to resume their usual places and be calm; "no, I shall not kill you;
at least not at this moment, for without you I could not discover the
others. But when I have found them, then tremble, sir. I stabbed to the
heart the headsman of Bethune, without mercy or pity, and he was the
least guilty of you all."

With these words the young man went out and descended the stairs with
sufficient calmness to pass unobserved; then upon the lowest landing
place he passed Tony, leaning over the balustrade, waiting only for a
call from his master to mount to his room.

But De Winter did not call; crushed, enfeebled, he remained standing and
with listening ear; then only when he had heard the step of the horse
going away he fell back on a chair, saying:

"My God, I thank Thee that he knows me only."

41. Paternal Affection.

Whilst this terrible scene was passing at Lord de Winter's, Athos,
seated near his window, his elbow on the table and his head supported on
his hand, was listening intently to Raoul's account of the adventures he
met with on his journey and the details of the battle.

Listening to the relation of those emotions so fresh and pure, the fine,
noble face of Athos betrayed indescribable pleasure; he inhaled the
tones of that young voice, as harmonious music. He forgot all that was
dark in the past and that was cloudy in the future. It almost seemed
as if the return of this much loved boy had changed his fears to hopes.
Athos was happy--happy as he had never been before.

"And you assisted and took part in this great battle, Bragelonne!" cried
the former musketeer.

"Yes, sir."

"And it was a fierce one?"

"His highness the prince charged eleven times in person."

"He is a great commander, Bragelonne."

"He is a hero, sir. I did not lose sight of him for an instant. Oh! how
fine it is to be called Conde and to be so worthy of such a name!"

"He was calm and radiant, was he not?"

"As calm as at parade, radiant as at a fete. When we went up to the
enemy it was slowly; we were forbidden to draw first and we were
marching toward the Spaniards, who were on a height with lowered
muskets. When we arrived about thirty paces from them the prince turned
around to the soldiers: 'Comrades,' he said, 'you are about to suffer
a furious discharge; but after that you will make short work with those
fellows.' There was such dead silence that friends and enemies could
have heard these words; then raising his sw