66 LOXJISE DE LA VALLIEEB. CHAPTER IX. EXPLANATIONS. Abamis had cleverly managed to effect a diversion for the purpose of finding D'Artagan and Porthos. He came up to the latter behind one of the columns, and as he pressed his hand, said, "So you have escaped from my prison?*'
- 'Do not scold him," said D'Artagnan; "it was I, dear
Aramis, who set him free." "Ah! my friend," replied Aramis, looking at Porthos, "could you not have waited with a little more patience?" D'Artagnan came to the assistance of Porthos, who al- ready began to breathe hard in perplexity. "You see, you members of the Church are great poli- ticians; we, mere soldiers, go at once to the point. The facts are these: I went to pay Baisemeaux a visit " Aramis pricked up his ears at this announcement. "Stay!" said Porthos; "you make me remember that I have a letter from Baisemeaux for you, Aramis." And Porthos held out to the bishop the letter we have already seen. Aramis begged to be allowed to read it, and read it ■without D'Artagnan feeling in the slightest degree embar- rassed by the circumstance that he was so well acquainted with the contents of it. Besides, Aramis' face was so im- penetrable that D'Artagnan could not but admire him more than ever; after he had read it he put the letter into his pocket with the calmest possible air. "You were saying, captain?" he observed. "I was saying," continued the musketeer, "that I had gone to pay Baisemeaux a visit on his majesty's service." "On his majesty's service?" said Aramis.
- 'Yes," said D'Artagnan, "and, naturally enough, we
talked about you and our friends. I must say that Baise- meaux received me coldly; so I soOn took my leave of him. As I was returning, a soldier accosted me, and said (no doubt he recognized me, notwithstanding 1 was in private clothes) 'Captain, will you be good enough to read the name written on this envelope?' and I read, *To Monsieur du Vallon, at Monsieur Fouquet's, St. Mande.' The deuce, said I to myself, Porthos has not returned, then, as I fan- cied, to Belle-Isle, or to Pierrefonds, but is at Monsieur Fouquet's house, at St. Mande; and as Monsieur Fouquet is not at St. Kande, Porthos must be quite alone, or, at all
