,
and I am quite at his service."

"If what you say is sincere," replied Athos, "he will never reach
London."

"How so?"

"Because before then we shall have carried him off."

"Well, this time, Athos," said D'Artagnan, "upon my word, you are mad."

"Have you some plan in your head then?" asked Aramis.

"Ay!" said Porthos, "the thing would not be impossible with a good
plan."

"I have none," said Athos; "but D'Artagnan will discover one."

D'Artagnan shrugged his shoulders and they proceeded.

61. D'Artagnan hits on a Plan.

As night closed in they arrived at Thirsk. The four friends appeared to
be entire strangers to one another and indifferent to the precautions
taken for guarding the king. They withdrew to a private house, and as
they had reason every moment to fear for their safety, they occupied
but one room and provided an exit, which might be useful in case of
an attack. The lackeys were sent to their several posts, except that
Grimaud lay on a truss of straw across the doorway.

D'Artagnan was thoughtful and seemed for the moment to have lost his
usual loquacity. Porthos, who could never see anything that was not
self-evident, talked to him as usual. He replied in monosyllables and
Athos and Aramis looked significantly at one another.

Next morning D'Artagnan was the first to rise. He had been down to the
stables, already taken a look at the horses and given the necessary
orders for the day, whilst Athos and Aramis were still in bed and
Porthos snoring.

At eight o'clock the march was resumed in the same order as the night
before, except that D'Artagnan left his friends and began to renew the
acquaintance which he had already struck up with Monsieur Groslow.

Groslow, whom D'Artagnan's praises had greatly pleased, welcomed him
with a gracious smile.

"Really, sir," D'Artagnan said to him, "I am pleased to find one with
whom to talk in my own poor tongue. My friend, Monsieur du Vallon, is
of a very melancholy disposition, so much so, that one can scarcely
get three words out of him all day. As for our two prisoners, you can
imagine that they are but little in the vein for conversation."

"They are hot royalists," said Groslow.

"The more reason they should be sulky with us for having captured the
Stuart, for whom, I hope, you're preparing a pretty trial."

"Why," said Groslow, "that is just what we are taking him to London
for."

"And you never by any chance lose sight of him, I