toward
him.

"I was about to say to these gentlemen," added he, "that I forbid my
Musketeers to expose their lives needlessly; for brave men are very dear
to the king, and the king knows that his Musketeers are the bravest on
the earth. Your hand, Athos!"

And without waiting for the answer of the newcomer to this proof of
affection, M. de Treville seized his right hand and pressed it with
all his might, without perceiving that Athos, whatever might be his
self-command, allowed a slight murmur of pain to escape him, and if
possible, grew paler than he was before.

The door had remained open, so strong was the excitement produced by
the arrival of Athos, whose wound, though kept as a secret, was known to
all. A burst of satisfaction hailed the last words of the captain;
and two or three heads, carried away by the enthusiasm of the moment,
appeared through the openings of the tapestry. M. de Treville was about
to reprehend this breach of the rules of etiquette, when he felt the
hand of Athos, who had rallied all his energies to contend against pain,
at length overcome by it, fell upon the floor as if he were dead.

"A surgeon!" cried M. de Treville, "mine! The king's! The best! A
surgeon! Or, s'blood, my brave Athos will die!"

At the cries of M. de Treville, the whole assemblage rushed into the
cabinet, he not thinking to shut the door against anyone, and all
crowded round the wounded man. But all this eager attention might have
been useless if the doctor so loudly called for had not chanced to be
in the hotel. He pushed through the crowd, approached Athos, still
insensible, and as all this noise and commotion inconvenienced him
greatly, he required, as the first and most urgent thing, that the
Musketeer should be carried into an adjoining chamber. Immediately M.
de Treville opened and pointed the way to Porthos and Aramis, who bore
their comrade in their arms. Behind this group walked the surgeon; and
behind the surgeon the door closed.

The cabinet of M. de Treville, generally held so sacred, became in an
instant the annex of the antechamber. Everyone spoke, harangued, and
vociferated, swearing, cursing, and consigning the cardinal and his
Guards to all the devils.

An instant after, Porthos and Aramis re-entered, the surgeon and M. de
Treville alone remaining with the wounded.

At length, M. de Treville himself returned. The injured man had
recovered his senses. The surgeon declared that the situation of th