The Three Musketeers (Translated by Richard Pevear) - Alexandre Dumas [221]
“A despicable man, Monseigeur, a despicable man!”
“Then give me some paper, a pen and ink,” said the cardinal.
“Here, Monseigneur.”
There was a moment of silence, which suggested that the cardinal was busy searching for the terms in which the note ought to be written, or was even writing it. Athos, who had not missed a word of the conversation, took his two companions by the hand and led them to the other end of the room.
“Well,” said Porthos, “what do you want? Why don’t you let us listen to the end of the conversation?”
“Shh!” said Athos, speaking in a low voice. “We’ve heard all we needed to hear. Besides, I’m not keeping you from listening to the rest, but I must leave.”
“You must leave?” said Porthos. “But if the cardinal asks for you, what will we say?”
“You won’t wait for him to ask for me; you will tell him beforehand that I went to clear the way, because certain words of our host led me to think the road wasn’t safe. I’ll say a couple of words to the cardinal’s equerry. The rest is my concern, don’t bother about it.”
“Be careful, Athos!” said Aramis.
“Don’t worry,” replied Athos, “you know I’m coolheaded.”
Porthos and Aramis went back to their places by the stovepipe.
As for Athos, he left without any secrecy, went to take his horse, which was tied with those of his two friends to the latches of the shutters, convinced the equerry in four words of the need of an advance guard for the return, made a showy inspection of the priming of his pistols, took his sword in his teeth, and desperately set off down the road to camp.
XLV
A CONJUGAL SCENE
As Athos had foreseen, the cardinal came down without delay. He opened the door to the room that the three musketeers had been ushered into, and found Porthos playing a hot game of dice with Aramis. With a rapid glance he searched all the corners of the room and saw that one of his men was missing.
“What’s become of Athos?” he asked.
“Monseigneur,” replied Porthos, “he went to clear the way after some remarks from our host that made him think the road was not safe.”
“And you, what have you been doing, M. Porthos?”
“I’ve won six pistoles from Aramis.”
“And now you can return with me?”
“We are at Your Eminence’s orders.”
“To horse, then, gentlemen, for it’s getting late.”
The equerry was at the door, holding the cardinal’s horse by the bridle. A little further off a group of two men and three horses appeared in the darkness. These two men were those who were to conduct Milady to the Fort de La Pointe and see her aboard ship.
The equerry confirmed to the cardinal what the two musketeers had already told him concerning Athos. The cardinal made an approving gesture and set out on his way again, surrounding himself on his return with the same precautions he had taken at his departure.
Let us leave him on the road to camp, protected by the equerry and the two musketeers, and go back to Athos.
He had continued at the same speed for a hundred paces; but, once out of sight, he had swung his horse to the right, made a detour, and come back to a copse twenty paces from the inn, to watch the little troop pass by. Having recognized the wide-brimmed hats of his companions and the gilded fringe of M. le cardinal’s cloak, he waited until the horsemen had turned the corner of the road, and, having lost sight of them, went galloping back to the inn, where the door was opened to him without difficulty.
The host recognized him.
“My officer forgot to give the lady upstairs some important instructions,” said Athos. “He sent me to make good his forgetfulness.”
“Go on up,” said the host. “She’s still in her room.”
Athos profited from the permission, went upstairs with the lightest step he could manage, came to the landing, and, through the half-open door, saw Milady tying her bonnet.
He went into the room and shut the door behind him.
At the sound of the sliding bolt, Milady turned around.
Athos was standing in front of