se features! Can it be you, Monsieur de Friedisch?" cried
D'Artagnan, gayly. "Eh! eh! what, do we arrest our friends?"

"Arrest!" whispered the lads among themselves.

"Yes, it is I, Monsieur d'Artagnan! Good-day to you!" said the Swiss, in
his mountain patois.

"Must I give you up my sword? I warn you, that it is long and heavy;
you had better let me wear it to the Louvre: I feel quite lost in the
streets without a sword, and you would be more at a loss than I should,
with two."

"The king has given no orders about it," replied the Swiss, "so keep
your sword."

"Well, that is very polite on the part of the king. Let us go, at once."

Monsieur Friedisch was not a talker, and D'Artagnan had too many things
to think about to say much. From Planchet's shop to the Louvre was not
far--they arrived in ten minutes. It was a dark night. M. de Friedisch
wanted to enter by the wicket. "No," said D'Artagnan, "you would lose
time by that; take the little staircase."

The Swiss did as D'Artagnan advised, and conducted him to the vestibule
of the king's cabinet. When arrived there, he bowed to his prisoner,
and, without saying anything, returned to his post. D'Artagnan had not
had time to ask why his sword was not taken from him, when the door of
the cabinet opened, and a valet de chambre called "M. D'Artagnan!" The
musketeer assumed his parade carriage and entered, with his large eyes
wide open, his brow calm, his mustache stiff. The king was seated at a
table writing. He did not disturb himself when the step of the musketeer
resounded on the floor; he did not even turn his head. D'Artagnan
advanced as far as the middle of the room, and seeing that the king paid
no attention to him, and suspecting, besides, that this was nothing but
affectation, a sort of tormenting preamble to the explanation that was
preparing, he turned his back on the prince, and began to examine the
frescoes on the cornices, and the cracks in the ceiling. This maneuver
was accompanied by a little tacit monologue. "Ah! you want to humble me,
do you?--you, whom I have seen so young--you, whom I have served as I
would my own child,--you, whom I have served as I would a God--that is
to say, for nothing. Wait awhile! wait awhile! you shall see what a man
can do who has snuffed the air of the fire of the Huguenots, under the
beard of monsieur le cardinal--the true cardinal." At this moment Louis
turned round.

"Ah! are you there, Monsieur d'Artagnan?" said h