CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

D'ARTAGNAN REALIZES HIS GREATEST WISH AND ARAMIS WRITES A DIFFICULT LETTER

Thousands of soldiers had remained at the boundary of the camp. Their shouts filled the air as our four returned from a glorious, even if foolish, adventure, of which nobody suspected the real motive. For some time nothing was heard but "Long Live the Musketeers" and "Long live the Guards". In fact the noise became so great that the Cardinal sent the captain of his Guards to see what was going on.

Before long the captain returned with the news.

"Three Musketeers and one of M. des Essart's Guardsmen, sir," said the captain, "made a bet with M. de Busigny that they would breakfast in the bastion and remain there one hour. It seems that they remained there not one hour but two, and held the bastion against several attacks by the enemy, killing I don't know how many."

"Did you get the names of those three Musketeers?"

"Yes, sir. Messrs. Athos, Porthos and Aramis."

"Those three again!" murmured the Cardinal to himself. "And the Guardsman?"

"M. d'Artagnan, sir."

"Ah! I really must have these men in my service," thought the Cardinal.

Later in the day the Cardinal spoke to M. de Tréville of the morning's adventure. He could hardly avoid it since it was the talk of the whole camp. M. de Tréville had received an account of the whole affair from the four friends, and he repeated the story in full detail, not forgetting the part about the napkin used as a flag.

"Excellent," said the Cardinal. "Please have the napkin sent to me. I will have three fleur-de-lis embroidered on it in gold and I will present it to your company of Musketeers as a flag."

"That would be unjust to the Guardsmen, sir," said M. de Tréville without hesitation. "M. d'Artagnan is not with me, he serves in the Guards under M. des Essart."

"Well, then, make him a Musketeer," said the Cardinal. "When four men are so much attached to each other it is only fair that they should serve together."

When D'Artagnan heard the news his joy could not have been greater. The dream of his life was to become a Musketeer. His three friends were hardly less happy than he.

"Good heavens, Athos," said D'Artagnan, "your idea was better than you thought. We're covered in glory; I'm a Musketeer, and we held our conversation in secret."

"Yes," said Athos, "and, moreover, we can continue it now without being suspected every time we are seen together."

That evening D'Artagnan presented himself to M. des Essart before he transferred to the Musketeers. M. des Essart thought a great deal of D'Artagnan and offered to lend him money to cover the cost of his new uniform and other necessities. D'Artagnan thanked him, but refused all help. However, he seized the chance to ask M. des Essart to have the diamond valued for him as he wished to sell it.

The following afternoon M. des Essart's man called on D'Artagnan and handed him a bag containing seven thousand livres, the price of the Queen's diamond ring.

A few evenings later the four friends met to finish their private conversation. It only remained to write the letter and decide which of their men was to take it.

After much discussion they left the writing of the letter to Aramis, the scholar and future monk. He wrote as follows:

My Lord,

The person who writes these few lines had the honour of crossing swords with you in a little enclosure behind the Louvre. As you have several times since declared yourself the friend of that person, he thinks it his duty, in return for that friendship, to send you important information. Once you were nearly the victim of a near relative whom you believe to be your heir because you are ignorant that before her marriage in England she was already married in France. But the next time,which is the present, you may die. Your relative left Rochelle for England during the night. Watch her arrival, for she has great and terrible plans. If you require to know for certain of what she is capable, read her past history on her left shoulder.

It was decided to send Planchet, D'Artagnan's man, with the letter to London.

Planchet was called and given his instructions together with seven hundred livres for the journey. He was promised another seven hundred when he returned.

"Now," said D'Artagnan to him, "you have eight days to reach Lord Winter and eight days to return. If on the sixteenth day after to-morrow at eight o'clock in the evening you are not back here, even if you are only five minutes late, there will be no money for you."

"Then," said Planchet, "you must buy me a watch."

"Take this," said Athos, generously giving him his. "But, remember that if you talk, if you get drunk, you endanger your master. Remember, too, that if any misfortune happens to D'Artagnan through any fault of yours, I will find you wherever you may be, and cut you to pieces."

"And remember," said Porthos, rolling his large eyes, "I will skin you alive."

"And remember," said Aramis slowly, in his usual gentle voice, "I will roast you over a slow fire."

Taking his man outside, D'Artagnan spoke quietly but seriously to him.

"You know my three friends well. They only spoke in that way out of affection for me."

"Ah, sir," replied the man with tears in his eyes, "I will succeed or be killed in the attempt."

"Go now and rest," said D'Artagnan. "Learn the letter by heart and then sew it in the lining of your jacket."

The next morning just as Planchet was about to set out, D'Artagnan took him aside.

"Now listen carefully," said he. "When you have delivered the letter to Lord Winter and he has read it, you will say to him: 'Watch over his Grace the Duke of Buckingham, for they wish to assassinate him.' This, Planchet, is so serious and so secret that it is worth more than my life to write it. Nevertheless I entrust you with it."

"Be assured, sir," replied Planchet. "You will see that you have not misplaced your confidence."

Exactly at eight o'clock in the evening of the sixteenth day after his departure Planchet presented himself to his master and slipped a note into his hand.

"I have the note," D'Artagnan whispered to his friends.

"Excellent," said Athos. "Let us go home and read it."

The note consisted of half a line in a clear, round, English hand:

Thank you; be easy.

Athos took the letter, set fire to it, and waited until it was burnt to ashes.

"Now, my man," said D'Artagnan to Planchet, "go to bed and sleep soundly."

"Yes, sir, and it will be the first time I have done so for sixteen days."

"And I too!" said D'Artagnan.

"And I too!" said Porthos.

"And I too!" said Aramis.

"Well, if you will have the truth, and I too!" said Athos.