, from the simple fact of his not being
ubiquitous; so that, with the information he had been able by his own
means to pick up during the day, and with what he had gathered from
others, he succeeded in making up a bundle of weapons, which he untied
as occasion might require. In this way D'Artagnan's two eyes rendered
him the same service as the hundred eyes of Argus. Political secrets,
bedside revelations, hints or scraps of conversation dropped by the
courtiers on the threshold of the royal antechamber, in this way
D'Artagnan managed to ascertain and to put away everything in the vast
and impenetrable tomb of his memory, by the side of those royal secrets
so dearly bought and faithfully preserved. He therefore knew of the
king's interview with Colbert, and of the appointment made for the
ambassadors in the morning, and consequently he knew that the question
of the medals would be brought under debate; and, while he was arranging
and constructing the conversation upon a few chance words which had
reached his ears, he returned to his post in the royal apartments, so as
to be there at the very moment the king would awake. It happened that
the king woke very early--proving thereby that he, too, on his side, had
slept but indifferently. Toward seven o'clock, he half-opened his door
very gently. D'Artagnan was at his post. His majesty was pale, and
seemed wearied; he had not, moreover, quite finished dressing.

"Send for M. de Saint-Aignan," he said.

Saint-Aignan very probably awaited a summons, for the messenger, when he
reached his apartment, found him already dressed. Saint-Aignan hastened
to the king in obedience to the summons. A moment afterward the king and
Saint-Aignan passed by together, but the king walking first. D'Artagnan
went to the window which looked out upon the courtyards; he had no need
to put himself to the trouble of watching in what direction the king
went, for he had no difficulty in guessing beforehand where his majesty
was going. The king, in fact, bent his steps toward the apartments of
the maids of honor--a circumstance which in no way astonished
D'Artagnan, for he more than suspected, although La Valliere had not
breathed a syllable on the subject, that the king had some kind of
reparation to make. Saint-Aignan followed him as he had done the
previous evening, rather less uneasy in his mind, though still slightly
agitated, for he fervently trusted that at seven o'clock in the morning
there might