The Three Musketeers (The Modern Library) - Alexandre Dumas [229]
Porthos and Aramis exchanged glances; they were beginning to understand what Athos had planned.
“Look here, Athos,” D’Artagnan whispered, “you are about to send us out to slaughter!”
“We are far more likely to be slaughtered if we don’t go.”
“To the wager, gentlemen, to the wager,” said Porthos, tipping his chair and twirling his mustache. “May it be a good one!”
“Done!” said Monsieur de Busigny. “What is the stake to be?”
“We are four and there are four of you,” Athos replied. “The stake is a dinner for eight convivials, with no limits on the menu.”
“Agreed!” said Monsieur de Busigny.
“I concur!” said the dragoon.
“Vell, I vill bett ahlso!” said the Switzer.
The fourth challenger, who had said no word, raised his hand in agreement!
“Breakfast is ready, gentlemen,” the innkeeper announced.
“Bring it in then!” said Athos.
When the innkeeper had obeyed, Athos sent for Grimaud, pointed to a large basket which lay in one corner of the room and signaled to Grimaud to wrap up the food in the napkins. Grimaud understanding that Athos planned a luncheon al fresco packed food and bottles in the basket and picked it up.
“Where are you going to eat my breakfast?” the innkeeper asked.
“What business of yours, so long as we pay for it?” Athos replied, tossing two pistoles majestically onto the table.
“Do you wish the change, Lieutenant?”
“No, landlord. Just add two bottles of champagne. What is left will pay for the napkins.”
The innkeeper, disappointed in the profits he had hoped for, made amends by supplying two bottles of Anjou instead of two bottles of champagne.
“Monsieur de Busigny,” said Athos, “will you be so kind as to set your watch with mine, or permit me to set mine with yours?”
“Certainly, Monsieur,” the hussar replied, producing a most handsome watch, studded with diamonds. “It is now half-past seven.”
“I am five minutes fast,” said Athos, “I make it twenty-five minutes to eight. Pray to take note of this, Monsieur.”
Bowing to an astounded company, the four young men set out toward the Bastion Saint-Gervais, Grimaud in their wake, the basket under his arm, unaware of where they were off to but passively obedient by wont, never dreaming of questioning his master.
Whilst they crossed the camp, the four friends proceeded in silence, followed by a lot of soldiers who had heard about the wager and were anxious to know what would come of it. But once they had cleared the line of circumvallation and found themselves in the open, D’Artagnan, completely mystified, thought it timely to ask for an explanation.
“Now, my dear Athos,” he pleaded, “will you kindly tell me where we are going?”
“To the bastion, of course. Can’t you see that?”
“What shall we do there?”
“You know quite well we are going to breakfast there.”
“And why did we not breakfast at the Sign of the Heretic?”
“Because we have some very important matters to discuss. It was impossible to hear oneself talk in that tavern, what with all those bores coming and going, bowing, scraping and mulling about. There, at least,” Athos pointed to the bastion, “no one can disturb us.”
“But Athos,” D’Artagnan remarked with that prudence which allied itself so naturally with excessive bravery, “it seems to me we could have found some quiet place in the dunes by the seashore.”
“No good, D’Artagnan. The four of us would have been seen conferring together and within a quarter of an hour, the Cardinal would have learned from his spies that we were holding a council.”
“Athos is right,” Aramis announced, “Animadvertuntur in deserto, they are seen in the wilderness.”
“A wilderness wouldn’t have been bad at all,” said Porthos, “the point was to find one!”
“There is no desert where a bird cannot fly overhead or a fish jump out of the water or a rabbit dart out of his burrow, and I firmly believe that bird, fish and rabbit are spying for the Cardinal. We had therefore best continue our venture especially since we cannot retreat without dishonor. We have made