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　tell　us　where　we　shall　find　a　house　at　which　we　can　demand　aid　and　a　village　from　which　we　can　fetch　a　priest。〃
　　〃Thank　you；　and　God　reward　you！　About　half　a　mile　from　this；　on　the　same　road；　there　is　an　inn；　and　about　a　mile　further　on；　after　leaving　the　inn；　you　will　reach　the　village　of　Greney。　There　you　must　find　the　curate；　or　if　he　is　not　at　home；　go　to　the　convent　of　the　Augustines；　which　is　the　last　house　on　the　right；　and　bring　me　one　of　the　brothers。　Monk　or　priest；　it　matters　not；　provided　only　that　he　has　received　from　holy　church　the　power　of　absolving　in　articulo　mortis。〃
　　〃Monsieur　d'Arminges；〃　said　De　Guiche；　〃remain　beside　this　unfortunate　man　and　see　that　he　is　removed　as　gently　as　possible。　The　vite　and　myself　will　go　and　find　a　priest。〃
　　〃Go；　sir；〃　replied　the　tutor；　〃but　in　Heaven's　name　do　not　expose　yourself　to　danger！〃
　　〃Do　not　fear。　Besides；　we　are　safe　for　to…day；　you　know　the　axiom；　‘Non　bis　in　idem。'〃
　　〃Courage；　sir；〃　said　Raoul　to　the　wounded　man。　〃We　are　going　to　execute　your　wishes。〃
　　〃May　Heaven　prosper　you！〃　replied　the　dying　man；　with　an　accent　of　gratitude　impossible　to　describe。
　　The　two　young　men　galloped　off　in　the　direction　mentioned　and　in　ten　minutes　reached　the　inn。　Raoul；　without　dismounting；　called　to　the　host　and　announced　that　a　wounded　man　was　about　to　be　brought　to　his　house　and　begged　him　in　the　meantime　to　prepare　everything　needful。　He　desired　him　also；　should　he　know　in　the　neighborhood　any　doctor　or　chirurgeon；　to　fetch　him；　taking　on　himself　the　payment　of　the　messenger。
　　The　host；　who　saw　two　young　noblemen；　richly　clad；　promised　everything　they　required；　and　our　two　cavaliers；　after　seeing　that　preparations　for　the　reception　were　actually　begun；　started　off　again　and　proceeded　rapidly　toward　Greney。
　　They　had　gone　rather　more　than　a　league　and　had　begun　to　descry　the　first　houses　of　the　village；　the　red…tiled　roofs　of　which　stood　out　from　the　green　trees　which　surrounded　them；　when；　ing　toward　them　mounted　on　a　mule；　they　perceived　a　poor　monk；　whose　large　hat　and　gray　worsted　dress　made　them　take　him　for　an　Augustine　brother。　Chance　for　once　seemed　to　favor　them　in　sending　what　they　were　so　assiduously　seeking。　He　was　a　man　about　twenty…two　or　twenty…three　years　old；　but　who　appeared　much　older　from　ascetic　exercises。　His　plexion　was　pale；　not　of　that　deadly　pallor　which　is　a　kind　of　neutral　beauty；　but　of　a　bilious；　yellow　hue；　his　colorless　hair　was　short　and　scarcely　extended　beyond　the　circle　formed　by　the　hat　around　his　head；　and　his　light　blue　eyes　seemed　destitute　of　any　expression。
　　〃Sir；〃　began　Raoul；　with　his　usual　politeness；　〃are　you　an　ecclesiastic？〃
　　〃Why　do　you　ask　me　that？〃　replied　the　stranger；　with　a　coolness　which　was　barely　civil。
　　〃Because　we　want　to　know；〃　said　De　Guiche；　haughtily。
　　The　stranger　touched　his　mule　with　his　heel　and　continued　his　way。
　　In　a　second　De　Guiche　had　sprung　before　him　and　barred　his　passage。　〃Answer；　sir；〃　exclaimed　he；　〃you　have　been　asked　politely；　and　every　question　is　worth　an　answer。〃
　　〃I　suppose　I　am　free　to　say　or　not　to　say　who　I　am　to　two　strangers　who　take　a　fancy　to　ask　me。〃
　　It　was　with　difficulty　that　De　Guiche　restrained　the　intense　desire　he　had　of　breaking　the　monk's　bones。
　　〃In　the　first　place；〃　he　said；　making　an　effort　to　control　himself；　〃we　are　not　people　who　may　be　treated　anyhow；　my　friend　there　is　the　Viscount　of　Bragelonne　and　I　am　the　Count　de　Guiche。　Nor　was　it　from　caprice　we　asked　the　question；　for　there　is　a　wounded　and　dying　man　who　demands　the　succor　of　the　church。　If　you　be　a　priest；　I　conjure　you　in　the　name　of　humanity　to　follow　me　to　aid　this　man；　if　you　be　not；　it　is　a　different　matter；　and　I　warn　you　in　the　name　of　courtesy；　of　which　you　appear　profoundly　ignorant；　that　I　shall　chastise　you　for　your　insolence。〃
　　The　pale　face　of　the　monk　became　so　livid　and　his　smile　so　strange；　that　Raoul；　whose　eyes　were　still　fixed　upon　him；　felt　as　if　this　smile　had　struck　to　his　heart　like　an　insult。
　　〃He　is　some　Spanish　or　Flemish　spy；〃　said　he；　putting　his　hand　to　his　pistol。　A　glance；　threatening　and　transient　as　lightning；　replied　to　Raoul。
　　〃Well；　sir；〃　said　De　Guiche；　〃are　you　going　to　reply？〃
　　〃I　am　a　priest；〃　said　the　young　man。
　　〃Then；　father；〃　said　Raoul；　forcing　himself　to　convey　a　respect　by　speech　that　did　not　e　from　his　heart；　〃if　you　are　a　priest　you　have　an　opportunity；　as　my　friend　has　told　you；　of　exercising　your　vocation。　At　the　next　inn　you　will　find　a　wounded　man；　now　being　attended　by　our　servants；　who　has　asked　the　assistance　of　a　minister　of　God。〃
　　〃I　will　go；〃　said　the　monk。
　　And　he　touched　his　mule。
　　〃If　you　do　not　go；　sir；〃　said　De　Guiche；　〃remember　that　we　have　two　steeds　able　to　catch　your　mule　and　the　power　of　having　you　seized　wherever　you　may　be；　and　then　I　swear　your　trial　will　be　summary；　one　can　always　find　a　tree　and　a　cord。〃
　　The　monk's　eye　again　flashed；　but　that　was　all；　he　merely　repeated　his　phrase；　〃I　will　go；〃　　and　he　went。
　　〃Let　us　follow　him；〃　said　De　Guiche；　〃it　will　be　the　surest　plan。〃
　　〃I　was　about　to　propose　so　doing；〃　answered　De　Bragelonne。
　　In　the　space　of　five　minutes　the　monk　turned　around　to　ascertain　whether　he　was　followed　or　not。
　　〃You　see；〃　said　Raoul；　〃we　have　done　wisely。〃
　　〃What　a　horrible　face　that　monk　has；〃　said　De　Guiche。
　　〃Horrible！〃　replied　Raoul；　〃especially　in　expression。〃
　　〃Yes；　yes；〃　said　De　Guiche；　〃a　strange　face；　but　these　monks　are　subject　to　such　degrading　practices；　their　fasts　make　them　pale；　the　blows　of　the　discipline　make　them　hypocrites；　and　their　eyes　bee　inflamed　through　weeping　for　the　good　things　of　this　life　we　mon　folk　enjoy；　but　they　have　lost。〃
　　〃Well；〃　said　Raoul；　〃the　poor　man　will　get　his　priest；　but；　by　Heaven；　the　penitent　appears　to　me　to　have　a　better　conscience　than　the　confessor。　I　confess　I　am　accustomed　to　priests　of　a　very　different　appearance。〃
　　〃Ah！〃　exclaimed　De　Guiche；　〃you　must　understand　that　this　is　one　of　those　wandering　brothers；　who　go　begging　on　the　high　road　until　some　day　a　benefice　falls　down　from　Heaven　on　them；　they　are　mostly　foreigners　　Scotch；　Irish　or　Danish。　I　have　seen　them　before。〃
　　〃As　ugly？〃
　　〃No；　but　reasonably　hideous。〃
　　〃What　a　misfortune　for　the　wounded　man　to　die　under　the　hands　of　such　a　friar！〃
　　〃Pshaw！〃　said　De　Guiche。　〃Absolution　es　not　from　him　who　administers　it；　but　from　God。　However；　for　my　part；　I　would　rather　die　unshriven　than　have　anything　to　say　to　such　a　confessor。　You　are　of　my　opinion；　are　you　not；　viscount？　and　I　see　you　playing　with　the　pommel　of　your　sword；　as　if　you　had　a　great　inclination　to　break　the　holy　father's　head。〃
　　〃Yes；　count；　it　is　a　strange　thing　and　one　which　might　astonish　you；　but　I　feel　an　indescribable　horror　at　the　sight　of　yonder　man。　Have　you　ever　seen　a　snake　rise　up　on　your　path？〃
　　〃Never；〃　answered　De　Guiche。
　　〃Well；　it　has　happened　to　me　to　do　so　in　our　Blaisois　forests；　and　I　remember　that　the　first　time　I　encountered　one　with　its　eyes　fixed　upon　me；　curled　up；　swinging　its　head　and　pointing　its　tongue；　I　remained　fixed；　pale　and　as　though　fascinated；　until　the　moment　when　the　te　de　la　Fere　　〃
　　〃Your　father？〃　asked　De　Guiche。
　　〃No；　my　guardian；〃　replied　Raoul；　blushing。
　　〃Very　well　　〃
　　〃Until　the　moment　when　the　te　de　la　Fere；〃　resumed　Raoul；　〃said；　‘e；　Bragelonne；　draw　your　sword；'　then　only　I　rushed　upon　the　reptile　and　cut　it　in　two；　just　at　the　moment　when　it　was　rising　on　its　tail　and　hissing；　ere　it　sprang　upon　me。　Well；　I　vow　I　felt　exactly　the　same　sensation　at　sight　of　that　man　when　he　said；　‘Why　do　you　ask　me　that？'　and　looked　so　strangely　at　me。〃
　　〃Then　you　regret　that　you　did　not　cut　your　serpent　in　two　morsels？〃
　　〃Faith；　yes；　almost；〃　said　Raoul。
　　They　had　now　arrived　within　sight　of　the　little　inn　and　could　see　on　the　opposite　side　the　procession　bearing　the　wounded　man　and　guided　by　Monsieur　d'Arminges。　The　youths　spurred　on。
　　〃There　is　the　wounded　man；〃　said　De　Guiche；　passing　close　to　the　Augustine　brother。　〃Be　good　enough　to　hurry　yourself　a　little；　monsieur　monk。〃
　　As　for　Raoul；　he　avoided　the　monk　by　the　whole