the time to inquire where the messenger was, and
recognizing from afar the uniform of the Guards, he put his horse into
a gallop, and rode straight up to d'Artagnan. Patrick discreetly kept in
the background.

"No misfortune has happened to the queen?" cried Buckingham, the instant
he came up, throwing all his fear and love into the question.

"I believe not; nevertheless I believe she runs some great peril from
which your Grace alone can extricate her."

"I!" cried Buckingham. "What is it? I should be too happy to be of any
service to her. Speak, speak!"

"Take this letter," said d'Artagnan.

"This letter! From whom comes this letter?"

"From her Majesty, as I think."

"From her Majesty!" said Buckingham, becoming so pale that d'Artagnan
feared he would faint as he broke the seal.

"What is this rent?" said he, showing d'Artagnan a place where it had
been pierced through.

"Ah," said d'Artagnan, "I did not see that; it was the sword of the
Comte de Wardes which made that hole, when he gave me a good thrust in
the breast."

"You are wounded?" asked Buckingham, as he opened the letter.

"Oh, nothing but a scratch," said d'Artagnan.

"Just heaven, what have I read?" cried the duke. "Patrick, remain here,
or rather join the king, wherever he may be, and tell his Majesty that
I humbly beg him to excuse me, but an affair of the greatest importance
recalls me to London. Come, monsieur, come!" and both set off towards
the capital at full gallop.

21 THE COUNTESS DE WINTER

As they rode along, the duke endeavored to draw from d'Artagnan, not all
that had happened, but what d'Artagnan himself knew. By adding all that
he heard from the mouth of the young man to his own remembrances, he was
enabled to form a pretty exact idea of a position of the seriousness of
which, for the rest, the queen's letter, short but explicit, gave him
the clue. But that which astonished him most was that the cardinal, so
deeply interested in preventing this young man from setting his foot in
England, had not succeeded in arresting him on the road. It was then,
upon the manifestation of this astonishment, that d'Artagnan related to
him the precaution taken, and how, thanks to the devotion of his three
friends, whom he had left scattered and bleeding on the road, he had
succeeded in coming off with a single sword thrust, which had pierced
the queen's letter and for which he had repaid M. de Wardes with such
terrible coin. While h