59. Noble Natures never lose Courage, nor good Stomachs their Appetites.
The little troop, without looking behind them or exchanging a word, fledat a rapid gallop, fording a little stream, of which none of them knewthe name, and leaving on their left a town which Athos declared to beDurham. At last they came in sight of a small wood, and spurring theirhorses afresh, rode in its direction.
As soon as they had disappeared behind a green curtain sufficientlythick to conceal them from the sight of any one who might be in pursuitthey drew up to hold a council together. The two grooms held the horses,that they might take a little rest without being unsaddled, and Grimaudwas posted as sentinel.
"Come, first of all," said Athos to D'Artagnan, "my friend, that I mayshake hands with you--you, our rescuer--you, the true hero of us all."
"Athos is right--you have my adoration," said Aramis, in his turnpressing his hand. "To what are you not equal, with your superiorintelligence, infallible eye, your arm of iron and your enterprisingmind!"
"Now," said the Gascon, "that is all well, I accept for Porthos andmyself everything--thanks and compliments; we have plenty of time tospare."
The two friends, recalled by D'Artagnan to what was also due to Porthos,pressed his hand in their turn.
"And now," said Athos, "it is not our plan to run anywhere and likemadmen, but we must map up our campaign. What shall we do?"
"What are we going to do, i'faith? It is not very difficult to say."
"Tell us, then, D'Artagnan."
"We are going to reach the nearest seaport, unite our little resources,hire a vessel and return to France. As for me I will give my last soufor it. Life is the greatest treasure, and speaking candidly, ours hangsby a thread."
"What do you say to this, Du Vallon?"
"I," said Porthos, "I am entirely of D'Artagnan's opinion; this is a'beastly' country, this England."
"You are quite decided, then, to leave it?" asked Athos of D'Artagnan.
"Egad! I don't see what is to keep me here."
A glance was exchanged between Athos and Aramis.
"Go, then, my friends," said the former, sighing.
"How, go then?" exclaimed D'Artagnan. "Let us go, you mean?"
"No, my friend," said Athos, "you must leave us."
"Leave you!" cried D'Artagnan, quite bewildered at this unexpectedannouncement.
"Bah!" said Porthos, "why separate, since we are all together?"
"Because you can and ought to return to France; your mission isaccomplished, but ours is not."
"Your mission is not accomplished?" exclaimed D'Artagnan, looking inastonishment at Athos.
"No, my friend," replied Athos, in his gentle but decided voice, "wecame here to defend King Charles; we have but ill defended him--itremains for us to save him!"
"To save the king?" said D'Artagnan, looking at Aramis as he had lookedat Athos.
Aramis contented himself by making a sign with his head.
D'Artagnan's countenance took an expression of the deepest compassion;he began to think he had to do with madmen.
"You cannot be speaking seriously, Athos!" said he; "the king issurrounded by an army, which is conducting him to London. This army iscommanded by a butcher, or the son of a butcher--it matterslittle--Colonel Harrison. His majesty, I can assure you, will be triedon his arrival in London; I have heard enough from the lips of OliverCromwell to know what to expect."
A second look was exchanged between Athos and Aramis.
"And when the trial is ended there will be no delay in putting thesentence into execution," continued D'Artagnan.
"And to what penalty do you think the king will be condemned?" askedAthos.
"The penalty of death, I greatly fear; they have gone too far for him topardon them, and there is nothing left to them but one thing, and thatis to kill him. Have you never heard what Oliver Cromwell said when hecame to Paris and was shown the dungeon at Vincennes where Monsieur deVendome was imprisoned?"
"What did he say?" asked Porthos.
"'Princes must be knocked on the head.'"
"I remember it," said Athos.
"And you fancy he will not put his maxim into execution, now that he hasgot hold of the king?"
"On the contrary, I am certain he will do so. But then that is all themore reason why we should not abandon the august head so threatened."
"Athos, you are becoming mad."
"No, my friend," Athos gently replied, "but De Winter sought us out inFrance and introduced us, Monsieur d'Herblay and myself, to MadameHenrietta. Her majesty did us the honor to ask our aid for her husband.We engaged our word; our word included everything. It was our strength,our intelligence, our life, in short, that we promised. It remains nowfor us to keep our word. Is that your opinion, D'Herblay?"
"Yes," said Aramis, "we have promised."
"Then," continued Athos, "we have another reason; it is this--listen: InFrance at this moment everything is poor and paltry. We have a king tenyears old, who doesn't yet know what he wants; we have a queen blindedby a belated passion; we have a minister who governs France as he wouldgovern a great farm--that is to say, intent only on turning out all thegold he can by the exercise of Italian cunning and invention; we haveprinces who set up a personal and egotistic opposition, who will drawfrom Mazarin's hands only a few ingots of gold or some shreds of powergranted as bribes. I have served them without enthusiasm--God knows thatI estimated them at their real value, and that they are not high in myesteem--but on principle. To-day I am engaged in a different affair. Ihave encountered misfortune in a high place, a royal misfortune, aEuropean misfortune; I attach myself to it. If we can succeed in savingthe king it will be good; if we die for him it will be grand."
"So you know beforehand you must perish!" said D'Artagnan.
"We fear so, and our only regret is to die so far from both of you."
"What will you do in a foreign land, an enemy's country?"
"I traveled in England when I was young, I speak English like anEnglishman, and Aramis, too, knows something of the language. Ah! if wehad you, my friends! With you, D'Artagnan, with you, Porthos--all fourreunited for the first time for twenty years--we would dare not onlyEngland, but the three kingdoms put together!"
"And did you promise the queen," resumed D'Artagnan, petulantly, "tostorm the Tower of London, to kill a hundred thousand soldiers, to fightvictoriously against the wishes of the nation and the ambition of a man,and when that man is Cromwell? Do not exaggerate your duty. In Heaven'sname, my dear Athos, do not make a useless sacrifice. When I see youmerely, you look like a reasonable being; when you speak, I seem to haveto do with a madman. Come, Porthos, join me; say frankly, what do youthink of this business?"
"Nothing good," replied Porthos.
"Come," continued D'Artagnan, who, irritated that instead of listeningto him Athos seemed to be attending to his own thoughts, "you have neverfound yourself the worse for my advice. Well, then, believe me, Athos,your mission is ended, and ended nobly; return to France with us."
"Friend," said Athos, "our resolution is irrevocable."
"Then you have some other motive unknown to us?"
Athos smiled and D'Artagnan struck his hands together in anger andmuttered the most convincing reasons that he could discover; but to allthese reasons Athos contented himself by replying with a calm, sweetsmile and Aramis by nodding his head.
"Very well," cried D'Artagnan, at last, furious, "very well, since youwish it, let us leave our bones in this beggarly land, where it isalways cold, where fine weather is a fog, fog is rain, and rain adeluge; where the sun represents the moon and the moon a cream cheese;in truth, whether we die here or elsewhere matters little, since we mustdie."
"Only reflect, my good fellow," said Athos, "it is but dying rathersooner."
"Pooh! a little sooner or a little later, it isn't worth quarrelingover."
"If I am astonished at anything," remarked Porthos, sententiously, "itis that it has not already happened."
"Oh, it will happen, you may be sure," said D'Artagnan. "So it isagreed, and if Porthos makes no objection----"
"I," said Porthos, "I will do whatever you please; and besides, I thinkwhat the Comte de la Fere said just now is very good."
"But your future career, D'Artagnan--your ambition, Porthos?"
"Our future, our ambition!" replied D'Artagnan, with feverishvolubility. "Need we think of that since we are to save the king? Theking saved--we shall assemble our friends together--we will head thePuritans--reconquer England; we shall re-enter London--place himsecurely on his throne----"
"And he will make us dukes and peers," said Porthos, whose eyes sparkledwith joy at this imaginary prospect.
"Or he will forget us," added D'Artagnan.
"Oh!" said Porthos.
"Well, that has happened, friend Porthos. It seems to me that we oncerendered Anne of Austria a service not much less than that which to-daywe are trying to perform for Charles I.; but, none the less, Anne ofAustria has forgotten us for twenty years."
"Well, in spite of that, D'Artagnan," said Athos, "you are not sorrythat you were useful to her?"
"No, indeed," said D'Artagnan; "I admit even that in my darkest momentsI find consolation in that remembrance."
"You see, then, D'Artagnan, though princes often are ungrateful, Godnever is."
"Athos," said D'Artagnan, "I believe that were you to fall in with thedevil, you would conduct yourself so well that you would take him withyou to Heaven."
"So, then?" said Athos, offering his hand to D'Artagnan.
"'Tis settled," replied D'Artagnan. "I find England a charming country,and I stay--but on one condition only."
"What is it?"
"That I am not forced to learn English."
"Well, now," said Athos, triumphantly, "I swear to you, my friend, bythe God who hears us--I believe that there is a power watching over us,and that we shall all four see France again."
"So be it!" said D'Artagnan, "but I--I confess I have a contraryconviction."
"Our good D'Artagnan," said Aramis, "represents among us the oppositionin parliament, which always says no, and always does aye."
"But in the meantime saves the country," added Athos.
"Well, now that everything is decided," cried Porthos, rubbing hishands, "suppose we think of dinner! It seems to me that in the mostcritical positions of our lives we have always dined."
"Oh! yes, speak of dinner in a country where for a feast they eat boiledmutton, and as a treat drink beer. What the devil did you come to such acountry for, Athos? But I forgot," added the Gascon, smiling, "pardon, Iforgot you are no longer Athos; but never mind, let us hear your planfor dinner, Porthos."
"My plan!"
"Yes, have you a plan?"
"No! I am hungry, that is all."
"Pardieu, if that is all, I am hungry, too; but it is not everything tobe hungry, one must find something to eat, unless we browse on thegrass, like our horses----"
"Ah!" exclaimed Aramis, who was not quite so indifferent to the goodthings of the earth as Athos, "do you remember, when we were atParpaillot, the beautiful oysters that we ate?"
"And the legs of mutton of the salt marshes," said Porthos, smacking hislips.
"But," suggested D'Artagnan, "have we not our friend Mousqueton, whomanaged for us so well at Chantilly, Porthos?"
"Yes," said Porthos, "we have Mousqueton, but since he has been steward,he has become very heavy; never mind, let us call him, and to make surethat he will reply agreeably----
"Here! Mouston," cried Porthos.
Mouston appeared, with a most piteous face.
"What is the matter, my dear M. Mouston?" asked D'Artagnan. "Are youill?"
"Sir, I am very hungry," replied Mouston.
"Well, it is just for that reason that we have called you, my good M.Mouston. Could you not procure us a few of those nice little rabbits,and some of those delicious partridges, of which you used to makefricassees at the hotel----? 'Faith, I do not remember the name of thehotel."
"At the hotel of----," said Porthos; "by my faith--nor do I remember iteither."
"It does not matter; and a few of those bottles of old Burgundy wine,which cured your master so quickly of his sprain!"
"Alas! sir," said Mousqueton, "I much fear that what you ask for arevery rare things in this detestable and barren country, and I think weshould do better to go and seek hospitality from the owner of a littlehouse we see on the fringe of the forest."
"How! is there a house in the neighborhood?" asked D'Artagnan.
"Yes, sir," replied Mousqueton.
"Well, let us, as you say, go and ask a dinner from the master of thathouse. What is your opinion, gentlemen, and does not M. Mouston'ssuggestion appear to you full of sense?"
"Oh!" said Aramis, "suppose the master is a Puritan?"
"So much the better, mordioux!" replied D'Artagnan; "if he is a Puritanwe will inform him of the capture of the king, and in honor of the newshe will kill for us his fatted hens."
"But if he should be a cavalier?" said Porthos.
"In that case we will put on an air of mourning and he will pluck for ushis black fowls."
"You are very happy," exclaimed Athos, laughing, in spite of himself, atthe sally of the irresistible Gascon; "for you see the bright side ofeverything."
"What would you have?" said D'Artagnan. "I come from a land where thereis not a cloud in the sky."
"It is not like this, then," said Porthos stretching out his hand toassure himself whether a chill sensation he felt on his cheek was notreally caused by a drop of rain.
"Come, come," said D'Artagnan, "more reason why we should start on ourjourney. Halloo, Grimaud!"
Grimaud appeared.
"Well, Grimaud, my friend, have you seen anything?" asked the Gascon.
"Nothing!" replied Grimaud.
"Those idiots!" cried Porthos, "they have not even pursued us. Oh! if wehad been in their place!"
"Yes, they are wrong," said D'Artagnan. "I would willingly have said twowords to Mordaunt in this little desert. It is an excellent spot forbringing down a man in proper style."
"I think, decidedly," observed Aramis, "gentlemen, that the son hasn'this mother's energy."
"What, my good fellow!" replied Athos, "wait awhile; we have scarcelyleft him two hours ago--he does not know yet in what direction we camenor where we are. We may say that he is not equal to his mother when weput foot in France, if we are not poisoned or killed before then."
"Meanwhile, let us dine," suggested Porthos.
"I'faith, yes," said Athos, "for I am hungry."
"Look out for the black fowls!" cried Aramis.
And the four friends, guided by Mousqueton, took up the way toward thehouse, already almost restored to their former gayety; for they werenow, as Athos had said, all four once more united and of single mind.
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