e so?"

"They are below, sire, and with your permission La Chesnaye will bid
them come up."

"Yes, yes, let them come up immediately. It is nearly eight o'clock, and
at nine I expect a visit. Go, Monsieur Duke, and return often. Come in,
Treville."

The Duke saluted and retired. At the moment he opened the door, the
three Musketeers and d'Artagnan, conducted by La Chesnaye, appeared at
the top of the staircase.

"Come in, my braves," said the king, "come in; I am going to scold you."

The Musketeers advanced, bowing, d'Artagnan following closely behind
them.

"What the devil!" continued the king. "Seven of his Eminence's Guards
placed HORS DE COMBAT by you four in two days! That's too many,
gentlemen, too many! If you go on so, his Eminence will be forced to
renew his company in three weeks, and I to put the edicts in force in
all their rigor. One now and then I don't say much about; but seven in
two days, I repeat, it is too many, it is far too many!"

"Therefore, sire, your Majesty sees that they are come, quite contrite
and repentant, to offer you their excuses."

"Quite contrite and repentant! Hem!" said the king. "I place no
confidence in their hypocritical faces. In particular, there is one
yonder of a Gascon look. Come hither, monsieur."

D'Artagnan, who understood that it was to him this compliment was
addressed, approached, assuming a most deprecating air.

"Why you told me he was a young man? This is a boy, Treville, a mere
boy! Do you mean to say that it was he who bestowed that severe thrust
at Jussac?"

"And those two equally fine thrusts at Bernajoux."

"Truly!"

"Without reckoning," said Athos, "that if he had not rescued me from
the hands of Cahusac, I should not now have the honor of making my very
humble reverence to your Majesty."

"Why he is a very devil, this Bearnais! VENTRE-SAINT-GRIS, Monsieur de
Treville, as the king my father would have said. But at this sort of
work, many doublets must be slashed and many swords broken. Now, Gascons
are always poor, are they not?"

"Sire, I can assert that they have hitherto discovered no gold mines in
their mountains; though the Lord owes them this miracle in recompense
for the manner in which they supported the pretensions of the king your
father."

"Which is to say that the Gascons made a king of me, myself, seeing that
I am my father's son, is it not, Treville? Well, happily, I don't say
nay to it. La Chesnaye, go and see if by rummag