uneasy.

At the branching off of the road toward Paris, Aramis, who had followed
in the cardinal's suite, turned back. Mazarin went to the right hand and
Aramis could see the prisoner disappear at the turning of the avenue.
Athos, at the same moment, moved by a similar impulse, looked back also.
The two friends exchanged a simple inclination of the head and Aramis
put his finger to his hat, as if to bow, Athos alone comprehending by
that signal that he had some project in his head.

Ten minutes afterward Mazarin entered the court of that chateau which
his predecessor had built for him at Rueil; as he alighted, Comminges
approached him.

"My lord," he asked, "where does your eminence wish Monsieur Comte de la
Fere to be lodged?"

"In the pavilion of the orangery, of course, in front of the pavilion
where the guard is. I wish every respect to be shown the count, although
he is the prisoner of her majesty the queen."

"My lord," answered Comminges, "he begs to be taken to the place where
Monsieur d'Artagnan is confined--that is, in the hunting lodge, opposite
the orangery."

Mazarin thought for an instant.

Comminges saw that he was undecided.

"'Tis a very strong post," he resumed, "and we have forty good men,
tried soldiers, having no connection with Frondeurs nor any interest in
the Fronde."

"If we put these three men together, Monsieur Comminges," said Mazarin,
"we must double the guard, and we are not rich enough in fighting men to
commit such acts of prodigality."

Comminges smiled; Mazarin read and construed that smile.

"You do not know these men, Monsieur Comminges, but I know them, first
personally, also by hearsay. I sent them to carry aid to King Charles
and they performed prodigies to save him; had it not been for an adverse
destiny, that beloved monarch would this day have been among us."

"But since they served your eminence so well, why are they, my lord
cardinal, in prison?"

"In prison?" said Mazarin, "and when has Rueil been a prison?"

"Ever since there were prisoners in it," answered Comminges.

"These gentlemen, Comminges, are not prisoners," returned Mazarin, with
his ironical smile, "only guests; but guests so precious that I have put
a grating before each of their windows and bolts to their doors, that
they may not refuse to continue my visitors. So much do I esteem
them that I am going to make the Comte de la Fere a visit, that I may
converse with him tete-a-tete, and that we m