The bustle which had been observed by Henrietta Maria andfor which she had vainly sought to discover a reason, wasoccasioned by the battle of Lens, announced by the prince'smessenger, the Duc de Chatillon, who had taken such a noblepart in the engagement; he was, besides, charged to hangfive and twenty flags, taken from the Lorraine party, aswell as from the Spaniards, upon the arches of Notre Dame.

Such news was decisive; it destroyed, in favor of the court,the struggle commenced with parliament. The motive given forall the taxes summarily imposed and to which the parliamenthad made opposition, was the necessity of sustaining thehonor of France and the uncertain hope of beating the enemy.Now, since the affair of Nordlingen, they had experiencednothing but reverses; the parliament had a plea for callingMazarin to account for imaginary victories, always promised,ever deferred; but this time there really had been fighting,a triumph and a complete one. And this all knew so well thatit was a double victory for the court, a victory at home andabroad; so that even when the young king learned the news heexclaimed, "Ah, gentlemen of the parliament, we shall seewhat you will say now!" Upon which the queen had pressed theroyal child to her heart, whose haughty and unrulysentiments were in such harmony with her own. A council wascalled on the same evening, but nothing transpired of whathad been decided on. It was only known that on the followingSunday a Te Deum would be sung at Notre Dame in honor of thevictory of Lens.

The following Sunday, then, the Parisians arose with joy; atthat period a Te Deum was a grand affair; this kind ofceremony had not then been abused and it produced a greateffect. The shops were deserted, houses closed; every onewished to see the young king with his mother, and the famousCardinal Mazarin whom they hated so much that no one wishedto be deprived of his presence. Moreover, great libertyprevailed throughout the immense crowd; every opinion wasopenly expressed and chorused, so to speak, of cominginsurrection, as the thousand bells of all the Parischurches rang out the Te Deum. The police belonging to thecity being formed by the city itself, nothing threateningpresented itself to disturb this concert of universal hatredor freeze the frequent scoffs of slanderous lips.

Nevertheless, at eight o'clock in the morning the regimentof the queen's guards, commanded by Guitant, under whom washis nephew Comminges, marched publicly, preceded by drumsand trumpets, filing off from the Palais Royal as far asNotre Dame, a manoeuvre which the Parisians witnessedtranquilly, delighted as they were with military music andbrilliant uniforms.

Friquet had put on his Sunday clothes, under the pretext ofhaving a swollen face which he had managed to simulate byintroducing a handful of cherry kernels into one side of hismouth, and had procured a whole holiday from Bazin. Onleaving Bazin, Friquet started off to the Palais Royal,where he arrived at the moment of the turning out of theregiment of guards; and as he had only gone there for theenjoyment of seeing it and hearing the music, he took hisplace at their head, beating the drum on two pieces of slateand passing from that exercise to that of the trumpet, whichhe counterfeited quite naturally with his mouth in a mannerwhich had more than once called forth the praises ofamateurs of imitative harmony.

This amusement lasted from the Barriere des Sergens to theplace of Notre Dame, and Friquet found in it very realenjoyment; but when at last the regiment separated,penetrated the heart of the city and placed itself at theextremity of the Rue Saint Christophe, near the RueCocatrix, in which Broussel lived, then Friquet rememberedthat he had not had breakfast; and after thinking in whichdirection he had better turn his steps in order toaccomplish this important act of the day, he reflecteddeeply and decided that Councillor Broussel should bear thecost of this repast.

In consequence he took to his heels, arrived breathlessly atthe councillor's door, and knocked violently.

His mother, the councillor's old servant, opened it.

"What doest thou here, good-for-nothing?" she said, "and whyart thou not at Notre Dame?"

"I have been there, mother," said Friquet, "but I saw thingshappen of which Master Broussel ought to be warned, and sowith Monsieur Bazin's permission - you know, mother,Monsieur Bazin, the verger - I came to speak to MonsieurBroussel."

"And what hast thou to say, boy, to Monsieur Broussel?"

"I wish to tell him," replied Friquet, screaming with allhis might, "that there is a whole regiment of guards comingthis way. And as I hear everywhere that at the court theyare ill-disposed to him, I wish to warn him, that he may beon his guard."

Broussel heard the scream of the young oddity, and,enchanted with this excess of zeal, came down to the firstfloor, for he was, in truth, working in his room on thesecond.

"Well," said he, "friend, what matters the regiment ofguards to us, and art thou not mad to make such adisturbance? Knowest thou not that it is the custom of thesesoldiers to act thus and that it is usual for the regimentto form themselves into two solid walls when the king goesby?"

Friquet counterfeited surprise, and twisting his new caparound in his fingers, said:

"It is not astonishing for you to know it, MonsieurBroussel, who knows everything; but as for me, by holytruth, I did not know it and I thought I would give you goodadvice; you must not be angry with me for that, MonsieurBroussel."

"On the contrary, my boy, on the contrary, I am pleased withyour zeal. Dame Nanette, look for those apricots whichMadame de Longueville sent to us yesterday from Noisy andgive half a dozen of them to your son, with a crust of newbread."

"Oh, thank you, sir, thank you, Monsieur Broussel," saidFriquet; "I am so fond of apricots!"

Broussel then proceeded to his wife's room and asked forbreakfast; it was nine o'clock. The councillor placedhimself at the window; the street was completely deserted,but in the distance was heard, like the noise of the tiderushing in, the deep hum of the populous waves increasingnow around Notre Dame.

This noise redoubled when D'Artagnan, with a company ofmusketeers, placed himself at the gates of Notre Dame tosecure the service of the church. He had instructed Porthosto profit by this opportunity to see the ceremony; andPorthos, in full dress, mounted his finest horse, taking thepart of supernumerary musketeer, as D'Artagnan had so oftendone formerly. The sergeant of this company, a veteran ofthe Spanish wars, had recognized Porthos, his old companion,and very soon all those who served under him were placed inpossession of startling facts concerning the honor of theancient musketeers of Treville. Porthos had not only beenwell received by the company, but he was moreover looked onwith great admiration.

At ten o'clock the guns of the Louvre announced thedeparture of the king, and then a movement, similar to thatof trees in a stormy wind that bend and writhe with agitatedtops, ran though the multitude, which was compressed behindthe immovable muskets of the guard. At last the kingappeared with the queen in a gilded chariot. Ten othercarriages followed, containing the ladies of honor, theofficers of the royal household, and the court.

"God save the king!" was the cry in every direction; theyoung monarch gravely put his head out of the window, lookedsufficiently grateful and even bowed; at which the cries ofthe multitude were renewed.

Just as the court was settling down in the cathedral, acarriage, bearing the arms of Comminges, quitted the line ofthe court carriages and proceeded slowly to the end of theRue Saint Christophe, now entirely deserted. When it arrivedthere, four guards and a police officer, who accompanied it,mounted into the heavy machine and closed the shutters; thenthrough an opening cautiously made, the policeman began towatch the length of the Rue Cocatrix, as if he was waitingfor some one.

All the world was occupied with the ceremony, so thatneither the chariot nor the precautions taken by those whowere within it had been observed. Friquet, whose eye, everon the alert, could alone have discovered them, had gone todevour his apricots upon the entablature of a house in thesquare of Notre Dame. Thence he saw the king, the queen andMonsieur Mazarin, and heard the mass as well as if he hadbeen on duty.

Toward the end of the service, the queen, seeing Commingesstanding near her, waiting for a confirmation of the ordershe had given him before quitting the Louvre, said in awhisper:

"Go, Comminges, and may God aid you!"

Comminges immediately left the church and entered the RueSaint Christophe. Friquet, seeing this fine officer thuswalk away, followed by two guards, amused himself bypursuing them and did this so much the more gladly as theceremony ended at that instant and the king remounted hiscarriage.

Hardly had the police officer observed Comminges at the endof the Rue Cocatrix when he said one word to the coachman,who at once put his vehicle into motion and drove up beforeBroussel's door. Comminges knocked at the door at the samemoment, and Friquet was waiting behind Comminges until thedoor should be opened.

"What dost thou there, rascal?" asked Comminges.

"I want to go into Master Broussel's house, captain,"replied Friquet, in that wheedling way the "gamins" of Parisknow so well how to assume when necessary.

"And on what floor does he live?" asked Comminges.

"In the whole house," said Friquet; "the house belongs tohim; he occupies the second floor when he works and descendsto the first to take his meals; he must be at dinner now; itis noon."

"Good," said Comminges.

At this moment the door was opened, and having questionedthe servant the officer learned that Master Broussel was athome and at dinner.

Broussel was seated at the table with his family, having hiswife opposite to him, his two daughters by his side, and hisson, Louvieres, whom we have already seen when the accidenthappened to the councillor - an accident from which he hadquite recovered - at the bottom of the table. The worthyman, restored to perfect health, was tasting the fine fruitwhich Madame de Longueville had sent to him.

At sight of the officer Broussel was somewhat moved, butseeing him bow politely he rose and bowed also. Still, inspite of this reciprocal politeness, the countenances of thewomen betrayed a certain amount of uneasiness; Louvieresbecame very pale and waited impatiently for the officer toexplain himself.

"Sir," said Comminges, "I am the bearer of an order from theking."

"Very well, sir," replied Broussel, "what is this order?"And he held out his hand.

"I am commissioned to seize your person, sir," saidComminges, in the same tone and with the same politeness;"and if you will believe me you had better spare yourselfthe trouble of reading that long letter and follow me."

A thunderbolt falling in the midst of these good people, sopeacefully assembled there, would not have produced a moreappalling effect. It was a horrible thing at that period tobe imprisoned by the enmity of the king. Louvieres sprangforward to snatch his sword, which stood against a chair ina corner of the room; but a glance from the worthy Broussel,who in the midst of It all did not lose his presence ofmind, checked this foolhardy action of despair. MadameBroussel, separated by the width of the table from herhusband, burst into tears, and the young girls clung totheir father's arms.

"Come, sir," said Comminges, "make haste; you must obey theking."

"Sir," said Broussel, "I am in bad health and cannot givemyself up a prisoner in this state; I must have time."

"It is impossible," said Comminges; "the order is strict andmust be put into execution this instant."

"Impossible!" said Louvieres; "sir, beware of driving us todespair."

"Impossible!" cried a shrill voice from the end of the room.

Comminges turned and saw Dame Nanette, her eyes flashingwith anger and a broom in her hand.

"My good Nanette, be quiet, I beseech you," said Broussel.

"Me! keep quiet while my master is being arrested! he, thesupport, the liberator, the father of the people! Ah! well,yes; you have to know me yet. Are you going?" added she toComminges.

The latter smiled.

"Come, sir," said he, addressing Broussel, "silence thatwoman and follow me."

"Silence me! me! me!" said Nanette. "Ah! yet one wants someone besides you for that, my fine king's cockatoo! You shallsee." And Dame Nanette sprang to the window, threw it open,and in such a piercing voice that it might have been heardin the square of Notre Dame:

"Help!" she screamed, "my master is being arrested; theCouncillor Broussel is being arrested! Help!"

"Sir," said Comminges, "declare yourself at once; will youobey or do you intend to rebel against the king?"

"I obey, I obey, sir!" cried Broussel, trying to disengagehimself from the grasp of his two daughters and by a lookrestrain his son, who seemed determined to disputeauthority.

"In that case," commanded Comminges, "silence that oldwoman."

"Ah! old woman!" screamed Nanette.

And she began to shriek more loudly, clinging to the bars ofthe window:

"Help! help! for Master Broussel, who is arrested because hehas defended the people! Help!"

Comminges seized the servant around the waist and would havedragged her from her post; but at that instant a treblevoice, proceeding from a kind of entresol, was heardscreeching:

"Murder! fire! assassins! Master Broussel is being killed!Master Broussel is being strangled."

It was Friquet's voice; and Dame Nanette, feeling herselfsupported, recommenced with all her strength to sound hershrilly squawk.

Many curious faces had already appeared at the windows andthe people attracted to the end of the street began to run,first men, then groups, and then a crowd of people; hearingcries and seeing a chariot they could not understand it; butFriquet sprang from the entresol on to the top of thecarriage.

"They want to arrest Master Broussel!" he cried; "the guardsare in the carriage and the officer is upstairs!"

The crowd began to murmur and approached the house. The twoguards who had remained in the lane mounted to the aid ofComminges; those who were in the chariot opened the doorsand presented arms.

"Don't you see them?" cried Friquet, "don't you see? therethey are!"

The coachman turning around, gave Friquet a slash with hiswhip which made him scream with pain.

"Ah! devil's coachman!" cried Friquet, "you're meddling too!Wait!"

And regaining his entresol he overwhelmed the coachman withevery projectile he could lay hands on.

The tumult now began to increase; the street was not able tocontain the spectators who assembled from every direction;the crowd invaded the space which the dreaded pikes of theguards had till then kept clear between them and thecarriage. The soldiers, pushed back by these living walls,were in danger of being crushed against the spokes of thewheels and the panels of the carriages. The cries which thepolice officer repeated twenty times: "In the king's name,"were powerless against this formidable multitude - seemed,on the contrary, to exasperate it still more; when, at theshout, "In the name of the king," an officer ran up, andseeing the uniforms ill-treated, he sprang into the scufflesword in hand, and brought unexpected help to the guards.This gentleman was a young man, scarcely sixteen years ofage, now white with anger. He leaped from his charger,placed his back against the shaft of the carriage, making arampart of his horse, drew his pistols from their holstersand fastened them to his belt, and began to fight with theback sword, like a man accustomed to the handling of hisweapon.

During ten minutes he alone kept the crowd at bay; at lastComminges appeared, pushing Broussel before him.

"Let us break the carriage!" cried the people.

"In the king's name!" cried Comminges.

"The first who advances is a dead man!" cried Raoul, for itwas in fact he, who, feeling himself pressed and almostcrushed by a gigantic citizen, pricked him with the point ofhis sword and sent him howling back.

Comminges, so to speak, threw Broussel into the carriage andsprang in after him. At this moment a shot was fired and aball passed through the hat of Comminges and broke the armof one of the guards. Comminges looked up and saw amidst thesmoke the threatening face of Louvieres appearing at thewindow of the second floor.

"Very well, sir," said Comminges, "you shall hear of thisanon."

"And you of me, sir," said Louvieres; "and we shall see thenwho can speak the loudest."

Friquet and Nanette continued to shout; the cries, the noiseof the shot and the intoxicating smell of powder producedtheir usual maddening effects.

"Down with the officer! down with him!" was the cry.

"One step nearer," said Comminges, putting down the sashes,that the interior of the carriage might be well seen, andplacing his sword on his prisoner's breast, "one stepnearer, and I kill the prisoner; my orders were to carry himoff alive or dead. I will take him dead, that's all."

A terrible cry was heard, and the wife and daughters ofBroussel held up their hands in supplication to the people;the latter knew that this officer, who was so pale, but whoappeared so determined, would keep his word; they continuedto threaten, but they began to disperse.

"Drive to the palace," said Comminges to the coachman, whowas by then more dead than alive.

The man whipped his animals, which cleared a way through thecrowd; but on arriving on the Quai they were obliged tostop; the carriage was upset, the horses carried off,stifled, mangled by the crowd. Raoul, on foot, for he hadnot time to mount his horse again, tired, like the guards,of distributing blows with the flat of his sword, hadrecourse to its point. But this last and dreaded resourceserved only to exasperate the multitude. From time to time ashot from a musket or the blade of a rapier flashed amongthe crowd; projectiles continued to hail down from thewindows and some shots were heard, the echo of which, thoughthey were probably fired in the air, made all heartsvibrate. Voices, unheard except on days of revolution, weredistinguished; faces were seen that only appeared on days ofbloodshed. Cries of "Death! death to the guards! to theSeine with the officer!" were heard above all the noise,deafening as it was. Raoul, his hat in ribbons, his facebleeding, felt not only his strength but also his reasongoing; a red mist covered his sight, and through this misthe saw a hundred threatening arms stretched over him, readyto seize upon him when he fell. The guards were unable tohelp any one - each one was occupied with hisself-preservation. All was over; carriages, horses, guards,and perhaps even the prisoner were about to be torn toshreds, when all at once a voice well known to Raoul washeard, and suddenly a great sword glittered in the air; atthe same time the crowd opened, upset, trodden down, and anofficer of the musketeers, striking and cutting right andleft, rushed up to Raoul and took him in his arms just as hewas about to fall.

"God's blood!" cried the officer, "have they killed him? Woeto them if it be so!"

And he turned around, so stern with anger, strength andthreat, that the most excited rebels hustled back on oneanother, in order to escape, and some of them even rolledinto the Seine.

"Monsieur d'Artagnan!" murmured Raoul.

"Yes, 'sdeath! in person, and fortunately it seems for you,my young friend. Come on, here, you others," he continued,rising in his stirrups, raising his sword, and addressingthose musketeers who had not been able to follow his rapidonslaught. "Come, sweep away all that for me! Shouldermuskets! Present arms! Aim - - "

At this command the mountain of populace thinned so suddenlythat D'Artagnan could not repress a burst of Homericlaughter.

"Thank you, D'Artagnan," said Comminges, showing half of hisbody through the window of the broken vehicle, "thanks, myyoung friend; your name - that I may mention it to thequeen."

Raoul was about to reply when D'Artagnan bent down to hisear.

"Hold your tongue," said he, "and let me answer. Do not losetime, Comminges," he continued; "get out of the carriage ifyou can and make another draw up; be quick, or in fiveminutes the mob will be on us again with swords and musketsand you will be killed. Hold! there's a carriage coming overyonder."

Then bending again to Raoul, he whispered: "Above all thingsdo not divulge your name."

"That's right. I will go," said Comminges; "and if they comeback, fire!"

"Not at all - not at all," replied D'Artagnan; "let no onemove. On the contrary, one shot at this moment would be paidfor dearly to-morrow."

Comminges took his four guards and as many musketeers andran to the carriage, from which he made the people insidedismount, and brought them to the vehicle which had upset.But when it was necessary to convey the prisoner from onecarriage to the other, the people, catching sight of himwhom they called their liberator, uttered every imaginablecry and knotted themselves once more around the vehicle.

"Start, start!" said D'Artagnan. "There are ten men toaccompany you. I will keep twenty to hold in check the mob;go, and lose not a moment. Ten men for Monsieur deComminges."

As the carriage started off the cries were redoubled andmore than ten thousand people thronged the Quai andoverflowed the Pont Neuf and adjacent streets. A few shotswere fired and one musketeer was wounded.

"Forward!" cried D'Artagnan, driven to extremities, bitinghis moustache; and then he charged with his twenty men anddispersed them in fear. One man alone remained in his place,gun in hand.

"Ah!" he exclaimed, "it is thou who wouldst have himassassinated? Wait an instant." And he pointed his gun atD'Artagnan, who was riding toward him at full speed.D'Artagnan bent down to his horse's neck the young manfired, and the ball severed the feathers from the hat. Thehorse started, brushed against the imprudent man, whothought by his strength alone to stay the tempest, and hefell against the wall. D'Artagnan pulled up his horse, andwhilst his musketeers continued to charge, he returned andbent with drawn sword over the man he had knocked down.

"Oh, sir!" exclaimed Raoul, recognizing the young man ashaving seen him in the Rue Cocatrix, "spare him! it is hisson!"

D'Artagnan's arm dropped to his side. "Ah, you are his son!"he said; "that is a different thing."

"Sir, I surrender," said Louvieres, presenting his unloadedmusket to the officer.

"Eh, no! do not surrender, egad! On the contrary, be off,and quickly. If I take you, you will be hung!"

The young man did not wait to be told twice, but passingunder the horse's head disappeared at the corner of the RueGuenegaud.

"I'faith!" said D'Artagnan to Raoul, "you were just in timeto stay my hand. He was a dead man; and on my honor, if Ihad discovered that it was his son, I should have regrettedhaving killed him."

"Ah! sir!" said Raoul, "allow me, after thanking you forthat poor fellow's life, to thank you on my own account. Itoo, sir, was almost dead when you arrived."

"Wait, wait, young man; do not fatigue yourself withspeaking. We can talk of it afterward."

Then seeing that the musketeers had cleared the Quai fromthe Pont Neuf to the Quai Saint Michael, he raised his swordfor them to double their speed. The musketeers trotted up,and at the same time the ten men whom D'Artagnan had givento Comminges appeared.

"Halloo!" cried D'Artagnan; "has something fresh happened?"

"Eh, sir!" replied the sergeant, "their vehicle has brokendown a second time; it really must be doomed."

"They are bad managers," said D'Artagnan, shrugging hisshoulders. "When a carriage is chosen, it ought to bestrong. The carriage in which a Broussel is to be arrestedought to be able to bear ten thousand men."

"What are your commands, lieutenant?"

"Take the detachment and conduct him to his place."

"But you will be left alone?"

"Certainly. So you suppose I have need of an escort? Go."

The musketeers set off and D'Artagnan was left alone withRaoul.

"Now," he said, "are you in pain?"

"Yes; my head is not only swimming but burning."

"What's the matter with this head?" said D'Artagnan, raisingthe battered hat. "Ah! ah! a bruise."

"Yes, I think I received a flower-pot upon my head."

"Brutes!" said D'Artagnan. "But were you not on horseback?you have spurs."

"Yes, but I got down to defend Monsieur de Comminges and myhorse was taken away. Here it is, I see."

At this very moment Friquet passed, mounted on Raoul'shorse, waving his parti-colored cap and crying, "Broussel!Broussel!"

"Halloo! stop, rascal!" cried D'Artagnan. "Bring hither thathorse."

Friquet heard perfectly, but he pretended not to do so andtried to continue his road. D'Artagnan felt inclined for aninstant to pursue Master Friquet, but not wishing to leaveRaoul alone he contented himself with taking a pistol fromthe holster and cocking it.

Friquet had a quick eye and a fine ear. He saw D'Artagnan'smovement, heard the sound of the click, and stopped at once.

"Ah! it is you, your honor," he said, advancing towardD'Artagnan; "and I am truly pleased to meet you."

D'Artagnan looked attentively at Friquet and recognized thelittle chorister of the Rue de la Calandre.

"Ah! 'tis thou, rascal!" said he, "come here: so thou hastchanged thy trade; thou art no longer a choir boy nor atavern boy; thou hast become a horse stealer?"

"Ah, your honor, how can you say so?" exclaimed Friquet. "Iwas seeking the gentleman to whom this horse belongs - anofficer, brave and handsome as a youthful Caesar; "then,pretending to see Raoul for the first time:

"Ah! but if I mistake not," continued he, "here he is; youwon't forget the boy, sir."

Raoul put his hand in his pocket.

"What are you about?" asked D'Artagnan.

"To give ten francs to this honest fellow," replied Raoul,taking a pistole from his pocket.

"Ten kicks on his back!" said D'Artagnan; "be off, youlittle villain, and forget not that I have your address."

Friquet, who did not expect to be let off so cheaply,bounded off like a gazelle up the Quai a la Rue Dauphine,and disappeared. Raoul mounted his horse, and both leisurelytook their way to the Rue Tiquetonne.

D'Artagnan watched over the youth as if he had been his ownson.

They arrived without accident at the Hotel de la Chevrette.

The handsome Madeleine announced to D'Artagnan that Planchethad returned, bringing Musqueton with him, who hadheroically borne the extraction of the ball and was as wellas his state would permit.

D'Artagnan desired Planchet to be summoned, but he haddisappeared.

"Then bring some wine," said D'Artagnan. "You are muchpleased with yourself," said he to Raoul when they werealone, "are you not?"

"Well, yes," replied Raoul. "It seems to me I did my duty. Idefended the king."

"And who told you to defend the king?"

"The Comte de la Fere himself."

"Yes, the king; but to-day you have not fought for the king,you have fought for Mazarin; which is not quite the samething."

"But you yourself?"

"Oh, for me; that is another matter. I obey my captain'sorders. As for you, your captain is the prince, understandthat rightly; you have no other. But has one ever seen sucha wild fellow," continued he, "making himself a Mazarinistand helping to arrest Broussel! Breathe not a word of that,or the Comte de la Fere will be furious."

"You think the count will be angry with me?"

"Think it? I'm certain of it; were it not for that, I shouldthank you, for you have worked for us. However, I scold youinstead of him, and in his place; the storm will blow overmore easily, believe me. And moreover, my dear child,"continued D'Artagnan, "I am making use of the privilegeconceded to me by your guardian."

"I do not understand you, sir," said Raoul.

D'Artagnan rose, and taking a letter from his writing-desk,presented it to Raoul. The face of the latter became seriouswhen he had cast his eyes upon the paper.

"Oh, mon Dieu!" he said, raising his fine eyes toD'Artagnan, moist with tears, "the count has left Pariswithout seeing me?"

"He left four days ago," said D'Artagnan.

"But this letter seems to intimate that he is about to incurdanger, perhaps death."

"He - he - incur danger of death! No, be not anxious; heis traveling on business and will return ere long. I hopeyou have no repugnance to accept me as your guardian in theinterim."

"Oh, no, Monsieur d'Artagnan," said Raoul, "you are such abrave gentleman and the Comte de la Fere has so muchaffection for you!"

"Eh! Egad! love me too; I will not torment you much, butonly on condition that you become a Frondist, my youngfriend, and a hearty Frondist, too."

"But can I continue to visit Madame de Chevreuse?"

"I should say you could! and the coadjutor and Madame deLongueville; and if the worthy Broussel were there, whom youso stupidly helped arrest, I should tell you to excuseyourself to him at once and kiss him on both cheeks."

"Well, sir, I will obey you, although I do not understandyou.

"It is unnecessary for you to understand. Hold," continuedD'Artagnan, turning toward the door, which had just opened,"here is Monsieur du Vallon, who comes with his coat torn."

"Yes, but in exchange," said Porthos, covered withperspiration and soiled by dust, "in exchange, I have tornmany skins. Those wretches wanted to take away my sword!Deuce take 'em, what a popular commotion!" continued thegiant, in his quiet manner; "but I knocked down more thantwenty with the hilt of Balizarde. A draught of wine,D'Artagnan."

"Oh" I'll aswer for you," said the Gascon, filling Porthos'sglass to the brim; "but when you have drunk, give me youropinion."

"Upon what?" asked Porthos.

"Look here," resumed D'Artagnan; "here is Monsieur deBragelonne, who determined at all risks to aid the arrest ofBroussel and whom I had great difficulty to preventdefending Monsieur de Comminges."

"The devil!" said Porthos; "and his guardian, what would hehave said to that?"

"Do you hear?" interrupted D'Artagnan; "become a Frondist,my friend, belong to the Fronde, and remember that I fillthe count's place in everything;" and he jingled his money.

"Will you come?" said he to Porthos.

"Where?" asked Porthos, filling a second glass of wine.

"To present our respects to the cardinal."

Porthos swallowed the second glass with the same grace withwhich he had imbibed the first, took his beaver and followedD'Artagnan. As for Raoul, he remained bewildered with whathe had seen, having been forbidden by D'Artagnan to leavethe room until the tumult was over.