The reader guesses beforehand whom the usher preceded inannouncing the courier from Bretagne. This messenger waseasily recognized. It was D'Artagnan, his clothes dusty, hisface inflamed, his hair dripping with sweat, his legs stiff;he lifted his feet painfully at every step, on whichresounded the clink of his blood-stained spurs. He perceivedin the doorway he was passing through, the superintendentcoming out. Fouquet bowed with a smile to him who, an hourbefore, was bringing him ruin and death. D'Artagnan found inhis goodness of heart, and in his inexhaustible vigor ofbody, enough presence of mind to remember the kind receptionof this man; he bowed then, also, much more from benevolenceand compassion, than from respect. He felt upon his lips theword which had so many times been repeated to the Duc deGuise: "Fly." But to pronounce that word would have been tobetray his cause; to speak that word in the cabinet of theking, and before an usher, would have been to ruin himselfgratuitously, and could save nobody. D'Artagnan thencontented himself with bowing to Fouquet and entered. Atthis moment the king floated between the joy the last wordsof Fouquet had given him, and his pleasure at the return ofD'Artagnan. Without being a courtier, D'Artagnan had aglance as sure and as rapid as if he had been one. He read,on his entrance, devouring humiliation on the countenance ofColbert. He even heard the king say these words to him; -

"Ah! Monsieur Colbert, you have then nine hundred thousandlivres at the intendance?" Colbert, suffocated, bowed, butmade no reply. All this scene entered into the mind ofD'Artagnan, by the eyes and ears, at once.

The first word of Louis to his musketeer, as if he wished itto contrast with what he was saying at the moment, was akind "good day." His second was to send away Colbert. Thelatter left the king's cabinet, pallid and tottering, whilstD'Artagnan twisted up the ends of his mustache.

"I love to see one of my servants in this disorder," saidthe king, admiring the martial stains upon the clothes ofhis envoy.

"I thought, sire, my presence at the Louvre was sufficientlyurgent to excuse my presenting myself thus before you."

"You bring me great news, then, monsieur?"

"Sire, the thing is this, in two words: Belle-Isle isfortified, admirably fortified; Belle-Isle has a doubleenciete, a citadel, two detached forts; its ports containthree corsairs; and the side batteries only await theircannon."

"I know all that, monsieur," replied the king.

"What! your majesty knows all that?" replied the musketeer,stupefied.

"I have the plan of the fortifications of Belle-Isle," saidthe king.

"Your majesty has the plan?"

"Here it is."

"It is really correct, sire: I saw a similar one on thespot."

D'Artagnan's brow became clouded.

"Ah! I understand all. Your majesty did not trust to mealone, but sent some other person," said he in a reproachfultone.

"Of what importance is the manner, monsieur, in which I havelearnt what I know, so that I know it?"

"Sire, sire," said the musketeer, without seeking even toconceal his dissatisfaction; "but I must be permitted to sayto your majesty, that it is not worth while to make me usesuch speed, to risk twenty times the breaking of my neck, tosalute me on my arrival with such intelligence. Sire, whenpeople are not trusted, or are deemed insufficient, theyshould scarcely be employed." And D'Artagnan, with amovement perfectly military, stamped with his foot, and leftupon the floor dust stained with blood. The king looked athim, inwardly enjoying his first triumph.

"Monsieur," said he, at the expiration of a minute, "notonly is Belle-Isle known to me, but, still further,Belle-Isle is mine."

"That is well! that is well, sire, I ask but one thingmore," replied D'Artagnan. - "My discharge."

"What! your discharge?"

"Without doubt I am too proud to eat the bread of the kingwithout earning it, or rather by gaining it badly. - Mydischarge, sire!"

"Oh, oh!"

"I ask for my discharge, or I will take it."

"You are angry, monsieur?"

"I have reason, mordioux! Thirty-two hours in the saddle, Iride night and day, I perform prodigies of speed, I arrivestiff as the corpse of a man who has been hung - andanother arrives before me! Come, sire, I am a fool! - Mydischarge, sire!"

"Monsieur d'Artagnan," said Louis, leaning his white handupon the dusty arm of the musketeer, "what I tell you willnot at all affect that which I promised you. A king's wordgiven must be kept." And the king going straight to histable, opened a drawer, and took out a folded paper. "Hereis your commission of captain of musketeers; you have wonit, Monsieur d'Artagnan."

D'Artagnan opened the paper eagerly, and scanned it twice.He could scarcely believe his eyes.

"And this commission is given you," continued the king, "notonly on account of your journey to Belle-Isle, but,moreover, for your brave intervention at the Place de Greve.There, likewise, you served me valiantly."

"Ah, ah!" said D'Artagnan, without his self-command beingable to prevent a blush from mounting to his eyes - "youknow that also, sire?"

"Yes, I know it."

The king possessed a piercing glance and an infalliblejudgment, when it was his object to read men's minds. "Youhave something to say," said he to the musketeer, "somethingto say which you do not say. Come, speak freely, monsieur;you know that I told you, once for all, that you are to bealways quite frank with me."

"Well, sire! what I have to say is this, that I would preferbeing made captain of musketeers for having charged abattery at the head of my company, or taken a city, than forcausing two wretches to be hung."

"Is this quite true you tell me?"

"And why should your majesty suspect me of dissimulation, Iask?"

"Because I know you well, monsieur; you cannot repent ofhaving drawn your sword for me."

"Well, in that your majesty is deceived, and greatly; yes, Ido repent of having drawn my sword on account of the resultsthat action produced; the poor men who were hung, sire, wereneither your enemies nor mine; and they could not defendthemselves."

The king preserved silence for a moment. "And yourcompanion, M. d'Artagnan, does he partake of yourrepentance?"

"My companion?"

"Yes, you were not alone, I have been told."

"Alone, where?"

"At the Place de Greve."

"No, sire, no," said D'Artagnan, blushing at the idea thatthe king might have a suspicion that he, D'Artagnan, hadwished to engross to himself all the glory that belonged toRaoul; "no, mordioux! and as your majesty says, I had acompanion, and a good companion, too."

"A young man?"

"Yes, sire; a young man. Oh! your majesty must accept mycompliments, you are as well informed of things out of doorsas things within. It is M. Colbert who makes all these finereports to the king."

"M. Colbert has said nothing but good of you, M. d'Artagnan,and he would have met with a bad reception if he had come totell me anything else."

"That is fortunate!"

"But he also said much good of that young man."

"And with justice," said the musketeer.

"In short, it appears that this young man is a fire-eater,"said Louis, in order to sharpen the sentiment which hemistook for envy.

"A fire-eater! Yes, sire," repeated D'Artagnan, delighted onhis part to direct the king's attention to Raoul.

"Do you not know his name?"

"Well, I think - - "

"You know him then?"

"I have known him nearly five-and-twenty years, sire."

"Why, he is scarcely twenty-five years old!" cried the king.

"Well, sire! I have known him ever since he was born, thatis all."

"Do you affirm that?"

"Sire," said D'Artagnan, "your majesty questions me with amistrust in which I recognize another character than yourown. M. Colbert, who has so well informed you, has he notforgotten to tell you that this young man is the son of mymost intimate friend?"

"The Vicomte de Bragelonne?"

"Certainly, sire. The father of the Vicomte de Bragelonne isM. le Comte de la Fere, who so powerfully assisted in therestoration of king Charles II. Bragelonne comes of avaliant race, sire."

"Then he is the son of that nobleman who came to me, orrather to M. Mazarin, on the part of King Charles II., tooffer me his alliance?"

"Exactly, sire."

"And the Comte de la Fere is a great soldier, say you?"

"Sire, he is a man who has drawn his sword more times forthe king, your father, than there are, at present, months inthe happy life of your majesty."

It was Louis XIV. who now bit his lip.

"That is well, M. d'Artagnan, very well! And M. le Comte dela Fere is your friend, say you?"

"For about forty years; yes, sire. Your majesty may see thatI do not speak to you of yesterday."

"Should you be glad to see this young man, M. d'Artagnan?"

"Delighted, sire."

The king touched his bell, and an usher appeared. "Call M.de Bragelonne," said the king.

"Ah! ah! he is here?" said D'Artagnan.

"He is on guard to-day, at the Louvre, with the company ofthe gentlemen of monsieur le prince."

The king had scarcely ceased speaking, when Raoul presentedhimself, and, on seeing D'Artagnan, smiled on him with thatcharming smile which is only found upon the lips of youth.

"Come, come," said D'Artagnan, familiarly, to Raoul, "theking will allow you to embrace me; only tell his majesty youthank him."

Raoul bowed so gracefully, that Louis, to whom all superiorqualities were pleasing when they did not overshadow hisown, admired his beauty, strength and modesty.

"Monsieur," said the king, addressing Raoul, "I have askedmonsieur le prince to be kind enough to give you up to me; Ihave received his reply, and you belong to me from thismorning. Monsieur le prince was a good master, but I hopeyou will not lose by the exchange."

"Yes, yes, Raoul, be satisfied; the king has some good inhim," said D'Artagnan, who had fathomed the character ofLouis, and who played with his self-love, within certainlimits; always observing, be it understood, the proprietiesand flattering, even when he appeared to be bantering.

"Sire," said Bragelonne, with a voice soft and musical, andwith the natural and easy elocution he inherited from hisfather, "sire, it is not from to-day that I belong to yourmajesty."

"Oh! no, I know," said the king, "you mean your enterpriseof the Greve. That day, you were truly mine, monsieur."

"Sire, it is not of that day I would speak; it would notbecome me to refer to so paltry a service in the presence ofsuch a man as M. d'Artagnan. I would speak of a circumstancewhich created an epoch in my life, and which consecrated me,from the age of sixteen, to the devoted service of yourmajesty."

"Ah! ah!" said the king, "what was that circumstance? Tellme, monsieur."

"This is it, sire. - When I was setting out on my firstcampaign, that is to say, to join the army of monsieur leprince, M. le Comte de la Fere came to conduct me as far asSaint-Denis, where the remains of King Louis XIII. wait,upon the lowest steps of the funeral basilique, a successor,whom God will not send him, I hope, for many years. Then hemade me swear upon the ashes of our masters, to serveroyalty, represented by you - incarnate in you, sire - toserve it in word, in thought, and in action. I swore, andGod and the dead were witnesses to my oath. During tenyears, sire, I have not so often as I desired had occasionto keep it. I am a soldier of your majesty, and nothingelse; and, on calling me nearer to you, I do not change mymaster, I only change my garrison."

Raoul was silent, and bowed. Louis still listened after hehad done speaking.

"Mordioux!" cried D'Artagnan, "that was well spoken! was itnot, your majesty? A good race! a noble race!"

"Yes," murmured the agitated king, without, however, daringto manifest his emotion, for it had no other cause thancontact with a nature intrinsically noble. "Yes, monsieur,you say truly: - wherever you were, you were the king's.But in changing your garrison, believe me you will find anadvancement of which you are worthy."

Raoul saw that this ended what the king had to say to him.And with the perfect tact which characterized his refinednature, he bowed and retired.

"Is there anything else, monsieur, of which you have toinform me?" said the king, when he found himself again alonewith D'Artagnan.

"Yes, sire, and I kept that news for the last, for it issad, and will clothe European royalty in mourning."

"What do you tell me?"

"Sire, in passing through Blois, a word, a sad word, echoedfrom the palace, struck my ear."

"In truth, you terrify me, M. d'Artagnan."

"Sire, this word was pronounced to me by a piqueur, who worecrape on his arm."

"My uncle, Gaston of Orleans, perhaps."

"Sire, he has rendered his last sigh."

"And I was not warned of it!" cried the king, whose royalsusceptibility saw an insult in the absence of thisintelligence.

"Oh! do not be angry, sire," said D'Artagnan; "neither thecouriers of Paris, nor the couriers of the whole world, cantravel with your servant; the courier from Blois will not behere these two hours, and he rides well, I assure you,seeing that I only passed him on the thither side ofOrleans."

"My uncle Gaston," murmured Louis, pressing his hand to hisbrow, and comprising in those three words all that hismemory recalled of that symbol of opposing sentiments.

"Eh! yes, sire, it is thus," said D'Artagnan,philosophically replying to the royal thought, "it is thusthe past flies away."

"That is true, monsieur, that is true; but there remains forus, thank God! the future; and we will try to make it nottoo dark."

"I feel confidence in your majesty on that head," saidD'Artagnan, bowing, "and now - - "

"You are right, monsieur; I had forgotten the hundredleagues you have just ridden. Go, monsieur, take care of oneof the best of soldiers, and when you have reposed a little,come and place yourself at my disposal."

"Sire, absent or present, I am always yours."

D'Artagnan bowed and retired. Then, as if he had only comefrom Fontainebleau, he quickly traversed the Louvre torejoin Bragelonne.