eart
tomorrow."

D'Artagnan looked at his friends, as if to say, "Well, what did I tell
you?"

"Now," continued he, addressing Planchet, "you have eight days to get
an interview with Lord de Winter; you have eight days to return--in all
sixteen days. If, on the sixteenth day after your departure, at eight
o'clock in the evening you are not here, no money--even if it be but
five minutes past eight."

"Then, monsieur," said Planchet, "you must buy me a watch."

"Take this," said Athos, with his usual careless generosity, giving him
his own, "and be a good lad. Remember, if you talk, if you babble, if
you get drunk, you risk your master's head, who has so much confidence
in your fidelity, and who answers for you. But remember, also, that if
by your fault any evil happens to d'Artagnan, I will find you, wherever
you may be, for the purpose of ripping up your belly."

"Oh, monsieur!" said Planchet, humiliated by the suspicion, and
moreover, terrified at the calm air of the Musketeer.

"And I," said Porthos, rolling his large eyes, "remember, I will skin
you alive."

"Ah, monsieur!"

"And I," said Aramis, with his soft, melodius voice, "remember that I
will roast you at a slow fire, like a savage."

"Ah, monsieur!"

Planchet began to weep. We will not venture to say whether it was from
terror created by the threats or from tenderness at seeing four friends
so closely united.

D'Artagnan took his hand. "See, Planchet," said he, "these gentlemen
only say this out of affection for me, but at bottom they all like you."

"Ah, monsieur," said Planchet, "I will succeed or I will consent to be
cut in quarters; and if they do cut me in quarters, be assured that not
a morsel of me will speak."

It was decided that Planchet should set out the next day, at eight
o'clock in the morning, in order, as he had said, that he might during
the night learn the letter by heart. He gained just twelve hours by this
engagement; he was to be back on the sixteenth day, by eight o'clock in
the evening.

In the morning, as he was mounting his horse, d'Artagnan, who felt at
the bottom of his heart a partiality for the duke, took Planchet aside.

"Listen," said he to him. "When you have given the letter to Lord de
Winter and he has read it, you will further say to him: Watch over
his Grace Lord Buckingham, for they wish to assassinate him. But this,
Planchet, is so serious and important that I have not informed my
friends that I would