ld," replied Porthos, giving
his mustache a twist which was peculiar to him.

"Hush!" said Athos.

"Oh, oh!" said d'Artagnan, comprehending the slight frown of the
Musketeer. "It appears there is something fresh aboard."

"Aramis," said Athos, "you went to breakfast the day before yesterday at
the inn of the Parpaillot, I believe?"

"Yes."

"How did you fare?"

"For my part, I ate but little. The day before yesterday was a fish day,
and they had nothing but meat."

"What," said Athos, "no fish at a seaport?"

"They say," said Aramis, resuming his pious reading, "that the dyke
which the cardinal is making drives them all out into the open sea."

"But that is not quite what I mean to ask you, Aramis," replied Athos.
"I want to know if you were left alone, and nobody interrupted you."

"Why, I think there were not many intruders. Yes, Athos, I know what you
mean: we shall do very well at the Parpaillot."

"Let us go to the Parpaillot, then, for here the walls are like sheets
of paper."

D'Artagnan, who was accustomed to his friend's manner of acting, and who
perceived immediately, by a word, a gesture, or a sign from him, that
the circumstances were serious, took Athos's arm, and went out without
saying anything. Porthos followed, chatting with Aramis.

On their way they met Grimaud. Athos made him a sign to come with them.
Grimaud, according to custom, obeyed in silence; the poor lad had nearly
come to the pass of forgetting how to speak.

They arrived at the drinking room of the Parpaillot. It was seven
o'clock in the morning, and daylight began to appear. The three friends
ordered breakfast, and went into a room in which the host said they
would not be disturbed.

Unfortunately, the hour was badly chosen for a private conference. The
morning drum had just been beaten; everyone shook off the drowsiness of
night, and to dispel the humid morning air, came to take a drop at the
inn. Dragoons, Swiss, Guardsmen, Musketeers, light-horsemen, succeeded
one another with a rapidity which might answer the purpose of the host
very well, but agreed badly with the views of the four friends. Thus
they applied very curtly to the salutations, healths, and jokes of their
companions.

"I see how it will be," said Athos: "we shall get into some pretty
quarrel or other, and we have no need of one just now. D'Artagnan,
tell us what sort of a night you have had, and we will describe ours
afterward."

"Ah, yes," said a li