im. We were too devoted servants to refuse him a request of
that sort. We set out last evening and here we are."

"Here you are."

"His eminence had something to communicate to her majesty, something
secret and private--a mission that could be confided only to a sure
man--and so has sent me to Saint Germain. And therefore, my dear
Monsieur Bernouin, if you wish to do what will be pleasing to your
master, announce to her majesty that I have come, and tell her with what
purpose."

Whether he spoke seriously or in jest, since it was evident that under
existing circumstances D'Artagnan was the only man who could relieve the
queen's uneasiness, Bernouin went without hesitation to announce to her
this strange embassy; and as he had foreseen, the queen gave orders to
introduce Monsieur d'Artagnan at once.

D'Artagnan approached the sovereign with every mark of profound respect,
and having fallen on his knees presented to her the cardinal's letter

It was, however, merely a letter of introduction. The queen read it,
recognized the writing, and, since there were no details in it of what
had occurred, asked for particulars. D'Artagnan related everything with
that simple and ingenuous air which he knew how to assume on occasions.
The queen, as he went on, looked at him with increasing astonishment.
She could not comprehend how a man could conceive such an enterprise and
still less how he could have the audacity to disclose it to her whose
interest and almost duty it was to punish him.

"How, sir!" she cried, as D'Artagnan finished, "you dare to tell me the
details of your crime--to give me an account of your treason!"

"Pardon, madame, but I think that either I have expressed myself badly
or your majesty has imperfectly understood me. There is here no question
of crime or treason. Monsieur de Mazarin held us in prison, Monsieur du
Vallon and myself, because we could not believe that he had sent us to
England to quietly look on while they cut off the head of Charles I.,
brother-in-law of the late king, your husband, the consort of Madame
Henrietta, your sister and your guest, and because we did all that we
could do to save the life of the royal martyr. We were then convinced,
my friend and I, that there was some error of which we were the
victims, and that an explanation was called for between his eminence and
ourselves. Now, that an explanation may bear fruit, it is necessary that
it should be quietly conducted, far from no