inger-and-thumbful of hair out of
his head; he would have done more if his head of hair had been in more
flourishing circumstances.

"Yes," he said, "that is the key of the whole enigma. The young girl has
been playing her pranks; what people say about her and the king is true,
then; our young master has been deceived; he ought to know it. Monsieur
le Comte has been to see the king, and has told him a piece of his mind;
and then the king sent M. d'Artagnan to arrange the affair. Ah, gracious
goodness!" continued Grimaud, "Monsieur le Comte, I now remember,
returned without his sword."

This discovery made the perspiration break out all over poor Grimaud's
face. He did not waste any more time in useless conjecture, but clapped
his hat on his head, and ran to Raoul's lodgings.

Raoul, after Louise had left him, had mastered his grief, if not his
affection; and, compelled to look forward on that perilous road on which
madness and rebellion were hurrying him, he had seen, from the very
first glance, his father exposed to the royal obstinacy; since Athos had
himself been the first to oppose any resistance to the royal will. At
this moment, from a very natural sympathy of feeling, the unhappy young
man remembered the mysterious signs which Athos had made, and the
unexpected visit of D'Artagnan; the result of the conflict between a
sovereign and a subject revealed itself to his terrified vision. As
D'Artagnan was on duty, that is, fixed to his post without possibility
of leaving it, it was certainly not likely that he had come to pay Athos
a visit merely for the pleasure of seeing him. He must have come to say
something to him. This something, in such painful conjectures, was
either a misfortune or a danger. Raoul trembled at having been so
selfish as to have forgotten his father for his affection; at having, in
a word, passed his time in idle dreams, or in an indulgence of despair,
at a time when a necessity existed for repelling the imminent attack
directed against Athos. The very idea nearly drove him wild; he buckled
on his sword and ran toward his father's lodgings. On his way there he
encountered Grimaud, who, having set off from the opposite pole, was
running with equal eagerness in search of the truth. The two men
embraced each other most warmly.

"Grimaud," exclaimed Raoul, "is the comte well?"

"Have you seen him?"

"No; where is he?"

"I am trying to find out."

"And M. d'Artagnan?"

"Went out with him."