Part 92 (1/2)
”Here are your instructions,” replied the officer, placing the folded paper in his hands; and turning round towards D'Artagnan, ”Coitated voice (such despair did he behold in that man of iron), ”do me the favor to depart at once”
”Inan, feebly, subdued, crushed by implacable impossibility
And he painfully subsided into the little boat, which started, favored by wind and tide, for the coast of France The king's guards embarked with hi Nantes quickly, and of pleading the cause of his friends eloquently enough to incline the king to nan distinctly saw the land of France profiled in black against the white clouds of night
”Ah! monsieur,” said he, in a low voice, to the officer to whoive to know the instructions for the new commander! They are all pacific, are they not?
and--”
He did not finish; the thunder of a distant cannon rolled athwart the waves, another, and two or three still louder D'Artagnan shuddered
”They have coe of Belle-Isle,” replied the officer The canoe had just touched the soil of France
Chapter XLV The Ancestors of Porthos
When D'Artagnan left Aramis and Porthos, the latter returned to the principal fort, in order to converse with greater liberty Porthos, still thoughtful, was a restraint on Aramis, whose mind had never felt itself more free
”Dear Porthos,” said he, suddenly, ”I will explain D'Artagnan's idea to you”
”What idea, Aramis?”
”An idea to which we shall owe our liberty within twelve hours”
”Ah! indeed!” said Porthos, much astonished ”Let us hear it”
”Did you remark, in the scene our friend had with the officer, that certain orders constrained hiard to us?”
”Yes, I did notice that”
”Well! D'Artagnan is going to give in his resignation to the king, and during the confusion that will result froet away, Porthos, if there is possibility of flight for only one”
Here Porthos shook his head and replied: ”We will escape together, Araenerous heart,” said Aramis, ”only your melancholy uneasiness affects me”
”I ary with ry with you”
”Then why, my friend, do you put on such a dis ood Porthos looked sadly in the face of Aramis
”Your will!” cried the bishop ”What, then! do you think yourself lost?”
”I feel fatigued It is the first time, and there is a custorandfather was aas I arandfather must have been Samson himself”