."

It was about four o'clock in the afternoon when Raoul arrived at
Compiegne; there he dined heartily and again inquired about the young
gentleman who was in advance of them. He had stopped, like Raoul, at
the Hotel of the Bell and Bottle, the best at Compiegne; and had started
again on his journey, saying that he should sleep at Noyon.

"Well, let us sleep at Noyon," said Raoul.

"Sir," replied Olivain, respectfully, "allow me to remark that we have
already much fatigued the horses this morning. I think it would be well
to sleep here and to start again very early to-morrow. Eighteen leagues
is enough for the first stage."

"The Comte de la Fere wished me to hasten on," replied Raoul, "that I
might rejoin the prince on the morning of the fourth day; let us push
on, then, to Noyon; it will be a stage similar to those we traveled from
Blois to Paris. We shall arrive at eight o'clock. The horses will have a
long night's rest, and at five o'clock to-morrow morning we can be again
on the road."

Olivain dared offer no opposition to this determination but he followed
his master, grumbling.

"Go on, go on," said he, between his teeth, "expend your ardor the first
day; to-morrow, instead of journeying twenty leagues, you will travel
ten, the day after to-morrow, five, and in three days you will be in
bed. There you must rest; young people are such braggarts."

It was easy to see that Olivain had not been taught in the school of the
Planchets and the Grimauds. Raoul really felt tired, but he was desirous
of testing his strength, and, brought up in the principles of Athos
and certain of having heard him speak a thousand times of stages of
twenty-five leagues, he did not wish to fall far short of his model.
D'Artagnan, that man of iron, who seemed to be made of nerve and muscle
only, had struck him with admiration. Therefore, in spite of Olivain's
remarks, he continued to urge his steed more and more, and following a
pleasant little path, leading to a ferry, and which he had been assured
shortened the journey by the distance of one league, he arrived at the
summit of a hill and perceived the river flowing before him. A little
troop of men on horseback were waiting on the edge of the stream, ready
to embark. Raoul did not doubt this was the gentleman and his escort; he
called out to him, but they were too distant to be heard; then, in spite
of the weariness of his beast, he made it gallop but the rising ground
soon depriv