u? Nothing!"

"My faith! So little that it is not worth reckoning with the general
stock."

"Now, then, let us calculate how much we posses in all."

"Porthos?"

"Thirty crowns."

"Aramis?"

"Ten pistoles."

"And you, d'Artagnan?"

"Twenty-five."

"That makes in all?" said Athos.

"Four hundred and seventy-five livres," said d'Artagnan, who reckoned
like Archimedes.

"On our arrival in Paris, we shall still have four hundred, besides the
harnesses," said Porthos.

"But our troop horses?" said Aramis.

"Well, of the four horses of our lackeys we will make two for the
masters, for which we will draw lots. With the four hundred livres we
will make the half of one for one of the unmounted, and then we will
give the turnings out of our pockets to d'Artagnan, who has a steady
hand, and will go and play in the first gaming house we come to. There!"

"Let us dine, then," said Porthos; "it is getting cold."

The friends, at ease with regard to the future, did honor to the repast,
the remains of which were abandoned to Mousqueton, Bazin, Planchet, and
Grimaud.

On arriving in Paris, d'Artagnan found a letter from M. de Treville,
which informed him that, at his request, the king had promised that he
should enter the company of the Musketeers.

As this was the height of d'Artagnan's worldly ambition--apart, be it
well understood, from his desire of finding Mme. Bonacieux--he ran, full
of joy, to seek his comrades, whom he had left only half an hour before,
but whom he found very sad and deeply preoccupied. They were assembled
in council at the residence of Athos, which always indicated an event of
some gravity. M. de Treville had intimated to them his Majesty's fixed
intention to open the campaign on the first of May, and they must
immediately prepare their outfits.

The four philosophers looked at one another in a state of bewilderment.
M. de Treville never jested in matters relating to discipline.

"And what do you reckon your outfit will cost?" said d'Artagnan.

"Oh, we can scarcely say. We have made our calculations with Spartan
economy, and we each require fifteen hundred livres."

"Four times fifteen makes sixty--six thousand livres," said Athos.

"It seems to me," said d'Artagnan, "with a thousand livres each--I do
not speak as a Spartan, but as a procurator--"

This word PROCURATOR roused Porthos. "Stop," said he, "I have an idea."

"Well, that's something, for I have not the shadow of one,