At four o'clock the four friends were all assembled withAthos. Their anxiety about their outfits had alldisappeared, and each countenance only preserved theexpression of its own secret disquiet - for behind all presenthappiness is concealed a fear for the future.

Suddenly Planchet entered, bringing two letters forD'Artagnan.

The one was a little billet, genteelly folded, with a prettyseal in green wax on which was impressed a dove bearing agreen branch.

The other was a large square epistle, resplendent with theterrible arms of his Eminence the cardinal duke.

At the sight of the little letter the heart of D'Artagnanbounded, for he believed he recognized the handwriting, andalthough he had seen that writing but once, the memory of itremained at the bottom of his heart.

He therefore seized the little epistle, and opened iteagerly.

"Be," said the letter, "on Thursday next, at from six toseven o'clock in the evening, on the road to Chaillot, andlook carefully into the carriages that pass; but if you haveany consideration for your own life or that of those wholove you, do not speak a single word, do not make a movementwhich may lead anyone to believe you have recognized her whoexposes herself to everything for the sake of seeing you butfor an instant."

No signature.

"That's a snare," said Athos; "don't go, D'Artagnan."

"And yet," replied D'Artagnan, "I think I recognize thewriting."

"It may be counterfeit," said Athos. "Between six and seveno'clock the road of Chaillot is quite deserted; you might aswell go and ride in the forest of Bondy."

"But suppose we all go," said D'Artagnan; "what the devil!They won't devour us all four, four lackeys, horses, arms,and all!"

"And besides, it will be a chance for displaying our newequipments," said Porthos.

"But if it is a woman who writes," said Aramis, "and thatwoman desires not to be seen, remember, you compromise her,D'Artagnan; which is not the part of a gentleman."

"We will remain in the background," said Porthos, "and hewill advance alone."

"Yes; but a pistol shot is easily fired from a carriagewhich goes at a gallop."

"Bah!" said D'Artagnan, "they will miss me; if they fire wewill ride after the carriage, and exterminate those who maybe in it. They must be enemies."

"He is right," said Porthos; "battle. Besides, we must tryour now arms."

"Bah, let us enjoy that pleasure," said Aramis, with hismild and careless manner.

"As you please," said Athos.

"Gentlemen," said D'Artagnan, "it is half past four, and wehave scarcely time to be on the road of Chaillot by six."

"Besides, if we go out too late, nobody will see us," saidPorthos, "and that will be a pity. Let us get ready,gentlemen."

"But this second letter," said Athos, "you forget that; itappears to me, however, that the seal denotes that itdeserves to be opened. For my part, I declare, D'Artagnan,I think it of much more consequence than the little piece ofwaste paper you have so cunningly slipped into your bosom."

D'Artagnan blushed.

"Well," said he, "let us see, gentlemen, what are hisEminence's commands," and D'Artagnan unsealed the letter andread,

"M. D'Artagnan, of the king's Guards, company Dessessart, isexpected at the Palais-Cardinal this evening, at eighto'clock.

"La Houdiniere, CAPTAIN OF THE GUARDS"

"The devil!" said Athos; "here's a rendezvous much moreserious than the other."

"I will go to the second after attending the first," saidD'Artagnan. "One is for seven o'clock, and the other foreight; there will be time for both."

"Hum! I would not go at all," said Aramis. "A gallantknight cannot decline a rendezvous with a lady; but aprudent gentleman may excuse himself from not waiting on hisEminence, particularly when he has reason to believe he isnot invited to make his compliments."

"I am of Aramis's opinion," said Porthos.

"Gentlemen," replied D'Artagnan, "I have already received byMonsieur de Cavois a similar invitation from his Eminence.I neglected it, and on the morrow a serious misfortunehappened to me - Constance disappeared. Whatever may ensue, Iwill go."

"If you are determined," said Athos, "do so."

"But the Bastille?" said Aramis.

"Bah! you will get me out if they put me there," saidD'Artagnan.

"To be sure we will," replied Aramis and Porthos, withadmirable promptness and decision, as if that were thesimplest thing in the world, "to be sure we will get youout; but meantime, as we are to set off the day aftertomorrow, you would do much better not to risk thisBastille."

"Let us do better than that," said Athos; "do not let usleave him during the whole evening. Let each of us wait ata gate of the palace with three Musketeers behind him; if wesee a close carriage, at all suspicious in appearance, comeout, let us fall upon it. It is a long time since we havehad a skirmish with the Guards of Monsieur the Cardinal;Monsieur de Treville must think us dead."

"To a certainty, Athos," said Aramis, "you were meant to bea general of the army! What do you think of the plan,gentlemen?"

"Admirable!" replied the young men in chorus.

"Well," said Porthos, "I will run to the hotel, and engageour comrades to hold themselves in readiness by eighto'clock; the rendezvous, the Place du Palais-Cardinal.Meantime, you see that the lackeys saddle the horses."

"I have no horse," said D'Artagnan; "but that is of noconsequence, I can take one of Monsieur de Treville's."

"That is not worth while," said Aramis, "you can have one ofmine."

"One of yours! how many have you, then?" asked D'Artagnan.

"Three," replied Aramis, smiling.

"Certes," cried Athos, "you are the best-mounted poet ofFrance or Navarre."

"Well, my dear Aramis, you don't want three horses? Icannot comprehend what induced you to buy three!"

"Therefore I only purchased two," said Aramis.

"The third, then, fell from the clouds, I suppose?"

"No, the third was brought to me this very morning by agroom out of livery, who would not tell me in whose servicehe was, and who said he had received orders from hismaster."

"Or his mistress," interrupted D'Artagnan.

"That makes no difference," said Aramis, coloring; "and whoaffirmed, as I said, that he had received orders from hismaster or mistress to place the horse in my stable, withoutinforming me whence it came."

"It is only to poets that such things happen," said Athos,gravely.

"Well, in that case, we can manage famously," saidD'Artagnan; "which of the two horses will you ride - thatwhich you bought or the one that was given to you?"

"That which was given to me, assuredly. You cannot for amoment imagine, D'Artagnan, that I would commit such anoffense toward - "

"The unknown giver," interrupted D'Artagnan.

"Or the mysterious benefactress," said Athos.

"The one you bought will then become useless to you?"

"Nearly so."

"And you selected it yourself?"

"With the greatest care. The safety of the horseman, youknow, depends almost always upon the goodness of his horse."

"Well, transfer it to me at the price it cost you?"

"I was going to make you the offer, my dear D'Artagnan,giving you all the time necessary for repaying me such atrifle."

"How much did it cost you?"

"Eight hundred livres."

"Here are forty double pistoles, my dear friend," saidD'Artagnan, taking the sum from his pocket; "I know that isthe coin in which you were paid for your poems."

"You are rich, then?" said Aramis.

"Rich? Richest, my dear fellow!"

And D'Artagnan chinked the remainder of his pistoles in hispocket.

"Send your saddle, then, to the hotel of the Musketeers, andyour horse can be brought back with ours."

"Very well; but it is already five o'clock, so make haste."

A quarter of an hour afterward Porthos appeared at the endof the Rue Ferou on a very handsome genet. Mousquetonfollowed him upon an Auvergne horse, small but veryhandsome. Porthos was resplendent with joy and pride.

At the same time, Aramis made his appearance at the otherend of the street upon a superb English charger. Bazinfollowed him upon a roan, holding by the halter a vigorousMecklenburg horse; this was D'Artagnan mount.

The two Musketeers met at the gate. Athos and D'Artagnanwatched their approach from the window.

"The devil!" cried Aramis, "you have a magnificent horsethere, Porthos."

"Yes," replied Porthos, "it is the one that ought to havebeen sent to me at first. A bad joke of the husband'ssubstituted the other; but the husband has been punishedsince, and I have obtained full satisfaction."

Planchet and Grimaud appeared in their turn, leading theirmasters' steeds. D'Artagnan and Athos put themselves intosaddle with their companions, and all four set forward;Athos upon a horse he owed to a woman, Aramis on a horse heowed to his mistress, Porthos on a horse he owed to hisprocurator's wife, and D'Artagnan on a horse he owed to hisgood fortune - the best mistress possible.

The lackeys followed.

As Porthos had foreseen, the cavalcade produced a goodeffect; and if Mme. Coquenard had met Porthos and seen whata superb appearance he made upon his handsome Spanish genet,she would not have regretted the bleeding she had inflictedupon the strongbox of her husband.

Near the Louvre the four friends met with M. de Treville,who was returning from St. Germain; he stopped them to offerhis compliments upon their appointments, which in an instantdrew round them a hundred gapers.

D'Artagnan profited by the circumstance to speak to M. deTreville of the letter with the great red seal and thecardinal's arms. It is well understood that he did notbreathe a word about the other.

M. de Treville approved of the resolution he had adopted,and assured him that if on the morrow he did not appear, hehimself would undertake to find him, let him be where hemight.

At this moment the clock of La Samaritaine struck six; thefour friends pleaded an engagement, and took leave of M. deTreville.

A short gallop brought them to the road of Chaillot; the daybegan to decline, carriages were passing and repassing.D'Artagnan, keeping at some distance from his friends,darted a scrutinizing glance into every carriage thatappeared, but saw no face with which he was acquainted.

At length, after waiting a quarter of an hour and just astwilight was beginning to thicken, a carriage appeared,coming at a quick pace on the road of Sevres. Apresentiment instantly told D'Artagnan that this carriagecontained the person who had appointed the rendezvous; theyoung man was himself astonished to find his heart beat soviolently. Almost instantly a female head was put out atthe window, with two fingers placed upon her mouth, eitherto enjoin silence or to send him a kiss. D'Artagnan uttereda slight cry of joy; this woman, or rather this apparition - for the carriage passed with the rapidity of a vision - wasMme. Bonacieux.

By an involuntary movement and in spite of the injunctiongiven, D'Artagnan put his horse into a gallop, and in a fewstrides overtook the carriage; but the window washermetically closed, the vision had disappeared.

D'Artagnan then remembered the injunction: "If you valueyour own life or that of those who love you, remainmotionless, and as if you had seen nothing."

He stopped, therefore, trembling not for himself but for thepoor woman who had evidently exposed herself to great dangerby appointing this rendezvous.

The carriage pursued its way, still going at a great pace,till it dashed into Paris, and disappeared.

D'Artagnan remained fixed to the spot, astounded and notknowing what to think. If it was Mme. Bonacieux and if shewas returning to Paris, why this fugitive rendezvous, whythis simple exchange of a glance, why this lost kiss? If,on the other side, it was not she - which was still quitepossible - for the little light that remained rendered amistake easy - might it not be the commencement of some plotagainst him through the allurement of this woman, for whomhis love was known?

His three companions joined him. All had plainly seen awoman's head appear at the window, but none of them, exceptAthos, knew Mme. Bonacieux. The opinion of Athos was thatit was indeed she; but less preoccupied by that pretty facethan D'Artagnan, he had fancied he saw a second head, aman's head, inside the carriage.

"If that be the case," said D'Artagnan, "they are doubtlesstransporting her from one prison to another. But what canthey intend to do with the poor creature, and how shall Iever meet her again?"

"Friend," said Athos, gravely, "remember that it is the deadalone with whom we are not likely to meet again on thisearth. You know something of that, as well as I do, Ithink. Now, if your mistress is not dead, if it is she wehave just seen, you will meet with her again some day orother. And perhaps, my God!" added he, with thatmisanthropic tone which was peculiar to him, "perhaps soonerthan you wish."

Half past seven had sounded. The carriage had been twentyminutes behind the time appointed. D'Artagnan's friendsreminded him that he had a visit to pay, but at the sametime bade him observe that there was yet time to retract.

But D'Artagnan was at the same time impetuous and curious.He had made up his mind that he would go to the Palais-Cardinal, and that he would learn what his Eminence had tosay to him. Nothing could turn him from his purpose.

They reached the Rue St. Honore, and in the Place du Palais-Cardinal they found the twelve invited Musketeers, walkingabout in expectation of their comrades. There only theyexplained to them the matter in hand.

D'Artagnan was well known among the honorable corps of theking's Musketeers, in which it was known he would one daytake his place; he was considered beforehand as a comrade.It resulted from these antecedents that everyone enteredheartily into the purpose for which they met; besides, itwould not be unlikely that they would have an opportunity ofplaying either the cardinal or his people an ill turn, andfor such expeditions these worthy gentlemen were alwaysready.

Athos divided them into three groups, assumed the command ofone, gave the second to Aramis, and the third to Porthos;and then each group went and took their watch near anentrance.

D'Artagnan, on his part, entered boldly at the principalgate.

Although he felt himself ably supported, the young man wasnot without a little uneasiness as he ascended the greatstaircase, step by step. His conduct toward Milady bore astrong resemblance to treachery, and he was very suspiciousof the political relations which existed between that womanand the cardinal. Still further, De Wardes, whom he hadtreated so ill, was one of the tools of his Eminence; andD'Artagnan knew that while his Eminence was terrible to hisenemies, he was strongly attached to his friends.

"If De Wardes has related all our affair to the cardinal,which is not to be doubted, and if he has recognized me, asis probable, I may consider myself almost as a condemnedman," said D'Artagnan, shaking his head. "But why has hewaited till now? That's all plain enough. Milady has laidher complaints against me with that hypocritical grief whichrenders her so interesting, and this last offense has madethe cup overflow."

"Fortunately," added he, "my good friends are down yonder,and they will not allow me to be carried away without astruggle. Nevertheless, Monsieur de Treville's company ofMusketeers alone cannot maintain a war against the cardinal,who disposes of the forces of all France, and before whomthe queen is without power and the king without will.D'Artagnan, my friend, you are brave, you are prudent, youhave excellent qualities; but the women will ruin you!"

He came to this melancholy conclusion as he entered theantechamber. He placed his letter in the hands of the usheron duty, who led him into the waiting room and passed oninto the interior of the palace.

In this waiting room were five or six of the cardinalsGuards, who recognized D'Artagnan, and knowing that it washe who had wounded Jussac, they looked upon him with a smileof singular meaning.

This smile appeared to D'Artagnan to be of bad augury.Only, as our Gascon was not easily intimidated - or rather,thanks to a great pride natural to the men of his country,he did not allow one easily to see what was passing in hismind when that which was passing at all resembled fear - heplaced himself haughtily in front of Messieurs the Guards,and waited with his hand on his hip, in an attitude by nomeans deficient in majesty.

The usher returned and made a sign to D'Artagnan to followhim. It appeared to the young man that the Guards, onseeing him depart, chuckled among themselves.

He traversed a corridor, crossed a grand saloon, entered alibrary, and found himself in the presence of a man seatedat a desk and writing.

The usher introduced him, and retired without speaking aword. D'Artagnan remained standing and examined this man.

D'Artagnan at first believed that he had to do with somejudge examining his papers; but he perceived that the man atthe desk wrote, or rather corrected, lines of unequallength, scanning the words on his fingers. He saw then thathe was with a poet. At the end of an instant the poetclosed his manuscript, upon the cover of which was written"Mirame, a Tragedy in Five Acts," and raised his head.

D'Artagnan recognized the cardinal.