Since the four friends had been each in search of hisequipments, there had been no fixed meeting between them.They dined apart from one another, wherever they mighthappen to be, or rather where they could. Duty likewise onits part took a portion of that precious time which wasgliding away so rapidly - only they had agreed to meet once aweek, about one o'clock, at the residence of Athos, seeingthat he, in agreement with the vow he had formed, did notpass over the threshold of his door.

This day of reunion was the same day as that on which Kittycame to find D'Artagnan. Soon as Kitty left him, D'Artagnandirected his steps toward the Rue Ferou.

He found Athos and Aramis philosophizing. Aramis had someslight inclination to resume the cassock. Athos, accordingto his system, neither encouraged nor dissuaded him. Athosbelieved that everyone should be left to his own free will.He never gave advice but when it was asked, and even then herequired to be asked twice.

"People, in general," he said, "only ask advice not tofollow it; or if they do follow it, it is for the sake ofhaving someone to blame for having given it."

Porthos arrived a minute after D'Artagnan. The four friendswere reunited.

The four countenances expressed four different feelings:that of Porthos, tranquillity; that of D'Artagnan, hope;that of Aramis, uneasiness; that of Athos, carelessness.

At the end of a moment's conversation, in which Porthoshinted that a lady of elevated rank had condescended torelieve him from his embarrassment, Mousqueton entered. Hecame to request his master to return to his lodgings, wherehis presence was urgent, as he piteously said.

"Is it my equipment?"

"Yes and no," replied Mousqueton.

"Well, but can't you speak?"

"Come, monsieur."

Porthos rose, saluted his friends, and followed Mousqueton.An instant after, Bazin made his appearance at the door.

"What do you want with me, my friend?" said Aramis, withthat mildness of language which was observable in him everytime that his ideas were directed toward the Church.

"A man wishes to see Monsieur at home," replied Bazin.

"A man! What man?"

"A mendicant."

"Give him alms, Bazin, and bid him pray for a poor sinner."

"This mendicant insists upon speaking to you, and pretendsthat you will be very glad to see him."

"Has he sent no particular message for me?"

"Yes. If Monsieur Aramis hesitates to come," he said, "tellhim I am from Tours."

"From Tours!" cried Aramis. "A thousand pardons, gentlemen;but no doubt this man brings me the news I expected." Andrising also, he went off at a quick pace. There remainedAthos and D'Artagnan.

"I believe these fellows have managed their business. Whatdo you think, D'Artagnan?" said Athos.

"I know that Porthos was in a fair way," replied D'Artagnan;"and as to Aramis to tell you the truth, I have never beenseriously uneasy on his account. But you, my dear Athos - you, who so generously distributed the Englishman'spistoles, which were our legitimate property - what do youmean to do?"

"I am satisfied with having killed that fellow, my boy,seeing that it is blessed bread to kill an Englishman; butif I had pocketed his pistoles, they would have weighed medown like a remorse.

"Go to, my dear Athos; you have truly inconceivable ideas."

"Let it pass. What do you think of Monsieur de Trevilletelling me, when he did me the honor to call upon meyesterday, that you associated with the suspected English,whom the cardinal protects?"

"That is to say, I visit an Englishwoman - the one I named."

"Oh, ay! the fair woman on whose account I gave you advice,which naturally you took care not to adopt."

"I gave you my reasons."

"Yes; you look there for your outfit, I think you said."

"Not at all. I have acquired certain knowledge that thatwoman was concerned in the abduction of Madame Bonacieux."

"Yes, I understand now: to find one woman, you courtanother. It is the longest road, but certainly the mostamusing."

D'Artagnan was on the point of telling Athos all; but oneconsideration restrained him. Athos was a gentleman,punctilious in points of honor; and there were in the planwhich our lover had devised for Milady, he was sure, certainthings that would not obtain the assent of this Puritan. Hewas therefore silent; and as Athos was the least inquisitiveof any man on earth, D'Artagnan's confidence stopped there.We will therefore leave the two friends, who had nothingimportant to say to each other, and follow Aramis.

Upon being informed that the person who wanted to speak tohim came from Tours, we have seen with what rapidity theyoung man followed, or rather went before, Bazin; he ranwithout stopping from the Rue Ferou to the Rue de Vaugirard.On entering he found a man of short stature and intelligenteyes, but covered with rags.

"You have asked for me?" said the Musketeer.

"I wish to speak with Monsieur Aramis. Is that your name,monsieur?"

"My very own. You have brought me something?"

"Yes, if you show me a certain embroidered handkerchief."

"Here it is," said Aramis, taking a small key from hisbreast and opening a little ebony box inlaid with mother ofpearl, "here it is. Look."

"That is right," replied the mendicant; "dismiss your lackey."

In fact, Bazin, curious to know what the mendicant couldwant with his master, kept pace with him as well as hecould, and arrived almost at the same time he did; but hisquickness was not of much use to him. At the hint from themendicant his master made him a sign to retire, and he wasobliged to obey.

Bazin gone, the mendicant cast a rapid glance around him inorder to be sure that nobody could either see or hear him,and opening his ragged vest, badly held together by aleather strap, he began to rip the upper part of hisdoublet, from which he drew a letter.

Aramis uttered a cry of joy at the sight of the seal, kissedthe superscription with an almost religious respect, andopened the epistle, which contained what follows:

"My Friend, it is the will of fate that we should be stillfor some time separated; but the delightful days of youthare not lost beyond return. Perform your duty in camp; Iwill do mine elsewhere. Accept that which the bearer bringsyou; make the campaign like a handsome true gentleman, andthink of me, who kisses tenderly your black eyes.

"Adieu; or rather, AU REVOIR."

The mendicant continued to rip his garments; and drew fromamid his rags a hundred and fifty Spanish double pistoles,which he laid down on the table; then he opened the door,bowed, and went out before the young man, stupefied by hisletter, had ventured to address a word to him.

Aramis then reperused the letter, and perceived apostscript:

P.S. You may behave politely to the bearer, who is a countand a grandee of Spain!

"Golden dreams!" cried Aramis. "Oh, beautiful life! Yes, weare young; yes, we shall yet have happy days! My love, myblood, my life! all, all, all, are thine, my adoredmistress!"

And he kissed the letter with passion, without evenvouchsafing a look at the gold which sparkled on the table.

Bazin scratched at the door, and as Aramis had no longer anyreason to exclude him, he bade him come in.

Bazin was stupefied at the sight of the gold, and forgotthat he came to announce D'Artagnan, who, curious to knowwho the mendicant could be, came to Aramis on leaving Athos.

Now, as D'Artagnan used no ceremony with Aramis, seeing thatBazin forgot to announce him, he announced himself.

"The devil! my dear Aramis," said D'Artagnan, "if these arethe prunes that are sent to you from Tours, I beg you willmake my compliments to the gardener who gathers them."

"You are mistaken, friend D'Artagnan," said Aramis, alwayson his guard; "this is from my publisher, who has just sentme the price of that poem in one-syllable verse which Ibegan yonder."

"Ah, indeed," said D'Artagnan. "Well, your publisher isvery generous, my dear Aramis, that's all I can say."

"How, monsieur?" cried Bazin, "a poem sell so dear as that!It is incredible! Oh, monsieur, you can write as much as youlike; you may become equal to Monsieur de Voiture andMonsieur de Benserade. I like that. A poet is as good asan abbe. Ah! Monsieur Aramis, become a poet, I beg of you."

"Bazin, my friend," said Aramis, "I believe you meddle withmy conversation."

Bazin perceived he was wrong; he bowed and went out.

"Ah!" said D'Artagnan with a smile, "you sell yourproductions at their weight in gold. You are veryfortunate, my friend; but take care or you will lose thatletter which is peeping from your doublet, and which alsocomes, no doubt, from your publisher."

Aramis blushed to the eyes, crammed in the letter, andre-buttoned his doublet.

"My dear D'Artagnan," said he, "if you please, we will joinour friends; as I am rich, we will today begin to dinetogether again, expecting that you will be rich in yourturn."

"My faith!" said D'Artagnan, with great pleasure. "It islong since we have had a good dinner; and I, for my part,have a somewhat hazardous expedition for this evening, andshall not be sorry, I confess, to fortify myself with a fewglasses of good old Burgundy."

"Agreed, as to the old Burgundy; I have no objection tothat," said Aramis, from whom the letter and the gold hadremoved, as by magic, his ideas of conversion.

And having put three or four double pistoles into his pocketto answer the needs of the moment, he placed the others inthe ebony box, inlaid with mother of pearl, in which was thefamous handkerchief which served him as a talisman.

The two friends repaired to Athos's, and he, faithful to hisvow of not going out, took upon him to order dinner to bebrought to them. As he was perfectly acquainted with thedetails of gastronomy, D'Artagnan and Aramis made noobjection to abandoning this important care to him.

They went to find Porthos, and at the corner of the Rue Bacmet Mousqueton, who, with a most pitiable air, was drivingbefore him a mule and a horse.

D'Artagnan uttered a cry of surprise, which was not quitefree from joy.

"Ah, my yellow horse," cried he. "Aramis, look at thathorse!"

"Oh, the frightful brute!" said Aramis.

"Ah, my dear," replied D'Artagnan, "upon that very horse Icame to Paris."

"What, does Monsieur know this horse?" said Mousqueton.

"It is of an original color," said Aramis; "I never saw onewith such a hide in my life."

"I can well believe it," replied D'Artagnan, "and that waswhy I got three crowns for him. It must have been for hishide, for, CERTESf, the carcass is not worth eighteen livres.But bow did this horse come into your bands, Mousqueton?"

"Pray," said the lackey, "say nothing about it, monsieur; itis a frightful trick of the husband of our duchess!"

"How is that, Mousqueton?"

"Why, we are looked upon with a rather favorable eye by alady of quality, the Duchesse de - but, your pardon; my masterhas commanded me to be discreet. She had forced us toaccept a little souvenir, a magnificent Spanish GENET and anAndalusian mule, which were beautiful to look upon. Thehusband heard of the affair; on their way he confiscated thetwo magnificent beasts which were being sent to us, andsubstituted these horrible animals."

"Which you are taking back to him?" said D'Artagnan.

"Exactly!" replied Mousqueton. "You may well believe that wewill not accept such steeds as these in exchange for thosewhich had been promised to us."

"No, PARDIEU; though I should like to have seen Porthos onmy yellow horse. That would give me an idea of how I lookedwhen I arrived in Paris. But don't let us hinder you,Mousqueton; go and perform your master's orders. Is he athome?"

"Yes, monsieur," said Mousqueton, "but in a very ill humor.Get up!"

He continued his way toward the Quai des Grands Augustins,while the two friends went to ring at the bell of theunfortunate Porthos. He, having seen them crossing theyard, took care not to answer, and they rang in vain.

Meanwhile Mousqueton continued on his way, and crossing thePont Neuf, still driving the two sorry animals before him,he reached the Rue aux Ours. Arrived there, he fastened,according to the orders of his master, both horse and muleto the knocker of the procurator's door; then, withouttaking any thought for their future, he returned to Porthos,and told him that his commission was completed.

In a short time the two unfortunate beasts, who had noteaten anything since the morning, made such a noise inraising and letting fall the knocker that the procuratorordered his errand boy to go and inquire in the neighborhoodto whom this horse and mule belonged.

Mme. Coquenard recognized her present, and could not atfirst comprehend this restitution; but the visit of Porthossoon enlightened her. The anger which fired the eyes of theMusketeer, in spite of his efforts to suppress it, terrifiedhis sensitive inamorata. In fact, Mousqueton had notconcealed from his master that he had met D'Artagnan andAramis, and that D'Artagnan in the yellow horse hadrecognized the Bearnese pony upon which he had come toParis, and which he had sold for three crowns.

Porthos went away after having appointed a meeting with theprocurator's wife in the cloister of St. Magloire. Theprocurator, seeing he was going, invited him to dinner - aninvitation which the Musketeer refused with a majestic air.

Mme. Coquenard repaired trembling to the cloister of St.Magloire, for she guessed the reproaches that awaited herthere; but she was fascinated by the lofty airs of Porthos.

All that which a man wounded in his self-love could let fallin the shape of imprecations and reproaches upon the head ofa woman Porthos let fall upon the bowed head of theprocurator's wife.

"Alas," said she, "I did all for the best! One of ourclients is a horsedealer; he owes money to the office, andis backward in his pay. I took the mule and the horse forwhat he owed us; he assured me that they were two noblesteeds."

"Well, madame," said Porthos, "if he owed you more than fivecrowns, your horsedealer is a thief."

"There is no harm in trying to buy things cheap, MonsieurPorthos," said the procurator's wife, seeking to excuseherself.

"No, madame; but they who so assiduously try to buy thingscheap ought to permit others to seek more generous friends."And Porthos, turning on his heel, made a step to retire.

"Monsieur Porthos! Monsieur Porthos!" cried theprocurator's wife. "I have been wrong; I see it. I oughtnot to have driven a bargain when it was to equip a cavalierlike you."

Porthos, without reply, retreated a second step. Theprocurator's wife fancied she saw him in a brilliant cloud,all surrounded by duchesses and marchionesses, who cast bagsof money at his feet.

"Stop, in the name of heaven, Monsieur Porthos!" cried she."Stop, and let us talk."

"Talking with you brings me misfortune," said Porthos.

"But, tell me, what do you ask?"

"Nothing; for that amounts to the same thing as if I askedyou for something."

The procurator's wife hung upon the arm of Porthos, and inthe violence of her grief she cried out, "Monsieur Porthos,I am ignorant of all such matters! How should I know what ahorse is? How should I know what horse furniture is?"

"You should have left it to me, then, madame, who know whatthey are; but you wished to be frugal, and consequently tolend at usury."

"It was wrong, Monsieur Porthos; but I will repair thatwrong, upon my word of honor."

"How so?" asked the Musketeer.

"Listen. This evening M. Coquenard is going to the house ofthe Due de Chaulnes, who has sent for him. It is for aconsultation, which will last three hours at least. Come!We shall be alone, and can make up our accounts."

"In good time. Now you talk, my dear."

"You pardon me?"

"We shall see," said Porthos, majestically; and the twoseparated saying, "Till this evening."

"The devil!" thought Porthos, as he walked away, "it appearsI am getting nearer to Monsieur Coquenard's strongbox atlast."