surintendant; and that discovery is the result of the correspondence with England; this is why Colbert wished to have that correspondence. Oh! but I cannot place all my dependence upon that man; he is but the head, I must have an arm!"
Louis all at once uttered a joyful cry.
"I had," said he, "a lieutenant of musketeers?"
"Yes, sire — Monsieur d'Artagnan."
"He quitted the service for a time."
"Yes, sire."
"Let him be found, and be here to-morrow, at my levee." The valet de chambre bowed, and went out.
"Thirteen millions in my cellar," said the king; "Colbert bearing my purse, and D'Artagnan carrying my sword—I am king!"
CHAPTER LI.
A PASSION.
The day of his arrival, on returning from the Palais Royal, Athos, as we have seen, went straight to his hotel in the Rue St. Honoré. He there found the Vicomte de Bragelonne waiting for him in his chamber, chatting with Grimaud. It was not an easy thing to talk with this old servant. Two men only possessed the secret, Athos and D'Artagnan. The first succeeded, because Grimaud sought to make him speak for himself; D'Artagnan, on the contrary, because he knew how to make Grimaud talk. Raoul was occupied in making him describe the voyage to England, and Grimaud had related it in all its details, with a certain number of gestures and eight words, neither more nor less. He had, at first, indicated by an undulating movement of his hand that his master and he had crossed the sea.
"Upon some expedition?" Raoul had asked.
Grimaud, by bending down his head had answered:
"Yes."
"When Monsieur le Comte incurred much danger?" asked Raoul.
"Neither too much nor too little," was replied by a shrug of the shoulders.
"But, still, what sort of danger?" insisted Raoul.
