Reading Help The Three Musketeers Ch.41-67
`
` "Yes; but at that period we were not at war. At that period `
` Buckingham was an ally, and not an enemy. What you would `
` now do amounts to treason." `
` `
` D'Artagnan perceived the force of this reasoning, and was `
` silent. `
` `
` "But," said Porthos, "I think I have an idea, in my turn." `
` `
` "Silence for Monsieur Porthos's idea!" said Aramis. `
` `
` "I will ask leave of absence of Monsieur de Treville, on `
` some pretext or other which you must invent; I am not very `
` clever at pretexts. Milady does not know me; I will get `
` access to her without her suspecting me, and when I catch my `
` beauty, I will strangle her." `
` `
` "Well," replied Athos, "I am not far from approving the idea `
` of Monsieur Porthos." `
` `
` "For shame!" said Aramis. "Kill a woman? No, listen to me; `
` I have the true idea." `
` `
` "Let us see your idea, Aramis," said Athos, who felt much `
` deference for the young Musketeer. `
` `
` "We must inform the queen." `
` `
` "Ah, my faith, yes!" said Porthos and d'Artagnan, at the `
` same time; "we are coming nearer to it now." `
` `
` "Inform the queen!" said Athos; "and how? Have we relations `
` with the court? Could we send anyone to Paris without its `
` being known in the camp? From here to Paris it is a hundred `
` and forty leagues; before our letter was at Angers we should `
` be in a dungeon." `
` `
` "As to remitting a letter with safety to her Majesty," said `
` Aramis, coloring, "I will take that upon myself. I know a `
` clever person at Tours--" `
` `
` Aramis stopped on seeing Athos smile. `
` `
` "Well, do you not adopt this means, Athos?" said d'Artagnan. `
` `
` "I do not reject it altogether," said Athos; "but I wish to `
` remind Aramis that he cannot quit the camp, and that nobody `
` but one of ourselves is trustworthy; that two hours after `
` the messenger has set out, all the Capuchins, all the `
` police, all the black caps of the cardinal, will know your `
` letter by heart, and you and your clever person will be `
` arrested." `
` `
` "Without reckoning," objected Porthos, "that the queen would `
` save Monsieur de Buckingham, but would take no heed of us." `
` `
` "Gentlemen," said d'Artagnan, "what Porthos says is full of `
` sense." `
` `
` "Ah, ah! but what's going on in the city yonder?" said `
` Athos. `
` `
` "They are beating the general alarm." `
` `
` The four friends listened, and the sound of the drum plainly `
` reached them. `
` `
` "You see, they are going to send a whole regiment against `
` us," said Athos. `
` `
` "You don't think of holding out against a whole regiment, do `
` you?" said Porthos. `
` `
` "Why not?" said Musketeer. "I feel myself quite in a humor `
` for it; and I would hold out before an army if we had taken `
` the precaution to bring a dozen more bottles of wine." `
` `
` "Upon my word, the drum draws near," said d'Artagnan. `
` `
` "Let it come," said Athos. "It is a quarter of an hour's `
` journey from here to the city, consequently a quarter of an `
` hour's journey from the city to hither. That is more than `
` time enough for us to devise a plan. If we go from this `
` place we shall never find another so suitable. Ah, stop! I `
` have it, gentlemen; the right idea has just occurred to me." `
` `
` "Tell us." `
` `
` "Allow me to give Grimaud some indispensable orders." `
` `
` Athos made a sign for his lackey to approach. `
` `
` "Grimaud," said Athos, pointing to the bodies which lay `
` under the wall of the bastion, "take those gentlemen, set `
` them up against the wall, put their hats upon their heads, `
` and their guns in their hands." `
` `
` "Oh, the great man!" cried d'Artagnan. "I comprehend now." `
` `
` "You comprehend?" said Porthos. `
` `
` "And do you comprehend, Grimaud?" said Aramis. `
` `
` Grimaud made a sign in the affirmative. `
` `
` "That's all that is necessary," said Athos; "now for my `
` idea." `
` `
` "I should like, however, to comprehend," said Porthos. `
` `
` "That is useless." `
` `
` "Yes, yes! Athos's idea!" cried Aramis and d'Artagnan, at `
` the same time. `
` `
` "This Milady, this woman, this creature, this demon, has a `
` brother-in-law, as I think you told me, d'Artagnan?" `
` `
` "Yes, I know him very well; and I also believe that he has `
` not a very warm affection for his sister-in-law." `
` `
` "There is no harm in that. If he detested her, it would be `
` all the better," replied Athos. `
` `
` "In that case we are as well off as we wish." `
` `
` "And yet," said Porthos, "I would like to know what Grimaud `
` is about." `
` `
` "Silence, Porthos!" said Aramis. `
` `
` "What is her brother-in-law's name?" `
` `
` "Lord de Winter." `
` `
` "Where is he now?" `
` `
` "He returned to London at the first sound of war." `
` `
` "Well, there's just the man we want," said Athos. "It is he `
` whom we must warn. We will have him informed that his `
` sister-in-law is on the point of having someone `
` assassinated, and beg him not to lose sight of her. There `
` is in London, I hope, some establishment like that of the `
` Magdalens, or of the Repentant Daughters. He must place his `
` sister in one of these, and we shall be in peace." `
` `
` "Yes," said d'Artagnan, "till she comes out." `
` `
` "Ah, my faith!" said Athos, "you require too much, `
` d'Artagnan. I have given you all I have, and I beg leave to `
` tell you that this is the bottom of my sack." `
` `
` "But I think it would be still better," said Aramis, "to `
` inform the queen and Lord de Winter at the same time." `
` `
` "Yes; but who is to carry the letter to Tours, and who to `
` London?" `
` `
` "I answer for Bazin," said Aramis. `
` `
` "And I for Planchet," said d'Artagnan. `
` `
` "Ay," said Porthos, "if we cannot leave the camp, our `
` lackeys may." `
` `
` "To be sure they may; and this very day we will write the `
` letters," said Aramis. "Give the lackeys money, and they `
` will start." `
` `
` "We will give them money?" replied Athos. "Have you any `
` money?" `
` `
` The four friends looked at one another, and a cloud came `
` over the brows which but lately had been so cheerful. `
` `
` "Look out!" cried d'Artagnan, "I see black points and red `
` points moving yonder. Why did you talk of a regiment, `
` Athos? It is a veritable army!" `
` `
` "My faith, yes," said Athos; "there they are. See the `
` sneaks come, without drum or trumpet. Ah, ah! have you `
` finished, Grimaud?" `
` `
` Grimaud made a sign in the affirmative, and pointed to a `
` dozen bodies which he had set up in the most picturesque `
` attitudes. Some carried arms, others seemed to be taking `
` aim, and the remainder appeared merely to be sword in hand. `
` `
` "Bravo!" said Athos; "that does honor to your imagination." `
` `
` "All very well," said Porthos, "but I should like to `
` understand." `
` `
` "Let us decamp first, and you will understand afterward." `
` `
` "A moment, gentlemen, a moment; give Grimaud time to clear `
` away the breakfast." `
` `
` "Ah, ah!" said Aramis, "the black points and the red points `
`
` "Yes; but at that period we were not at war. At that period `
` Buckingham was an ally, and not an enemy. What you would `
` now do amounts to treason." `
` `
` D'Artagnan perceived the force of this reasoning, and was `
` silent. `
` `
` "But," said Porthos, "I think I have an idea, in my turn." `
` `
` "Silence for Monsieur Porthos's idea!" said Aramis. `
` `
` "I will ask leave of absence of Monsieur de Treville, on `
` some pretext or other which you must invent; I am not very `
` clever at pretexts. Milady does not know me; I will get `
` access to her without her suspecting me, and when I catch my `
` beauty, I will strangle her." `
` `
` "Well," replied Athos, "I am not far from approving the idea `
` of Monsieur Porthos." `
` `
` "For shame!" said Aramis. "Kill a woman? No, listen to me; `
` I have the true idea." `
` `
` "Let us see your idea, Aramis," said Athos, who felt much `
` deference for the young Musketeer. `
` `
` "We must inform the queen." `
` `
` "Ah, my faith, yes!" said Porthos and d'Artagnan, at the `
` same time; "we are coming nearer to it now." `
` `
` "Inform the queen!" said Athos; "and how? Have we relations `
` with the court? Could we send anyone to Paris without its `
` being known in the camp? From here to Paris it is a hundred `
` and forty leagues; before our letter was at Angers we should `
` be in a dungeon." `
` `
` "As to remitting a letter with safety to her Majesty," said `
` Aramis, coloring, "I will take that upon myself. I know a `
` clever person at Tours--" `
` `
` Aramis stopped on seeing Athos smile. `
` `
` "Well, do you not adopt this means, Athos?" said d'Artagnan. `
` `
` "I do not reject it altogether," said Athos; "but I wish to `
` remind Aramis that he cannot quit the camp, and that nobody `
` but one of ourselves is trustworthy; that two hours after `
` the messenger has set out, all the Capuchins, all the `
` police, all the black caps of the cardinal, will know your `
` letter by heart, and you and your clever person will be `
` arrested." `
` `
` "Without reckoning," objected Porthos, "that the queen would `
` save Monsieur de Buckingham, but would take no heed of us." `
` `
` "Gentlemen," said d'Artagnan, "what Porthos says is full of `
` sense." `
` `
` "Ah, ah! but what's going on in the city yonder?" said `
` Athos. `
` `
` "They are beating the general alarm." `
` `
` The four friends listened, and the sound of the drum plainly `
` reached them. `
` `
` "You see, they are going to send a whole regiment against `
` us," said Athos. `
` `
` "You don't think of holding out against a whole regiment, do `
` you?" said Porthos. `
` `
` "Why not?" said Musketeer. "I feel myself quite in a humor `
` for it; and I would hold out before an army if we had taken `
` the precaution to bring a dozen more bottles of wine." `
` `
` "Upon my word, the drum draws near," said d'Artagnan. `
` `
` "Let it come," said Athos. "It is a quarter of an hour's `
` journey from here to the city, consequently a quarter of an `
` hour's journey from the city to hither. That is more than `
` time enough for us to devise a plan. If we go from this `
` place we shall never find another so suitable. Ah, stop! I `
` have it, gentlemen; the right idea has just occurred to me." `
` `
` "Tell us." `
` `
` "Allow me to give Grimaud some indispensable orders." `
` `
` Athos made a sign for his lackey to approach. `
` `
` "Grimaud," said Athos, pointing to the bodies which lay `
` under the wall of the bastion, "take those gentlemen, set `
` them up against the wall, put their hats upon their heads, `
` and their guns in their hands." `
` `
` "Oh, the great man!" cried d'Artagnan. "I comprehend now." `
` `
` "You comprehend?" said Porthos. `
` `
` "And do you comprehend, Grimaud?" said Aramis. `
` `
` Grimaud made a sign in the affirmative. `
` `
` "That's all that is necessary," said Athos; "now for my `
` idea." `
` `
` "I should like, however, to comprehend," said Porthos. `
` `
` "That is useless." `
` `
` "Yes, yes! Athos's idea!" cried Aramis and d'Artagnan, at `
` the same time. `
` `
` "This Milady, this woman, this creature, this demon, has a `
` brother-in-law, as I think you told me, d'Artagnan?" `
` `
` "Yes, I know him very well; and I also believe that he has `
` not a very warm affection for his sister-in-law." `
` `
` "There is no harm in that. If he detested her, it would be `
` all the better," replied Athos. `
` `
` "In that case we are as well off as we wish." `
` `
` "And yet," said Porthos, "I would like to know what Grimaud `
` is about." `
` `
` "Silence, Porthos!" said Aramis. `
` `
` "What is her brother-in-law's name?" `
` `
` "Lord de Winter." `
` `
` "Where is he now?" `
` `
` "He returned to London at the first sound of war." `
` `
` "Well, there's just the man we want," said Athos. "It is he `
` whom we must warn. We will have him informed that his `
` sister-in-law is on the point of having someone `
` assassinated, and beg him not to lose sight of her. There `
` is in London, I hope, some establishment like that of the `
` Magdalens, or of the Repentant Daughters. He must place his `
` sister in one of these, and we shall be in peace." `
` `
` "Yes," said d'Artagnan, "till she comes out." `
` `
` "Ah, my faith!" said Athos, "you require too much, `
` d'Artagnan. I have given you all I have, and I beg leave to `
` tell you that this is the bottom of my sack." `
` `
` "But I think it would be still better," said Aramis, "to `
` inform the queen and Lord de Winter at the same time." `
` `
` "Yes; but who is to carry the letter to Tours, and who to `
` London?" `
` `
` "I answer for Bazin," said Aramis. `
` `
` "And I for Planchet," said d'Artagnan. `
` `
` "Ay," said Porthos, "if we cannot leave the camp, our `
` lackeys may." `
` `
` "To be sure they may; and this very day we will write the `
` letters," said Aramis. "Give the lackeys money, and they `
` will start." `
` `
` "We will give them money?" replied Athos. "Have you any `
` money?" `
` `
` The four friends looked at one another, and a cloud came `
` over the brows which but lately had been so cheerful. `
` `
` "Look out!" cried d'Artagnan, "I see black points and red `
` points moving yonder. Why did you talk of a regiment, `
` Athos? It is a veritable army!" `
` `
` "My faith, yes," said Athos; "there they are. See the `
` sneaks come, without drum or trumpet. Ah, ah! have you `
` finished, Grimaud?" `
` `
` Grimaud made a sign in the affirmative, and pointed to a `
` dozen bodies which he had set up in the most picturesque `
` attitudes. Some carried arms, others seemed to be taking `
` aim, and the remainder appeared merely to be sword in hand. `
` `
` "Bravo!" said Athos; "that does honor to your imagination." `
` `
` "All very well," said Porthos, "but I should like to `
` understand." `
` `
` "Let us decamp first, and you will understand afterward." `
` `
` "A moment, gentlemen, a moment; give Grimaud time to clear `
` away the breakfast." `
` `
` "Ah, ah!" said Aramis, "the black points and the red points `
`