room without even asking the cause of so much noise.

Blaisois returned disconsolate to the Hotel of the Grand Roi Charlemagne
and when Athos inquired if his commission was executed, he related his
adventure.

"You foolish fellow!" said Athos, laughing. "And you did not tell him
that you came from me?"

"No, sir."

At ten o'clock Athos, with his habitual exactitude, was waiting on the
Pont du Louvre and was almost immediately joined by Lord de Winter.

They waited ten minutes and then his lordship began to fear Aramis was
not coming to join them.

"Patience," said Athos, whose eyes were fixed in the direction of the
Rue du Bac, "patience; I see an abbe cuffing a man, then bowing to a
woman; it must be Aramis."

It was indeed Aramis. Having run against a young shopkeeper who was
gaping at the crows and who had splashed him, Aramis with one blow of
his fist had distanced him ten paces.

At this moment one of his penitents passed, and as she was young and
pretty Aramis took off his cap to her with his most gracious smile.

A most affectionate greeting, as one can well believe took place between
him and Lord de Winter.

"Where are we going?" inquired Aramis; "are we going to fight,
perchance? I carry no sword this morning and cannot return home to
procure one."

"No," said Lord de Winter, "we are going to pay a visit to Her Majesty
the Queen of England."

"Oh, very well," replied Aramis; then bending his face down to Athos's
ear, "what is the object of this visit?" continued he.

"Nay, I know not; some evidence required from us, perhaps."

"May it not be about that cursed affair?" asked Aramis, "in which case I
do not greatly care to go, for it will be to pocket a lecture; and since
it is my function to give them to others I am rather averse to receiving
them myself."

"If it were so," answered Athos, "we should not be taken there by Lord
de Winter, for he would come in for his share; he was one of us."

"You're right; yes, let us go."

On arriving at the Louvre Lord de Winter entered first; indeed, there
was but one porter there to receive them at the gate.

It was impossible in daylight for the impoverished state of the
habitation grudging charity had conceded to an unfortunate queen to
pass unnoticed by Athos, Aramis, and even the Englishman. Large rooms,
completely stripped of furniture, bare walls upon which, here and there,
shone the old gold moldings which had resisted time and neglect, window