Part 71 (1/2)
”I've a great desire to drink the king's health,” said Athos
”Let nan
”Do,” said Aranan, quite amazed at the resources hich his conan took up his camp tin cup, filled it ine and arose
”Gentlemen,” said he, ”let us drink to him who presides at the repast Here's to our colonel, and let him know that we are always at his conan, as he spoke, looked at Harrison, the colonel iined the toast was for himself He arose and bowed to the four friends, whose eyes were fixed on Charles, while Harrison e
The king, in return, looked at the four gentleratitude
”Coardless of his illustrious captive, ”let us be off”
”Where do we sleep, colonel?”
”At Thirsk,” replied Harrison
”Parry,” said the king, rising too, ”ad!” said D'Artagnan to Athos, ”your king has thoroughly taken me, and I am quite at his service”
”If what you say is sincere,” replied Athos, ”he will never reach London”
”How so?”
”Because before then we shall have carried hinan, ”upon my word, you are mad”
”Have you some plan in your head then?” asked Ara would not be iood plan”
”I have none,” said Athos; ”but D'Artagnan will discover one”
D'Artagnan shrugged his shoulders and they proceeded
61 D'Artagnan hits on a Plan
As night closed in they arrived at Thirsk The four friends appeared to be entire strangers to one another and indifferent to the precautions taken for guarding the king They withdrew to a private house, and as they had reason every moment to fear for their safety, they occupied but one rooht be useful in case of an attack The lackeys were sent to their several posts, except that Grinan was thoughtful and seemed for the moment to have lost his usual loquacity Porthos, who could never see anything that was not self-evident, talked to him as usual He replied in nificantly at one another
Next nan was the first to rise He had been down to the stables, already taken a look at the horses and given the necessary orders for the day, whilst Athos and Araht o'clock the ht before, except that D'Artagnan left his friends and began to renew the acquaintance which he had already struck up with Monsieur Groslow
Groslohoreatly pleased, welconan said to him, ”I aue My friend, Monsieur du Vallon, is of a very et three words out of hiine that they are but little in the vein for conversation”
”They are hot royalists,” said Groslow
”Thecaptured the Stuart, for who a pretty trial”
”Why,” said Groslow, ”that is just e are taking hiht of him, I presume?”
”I should think not, indeed You see he has a truly royal escort”
”Ay, there's no fear in the daytiht?”
”We redouble our precautions”
”And what ht men reuarded, then But besides these eight uard outside?”
”Oh, no! Just think What would you have two ht armedand his lackey”
”Oh! then they allow the lackey to reed this favor and Harrison consented Under pretense that he's a king it appears he cannot dress or undress without assistance”
”Really, captain,” said D'Artagnan, determined to continue on the laudatory tack on which he had commenced, ”the more I listen to you the ant manner in which you speak French You have lived three years in Paris? May I ask what you were doing there?”
”My father, who is a merchant, placed me with his correspondent, who in turn sent his son to join our house in London”
”Were you pleased with Paris, sir?”
”Yes, but you are ainst your king, who is a ainst that lazar of an Italian, the queen's favorite”
”Ah! I am quite of your opinion, sir, and we should soon make an end of Mazarin if we had only a dozen officers like yourself, without prejudices, vigilant and incorruptible”
”But,” said the officer, ”I thought you were in his service and that it was he who sent you to General Cro's service, and that knowing he wanted to send soreat was overns the three kingdoms So that when he proposed to us to draw our swords in honor of old England you see hoe snapped up the proposition”
”Yes, I know that you charged by the side of Mordaunt”
”On his right and left, sir Ah! there's another brave and excellent young man”