432 LOUISE DE LA VALLIEEE.
- 'It is impossible!" said Porthos.
"My dear friend, it is perfectly true." Porthos turned toward Grimaud, as if he needed a second confirmation of the intelligence. Grimaud nodded his head. "And where have they taken him to?'* "Probably to the Bastile." "What makes you think that?'* "As we came along we questioned some persons, who saw the carriage pass; and others who saw it enter the Bastile.'* "Oh, oh!'* muttered Porthos. "What do you intend to do?" inquired Eaoul. "I? Nothing; only I will not have Athos remain at the Bastile." "Do you know," said Eaoul, advancing nearer to Por- thos, "that the arrest was made by order of the king?" Porthos looked at the young man, as if to say, "What does that matter to me?" This dumb language seemed so eloquent of meaning to Eaoul that he did not ask another question. He mounted his horse again, and Porthos, assisted by Grimaud, had already done the same. "Let us arrange our plan of action," said Eaoul. "Yes," returned Porthos; "that is the best thing we can do." Eaoul sighed deeply, and then paused suddenly. "What is the matter?" asked Porthos. "Are you faint?" "No; only I feel how utterly helpless our position is. Can we three pretend to go and take the Bastile?" "Well, if D'Artagnan were only here/* replied Porthos, "I don't know about that." Eaoul could not resist a feeling of admiration at the sight of such a perfect confidence, heroic in its simplicity. These were truly the celebrated men who, by three or four, at- tacked armies and assaulted castles. Those men who had terrified death itself, and who survived the wrecks of an age, and were still stronger than the most robust of the young. "Monsieur," said he to Porthos, "you have just given me an idea; we absolutely must see Monsieur d'Artagnan." "Undoubtedly." "He ought by this time to have returned home, after having taken my father to the Bastile. Let us go to his house." "First inquire at the Bastile,*' said Grimaud, who was in the habit of speaking little, but that to the purpose.
