of absence. If we are
attacked, we will defend ourselves; if we are tried, we will stoutly
maintain that we were only anxious to dip ourselves a certain number of
times in the sea. They would have an easy bargain of four isolated men;
whereas four men together make a troop. We will arm our four lackeys
with pistols and musketoons; if they send an army out against us, we
will give battle, and the survivor, as d'Artagnan says, will carry the
letter."

"Well said," cried Aramis; "you don't often speak, Athos, but when you
do speak, it is like St. John of the Golden Mouth. I agree to Athos's
plan. And you, Porthos?"

"I agree to it, too," said Porthos, "if d'Artagnan approves of it.
D'Artagnan, being the bearer of the letter, is naturally the head of the
enterprise; let him decide, and we will execute."

"Well," said d'Artagnan, "I decide that we should adopt Athos's plan,
and that we set off in half an hour."

"Agreed!" shouted the three Musketeers in chorus.

Each one, stretching out his hand to the bag, took his seventy-five
pistoles, and made his preparations to set out at the time appointed.

20 THE JOURNEY

At two o'clock in the morning, our four adventurers left Paris by the
Barriere St. Denis. As long as it was dark they remained silent; in
spite of themselves they submitted to the influence of the obscurity,
and apprehended ambushes on every side.

With the first rays of day their tongues were loosened; with the sun
gaiety revived. It was like the eve of a battle; the heart beat, the
eyes laughed, and they felt that the life they were perhaps going to
lose, was, after all, a good thing.

Besides, the appearance of the caravan was formidable. The black horses
of the Musketeers, their martial carriage, with the regimental step
of these noble companions of the soldier, would have betrayed the most
strict incognito. The lackeys followed, armed to the teeth.

All went well till they arrived at Chantilly, which they reached about
eight o'clock in the morning. They needed breakfast, and alighted at the
door of an AUBERGE, recommended by a sign representing St. Martin giving
half his cloak to a poor man. They ordered the lackeys not to unsaddle
the horses, and to hold themselves in readiness to set off again
immediately.

They entered the common hall, and placed themselves at table. A
gentleman, who had just arrived by the route of Dammartin, was seated at
the same table, and was breakfasting. He opened