They proceeded silently to the centre of the Place, but asat this very moment the moon had just emerged from behind acloud, they thought they might be observed if they remainedon that spot and therefore regained the shade of thelime-trees.

There were benches here and there; the four gentlemenstopped near them; at a sign from Athos, Porthos andD'Artagnan sat down, the two others stood in front of them.

After a few minutes of silent embarrassment, Athos spoke.

"Gentlemen," he said, "our presence here is the best proofof former friendship; not one of us has failed the others atthis rendezvous; not one has, therefore, to reproachhimself."

"Hear me, count," replied D'Artagnan; "instead of makingcompliments to each other, let us explain our conduct toeach other, like men of right and honest hearts."

"I wish for nothing more; have you any cause of complaintagainst me or Monsieur d'Herblay? If so, speak out,"answered Athos.

"I have," replied D'Artagnan. "When I saw you at yourchateau at Bragelonne, I made certain proposals to you whichyou perfectly understood; instead of answering me as afriend, you played with me as a child; the friendship,therefore, that you boast of was not broken yesterday by theshock of swords, but by your dissimulation at your castle."

"D'Artagnan!" said Athos, reproachfully.

"You asked for candor and you have it. You ask what I haveagainst you; I tell you. And I have the same sincerity toshow you, if you wish, Monsieur d'Herblay; I acted in asimilar way to you and you also deceived me."

"Really, monsieur, you say strange things," said Aramis."You came seeking me to make to me certain proposals, butdid you make them? No, you sounded me, nothing more. Verywell what did I say to you? that Mazarin was contemptibleand that I wouldn't serve Mazarin. But that is all. Did Itell you that I wouldn't serve any other? On the contrary, Igave you to understand, I think, that I adhered to theprinces. We even joked very pleasantly, if I rememberrightly, on the very probable contingency of your beingcharged by the cardinal with my arrest. Were you a partyman? There is no doubt of that. Well, why should not we,too, belong to a party? You had your secret and we had ours;we didn't exchange them. So much the better; it proves thatwe know how to keep our secrets."

"I do not reproach you, monsieur," said D'Artagnan; "'tisonly because Monsieur de la Fere has spoken of friendshipthat I question your conduct."

"And what do you find in it that is worthy of blame?" askedAramis, haughtily.

The blood mounted instantly to the temples of D'Artagnan,who arose, and replied:

"I consider it worthy conduct of a pupil of Jesuits."

On seeing D'Artagnan rise, Porthos rose also; these four menwere therefore all standing at the same time, with amenacing aspect, opposite to each other.

Upon hearing D'Artagnan's reply, Aramis seemed about to drawhis sword, when Athos prevented him.

"D'Artagnan," he said, "you are here to-night, stillinfuriated by yesterday's adventure. I believed your heartnoble enough to enable a friendship of twenty years toovercome an affront of a quarter of an hour. Come, do youreally think you have anything to say against me? Say itthen; if I am in fault I will avow the error."

The grave and harmonious tones of that beloved voice seemedto have still its ancient influence, whilst that of Aramis,which had become harsh and tuneless in his moments ofill-humor, irritated him. He answered therefore:

"I think, monsieur le comte, that you had something tocommunicate to me at your chateau of Bragelonne, and thatgentleman" - he pointed to Aramis - "had also something totell me when I was in his convent. At that time I was notconcerned in the adventure, in the course of which you haveso successfully estopped me! However, because I was prudentyou must not take me for a fool. If I had wished to widenthe breach between those whom Monsieur d'Herblay chooses toreceive with a rope ladder and those whom he receives with awooden ladder, I could have spoken out."

"What are you meddling with?" cried Aramis, pale with anger,suspecting that D'Artagnan had acted as a spy on him and hadseen him with Madame de Longueville.

"I never meddle save with what concerns me, and I know howto make believe that I haven't seen what does not concernme; but I hate hypocrites, and among that number I placemusketeers who are abbes and abbes who are musketeers; and,"he added, turning to Porthos "here's a gentleman who's ofthe same opinion as myself."

Porthos, who had not spoken one word, answered merely by aword and a gesture.

He said "yes" and he put his hand on his sword.

Aramis started back and drew his. D'Artagnan bent forward,ready either to attack or to stand on his defense.

Athos at that moment extended his hand with the air ofsupreme command which characterized him alone, drew out hissword and the scabbard at the same time, broke the blade inthe sheath on his knee and threw the pieces to his right.Then turning to Aramis:

"Aramis," he said, "break your sword."

Aramis hesitated.

"It must be done," said Athos; then in a lower and moregentle voice, he added. "I wish it."

Then Aramis, paler than before, but subdued by these words,snapped the serpent blade between his hands, and thenfolding his arms, stood trembling with rage.

These proceedings made D'Artagnan and Porthos draw back.D'Artagnan did not draw his sword; Porthos put his back intothe sheath.

"Never!" exclaimed Athos, raising his right hand to Heaven,"never! I swear before God, who seeth us, and who, in thedarkness of this night heareth us, never shall my swordcross yours, never my eye express a glance of anger, nor myheart a throb of hatred, at you. We lived together, weloved, we hated together; we shed, we mingled our bloodtogether, and too probably, I may still add, that there maybe yet a bond between us closer even than that offriendship; perhaps there may be the bond of crime; for wefour, we once did condemn, judge and slay a human being whomwe had not any right to cut off from this world, althoughapparently fitter for hell than for this life. D'Artagnan, Ihave always loved you as my son; Porthos, we slept six yearsside by side; Aramis is your brother as well as mine, andAramis has once loved you, as I love you now and as I haveever loved you. What can Cardinal Mazarin be to us, to fourmen who compelled such a man as Richelieu to act as wepleased? What is such or such a prince to us, who fixed thediadem upon a great queen's head? D'Artagnan, I ask yourpardon for having yesterday crossed swords with you; Aramisdoes the same to Porthos; now hate me if you can; but for myown part, I shall ever, even if you do hate me, retainesteem and friendship for you. I repeat my words, Aramis,and then, if you desire it, and if they desire it, let usseparate forever from our old friends."

There was a solemn, though momentary silence, which wasbroken by Aramis.

"I swear," he said, with a calm brow and kindly glance, butin a voice still trembling with recent emotion, "I swearthat I no longer bear animosity to those who were once myfriends. I regret that I ever crossed swords with you,Porthos; I swear not only that it shall never again bepointed at your breast, but that in the bottom of my heartthere will never in future be the slightest hostilesentiment; now, Athos, come."

Athos was about to retire.

"Oh! no! no! do not go away!" exclaimed D'Artagnan, impelledby one of those irresistible impulses which showed thenobility of his nature, the native brightness of hischaracter; "I swear that I would give the last drop of myblood and the last fragment of my limbs to preserve thefriendship of such a friend as you, Athos - of such a manas you, Aramis." And he threw himself into the arms ofAthos.

"My son!" exclaimed Athos, pressing him in his arms.

"And as for me," said Porthos, "I swear nothing, but I'mchoked. Forsooth! If I were obliged to fight against you, Ithink I should allow myself to be pierced through andthrough, for I never loved any one but you in the wideworld;" and honest Porthos burst into tears as he embracedAthos.

"My friends," said Athos, "this is what I expected from suchhearts as yours. Yes, I have said it and I now repeat it:our destinies are irrevocably united, although we now pursuedivergent roads. I respect your convictions, and whilst wefight for opposite sides, let us remain friends. Ministers,princes, kings, will pass away like mountain torrents; civilwar, like a forest flame; but we - we shall remain; I havea presentiment that we shall."

"Yes," replied D'Artagnan, "let us still be musketeers, andlet us retain as our battle-standard that famous napkin ofthe bastion St. Gervais, on which the great cardinal hadthree fleurs-de-lis embroidered."

"Be it so," cried Aramis. "Cardinalists or Frondeurs, whatmatters it? Let us meet again as capital seconds in a duel,devoted friends in business, merry companions in our ancientpleasures."

"And whenever," added Athos, "we meet in battle, at thisword, `Place Royale!' let us put our swords into our lefthands and shake hands with the right, even in the very lustand music of the hottest carnage."

"You speak charmingly," said Porthos.

"And are the first of men!" added D'Artagnan. "You excel usall."

Athos smiled with ineffable pleasure.

"'Tis then all settled. Gentlemen, your hands; are we notpretty good Christians?"

"Egad!" said D'Artagnan, "by Heaven! yes."

"We should be so on this occasion, if only to be faithful toour oath," said Aramis.

"Ah, I'm ready to do what you will," cried Porthos; "even toswear by Mahomet. Devil take me if I've ever been so happyas at this moment."

And he wiped his eyes, still moist.

"Has not one of you a cross?" asked Athos.

Aramis smiled and drew from his vest a cross of diamonds,which was hung around his neck by a chain of pearls. "Hereis one," he said.

"Well," resumed Athos, "swear on this cross, which, in spiteof its magnificent material, is still a cross; swear to beunited in spite of everything, and forever, and may thisoath bind us to each other, and even, also, our descendants!Does this oath satisfy you?"

"Yes," said they all, with one accord.

"Ah, traitor!" muttered D'Artagnan, leaning toward Aramisand whispering in his ear, "you have made us swear on thecrucifix of a Frondeuse."