end,
nothing now is lacking except that you should feel remorse for having
killed that fellow."

"Hush!" said Athos, putting a finger on his lips, with the sad smile
peculiar to him; "let us talk no more of Mordaunt--it will bring bad
luck." And Athos set forward toward Charenton, followed closely by
Aramis.

78. The Battle of Charenton.

As Athos and Aramis proceeded, and passed different companies on the
road, they became aware that they were arriving near the field of
battle.

"Ah! my friend!" cried Athos, suddenly, "where have you brought us?
I fancy I perceive around us faces of different officers in the royal
army; is not that the Duc de Chatillon himself coming toward us with his
brigadiers?"

"Good-day, sirs," said the duke, advancing; "you are puzzled by what you
see here, but one word will explain everything. There is now a truce and
a conference. The prince, Monsieur de Retz, the Duc de Beaufort, the Duc
de Bouillon, are talking over public affairs. Now one of two things must
happen: either matters will not be arranged, or they will be arranged,
in which last case I shall be relieved of my command and we shall still
meet again."

"Sir," said Aramis, "you speak to the point. Allow me to ask you a
question: Where are the plenipotentiaries?"

"At Charenton, in the second house on the right on entering from the
direction of Paris."

"And was this conference arranged beforehand?"

"No, gentlemen, it seems to be the result of certain propositions which
Mazarin made last night to the Parisians."

Athos and Aramis exchanged smiles; for they well knew what those
propositions were, to whom they had been made and who had made them.

"And that house in which the plenipotentiaries are," asked Athos,
"belongs to----"

"To Monsieur de Chanleu, who commands your troops at Charenton. I say
your troops, for I presume that you gentlemen are Frondeurs?"

"Yes, almost," said Aramis.

"We are for the king and the princes," added Athos.

"We must understand each other," said the duke. "The king is with us and
his generals are the Duke of Orleans and the Prince de Conde, although
I must add 'tis almost impossible now to know to which party any one
belongs."

"Yes," answered Athos, "but his right place is in our ranks, with the
Prince de Conti, De Beaufort, D'Elbeuf, and De Bouillon; but, sir,
supposing that the conference is broken off--are you going to try to
take Charenton?"

"Such are my orders.