第23章

AthosandRaoulwanderedforsometimeroundthefencesofthegardenwithoutfindinganyonetointroducethemtothegovernor。？Theyendedbymakingtheirownwayintothegarden。？Itwasatthehottesttimeoftheday。？Eachlivingthingsoughtitsshelterundergrassorstone。？Theheavensspreadtheirfieryveilsasiftostifleallnoises，toenvelopallexistences;therabbitunderthebroom，theflyundertheleaf，sleptasthewavedidbeneaththeheavens。？Athossawnothinglivingbutasoldier，upontheterracebeneaththesecondandthirdcourt，whowascarryingabasketofprovisionsonhishead。？Thismanreturnedalmostimmediatelywithouthisbasket，anddisappearedintheshadeofhissentry—box。？Athossupposedhemusthavebeencarryingdinnertosomeone，and，afterhavingdoneso，returnedtodinehimself。？Allatoncetheyheardsomeonecallout，andraisingtheirheads，perceivedintheframeofthebarsofthewindowsomethingofawhitecolor，likeahandthatwaswavedbackwardsandforwards—somethingshining，likeapolishedweaponstruckbytheraysofthesun。？Andbeforetheywereabletoascertainwhatitwas，aluminoustrain，accompaniedbyahissingsoundintheair，calledtheirattentionfromthedonjontotheground。？Aseconddullnoisewasheardfromtheditch，andRaoulrantopickupasilverplatewhichwasrollingalongthedrysand。？Thehandthathadthrownthisplatemadeasigntothetwogentlemen，andthendisappeared。？AthosandRaoul，approachingeachother，commencedanattentiveexaminationofthedustyplate，andtheydiscovered，incharacterstraceduponthebottomofitwiththepointofaknife，thisinscription:

"IamthebrotherofthekingofFrance—aprisonerto—day—amadmanto—morrow。？FrenchgentlemenandChristians，praytoGodforthesoulandthereasonofthesonofyouroldrulers。"

TheplatefellfromthehandsofAthoswhilstRaoulwasendeavoringtomakeoutthemeaningofthesedismalwords。？Atthesamemomenttheyheardacryfromthetopofthedonjon。？QuickaslightningRaoulbentdownhishead，andforceddownthatofhisfatherlikewise。？Amusket—barrelglitteredfromthecrestofthewall。？Awhitesmokefloatedlikeaplumefromthemouthofthemusket，andaballwasflattenedagainstastonewithinsixinchesofthetwogentlemen。

"Cordieu！"criedAthos。？"What，arepeopleassassinatedhere？？Comedown，cowardsasyouare！"

"Yes，comedown！"criedRaoul，furiouslyshakinghisfistatthecastle。

Oneoftheassailants—hewhowasabouttofire—repliedtothesecriesbyanexclamationofsurprise;and，ashiscompanion，whowishedtocontinuetheattack，hadre—seizedhisloadedmusket，hewhohadcriedoutthrewuptheweapon，andtheballflewintotheair。？AthosandRaoul，seeingthemdisappearfromtheplatform，expectedtheywouldcomedowntothem，andwaitedwithafirmdemeanor。？Fiveminuteshadnotelapsed，whenastrokeuponadrumcalledtheeightsoldiersofthegarrisontoarms，andtheyshowedthemselvesontheothersideoftheditchwiththeirmusketsinhand。？Attheheadofthesemenwasanofficer，whomAthosandRaoulrecognizedastheonewhohadfiredthefirstmusket。？Themanorderedthesoldiersto"makeready。"

"Wearegoingtobeshot！"criedRaoul;"but，swordinhand，atleast，letusleaptheditch！？Weshallkillatleasttwoofthesescoundrels，whentheirmusketsareempty。"？And，suitingtheactiontotheword，Raoulwasspringingforward，followedbyAthos，whenawell—knownvoiceresoundedbehindthem，"Athos！？Raoul！"

"D\'Artagnan！"

repliedthetwogentlemen。

"Recoverarms！？Mordioux！"criedthecaptaintothesoldiers。？"IwassureIcouldnotbemistaken！"

"Whatisthemeaningofthis？"askedAthos。？"What！werewetobeshotwithoutwarning？"

"ItwasIwhowasgoingtoshootyou，andifthegovernormissedyou，Ishouldnothavemissedyou，mydearfriends。？HowfortunateitisthatIamaccustomedtotakealongaim，insteadoffiringattheinstantIraisemyweapon！？I

thoughtIrecognizedyou。？Ah！mydearfriends，howfortunate！"？AndD\'Artagnanwipedhisbrow，forhehadrunfast，andemotionwithhimwasnotfeigned。

"How！"

saidAthos。？"Andisthegentlemanwhofiredatusthegovernorofthefortress？"

"Inperson。"

"Andwhydidhefireatus？？Whathavewedonetohim？"

"Pardieu！？Youreceivedwhattheprisonerthrewtoyou？"

"Thatistrue。"

"Thatplate—theprisonerhaswrittensomethingonit，hashenot？"

"Yes。"

"Goodheavens！？Iwasafraidhehad。"

AndD\'Artagnan，withallthemarksofmortaldisquietude，seizedtheplate，toreadtheinscription。？Whenhehadreadit，afearfulpallorspreadacrosshiscountenance。？"Oh！goodheavens！"repeatedhe。？"Silence！—Hereisthegovernor。"

"Andwhatwillhedotous？？Isitourfault？"

"Itistrue，then？"saidAthos，inasubduedvoice。？"Itistrue？"

"Silence！？Itellyou—silence！？Ifheonlybelievesyoucanread;ifheonlysuspectsyouhaveunderstood;Iloveyou，mydearfriends，Iwouldwillinglybekilledforyou，but—"

"But—"saidAthosandRaoul。

"ButIcouldnotsaveyoufromperpetualimprisonmentifIsavedyoufromdeath。？Silence，then！？Silenceagain！"

Thegovernorcameup，havingcrossedtheditchuponaplankbridge。

"Well！"

saidhetoD\'Artagnan，"whatstopsus？"

"YouareSpaniards—youdonotunderstandawordofFrench，"saidthecaptain，eagerly，tohisfriendsinalowvoice。

"Well！"

repliedhe，addressingthegovernor，"Iwasright;thesegentlemenaretwoSpanishcaptainswithwhomIwasacquaintedatYpres，lastyear;theydon\'tknowawordofFrench。"

"Ah！"

saidthegovernor，sharply。？"Andyettheyweretryingtoreadtheinscriptionontheplate。"

D\'Artagnantookitoutofhishands，effacingthecharacterswiththepointofhissword。

"How！"

criedthegovernor，"whatareyoudoing？？Icannotreadthemnow！"

"Itisastatesecret，"repliedD\'Artagnan，bluntly;"andasyouknowthat，accordingtotheking\'sorders，itisunderthepenaltyofdeathanyoneshouldpenetrateit，Iwill，ifyoulike，allowyoutoreadit，andhaveyoushotimmediatelyafterwards。"

Duringthisapostrophe—halfserious，halfironical—AthosandRaoulpreservedthecoolest，mostunconcernedsilence。

"But，isitpossible，"saidthegovernor，"thatthesegentlemendonotcomprehendatleastsomewords？"

"Supposetheydo！？Iftheydounderstandafewspokenwords，itdoesnotfollowthattheyshouldunderstandwhatiswritten。？TheycannotevenreadSpanish。？AnobleSpaniard，remember，oughtnevertoknowhowtoread。"

Thegovernorwasobligedtobesatisfiedwiththeseexplanations，buthewasstilltenacious。？"Invitethesegentlementocometothefortress，"saidhe。

"ThatIwillwillinglydo。？Iwasabouttoproposeittoyou。"？Thefactis，thecaptainhadquiteanotheridea，andwouldhavewishedhisfriendsahundredleaguesoff。？Buthewasobligedtomakethebestofit。？HeaddressedthetwogentlemeninSpanish，givingthemapoliteinvitation，whichtheyaccepted。？Theyallturnedtowardstheentranceofthefort，and，theincidentbeingatanend，theeightsoldiersreturnedtotheirdelightfulleisure，foramomentdisturbedbythisunexpectedadventure。

ChapterXXXII:

CaptiveandJailers。

Whentheyhadenteredthefort，andwhilstthegovernorwasmakingsomepreparationsforthereceptionofhisguests，"Come，"saidAthos，"letushaveawordofexplanationwhilstwearealone。"

"Itissimplythis，"repliedthemusketeer。？"Ihaveconductedhitheraprisoner，whothekingcommandsshallnotbeseen。？Youcamehere，hehasthrownsomethingtoyouthroughthelatticeofhiswindow;Iwasatdinnerwiththegovernor，Isawtheobjectthrown，andIsawRaoulpickitup。？Itdoesnottakelongtounderstandthis。？Iunderstoodit，andIthoughtyouinintelligen

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