comprehend at least some words?"

"Suppose they do! If they do understand a few spoken words it does not
follow that they should understand what is written. They cannot even
read Spanish. A noble Spaniard, remember, ought never to know how to
read."

The governor was obliged to be satisfied with these explanations, but he
was still tenacious. "Invite these gentlemen to come to the fortress,"
said he.

"That I will willingly do. I was about to propose it to you." The fact
is, the captain had quite another idea, and would have wished his
friends a hundred leagues off. But he was obliged to make the best of
it. He addressed the two gentlemen in Spanish, giving them a polite
invitation, which they accepted. They all turned toward the entrance of
the fort, and the incident being exhausted, the eight soldiers returned
to their delightful leisure, for a moment disturbed by this unexpected
adventure.

CHAPTER CVI.

CAPTIVE AND JAILERS.

When they had entered the fort, and while the governor was making some
preparations for the reception of his guests--"Come," said Athos, "let
us have a word of explanation while we are alone.

"It is simply this," replied the musketeer. "I have conducted hither a
prisoner, who the king commands shall not be seen. You came here, he has
thrown something to you through the lattice of the window; I was at
dinner with the governor, I saw the object thrown, and I saw Raoul pick
it up. It does not take long to understand this. I understood it; and I
thought you in intelligence with my prisoner. And then--"

"And then--you commanded us to be shot."

"Ma foi! I admit it; but if I was the first to seize a musket,
fortunately I was the last to take aim at you."

"If you had killed me, D'Artagnan, I should have had the good fortune to
die for the royal house of France, and it would be an honor to die by
your hand--you, its noblest and most loyal defender."

"What the devil, Athos, do you mean by the royal house?" stammered
D'Artagnan. "You don't mean that you, a well-informed and sensible man,
can place any faith in the nonsense written by an idiot?"

"I do believe in it."

"With so much the more reason, my dear chevalier, from your having
orders to kill all those who do believe in it," said Raoul.

"That is because," replied the captain of the musketeers--"because every
calumny, however absurd it may be, has the almost certain chance of
becoming popular."

"No, D'Artagnan," repl