en minutes later the escort stopped at
Ermenonville, but the four friends went on with well sustained ardor,
guarding Mazarin carefully. At noon they rode into the avenue of
Pierrefonds.

"Ah!" said Mousqueton, who had ridden by the side of D'Artagnan without
speaking a word on the journey, "you may think what you will, sir, but I
can breathe now for the first time since my departure from Pierrefonds;"
and he put his horse to a gallop to announce to the other servants the
arrival of Monsieur du Vallon and his friends.

"We are four of us," said D'Artagnan; "we must relieve each other in
mounting guard over my lord and each of us must watch three hours at a
time. Athos is going to examine the castle, which it will be necessary
to render impregnable in case of siege; Porthos will see to the
provisions and Aramis to the troops of the garrison. That is to say,
Athos will be chief engineer, Porthos purveyor-in-general, and Aramis
governor of the fortress."

Meanwhile, they gave up to Mazarin the handsomest room in the chateau.

"Gentlemen," he said, when he was in his room, "you do not expect, I
presume, to keep me here a long time incognito?"

"No, my lord," replied the Gascon; "on the contrary, we think of
announcing very soon that we have you here."

"Then you will be besieged."

"We expect it."

"And what shall you do?"

"Defend ourselves. Were the late Cardinal Richelieu alive he would tell
you a certain story of the Bastion Saint Gervais, which we four, with
our four lackeys and twelve dead men, held out against a whole army."

"Such feats, sir, are done once--and never repeated."

"However, nowadays there's no need of so much heroism. To-morrow the
army of Paris will be summoned, the day after it will be here! The field
of battle, instead, therefore, of being at Saint Denis or at Charenton,
will be near Compiegne or Villars-Cotterets."

"The prince will vanquish you, as he has always done."

"'Tis possible; my lord; but before an engagement ensues we shall move
your eminence to another castle belonging to our friend Du Vallon, who
has three. We will not expose your eminence to the chances of war."

"Come," answered Mazarin, "I see it will be necessary for me to
capitulate."

"Before a siege?"

"Yes; the conditions will be better than afterward."

"Ah, my lord! as to conditions, you would soon see how moderate and
reasonable we are!"

"Come, now, what are your conditions?"

"Rest yourself first