Les trois mousquetaires. English

by Alexandre Dumas

  20 THE JOURNEY

  At two o'clock in the morning, our four adventurers left Paris by theBarriere St. Denis. As long as it was dark they remained silent; inspite of themselves they submitted to the influence of the obscurity,and apprehended ambushes on every side.

  With the first rays of day their tongues were loosened; with the sungaiety revived. It was like the eve of a battle; the heart beat, theeyes laughed, and they felt that the life they were perhaps going tolose, was, after all, a good thing.

  Besides, the appearance of the caravan was formidable. The black horsesof the Musketeers, their martial carriage, with the regimental step ofthese noble companions of the soldier, would have betrayed the moststrict incognito. The lackeys followed, armed to the teeth.

  All went well till they arrived at Chantilly, which they reached abouteight o'clock in the morning. They needed breakfast, and alighted at thedoor of an AUBERGE, recommended by a sign representing St. Martin givinghalf his cloak to a poor man. They ordered the lackeys not to unsaddlethe horses, and to hold themselves in readiness to set off againimmediately.

  They entered the common hall, and placed themselves at table. Agentleman, who had just arrived by the route of Dammartin, was seated atthe same table, and was breakfasting. He opened the conversation aboutrain and fine weather; the travelers replied. He drank to their goodhealth, and the travelers returned his politeness.

  But at the moment Mousqueton came to announce that the horses wereready, and they were arising from table, the stranger proposed toPorthos to drink the health of the cardinal. Porthos replied that heasked no better if the stranger, in his turn, would drink the health ofthe king. The stranger cried that he acknowledged no other king but hisEminence. Porthos called him drunk, and the stranger drew his sword.

  "You have committed a piece of folly," said Athos, "but it can't behelped; there is no drawing back. Kill the fellow, and rejoin us as soonas you can."

  All three remounted their horses, and set out at a good pace, whilePorthos was promising his adversary to perforate him with all thethrusts known in the fencing schools.

  "There goes one!" cried Athos, at the end of five hundred paces.

  "But why did that man attack Porthos rather than any other one of us?"asked Aramis.

  "Because, as Porthos was talking louder than the rest of us, he took himfor the chief," said d'Artagnan.

  "I always said that this cadet from Gascony was a well of wisdom,"murmured Athos; and the travelers continued their route.

  At Beauvais they stopped two hours, as well to breathe their horses alittle as to wait for Porthos. At the end of two hours, as Porthos didnot come, not any news of him, they resumed their journey.

  At a league from Beauvais, where the road was confined between two highbanks, they fell in with eight or ten men who, taking advantage of theroad being unpaved in this spot, appeared to be employed in diggingholes and filling up the ruts with mud.

  Aramis, not liking to soil his boots with this artificial mortar,apostrophized them rather sharply. Athos wished to restrain him, but itwas too late. The laborers began to jeer the travelers and by theirinsolence disturbed the equanimity even of the cool Athos, who urged onhis horse against one of them.

  Then each of these men retreated as far as the ditch, from which eachtook a concealed musket; the result was that our seven travelers wereoutnumbered in weapons. Aramis received a ball which passed through hisshoulder, and Mousqueton another ball which lodged in the fleshy partwhich prolongs the lower portion of the loins. Therefore Mousquetonalone fell from his horse, not because he was severely wounded, but notbeing able to see the wound, he judged it to be more serious than itreally was.

  "It was an ambuscade!" shouted d'Artagnan. "Don't waste a charge!Forward!"

  Aramis, wounded as he was, seized the mane of his horse, which carriedhim on with the others. Mousqueton's horse rejoined them, and gallopedby the side of his companions.

  "That will serve us for a relay," said Athos.

  "I would rather have had a hat," said d'Artagnan. "Mine was carried awayby a ball. By my faith, it is very fortunate that the letter was not init."

  "They'll kill poor Porthos when he comes up," said Aramis.

  "If Porthos were on his legs, he would have rejoined us by this time,"said Athos. "My opinion is that on the ground the drunken man was notintoxicated."

  They continued at their best speed for two hours, although the horseswere so fatigued that it was to be feared they would soon refuseservice.

  The travelers had chosen crossroads in the hope that they might meetwith less interruption; but at Crevecoeur, Aramis declared he couldproceed no farther. In fact, it required all the courage which heconcealed beneath his elegant form and polished manners to bear him sofar. He grew more pale every minute, and they were obliged to supporthim on his horse. They lifted him off at the door of a cabaret, leftBazin with him, who, besides, in a skirmish was more embarrassing thanuseful, and set forward again in the hope of sleeping at Amiens.

  "MORBLEU," said Athos, as soon as they were again in motion, "reduced totwo masters and Grimaud and Planchet! MORBLEU! I won't be their dupe, Iwill answer for it. I will neither open my mouth nor draw my swordbetween this and Calais. I swear by--"

  "Don't waste time in swearing," said d'Artagnan; "let us gallop, if ourhorses will consent."

  And the travelers buried their rowels in their horses' flanks, who thusvigorously stimulated recovered their energies. They arrived at Amiensat midnight, and alighted at the AUBERGE of the Golden Lily.

  The host had the appearance of as honest a man as any on earth. Hereceived the travelers with his candlestick in one hand and his cottonnightcap in the other. He wished to lodge the two travelers each in acharming chamber; but unfortunately these charming chambers were at theopposite extremities of the hotel. D'Artagnan and Athos refused them.The host replied that he had no other worthy of their Excellencies; butthe travelers declared they would sleep in the common chamber, each on amattress which might be thrown upon the ground. The host insisted; butthe travelers were firm, and he was obliged to do as they wished.

  They had just prepared their beds and barricaded their door within, whensomeone knocked at the yard shutter; they demanded who was there, andrecognizing the voices of their lackeys, opened the shutter. It wasindeed Planchet and Grimaud.

  "Grimaud can take care of the horses," said Planchet. "If you arewilling, gentlemen, I will sleep across your doorway, and you will thenbe certain that nobody can reach you."

  "And on what will you sleep?" said d'Artagnan.

  "Here is my bed," replied Planchet, producing a bundle of straw.

  "Come, then," said d'Artagnan, "you are right. Mine host's face does notplease me at all; it is too gracious."

  "Nor me either," said Athos.

  Planchet mounted by the window and installed himself across the doorway,while Grimaud went and shut himself up in the stable, undertaking thatby five o'clock in the morning he and the four horses should be ready.

  The night was quiet enough. Toward two o'clock in the morning somebodyendeavored to open the door; but as Planchet awoke in an instant andcried, "Who goes there?" somebody replied that he was mistaken, and wentaway.

  At four o'clock in the morning they heard a terrible riot in thestables. Grimaud had tried to waken the stable boys, and the stable boyshad beaten him. When they opened the window, they saw the poor lad lyingsenseless, with his head split by a blow with a pitchfork.

  Planchet went down into the yard, and wished to saddle the horses; butthe horses were all used up. Mousqueton's horse which had traveled forfive or six hours without a rider the day before, might have been ableto pursue the journey; but by an inconceivable error the veterinarysurgeon, who had been sent for, as it appeared, to bleed one of thehost's horses, had bled Mousqueton's.

  This began to be annoying. All these successive accidents were perhapsthe result of chance; but they might be the fruits of a plot. Athos andd'Artagnan went out, while Planchet was sent
to inquire if there werenot three horses for sale in the neighborhood. At the door stood twohorses, fresh, strong, and fully equipped. These would just have suitedthem. He asked where their masters were, and was informed that they hadpassed the night in the inn, and were then settling their bill with thehost.

  Athos went down to pay the reckoning, while d'Artagnan and Planchetstood at the street door. The host was in a lower and back room, towhich Athos was requested to go.

  Athos entered without the least mistrust, and took out two pistoles topay the bill. The host was alone, seated before his desk, one of thedrawers of which was partly open. He took the money which Athos offeredto him, and after turning and turning it over and over in his hands,suddenly cried out that it was bad, and that he would have him and hiscompanions arrested as forgers.

  "You blackguard!" cried Athos, going toward him, "I'll cut your earsoff!"

  At the same instant, four men, armed to the teeth, entered by sidedoors, and rushed upon Athos.

  "I am taken!" shouted Athos, with all the power of his lungs. "Go on,d'Artagnan! Spur, spur!" and he fired two pistols.

  D'Artagnan and Planchet did not require twice bidding; they unfastenedthe two horses that were waiting at the door, leaped upon them, buriedtheir spurs in their sides, and set off at full gallop.

  "Do you know what has become of Athos?" asked d'Artagnan of Planchet, asthey galloped on.

  "Ah, monsieur," said Planchet, "I saw one fall at each of his two shots,and he appeared to me, through the glass door, to be fighting with hissword with the others."

  "Brave Athos!" murmured d'Artagnan, "and to think that we are compelledto leave him; maybe the same fate awaits us two paces hence. Forward,Planchet, forward! You are a brave fellow."

  "As I told you, monsieur," replied Planchet, "Picards are found out bybeing used. Besides, I am here in my own country, and that excites me."

  And both, with free use of the spur, arrived at St. Omer without drawingbit. At St. Omer they breathed their horses with the bridles passedunder their arms for fear of accident, and ate a morsel from their handson the stones of the street, after they departed again.

  At a hundred paces from the gates of Calais, d'Artagnan's horse gaveout, and could not by any means be made to get up again, the bloodflowing from his eyes and his nose. There still remained Planchet'shorse; but he stopped short, and could not be made to move a step.

  Fortunately, as we have said, they were within a hundred paces of thecity; they left their two nags upon the high road, and ran toward thequay. Planchet called his master's attention to a gentleman who had justarrived with his lackey, and only preceded them by about fifty paces.They made all speed to come up to this gentleman, who appeared to be ingreat haste. His boots were covered with dust, and he inquired if hecould not instantly cross over to England.

  "Nothing would be more easy," said the captain of a vessel ready to setsail, "but this morning came an order to let no one leave withoutexpress permission from the cardinal."

  "I have that permission," said the gentleman, drawing the paper from hispocket; "here it is."

  "Have it examined by the governor of the port," said the shipmaster,"and give me the preference."

  "Where shall I find the governor?"

  "At his country house."

  "And that is situated?"

  "At a quarter of a league from the city. Look, you may see it fromhere--at the foot of that little hill, that slated roof."

  "Very well," said the gentleman. And, with his lackey, he took the roadto the governor's country house.

  D'Artagnan and Planchet followed the gentleman at a distance of fivehundred paces. Once outside the city, d'Artagnan overtook the gentlemanas he was entering a little wood.

  "Monsieur, you appear to be in great haste?"

  "No one can be more so, monsieur."

  "I am sorry for that," said d'Artagnan; "for as I am in great hastelikewise, I wish to beg you to render me a service."

  "What?"

  "To let me sail first."

  "That's impossible," said the gentleman; "I have traveled sixty leaguesin forty hours, and by tomorrow at midday I must be in London."

  "I have performed that same distance in forty hours, and by ten o'clockin the morning I must be in London."

  "Very sorry, monsieur; but I was here first, and will not sail second."

  "I am sorry, too, monsieur; but I arrived second, and must sail first."

  "The king's service!" said the gentleman.

  "My own service!" said d'Artagnan.

  "But this is a needless quarrel you seek with me, as it seems to me."

  "PARBLEU! What do you desire it to be?"

  "What do you want?"

  "Would you like to know?"

  "Certainly."

  "Well, then, I wish that order of which you are bearer, seeing that Ihave not one of my own and must have one."

  "You jest, I presume."

  "I never jest."

  "Let me pass!"

  "You shall not pass."

  "My brave young man, I will blow out your brains. HOLA, Lubin, mypistols!"

  "Planchet," called out d'Artagnan, "take care of the lackey; I willmanage the master."

  Planchet, emboldened by the first exploit, sprang upon Lubin; and beingstrong and vigorous, he soon got him on the broad of his back, andplaced his knee upon his breast.

  "Go on with your affair, monsieur," cried Planchet; "I have finishedmine."

  Seeing this, the gentleman drew his sword, and sprang upon d'Artagnan;but he had too strong an adversary. In three seconds d'Artagnan hadwounded him three times, exclaiming at each thrust, "One for Athos, onefor Porthos; and one for Aramis!"

  At the third hit the gentleman fell like a log. D'Artagnan believed himto be dead, or at least insensible, and went toward him for the purposeof taking the order; but the moment he extended his hand to search forit, the wounded man, who had not dropped his sword, plunged the pointinto d'Artagnan's breast, crying, "One for you!"

  "And one for me--the best for last!" cried d'Artagnan, furious, nailinghim to the earth with a fourth thrust through his body.

  This time the gentleman closed his eyes and fainted. D'Artagnan searchedhis pockets, and took from one of them the order for the passage. It wasin the name of Comte de Wardes.

  Then, casting a glance on the handsome young man, who was scarcelytwenty-five years of age, and whom he was leaving in his gore, deprivedof sense and perhaps dead, he gave a sigh for that unaccountable destinywhich leads men to destroy each other for the interests of people whoare strangers to them and who often do not even know that they exist.But he was soon aroused from these reflections by Lubin, who utteredloud cries and screamed for help with all his might.

  Planchet grasped him by the throat, and pressed as hard as he could."Monsieur," said he, "as long as I hold him in this manner, he can'tcry, I'll be bound; but as soon as I let go he will howl again. I knowhim for a Norman, and Normans are obstinate."

  In fact, tightly held as he was, Lubin endeavored still to cry out.

  "Stay!" said d'Artagnan; and taking out his handkerchief, he gagged him.

  "Now," said Planchet, "let us bind him to a tree."

  This being properly done, they drew the Comte de Wardes close to hisservant; and as night was approaching, and as the wounded man and thebound man were at some little distance within the wood, it was evidentthey were likely to remain there till the next day.

  "And now," said d'Artagnan, "to the Governor's."

  "But you are wounded, it seems," said Planchet.

  "Oh, that's nothing! Let us attend to what is more pressing first, andthen we will attend to my wound; besides, it does not seem verydangerous."

  And they both set forward as fast as they could toward the country houseof the worthy functionary.

  The Comte de Wardes was announced, and d'Artagnan was introduced.

  "You have an order signed by the cardinal?" said the governor.

  "Yes, monsieur," replied d'Artagnan
; "here it is."

  "Ah, ah! It is quite regular and explicit," said the governor.

  "Most likely," said d'Artagnan; "I am one of his most faithfulservants."

  "It appears that his Eminence is anxious to prevent someone fromcrossing to England?"

  "Yes; a certain d'Artagnan, a Bearnese gentleman who left Paris incompany with three of his friends, with the intention of going toLondon."

  "Do you know him personally?" asked the governor.

  "Whom?"

  "This d'Artagnan."

  "Perfectly well."

  "Describe him to me, then."

  "Nothing more easy."

  And d'Artagnan gave, feature for feature, a description of the Comte deWardes.

  "Is he accompanied?"

  "Yes; by a lackey named Lubin."

  "We will keep a sharp lookout for them; and if we lay hands on them hisEminence may be assured they will be reconducted to Paris under a goodescort."

  "And by doing so, Monsieur the Governor," said d'Artagnan, "you willdeserve well of the cardinal."

  "Shall you see him on your return, Monsieur Count?"

  "Without a doubt."

  "Tell him, I beg you, that I am his humble servant."

  "I will not fail."

  Delighted with this assurance the governor countersigned the passportand delivered it to d'Artagnan. D'Artagnan lost no time in uselesscompliments. He thanked the governor, bowed, and departed. Once outside,he and Planchet set off as fast as they could; and by making a longdetour avoided the wood and reentered the city by another gate.

  The vessel was quite ready to sail, and the captain was waiting on thewharf. "Well?" said he, on perceiving d'Artagnan.

  "Here is my pass countersigned," said the latter.

  "And that other gentleman?

  "He will not go today," said d'Artagnan; "but here, I'll pay you for ustwo."

  "In that case let us go," said the shipmaster.

  "Let us go," repeated d'Artagnan.

  He leaped with Planchet into the boat, and five minutes after they wereon board. It was time; for they had scarcely sailed half a league, whend'Artagnan saw a flash and heard a detonation. It was the cannon whichannounced the closing of the port.

  He had now leisure to look to his wound. Fortunately, as d'Artagnan hadthought, it was not dangerous. The point of the sword had touched a rib,and glanced along the bone. Still further, his shirt had stuck to thewound, and he had lost only a few drops of blood.

  D'Artagnan was worn out with fatigue. A mattress was laid upon the deckfor him. He threw himself upon it, and fell asleep.

  On the morrow, at break of day, they were still three or four leaguesfrom the coast of England. The breeze had been so light all night, theyhad made but little progress. At ten o'clock the vessel cast anchor inthe harbor of Dover, and at half past ten d'Artagnan placed his foot onEnglish land, crying, "Here I am at last!"

  But that was not all; they must get to London. In England the post waswell served. D'Artagnan and Planchet took each a post horse, and apostillion rode before them. In a few hours they were in the capital.

  D'Artagnan did not know London; he did not know a word of English; buthe wrote the name of Buckingham on a piece of paper, and everyonepointed out to him the way to the duke's hotel.

  The duke was at Windsor hunting with the king. D'Artagnan inquired forthe confidential valet of the duke, who, having accompanied him in allhis voyages, spoke French perfectly well; he told him that he came fromParis on an affair of life and death, and that he must speak with hismaster instantly.

  The confidence with which d'Artagnan spoke convinced Patrick, which wasthe name of this minister of the minister. He ordered two horses to besaddled, and himself went as guide to the young Guardsman. As forPlanchet, he had been lifted from his horse as stiff as a rush; the poorlad's strength was almost exhausted. D'Artagnan seemed iron.

  On their arrival at the castle they learned that Buckingham and the kingwere hawking in the marshes two or three leagues away. In twenty minutesthey were on the spot named. Patrick soon caught the sound of hismaster's voice calling his falcon.

  "Whom must I announce to my Lord Duke?" asked Patrick.

  "The young man who one evening sought a quarrel with him on the PontNeuf, opposite the Samaritaine."

  "A singular introduction!"

  "You will find that it is as good as another."

  Patrick galloped off, reached the duke, and announced to him in theterms directed that a messenger awaited him.

  Buckingham at once remembered the circumstance, and suspecting thatsomething was going on in France of which it was necessary he should beinformed, he only took the time to inquire where the messenger was, andrecognizing from afar the uniform of the Guards, he put his horse into agallop, and rode straight up to d'Artagnan. Patrick discreetly kept inthe background.

  "No misfortune has happened to the queen?" cried Buckingham, the instanthe came up, throwing all his fear and love into the question.

  "I believe not; nevertheless I believe she runs some great peril fromwhich your Grace alone can extricate her."

  "I!" cried Buckingham. "What is it? I should be too happy to be of anyservice to her. Speak, speak!"

  "Take this letter," said d'Artagnan.

  "This letter! From whom comes this letter?"

  "From her Majesty, as I think."

  "From her Majesty!" said Buckingham, becoming so pale that d'Artagnanfeared he would faint as he broke the seal.

  "What is this rent?" said he, showing d'Artagnan a place where it hadbeen pierced through.

  "Ah," said d'Artagnan, "I did not see that; it was the sword of theComte de Wardes which made that hole, when he gave me a good thrust inthe breast."

  "You are wounded?" asked Buckingham, as he opened the letter.

  "Oh, nothing but a scratch," said d'Artagnan.

  "Just heaven, what have I read?" cried the duke. "Patrick, remain here,or rather join the king, wherever he may be, and tell his Majesty that Ihumbly beg him to excuse me, but an affair of the greatest importancerecalls me to London. Come, monsieur, come!" and both set off towardsthe capital at full gallop.