At first, on arriving at the door through which Mazarin hadpassed, D'Artagnan tried in vain to open it, but on thepowerful shoulder of Porthos being applied to one of thepanels, which gave way, D'Artagnan introduced the point ofhis sword between the bolt and the staple of the lock. Thebolt gave way and the door opened.

"As I told you, everything can be attained, Porthos womenand doors, by proceeding with gentleness."

"You're a great moralist, and that's the fact," saidPorthos.

They entered; behind a glass window, by the light of thecardinal's lantern, which had been placed on the floor inthe midst of the gallery, they saw the orange andpomegranate trees of the Castle of Rueil, in long lines,forming one great alley and two smaller side alleys.

"No cardinal!" said D'Artagnan, "but only his lantern; wherethe devil, then, is he?"

Exploring, however, one of the side wings of the gallery,after making a sign to Porthos to explore the other, he saw,all at once, at his left, a tub containing an orange tree,which had been pushed out of its place and in its place anopen aperture.

Ten men would have found difficulty in moving that tub, butby some mechanical contrivance it had turned with theflagstone on which it rested.

D'Artagnan, as we have said, perceived a hole in that placeand in this hole the steps of a winding staircase.

He called Porthos to look at it.

"Were our object money only," he said, "we should be richdirectly."

"How's that?"

"Don't you understand, Porthos? At the bottom of thatstaircase lies, probably, the cardinal's treasury of whichfolk tell such wonders, and we should only have to descend,empty a chest, shut the cardinal up in it, double lock it,go away, carrying off as much gold as we could, put backthis orange-tree over the place, and no one in the worldwould ever ask us where our fortune came from - not eventhe cardinal."

"It would be a happy hit for clowns to make, but as it seemsto be unworthy of two gentlemen - - " said Porthos.

"So I think; and therefore I said, `Were our object moneyonly;' but we want something else," replied the Gascon.

At the same moment, whilst D'Artagnan was leaning over theaperture to listen, a metallic sound, as if some one wasmoving a bag of gold, struck on his ear; he started;instantly afterward a door opened and a light played uponthe staircase.

Mazarin had left his lamp in the gallery to make peoplebelieve that he was walking about, but he had with him awaxlight, to help him to explore his mysterious strong box.

"Faith," he said, in Italian, as he was reascending thesteps and looking at a bag of reals, "faith, there's enoughto pay five councillors of parliament, and two generals inParis. I am a great captain - that I am! but I make war inmy own way."

The two friends were crouching down, meantime, behind a tubin the side alley.

Mazarin came within three steps of D'Artagnan and pushed aspring in the wall; the slab turned and the orange treeresumed its place.

Then the cardinal put out the waxlight, slipped it into hispocket, and taking up the lantern: "Now," he said, "forMonsieur de la Fere."

"Very good," thought D'Artagnan, "'tis our road likewise; wewill go together."

All three set off on their walk, Mazarin taking the middlealley and the friends the side ones.

The cardinal reached a second door without perceiving he wasbeing followed; the sand with which the alleys were covereddeadened the sound of footsteps.

He then turned to the left, down a corridor which hadescaped the attention of the two friends, but as he openedthe door he paused, as if in thought.

"Ah! Diavolo!" he exclaimed, "I forgot the recommendation ofDe Comminges, who advised me to take a guard and place it atthis door, in order not to put myself at the mercy of thatfour-headed combination of devils." And with a movement ofimpatience he turned to retrace his steps.

"Do not give yourself the trouble, my lord," saidD'Artagnan, with his right foot forward, his beaver in hishand, a smile on his face, "we have followed your eminencestep by step and here we are."

"Yes - here we are," said Porthos.

And he made the same friendly salute as D'Artagnan.

Mazarin gazed at each of them with an affrighted stare,recognized them, and let drop his lantern, uttering a cry ofterror.

D'Artagnan picked it up; by good luck it had not beenextinguished.

"Oh, what imprudence, my lord," said D'Artagnan; "'tis notgood to be about just here without a light. Your eminencemight knock against something, or fall into a hole."

"Monsieur d'Artagnan!" muttered Mazarin, unable to recoverfrom his astonishment.

"Yes, my lord, it is I. I have the honor to present to youMonsieur du Vallon, that excellent friend of mine, in whomyour eminence had the kindness to interest yourselfformerly."

And D'Artagnan held the lamp before the merry face ofPorthos, who now began to comprehend the affair and be veryproud of the whole undertaking.

"You were going to visit Monsieur de la Fere?" saidD'Artagnan. "Don't let us disarrange your eminence. Be sogood as to show us the way and we will follow you.

Mazarin was by degrees recovering his senses.

"Have you been long in the orangery?" he asked in atrembling voice, remembering the visits he had been payingto his treasury.

Porthos opened his mouth to reply; D'Artagnan made him asign, and his mouth, remaining silent, gradually closed.

"This moment come, my lord," said D'Artagnan.

Mazarin breathed again. His fears were now no longer for hishoard, but for himself. A sort of smile played on his lips.

"Come," he said, "you have me in a snare, gentlemen. Iconfess myself conquered. You wish to ask for liberty, and- I give it you."

"Oh, my lord!" answered D'Artagnan, "you are too good; as toour liberty, we have that; we want to ask something else ofyou."

"You have your liberty?" repeated Mazarin, in terror.

"Certainly; and on the other hand, my lord, you have lostit, and now, in accordance with the law of war, sir, youmust buy it back again."

Mazarin felt a shiver run through him - a chill even to hisheart's core. His piercing look was fixed in vain on thesatirical face of the Gascon and the unchanging countenanceof Porthos. Both were in shadow and the Sybil of Cumaherself could not have read them.

"To purchase back my liberty?" said the cardinal.

"Yes, my lord."

"And how much will that cost me, Monsieur d'Artagnan?"

"Zounds, my lord, I don't know yet. We must ask the Comte dela Fere the question. Will your eminence deign to open thedoor which leads to the count's room, and in ten minutes allwill be settled."

Mazarin started.

"My lord," said D'Artagnan, "your eminence sees that we wishto act with all formality and due respect; but I must warnyou that we have no time to lose; open the door then, mylord, and be so good as to remember, once for all, that onthe slightest attempt to escape or the faintest cry forhelp, our position being very critical indeed, you must notbe angry with us if we go to extremities."

"Be assured," answered Mazarin, "that I shall attemptnothing; I give you my word of honor."

D'Artagnan made a sign to Porthos to redouble hiswatchfulness; then turning to Mazarin:

"Now, my lord, let us enter, if you please."