In which it is shown that under the most trying Circumstances noble Natures never lose their Courage, nor good Stomachs their Appetites.
The little troop, without looking behind them or exchanging a word, fled at a rapid gallop, fording a little stream, of which none of them knew the name, and leaving on their left a town which Athos declared to be Durham. At last they came in sight of a small wood, and spurring their horses afresh, rode in its direction.
As soon as they had disappeared behind a green curtain sufficiently thick to conceal them from the sight of any one who might be in pursuit they drew up to hold a council together. The two grooms held the horses, that they might take a little rest without being unsaddled, and Grimaud was posted as sentinel.
"Come, first of all," said Athos to D'Artagnan, "my friend, that I may shake hands with you -- you, our rescuer -- you, the true hero of us all."
"Athos is right -- you have my adoration," said Aramis, in his turn pressing his hand. "To what are you not equal, with your superior intelligence, infallible eye, your arm of iron and your enterprising mind!"
"Now," said the Gascon, "that is all well, I accept for Porthos and myself everything -- thanks and compliments; we have plenty of time to spare."
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 like madmen, 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 sou for it. Life is the greatest treasure, and speaking candidly, ours hangs by 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 unexpected announcement.
"Bah!" said Porthos, "why separate, since we are all together?"
"Because you can and ought to return to France; your mission is accomplished, but ours is not."
"Your mission is not accomplished?" exclaimed D'Artagnan, looking in astonishment at Athos.
"No, my friend," replied Athos, in his gentle but decided voice, "we came here to defend King Charles; we have but ill defended him -- it remains for us to save him!"
"To save the king?" said D'Artagnan, looking at Aramis as he had looked at Athos.
Aramis contented himself by ****** 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 is surrounded by an army, which is conducting him to London. This army is commanded by a butcher, or the son of a butcher -- it matters little -- Colonel Harrison. His majesty, I can assure you, will be tried on his arrival in London; I have heard enough from the lips of Oliver Cromwell 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 the sentence into execution," continued D'Artagnan.
"And to what penalty do you think the king will be condemned?" asked Athos.
"The penalty of death, I greatly fear; they have gone too far for him to pardon them, and there is nothing left to them but one thing, and that is to kill him. Have you never heard what Oliver Cromwell said when he came to Paris and was shown the dungeon at Vincennes where Monsieur de Vendome 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 has got hold of the king?"
"On the contrary, I am certain he will do so. But then that is all the more 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 in France and introduced us, Monsieur d'Herblay and myself, to Madame Henrietta. 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 now for 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: In France at this moment everything is poor and paltry. We have a king ten years old, who doesn't yet know what he wants; we have a queen blinded by a belated passion; we have a minister who governs France as he would govern a great farm -- that is to say, intent only on turning out all the gold he can by the exercise of Italian cunning and invention; we have princes who set up a personal and egotistic opposition, who will draw from Mazarin's hands only a few ingots of gold or some shreds of power granted as bribes. I have served them without enthusiasm -- God knows that I estimated them at their real value, and that they are not high in my esteem -- but on principle. To-day I am engaged in a different affair. I have encountered misfortune in a high place, a royal misfortune, a European misfortune;
I attach myself to it. If we can succeed in saving the 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?"