The Three Musketeers (Translated by Richard Pevear) - Alexandre Dumas [304]
Planchet, Grimaud, Mousqueton, and Bazin presented themselves and received clear, precise, and stern orders from Athos.
They were to leave at daybreak the next morning and go to Armentières, each by a different route. Planchet, the most intelligent of the four, was to follow the one down which the carriage that the four friends had fired upon had disappeared, accompanied, it will be remembered, by Rochefort’s servant.
Athos put the valets in the field, first of all, because, since these men had been in his and his friends’ service, he had discerned different and essential qualities in each of them.
Then, valets who question passersby arouse less suspicion than their masters, and find more sympathy among those they approach.
Finally, Milady knew the masters, while she did not know the valets. On the other hand, the valets knew Milady perfectly well.
All four were to meet together the next day, at eleven o’clock, in the appointed place. If they had discovered Milady’s retreat, three would remain to keep watch, the fourth would return to Béthune to inform Athos and serve as guide for the four friends.
Once these dispositions were made, the four valets retired in their turn.
Athos then got up from his chair, buckled on his sword, wrapped himself in his cloak, and left the hotel. It was around ten o’clock. At ten o’clock, as is known, provincial streets are nearly deserted. Yet Athos was obviously looking for someone to whom he could put a question. At last he met a belated passerby, went up to him, and said a few words. The man he addressed drew back in horror, but answered the musketeer’s words by pointing his finger. Athos offered the man a half pistole to accompany him, but the man refused.
Athos went down the street that the pointer had indicated to him with his finger; but, coming to an intersection, he stopped again, obviously perplexed. However, as one has more chance of meeting someone at a crossroads than anywhere else, he stood there. Indeed, after a moment a night watchman passed by. Athos repeated to him the question he had already put to the first person he had met. The night watchman evinced the same terror, refused in his turn to accompany Athos, and showed with his hand the road he should follow.
Athos walked off in the direction indicated and reached the outskirts at the opposite end of town from the one by which he and his friends had entered. There he again seemed worried and perplexed, and he stopped for the third time.
Fortunately, a beggar came along, who went up to Athos to ask for alms. Athos offered him an écu to accompany him where he was going. The beggar hesitated for a moment, but on seeing the silver piece shining in the darkness, he made up his mind and went ahead of Athos.
Coming to the corner of a street, he showed him from afar an isolated, solitary, sad little house. Athos went up to it, while the beggar, who had received his salary, made off as fast as his legs would carry him.
Athos circled around the house before making out the door amidst the reddish color with which the house was painted. No light appeared through the chinks in the blinds, no sound led one to suppose it was inhabited, the place was as dark and silent as a tomb.
Three times Athos knocked without any response. At the third knock, however, footsteps approached from inside. Finally, the door half opened, and a tall, pale-faced man with black hair and beard looked out.
He and Athos exchanged a few words in low voices, then the tall man made a sign that the musketeer could come in. Athos profited from the permission at once, and the door closed again behind him.
The man whom Athos had come so far to seek, and whom he had had so much trouble finding, ushered him into his laboratory, where he was busy wiring together the rattling bones of a skeleton. The whole body was already reassembled: