ast in appearance.

"Monsieur Mordaunt," he said, "since, after running after one another
so long, chance has at last brought us together, let us have a little
conversation, if you please."

69. Conversational.

Though Mordaunt had been so completely taken by surprise and had mounted
the stairs in such utter confusion, when once seated he recovered
himself, as it were, and prepared to seize any possible opportunity
of escape. His eye wandered to a long stout sword on his flank and he
instinctively slipped it around within reach of his right hand.

D'Artagnan was waiting for a reply to his remark and said nothing.
Aramis muttered to himself, "We shall hear nothing but the usual
commonplace things."

Porthos sucked his mustache, muttering, "A good deal of ceremony
to-night about crushing an adder." Athos shrunk into his corner, pale
and motionless as a bas-relief.

The silence, however, could not last forever. So D'Artagnan began:

"Sir," he said, with desperate politeness, "it seems to me that you
change your costume almost as rapidly as I have seen the Italian mummers
do, whom the Cardinal Mazarin brought over from Bergamo and whom he
doubtless took you to see during your travels in France."

Mordaunt did not reply.

"Just now," D'Artagnan continued, "you were disguised--I mean to say,
attired--as a murderer, and now----"

"And now I look very much like a man who is going to be murdered."

"Oh! sir," said D'Artagnan, "how can you talk like that when you are in
the company of gentlemen and have such an excellent sword at your side?"

"No sword is excellent enough to be of use against four swords and
daggers."

"Well, that is scarcely the question. I had the honor of asking you why
you altered your costume. The mask and beard became you very well, and
as to the axe, I do not think it would be out of keeping even at this
moment. Why, then, have you laid it aside?"

"Because, remembering the scene at Armentieres, I thought I should find
four axes for one, as I was to meet four executioners."

"Sir," replied D'Artagnan, in the calmest manner possible, "you are
very young; I shall therefore overlook your frivolous remarks. What
took place at Armentieres has no connection whatever with the present
occasion. We could scarcely have requested your mother to take a sword
and fight us."

"Aha! It is a duel, then?" cried Mordaunt, as if disposed to reply at
once to the provocation.

Porthos rose, alwa