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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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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