Whilst this terrible scene was passing at Lord de Winter's,Athos, seated near his window, his elbow on the table andhis head supported on his hand, was listening intently toRaoul's account of the adventures he met with on his journeyand the details of the battle.

Listening to the relation of those emotions so fresh andpure, the fine, noble face of Athos betrayed indescribablepleasure; he inhaled the tones of that young voice, asharmonious music. He forgot all that was dark in the pastand that was cloudy in the future. It almost seemed as ifthe return of this much loved boy had changed his fears tohopes. Athos was happy - happy as he had never been before.

"And you assisted and took part in this great battle,Bragelonne!" cried the former musketeer.

"Yes, sir."

"And it was a fierce one?"

"His highness the prince charged eleven times in person."

"He is a great commander, Bragelonne."

"He is a hero, sir. I did not lose sight of him for aninstant. Oh! how fine it is to be called Conde and to be soworthy of such a name!"

"He was calm and radiant, was he not?"

"As calm as at parade, radiant as at a fete. When we went upto the enemy it was slowly; we were forbidden to draw firstand we were marching toward the Spaniards, who were on aheight with lowered muskets. When we arrived about thirtypaces from them the prince turned around to the soldiers:`Comrades,' he said, `you are about to suffer a furiousdischarge; but after that you will make short work withthose fellows.' There was such dead silence that friends andenemies could have heard these words; then raising hissword, `Sound trumpets!' he cried."

"Well, very good; you will do as much when the opportunityoccurs, will you, Raoul?"

"I know not, sir, but I thought it really very fine andgrand!"

"Were you afraid, Raoul?" asked the count.

"Yes, sir," replied the young man naively; "I felt a greatchill at my heart, and at the word `fire,' which resoundedin Spanish from the enemy's ranks, I closed my eyes andthought of you."

"In honest truth, Raoul?" said Athos, pressing his hand.

"Yes, sir; at that instant there was such a rataplan ofmusketry that one might have imagined the infernal regionshad opened. Those who were not killed felt the heat of theflames. I opened my eyes, astonished to find myself aliveand even unhurt; a third of the squadron were lying on theground, wounded, dead or dying. At that moment I encounteredthe eye of the prince. I had but one thought and that wasthat he was observing me. I spurred on and found myself inthe enemy's ranks."

"And the prince was pleased with you?"

"He told me so, at least, sir, when he desired me to returnto Paris with Monsieur de Chatillon, who was charged tocarry the news to the queen and to bring the colors we hadtaken. `Go,' said he; `the enemy will not rally for fifteendays and until that time I have no need of your service. Goand see those whom you love and who love you, and tell mysister De Longueville that I thank her for the present thatshe made me of you.' And I came, sir," added Raoul, gazingat the count with a smile of real affection, "for I thoughtyou would be glad to see me again."

Athos drew the young man toward him and pressed his lips tohis brow, as he would have done to a young daughter.

"And now, Raoul," said he, "you are launched; you have dukesfor friends, a marshal of France for godfather, a prince ofthe blood as commander, and on the day of your return youhave been received by two queens; it is not so bad for anovice."

"Oh sir," said Raoul, suddenly, "you recall something,which, in my haste to relate my exploits, I had forgotten;it is that there was with Her Majesty the Queen of England,a gentleman who, when I pronounced your name, uttered a cryof surprise and joy; he said he was a friend of yours, askedyour address, and is coming to see you."

"What is his name?"

"I did not venture to ask, sir; he spoke elegantly, althoughI thought from his accent he was an Englishman."

"Ah!" said Athos, leaning down his head as if to rememberwho it could be. Then, when he raised it again, he wasstruck by the presence of a man who was standing at the opendoor and was gazing at him with a compassionate air.

"Lord de Winter!" exclaimed the count.

"Athos, my friend!"

And the two gentlemen were for an instant locked in eachother's arms; then Athos, looking into his friend's face andtaking him by both hands, said:

"What ails you, my lord? you appear as unhappy as I am thereverse."

"Yes, truly, dear friend; and I may even say the sight ofyou increases my dismay."

And De Winter glancing around him, Raoul quickly understoodthat the two friends wished to be alone and he thereforeleft the room unaffectedly.

"Come, now that we are alone," said Athos, "let us talk ofyourself."

"Whilst we are alone let us speak of ourselves," replied DeWinter. "He is here."

"Who?"

"Milady's son."

Athos, again struck by this name, which seemed to pursue himlike an echo, hesitated for a moment, then slightly knittinghis brows, he calmly said:

"I know it, Grimaud met him between Bethune and Arras andthen came here to warn me of his presence."

"Does Grimaud know him, then?"

"No; but he was present at the deathbed of a man who knewhim."

"The headsman of Bethune?" exclaimed De Winter.

"You know about that?" cried Athos, astonished.

"He has just left me," replied De Winter, "after telling meall. Ah! my friend! what a horrible scene! Why did we notdestroy the child with the mother?"

"What need you fear?" said Athos, recovering from theinstinctive fear he had at first experienced, by the aid ofreason; "are we not men accustomed to defend ourselves? Isthis young man an assassin by profession - a murderer incold blood? He has killed the executioner of Bethune in anaccess of passion, but now his fury is assuaged."

De Winter smiled sorrowfully and shook his head.

"Do you not know the race?" said he.

"Pooh!" said Athos, trying to smile in his turn. "It musthave lost its ferocity in the second generation. Besides, myfriend, Providence has warned us, that we may be on ourguard. All we can now do is to wait. Let us wait; and, as Isaid before, let us speak of yourself. What brings you toParis?"

"Affairs of importance which you shall know later. But whatis this that I hear from Her Majesty the Queen of England?Monsieur d'Artagnan sides with Mazarin! Pardon my frankness,dear friend. I neither hate nor blame the cardinal, and youropinions will be held ever sacred by me. But do you happento belong to him?"

"Monsieur d'Artagnan," replied Athos, "is in the service; heis a soldier and obeys all constitutional authority.Monsieur d'Artagnan is not rich and has need of his positionas lieutenant to enable him to live. Millionaires likeyourself, my lord, are rare in France."

"Alas!" said De Winter, "I am at this moment as poor as heis, if not poorer. But to return to our subject."

"Well, then, you wish to know if I am of Mazarin's party?No. Pardon my frankness, too, my lord."

"I am obliged to you, count, for this pleasing intelligence!You make me young and happy again by it. Ah! so you are nota Mazarinist? Delightful! Indeed, you could not belong tohim. But pardon me, are you free? I mean to ask if you aremarried?"

"Ah! as to that, no," replied Athos, laughing.

"Because that young man, so handsome, so elegant, sopolished - - "

"Is a child I have adopted and who does not even know whowas his father."

"Very well; you are always the same, Athos, great andgenerous. Are you still friends with Monsieur Porthos andMonsieur Aramis?"

"Add Monsieur d'Artagnan, my lord. We still remain fourfriends devoted to each other; but when it becomes aquestion of serving the cardinal or of fighting him, ofbeing Mazarinists or Frondists, then we are only two."

"Is Monsieur Aramis with D'Artagnan?" asked Lord de Winter.

"No," said Athos; "Monsieur Aramis does me the honor toshare my opinions."

"Could you put me in communication with your witty andagreeable friend? Is he much changed?"

"He has become an abbe, that is all."

"You alarm me; his profession must have made him renounceany great undertakings."

"On the contrary," said Athos, smiling, "he has never beenso much a musketeer as since he became an abbe, and you willfind him a veritable soldier."

"Could you engage to bring him to me to-morrow morning atten o'clock, on the Pont du Louvre?"

"Oh, oh!" exclaimed Athos, smiling, "you have a duel inprospect."

"Yes, count, and a splendid duel, too; a duel in which Ihope you will take your part."

"Where are we to go, my lord?"

"To Her Majesty the Queen of England, who has desired me topresent you to her."

"This is an enigma," said Athos, "but it matters not; sinceyou know the solution of it I ask no further. Will yourlordship do me the honor to sup with me?"

"Thanks, count, no," replied De Winter. "I own to you thatthat young man's visit has subdued my appetite and probablywill rob me of my sleep. What undertaking can have broughthim to Paris? It was not to meet me that he came, for he wasignorant of my journey. This young man terrifies me, mylord; there lies in him a sanguinary predisposition."

"What occupies him in England?"

"He is one of Cromwell's most enthusiastic disciples."

"But what attached him to the cause? His father and motherwere Catholics, I believe?"

"His hatred of the king, who deprived him of his estates andforbade him to bear the name of De Winter."

"And what name does he now bear?"

"Mordaunt."

"A Puritan, yet disguised as a monk he travels alone inFrance."

"Do you say as a monk?"

"It was thus, and by mere accident - may God pardon me if Iblaspheme - that he heard the confession of the executionerof Bethune."

"Then I understand it all! he has been sent by Cromwell toMazarin, and the queen guessed rightly; we have beenforestalled. Everything is clear to me now. Adieu, count,till to-morrow."

"But the night is dark," said Athos, perceiving that Lord deWinter seemed more uneasy than he wished to appear; "and youhave no servant."

"I have Tony, a safe if simple youth."

"Halloo, there, Grimaud, Olivain, and Blaisois! call theviscount and take the musket with you."

Blaisois was the tall youth, half groom, half peasant, whomwe saw at the Chateau de Bragelonne, whom Athos hadchristened by the name of his province.

"Viscount," said Athos to Raoul, as he entered, "you willconduct my lord as far as his hotel and permit no one toapproach him."

"Oh! count," said De Winter, "for whom do you take me?"

"For a stranger who does not know Paris," said Athos, "andto whom the viscount will show the way."

De Winter shook him by the hand.

"Grimaud," said Athos, "put yourself at the head of thetroop and beware of the monk."

Grimaud shuddered, and nodding, awaited the departure,regarding the butt of his musket with silent eloquence. Thenobeying the orders given him by Athos, he headed the smallprocession, bearing the torch in one hand and the musket inthe other, until it reached De Winter's inn, when poundingon the portal with his fist, he bowed to my lord and facedabout without a word.

The same order was followed in returning, nor did Grimaud'ssearching glance discover anything of a suspiciousappearance, save a dark shadow, as it were, in ambuscade, atthe corner of the Rue Guenegaud and of the Quai. He fancied,also, that in going he had already observed the streetwatcher who had attracted his attention. He pushed on towardhim, but before he could reach it the shadow had disappearedinto an alley, into which Grimaud deemed it scarcely prudentto pursue it.

The next day, on awaking, the count perceived Raoul by hisbedside. The young man was already dressed and was reading anew book by M. Chapelain.

"Already up, Raoul?" exclaimed the count.

"Yes, sir," replied Raoul, with slight hesitation; "I didnot sleep well."

"You, Raoul, not sleep well! then you must have something onyour mind!" said Athos.

"Sir, you will perhaps think that I am in a great hurry toleave you when I have only just arrived, but - - "

"Have you only two days of leave, Raoul?"

"On the contrary, sir, I have ten; nor is it to the camp Iwish to go."

"Where, then?" said Athos, smiling, "if it be not a secret.You are now almost a man, since you have made your firstpassage of arms, and have acquired the right to go where youwill without consulting me."

"Never, sir," said Raoul, "as long as I possess thehappiness of having you for a protector, shall I deem I havethe right of freeing myself from a guardianship so valuableto me. I have, however, a wish to go and pass a day atBlois. You look at me and you are going to laugh at me."

"No, on the contrary, I am not inclined to laugh," saidAthos, suppressing a sigh. "You wish to see Blois again; itis but natural."

"Then you permit me to go, you are not angry in your heart?"exclaimed Raoul, joyously.

"Certainly; and why should I regret what gives youpleasure?"

"Oh! how kind you are," exclaimed the young man, pressinghis guardian's hand; "and I can set out immediately?"

"When you like, Raoul."

"Sir," said Raoul, as he turned to leave the room, "I havethought of one thing, and that is about the Duchess ofChevreuse, who was so kind to me and to whom I owe myintroduction to the prince."

"And you ought to thank her, Raoul. Well, try the Hotel deLuynes, Raoul, and ask if the duchess can receive you. I amglad to see you pay attention to the usages of the world.You must take Grimaud and Olivain."

"Both, sir?" asked Raoul, astonished.

"Both."

Raoul went out, and when Athos heard his young, joyous voicecalling to Grimaud and Olivain, he sighed.

"It is very soon to leave me," he thought, "but he followsthe common custom. Nature has made us thus; she makes theyoung look ever forward, not behind. He certainly likes thechild, but will he love me less as his affection grows forher?"

And Athos confessed to himself that, he was unprepared forso prompt a departure; but Raoul was so happy that thisreflection effaced everything else from the consideration ofhis guardian.

Everything was ready at ten o'clock for the departure, andas Athos was watching Raoul mount, a groom rode up from theDuchess de Chevreuse. He was charged to tell the Comte de laFere, that she had learned of the return of her youthfulprotege, and also the manner he had conducted himself on thefield, and she added that she should be very glad to offerhim her congratulations.

"Tell her grace," replied Athos, "that the viscount has justmounted his horse to proceed to the Hotel de Luynes."

Then, with renewed instructions to Grimaud, Athos signifiedto Raoul that he could set out, and ended by reflecting thatit was perhaps better that Raoul should be away from Parisat that moment.