第35章

"Oh！

oh！"murmuredhe，"thereismyweaknessseizingmeagain！？Icanwalknofurther！？Whatisthis？"

Aramisperceivedhimthroughtheopening，andunabletoconceivewhatcouldinducehimtostopthus—"Comeon，Porthos！comeon，"hecried;"comequickly！"

"Oh！"

repliedthegiant，makinganeffortthatcontortedeverymuscleofhisbody—

"oh！butIcannot。"？Whilesayingthesewords，hefelluponhisknees，butwithhismightyhandsheclungtotherocks，andraisedhimselfupagain。

"Quick！

quick！"repeatedAramis，bendingforwardtowardstheshore，asiftodrawPorthostowardshimwithhisarms。

"HereIam，"stammeredPorthos，collectingallhisstrengthtomakeonestepmore。

"InthenameofHeaven！？Porthos，makehaste！thebarrelwillblowup！"

"Makehaste，monseigneur！"shoutedtheBretonstoPorthos，whowasflounderingasinadream。

Buttherewasnotime;theexplosionthundered，earthgaped，thesmokewhichhurledthroughthecleftsobscuredthesky;theseaflowedbackasthoughdrivenbytheblastofflamewhichdartedfromthegrottoasiffromthejawsofsomegiganticfierychimera;therefluxtookthebarkouttwentytoises;thesolidrockscrackedtotheirbase，andseparatedlikeblocksbeneaththeoperationofthewedge;aportionofthevaultwascarrieduptowardsheaven，asifithadbeenbuiltofcardboard;thegreenandblueandtopazconflagrationandblacklavaofliquefactionsclashedandcombatedaninstantbeneathamajesticdomeofsmoke;

thenoscillated，declined，andfellsuccessivelythemightymonolithsofrockwhichtheviolenceoftheexplosionhadnotbeenabletouprootfromthebedofages;theybowedtoeachotherlikegraveandstiffoldmen，thenprostratingthemselves，laydownforeverintheirdustytomb。

ThisfrightfulshockseemedtorestorePorthosthestrengththathehadlost;hearose，agiantamonggranitegiants。？Butatthemomenthewasflyingbetweenthedoublehedgeofgranitephantoms，theselatter，whichwerenolongersupportedbythecorrespondinglinks，begantorollandtotterroundourTitan，wholookedasifprecipitatedfromheavenamidstrockswhichhehadjustbeenlaunching。？Porthosfelttheveryearthbeneathhisfeetbecomingjelly—tremulous。？Hestretchedbothhandstorepulsethefallingrocks。？Agiganticblockwasheldbackbyeachofhisextendedarms。？Hebenthishead，andathirdgranitemasssankbetweenhisshoulders。？ForaninstantthepowerofPorthosseemedabouttofailhim，butthisnewHerculesunitedallhisforce，andthetwowallsoftheprisoninwhichhewasburiedfellbackslowlyandgavehimplace。？Foraninstantheappeared，inthisframeofgranite，liketheangelofchaos，butinpushingbackthelateralrocks，helosthispointofsupport，forthemonolithwhichweigheduponhisshoulders，andtheboulder，pressinguponhimwithallitsweight，broughtthegiantdownuponhisknees。？Thelateralrocks，foraninstantpushedback，drewtogetheragain，andaddedtheirweighttotheponderousmasswhichwouldhavebeensufficienttocrushtenmen。？Theherofellwithoutagroan—hefellwhileansweringAramiswithwordsofencouragementandhope，for，thankstothepowerfularchofhishands，foraninstanthebelievedthat，likeEnceladus，hewouldsucceedinshakingoffthetripleload。？ButbydegreesAramisbeheldtheblocksink;thehands，strungforaninstant，thearmsstiffenedforalasteffort，gaveway，theextendedshoulderssank，woundedandtorn，andtherockscontinuedtograduallycollapse。

"Porthos！？Porthos！"criedAramis，tearinghishair。？"Porthos！whereareyou？？Speak！"

"Here，here，"murmuredPorthos，withavoicegrowingevidentlyweaker，"patience！patience！"

Scarcelyhadhepronouncedthesewords，whentheimpulseofthefallaugmentedtheweight;theenormousrocksankdown，pressedbythoseotherswhichsankinfromthesides，and，asitwere，swallowedupPorthosinasepulcherofbadlyjointedstones。？Onhearingthedyingvoiceofhisfriend，Aramishadsprungtoland。？TwooftheBretonsfollowedhim，witheachaleverinhishand—

onebeingsufficienttotakecareofthebark。？Thedyingrattleofthevaliantgladiatorguidedthemamidsttheruins。？Aramis，animated，activeandyoungasattwenty，sprangtowardsthetriplemass，andwithhishands，delicateasthoseofawoman，raisedbyamiracleofstrengththecorner—stoneofthisgreatgranitegrave。？Thenhecaughtaglimpse，throughthedarknessofthatcharnel—house，ofthestillbrillianteyeofhisfriend，towhomthemomentaryliftingofthemassrestoredamomentaryrespiration。？Thetwomencamerushingup，graspedtheirironlevers，unitedtheirtriplestrength，notmerelytoraiseit，butsustainit。？Allwasuseless。？Theygavewaywithcriesofgrief，andtheroughvoiceofPorthos，seeingthemexhaustthemselvesinauselessstruggle，murmuredinanalmostcheerfultonethosesupremewordswhichcametohislipswiththelastrespiration，"Tooheavy！"

Afterwhichhiseyesdarkenedandclosed，hisfacegrewashypale，thehandswhitened，andthecolossussankquitedown，breathinghislastsigh。？Withhimsanktherock，which，eveninhisdyingagonyhehadstillheldup。？Thethreemendroppedthelevers，whichrolleduponthetumularystone。？Then，breathless，pale，hisbrowcoveredwithsweat，Aramislistened，hisbreastoppressed，hisheartreadytobreak。

Nothingmore。？Thegiantslepttheeternalsleep，inthesepulcherwhichGodhadbuiltabouthimtohismeasure。

ChapterLI:

Porthos\'sEpitaph。

Aramis，silentandsadasice，tremblinglikeatimidchild，aroseshiveringfromthestone。？AChristiandoesnotwalkontombs。？But，thoughcapableofstanding，hewasnotcapableofwalking。？ItmightbesaidthatsomethingofdeadPorthoshadjustdiedwithinhim。？HisBretonssurroundedhim;Aramisyieldedtotheirkindexertions，andthethreesailors，liftinghimup，carriedhimtothecanoe。？Then，havinglaidhimdownuponthebenchneartherudder，theytooktotheiroars，preferringthistohoistingsail，whichmightbetraythem。

OnallthatleveledsurfaceoftheancientgrottoofLocmaria，onesinglehillockattractedtheireyes。？Aramisneverremovedhisfromit;and，atadistanceoutinthesea，inproportionastheshorereceded，thatmenacingproudmassofrockseemedtodrawitselfup，asformerlyPorthosusedtodrawhimselfup，raisingasmiling，yetinvincibleheadtowardsheaven，likethatofhisdearoldhonestvaliantfriend，thestrongestofthefour，yetthefirstdead。？Strangedestinyofthesemenofbrass！？Themostsimpleofheartalliedtothemostcrafty;strengthofbodyguidedbysubtletyofmind;andinthedecisivemoment，whenvigoralonecouldsavemindandbody，astone，arock，avilematerialweight，triumphedovermanlystrength，andfallinguponthebody，droveoutthemind。

WorthyPorthos！borntohelpothermen，alwaysreadytosacrificehimselfforthesafetyoftheweak，asifGodhadonlygivenhimstrengthforthatpurpose;

whendyingheonlythoughthewascarryingouttheconditionsofhiscompactwithAramis，acompact，however，whichAramisalonehaddrawnup，andwhichPorthoshadonlyknowntosufferbyitsterriblesolidarity。？NoblePorthos！ofwhatgoodnowarethych鈚eauxoverflowingwithsumptuousfurniture，forestsoverflowingwithgame，lakesoverflowingwithfish，cellarsoverflowingwithwealth！？Ofwhatservicetotheenowthylackeysinbrilliantliveries，andinthemidstofthemMousqueton，proudofthepowerdelegatedbythee！？Oh，noblePorthos！

carefulheaper—upoftreasure，wasitworthwhiletolabortosweetenandgildlife，tocomeuponadesertshore，surroundedbythecriesofseagulls，andlaythyself，withbrokenbones，beneathatorpidstone？？Wasitworthwhile，inshort，noblePorthos，toheapsomuchgold，andnothaveeventhedistichofapoorpoetengravenuponthymonument？？ValiantPorthos！？hestill，withoutdoubt，sleeps，lost，forgotten，beneaththerocktheshepherdsoftheheathtakeforthegiganticabodeofadolmen。？Andsomanytwiningbranches，somanymosses，bentbythebitterwindofocean，somanylichenssolderthysepulchertoearth，thatnopassers—bywillimaginesuchablockofgranitecouldeverhavebeensupportedbytheshouldersofoneman。

Aramis，stillpale，stillicy—cold，hisheartuponhislips，looked，eventill，withthelastrayofdaylight，theshorefadedonthehorizon。？Notawordescapedhim，notasighrosefromhisdeepbreast。？ThesuperstitiousBretonslookeduponhim，trembling。？Suchsilencewasnotthatofaman，itwasthesilenceofastatue。？Inthemeantime，withthefirstgraylinesthatlighteduptheheavens，thecanoehoisteditslittlesail，which，swellingwiththekissesofthebreeze，andcarryingthemrapidlyfromthecoast，madebravestwaytowardsSpain，acrossthedreadedGulf

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