, _pardieu!_ No, Aramis. But, nowadays, what sort of a plank should
we want, my friend! I, in particular." And the Seigneur de Bracieux cast
a profound glance over his colossal rotundity with a loud laugh. "And do
you mean seriously to say you are not tired of Belle-Isle a little,
and that you would not prefer the comforts of your dwelling--of your
episcopal palace, at Vannes? Come, confess."

"No," replied Aramis, without daring to look at Porthos.

"Let us stay where we are, then," said his friend, with a sigh, which,
in spite of the efforts he made to restrain it, escaped his echoing
breast. "Let us remain!--let us remain! And yet," added he, "and yet,
if we seriously wished, but that decidedly--if we had a fixed idea, one
firmly taken, to return to France, and there were not boats--"

"Have you remarked another thing, my friend--that is, since the
disappearance of our barks, during the last two days' absence of
fishermen, not a single small boat has landed on the shores of the
isle?"

"Yes, certainly! you are right. I, too, have remarked it, and the
observation was the more naturally made, for, before the last two fatal
days, barks and shallops were as plentiful as shrimps."

"I must inquire," said Aramis, suddenly, and with great agitation. "And
then, if we had a raft constructed--"

"But there are some canoes, my friend; shall I board one?"

"A canoe!--a canoe! Can you think of such a thing, Porthos? A canoe to
be upset in. No, no," said the bishop of Vannes; "it is not our trade to
ride upon the waves. We will wait, we will wait."

And Aramis continued walking about with increased agitation. Porthos,
who grew tired of following all the feverish movements of his
friend--Porthos, who in his faith and calmness understood nothing of
the sort of exasperation which was betrayed by his companion's continual
convulsive starts--Porthos stopped him. "Let us sit down upon this
rock," said he. "Place yourself there, close to me, Aramis, and I
conjure you, for the last time, to explain to me in a manner I can
comprehend--explain to me what we are doing here."

"Porthos," said Aramis, much embarrassed.

"I know that the false king wished to dethrone the true king. That is a
fact, that I understand. Well--"

"Yes?" said Aramis.

"I know that the false king formed the project of selling Belle-Isle to
the English. I understand that, too."

"Yes?"

"I know that we engineers and captains came and threw ourselves in