e was cold and dead. He held a lock of fair hair in
his right hand, and that hand was pressed tightly upon his heart."

Then followed the details of the expedition, and of the victory obtained
over the Arabs. D'Artagnan stopped at the account of the death of poor
Raoul. "Oh!" murmured he, "unhappy boy! a suicide!"

And turning his eyes toward the chamber of the chateau, in which Athos
slept in eternal sleep, "They kept their words with each other," said
he, in a low voice; "now I believe them to be happy; they must be
reunited." And he returned through the parterre with slow and melancholy
steps. All the village--all the neighborhood--were filled with grieving
neighbors relating to each other the double catastrophe, and making
preparations for the funeral.

CHAPTER CXXXIV.

THE LAST CANTO OF THE POEM.

On the morrow, all the noblesse of the provinces, of the environs, and
wherever messengers had carried the news, were seen to arrive.
D'Artagnan had shut himself up, without being willing to speak to
anybody. Two such heavy deaths falling upon the captain, so closely
after the death of Porthos, for a long time oppressed that spirit which
had hitherto been so indefatigable and invulnerable. Except Grimaud, who
entered his chamber once, the musketeer saw neither servants nor guests.
He supposed, from the noises in the house, and the continual coming and
going, that preparations were being made for the funeral of the comte.
He wrote to the king to ask for an extension of his leave of absence.
Grimaud, as we have said, had entered D'Artagnan's apartment, had seated
himself upon a joint-stool near the door, like a man who meditates
profoundly; then, rising, he made a sign to D'Artagnan to follow him.
The latter obeyed in silence. Grimaud descended to the comte's
bed-chamber, showed the captain with his finger the place of the empty
bed, and raised his eyes eloquently toward heaven.

"Yes," replied D'Artagnan, "yes, good Grimaud--now with the son he loved
so much!"

Grimaud left the chamber, and led the way to the hall, where, according
to the custom of the province, the body was laid out, previously to its
being buried forever. D'Artagnan was struck at seeing two open coffins
in the hall. In reply to the mute invitation of Grimaud, he approached,
and saw in one of them Athos, still handsome in death, and, in the
other, Raoul, with his eyes closed, his cheeks pearly as those of the
Pallas of Virgil, with a smile