ent on the road
and hastened on, that they might not fail at the appointed place. Bazin
was their only attendant, for Grimaud had stayed behind to take care of
Mousqueton. As they were passing onward, Athos proposed that they should
lay aside their arms and military costume, and assume a dress more
suited to the city.

"Oh, no, dear count!" cried Aramis, "is it not a warlike encounter that
we are going to?"

"What do you mean, Aramis?"

"That the Place Royale is the termination to the main road to Vendomois,
and nothing else."

"What! our friends?"

"Are become our most dangerous enemies, Athos. Let us be on our guard."

"Oh! my dear D'Herblay!"

"Who can say whether D'Artagnan may not have betrayed us to the
cardinal? who can tell whether Mazarin may not take advantage of this
rendezvous to seize us?"

"What! Aramis, you think that D'Artagnan, that Porthos, would lend their
hands to such an infamy?"

"Among friends, my dear Athos, no, you are right; but among enemies it
would be only a stratagem."

Athos crossed his arms and bowed his noble head.

"What can you expect, Athos? Men are so made; and we are not always
twenty years old. We have cruelly wounded, as you know, that personal
pride by which D'Artagnan is blindly governed. He has been beaten. Did
you not observe his despair on the journey? As to Porthos, his barony
was perhaps dependent on that affair. Well, he found us on his road
and will not be baron this time. Perhaps that famous barony will
have something to do with our interview this evening. Let us take our
precautions, Athos."

"But suppose they come unarmed? What a disgrace to us."

"Oh, never fear! besides, if they do, we can easily make an excuse; we
came straight off a journey and are insurgents, too."

"An excuse for us! to meet D'Artagnan with a false excuse! to have to
make a false excuse to Porthos! Oh, Aramis!" continued Athos, shaking
his head mournfully, "upon my soul, you make me the most miserable
of men; you disenchant a heart not wholly dead to friendship. Go in
whatever guise you choose; for my part, I shall go unarmed."

"No, for I will not allow you to do so. 'Tis not one man, not Athos
only, not the Comte de la Fere whom you will ruin by this amiable
weakness, but a whole party to whom you belong and who depend upon you."

"Be it so then," replied Athos, sorrowfully.

And they pursued their road in mournful silence.

Scarcely had they reached by the Rue de la Mul