"Inform the queen!" said Athos; "and how? Have we relations with the
court? Could we send anyone to Paris without its being known in the
camp? From here to Paris it is a hundred and forty leagues; before our
letter was at Angers we should be in a dungeon."

"As to remitting a letter with safety to her Majesty," said Aramis,
coloring, "I will take that upon myself. I know a clever person at
Tours--"

Aramis stopped on seeing Athos smile.

"Well, do you not adopt this means, Athos?" said d'Artagnan.

"I do not reject it altogether," said Athos; "but I wish to remind
Aramis that he cannot quit the camp, and that nobody but one of
ourselves is trustworthy; that two hours after the messenger has set
out, all the Capuchins, all the police, all the black caps of the
cardinal, will know your letter by heart, and you and your clever person
will be arrested."

"Without reckoning," objected Porthos, "that the queen would save
Monsieur de Buckingham, but would take no heed of us."

"Gentlemen," said d'Artagnan, "what Porthos says is full of sense."

"Ah, ah! but what's going on in the city yonder?" said Athos.

"They are beating the general alarm."

The four friends listened, and the sound of the drum plainly reached
them.

"You see, they are going to send a whole regiment against us," said
Athos.

"You don't think of holding out against a whole regiment, do you?" said
Porthos.

"Why not?" said Musketeer. "I feel myself quite in a humor for it; and I
would hold out before an army if we had taken the precaution to bring a
dozen more bottles of wine."

"Upon my word, the drum draws near," said d'Artagnan.

"Let it come," said Athos. "It is a quarter of an hour's journey from
here to the city, consequently a quarter of an hour's journey from the
city to hither. That is more than time enough for us to devise a plan.
If we go from this place we shall never find another so suitable. Ah,
stop! I have it, gentlemen; the right idea has just occurred to me."

"Tell us."

"Allow me to give Grimaud some indispensable orders."

Athos made a sign for his lackey to approach.

"Grimaud," said Athos, pointing to the bodies which lay under the wall
of the bastion, "take those gentlemen, set them up against the wall, put
their hats upon their heads, and their guns in their hands."

"Oh, the great man!" cried d'Artagnan. "I comprehend now."

"You comprehend?" said Porthos.

"And do you comprehend, Grimaud?" said Aramis.

G