As Athos and Porthos had foreseen, at the expiration of a halfhour, D'Artagnan returned. He had again missed his man, who haddisappeared as if by enchantment. D'Artagnan had run, sword inhand, through all the neighboring streets, but had found nobodyresembling the man he sought for. Then he came back to the pointwhere, perhaps, he ought to have begun, and that was to knock atthe door against which the stranger had leaned; but this proveduseless - for though he knocked ten or twelve times in succession,no one answered, and some of the neighbors, who put their nosesout of their windows or were brought to their doors by the noise,had assured him that that house, all the openings of which weretightly closed, had not been inhabited for six months.

While D'Artagnan was running through the streets and knocking atdoors, Aramis had joined his companions; so that on returning himD'Artagnan found the reunion complete.

"Well!" cried the three Musketeers all together, on seeingD'Artagnan enter with his brow covered with perspiration and hiscountenance upset with anger.

"Well!" cried he, throwing his sword upon the bed, "this man mustbe the devil in person; he has disappeared like a phantom, like a shade, like a specter."

"Do you believe in apparitions?" asked Athos of Porthos.

"I never believe in anything I have not seen, and as I never haveseen apparitions, I don't believe in them."

"The Bible," said Aramis, "make our belief in them a law; theghost of Samuel appeared to Saul, and it is an article of faiththat I should be very sorry to see any doubt thrown upon,Porthos."

"At all events, man or devil, body or shadow, illusion orreality, this man is born for my damnation; for his flight hascaused us to miss a glorious affair, gentlemen - an affair bywhich there were a hundred pistoles, and perhaps more, to begained."

"How is that?" cried Porthos and Aramis in a breath.

As to Athos, faithful to his system of reticence, he contentedhimself with interrogating D'Artagnan by a look.

"Planchet," said D'Artagnan to his domestic, who just theninsinuated his head through the half-open door in order to catchsome fragments of the conversation, "go down to my landlord,Monsieur Bonacieux, and ask him to send me half a dozen bottlesof Beaugency wine; I prefer that."

"Ah, ah! You have credit with your landlord, then?" askedPorthos.

"Yes," replied D'Artagnan, "from this very day; and mind, if thewine is bad, we will send him to find better."

"We must use, and not abuse," said Aramis, sententiously.

"I always said that D'Artagnan had the longest head of the four,"said Athos, who, having uttered his opinion, to which D'Artagnanreplied with a bow, immediately resumed his accustomed silence.

"But come, what is this about?" asked Porthos.

"Yes," said Aramis, "impart it to us, my dear friend, unless thehonor of any lady be hazarded by this confidence; in that caseyou would do better to keep it to yourself."

"Be satisfied," replied D'Artagnan; "the honor of no one willhave cause to complain of what I have to tell.

He then related to his friends, word for word, all that hadpassed between him and his host, and how the man who had abductedthe wife of his worthy landlord was the same with whom he had hadthe difference at the hostelry of the Jolly Miller.

"Your affair is not bad," said Athos, after having tasted like aconnoisseur and indicated by a nod of his head that he thoughtthe wine good; "and one may draw fifty or sixty pistoles fromthis good man. Then there only remains to ascertain whetherthese fifty or sixty pistoles are worth the risk of four heads."

"But observe," cried D'Artagnan, "that there is a woman in theaffair - a woman carried off, a woman who is doubtless threatened,tortured perhaps, and all because she is faithful to hermistress."

"Beware, D'Artagnan, beware," said Aramis. "You grow a littletoo warm, in my opinion, about the fate of Madame Bonacieux.Woman was created for our destruction, and it is from her weinherit all our miseries."

At this speech of Aramis, the brow of Athos became clouded and hebit his lips.

"It is not Madame Bonacieux about whom I am anxious," criedD'Artagnan, "but the queen, whom the king abandons, whom thecardinal persecutes, and who sees the heads of all her friendsfall, one after the other."

"Why does she love what we hate most in the world, the Spaniardsand the English?"

"Spain is her country," replied D'Artagnan; "and it is verynatural that she should love the Spanish, who are the children ofthe same soil as herself. As to the second reproach, I haveheard it said that she does not love the English, but anEnglishman."

"Well, and by my faith," said Athos, "it must be acknowledgedthat this Englishman is worthy of being loved. I never saw a manwith a nobler air than his."

"Without reckoning that he dresses as nobody else can," saidPorthos. "I was at the Louvre on the day when he scattered hispearls; and, PARDIEU, I picked up two that I sold for tenpistoles each. Do you know him, Aramis?"

"As well as you do, gentlemen; for I was among those who seizedhim in the garden at Amiens, into which Monsieur Putange, thequeen's equerry, introduced me. I was at school at the time, andthe adventure appeared to me to be cruel for the king."

"Which would not prevent me," said D'Artagnan, "if I knew wherethe Duke of Buckingham was, from taking him by the hand andconducting him to the queen, were it only to enrage the cardinal,and if we could find means to play him a sharp turn, I vow that Iwould voluntarily risk my head in doing it."

"And did the mercer,"* rejoined Athos, "tell you, D'Artagnan,that the queen thought that Buckingham had been brought over by aforged letter?"

*Haberdasher

"She is afraid so."

"Wait a minute, then," said Aramis.

"What for?" demanded Porthos.

"Go on, while I endeavor to recall circumstances."

"And now I am convinced," said D'Artagnan, "that this abductionof the queen's woman is connected with the events of which we arespeaking, and perhaps with the presence of Buckingham in Paris."

"The Gascon is full of ideas," said Porthos, with admiration.

"I like to hear him talk," said Athos; "his dialect amuses me."

"Gentlemen," cried Aramis, "listen to this."

"Listen to Aramis," said his three friends.

"Yesterday I was at the house of a doctor of theology, whom Isometimes consult about my studies."

Athos smiled.

"He resides in a quiet quarter," continued Aramis; "his tastesand his profession require it. Now, at the moment when I lefthis house - "

Here Aramis paused.

"Well," cried his auditors; "at the moment you left his house?"

Aramis appeared to make a strong inward effort, like a man who,in the full relation of a falsehood, finds himself stopped bysome unforeseen obstacle; but the eyes of his three companionswere fixed upon him, their ears were wide open, and there were nomeans of retreat.

"This doctor has a niece," continued Aramis.

"Ah, he has a niece!" interrupted Porthos.

"A very respectable lady," said Aramis.

The three friends burst into laughter.

"Ah, if you laugh, if you doubt me," replied Aramis, "you shallknow nothing."

"We believe like Mohammedans, and are as mute as tombstones,"said Athos.

"I will continue, then," resumed Aramis. "This niece comessometimes to see her uncle; and by chance was there yesterday atthe same time that I was, and it was my duty to offer to conducther to her carriage."

"Ah! She has a carriage, then, this niece of the doctor?"interrupted Porthos, one of whose faults was a great looseness oftongue. "A nice acquaintance, my friend!"

"Porthos," replied Aramis, "I have had the occasion to observe toyou more than once that you are very indiscreet; and that isinjurious to you among the women."

"Gentlemen, gentlemen," cried D'Artagnan, who began to get aglimpse of the result of the adventure, "the thing is serious.Let us try not to jest, if we can. Go on Aramis, go on."

"All at once, a tall, dark gentleman - just like yours,D'Artagnan."

"The same, perhaps," said he.

"Possibly," continued Aramis, "came toward me, accompanied byfive or six men who followed about ten paces behind him; and inthe politest tone, 'Monsieur Duke,' said he to me, 'and youmadame,' continued he, addressing the lady on my arm - "

"The doctor's niece?"

"Hold your tongue, Porthos," said Athos; "you are insupportable."

"' - will you enter this carriage, and that without offering theleast resistance, without making the least noise?'"

"He took you for Buckingham!" cried D'Artagnan.

"I believe so," replied Aramis.

"But the lady?" asked Porthos.

"He took her for the queen!" said D'Artagnan.

"Just so," replied Aramis.

"The Gascon is the devil!" cried Athos; "nothing escapes him."

"The fact is," said Porthos, "Aramis is of the same height, andsomething of the shape of the duke; but it nevertheless appearsto me that the dress of a Musketeer - "

"I wore an enormous cloak," said Aramis.

"In the month of July? The devil!" said Porthos. "Is the doctorafraid that you may be recognized?"

"I can comprehend that the spy may have been deceived by theperson; but the face - "

"I had a large hat," said Aramis.

"Oh, good lord," cried Porthos, "what precautions for the studyof theology!"

"Gentlemen, gentlemen," said D'Artagnan, "do not let us lose ourtime in jesting. Let us separate, and let us seek the mercer'swife - that is the key of the intrigue."

"A woman of such inferior condition! Can you believe so?" saidPorthos, protruding his lips with contempt.

"She is goddaughter to Laporte, the confidential valet of thequeen. Have I not told you so, gentlemen? Besides, it hasperhaps been her Majesty's calculation to seek on this occasionfor support so lowly. High heads expose themselves from afar,and the cardinal is longsighted."

"Well," said Porthos, "in the first place make a bargain with themercer, and a good bargain."

"That's useless," said D'Artagnan; "for I believe if he does notpay us, we shall be well enough paid by another party."

At this moment a sudden noise of footsteps was heard upon thestairs; the door was thrown violently open, and the unfortunatemercer rushed into the chamber in which the council was held.

"Save me, gentlemen, for the love of heaven, save me!" cried he."There are four men come to arrest me. Save me! Save me!"

Porthos and Aramis arose.

"A moment," cried D'Artagnan, making them a sign to replace inthe scabbard their half-drawn swords. "It is not courage that isneeded; it is prudence."

"And yet," cried Porthos, "we will not leave - "

"You will leave D'Artagnan to act as he thinks proper," saidAthos. "He has, I repeat, the longest head of the four, and formy part I declare that I will obey him. Do as you think best,D'Artagnan."

At this moment the four Guards appeared at the door of theantechamber, but seeing four Musketeers standing, and theirswords by their sides, they hesitated about going farther.

"Come in, gentlemen, come in," called D'Artagnan; "you are herein my apartment, and we are all faithful servants of the king andcardinal."

"Then, gentlemen, you will not oppose our executing the orders wehave received?" asked one who appeared to be the leader of theparty.

"On the contrary, gentlemen, we would assist you if it werenecessary."

"What does he say?" grumbled Porthos.

"You are a simpleton," said Athos. "Silence!"

"But you promised me - " whispered the poor mercer.

"We can only save you by being free ourselves," repliedD'Artagnan, in a rapid, low tone; "and if we appear inclined todefend you, they will arrest us with you."

"It seems, nevertheless - "

"Come, gentlemen, come!" said D'Artagnan, aloud; "I have nomotive for defending Monsieur. I saw him today for the firsttime, and he can tell you on what occasion; he came to demand therent of my lodging. Is that not true, Monsieur Bonacieux?Answer!"

"That is the very truth," cried the mercer; "but Monsieur doesnot tell you - "

"Silence, with respect to me, silence, with respect to myfriends; silence about the queen, above all, or you will ruineverybody without saving yourself! Come, come, gentlemen, removethe fellow." And D'Artagnan pushed the half-stupefied merceramong the Guards, saying to him, "You are a shabby old fellow, mydear. You come to demand money of me - of a Musketeer! To prisonwith him! Gentlemen, once more, take him to prison, and keep himunder key as long as possible; that will give me time to payhim."

The officers were full of thanks, and took away their prey. Asthey were going down D'Artagnan laid his hand on the shoulder oftheir leader.

"May I not drink to your health, and you to mine?" saidD'Artagnan, filling two glasses with the Beaugency wine which hehad obtained from the liberality of M. Bonacieux.

"That will do me great honor," said the leader of the posse, "andI accept thankfully."

"Then to yours, monsieur - what is your name?"

"Boisrenard."

"Monsieur Boisrenard."

"To yours, my gentlemen! What is your name, in your turn, if youplease?"

"D'Artagnan."

"To yours, monsieur."

"And above all others," cried D'Artagnan, as if carried away byhis enthusiasm, "to that of the king and the cardinal."

The leader of the posse would perhaps have doubted the sincerityof D'Artagnan if the wine had been bad; but the wine was good,and he was convinced.

"What diabolical villainy you have performed here," said Porthos,when the officer had rejoined his companions and the four friendsfound themselves alone. "Shame, shame, for four Musketeers toallow an unfortunate fellow who cried for help to be arrested istheir midst! And a gentleman to hobnob with a bailiff!"

"Porthos," said Aramis, "Athos has already told you that you area simpleton, and I am quite of his opinion. D'Artagnan, you area great man; and when you occupy Monsieur de Treville's place, Iwill come and ask your influence to secure me an abbey."

"Well, I am in a maze," said Porthos; "do YOU approve of whatD'Artagnan has done?"

"PARBLEU! Indeed I do," said Athos; "I not only approve of whathe has done, but I congratulate him upon it."

"And now, gentlemen," said D'Artagnan, without stopping toexplain his conduct to Porthos, "All for one, one for all - thatis our motto, is it not?"

"And yet - " said Porthos.

"Hold out your hand and swear!" cried Athos and Aramis at once.

Overcome by example, grumbling to himself, nevertheless, Porthosstretched out his hand, and the four friends repeated with onevoice the formula dictated by D'Artagnan:

"All for one, one for all."

"That's well! Now let us everyone retire to his own home," saidD'Artagnan, as if he had done nothing but command all his life;"and attention! For from this moment we are at feud with thecardinal."