tyard
at full gallop.

"Shall I go alone," said Aramis to himself, "or warn the prince? Oh!
fury! Warn the prince, and then--do what? Take him with me? To carry
this accusing witness about with me everywhere? War, too, would
follow--civil war, implacable in its nature! And without any resource
save myself--it is impossible! What could he do without me? Oh! without
me he would be utterly destroyed. Yet who knows--let destiny be
fulfilled--condemned he was, let him remain so then! Good or evil
spirit--gloomy and scornful power, whom men call the Genius of man, thou
art a power more restlessly uncertain, more baselessly useless, than the
wild wind in the mountains; Chance thou term'st thyself, but thou art
nothing; thou inflamest everything with thy breath, crumblest mountains
at thy approach, and suddenly art thyself destroyed at the presence of
the Cross of dead wood, behind which stands another Power invisible like
thyself--whom thou deniest, perhaps, but whose avenging hand is on thee,
and hurls thee in the dust dishonored and unnamed! Lost! I am lost! What
can be done? Flee to Belle-Isle? Yes, and leave Porthos behind me, to
talk and relate the whole affair to every one! Porthos, too, who will
have to suffer for what he has done. I will not let poor Porthos suffer.
He seems like one of the members of my own frame; and his grief or
misfortune would be mine as well. Porthos shall leave with me, and shall
follow my destiny. It must be so."

And Aramis, apprehensive of meeting any one to whom his hurried
movements might appear suspicious ascended the staircase without being
perceived. Porthos, so recently returned from Paris, was already in a
profound sleep; his huge body forgot its fatigue, as his mind forgot its
thoughts. Aramis entered, light as a shadow, and placed his nervous
grasp on the giant's shoulder. "Come, Porthos," he cried, "come."

Porthos obeyed, rose from his bed, opened his eyes, even before his
intelligence seemed to be aroused.

"We are going off," said Aramis.

"Ah!" returned Porthos.

"We shall go mounted, and faster than we have ever gone in our lives."

"Ah!" repeated Porthos.

"Dress yourself, my friend."

And he helped the giant to dress himself and thrust his gold and
diamonds into his pocket. While he was thus engaged, a slight noise
attracted his attention, and on looking up, he saw D'Artagnan watching
them through the half-opened door. Aramis started.

"What the devil are you doi