g to the
cardinal."

"Yes, Treville, yes," said the king, in a melancholy tone; "and it is
very sad, believe me, to see thus two parties in France, two heads to
royalty. But all this will come to an end, Treville, will come to
an end. You say, then, that the Guardsmen sought a quarrel with the
Musketeers?"

"I say that it is probable that things have fallen out so, but I will
not swear to it, sire. You know how difficult it is to discover the
truth; and unless a man be endowed with that admirable instinct which
causes Louis XIII to be named the Just--"

"You are right, Treville; but they were not alone, your Musketeers. They
had a youth with them?"

"Yes, sire, and one wounded man; so that three of the king's
Musketeers--one of whom was wounded--and a youth not only maintained
their ground against five of the most terrible of the cardinal's
Guardsmen, but absolutely brought four of them to earth."

"Why, this is a victory!" cried the king, all radiant, "a complete
victory!"

"Yes, sire; as complete as that of the Bridge of Ce."

"Four men, one of them wounded, and a youth, say you?"

"One hardly a young man; but who, however, behaved himself so admirably
on this occasion that I will take the liberty of recommending him to
your Majesty."

"How does he call himself?"

"d'Artagnan, sire; he is the son of one of my oldest friends--the son of
a man who served under the king your father, of glorious memory, in the
civil war."

"And you say this young man behaved himself well? Tell me how,
Treville--you know how I delight in accounts of war and fighting."

And Louis XIII twisted his mustache proudly, placing his hand upon his
hip.

"Sire," resumed Treville, "as I told you, Monsieur d'Artagnan is little
more than a boy; and as he has not the honor of being a Musketeer, he
was dressed as a citizen. The Guards of the cardinal, perceiving his
youth and that he did not belong to the corps, invited him to retire
before they attacked."

"So you may plainly see, Treville," interrupted the king, "it was they
who attacked?"

"That is true, sire; there can be no more doubt on that head. They
called upon him then to retire; but he answered that he was a Musketeer
at heart, entirely devoted to your Majesty, and that therefore he would
remain with Messieurs the Musketeers."

"Brave young man!" murmured the king.

"Well, he did remain with them; and your Majesty has in him so firm a
champion that it was he who gave