　of　the　king；〃　he　said。
　　〃Speak　to　the　governor；　then。〃
　　〃And　where　is　the　governor？〃
　　〃In　the　country。〃
　　Anger　mounted　to　D'Artagnan's　face；　he　frowned　and　his　cheeks　were　colored。
　　〃Ah；　you　scoundrel！〃　he　said　to　the　sergeant；　〃I　believe　you　are　impudent　to　me！　Wait！〃
　　He　unfolded　the　paper；　presented　it　to　the　sergeant　with　one　hand　and　with　the　other　took　a　pistol　from　his　holsters　and　cocked　it。
　　〃Order　of　the　king；　I　tell　you。　Read　and　answer；　or　I　will　blow　out　your　brains！〃
　　The　sergeant　saw　that　D'Artagnan　was　in　earnest。　〃The　Vendomois　road；〃　he　replied。
　　〃And　by　what　gate　did　they　go　out？〃
　　〃By　the　Saint　Maur　gate。〃
　　〃If　you　are　deceiving　me；　rascal；　you　will　be　hanged　to…morrow。〃
　　〃And　if　you　catch　up　with　them　you　won't　e　back　to　hang　me；〃　murmured　the　sergeant。
　　D'Artagnan　shrugged　his　shoulders；　made　a　sign　to　his　escort　and　started。
　　〃This　way；　gentlemen；　this　way！〃　he　cried；　directing　his　course　toward　the　gate　that　had　been　pointed　out。
　　But；　now　that　the　duke　had　escaped；　the　concierge　had　seen　fit　to　fasten　the　gate　with　a　double　lock。　It　was　necessary　to　pel　him　to　open　it；　as　the　sergeant　had　been　pelled　to　speak；　and　this　took　another　ten　minutes。　This　last　obstacle　having　been　overe；　the　troop　pursued　their　course　with　their　accustomed　ardor；　but　some　of　the　horses　could　no　longer　sustain　this　pace；　three　of　them　stopped　after　an　hour's　gallop；　and　one　fell　down。
　　D'Artagnan；　who　never　turned　his　head；　did　not　perceive　it。　Porthos　told　him　of　it　in　his　calm　manner。
　　〃If　only　we　two　arrive；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃it　will　be　enough；　since　the　duke's　troop　are　only　four　in　number。〃
　　〃That　is　true；〃　said　Porthos
　　And　he　spurred　his　courser　on。
　　At　the　end　of　another　two　hours　the　horses　had　gone　twelve　leagues　without　stopping；　their　legs　began　to　tremble；　and　the　foam　they　shed　whitened　the　doublets　of　their　masters。
　　〃Let　us　rest　here　an　instant　to　give　these　poor　creatures　breathing　time；〃　said　Porthos。
　　〃Let　us　rather　kill　them！　yes；　kill　them！〃　cried　D'Artagnan；　〃I　see　fresh　tracks；　'tis　not　a　quarter　of　an　hour　since　they　passed　this　place。〃
　　In　fact；　the　road　was　trodden　by　horses'　feet；　visible　even　in　the　approaching　gloom　of　evening。
　　They　set　out；　after　a　run　of　two　leagues；　Musqueton's　horse　sank。
　　〃Gracious　me！〃　said　Porthos；　〃there's　Phoebus　ruined。〃
　　〃The　cardinal　will　pay　you　a　hundred　pistoles。〃
　　〃I'm　above　that。〃
　　〃Let　us　set　out　again；　at　full　gallop。〃
　　〃Yes；　if　we　can。〃
　　But　at　last　the　lieutenant's　horse　refused　t