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"No." "In the king's room." "The king's room?" cried Athos. "Yes, gentlemen, in the king's room. Groslow is on guard there this evening, and to pass the time away he has invited us to keep him company." "All four of us?" asked Athos. "Pardieu! certainly, all four; we couldn't leave our prisoners, could we?" "Ah! ah!" said Aramis. "Tell us about it," said Athos, palpitating.
He went with Groslow to the captain's berth, a sort of temporary cabin of planks, for the chief apartment had been given up by Captain Rogers to the passengers, who were to be accommodated at the other end of the boat. "They will have nothing to do, then at this end?" said Mordaunt. "Nothing at all." "That's a capital arrangement. Return to Greenwich and bring them here.
We have made ourselves the constant guardians of our men, and while I sleep Monsieur du Vallon watches." "Ah! ah!" said Groslow. "You see, then, why I must decline your polite invitation, which is especially attractive to me, because nothing is so wearisome as to play night after night with the same person; the chances always balance and at the month's end nothing is gained or lost."
Groslow jumped in, followed by Mordaunt, and in five minutes they were quite away from that world of houses which then crowded the outskirts of London; and Mordaunt could discern the little vessel riding at anchor near the Isle of Dogs.
Only the felucca had disappeared from the surface of the sea and Groslow and his three sailors were consumed. The four friends saw all this not a single detail of this fearful scene escaped them.
These horsemen were our friends, or rather, an avant garde, composed of D'Artagnan and Athos. As soon as they arrived at the spot where Groslow stood they stopped, as if guessing that he was the man they wanted. Athos alighted and calmly opened the handkerchief tied at each corner, whilst D'Artagnan, ever cautious, remained on horseback, one hand upon his pistol, leaning forward watchfully.
"Groslow is the man who broke Parry's head and is now getting ready to break ours." "Oh! oh!" "And do you know who is his lieutenant?" "His lieutenant? There is none," said Athos. "They don't have lieutenants in a felucca manned by a crew of four." "Yes, but Monsieur Groslow is not a captain of the ordinary kind; he has a lieutenant, and that lieutenant is Monsieur Mordaunt."
"'Tis God who gives them into our hands," answered Groslow. "This time the devil himself shall not save them," rejoined Mordaunt. And they went out together. End of the Port Wine Mystery. Grimaud waited till he heard the bolt grind in the lock and when he was satisfied that he was alone he slowly rose from his recumbent posture.
"Od's bodikins," said Groslow, as the four friends entered, "I had almost given you up." D'Artagnan went up to him and whispered in his ear: "The fact is, we, that is, Monsieur du Vallon and I, hesitated a little." "And why?" D'Artagnan looked significantly toward Athos and Aramis. "Aha," said Groslow; "on account of political opinions? No matter.
He was so well wrapped up in his cloak that it would have been impossible to see his face even if the night had not been so dark as to render precaution superfluous; nevertheless, the keen glance of Athos perceived at once it was not Rogers who stood before them. "What do you want with us?" he asked of Groslow.
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