een a protection and a threat, the one
almost as terrible as the other. However brave the young man might
be, he could not prevent a cry escaping him, which Aramis immediately
suppressed by placing a handkerchief over his mouth. "Monsieur de
Biscarrat," said he, in a low voice, "we mean you no harm, and you must
know that if you have recognized us; but, at the first word, the first
groan, the first whisper, we shall be forced to kill you as we have
killed your dogs."

"Yes, I recognize you, gentlemen," said the officer, in a low voice.
"But why are you here--what are you doing, here? Unfortunate men! I
thought you were in the fort."

"And you, monsieur, you were to obtain conditions for us, I think?"

"I did all I was able, messieurs, but--"

"But what?"

"But there are positive orders."

"To kill us?"

Biscarrat made no reply. It would have cost him too much to speak of the
cord to gentlemen. Aramis understood the silence of the prisoner.

"Monsieur Biscarrat," said he, "you would be already dead if we had not
regard for your youth and our ancient association with your father; but
you may yet escape from the place by swearing that you will not tell
your companions what you have seen."

"I will not only swear that I will not speak of it," said Biscarrat,
"but I still further swear that I will do everything in the world to
prevent my companions from setting foot in the grotto."

"Biscarrat! Biscarrat!" cried several voices from the outside, coming
like a whirlwind into the cave.

"Reply," said Aramis.

"Here I am!" cried Biscarrat.

"Now, begone; we depend on your loyalty." And he left his hold of the
young man, who hastily returned towards the light.

"Biscarrat! Biscarrat!" cried the voices, still nearer. And the shadows
of several human forms projected into the interior of the grotto.
Biscarrat rushed to meet his friends in order to stop them, and met them
just as they were adventuring into the cave. Aramis and Porthos listened
with the intense attention of men whose life depends upon a breath of
air.

"Oh! oh!" exclaimed one of the guards, as he came to the light, "how
pale you are!"

"Pale!" cried another; "you ought to say corpse-color."

"I!" said the young man, endeavoring to collect his faculties.

"In the name of Heaven! what has happened?" exclaimed all the voices.

"You have not a drop of blood in your veins, my poor friend," said one
of them, laughing.

"Messieurs, it is serious,"