le thing chance is!" D'Artagnan
pronounced these words with an indefinable tone of feigned bonhomie, for
he knew very well that the victim of pirates was an old corsair, and had
engaged him in consequence of that knowledge. But D'Artagnan never said
more than there was need to say, in order to leave people in doubt.
He paid himself with the explanation, and welcomed the effect, without
appearing to be preoccupied with the cause.

"And I," said a second, "I, by chance, had an uncle who directed the
works of the port of La Rochelle. When quite a child, I played about
the boats, and I know how to handle an oar or a sail as well as the best
Ponantais sailor." The latter did not lie much more than the first, for
he had rowed on board his majesty's galleys six years, at Ciotat. Two
others were more frank: they confessed honestly that they had served
on board a vessel as soldiers on punishment, and did not blush for it.
D'Artagnan found himself, then, the leader of ten men of war and four
sailors, having at once a land army and a sea force, which would have
earned the pride of Planchet to its height, if Planchet had known the
details.

Nothing was now left but arranging the general orders, and D'Artagnan
gave them with precision. He enjoined his men to be ready to set out for
the Hague, some following the coast which leads to Breskens, others the
road to Antwerp. The rendezvous was given, by calculating each day's
march, a fortnight from that time upon the chief place at the Hague.
D'Artagnan recommended his men to go in couples, as they liked best,
from sympathy. He himself selected from among those with the least
disreputable look, two guards whom he had formerly known, and whose only
faults were being drunkards and gamblers. These men had not entirely
lost all ideas of civilization, and under proper garments their hearts
would beat again. D'Artagnan, not to create any jealousy with the
others, made the rest go forward. He kept his two selected ones, clothed
them from his own wardrobe, and set out with them.

It was to these two, whom he seemed to honor with an absolute
confidence, that D'Artagnan imparted a false secret, destined to secure
the success of the expedition. He confessed to them that the object was
not to learn to what extent the French merchants were injured by English
smuggling, but to learn how far French smuggling could annoy English
trade. These men appeared convinced; they were effectively so.
D'Artagna