In which Porthos begins to be sorry for having come with D'Artagnan.
Scarcely had D'Artagnan extinguished his taper, when Aramis, who had watched through his curtains the last glimmer of light in his friend's apartment, traversed the corridor on tiptoe, and went to Porthos's room.
The giant who had been in bed nearly an hour and a half, lay grandly stretched out on the down bed. He was in that happy calm of the first sleep, which, with Porthos, resisted the noise of bells or the report of cannon: his head swam in that soft oscillation which reminds us of the soothing movement of a ship. In a moment Porthos would have begun to dream. The door of the chamber opened softly under the delicate pressure of the hand of Aramis. The bishop approached the sleeper. A thick carpet deadened his steps, besides which Porthos snored in a manner to drown all noise. He laid one hand on his shoulder - "Rouse," said he, "wake up, my dear Porthos." The voice of Aramis was soft and kind, but it conveyed more than a notice, - it conveyed an order. His hand was light, but it indicated danger. Porthos heard the voice and felt the hand of Aramis, even in the depth of sleep. He started up. "Who goes there?" cried he, in his giant's voice.
"Hush! hush! It is I," said Aramis.
"You, my friend? And what the devil do you wake me for?"
"To tell you that you must set off directly."
"Set off?"
"Yes."
"Where for?"
"For Paris."
Porthos bounded up in his bed, and then sank back down again, fixing his great eyes in agitation upon Aramis.
"For Paris?"
"Yes."
"A hundred leagues?" said he.
"A hundred and four," replied the bishop.
"Oh! _mon Dieu!_" sighed Porthos, lying down again, like children who contend with their _bonne_ to gain an hour or two more sleep.
"Thirty hours' riding," said Aramis, firmly. "You know there are good relays."
Porthos pushed out one leg, allowing a groan to escape him.
"Come, come! my friend," insisted the prelate with a sort of impatience.
Porthos drew the other leg out of the bed. "And is it absolutely necessary that I should go, at once?"
"Urgently necessary."
Porthos got upon his feet, and began to shake both walls and floors with his steps of a marble statue.
"Hush! hush! for the love of Heaven, my dear Porthos!" said Aramis, "you will wake somebody."
"Ah! that's true," replied Porthos, in a voice of thunder, "I forgot that; but be satisfied, I am on guard." And so saying, he let fall a belt loaded with his sword and pistols, and a purse, from which the crowns escaped with a vibrating and prolonged noise. This noise made the blood of Aramis boil, whilst it drew from Porthos a formidable burst of laughter. "How droll that is!" said he, in the same voice.
"Not so loud, Porthos, not so loud."
"True, true!" and he lowered his voice a half-note.
"I was going to say," continued Porthos, "that it is droll that we are never so slow as when we are in a hurry, and never make so much noise as when we wish to be silent."
"Yes, that is true; but let us give the proverb the lie, Porthos; let us make haste, and hold our tongue."
"You see I am doing my best," said Porthos, putting on his _haut de chausses_.
"Very well."
"This is something in haste?"
"It is more than that, it is serious, Porthos."
"Oh, oh!"
"D'Artagnan has questioned you, has he not?"
"Questioned me?"
"Yes, at Belle-Isle?"
"Not the least in the world."
"Are you sure of that, Porthos?"
"_Parbleu!"
"It is impossible. Recollect yourself."
"He asked me what I was doing, and I told him - studying topography. I would have made use of another word which you employed one day."
"'Castrametation'?"
"Yes, that's it; but I never could recollect it."
"All the better. What more did he ask you?"
"Who M. Getard was."
"Next?"
"Who M. Jupenet was."
"He did not happen to see our plan of fortifications, did he?"
"Yes."
"The devil he did!"
"But don't be alarmed, I had rubbed out your writing with India-rubber.
It was impossible for him to suppose you had given me any advice in those works."
"Ay; but our friend has phenomenally keen eyes."
"What are you afraid of?"
"I fear that everything is discovered, Porthos; the matter is, then, to prevent a great misfortune. I have given orders to my people to close all the gates and doors. D'Artagnan will not be able to get out before daybreak. Your horse is ready saddled; you will gain the first relay; by five o'clock in the morning you will have traversed fifteen leagues.
Come!"
Aramis then assisted Porthos to dress, piece by piece, with as much celerity as the most skillful _valet de chambre_ could have done.
Porthos, half stupefied, let him do as he liked, and confounded himself in excuses. When he was ready, Aramis took him by the hand, and led him, making him place his foot with precaution on every step of the stairs, preventing him running against door-frames, turning him this way and that, as if Aramis had been the giant and Porthos the dwarf. Soul set fire to and animated matter. A horse was waiting, ready saddled, in the courtyard. Porthos mounted. Then Aramis himself took the horse by the bridle, and led him over some dung spread in the yard, with the evident intention of suppressing noise. He, at the same time, held tight the horse's nose, to prevent him neighing. When arrived at the outward gate, drawing Porthos towards him, who was going off without even asking him what for: "Now, friend Porthos, now; without drawing bridle, till you get to Paris," whispered he in his ears; "eat on horseback, drink on horseback, but lose not a minute."
"That's enough; I will not stop."
"This letter to M. Fouquet; cost what it may, he must have it to-morrow before mid-day."
"He shall."
"And do not forget _one_ thing, my friend."
"What is that?"
"That you are riding out on a hunt for your _brevet_ of _duc_ and peer."
"Oh! oh!" said Porthos, with his eyes sparkling; "I will do it in twenty- four hours, in that case."
"Try."
"Then let go the bridle - and forward, Goliath!"
