language of
his lips. "The king, moreover, commanded me to take a brigade of
musketeers, which is apparently superfluous, as the country is quite
quiet."

"A brigade!" said Fouquet, raising himself upon his elbow.

"Ninety-six horsemen, yes, monseigneur. The same number as were employed
in arresting MM. de Chalais, de Cinq-Mars, and Montmorency."

Fouquet pricked up his ears at these words, pronounced without apparent
value. "And besides?" said he.

"Well! nothing but insignificant orders; such as guarding the castle,
guarding every lodging, allowing none of M. de Gesvres's guards to
occupy a single post.--M. de Gesvres, your friend."

"And for myself," cried Fouquet, "what orders had you?"

"For you, monseigneur?--not the smallest word."

"Monsieur d'Artagnan, the safety of my honor, and, perhaps, of my life,
is at stake. You would not deceive me?"

"I?--and to what end? Are you threatened? Only there really is an order
with respect to carriages and boats--"

"'An order?'"

"Yes; but it cannot concern you--a simple measure of police."

"What is it, captain--what is it?"

"To forbid all horses or boats to leave Nantes, without a pass, signed
by the king."

"Great God! but--"

D'Artagnan began to laugh. "All that is not to be put into execution
before the arrival of the king at Nantes. So that you see plainly,
monseigneur, the order in no wise concerns you."

Fouquet became thoughtful, and D'Artagnan feigned not to observe his
preoccupation--"It is evident, by my thus confiding to you the orders
which have been given to me, that I am friendly toward you, and that I
endeavor to prove to you, that none of them are directed against you."

"Without doubt!--without doubt!" said Fouquet, still absent.

"Let us recapitulate," said the captain, his glance beaming with
earnestness. "A special and severe guard of the castle, in which your
lodging is to be--is it not?"

"Do you know that castle?"

"Ah! monseigneur, a true prison! The total absence of M. de Gesvres, who
has the honor of being one of your friends. The closing of the gates of
the city, and of the river without a pass; but, only when the king shall
have arrived.

"Please to observe, Monsieur Fouquet, that if, instead of speaking to a
man like you, who are one of the first in the kingdom, I were speaking
to a troubled, uneasy conscience--I should compromise myself forever!
What a fine opportunity for any one who wished to be free! No police, n