one from obstinacy."

"But you are quite of opinion, are you not, that Heaven will avenge me,
D'Artagnan?"

"And I know one or two on earth who will not fail to lend a helping
hand," said the captain.

Chapter LXIII. Three Guests Astonished to Find Themselves at Supper
Together.

The carriage arrived at the outside of the gate of the Bastile. A
soldier on guard stopped it, but D'Artagnan had only to utter a single
word to procure admittance, and the carriage passed on without further
difficulty. Whilst they were proceeding along the covered way which led
to the courtyard of the governor's residence, D'Artagnan, whose lynx
eyes saw everything, even through the walls, suddenly cried out, "What
is that out yonder?"

"Well," said Athos, quietly; "what is it?"

"Look yonder, Athos."

"In the courtyard?"

"Yes, yes; make haste!"

"Well, a carriage; very likely conveying a prisoner like myself."

"That would be too droll."

"I do not understand you."

"Make haste and look again, and look at the man who is just getting out
of that carriage."

At that very moment a second sentinel stopped D'Artagnan, and while the
formalities were being gone through, Athos could see at a hundred paces
from him the man whom his friend had pointed out to him. He was, in
fact, getting out of the carriage at the door of the governor's house.
"Well," inquired D'Artagnan, "do you see him?"

"Yes; he is a man in a gray suit."

"What do you say of him?"

"I cannot very well tell; he is, as I have just now told you, a man in a
gray suit, who is getting out of a carriage; that is all."

"Athos, I will wager anything that it is he."

"He, who?"

"Aramis."

"Aramis arrested? Impossible!"

"I do not say he is arrested, since we see him alone in his carriage."

"Well, then, what is he doing here?"

"Oh! he knows Baisemeaux, the governor," replied the musketeer, slyly;
"so we have arrived just in time."

"What for?"

"In order to see what we can see."

"I regret this meeting exceedingly. When Aramis sees me, he will be very
much annoyed, in the first place, at seeing me, and in the next at being
seen."

"Very well reasoned."

"Unfortunately, there is no remedy for it; whenever any one meets
another in the Bastile, even if he wished to draw back to avoid him, it
would be impossible."

"Athos, I have an idea; the question is, to spare Aramis the annoyance
you were speaking of, is it not?"

"What is to be done?"