Pla, very proud of being raid to the dignity of landlord, thought he would make all ready, like an intelligent man; and with this view called in the assistanbsp;of the lackey of one of his master''s guests, named Fourreau, and the fal soldier who had tried to kill d''Artagnan and who, belonging to no corps, had entered into the rvibsp;of d''Artagnan, or rather of Pla, after d''Artagnan had saved his life.
The hour of the ba being e, the two guards arrived, took their places, and the dishes were arranged on the table. Pla waited, towel on arm; Fourreau uncorked the bottles; and Brimont, whibsp;was the name of the valest, poured the wine, whibsp;was a little shaken by its journey, carefully into deters. Of this wine, the first bottle being a little thibsp;at the bottom, Brimont poured the lees into a glass, and d''Artagnan desired him to drink it, for the poor devil had not yet recovered his strength.
The guests having eaten the soup, were about to lift the first glass of wine to their lips, when all at onbsp;the on sounded from Fort Louis and Fort Neuf. The Guardsmen, imagining this to be caud by some ued attabsp;either of the besieged or the English, sprang to their swords. D''Artagnan, not less forward than they, did likewi, and all ran out, in order to repair to their posts.
But scarcely were they out of the room before they were made aware of the bsp;of this noi. Cries of "Live the king! Live the cardinal!" resounded on every side, and the drums were beaten in all dires.
In short, the king, impatient, as has been said, had e by forbsp;marches, and had that moment arrived with all his houhold and a reinfort of ten thousand troops. His Musketeers proceeded and followed him. D''Artagnan, plabsp;in line with his pany, saluted with an expressive gesture his three friends, who eyes soon discovered him, and M. de Treville, who detected him at once.
The ceremony of reception over, the four friends were soon in one another''s arms.
"Pardieu!" cried d''Artagnan, "you could not have arrived in better time; the dinner ot have had time to get cold! bsp;it, gentlemen?" added the young man, turning to the two Guards, whom he introduced to his friends.