s--"

"To sell the diamond," replied Aramis.

"Well, then," said d'Artagnan, gaily, "let us sell the diamond, and say
no more about it."

The fusillade continued; but the four friends were out of reach, and the
Rochellais only fired to appease their consciences.

"My faith, it was time that idea came into Porthos's head. Here we are
at the camp; therefore, gentlemen, not a word more of this affair.
We are observed; they are coming to meet us. We shall be carried in
triumph."

In fact, as we have said, the whole camp was in motion. More than two
thousand persons had assisted, as at a spectacle, in this fortunate but
wild undertaking of the four friends--an undertaking of which they were
far from suspecting the real motive. Nothing was heard but cries of
"Live the Musketeers! Live the Guards!" M. de Busigny was the first to
come and shake Athos by the hand, and acknowledge that the wager was
lost. The dragoon and the Swiss followed him, and all their comrades
followed the dragoon and the Swiss. There was nothing but felicitations,
pressures of the hand, and embraces; there was no end to the
inextinguishable laughter at the Rochellais. The tumult at length became
so great that the cardinal fancied there must be some riot, and sent La
Houdiniere, his captain of the Guards, to inquire what was going on.

The affair was described to the messenger with all the effervescence of
enthusiasm.

"Well?" asked the cardinal, on seeing La Houdiniere return.

"Well, monseigneur," replied the latter, "three Musketeers and a
Guardsman laid a wager with Monsieur de Busigny that they would go and
breakfast in the bastion St. Gervais; and while breakfasting they held
it for two hours against the enemy, and have killed I don't know how
many Rochellais."

"Did you inquire the names of those three Musketeers?"

"Yes, monseigneur."

"What are their names?"

"Messieurs Athos, Porthos, and Aramis."

"Still my three brave fellows!" murmured the cardinal. "And the
Guardsman?"

"d'Artagnan."

"Still my young scapegrace. Positively, these four men must be on my
side."

The same evening the cardinal spoke to M. de Treville of the exploit of
the morning, which was the talk of the whole camp. M. de Treville, who
had received the account of the adventure from the mouths of the heroes
of it, related it in all its details to his Eminence, not forgetting the
episode of the napkin.

"That's well, Monsieur de Treville," said the cardina