oux!_ yes."

"How so?"

"I am about to purchase some very profitable salt-mines, which are
situated between Piriac and Le Croisic. Imagine, my dear friend, a
clear profit of twelve per cent. Never any deficiency, never any idle
expenses; the ocean, faithful and regular, brings every twelve hours
its contingency to my coffers. I am the first Parisian who has dreamt of
such a speculation. Do not say anything about it, I beg of you, and in a
short time we will communicate on the matter. I am to have three leagues
of country for thirty thousand livres."

Aramis darted a look at Porthos, as if to ask if all this were true,
if some snare were not concealed beneath this outward indifference.
But soon, as if ashamed of having consulted this poor auxiliary, he
collected all his forces for a fresh assault and new defense. "I heard
that you had had some difference with the court, but that you had come
out of it as you know how to get through everything, D'Artagnan, with
the honors of war."

"I!" said the musketeer, with a burst of laughter that did not conceal
his embarrassment: for, from those words, Aramis was not unlikely to be
acquainted with his last relations with the king. "I! Oh, tell me all
about that, pray, Aramis?"

"Yes, it was related to me, a poor bishop, lost in the middle of the
_Landes_, that the king had taken you as the confidant of his amours."

"With whom?"

"With Mademoiselle de Mancini."

D'Artagnan breathed freely again. "Ah! I don't say no to that," replied
he.

"It appears that the king took you one morning, over the bridge of Blois
to talk with his lady-love."

"That's true," said D'Artagnan. "And you know that, do you? Well, then,
you must know that the same day I gave in my resignation!"

"What, sincerely?"

"Nothing more so."

"It was after that, then, that you went to the Comte de la Fere's?"

"Yes."

"Afterwards to me?"

"Yes."

"And then Porthos?"

"Yes."

"Was it in order to pay us a simple visit?"

"No, I did no know you were engaged, and I wished to take you with me
into England."

"Yes, I understand; and then you executed alone, wonderful man as you
are, what you wanted to propose to us all four. I suspected you had
something to do with that famous restoration, when I learned that you
had been seen at King Charles's receptions, and that he appeared to
treat you like a friend, or rather like a person to whom he was under an
obligation."

"But how the devil did yo