nuffing the
fresh air in his triumph and shouting out, with an expression of face
which it would be impossible to describe:

"Free! free! free!"

24. The timely Arrival of D'Artagnan in Paris.

At Blois, D'Artagnan received the money paid to him by Mazarin for any
future service he might render the cardinal.

From Blois to Paris was a journey of four days for ordinary travelers,
but D'Artagnan arrived on the third day at the Barriere Saint Denis.
In turning the corner of the Rue Montmartre, in order to reach the Rue
Tiquetonne and the Hotel de la Chevrette, where he had appointed Porthos
to meet him, he saw at one of the windows of the hotel, that friend
himself dressed in a sky-blue waistcoat, embroidered with silver, and
gaping, till he showed every one of his white teeth; whilst the people
passing by admiringly gazed at this gentleman, so handsome and so rich,
who seemed to weary of his riches and his greatness.

D'Artagnan and Planchet had hardly turned the corner when Porthos
recognized them.

"Eh! D'Artagnan!" he cried. "Thank God you have come!"

"Eh! good-day, dear friend!" replied D'Artagnan.

Porthos came down at once to the threshold of the hotel.

"Ah, my dear friend!" he cried, "what bad stabling for my horses here."

"Indeed!" said D'Artagnan; "I am most unhappy to hear it, on account of
those fine animals."

"And I, also--I was also wretchedly off," he answered, moving backward
and forward as he spoke; "and had it not been for the hostess," he
added, with his air of vulgar self-complacency, "who is very agreeable
and understands a joke, I should have got a lodging elsewhere."

The pretty Madeleine, who had approached during this colloquy, stepped
back and turned pale as death on hearing Porthos's words, for she
thought the scene with the Swiss was about to be repeated. But to her
great surprise D'Artagnan remained perfectly calm, and instead of being
angry he laughed, and said to Porthos:

"Yes, I understand, the air of La Rue Tiquetonne is not like that of
Pierrefonds; but console yourself, I will soon conduct you to one much
better."

"When will you do that?"

"Immediately, I hope."

"Ah! so much the better!"

To that exclamation of Porthos's succeeded a groaning, low and profound,
which seemed to come from behind a door. D'Artagnan, who had just
dismounted, then saw, outlined against the wall, the enormous stomach of
Mousqueton, whose down-drawn mouth emitted sounds of d