sword was caught
in the grating and he was obliged to pull off his cloak; in doing so he
showed the butt end of his pistols and a ray of the moon was reflected
on the shining metal.

"Do you see?" whispered Aramis to Athos, touching his shoulder with one
hand and pointing with the other to the arms which the Gascon wore under
his belt.

"Alas! I do!" replied Athos, with a deep sigh.

He entered third, and Aramis, who shut the gate after him, last. The
two serving-men waited without; but as if they likewise mistrusted each
other, they kept their respective distances.

28. The Place Royale.

They proceeded silently to the centre of the Place, but as at this very
moment the moon had just emerged from behind a cloud, they thought they
might be observed if they remained on that spot and therefore regained
the shade of the lime-trees.

There were benches here and there; the four gentlemen stopped near them;
at a sign from Athos, Porthos and D'Artagnan sat down, the two others
stood in front of them.

After a few minutes of silent embarrassment, Athos spoke.

"Gentlemen," he said, "our presence here is the best proof of former
friendship; not one of us has failed the others at this rendezvous; not
one has, therefore, to reproach himself."

"Hear me, count," replied D'Artagnan; "instead of making compliments to
each other, let us explain our conduct to each other, like men of right
and honest hearts."

"I wish for nothing more; have you any cause of complaint against me or
Monsieur d'Herblay? If so, speak out," answered Athos.

"I have," replied D'Artagnan. "When I saw you at your chateau at
Bragelonne, I made certain proposals to you which you perfectly
understood; instead of answering me as a friend, you played with me as
a child; the friendship, therefore, that you boast of was not broken
yesterday by the shock of swords, but by your dissimulation at your
castle."

"D'Artagnan!" said Athos, reproachfully.

"You asked for candor and you have it. You ask what I have against you;
I tell you. And I have the same sincerity to show you, if you wish,
Monsieur d'Herblay; I acted in a similar way to you and you also
deceived me."

"Really, monsieur, you say strange things," said Aramis. "You came
seeking me to make to me certain proposals, but did you make them? No,
you sounded me, nothing more. Very well what did I say to you? that
Mazarin was contemptible and that I wouldn't serve Mazarin. But that is