Mazarin turned the lock of a double door, on the thresholdof which they found Athos ready to receive his illustriousguests according to the notice Comminges had given him.

On perceiving Mazarin he bowed.

"Your eminence," he said, "might have dispensed with yourattendants; the honor bestowed on me is too great for me tobe unmindful of it."

"And so, my dear count," said D'Artagnan, "his eminencedidn't actually insist on our attending him; it is Du Vallonand I who have insisted, and even in a manner somewhatimpolite, perhaps, so great was our longing to see you."

At that voice, that mocking tone, and that familiar gesture,accenting voice and tone, Athos made a bound of surprise.

"D'Artagnan! Porthos!" he exclaimed.

"My very self, dear friend."

"Me, also!" repeated Porthos.

"What means this?" asked the count.

"It means," replied Mazarin, trying to smile and biting hislips in the attempt, "that our parts are changed, and thatinstead of these gentlemen being my prisoners I am theirs;but, gentlemen, I warn you, unless you kill me, your victorywill be of very short duration; people will come to therescue."

"Ah! my lord!" cried the Gascon, "don't threaten! 'tis a badexample. We are so good and gentle to your eminence. Come,let us put aside all rancor and talk pleasantly."

"There's nothing I wish more," replied Mazarin. "But don'tthink yourselves in a better position than you are. Inensnaring me you have fallen into the trap yourselves. Howare you to get away from here? remember the soldiers andsentinels who guard these doors. Now, I am going to show youhow sincere I am."

"Good," thought D'Artagnan; "we must look about us; he'sgoing to play us a trick."

"I offered you your liberty," continued the minister; "willyou take it? Before an hour has passed you will bediscovered, arrested, obliged to kill me, which would be acrime unworthy of loyal gentlemen like you."

"He is right," thought Athos.

And, like every other reflection passing in a mind thatentertained none but noble thoughts, this feeling wasexpressed in his eyes.

"And therefore," said D'Artagnan, to clip the hope whichAthos's tacit adhesion had imparted to Mazarin, "we shallnot proceed to that violence save in the last extremity."

"If on the contrary," resumed Mazarin, "you accept yourliberty - - "

"Why you, my lord, might take it away from us in less thanfive minutes afterward; and from my knowledge of you Ibelieve you will so take it away from us."

"No - on the faith of a cardinal. You do not believe me?"

"My lord, I never believe cardinals who are not priests."

"Well, on the faith of a minister."

"You are no longer a minister, my lord; you are a prisoner."

"Then, on the honor of a Mazarin, as I am and ever shall be,I hope," said the cardinal.

"Hem," replied D'Artagnan. "I have heard speak of a Mazarinwho had not much religion when his oaths were in question. Ifear he may have been an ancestor of your eminence."

"Monsieur d'Artagnan, you are a great wit and I am reallysorry to be on bad terms with you."

"My lord, let us come to terms; I ask nothing better."

"Very well," said Mazarin, "if I place you in security, in amanner evident, palpable - - "

"Ah! that is another thing," said Porthos.

"Let us see," said Athos.

"Let us see," said D'Artagnan.

"In the first place, do you accept?" asked the cardinal.

"Unfold your plan, my lord, and we will see."

"Take notice that you are shut up - captured."

"You well know, my lord, that there always remains to us alast resource."

"What?"

"That of dying together."

Mazarin shuddered.

"Listen," he said; "at the end of yonder corridor is a door,of which I have the key, it leads into the park. Go, andtake this key with you; you are active, vigorous, and youhave arms. At a hundred steps, on turning to the left, youwill find the wall of the park; get over it, and in threeleaps you will be on the road and free."

"Ah! by Jove, my lord," said D'Artagnan, "you have wellsaid, but these are only words. Where is the key you speakof?"

"Here it is."

"Ah, my lord! You will conduct us yourself, then, to thatdoor?"

"Very willingly, if it be necessary to reassure you,"answered the minister, and Mazarin, who was delighted to getoff so cheaply, led the way, in high spirits, to thecorridor and opened the door.

It led into the park, as the three fugitives perceived bythe night breeze which rushed into the corridor and blew thewind into their faces.

"The devil!" exclaimed the Gascon, "'tis a dreadful night,my lord. We don't know the locality, and shall never findthe wall. Since your eminence has come so far, come a fewsteps further; conduct us, my lord, to the wall."

"Be it so," replied the cardinal; and walking in a straightline he went to the wall, at the foot of which they all fourarrived at the same instant.

"Are you satisfied, gentlemen?" asked Mazarin.

"I think so, indeed; we should be hard to please if we werenot. Deuce take it! three poor gentlemen escorted by aprince of the church! Ah! apropos, my lord! you remarkedthat we were all active, vigorous and armed."

"Yes."

"You are mistaken. Monsieur du Vallon and I are the only twowho are armed. The count is not; and should we meet with oneof your patrol we must defend ourselves."

"'Tis true."

"Where can we find another sword?" asked Porthos.

"My lord," said D'Artagnan, "will lend his, which is of nouse to him, to the Comte de la Fere."

"Willingly," said the cardinal; "I will even ask the countto keep it for my sake."

"I promise you, my lord, never to part with it," repliedAthos.

"Well, well," cried D'Artagnan, "this reconciliation istruly touching; have you not tears in your eyes, Porthos?"

"Yes," said Porthos; "but I do not know if it is feeling orthe wind that makes me weep; I think it is the wind."

"Now climb up, Athos, quickly," said D'Artagnan. Athos,assisted by Porthos, who lifted him up like a feather,arrived at the top.

"Now, jump down, Athos."

Athos jumped and disappeared on the other side of the wall.

"Are you on the ground?" asked D'Artagnan.

"Yes."

"Without accident?"

"Perfectly safe and sound."

"Porthos, whilst I get up, watch the cardinal. No, I don'twant your help, watch the cardinal."

"I am watching," said Porthos. "Well?"

"You are right; it is more difficult than I thought. Lend meyour back - but don't let the cardinal go."

Porthos lent him his back and D'Artagnan was soon on thesummit of the wall, where he seated himself.

Mazarin pretended to laugh.

"Are you there?" asked Porthos.

"Yes, my friend; and now - - "

"Now, what?" asked Porthos.

"Now give me the cardinal up here; if he makes any noisestifle him."

Mazarin wished to call out, but Porthos held him tight andpassed him to D'Artagnan, who seized him by the neck andmade him sit down by him; then in a menacing tone, he said:

"Sir! jump directly down, close to Monsieur de la Fere, or,on the honor of a gentleman, I'll kill you!"

"Monsieur, monsieur," cried Mazarin, "you are breaking yourword to me!"

"I - did I promise you anything, my lord?"

Mazarin groaned.

"You are free," he said, "through me; your liberty was myransom."

"Agreed; but the ransom of that immense treasure buriedunder the gallery, to which one descends on pushing a springhidden in the wall, which causes a tub to turn, revealing astaircase - must not one speak of that a little, my lord?"

"Diavolo!" cried Mazarin, almost choked, and clasping hishands; "I am a lost and ruined man!"

But without listening to his protestations of alarm,D'Artagnan slipped him gently down into the arms of Athos,who stood immovable at the bottom of the wall.

Porthos next made an effort which shook the solid wall, andby the aid of his friend's hand gained the summit.

"I didn't understand it all," he said, "but I understandnow; how droll it is!"

"You think so? so much the better; but that it may provelaughter-worthy even to the end, let us not lose time." Andhe jumped off the wall.

Porthos did the same.

"Attend to monsieur le cardinal, gentlemen," saidD'Artagnan; "for myself, I will reconnoitre."

The Gascon then drew his sword and marched as avant guard.

"My lord," he said, "which way do we go? Think well of yourreply, for should your eminence be mistaken, there mightensue most grave results for all of us."

"Along the wall, sir," said Mazarin, "there will be nodanger of losing yourselves."

The three friends hastened on, but in a short time wereobliged to slacken the pace. The cardinal could not keep upwith them, though with every wish to do so.

Suddenly D'Artagnan touched something warm, which moved.

"Stop! a horse!" he cried; "I have found a horse!"

"And I, likewise," said Athos.

"I, too," said Porthos, who, faithful to the instructions,still held the cardinal's arm.

"There's luck, my lord! just as you were complaining ofbeing tired and obliged to walk."

But as he spoke the barrel of a pistol was presented at hisbreast and these words were pronounced:

"Touch it not!"

"Grimaud!" he cried; "Grimaud! what art thou about? Why,thou art posted here by Heaven!"

"No, sir," said the honest servant, "it was Monsieur Aramiswho posted me here to take care of the horses."

"Is Aramis here?"

"Yes, sir; he has been here since yesterday."

"What are you doing?"

"On the watch - - "

"What! Aramis here?" cried Athos.

"At the lesser gate of the castle; he's posted there."

"Are you a large party?"

"Sixty."

"Let him know."

"This moment, sir."

And believing that no one could execute the commissionbetter than himself, Grimaud set off at full speed; whilst,enchanted at being all together again, the friends awaitedhis return.

There was no one in the whole group in a bad humor exceptCardinal Mazarin.