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if our horses will consent." `
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`
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And the travelers buried their rowels in their horses' flanks, `
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who thus vigorously stimulated recovered their energies. They `
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arrived at Amiens at midnight, and alighted at the AUBERGE of the `
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Golden Lily. `
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`
The host had the appearance of as honest a man as any on earth. `
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He received the travelers with his candlestick in one hand and `
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his cotton nightcap in the other. He wished to lodge the two `
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travelers each in a charming chamber; but unfortunately these `
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charming chambers were at the opposite extremities of the hotel. `
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d'Artagnan and Athos refused them. The host replied that he had `
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no other worthy of their Excellencies; but the travelers declared `
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they would sleep in the common chamber, each on a mattress which `
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might be thrown upon the ground. The host insisted; but the `
`
travelers were firm, and he was obliged to do as they wished. `
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`
`
They had just prepared their beds and barricaded their door `
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within, when someone knocked at the yard shutter; they demanded `
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who was there, and recognizing the voices of their lackeys, `
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opened the shutter. It was indeed Planchet and Grimaud. `
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"Grimaud can take care of the horses," said Planchet. "If you `
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are willing, gentlemen, I will sleep across your doorway, and you `
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will then be certain that nobody can reach you." `
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"And on what will you sleep?" said d'Artagnan. `
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"Here is my bed," replied Planchet, producing a bundle of straw. `
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"Come, then," said d'Artagnan, "you are right. Mine host's face `
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does not please me at all; it is too gracious." `
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"Nor me either," said Athos. `
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`
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Planchet mounted by the window and installed himself across the `
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doorway, while Grimaud went and shut himself up in the stable, `
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undertaking that by five o'clock in the morning he and the four `
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horses should be ready. `
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`
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The night was quiet enough. Toward two o'clock in the morning `
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somebody endeavored to open the door; but as Planchet awoke in an `
`
instant and cried, "Who goes there?" somebody replied that he was `
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mistaken, and went away. `
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`
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At four o'clock in the morning they heard a terrible riot in the `
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stables. Grimaud had tried to waken the stable boys, and the `
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stable boys had beaten him. When they opened the window, they `
`
saw the poor lad lying senseless, with his head split by a blow `
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with a pitchfork. `
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Planchet went down into the yard, and wished to saddle the `
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horses; but the horses were all used up. Mousqueton's horse `
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which had traveled for five or six hours without a rider the day `
`
before, might have been able to pursue the journey; but by an `
`
inconceivable error the veterinary surgeon, who had been sent `
`
for, as it appeared, to bleed one of the host's horses, had bled `
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Mousqueton's. `
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This began to be annoying. All these successive accidents were `
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perhaps the result of chance; but they might be the fruits of a `
`
plot. Athos and d'Artagnan went out, while Planchet was sent to `
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inquire if there were not three horses for sale in the `
`
neighborhood. At the door stood two horses, fresh, strong, and `
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fully equipped. These would just have suited them. He asked `
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where their masters were, and was informed that they had passed `
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the night in the inn, and were then settling their bill with the `
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host. `
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`
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Athos went down to pay the reckoning, while d'Artagnan and `
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Planchet stood at the street door. The host was in a lower and `
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back room, to which Athos was requested to go. `
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`
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Athos entered without the least mistrust, and took out two `
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pistoles to pay the bill. The host was alone, seated before his `
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desk, one of the drawers of which was partly open. He took the `
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money which Athos offered to him, and after turning and turning `
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it over and over in his hands, suddenly cried out that it was `
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bad, and that he would have him and his companions arrested as `
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forgers. `
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"You blackguard!" cried Athos, going toward him, "I'll cut your `
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ears off!" `
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At the same instant, four men, armed to the teeth, entered by `
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side doors, and rushed upon Athos. `
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`
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"I am taken!" shouted Athos, with all the power of his lungs. `
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"Go on, d'Artagnan! Spur, spur!" and he fired two pistols. `
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D'Artagnan and Planchet did not require twice bidding; they `
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unfastened the two horses that were waiting at the door, leaped `
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upon them, buried their spurs in their sides, and set off at full `
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gallop. `
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"Do you know what has become of Athos?" asked d'Artagnan of `
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Planchet, as they galloped on. `
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"Ah, monsieur," said Planchet, "I saw one fall at each of his two `
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shots, and he appeared to me, through the glass door, to be `
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fighting with his sword with the others." `
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"Brave Athos!" murmured d'Artagnan, "and to think that we are `
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compelled to leave him; maybe the same fate awaits us two paces `
`
hence. Forward, Planchet, forward! You are a brave fellow." `
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"As I told you, monsieur," replied Planchet, "Picards are found `
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out by being used. Besides, I am here in my own country, and `
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that excites me." `
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And both, with free use of the spur, arrived at St. Omer without `
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drawing bit. At St. Omer they breathed their horses with the `
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bridles passed under their arms for fear of accident, and ate a `
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morsel from their hands on the stones of the street, after they `
`
departed again. `
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At a hundred paces from the gates of Calais, d'Artagnan's horse `
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gave out, and could not by any means be made to get up again, the `
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blood flowing from his eyes and his nose. There still remained `
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Planchet's horse; but he stopped short, and could not be made to `
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move a step. `
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Fortunately, as we have said, they were within a hundred paces of `
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the city; they left their two nags upon the high road, and ran `
`
toward the quay. Planchet called his master's attention to a `
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gentleman who had just arrived with his lackey, and only preceded `
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them by about fifty paces. They made all speed to come up to `
`
this gentleman, who appeared to be in great haste. His boots `
`
were covered with dust, and he inquired if he could not instantly `
`
cross over to England. `
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"Nothing would be more easy," said the captain of a vessel ready `
`
to set sail, "but this morning came an order to let no one leave `
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without express permission from the cardinal." `
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"I have that permission," said the gentleman, drawing the paper `
`
from his pocket; "here it is." `
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"Have it examined by the governor of the port," said the `
`
shipmaster, "and give me the preference." `
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"Where shall I find the governor?" `
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"At his country house." `
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"And that is situated?" `
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"At a quarter of a league from the city. Look, you may see it `
`
from here--at the foot of that little hill, that slated roof." `
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`
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"Very well," said the gentleman. And, with his lackey, he took `
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the road to the governor's country house. `
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D'Artagnan and Planchet followed the gentleman at a distance of `
`
five hundred paces. Once outside the city, d'Artagnan overtook `
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the gentleman as he was entering a little wood. `
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`
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"Monsieur, you appear to be in great haste?" `
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"No one can be more so, monsieur." `
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"I am sorry for that," said d'Artagnan; "for as I am in great `
`
haste likewise, I wish to beg you to render me a service." `
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"What?" `
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"To let me sail first." `
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"That's impossible," said the gentleman; "I have traveled sixty `
`
leagues in forty hours, and by tomorrow at midday I must be in `
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London." `
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`
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"I have performed that same distance in forty hours, and by ten `
`
o'clock in the morning I must be in London." `
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`
`
"Very sorry, monsieur; but I was here first, and will not sail `
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second." `
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`
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"I am sorry, too, monsieur; but I arrived second, and must sail `
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first." `
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"The king's service!" said the gentleman. `
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"My own service!" said d'Artagnan. `
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`
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"But this is a needless quarrel you seek with me, as it seems to `
`
me." `
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`
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"PARBLEU! What do you desire it to be?" `
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"What do you want?" `
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`
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"Would you like to know?" `
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"Certainly." `
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"Well, then, I wish that order of which you are bearer, seeing `
`
that I have not one of my own and must have one." `
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"You jest, I presume." `
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