he latter had already overcome his emotion, and
turned to the lights with a serene and impassible countenance. "Well,
come," said the duke, "let us see! Shall he go, or shall he not? If he
goes, comte, he shall be my aide-de-camp, my son."

"Monseigneur!" cried Raoul, bending his knee.

"Monseigneur!" cried Athos, taking the hand of the duke; "Raoul shall do
just as he likes."

"Oh! no, monsieur, just as you like," interrupted the young man.

"_Par la corbleu!_" said the prince in his turn, "it is neither the
comte nor the vicomte that shall have his way, it is I. I will take him
away. The marine offers a superb fortune, my friend."

Raoul smiled again so sadly, that this time Athos felt his heart
penetrated by it, and replied to him by a severe look. Raoul
comprehended it all; he recovered his calmness, and was so guarded, that
not another word escaped him. The duke at length rose, on observing the
advanced hour, and said, with animation, "I am in great haste, but if I
am told I have lost time in talking with a friend, I will reply I have
gained--on the balance--a most excellent recruit."

"Pardon me, monsieur le duc," interrupted Raoul, "do not tell the king
so, for it is not the king I wish to serve."

"Eh! my friend, whom, then, will you serve? The times are past when
you might have said, 'I belong to M. de Beaufort.' No, nowadays, we all
belong to the king, great or small. Therefore, if you serve on board my
vessels, there can be nothing equivocal about it, my dear vicomte; it
will be the king you will serve."

Athos waited with a kind of impatient joy for the reply about to be made
to this embarrassing question by Raoul, the intractable enemy of the
king, his rival. The father hoped that the obstacle would overcome the
desire. He was thankful to M. de Beaufort, whose lightness or generous
reflection had thrown an impediment in the way of the departure of a
son, now his only joy. But Raoul, still firm and tranquil, replied:
"Monsieur le duc, the objection you make I have already considered in my
mind. I will serve on board your vessels, because you do me the honor
to take me with you; but I shall there serve a more powerful master than
the king: I shall serve God!"

"God! how so?" said the duke and Athos together.

"My intention is to make profession, and become a knight of Malta,"
added Bragelonne, letting fall, one by one, words more icy than the
drops which fall from the bare trees after the tempests