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The Three Musketeers
Twenty Years Later
The Vicomte De Bragelonne
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The Three Musketeers 99 at Prostate Health
The breeze had been so light
all night, they had made but little progress. At ten oclock the
vessel cast anchor in the harbor of Dover, and at half past ten
dArtagnan placed his foot on English land, crying, "Here I am at
last!"
But that was not all; they must get to London. In England the
post was well served. DArtagnan and Planchet took each a post
horse, and a postillion rode before them. In a few hours they
were in the capital.
DArtagnan did not know London; he did not know a word of
English; but he wrote the name of Buckingham on a piece of paper,
and everyone pointed out to him the way to the dukes hotel.
The duke was at Windsor hunting with the king. DArtagnan
inquired for the confidential valet of the duke, who, having
accompanied him in all his voyages, spoke French perfectly well;
he told him that he came from Paris on an affair of life and
death, and that he must speak with his master instantly.
The confidence with which dArtagnan spoke convinced Patrick,
which was the name of this minister of the minister. He ordered
two horses to be saddled, and himself went as guide to the young
Guardsman. As for Planchet, he had been lifted from his horse as
stiff as a rush; the poor lads strength was almost exhausted.
dArtagnan seemed iron.
On their arrival at the castle they learned that Buckingham and
the king were hawking in the marshes two or three leagues away.
In twenty minutes they were on the spot named. Patrick soon
caught the sound of his masters voice calling his falcon.
"Whom must I announce to my Lord Duke?" asked Patrick.
"The young man who one evening sought a quarrel with him on the
Pont Neuf, opposite the Samaritaine."
"A singular introduction!"
"You will find that it is as good as another."
Patrick galloped off, reached the duke, and announced to him in
the terms directed that a messenger awaited him.
Buckingham at once remembered the circumstance, and suspecting
that something was going on in France of which it was necessary
he should be informed, he only took the time to inquire where the
messenger was, and recognizing from afar the uniform of the
Guards, he put his horse into a gallop, and rode straight up to
dArtagnan. Patrick discreetly kept in the background.
"No misfortune has happened to the queen?" cried Buckingham, the
instant he came up, throwing all his fear and love into the
question.
"I believe not; nevertheless I believe she runs some great peril
from which your Grace alone can extricate her."
"I!" cried Buckingham. "What is it? I should be too happy to be
of any service to her. Speak, speak!"
"Take this letter," said dArtagnan.
"This letter! From whom comes this letter?"
"From her Majesty, as I think."
"From her Majesty!" said Buckingham, becoming so pale that
dArtagnan feared he would faint as he broke the seal.
"What is this rent?" said he, showing dArtagnan a place where it
had been pierced through.
"Ah," said dArtagnan, "I did not see that; it was the sword of
the Comte de Wardes which made that hole, when he gave me a good
thrust in the breast."
"You are wounded?" asked Buckingham, as he opened the letter.
"Oh, nothing but a scratch," said dArtagnan.
"Just heaven, what have I read?" cried the duke. "Patrick,
remain here, or rather join the king, wherever he may be, and
tell his Majesty that I humbly beg him to excuse me, but an
affair of the greatest importance recalls me to London. Come,
monsieur, come!" and both set off towards the capital at full
gallop.
21 THE COUNTESS DE WINTER
As they rode along, the duke endeavored to draw from dArtagnan,
not all that had happened, but what dArtagnan himself knew. By
adding all that he heard from the mouth of the young man to his
own remembrances, he was enabled to form a pretty exact idea of a
position of the seriousness of which, for the rest, the queens
letter, short but explicit, gave him the clue. But that which
astonished him most was that the cardinal, so deeply interested
in preventing this young man from setting his foot in England,
had not succeeded in arresting him on the road. It was then,
upon the manifestation of this astonishment, that dArtagnan
related to him the precaution taken, and how, thanks to the
devotion of his three friends, whom he had
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