man must not, however, fail in his duty," said Athos.

"In the first place, count, this youth is our prisoner; you seem to
forget that. What I propose to do is fair in war; the vanquished must
not be dainty in the choice of means. Give me the despatch, Raoul."

The young man hesitated and looked at Athos as if seeking to read in his
eyes a rule of conduct.

"Give him the despatch, Raoul! you are the chevalier's prisoner."

Raoul gave it up reluctantly; Aramis instantly seized and read it.

"You," he said, "you, who are so trusting, read and reflect that there
is something in this letter important for us to see."

Athos took the letter, frowning, but an idea that he should find
something in this letter about D'Artagnan conquered his unwillingness to
read it.

"My lord, I shall send this evening to your eminence in order to
reinforce the troop of Monsieur de Comminges, the ten men you demand.
They are good soldiers, fit to confront the two violent adversaries
whose address and resolution your eminence is fearful of."

"Oh!" cried Athos.

"Well," said Aramis, "what think you about these two enemies whom it
requires, besides Comminges's troop, ten good soldiers to confront; are
they not as like as two drops of water to D'Artagnan and Porthos?"

"We'll search Paris all day long," said Athos, "and if we have no news
this evening we will return to the road to Picardy; and I feel no doubt
that, thanks to D'Artagnan's ready invention, we shall then find some
clew which will solve our doubts."

"Yes, let us search Paris and especially inquire of Planchet if he has
yet heard from his former master."

"That poor Planchet! You speak of him very much at your ease, Aramis; he
has probably been killed. All those fighting citizens went out to battle
and they have been massacred."

It was, then, with a sentiment of uneasiness whether Planchet, who
alone could give them information, was alive or dead, that the friends
returned to the Place Royale; to their great surprise they found the
citizens still encamped there, drinking and bantering each other,
although, doubtless, mourned by their families, who thought they were at
Charenton in the thickest of the fighting.

Athos and Aramis again questioned Planchet, but he had seen nothing of
D'Artagnan; they wished to take Planchet with them, but he could not
leave his troop, who at five o'clock returned home, saying that they
were returning from the battle, whereas they had neve