who had finished their modest
repast, separated, with the promise of meeting again that evening.
D'Artagnan returned to less important affairs, and the three Musketeers
repaired to the king's quarters, where they had to prepare their
lodging.

43 THE SIGN OF THE RED DOVECOT

Meanwhile the king, who, with more reason than the cardinal, showed his
hatred for Buckingham, although scarcely arrived was in such a haste to
meet the enemy that he commanded every disposition to be made to drive
the English from the Isle of Re, and afterward to press the siege of La
Rochelle; but notwithstanding his earnest wish, he was delayed by the
dissensions which broke out between MM. Bassompierre and Schomberg,
against the Duc d'Angouleme.

MM. Bassompierre and Schomberg were marshals of France, and claimed
their right of commanding the army under the orders of the king; but the
cardinal, who feared that Bassompierre, a Huguenot at heart, might
press but feebly the English and Rochellais, his brothers in religion,
supported the Duc d'Angouleme, whom the king, at his instigation,
had named lieutenant general. The result was that to prevent MM.
Bassompierre and Schomberg from deserting the army, a separate command
had to be given to each. Bassompierre took up his quarters on the north
of the city, between Leu and Dompierre; the Duc d'Angouleme on the
east, from Dompierre to Perigny; and M. de Schomberg on the south, from
Perigny to Angoutin.

The quarters of Monsieur were at Dompierre; the quarters of the king
were sometimes at Estree, sometimes at Jarrie; the cardinal's quarters
were upon the downs, at the bridge of La Pierre, in a simple house
without any entrenchment. So that Monsieur watched Bassompierre; the
king, the Duc d'Angouleme; and the cardinal, M. de Schomberg.

As soon as this organization was established, they set about driving the
English from the Isle.

The juncture was favorable. The English, who require, above everything,
good living in order to be good soldiers, only eating salt meat and bad
biscuit, had many invalids in their camp. Still further, the sea, very
rough at this period of the year all along the sea coast, destroyed
every day some little vessel; and the shore, from the point of
l'Aiguillon to the trenches, was at every tide literally covered with
the wrecks of pinnacles, roberges, and feluccas. The result was that
even if the king's troops remained quietly in their camp, it was evident
that some