Whilst this scene was going on, D'Artagnan remained withopen mouth and a confused gaze. Everything had turned out sodifferently from what he expected that he was stupefied withwonder.

Athos, who had been observing him and guessing his thoughts,took his arm and led him into the garden.

"Whilst supper is being prepared," he said, smiling, "youwill not, my friend, be sorry to have the mystery which sopuzzles you cleared up."

"True, monsieur le comte," replied D'Artagnan, who felt thatby degrees Athos was resuming that great influence whicharistocracy had over him.

Athos smiled.

"First and foremost, dear D'Artagnan, we have no title suchas count here. When I call you `chevalier,' it is inpresenting you to my guests, that they may know who you are.But to you, D'Artagnan, I am, I hope, still dear Athos, yourcomrade, your friend. Do you intend to stand on ceremonybecause you are less attached to me than you were?"

"Oh! God forbid!"

"Then let us be as we used to be; let us be open with eachother. You are surprised at what you see here?"

"Extremely."

"But above all things, I am a marvel to you?"

"I confess it."

"I am still young, am I not? Should you not have known meagain, in spite of my eight-and-forty years of age?"

"On the contrary, I do not find you the same person at all."

"I understand," cried Athos, with a gentle blush."Everything, D'Artagnan, even folly, has its limit."

"Then your means, it appears, are improved; you have acapital house - your own, I presume? You have a park, andhorses, servants."

Athos smiled.

"Yes, I inherited this little property when I quitted thearmy, as I told you. The park is twenty acres - twenty,comprising kitchen-gardens and a common. I have two horses,- I do not count my servant's bobtailed nag. My sportingdogs consist of two pointers, two harriers and two setters.But then all this extravagance is not for myself," addedAthos, laughing.

"Yes, I see, for the young man Raoul," said D'Artagnan.

"You guess aright, my friend; this youth is an orphan,deserted by his mother, who left him in the house of a poorcountry priest. I have brought him up. It is Raoul who hasworked in me the change you see; I was dried up like amiserable tree, isolated, attached to nothing on earth; itwas only a deep affection that could make me take root againand drag me back to life. This child has caused me torecover what I had lost. I had no longer any wish to livefor myself, I have lived for him. I have corrected the vicesthat I had; I have assumed the virtues that I had not.Precept something, but example more. I may be mistaken, butI believe that Raoul will be as accomplished a gentleman asour degenerate age could display."

The remembrance of Milady recurred to D'Artagnan.

"And you are happy?" he said to his friend.

"As happy as it is allowed to one of God's creatures to beon this earth; but say out all you think, D'Artagnan, foryou have not yet done so."

"You are too bad, Athos; one can hide nothing from you,"answered D'Artagnan. "I wished to ask you if you ever feelany emotions of terror resembling - - "

"Remorse! I finish your phrase. Yes and no. I do not feelremorse, because that woman, I profoundly hold, deserved herpunishment. Had she one redeeming trait? I doubt it. I donot feel remorse, because had we allowed her to live shewould have persisted in her work of destruction. But I donot mean, my friend that we were right in what we did.Perhaps all blood demands some expiation. Hers had beenaccomplished; it remains, possibly, for us to accomplishours."

"I have sometimes thought as you do, Athos."

"She had a son, that unhappy woman?"

"Yes."

"Have you ever heard of him?"

"Never."

"He must be about twenty-three years of age," said Athos, ina low tone. "I often think of that young man, D'Artagnan."

"Strange! for I had forgotten him," said the lieutenant.

Athos smiled; the smile was melancholy.

"And Lord de Winter - do you know anything about him?"

"I know that he is in high favor with Charles I."

"The fortunes of that monarch now are at low water. He shedthe blood of Strafford; that confirms what I said just now- blood will have blood. And the queen?"

"What queen?"

"Madame Henrietta of England, daughter of Henry IV."

"She is at the Louvre, as you know."

"Yes, and I hear in bitter poverty. Her daughter, during theseverest cold, was obliged for want of fire to remain inbed. Do you grasp that?" said Athos, shrugging hisshoulders; "the daughter of Henry IV. shivering for want ofa fagot! Why did she not ask from any one of us a homeinstead of from Mazarin? She should have wanted nothing."

"Have you ever seen the queen of England?" inquiredD'Artagnan.

"No; but my mother, as a child, saw her. Did I ever tell youthat my mother was lady of honor to Marie de Medici "

"Never. You know, Athos, you never spoke much of suchmatters."

"Ah, mon Dieu, yes, you are right," Athos replied; "but thenthere must be some occasion for speaking."

"Porthos wouldn't have waited for it so patiently," saidD'Artagnan, with a smile.

"Every one according to his nature, my dear D'Artagnan.Porthos, in spite of a touch of vanity, has many excellentqualities. Have you seen him?"

"I left him five days ago," said D'Artagnan, and heportrayed with Gascon wit and sprightliness the magnificenceof Porthos in his Chateau of Pierrefonds; nor did he neglectto launch a few arrows of wit at the excellent MonsieurMouston.

"I sometimes wonder," replied Athos, smiling at that gayetywhich recalled the good old days, "that we could form anassociation of men who would be, after twenty years ofseparation, still so closely bound together. Friendshipthrows out deep roots in honest hearts, D'Artagnan. Believeme, it is only the evil-minded who deny friendship; theycannot understand it. And Aramis?"

"I have seen him also," said D'Artagnan; "but he seemed tome cold."

"Ah, you have seen Aramis?" said Athos, turning onD'Artagnan a searching look. "Why, it is a veritablepilgrimage, my dear friend, that you are making to theTemple of Friendship, as the poets would say."

"Why, yes," replied D'Artagnan, with embarrassment.

"Aramis, you know," continued Athos, "is naturally cold, andthen he is always involved in intrigues with women."

"I believe he is at this moment in a very complicated one,"said D'Artagnan.

Athos made no reply.

"He is not curious," thought D'Artagnan.

Athos not only failed to reply, he even changed the subjectof conversation.

"You see," said he, calling D'Artagnan's attention to thefact that they had come back to the chateau after an hour'swalk, "we have made a tour of my domains."

"All is charming and everything savors of nobility," repliedD'Artagnan.

At this instant they heard the sound of horses' feet.

"'Tis Raoul who has come back," said Athos; "and we can nowhear how the poor child is."

In fact, the young man appeared at the gate, covered withdust, entered the courtyard, leaped from his horse, which heconsigned to the charge of a groom, and then went to greetthe count and D'Artagnan.

"Monsieur," said Athos, placing his hand on D'Artagnan'sshoulder, "monsieur is the Chevalier D'Artagnan of whom youhave often heard me speak, Raoul."

"Monsieur," said the young man, saluting again and moreprofoundly, "monsieur le comte has pronounced your namebefore me as an example whenever he wished to speak of anintrepid and generous gentleman."

That little compliment could not fail to move D'Artagnan. Heextended a hand to Raoul and said:

"My young friend, all the praises that are given me shouldbe passed on to the count here; for he has educated me ineverything and it is not his fault that his pupil profitedso little from his instructions. But he will make it up inyou I am sure. I like your manner, Raoul, and yourpoliteness has touched me."

Athos was more delighted than can be told. He looked atD'Artagnan with an expression of gratitude and then bestowedon Raoul one of those strange smiles, of which children areso proud when they receive them.

"Now," said D'Artagnan to himself, noticing that silent playof countenance, "I am sure of it."

"I hope the accident has been of no consequence?"

"They don't yet know, sir, on account of the swelling; butthe doctor is afraid some tendon has been injured."

At this moment a little boy, half peasant, half foot-boy,came to announce supper.

Athos led his guest into a dining-room of moderate size, thewindows of which opened on one side on a garden, on theother on a hot-house full of magnificent flowers.

D'Artagnan glanced at the dinner service. The plate wasmagnificent, old, and appertaining to the family. D'Artagnanstopped to look at a sideboard on which was a superb ewer ofsilver.

"That workmanship is divine!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, a chef d'oeuvre of the great Florentine sculptor,Benvenuto Cellini," replied Athos.

"What battle does it represent?"

"That of Marignan, just at the point where one of myforefathers is offering his sword to Francis I., who hasbroken his. It was on that occasion that my ancestor,Enguerrand de la Fere, was made a knight of the Order of St.Michael; besides which, the king, fifteen years afterward,gave him also this ewer and a sword which you may have seenformerly in my house, also a lovely specimen of workmanship.Men were giants in those times," said Athos; "now we arepigmies in comparison. Let us sit down to supper. CallCharles," he added, addressing the boy who waited.

"My good Charles, I particularly recommend to your carePlanchet, the laquais of Monsieur D'Artagnan. He likes goodwine; now you have the key of the cellar. He has slept along time on a hard bed, so he won't object to a soft one;take every care of him, I beg of you." Charles bowed andretired.

"You think of everything," said D'Artagnan; "and I thank youfor Planchet, my dear Athos."

Raoul stared on hearing this name and looked at the count tobe quite sure that it was he whom the lieutenant thusaddressed.

"That name sounds strange to you," said Athos, smiling; "itwas my nom de guerre when Monsieur D'Artagnan, two othergallant friends and myself performed some feats of arms atthe siege of La Rochelle, under the deceased cardinal andMonsieur de Bassompierre. My friend is still so kind as toaddress me by that old and well beloved appellation, whichmakes my heart glad when I hear it."

"'Tis an illustrious name," said the lieutenant, "and hadone day triumphal honors paid to it."

"What do you mean, sir?" inquired Raoul.

"You have not forgotten St. Gervais, Athos, and the napkinwhich was converted into a banner?" and he then related toRaoul the story of the bastion, and Raoul fancied he waslistening to one of those deeds of arms belonging to days ofchivalry, so gloriously recounted by Tasso and Ariosto.

"D'Artagnan does not tell you, Raoul," said Athos, in histurn, "that he was reckoned one of the finest swordsmen ofhis time - a knuckle of iron, a wrist of steel, a sure eyeand a glance of fire; that's what his adversary met with. Hewas eighteen, only three years older than you are, Raoul,when I saw him set to work, pitted against tried men."

"And did Monsieur D'Artagnan come off the conqueror?" askedthe young man, with glistening eye.

"I killed one man, if I recollect rightly," repliedD'Artagnan, with a look of inquiry directed to Athos;"another I disarmed or wounded, I don't remember which."

"Wounded!" said Athos; "it was a phenomenon of skill."

The young man would willingly have prolonged thisconversation far into the night, but Athos pointed out tohim that his guest must need repose. D'Artagnan would fainhave declared that he was not fatigued, but Athos insistedon his retiring to his chamber, conducted thither by Raoul.