stice that I shall wait
patiently and quietly the good pleasure of your Majesty."

"Wait, then, monsieur, wait," said the king; "I will not detain you
long."

In fact, fortune changed; and as the king began to lose what he had won,
he was not sorry to find an excuse for playing Charlemagne--if we may
use a gaming phrase of whose origin we confess our ignorance. The king
therefore arose a minute after, and putting the money which lay before
him into his pocket, the major part of which arose from his winnings,
"La Vieuville," said he, "take my place; I must speak to Monsieur de
Treville on an affair of importance. Ah, I had eighty louis before me;
put down the same sum, so that they who have lost may have nothing to
complain of. Justice before everything."

Then turning toward M. de Treville and walking with him toward the
embrasure of a window, "Well, monsieur," continued he, "you say it is
his Eminence's Guards who have sought a quarrel with your Musketeers?"

"Yes, sire, as they always do."

"And how did the thing happen? Let us see, for you know, my dear
Captain, a judge must hear both sides."

"Good Lord! In the most simple and natural manner possible. Three of my
best soldiers, whom your Majesty knows by name, and whose devotedness
you have more than once appreciated, and who have, I dare affirm to
the king, his service much at heart--three of my best soldiers, I say,
Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, had made a party of pleasure with a young
fellow from Gascony, whom I had introduced to them the same morning.
The party was to take place at St. Germain, I believe, and they had
appointed to meet at the Carmes-Deschaux, when they were disturbed by de
Jussac, Cahusac, Bicarat, and two other Guardsmen, who certainly did not
go there in such a numerous company without some ill intention against
the edicts."

"Ah, ah! You incline me to think so," said the king. "There is no doubt
they went thither to fight themselves."

"I do not accuse them, sire; but I leave your Majesty to judge what five
armed men could possibly be going to do in such a deserted place as the
neighborhood of the Convent des Carmes."

"Yes, you are right, Treville, you are right!"

"Then, upon seeing my Musketeers they changed their minds, and forgot
their private hatred for partisan hatred; for your Majesty cannot be
ignorant that the Musketeers, who belong to the king and nobody but
the king, are the natural enemies of the Guardsmen, who belon