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　　〃Gentlemen；〃　thus　D'Artagnan　addressed　the　four　musketeers；　〃I　am　ordered　to　exercise　the　greatest　possible　care　in　guarding　the　prisoner；　and　since　there　are　no　locks　to　the　carriage；　I　shall　sit　beside　him。　Monsieur　de　Lillebonne；　lead　my　horse　by　the　bridle；　if　you　please。〃　As　he　spoke　he　dismounted；　gave　the　bridle　of　his　horse　to　the　musketeer　and　placing　himself　by　the　side　of　the　prisoner　said；　in　a　voice　perfectly　posed；　〃To　the　Palais　Royal；　at　full　trot。〃
　　The　carriage　drove　on　and　D'Artagnan；　availing　himself　of　the　darkness　in　the　archway　under　which　they　were　passing；　threw　himself　into　the　arms　of　the　prisoner。
　　〃Rochefort！〃　he　exclaimed；　〃you！　is　it　you；　indeed？　I　am　not　mistaken？〃
　　〃D'Artagnan！〃　cried　Rochefort。
　　〃Ah！　my　poor　friend！〃　resumed　D'Artagnan；　〃not　having　seen　you　for　four　or　five　years　I　concluded　you　were　dead。〃
　　〃I'faith；〃　said　Rochefort；　〃there's　no　great　difference；　I　think；　between　a　dead　man　and　one　who　has　been　buried　alive；　now　I　have　been　buried　alive；　or　very　nearly　so。〃
　　〃And　for　what　crime　are　you　imprisoned　in　the　Bastile。〃
　　〃Do　you　wish　me　to　speak　the　truth？〃
　　〃Yes。〃
　　〃Well；　then；　I　don't　know。〃
　　〃Have　you　any　suspicion　of　me；　Rochefort？〃
　　〃No！　on　the　honor　of　a　gentleman；　but　I　cannot　be　imprisoned　for　the　reason　alleged；　it　is　impossible。〃
　　〃What　reason？〃　asked　D'Artagnan。
　　〃For　stealing。〃
　　〃For　stealing！　you；　Rochefort！　you　are　laughing　at　me。〃
　　〃I　understand。　You　mean　that　this　demands　explanation；　do　you　not？〃
　　〃I　admit　it。〃
　　〃Well；　this　is　what　actually　took　place：　One　evening　after　an　orgy　in　Reinard's　apartment　at　the　Tuileries　with　the　Duc　d'Harcourt；　Fontrailles；　De　Rieux　and　others；　the　Duc　d'Harcourt　proposed　that　we　should　go　and　pull　cloaks　on　the　Pont　Neuf；　that　is；　you　know；　a　diversion　which　the　Duc　d'Orleans　made　quite　the　fashion。〃
　　〃Were　you　crazy；　Rochefort？　at　your　age！〃
　　〃No；　I　was　drunk。　And　yet；　since　the　amusement　seemed　to　me　rather　tame；　I　proposed　to　Chevalier　de　Rieux　that　we　should　be　spectators　instead　of　actors；　and；　in　order　to　see　to　advantage；　that　we　should　mount　the　bronze　horse。　No　sooner　said　than　done。　Thanks　to　the　spurs；　which　served　as　stirrups；　in　a　moment　we　were　perched　upon　the　croupe；　we　were　well　placed　and　saw　everything。　Four　or　five　cloaks　had　already　been　lifted；　with　a　dexterity　without　parallel；　and　not　one　of　the　victims　had　dared　to　say　a　word；　when　some　fool　of　a　fellow；　less　patient　than　the　others；　took　it　into　his　head　to　cry　out；　‘Guard！'　and　drew　upon　us　a　patrol　of　archers。　Duc　d'Harcourt；　Fontrailles；　and　the　others　escaped；　De　Rieux　was　inclined　to　do　likewise；　but　I　told　him　they　wouldn't　look　for　us　where　we　were。　He　wouldn't　listen；　put　his　foot　on　the　spur　to　get　down；　the　spur　broke；　he　fell　with　a　broken　leg；　and；　instead　of　keeping　quiet；　took　to　crying　out　like　a　gallows…bird。　I　then　was　ready　to　dismount；　but　it　was　too　late；　I　descended　into　the　arms　of　the　archers。　They　conducted　me　to　the　Chatelet；　where　I　slept　soundly；　being　very　sure　that　on　the　next　day　I　should　go　forth　free。　The　next　day　came　and　passed；　the　day　after；　a　week；　I　then　wrote　to　the　cardinal。　The　same　day　they　came　for　me　and　took　me　to　the　Bastile。　That　was　five　years　ago。　Do　you　believe　it　was　because　I　mitted　the　sacrilege　of　mounting　en　croupe　behind　Henry　IV。？〃
　　〃No；　you　are　right；　my　dear　Rochefort；　it　couldn't　be　for　that；　but　you　will　probably　learn　the　reason　soon。〃
　　〃Ah；　indeed！　I　forgot　to　ask　you　　where　are　you　taking　me？〃
　　〃To　the　cardinal。〃
　　〃What　does　he　want　with　me？〃
　　〃I　do　not　know。　I　did　not　even　know　that　you　were　the　person　I　was　sent　to　fetch。〃
　　〃Impossible　　you　　a　favorite　of　the　minister！〃
　　〃A　favorite！　no；　indeed！〃　cried　D'Artagnan。　〃Ah；　my　poor　friend！　I　am　just　as　poor　a　Gascon　as　when　I　saw　you　at　Meung；　twenty…two　years　ago；　you　know；　alas！〃　and　he　concluded　his　speech　with　a　deep　sigh。
　　〃Nevertheless；　you　e　as　one　in　authority。〃
　　〃Because　I　happened　to　be　in　the　ante…chamber　when　the　cardinal　called　me；　by　the　merest　chance。　I　am　still　a　lieutenant　in　the　musketeers　and　have　been　so　these　twenty　years。〃
　　〃Then　no　misfortune　has　happened　to　you？〃
　　〃And　what　misfortune　could　happen　to　me？　To　quote　some　Latin　verses　I　have　forgotten；　or　rather；　never　knew　well；　‘the　thunderbolt　never　falls　on　the　valleys；'　and　I　am　a　valley；　dear　Rochefort；　　one　of　the　lowliest　of　the　low。〃
　　〃Then　Mazarin　is　still　Mazarin？〃
　　〃The　same　as　ever；　my　friend；　it　is　said　that　he　is　married　to　the　queen。〃
　　〃Married？〃
　　〃If　not　her　husband；　he　is　unquestionably　her　lover。〃
　　〃You　surprise　me。　Rebuff　Buckingham　and　consent　to　Mazarin！〃
　　〃Just　like　the　women；〃　replied　D'Artagnan；　coolly。
　　〃Like　women；　not　like　queens。〃
　　〃Egad！　queens　are　the　weakest　of　their　sex；　when　it　es　to　such　things　as　these。〃
　　〃And　M。　de　Beaufort　　is　he　still　in　prison？〃
　　〃Yes。　Why？〃
　　〃Oh；　nothing；　but　that　he　might　get　me　out　of　this；　if　he　were　favorably　inclined　to　me。〃
　　〃You　are　probably　nearer　freedom　than　he　is；　so　it　will　be　your　business　to　get　him　out。〃
　　〃And；〃　said　the　prisoner；　〃what　talk　is　there　of　war　with　Spain？〃
　　〃With　Spain；　no；〃　answered　D'Artagnan；　〃but　Paris。〃
　　〃What　do　you　mean？〃　cried　Rochefort。
　　〃Do　you　hear　the　guns；　pray？　The　citizens　are　amusing　themselves　in　the　meantime。〃
　　〃And　you　　do　you　really　think　that　anything　could　be　done　with　these　bourgeois？〃
　　〃Yes；　they　might　do　well　if　they　had　any　leader　to　unite　them　in　one　body。〃
　　〃How　miserable　not　to　be　free！〃
　　〃Don't　be　downcast。　Since　Mazarin　has　sent　for　you；　it　is　because　he　wants　you。　I　congratulate　you！　Many　a　long　year　has　passed　since　any　one　has　wanted　to　employ　me；　so　you　see　in　what　a　situation　I　am。〃
　　〃Make　your　plaints　known；　that's　my　advice。〃
　　〃Listen；　Rochefort；　let　us　make　a　pact。　We　are　friends；　are　we　not？〃
　　〃Egad！　I　bear　the　traces　of　our　friendship　　three　slits　or　slashes　from　your　sword。〃
　　〃Well；　if　you　should　be　restored　to　favor；　don't　forget　me。〃
　　〃On　the　honor　of　a　Rochefort；　but　you　must　do　the　like　for　me。〃
　　〃There's　my　hand；　　I　promise。〃
　　〃Therefore；　whenever　you　find　any　opportunity　of　saying　something　in　my　behalf　　〃
　　〃I　shall　say　it；　and　you？〃
　　〃I　shall　do　the　same。〃
　　〃Apropos；　are　we　to　speak　of　your　friends　also；　Athos；　Porthos；　and　Aramis？　or　have　you　forgotten　them？〃
　　〃Almost。〃
　　〃What　has　bee　of　them？〃
　　〃I　don't　know；　we　separated；　as　you　know。　They　are　alive；　that's　all　that　I　can　say　about　them；　from　time　to　time　I　hear　of　them　indirectly；　but　in　what　part　of　the　world　they　are；　devil　take　me　if　I　know；　No；　on　my　honor；　I　have　not　a　friend　in　the　world　but　you；　Rochefort。〃
　　〃And　the　illustrious　　what's　the　name　of　the　lad　whom　I　made　a　sergeant　in　Piedmont's　regiment？〃
　　〃Planchet！〃
　　〃The　illustrious　Planchet。　What　has　bee　of　him？〃
　　〃I　shouldn't　wonder　if　he　were　at　the　head　of　the　mob　at　this　very　moment。　He　married　a　woman　who　keeps　a　confectioner's　shop　in　the　Rue　des　Lombards；　for　he's　a　lad　who　was　always　fond　of　sweetmeats；　he's　now　a　citizen　of　Paris。　You'll　see　that　that　queer　fellow　will　be　a　sheriff　before　I　shall　be　a　captain。〃
　　〃e；　dear　D'Artagnan；　look　up　a　little！　Courage！　It　is　when　one　is　lowest　on　the　wheel　of　fortune　that　the　merry…go…round　wheels　and　rewards　us。　This　evening　your　destiny　begins　to　change。〃
　　〃Amen！〃　exclaimed　D'Artagnan；　stopping　the　carriage。
　　〃What　are　you　doing？〃　asked　Rochefort。
　　〃We　are　almost　there　and　I　want　no　one　to　see　me　getting　out　of　your　carriage；　we　are　supposed　not　to　know　each　other。〃
　　〃You　are　right。　Adieu。〃
　　〃Au　revoir。　Remember　your　promise。〃
　　In　five　minutes　the　party　entered　the　courtyard　and　D'Artagnan　led　the　prisoner　up　the　great　staircase　and　across　the　corridor　and　ante…chamber。
　　As　they　stopped　at　the　door　of　the　cardinal's　study；　D'Artagnan　was　about　to　be　announced　when　Rochefort　slapped　him　on　his　shoulder。
　　〃D'Artagnan；　let　me　confess　to　you　what　I've　been　thinking　about　during　the　whole　of　my　drive；　as　I　looked　out　upon　the　parties　of　citizens　who　perpetually　crossed　our　path　and　looked　at　y