me than life I have only
Lord de Winter, the friend of twenty years, and you, gentlemen, whom I
see for the first time and whom I know but as my countrymen."

"It is enough," said Athos, bowing low, "if the lives of three men can
purchase yours, madame."

"I thank you, gentlemen. But hear me," continued she. "I am not only
the most miserable of queens, but the most unhappy of mothers, the most
wretched of wives. My children, two of them, at least, the Duke of York
and the Princess Elizabeth, are far away from me, exposed to the blows
of the ambitious and our foes; my husband, the king, is leading in
England so wretched an existence that it is no exaggeration to aver that
he seeks death as a thing to be desired. Hold! gentlemen, here is the
letter conveyed to me by Lord de Winter. Read it."

Obeying the queen, Athos read aloud the letter which we have already
seen, in which King Charles demanded to know whether the hospitality of
France would be accorded him.

"Well?" asked Athos, when he had closed the letter.

"Well," said the queen, "it has been refused."

The two friends exchanged a smile of contempt.

"And now," said Athos, "what is to be done? I have the honor to inquire
from your majesty what you desire Monsieur d'Herblay and myself to do in
your service. We are ready."

"Ah, sir, you have a noble heart!" exclaimed the queen, with a burst of
gratitude; whilst Lord de Winter turned to her with a glance which said,
"Did I not answer for them?"

"But you, sir?" said the queen to Aramis.

"I, madame," replied he, "follow Monsieur de la Fere wherever he leads,
even were it on to death, without demanding wherefore; but when it
concerns your majesty's service, then," added he, looking at the queen
with all the grace of former days, "I precede the count."

"Well, then, gentlemen," said the queen, "since it is thus, and since
you are willing to devote yourselves to the service of a poor princess
whom the whole world has abandoned, this is what is required to be done
for me. The king is alone with a few gentlemen, whom he fears to lose
every day; surrounded by the Scotch, whom he distrusts, although he
be himself a Scotchman. Since Lord de Winter left him I am distracted,
sirs. I ask much, too much, perhaps, for I have no title to request
it. Go to England, join the king, be his friends, protectors, march to
battle at his side, and be near him in his house, where conspiracies,
more dangerous than the perils of