Twenty Years Later by Dumas, Alexandre. Part two

Fere and Monsieur d’Herblay our crime would be confirmed. We

have circumvented Cromwell, Mordaunt, and the sea, but we

shall find a certain difficulty in circumventing Mazarin.”

“You forget,” replied Athos, “that we consider ourselves

your prisoners and not free from the engagement we entered

into.”

“Truly, Athos,” interrupted D’Artagnan, “I am vexed that

such a man as you are should talk nonsense which schoolboys

would be ashamed of. Chevalier,” he continued, addressing

Aramis, who, leaning proudly on his sword, seemed to agree

with his companion, “Chevalier, Porthos and I run no risk;

besides, should any ill-luck happen to two of us, will it

not be much better that the other two should be spared to

assist those who may be apprehended? Besides, who knows

whether, divided, we may not obtain a pardon — you from the

queen, we from Mazarin — which, were we all four together,

would never be granted. Come, Athos and Aramis, go to the

right; Porthos, come with me to the left; these gentlemen

should file off into Normandy, whilst we, by the nearest

road, reach Paris.”

He then gave his friends minute directions as to their

route.

“Ah! my dear friend,” exclaimed Athos, “how I should admire

the resources of your mind did I not stop to adore those of

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Dumas, Alexandre – Twenty Years After

your heart.”

And he gave him his hand.

“Isn’t this fox a genius, Athos?” asked the Gascon. “No! he

knows how to crunch fowls, to dodge the huntsman and to find

his way home by day or by night, that’s all. Well, is all

said?”

“All.”

“Then let’s count our money and divide it. Ah! hurrah!

there’s the sun! A merry morning to you, Sunshine. ‘Tis a

long time since I saw thee!”

“Come, come, D’Artagnan,” said Athos, “do not affect to be

strong-minded; there are tears in your eyes. Let us be open

with each other and sincere.”

“What!” cried the Gascon, “do you think, Athos, we can take

leave, calmly, of two friends at a time not free from danger

to you and Aramis?”

“No,” answered Athos; “embrace me, my son.”

“Zounds!” said Porthos, sobbing, “I believe I’m crying; but

how foolish all this is!”

Then they embraced. At that moment their fraternal bond of

union was closer than ever, and when they parted, each to

take the route agreed on, they turned back to utter

affectionate expressions, which the echoes of the Dunes

repeated. At last they lost sight of each other.

“Sacrebleu! D’Artagnan,” said Porthos, “I must out with it

at once, for I can’t keep to myself anything I have against

you; I haven’t been able to recognize you in this matter.”

“Why not?” said D’Artagnan, with his wise smile.

“Because if, as you say, Athos and Aramis are in real

danger, this is not the time to abandon them. For my part, I

confess to you that I was all ready to follow them and am

still ready to rejoin them, in spite of all the Mazarins in

the world.”

“You would be right, Porthos, but for one thing, which may

change the current of your ideas; and that is, that it is

not those gentlemen who are in the greatest danger, it is

ourselves; it is not to abandon them that we have separated,

but to avoid compromising them.”

“Really?” said Porthos, opening his eyes in astonishment.

“Yes, no doubt. If they are arrested they will only be put

in the Bastile; if we are arrested it is a matter of the

Place de Greve.”

“Oh! oh!” said Porthos, “there is quite a gap between that

fate and the baronial coronet you promised me, D’Artagnan.”

“Bah! perhaps not so great as you think, Porthos; you know

the proverb, `All roads lead to Rome.'”

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Dumas, Alexandre – Twenty Years After

“But how is it that we are incurring greater risks than

Athos and Aramis?” asked Porthos.

“Because they have but fulfilled the mission confided to

them by Queen Henrietta and we have betrayed that confided

to us by Mazarin; because, going hence as emissaries to

Cromwell, we became partisans of King Charles; because,

instead of helping cut off the royal head condemned by those

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