"I traveled in England when I was young, I speak English like an Englishman, and Aramis, too, knows something of the language. Ah! if we had you, my friends! With you, D'Artagnan, with you, Porthos -- all four reunited for the first time for twenty years -- we would dare not only England, but the three kingdoms put together!"
"And did you promise the queen," resumed D'Artagnan, petulantly, "to storm the Tower of London, to kill a hundred thousand soldiers, to fight victoriously against the wishes of the nation and the ambition of a man, and when that man is Cromwell? Do not exaggerate your duty. In Heaven's name, my dear Athos, do not make a useless sacrifice. When I see you merely, you look like a reasonable being; when you speak, I seem to have to do with a madman. Come, Porthos, join me; say frankly, what do you think of this business?"
"Nothing good," replied Porthos.
"Come," continued D'Artagnan, who, irritated that instead of listening to him Athos seemed to be attending to his own thoughts, "you have never found yourself the worse for my advice. Well, then, believe me, Athos, your mission is ended, and ended nobly; return to France with us."
"Friend," said Athos, "our resolution is irrevocable."
"Then you have some other motive unknown to us?"
Athos smiled and D'Artagnan struck his hand together in anger and muttered the most convincing reasons that he could discover; but to all these reasons Athos contented himself by replying with a calm, sweet smile and Aramis by nodding his head.
"Very well," cried D'Artagnan, at last, furious, "very well, since you wish it, let us leave our bones in this beggarly land, where it is always cold, where fine weather is a fog, fog is rain, and rain a deluge; where the sun represents the moon and the moon a cream cheese; in truth, whether we die here or elsewhere matters little, since we must die."
"Only reflect, my good fellow," said Athos, "it is but dying rather sooner."
"Pooh! a little sooner or a little later, it isn't worth quarreling over."
"If I am astonished at anything," remarked Porthos, sententiously, "it is that it has not already happened."
"Oh, it will happen, you may be sure," said D'Artagnan. "So it is agreed, and if Porthos makes no objection ---- "
"I," said Porthos, "I will do whatever you please; and besides, I think what the Comte de la Fere said just now is very good."
"But your future career, D'Artagnan -- your ambition, Porthos?"
"Our future, our ambition!" replied D'Artagnan, with feverish volubility. "Need we think of that since we are to save the king? The king saved -- we shall assemble our friends together -- we will head the Puritans -- reconquer England; we shall re-enter London -- place him securely on his throne ---- "
"And he will make us dukes and peers," said Porthos, whose eyes sparkled with joy at this imaginary prospect.
"Or he will forget us," added D'Artagnan.
"Oh!" said Porthos.
"Well, that has happened, friend Porthos. It seems to me that we once rendered Anne of Austria a service not much less than that which to-day we are trying to perform for Charles I.; but, none the less, Anne of Austria has forgotten us for twenty years."
"Well, in spite of that, D'Artagnan," said Athos, "you are not sorry that you were useful to her?"
"No, indeed," said D'Artagnan; "I admit even that in my darkest moments I find consolation in that remembrance."
"You see, then, D'Artagnan, though princes often are ungrateful, God never is."
"Athos," said D'Artagnan, "I believe that were you to fall in with the devil, you would conduct yourself so well that you would take him with you to Heaven."
"So, then?" said Athos, offering his hand to D'Artagnan.
"'Tis settled," replied D'Artagnan. "I find England a charming country, and I stay -- but on one condition only."
"What is it?"
"That I am not forced to learn English."
"Well, now," said Athos, triumphantly, "I swear to you, my friend, by the God who hears us -- I believe that there is a power watching over us, and that we shall all four see France again."
"So be it!" said D'Artagnan, "but I -- I confess I have a contrary conviction."
"Our good D'Artagnan," said Aramis, "represents among us the opposition in parliament, which always says no, and always does aye."
"But in the meantime saves the country," added Athos.
