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"Tell me all about it, my dear friend," said D'Artagnan; "but remove these people a little further off first." Mousqueton shouted, "Fall back, you fellows," with such powerful lungs that the breath, without the words, would have been sufficient to disperse the four lackeys. D'Artagnan seated himself on the shaft of the box and opened his ears.
Aramis related what had been agreed upon. D'Artagnan approved with a movement of the head and Porthos with his voice. "Bravo!" he said; "besides, we shall be there at the time of the flight. What with D'Artagnan, Grimaud and Mousqueton, we can manage to dispatch eight of them. I say nothing about Blaisois, for he is only fit to hold the horses. Two minutes a man makes four minutes.
"I can well believe it," replied d'Artagnan, "and that was why I got three crowns for him. It must have been for his hide, for, CERTES, the carcass is not worth eighteen livres. But how did this horse come into your bands, Mousqueton?" "Pray," said the lackey, "say nothing about it, monsieur; it is a frightful trick of the husband of our duchess!" "How is that, Mousqueton?"
"Yes, you talk like a child I repeat the word. Where have you read in the Scriptures, I ask you, that the English are your neighbors?" "Where, that is true," said Blaisois; "at least, I can't now recall it." "A child's reason I repeat it," continued Mousqueton.
"But how handsome thou art how fat! thou hast prospered and grown stout!" and D'Artagnan could not restrain his astonishment at the change good fortune had produced on the once famished one. "Hey, yes, thank God, I am pretty well," said Mousqueton. "But hast thou nothing to say to thy friend Planchet?" "How, my friend Planchet?
"Be on the qui vive!" cried D'Artagnan. "Here are two other cavaliers." As he spoke, two horsemen advanced at full speed. "Ho! your honor!" cried Mousqueton, "the man you upset is getting up." "Why didn't thou do as thou didst to the first man?" said Porthos. "I held the horses, my hands were full, your honor." A shot was fired that moment; Mousqueton shrieked with pain. "Ah, sir!
Meanwhile his misgivings in regard to Mousqueton recurred to his mind and with greater force because Mousqueton, though he did not himself wait on the table, which would have been beneath him in his new position, appeared at the door from time to time and evinced his gratitude to D'Artagnan by the quality of the wine he directed to be served.
D'Artagnan followed him, and Mousqueton, having closed the door, mounted behind the carriage with many groans. The carriage started at a measured pace, without betraying by the slightest sign that it contained people in a hurry. The cardinal wiped his forehead with his handkerchief and looked around him.
The four friends embraced with tears in their eyes. Then they departed, without knowing whether they would ever see each other again. D'Artagnan returned to the Rue Tiquetonne with Porthos, still possessed by the wish to find out who the man was that he had killed. On arriving at the Hotel de la Chevrette they found the baron's equipage all really and Mousqueton on his saddle.
Monsieur de Richelieu would have said, 'Five hundred crowns for the councillor. Well, let's say no more about it. How much were your animals worth, Porthos?" "Ah, if poor Mousqueton were here he could tell you to a fraction." "No matter; you can tell within ten crowns."
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