said another, "he is going to faint; does
any one of you happen to have any salts?" And they all laughed.

This hail of jests fell round Biscarrat's ears like musket-balls in a
_melee_. He recovered himself amidst a deluge of interrogations.

"What do you suppose I have seen?" asked he. "I was too hot when I
entered the grotto, and I have been struck with a chill. That is all."

"But the dogs, the dogs; have you seen them again--did you see anything
of them--do you know anything about them?"

"I suppose they have got out some other way."

"Messieurs," said one of the young men, "there is in that which is going
on, in the paleness and silence of our friend, a mystery which Biscarrat
will not, or cannot reveal. Only, and this is certain, Biscarrat has
seen something in the grotto. Well, for my part, I am very curious to
see what it is, even if it is the devil! To the grotto! messieurs, to
the grotto!"

"To the grotto!" repeated all the voices. And the echo of the cavern
carried like a menace to Porthos and Aramis, "To the grotto! to the
grotto!"

Biscarrat threw himself before his companions. "Messieurs! messieurs!"
cried he, "in the name of Heaven! do not go in!"

"Why, what is there so terrific in the cavern?" asked several at once.
"Come, speak, Biscarrat."

"Decidedly, it is the devil he has seen," repeated he who had before
advanced that hypothesis.

"Well," said another, "if he has seen him, he need not be selfish; he
may as well let us have a look at him in turn."

"Messieurs! messieurs! I beseech you," urged Biscarrat.

"Nonsense! Let us pass!"

"Messieurs, I implore you not to enter!"

"Why, you went in yourself."

Then one of the officers, who--of a riper age than the others--had till
this time remained behind, and had said nothing, advanced. "Messieurs,"
said he, with a calmness which contrasted with the animation of the
young men, "there is in there some person, or something, that is not
the devil; but which, whatever it may be, has had sufficient power to
silence our dogs. We must discover who this some one is, or what this
something is."

Biscarrat made a last effort to stop his friends, but it was useless. In
vain he threw himself before the rashest; in vain he clung to the rocks
to bar the passage; the crowd of young men rushed into the cave, in the
steps of the officer who had spoken last, but who had sprung in first,
sword in hand, to face the unknown danger. Biscarrat, repulsed by
h